Neon Signs

Sparkling buildings, sparkling streets, and a 24-hour nightlife district are the symbols of my hometown Macau that is located on the south coast of China. It is officially known as Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. It was settled by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. The city is full of neon lights, and it combines the historical architecture of two cultures. Until the Portuguese government legalized gambling in the 1850s and the business group STDM expanded the gambling industry in 1962, casinos have become the famous tourist attraction to let people know the obscure city. In fact, my family’s standard of living improved because my parents were able to get jobs working in the casinos. They could also earn enough money eventually to buy their own apartment. Prior to joining the casino workplace, my grandparents and parents had been living in a rental house and earned their living in different ways such as farming, sewing, and other part-time jobs. The gambling industry has had an undeniable impact on my family.

            When I was a child, it seemed like my daily life was like living in jail. Since my parents usually worked different shifts on their rotating work schedules, they did not have enough time to take care of my elder sister and me. They hired a maid to look after us, and they helped us to create our full schedules during the year. My daily routine of going to school, tutoring center, swimming pool, and home made me bored and frustrated. Even though my family members could only spend a short period of time during every week, we seldom talked to each other. Instead of spending time at home, we often gathered at my cousins’ homes to have meals and to swim. My parents would usually come to participate in our swimming contests as well as swimming workouts. They also joined the group with those familiar parents to be the supportive audience. Clearly, classmates and swimming teammates became the closest friends in my upbringing.

Since Macau was transferred to China in 1999, the cost of living has continued to soar. During colonizing by the Portuguese, the business group STDM had only been permitted to have the monopoly rights to all forms of gambling in Macau. Once the Macau government ended the old monopoly system in 2002, six casino operating concessions agreed to open to operators. Subsequently, more industries increased more competition. Further foreign corporations set up companies in Macau to break the monopoly company. For instance, the number of mobile network operators expanded from one to three. Additionally, the quantity of ferry terminal increased from one to two because the foreign company added to operate ferry service in Macau. As a result of the food safety issues that are prevalent in China, Chinese people are often anxious to buy harmless products and even real products in Macau to keep them alive. This made the price of food and daily consumer products in Macau has constantly sustained. Therefore, China's big spenders turn Macau into a shopping destination to buy luxury brand and daily consumer products. My family started to suffer more in order to cover those basic living expenses when living costs went up rapidly. Consequently, my parents tried to start a business to make more money. Nevertheless, extremely high competition in the fruit business occurred steadily due to shortage of labor, higher monthly rental fees, and more competition. Unfortunately, it caused my parents to lose money in the failed business. They decided to cease operating the store. Afterward, they tried their best to pay back the debt more quickly.

The most obvious effect on me was my family’s immigration to the United States. Most people had been afraid of the inevitable changes before Macau reverted back to China. They began to apply for the family immigration to other countries, so they could still live in a democracy. Fortunately, my family won the immigration opportunity to move abroad. My parents decided to immigrate to the United States because they wanted to start over their challenges in life and get rid of bad working conditions. They were eager to stay in a foreign country. Although I had been living in the melting pot of different cultures in Macau, the lifestyle in Chicago had become an enormous challenge for me similar to climbing to the most dangerous mountain in the world. It had not been easy for me to be fluent in the new city. I had to learn everything new like a child all over again, especially English. Furthermore, making new friends has been much harder for me currently.

To conclude, a typical prisoner’s timetable, bad situations in life, and family immigration have been big challenges in my life. Luckily, I have the chance to be a student again and study abroad to improve my English skills. With talking in a different language, practicing my English is important for me, so this makes me get more confident and motivated to accomplish some interesting things. Moreover, encountering friendly people in Chicago can assist me and give me good suggestions. Like my parents, it is possible for me to become braver and more receptive to change. Pursuing my advanced study has gotten off to a good start despite my lack of confidence in completing my second Bachelor's degree or a master’s degree. Now that I have lived in the United States for several years, the reason is without doubt my family’s immigration to the United States and settling in Chicago. Making a new beginning might be the adventure and the most valuable experience of my lifetime.