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A Newborn Child’s Wail Is the World’s Best Sound

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Here’s another story from Changing Every Day. When you finish reading, take the quiz to test your understanding!:

I Got a Job

Pei Ci Kuang

A cry declares that a small life came into this world. It is a symbol of life, vitality, health, and meaning. A newborn child’s wail is the world’s best sound!

I will never forget this day, December 23, 2006. The doctor told me: “You have a baby, almost one month.” I couldn’t believe my body was pregnant with a little life. I felt the magic of life. This was our love crystal! I would be a mother . . . I would be a mother. My husband and I and our entire family were looking forward to this little life.

December 31, 2006. We first met at Sinog Medical Associate P.C. Clinic. The doctor told me your weight was 0.2 micrograms, length 1.0502 millimeter, body in two parts, a very large part the head. There was a long tail, much like the shape of a small hippocampus. The doctor said you were “a little gem.” But I didn’t see what the doctor said. I just saw a little dot on the screen of the machine. I said “Hello” to you. “I hope you love me and are satisfied by me!”

I read stories to you. I played music for you. We adapted to each other’s rhythms by three months. Your length was four centimeters. You had a first picture. The sound of a beating heart to give you a life force.

We recognized you at five months. The doctor told me that you are a girl. Since then, I didn’t call you baby; I called you beautiful girl. I imagined helping you tie a ponytail; I fantasized that I could help you dress up; I could help you sign up for dancing class.

Six months, seven months, eight months . . . we were like old friends. We felt empathy for and collaboration with each other. I knew what time you wanted to eat strawberries, what time you wanted to eat chicken, and you also understood what time I was happy, what time I was unhappy.

When 35 weeks came, you had full hearing and sight. You reacted to the sound of the outside world, and you could like it or be able to demonstrate the expression of boredom. We had a good interaction. My body changed every day. I looked like I was carrying a big ball, like a penguin walking on the street. You were quiet now. You were preparing to come out into this world.

On July 9, 2007, you, my daughter, were born. A cry filled every corner of the hospital, like a melody for a parent, for a family. It stirred up memories of a day blessed by miracles, a joyful gift cherished for years to come. Thank you, my dear daughter, for giving me this job! I know I will have a lot of “first times” in my future!

 

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Invite a Brother

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Here’s another story from Changing Every Day. When you finish reading, take the quiz to test your understanding!:

Naming

Sarah Sito

Many people believe that a person’s name has an important influence on their life. To Chinese people, it is very essential to name and combine the name with the hour of birth to be more balanced. There are also some names that are full of the background of an era.

I remember that my friend who was studying Cantonese called me. She was watching a drama at that time that was set in the past. The actress’s character’s name was Zhao Di, which means “invite a brother.” My friend felt that she couldn’t understand this and asked me, “Is it a common name or just for fun?” It didn’t feel strange to me at that time because a lot of old women in Guangdong have names with Di. Di means “her/his brother.” It expresses hope that the next child will be a boy. There are some girls that are named Ting too. That means “stop birthing daughters.”

My grandma’s given name was Yu Di, which means “meeting brother.” But her family name was Wu. In Cantonese, “Wu” and “no” are pronounced the same. When my grandma’s whole name was said, the meaning was “Can’t meet brother.” If they really wanted a boy, why did they only focus on the first name and not combine it with the family name? I really want to question them if I can.

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If One Morning When You Find a Snake Is Sleeping Next to You…

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Here’s another story from Changing Every Day. When you finish reading, take the quiz to test your understanding!:

Snakes in the House

Sarah Sito

One day this past summer, after my brother’s family and I had enjoyed the beach, we came home in high spirits. As we were walking into the living room, there was an unbelievable sight that caught our eyes. A snake was eating a frog. The snake was white and as big as a beer bottle. We stared at it. The snake became aware of us, but it didn’t want to forsake the food. We were so shocked that it seemed like time was standing still.

Suddenly my brother said, “Let’s go around it.” So we put down the bags softly and drove to the nearest McDonald’s.

My nephew was so excited and said, “How cool is that snake? I want to catch it and make it my pet.”

What a joke he had just told. His mother said, “Not only would the snake eat your hamster and crabs, but also if we keep it, the police would arrest us. You won’t be able to see us.”

But what could we do next? My brother said to his wife, “I go outside every day and just stay home at night, so I don’t care.”

His wife said, “I got it. If one morning when you find a snake is sleeping next to you, don’t cry out.”

Why were they joking around at this urgent time? After about an hour, we opened the door carefully and went into the living room. The snake had disappeared and only some blood on the floor reminded us that the snake had once been there. At once we started our strategy. We set up video cameras around the living room, that might confirm if the snake we had was poisonous or not. After that we felt nervous because even just sitting at the table we assumed that the snake could bite our feet. I asked my nephew, “My room is nearest to the living room. Can you share your room with me?” and made a pitiful face. But he refused without hesitation.

I didn’t have a choice, and I wasn’t able to sleep, so I searched and I found out from some myths that snakes would bring wealth and luck. I couldn’t help imagining how rich I would be, and I chuckled to myself.

From that day on, nothing happened, and the snake never came again. When at last we felt relieved, something even stranger appeared. A glue trap for catching cockroaches had caught a new snake, smaller and lighter-colored than the previous one, stuck and still wriggling. Maybe the first snake and this one were mother and baby.

We were scared that if the baby snake died in our home, the mother snake would want revenge. We were in a panic and urgently called the police and City Hall. Finally the city zoo agreed to come and rescue our snake and take care of it.

After the summer, I came back to New York. No news about the snake. This year is the year of the snake, so could the snakes really have come to bring something special just for us?

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Our Laughter Rang Out on All the Hills

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March 5 is “Learn from Lei Feng Day” in China. Here’s a story from Changing Every Day that mentions him. When you finish reading, take the quiz to test your understanding!:

My Childhood in the Countryside

Pei Ci Kuang

池塘边的榕树上，知了在声声叫着夏天，黑板上老师的粉笔还在拼命吱吱喳喳写个不停，等待着夏天，等待着明天，迷迷糊糊的童年。(Banyan tree at the pond, cicadas call in the summer, chalk on the black board, teacher still writes non-stop, waiting for summer, waiting for tomorrow, stumbled childhood)

Do you still remember this nursery rhyme? My childhood was spent in the countryside. I have fond memories.

In spring, plants would start to sprout, animals come out to get some fresh air. After festival, the temperature rose and rain fall increased, and it was high time for spring plowing and sowing. We expected to have a good year! When we were done after school, we queued and sang:”学习雷锋， 好榜样，忠于革命，忠于党’’ (Learn Lei Feng, good role model, loyal to the revolution, loyal to the party.) We went on adventures together, giving everyone a nickname: Corsair, Devil, Pirate, Sailor. Our laughter rang out on all the hills, and in the cave came the echo. Thinking the big people were telling ghost stories, we ran home, completely forgetting what we needed to do. When we took a shower in the evening, our bodies were full of mud, and adults yelled at us, “Crazy kids!” We smiled at each other, discussing tomorrow.

In summer, when grass and trees looked greener than ever, we saw flowers everywhere in every color we could imagine. We didn’t go to school, which left more time to play outside. We created our toys, using bamboo to make a gun, with small fruit as bullets. We played field operation on the mountain. We climbed up the tree to pick star fruits. We went to the mountains to pick up small black fruits. It was enough for our slender mouths to eat for a whole summer. We went swimming in a small river. We got together to enjoy the cool air on the patio. What wonderful summer days!

In fall, the roosters’ crows resounded in the morning in the quiet village and the alleys of small traders. A busy day started on the farmland. Everywhere were busy people’s shadows. Harvest season was coming! After school, our greatest pleasure was to fly kites. We used newspaper and bamboo to make them. They hung up in the sky, symbols of our dreams and our thoughts of our loved ones. We walked in the fields between. Everywhere was a vibrant scene.

In winter, water flowed in the quiet lake, sunlight shone on the lake, and birds flying across the river made ripples. The hill became quiet. We also calmed down, but we still had many activities. We played jump rope, flight chess, cards, hide and seek. That was our happy hour!

My childhood friends, how is your situation? Do our hometown hills look the same? Does the hometown water taste sweet? Do you tell your kids our stories?

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Studying English with Malcolm X

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Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965 in New York City. Here’s a story from Changing Every Day making reference to him. After you finish reading, take the quiz to test your comprehension!:

Learning to Read: Malcolm X

Lixin (Betty) Ye

Last week, I read an article about how Malcolm X improved his English by learning to read. I was inspired by it. I would like to share my reading.

Malcolm X was a black civil rights activist, religious leader, writer, and speaker. He was mysteriously assassinated at a religious rally in 1965. By that time, his book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, was widely known.

Originally, Malcolm X was poorly educated. His English was very poor, and he did not have adequate vocabulary or communication skills. He became frustrated at his inability to read and write. It made him determined to overcome these deficiencies. When he was in prison, he started to copy a dictionary. For the A-words, he copied everything on the page of the dictionary into a notebook. After that, he read aloud his writing over and over. The next day, he realized he had written more than he had ever written before. He could even remember the meanings of most of the words. He was so fascinated that he went on to copy the other dictionary pages and to study them by reading them aloud as well. He said he never had been so truly free in his life. He really enjoyed his reading.

I understand his feeling. No matter what our condition is, we can enjoy studying and may get fulfillment from it. I admire his persistence. Maybe I cannot do the same thing as he, reading and copying a whole dictionary. However, I can learn from him to keep writing or copying English whether from the newspaper, books, magazines, or whatever I like. I can write down what I read and what I think. I can even read aloud like Malcolm. I am sure I am already enjoying studying in English.

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A Smile Is the Most Beautiful Symbol in the World

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Here’s another story from Changing Every Day. When you finish reading, take the quiz to test your understanding!:

An Unforgettable Smile

Tammie Tai

A smile is the most beautiful symbol in the world. Since I left my hometown and came to this beautiful city, I have had many wonderful experiences. One is of a smile that is still in my memory. My heart always fills with warm feelings when I think about it.

One morning in February, just a couple of months after I arrived in New York, I was waiting on the subway platform for the train to go to my writing class. It was an amazing class for which I had been on the waiting list for several months. That day would be the first time for me to submit my article. I stayed up very late the night before, proofreading. I was very excited when I thought about sharing my article with my teacher and my classmates. The article was so meaningful for me. I enjoyed my work so much when I read it.

Suddenly, a train drove into the station; it brought a strong wind, and the wind blew the two pieces of paper out of my hands. The papers seemed to kid with me and kept on dancing in the sky. I had to follow one of them as it danced clumsily. Finally, the piece of paper had played with me enough and stopped in my hand. But what about the other one? I looked around and saw the paper flying toward the tunnel on the other side of the station platform. There was no way for me to get it unless I had wings. I was so disappointed.

At that moment, a young boy walked off the step. He must have seen how clumsily I had been fighting to retrieve the paper and realized how important it was for me. I saw him rapidly jump off the steps and stretch his arm out to catch the paper before it went into the tunnel. It gave me such a big surprise that I even forgot to say thanks when he handed the precious paper to me. He gave me a victory smile. I returned a big smile to him. We said nothing, just smiled at each other. And then he went into his train, and I went into my train.

The most touching thing for me was not getting back my valuable paper, but the smile. It was so special and so natural. In the smile I saw the real happiness in his heart he got from helping other people. And I knew he was not the only one in this city who would have helped me. It gave me such a nice feeling. It reminded me that there are so many helpful people in this world. You won’t be alone when you are in trouble.

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You Are Getting to a Ripe Old Age If You Miss Old Times

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Here’s another story from Changing Every Day. When you finish reading, take the quiz to test your understanding!:

My Brother

Liang Yang

Currently, I have started having memories from the past. One of my friends said, “You are getting to a ripe old age if you miss old times.” One day, I was sitting on the couch and looking at the photos on the wall. There was a picture that drew my attention. In the picture, my brother and I are sitting in the desert back to back.

He is in now in England. He has been there for 11 years. He has a PhD, and he is working for a university. He likes traveling, and he has already visited a great number of different places in Europe. I think of how his real life comes from his personality and early education. My brother not only shares his goals and dreams, but also believes in himself and the ability to achieve them.

He was number one all the time in school. When we were in the same school, I was proud of him. Most of my classmates thought I had no problems with my homework because my brother could teach me at home, but he only shared his study methods with girls in his class, not me.

I didn’t interrupt him unless I got homework that I couldn’t handle alone. Once I approached his room and knocked at his door lightly, while he was thinking. When he opened it, I wasn’t delighted to see the impatient look on his face, but I knew there was nothing more important than homework. So instead of caring about his attitude, I put my homework on his desk and looked at him.

“Can you tell me how to do this?” I said. “I don’t know the process.”

He looked at me, but he shook his head. “Did you daydream during the whole 45-minute class?” he asked, in a superior tone.

I quickly stood up. This could be embarrassing. It could hurt my feelings and make me lose self-confidence. I saw he helped his female classmates in a friendly and courteous way. I felt that it was better not to be his sister. So at that moment, I spoke up.

“Listen, clever student! I admit my worst subject in school is mathematics. I don’t understand it as well as other subjects. Furthermore, it is hard for me to see the relevance of math in my life. But I think I could have been good in math if my brother had taken more time to explain it to me. But you . . . you . . . let me down!”

Then I took a deep breath and continued to be unconvinced. “Even if I don’t beat you, I know I have studied well if I have improved on my own.” I said this while I was slamming the door.

He was uncommunicative.

I remember that when my brother and I would get into a quarrel, my mom would always try to remain neutral. At the dinner table, as always, she instructed us in our relationship, and we became reconciled again.

One morning my brother and I were on our way to school. It was a warm spring day with the sun shining bright. But it was getting chilly by the time all students started for morning exercises outdoors. What a wonderful day, I thought. I walked back to the classroom where the school video was transmitting the good composition work of students. One of my brother’s essays was chosen. “Oh, no,” I whispered. The name of it was “My Special Sister.” The next four or five minutes were the longest I ever spent at that age. My face got hot as I bit my lip.

“My sister sometimes is lazy. She ignores when she makes things dirty and disorganized.”

I looked around when I heard that, slapping my pockets nervously.

“My sister has a round, red, cute face like an apple. When you see her happy face you just want to pinch her chubby cheeks.”

I was putting my hand over my eyes and saying, “Please, that’s enough” in a low voice.

When we both got home, I pretended not to see him. He slumped down beside me. “I didn’t mean it like that, Liang. Did you hear that I wrote more about your advantages than your shortcomings?”

“But you can’t let everyone know them in public,” I responded, and almost burst into tears.

“I couldn’t stop my teacher from picking this article!” he said, as if complaining of an injustice. Meanwhile, I leaned my head against him, and we tolerated each other until we went to sleep.

Childhood with him was a lot of fun. We were always together playing and exercising. Even though we fought and strived for favor with our parents, we both knew that “blood is thicker than water.” That means that “family ties are closer than social relations,” according to my mom.

As we grew up and got to be older, we still kept good memories of being little. Now we both have families of our own.

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