Believing That You Can
I know in a lot of Latin countries this philosophy of life is
common. I am not saying there are not bad people in my
country, because they are everywhere you go. I miss
running barefoot out in the middle of my “barrio”
(neighborhood) with my cousins and playing “hide and
seek” or “tag you’re it” or anything that we could think of.
Christmas time is fun. There are lots of lights, food, music,
drinks, dancing, singing, and laughter-- something that any
child would not forget. When families come together on
December 31st it is something unforgettable.
We celebrate “El Dia De Los Reyes”, which is
“Christmas” (the day when kids open their toys). That day
is amazing! I remember when my neighbors didn’t have
enough money to buy their kids toys, my mom would go
and buy them toys. I was happy over there. The familiar
quote applies to my feelings “There’s no place like home.”
Because that’s a feeling that I haven’t felt here, even though
I’ve been here for quite some time. When I arrived here in
Miami, at the age of eleven, I didn’t know English. I
attended Miami Lakes Middle School where I enrolled in
ESOL classes and learned how to write and speak English
within a year. After a short while, I noticed how different
people were here. Kid’s minds are ten years or more than
their age and they have a “you’re on own “philosophy of
life. However, don’t misunderstand, I always say I’m
blessed to live here in the United States of America, where
I’m able to progress and expand my knowledge far more
than what I thought possible. This is a place where I can get
a job or get a great career. In the Dominican Republic,
there are not a lot of job openings and when there are, they
don’t pay the amount the employee deserves. Additionally,
violence is as bad, or worse than here. There are a lot of
pros and cons when it comes to the Dominican Republic,
but there’s no better country than United States of America.
Carmen Dorval is from the Dominican Republic and is currently studying
to take her GED exam with TLC Online at The English Center, Miami.
Her teacher is Tim West.