Level 3

I was born in Tunisia. My father is from Libya, and my mother is from Tunisia. I will talk about the average people in Libya. The average people in Libya like constant communication and like family visits every weekend. Also, people like to use their cars and don't like to use public transportation. Also, people in my country like a lot of food. They like to cook at home or buy from fast food restaurants, but most of them like to cook at home. The average people in Libya do not like a lot of sugar. People in my country like coffee a lot. They drink maybe four cups of Arabic coffee a day. The average people in Libya also like camping on the weekend. There are many families on summer vacations who spend their time at the sea. In Libya, marriage is very expensive, and there are some traditions in Libyan marriages. Finally, Libya is a Muslim country. Inhabitants of Libya were Jews, but unfortunately they were displaced in the sixties.

Written by Adam Elkher

In Yemen, average people live simply. They usually start their day early in the morning with a cup of tea or coffee. Family is very important, and they often spend their evenings together. Traditional food like saltah and bint al-sahn is a big part of daily meals. Transportation mainly consists of cars, motorbikes, and the bus. On Fridays, families gather for prayer and special meals. Finally, Yemeni people are known for their hospitality.

Written by Abdullah Alhamdani

My family is from Venezuela. I was born in Barquisimeto. Barquisimeto is a very beautiful city with beaches, mountains, savannahs, and rivers. The people of Venezuela speak Spanish. Families usually live in the same city or the same area of the city. Barquisimeto is the musical capital of Venezuela because it is where musical instruments of Venezuelan folklore, such as the harp, the cuatro, and the maraca, are made. Entrance to cultural parks and museums is free, including the beaches. One of our favorite activities is going to the beach.

Written by Jhoanna Blanco

My wife, my daughter, and I left our country 3 years and 7 months ago to have a better future. We are from a beautiful country, Guatemala. In my country, people are used to getting up very early to go to work. The sport that is practiced the most in my country is soccer. The food is very delicious. The day we celebrate independence is September 15. On that day, there is a lot of traditional food. People don't work and go out to walk and eat in all the streets of the city. In my country, half of the children do not study and start working from a very young age to help with household expenses. The most common jobs are agriculture, construction, and carpentry.

Written by Angel Garcia

I was born and grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine. My hometown is located in the northeast of Ukraine. This is 28 miles from the border of Russia. Most people in my country have favorite sports. My favorite sport is soccer. In 2012 in my country, there was the European Football Championship. Kharkiv became home for the Dutch national team and its fans. I remember when many Dutch fans went to the first game of their team, and they were surprised to be met by an "orange train" on the subway. They had unbelievable emotions because the whole city changed its colors to orange at that time, which was the color of their national team. All of Kharkiv lived only for soccer during that time. It was an unforgettable experience for me and the whole city.

Written by Viktor Khoruzhenko

Subject: News From Portland, Oregon

Good morning Dear Mum,

How are you? How is your health? My son and I have been in the United States for a year and a half, and everything is fine in the United States. When I first arrived in the United States, everything was strange, for example: the community where I lived was very quiet, so quiet that I could not see anyone, and the streets here were not as noisy as the streets in China. The time difference between the United States and China was 15 hours; the climate here was mild, and it rained most of the time. The humid environment was suitable for the growth of crops, so the trees were green all year round; the meat sold in the supermarket was frozen, so you couldn't eat fresh meat; the washed clothes couldn’t be left outside the balcony to dry, otherwise you would be fined, and the clothes needed to be dried in a dryer. There were many homeless people on the streets in the city center; and finally, drug use was not illegal. You may be curious to hear this. You may think that China is still better. Now I have basically adapted to life here.

Last summer, my family and I moved. In order to find a good school for our children, we moved to Lake Oswego, a small county town, but the educational institutions around it are famous for their success. In the winter of 2023, a friend helped me apply for an English course at a local community college. After passing the test, I entered Level 2, a non-credit course. After more than half a year of hard work, I entered Level 3 in the winter. Learning English is fun to me, but improving English skills requires more time and effort! My life is very fulfilling now. I go to English classes from 9:00 to 11:50 am every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. After class, I go to the Chinese supermarket to buy groceries. I am happy to cook the dishes the kids like.The two kids are sensible and obedient. I don’t have to worry about anything. Sometimes on weekends, our family goes hiking. So, I always have a great time.

Mom, we all  miss you and the days we lived together in China. I look forward to going back to visit you every holiday. I plan to bring the kids back to China to see you during the summer vacation. We will meet soon.

I wish you good health!

Your eldest daughter, Cuiling

Written by Cuiling Wu

Subject: My Life in the United States

Hello Monse, 

How are you? Well, I wanted to greet you and spend some time here and tell you everything I experienced when I moved to the United States. Well, the truth is that it is a country full of opportunities and advantages for oneself. Because I live in the state of Oregon, I live in Beaverton. Well, I will tell you about my daily routine. I tell you that in the mornings, I study, in the afternoons, I work and at night, I go to the gym. It's a routine life and not good to live since I can't enjoy some shared moments that occur with my family and with my parents who are in Ecuador. Since I came here to live, from the first day I arrived, I started working. My goals are to study English and prepare myself for a gastronomy career since I like to work with food. I like to work in restaurants even if the schedule is so tiring in the summer. On the other hand, I want to tell you that if you dedicate yourself, you learn English, and my greatest effort is to dedicate myself and thus manipulate the language because I have been studying for 6 months and the truth is that I learned quickly. So it has given me opportunities to have conversations with foreign people and thus manage myself in my work because here in Beaverton I live with my sister, who has a reason to continue because she was the one who supported me when I arrived. I am very grateful to her for everything. She taught me and educated me to be what I am today. Well, as I told you, my life is not made in this country, maybe I'm here to obtain professionalism, to be financially stable, and to be able to achieve my goals. I would like to invest in Ecuador, for example, in real estate and maybe in a restaurant that is titled with my name. Well, jumping off the subject, I would tell you that I miss my parents very much, my family, it's been a hard time not living with them, but I know they are proud to have a son working and studying and gradually improving and fulfilling their goals. Without more to tell you, that is my life in the United States! I love you very much, and have a good day.

Written by David Rivas

Subject: Greetings From Portland

Dear Pezhman,

I hope you are doing well.  I wanted to write to you and share a little about my life here. I am living in Portland this winter, and I don’t think I will move from my place for now. I am staying with my friend’s family.  I am taking a non-credit English class. Learning English is quite challenging for me, and it takes a lot of effort.  Honestly, I don’t enjoy life much because I am far from my family. Things will feel normal again when I am reunited with them. I really miss my country and my friends.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Amir

Written by: Amir Mirmajlessi

Subject: News From Portland, Oregon!

Good morning Felix, 

How are you ?

Well, first of all I'm fine, this winter I'm living in Beaverton because I found one house that is very cheap and is near my college, only 10 minutes by car. I live with my father and my stepmother. I take three English classes a week , but I am taking non-credit classes at this point. 

Let me tell you something, the class is very interesting, because it helps many people to find a job, even for me. It is very hard for me sometimes because English isn't my first language, I believe you know that. 

My life in the United States is so convenient for me now , because my father and  my step mother help me so much. For example, I don't pay rent, food, clothes, and other extra costs. 

My daily routine is to wake up at 6:40, brush my teeth, wash my face, and take the bus. On weekends, I often go to the supermarket or to my stepmother’s house with her  brother. After that, we sometimes drink soda at a special place. But, I don't really want to lie to you. I miss my country so much. I miss the real sun, the beach, the parties, all the dancing, and especially dancing amapiano and african music. Just that …..

See you soon…  I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FOR ME .

Written by Anastasia Bindang Nguema Mangue

About My Life I The United States

Dear Ping,

How are you? I've been living in the United States for one year . I’m living a good life. I don’t want to leave the city. I love it. I am taking English classes at Portland Community college. This winter term, I am  studying level 3. My teacher is Ana, she is very nice, she always has a  smile on her face. I can feel  her passing energy when she is teaching us. In class, I met classmates from many countries, and they are all nice. They told me more about their countries’ different cultures and interesting things, and taught me a bit about their countries’ languages. The study period for me is a journey. I am very much enjoying it. In the past year, every day, I woke up in the morning,  drank a cup of coffee, then started to learn English. I recite words , read books, and listen to English conversations. Usually, I have to clean my house and do laundry and I also have to cook dinner for my family. We had a good time for dinner. Then, I usually go for a walk or run. Everyday is so fast. This October, I plan to go back to visit you and my family members. 

Wish you all best,

June

Written by Hanjun Yan