How to start new life in USA ?

[VN10 0]

Yes, my husband took me to parking of school when all kids come back home.I'm short and small so i feel car too big for me...!!! i will practice soon again...thanks!

[What's next 1]

Focus on learning English. Forget about getting your drivers license for now. Sound to me you guys only have one car anyway. What good is a drivers license if you don't have a car to drive. Forget about working as well. Stay at home and raise your child. If you work, you have to send him to daycare, which will probably take up most of your income anyway. Stay at home and learn English. Seems like you already know quite a bit of English. If you can't take classes, just watch TV at home. Turn on the closed captioning feature and try to follow along. Watch cartoons, if it suites your English level. I also highly recomend Rosetta Stone. It's 500.00, but if you can get it, it's a great learning tool. Forget about everything else. If you really really really want to get out of the house, go volunteer somewhere, like a hospital. It's a great place to practice English, those old volunteers love to talk. Plus when you are ready to do "paid work", they will already know you and be more likily to hire you. Plus you can volunteer anytime you want. hope this helps.

[Coleen 2]

Hey VN10..

Do not worry about anything. Just take a deep breath and take it easy. Thank God He gave you this time to adjust yourself to all the changes that had happened in your new life.

As for your ESL course- August is really close, just month and a half away. Once you start the course I'm sure you'll meet some new interesting people and that you'll make friends with many of them.

As for driving I really think that there's nothing as easy as learn how to drive in USA. Automatic transmission cars are just so easy to drive, there's no clutch, you don't have to use both of your legs, you can literally put your left leg and left arm through the window and still drive Just kidding- don't do that

Just don't worry about anything cause as the time pass by you will become capable of doing so many things without even realizing it. And the time you have now.. well.. spend it with your baby and your husband. Enjoy it while you can. Once you start working you won't have so much free time.

I know that it's hard to deal with the homesickness, but it's not impossible. Just try to think about the time when you were separated from your husband and you'll be better in a blink of an eye.

Good luck

[What's next 1]

My advise on driving is to start on city roads first, find any roads that have less traffic and experience with it. Don't worry you will develop your skills as time go on. Enroll to community college for learning English, they are cheap in tuition and plenty of people to practice English.

I support this idea as well. if you can do 65 on the not crowded freeway. all your anxiety will go away, your confidence will soar and doing 45 on a nornal road will be a piece of cake. just gotta take that first leap.

[johncali9 6]

Hi Johncali !

I dont like you since you sent messege to me and talk not nice about my husband had probem when my case processed slowly. who is bad person in VJ, everybody know. I didnt complain my husband, im sure almost woman come here and they have feeling same me when they just stay at home. Im not a person same you thought. dont worry, you can tell my husband everytime , u want i give u a number ? Before i post this topic, my husband is first person knew this, ok ? You see that, many people gave me nice saying. But how about you ? You should be a woman is better,in vietnam they call BA TAM.

I dont know my husband unlucky than you or no, just God know, nobody know that. Your wife is good with u, u should enjoy and happy that but dont think other woman are bad, ok ?

If people laugh at me but they help me how to join life easy, it is ok, i dont mind. Anyway, thanks very much about your advice.

Everybody !!! im so sorry if this topic is stupid, i can say Admin delete it. I hope you can understand what i wrote. i never complain my husband who is sponsor me, he love me and help me a lot. i just dont know how to start,cause almost people here married vietnamese woman, and you can understand how your woman feel.

Hello friend

you know , i am not say bad things about you ,please tell you some thing about me why i am very sensitive person four years ago I was got married one person sa same you , i was sponsor visa for k1, when she was in USA any thing she want to do like over anything she wants , but she not real to love me just want my money that is

and then she got alot troubles boyfriend drunk games accident I can not Handel, three years later i was devored her ,so that why I was person very sensitive about that, I hope any one any body happnies together

I knew you were came USA lonely sad same as my wife that the way USA not same as Vietnam

I sorry you are inccident ,must take time not over nite

you are still lucky driver ,you were hit your hunband car if you hit the person that mean you are gone

I hope you and your hundband Hanh Phuc Tram Nam va suc khoe doi dao gap nhieu may man trong viec lam cung nhu hoc tap

ok

JohnCali9

[Kevin and 10]

Em Nhi-

Wait until winter then you can drive on a frozen lake. You can experience loosing control of your car. Just kidding.

An empty parking lot without any curbs, light posts, barriers, ect is the best for learning how to drive. Then try to drive on gravel roads with less traffic.

[april082010 3]

Hi everybody, i saw VJ have many topics but i want to open this topic " about How to start new life in USA" for me and all people just come here.Although i got here over 4 months already but i saw something here are still new with me. I dont know how other people feel.Please share all your experiences for help us can join this life easy.

With me, i thought 2 importants thing what i should to do :

- English language : i got here on Feb,and i could not find any ESL classes until last week of August,2010. So may be i can study at evening time.Lucky i knew little bit English but it isn't enough. My husband said my English not good for go work cause i will not pass interview apply job. I agree this.

- Driving Car : i passed writting driving on April, i practiced driving 3 times but on 3th time, unlucky i hit my husband's car in to a short of pillar next the curve when i turned right and confused between brake and gas pedal. I made his car scarped on right door. Since that he didnt teach me, i have to wait until he buy a old car for me....I can not go school for learn driving cause it is cost a lot money. Can you give me some idea about learn driving?

That are 2 my first importants.

I really want to work than stay at home, i know it is hard cause i dont know english, dont know driving and i have a son 2 years old. Many reasons both 2 things above made me really want come back VN...sometime i felt really tired.Can you give me some advises ?

Please fix my english if i write something wrong, that way you can help my english be better.

I thanks to all of you.I wish all best to you !

You can visit the library and borrow books about ESL and other English resources for a start while you are not doing anything.

[Anh map 2,098]

Brother John, please use a friendlier tone. The OP is trying to adjust to a very different place in the world and all the changes that come. I know that you are familiar with that type of change.

VN10, your experience is similar to my wife when she first arrived. Feeling alone not being able to just go anywhere on her moto. Driving is something that just needs practice. As many others have said try doing the practice in a big, empty parking lot at first. Then you will be able to be comfortable in the car feeling so big. We also had some trouble when learning to drive. A lot of stress for both of us. But now she is a good driver and I am relaxed when riding with her.

Another thing that helped Linh was talking with some American friends and my family. They were patient and friendly with her as she became confident with her English. No one expects you to speak perfectly. And I think that you will find that many people will understand you a lot more than you think. The same with driving, just practice and you will improve and feel confident.

[JustUs 3]

Consider a driver's education class and a study program for a GED - that will cover a number of basic academic skills that will be helpful to you as you transition.

Best of luck and welcome to the US - the land of Immigrants!

[wendy&tamer 10]

some times local churches offer english classes for free too. just keep practicing a little at a time on the driving...the country side is a good place to start.

[IndigoSkies 168]

Watch lots of cartoons to learn English.

[Justine+David 218]

Welcome to the U.S. and wishing you best of luck here in adjusting. You've been given some good advice I have to teach my hubby-to-be to drive too and it's fairly nerve-wracking because he's never driven before!

[Mark_Deea 0]

I plan to take my fiance for go carts hehe. Of course, buy a really cheap car and then who cares to fix some dents

Parking lot driving and quick trips to the store, supervised, is how US citizens learn to drive.

[BinhJerome 14]

I can't offer much advise on how to cope, other than not trying to compare things with Vietnam, America is far different, and I had to learn that when I moved here, and that is still some of my problems, I think the "American" way, when I am in Vietnam and it doesn't work, so maybe the same for you. I can offer some advise about learning to drive, dont go on the city streets, you can not only do dammage to your car, but other peoples and can possibly hit actual people. When I first started to drive we went out on country roads where there was no traffic, I am not sure if this is an option for you or not, but talk with your husband about it, and once I was able to drive in a straight line and was used to both of the pedals and turning, then we moved to a parking lot with no cars, here we practiced sharp turns, almost in a circle, quick braking, and swerving, this allowed me to better gain control of the car, then we finially moved to the streets. The first time is always bad, and hard, try not to be nervous, realize that other people have dinged up their cars while learning to drive. As far as the english goes, there are many language cd's for the computer from English to Vietnamese, I am sure they would work in reverse and they are also cheap, and the best learning cd on the market is called rosetta stone. The best way I have delt with missing my family is to not miss the family I am apart from, but to enjoy the time with the new family I am with. It also helps that I was never really close with my family in the first place. Another idea has been passed around, is to look for a Vietnamese community in your area, not trying to be a sterotypical person, but if you cannot locate one, look in the phone book for nail salons, or massage parlors, they might be able to lead you to a Vietnamese comunity, I know in Salem Indiana I did not know of any Viet community, I had heard there was one in Louisville Ky, but not in little old Salem, well I was walking in the square, and noticed a Nail shop, and an Asain woman walking in to it, so I went in to ask where she was from, and it was from HCMC, then I found out through talking that there were almost 30 Vietnamese immigrants in Salem Indiana, which would have been great for Binh if we had been approved. Either way, good luck, and just hang in there, and honestly your english is very good, and it is much better than some of the students in the classes that I teach. Be proud, not insecure, you have what you want, your loving husband and a new life, make the most of it by not letting your fears control you. Jerome

[clayr1 3]

Go to the nail salons in your city there are many Vietnamese work there and maybe they can start you at a job polishing nails. You can also look in the phone book for last name Nguyen call them and tell them your situation maybe they will help. If you do get a job at say the mall selling clothes just by being around people who talk english all day you will pick it up quicker. Everyday you will get better so do not worry. Best way to learn to drive is get your husband to take you to the go cart track or golf course and pay to drive a cart. You will learn the steering wheel and pedals.