(Editor’s note: We received stories from Joyce Mancini’s advanced/low ESL class at Evans Adult School in Los Angeles. The following students sent stories: Marta Avila, Carlos Cruz, Mika Jin, Sook Hee Lee, Pimol Luckanavanich, and Florentino Victorino.)

My First Day in Los Angeles
by Sook Hee Lee  
     On my first day in Los Angeles, even though I was driving with a map in my hand, I got lost. I couldn’t figure out east from west. However, I saw a beautiful sunset, and,of course, that was the west!
     In the city, it seemed as if all the kinds of cars in the world were here. The air was very clean and the houses had nice gardens. My five-year-old daughter, Andreia said, "Mom, everybody here speaks only English!"  I was laughing at her. We were very enthusiastic about our new life in Los Angeles.