Sunday, December 12, 2004

gabrielito from argentina

telc students and teacher hi there!!! this is gabriel bazan, i was attending the level 4.4 in LaGuardia community college and i would like to thanks to my teachers for all the help that they gave me, and say thanks to kevin for helping me and giving me ¿councils? well i dont know how to say it... and in a few hours i have to go to the US embassy and try to get my student visa... wish me luck and i hope to see you soon.... bye and THANKSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
GABRIEL

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

telc students and teacher

Differences between American and Korean

telc students and teacher

Differences between American and Korean

ANA KIM, Dec.01.04

I have lived in Seoul. Now I live in NY temporarily. Living in NY is very different from living in Seoul. Seoul is a capital of Korea. New York isn’t a capital of USA. But many people think New York is a capital of the world, because there are many kinds of population in NY. NY has many immigrants.

Generally speaking, Americans, especially New Yorkers seem to be selfish. But Koreans don’t. Following sentence is only an instance of many things. On the street, I lost my way. I asked policeman, “Which way is to the JFK?” But he said, “I don’t know, I’m not sure.” At that time, I was very surprised. In Seoul, policeman knows every way. I can’t imagine that policeman doesn’t know way. But these days, we can see New Yorker who is very kind. They explain something very kindly that I asked.

In Korea, even though some foreigner speaks Korean very badly, he or she can speak Korean, Koreans try to understand and they smile at them. But in New York, even though there are many immigrants, they feel fearful that speaking English. They are ignored by native speaker. I think Asians are most. I feel very sorry about that. I sometimes feel that.

When we exchange or refund something, if we can’t explain clearly, they ignore foreigner. I saw they had the gages and they chewed gum. I feel very bad. I think immigrants are act more like that who have part time job. New Yorkers are more kind than them these days.

New York has many immigrants. If we want live very well, we help each other. We should be kind to everybody. Life is very hard. We can understand our condition very well. Because we’re facing same kind of situation that living well as a foreigner in another country. Even though there are many differences between America and own country, if you live America, you have to think positive way.

telc students and teacher

A multi cultural human

Won Jin, kim


Sophia, who has lived in the U.S.A for 15 years, said she has missed Korea since she came here when she was 8 years old. Even though she is already used to living here. She often feels differences. Many Americans often say,” That’s not my business.” Indeed people don’t care about other and other’s behavior here. Sometimes it makes me comfortable, but sometimes that makes me lonely even in my relatives.

For example, if I ask something more that is not the employee’s job, they tell me that is not their business, or they can’t give me the answer. In contrast, in Korea even employees who work in a public office, give an answer tome. After I came here, I learned that I should be more gentle and polite when I ask something to anyone.

A different example is feelings. I often feel foolish. One of the reasons is that I can’t speak English as well as Americans. Sometimes my English is makes them fretful. I often feel it. I can understand them but I am embarrassed in that cases. They often meet foreigners like me. In contrast, in Korea in that case, we have fun, and we help them. Many people want to learn English in the U.S.A, so they are often able to meet foreigners who can’t speak well yet.

This Thanks Giving Day, I was surprised by my cousin’s life with her husband, who is Italian-American. They invited their friends, my husband, and me. We enjoyed some food, and talking. Suddenly I realized something that we had taken off our shoes, but her husband wore his shoes until we were leaving. Moreover, he had not sat on the floor. We had sat with a cushion on the floor. They didn’t care about their style of living. I thought about how to live like them, how to keep balance between their differences of thinking. They not only have lived together, but they also respect their whole life. Moreover, they have loved each other so much.

I have been getting other ideas, and cultures. How to get balance center of the changes is the point. Even in a country people have different thinking and way of life. I am able to be developed my self in this melting pot. I can be multi cultural human.

Differences between Medellin and New York City

CHRISTIAN MUNOZ MESA

LABWORK
COMPOSITION


Differences between Medellin and New York City


In my native city, Medellin, most at the people are very talkative and sympathetic with people that they don’t know well. In contrast, New Yorkers are more silent and reserved with strangers. I feel a little uncomfortable here because I like to speak with strangers and in this big city it isn’t possible.


There is a situation where this different behavior is very evident. In my city when a person gets in a tax, in general almost immediately he or she begins to talk with the tax driver about topic without importance, but almost always they end up speaking about their personal lives and their problems. Unlike in Colombia, in New York nobody is accustomed to speaking with the tax driver about something, ever fewer about their private life. Generally speaking, North Americans are lonely and indifferent about the acts of others, and Colombians are not.


Compared to North Americans, who think the most important thing for someone is your private life, for people from my country, on many occasions, the opinion of other persons becomes the standard of our behavior. That is the reason why they need to speak with another, sometimes with strangers, about their experiences and difficulties. The people from Colombia tend to dislike loneliness.


When I first came to New York, I was surprised to see that no one spoke with strangers in the trains or they didn’t offer their chair if someone needed it. In New York, I hardly ever see a young person offer her seat to a pregnant woman. Since I came here I have scarcely thought about talking with strange as I usually did in my natal city. It is sad!




Age Discrimination in Colombia and the United States, by Aura Bonilla

Age discrimination for work; Colombia and The United States
By Aura Bonilla.


I feel comfortable here because I don’t have to care about unemployment. Unlike in

Colombia, everybody can find a job. In general, almost everybody work in America.

Americans are busy and stressed people and Colombians are not. Compared to

Americans, who think the most important thing is money and being successful in

Their jobs. For people in Colombia just finding work becomes a serious problem.

We Colombians tend to dislike elderly people working, and their can’t find any job.

When I came to North America I was surprised to see old people working hard

And no one putting pressure upon them because of age. In Colombia a man who is

In his forties is referred to as an ‘old man’

In contrast to Americans, who think people after forty are young

And can do many things, Colombians tend to discriminate against these people and

Act with out consideration for their fillings.

One day I saw in the employment office many people trying to find a job.

Three young men gave their applications to the secretary and one man who looked

Between forty and fifty years old was called by the woman and sent to the job .

She said to him, ‘I think you are the right person for this job because I can see you

Have enough experience’.

Now I heaved learned that when people want to do something the

Age is not important. The most important thing is your attitude.


telc students and teacher

telc students and teacher



Silvia Costa 12/01/04



The way I feel in here


I feel uncomfortable in the U.S because, I have felt lonely. Most of the people in Brazil don’t feel this way.
In Brazil, people have more time to enjoy their life. Always on Friday after work we used to go to a bar, meet friends and drink. On Sunday it looks like a traditions to go to our families’ houses and eat there. In contrast, in the U.S I don’t have enough time to enjoy my life because I’m very busy, and don’t have family in here. Sometimes I have felt we are a machine that we have to run on time.
People in Brazil think that money is important in order to have a good life, status, but enjoying life is better. They don’t feel tired if they have to go out every night, and work the next day. It seems that they don’t think about tomorrow. Here in the U.S sometimes we feel so tired that we got home, and the only thing we want to do is sleep. On the other hand social life in the U.S is very expensive, so we can’t spend much money that we have worked so hard the whole week in one night even though we have to think about the next day maybe work or making some arrangement.
I think the most important reason I felt sometime lonely here is that I don’t have as many friends as I had in Brazil, and anytime I had a problem I knew that someone would help me in some way. In the U.S most of the friendships are more complicated because they are individualists and cold. Sometime I have felt like I have to be strong, and try my best to resolve my own problem.
I remember that year I came to U.S. On Christmas Eve that I felt so sad because, I wasn’t with my family, and I couldn’t celebrated that night like I used to. I was alone and I didn’t do anything because I didn’t have friends. However, Christmas Eve for me is to be with my family or people that I’m close.
The reason for the difference I feel in the U.S is that I have gotten a lot experience, I become strong, and I’m not afraid to try a new thing. In Brazil I was thinking in a different way to get my goals.

telc students and teacher

ISMAIL, ILHAM

DECEMBER1, 04
TECHER; KEVIN ‘’MY LIFE IN NEW YORK’’


I feel uncomfortable here because I have to care about other people. Unlike in Lebanon, in New York Americans are individualistic. They don’t care about what they wearing, or hoe they speak. In contrast, in my country people make complaints all the time about everything. Generally speaking, Americans are open-minded, and people from my country are not. Compared to Americans, who think the most important thing is money and fun, for people in my country respect becomes the standard of behavior.


For example, Americans choose their clothes without caring about other people. As a result, we can see an old lady whose age is 50 and up not only wearing a skirt, but also wearing sneakers. When I first came to New York, I was surprised to see an old woman who couldn’t walk without someone’s help wearing jeans and using red lipstick. In my country we hardly see such sights as are here. People in my country follow their age. Moreover they respect their age, and people’s comments.


Another example is our feeling about age. Since I came here, I have scarcely thought about my age. In New York, I have realized that American people don’t care about their age. In my country, however, our age defined our personality. For instance, we have a marriageable age, about 20 to 30. When someone, especially a woman, stayed without marriage beyond that age, people refer to her as an ‘’old women.’’


The Lebanese way of thinking of others is sometimes good. In contrast to Americans, who speak in a disrespectful way with each other. Lebanese tend to spesk and act with observance of others’ feeling and point of view. One day recently I observed an interesting incident. I was on the train. Sitting on the train beside me there were two men. And there was another poor man who was playing a musical instrument. After he finished, they began talking about that guy in bad words, I didn’t like their way of speaking.


Finally, I can say that our environment forms our character. We communicate with each other as we learn from our environment and society. A reason maybe that America is a big country called a melting pot, and Lebanon is a small country. It’s good to know a different culture, I want to respect both.

The difference between Korean and America, by Hye jung.

My roommate’s boyfriend, Rich who is a native American, invited us over last Thanksgiving. As a result, I could experience the holiday culture of Americans. Rich is living with his mother because he’s sick. As we arrived at the house, his mother was preparing some foods for the holiday. And it looked so strange to me because elderly people don’t have to work for their holiday in my country.


Rich’s mom had prepared everything for two days and Rich just enjoyed his time. He seemed not to help his mom at all. Nobody came to the house to prepare the party and the afternoon everybody came there. Rich’s mom not only cooked, but also she served a wonderful meal to us. Moreover, she cleaned the house after they left.
In Korea, every daughter-in-law comes to the house of their husband’s parents before the holiday. Therefore, married Korean woman tend to hate holidays. Sometimes they argue with their husbands after the holiday because most husbands do nothing. Even though
his wife works all day.


I think the difference comes from the idea of which the most important thing is son or man. Because the son will be able to preserve the family clan and take care of his parents. Unlike in the US, we have many obligations about our parents.

Differences Between America and Japan

Wataru Nakano

Generally speaking, Japanese are polite, but American people are not.
My reaction was complicated when I first came to New York., because American people, especially New Yorkers, look selfish. Indeed, they were just as it was said.


For example, one day, lost my way in Manhattan, so I asked two policemen and a person who was walking near me by chance. One of policemen told me a wrong way to my destination, and another ignored me. And the person said brusquely ”I’ve no time, sorry.”


Another example is this. Most American people don’t keep traffic rules. I can see the people who ignore traffic signals as if they couldn’t see them. However, most Japanese people keep traffic rules even if they are in a foreign country.


In Manhattan, I saw a Japanese person who was waiting for a traffic signal. Other American people and even a decrepit old woman ignored it and went across, but that Japanese man kept waiting until it changed. I was proud of this man because these days Japanese people are becoming lazy about being polite.


It is said that Japanese people are polite, but American people are not. However I think that not only American people but also most people can’t tall being bold from being rude. If they can distinguish that, most people may be polite.
I’m also one of those who can’t distinguish that because I often ignore traffic signals as American people do. May be I ought to be ashamed of my self as one of them.

telc students and teacher

This is your teacher checking to see if it is possible to cut and paste something written in Word to the Blog (so you don’t have to type the whole thing again). If you can read this entry, it means I have successfully copied and pasted it, and you can too.