The Night of the Storm

My first storm in Rhode Island was quite impressive. I felt surprised. lt was my first storm and I didn't know what to expect. I felt doubt but with expectation. I thought of the possibilities, but without experience of my own. I was scared, surprised, doubtful, anticipating with imagination, and maybe anxiety. Then, like so many people before it all happened, I went to the supermarket to buy groceries and provisions. My husband had to travel the next day after the storm, so I also needed to buy all the necessities for the weekend because I can’t get around easily when he’s away. When he travels, my best friends are Uber, the bus and the train. But with a storm coming everything gets really complicated.

When I got to the supermarket there was only a little bit of everything left. Fortunately, my nutrition is based on eating fresh foods that I cook for myself so a positive factor was that fresh foods and perishables, such as vegetables, were affordable, because basically nobody would buy for a few days ahead when they spoil quickly. But it was also a factor playing against me because, I thought, if this were a real emergency and the electricity went out or anything else happened, my food would spoil fast and I wouldn’t be able to cook. That sounds like it would be less than intelligent to be fit jajajaja!

But that's ok. To continue my story, After going to the market, we made hot chocolate during the storm and watched a marathon of series and films. When I saw the snow start falling, I said in my mind, it is impossible that this snow will get to the level they’re predicting. It was very fluffy, beautiful and with flakes so small I didn't believe they would add up to so many feet. that i didn't believe it. But after i listened to the wind blowing it really scared me more. From the window of my apartment I could see everything being covered. At night the wind was stronger and everything was in darkness. It was certainly a little terrifying.

Soon the snow came halfway up my window. I live on the first floor, so I thought: Woow! This is a really big snow storm! I worried for the homeless and people who don’t have cars, because the last storm was smaller and people needed more time to clean the sidewalks in front of their houses to be able to walk on the sidewalk. It is really dangerous to get around without a car, even in an emergency. For those who have the privilege of owning a car or getting around by Uber, this is not a big problem. Also, Uber can't get to you. But there are other people who need to walk until the buses or trains can move. That changes the situation because walking halfway in the street with black ice only causes more accidents no one would be responsible for.

Finally, we went to sleep after a couple of TV shows and woke up the next morning.". Omg! Our door wouldn’t open. The snow came up a little bit more than halfway up the door. Open a little bit and record all. It was amazing.

My father-in-law came to help clean the door and my husband cleaned the rest and helped us a little.

I recognize that although it was a little complex to clear the snow and I could see in the news the mayor of Providence and governor of Rhode Island had a strategy for clearing the snow as soon as possible. But when they announced an emergency alert, I really got scared. I imagined an emergency alert in Latin America, maybe because all the emergency alerts that I have seen in Mexico were natural disasters of a big scale. I think I felt calmer in the blizzard, but also that people left everything in the hands of the government and activated less community help. Because I saw people worried about going back to work and in Mexico the people would have and organized immediately. Maybe comfort makes us less empathetic.

Also there’s a funny part; more people took advantage of making activities with snow: snowmen, warriors of snow and sliding or skiing.

The truth is the weather helped a lot because the days after were sunny and that helped the snow melt more quickly. And obviously, the comprehensive effort of the city workers to clean frequently used routes also helped.

Overall, I loved the arrival of snowfall with winter in New England. It is a privilege to live in a place where you really see each season of the year.

When I was a young girl and I called my dad who lives in Ohio, and he told me it was snowing, I was very excited. I dreamed of a day I could experience it. Also, near my home in the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, there is snow and I can visit, but really it's not comparable. I never planned to live in a place where the snowfall is a consideration when it’s time to buy clothes, a car and choose a house. But I actually like that it’s part of my life. For soon, and give us sunny days and good winds.

~~

Angie Nuñez - Mexico

The Blizzard Storm - Sophany's Story

The day before the blizzard hit, my mom and I went to the grocery store to buy some things that we needed to prepare for the storm. During that day, all the stores were very busy and some of the food and beverages almost ran out. Luckily, we stared ahead of time, so everything was convenient for us. My dad filled up the gas tank and made sure the snow blower was working well.

The next day, the blizzard came with strong winds and heavy snow. All the places were shut down, including my workplace, for two days in a row. I sat close to the window, looked outside and saw white, snowy conditions covering the cars, roads, trees and houses. After the snow stopped, my dad and my husband used the snow blower to clean the snow on the driveway. The machine helped remove the thick snow quickly. My mom and I cleaned the cars and shoveled the sidewalk. It is the first time that I have seen a blizzard with thick snow and ice in Rhode Island during my almost 9 years here.

The blizzard taught us a lesson to prepare before the storm hit. It was an amazing experience for my family to spend outdoors, working, laughing, talking and playing together. After we finished removing the snow, my family spent time together and we ate warm food like noodle soup and watched a movie on Netflix.

~~~

Sophany Din - Cambodia

The Blizzard of 26 - Daneuris' Story

My experience with the storm was very chill. I don't have a problem staying at home, so I took all that time to work on a personal project and watch movies with my family, and trying to calm my dad who doesn't like to stay too much at home, unlike me haha. But it was surrealistic watching all that snow falling and not stopping. I live on the second floor and looking at the street from the windows was scary.

The day after the storm me and my dad tried to shovel but it was too much, so we cleaned the car as much as we could and waited for the house owner who had a snowblower. So, me, my father, our neighbors and the house owner cleaned all the parking spaces and the entrance to the parking lot. But the day after that, the city cleaned the street and they pushed all the snow across the entrance of the parking lot again haha. They did that in the night so we got trapped for another day and missed work.

Overall, everything was nice because we didn’t have too many problems but in the future I'm going to exaggerate the story to impress my kids hahah.

~~~

Daneuris Guzman - Dominican Republic

The Blizzard of ‘26- Janyce’s story

It’s my first winter in Rhode Island. I lived in France, near a ski station. I know the snow. I grew up with snow and that doesn’t scare me. On the contrary, I have always loved winter. When I came here, near the ocean, I couldn’t imagine so much snow! I knew the temperature here was cooler compared to my country but the sensation isn’t the same (wet and dry don’t give the same sensation). Even if temperatures drop lower here, it doesn't feel as uncomfortable.

So, Sunday arrived, and I'm celebrating my birthday with some friends. And then ... our phones suddenly start making some noises, an alert loud enough to wake up every squirrel in the neighborhood! "Warning: Blizzard Approaching." What to do? I've never experienced anything like this! I need to quickly run to get some food at the grocery store. After, I relax on my couch and wait for the snow.

I was so surprised in the morning when so much snow arrived but the landscape was so amazing! I wanted to jump into the snow but, unfortunately, I’m not a kid and I don’t have good clothes for that! But, it was my birthday! I have always had snow for my birthday, like a tradition. And the tradition continued even here (I think the snow followed me!). I’m glad to have seen a beautiful blizzard like that, especially for my first winter. I’m lucky because my neighbor and my husband helped me clear the snow in our way, and we didn’t have any power outages. I only experienced the good sides of the storm. I just watched my husband clean snow from my window, nice and warm.

I was also surprised by the huge quantity of salt which was used on the road. In my region, the source of water, mountains and nature are so important, so we take care of the planet and the water that we drink (also to take care of the wild animals, who can poison themselves with salt). For that, we don’t use a lot of salt on the road. French people have almost no 4x4s but but buy good tires (snow tires) and if you don’t have good tires, the policeman gives you a fine. I knew how to drive in the snow (Okay, though not with as much snow as the size of the car!) I remember, once, one friend lived on the top of the mountains, and we couldn't go there by car because the road was too slippery. Without hesitation, we climbed the mountain in reverse and had no problems.

And to finish with a little joke my husband often tells me, I think the ocean is salty because it’s all the salt on the road in the USA.

In summary, the blizzard 2026 was very fun and beautiful. I’m ready for the next one 🙂.

~~

Janyce - France

The Blizzard of '26 - Anush's Story

The winter in Cranston this year(2026) was harsh.

This was a major test for us. We had to stay home for two days because a lot of snow fell. The windows were packed with snow. Not even the streets were visible. On days like these it seems as though nature has fallen into a deep sleep. All night the wind howls as if you are in a forest.

My husband and son-in-law cleared the road for more than three hours so that we could get out. My grandson was the most delighted by the snow - he played snowballs, went sledding, and walked happily into a warm house.

To tell the truth, I don't like winter, especially a frosty and windy winter. What depresses me most in the winter is the greyness outside the window. True, there are sunny days, but they are few. I hate freezing wind burning my face as if it knows you hate it. In winter you dress like a cabbage and walk like a penguin.

The only thought that brings me joy is that all of this is temporary.

Though it was a freezing cold time, this severe winter had a unique, majestic charm that makes you appreciate the comfort of home.

~~

Anush Farian - Armenia

The Blizzard of '26 - Priya's Story

On the morning of the blizzard I woke up in the chill. I didn't expect a power outage, it completely shocked me. Because I have been living in Rhode Island for the last 10 years I haven't seen a blizzard or a power outage before. So I didn’t plan ahead. It surprised me that I had three challenges:

Food
Heat
Boredom!

I had a guest at home who came from North Carolina. I served fruits and nuts for breakfast and I had thermals at home that helped keep my body warm.

Entertaining the kids was a big chellange for me. They played a word game that means if they draw the picture we would find the word by seeing the picture. We played the game until 1:30 pm. By that time the wind was heavy. My windows were covered with snow. I couldn't see anything from inside and we heard a heavy wind blowing. The sound was a little scary.

That day the kids learned the value of food. They literally wanted hot food. My husband tried to go outside. It was impossible to walk so we skipped the idea of going out. We waited for the wind to die down. The kids played in the snow and cleared the snow from the car. It was a big task to dig out the snow. The daytime was better because we had natural light.

Another big challenge was it was tough when it got darker. I had so many experiences without power in my country, but for the kids it was their first time. Fortunately, I had candles and lighters. We survived and got our power back. That was a big relief.

Finally, my day started with frustration and ended with relaxation. It was an experience for me to prepare for future storms.

~~~

Priya - India

Before It's Too Late

If I could give a speech in front of the world, I would talk about the importance of caring for your loved ones. People need care, warmth, and love to continue their lives with confidence. These emotions give us strength, help us set goals, and allow us to focus on achieving them. When we feel loved and supported, we are more likely to believe in ourselves and our future.

The world is like a compass—it is full of surprises and constantly changing direction. We never know what will happen in the next minute or even in the next second. Life is unpredictable, and we cannot always control where it takes us. Yet one thing is certain: we are all passengers in this world, and one day, we will leave it behind. When that time comes, what will remain are the good deeds we have done for others. The love, kindness, and care we show today will live on in the hearts of those we touched.

That is why we should not wait to express our love and appreciation. Sometimes, a simple word, a smile, or a hug can change someone’s entire day—or even their life. We often get busy with our routines and forget to check in on the people we care about. But life is short and unpredictable, and we might not get a second chance. So let us choose kindness, show gratitude, and be there for one another while we still can.

I would like to end with a poem by Berdinazar Hudaynazarow which deeply reflects the spirit of what I want to share:

It Will Become Late

A person’s deepest need is a kind word.
Speak kindly — it’s like a crown upon their head.
Say it while they live, while they breathe,
Who knows — a year from now may be too late.

Say good things while there’s still breath,
A warm word at the right time holds great power.
Don’t wait until they’re gone from this world,
Who knows — even a month from now may be too late.

Let kind words rise and flow from the heart;
If they don’t come from the heart, they mean nothing.
A simple, simple word, even if it’s just one,
Who knows — a week from now may be too late.

Open your hearts, offer praise, dear people,
A blessing shared will flourish and grow.
What you see today may vanish tomorrow —
Who knows — tomorrow might be too late.

A life without kindness is an empty shell,
A loveless life ends hollow and bare.
Respect each other while you have time,
Who knows… even an hour from now might be too late.

~

Zyyada - Turkmenistan

Dear Americans

My name is Regina and I am the youngest of four sisters. I am from Brazil. I was born in Goiania, a small city in the middle of the country near the capital, Brasilia. I lived there until I graduated university in civil engineering. As a person who was born in Goiania, I like to eat pamonha, a traditional food made with corn, cheese and sausage. When I was 25 years old I moved to São Paulo to study for a master's degree in Geotechnic. Because I was used to living in a small city, I had a hard time getting used to the way of life in São Paulo. Although São Paulo is a fascinating city and never sleeps, I had some trouble driving in a city with so much traffic and lots of motorcycles. São Paulo is the kind of city that you love or you hate, but I love it.

As soon as I finished my master’s degree I started working as a civil engineer. So I had the opportunity to work on different kinds of projects around Brazil and other countries like Venezuela, Spain, Peru and Panamá.

Five months ago, I moved to the US with my husband who has been transferred to work at the Hexagon company in North Kingston. As soon as I arrived, I noticed some interesting aspects about people from Rhode Island. They are helpful and friendly. I mean they usually give you support even when you don’t ask, like helping with groceries or simply engaging in a friendly conversation. Besides that, they hibernate during the wintertime. It seems that they prefer to stay home rather than go out during the winter. In addition to that, they always have a wreath at the front door no matter what festivities they are celebrating.

Today, I am getting used to living in the US and developing other habits like having dinner around 6PM, which was pretty unusual for me. Another thing is eating seafood such as lobsters and oysters. It has been an exciting culinary adventure for me because I was not used to eating it before. Also, going to a pub to dance in a different way like line dance, which is not a kind of dance we have in Brazil. Although sometimes I get homesick, I am very happy to live here and learn about American culture, customs and traditions.



Regina Costa - Brazil.

The True Strength

In the past, when I was nineteen, I was teaching in a kindergarten. The children were between five and eight years old. Meanwhile, something happened that affected me deeply. I witnessed a fight between two children over who would get to play on the slide first.

After five minutes of shouting, screaming and crying one of the two children stopped crying, wiped his tears, hugged the other child and said, “M mmm, ok don’t cry. I am older than you and I should act like a big man…now you are the next player and always you will be the first.”

What surprised me the most at that moment was how this little boy controlled his anger and contained his friend. Honestly, I didn't expect to learn such an important life lesson from a little kid: that true strength lies in controlling your emotions.

It was an important lesson I will never forget.

~~

Shaza Alhabash - Syria

Learning from Children

It is an interesting thing to learn from a child.

I remember when my daughter was about 4 or 5 years old, and we went to a playground and there was a large colourful inflatable slide. She wanted to climb it but it seemed difficult. I could hear her inner voice wondering could I do it? Let’s try.

She tried to climb, but the first few times were full of disappointment, but she kept trying, adjusted her position and tried again. And eventually after many times she reached the top. She was extremely happy.

While I was watching my daughter, I learned a very important thing, which was the great value of persistence and to keep trying over and over. Children often have this ability to not give up and face the challenges to learn and grow up. In adulthood, this kind of flexibility to face challenges may fade in time because of fear of failure or judgement. But watching my daughter reminded me that persistence is key, and success does not come from avoiding failure but from keeping trying and never giving up.

It might be surprising, because we usually think of children as needing guidance or advice, but my daughter could teach me an important lesson that I had forgotten which is the value of persistence, and it was really such an excellent experience.

~~

Nagat Shaaban - Egypt

Marling's Speech

This essay was written and delivered as a speech by Marling to around a hundred-plus people for the RIFLI End of the Year Celebration at the Providence Public Library on June 1, 2024. Congratulations to Marling for a great writing job as well as a great job of public speaking in her second language.

~~~

As an immigrant, moving to another country is always a challenge, because of the weather, traditions, laws, behavior and especially the language. Everything is new for us, and that’s why we are all here. Through the adult learning RIFLI program we have the opportunity to learn and make our adaptation and living in this country easier and independent.

During the time I have been in this program I have been feeling more confident in myself to talk, understanding(listening), reading, writing, pronunciation and fluency. Of course mistakes always will happen even to native speakers, so don’t worry about that and keep going and learning from it.

In my class, we learned a little bit of everything: phrasal verbs, new vocabulary, about my classmates’ opinions on any topic, for example “if they believe in aliens.” We also talked about our different cultures and traditions, even about koalas and raccoons. All this mix of topics made our class dynamic, diverse and funny and if someone forgot any word, we all together tried to find it to complete the idea.

I am so glad to have found this family, and I say family because that’s the way I feel about them. With classmates and teacher Jon we help, support and even enjoy each other as a family. And also with Sabine, Cruz and all the staff. I remember when I got enrolled, they received me very kindly and warmly.

And to be honest I wasn’t expecting too much, because usually we have the perception that when something is cheap or free, it is bad quality, but this is not the case. They really care about our learning and progress and are always available to help even with stuff not related with the class, like advice for a resume or a job interview. Also, we had the opportunity with Siyamala to get more knowledge and be certified for NorthStar on computer skills and best of all it is for free. I just can say thank you to all of you for this.

Finally, I just want all of you to keep going, never give up, take advantage of this huge opportunity and also invite and motivate any friend, coworker or relative to be part of this family. Maybe some of them need to know about this program and are missing this big deal because they don’t know about it. Good things need to be shared and learning always opens doors.

Thank you!

~

Marling - Dominican Republic

My Evolution in English

In January 2023, my husband and I decided that we had to leave Cape Verde and try to find better support for our son in the USA. Due to his development delay, the doctors said he may have autism. At that moment, I started studying English by myself, every night after work. I already knew the alphabet, numbers, colors, some names of animals and utensils, but I didn´t know how to form sentences because I didn't have much contact with English during my life. I studied French in high school, and I did my graduation in Brazil, where the language is Portuguese. In a few months studying by myself, my English was better.

On August 14th, 2023, we arrived in the USA. On the same day, I asked my sister-in-law about an English course and she helped me. Nine days later, on August 23rd, I received the email from Miss Sabine, with the list of registration dates in September for new students. I did it and the assessment determined my level. I was intermediate. I was very happy and proud of myself, because I went from beginner to intermediate level, by myself, during my studies in Cape Verde.

I started classes on September 18th and three months later, in December, when I went to do the test again, my level score and the teacher Doug, in discussion with Miss Sabine, decided I should move up to the advanced level.

Today, I was able to talk with my children's teachers and the doctors (A DREAM THAT CAME TRUE), with some difficulty, but I was able to express and understand what they were saying to me. I still ask for a translator at the hospital because I'm not completely confident yet, but I can understand almost everything they say.

As you can see, one year and two months ago, I knew almost nothing in English.

To learn, we have to want and to work hard.

Believe in yourself, always!

~

Irana - Cape Verde

My Almost LostJourney

I want to share with you my story about my almost lost journey. It was 10 years ago when I studied in Russia. I had to go to pass exams two times in the year. As you know, I lived in Turkmenistan, it is my country where I was born. Among our youngsters it is very popular to study abroad. I studied in Nizhny Novgorod, but went there through the capital of Russia, Moscow, because from our country that was the only way. When I was heading back home, I stayed in Moscow for a couple days. Usually, I would visit my best friend. She was also a student at that time.

I traveled between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod by train. As a habit, I had large and heavy luggage. I left it in the storage room at the station, then I went with my friend. We walked in the city and visited our other friend. The same day, we visited my mom’s friend. We walked in the park near the railway station and my mom’s friend made me a little present. She bought tickets for me and my friend tickets on a special train to the airport. At that time, it was an expensive present for students like me and my friend. We were very thankful.

The next day we had to go first to get my luggage in the storage room and then go to our express train, (which we called shortly ”express”) to the airport. The storage & rail road station was located in the same station but in opposite corners. I asked my friend how long it would take to go from her home to the railway station. She said we have enough time to go there. We started our adventure. We walked in the park near her home and talked about how wonderful the weather was. We didn’t hurry up until my friend looked at her watch and told me, “It seems we are late.” We got lost in time and didn’t notice how quickly time flew by. In that moment our adventure turned into a big race.

We ran to the underground and waited for our train, but for us everything seemed like all things around us were stopped, except time)) Our train came and we arrived at our transit destination. We ran to the railway station, approximately 100 ft. First, I had to take my luggage and then go to express. We decided to split up, I went to take my luggage while my friend went to find the express train. We did everything like a sportsman, cause we were late and ran nonstop. All our conversation was while we ran. 

When my friend passed me, she came back, she looked at my eyes and gently asked me, to not tell my mom’s friend the reason, we missed the train. She was thinking that we might be late to ride the express train because of her. This ticket, as I said before, was an expensive gift. I took my luggage and continued to run but now it was more difficult than running without my luggage. My suitcase was on wheels, but it was so heavy and when I was running it couldn’t stand on the wheels. I heard a lot of suggestions to put the suitcase on wheels but it was impossible because of my speed. I heard the voice of my friend she again and again came back to me and showed me where we had to run.

When I saw the train itself, I was 20 steps below. I saw my friend, she tried to talk with the train conductor and asked him to wait 1 minute. I gathered all my strength and began my way up the steps. My friend came to me and tried to help me and in the last seconds we were able to do it. I felt the door slam behind me at the last split second. The journey to the airport lasted 40 minutes, but we laughed so loudly and cheerfully that we didn’t notice how 40 minutes flew by like seconds. It was the most memorable trip of my life.

~

Viktoriya - Turkmenistan

Getting Lost Can Be Fun!

I like getting lost when I ride a bicycle or walk. I used to get lost on purpose and find new streets around my neighborhood. One day, I discovered a new way to go to the Asakawa River. Another day I came across a modern white house with a beautiful, well-kept garden in front of the house.

Most of the time, I preferred to ride a bicycle alone. In that case, I could just go wherever I felt

like, and I could turn into a new alley freely.

Without thinking, just leave it to the wind.

I also spent some time practicing clapping my hands or riding with no hands during the bike ride.

The jackpot for me was finding either a milk shop or liquor shop. No, no, no, I don’t think you understand why a little girl got so excited about liquor shops! Not excited since I like sake. I got excited because we collected paper lids of milk bottles to play something like pog, and lids of sake bottles to play spinning top. And of course, it was very popular to trade rare lids.

Those were my Sunday morning adventures when I was 6.

Getting a little bit older, I still enjoyed a bicycle adventure. Sometimes my friend joined me, and sometimes my little sister followed me.

One spring day - a sweet aroma of flowers wafted through a beautiful day. It happened to be Buddha's birthday. I remember that day vividly. My friend and I were coming near to the rotary of the train station. We saw people were gathering around the little Buddha statue standing in the middle of a small basin that contained sweet tea with floating flowers.　They let us pour sweet tea onto the statue of the Buddha and gave us the sweet tea to drink. Since that day, I never forget that April 8th is the Buddha’s birthday, called Hana-Matsuri, which means Flower Festival, with the taste of the sweet tea which was not so tasty to me.

I still like getting lost even now. In fact, Providence is the perfect place to do it.

There are a lot of great old houses. I am fascinated to look at the plates on the walls to imagine who lived there 160 years ago. When I spotted the Little Free Library, I felt lucky and I couldn't help but look into it!

There is an unusually shaped tree almost bending over the sidewalk making an arch tunnel like kids are making “London Bridge is Falling Down”. It’s been on my radar for quite some time. I just found out that it happened to be a friend’s house!

Getting lost gives me not only new discoveries or fantasies, but also brings back random moments of old memories. It stimulates the five senses; the smell of the firewood from the chimney, a spooky feeling of a warm breeze, biting cold air or sounds of birds.

Getting lost is so much fun!

~

Reiko - Japan

The Two Boys Who Got Lost

I walked to the town beach in my neighborhood, as usual, this cloudy morning. Few people were walking around on the beach. The weather forecast predicts a winter storm warning, which will affect Rhode Island in the coming two days. Speaking of the weather, I remember an impressive scene happening on this beach.

A few years ago, in the middle of October, my siblings and their family members visited my husband and me at our new home in the United States. 11 people, including me, were staying in our house. All the rooms and the basement were occupied. I took them on a tour to see our new living place. They liked it here, a suburban area, with no tall apartments, calm ... and the beautiful town beach. It’s very different from our hometown, Hong Kong.

About time, the US is 12 hours behind HK time. They are living opposite day and night. Jet lag is a physiological reaction that can happen to everyone. On the second day of their trip, my younger brother’s nearly three-year-old son, Nick, woke up very early in the morning, just like the first day. He talked loudly to his parents and ran around in our house. The noise disturbed everyone in the early morning. So, my brother walked Nick outside for the reason of less noise at home.

This was about 4:30 am. They walked along a few avenues and roads. They felt cold because they didn’t bring jackets to go outdoors. After some minutes, they arrived at the town beach. Then, they took a rest there. It was windy and foggy. Very soon, the landscape was getting hard to see. Visibility was just about ten feet. That weather didn’t allow them to explore the path back home. They felt colder than before. They were afraid and started to panic. They were lost in a murky and cold place. My brother wanted to make a phone call to his wife.

OH NO!! He forgot to bring his cell phone. They couldn't communicate with others and continued to be stuck for a long time. They hugged each other to keep warm. And the father placated his son. They even felt they would die on the beach. At this unfortunate moment, they saw a kindly and pretty fairy with a halo on her head. She slightly walked close to the two pitiful guys. Her face felt familiar, but still not clear. Soon after,

“Lovely wife” and “mama” were spoken by the two guys. My sister-in-law found them on the gray beach. She knew her family well - where the lost persons might go ... or she got a calling? Her explanation was that she had a premonition that the two boys were getting lost. It was because her husband’s cell phone was left on the pillow, and they hadn’t shown up for more than one hour.

Finally, no one got hurt and everyone was safe at home. All the family and I woke up and heard this story. We all were so sorry for the unpleasant experience! After undergoing that, I could see Nick’s family forming a stronger relationship. Years later, when I asked Nick about his story of getting lost on the beach, he replied, “... at an extremely chilly and scary moment, my mama saved papa and I!” The story was deeply photographed in her head.

I believe in destiny. It helps people to connect with their love. Like the picture of the moment, two boys were discovered by a fairy who was surrounded by a luminous aura.

~

by Ann, 2024 02 12
Hong Kong

My Lost Experience

Well, I think being lost sometimes can be good but sometimes not at

all. Throughout my life I have been lost a lot of times, but at this

moment I want to talk about one day when I recently moved to Rhode

Island.

One day I tried to bring my mother-in-law and her niece to Burlington,

located in Bald Hill, Warwick. I had an idea of how to get there and I

tried to go without using GPS. So, here began the adventure. We got in

the car, I turned it on and took the route that I “knew”, but I made a

little mistake, I passed the exit that I was supposed to take and I

decided to take the next one…BIG MISTAKE!. This exit brought me to

the Walmart Supercenter on Plainfield, Cranston. Totally the opposite

way!

When we arrived there, I was happy because at least I knew where I

was (I recognized the place just because I had been there before), but

that was also the moment when I found out we were lost and I still was

denied to use the GPS because I wanted to challenge myself. So, I

started driving through street after street and places that still I have no

idea where it was. I just said, “Let’s see if I can get there or find another

known place while we are learning new places,” but after

approximately 15 minutes I gave up and I had to use the GPS. That was

when I noticed I was very far away from Burlington.

I think this was a funny experience, because we saw new beautiful

places while listening to music and laughing about our situation. The

bad side is that I used all my gas and we arrived late to our destination.


Fortunately it was still early and they had time to do their shopping in

Burlington.

~

by Marling F. - Dominican Republic

A One-Hour Meeting With Medical Fairy Hua Tuo

Hua Tuo was an ancient medical scientist in about 145 to 208 years. He was famous for his miraculous medical skills. I knew his story from my mom. When I was a kid, my mom loved to tell us his story that encouraged us to study.

As I was a kid, I lived in a village where most families raised some chickens and pigs. It was an usual thing for people to come to our village to give chickens and pigs sterilization surgery. My mom told me this kind of surgery was known from Hua Tuo’s book, one of the medical books that was saved in the fire. I heard that most of his medical books had been burned. I wanted to meet him and save his accomplishment.

Starting my 1 hour time travel, I see a man who is old but does not look old with a long beard and long shirt. He is Hua Tuo, sitting on a table focused on recording his medical research. He is surprised to see me here dressed in a strange dress with a strange haircut. He seems smart and was not afraid to see me.

I shake his hand and say, “Hi, I am from the future. I am here to save your life and your medical books.”

Hua Tuo sinks into his thoughts and looks at me carefully, Then says, "How can I believe you?” I take out my iPad. ”This looks like a book, but is more than a book. It is our new technology. It records all your information. It said you died in jail because the emperor did not trust you, thinking you wanted to kill him by opening his head for treatment.”

Hua Tuo took the iPad in a very excited mood. The iPad let his mind open wide immediately. “How impressive, can I have one?”

“Sure, in exchange, I will take all of your medical books to my world and offer me a prescription so I can keep young and get rid of my grey hair.” My heart was giggling when I said that.

“Oh. That was easy, you saved my life and you let my medical skills spread all over the world. It will be my honour, young lady, you desire to be kept young,” said Hua Tuo in gratitude.

“Thank you, my medical fairy. It has been very nice to meet you. I hope you will have a wonderful life and use your skill to treat more people. I will distribute your medical books to medical centers in my world too." I was really happy and never thought I could have such great success in my life.

In the very last 10 mins, I leave my fully charged ipad with many downloaded materials that Hua Tuo may be interested in. I was sure his world wouldn’t have electricity and I gave him many power banks, enough for him to read all the information in my ipad. I feel sorry that is the only thing I can do.

3 , 2, 1. Here, back to my room. I look around. Yes, medical books!

~

Yan - China

Seaweed Salad

The weirdest food experience I’ve ever had was seaweed salad. Or better to say the first time I tried it. Good thing it happened in a pretty close environment so I was not really obligated to stay excessively polite. There were my mom, her best friend and me. I was around 12 years old. My mom tried it for the first time the same day and had pretty much the same reaction. So her bestie assumed that my reaction was motivated by mom’s. It could be true. But I think it was not. I remember that I needed to rinse my mouth after that. The seaweed salad was store bought so I think I didn’t look rude rejecting another spoonful and urgently using a restroom compared to if it was a homemade dish.

As a person who was not a fan of any seafood at that moment, I realised that seaweed salad was my least favourite food. It was salty enough and had its distinctive seaweed flavour which I have no idea how to describe. It smelled awful to me. It tasted even worse. Since then my taste buds have changed a bit and now I love a lot of seafood, especially sushi, but my relationship with seaweed salad didn’t get any better. Although I know how healthy and nutritious this food is I still do my best not to have it on my plate even by accident. As they say: tastes differ!

~

Daria - Ukraine

Good Food, Beyond the Taste

When we hear about terrible food we always think about TASTE. But food goes beyond the taste.

But in my case it is different, because for me a terrible food is food that is not good for your body and your health. I don’t know why but most of the time the good food doesn't taste good. This is ironic.

Based on my theory, one day, when I met my mother-in-law, she invited me to lunch. I was very nervous and excited at the same time. When I went to my boyfriend’s house that day he told me, “My mother is not a good cook.” And I remember I told him that food goes beyond the taste. Food is always good if you use good ingredients.

Oh my God! I tried to eat it but I couldn’t. The food was salty and spicy. I could only take a bite and drink a lot of water. That was the first time I lied to my mother-in-law and I told her that I was allergic to spicy food.

~

Jennifer - Dominican Republic

Fear of Medicine

A year ago I was working in a chemical company in Mexico. Each year, all the girls were entitled to take a free medical test. One day the doctor in charge called us to schedule an appointment. It was a PAP smear  which is a procedure to test for cervical cancer in women.

That was my first time hearing this acronym, PAP. I had to ask a lot of questions that day, like what it was, and how it happened. After everything was explained to me I decided to schedule an appointment to do it. When the day came I didn't go. I was so scared because of the way this test is carried out and the pain that follows after.

At work everybody was asking me if I did the test. I said yes. I lied to them. But when all the results came, the doctor didn’t see my name on the list. He called me to ask what happened to me? Why didn't I go to the appointment? I told him the truth, that I was scared of doing it. He talked to me for a long time, telling me how important this test is. So I asked him to reschedule another one for me. I put my fear aside and I took the test.

This type of test is important for us girls. It is important to know that we are in good health and everything is working perfectly. The girls who have already done this know the steps. I almost lost a good opportunity because of fear. Don’t let fear ruin your life.

~

Farah Rejouis - Haiti