(no subject)
I got a B+
1. Mother’s Departing Words
It was a Sunday morning when Mikoto’s mother told him she was sending him to the United States. “You’ll love it!” she told him. “In the United States you can be whatever you want! You can work really hard and become rich no matter who you are! Plus, all of the people over there are very nice. Everyone works hard and attends church. You’ll go and make lots of money! And, you mustn’t forget about all of the freedom you have. Land of the free, that’s what America is. Oh Mikoto, you’ll absolutely love it!”
Mikoto didn’t know what really to think. He knew that the United States was supposed to be a very good place to live. It was the greatest nation in the world. They had the largest army, the best movies, the newest fashions, and above all else, It was the birthplace of Coke. I’ll enjoy this he thought.
Mikoto is native Chinese. His parents moved to Germany when he was very little. He had gone to school there, graduated from the gymnasium, and was now being shipped to the United States to go to college. His parents are hoping that he can get a job as an engineer. He just asked why he couldn’t go in Germany. He lived there all his life after all, and loved it there very much. He lived in the Black Forest, a ways from Trier, and couldn’t imagine any place better than this. But his parents told him that he couldn’t get the math he missed in Germany while going to school here. “Only the United States is where you can get it hunny.” Mikoto doubted this, for he knew his math the best of all subjects. Whenever his mother would rant to him about the famous actors in the United States and all of the wonderful things that go on in that “model Christian nation,” Mikoto figured that to be the real reason.
And so it was, Mikoto was sent to the United States to go to college. He was heading by boat. His mom told him that he could see the Statue of Liberty that way. “It’s very grand. It’s the statue that gives you your freedom.” I wanted to see the infamous statue as well, so I gladly hoped aboard the boat, but while boarding the ramp my mother stopped me. “Oh! Mikoto dear! We love you very much! Behave in America. Fit in well! Don’t be afraid of fitting in. American’s are very tolerant of peoples cultures and appearances.”
“I’m not worried mom. I have the Yankee’s cap you gave me. It should be okay.” With those final words and a few waves goodbye from mother and father, Mikoto’s boat departed from the shores of Europe. Mikoto took one last glance at the shore. In the distance he could see beautiful cathedrals from midieval times, Roman bridges and dozens of old castles. In his head he pictured Munich, his favorite town. A thousand beer gardens; A thousand customs. His thoughts ended at this, as he turned west, towards his destination: The United States of America.
2. Mikoto Arrives in America
Mikoto got off the boat in New York City. He saw the statue of Liberty, and the huge city behind it. A line of skyscrapers like none he’s ever seen! He felt it blocked the sun; he smelt the polluted air. Smoke, smoke, everywhere. A million cars, buzzing, honking…. Leaking into the atmosphere. Trash on the ground. Black, brown and yellow with no green, grass or trees. This is the Beautiful United States? He questioned himself.
His destination was JFK airport. He needed to catch a flight to Soiux Falls South Dakota. From there he was taking a bus to his destination, the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. He needed a taxi to get to the airport.
“Where can I get taxi?” Mikoto asked a person on the docks.
“Abba wha? I don’t speak Jew man.”
“Where can I get taxi?”
“Fricken Mexicans….” said the man angrily.
“No, I am from Germany. I need a taxi to get to the airport.”
“Oh okay. Well, go straight up that there road there and take the road there and you should find some.” Mikoto looked at him funny. His English was not very well. “Well, I told you! Take the damn road up there okay! What? Don’t speak English? Get moving, stupid Nazi.”
Mikoto couldn’t quite judge all of what the man said, but he heard “street” and “straight” so he headed towards the alley up ahead. While walking towards the street, he could see American Art on the sheds. He figured his mom would love to see it, so he took a picture. He was in streaks of spray paint that made letters. Mikoto did not know who Bush and Kerry where, but they were hugging each other funnily in the picture.
Reaching the street, Mikoto got aboard a cab, told the driver JFK, and headed towards the airport.
3. Mikoto Gets In A plane, Rides It, and Arrives
The taxi took Mikoto straight of JFK airport. With the little confusion of finding his flight and making sure everything in order, Mikoto boarded his flight to South Dakota. The flight took off around noon.
During the flight Mikoto was able to read some of the American Magazines and take some time to get to know some of the people. He started off by reading a magazine called Seventeen. In it he learned lots of things. One section of the magazine call a horoscope told him that today he was having a regular day. Mikoto was trying to think of anything that was happening regular to him today when the passenger next to him noticed what he was looking at. “Oh, Horoscopes! I don’t know what I’d do without them! Today, they say, I’m going to meet a very special person. I can’t wait.” Mikoto hoped that their horoscope was more reliable than his.
Next Mikoto picked up a magazine entitled People. It was full of celebrity issues and affairs. Mother is not kidding, Mikoto thought, the United State’s is full of celebrites and stars. It’s like they’re praising multiple gods and goddesses. Makes me think of Greece and Rome. Christian nation?
“Where are you from?” The passenger next to him asked.
“Germany, but I am native Chinese. I’m headed to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion to study to become an engineer.”
“Which one, Vermillion? Ha ha, good ol’ USD. Do you know if it’s still called ‘The University of Sex and Drugs’?”
“What is this?”
“Yes yes, very big party school. I had a lot of fun there.”
“Oh, you attended. How was it?”
“They say college is the best experience of your life. Yes, it was. Biggest party of my life.”
“You went to school to party?”
“Yeha, or at least while I was there. I got kicked out after a year or so.”
“You didn’t go to school to study?”
“Nah. College is a party!”
The plane was beginning to decend for landing before Mikoto was able to ask the passenger more questions. College is not for study? Is this not America? I’m beginning to think this is the true American.
4. Mikoto Arrives at the “University of Sex and Drugs”
After a quick landing and luggage grabbing, Mikoto found himself in another taxi heading towards his place of study. His mind was in constant motion, thinking of what classes and life will be like at his new residence. He peered out the window and saw fields scattering the landscape as far as his eyes could see. He thought back fables he’s heard of the United States, being the land of occurrences, and looked out the window to see almost literally nothing going on about him. He decided to ask the driver where they were.
“We are in the Midwest. Nothing ever goes on here. For a thousand miles in every direction you will only find fields. Hollywood and all that jazz is located on the coasts.” This discouraged Mikoto. His mother said he would have fun. What fun is there to have out here? He soon found out.
After almost falling asleep on the way, Mikoto arrived at his University. It was located in the center of the small town of Vermillion. With a population of 10,000 students, he saw the university as very small.
After getting into his dorm, he was allowed to take a walk around campus. He was very tired, but he did not think it kept him from seeing exactly the state of this place. His dorms had the constant smell of human odors, and a plant smell he could not identify. He could hear screaming inside the cramped hallways. Throughout the hallways he saw students looking as though they had just jumped out of bed, red shot, and barely capable of walking. Once out of the dorms he saw cracked sidewalks and rusty sidewalks. Amidst the few wonderful buildings, where students hung over on coaches and talking about the previous nights parties. Mikoto thought that this place was truly the University of Sex and Drugs.
5. Mikoto Becomes Accustomed to Student Life
Mikoto’s room mate wasn’t very understanding. He was constantly asking where he was from (evidently, he did not recognize other peoples cultures) and talked to him in very slow English, as if he did not understand.
“ye-uh ga - oo ta - oo cah - led - ge ?” he asked. With much time and thought he took it as “You go to college.” And answered with “yes.” Before his roommate could say anything else to him like that, Mikoto said “It is okay. I can understand English very well.”
“But they told me you’re from China, that one country in Africa.”
“Yes, yes, I am from China, but It’s located in Asia.”
“Oh… well, still, I thought they didn’t teach you anything there. Only people in the United States and Canada had schools.”
“No no no, very good education I receive in Germany.”
“South America! You just said China!”
“Germany is where I grew up. It’s in Europe.”
“Oooo…. So there’s school there?”
“Yes, very educated. I graduated from a school called a gymnasium. It’s the same as high school and two years college here. Your high schools don’t even count towards education in Germany because they are regarded as very basic.”
“Whoa… slow down a bit. A gym? Isn’t that where sports and stuff is played.”
Mikoto laughed. “No, we are told that Americans have gym class.”
“Yeha, best class ever! Only one test, and they teachers are dumbest there.”
“Yes… well Germany schools divide up students at very young age to place them in their appropriate places, so all people are together. It works very well.”
“Oh, sounds complicated. The United States is still better I bet. We have people living until like they’re 72, and we’ve won all our wars and stuff. Our employment is very good also!”
Mikoto wanted to inform him on Germany’s great insurance coverages provided by the government, but decided that he did not want to waste his time.
6. Mikoto Witnesses American Habits
One day as Mikoto was about to finish his studies, his roommate entered into his room.
“Hey Mikoto!” his roommate announced while entering the room. Behind him was a woman about the same age as his roommate. “Can you…. Uh… finish your homework somewhere else buddy? Me and Laurene are need to do some….homework. Alone...”
Mikoto perceived from his roommates unsurity that this is not exactly what he wanted to do. “You can just tell me the real reason. I am willing to leave anyways. I have been working here a long time, and I wish to have some fresh air.”
“So I nocited. You’re sitting in the same spot I left you at last night! Man you work hard…. Well, anyways, I just gotta tell you! Me and Lauraine are in love.” Him and Lauraine looked at each other smiling.
“Congradulations!”
“Thanks man! She’s been thinking that I’ve been cute for like a while month, and I noticed her hotness last night, and there ya have it! We fell in love!”
“Love at first sight, wow,” replied Mikoto. What, they are in love? They have known each other for only one night, and they are in love? Then Mikoto remembered they wanted the apartment. “So what are you going to do?”
“We’re going to do what everyone does when they’re in love! We’re going to sleep together!”
“That is love?”
“Yeha! People do it on movies and TV shows all the time. It’s so glamorous. In fact, I’ve been doing it with people ever since I was younger. It wasn’t love then though, I was only a teenager. But now that I’m in college, it’s considered love because I’m older and know what I’m doing!”
Mikoto was puzzled by his logic, but he decided to let them have the room before anything else was explained to him.
Upon leaving his dorm room, Mikoto headed towards the student lounge. Here, like usual, he found students crammed around the plasma screen television, watching stuff like MTV2, which according to the students was the greatest channel ever. It featured music videos, which to Mikoto looked more like pornography films. The Lyrics also seemed to promote sexual activity, and making love to dogs, but Mikoto then remembered the slang form of an English word he knew, and learned that the lyrics also seemed to degrade women. Programs on MTV, a channel like MTV2, seemed to show reality TV shows that centered around sex. He also saw them watching series such as Sex in the City and James Bond movies. Wow… American’s love sex. I see how my roommate thinks he must have sex to love.
7. Phil tries to start a rally
Besides the television in the middle, there were various other small televisions lying about the lounge. Mikoto decided to sit down near one of these televisions. On a couch next to him a student was sleeping. The television was on a channel called CNN. Mikoto noticed some informational updates posting on the channel. The updates made some beeping noises, which awoke the person who was sleeping. The announcement was as follows.
“This update: senators have voted in a bill that has enabled pills such as Viagra to be covered under medical insurance. Our tax money is now being issued out so men can use the drug. We’ll be right back after a word from our sponsors.”
The person who had been awoken looked around to see what was going on, listened to the announcement, and then proceeded to fall asleep. Mikoto found this puzzling. He went over to the student and shook him awake.
“Don’t you care? Did you hear what they said your tax money is going too?”
“Huh…. What’re you doing! I was sleeping here! It’s just politics, I don’t care. It’s not my problem to deal with. All I want to do is sleep!” The student extended out his middle finger at Mikoto, and went to back his sleeping position. Mikoto was outraged. He didn’t want to waste his time caring, or even living for that matter, about Americans anymore. They blame everyone else for their problems! They don’t care about anyone but themselves! They think they’re better than anyone else. I haven’t seen one good thing about Americans. They’re politicians are crooks. They steal from the youth in education because they know they don’t care. Well I guess that’s one thing Americans are known for: ceasing the opportunity.
This was the last straw. Mikoto hated this country and was sick of American ways. All he wanted to do was leave. So, he decided to leave immediately. He thought nothing would stop him, but as he was leaving the lounge, a young man entered who caught his attention. Unlike everyone else in the lounge, he seemed to have an educational air about him. Mikoto was shocked - A student who appeared to have studied entered the room.
He walked straight up to the television in the center and turned it off. For this he received uproars from the students who were previously focused on half naked dancers. It also had the affect of making Mikoto stay in the room.
“Friends! Have you not seen the news?” the speaker started off. The room was full of disrespectful answers. No we don’t! Are you kidding? We don’t pay attention to politics! “Quiet! Let me fill you in. Our Government has passed laws that put pills that allow old men that have Erectile Dysfunction to have Erections.”
“What’s so bad about that? Old men need that too” Interrupted someone.
“The problem with that is our government puts that priority above our education. Tuition fees are sky rocketing, and our government replies by allowing old people to sleep with each other.”
“Why those jerks!”
“Why did they do this you are wondering? Most senators are old people themselves! Not only that, but old people are the voters of America. We need to vote and get heard, and let the government know we are important too. We need to do something!”
There was no response from his audience.
“What, don’t tell me we can’t do something! We can….”
“No, it’s not our problem” interrupted someone. “Someone else will fix it. We don’t care.” Mikoto knew this was going to happen.
“We can do something. Of course you guys care!.” There was a brief silence. All of the students were looking bored and tired of his presence. “Don’t you…?”
No one answered for some time. The speaker was about to present another argument when a student went up to turn on the television again.
“Hey… what, I’m not done here.”
“C’mon Phil, your assembly is blocking the television.” The other students seemed to agree with this person; together with their shouts and yells they made Phil retreat out of the lounge. With this departure, Mikoto saw his time to leave as well. He immediately went to his dorm, got his luggage (after seeing some things he never desired to see), closed the door behind him as his room mate asked, and took a taxi towards Souix Falls Airport.
8. Mikoto Leaves America Never To Return
Mikoto arrived at the airport and boarded his flight to Germany without any hesitation. While waiting for his flight, Mikoto was seated next to a woman who was also waiting for a flight. She noticed Mikoto was not from America.
“Hello, where are you from?” she asked.
“I am from Germany.”
“O…. that’s very nice.”
“Yes”
“Are you heading back home?”
“Yes”
“Ooo, that’s too bad. I bet you’re going to miss the United States. Did you enjoy your stay?”
Mikoto thought back to his experiences in America. His greeting at a polluted harbor, being called a Nazi, South American and Mexican, being labeled as an inferior Asian, witnessing American habits and politics and how people feel about them. He would have answered fully to the woman how he felt about America, but did not think the woman would appreciate it. However, he said the only thing he could think of that was partly true of what he was told of American in his country. “You get what you work for in America.”
The woman didn’t quite understand how this answered her question, but smiled and nooded to agree with this statement. “Yes, Americans work very hard” she said with a perkish smile on her face. Mikoto looked around the terminal around him. Everything he saw was full of pictures idolizing the United States. Facts and pictures of people helping each other, money being sent to help foreign nations, facts claiming America as the best place to live, filling American’s with ignorance. So this is how the “greatest nation in the world” works. Mikoto thought. One big scam.
“You get what you work for in America.” Mikoto repeated.
Mikoto’s flight left 20 minutes later. With no more conversion between him and the woman, he left towards his flight without saying a word.
“Have a safe trip!” said the woman. She watched Mikoto leave as she took out her cell phone. Making sure he was out of hearing distance before calling, she dialed a number. It was to her husband.
“Hello” He answered.
“Hey! You’ll never guess what happened! I was at the airport and talked to this German Kid.”
“Wow, what’d he say?”
“He said Americans always got what they worked for. He was very impressed with everything about me, I could just tell. He didn’t say much when he left.”
“Oh, so he’s heading home now? Away from America?”
“Yeha… poor guy. He’ll never get these types of opportunities again.”
“Especially in Africa.”
“Yes, especially in Africa.”
1. Mother’s Departing Words
It was a Sunday morning when Mikoto’s mother told him she was sending him to the United States. “You’ll love it!” she told him. “In the United States you can be whatever you want! You can work really hard and become rich no matter who you are! Plus, all of the people over there are very nice. Everyone works hard and attends church. You’ll go and make lots of money! And, you mustn’t forget about all of the freedom you have. Land of the free, that’s what America is. Oh Mikoto, you’ll absolutely love it!”
Mikoto didn’t know what really to think. He knew that the United States was supposed to be a very good place to live. It was the greatest nation in the world. They had the largest army, the best movies, the newest fashions, and above all else, It was the birthplace of Coke. I’ll enjoy this he thought.
Mikoto is native Chinese. His parents moved to Germany when he was very little. He had gone to school there, graduated from the gymnasium, and was now being shipped to the United States to go to college. His parents are hoping that he can get a job as an engineer. He just asked why he couldn’t go in Germany. He lived there all his life after all, and loved it there very much. He lived in the Black Forest, a ways from Trier, and couldn’t imagine any place better than this. But his parents told him that he couldn’t get the math he missed in Germany while going to school here. “Only the United States is where you can get it hunny.” Mikoto doubted this, for he knew his math the best of all subjects. Whenever his mother would rant to him about the famous actors in the United States and all of the wonderful things that go on in that “model Christian nation,” Mikoto figured that to be the real reason.
And so it was, Mikoto was sent to the United States to go to college. He was heading by boat. His mom told him that he could see the Statue of Liberty that way. “It’s very grand. It’s the statue that gives you your freedom.” I wanted to see the infamous statue as well, so I gladly hoped aboard the boat, but while boarding the ramp my mother stopped me. “Oh! Mikoto dear! We love you very much! Behave in America. Fit in well! Don’t be afraid of fitting in. American’s are very tolerant of peoples cultures and appearances.”
“I’m not worried mom. I have the Yankee’s cap you gave me. It should be okay.” With those final words and a few waves goodbye from mother and father, Mikoto’s boat departed from the shores of Europe. Mikoto took one last glance at the shore. In the distance he could see beautiful cathedrals from midieval times, Roman bridges and dozens of old castles. In his head he pictured Munich, his favorite town. A thousand beer gardens; A thousand customs. His thoughts ended at this, as he turned west, towards his destination: The United States of America.
2. Mikoto Arrives in America
Mikoto got off the boat in New York City. He saw the statue of Liberty, and the huge city behind it. A line of skyscrapers like none he’s ever seen! He felt it blocked the sun; he smelt the polluted air. Smoke, smoke, everywhere. A million cars, buzzing, honking…. Leaking into the atmosphere. Trash on the ground. Black, brown and yellow with no green, grass or trees. This is the Beautiful United States? He questioned himself.
His destination was JFK airport. He needed to catch a flight to Soiux Falls South Dakota. From there he was taking a bus to his destination, the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. He needed a taxi to get to the airport.
“Where can I get taxi?” Mikoto asked a person on the docks.
“Abba wha? I don’t speak Jew man.”
“Where can I get taxi?”
“Fricken Mexicans….” said the man angrily.
“No, I am from Germany. I need a taxi to get to the airport.”
“Oh okay. Well, go straight up that there road there and take the road there and you should find some.” Mikoto looked at him funny. His English was not very well. “Well, I told you! Take the damn road up there okay! What? Don’t speak English? Get moving, stupid Nazi.”
Mikoto couldn’t quite judge all of what the man said, but he heard “street” and “straight” so he headed towards the alley up ahead. While walking towards the street, he could see American Art on the sheds. He figured his mom would love to see it, so he took a picture. He was in streaks of spray paint that made letters. Mikoto did not know who Bush and Kerry where, but they were hugging each other funnily in the picture.
Reaching the street, Mikoto got aboard a cab, told the driver JFK, and headed towards the airport.
3. Mikoto Gets In A plane, Rides It, and Arrives
The taxi took Mikoto straight of JFK airport. With the little confusion of finding his flight and making sure everything in order, Mikoto boarded his flight to South Dakota. The flight took off around noon.
During the flight Mikoto was able to read some of the American Magazines and take some time to get to know some of the people. He started off by reading a magazine called Seventeen. In it he learned lots of things. One section of the magazine call a horoscope told him that today he was having a regular day. Mikoto was trying to think of anything that was happening regular to him today when the passenger next to him noticed what he was looking at. “Oh, Horoscopes! I don’t know what I’d do without them! Today, they say, I’m going to meet a very special person. I can’t wait.” Mikoto hoped that their horoscope was more reliable than his.
Next Mikoto picked up a magazine entitled People. It was full of celebrity issues and affairs. Mother is not kidding, Mikoto thought, the United State’s is full of celebrites and stars. It’s like they’re praising multiple gods and goddesses. Makes me think of Greece and Rome. Christian nation?
“Where are you from?” The passenger next to him asked.
“Germany, but I am native Chinese. I’m headed to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion to study to become an engineer.”
“Which one, Vermillion? Ha ha, good ol’ USD. Do you know if it’s still called ‘The University of Sex and Drugs’?”
“What is this?”
“Yes yes, very big party school. I had a lot of fun there.”
“Oh, you attended. How was it?”
“They say college is the best experience of your life. Yes, it was. Biggest party of my life.”
“You went to school to party?”
“Yeha, or at least while I was there. I got kicked out after a year or so.”
“You didn’t go to school to study?”
“Nah. College is a party!”
The plane was beginning to decend for landing before Mikoto was able to ask the passenger more questions. College is not for study? Is this not America? I’m beginning to think this is the true American.
4. Mikoto Arrives at the “University of Sex and Drugs”
After a quick landing and luggage grabbing, Mikoto found himself in another taxi heading towards his place of study. His mind was in constant motion, thinking of what classes and life will be like at his new residence. He peered out the window and saw fields scattering the landscape as far as his eyes could see. He thought back fables he’s heard of the United States, being the land of occurrences, and looked out the window to see almost literally nothing going on about him. He decided to ask the driver where they were.
“We are in the Midwest. Nothing ever goes on here. For a thousand miles in every direction you will only find fields. Hollywood and all that jazz is located on the coasts.” This discouraged Mikoto. His mother said he would have fun. What fun is there to have out here? He soon found out.
After almost falling asleep on the way, Mikoto arrived at his University. It was located in the center of the small town of Vermillion. With a population of 10,000 students, he saw the university as very small.
After getting into his dorm, he was allowed to take a walk around campus. He was very tired, but he did not think it kept him from seeing exactly the state of this place. His dorms had the constant smell of human odors, and a plant smell he could not identify. He could hear screaming inside the cramped hallways. Throughout the hallways he saw students looking as though they had just jumped out of bed, red shot, and barely capable of walking. Once out of the dorms he saw cracked sidewalks and rusty sidewalks. Amidst the few wonderful buildings, where students hung over on coaches and talking about the previous nights parties. Mikoto thought that this place was truly the University of Sex and Drugs.
5. Mikoto Becomes Accustomed to Student Life
Mikoto’s room mate wasn’t very understanding. He was constantly asking where he was from (evidently, he did not recognize other peoples cultures) and talked to him in very slow English, as if he did not understand.
“ye-uh ga - oo ta - oo cah - led - ge ?” he asked. With much time and thought he took it as “You go to college.” And answered with “yes.” Before his roommate could say anything else to him like that, Mikoto said “It is okay. I can understand English very well.”
“But they told me you’re from China, that one country in Africa.”
“Yes, yes, I am from China, but It’s located in Asia.”
“Oh… well, still, I thought they didn’t teach you anything there. Only people in the United States and Canada had schools.”
“No no no, very good education I receive in Germany.”
“South America! You just said China!”
“Germany is where I grew up. It’s in Europe.”
“Oooo…. So there’s school there?”
“Yes, very educated. I graduated from a school called a gymnasium. It’s the same as high school and two years college here. Your high schools don’t even count towards education in Germany because they are regarded as very basic.”
“Whoa… slow down a bit. A gym? Isn’t that where sports and stuff is played.”
Mikoto laughed. “No, we are told that Americans have gym class.”
“Yeha, best class ever! Only one test, and they teachers are dumbest there.”
“Yes… well Germany schools divide up students at very young age to place them in their appropriate places, so all people are together. It works very well.”
“Oh, sounds complicated. The United States is still better I bet. We have people living until like they’re 72, and we’ve won all our wars and stuff. Our employment is very good also!”
Mikoto wanted to inform him on Germany’s great insurance coverages provided by the government, but decided that he did not want to waste his time.
6. Mikoto Witnesses American Habits
One day as Mikoto was about to finish his studies, his roommate entered into his room.
“Hey Mikoto!” his roommate announced while entering the room. Behind him was a woman about the same age as his roommate. “Can you…. Uh… finish your homework somewhere else buddy? Me and Laurene are need to do some….homework. Alone...”
Mikoto perceived from his roommates unsurity that this is not exactly what he wanted to do. “You can just tell me the real reason. I am willing to leave anyways. I have been working here a long time, and I wish to have some fresh air.”
“So I nocited. You’re sitting in the same spot I left you at last night! Man you work hard…. Well, anyways, I just gotta tell you! Me and Lauraine are in love.” Him and Lauraine looked at each other smiling.
“Congradulations!”
“Thanks man! She’s been thinking that I’ve been cute for like a while month, and I noticed her hotness last night, and there ya have it! We fell in love!”
“Love at first sight, wow,” replied Mikoto. What, they are in love? They have known each other for only one night, and they are in love? Then Mikoto remembered they wanted the apartment. “So what are you going to do?”
“We’re going to do what everyone does when they’re in love! We’re going to sleep together!”
“That is love?”
“Yeha! People do it on movies and TV shows all the time. It’s so glamorous. In fact, I’ve been doing it with people ever since I was younger. It wasn’t love then though, I was only a teenager. But now that I’m in college, it’s considered love because I’m older and know what I’m doing!”
Mikoto was puzzled by his logic, but he decided to let them have the room before anything else was explained to him.
Upon leaving his dorm room, Mikoto headed towards the student lounge. Here, like usual, he found students crammed around the plasma screen television, watching stuff like MTV2, which according to the students was the greatest channel ever. It featured music videos, which to Mikoto looked more like pornography films. The Lyrics also seemed to promote sexual activity, and making love to dogs, but Mikoto then remembered the slang form of an English word he knew, and learned that the lyrics also seemed to degrade women. Programs on MTV, a channel like MTV2, seemed to show reality TV shows that centered around sex. He also saw them watching series such as Sex in the City and James Bond movies. Wow… American’s love sex. I see how my roommate thinks he must have sex to love.
7. Phil tries to start a rally
Besides the television in the middle, there were various other small televisions lying about the lounge. Mikoto decided to sit down near one of these televisions. On a couch next to him a student was sleeping. The television was on a channel called CNN. Mikoto noticed some informational updates posting on the channel. The updates made some beeping noises, which awoke the person who was sleeping. The announcement was as follows.
“This update: senators have voted in a bill that has enabled pills such as Viagra to be covered under medical insurance. Our tax money is now being issued out so men can use the drug. We’ll be right back after a word from our sponsors.”
The person who had been awoken looked around to see what was going on, listened to the announcement, and then proceeded to fall asleep. Mikoto found this puzzling. He went over to the student and shook him awake.
“Don’t you care? Did you hear what they said your tax money is going too?”
“Huh…. What’re you doing! I was sleeping here! It’s just politics, I don’t care. It’s not my problem to deal with. All I want to do is sleep!” The student extended out his middle finger at Mikoto, and went to back his sleeping position. Mikoto was outraged. He didn’t want to waste his time caring, or even living for that matter, about Americans anymore. They blame everyone else for their problems! They don’t care about anyone but themselves! They think they’re better than anyone else. I haven’t seen one good thing about Americans. They’re politicians are crooks. They steal from the youth in education because they know they don’t care. Well I guess that’s one thing Americans are known for: ceasing the opportunity.
This was the last straw. Mikoto hated this country and was sick of American ways. All he wanted to do was leave. So, he decided to leave immediately. He thought nothing would stop him, but as he was leaving the lounge, a young man entered who caught his attention. Unlike everyone else in the lounge, he seemed to have an educational air about him. Mikoto was shocked - A student who appeared to have studied entered the room.
He walked straight up to the television in the center and turned it off. For this he received uproars from the students who were previously focused on half naked dancers. It also had the affect of making Mikoto stay in the room.
“Friends! Have you not seen the news?” the speaker started off. The room was full of disrespectful answers. No we don’t! Are you kidding? We don’t pay attention to politics! “Quiet! Let me fill you in. Our Government has passed laws that put pills that allow old men that have Erectile Dysfunction to have Erections.”
“What’s so bad about that? Old men need that too” Interrupted someone.
“The problem with that is our government puts that priority above our education. Tuition fees are sky rocketing, and our government replies by allowing old people to sleep with each other.”
“Why those jerks!”
“Why did they do this you are wondering? Most senators are old people themselves! Not only that, but old people are the voters of America. We need to vote and get heard, and let the government know we are important too. We need to do something!”
There was no response from his audience.
“What, don’t tell me we can’t do something! We can….”
“No, it’s not our problem” interrupted someone. “Someone else will fix it. We don’t care.” Mikoto knew this was going to happen.
“We can do something. Of course you guys care!.” There was a brief silence. All of the students were looking bored and tired of his presence. “Don’t you…?”
No one answered for some time. The speaker was about to present another argument when a student went up to turn on the television again.
“Hey… what, I’m not done here.”
“C’mon Phil, your assembly is blocking the television.” The other students seemed to agree with this person; together with their shouts and yells they made Phil retreat out of the lounge. With this departure, Mikoto saw his time to leave as well. He immediately went to his dorm, got his luggage (after seeing some things he never desired to see), closed the door behind him as his room mate asked, and took a taxi towards Souix Falls Airport.
8. Mikoto Leaves America Never To Return
Mikoto arrived at the airport and boarded his flight to Germany without any hesitation. While waiting for his flight, Mikoto was seated next to a woman who was also waiting for a flight. She noticed Mikoto was not from America.
“Hello, where are you from?” she asked.
“I am from Germany.”
“O…. that’s very nice.”
“Yes”
“Are you heading back home?”
“Yes”
“Ooo, that’s too bad. I bet you’re going to miss the United States. Did you enjoy your stay?”
Mikoto thought back to his experiences in America. His greeting at a polluted harbor, being called a Nazi, South American and Mexican, being labeled as an inferior Asian, witnessing American habits and politics and how people feel about them. He would have answered fully to the woman how he felt about America, but did not think the woman would appreciate it. However, he said the only thing he could think of that was partly true of what he was told of American in his country. “You get what you work for in America.”
The woman didn’t quite understand how this answered her question, but smiled and nooded to agree with this statement. “Yes, Americans work very hard” she said with a perkish smile on her face. Mikoto looked around the terminal around him. Everything he saw was full of pictures idolizing the United States. Facts and pictures of people helping each other, money being sent to help foreign nations, facts claiming America as the best place to live, filling American’s with ignorance. So this is how the “greatest nation in the world” works. Mikoto thought. One big scam.
“You get what you work for in America.” Mikoto repeated.
Mikoto’s flight left 20 minutes later. With no more conversion between him and the woman, he left towards his flight without saying a word.
“Have a safe trip!” said the woman. She watched Mikoto leave as she took out her cell phone. Making sure he was out of hearing distance before calling, she dialed a number. It was to her husband.
“Hello” He answered.
“Hey! You’ll never guess what happened! I was at the airport and talked to this German Kid.”
“Wow, what’d he say?”
“He said Americans always got what they worked for. He was very impressed with everything about me, I could just tell. He didn’t say much when he left.”
“Oh, so he’s heading home now? Away from America?”
“Yeha… poor guy. He’ll never get these types of opportunities again.”
“Especially in Africa.”
“Yes, especially in Africa.”