Lost in Translation Vol.II

Lost in Translation

Vol.VII

Writing Workshop for International Graduate Students

Professor:Jill Ostrow

Graduate Teaching Assistant:Jinju Lee

University of Missouri, Columbia MO

Meet the Writers

Haitham Alsaif

I am a master student in the Electrical Engineering program at the university of Missouri. I am from Saudi Arabia and I came here to complete my higher studies. I have chosen the United States and MU specifically since it is a strong university and it is one of the top 100 universities in engineering. In my opinion, the US has excellent universities and it is one of the best countries to do higher education in the world.

Dan Ding

My name is Dan Ding, a girl from China. I am a PhD student in civil and environment engineering speciality in geotechnical engineering. I love traveling, music, movies, food and hanging out with friends.

Eunyoung Jang

My name is Eunyoung Jang from South Korea. I've been the U.S. almost three years. I'm a PhD student in School of Social Work. The reason why I'm taking this class was to improve my writing skill. However, I've earned more than this. I feel confortable and relaxable every class. It made me a 'good' writer better than a just 'well-written' writer. I have to work hard to improve my English writing skills, but I'm sure I'll do enjoy doing it :)

Kyoungmin NamMy name is Kyoungmin Nam from South Korea. I study transportation in civil engineering department as a graduate student. Writing in English is never easy task for me. So I decided to take this course to learn to write, before that, to think to write like a native English speaker.

Meet the Writers

Zhonghua Peng

My name is Zhonghua Peng. I am Chinese and was born in an rural area in Hubei province, situated in the center of China. I have two old sisters in my family. I got my Bachelor and Master in Civil Engineering in China and came to the United States since Jan.9th 2012 for my ph.D program in Civil Engineering.

Omid Pezeshkfar

My name is Omid. I’m from Iran, Tehran and studying Master’s program in Electrical Engineering in the University of Missouri- Columbia. I like to find new people, new culture and make new friends. I like playing Basketball, hanging out with friends and implementing my own ideas. I have a creative mind in engineering issues , not good in writing but I’m trying my best.

Qi Shen

My name is Qi Shen, a girl from a small city of China. Though I am a master student of Environmental Engineering. I like romantic fiction, love food, sensors.Of course, care for the environment.

Feifei Wang

Feifei, is from China. She is studying business administration.

Zhenhu Shen

My name is Zhenyu Shen. I came from China I am studying for my PhD in the food science department. My research is focusing on food safety. Now I am trying to develop a new method to identify the sources of food contamination. I married 6 years ago. Now my wife is still studying for her PhD in Mizzou. Our lovely daughter is three years old. She loves her daycare. My hometown is Lanzhou, a big city with similar size of St. Louis in Northwest of China. The most famous of the city is beef noodle. Welcome to my hometown to taste the beef noodle. My treat!

Cuong Nguyen My name is Cuong Nguyen and I am from Vietnam. I came to MU for my PhD study program in plant sciences. My research interests related to using bioinformatic approaches to process and analyze molecular biology data. In 2008, I got a Vietnam Government scholarship to study abroad. During my application process, I came to know that I already met and worked with Prof. Jerry Nelson, a MU faculty in the Division of Plant Sciences several times in Vietnam. I sent him my document and asked him for help to apply at MU, and luckily I got accepted and came to MU in the fall 2009.

Contents ~

Personal Narratives

My Interesting Days in the U.S. ......................................................... Cuong Nguyen

Traveling: My National Park Passport ......................................................... Dan Ding

My Past Self ..................................................................................... Eunyoung Jang

A Letter to my Unborn Son ................................................................... Feifei Wang

Knowledge is Light ............................................................................. Haitham Alsaif

Marriage ......................................................................................... Kyoungmin Nam

This Story is Based on my Life ....................................................... Omid Pezeshkfar

Homesick for Food ...................................................................................... Qi Shen

Hi, My Silly Girl ..................................................................................... Zhenhu Shen

My First Day in the U.S. .................................................................... Zhonghua Peng

Poems

....................................................................................................... Qi Shen

Columbia! ........................................................................................ Cuong Nguyen

Time’s Plot ................................................................................................. Dan Ding

A Sudden ......................................................................................... Eunyoung Jang

Haitham Alsaif. . ..................................................................

Candle ............................................................................................ Kyoungmin Nam

Passing Memory Train ...................................................................... Haitham Alsaif

Lessons from a Thirty Year Old ........................................................ Eunyoung Jang

Omid Pezeshkfar .....................................................................

Childhood. ....................................................................................... Zhonghua Peng

海—日落 ……………………………………………………… Zhenyu Shen

Essays, Fiction, and Such…

NoRooz ......................................................................................... Omid Pezeshkfar

Bacteria ........................................................................................... Cuong Nguyen

A Brief History of Chinese Dumpling ..................................................... Zhenyu Shen

What are Prisoner’s Rights? ............................................................. Eunyoung Jang

Secret Diary ................................................................................................. Qi Shen

Prayer ............................................................................................. Kyoungmin Nam

The Savior .................................................................................................. Dan Ding

Personal Narrative

My Interesting Days in the United States

~ Cuong Nguyen

I was born just few years before the Vietnam -‐ US war ended in 1975 and after that time my country was in a long sanction period imposed by the United States till 1995. Since then, the opportunity to study in the US has been a dream of many young Vietnamese, including myself.

Landing in the Los Angeles International Airport at about 6:00 PM on August 13, 2009, I realized that my dream had came true and that my new, challenging and interesting journey had begun in a country where I had never thought during my childhood that one day I would come here to study. I believe not only me but you and also many others always have interesting emotion and unforgettable time arriving a new country and meeting new people in first few days.

The LA airport is one of the main landing spots for foreign visitors entering the United States. When my flight arrived at the airport, there were also many other flights coming. The check-‐out area contained lines filled with passengers and I stood behind a long line waiting for my turn to check out. I felt a little nervous because it was the first time I came to the US, and it was also quite a long time I did not communicate with foreigners in English in a real situation like this. However, my worries disappeared immediately. The customs officer was very friendly. His voice was slow, and clear that helped me felt better, and more confident.

While handing out my passport and ticket to the officer, I checked my next schedule, and again I worried of being late catching up with the next flight. Ten minutes was left for the boarding time. I was still standing at the custom check-‐out table. Fortunately, guessing my issue, the officer helped speed up the process and guide me how to quick locate the boarding gate of my next flight.

When I just left the officer, I ran fast as I could in the hope that I would be on time. Here it was, in front of the gate, I met two staffs of the airline carrier closing the gate. I approached the gate in a hurry, and showed them my boarding pass. “Sorry”, they said to me and added “the plane is heading to the run way, and you have already missed it. This is the final flight for the day. Now, what you could do is to go back the common hall waiting the next early morning flight, and during the time you could ask the information desk for help”.

I felt disappointed, tired, and hungry while going back to the waiting hall. What was I going to do now? How could I stay overnight in this large and strange place surrounding with strange people? I went around several waiting halls in the airport and looked for someone at the information desk to ask for help. The staffs at the desk shared a valuable hint with me that I think be a good experience for every passenger when they go traveling. I was told to go to the airline representative and ask for help. She was a very gentle and obliging individual. She showed me how to get a bus to a hotel called Hilton located near the airport. She also gave me a free ticket for dinner at the hotel and told me that all the expense would be covered by the airline.

When I arrived at the hotel at around 10:00 PM, I met several passengers who also missed their flights at the reception desk. The receptionists seemed to know our condition. They tried to help and arrange our rooms very quickly. The room given to me alone was very large and very clean. To my experience, it looked like a five-‐star hotel room. It was equipped with a 42-‐inch digital television which connected to a set of a DVD-‐player. It also had a huge bathroom and a bathtub with a telephone linked to the main room. Another attractive feature of the room is that it allows you to view beauty of the LA at night from its huge glass windows. The room was very luxury to me, and it was not my expectation to rest just a few hours.

After receiving the room, I took a quick bath and went down to the hotel restaurant to have my very late dinner. Given the menu, I selected chicken nugget, salad, and boiled rice. It was the first time that I had American food, and it was great. Before returning to my room, I asked the receptionist to wake me up early in the morning so that I would not miss the flight again. My first night in the United States was spent in a five-‐star hotel. The next morning, the line-‐phone in my room rang at 5:30. The receptionist told me it was time to get up and leave for the airport. When I reached the hotel door, a bus was there and ready to go.

My next flight to St Louis was at 8:00 AM. It took me 4 hours flying from the LA airport to St Louis. I arrived at my destination at 12:00 AM and immediately went to search of my luggage. I did not see my luggage coming with my flight and I was afraid of losing it. Again, I went to the information desk and asked for help. Based on my ticket confirmation number, they found my luggage had arrived last night and loaded to the lost and found room. I was happy to get back my luggage. Next, I took a MoX to start my last itinerary. During the two-‐hour trip, I kept looking at the different views outside the bus. As I was observing, I caught a sight of huge and green farms with corn and soybean fields spreading along the I-‐70 inter-‐state highway. In my country, most farmers own very small farms but require a large amount of human labors to take care of them. Conversely, the US farmers have very large farms and they use advanced machines instead of human workers.

The MoX bus arrived in Columbia around 15:00 PM. It was a very nice day and the weather was beautiful. The bus driver dropped me off at the University Place Apartments, where I had signed up to live. While waiting in the guest hall on the first floor, I met several Vietnamese students and introduced myself as a newcomer. After that, I asked them to help me find my roommate who had contacted me via email. After giving him a phone call, they let me know that my roommate might come back late at night due to an appointment. Then they invited me to their room for a nice talk and a good dinner.

A few days after arriving in Columbia, I received considerable assistance from many Vietnamese students. They brought me to the supermarkets to buy food, kitchen materials and other necessary supplies. They took me to the bank to open a new account. They helped me with the Missouri University student check-‐in procedures. They also let me know their experience living and studying at MU. I remembered at that time the Vietnam Student Association had around 40 members and now it has reached 70. Everyone in the association tries their best to help the new members adapting with the new living and learning environment.

I felt very thankful and fortunate to have such supports during these first few days in the United States. It was a good starting point to begin my new journey full of hard work and obstacles.

1��

Traveling -My national park passport

~Dan Ding

“䈫зধҖˈ㹼з䟼䐟” an old saying in Chinese which means reading ten thousand books

and traveling ten thousand miles are both very important in life. I love both; reading makes me

gain knowledge and information from other people and culture, whereas traveling makes me

experience different views and cultures on my own. Traveling broadens my perspective, makes

me pleasant and strong. Each time after being back from a journey, I feel fresh and work very

efficiently. Also, it is cheerful to share experience with friends.

One of my friends told me that the national parks publish a portable passport book for

visitors collecting stamps when traveling. I did not know the National Park Passport until early

2010. I searched online and found out that one passport book costs around 10 dollars. Visitors

who are traveling in national parks can have their passports stamped in the visitor center for free.

I think carrying the passport to get it stamped for free is a very cost effective and fun activity for

travelers. So, I bought one without any hesitation and then, my journey with my personalized

national park passport started from there.

On the day I received my passport book, I was very excited. My book has different

categories by areas and it leaves enough blank pages for stamps. I went through the park lists and

found out there are a few places right on my traveling list. How wonderful is that! I wrote my

name on the first page just in case it was lost. And there was a place for my picture, I thought: “I

am not going to put my photo there. Well, how about if I draw something there?” Then I drew a

girl happily traveling on the road with a backpack in sunny weather for my picture. My friends

and I loved it and thought it made my book personalized.

The national park service includes national monuments, memorials and parks. The first

national park I had my passport stamped was the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St.

Louis, also known as The Gateway Arch. As a Civil Engineer, I always feel excited and amazed

when visiting the worldwide well known challenging buildings and constructions. I’ve been

there several times before and each time, I still get impressed. One hot summer Saturday, my

friends and I were bored hanging around school not doing anything. We jumped into the car and

headed to The Arch. The Arch is always so shiny under the sun, and even on such a hot day,

2��

there were many people and the waiting line to climb the tower is about half an hour. While

waiting, we went to the service table, there were two teenagers in front of us. They also had

passport books in their hands. What a popular passport book it is! Without asking, the lady who

volunteered at the table took out a wooden stamp and an inkpad. After checking the date was

right, she handed those to us. I was so excited by putting the first stamp on my book. I pressed

the stamp in the inkpad with all my strength trying to get the stamp saturated with ink, and I

stamped it on my book. We acted very childish by blowing on the mark trying to dry the stamp

faster; otherwise the page next to it would get smeared. I laughed, and then we all laughed at

what we just did.

When I try to recall memories of those stamps, the first ones come to mind are from the

Yellowstone National Park-the largest national park in US. My friends and I did not plan for the

trip months before we departed, not like other travelers always do. It just popped up and we put it

on our traveling agenda after short discussion. It was a little rush but we got lucky and booked a

hotel. As you know, in summer time, Yellowstone National Park is among the most popular

sightseeing places. It is always hard to book a place in the park if do not plan early and we do not

have tent, so camping has been ruled out. It seems that someone canceled their trip and we just

found it at the right time. You see, how lucky we were! The place we stayed was in a walking

distance to one of the most famous viewpoints in the park-the old faithful geysers. The reason it

is called old faithful geysers is because it is the most predictable geographical features on earth

erupting every 91 minutes. As the car approaching the hotel, the rotten egg smell of sulfides was

getting stronger and stronger, but being in the air for a while, it was not that bad. In the visitor

center, the staffs were so busy that they put the stamps and ink on a spare table for visitors to

help themselves. In the gift shop nearby, there were stickers having pictures of particular views

for selling. I bought one with the picture of the old faithful geysers eruption. It was so pretty and

special. Excited, I placed the sticker on my passport book and stamped on it. After putting

stamps on our books, we were notified that the next eruption was in 20 minutes. “Let’s be quick!

Hurry up, everyone! We must find a good spot!” We were so energetic like we did not drive for

hours and we were acting like robots who do not need rest at all. When we arrived at the

viewpoint, there were already many people waiting on the bench in front of the geysers. Luckily,

we found a good spot and were waiting very impatiently. You know, when you are expecting

something, time always goes extreme slow and minutes could be felt like hours! We looked

3��

around. The ground was quiet filling with smoke like there was fire underneath it. No signs

showing the geysers would erupt just in minutes. Surprisingly on time, the geysers suddenly

started to shoot a great amount of boiling water to the height of about fifteen floors. With the

show started, the place got vivid, filled with people signing with admiration, kids cheering,

camera shutter clicking and camera flashing. Not only us, but the whole group of people there

were so amazed by the natural power and everyone was so excited and satisfied.

As in a fast forward playing movie, time flies. There are less blank pages left in my passport

book as I traveled to more places. I stuffed it in my carry-on luggage no matter where I was

going, big cities or parks. I always stamped on the book carefully and jumped for the little joy I

shared with my friends. The National Park Passport book does bring a lot of fun and knowledge

into our journey. I haven’t read ten thousand books nor traveled ten thousand miles yet, but I am

heading there and I know I will eventually.

~"by"

Eunyoung"Jang"

"

Dear"Past"Self,""

"

Congratulations"on"arriving"in"the"present"safely."You"have"only"two"and"half"more"years"

to"go"to"get"your"PhD,"which"means"that"you’re"almost"there!""

"

As"your"future"self,"I"have"a"lot"to"tell"you"about"your"time"in"the"classroom"especially"

how"to"engage"in"class."After"you"read"my"story,"you"may"feel"like"you"want"to"run"away"

and"hide,"but"don’t"worry—all"of"us,"human"being,"should"learn"from"our"experiences"in"

the"past"(and"your"past"is"not"too"bad!).""

"

First"times"at"anything"always"have"lots"of"mistakes"and"episodes,"and"yours"was"no"

exception."If"you"recall"your"first"few"years"in"the"United"States,"you"will"realize"how"

crazy"it"was,"and"how"different"it"was"from"what"you"imagined."You"knew"that"the"life"of"

an"international"student"was"not"easy,"but"you"were"full"of"great"expectations"and"

confidence"because"you"had"a"lot"of"travel"experience.""

"

Poor"past"self."Traveling"and"studying"are"totally"different"stories."In"traveling,"you"talk"

when"necessary;"for"example,"you"talk"when"you"need"something"from"the"shop."

Otherwise,"you"don’t"want"to"talk"to"people,"because"you"don’t"have"to."Nobody"blames"

you."You"decide"when"to"listen"and"speak."

"

However,"it"might"surprise"you"that"a"classroom"is"not"like"a"shop."Although"you"ask"

questions"in"class"just"as"similar"as"you"ask"questions"about"available"shoe"sizes"in"a"

store,"you"also"have"to"listen"to"the"answers,"understand"them,"and"respond—in"other"

words,"you"need"to"communicate."And"the"biggest"difference"is"that"your"professors"and"

classmates"do"not"have"as"much"patience"as"salespeople;"don’t"think"too"much,"or"you"

will"miss"your"turn!""It’s"like"a"jungle;"everyone"is"eager"to"look"for"a"chance"to"speak"up"

like"a"lion"is"eager"to"hunt"animals"alone.""

"

I"know"that"you"like"to"just"sit"and"wait"for"the"time"to"pass"and"that"you"tend"to"get"

emotional"in"class,"but"you"must"speak"up."I"know"that"you"worry"about"your"poor"

grammar"and,"pronunciation."As"well"as"you"worry"about"saying"things"wrong."I"know"

that"you"think"your"classmates"are"sneering"at"you."But"you"know"what?"Nobody"cares"if"

you"speak"English"well"or"not,"and"they"might"not"even"take"any"notice"of"what"you"say."

Do"you"remember"Tian,"a"Chinese"classmate?"She"spoke"out"about"everything"

confidently;"her"faulty"grammar"never"stopped"her"from"participating"in"class."If"you"lose"

confidence,"remember"that"you"can"speak"both"English"and"Korean,"whereas"most"of"

the"people"who"make"you"feel"overwhelmed"in"class"can"speak"only"one"language."Isn’t"

it"amazing?""

"

Ok,"you"have"become"used"to"the"classroom"environment"in"America"over"the"past"two"

years."There"are"still"many"obstacles"and"difficulties"to"face,"but"you"have"a"sense"and"

will"improve"your"English"(I"know"just"a"little"bit,"though)."You"also"know"all"of"your"

colleagues"and"professors"well."The"only"thing"you"need"to"do"is"to"keep"moving"

forward.""

"

I"know"your"class"time"in"the"United"States"has"been"hard,"so"I"want"to"share"this"advice"

with"you:"you"should"know"that"in"the"end,"you"will"survive"from"the"cold"warXsilent"

jungle.""

"

A letter to my unborn son

~Feifei Wang

My dear little boy,

I want to write to you about the amazing time to have you live in my womb, a time worth

to remember. One of my friends told me that memories of pregnancy will fade very fast,

especially after the drama of your birth as well as after the nervousness and intensity of first-time

motherhood. I know that some mothers record their mood and feeling since Day 1 of their

pregnancy. I want to do this as a letter to you.

The 40 weeks of pregnancy are a miraculous journey. Nothing can describe the miracle

of a new life growing in my wombs and all those joyful and precious moments during pregnancy.

The 40 weeks sounds a long time, but it really passes fast. The changes that happen during these

40 weeks are astonishing. You grow from a fertilized egg to a fully formed newborn, while I see

my belly growing every day. I will be a mother the moment you arrive the world and we are

connected forever.

Now you are 30 weeks old. Your official due date is April 29th. To me, it is fast

approaching. So far, thanks to you, I have a wonderful pregnancy, and feel blessed to have you,

such a little angel, in my wombs. You have been treating me so well, although recently because

you are growing bigger, sometimes I have digestion problems and lose my appetite, and

sometimes heartburns bothers me a lot. I almost have no morning sickness. Before I can feel you

move, most of the time I did not believe I was pregnant carrying you. I can go to classes

regularly, am very energetic and truly enjoy being pregnant.

Although the most part of my pregnancy is just as I have hoped, you still brought me a

few unexpected things. I have always imagined that I will eat whatever I want, ice creams,

cheese cakes, everything, and do not have to worry about gaining too much weight. The reality is

that I consider eating as a daily assignment from you. I count how many servings of milk, meats,

fruits and vegetables I take in, and am afraid of missing any one of them, because I want you to

have all necessary nutrients. I thought I would do exercise every day, but during the cold winter

in Columbia, I feel really cozy staying at home. Before pregnancy, I went to yoga classes with

my friends regularly. It is always good to have company when doing exercise. Another

interesting change is my attitude towards you. Early on, I asked my mother if she would help

take care of you so I could continue with school and work. But, now, I can’t imagine leaving you

with anyone. I have been so anxious to prepare for your arrival. Preparing for your arrival seems

like a project to me. I conducted a lot research about the quality of baby products. I bought you

car seat, stroller, and crib when you were only 20 weeks, and forced your father to assemble

them together. I even walked with the stroller pretending you were sitting in there. Your father

laughed at me being nesting way too early. I try to stay positive, have a good mood, and do not

worry too much about my study and work. At this time, you rank the top one in my life, and even

your father is jealous of you.

You brought me so many first-time experiences during pregnancy. The first time I saw

you was when you were 12 weeks old through the ultrasound screen. At that time, we still do not

know your gender. We looked hard at the monitor, there you were, you little head, hands, feet,

everything. From the ultrasound screen, it seems that you were moving, but as the first-time

parents, we really did not know if the moving was from you or from the doctor’s moving. When

the doctor told us that it was you moving around, your father held my hands tightly and said that

it is our baby. He is silly, but he is right. That is also my first time to understand the existence of

a life, you, in my womb. You are very naughty and energetic. When the doctor was trying to

measure the length of your spine, you flipped just at the exact moment. The doctor gave us some

of your pictures, and we showed them to your grandparents. They were even more excited than

us. All the examinations turn out to be normal, which means you are healthy.

We are told you are a boy at the 20 weeks ultrasound. Your father kept on saying that he

did not want to know your gender on our way to the hospital, because he loves you no matter you

are a boy or a girl. We had been referring you as our daughter since we know I am pregnant.

Naturally, I always thought you are a baby girl. I believe both our parents would like to have a

grandson under the influence of Chinese culture. When the doctor told us that you are a boy, I

was too focused on the monitor to notice her words. I caught the “boy” word at the second time.

We were very excited, but not as much as we expected. At this moment, the only thing we care is

your health. Having a healthy baby is more important to us. It is very funny that from that day on

we have to change to refer you as “our son”.

The first concern was when we knew you were relatively small when compared with

other babies. You were only 10 ounces, about 7 percentile at Week 20. Your father and I were so

worried, and thought that maybe I did not eat enough so that you were a little behind. The doctor

eased our concern, saying that my eating habit will not affect your growth. Now I try to eat as

healthy and as much as I can, so that I can provide enough nutrients to you. I feel I never care

someone this much in my life, and at the same time I understand all the cares and concerns from

your grandparents. Things are just different knowing your existence.

Your father changed dramatically during my pregnancy. Before he was a bit lazy, and act

like a big boy. He loves soccer and video games and hates to wash dishes. Now he cooks a lot,

and even goes online to search for recipe so that I can have a better appetite. He washes dishes

and tries to complete all the housework. He also sets up many wield restrictions: he does not

allow me to go shopping alone; he does not want me to go places with too many people, and his

funny reason is that I might catch flu.

Pregnancy is an amazing event. I am wondering how you look like, and I am looking

forward to seeing you.

! 1!

Haitham Alsaif

Knowledge is Light

“Don’t look back to the past and keep your head up straight towards the future in an

optimistic vision”, when ever I recall my grandfather’s words my heart bursts with happiness,

my eyes fill up with tears, and a huge smile lights up my face. My grandfather’s warm lovely

smile that always seemed to brighten our home. Everything about him was delicate, neat, and

comforting. When I was younger, I learned a lot from this inspiring man. He was reliable; our

whole family depended on him for feeding the hungry tummies of its members. He was also

sociable, and intelligent with a strong memory. I was always surprised by the small details he

could reminisce from years. He had white skin, long stature, gray silky hair, and muscular body.

He used to start his day with energy and earnest before dawn by walking down to his

small shop where he used to sell vegetables and fruit. His shop was in Alaziziah market. The

store was divided in two sections; on the right there were varieties of luscious tasty fruits. The

grapes lay like frosted marbles in the bins while the yellow bananas hung heavily on the silver

hangers. As the huge watermelon made their appearance on the corner, the red juicy strawberries

gathered in small containers shyly together. On the left, there were all kinds of fresh organic

vegetables. They were organized in color-oriented way to catch caught customers’ attention. The

red plump tomatoes were next to the appealing red peppers that graduated into orange and

yellow bright peppers. The big pumpkins stood firmly as soldiers in a battle as they stopped the

flood of the green leafy parsley. The view was very pleasing not only for the shopper but also for

my grandfather.

My grandfather enjoyed being a salesman. He spent most of his day in that shop. Before

he and his workers open the shop, he usually brought them breakfast and they used to eat

! 2!

together as a family, listening to each other, joking about their funny stories, and helping one

another when needed. While opening the store, they worked hard together in cleaning and

organizing everything. He was a great humble manager and his workers adored him. He was

excellent in buying, selling, and negotiation the prices with his costumers.

He used to come home before sunset. On his way, he walked into a narrow ممر filled with

stores, selling many different things such as fabric, kitchen supply, and different kinds of Arabic

style restaurants. He could hear the voices of the salesmen trying to market their products while

the shoppers are seeking to get lower prices. The place was crowded with people whom he knew.

Everyone who went pass him would usually say hello and they chat for a little bit. He was well

known and everyone loved him.

But there was a special store that my grandfather had to stop at was an outdated candy

store in our neighborhood. Although the shop was very old, small, and had a rustic smell, there

were tons of treats to choose from. As he looked straight ahead, he would see different baskets

filled with colorful goodies. They varied from sweet, sour, spicy, to creamy. It was also a

journey for his nose. He traveled from the strong, rich, delicious, spicy aromas to the sweet,

fruity, creamy scents.

He always wanted to raise our curiosity by letting us try something new. Each day, he

bought something different. He brought varied treats such as sweet chocolate, sour dried fruit,

hot كل#جا, and spicy nuts. Once he opened the house door, we would gather around him with a

toothy grin smile. It was our favorite time of the day.

I will always remember his place in the living room when he got older. The corner of the

room was where he used to sit stretching his long legs next to his big wooden cane. He sat

quietly with love in his eyes while watching his grandchildren playing around. My younger

! 3!

cousins used to sit on his lap, searching for money in his pockets, listening to him singing

traditional songs, rubbing his bold hairless head with laughter, touching his long white beard,

and wondering about his wrinkled dry skin. I sensed a deep smile coming from his big warm

heart. A heart full of wisdom, pride, mercy, and emotion; this was the heart of my grandfather.

My grandfather was known for his generosity with everyone. He would not let anyone

down no matter what they needed. He would give freely without expecting anything in return.

His generosity was undefined. You would permanently find money, support, advice, care, and

love from him.

When I was a child, I loved to hear his stories since he was a great storyteller. He knew

how to craft his stories remarkably. I remember him describing the battles of old wars, the bright

hot sun in the summer, the dry cold freezing winters, and the struggle of finding food in the

former times. His stories caught our attention no matter what the topic was. I continuously felt

pleasure when I heard him imitate sounds of people, animals, and unknown creatures.

My grandfather had a profound love for poetry. He, himself, was a poet. A gifted one.

Even though he recited a lot of famous poems written by great poets, it was never hard for him to

improvise a poem in any occasion. He wrote about love, strength, faith, bravery, and even his

grandchildren.

As he got older, his advice and care for us never ended. I remember when I was in my

college years; he always encouraged me to continue on my studies. His inspiration extended in

many special manners. He supported me with his kind words, offered me money, and always

took me to old men meetings where I learned wise and rich experiences. However, I specifically

recall him saying, “Knowledge is Light”. His influence on me was outstanding that I decided to

continue my education and take my masters degree. I hope that I made him proud.

! 4!

I always feel honored when ever people ask, “Are you Ibrahim’s grandson?” I lift up my

head and say with pride “Yes, I am”. As I continue on in life, I will always remember how a

great role model he was not just for me but also for all of our family. I hope to walk on his

footsteps while I live and be a great influence on people.

!

This letter is prepared for college group (undergraduate) student in my church, as a guest

speaker session for their future life management.

~Kyoungmin Nam

Marriage – endless learning school for myself, not to convince my partner

Dear college group students,

College time can be the best time of your life. But if that is only the best time, what do you do

the rest of your life? You will be sad, if there is no best time anymore. But do not worry, there

will be the real best time coming soon.

Happiness, Joy, love, romance, passion, cute, sweet, heart and ??

What do you imagine when you think about marriage? Can you describe your pre marriage

period using some of these words? Or only a couple of them fit in your imaginary marriage?

So how do we find and seek for your marriage to be ‘happily ever after’?

Let me tell you my story first. When I go married, I thought marriage would be the beginning of

a new life filled with joy and happiness. Do you agree, if you are not married yet? Or you do not

agree, somehow? For me, I think I am also in typical kinds of relation with my wife and kids –

sometimes in a good mood, few days of no words between us, go out to play tennis and big

fighting after so called ‘I can’t stand it anymore’. Even though I can say I am a bit positive side

on trying to make it better relation, still relation and marriage are not so easy, not definable and

hard to please my partner. At the end, it is still mysterious.

If I my marriage can be judged by critic, like restaurant food, I heard some positives and few 5

star critiques from surrounding people. So am I overwhelmed with full of happiness and joy? To

be honest, I do not know. Appearance of marriage that you see from other couple from your

surroundings can be display purpose only. It is hard to see and know what the real marriage is –

like before food comes out of kitchen.

So now we move to the next stage of marriage. Real life – with lots of complex that is not so

easy to understand – is another nick name of marriage per se. We hear lots of stories from friends

and family how real they are – money, children, no time for myself, fed up, exhausted, an affair

and even at the end, divorce and ‘I’ll be back’

So what do we do now to realize my true and real situation and to come out or even to make

better relationship?

People get advice from others with their experience. Or even sometimes books, TV and

Hollywood romantic movies. Yes, sometimes it works for both sides – top, when you think of

romantic love from dream, and bottom, when you think of realistic love from daily life. But

again, real is real. We are not even in starting point of life long journey marathon, until you

recognize what the problem is where it came from and, plus, how to solve it by learning in this

book – school.

After years of deep thoughts about marriage, I came across an answer, so far I should say, that is

me, myself and I. Most of times, I simply blamed my partner when there is conflict or I am not

happy or satisfied. Do you think you are an exceptional case of this that you are being perfect? If

you are not perfect in your relation with your partner, there is a song ‘You are not alone’.

If so, you can’t stop to read this letter. You don’t have to spend time with me, spend time with

your partner. But how many people are in this case?

There is a way to learn and know myself. Based on that, we can start reform myself, here comes

bitter part of story. It takes long time, years and years. It is not simply to change such as

wallpaper of your iPhone or change your clothes. You can’t say I’m changed to devote for my

partner, after taking a bath, get a new fancy clothes with perfume closing.

So I want to put new name of marriage, ‘endless learning school for myself, not to convince my

partner’. Now, can you smell what I am going to talk about from now?

Why do I call it school? Because we needs a couple of semester and there are several different

subjects to take. Are you already stepping back to go out from class? No one wants to fail from

marriage and I guess, it is same to you. So just relax and sit back on your couch to start our first

class.

First Class: ‘Water and oil toy’

Have you learned a good lesson from a thing that around you. Sometimes we can learn from a

simple thing, like a water & oil toy. Two separate liquids, trying to live in one container. Sounds

a lot like marriage, doesn’t it? What do you think about marriage?

When my first baby was about one year old, we went Sea world in San Diego. After hours of

enjoying watching animals, we dropped by gift shop and left there. After we entered in highway

to go back to hotel, my wife was startled. She said, ‘Rachel took a water/oil toy’. It was heart

shape, pink color and little dolphin inside. Well, dear Shamu and friends, when we visit next

time, we’ll make sure to donate something under Rachel’s name, I promise.

How do you keep yourself after get married? Will you measure with calculator how much I can

be changed for your partner and they can change for me to watch? Or are you ready to sacrifice

yourself when you said ‘I do’ in front of pastor, more than your partner? How can we adjust each

other when we were and still are so different, even if you ready to devote for your partner.

Before I married my wife, I got to know her through many conversations. We found we had

many common interest; such as, a love to travel, doing sports, meeting friends, and overall

outgoing personalities. So in a very short time of period of dating, twice of face to face meeting

in the same day and many online communications, we decide to get merry. Thank you, Mr. Bill

Gates. But through years, I learned we are so different in many aspects. Or I should say

everything rather than many. It was only my imaginary marriage that everything would be

together and we will agree each other for every single matter.

Imagine that you have a circled shaped water/oil toy with white and red color half and half. If

you leave it on your palm, it will stay and we can see a clear line between white and red.

First a couple of years, we did not have much fights. As a fresh and honeymoon couple, I usually

tried to say ‘sorry, it’s my fault’. And she also says most of time ‘it’s okay’. After years of same

story, I thought there is something missed in me, from our relationship. I never asked her ‘do you

feel same thing – missing something? I guess, she was in the same page with me. How do we

find what is missing? Even after that, how do we resolve and fill ‘the missing’? To find what I

missed from relation with my wife, I have read some books written by experts. Well most of

them recommended having ‘lots of conversation’. It helped in some way, but not fully.

One day, one of my friends asked me very awkward and embarrassing question. “How long did

it take to be able to do fart, when you sleep in bed with your partner?” I made a big laughing. But

seriously, when was I able to do that?

If you just gently shake water/oil toy, red and white does not mix. They move around each other.

But they stay in separate. It is like you are standing on beach sand in very quiet day. You can

even see through sand because of gentle wave without sea froth. Do I want to be in that situation?

Friends and family said to us they are nice and lovely couple. But if she and I are in separation in

terms of feeling and emotion in real life, how do we explain about ‘marriage’?

There were some moments that we got closer and to know more and more. When we had fight –

most common and effective way, a trip – sleep outside that means a lot to discuss before and

after, and doing activity – with an interaction other people me and my wife learned more each of

us. And like my friend asked, the moment that unexpected things happen and it was so funny.

Now shake your toy harder. Can you see each part breaks down and start to mix with the other?

Each part is getting smaller and smaller, but still keeping their particle and color. They let the

other particle into their side. At the same time, move across to the other side and mix.

I thought when I got married; I would keep my own character, daily style and keep doing what I

have been doing. It was not like that. I had change and adjusted, because there is a new factor

that I bought for eternal life. My schedule changed around with my wife and kids. I couldn’t

keep drinking as much as I did. My lifestyle had changed because I couldn’t think only of myself.

It was a process to make a space to let my wife and kids into me. Also I was trying to be in my

wife and kids life style.

If you leave it again in your palm, it will be separated unfortunately. So let’s keep shake it.

Again and again. Harder and harder. Your arms will be pain. It is not easy. Again, marriage is

about real life not a sweet dream. Only after I feel pain, I can find my own pink color toy, even

hopefully, shape changed to circle to heart.

For all of you, it is easy to understand it with your brain, but it is hard to be accepted in your

heart. If it comes in a second like flash, it will not work. Marriage is supposed to change and mix

& match slowly, like a water and oil toy.

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QI SHEN Personal Narrative Essay

1

Homesick of Food

Synonymous in the minds of food-lovers with hand-pulled beef noodles, Lanzhou is

my hometown. It is in the middle of China: is almost have the same location of

Columbia in Missouri, the United States. It is not an economically developed area;

however, it is one of amazing Chinese food cities. I have been in United States for one

and half year. The delicious food of Lanzhou always can evoke my homesick feeling.

I miss the hand-pulled beef noodles so much. No trip to Lanzhou is complete without

feasting on noodles. The beef noodle is the most popular food in the city. Eight of ten

people will take the noodles before they go to work or school. I can remember that I

would see friends in the noodle restaurant which near my high school each time. The

noodle is featured by its soft chopped beef, fresh soup, fine taste and al dente. There is

a slogan to describe the authentic standard of beef noodle in Lanzhou. It is “一清、二

白、三红、四绿、五黄” 一清 means bouillon，the merits of beef noodle is depend

on the bouillon very much. The local people can judge the authenticity of beef noodle

by only on spoon of soup. “二白” is used to describe the parsnips in the soup. The

color of parsnips should be light and not have dark dot. “三红”means chili oil, the

chili oil can cover most surface of the soup. The halal restaurant makes noodles spicy

enough to satisfy even the most hardened heat-seekers. “四绿”means parsley, green

onion and garlic sprouts. “五黄” is the color of noodle，better noodle will have a light

yellow color..” The beef noodle is not only a food but also be a sign will let me miss

the family and friends. Each Lanzhou people must have eaten the beef noodles with

their family and friends. The noodle is filled by beautiful memories for me.

QI SHEN Personal Narrative Essay

2

My hometown also has one of the liveliest street food night markets in China. Just

west of the city center, the buzzing Zhengning Lu bazaar houses more than 100 street

food stalls. On offer is a broad selection of hot and cold dishes with emphasis on local

Hui cuisine. I held my 18th birthday dinner at this street. Many friends and I ate the

food from the one side of the street to the other side. We spent almost 3 hours to enjoy

the several snacks. The one of the most pleasant things is to enjoy food with family

and friends, I think.

I think the highlights of Zhengning Lu are include whole grilled fish seasoned with

aromatic cumin and sesame paste, sweet, hot bowls of “nai zhou” (milk rice with

sultanas, peanuts, sesame seed and beaten egg,) and flaky pastry rou bing stuffed with

meat and the grilled spicy potato. By the way, in my opinion, Lanzhou people like to

eat potatoes, no matter how to cook it.

After almost 2 years of study aboard, I realize that home is the best place to be no

matter where it is. I thought that traveling all the time is fun, but eventually I

discovered that east or west, home is best.“ In bed asleep, while they do dream things

true.”is the my most favorite line. I think my hometown will come to my dream

tonight.

Hi, My Silly Girl ~Zhenyu Shen

Hi, my silly girl, Niuniu, I am your silly father. I am writing for you, but I won’t let you see what I am writing even when you grow up because I am acting the bad one in our family. Your mom tends to spoil you so much. So, I have to pretend to be serious in front of you though I always forget how I should act. I won’t let you know how fragile my seriousness is. You are only at your three, but you are so urgent to be an adult. You always repeat in front of us: “I have grown up. I am an adult now.” But, you cannot distinguish realities and wishes. You set up a standard answer for your questions, such as “why can I do it by myself?” The answer is “you have grown up. When you hear we say the “standard answer” from our mouths, you are so satisfied. But, when we use your age as the reason to refuse you to do something, you are so injured and wail “I have grown up.” You are not satisfied with playing with your toy food and cookware and you cry asking to help us cook. Last time, you showed off us the black and ugly dumplings made with your “stolen” dough in your sticky and dirty hands. Your face, hair, T-shirt, pants, and even shoes were full of white flour. You pretend to be your daycare teacher and you want us to be kids. You read books to us, lead the circle time, and even give us time out. But, have you really grown up? You do not even know how to play the hide-and-seek game, my silly girl! Last time when it was your turn to hide, you just buried your head into the couch cushions. Did you think I could not see you as long as you could not see me? You shouted “I am here” when I pretended I could not find you. When I hided under a blanket on the couch, you could not find me when you even stood in front of the couch and asked your mom “where is dad?” Sometimes, I am so touched by you. You think you have grown up and you want to protect me. You insisted to hold my hand instead I hold your hand when we walk together. You want to sleep on the outer side of the bed and let me sleep inside because you worry your dad can fall from the bed. Yesterday, when we played “the eagle catches the chickens” game with another girl, you always wanted to be the hen and assigned the chick role to me. That girl had no choice other than to be the eagle. You said “dad, let me protect you.” But, my silly girl, you just held one of my legs instead of hiding me behind of you, which made the eagle girl to catch me more easily. But, your father is so negligent. In the summer of 2011, you were bitten by a tick, but I did not even realize at the beginning. One day, your mom saw a black dot on one of your earlobe and asked me to check what it was. But, I was careless and didn’t check because you wouldn’t let me touch your ear to take a closer look. I just said it must be a scrape caused by some accident you had. That night, you got fever and you were fuzzy all

through the night. We still did not connect it to the “scrape” because you happened to be teething in that time even we found the “scrape” became bigger. When we yawned in the doctor’s office in the next morning, the doctor found the black dot actually was a tick with a full belly of blood. We were so nervous and self-condemned after we learned ticks might spread the Lyme disease which might cause permanent disability in the most severe situations. Though the doctor said we should not worry because the disease was not common in this area and you did not have the typical symptoms, we still required a blood test for you. When the needle was inserted into your tiny blood vessel and your red blood flowed into the syringe, and when you screamed and struggled on the chair, I really hoped it was me that was bitten by the bad bug and restrained on the chair. I believe your mom also thought so at that time. Very fortunately, the test result showed you were fine. Last time when I told this story to you, you asked where the tick was now and you wanted to see it. When I said it was in a bottle in the doctor’s office, however your curiosity to the tick was overcome by the fearing to visit the doctor and the hospital and you refused to go there. You are a dad’s girl. Between your mom and me, your first choice is always me though I criticize you much more than your mom. Yesterday when we three were on the bed, you asked your mom to turn away from me and pulled my face toward your face. You said to your mom “dad is my friend! He is not your friend!” Last time, you kissed me and deliberately asked your mom “are you green?” I did not see your mom were green but I saw so many times you made a noise “dad, dad, dad …” to interrupt the chatting between your mom and me. But, your attitude changes so fast. In the last minute, you can refuse your mom’s hug. In the next minute, you can scrunch into your mom’s arms when I slate you. I saw a sticker in the St. Louis Children’s Museum said a child at 4 years old had average 437 questions per day. I am wondering if they did the study to 3 year-old children or did the study to a child like you. I bet you have many more questions than that number. Sometimes the questions just drive me nuts. Niuniu: “Dad, why are leaves on the tree red?” Me: “Because it is fall now. Some leaves turn red in fall.” Niuniu: “Why do the leaves turn red in fall?” Me: “Because the weather is getting cold in fall.” Niuniu: “Your face is red now, because the weather is getting cold, right?” Me: “No, my face is red, but the reason is different. Oh, yes, because it is cold, my face turned into red. Oh, no, the reason is different.” Here I could not make my answer clear to you already. Niuniu: “Why do the leaves turn red?”

Me: “Leaves change to red, yellow, and brown in fall and then they fall from trees.” Niuniu: “Why is that tree still green?” You pointed a pine tree. Me: “Trees are different. Some trees like pine change their leaves gradually. So, you cannot notice the color change.” Niuniu: “Cars are different. People are different. Frogs are different. It is right? Why the leaves are red?” Me: “Yes, they all are different. It is a natural phenomenon that leaves change color in fall.” Niuniu: “I don’t like you say ‘it is a natural phenomenon.’” (I sometimes fool you with “it is a natural phenomenon” when I cannot answer her questions.) Me: “OK, trees want to save energy in fall and winter. So, leaves change colors and then fall. In fall, leaves begin to lose chlorophyll and begin to have more other pigments such as anthocyanin and carotene. If it is anthocyanin, leaves are red. If it is carotene, leaves are yellow. You don’t know these now yet. You will learn in school when you grow up. Carotene is good for your health. Carrots have a lot of carotene. You should eat more carrots.” Niuniu: “I have grown up! I am in school already!” Me: “But, have you really understood why leaves change colors?” Niuniu: “Yes, I have known this. The yellow leaves eat a lot of carrots. I should also eat a lot of carrots. You like to eat red peppers. So, your face is red. I like to drink milk. So, my face is white, right? Did the pine tree eat my green crayon?” Me: “…” Niuniu: “…” Hi, Niuniu, my silly girl, this is you, you are so cute. Your grandma and grandpa ask us to leave you in China to take care of you. How can we leave you? A must thing your mom does every night before she goes to bed is kissing your chubby cheeks. Me? I won’t tell you.

My first day in the United States

~Zhonghua Peng

I have been in the United States for one year. Even a year later, the memory of my first day in

America is still vivid in my mind. It took nearly 12 hours from Beijing, the capital of China, to

Chicago and then took nearly an hour and half to transfer from Chicago to St. Louis. I could

barely understand the announcements in the airport in Chicago; I also had no experience about

how to transfer from one airplane to another. After checking the screen, I figured out my gate

number and as I got there, I showed my ticket to the clerk to double check whether or not I was

at right gate for the plane to St. Louis. After a while, the broadcast said something and people

around me began to get in line and got ready for boarding. Because we all were at the same gate,

I thought that was my plane as well, so I followed the crowds and got ready for boarding. During

checking in, the clerk stopped me and told me that my plane was the one after that. I was so

embarrassed.

Actually, I planned to come to MU with my friend, unfortunately, we were not on the same plane.

Therefore we decided to meet up at St. Louis airport and take the MOX to Columbia together.

Since her plane was a few hours after mine, I had to wait for her and stay in St. Louis airport for

a few hours of my first day in the United States. To me, America is entirely different from China,

when my plane was nearly landed at Chicago, I saw a fantastical view of layout of this

metropolis from the airplane. What an amazing view and it shocked me so much! As I was

waiting for my plane to St. Louis in Chicago airport, I wanted to get out of the airport and

wander around the city to see what America is. I was wondering about everything, what

Americans think about, what they like to eat and how they think of me, a stranger to this

environment.

Before coming to the United States, my parents worried about my trip since that was my first

time to leave China to another country. They were always concerned about whether I can handle

that if something happened to me or if there was somebody to help me out. Therefore, as I got to

U.S safely, I decided to call my parents to tell them about that, releasing their worries and

concerns about me. Unfortunately, I could not get my cell phone to work and ended up choosing

to use a public phone, but I did not take any coins with me, then I decided to go to the newsstand

to exchange some coins. I went to the newsstand and asked for coins, but the clerk replied that

she did not have the amount of coins that I wanted. At that moment, I was confused and puzzled

by why she couldn’t do this favor for me. I just thought that the reason for that might be I did not

buy anything from her, so I decided to buy a pack of chocolates then ask her for coins. But after

checking out, I asked her for the change again, she replied that "I do not have as many coins that

you wanted". I was so embarrassed at that moment. In the end, unfortunately, I just gave up

making a phone call back home.

Later, I just hang out at the airport enjoying my first day, trying to figure out the layout of the

airport. I was a little bit tired and hungry, so I sat in the lobby enjoying some snacks and reading

a book. At that time, I noticed 1that there was a lady walking around the airport with a trolley

and she seemed to be waiting for somebody. Finally, she sat down beside me and I greeted her

with a friendly smile. She began to talk to me. During the conversation, I knew that she did not

catch her plane so she needed to wait for a few hours switching the plane, she was retired and

took care of her grandsons at home. We enjoyed our conversation very much and began to talk

about my trip. I told her that was my first trip leaving far away from China, and she replied she

had never been outside of U.S. but would like to go to China for a trip. She worried about the

expense of the trip since I just told her that the price of the ticket for my single trip was nearly

$1500. From her reaction, I realized that $1500 also means a lot to Americans, so I told her that

prices of tickets depend on the season, there are some rush days due to the beginning of schools

and festivals. So I just suggested she avoid these times. She was happy about that tip to get a

much cheaper ticket. I just felt like we treated each other as old friends and enjoyed talking about

our interesting experiences to each other.

She asked me why I came to U.S, thus we began to talk about education. I told her that I was

going to study Ph.D in Civil Engineering, she was so happy to hear that and seemed to be

amazed about that. She asked me how long did I study English, I told her that it is mandatory to

study English in China, and she told me that there was no education plan in U.S. like that, but

usually U.S military has this kind of programs to support people working for them. Otherwise

you need to pay for yourself. Finally, it was the time for her to leave, as she was about to leave,

she hugged me and wished me a brilliant future in the U.S. The hug that she gave to me really

warmed me up and meant so much to a newcomer to the United States.

After nearly 5 hours, I met my friend at the luggage claim finally, and I used her phone to call

my family back and took the MOX together to Columbia, in which I was going to spend nearly

three years.

As I look back on these experiences, I feel a little freaked out. I thought Americans were not easy

to get along with. At the time, I didn’t have the slightest ideas why the store clerk would not give

me change so I could make my phone call. I was so scared that I did not know what was going to

happen in my life during nearly three years’ study in the United States. So many negative ideas

off the top of my head, I just worried about my life, study and almost everything in the United

States since everything is uncertain ahead of me. On the contrary, the lady I met in the airport

definitely lighted me up. I cannot even remember what she looks like, what her name is and

where she comes from, but anyway, she, on behalf of friendly Americans, existed in my heart,

showing to me how friendly Americans are. Whenever I am recalling this experience, this

memory of her floods to my mind. After one year in the U.S, I made lots of American friends,

and I enjoyed the times with them. And my life and study was off to a great start in the United

States. I enjoy the difference of the cultures and ways of thinking, also I am always absorbed by

the difference class culture and the dynamic environment.

When I am looking back to this experience and recall the situation I was in, finally, I found I

made a mistake that I asked for 5- dollar coin to make a phone call, but it turned out that there is

no 5- dollar coin in the U.S at all. Since I came to America in a hurry, I did not do much

homework as other people usually do, such as read some books about USA to get familiar about

it. Such that I made this kind of stupid mistake.

Poetry

QI SHEN POEM

1

火车 ~QI SHEN 女孩在月台上眺望，期待那远方轰隆的声音会带来了什么，被匆匆进站的火车扬起的发丝，如她心里蔓延的想要挣脱的好奇，骚动着，呼唤着，催促着不停变化的风景，不时停留的旅客，他坐上了属于他的位置，而女孩却回想起，那里曾经属于另一个人，这路上的悲欢离合，迷茫着，感动着，沉默着火车由缓变急的背影，直到她再也见不到，留下的是重归服帖在耳后的发丝，然后是空无一人的站台以及成长的女孩

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Columbia, Missouri, USAApril 2013

Columbia !

By Cuong Nguyen

----o0o----

Columbia, the small city we love

Opens to welcome you all in

Learns good things to help people

Upon a long journey you go

Making your peaceful places on Earth

Be the destinations for next generations

In the heart we always have

A city of friendliness and love!

----*----

Time’s Plot ~Dan Ding

When born, it sneaks aside Closely, quietly, patiently Curving the spine Blinding the eyes Deafening the ears Dying the hair white Instigates wrinkles crawling into the skin like old tree roots Spreading all over body Time kills cruelly leaving no trace The perfect murder plot!

Lessons from Thirty-year-old..

By Eunyoung Jang

When I was available, the time was not allowed; When the time was allowed, I was not available. When I wanted him, he did not want me; When he wanted me, I did not want him. When I took the chance, the chance did not stay there; When the chance stayed there, I did not take it. Even when the moment, feeling, and chances come back again; To realize it’s not the same moment as that which passed, Times act everywhere; To see the moment, catch the moment and make the connection, This is the life where I live. This is the life where I love. !!

! 1!

Haitham'Alsaif

!3سالة 'لى صد-ق في بلد 'البتعا!

!عز'ز% سالم:

لوال(ا2 %لمتحد- %المر(ك'ة %تمنى!ني !كتب لك 'ذ= !لكلما9 48نا في 4قصى بقا. !أل,+. !سطر'ا لك من ! !

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!عن &قا#بي "Fمالئي. &B Cذ@ &لرسالة تحمل في 67ات4ا بعض &لنصائح "&لتجا#* "&لفو&ئد "&لد#"!

ت"ا ل*قدم"ا لك لتستن*ر ب"ا -تس*ر على ضوئ"ا.لشخص خا, غما()ا 'عا% لحظا !

!جم=ل %G EكوE عندB %لطمو? 1%ل<مة %لعال=ة 1%لرغبة %لصا*قة في %كما5 %لد(%سة 1%ال(تقاء في *(جا& %لعلم

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!.)لتضح#ا!

!صد?قي سالم: &علم &نك سوC تنتقل &لى بلد ?ختلف تماما عن بلد9 في عا7&ت6 /تقال*د0 /في كث*ر من &ألنظمة

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!'جعل "'ئما نصب ع9ن9ك 'ل$دA 'لذ? من 'جل; 'ت9ت 'لى بلد 'لد5'سة /2و 'لعلم /'لحصو+ على 'لش$ا"!

كثر9 !للعب 6!لل5و عن 1دفك. خصص للترف&% جزء!)لعلم1ة9 فاحر6 )5 ال تل12ك كثر( ,+ا*( )الصدقاء ! !

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!&ختر &صدقاءF بحرB 0عنا,ة ال? &لصد,ق &لج6د 9و من ,ع6نك في م1متك 0,قو. عز,متك علما &نك سو!

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!%لحذ!.

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! 2!

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!.+لكث9ر من +ألجانب 1حبو. $ذ, +لبال' &%$ل"ا

!

Candle

~Kyoungmin Nam

In a quiet room

Watching over family

While mom and baby sleep

Overnight

Not too bright

Not too dark

I flare in every corner of room

Overnight

Quiet and cozy

Warm and light

I still glow silence, peaceful

While moon and fireplace are

Asleep too

Before dawn,

Meet in dreams,

While everyone sleeps

Overnight

! 1!

Passing'Memory'Train'By!

Haitham'Alsaif'!!

The!train!of!memory!

Announces!its!journey!

To!the!deepest!past!!

Departuring!

The!mind!of!the!present!

!

Rush!and!Speed!

As!it!passes!through!stations!

Of!the!near!past!

I!sense!the!cold!ashy!dust!!

Coming!from!the!funnel!of!life!

I!feel!frightened!by!the!smoke!

Choked!from!its!smell!

Afraid!from!its!gloom!

!

But!!

Sudden!Words!of!Wisdom!

Coming!from!my!grandfather!

Slows!it!down!

!

His!Warmth!and!Love!!

Surround!the!place!

Laughter,!smile!

Lighten!the!space!

Generosity,!poetical!sense!

Scents!his!presence!

!

! 2!

!

The!train!whistles!in!Happiness!!

As!it!enters!

My!dreams!hugging!hopes,!

Ambitions,!and!desires!

!

It!filled!him!with!joy!

To!see!me!enjoy!

Life!as!a!toy!

Because!I’m!his!little!boy!!!

!

Finally!!

It!arrives!to!!!

Words!of!strength,!pride,!mercy!

That!leaves!me!meditating!

While!

It!guides!me!through!life!

!

!

!

A SUDDEN

By Eunyoung Jang

The thin and thin crescent moon stays in the dark and dark night sky Trying to be there,, You and me why too desire to catch something You, crescent moon, round shape again? When will I to be?

!

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Childhood ~Zhonghua Peng Six -‐Twenty Unbelievable No idea I was six years old When I began school Twenty years of school life Time Flies Economy Last decade in the 20th Century China’s economy boomed Better off In the big cities No tremendous changes In rural areas Bench School Poorly supported Chose my desk partner Sharing the desk Brought our own Benches to school One One basketball court Raw ground One Ping-‐Pong table Concrete table One means nothing For an entire school

Teachers Part time job Ran their land to raise crops Traditional methods No questions asked And encouraged kids Grown up in the rural areas Chores Cooking, washing, Taking care of Young brothers or sisters Parents Almost uneducated Worked diligently Day in and day out Barely support the family Teenagers Dropped the middle schools Apprentice Went to the bigger cities Making a living and Supporting the family My sister Did Miserably

Middle school Located in town Most students lived in Dorms Dirty, dimly Cold in winter No heater Hot in summer No air conditioner Miserable to live My family Mother Insisted to run the land Herself Supporting the family Father Left the land From Rural area To Town Running businesses New home In town Ten minutes away from Middle school Luckily Avoid to live in dorms

Town Disliking Everything In the town Missing Everything In the rural area Friends Funs Environment Nostalgia Spring Festival Father preferred Celebrated in Town Sister and I Persisted Back to the Old home We made it Couple years Coming to an end When Mother Gave up the Lands Moving to the town United

海—日落

沈震宇 (Zhenyu Shen)

潮涨抚沙滩，

倦日入海眠。

应笑游人痴，

求闲不得闲。

Essays. Fiction,

and Such

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Bacteria - How Do You Know about Them ~Cuong Nguyen

Reason to write this informative article? In the first week of April 2013, me and my daughter went to a talk on a series so called

“Saturday Science Seminar.” This seminar series is sponsored by MU, Life Science

Center, the MU Bookstore and the Monsanto Company. People of different ages in

Columbia are very welcome to attend the seminar. The topic on that day was “Bacteria -

do they age?” and presented by a professor of Biological Division at Missouri University.

The presentation was very interesting and provided the audience a lot of information

about these organisms which many people aware their presence on Earth, but do not

know much about them, and few people still think they are harmful to our world. My

article hopefully summaries and provides broad overview of bacteria to anyone who

would like to read and wants to know about them.

What are bacteria and what do they look like? Bacteria are tiny organisms that you cannot see by your naked eyes. A typical

bacterium has a size of micrometer and it can only be seen by microscope. They are

classified into one of six kingdoms of life. Bacteria do have a single cell without true

nuclear structure inside the cell. They are vary in size and shape and diverse in genetic

characteristics. Most of them look like small tiny spheres, some are in rod shapes,

others form string or spiral forms.

Bacteria are the most populated species on Earth. Even in a living human body, several

hundred bacterial species are found and each has a population of several trillion cells

outnumber the body cell about ten to one. They live in different places on our body, but

much more on skin, fingernails and in mouth. Each site varies in species and population

and not all of them are harmful to our health.

Figure 1. Examples of bacterial shape (Wikipedia) Like plants, bacterial cells have a cell wall but made by a different component from that

of plants called peptidoglycan. Based on thickness of the cell wall and on Gram staining

technique with dye, scientists can classify them into two groups. Gram positive bacteria

have thicker but simple cell wall and stain a dark purple color. Gram negative group has

complex cell wall but with less peptidoglycan stain a pink color. The cell wall plays an

important role in pathogenicity of bacteria and in general bacteria with less

peptidoglycan in their cell wall will be more harmful.

Where and how do they live? Bacteria are believed to be the first living organism on Earth. They live in a wide range

of environments, living in human body, animals, plants, hot springs, acidic or salty

water, deep in the sea. An example, E. coli is a well known bacterium as a model

species in research living in coordinate with our body’s gut.

Most of bacteria require having a host to live within a favor condition to maintain their

presence, development and propagation. A host could be a living organism such as

human bodies, animals and plants or a dead object. Some bacteria can live alone with

photosynthesis capability. They do not have chloroplasts but do have chlorophylls and

necessary chemicals incorporated into their cell walls and make their own food.

Are they all harmful or benefit? and how we utilize them? Extensive researches on bacteria showing that most bacteria are benign which means

they do not cause harmful effects to human health, animal, plant and environment.

Many bacteria are very beneficial and can be utilized in many aspects of life. Only a

small amount of bacteria are pathogenicity.

Long in the past for thousands of years, our ancients knew how to use bacteria in their

daily life. They used bacteria to make different kinds of nutritious foods such as cheese,

pickle, soy sauce, vinegar, wine and yogurt. With advances in sciences and

technologies, in the past several decades have been observed new discoveries in the

field of biology and tremendous applications of bacteria in agriculture, industry and

pharmacology.

In agriculture, bacteria can be utilized to replace harmful pesticides to control other

insects and pests. Many applications using bacteria as bio-pesticides or bio-fungicides

take place around the world, especially in developed country. An example is Bacillus

thuringiensis normally called BT, a soil bacterium. These bacteria can be applied to kill

insects of Lepidopteran species. As a soil bacterium, this biopesticide is considered as

safe to environment, human and other living organisms. Another notable example is to

apply B. japonicum bacteria to young soybean plant root so that soybean plants can

make ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen which soybean plants can use for their

growth and development.

With decomposing ability, bacteria can be used a good agent in biofertilizer production

from agricultural waste or bioremediation of environmental polluted areas. In many

cases, bacteria are also used often in cleaning oil spills. Bacteria are also essential in

degrading agricultural waste products to make biodiesel.

Bacteria are very useful for human and following two examples list just few applications

of them in our daily life. Children can be fed with lactic acid called ‘milked acid’ which is

produced by a specific bacterium, lactic acid bacteria to increase their digestion ability.

Insulin, a crucial hormone in our body can be made by using E. coli using recombinant

DNA technology.

In research, bacteria are useful tools for the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry,

genetics and medicines as they multiply very fast. They are easy to growth and

engineer. Many available DNA libraries or gene banks have been made using bacteria

mostly E. coli. By doing mutations of particular genes and transfer them into bacteria

and check for the phenotypes, researchers can identify their functional characteristics.

The better we know about bacteria, the more benefit we can get from them.

A Brief History of Chinese Dumpling

Zhenyu Shen

Yesterday was the Chinese New Year. I had been asked more than ten times that “have you eaten dumplings or will you eat dumplings?” by some American friends. It sounds the dumpling is a symbol of the Chinese New Year though it is not true. At least in my hometown, Lanzhou, and other areas in northwest of China, noodles are more symbolic than dumplings on the dinner tables of the New Year’s Eve. In South China, rice-balls (Tangyuan) or rice cakes (Niangao) are more popular than dumplings. In North and Northeast China, the dumpling, however, is the unquestionable king in the evening. Here I would not argue more which food should represent the Chinese New Year party or even Chinese culture. Instead, I will write a little bit history of the delicious food.

It is said the dumpling was invented in Eastern Han Dynasty (~1800 years ago) by a famous doctor and medical scientist, Zhongjing Zhang, who is known as the “Medical Saint” in the history of traditional Chinese medical science. One winter, the weather was so cold that many people's ears were frostbitten. When Dr. Zhang noticed that, he wrapped mutton with some warming medical herbs in dough skins. He folded the dumplings in a shape of ears and told the patients that eating the dumplings could cure their frostbitten ears because the mutton and the warming herbs could warm the body, promote the blood flow and then thaw the cold ears. The patients really recovered after eating the dumplings. Because of the ear shape, the dumplings are called “Jiao er”, in which “er” means “ear”. Later the name became to Jiaozi, the name we call dumpling today. Today, the dumpling has become to a food filled with meat and vegetables and is no longer a medicine. The time that it became to a food is unknown.

But, what does “Jiao” mean? Dr. Zhang’s story did not tell us. Other records and stories evidenced that Dr. Zhang’s story might be only a legend. A book written in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD) recorded a food called wonton (hundun) had the same ear or crescent shape. It is the earliest record of this kind of food. Maybe it is the real origin of the dumpling and the wonton is the precursor of the dumpling. Today the wonton is a popular food in China, especially in south of China. The difference is the wonton is severed in seaweed soup while the dumpling is served without soup but with sauce. In the next several hundred years, the dumpling was spread across the country and several different names were used such as Jiaoer, Jiaozi (horn), Bianshi (flat food), and Huntun. With the Mongol Empire’s conquering, the food was brought to the adjacent countries or even farther areas.

Since the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912 AD), the name of JiaoZi has been given a new meaning. The "Zi" means the time between eleven pm and one am in the ancient time-counting method in China. The “Jiao” means passing. Eating dumplings (Jiaozi) in that time (the time of “Zi) in the New Year Eve wishes people after one year hard working peacefully pass the joint of the two years and have a wonderful coming year. The habit has been handed down to now and many families still wait to that time in the New Year Eve to eat dumplings.

What%are%Prisoners’%Rights?% !By!Eunyoung!Jang!!!My!major!is!Social!Work.!We,!social!work!profession,!seek!to!provide!services!and!conduct!research!with!the!aim!of!protecting!and!improving!human!rights.!Therefore,!I’d!like!to!give!some!information!and!example!about!human!rightsE!especially!person!in!custodyE!that!I!think!we!all!should!know.!!!First!of!all,!the!term!“human%rights”!is!very!popular!in!our!era.!Human!rights!are!universal!moral!rights!to!which!all!human!beings!are!entitled!simply!by!virtue!of!being!human.!Moreover,!human!rights!are!egalitarian!to!which!all!human!being!have!the%same!treatment.!There!is,!however,!no!absolute!definition!of!the!term!because!its!understanding!and!application!may!differ!depending!on!culture,!social!condition,!and!the!level!of!development!of!the!country!in!question.!Nevertheless,!the!basic!tenet!that!all!philosophers!emphasize!is!that!all!people!are!born!with!certain!rights.!!What!kinds!of!interests!do!human!rights!protect?!I’ll!give!an!example!which!most!of!people!could!not!be!considered;!prisoners.!!According!to!the!Federal!Bureau!of!Prison!in!March!2013,!the!total!population!of!prisoners!in!U.S.!is!218,123.!The!U.S.!incarcerates!more!people!than!any!other!county!in!the!world.!There!are!several!social!welfare!benefits!for!citizen!who!lives!outside%of%prisons.!Our!society!tries!to!support!to!minority!groups!and!help!them!to!get!along!with!us.!However,!how!about!people!in!custody?!Because!they!are!prisoners,!they!are!far!from!these!treatments.!Who!cares!about!their!rights?!Even!family!members!may!prefer!not!tell!to!anyone!that!their!father,!children,!or!grandparents!is!in!prison!instead!of!trying!to!protect!their!rights.!! Issues!of!prisoners!have!been!a!taboo!for!a!long!time.!The!general!conception!of!prisoners!is!that!prisoners!are!just!deserving!ill!treatments!because!they!did!bad!things.!People!do!not!have!any!interest!in!prisoners’!rights.!Rather,!people!think!that!prisoners!should!be!thankful!for!free!housing!and!food!provided!through!taxes.!People!have!ignored!prisoners’!rights,!but!human%rights%do!not%disappear%because%they%are%incarcerated.!!!We!should!keep!in!mind!that!they!are!‘human!beings!who!committed!a!crime,’!not!a!‘criminal’.!Prisoners!have!rights!to!freedom!of!religion,!expression,!and!other!types!of!rights!just!as!people!outside!the!prison!walls.!Vice!and!rights!are!entirely!different!matters.!!Prisoners!are!minority!of!our!society.!We!should!make!an!effort!through!public!awareness!to!cause!a!change.!The!public!should!understand!that!prisoners!are!also!members!of!our!society!and!they!have!the!same!‘human!rights’!like!normal!citizens.!This!is!human!rights!what!I!think.!!!!!

Third piece QI SHEN

1

Secret

Diary

From MOLY

Third piece QI SHEN

2

Beginning

You never will know what I have done after you are asleep. I am writing about the

uncaring things what you do to me everyday. I know, I know…it is a meaningless thing,

because you won’t notice or understand what I am saying. However, I promise I will

write until we part.

Third piece QI SHEN

3

02/14/2005

What a big liar!

Do you remember the scene when we first met in a large and noisy market? We saw

each other at the same time around so many people, you smiled at me and you gave me

a promise we will have a brand new life in the future. You are a fraud. You don’t treat me

any better than as before after I moved to your house. You are such a man.

04/15/2006,

I DO NOT want to stay home alone anymore in the night.

I am not a computer when you log-off everything will be erased. So it is not work that

you just kiss me or give me a hug when you already pissed me off every time. It makes

me feel bad; you left me alone at home again yesterday night. I waited for you for a

whole night, and what you did is, let me see a long hair on your coat. Obviously, you had

a pretty romantic night when I was watching the door.

09/16/2007

Forgive you for delicious fish filet’s sake.

Well, you were drunk and left your smelly sock lying around last night, but you cooked

my favorite fish filet and washed the dinnerware for me today. I think I may say ‘it ‘s OK’

to you. By the way, the fish filet is really awesome.

Third piece QI SHEN

4

10/01/2008

I don’t like other’s odor

You are supposed to know I don’t like you too enthusiastic to others. Because the only

odor what I want to smell is yours. However, every time, you say hi and so social with

others when you walk with me. Isn’t enough that you hold my hand?

6/22/2009

Your nephew is evil.

Actually, I don’t like your nephew at all. He always can ruin my life during his summer

break. I know you want me to get along well with him. To respect your opinion, I tried it

so hard but it definitely is a dream to nailed it. Sorry to say children are evil and your

nephew is the best of best. He is spoiled and noisy. He always look at me and says : could

you play with me ? I even can not get a little time of mine.(I want to say this cat want

have time be alone, may be you can change the word, I feel it a little strange.) You know, I

need private space and time very much.

1/1/2010

Bad 5th anniversary.

We have lived for five years. I remember it, but you forget.

Don’t want to complain too much. I totally understand you love life than me.

Feel a little sick.

Third piece QI SHEN

5

3/1/2010

She is better than me.

I used to be jealous of she who gets your love.

But now, I feel really happy that she is belonging with you. Since I am leaving your life, I

want to make sure you will still be loved and not alone after that. She can do many

things which I want to do for you but I can’t do. She will give you food and coffee when

you 100 % focus on work, take care your lovely garden, and button your nephew.

Finally, you will have your own baby, what a nice life!

Don’t look at me so sad, please. I feel so sweet when we live together. So do it when I see

the Holy Father, I think.

I am beginning to missing you.

BTW, I think I am the only one you can see at this moment, right? hah

Third piece QI SHEN

6

End

I suddenly realize that no publishing house will publish this diary for me. However, if

this dream comes true, I wish the name of it will be “The diary of a cat.” or “Missing you,

my host.”

Prayer

By

Kyoungmin NAM

For difficult situation;

Dear Heavenly Father,

Because we are such a tiny piece in Your world, sometimes it is hard to understand Your ways

and plans in our lives, especially when bad things happen. At first, I thought I was the only one

that made my life to be completed. I forgot about existence You. But when things happen, I

started to blame on you. Why, my Lord. We think why Lord, why do You let it happen? Then I

realize that You see and know more than I could ever conceive of. Please, let us obey on your

way and plan. Help me trust You, Father, and give me the understanding I need to go on. You

are the almighty God and You love us. Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

To share with neighbors;

Dear Father, shed Your love on us that we may have an abundance to share with

others. Through this, we can live according to Your will. Every December last three years, we

served homeless through Saturday café with foods and cloth. Let me confess that it was not my

will to do. It was only little temptation to follow your big love for us. Even that a couple of hours

of serve made feel and remind your eternal love for us. We are in need of Thy mercy. Also

please, let us share your mercy with my neighbors. Thank You for Your precious gift of love. In

Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Thanks for Word of God;

Father God, thank You for the unchanging Word of God, which is the same yesterday, today and

tomorrow. I did not realize when people say ‘It is more precious than jewels’. I did not

understand when people say ‘it is sweeter than honey.’ But after experiencing difficult times that

I did not follow your plan, I learned your Word cured me from endless hurt that doctors or

money can not cure. It was only your Word that rescues me from devastating situation that I

could not return back ever. I pray, let us open our heart and mind to accept your Word for our

life. Let us praise your Word in our everyday life. We thank You that we can find Your promises,

lessons, guidance, and truth in Your Holy Bible. Let us believe that Your Word is the only

healing when we are in trouble. Let us believe that Your Word is the only bless for our life.

Thank You for leaving Your Word here on earth for us, so that with the help of Your Holy Spirit,

we may understand and hear how You speak to us.In Jesus’ name we pray.Amen.

The savior ~Dan Ding

Year 1985

12/1/1985. It is a dark wintery midnight, no moon at all. The darkness is too thick, feels

like it will suffocate any creature what runs into it by accident. It is too cold and late for anyone walking on 9th street. At the corner of the street, a man wearing a long black trench coat and a woolen hat stands there staring at one of the upstairs windows of an apartment building across the street. The lights from the window are on which means whoever lives inside is still awake. The man lights a cigarette, taking a deep smoking, he exhales the smoke out. The smoke jumps and twists and melts into the air. Under the dim light of the cigarette, his face is obscure under his hat. He is there for quite a long time, looks like he is expecting someone or something. Suddenly, the lights from that window blink two times and then three times, like a signal. With a long sigh, he takes a few more deep smoking, puts out the cigarette, folds the collars of his coat, and then walks across the street and enters the building.

The moss grows along the cracks of the dark red bricks, the wooden stairs sounds with every step on it. The lights in the staircase are flickering. Walking on the stairs alone doesn’t feel safe. The apartment is on the third floor, number 305. Hesitating two seconds in front of the door, he knocks very gently. The door creaks open, a woman stands there. Her eyes are red and swollen, obviously, from crying.

“How is he?” The man asked. “Dying, the doctor said they couldn’t do anything. You said you could cure him, right?

Could you still do it, please?” The woman is so desperate and begging the man. “Yes, just like what I told you two days ago, I can. That is why I am here. But you can’t

tell anyone, you must promise! And you must trust me, no questions asked. When this is over, you must move to this address and here is the key. You remember?” The man hands over a key and a note with address on it. “If you can’t follow what I said, he will still die.”

“Yes, I will do it. No questions asked. I won’t tell. I will live in the place until the day I die. I promise!” The woman looks into the man’s eyes, promised.

“Well, go pack your stuff. I need to be alone when I do the cure.” The man turns around and walks into the bedroom.

A strong white light emits out of the bedroom, lasting 3 minutes. The man walks out of the bedroom, “Your son is cured. I am leaving.” “How should I thank you?” “Just do what I told you!” The man looks so weak and feeble. “You should go and check

your son.” “Mom!” The boy is calling the woman from the bedroom. Hearing the boy’s voice, the

woman has an unbelievable look and bursts into tears. It must be a miracle! Leaving the woman

there crying and laughing at the same time, the man walks out of the apartment without saying goodbye and disappears in the endless darkness.

Year 2035

My name is William Jenkins. I am a scientist. Technology developed so fast in the past

twenty years, even time travel became possible. I am working on an innovative method to cure patients using cell transplanting and radiation. Simple explanation, I made a device which applies positive energy to transfer the diseased cells from the sick carrier to a good one and then cure them by self-healing ability with special medicines. It is very challenging. I have only tested it on rats and no success so far. The ill rats were too weak to bear the transfer effects and they all died immediately during the experiments. The good rats became so weak and the diseased cells were so strong which devoured the good cells. These rats died a few days after the experiments. The reason I researched on this topic is because I had a severe disease when I was 5 years old and I almost died. I was told by my mom that a mysterious man cured me, but she didn’t know his name or how he did it. He left and disappeared. After that, we moved to the city where we live now and my Mom couldn’t tell me more about the story, she said she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, even me.

I met Sarah in college and we have two kids, Taylor and Lily. They have their own families and Sarah and I are about to be grandparents in a month. Unfortunately, my Mom couldn’t see this. She passed away last month. When I went through her belongings after her funeral, I found a wooden box hidden very inside of her closet. I opened it and I found her diary and all information she collected after Dec 1st, 1985, newspaper clips and my health report. My health report showed that I was fully recovered from the severe disease, no reason given. She wrote in her diary what the man looked like, what happened and what she promised. I went through all the newspaper clips. One of them said a strong white light came out somewhere that night and the next day, a dozen birds were found dead on the street. The assumed cause of death was cold weather. But I know it was not true, more like effects after extreme exposure to radiation. Another one said, two weeks later, a body was found in an abandoned factory, it was a man in his late fifties wearing a black trench coat with a strange device in his pocket. The police couldn’t find his information in the system and no one came to claim the body. He was buried in public cemetery with a tombstone written as: “Unknown. He was someone’s son, husband and father. Unknown -1985.”

I understand everything. My research finally worked, the receiver was cured and I was the receiver when I was 5 years old. But the donor died, well, I will be the donor and the mysterious man in 1985 was me. I time traveled back to 1985 and saved myself at 5 years old, but I didn’t come back to future, I died in 1985 in the age of 55.

Year 1985

I am tired. Time traveling consumed a lot of my energy. I came back to 1985 three days

ago and bought the house where my mom lived for her lifetime. Standing at the corner of the street, I am waiting for the right time to go upstairs. The apartment building is so old. I walk upstairs slowly and quietly, I don’t want to wake any other tenants. My mom opens the door. She is so young and beautiful in 1985. Obviously, she just cried. Her son is dying. I gave my Mom the house key and I made her promise to move there so that I could find the wooden box in 2035. She is doubtful but she promises, I am her only hope. I enter the bedroom. I, 5 years old, is lying on the bed, pale and weak. I take out my device, even no success before, but I know, my experiment will work tonight, the history told me so. I help the younger me take the medicine and then I turn on the device. It takes three minutes to finish the cure. Now, I feel the pain, hopeless and weakness. I leave the apartment without saying goodbye because I already know what will happen and what happened in the next 50 years.

The letter I left to my sweetheart Sarah in 2035

“Dear Sarah, When you read this letter, I am gone. I know it is hard for you. But I have to do this. Do

you remember I told you I was almost dead when I was 5 years old and I was saved by a mysterious man? That man was me. I went back to 1985 saved the younger me. I know this sounds crazy and nonsense. I just knew I have to go back to the past to save myself, otherwise, I died in 1985. The best thing in my life is being with you. If I don’t go back, none of this will happen. I know I couldn’t make it back to 2035 after I save the younger me. The time traveling is too consuming and after I transfer the bad cell into my body, I couldn’t defeat it and I will be too weak to time travel again. I am sorry that I couldn’t tell you instead, I am afraid that I will lose the courage. I love you so much. I know I will meet you again if everything sticks to its original ways and we will have a happy and wonderful life, raising two lovely kids and going to have grandchildren. I must make it happen. Everything will worth it. I will see you again in the future of the past.

Farewell, my love. William.”

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Lost in Translation Vol.II