Coming to the United States to Change My Life

Hoi-Yan ("Phyllis")

A big change in my life started with my hopes of going to study in the United States. I was not sure if I was going to regret it. However, I went and at last I have finally succeeded. It is not easy for an Asian student to go through studying in the United States alone and handle everything by herself. I don't have friends or relatives in the States, but I think I am going to be happier in the long run because this is my dream. It is not easy to learn a new language, and a new culture in a new environment. I will get many experiences this year to become an independent, grown up individual. I will take this chance to expand my horizons and try many new things.

In Hong Kong, I lived with my family. I was the princess in this lovely family, they took care of my living; I didn't know how to do the housework; I didn't even know how to cook. I didn't need to take care of everything and worry about anything. All I needed to do is study.

I started my new life the day I came to America. I remembered the flight had three stops from Hong Kong to Killeen. When I had reached Los Angeles, I only had 30 minutes to go from one gate to another. Unfortunately, the plane was gone when I reached the gate. I missed the flight; I was scared; nobody wanted to help. The airport staff said it was my mistake to miss that plane. Finally, they arranged me to take the following one in the morning. I stayed in the airport overnight. This [was] my first experience to handle such a big event independently.

Speaking in a different language is a new challenge. It is hard for me to make new friends in a different language and of different cultures; talking to them will make me nervous. Especially my English is really poor; I bring the Chinese accent to speak in English. So, I am scared that the instructor or other people don't understand what I mean. In my first semester in 2004, I lived in the dormitory at Central Texas College. I was shy as a peacock, and afraid of speaking in English. I always stayed in my room, and played with the computer. I had no friends in America. Subsequently, I met Stephen, my roommate. She is an American, and she speaks English so fast. I didn't really understand what she was saying when we met. However, Stephen is a patient person and tries to be a friend for me. She tried her best to speak slowly and word by word. She improves my speaking skills, also my Chinese accent, and teaches me when I want to talk or write in English, think the idea in English first. At the same time I teach her to speak in Cantonese. We both have a wonderful time. She introduces her friends to me, and now I have friends. I became active, talking more than I had before.

Later on, I wanted to move out [of] the dormitory to live alone. I looked for an apartment from the newspaper and on the internet; I brought a car by myself. Because I don't know how to cook, I went out to eat for the whole first month. As the result, every meal became too expensive, and then I learned to cook. Now, I wash the dishes, cook every meal, and clean up my room every weekend. Also, I know how to change a light bulb.

Furthermore, good time management is important. I recognized my study time and my rest time. I got a regular time schedule. Such as, I spent most time to study in the weekday, and worked, and took rest on the weekend. On the other hand, l learned how to control myself in spending money. For example, I try to save the eating money which is from the restaurant, instead of cooking at home. I allot the money to pay all the payments, school fees, and the car's maintenance and insurance. I understood that nobody can help me when I have got problems. Therefore, I became independent and learned how to solve those problems myself. I have grown up rapidly since arriving in Killeen. Solving problems by myself made me feel like I am a superwoman.

Before I came here, I always watched my father driving for many years. It seems easy to drive and control a car, but I never drove in an actual way. My father said I must be a dangerous driver; and I am careless to do everything. That's why he never let me drive his car. In addition, Hong Kong is a tiny city, the transportation is very [convenient]. It only takes within one and half hours from north to south. I can take buses, boats and trains instead of driving a car. Therefore, it is not much necessary to drive a car in Hong Kong. After I got to Killeen, I understood driving a car is very important. Granted that I went to buy a little thing from Walt-mart, it has to take 15 minutes driving. Lucky, my friend taught me how to drive. It is much more difficult than I thought. Yes, my father is correct; I am really a dangerous driver. The first time I sat in the car, I shifted in a reverse gear, and then stepped all the way on the gas pedal, and I was looking forward. The car went backward rapid[ly]. There was only on inch between me and the car behind. It almost got crashed. My friend who is sitting next to me got scared. He teased me; however, he taught me how to drive. It was a hard time for me. Finally, I can drive well. Now, I drive to school by myself.

There is another big difficulty for me is learning to adopt a new culture. There is a big difference in the education system between my country and the United States. In Hong Kong, teachers read all words from the book. Students have limited choice to choose their favorite majors; we have a public examination for high school student and the contents are required for two years. It is hard to get a good grade on the test. However, teachers in America are active. They show the knowledge outside the book. All tests are based on the lecture, and every subject finishes in a semester. As long as the students are hard working on their study, it is easy to get a good grade.

I also had to adapt to other differences between Hong Kong and the United States. In Hong Kong, there are many tall buildings. It is a crowded and small city. Hong Kong's street markets are always full of excitement and color. The market stalls are where Hong Kong's dedicated shoppers hone their bargaining skills. A little Cantonese helps but sign language is universal. One can pick up a bargain or just wander among the fascinating range of wares. Hong Kong's Flower Market is a truly magical experience. Shoppers admire the colorful displays, the sweet scents and the exotic blossoms of many fortune-bringing houseplants. The US is a beautiful and interesting country, with lots of cultural attractions in its museums, art galleries, and concert halls. It has vast expanses of wilderness, but many of the major attractions are easily accessible from the roads, and close encounters with the wildlife are almost guaranteed. Consequently, there is a big difference in culture.

Every country, even different states in America, has its own culture. Studying in the America is changing my life. After I came to U.S.A., I got a lot of new experiences. When I look back, I can see I became mature. I understood I have to solve all problems on my own, take care of myself and control my spending ability. I learned cooking and driving. I did not know how to do stuff like this before I came to U.S.. I can surmount my fear of speaking in English. I talk more than before. I was shy to talk with people, and I have a lot of friends around me now. I know more about myself. It seems like a brand new me.