Liu

=Sherry Liu =

PODCAST
media type="custom" key="12457606"

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Mrs. Liu was born in Yining City, China. Her hobbies included oil painting, singing, dancing, and playing traditional games. As an adult she flew to Virginia in 1995 and eventually traveled to Beavercreek, Ohio, where she lives today with her husband and two children. She visits China to see her and her husband’s family every 4 years.

China is a country located in eastern Asia, with the East China Sea on the eastern shore. China is about 9.6 million square kilometers with a population of about 1.3 billion people. There are many natural resources including coal, iron, petroleum, natural gas, rare earth elements, uranium, and hydropower. The climate is very diverse, ranging from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north. There are 502 airports, 86,000 kilometers of railways, and 3,860 kilometers of roadways. The capital of China is Beijing.
 * GEOGRAPHICAL NOTE **

In the Chinese government, the president and vice president are elected by the National People’s Congress for a five year term and the possibility of up to two terms. The Primer is nominated by the president and then confirmed by the National People’s Congress. The current president is President Hu Jintao and the current premier is Premier Wen Jiabao. The Chinese flag is red with one large star in the upper-left corner with four smaller stars in an arc to the right. 6.1% of the population is unemployed and 2.8% is below the poverty line.

=CREATIVE WRITING =

by Keaton Bonds
//“Some places [in China] are so beautiful because people never go there…They [Heaven’s Mountains] have the forest. They have the beautiful fish or flower. They have no pollution there. So beautiful; I like it. Every time I go back I really want to go there…”//

Today I am traveling by plane from China to America, flying through cloud after giant cloud. I had to wake up early in the morning to be on my flight on time. I decided I wanted to I get better at writing and English, so I can be more successful in my career as a teacher. The flight will take a very long time and right now we are somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, near the Hawaiian Islands. I know some people in this new country that can help me on my way of becoming an American citizen. I have researched the country and found its laws and looked over the immigration laws many times, but some parts of it are still confusing to me. I keep wondering and asking myself questions like, “What will America be like?” or, “How hard will it be to get a job?” I also ask, “How long will it take me to adapt to the American culture? and Will I ever fully adapt to the American culture?” All of my questions cannot be answered until I experience America for myself, and capture the uniqueness of its aspiring culture.
 * Questions and Reflections**

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Interviewed by Keaton Bonds Edited by Caleb Tracy Keaton- Where were you born in China? Mrs. Liu- In Yining City Keaton- Ok Mrs. Liu- In the Xinzang Providence

Mrs. Liu- This is the city where I was born. This belongs to Xinzhang, Providence <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Ok. So, what was it like when you were over in China, did you have any hobbies you liked to do?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yes, I had a lot of hobbies in China. I like dancing, I like to sing a song, drawing a picture, and writing. [laughs] I have a lot of hobbies, yes. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Alright, so, what kind of drawing do you like to do? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- I like, Chinese mountain and the water painting

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- That sounds interesting. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Its ink painting. Have you heard of ink painting? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Yes. What job did you have when you were there?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- When I graduated, I was a teacher in the college. I teach Chinese. I taught how to write, if you go to college, you take English class for writing; I did the same thing for Chinese. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Were there any games you liked to play when you were there?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- We had the very traditional games to play, you jump on the broom, jump over all the, all the soy bean bag, we had the, the rubber band, we used it for rubber band dancing, something like that, that’s all we had to do. No computers. [laughter]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So what was one of the things that made you want to come to America? You didn’t want to leave China, but you wanted to come here [more]. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- For studying because I like the Chinese. My major is Chinese literature and I like writing. I wanted to go here so I could get a better writing English and I can writing for success. Writing, you know helps me, but right now I think the purpose was for salvation because if I don’t come over here, I have no choice there to get salvation, but here, I know Jesus Christ, the Bible, I have the choice. And this is very strange because English Literature is a part, but most of it is from the Bible. Later when I got that I understand about that, but before that, I don’t know why I would come from. I already know Noah’s story and I already heard of the Eden but I didn’t understand. But when I come over here, I understand and that’s very amazing. [Laughs]I think of all the writing and then I got a Bible.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So one of the main reasons you came here is for, religion, then?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Not for religion at that time. I don’t know. I don’t have religion at that time. Just for the improved English and I want to be better for career success with the writing, you know, I wanted to learn English literature.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- That makes sense <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- So you were an adult when you came? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So, how did you come here? I assume you took a plane here.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- I took a flight on an airplane to fly here. I was in Dallas at the first stop and I give them a tip and everyone gave had money. I didn’t have American dollar so I gave them Chinese hundred dollar. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">[Laughter] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- On the plane, did it just come straight here? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- No, we go to Dallas and from Dallas to Virginia. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Was it hard to become a citizen here? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- What? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- To become an American citizen?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- To become an American?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Yeah

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Citizen?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Yeah. Was it hard?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- No, it’s not hard [laughing] because my husband is a citizen, so when I married him I just very quickly got the citizenship. [Laughs] He is already citizen when I married him. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- So that makes it automatic if you marry someone, or did you still have to take a test? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Of course I still need to take the test and need to pass the interview. They have two tests. One is from the paper test; one is from the interview test, which I passed too. It is very quickly now. I still remember I went in Virginia in another immigration building not here, so some people ask me here and I have no idea, you know, because I was already there in the Alabama, Huntsville.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- What did you have that was an American, product? Like American fast food, did you have any of that over in China where you were?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- What do you want to talk about? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- In America, we have the Chinese restaurants so in China, do you have the American restaurants there? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Oh, yeah, that’s a good question. We don’t have American restaurants, but we have McDonald’s there, but in my town, no we don’t have any. We only some, maybe, Italian like pizza, they make pizza, but very few, very expensive. We go to the normal Chinese restaurants; they are very cheaper, much, much cheaper than here. For my salary, I could buy food; I don’t need to learn how to cook. Any day I can buy what’s enough for me. It’s very cheaper. Like dollar I can buy a lot of food and that’s enough for me, but today may be different price. But at that time I can go small restaurant and eat very good food and so [laughs] I don’t know how to cook in China.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So, the food over there was really good so, you didn’t actually have to cook?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- It’s very good and very nutritional and very cheap.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Was there a favorite food that you had?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah, I have very few I still remember, noodle, they fry the noodle, with lamb with pepper and it is so delicious. I still remember that I want that so much. I get homesick when I think about it.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- How often do you visit?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- China?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Yes <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Every four years. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- When you go there, where do you go? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- I went hometown [and] I spend because the first stop in the Beijing, the capital of China, because my husband’s family is there so I went to Beijing then I take one week or two week then from there to my hometown WuLuMuQi. WuLuMuQi is the capital of the Xinzhang Providence. It is from the northwest.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Was there any sort of special music over there, like any type of music that everyone listened to?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah, there was. I like the classical music for Chinese. It’s so beautiful. That’s like a string, a string and you use the finger to play and you can hear the water, the stream, and you can hear the mountain and it is very beautiful. And the tradition is called folk music. Have you heard of folk music? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Yes <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- It is similar like that but it is a little bit different type. I like that very much. When I was pregnant with Matthew, I would always play that music and it <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">would cheer me up. It’s very good.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Do you still have family over in China?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah, my mother, my father, my parents. They both live in WuLuMuQi. My sister, my brother and then their family and the next generation; they are all there. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Do you know them all really good even though you live away from them? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah, we have the phone call, it’s very easy and Skype or whatever, all kind of new technology brings us in a small world. We can call phone and it’s very cheaper and like every week we call them and make sure they’re ok. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Do you like the American music? Like, if you turn on the radio, do you like the American music?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- I like it very much. I like the Christmas music; it’s very good. I like, Christian music, you know, it’s very good and all the joyful. And I like the American classical music. Also I like the old songs.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So, which type of music do you like more, American or the Chinese? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- I like both of them. I think both of them are beautiful, you know.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Was it easy to get a job?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- No, it’s not easy to get a job here. I think it is very difficult to get a job. Actually, when you become a citizen, I think it is like a relationship similar like China. If you know somebody else and they kno]w you, that be easy. It’s not your ability, you know, it’s your attitude and your relationship. Like if you have good attitude, you have good relationship, then that will bring you job there. Otherwise it’s not easy I try looking for a job before I moving here. Nobody know[s] me. I drive town and go around like crazy trying to find a job but I didn’t. So I know that’s not easy even though I have friends, they don’t have job also, so I stay home. It’s not easy.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Are there any American foods that you like?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yes, I like pizza, meatball, I like them very much. They are delicious. I like salad, you know, you make salad. I like salad; it’s very good. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- What kinds of Chinese foods do you still make here?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Dumplings, the fried dumplings, or fried pancakes. I still make Chinese fried pancakes and the dumplings for breakfast and for my boys and for my family. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- Do they have those ingredients in American stores?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- What do you think of the American fast food here? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- For the American fast food, I know it’s very difficult to resist to get it, you know, like sometimes it’s French fries, fried chicken, you know, my kids love very much. Hamburger, that’s a favorite. It makes me very embarrassed, but I think about this not good food because all comes with oil, they’re greasy, and they come for, because they’re fast food, they don’t pick it for nutrition parts, so I don’t like it. I really don’t like fast food. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So obviously they spoke Chinese in China? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- Are there different dialects, though? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yes <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Is there a difference in the climate? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yes, it’s dependent on area, like dialect, you know. They have the seven type of dialect dependent on which area you go. Because for me, like I am <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">from the North, the North speak Mandarin language the most, but if you go south, they speak Cantonese, some people. Like shanghai, they speak <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Shanghainese, they are all different, all kinds of different dialects. And like the area, same thing, the North is like Dayton; my hometown is exactly like the Dayton <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">area. It has winter, the four seasons. It is very clear, you can see clear and far. But I used to live in Virginia and it’s like Shanghai, like you know, Yongji, it a north <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">city, there is a lot of rain, it rains a lot, and sometimes they have snow like a white Christmas. I see a white Christmas there.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So, in China, where was it? Was it closer to the Equator or, like, more North or South?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yes. China you go, say, the latitude or… You see the globe? That’s a globe you see there. You see the China there? It’s, a chicken shape. If you see this chicken shape? This is my hometown. This is Beijing, the capital of China. This is what I’m talking about, the, you know, the place like Virginia area. So it’s dependent; you can see here and you can read it out, the latitude and you can see there. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- So your hometown is more in the western part of China?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah. It’s the Northwest right?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- In the mountains?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yeah, that’s right. That’s called Heaven Mountains. It’s very famous; Heaven Mountain and I got a lot of pictures. It is so beautiful because it’s like they say the heavens pool, used to they have religion there. They say the emperor’s wife came there to take a shower so that’s in the name, it’s from the heavens, the heavens pool there they have small and big ones, they have all different, it so beautiful and some places are so beautiful because people never go there so that’s called original place. They have the forest. They have the mountain. They have the beautiful fish or flower. They all have no pollution there. So beautiful, I like it. Every time I go back, I really want to go there but you know… It’s pretty like heaven. I think about how when we talk about it, and right now I think about that moment when you have the sun, when you see the house, you see the grass, you see the mountain, you see the people live very simple not like… people live very simple because they are living there separate from the world. People are very hospitable. It’s very good. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Thanks a lot for letting me interview you. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- You are quite welcome.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- Did you want to ask about transportation, how that is different?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- Is it easier, to get around with transportation?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Yes, that’s a very good story. In the capital where I’m living, in the place I was born, Yining, they have the same like here, the motorcycle, and they have the horse… horse, what that say, gather the wood, and the wood, what is that one, (talks Chinese to Mr. Liu) It’s very difficult. It’s a cart dragged by a horse.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- A buggy?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Oh, the buggy. Yeah, the horse and buggy and they carry the buggy in certain areas around there. I rode a motorcycle. I show you. I ride one in China. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">[Shows a picture] See?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mom- That’s cool

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Ok, any questions?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Keaton- no, not really. I think that’s about it. Again, thanks a lot.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu- Any time, you can call me and ask me.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">ANALYSIS
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mrs. Liu, born in Yining City, China, immigrated to America to study English literature. Like other immigrants, she came here for an opportunity. Other immigrants have come for reasons such as escaping war or finding employment, but Mrs. Liu came for an academic reason. She flew to Virginia in 1995 and later moved to Ohio. In class, we learned about immigration through places like Ellis Island. Some procedures have remained the same, but many others have been changed. Like some other people, Mrs. Liu had trouble finding work in America. She found work but then later she decided to take care of her two children.