Language An Influential Factor In Deciding Ones Fate Essay Example

It was after my graduation in 2005 that I decided to pursue my further studies in the USA. And so I landed here in the country on February 2006 in pursuit of my dream. As I landed, the sight of all the streets covered up with snow is still fresh in my mind. It was my first hands on experience with snow. In fact it was on my arrival to this beautiful land of opportunities that I learnt from my friend that this white ice is actually called “snow” and not ice. I was very bad at English when I came here. And the school that I attended had just one ESL class, so irrespective of the standard of the person; he or she remained in that class. During summer time the school did not have any ESL courses so we basically had a long vacation. But for me unfortunately it was long yet not a happy one. The first week of May saw me sick and I was hospitalized for three weeks. And adding to my pain was the absence of my friend owing to his travelling schedule during that week. If the doctor was to be believed it was very rare that anyone who is barely 19 years of age could get into the pathetic health condition that I was suffering. The doctor I was being attended by was someone who could speak my native language (as I could not speak English very fluently at that time). His words still haunt my memories that remind me of that ill-fated condition that I was going through. He told me “I don’t know how are you still able to breathe, you were supposed to be dead by now” His words infuriate me so much that the very next moment I asked the nurses to not let the doctor see me again. After getting well, when I met my classmates for the first time, they couldn’t believe that it was me who was speaking in English so fluently. That was when I told them that my stay in the hospital left me no choice but to converse with the nurses in a language that I did not fare well in and eventually I learnt it. 4 years after, the irony of fate hit me again, this time a little harder. I felt the pain in my chest; my doctors told me that I had a blood clot again. I did not reveal it to my family this time as they were extremely worried when they learnt about it for the first time. I waited until I took leave from hospital where my doctor advised me to continue my medicines till I am alive. With no family history of blood clots, my medical condition is still an unresolved mystery for me as well as the doctors. And what makes my suffering worse is residing in a country whose native language I am not fluent in.