monologue

I have been in this school for 2 months. and attended this course for many many times.

to be honest, it is a very nice and sweet program especially to me. As it is my first time to go to school in America and everything is still kind of new and strange to me. So I always feel confused about something thing like school policies. And at this point, when I have some questions, I can email to friends or tutors or professors.

And also, I really appreciate that this class dosen’t have homework and it is great.

And, actually, I think if we can watch some movies in class, that will be perfect.

I have been here for almost one year. But until now I am still suffering kind of culture shock.

My English is still not very good, but much better than when I just came here. Now and i can understand general conversation, but still confused about the slangs. It is pleasant to go to college because you guys do help me with some pronunciations like dead and dad. and my favorite now is “ i am cool with it.”

When I came here, I found that i had a new hobby that is to listen to others. and i like repeat some interesting things to me. When i talk to Chinese, i just talk and don’t really listen to the charming part of the language, but now i feel i am a 4 years old baby again and learn something from the beginning again. That’s so nice.

And also some cultural difference like, god bless you. I am still confused about when to say it. i have seen people sneeze, 啊欠，then people say god bless you. but i mean if the people choked can i also say god bless you.

When I came here, i was so surprised that people are very different from what i think.

Before i came here, i tried to watch some American series to get used to here.

I have been to many places in new york and outside since I came here. I have been to many museums, restaurants and bala bala. I think my favorite museum is the cloister museum. And it is awesome.

thank you. xie xie.

I was born in Soviet Union and grew up in Russia. At the age of 17, I’ve visited 14 countries, so I saw the world a little bit. I finished a high school when I was 17 in the small city of Kirov in Central part of Russia. It was a time for me to decide who I wanted to become. When my relative invited me to study in US, I thought it could be a great opportunity for me.

When I moved to the US, I had some problems with my visa, so I couldn’t study for 5 years. Also, I couldn’t go back to Russia and didn’t see my family and friends, but I got through this. So here I am right now at Baruch trying to achieve my goals.

About 2 years ago, i had the pleasure of spending 2 weeks in a psychiatric facility after a severe depressive episode. While there I encountered many characters. There was the pervy old guy who farted in my face, sweet kid named Malik who liked to frighten the nurses and a bipolar pothead named Charles who was severely in denial about his diagnosis. My favorite, however was a guy called Lil Nate. Lil Nate was this homeless guy who looked like a tiny , black, toothless Santa Claus. He was about 5’2″ and spoke like a tornado. He never bathed and always had this little wet spot on the front of his pants like he’d wet himself, which judging by the smell, he had. You never knew what you were going to get when you spoke to him. It could be really unnerving at times. Everyday he had a new identity for himself. My favorite was Sweetback. Sweetbackwas a badass who taught me how to disarm a gunman, then 2 minutes later Lil Nate was back, telling me that only the devil smiled all the time and that I should stop smiling at him. Then he told me he was father, Elijah Mohammed and things got a little weird. The next day he’d be back to normal, well as normal as he could be. Sometimes Nate was so lucid I wondered if the rest of it was an act. Maybe he just go off on making people squirm.Either way I grew to like the man a lot and apparently he liked me too. He got all misty eyed when he found out I was leaving, and told me I was a good kid and that I should be happy. It was pretty sound advice that I am trying to put into action. About 2 months ago I ran into Lil Nate outside of a store, he was pretty wasted and didn’t remember me, which bummed me out but whatever at least i still have my memories.