oss a new or less familiar Chinese character or idiom, we would write it down and consult a Chinese dictionary. However, being good at L1 (first learnt language) and familiar with our own culture is not enough. We should also be open-minded, receptive, and respectful to other languages and cultures so that we can look at ourselves and others from an unbiased perspective Ever since we came here, weve often felt out of place and have had difficulty accomplishing simple tasks because we were not good at the language and because we didnt know the way we should have behaved. I wanted to be friendly but often ended up embarrassing myself with pragmatic failures. I kept silent when it was better to be sociable and communicative. Amy and I share the same feeling that there is an invisible wall between the outside world and us. Our experience here shows us that to adapt ourselves to the new culture is much more difficult and takes a much longer time than we had thought. As a mother, I have to be realistic about our situation and do what I can to help my daughters transition.One day while I was sorting the laundry by color, Amy said that she didnt like the way her classmates were dressed because it was not colorful, and that the school lunch wasnt as delicious as Chinese food. I asked her how a Hawaiian girl would feel if she went to China. Upon this Amy smiled understandingly. By coming to a foreign country we came to realize that it is the way we were brought up that tends to predetermine our likes and dislikes; it is our habits that make us prone to comment unfavorably on those things different from ours. The new language and the new culture helped us know different people, different ways of doing things, and enriched our experience.While we took buses, I often reminded Amy to observe how Hawaiian people show courtesy to each other and how the surroundings are beautified with trees, flowers, and grass. I also told Amy stories about how friendl...
