Anthologies Fall 2018 - English Language Institute - College of Staten Island

English Language Institute
Reflections
AN ANTHOLOGY
College of Staten Island
Center for Global Engagement
FALL 2018

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English Language Institute – College of Staten Island

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Reflections:
An Anthology
Reflections is a collection of writings by the students of
The English Language Institute
ELI Faculty
Drew Bostinto
David Bridston
Gail Hernandez
Thomas Speirs
City University of New York
2800 Victory Boulevard
Building 2A, Room 206
Staten Island, New York, 10314
Email: elistudy@csi.cuny.edu
Website: www csi.cuny.edu/international
facebook.com/englishinnewyork
** Please note that these student writings do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The
English Language Institute and the College of Staten Island.

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INDEX
Page
Center for Global Engagement 5
English Language Institute 6
Introduction 7
1. My Trip to Georgia 8
2. The Japanese School System 10
3. My Life in the Hospital 12
4. My Parenting Experience in NYC 13
5. My Experience in New York 15
6. Jordan-Saudi Arabia 17
7. A Special Day 19
8. My Family’s Weekend Trips 20
9. My First Time in New York 21
10. My Experience Working in the Peruvian Jungle 22
11. My Experience in New York 24
12. Kobe: Tourist Sights and Festival 26
13. Birth of the Child Jesus 28
14. My First Day in Manhattan 29
15. Day of the Dead celebration 30
16. My experiences at CSI and in New York City 31
17. Television: Such a Bad Babysitter 32
18. A wonderful Christmas gift 33
19. Celebrating Culture Day at ELI 34
20. First Snow, First Storm 36
21. The First Snowfall 38
22. A rainy day 39
23. A Surprising Christmas Gift 41
24. First Snow 43
25. My birthday 44
26. New York Experience 46
27. The Billion Dollar Candy 48
28. Difficult Decision 49
29. The casting call… 51
30. It was a Wonderful Christmas 54
31. Pressures in life 57
32. First Experience in New York 59
33. My Life in New York 60
34. I enjoyed the best meal I had even eaten in my life… 62
35. Vacation in India 63
36. My experience in New York 65
37. America’s Snow 67

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Center for Global Engagement
The overarching thrust of the Center and its activities is to be the driving force behind
infusing the campus with ideas and activities that support comprehensive
internationalization. The broad goals set forth below are designed to enhance
comprehensive internationalization on the campus:
 Offer unique programming for students, faculty, staff, and the local community that serves
the diverse needs of the broad spectrum of constituencies interested in international
education, ideas, themes, and activities.
 Expand the international outreach of the College including new opportunities for joint
research and scholarship through cooperative partnerships and programming at home and
abroad.
 Infuse the curriculum with global learning so that all students are presented with
opportunities that promote global-mindedness, cultural diversity, and international
understanding.
 Position the College of Staten Island as a premier destination for international students and
scholars though rigorous academic offerings, innovative programming, and welcoming
policies.
 Encourage the participation in international educational opportunities and intercultural
programming woven throughout the curriculum.

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The English Language Institute (ELI) offers an exciting and
innovative academic program for students learning English as a
second language. Our course of study is designed to challenge and
engage students. Students are immersed in the language, culture,
and the ethnicity of New York City.
At the English Language Institute, we understand that learning
English can be a difficult task. Our experienced and dedicated
instructors prepare and guide students through an amazing
journey. With patience and compassion, instructors encourage
students to reach their goals and attain academic excellence.
Students in our program are entitled to use all the facilities available on campus such as the
pool, tennis, basketball, racquetball courts, and fitness center. Students can also attend any
lectures or workshops they feel would enhance their own learning experience.
The English Language Institute (ELI) at the College of Staten Island offers programs in
English and cultural orientation to international students, professional and business people,
visitors, and members of the local community.
ELI provides a supportive environment for language
learning: small classes, individual attention, highly
qualified faculty, and innovative teaching approaches
help students acquire confidence and develop fluency
and accuracy in English in an efficient and enjoyable way.
Through special focus classes, field trips, and visits to the
unique cultural institutions of New York City, students receive an orientation to American
culture and an introduction to the US system of higher education. Programs are offered at all
levels of proficiency, from beginner to advanced. Courses are designed to address the needs
of students who require English for academic, professional, or personal reasons.

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Introduction
The following anthologies are entirely prepared by ELI students during the
semester term they spend studying at the English Language Institute (ELI) at
the College of Staten Island/CUNY.
They prepare this academic work while having classes of grammar, reading and
writing, communications, and TOEFL preparation workshops, with the
supervision of their ELI teachers. Topics are chosen by ELI students and they
reflect personal points of view of the topics selected and facts and information
researched by them.
ELI students dedicate time to make
the best articles and carefully
prepare their essays in and outside
class. All ELI students participate,
from beginning to advanced level.
ELI wants to show their work
considering their English level in
order to become an academic tool
for future English-learning
students.
Most of all, ELI wants to show content related to topics students may have
experienced while studying English in New York, an important topic in their
home country, a current issue, or any other topic they decided to write about.
ELI is very proud of this academic work that represents the outcomes of each
student, who not only learns English as a language but also is capable of
expressing meaningful content-based language.
Enjoy reading the anthologies!

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ELI student: Abdel Rahman Jamal
Jordan
ELI teacher: Thomas Speirs
My Family Trip to Georgia
In 2017, my family and I went to Georgia. Not the Georgia in the United States, but the
Georgia next to Russia. We departed from Dubai International Airport and arrived in Tbilisi,
Georgia at 12 pm. We had arranged with some people to pick us up from the airport and
take us to our hotel, but they never showed up. Even after we called them, they didn’t
respond, so we felt stranded. As a result, my father got very angry, and we ended up taking a
taxi to our hotel. Needless to say, our vacation got off to a bad start, but fortunately it got a
lot better in the days to come.
When we arrived at the hotel, we checked in, and we all went to our rooms and rested a
bit after a long trip. The following day, we got up at 10 am and went to breakfast. However,
it was raining, and my father told us to wait until the rain stopped. The rain stopped at 4 pm,
and then we went on a tour in Tbilisi, and while we were walking around the town, we met
an Arabic family. They lived in Georgia, and they spoke Georgian. We invited them to
dinner, and after we finished eating, they invited us to their farm, which was an hour drive
from Tbilisi. After visiting their farm, we went back to our hotel at 9:00 at night and got
ready for the trip for the next day.
We woke up at 9:00 in the morning, and our new friends met us at our hotel and took us
to their farm. We arrived there at 11:00 and sat around their home and drank tea.
Afterwards, my father, brother and I went with our hosts to get some meat and chicken to
roast. As my brother and I went into the woods to gather some firewood, we saw some
reindeer only a few feet away from us. There were a lot of them. It was truly amazing! We
then returned to the farm with our firewood and prepared our meal.
The weather was great for a barbeque. We lit the wood, spiced the chicken and the meat
and put it all on the fire. We ate everything, and it was all delicious! Thanks to God! Then we
made some shisha (hoka) and some tea. It was such a wonderful day. Afterwards, we
returned to the hotel.
Even though our vacation started of badly, it ended up very well, and we stayed in
Georgia for two weeks. Besides Tbilisi, we also went to several other cities in Georgia such
as Batumi, Kutaisi, Gori, Burgumi and Zugdidi. They were all interesting. Of course there

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are many other cities in Georgia that we didn’t visit, so I will return one day and visit all of
them because I LOVE Georgia. It’s a wonderful country.
World Atlas

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ELI student: Aiko Yamahana
Japan
The Japanese School System
In Japan, school starts in April and goes to March of the following calendar year. In
addition, there are vacations three times a year, which last for several weeks. They are the
summer vacation, from August to September, the winter vacation, from December to
January, and the spring vacation from March to April. The summer vacation is the longest
of the three. However, we have to do a lot of homework assignments during that time.
This is very hard because we don’t have much free time to enjoy ourselves. We often need
to do a lot of reading and writing assignments, study our textbooks, do artwork, and so on.
In addition, elementary school students have free study, in which they find out what their
interests are. I remember I was interested in learning about the cities of Japan. After doing
some research on the topic, I made a presentation in my class.
We have a compulsory education, and students must stay in school until they are at least
15 years old. However, most students finish high school. Students normally start school at
six years old, in which they begin primary school. We also have after school activities. After
our classes during the day, we usually join a club like the swimming club, baseball club,
music club and others. I was a member of the music club. I played the clarinet. My club
practiced music every day except on Sunday, and we played at festivals in front of
audiences. Practicing music every day was very hard, but after the festivals, I was always
happy that I played.
Next, students stay together as a cohort in one classroom during the day; each cohort is
composed of thirty to forty students. Their teachers from each subject will come to their
class and then leave at the end of the period, and then the next teacher will enter. The
normal subjects we take are Japanese, math, science, English, social studies, art and music.
We also take physical education, but in this case, we go to the gym or the sports field
outside. I liked English and science when I was a student. My friends and I often got
together and studied after class.
During lunchtime, we ate at the school’s cafeteria. We didn’t have to bring lunch to
because the school provided our meals, so the students ate the same food. I remember that

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there were always conflicts in the cafeteria when the popular food was served, so students
would do rock-paper-scissors to see who would get the biggest portion. I liked the frozen
orange and fried bun coated with roasted soybean powder. Then the cafeteria
responsibilities of preparing the dining hall and cleaning up afterwards, called “kyushoku-
gakari,” were assigned to each group of students. I didn’t really like being assigned to
kyushoku-gakari very much, but I liked going to lunch every day because I could talk with
my friends during our lunch break time.
All in all I enjoyed my school life, so I want to be an English teacher when I graduate.
Therefore, I will work hard everyday to improve my English.
Getty Images/urbancow

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ELI student: Basmah Abdulhamid Algabyali
Yemen
My Life in the Hospital
I graduated from the College of Medicine in Yemen 2016. From this time my life in the
hospital started.
Starting as a trained physician (Intern), I took responsibility for patients. I woke up early
every morning to check on the condition of my patients, which I left the day before in the
hope that their health had improved. I would come in the morning to see my patients and
write details of their condition and then discuss those details with the specialist doctor. This
was mostly my daily routine, and I saw some patients getting better and others not. I also
saw patients who were suffering and others who were dying. It was always difficult to see
suffering, but as a professional I had to deal with it for the sake of the patients.
During those days I lived in the hospital. I used to sleep on a chair instead of my warm
bed at home. I replaced my mother's food with some biscuits and spent the night with the
patients, or I might be in the operating room. I saw a lot of things that seemed strange to
me; every day I would see new cases of illness and injury - including victims of accidents,
psychiatric patients and addicts, and those who suffered with chronic diseases such as cancer
patients, patients with kidney failure and patients with heart disease.
lifeofsciencetheaspainfulandsweetbothseemedeverythingandpassedyearThe
toStatesUnitedthetocometodecidedthenIHowever,improved.medicineandstudies
thenandgoodbyesaytofriendsandmothermycalledbags,mypackedIcareer.mydevelop
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thethatfeelIbutdifficulties,anddoubtsofharesitswithoutbeenhasn'tprocessThis
tobackgotoablebewillIthatsomedayhopeIit.worthbewillherereceiveIthatbenefits
andknowledgethethroughtheresystemsocialandhealththetocontributeandcountrymy
.heregained'veIthatexperience

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ELI student: Fangxin Li
China
My Parenting Experience in NYC
Four years ago, my family came to NY. At that time, my daughter was only eight months
old. Right now she is in Kindergarten. In the past four years, a lot of interesting things have
happened. As a result, I have had an unforgettable parenting experience.
When I was in China, it seemed to me that both parents and kids are under very high
pressure because of the educational system. For example, in order to get a child admitted to
a good school, we have to buy an apartment in a good school zone. In Beijing, in the
Haidian district, the price of those school zone apartments is around $2,3000 per square
meter. A one-bedroom apartment is about $1,610,000. Most of my friends who have kids
chose to buy such an apartment in a good school zone even before the birth of their baby.
When I came to NYC, I realized that there is also a school zone. My friend moved from NJ
to uptown Manhattan, as she wanted her son to have the opportunity to apply to Hunter
primary school. As my husband is a student, we only have his scholarship as income, so we
cannot move to Manhattan. Therefore, of course my daughter doesn’t have the chance to
apply to Hunter primary school; however, we chose a good school zone on Staten Island.
Now my daughter has a wonderful schooling experience.
On Staten Island, it was not easy to find playmates for my daughter in the beginning
because people live far away from each other, and the wintertime is long, so having her get
together with playmates year-round is difficult. Playing with similar aged kids is very
important as kids can learn from peers during the playing process. This is also extremely
useful for the language development and social skills development. Before my daughter went
to school, it was not so easy to find playmates for her. However, now we can actively
participate in all kinds of parent- kids activities. Fortunately, I have helped my daughter find
several long-term friends.
Sometimes, I tell my daughter I didn’t get my education here, so we should work together
on her schoolwork so that we can both benefit. One day she asked me to wear “star clothes”
to school, so I prepared an outfit with stars on it. Finally, when I picked her up, I found out
that it should have been Star WARS related clothes. I guess she didn’t know about Star
Wars. So how to handle cultural differences is also part of my parenting experience.

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This is my parenting experience with pressure sometimes, but what I have most is
happiness. I love growing together with my daughter in a new country. I hope we can do
even better in the future.
NY Metro Parents

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ELI student: Erika Galindo
Peru
My experience in New York
My first time in New York was as a tourist three years ago. I remember I was walking
around Manhattan, and I took a city tour where I had the chance to see museums, a lot of
buildings and people from everywhere. I noticed that New York was a very cosmopolitan
city since people from all over the globe come just to see the city’s attractions, but I also
noticed there were a lot of important companies where I could work. I told my husbanded
that I wanted to live in this city because it was amazing and had a lot of work and study
opportunities. And that’s how our adventure started in New York.
Now, I’m studying English at the English Language Institute of CSI. I like the classes
because the teachers are friendly and helpful. Studying at the ELI has allowed me meet other
people from several countries with different languages. My goal is to improve my English
and apply for a master’s degree next year. I’m not good at languages, but I know that I need
English as it is an important tool if I want to reach my personal, academic, and professional
goals. I have seen a major improvement since I started my English classes. Now I
understand more when people speak on the streets, when I listen to music, or when I watch
a movie in English. I felt scared at the beginning, but then I saw that my classmates were on
the same path.
Part of my experience in New York has been to observe the diverse cultures. I’m learning
new things from my classmates who come from different countries and many types of
cultures. I’m not used to being around friends from completely different cultures, but I have
enjoyed learning from them. For example, I learned about the Ramadan from my Jordanian
friends and a little of Portuguese from my Brazilian classmate. In addition to meeting people
from different parts of the world, the architecture of New York is amazing, and I think that’s
part of the New York-American culture of being huge. Things in America and New York are
big. Seeing so many skyscrapers all clustered together has impressed me because in my
country, there are none. No wonder New York is called “The Big Apple.”
Another experience I’ve had is with the food. I’m still trying to get used to the food here
because it is not as tasty as the food in my country. I even have the same problem when I go
to a Peruvian restaurant in New York. My food is very diverse, and we can have many

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options for each meal, and there are many ingredients that I may not be able to find here.
Sometimes I don’t find fresh fish, and the taste is not pleasant for some Peruvian dishes. In
Staten Island for example, there are only two Peruvian restaurants, and some dishes do not
have the same taste as in Peru.
Altogether I’ve had a lot of good experiences and some not so good, but ultimately, I
hope that by learning English here at the English Language Institute of the College of Staten
Island, I may be able to have more and better experiences in order to find more
opportunities in this country. I’m sure I will adapt myself by traveling and visiting tourist
attractions, trying new food, studying for a master’s degree and enjoying my time here.
Finally, even though I will always miss my family and food, I know I will have a better life
here.
Pixabay

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ELI student: Hamza Omar Haimour
Jordan
Jordan-Saudi Arabia
When I was 18 years old, I was living and going to school in Saudi Arabia. In my free
time, I used to go into the desert with my friends. We were usually a group of 12 people. We
used to go by car, and the drive into the desert could take up to three hours. When we
reached our destination, we would collect firewood, make a fire and brew Arabica coffee and
tea. After having refreshments, we would ride camels through the sand dunes and explore
the surrounding area. The sand dunes went on forever and the sky was blue and gigantic,
and during the daytime the desert would get very hot, but as the evening set in, the
temperature cooled down considerably.
After returning to our campsite at the end of the day, we would sit down and talk and joke
and laugh. Then we would cook our dinner – usually a meat dish called “kabsah” with rice -
and satisfy our hungry stomachs. When we finished eating we would clean up and sit around
the fire telling stories or singing songs until at last we would fall asleep under the stars.

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ELI student: Hellen Joyce Moreira Lemos Boaventura de Miranda
Brazil
A Special Day
I remember my wedding day; it was a very special day, and everything was beautiful.
We were married on July 2, 2018, in the city of Anapolis- Brazil. The church was crowded
with more than 700 people, all standing and waiting for my entrance. When I entered, my
husband started to cry. It was magic that moment.
We were so young and in love. We were waiting and arranging that moment for
months, and thank God, it was all wonderful. Ah! It was not possible to contain the emotion
and joy. When the pastor said you are now, married, it seemed like dream.
We have been married for seven years now and are so happy together. We live in
very good times and have a special life. The secret is that we love and respect each other.
Blog Segundo Oficial de Registro de Imoveis de Ribeirao Preto

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ELI student: Homero Gomez
Colombia
My Family’s Weekend Trips
When I was in Bogota, I found different places to spend time with my family on the
weekend. We liked to visit natural parks and spend the day hiking along trails, going fishing
and enjoying nature. I used to plan our trips in my office during the week, and after work on
Friday, my family and I would drive about 3 hours and go to the park. The place we would
mostly visit was a park called Jericho. While we were on the road, we used to play word
games, and we would also practice nursery rhymes.
On Saturday morning we would go hiking along the trails and see different kinds of
animals and plants such as birds, horses, cows, goats, beautiful flowers and fruit trees. Then
we would often go fishing. Jerico had two small lakes where we would catch fish known as
“Trucha Arcoiris.” After fishing, we would stop in a restaurant and have lunch. The fish that
we caught, we would always carry to the restaurant where they would be cooked. After we
ate our lunch, we would hike along other mountain trails again or ride horses up through the
mountain. It was wonderful.
At the end of the day when sunset came, we would find some place to have dessert
with a hot drink before beginning the three-hour trip back home and ending our wonderful
weekend “getaway.”
NZTE

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ELI student: Katia Morales
Peru
My First Time in New York
It was February 11, 2014, and I had just arrived in New York for the first time! On that
trip, I stayed here for 15 days. My childhood dreams of coming to New York had finally
come true because when I was a child, I had always dreamed of visiting New York.
However, at that time it was almost impossible for my family, so I just had to wait. In the
meantime, I watched many movies from here, and I said to myself that one day I would be
here, walking in Manhattan, meeting different people, having new adventures and learning
English.
Many years later, I made my dreams come true. I was able to get my visa here, and I could
visit my cousin that I hadn't seen for 10 years. Finally, I arrived at JFK, in New York. It was
winter, and it was the first time in my life that I had ever seen snow and different kinds of
houses and buildings. New York was really a big city, with gigantic buildings – skyscrapers –
and a lot of people walking in the street. Everything here was new. I had never even taken a
subway ride because we don’t have subways in my country, Peru.
I visited many places with my beautiful and wonderful cousin. We went to Central Park
and several museums and even took in a few shows. She gave me this opportunity of
knowing New York, and while I was walking in Central Park one day, I thought that I would
like to stay here and know the different kinds of people from around the world since in New
York you can find people from all the different countries of the world. It’s really an amazing
place. Unfortunately, however, at that time I could only stay for a few weeks because I had
to go back to Peru and continue working.
However, when I left New York after that first trip here almost five years ago, I made
a promise to myself that I would someday return and stay longer to study English. Now I’m
fulfilling my promise to myself and studying here at the College of Staten Island. So far it has
been a great experience, and I’m very happy.

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ELI student: Marcia Aguirre
Peru
My Experience Working in the Peruvian Jungle
I remember when I was assigned to work in the Jungle in Peru. It was for a
Hydroelectric Project that lasted six months, and in those six months we had to live in an
indigenous community. This was very difficult for me as I had always worked in Lima (the
capital of Peru) and had all the comforts of home.
Getting to the location was a long and difficult trip. It took one hour by flight, 6 hours on
a road that was in poor condition, so it was very bumpy, and then 2 more hours by boat. I
was exhausted when I arrived. I couldn’t sleep the first night, and I couldn’t eat either
because I was afraid of getting sick.
The next day we all had to leave very early because the walk through the jungle was
about 3 hours. The weather was extremely hot and humid, and the presence of unrelenting
mosquitoes were only some challenging factors to contend with in the tropical rain forest.
On the way we saw different kinds of trees, plants and animals. I had told our guide that
I was feeling lucky, and our group was going to see at least one of the majestic creatures that
inhabited the area as there are over 1,800 species of birds, 500 mammals and 300 reptiles,
plentiful amphibians and countless insects, including an estimated 450 species of colourful
butterflies. However, the most dangerous species are the anacondas, jaguars and tigers. He
chuckled and told me that in all his time working in the jungle, he had never seen any of
these creatures. The interesting fact he told me was that sometimes even villagers of the área
go a whole lifetime without seeing any of these creatures.
We worked from Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday, we used to go to a nearby place to
relax and enjoy ourselves.
After spending six months in the jungle we were about to go back to Lima without seeing
any of the "large and dangerous creatures" that live there. However, on the last day, as we
were packing our bags to go home, a jaguar walked through our village, looked around and
then headed back into the jungle. It was magical moment that I'll never forget.
Thinking back on my adventure, I’ve decided there are three things you have to come to
terms with when living in the Jungle (aside from heat and humidity):

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1. - Things are going to poke you.
2. - Things are going to bite you.
3. - Your feet will never ever be clean.
However, it’s all part of the experience I think that you get working outside of your natural
environment, and that is a different perspective about life.
Promperu

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ELI student: Misbah Kousar
Pakistan
My Experience in New York
Living in a place different than home can be difficult, and living in a different country,
no matter for how long, is a completely new world. However, coming to a new country can
be exciting and educational, and it can also provide many opportunities. I enjoyed my trip
from Pakistan to the United States even though the flight was long. On the way coming to
the US, we had a stop in Doha, Qatar, so I was able to see a new city, and at the end of my
trip, I arrived in New York, USA. Here in New York, I have experienced new things and
met new people from other cultures.
Now I am studying English at the College of Staten Island NY along with students from
many different countries. It’s interesting talking with them and learning about their countries
and cultures. I am enjoying the atmosphere of the college very much. I like meeting the
people of this town and the students at the college. It’s a new experience for me to be able
to interact with the people here such as saying “Hello” in the morning, the afternoon and
the evening and smiling at them whether I know them or not. This is not common where I
come from.
One of the funny things that happened to me was that on the first day of college, I got
lost and it was all because the campus is large, and I didn’t know the right path to take to get
to class. I ended up in the middle of nowhere asking students for directions to get to
building 5S. Finally someone gave me the correct directions, and I was able to find my class.
One of the interesting experiences I have had was when I took the ferry ride with my
classmates while we were on our field trip to the Museum of American Indians in
Manhattan. On the way from Staten Island to Manhattan, they showed me the Statue of
Liberty, which I had only seen in movies and pictures, and it was the first time I saw it up
close, so I was so happy to see it. Then they showed me the bridges that connect some of
the boroughs to each other like the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge. Then we arrived
in Manhattan. After getting off the ferry I enjoyed exploring the city a lot. Some of the
places we visited were the Museum of American Indians, Wall Street, The World Trade
Center and Little Italy. It was also an amazing experience to travel in the subway. All of these

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things that I enjoyed a lot may be very small and common events for New Yorkers, but for
me this trip has had so much value.
Maybe the most important part of being in New York for me is the freedom that exists
here. I am from a village where people spread bad rumors about the character of a girl if she
goes out alone from home, even to go to work or study, or if a girl uses a laptop or a
smartphone for her educational purpose. People talk about this and say that she is not a
good girl, and something is wrong with her. In addition, people will also gossip about the
parents if they are sending their girls to school for a good education and say they are
unsuitable parents. It’s very difficult to live under these conditions. It’s such a relief to be
here and not have to deal with these issues.
Finally, I hope all of my classmates will have new and useful experiences for themselves
through their coming to the United States and receive the opportunities that they are looking
for.
USA Today

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ELI student: Reo Miyaura
Japan
Kobe: Tourist Sights and Festival
Kobe is a pretty town filled with a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Kobe is well known for its
Kobe Beef, which is as famous as Back Angus and Filet Mignon and served in restaurants
throughout the world.
Kobe is a great place for tourists to visit, if you go there, you can take a train at the
Sannomiya Station and walk through Chinatown and visit its teahouses, restaurants and
shops and then arrive at Motomachi where you can hop on the little sightseeing bus. You get
off the bus at Kitano Jingai to see the old and well-preserved foreign consulate buildings or
sit in one of the several cute cafés. You will see nice little souvenir shops and ethnic
restaurants such as Italian and Brazilian. The view from the hilltop is also very nice. The little
sightseeing bus will take you to all these places. The building of Kazamidori is a historic
building in Kobe. It is a Western pavilion that was built as a German trader's house in 1904.
It has a brick-like appearance, and there is a Kazamidori – a weather vane - on the roof. The
appearance incorporates Western style with traditional Japanese. However, there is ingenuity
in the details of the hall depending on the climate and culture of Japan. For example, you can
see windows like sliding doors that slide horizontally instead of back and forth. It is called
the former Thomas House from the name of the original resident.
The Kobe Municipal Nunobiki Herb Garden is a botanical garden where you can enjoy
the flowers and herbs of the four seasons. It is a garden in which you can really relax and
ride the ropeway lift going up to the top of the mountain while being wrapped in the scent
of herbs as you look over the cityscape of Kobe.
"Kobe Harbor Land" made the most of the goodness of the seaside town Kobe. It is a
very popular area as a place where you can take pictures with the sea background and
beautiful and stylish pictures with port towers and monuments as a background.
Kobe is blessed with mountains and the sea; you can see the night view shining like a
jewel. Among them, the night views from Mt. Rokko and Maya are breathtaking beauties,
and you can enjoy the light spreading in the curves and the silhouette of the bay. The night

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view of Kobe was certified as "Japan's New Three Major Night Scenes" in 2015 from its
beauty.
Kobe is also famous for the Danjiri Festival. The duration of the festival changes
depending on the area, but in Kobe it will be held for about a week. During the festival, we
wear special costumes called happi coats. A happi coat is a traditional Japanese piece of
clothing often worn during festivals. It's a loose fitting coat that is sometimes worn with an
"obi" belt. Every year in May, the Danjiri of each district runs bravely through the streets as
the city overflows with festival lovers. In the Kansai or West Japan, it is a festival in which
people set up decorations on a wheeled cart. The decorations include models of people,
plants, birds and beasts. It is drawn through the streets at the head of the parade. A Mikoshi
- a portable shrine and “Carriage for the Gods,” - can also be found at this event. At
festivals, Japanese people gather around the Mikoshi and carry it on their shoulders in order
to worship the gods. In addition, it is a festival praying for infectious diseases not to be
prevalent, and the richness and appreciation of the five grains of agriculture and fishery.
While carrying the Mikoshi, the carriers often yell "Wasshoi, Wasshoi."
With all of these wonderful sights and activities, Kobe is a great place for tourists to visit,
so I welcome everyone to come to my hometown, Kobe, and enjoy a great holiday.
Azamara Club Cruises

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ELI student: Rocio Villalobos
Guatemala
ELI teacher: David Bridston
Birth of the Child Jesus
When I was child in Guatemala my mother, my brothers and I used to take part in
Christmas activities, which started during the second week of December. We reenacted the
Birth of the Child Jesus by going from house to the house in my neighborhood and asking
to share an inn with the Child Jesus.
In my hometown we all celebrated those 12 days until December 24, which is the birth of
the Child Jesus, and we used to have a big party. We celebrated with piñatas, fruit punch,
tamales and gifts to welcome the Child Jesus. We did this every year while I was living in
Guatemala.
Today my children, friends and I continue this tradition of our culture here in New York.
I believe that no matter where you are the important thing is to always know where you
come from, and what you can get when you have a lot of faith.
EFEtur Viajes

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ELI student: Carolina Hernandez
Mexico
ELI teacher: Drew Bostinto
My First Day in Manhattan
I remember when I arrived in New York City on the night of November 11. When I got
home, I met my homestay and went to sleep early because the next day I had to go to CSI
(The College of Staten Island).
On November 12, I had some activities at school that were a lot of fun, but I´ll never forget
the first time that I went to Manhattan. This day, my friends and I took the bus to the St.
George terminal. I was so excited because I´ve never
traveled to the USA, especially New York City, so visiting
Manhattan was a dream for me. I can’t believe that I was so
close to experiencing the most iconic city, New York.
We took the ferry and I remembered my first impression of
the station. It was so big and I’d never imagined it that way.
When we were on the ferry, my friends and I went outside
on the deck. Although it was windy and cold, we took so
many pictures.
My first view of Manhattan was beautiful. In front of me
were high buildings and lots of people. We ran to the
subway because we had already wanted to visit Times Square. We were crazy with emotion.
Everything was perfect.
We arrived at 42nd Street and we walked a little to arrive
at Times Square. Everything was a dream come true. It
was so amazing and I was surprised by the lights, the
buildings and the publicity (I studied marketing and I love
good publicity).
New York was an incomparable experience. I loved this
trip and I would like to continue studying here, at CSI, the
best College in New York City.

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ELI student: Estefany Balderas Nanco
Mexico
Day of the Dead celebration
Talking about death for some people may cause fear, but in Mexico we have a celebration
in which we honor our dear relatives who have died. This celebration is called Day of the
Dead. Although the great majority of Mexicans celebrate this tradition, not all of us do it in
the same way.
In Chilchotla, a small town of which I am originally from, we start celebrating Day of the
Dead a week before and go to the market to buy the things that we will use to make the altar
such as baskets, a variety of fruit, candles and flowers like Cempasúchil (marigold) and red
velvet celosia seeds.
In my town, the celebration lasts 4 days starting on November 30th. This day is dedicated
to children who have died without being baptized, and different types of toys are usually
placed in the offering. On November 31st, this day is dedicated to people who died in an
accident or in a tragic way. October 1st is dedicated to people who died of natural causes.
This is when my grandmother usually cooks mole with chicken and rice. We also cook
tamales of different flavors and a hot atole, to put in the offering. We also put fruit like
tangerines, bananas, oranges, apples and guavas.as well as bread of the dead and candles.
On October 2nd we collect the offering and take the flowers to the cemetery to
decorate the tombs. The fruit and food that is placed on the altar is shared with all the
relatives or the people who visit our house. It is a tradition that the children leave their
house to go to other houses and sing typical songs and receive fruits, food or money.
This is a beautiful Mexican tradition in which we remember our relatives who have died.
We have the belief that they return to this world to be able to enjoy the foods they used to
taste when they lived.

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ELI student: Maria del Mar Castillo
Spain
My experiences at CSI and in New York City
My experiences at CSI and in New York City have been fantastic! I remember the first trip
with my classmates when we went to Manhattan to visit the National Museum of the American
Indian. After that, we went for lunch and visited other places in downtown Manhattan such
as the September 11th Memorial and Trinity Church. My favorite moment, however, was
when we went to a bar in Little Italy where everybody sang “Happy Birthday”. I was really
happy this day, and I will never forget it. I have been learning more English now and I have
a lot of friends from different places. I like learning about differents cultures, trying
different foods and knowing different people with different ideas. I love my class and my
new friends!
Smithsonian Institution

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ELI student: Alexander Rosado
Dominican Republic
Television: Such a Bad Babysitter
In our generation today, television makes an important impact on those who enjoy
the wide variety of entertainment that it offers. And the fact is that we can find so many
different options for pretty much every type of audience. Children are included among this
group. As someone that grew up watching TV, I’m aware of the need of being very careful
about the messages that our little ones are getting from it. That’s the reason why parents
should supervise what their children watch on TV.
It is well known that television exposes kids to violence, therefore even if they are living in
a peaceful environment, they could still be learning unwanted behaviors. I remember when I
was in 6th
grade, I had a neighbor about my age that was fascinated with weapons. He
sometimes would also get very violent with me and other friends. His parents got a lot of
complaints from teachers and other parents that were concerned about the safety of their
children when around this kid. And when he was taken to a therapist after hitting my next
door neighbor with a stone, his mother was in shock to find out that her son’s behavior
was indeed directly related to the unsupervised TV he used to watch.
Children also tend to imitate what they watch on television, like Gary Soto describes in
his narrative story Looking for Work, ‘‘for weeks I had drunk Koo-Aid and watched
morning reruns of Father Knows Best, whose family was so uncomplicated in its routine
that I very much wanted to imitate it ‘’( Soto 22). By this time Gary was only nine years old,
and he already wanted to imitate a fake family from a TV show he watched. Like my violent
friend from childhood, Gary also didn’t have his parents monitoring and explaining to him
the misinformation he was receiving, therefore he got so immersed into in that fake world
that it affected his own reality.
It is very important to be aware of the type of programs that children watch on television
when they are left alone. It only takes a few minutes to find out if a certain content is
appropriate or not for a child. This way we would be ensuring that our kids are not being
exposed to unwanted behaviors and wrong ways of learning.
References
Soto, Gary. “looking for Work.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing.
Ed. Columbo, Cullen, & Lisle .10th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2016. 19-24.

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ELI student: Alondra Lopez
Mexico
A wonderful Christmas gift
Last year when I was 18 years old, my family decide to do a Christmas exchange because we
haven’t done one for a long time and we needed to spend more time together. So, two weeks
before we met at dinner to know who we were going to give a gift and we made a dynamic
with pieces of paper and each one took one. We agreed that it would be a secret the person
to whom we would give the gift but over time we knew who would give us the gift,
unfortunately that person for me was my 62-year-old grandma and since the moment I knew
I was very nervous cause she is so bad giving presents and also she have always been terrible
to know what the other ones like.
As the days passed I became increasingly anxious to know what she had decided to give me
but I really tried to not to think about it.
And then the day arrived. I remember that we were all together in home eating tamales and
hot chocolate enjoying and laughing and two hours ago we moved to the living room for the
exchange. We were all sitting in the living room which was very warm and still smelled like
chocolate, also we all wore our respective pajamas. Everyone got up to give themselves the
gift and a hug, as a matter of fact I bought a book for my aunt and she was pretty happy
with the election I made for her but then it was my turn to receive my present but in that
moment I felt very nervous that I even felt my cheeks turn red. My grandma got up from
that old chair and I remember her smile of satisfaction cause even than the bag was horrible
she knew that I was really going to love her, and that’s how it was. When I opened that bag
inside was the complete discography of my favorite band that I had been looking for at least
four years. We were all surprised but especially me because no one expected that she would
do that but anyway I was so happy. Since that day I decided to trust her every time because
she gave me the best Christmas present.

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ELI student: Anoushka Sefu Pala
Gabon
Celebrating Culture Day at ELI
Culture Day Culture Day is a special day that the ELI language school dedicates to
its students from around the world. Indeed, during this day, students must present their
culture in to their classmates, faculty members, and some guests. Since the beginning of the
semester, our teachers have informed us about this event. I immediately express the desire to
present my culture to others through a traditional dance specific to my tribe. I was very
excited to dance, especially since I thought that this ceremony would take place with people
I was already used to. I was ready since dancing is one of my favorite hobbies. Once the day
of the ceremony arrived, I was amazed by the eagerness and excitement that were on the
faces of my classmates, such as Nicole that was wearing a typical Dominican outfit and could
not stop dancing, or Ivan that who was so captivated by the scents coming from the
different dishes could not stop looking behind him. The outfits were all bright and original
but the dishes that were brought stole the show. That day I wore a traditional Gabonese
outfit that I had to modify a bit due to weather conditions (it's November). I was dressed in
green, yellow and blue, which are the colors of the Gabonese flag. My outfit was composed
of a raffia skirt, a golden crown and a pair of wings made of colorful feathers. We had to go
through the alphabetical order of our respective countries to start our presentation. I was
among the first people to pass. I couldn't stop admiring my classmate Sahar who was
dressed in a traditional Afghan outfit while counting the seconds that separated me from my
turn when I heard Elisabeth my classmate announcing that I was going to go to the podium
because the group of Colombian students were not ready therefore I had to perform now. It
took me by surprise and it destabilized me ... I certainly did not let it show but I was terrified
when I got into the podium; I had forgotten my choreography but once I heard the music I
danced without thinking. I let myself carried away by the melody. Honestly, I have no
memories of my dance steps. I remember I had fun and I received positive comments from
my classmates. This day was special because I saw my classmates from another angle; indeed
for 5 min, all were ambassadors of our countries, each in their own way made us travel
through their presentations highlighted by pictures, traditional outfits or even music from
their hometown. The best part was the meal full of exotic dishes such as knafett , basbousa

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from Jordan, empanadas , African donuts and various different others dishes that we share
together on the second floor.

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ELI student: Cesar Ricardo Angeles Castro
Mexico
First Snow, First Storm
Coming to the United States I was nervous, but then my host family gave me a warm
welcome when they picked me from the college. Everything was new for me during that first
cold night. Even the weather was new for me because Mexico is not as frozen as here. I
arrived to my host home and they treated me very well, they gave me a bedroom, some
clothes for the cold and a delicious dinner. After a while, my host “brother” showed me the
neighborhood and the local stores, during that I was freezing and I realized that I could get a
cold, so we came back.
So, it was my first week in New York, the classes were going very pleasant, my new
classmates were really kind and funny, I felt comfortable with my classroom. My first
Thursday in New York I woke up early in the morning, I ate cereal, scrambled eggs, and
drank hot tea. I was ready to go to college and my host “mom” stopped and said to me “It
might snow, so you should wear boots not sneakers”. I wore sneakers anyway because I
thought it wasn’t going to snow that bad and I would arrive early back home, I was surely
mistaken.
I was in Drew’s class when it started to snow a little bit, everyone was talking about it
since the morning because they watched it in the weather news, I didn’t watch them. I was
excited, Nour was excited, Isabel was excited, Marc was excited, I mean the whole class was
excited even if they had already seen snow once, because the snow is too astonishing,
beautiful and pure, but cold.
We finished the classes and we went outside quickly, the snow was all over the college, it
looked incredible. We started to take some photos and throw some snowballs, everyone was
smiling and laughing, it seemed like a good day.
After that, we took the shuttle bus to the ferry, we were on the bus for almost 2 hours
from the college to the ferry, and traffic was terrible. I wanted to go home, because I was
tired and it was just too dark, but my friends wanted to go to buy a pair of snow boots, so I
went with them, it was a bad idea now that I think of it.

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We took a train, but I didn’t even know where we were going, I was just following them.
We walked a few minutes and we found a T.J. Maxx and other stores, we bought some stuff
but they didn’t have snow boots. We split up, a part went to look for a Priceless store and
the other ones “went” to their houses. I was with the second part; it began to rain and snow
a lot with breeze, I was freaking out, my feet were freezing and I started to feel a pain in my
chest because of the cold, and the bus was not coming.
30 minutes later a person in the bus stop told us that they had canceled the bus service
due to snow. We didn’t know what to do, we were anxious, but then a person heard us
speaking Spanish and she offered to call a taxi for all of us, including her. She called the taxi
and he picked us up and dropped us all at our houses, the service was really cheap by the
way.
Finally, I came back to home, I get undressed and took a boiling shower, I was not
feeling my feet. I went to bed and I just “died”.

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ELI student: Cinthia Itzel Pena Velazquez
Mexico
The First Snowfall
12:50 pm. I was looking like my classmates through the classroom windows. Teacher Drew
was talking, while most of us were desperate, shaking quickly our feet waiting to see the first
snowflakes. 12:56 pm, my eyes shaped into two big bright circles when I saw small white
stuff falling down from the sky. When the class finally finished I put my stuff in my
backpack and put on my coat, scarf and gloves as fast as I could. After that, my two friends
and I walked quickly out the classroom and when we opened the door out the building I felt
the cold wind in my face, everything was white, the grass, trees, cars, benches, all I could see.
As I put my left foot down in the snow, my black sneakers filled with this white thing, so it
began to get cold, and although I started to feel like little ants walking on my leg until I
couldn’t feel it anymore, I walked through the snow as I could. My red scarf was getting
white and frozen, I was feeling many cold drops sliding from my head to my face, and I was
feeling chills under my blouse, however, I took out my cellphone and started to take pictures
of the beautiful white view. Suddenly, something hit me very hard in my shoulder, I looked
down and saw white particles in my black coat meanwhile I was feeling the coldness through
my clothes. My eyes started to look for the responsible until they stopped in a boy who was
staring at me, laughing, making a new snowball. I stared back at him, and I bent down to
sink my numb fingers in the snow, my accelerated breathing was hurting my dry red nose
but I didn’t care, I had to avenge. Then abruptly, a big white ball of snow hit him in the face.
Everyone turned to him and shaped their mouths in a large O, afterwards he cleaned his
serious face and looked to everybody silently. After a few seconds he started to laugh loudly
and so did the other guys, next to that, they began to throw snowballs to everyone. I only
smiled and with my frozen snowball in hand, I finally decided to have fun and really enjoy
the coldness of snow.

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ELI student: Eduardo De Jesus Carrillo
Mexico
A rainy day
Daniel, a 17-year-old kid from New York, woke up and went to the kitchen where
his mother had already made him breakfast. The TV was on and his mother was watching
the weather forecast. It was going to rain that day. She asked him to wear a good jacket,
gloves, a hat, waterproof boots and to carry an umbrella so that he wouldn’t get wet or sick,
but he didn’t pay attention to her.
Daniel left home without any of the things his mother asked him to carry and the
day passed quickly. It was 3:00 pm, he was out of school and there was no sign that it was
going to rain, so instead of going home, he decided to go to the comic book store so that he
could buy the new Spiderman number. When Daniel got to the store, he lost track of time
and suddenly it was 6:00 pm. He decided to leave the store but oh surprise… it started to
rain!
In order to go home he had to take a 25-minute bus and then walk for around 5
minutes, so he went straight to the bus stop which was full of people. Daniel could barely
stand in a small area but he couldn’t protect himself from the rain. His hair started to get
wet, his jacket started ho get wet and because of his tiny shoes also his feet started to get
wet. He was losing patience, so he checked his phone and he discovered the bad news… the
bus wasn’t going to come for another hour.
So Daniel started to think, and since he knew a shortcut to his house he decided to
walk home, if only he knew…
Daniel started to walk, and every minute the rain became more intense, even though
it was cold and it was raining he started to sweat. Daniel’s shoes weren’t waterproof so by
that time his feet were so wet they started to hurt. He was a mess and he was in pain but he
decided to continue walking anyway.
30 minutes passed and he needed to get some rest. He tried to check his phone but
because of the rain it was also wet and not working. Another 10 sad, hurtful and long
minutes passed and he was just one block away from home, but another problem came up.
There was a lot of mud in his street. Daniel tried to find a way to get to his house without
crossing the mud but there was no other way.

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He had to go through the mud and then his jeans, the only piece of clothing that had
survived the trip, were also ruined. After what was probably one of the most irritating hours
of his life, Daniel arrived home. He cleaned himself in the yard as best as he could but there
was no way to save his clothes, they were a mess, so he took off his boots and his socks,
lowered his head and trying not to make noise, Daniel went ashamed to his room.

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ELI student: Elisabeth Loua
Guinea
A Surprising Christmas Gift
At the advent of Christmas, everybody is usually preoccupied about the type of gift
they would get and give. While this may be an exciting feeling mainly for children, it is a
whole other kind of feeling for a young adult who, furthermore, did not grow up in a culture
in which Christmas gifts are a big thing.
Christmas in my family was never only centered on exchanging gifts, instead we give
special value about spending time with family around a big buffet that would have all sort of
delicious food that we have been craving for. I remember that last year, when Christmas was
right around the corner, I was still living in Morocco. On one of the weekends when I
usually get to spend more time talking with my family, I was called on the phone by my
parents to be asked about the gift I wanted for Christmas. As unusual as this question may
sound, I recall being silent for a couple of seconds as I was astonished about what I had just
heard. My heart was beating faster than normal and I can recall that a big smile spread over
my face. With all kind of ideas that were suddenly coming to my mind, I couldn’t decide as I
was facing a big dilemma. Because I did not want them to notice my sudden awkward
behavior, I then decided to contain my excitement and tell my parents with a big smile: “I
will tell you tomorrow the gift I want for Christmas this year”. To be honest, I went straight
online to have more inspirations and after a few minutes of browsing, I finally came across
the best and most appealing gift for me at that time: A digital camera. It turned out Canon
had just released their latest product on the market, the EOS R. This camera is a
technological revolution in the field of photography. It has a full format of about 30.3
million pixels which guarantee an outstanding level of sharpness and many more impressive
settings to spice up an intense story telling through photography. I jumped out of the bed
and called my parents: “I want a digital camera” I told them as soon as they picked up the
phone. “But why?” Said my father. I replicated that it was for a professional purpose in
order to create better digital content for my blog. “How much is it?” Asked my mother. I
started to feel guilty for not having chosen a reasonable and modest gift. I was scratching my
head, biting my fingernails and even losing some of my words as I got nervous mulling over
their reaction when I would them the price of the gift I have chosen. However, with

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hesitation in the tone of my voice I whispered that the camera costs 1.500 dollars. At that
moment, I was one hundred percent sure that they would immediately hang up on me due to
the expensive cost of the gift. Instead, they said that they were going to think about it but
still told me that the gift was super expensive. A glimmer of hope could be read on my face.
I took a deep breath and a puff of air came out of my mouth as a sigh of relief. I hang up
with them thanking God for what had just happened.
Finally came the Christmas day, I couldn’t help but always keep an eye on the door
for the postman and keep my phone very close to me at a hand reach because I was
expecting a call from my parents so they can tell me what my gift was. The longer the wait,
the bigger my anxiety would get. I jumped out of the sofa because the doorbell had just rung
and I realized that I fell asleep in the middle of the living room. I ran to open the door and
finally put an end to this long wait. Unfortunately, the postman had left but a small box was
at my door step. As I got closer, I already knew that something was wrong as I saw the size
of the box in which the gift was enveloped in. Anyway, I was in a rush to open the box to
see what I had received.
With reluctance I opened the box.
I could feel my heart in my throat as it was fiercely beating, and with my eyes widely open I
discovered that in the box, there was a flight ticket to Guinea, my home country with my
name written on it. I screamed so loud that I think my neighbor might have cursed me that
day.
In fact, I had not been in my country for four years and had not seen my family for
about three years. What else could have been better? This was the best gift ever. I rushed to
call my parents to thank them for making my whole year in advance. I felt very ashamed of
myself for not having thought about this gift before suggesting a camera that might not have
given me the same feeling. On top of that I bought a smaller digital camera few months
later. It was not as performant as the one I had asked for but my heart was so full with
gratitude and happiness that there was no place for any complaint. Clearly, the year 2018 was
really nice to me and I felt it while I was still in 2017. For all these, I am forever grateful for
my family and give them thanks for caring so much about me.

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ELI student: Xueyan Mi
China
First Snow
Yesterday I recalled the first snow in New York. Before that day, I felt so excited
because it would be the first time I saw snow in here. At that day, I got up and went to
school early. But when I checked the weather forecast for that day, it said that it wouldn’t
snow until twelve o’clock. I told myself to be patient. After the morning class, I had lunch in
the cafeteria with Elisabeth. She asked me, ‘Why are you always looking outside? ’‘I really
want to see the first snow. ’ I answered sincerely. After lunch, I went outside, sat on a bench
on the campus and looked up the sky expectantly. I was waiting for snow. But it still didn’t
come.
It was time to have our communication class. It was half past twelve, and the forecast
said it would snow at one o’clock. ‘Good things are always worth the wait. ’ I told myself. I
deliberately sat by the window in class. During class, I always looked out of the window
from time to time, and finally, it snowed.
The snow swirled from the sky, danced all over the place, gently fell on the ground.
Later the snowflakes flew from sky and pretty soon the entire campus into a silver on the
pure world. The ground turned into a white carpet, trees worn a white clothes, and a cotton
covered with houses. The dense snow came down from heaven to kiss the earth and
everything was all covered with white. I couldn’t wait to go outside and closed my eyes to
feel the sound of snow falling.
Finally, class was over, and I rushed out of the classroom. I felt great dizzy when I
stood in the heavy snow. It fell on everyone’s body and we all looked like snowmen. This
year’s first snow made everyone crazy and the next step was undoubtedly a snowball fight. In
the snowball fight, when I was stricken by the coming snowballs in the face and neck, I felt
considerably thrilled, though I felt terribly cold at the same time. Later we also took a lot of
fantastic photos and short videos in the snow. I liked snowball fights but l preferred to make
footprints in the snow, because I loved walking on the creak of the snow. That sound made
me cozy.
During that day, I was not wearing a hat, scarf and gloves, even the snow boot, it took
me nearly five hours to get home, but the first snow brought me infinite happiness. I will
never forget it.

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ELI student: Ivan Duque
Colombia
My birthday
September has always been my favorite month and there is a particular reason for
that. In fact, it is my birthday month. Despite the fact that I always spend this day with my
family and loved ones, there was a change in that routine this year.
I was very delighted when I knew that my birthday was just in a week. I remember
looking at the previous pictures and videos that I took from my past birthday parties that my
family had a great pleasure to send for me. During those birthday parties, I remember that
my mom always wanted to do a party in home because she doesn’t like that I go out to club
late at night.
This year, I was hundred miles away from my home country. I remember that I was
a bit nervous and felt a little bit of sadness by thinking that I would celebrate my birthday
with none of my family members. I suddenly started to feel homesick, and missing
everything about Colombia. Although, I was in a wonderful city, a city that millions of
people would like to get the opportunity to visit. All my heart could feel at that time was my
city Medellin, a city that may not be fancy for some people but to me that was the place to
be in order to feel good.
Fortunately, I had amazing friends who took care of me that day. Friends who knew
exactly what it feels to be studying abroad far from family. I came to class that day to
discover that they have bought a small doughnut for that occasion and even sang for me. I
felt so special that my face became all red and I almost cried. My heart was filled with joy at
the idea that people that I met few weeks ago could have made me feel this special and made
me have this feeling.
In addition, we made a plan to go and eat out in what has become my favorite
restaurant in the USA now: Chipotle. I really had fun that day. We ate, talked and laughed all
evening with my new friends. It was the first time that Boyang, my friend from China, tried
Mexican food and of course, like someone who had never tried hot sauce, he put a huge
quantity of that in his bowl and of suddenly he started to scream and jump asking for a
bottle of water. Nicole, my other friend from Dominican Republic, like always, was talking
with her Caribbean accent and with all those particular expressions from her country. My

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great friend from Africa, Elisabeth, was enjoying and talking about interesting things like
how does it feel to turn twenty one and to celebrate a birthday far from home.
Today when I look back to that wonderful evening with friends. I think about it with
a huge smile, I will keep that In my mind with a feeling of relax and energy. I feel nostalgic
because I have to go back to Colombia. I will miss my friends with all my heart. I will still
glad and happy to know that I spent my birthday with them because today I can confidently
say every friend and teacher that I have met here are going to be in my heart for the rest of
my life.

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ELI student: Wendy Lisbeth Catalan Corona
Mexico
New York Experience
Thanks God I won a school exchange to study English for one month, and I’m
almost in the middle of this experience, to be exact, sixteen days in this amazing city, New
York!
I thought about what to write during this holiday and I want to start by saying that I
used to live in the United States for almost 7 years, but in a different state, Texas, the state
that saw me grow since I was 2 years. But of course, I can’t remember it so well and I wasn’t
legal. This time, in New York, I didn’t imagine, how I was going to live. I was so nervous to
come back to this country that I was scared of the immigration officer in the airport, and
thanks to God I didn't have any problems. I still don’t believe I’m here!
The first day in Staten Island, my host explained to me how to go to school, but
when I tried to go to my first day of school, I got lost! Yes, the first day, and I had my first
adventure! Google maps has been my best friend to travel with, since it took me almost two
hours to arrive to school. I love traveling all around the island on the bus, because it’s so
different from Mexico, where I do the same time going to my school, but over there I don’t
like going on the bus.
Lately I truly have been in a good mood going to school. I like how my teachers have
patience when we don’t understand something, but I need to admit that when classes are
done, I like going on the bus wherever I want, like to the ferry station. I just take the shuttle
school bus and then go from the ferry to Manhattan and visit the tourist places, like Central
Park, The Empire State Building, Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, the Museum of
Natural History, or going to the Staten Island mall. I might take three buses or just two
when it isn’t to cold.
And of course, my favorite tourist place, the 9/11 Memorial, is emotional for me
because I remember that day to clearly. I was 5 years old, I was in an Elementary School but
in Kindergarten grade and I remember when the principal came in the class room and turned
on the TV so we could see the news. I remember that every one of us were sleeping, because
it was our hour of break, and when I saw everything that was happening in Manhattan, every
one of us started to cry. It was the saddest day in that year.

47 | P a g e
Now that I returned I really wanted to cry all the memories came in to my mind I
was thinking how the city could look like if nothing of that would happen. I started to walk
around the fountains and I was remembering how I was watching the news, like when the
airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center or in the two beautiful buildings and also how
all the disaster was in that day.
The first time I went to Times Square it was awesome! I really enjoyed it, like I didn’t
believe that I was there. I called my mom, my boyfriend and my three best friends. I really
had feelings to cry, because when I was talking with my mom she said "you look very happy,
your dream came true, I’m so proud of you" it made me feel that I was doing something
good. I remember that I did a live video in Facebook, I was very happy and excited. Then I
had enough time to take pictures and enjoy it all, but it was so cold, I was freezing! That day
is going to be in my memories for the rest of my life.
Today, fifteen days later, I still don’t believe that this is true! My favorite things to do
in New York are, like I said, going on the bus, subway and ferry, seeing the Statue of the
Liberty, even if it’s from the ferry, going to Times Square, walking through the Brooklyn
bridge, to be honest, I haven’t gone to all the places that I want, but I will.
I think that I’m in the city of my dreams but I wouldn't live here because of the cold
weather. 5 years ago I had an accident and I have a piece of metal and eight screws in my left
collarbone that’s why most of the time I feel tired, but I know that it’s because of it. I think
that if I have the opportunity to work here I won’t get out of my house in winter. (I’m
joking.)
Now that I can return to Mexico, I could do what I always wanted to do, by helping
people with Parkinson’s, building something like a medical machine to help them. This
adventure helps me to improve my English skills, and that’s how I’m going to make my
dreams come true.
This experience has been the best one in all my life, including when I lived in Texas.

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ELI student: Marco Antonio Meneses Brito
Mexico
The Billion Dollar Candy
Picture the scene, how majestic this beautiful moment would be, if the most beautiful femme
would appear in front a crowd you could see her, wearing a mesmerizing haute couture
gown, her neck dripping itself with jewels, the finest of them all. And there’s still something
more, footwear it’s how they’re called, but they’re shoes, Oh!! And not any kind of shoes,
made just for her, the highest heel and crystal strings you can observe, with just a glimpse we
just can know, how intricate the handmade work allows this girl, who’s not a girl to look
alike the heavens doors and make her fans reach out for more, maybe a smile maybe just
look, and into them you can’t ignore the out loud voice of people begging
“Please just a picture, Candy dear you’re sure such an inspo, Candy please “
It seems like yesterday that I could see me being married to a non-prince, he was my love, he
seem so kind. I would’ve had stand with him, my whole life, but being betrayed just stopped
that dream, and a simple hope became obscene. The reason he has a wife and heaven knows
I’m not her wife, but more like a really good friend, the kind you spoiled and treat so well.
He used to call me his girlfriend, we spend some time as him and her. I lost the track of all
that love the day I found him not alone.
He was with someone else, not just a friend, but her wife. I reach to him he was surprised he
told me
“Candy, she’s my wife the one and only, my one and only. We’ve talked about her in the
past, she fills my days with loving arms;
Let me introduce you to Isabelle”
I played the act. I did it well, I stopped the tears and the outrage. But only while in front of
her.
After that day I was alone, I felt so lost and couldn’t bare just thinking about being without
him. I rushed time, went to the mall instead of candy I bought a new life.
In the form of a ticket, a lottery one, I was about just to become a billionaire, thank to that
ticket and to that pain my life was starting, in the best way it could be.

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ELI student: Marcos Uriel Mendoza Palacios
Mexico
Difficult Decision
It was the night before Christmas Day, in Rockefeller Center in New York, the place
was being illuminated with beautiful Christmas lights and covered with a white snow. In
front of the large and shiny Christmas tree located in the center of Rockefeller there was a
young man named Arthur whose was sitting near it, very confused and undecided about
what to do.
With a hand holding his head and staring a couple having a lovely moment he started to
think with which woman he will stay his whole life, with his wife Anna a beautiful woman,
not just outside even inside her whose always smiles with a big shiny smile to the good or
bad moments, and then there was his lover Sahara, also a beautiful girl but shy and most of
the time she was always blushing.
Both women were very much in love with him. Sahara and Anna were very worried because
they knew about each one and also they knew that one day he would have to take a hard
decision.
He started walking toward Anna’s house, he knew that she prepared many food for this
Christmas Eve, meanwhile he was walking he started to think and finally he took a decision.
When he arrived Anna’s home, she started being very excited because she thought he would
not come home. At the end of the dinner he told her that he wanted to talk with her about
something important, she already knew what he wanted to tell her. She went to the kitchen
and her mind started circling she was trying to find the reason why he wanted to break up
with her. In her madness of love she took a knife furiously and yelled him “If you are not mine,
you will not belong to anyone else” and she stuck the knife in him, she was scared about what she
did so she started crying then she picked up some important things and she ran away from
the house.
After a few days, Sahara has not heard about Arthur and worried about him she went to
Anna’s house and when she saw the Arthur’s body on the floor she fell on her knees and she
put on a scared face and started crying, angry about that she took the same knife with which
one Arthur was killed and she went to find Anna, she spent not just hours even days trying
to find her but she did not find her. When she finally found her Anna was dead, her body

50 | P a g e
was hanging from a bridge and the body had a sign and the sign said the name of a girl
“Juliet” and she realized that there was another girl in the Arthur’s life.

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ELI student: Mariela Urzua Solano
Mexico
The casting call…
After following her friend for almost 5 blocks she finally reached her, she wanted to
tell directly how she felt, after all, she wasn´t her friend at all. Lori was a nineteen year old
girl that had just arrived to NYC, she was tall, skinny and had the most amazing curly hair.
She was renting a small apartment with other two girls. Lori was a dreamer, she wanted to be
a Broadway performer but while auditioning she got a part time job at Sephora to pay the
bills. Her parents were really big fans of her art so they were very supportive and sent her
some extra money.
Lori met Sophie at a New Year’s Eve Party that a friend from Lori´s job had hosted,
they were introduced to each other as their perfect soulmates and ever since then that´s what
they became, or so...
A very long time had passed after they met, they were inseparable now and they both
had the same dream of becoming a Broadway star. Nevertheless Sophie had had more luck
and had been in a few plays and even a lead in an off-off Broadway production. She seemed
like the perfect friend and role model for Lori and they got along so perfect so it seemed like
the perfect friendship. Sophie also had a part time job, but she wasn´t really supported by
her parents. Her mom had left her and her father when she was only six years old, apparently
she was in love with a younger man so she left town. Her father ever since the unfortunate
event became an alcoholic and barely sent Sophie to school. Although all of that she
overcame everything and with some support from an aunt that worked for a congress man,
she got a scholarship to study arts. After she graduated she moved to NYC and had been
there ever since.
Sophie and Lori where planning on moving together, they had just been checking
some cheap apartments. After the struggle of finding the right one they had a coffee and a
muffin. --I can´t believe we just found it -- said Sophie --Yeah! You know, I feel lucky I
think I am getting a role this week to that play I told you I had auditioned-- answered Lori --
OMG! Yes! Girl I need you to meet this guy I met, he is a producer! He told me to find girls
for him he is directing Burlesque or something like that! -- Really? Could you get me an
audition? -- Lori asked-- Sure! I´m texting him right now-- After a few minutes Sophie gets a

52 | P a g e
text back. --Lori you would now believe this, I sent him your picture and he wants to meet
you tonight!--.
Sophie had met the producer at a club, a week before. She didn’t know his name but
she knew his last name was Wayne. He was also a businessman that owned a club and a
casino in Nevada, near the Valle de Fuego. He only did that for the money because his real
passion was the musical theater.
After that Lori was of course head over heels, she was going to audition for
something big, she felt really special for having that opportunity. The room was dark and
had a little table in the middle with a bottle of wine and some glasses. There where paintings
that one would call “exotic” placed all over the walls some of them made her feel
uncomfortable While she was waiting she rehearsed some of her best moves and prepared
her voice. The producer finally got there, he was a really nice guy, around forty or fifty years
old. He started to ask some questions to Lori but suddenly they turned a little bit wild. The
tone and the way he was asking some pretty unpopular questions made Lori very
uncomfortable. Suddenly he started approaching to her and by that point she was done. --
What’s your deal sir? -- She asked mad. --Well if you want to be a star this is the price you
have to pay-- he responded—Sophie didn’t tell me it was this kind of audition—she said
confused--Sophie? She didn´t tell you? She does this every time! How do you think she gets
her roles--he answered? Lori then felt really bad and got out of that place. She felt betrayed
by her best friend, how could Sophie signed her up for something like that? She was ok if
she did that but why wouldn´t she tell the truth?
Lori tried to reach her, she called Sophie but she wouldn´t answer the phone nor her
text messages.
After almost a week, it was a rainy day in the city, Lori had just gotten out of work
when she suddenly saw Sophie getting out of the public library. She followed her for five
blocks and when she finally reached her she screamed --I don’t know how you could you do
this to me Sophie-- Sophie went from a surprised but happy face to a confusing one-- What
are you talking about? I´ve been trying to find you at your job, I lost my phone last week and
I haven´t been able to buy a new one! -- Really? So you are telling me you didn´t set me up
with that Burlesque guy that wanted to sleep with me? -- Lori asked furious -- No! How
could you think that I didn´t know any of that! I´m so sorry Lori! I swear I didn´t know
what had happened-- Sophie sadly replied-- Lori then sensed Sophie was telling the truth and

53 | P a g e
felt terrible for believing what that guy had said. Lori hugged her friend, then they went to
have a coffee and found out they had just lost the apartment they were going to rent...

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ELI student: Nicole Jiménez
Dominican Republic
It was a Wonderful Christmas
“Dad, can you help me? Please. I’m doing a project for school, this one consists that
each student asks their parent about one question that the teacher gave us”, she said to me.
She was p in front of me, looking at me directly to my eyes, when I looked at hers, she was
transmitting all her frustrations to me. I didn’t have another alternative, “Sure my love, tell
me the question”. She smiled at me like that was the most important moment in her life. She
is just like her mother, her beautiful dark skin combines with her green eyes and her
magnificent curly hair. She was just 13 years old, I thought this day would never come. Then
I start to tell my wonderful and horrible past.
“That beautiful morning of December 25 was the most amazing day of my life, why,
now I would tell....” my daughter looked at me and moved her hand saying to continue.
“ I was feeling a soft touch on my chest going down and up in a constant movement,
when I opened my eyes I saw Stephanie looking at me with her smile. I fell in love with that
smile 4 years ago when I met her in that bar, we were young and adventurous. Well, she was
next to me with that big smile of hers, her eyes were sparkling, and her chests were flushed.
That image was the one that I want to see all the mornings of my life. She was looking at me
in those beautiful blues eyes of hers, “Baby what happens, why are you so happy about?”.
Stephanie didn’t say anything, she only passes me a small box. This box was blue with a
small white ribbon adorning it. When I opened it there was a pregnancy test. “WOW, I
WOULD BE A FATHER” I hold her in my arms, I was so happy about it. I have always
wanted to be a father, now my dream is going to be true. Those months were a challenge for
me in all ways possible. AMEN I had my mother and my cousin, this last one was the
doctor that would help Stephanie to have our beautiful daughter. Yes, I would have a
beautiful daughter, I’m so proud of myself and Stephanie.
Passed the most amazing and frustrating 9 months of my incredible wife’s
pregnancy......
Now comes the moment we were waiting for. In that exact time, I was holding the left
hand of Stephanie. She was squeezing my hand, it even hurt at one point, but none of that
mattered. I only cared to see the beautiful girl with green eyes like mine and the beautiful

55 | P a g e
blonde hair of her mother. I heard the crying of the baby, I looked at my cousin and his
expression changed immediately when he saw the baby. I was wondering why he
dramatically changed his expression. He looked at me with an expression of sadness and
anger, then I realized why. Meanwhile, my wife was happy to see the baby, I was in a
quandary asking myself when she cheated on me. The baby girl has dark skin, brown eyes,
and black hair. In that precise moment my life turned in an angle of 180 degrees. She always
knew that that baby wasn’t mine at all. I felt all my body burning inside of me. In a slow
motion, I turned around looking at her with all my intentions to kill her, but the only thing
that got out of my mouth was “Who is the father?”
Stephanie looked at me with her expression: “I would explain you everything”, but the
only thing I wanted to know was who and why. I asked her: “Stephanie talk to me!, RIGHT
NOW !” My words came out like venom coming out of my mouth. She was scared, but I
didn’t care at all “that thing is not mine, who is the father?, Talk to me”. I felt some arms
holding me, when I looked behind me, my cousin was looking at me and whispering :“calm
down Jack, everything will be ok. You can talk later when you calm yourself”, John said to
me. His voice was warm and calm. I don’t know how he did that but at the end of that
sentence I was calm. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes questioning God why me. I
looked at Stephanie, and told her “You were never loyal to me, neither with yourself”. Then
I took another deep breath, and asked her: “Now, please tell me who is the father of that
child?”Stephanie started to cry so hard that in for a few second I felt sorry about her. She
said “I was drunk that night...” she paused and then continued: “the baby’s father is Mike”. I
felt my body burning in anger “ REALLY! YOUR GAY BBF IS THE FATHER OF THE
BABY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!. I turned around, looked at my cousin then
turned around to see Stephanie. “You are always easygoing in every aspect of your life. You
thought that I would never suspect that that baby isn’t my daughter. Look at her and look at
me, even the skin color is different”. I took a really deep breath and stood in front of her to
look at her, I hate her with all my heart.
“I want all your thing out of my apartment, Stephanie”. I came out of the room, took my
things and ran out of that hospital. When I was getting close to the exit door of the hospital,
Mike was coming in with his sarcastic and false smile as usual. He came near to me and said
smiling: “Hey, how is the baby girl doing?” I looked at him, chocked him and pushed him to
the wall and said to him “You new it, you were the father of that thing. One of these days,
you and she will regret this. Also, good luck, because if she did that to me, she will do it to

56 | P a g e
you”. Then I ran out of the hospital. I felt a lot of emotion coming together. At that
moment, I wanted to scream, cry and curse. Later, I felt tears coming out of my eyes, this
caused my vision to become blurry. I didn’t notice until I fell on the ground. When I looked
in front of me, I saw the most beautiful woman I had never seen in my life. She has a dark
skin, amazing long curly hair, and the most beautiful thing was her eyes. Those beautiful
things are hazel and in the middle, you can appreciate brown with honey and farther, a mix
of gray, green, and blue. The only thing that came out of my mouth was: “Amazing”. In that
instant, I forgot the horrible moment I had earlier. “Sorry”, she said with a really confused
expression. “Sorry, I was not paying attention, I'm sorry for lying down,” I said really
embarrassed by my action. I also stutter, that had never happened to me in my life. We got
up, she asked me why I was so sad. I explained her everything while we were walking to the
nearest Starbucks in the town. After 2 years we had an amazing gift for Christmas, that
beautiful gift was you my darling. I love you”. When I finished, I started to think how lucky
I’m to have these two incredible women in my life, I think I have to thank Stephanie.
“I love you too father, it’s so weird how mom and you met each other” She finished the
sentence and started to laugh so loud at the end I enjoyed it.
The end

57 | P a g e
ELI student: Noor Bilal Maali
Jordan
Pressures in life
A person passes through life dealing with many life pressures that cause a negative
impact on the individual psychologically, if the individual doesn’t learn the methods to
accept and deal with the pressures of life. In some situations, the human must have
conviction because sometimes there is no escape from overcoming some of the crises that
confront us.
The acceptance of life pressures varies among people, depending on the individual’s
way of thinking and circumstances. Some individuals may become sad and tense when they
think about crucial decisions such as marriage, work and the constant stress. There are some
people who believe that the exposure of human pressures from one period to another makes
them more efficient to carry out tasks and complete them, making them daring to meet
challenges and succeed in them, rewarding the individual with a positive feeling that follows
this success.
There are many external factors that put pressure on the mental state of the
individual to make people in a state of tension and cause a negative impact on their abilities
to achieve integration and balance in their personality. The stress of these pressures in some
situations must be faced even if the individual doesn’t have the capacity to meet them and
exceeds their limit of ability. This is what happened with George Orwell “The people
expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me
forward, irresistibly” (Orwell 17). As we see here, he feels the pressure because he was seen
as somewhat of a hero to them, and the people in his town rely on him to do what they want
even if he can’t do it.
Examples of psychological stress involve social factors such as deadlines, critical and
professional interviews, exposure to financial problems, fear and tension when lecturing to
the public or when a relative or close friend is missing. Behavioral symptoms, which appear
in response to pressure are shaking legs, nibbling of nails and smoking. As for the
characteristics of psychological stress, there are emotional symptoms of anger, anxiety and
tension. This is what happened with Langston Hughes “Langston, why don’t you come?
Why don’t you come and be saved? Oh, lamb of God! Why don’t you come?” (Hughes 71).

58 | P a g e
This quote shows how Langston Hughes was being influenced by the people in the church
to get up and accept Jesus, meanwhile he did not feel, hear or see Jesus like he was told by
his aunt. The pressure caused him to feel ashamed of himself when he said “I began to be
ashamed of myself, holding everything up so long” (Hughes 71). This pressure resulted in
his lack of belief when he stated “But I was really crying because I couldn’t bear to tell her
that I had lied, that I had deceived everybody in the church, that I hadn’t seen Jesus, and that
now I didn’t believe there was a Jesus anymore, since he didn’t come to help me” (Hughes
71).
Hughes’ struggle in wanting to believe in Jesus caused him a lot of pressure that is
very similar to other daily pressures in life, such as the pressure that parents put on their kids
when deciding on what career path they should pursue, even if it’s not what they want to do.
This can affect the person mentally and cause a great deal of stress that can possibly affect
their mindset on school, resulting in a lack of focus in school and doing poorly. Another
example is the pressure a single mom faces when taking care of a baby and having a job.
This is a lot of responsibility put on the mother when she has to care for her baby and at the
same time her job because she has to support her baby’s future as well as hers. A lot of
teenagers who don’t practice safe sex end up in these situations where they have to choose if
they want to keep the baby or not. This can cause a lot of stress and pressure on a being. I
remember my aunt had went through this when she was a teenager. She got married at a
young age but wasn’t ready to have a baby while doing school. My aunt had gone through a
great deal of stress not knowing if she should keep the baby or not. In the end she made the
right decision and decided to keep it because of the support she got from her husband and
family.
Life can teach you what’s worth stressing over and at times we deal with many hectic
situations where we have to accept the pressure that life throws at us. The influence of
others has a major role in affecting our choices in life. But, we can choose if we want it to
affect us or not. Every situation has its positives and negatives and maybe we can learn from
the negatives of the situation and gain from them. Our experiences can help us control the
pressures in life and help us make official decisions. In the end it makes us work harder and
feel proud.
References
Hughes, Langston. “Salvation.” A Portable Anthology. Ed. Jane E. Aaron and Ellen Kuhl Repetto. 2th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 69 -71.
Orwell, George. “Shooting an Elephant”. A Portable Anthology. Ed. Jane E. Aaron and Ellen Kuhl
Repetto. 2th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. 85-92.

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ELI student: Ornela Deshati
Albania
First Experience in New York
Standing only at five feet high in New York City, the beautiful New York City in the
summer time rises with an amazing sunrise. The rays of the sun mix with three different
shades of bright and dark colors like red, orange, and yellow. The dark blue sky is still filled
with lingering clouds that flee from the sun as it makes its assent. The skyline of New York
City casts a gorgeous reflection onto the East River. New York is one of the best known
cities in United States. The city is comprised of five boroughs and they are Manhattan, The
Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
The first time I stepped into New York, I was in total shock and awe. Buildings
stretching across the horizon. Every taxi in New York blaring their horns at each other.
Everywhere you looked, you saw people dressed up in Disney character outfits, asking you
for pictures, but also making you pay. Swings from every Broadway show, asking you to buy
tickets (even though they are sold out for six months). At night, this gorgeous and
miraculous part of New York City lights up in every color known to man. All the lights
reflecting off the windows of buildings makes the “Square” sparkle even more.
Also, taxis coming and going and the roar of the subway beneath your feet. Everyone
talking but still being able to hear your own conversation. Lights flashing brightly, babies
crying, the homeless constantly asking for money. The smell of 1,000 vendors, many selling
gyros. Broadway fans going insane when their favorite cast member walks out of the stage
door. I saw people of every race, color, and religion.
Being in Times Square gives me goosebumps. It gives me a feeling I have never felt
before and I only feel in Times Square. It’s like being four years old and having a birthday
party. It’s truly magical. There is no way to accurately describe the jitters you get from the
minute you step off the subway to the second you get back on. It is so surreal. New York is
filled with such wonderful memories such as when I try to adapt to a new life, culture, new
people, foods and learn how to speak English. A city of endless possibilities, high energy,
and great diversity. New York City had always been on the top of my bucket list and I knew
I would love NYC before I even visited it. I feel very thankful to God that I am here!

Anthologies Fall 2018 - English Language Institute - College of Staten Island

Anthologies Fall 2018 - English Language Institute - College of Staten Island

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