Graduation Speech

I am Becky Chen, and I come from Taiwan. I picked “Becky” as my English name due to my favorite main character in the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, written by Mark Twain. Tom is a brave and clever boy, and Becky is Tom’s little girlfriend. That’s why I chose the Becky. As in Tom’s story, to challenge something new, I have an essential choice in my life.

Four years ago, in order to give my children a better education, I gave up current job and followed my husband to be a new immigrant of America. As a housewife, I supported my children going to a new school and taking care of them till they grew up to be teenagers. One year ago, when I signed up for ESL class and became a student again, I felt excited.

In fact, I very much enjoy lifelong learning and studying English. I appreciate that America provides adults who live in this country inexpensive English education-even free. Through studying to improve my English, I could communicate effectively in daily life, and give my children more. After wards, I probably will have am opportunity to get a good job in America as in Taiwan. But now, I will go to the high school program after my graduation, as well as learning more.

This semester, I have fortunately been studying in Ms. Perez’s class. She is an absolutely excellent teacher. She teaches us how to write an essay, how to prepare a presentation, how to speak clearly, put the right punctuation…and a lot of things which I can’t calculate. She also gives us the spelling tests, pushes and encourages us to try our best to improve. She is patient and never tires teaching us. I suppose if I have more confidence with English in such a short time that is because of her efforts.

Finally, I express thanks for many people including teachers, staffs as well as classmates. There are Ms. Perez, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Perez, Mr. Ken, Mr. Campbell, my friendly classmates, and others who teach me or give me a hand. I value their efforts and would like to say, “Thanks so much.”

A Sympathetic Letter

Dear Yung:

I was so sorry to hear about your suffering from cancer that I wrote this letter to express my heart-filled concern. I think it must be a tough time for you to fight the diseases before recoveries. But I would like you to know you are not alone because I am always with you and stand up for you.

In our church, all of the people who see you miss you very much. We keep praying for you every day and expect you to come back soon. I hope you will continue to make good progress. If there is any way in which I can help, either now or later, please let me know.

Thinking about you,

Becky

Book Report

I liked this book"The Three Strangers And Other Stories"; includes three short stories, such short stories that I relax by reading one story a night before sleeping. The writer, Thomas Hardy, draws into the inner selves of the characters well. The characters are distinguished by their particular personalities, and you can remember them easily. This book also attracts me because every story has an interesting as well as a surprising ending. Eventually, the ending always gives me an important lesson of life.

People Buy Too Many Things

In this generation, there are many, many products in our surroundings. Everywhere, you can see the words "on sale". Internet websites are also increasing that try to get people to buy things. Little by little, shopping has become a bad habit in developing countries as well as in developed countries. People buy anything which they can offer, but not because they are useful or necessary.

Typical examples include women who pay for a lot of clothes, shoes, and handbags that pile their wardrobes because of fashion or sales. If you observed and thought carefully, you would found it ridiculous that many objects you have bought have never been worn. Eventually, you throw them away or put them out for recycling, even new ones.

Also, people purchase too much food for them to eat it all. Apparently, many people have experience with that. Much food is wasted from stores or refrigerators of families due to their expiring or no longer being fresh. We are used to buying too much food, but are lacking in food management.

Now, most teenagers own personal computers just for playing games or chatting with friends online. With technology, more individual products, like iphones, DS's, and ipods, are attractive to buyers, especially young people. They never seem satisfied and continue to obtain anything that stores display, even if it is mot necessary.

There is a lot of pressure from advertisements to buy things that we don't need, so before I take something, I always ask:"Do I really need this?" Learning how to buy, what you need to buy is an important lesson.

A Different Life

I hadn't ever thought about immigration when I got married to my husband in Taipei. I was a single mother before I got remarried. I loved my son, whose name was Shawn, very deeply. I kept accompanying Shawn, who studied in Taipei, and never thought about marriage again, while my ex-husband left and went to the continent of China. At that time I had a good job in Taiwan Fire and Marine Insurance Inc. and a good fellowship in the church of Tamsui . I was always with Shawn in his childhood, except when working. Then work colleague, Mark, who was a single father and very much loved his children, asked me to marry to him. I thought he was a good father, and so could be a good husband. I agreed to marry to him since I had been divorce for 7 years. After we married, we had a good time in Taipei for about two years. One day Mark asked me to immigrate to the United States and was seeking my support. I thought long and hard before coming to decision. I thought the education of my biological son and two stepchildren. I thought about my job, my elderly parents, young sister and a lot of my friends. I struggled to make up my mind because Shawn needing to stay in Taipei with his grandfather and grandmother. I endured being apart from my original family to follow my husband to CA. God has blessed me, I feel good so far, because Shawn spends all the summers with us every year. My parents visited us last year and plan visiting us again next year. Finally, I have a big world and a different life.

Why couples stay together

I hadn't yet met either my father-in-law or mother-in-law when I got married to my husband in Taipei 2004, because at that time, my mother-in-law had died and my father in law was seriously sick. Later I visited their resting places at Rose Hill, when I came to CA in July, 2006.
According to my husband, my father-in-law and mother-in-law were married for sixty years until mother died at age 78. My mother-in-law was a Christian, but my father-in-law wasn't. My mother-in-law loved her husband very deeply. She always wished my father-in-law would become a Christian. During the war, she, who was a rich and educated lady, followed her husband, who was a poor soldier, to go to Taiwan from the China continent. Through this time of difficulty, they had six children who gave them happiness. Mother brought up their children when her husband worked and needed to be away from home.
Time passed, the children grew up. Father and Mother settled in Los Angels in 1986 when father retired. Mother had said " I am the happiest those last twenty years of my life, because I live together with my husband." Father lacked self-control in gambling and lustiness. Mother was always patient and tolerated him. When mother died father asked to be baptized a Christian which was mother only wish. Father in law died at age 86 in 2005 and was laid to resting the same burial site at Rose Hill with mother. To the end of his life, he always remembered the love of his wife.

A letter of advice to Kenji

Hey Kenji:
It is not point to get Kathy back if you cannot deal with your emotion. Love is not self-seeking. If you really love her, instead of pitying yourself, why don't you keep your love and actions and wait for her answer. However, you shouldn't be impatient. Give time for each of you to get over it, because you hurt her first and you need to face your inside emotional problem. The point is about being the right kind of person, not about finding the right person. When you are the right kind of person, you will have a much better opportunity of getting Kathy back.

Becky