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May 10, 2011 Hello my dear sister,Today I would like to tell you more about the employment requirements in the United States when looking for a job. The employment system here is different than in our country. I have many friends who have told me about the requirements. Also I was able to see it with my own eyes. In the United States, it is very important to have 3 main points such as academic skills, personal responsibility and teamwork skills. The academic skills are very important as a basic requirement to hold on to and advance in a job. Employers prefer employees who can think critically and act logically. I had an employer who was an employee himself that always was in front of computer solving mathematical problems and using new technology that helped him to move to a higher standing in his job. Personal responsibility is very important as well. The employee's ability to manage time, money and resources helps the employer reach goals for the good of the company. Every one will be pleased to know that can manage all of the requirements of the company. I mentioned above that teamwork is important. I think it is important to show an ability to work and listen to the opinions of others. Your future employer must see that you are able to handle certain situations so he trusts you much more. I like the American way of hiring. Moreover, if an employee should let you go for a certain reason, it is the law that until you find a new job, you will be paid a percentage of the salary you used to make as an employer at that company. In addition, a person who stays without job for a long time he gets paid until he finds s job he likes. This is a government rule and no one can break it. It's totally different from Bulgaria, where employers don't treat you with much respect but on the top of it the salary is not enough. If an employer fires you, you won't be able to get half of your salary as in the United States. Moreover, you won't be able to get even one third of the money you used to make because there is no law for this kind of situation. I really hope that I helped you a little bit to make the decision to come one day here to look for a job. Sister, you are in the management field, so the above information will give you an idea of how the employment system in the U.S looks. I miss you so much. Take care.  May 3, 2011 Hello my dear sister,I was so happy last time on the phone to hear that you have passed all of your exams till now. I can't wait to see you on Skype. Today I would like to talk about something very relaxing and funny, something you like. I know that it is very Bulgarian or more like a European cultural tradition to go out to meet friends at a café. When I went out in San Francisco for first time with my first Bulgarian friend, I asked her if we could go for a coffee. Well, my new friend took me to an American café, and l was totally shocked. I had imagined a cafe full of people in the middle of downtown, where cars are not allowed to cross. My concept of the appearance of a café was shattered. In European cafes, the interior is very important such as the paint on the walls, the table and chair designs, the lights and the color scheme. All of them set the right mood in the cafe space. Instead of the image I expected, when I entered the room, I saw a couch right in the middle of the café, and I wondered "What is this couch doing right there?" Other unexpected surprises were the simple light wooden chairs and the whole interior. Moreover, people were quietly chatting to each other, reading books or typing on their laptops. I couldn't believe my eyes. I asked my friend if she was kidding with me and had just taken me to a snack shop or something more like a lunch room. She laughed and told me that this was a cafe. I remember that I tried to convince her to take me to a real one like the ones we have in Europe. She tried to explain to me that this kind of cafe doesn't exist in the States. I was extremely disappointed. I couldn't see myself in this kind of uncomfortable, weird cafe. Well, my experience had a good side -- inside the cafe smoking wasn't allowed. I really appreciated this as a non smoker. However, I couldn't find good coffee in the Starbucks. Rarely did I find good coffee, until I went to an Italian cafe. Nowhere in downtown San Francisco have I found a proper café, so I have avoided the consumption of coffee. On other hand, this has given me a better quality life. Naturally, over time, I have become used to these kinds of cafes, but not to the taste of coffee. I have been in the United States for three years already, and I and realize that the existence of too many coffee choices hasn't given me the temptation to try all of them. Thank you for reading this, sister, and good luck with finals. April 26, 2011 Hello my sweet sister,Today I would like to tell you more about the highways, streets and the drivers' behavior in the United States. Many people, including you, have been asking me how the highways look in the States. Well, soon after my arrival, I went to Los Angeles, and I was totally impressed. I took the trip with my new friends by car. Soon I realized that compared to Bulgaria where the roads are much narrower, here they are very wide, with 4 and even 5 lanes on each side. Fatal accidents are very common in Bulgaria because we don't have separation walls between the lanes in opposite directions. The cars crash into each other and you can't prevent fatal accidents, whereas in the States cars may crash but into the wall, for example. This is one of the most important issues in every country--traffic safety. I feel that the government should discuss the renovation of the roads more seriously as a top priority. Tragic accidents are a significant daily occurrence. I know that everything is related to the bad roads or highways and the drivers' behavior; however, safety can be improved. This is not only a matter of individual responsibility, but the government should make the roads better and always to try to stay focused on the issue. Driver behavior in our country can often be described as arrogant and angry. People on Bulgarian streets try to cross to the other side although it is sometimes just impossible. Sometimes there are no traffic lights where angry drivers are honking and screaming at pedestrians to hurry up. Anger is a very common emotional reaction between drivers when they can't understand each other. On the other hand, in the States drivers are much more respectful and always stop if they see pedestrians on the road. They know the laws -- and obeying them. This must be our measure for safety. Good and bad drivers are everywhere. Having good driving techniques should become a habit. Leaving behind the anger saves not only our life but also the life of someone close to us. Sister, the people of Bulgaria must insist on better road surfaces and increased road capacity to decrease driver fatigue. Bye, sister! April 12, 2011 Hello, dear sister,Today I would like to share with you my observation about the junk food in the United States. For the first year after my arrival, I hardly ever noticed that I have to be aware of what I consume in the United States. You know why? Because here the restaurant competition for low prices is huge, and if you are not careful what you eat, you might end up suffering from obesity. For example, I had a Bulgarian friend who didn't even imagine that something like that could happen to her, but it did a year after she came in the States. I asked her why she didn't take care of herself, but the answer wasn't very satisfactory. I was very disappointed by that because I thought that I could eat all of the cookies and sweet treats which I have seen in American movies. I ate a lot of junk in Bulgaria although never before I felt that I was doing something bad to my health. In contrast, the United States is a good place to live but you have to be careful what you eat. The food here is saturated with too much fat, sodium, and calories and the nutritional level is very low. You know very well how much it costs to go to McDonald's restaurant in Bulgaria. The people there appreciate it and spend a lot of money, whereas in the United States some people don't even go to this place. In the United States the quality of fast food is very low although people are still attracted to it. Burgers, fries, potato chips, sodas, hot dogs, chicken nuggets are just some of the most common examples. The marketing of junk food is very important so it's usually in bright colored packages and attractive overall. Not only junk food but food in general is very unhealthy in the States. I went to some web sites and realized something which I had never know. Our bodies need a balanced diet to stay healthy, and I wonder how Americans stay healthy since they don't eat balanced food at all. Well, here I started learning how to read labels and how to make the best choices for my meals and be an educated consumer. People should be always mindful of what we feed our body with. Everybody in the States must be encouraged to understand what is health and nutritious food. I have even seen many cases where people feed their own children with that junk which is not good for their development. I wonder how healthy I would be if our mom had given us frozen food [which is also junk] all the time instead of cooking fresh food. Ok sister I will write you soon! Bye and hope I was helpful to you about the understanding of junk food in the States. February 21, 2011 Dear sister,Hello sweet sister. I love that I can write you again. You know today I would like to let you know more about health care for illegal immigrants in Arizona. The health care there is a huge social problem. It is estimated that the health care is going up every year. It is said that Americans are affected by these rising costs every day. Buying health care for unemployed people can be very difficult as well an expensive. I am saying that because you know I don't have health coverage, and it's very difficult when I got sick and need to go for a check-up. There are many ways to provide health care for you and your children, but it seems that all of them are overwhelming for some people. Every time somebody is unemployed and is injured, the working people pay for it. So families who can't provide health care for their children are at a higher risk because they are helpless and cannot afford to pay taxes for health care. There are many programs for children who are uninsured and come from low income homes like in Arizona. I think that most of the children there from illegal immigrant parents, but I think the American health care system should be reformed because the children suffer for not having somebody who cares for their health. The high increase of uninsured people who are crossing the border is a very heated debate topic in the United States today. Health care is a very complicated topic, especially because there are pros and cons about it. It is sad that most of the undocumented population are afraid to seek medical attention due to their fear of being caught and deported to their countries. But if the government changes the laws about them, that will cost too much money effecting the taxpayer. I think we need to find a proper way to provide some help for the undocumented immigrants but not to make them suffer because this is not humane. Love you sister so much and will write you soon! February 15, 2011 Hi, Sis again! It's been 2 weeks since my first letter. Well, now I hope that you will enjoy my letter because I will give you more information about the immigrants and the law in Arizona. In the United States, just like in Bulgaria and all of the other countries, the crisis has risen too much. That, of course, has become a reason why many immigrants are crossing the borders of the U.S illegally. There was an issue that many kidnappings started over the past two years in Arizona. And it is estimated that over 50 percent of the drug raids that have occurred in Arizona involved illegal immigrants in the country. Millions of dollars' worth of drugs have passed over the Arizona borders. Most of the kidnappings and drug trafficking through the United States through Arizona are brought over by their friends. I don't know, Sis, but I still believe even if it is true it won't stop the dollars from doing their bad job. There is an influential factor in illegal immigration, which is the restrictions and limitations in the States. Illegal immigrants are held in a low position in society, and racism is a huge factor also. I can't understand the law, Sis, because even despite the difficulties, immigrants will come illegally and they will always experience hardship, and t they will be kept down for future generations. For example, Sis, do you know how the illegals are treated? The Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill requiring hospitals to report illegal immigrants who show up for treatment. Hey, Sister, I mentioned that crossing the border is scary. Resent news has shown that many illegal people entering the country have been shot by Americans. I think this is really way too much to show Latinos that are not welcome in this country illegally. We are humans and I really don't think that is how we humans should treat each other. February 9, 2011 To Gergana:Hello sister! I would like to give you some information about what an illegal person is and how he or /she is threatened in the United States of America. There are many immigrants in the United States who are without any form of documentation for permanent residence. They are defined as illegal. This is something you know that people of all origins have been doing since the first borders were established. Unlike American citizens, illegal immigrants do not have a social security number. It's a unique number which allows you to work and be equal to others with benefits. The children of those people can become citizens. That's why many families decided to give a birth in the States. Illegal immigrants in the United States have been targeted, largely for negative reasons. It is estimated that a large increase in population puts an added strain on wages paid to all the residents of the United States. I see that the tax bills [we don't have that in our country, but imagine that is tax for the house we live in, but the difference is that Americas have taxes on every product] are felt by all residents. That is a good reason that most of them hire undocumented people. Federal laws are trying to stop the coming of immigrants, but I don't think that will be enough. I don't think that we have to blame immigrants for coming to the States as it is something everybody would do because of the bad socio-economic situation in their own country. Sister, doesn't it remind you of the time when our mom went to Greece to work because of the bad economy in our country? I think so! The current law in the state of Arizona is that whenever the police see people on the street and they are reasonably suspected of being illegal, the police have the right to question them. Then if the people are illegal they can be arrested and sent back in the country they come from. This is totally ridiculous because it is immoral and too severe to be asked questions like somebody who committed a huge crime. The situation there, I feel, is too much racial and incorrect, and I don't think that's the way to treat people. I will definitely write you soon to let you know what's going on in Arizona. Hope everybody is doing well and send my love to mum and dad. I miss you so much! |