MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF AMERICA.

AMERICA, LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE A PROGRAMMED LIFE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING CONSIDERATE AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE. FROM WHAT I HEARD IT IS A LAND OF HARMONY AND INTELLECTUAL PARADISE. THIS WAS THE INCREDIBLE PICTURE I HAD BEFORE I CAME TO AMERICA.

LAST TWO YEARS, WHEN I FIRST COME TO THIS LAND THE SITUA- TIONS I MET WERE FAR FROM WHAT I EXPECTED IT TO BE. EVERYTHING SEEMS MOVING. PEOPLE ARE CONTINEOUSLY RUNNING. RUSHING AGAINST TIME ? THAT I DON'T KNOW. FOR SOME REASON IT IMPRESSED ME SO MUCH , THAT I EVEN WENT TO MANHATTAN TO WATCH THIS FLOCK OF PEOPLE COMING AND GOING, RUNNING, WALKING WITH SPEED. THEY EVEN DON'T HAVE TIME TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.

IF YOU ARE HAPPEN TO BE A NEW COMER LIKE ME OR A TOURIST, THEY WON'T STOP BY FOR A JIFFY AND TELL YOU DIRECTION OR WHAT TIME OF THE DAY IT IS. A FRACTION OF SECOND IS LIKE A GOLDTO AMERICANS. AT LEAST THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT AT THAT TIME.

IN THIS LAND OF OPPORTUNITY , I SEE SOME PEOPLE WANDERING AIMLESSLY, TALKING TO THEMSELVES AND PHILOSOPHIZING ABOUT LIFE. THEY DRESSED DOWN VERY LOW AND WITH IRRITATING SMELL,WHICH IS CAUSED BY LACK OF SHOWER. THEY ARE HUSTLING TO SURVIVE. MOST OF THESE PEOPLE ARE BLAMING THE SYSTEM. AS THEY SAY THE SYSTEM STUCK.

LIFE IN THE STREET AS HARD AS IT SEEMS, ANYBODY MIGHT EXPERIECE IT. THE MEDIA ADDRESS THESE PEOPLE, WHO LIVE IN THE TUNNELS, AS "THE MOLE PEOPLE". THEY SEEM TO LOST IN TOUCH WITH TIME AND PLACE. TO MY SURPRISE SOME OF THESE MOLE PEOPLE ARE EXTREMLY BRILLIENT, REMIND ME OF DIOGAN "THE MAD PHILOSOPHER" OF ANCIENT GREEK . DIOGAN IN HIS OWN REASONING PREFERS THE SIM- PLE THINGS IN LIFE. HE ONLY HAD CONTAINER FOR WATER MADE OUT OF BAMBO. BUT AFTER HE SAW ONE MAN DRINKING WATER WITH THE PALM OF HIS HAND, DIOGAN THROW AWAY THE ONE AND ONLY PROPERTY HE OWNED.

SURVIVING AS ONE OF THE MOLE PEOPLE IN REALITY IS TOUGHER THAN ANY SITUATION. YOUR PRIDE, DIGINITY, AND PATIENCE ARE TESTED BY THE UGLY SIDE OF LIFE'S CRUELITY. I THOUGHT AMERICA WAS THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH TO FIND THE HARSH SIDE OF LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, I FOUND MY SELF WRONG.

I AM IMPRESSED BY AMERICANS. ALTHOUGH, I SEE ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH CONTORTED FACE ON THE TRAIN, ON THE STREET and EVERYWHERE, THEY ARE APPRECIATIVE PEOPLE. THE MOST USED WORDS I HEARD ARE "EXCUSE ME" AND "THANK YOU". IT IS A VERY NICE THING TO BE GRATEFUL AND EXPRESS IT. APART FROM THIS I DON'T SEE MANY PEOPLE SMILING. THEY SEEM THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY INTERESTING GOING ON THEIR LIFE. SMILING IS NOT CONSIDERED SMART. WHAT A REASONING! JUST THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME SMILE. I CAN'T HELP IT. MAY BE I AM NOT SMART ENOUGH ?

BESIDE THESE IMPRESSIONS I LEARNED SOME THING MORE , THAT AMERICANS ARE ORDINARY PEOPLE LIKE ANY OTHER PEOPLE,WHO CAN LAUGH , OR WHO CAN CRY ,WHO CAN GET ANGRY , OR WHO CAN GET SURPRISED. BUT MOST OF ALL, THE PEOPLE, ARE LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME AND THE LAND AMERICA IS BEAUTYFUL AND GREAT. I HAVE A FEELING IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE IT IN THIS COUNTRY, I THINK HE CAN MAKE IT. OF COURSE LADY LUCK MUST SMILE FOR HIM. GOD BLESS AMERICA!