I am a freshman of New York City College of Technology, I am currently majoring in hospitality management. As an immigrant, I can speak both in English and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin). I am interested in the field of learning cultures, get into the hospitality industry is more convenient for me to expand my hobby. Also, Hospitality management uses its unique way to welcome and provide services to people, and I am enjoying that way to meet people around the world and learn their cultures. Further, I want to be a hotel receptionist after I get a degree, I really like the hotel environment and its uniform, and I enjoy talking to different people. This can help me build my confidence and expand my interpersonal relationship. Besides, I have been a sales clerk in a supermarket for three years, I provide the knowledgeable and prompt friendly service to my customers, I also assist my customers in providing product advice to them on selections. I am enjoying the process for helping people, it can make me feel better about myself and finding greater stability in life.

Don’t Judge A Book by Its Cover

Someone asks me “Do you like durian?” I answer “Absolutely.”Even more, I am in crazy love of it. Durian gives me a sense of security, power, belief, and it guides me to the right direction. Most people do not like durian, even though most of them do not know what durian is or what it tastes like.

Durian is known as the “king of fruits” because of its large size, its thorn-covered shell and its “unique” odor. The color of durian’s husk is green to brown, and it looks like a hedgehog because of its thorn-cover shell. You cannot touch it with your bare-hand. Otherwise, you will get hurt from it. Also, many people said durian smells terrible, a little bit like poop. They never try it because they are put off by its smell. Actually, durian smells like hell but tastes like heaven. When you taste it, its savory, sweet and soft, creamy with a hint of almond. When you finish it, there is a fragrance of cream that stays in your mouth. Furthermore, durian is more expensive than other fruits, because its nutrition is richer than other fruits and it benefits your health. The first time I tried it I fell in love with it ten years ago, and it influences my life until now.

When I was seven years old, one day when I finished school and went back home, I was starving. I opened the fridge and tried to find something to eat, but I was disappointed because there was nothing in there, except for a box of durian. I used to hear durian smells like stinky tofu. Therefore, it gave me a bad impression of it, even though I had never tried it. At this moment, my mother came back. I was excited. I ran to her and asked her to buy some snack for me, but my mom said, “ There is a box of durian in the fridge, go and eat it.” I was shocked, because my mother knew that I don’t like durian, even detest it. I didn’t understand the purpose of my mother for saying that. I was a little bit angry and I was shouting at her, “ You know me, why are you keep doing this? I was starving, can you just buy some snack for me, please?” But my mother just left me a word: “You don’t have choices.” I was hurt and started to cry. As I cried, I was wasting my energy and my stomach was growling. After crying for a moment, my mother didn’t come back. I realized that I really have no choices, or I could say I had two choices: one was keeping starving, one was to take the chance to eat the durian. Half hour passed, and I still struggled with my choices.

Finally, my appetite overpowered my reason. I reopened the fridge and took out the durian. When I opened the box of pre-cut durian, its odor initially attacked my nose; it was indescribably awful, smells like feces, and it quickly spread to the whole room. I squeezed my nose and ate it reluctantly. When I took the first bite, it was not that bad as my imagination. On the contrary, it is full of creamy, sweet, soft, some kind like diced garlic and caramel poured into whipped cream. I didn’t know how to describe its texture; all I knew that was delicious. I continued to take the second bite; the creamy suddenly exploded all over my tongue. Third bite, fourth bite ….until I finished the whole piece. I still wanted to eat the rest of it.

While I was eating my second durian, my mother came to me and asked,“ How does it taste? Delicious, right?” I said, “Yes.” Then my mother walked away with a strange smile, and I still kept eating the durian. At night, when we finished dinner, I was embarrassed for what I did to my mother before, so I apologized to her and asked her what is her purpose for doing that. My mother spoke meaningfully to me “ Choices are a part of our life. Every day we are facing a lot of choices, and we need to make decisions from them. Some of the choices we make today may have a lasting impact on our future lives. I want to get through this to let you know how to make a better choice in your life. Also, life is beautiful but not always easy. We still face a lot of challenges in our life. All you can do is to use your courage to overcome it, and create a better life. Otherwise, you will be a loser forever. Furthermore, seeing is not believing, and hearing is believing for things that can’t be seen.You believe someone who tells you, and you never see or try by yourself. You will be deceived by hearing. Therefore, remember something that you see or heard may not be true. You need to realize it by yourself and prove it.” At that time, I was shocked. I never thought that eating durian will connect to a bunch of knowledge. My mother was giving me a shot of wisdom. I listened carefully and still remember it in my heart.

As my mother said, “Life is beautiful but not always easy, we have to make decisions every day.” Recalling three years ago, one day, my mother told me that we can immigrate to America to have a better life. This news was shocking me. My first initial reaction was depressed. Even though I had known we will have a chance to go to America, I never thought this day will come so early. I used to hear how life is hard in America. Moreover, different language, different environment, and different people had made me scared of it. I tried to escape this topic when my family talked about it. Sometimes, I will imagine how my life is like when I am in America. Once I think of the language and my friends, my tears falling down without control. Totally, I lost my head at that time. As the day was getting closer and closer for leaving China, my heart was getting more and more heavy. I wanted to tell my mother that I want to stay in China rather than move to America, but I can’t. I am afraid I will hurt my mother. At this time, the taste of durian arise in my brain, so I went to a market to buy a box of pre-cut durian. I tasted it and remembered what my mother told me at the first time when I ate durian. Finally, I made my decision. Now, I have been America for three years, I felt my life is better than before: I have education for free; have a part-time job; have friends that from around the world. My life becomes more and more colorful.

After that, every time when I struggle with something or I have no clue about something, I will buy a small box of durian to eat. From its taste, I remembered what my mother said to me. It gives me power and encourages me.