ENGLISH
L
E
V
E
L
7
TEA C H ER S :
RUTH
TICKTIN
My Feelings
Before
and
After
BY
Lo ren a
C i s n ero s
THE AMERICAN
REALITY
O
BY
El i s eo
M a rt in
ne thing is that life on this continent of North America
as you imagine it is based on the messages of media,
your friend’s opinions and families opinions, and
another is the reality of life in this country.
Fifteen years ago, there was a necessity to
immigrate to the United States of America. The famous
and popular, “American Dream” was always present in my
mind, in which the United States was a first world country,
with an excellent quality of life, and where you could
find a good job. Also this country was offering to young
people, what my country had offered until 1975, good
jobs, good pay and opportunities to improve your quality
of life, but those times passed. What more I could ask in
this country?
After I came to this country and while time was
passing, the reality was changing my mind. It is true that
you can have everything you want, you have to pay for it,
you can get a job but with no one you like and you have
to compete with a lot of people. You need to improve
your English and learn to live in winter time. Then you
will be working hard to keep your work from Monday to
Monday.
Finally, we can say, that this country offers
opportunities and quality of life but “if you don’t work,
you don’t eat”.
W
hen I was a little girl I didn’t like to
go shopping or visit any stores or the
mall because it was so boring for me,
and also I didn’t like to go visit my grandmother
because she lived on a farm and there was
nothing interesting to do. The place didn’t have
parks, stores, or movie theaters nearby to go
and there only a few people lived and the whole
place was quiet. I could only hear the sound of
the animals like chickens, cows, pigs, etc . In the
house there was no entertainment. Also when
we go there, we had to leave the car in one place
then we had to walk the rest of the way because
there was not a road at the farm. Every time that
my parents told me that I had to go to visit my
grandmother I complained and I didn’t want to
go. And I was born in the city where there were a
lot of people walking on the street.
Now I work and I earn my own money. I like
to go shopping almost every weekend. I
think I always have to buy something. When
the seasons change in the year I like to buy
the new collection. Also now I miss my
family a lot but more my grandmother, and
I am here in this country and she lives in El
Salvador. I can’t go to visit her often or every
time that I want. I can visit her only when I
travel to El Salvador once a year.
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