HI HOUSEMATES, YESTERDAY MADE 2 WEEKS AFTER I ARRIVED THE UNITED STATES. AND THESE ARE THE THINGS I'VE OBSERVED SO FAR.
WHEN I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING AFTER I ARRIVED, I SLIGHTLY PULLED THE BLIND ON MY WINDOW TO HAVE MY FIRST DAY LIGHT VIEW OF THE DREAM COUNTRY, I REALIZED I HAD TO READJUST THE THOUGHTS I HAD ABOUT THE U.S BACK FROM HOME. I STIRRED ON THE STREET JUST ACROSS THE HOUSE AND KEPT LOOKING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, BEHOLD NOT A SINGLE SOUL PASSED BY. I THOUGHT I WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AND QUICKLY WENT UPSTAIRS TO ASKED MY AUNT IF THAT DAY WAS "WALKING STRIKE DAY" AND SHE LAUGHED AND TOLD ME THAT'S HOW THE THE STREETS USUALLY ARE. YOU CAN ONLY SEE CARS PASSING, BUT RARELY WILL YOU SEE PEOPLE ON FOOT IN THIS PART OF ATLANTA, SINCE MOST OF THEM OWN CARS AND IN ATLANTA AND SOME OTHER STATES IN THE US, OWNING A CAR IS A PRIORITY RATHER THAN A LUXURY. SHE FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT ITS ONLY IN NEW YORK AND OTHER STATES YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT A CAR AND USE THE TRAIN, BUS AND TAXI SERVICES, BUT HERE A CAR IS OF THE MOST PRIORITY. YOU NEED IT FOR WORK, SCHOOL OR DAILY ACTIVITIES. I TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND THEN RETROSPECTED ABOUT MY DAILY MORNING ROUTINE BACK HOME, AND COULD NOT COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I USE TO SAY "GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING OHH, NEIGHBOR HOW YOU SLEEP" AND ALL THE PEOPLE I GREET ON THE STREETS WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL OR TO THE OFFICE, AND ALL WHAT NOT. IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU DON'T EVEN SEE YOUR NEIGHBOR NOT TO TALK OF SAYING GOOD MORNING, EXCEPT ITS YOUR LUCKY DAY. SOME OTHER PARTS OF TOWN ARE HOWEVER DIFFERENT THAN THIS RESIDENTIAL AREA THAT I AM. I WISH I WAS LIVING AROUND THE "STREETS OF HOLLYWOOD"
ONE ASPECT OF CULTURE THAT IS STILL SHOCKING ME HERE IS THE SQUIRRELS. ONE DAY WHEN I TOOK MY LITTLE NIECE TO SHOW ME AROUND THE TRELAWNEY CIRCLE AREA WHERE WE LIVE, I SAW THIS SQUIRREL ON A STREET TRASH CAN. IT WAS VERY HEALTHY. THAT WAS GOOD MEAT!! I IMAGINED HOW GOOD SMOKED SQUIRREL WOULD TASTE IN A BOWL OF PEPPER SOUP. AS I STARTED TOWARDS THE SQUIRREL, I REMEMBERED THE MOVIE "OSUFIA IN LONDON" IN WHICH UKWA HAD TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE, FOR LAYING HANDS ON A PIDGIN IN THE PARK. WAS IT ALSO UNLAWFUL HERE? I GLANCED AROUND AND NO ONE WAS ON THE STREETS AS USUAL, THEN I DECIDED TO APPROACH IT AND IT WAS NOT EVEN AFRAID OF ME. BUT WHEN I STAMPED MY LEG ON THE GROUND, IT RELUCTANTLY CLIMB THE TREE. I WALKED AWAY THINKING OF THE BUSH-MEAT BACK HOME, MY MOUTH WAS WATERING. MY LITTLE NIECE CHIARA, LOOKED AT ME WITH A LOT OF SURPRISE. BUT THEN SHE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND, SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN THE STATES ALL HER LIFE AND KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE TASTE OF SMOKED BUSH-MEAT. ( I THOUGHT OF MY YOUTHFUL DAYS WHEN I USE TO TAKE MY DOG OUT FOR HUNTING; THOSE DAYS WILL NEVER COME AGAIN)
I'M STILL SLEEPLESSLY WAITING FOR MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND GREEN CARD TOO. MY DAILY ROUTINE IS WAKE UP, BATH, BREAKFAST, TV, INTERNET, LUNCH, SIESTA, DINNER AND BACK TO BED, 7 DAYS A WEEK, EXCEPT FOR SOME OCCASIONAL PATROL AROUND TRELAWNEY CIRCLE. HOWEVER I'VE HAD ONE OR TWO RIDES DOWNTOWN ATLANTA AND IT WAS A RIDE LIKE NEVER BEFORE. WHILE RIDING ON THE ALMOST MIRROR CLEAN STREETS, I THOUGHT OF THE ROADS BACK HOME, AND NODDED MY HEARD SPEECHLESSLY.REALLY I COULD SAY NOTHING MORE THAN "GOD BLESS US TOO"
I APPLIED FOR SOME JOBS ONLINE AND BEHOLD ONE OF THE COMPANIES CALLED ME AND SCHEDULED AN INTERVIEW FOR ME BUT I COULDN'T GO BECAUSE I HAVE NO DOCUMENTS AT HAND YET, AND NOT EVEN THE SOCIAL SECURITY WHICH IS OF MOST IMPORTANCE, EXCEPT MY PASSPORT AND CERTIFICATES AND WORK ATTESTATIONS I BROUGHT FROM HOME. AT THE MOMENT, I'M DOING SOME CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS ONLINE AS WELL AS PREPARING FOR MY DRIVER'S LICENSE TEST. FOR THOSE OF YOU COMING TO THE STATE OF GEORGIA, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS LINK "
http://www.dds.ga.gov/docs/forms/FullDriversManual.pdf "AND START STUDYING FOR THE DRIVER'S TEST WHILE YOU STILL HAVE MUCH TIME TO, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE OR NOT, OF COURSE WE BOTH KNOW THE STREETS AND ROAD SIGNS HERE AND AT HOME HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES.
ONE MORE THING PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO GET SOME MALARIA DRUGS AND IF POSSIBLE START SOME MALARIA TREATMENT, DAYS OR WEEKS BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE, ITS VERY VITAL. HERE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MALARIA, EXCEPT BROUGHT BY US. AND ONCE YOU GET HERE, THE COLD EVENTUALLY MAKES THE MALARIA ACTIVE AND YOU FALL SICK. I'M NOT A CHEMIST BUT I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN. IN FACT YOU CANT EVEN AFFORD TO GET ILL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU JUST GET HERE. WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE OR MEDICAID YOU'LL SPEND ALL THE MONEY YOU CAME WITH, THAT'S IF IT WILL BE ENOUGH.
THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEM FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS IN GETTING A JOB HERE IS THAT MOST EMPLOYERS OFTEN LOOK DOWN ON THE QUALIFICATION YOU BROUGHT FROM HOME. THEY ARE PARTIALLY RIGHT BECAUSE COMING FROM AFRICA, WE OFTEN LACK THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADEPTNESS THAT IS OFTEN REQUIRED IN THE US. EVEN WITH CLEANING JOBS, THE CLEANING EQUIPMENTS ARE SO SOPHISTICATED, THAN AT HOME WHERE WE COULD EVEN USE OUR HANDS TO MOB THE FLOOR WITHOUT RAISING EYEBROWS. I REMEMBERED GOING TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM UPSTAIRS EARLY THIS WEEK, AND SPEND 10 MINUTES JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT ON THE WASHING MACHINE. I FINALLY SURRENDERED AND CALLED MY LITTLE NIECE TO ASSIST ME. I FELT SO BELITTLED WHEN SHE SAID " UNCLE CANT YOU SEE THE START BUTTON HERE" YES, I WAS EMBARRASSED, BUT NOW I KNOW. EVEN TO USE THE VACUUM CLEANER WAS HELL. USUALLY I'LL WAIT WHEN MY AUNT IS IN HER ROOM OR NOT AROUND, AND CALL MY LITTLE NIECE TO HELP ME OUT WITH ONE THING OR THE OTHER. THIS GOES TO EXPLAIN HOW DIFFICULT IT IS GETTING EVEN A CLEANING JOB, THOUGH THERE ARE MANY. EVEN AS A GUARD OR PRIVATE SECURITY OFFICER, YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE AND MONITOR THE SECURITY CAMERAS.
I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT MY FIRST CHURCH SERVICE HERE SOME OTHER TIME. IT WAS "WONDERFUL"
GUYS, WHILE WAITING AND HOPING THE COMING WEEK WILL BE A GOOD ONE, I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.
CURRENTS CASES FOR INTERVIEW, I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
PHILL
ATLANTA,GEORGIA
USA
CASE NO: 2010AF000010**
NL Received 28th march 2009
sent to KCC 5th/ April/ 2009
2nd NL received on 14/9/09
Appointment for medicals 30/09/2009
Medicals started & completed on 1st/10/2009
Medical results collected on 2nd/10/2009
Interview scheduled for 19th Oct. 2009
Interview successful on the 19th/10/2009
VISA to be picked up on Thursday 29th/10/2009
VISA PICKED UP AT 4:14PM ON 29TH/10/2009
DEPARTED FOR THE STATES AT 2AM/ 27TH/ NOV. 2009.
PORT OF ENTRY: ATLANTA INT. AIR PORT.
RESIDENCE: ATLANTA,GA
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