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Don Jose

This was told by Don Jose to his English tutor Susan, who has been working with Jose for 3 years.

English

I'm from Michoacan Mexico. I was born in October in the year 1928. I came to Forks, Washington. In Mexico, I lived on a ranch planting corn, beans, and potatoes. Also we had cows, horses, donkeys, pigs and chickens. Another job that I did was cutting wood for paper and logs for selling. This was good preparation for my life in the United States.

I arrived at Forks in the year 1986. I worked cutting cedar blocks. A friend from Oregon brought me to Forks. When I came, I lived in the Calawah Apartments. Now I bought a trailer and the land where I live on Bogachiel Way.

I like the weather here. The weather is a lot like the weather back home from my state in Mexico. Working with shingles and shakes was real hard, but I liked it. On my free time I would go to nearby cities to get to know the area a little better, places like Port Angeles, Aberdeen, and sometimes even Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Port Townsend. I worked with shakes and shingles for five years. I had an operation and I could not work after that.

Now I spend my time cleaning my house, cooking, mowing the lawn, preparing the ground, and planting plants. I plant cilantro, pumpkins, potatoes, and tomatoes. I go to the post office walking and to the store on a truck.

I come to school walking, two times a week to study English. I never went to school when I was in Mexico. Here in Forks I come to school to learn English and write in English. I started with the class in 1998. They taught me how to read and write in English.

I want to take the test to be able to become an American citizen. I am getting ready to do it. I think Forks is a pretty place to live. It's a pretty calm place where there are no problems. It's not like the big cities where there are gangs. Here I'm going to end the days of my life.

Don Jose

Spanish

Soy de Michoacan Mexico. Naci en Octubre 1928. Vine a Forks, Washington en 1986. En Mexico, vivia en un rancho cosechando maiz, frijoles, avas, y papas. Tambien teniamos vacas de res, caballos, burros, puercos, y gallinas. Otro trabajo que hice fue el corto de madera para papel y logues para madera comercial. Este fue preparacion buena para mi vida en los estados unidos.

Llegue a Forks en 1986. Por la fin de trabajar en bloques. Trabaje para un patron en los bloques para shingles y shakes. Estos son tipos de bloques. Yo oi de mis amigos que en Forks habia trabajo en bloques. Un amigo de Oregon me trajo aqui en Forks. Cuando vine, yo vivi en los apartamentos en Calawah. Ahora yo compre un traila y la tierra donde vivo en la calle Bogachiel.

Me gusto la clima de aqui. La clima esta parecido de la clima de donde yo soy de mi estado en Mexico. El trabajo de bloques era muy pesado, pero me gustaba. En el tiempo libre yo iba a concoer los pueblos cercanos como Puerto Angeles y Aberdeen, y a veces hasta Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, y Port Townsend. Trabaje en bloques por 5 anos. Tenia una operacion delicada y no pude trabajar despues. Ahora soy incapacitado.

Ahora paso el tiempo en la casa, limpiando, cocinando, cortando el pasto, arreglando la tierra, y plantando plantas. Yo planto cilantro, ejote, calabaza, papas, abas, tomates, y rabanos. Yo voy al correo andando y a la tienda en troca.

Vengo a la escuela caminando, dos dias por semana para estudiar ingles. Nunca fui a escuela en Mexico. Aqui en Forks, yo voy a escuela para aprender ingles y tambien aprender leer y escribir. Empece con clases en Peninsula College el ano 1998. Me ensenaron hablar ingles y tambien escribir y leer.

Tengo ganas de tomar el examen para la ciudadania para que puedo estar ciudadano americano. Estoy preparando para esto. Pienso que Forks es un pueblo bonito para vivir. Es un pueblo muy calmado que no hay problemas. No es como en los pueblos grandes donde hay bandillas. Es un pueblo pacifico aqui. Aqui voy a terminar los dias de mi vida.

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