The Chances Era

In the 1960’s, the golden era for the countries of the Arabian Golf started. There was the discovery of oil, which lead to rapid economical developments in the region. As there was a focus on the infrastructure projects, they needed to borrow expert engineers from all around the Arabic world to help in that big construction project. By the time my dad graduated from his engineering school in Alexandria, Egypt, and Syria was under the stress of war with Israel. Therefore, it wasn’t the time for any development projects. As a result, my father went to the Golf where he had a great chance to work as a project manager for paving a long and important highway. It was a big challenge for him. However, he did very well and then he started a successful career over there. My grandfather was also an engineer. Accordingly, my mother felt that my father was similar to her beloved father. She loved him and decided to go with him to start her new family. That decision had affected my family life in different ways.
One effect was my mom’s agony for living far from her family which she was very attached to. Her dad had died when she was pregnant, and it was too hard to tell her the bad news. One day –after she gave birth- she dreamed of her father writing her a farewell poem. Since my father couldn’t tell her himself, he decided to ask her friend to tell her. Though days passed, I still remember my mother’s tears every time she tells the story. In fact, it frightens me that if something happened to my parents and I am far here in the United States, I will feel the same anguish.
The second effect was my dad’s absence during that period which, affected my siblings and me in a negative way. I think that was the price for the success he achieved in his career and the wealthy life we used to live. In fact, he was responsible for two generations. The older one was my grandmother and his two older sisters’ generation. In our tradition, if the sisters didn’t get married, their brothers are responsible of them financially after their dad. The second and younger generation was his kids; he established a good base for us to start from. As a result of his absence, the pressure of raising us was mostly on my mom. She sacrificed her job as a psychiatrist in order to bring up her kids. I think she did a great job because she was always there for us. Still, we felt the gap of his vacancy. I remember myself pretending that I had some math problems, which meant waiting for my father late into the night to help me solve them. In fact I was longing to see more of him.
The third effect was when my dad started to feel sick and quit his stressful job. He had a problem with blood pressure. And in the memory of his dad who died at a young age because of high blood pressure, he decided that it was time to go back to Syria. For him it meant retirement, but for us it was more like a fresh beginning. It wasn’t an easy transition; I was in high school by then, and my brother and sister were in college. However, we were very excited to be close to each other once again.
The economical evolution in the history of the Arabian Golf caused an economical boost in my family life too. My dad had a good retirement. We went to colleges that where fancy and not everybody could afford. Still I can’t feel completely positive about this experience because of the life quality we lost. However, I think my parents didn’t have better choice. In fact, it was tough in different ways. However, we got the ripened fruits at the end.

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More Than Ever Before

More Than Ever Before

by Euna Moon

Bankruptcy is just a word that you can often see or hear in places, but when it becomes a part of your life, it can be a blaze that destroys everything. My father-in-law had been running a building construction company for over thirty years in Korea, so my parents-in-law decided to build their own building for the rest of their lives and descendants when it was almost time to retire. In 1998, when the building brought its face to light, Korea was sunk into a financial crisis. By that time, Korea had to take a loan from the International Monetary Fund due to its difficult economy. As a result, the I.M.F started to get involved in the economy of Korea. Moreover, because it caused the interest rates of banks to increase, it led many businesses in Korea to bankruptcy, and my father-in-law was one of them. My parents-in-law lost everything that they had, but through this crisis, my whole family got stronger and closer to each other more than ever before.

My husband and I who were living in the U.S started suffering from lack of money because parents-in-law’s support had stopped. He was a graduate student, and we had a baby. He had been working as a teaching assistant at school, but the money from the job was not enough for the three of us. Thus, he started tutoring mathematics to college students after school and in his extra time. Also, we found a good program called WIC, which was supporting low-income families who had a baby. As a result, we could get baby formula, cheese and milk from it, and it was like a light shower on dry land for us. I had been spoiled with consistent support from my parents since I was young, so I had never known what real poverty was. If I had not been a mother or had been alone without the love of my husband, I might have collapsed. Still, I was okay; in fact, I was able to feel happy even though I bought second hand goods instead of fancy name brands and replaced steaks with hamburgers. It was the first time I realized what money supposed to mean in my life; the money was not the only condition of happiness. In other words, it was nothing but a tool for my convenience.

My parents-in-law squeezed every last drop of money from their accounts in order to avoid putting pressure children. Luckily, they were able to live at the same place because one of relatives bought their house and gave rent to them. Therefore, they decided to run a restaurant on the first floor of the house with almost nothing. My father-in-law who had handyman’s talent and bright ideas renovated the main level into a small restaurant with his own tools and wood from a tree that was in their backyard. Also, my mother-in-law who had been living as a housewife was an expert cook, and she had many collections of delicate kitchen supplies. Thus, she was able to work as a chef and used all her collections for the restaurant. My brother-in-law who used to work at his father’s company as a builder helped their new business. Moreover, his existence gave them a lot of energy.

We all had to change our dreams and lifestyle after the big storm. First, my husband who was studying for a doctor degree in mathematics had been dreaming of becoming a professor, but he had to decide to put his foot into an industry area due to its better pay after the economic downturn. We used to have a plan of living all together at the dream building after having some experience of living overseas. However, due to the economic crisis, getting a job in Korea became like fishing for a star in the sky, so my husband had to find a job in the U.S. Therefore, the last semester before he graduated, he took several credit courses in computer and industry engineering. In addition, after graduating, he needed to prepare carefully to get a good job from a company while he was teaching as a lecturer, and he finally got a good job. Second, my sister-in-law who was single and working as an architect was the only one who had a good income in the family. She had been supporting her parents instead of investing the money for her future. Third, after running the restaurant for three years, my mother-in-law who had been living with clenching her teeth was getting seriously sick. As a result, their daughter brought them to the U.S, and now, they have been living here with us for over seven years. Finally, my brother-in-law had to leave to China in order to work at the relative’s company because of the difficulty of finding a job in Korea.

We have been standing on our own feet, and we have been holding our hands tightly after jumping through all the hurdles even though the years after crisis had been rough for us. At the beginning, all of the changes seemed like the end of the world. Nevertheless, I believed that the loss brought to us a new opportunity to open our eyes to our lives. My husband, brother-in-law and sister-in-law ultimately had success in their careers. My parents-in-laws are healthy and happy to be with us. I was the one who especially had learned a life lesson and changed a lot. I feel like that I’ve changed into a tree with abundant leaves and deep roots in the ground from just a flower in a greenhouse. I am able to have the strength to appreciate what I have and always think positively. My family might have lost everything due to the bankruptcy, but as a matter of fact, we only lost the money. We are all still thankful that nobody lost their health during this time, and we didn’t have any family feuds. Finally, even though another storm may hit my family again, I believe that we will stand strongly like a tree and step forward with a smile.

Changes by Ahasan

My father’s career choice changed my life forever. I grew up living with my immediate and extended family which included my parents, brothers, cousins and my grandmother. I knew from my childhood that my father had a high political ambition but that my mother was always against his dreams. My mother wanted my father to go in to business, which he inherited from his family. My father quit his family business and became involved in politics in 1988. His involvement in politics was an event that has had a profound influence on my life. After my father became involved in politics, it created some problems for family and me, but I also gained some extra opportunities because I was the child of a politician.



After my father became fully active in politics, our family moved from the countryside to the capital city of Bangladesh, and I faced some problems because I became separated from one of my family members. As I grew up with my extended family, I did not feel good without my grandmother. During my childhood, my grandmother was an amazing person to me. I missed her very much after moving away. Soon after leaving my grandmother, she died and I felt even worse for moving away. Losing my grandmother was one of the biggest shocks in my life. I felt that she might not have died if I had not left her. Slowly I got sick due to the death of my grandmother because I missed her. If my father had not been involved in politics, maybe I could have stayed with her and not felt that my absence caused her to die. Also, the separation of my family changed my life just like my father changed his profession. I became lonelier and felt depressed, and this was a big change for me because I used to be happy and optimistic.



During his early years in politics my father neglected my family and me in several ways. My father had quit his family business which was our main source of income. At the beginning of his political career he was busy with his politics. He did not have enough time to focus on our family because he was always traveling to the city, which was why he could not take care of us financially. Because my father was not there, my mother worked hard to provide for us. At that time, my father had to spend money for his political purposes, so his family was not his top priority. Also, my brothers and I were not able to afford school tuition for several months because my father did not provide us money. Because of his politics, he only gave us enough money for food and so we did not have extra money for school. After my father became involved in politics, his change in lifestyle caused him to overlook me, which had a crucial effect on me and my family.



Despite the problems I faced, I had some extra opportunities to meet some famous politicians and to visit some important places. My father sometimes came home during his visit and took me to some political conferences with him. In this way, I met with Mahathir Muhammad who was the founder of modern Malaysia, Abdur Rahman Biswas, the former president of Bangladesh and Sonia Gandhi, the political leader of India. One of my most memorable meetings was with Mr. Biswas. I remember when I met him, he asked me if I wanted to go into politics like my dad. I was shy because it was my first time meeting him and I smiled and told him that I didn’t like politics. After meeting those politicians, I felt that I was lucky to be a politician’s son. I also visited some special places which had a great effect on me. For example, we visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. It was a beautiful palace with many domes and people all around it. I was amazed to see this palace which was built by India’s emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his beloved wife.

Overall, I had some disadvantages and advantages because my father chose politics instead of the family business. Growing up with my extended family, and then moving to a new place and moving away from someone special were bad incidents for me. If my father had not been involved in politics, I would not have been separated from my family and I might not have been neglected. But even though I had some difficulties, I remember many happy times due to my father’s career. For example, during one of our visits to India, my father surprised me with a camera, which was the first camera of my life. I kept that camera for many years and it was a memory of the positive moments I had with my father. Despite my problems, I was proud of my father because he gave me some opportunities to learn more about life.

Decision in Crisis By Leiko

No war, no improvement. Almost every country that experiences war has a chance to recover and progress. Half a century ago, the leader of China, Mao Zedong, pushed the Great Leap Forward in1958. His purpose was to show the world that China was a successful agricultural country. In fact, at that time people were living without food or clothes. The Great Leap Forward and a series of natural disasters had led China into a three-year famine. No one believed it because in 1958, people thought China was the biggest agricultural country in the world. However, it didn't have food to offer to the people. This event had continued from 1958 to 1961. There was no a correct record to express how many people died during this time. Unfortunately, my grandfather was involved in this famine. At that time, he made a big decision, and he decided to join the military in 1961. Even though the famine in China was dreary, it gave my grandfather a chance to improve his life. Because of him, my family’s living standards were changed, the economy of our family was improved and our living environment made better.

The standard of living had changed while my grandfather achieved his goals. Since my grandfather joined the military, his job was to influence our family’s living standards. He dropped out of the school when he had just graduated from primary school in 1956, and began working for a wealthy family. In 1958, the military decided to gather people for protecting country. My grandfather preferred to sign up for the military rather than work for a wealthy family like that. At the time of registration, he wasn’t qualified to join the military because of his age, and his weight was below the requirement. However, he was too smart to be a communication staff when he was sixteen years old in 1958. After two years of working for the army, he continued to study the knowledge of communication for three months in Shenyang China. When he finished the course, he was promoted to be a staff officer. His promotion not only affected my grandfather, but also affected my mother, her sisters, and her brother. They were able to obtain education opportunities due to his status. There is a popular saying in China, “one person joins the military, and the whole family is glorious”. When my grandfather was promoted to be a staff officer, he made friends at different levels and people respected him. There is another saying in China about the kind of person you are depends on what friends you make. In other words, deciding to join the military had changed the position of my grandfather’s family in the country.

After a period of time, the economic conditions of my family had improved greatly. In China, when people joined the military, the government would offer money and materials to people’s families on a monthly basis. Obviously, when my grandfather joined the military, the living conditions were enhanced. That was a main reason that my grandfather took part in the Sino-Vietnamese War as a communication officer in 1963. His work was to distribute the warships. After that war, he acted as the leader who led an army to build the main cables of Hainan province in China. Those events affected my grandfather’s family. My mother said that the basic items were provided by the state; at least they could be well-fed and had warm clothes. They could be living in the army with other soldiers and their families. In addition, the army would give the family clothes, bedclothes and meal tickets. Thus, the family’s income had increased. The majority of electrical equipment was set up in the family and they could get more entertainment. Consequently, the economy influenced my family’s life directly.

Finally, when people were satisfied with the physical conditions, they needed to get satisfied with mental conditions. When all the foundations were established, my grandfather decided to change the environment where they were living. He thought that challenges could push people ahead. He moved the whole family from the country to the city when my mother was twenty-two years old. In the city, children could get better education and they could be open-minded and gain a wider view of the world. In other words, living in the country would change their thoughts. When my grandfather dropped out of school, he still was a poor peasant. On the contrary, while his studies in the military and got education, and became an intellectual. Now he is continuing the study by himself. I think my grandfather is a good model for me. He made a huge effort to achieve his goals. Consequently, my mother, her sisters and brother would have more job opportunities. There was no doubt that they didn’t need to plow the field day and night. When they graduated from high school, they could at least find a permanent job instead of plowing. Therefore, we could know that mental conditions could decide what the people could have in the future.

Even though I was not living in that period or born in that period, my cousins and I are proud of my grandfather. The Chinese policies affected a lot of people who lived in poor economic conditions during the three-year famine. However, my grandfather made a decision in crisis, and it helped us to change my family’s life, economy, and living conditions. If it was not my grandfather, we are also in farming now. We could not have had the opportunity to attend university, to get higher education or even come to the US. We all cherish what we have now even though we are not wealthy. Still, we are rich.

First Steps

On August 24, 1991, Ukraine became independent from the USSR, this was like a child leaving the house to live on her own for the first time. This was both a happy and sad moment simultaneously. For the first time Ukraine had an opportunity to be a free, strong, and independent country. We were looking forward to that moment and kept our heads held high. However, after a few months of being free, we experienced difficulties we never experienced before in addition to the ones we already had in our country. At that time, we thought we saw it all with the loss of jobs and a bad economy. Unfortunately, it was only the beginning of our long journey. After six months of independence, we experienced the greatest inflation in Ukraine’s history. People rapidly started losing jobs, families did not get their paychecks on time, and the banking system began to collapse. I believe every country goes through this type of crisis after a revolution or a change in regime. Going though this has been exhausting for my country and its people. At times, these hardships seemed like they were never going to get better, but now times are better than they used to be. Unfortunately, our family was not immune to these problems, we experienced them as deeply as everyone else did, if not worse.

When my mother was young, she was able to live out her dream of being a kindergarten teacher. After Ukraine became independent, many people lost their jobs, including my mother. She was devastated she loved her job, and she could not imagine not going to work after seventeen years. In Ukraine, kindergarten is not mandatory or required by law. As a result, parents kept their kids at home because one of them or even sometimes both were unemployed. This would help parents to save, so fewer children attended kindergarten. As a result, my mother was laid off. At that point, she did not know what to do. She was looking for jobs everywhere. I remember her devastation. Even as a child, I did not truly understand what happened, but I knew it was not going to be favorable for us. By losing her job, she lost her dreams and hopes which was very hard for her, but there was nothing she could do about the situation.

All their lives my father and my mother were working non-stop trying to save money for a house and for my brothers and my education. After Ukraine was granted its independence, the country had the highest rate of inflation in its history. As a result, my parents’ saving vanished as did their hope for a better life. Russia put a hold on all the bank accounts causing prices to skyrocket. We barely had enough money to buy food, forget about clothes or toys. We were eating simple foods because everything was very expensive or not available. We had to stick with bread, butter and potatoes. Clothes were not a priority and toys we would get only on Christmas and then it would be only a doll or a book. That is all my parents could afford, same as many other families. Their dream for a better house and a better education for me and my brother vanished as well. I remember my parents were sad, upset and angry. We were no longer a happy family, we were a devastated family.

Because times were so hard in Ukraine I had to think about other options to help my family. Therefore, when I got the opportunity to go to the U.S., I was very excited, not only for me, but for my family as well. I had a chance to grow up and help my family. After being in the U.S. for five years, I helped my parents to buy their first home. I wanted them to have their dreams back.

Over the last decade, Ukraine’s economy has improved. People do not struggle as they did in the past. However, my country is still young and it needs a lot of work. I can tell we are on the right track because our banking system has improved, more jobs are available and Ukrainians can even travel the world now; a feat that was almost impossible when Ukraine was part of the USSR. Now, even the outside world has a better understanding of my country and will give us a helping hand when we need it. My family has felt this progress as well. My mother is once again working as a teacher living out her dream. Our savings is growing and I hope to get back to visit soon. Throughout all the joy and hardships my country went though, I still believe in it. One day my country is going to be strong and powerful.

H of Hero- Guee Henri

World War II may be the saddest, darkest and most horrifying time in our history. However, when I think about this period, it fills my heart with pride and respect for a man who sacrificed so much for his family. When the German army invaded Normandy (Northwest of France), my great-grandfather, Anatol Pimor, like many other men, had to go fight for our country. He left his home, his wife, and their nine children, changing the life of my grandfather Henri, and by domino effect, the life of all the next generation forever.

In France, the oldest man of the household is called the family chief. This man is in charge of providing food and furnishing all that his family needs. These were my great-grandfather’s main responsibilities until he had to leave for war. After he left, those tasks needed to be performed by somebody else. That person was Henri, my grandfather. Since he was the oldest of the nine children, it was his duty to go to work in order to support his family’s needs. At this time, my grandfather was around thirteen years old, and he had to stop going to school in order to go to work. The family consisted of ten members, including the mother (my great-grandmother), and nine children whom she raised by herself. The youngest one was Jeannine, who was only three years old at the time.

A new life started then for my grandfather - a life of hard labor, hunting, and gathering to support his family. Being too young to work in a factory or an office, Henri started to work as a farm boy. He was herding cows, and picking up dead wood from the forest of the nearby castle to provide heat in the family house. During the summer, my grandfather was even occasionally getting up between four and five in the morning to make the hay and to plow the field before the temperature became too high. Beside this intense physical work, Henri also started to put snares and back line in order to catch rabbits and fish. During the spring time, he would also climb trees in order to catch baby birds that they would prepare with vegetables for dinner. For him, every part of the day was an opportunity to get food. In order to not be arrested by the German army, he went to pick up seafood in the middle of the night, and covered his catch with snails, so the Germans would not find it.

All that work made him become a strong and smart man. He had twelve children during his life; my mother being the twelfth. In order to keep providing for his family, my grandfather kept poaching and gathering mushrooms and other vegetables. The war was coming toward the end at that time, and I am very proud to know that my grandfather not only helped his family during those difficult times but also all families and persons who needed it. He also helped resistant fighters and allies by hiding them. When the war was finally over, my grandfather was one of the volunteers to clear the bombs and mines that were still hidden in the sand on the beach. Today, we still have at home two big cartridges of a canon that he shot off. My grandfather taught his children all that he learned from that time, how to be strong, resourceful and compassionate in the face of adversity.

I have always looked and will always look at my grandfather as a hero. He left school and sacrificed his future as a teacher to work and support his family. The risks he took to help others are what inspires our family and make us stronger. We are proud to be part of this family, and have the blood of my grandfather running in our veins. Even if today I do not use the family name of Pimor anymore, I still feel like it is who I am. On the other hand, what is better than having been named after your hero? I do wear his name, Henri, and I am proud to be the great child of such a man. I now know that the “H” of Henri stands also for something else – Hero!