Iowa Roots

Khampheng Manirath: Transcript

When I was moving, before I came to America, I saw a big building, a skyscraper, a big car, ok, automobile run back and across, beautiful lake, okay, sailing across the ocean—things like that. When I came to Iowa; it is not a big skyscraper—all I see, only farm and rolling hill, and the cold weather. It was the first time in my life I saw snow. Ok, it was about six foot that morning. I was so happy I came out to play in the snow. First, I fall in love with the snow. But it hurt, the beautiful, it hurt me, my finger were numb! Then I ran into my house, ok, I put the hot water on my hand. My goodness, I try to scream; my hand was so painful, I could not do anything at all. Painful at that moment, I said, “No more snow for me.” I was scared of snow, it was beautiful, it hurt— I learned my lesson.

I remember the first day I came to America. Okay, I was so hungry! I look. There must be something I can buy. So, I walk up to the stand and the man look at me “Hamburger?” I say “Yes, hamburger,” I follow that. Of which I have no idea what is a hamburger look like. So I saw the man pick up a bun, then he place the meat. Then he put the square, square orange, orange stuff, okay, on it a piece, a tiny piece. I didn’t know what’s it. Then he put some, something like a little green stuff on it, then something like yellow, something like a circle, circle ring, like a ring, a white one on top. Then he squeezed some red stuff on it. I don’t know what’s it. After that, he squeezed another, another yellow stuff on it, then he place another bun on the top; then he wrap it--that’s it. I don’t know how to use money! So, I pull out a twenty dollar bill, I give it to him. He give me some change. I came out, I sat down at a table. I was so hungry, I look at the food. It was kind of delicious. My mouth was watering. I put that hamburger right into my mouth, I have big bite, boom! right there, right. I try to chew, my goodness, there was a strong smell pungent to my nose! Oh my goodness. I had to spit that hamburger right away in front of me. What kind of food I bought? The man who sold me the hamburger at the stand, he look at me. He might thought I was crazy. Step by step, okay, on my way home, I say “Mom, I want to go home. Mom, I want to go.” But I ask that question--heavy, heavy in my heart, where is my home? Where is my home? That moment I start to realize that I need to learn something new in this country. It took me three months, okay, before I know what caused me with the food--that is the mustard caught me with the strong smell—to my nose.

It’s hard to learn English, English crazy, to me English crazy. Is not easy to learn English. At that moment, I start to put myself, I need to learn English, I need to learn English. This is my seventh language, I fall in love with English; it’s beautiful. English is the most beautiful language in the world. They have so many descriptive words. Look at the word: you say “big,” you can say the word “large,” you can say the word “huge,” you can say the word “gigantic,” “enormous,” and “mega.” You see, in my country “big” is “big.” That’s it! Very big, that’s it! So it’s hard for us to learn English.