Job

Yesterday my lead supervisor told us we would have a meeting with our production manager.
We were all questioning about why, so we were worried, because we never had a meeting before. After that, we sat in the conference room and my production manager showed up. He started talking about our salary. Five of us people are working with a temp service. My surprise was that we got raises starting Monday. After that, when we complete the 3 months, the company will hire us full-time. We were excited because I think that motivates the personnel. Our production manager said we’re doing good work and that means we will keep working like that.

Wendy

New Home

I have a new home. Before, my family and I lived in Saint Paul in a small apartment. Now we live in a big home. I like the new home because everything is big, so my children have big play place. Before, my children could not play. Now, every day they play outside. My new home has everything new. Before, my apartment sink was old and my toilet sometimes did not work. That was very hard for me. We have a good neighborhood and in front of my home there is a park. I like everything. I like to cut the grass. I like cleaning a new home.

Eleni

School

I want to talk about school in my country .The school called public schools are where all families send their children , but they don’t have anything free like paper, books snacks or lunches. All the time teachers look for better salaries, or they don’t come to school for weeks. The children have six years at school. That is called primary education. After that their fathers have to pay for another six years in other buildings called colleges, where they can be teachers, bookkeepers or bilingual secretaries. With that title they may attend the University, in order to continue their graduate studies. The private schools or colleges in my country are very expensive, and not all have a lot of money for that.

Maria

I Love Minnesota

My name is Yer Ha Vue. I am Hmong. I am from Laos. My country is in Southeast Asia. The first day I came to Minnesota I was very nervous because it is a country I never saw in my life. I saw a lot of cars, big houses and a very large airport. I like Minnesota because people are very nice, they have good schools, good education and teachers are very nice. I like my teachers. But two things I don’t like are winter (because it is too cold for me) and when you rent a house you have to pay many bills. I love my family. I love Minnesota because in the United States there is freedom. I can do whatever I want. Now I can drive a car, go to school to learn English and have a part time job. My life is better than in Laos. I like my new life.

Yer

My New Home

My family moved from an apartment in Brooklyn Center to a new home in Blaine 3 years ago. My kids love the new home, because my kids can run in the home, play and jump too. In summertime my kids have many friends. They can play in the park near my home. When it’s the weekend, we ride bikes and go around my new home. It is a lot of fun. My husband likes to plant a garden outside. We have tomatoes, peppers, beans and corn, etc. My family happily moved here and it is a lot of fun, not like apartment living. My family got complaints from the landlord all the time for jumping.

Atipone

Fishing

I love to go fishing in summer at about 5-8 a.m. I bring worms and leeches. I go with my brother and my son. I fish in the lake. I get bass and walleye fish, sometimes sunfish. When I’m waiting to catch the fish, I talk to my brother and my son. Sometimes I call my friend or my wife when I go fishing. I bring cheap drinking water and coffee. I come home when I get tired and I have nothing. Sometimes I catch 4-5 big fish. When I finish fishing, I bring them home, clean them and cook or fry them right away, because they are still fresh fish and good to eat. I don’t want to put them in the freezer. If I go fishing in the river, I go at 3-4 p.m. until sunset. Sometimes I go home early if I get big catfish. But I don’t want to cook catfish because they are too hard to clean and very smelly.

Vuong

My School

What is school? School is a place to help students increase their comprehension skills and make a good future. I decided to go to school.
Every morning, I go to school from 8:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Metro North Adult Basic Education in Blaine. I like this school because it has very good teachers who are enthusiastic; they explain to me what I don’t understand. I know sometimes teachers feel sick, but teachers still have to go to school so that studies are not interrupted. Teachers have to stand and talk for a few hours. They help us to increase our communication and knowledge. My school, my family and my best effort will help me achieve a good future.
Lastly, I would like to thank all my teachers: Charles, Thavrak, Ah-li, Polina, Michele, Colleen, Cathy, etc., because my teachers are intelligent. It encourages me to go to school. I look up to them and hopefully I will be like them some day.

Phuong

School

I’m from Mexico. My name is Angelica. I went to school in my country and I finished high school. When I came to America, I decided to go back to school again to learn English because I would like to go to college to finish my education. That can help me to find a better job and get a better life. The schools in America are better than in my country. Here we have a nice place to study and the government helps you to finish your education. That is good because you can get a better future.

Angie

Coming to the United States

I came to the United States in October 1980 because in my country there was a war. People were dying, hungry, and sick. I came with my brother and sister-in-law because my mother and father are in Laos and it is very difficult for them to leave Laos. At that time, I was very sad and I had one brother and sister-in-law in the United States. He sponsored my other brother and me. On my first day in the United States, I saw snow and I was very surprised at everything. I was lonely, but happy. I didn’t know how to go anywhere. I was home every day. I like this country. It is very clean. The thing I like least are the gangster teenagers. I miss my mother and father very much, because they are very old and nobody takes care of them. I don’t miss teenagers drinking alcohol in my native country. I wouldn’t like to go back to my country and live there. I like my new life in the United States.

Ger

We Like to Stay in Shape

Mary exercises every day. Aliaksandr likes soccer. Awien likes to swim. Evelina gets up early. Awien likes aerobics. Yemi eats three meals a day. Polina goes to a gym. Yemi takes long walks. Aliaksandr plays sports. Evelina goes to a doctor. Awien likes basketball. Polina likes to lift weights.

Dora

Favorite Activites

Awien exercises every day. Mary likes soccer. Polina likes to swim. Dora gets up early. Dora does aerobics. Yemi eats three meals a day. Aliaksandr goes to a gym. Yemi takes long walks. Polina plays sports. Dora goes to a doctor. Mary likes basketball. Yemi likes to lift weights.

Aliaksandr

School Back Home

I started school when I was a little girl in the town called allow. At the time we used to have four different subjects. We used to have a lot of students in the same class so if something happened to the teach he or she didn’t come to school we have a teachers for all day but we had a student who could take care of class.
Sometime he could teach us A,B,C,s or math. If we didn’t obey him he would write our name taker us to the office so we would get in trouble like detention or beat up by our teachers. When I finished elementary I went to middle school. It was a little bit different. Since I came to the USA school is different from. The place I came from. I like school over here better. Because everybody is equal. The way they teach is different from country. Here you learn what you can without force. I like freedom over here. And I like my teachers over here. There are very help full.

Fatiya

My Family

I love my family. My husband is named Viktar. We got married on the 20th of August in 1995. We are very, very happy. We have more time to talk together about anything. My husband understands me always and I understand him too. When I have any problems he helps me. We have 4 nice children. When we have free time, we go with our kids to the park, pool, and library. This summer we had a lot of fun. We went to the park, circus and pool. On Independence Day we saw fireworks in Minneapolis. It was a very interesting show. My children like to be together with us. My husband and I love our kids. They are our heart and our future. Sometimes we have discussions about interesting stories about life. I think my family is very happy, because I love my husband and kids and they love me too.

Iryna

My Family

I have two daughters. The older was born in Mexico and my younger daughter was born in California. My older daughter lives with her boyfriend and her three daughters. I help her on weekends, because it is so much work with three girls. I like to be with my granddaughters, because they are funny. Sometimes we go the rollercoaster, but it is no fun for me because l am afraid of heights but l have to do for them and pretend l am having fun. My younger daughter likes to spend her time with her friends, she starts her last year of high school, and she’s excited. I hope everything goes well because she is a good student and l am proud of her because she studies so hard and she gets good grades.

Wendy

Coming to the US

I came to the U. S. in May 2010 from Belarus.
The reason I came here is my brother lives in America.
I came here with my wife and two children. My trip was 40 hours. First I went from Belarus to Germany, then to Chicago and finally to Minneapolis. I brought books, digital photos of my family and friends and some clothes. I planned to come to the United States. I am a refugee. On my first day in the U. S., I slept, because I was very tired.
The best thing about living here is respect for people, beautiful nature, and many birds. The worst thing about living here is nothing.
I am homesick for my father and beautiful big cat in my native country.
I don’t miss the lack of freedom in my country. I wouldn’t like to go back to my country and live there. I like my new life in the United States.

Siarhei

Coming to the US

I came to the U.S. in October 2002 from Mexico. The reason I came here is to visit my father. I am homesick very much. I came here with my cousin, Mayte, and my friend, Jane. My trip was 6 hours. First, I went from Mexico City to Dallas, Texas and then to Minneapolis, Minnesota. I brought one suitcase with clothes, shoes and photos of my family. I planned to come to the United States 3 months before. On my first day in the U.S., I saw people from different countries and listened to different languages. On my first day in the U.S., I felt confused. Everything was different from my country. So, I was feeling happy and nervous. On my first day in the U.S., I went shopping for a jacket, coat and sweaters. I needed clothes to be warm. The worst thing about living here is driving in the snow. It is very difficult for me. I am homesick for my family and friends in my native country. I don’t miss the climate because it’s very hot in my state. I have allergies from being in the sun for a long time. I would like to go back to my native country and visit. I like my new life in the United States.

Adriana