Bonnie Tyler--Total Eclipse of the Heart--Plus--excerpt from Coming to America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo

When I first arrived in the USA--I was very homesick and found it hard to adapt to high street crime West Philadelphia + 4 graduate courses per semester.

The Hoagie truck smelled of raw onions.

None of the white American students paid any attention to colored folks like me--International students were forced to befriend each other, but we were all from different countries.

JC was one of 3 sisters, all single at the time, who were Sino-Burmese and from Campbell Park in Rangoon.

They were all JC.

The eldest worked at HUP--Hospital of the Univ of PA-- as a nurse.

Friday evenings after work, she'd pick me up at the Grad. dorm--

Then I'd spend the weekend with them. Their father was aphasic and had had a stroke, could not speak.

Once I took some sweet-smelling shampoo that my friend's daughter had given me, and gave it to the old man--he smiled impishly at me.

Eldest JC often played hip songs like this in the car.

Monday mornings she'd drop me off on campus again, and I'd start all over.

Even the water tasted different and needed getting used to.

A policeman came and briefed us on date rape--

"Comply. Don't fight back. Run yr hands along the man's body--don't look at his face. Don't put yr life at risk."

In the univ bathrooms there were rape wires to pull to sound alarms.

Ref muggings on the street: "If you see a gang, cross the street ASAP. Put traffic between you. Wear clothes and shoes you can run in. Walk confidently, your hands in your pockets, as if you have a gun--Don't look at their faces either.

"Arrive and leave events with the crowd"

It's amazing how I survived.

You who think life is easy in America don't know a thing.

"You know nothing John Snow."

JRR Martin, Game of Thrones.

But do I regret it--no I don't. This is not a Superman movie with Christopher Reeves who revolves the earth backwards.

Kyi May Kaung

12-31-2024

New Year's Eve.