Maplewood

I didn’t predict I would have such an unwilling emotion for leaving Rochester. 

Just thirteen months. I changed my expression for this city so intensely like a parabola. I came here in February, the heavy snow shocked me when I arrived immediately. I was born in a south city and have never seen such a beautiful snow view. Everything was different. I began to get used to the new environment. The new place, new language, new people, everything started from the beginning. 

The story started in Maplewood library. I could not imagine my situation if I didn’t go there for my first class. If the lines from the Maplewood have all been cut, I thought I only left a boring feeling about this city but not cherish. I met Patricia and Donald who were English teachers there, my mom and me were so nervous to have our first English class. Donald was humorous, just used a few sentences to make us feel relaxed. Patricia always paid attention to whom didn’t understand and gave them help in time. I belive there is a feeling that you would know he or she might have some relationship with you when you see someone first time. I felt for me, Patricia was the one. 

We insisted having classes every week, we felt it interesting and useful. Actually every interesting class all depended on the teachers. We were lucky. I still remembered my mom cried so hard when she had her last class before she went back to China.  

For some reasons, Patricia could not teach English in Maplewood. For me, it was lucky, because she became my tutor. Besides English, we talked more and more things about ourselves. We understood each other in a soft speed. I was shocked by her experiences, and also inspired that she shared her secrets with me. And the more I understood about her, the more respects I showed. She influenced me a lot in a very positive way, how to confront the difficulties and how to adjust oneself to a good status, I began to read novel in a better way, began to record what I read, began to write my stories in English. I was so happy she said she likes my story, and thanked her so much to revise the errors for me.

Meeting Patricia and going to Maplewood were two things I’ve never missed every week. 

During that period I always worried about the progress of my English was too slow. What was coincidence, I heard two classmates said they had ESL and general class in Monroe Community College, and they recommended me to go there. They turned to my friends too, and I wanted to thank them to let me make such an amazing decision. 

I had a systematic learning and took the first grade in the class which was encouraging me a lot. And I did have a huge progress in English. I also made a true friend that I never thought about.

If Patricia is a friend as well as a mentor to me, Simma is a friend who taught me to accept and be real to face yourself. It was a cherish to me, probably to my whole life.  

When I first met Simma, I didn’t feel he was a conservationist. But I was sure about that when we talked two hours and never stopping, this was our first meet. We were becoming familiar in a short time. He is so young, but had so many experiences I never met. He had been as a girl dressing for 20 years, and I became his friend when he already transferred dressing as a boy. We felt so normal and enjoy when he showed pictures and told stories to me. We knew each other more and more clear which was based on we shared our experiences. That is human. The line of destiny connected by personality. Someone should become friends, no one could tell the reason.

Actually, I don’t want to write the stories about Patricia or Simma, because it needs very long space, and I have so many things to write. Why I want to write this article because I feel intensely throb about the people here. I might be never living in Rochester, and probably have few chance to see them. When Patricia spent a day to chat with me and said goodbye, sewed pillowcases for my mom, gave me a lot of books to read, when Simma called me with sobbing and said here was no friend anymore, when I had my last class, everyone hugged me, when they sent messages to me and wished me. And even had coffee in the neighborhood with Niken and Bea, chatted with Helrold. These memories are crushing into my mind, I do enjoy every moment I spent in Rochester, it made a better me.

Unfortunately, like all good things, it has to come to an end. No one can accompany with you everlasting, just a period. We can get different feelings and rewards from different person. And these small changes accumulate a better you.

Thank you Maplewood,

Thank you Rochester,

Be healthy and good luck my friends, and see you guys.