Gloom

I feel I could not go on if I am continuously thinking about what the professor’s expects on the paper. I can only write down what I understand in my poor language. As a result, (I don’t know the exact result yet,) I am overwhelmed. It is gloom but no other choice. I know I have to go on because I current job is combined with the study program. If I quit, I lose both of them. Without a very strong or a dramatic reason, quit can not be a consideration.

There is no way get efficient help from others. There are a lot nice people around me; they are willing to offer help. However, they don’t know the project very much. They can provide fragment of advisement, which help little. They can make me feel happier, but the difficulty would not be lighter for this reason. I don’t know if I can survive this time. I want to see the end too.

Jodi & Hayli

The American Woman, Jodi, who adopted a Chinese girl, contacted with me again last week. I went to her Manhattan apartment last Friday to see each other and discuss a little bit about how to teach to the four year old girl Hayli.

I don’t feel Jodi is very nice although of course she is polite. I am going to teach Hayli once a week, one and half hour from this Friday from 4:30 to 6 after my working in QCC. Jodi pays me $35 in total. Right now my schedule is pretty intensive. Everyday I am worrying about my essays. I’ll see how I like to teach the little girl. If it is annoyed, I can quit immediately.

In contrast, tutoring Barry is an absolute pleasure. Sometime, without money, people get a purer and happier position to stay with each other. When you do something voluntarily, you gain the impression such as kindness, selflessness. It is a satisfaction on the spiritual level.

Chinese grammar

Tutoring Barry in Chinese is fun. I have regularly met Barry once a week for tutoring him in Chinese since this August. Barry told me that every time before meeting me, he studied Chinese by himself at home, and then when we meet, he is pleased that he could show off in front of me. During our tutoring session, I help him to practice conversions based on his textbook. We also discuss some grammatical questions. I like to do that because that makes me contemplating the profound grammatical considerations in my native language. Obviously, I can answer some of those questions, but not all. I wish but don’t know where I can find out a Chinese linguist who may explain those puzzling points for Barry and me.

Also, by explaining the definitions of new vocabularies, I improve my English. For example, if Barry encounters a new word, I know it meaning but could not explicitly explain it. I look at the dictionary, showing it to him, and at the same time, I gain new knowledge.

Each session Barry leaves some time to speak English with me. He asks my life, my study, and seem as he is interested to listen everything happened in my life. I touched by his concerns; he is like as kind old uncle.

Waiting

I have been thinking about the Iphone issue since this Monday. I called Apple, T-mobile, both of them refused to offer any help to me. I realized that this is an issue between the agent and me only. The truth is gradually being uncovered while I consulted more and more companies, institutions, and individuals.

In fact, Iphone can only use with AT&T cell phone service. T-mobile doesn’t technically support Iphone. The Chinese agent illegally set T-mobile service to Iphone, but the result is the customer can only get partial functions of an Iphone.

In my case, the agent argues that I support to know the fact. If I sign the contract, which means I automatically agree this condition. This is they said, if you want full function, you should go to AT&T, but not T-mobile store. But from my point of view, I believe they should explain this situation clearly and completely to the customer. They never mentioned one word. They failed to do that, that meant they were deliberately cheating the customer. They did tell me that don’t update, but they didn’t explain the serious consequence and I indeed didn’t understand about that either.

The critical point in the case is if it is a common knowledge that one support to know the relation between Iphone, AT&T, and T-mobile, and what is the implication of the word “update”.

I consulted this issue to the director of Student Affairs of QCC because I believe he should have more knowledge, experience and better judgment than me. His suggestion is to wait. He said going to court would cost a lot of money and time.

However, I really don’t want to surrender now. I admit that I am a weak woman, no social background, no efficient language ability, no money and no time. But, there is one important point that encourages me to go on. I believe America is a good country; even a weak person has the chance to compete with powerful men. I don’t say there is an absolute justice, but, if I am lucky, by assisting by the government institution, I may win a justice.

If the judge says that this is my fault because I failed have a common knowledge by living in this society, I accept the result and loss. But, if the judge believes that the agent has cheated the customer in purpose, I wish they get the punishment they deserved.

I have already called 311 on Monday. They took my case and promised that they would give me a response in four days. My husband asked me to wait this result. If they fail to either persuade me by proving my fault or satisfy me by taking action on the agent, going to the court is my next step.

A New Experience in My Life

I am planning to go to the Civil Court. I roughly recorded what this issue was in this letter. At this moment, I am annoyed, fear, uneasy, but also brave, urge to see if it is really my fault or if I can find out the justices.

September 25, 2009, a Friday, because my old cell phone contract (a family plan including two lines) was about to end, I went AC&JP Communications Crop. to consult how to start a new contract. The sale assistant is named Jacky. He said he could help me to cancel my old contract right now, and he suggested me a two-year contrast in T-mobile, two lines, the first four months with a monthly rate 69.99, and then the rate would drop to 59.99.

As an additional benefit of this contract, Jacky asked me to pay $550 in cash in order to get an Iphone 3G, but I would get $550 rebate after four months. When I purchased this Iphone, Jacky never told me that I could not use the functions of this Iphone fully. He told me when I connect this iphone to a computer, I should not update. But he did not explain what that implications. If I knew that meant I could only use partially of this iphone, I would hesitate to do this business.

I wanted to keep my old numbers (two lines, so two phone numbers). Jacky said I can, but I must take new SIM cards and use two temporary numbers in the following two weeks, and then the old numbers would automatically come back to the new SIM cards. He said my old numbers would be canceled in next Monday, 9/28. On the next Monday morning, 9/28, I found the old numbers that had not been cancelled. I called him. He said they would be cancelled in the evening.

But until that Wednesday, 9/30, the numbers still existed. I went the store. At this time, Jacky said the old numbers would not be cancelled, but there were only 15 numbers available to use. He told me did not use the old numbers. In this visit, I also asked two question of my iphone. This iphone’s Bluetooth could not connect to other Bluetooth. Jacky told me iphone’s Bluetooth could not transport data by design. Also, I found the battery of this iphone could only last less than ten hours. Jacky said that was normal. He suggested me to turn of Wi-fi if I didn’t use it. The second morning, 10/1, I called Apple customs service. The representative gave me a similar explanation on the two problems, I was relieved.

10/5, Monday, because I could not download music from a computer to this iphone, I asked my cousin to help me. He updated this iphone, then there was no longer phone service on this iphone. In the evening, I went the store. Jacky and other people worked in the store told me my iphone was locked, and could not get phone service anymore. They said that was my fault and they had no any responsibility on this trouble. They rejected to do nothing for me expect asking me to wait that maybe two or three week later when they get the way to unlock it, they would do that for me. But they were not sure how lone I exactly had to wait.

I called policeman around 6 pm. In the store, when the policemen were here, I pointed out that Jacky did not explain the limitation of this iphone; the fact that he hiding the truth was the main reason resulting in that I could not normally use cell service and the full function of my iphone. A man in the store respond, if you wanted full iphone function, you should go to At&T agent, but not a T-moblie store. But I really did not know this point. I assume that I should enjoy normal phone service and full iphone functions.

Right now, I am paying monthly cell phone bill, but I could not make and receive phone calls. I believe the agent should take the responsibility to solve this problem.

B+

I got a B+ on the first paper of History 791. It is a short paper, three pages only, and weighs 15% of the final grade. When I saw the grade at the first sight, I was disappointed. I usually expect an A on my essay. However, later I realized it is merely a beginning, and B+ is not really bad. I can get improving gradually.

History 791 is a class about history research. It is really great. The professor Swenson is a nice old man. His weekly reading assignment is very helpful to assist us to get a clear idea of history research and to build up our final research paper step by step. The process is difficult for me because it is a brand new job to me. Also, writing a good research paper just means enormous jobs. It is hard for everybody. But I still do not dislike it. I know this is a hard step that I have to overcome in order to get a higher level.