Coming to America Look Book Project Issue 16 Home Page

Photo: Andreas Bauer When I opened the door I was filled with surprise, doubt and disappointment because there was an unknown man standing in front of me. My First English Words Kitsanee Homchan from Thailand On July 19, 1997 I talked to an English-speaking stranger for the first time in my life. I came from Thailand to the United States because I wanted to study English and take care of my mother. My parents had got divorced, so my mom had come to the US by herself. Before I arrived my mother had told me to go to my cousin's house first and then she would pick me up from there. It is not too far from the airport. I waited for more than two hours at my cousin's place. I felt bored and afraid. I could not speak English well, so I thought about how I would talk to people. There were many questions on my mind. Suddenly, I heard the doorbell ring. At that moment I felt a little better because I thought it would be my mother picking me up. When I opened the door, I was filled with surprise, doubt and disappointment because there was an unknown man standing in front of me. He was carrying a big box. I did not see what was in the box, but I thought, "Who is this man?" He was wearing a black polo shirt, tan pants, white socks, and black shoes. When he started to smile at me, my bad feelings were gone. I got a friendly feeling instead of being afraid. I said, "Sa Wud Dee Kha" in my own language. And he answered, "Hi!" He was not Thai. My mother showed up behind him, and she said, "He is Mexican." He could understand Thai and speak a little. Then my aunt invited both of them into the house. My mother introduced the man to me. The reason that he could understand and speak Thai was that he had been working with Thai people for five years. After that, we started to get to know each other and he tried to talk slowly and clearly. Sometimes we used our hands and body language. One of the questions he asked was, "Do you like this country?" I said "No." He asked me why. I wanted to answer, but I could not explain it to him. I just kept quiet. And then he understood me. He said, "If you live in this country for a long time, you will like it." With his help I started to speak English more and more without being afraid. For this reason, I will always remember this man who was the first person to speak English to me in America. He even became my boyfriend. This story was selected from Julia Karet's ESL writing project at Chaffey Community College: The Look Book Project More stories about coming to America: Trying to Immigrate | My Most Difficult Experience | Coming to America (1) New Horizons | Coming to America (2) | Coming to Study in the U.S. War in My Country | Unforgettable Early Days | My Arrival in the U.S. Return to: Coming to America | Issue 16 | Home Page TOPICS Online Magazine - ©1997-2007 - Sandy and Thomas Peters - topics .mag@gmail.com