Once upon a time, a young man named Emre lived in Turkey. Emre wanted to improve his English skills so he could move to the United States of America and have a better life. Emre dreamed of moving to America, starting a business, and having a family. His dream came true when he applied, won the Green Card Lottery, and moved to the United States for a better life.ย
Emre arrived at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, full of hope for a better life. He knew he needed to find an apartment, improve his English, learn about starting a business in California, USA, and become successful. He felt fortunate to have saved up money in Turkey for his move to the United States and planned to use it well.
After arriving in Orange County, Emre learned that moving into an apartment was difficult and expensive. It took him nearly a week of living in a hotel room to find an apartment finally. He went to many real estate agents and asked questions.ย Emre could not understand why finding an affordable place to live in Orange County was so hard. He wanted an apartment close to the airport and other services like supermarkets and the mall.ย He later realized that Orange County’s low crime rate and high quality of life made it a much more expensive place to live than other areas in the United States of America.
Emre found a great place to live in a neighborhood called Cypress Knolls. He made many friends in the neighborhood and began learning English by watching the TV shows on Discovery. Emre learned how to speak American English and soon became more confident with his English. The TV shows were also helping him improve his vocabulary skills. He found out about North Orange Community Education offering free online English courses and registered for an evening online English course with Maestro Sersea.ย He discovered he accelerated his English fluency much faster as a student in Maestro Sersea’s class, and he did his best to learn and participate every evening of class.
Emre had started working part-time at a local restaurant called the “Red Barn” and was happy to have found a job. He was a bartender and did his best to treat his customers with the utmost respect and good service.ย He became very popular and earned lots of tips.ย Emre began to meet more people in the neighborhood, and they were all friendly toward him. He learned that some of them even spoke Turkish!
After several years of working hard and saving lots of money as a successful bartender, Emre asked his friends how to find a place to open a business in Orange County.ย He learned many things to learn before opening a business in America. It is not as easy as he thought.ย It took a while for Emre to get started because he was still trying to understand the process of starting a business in Orange County.ย Finally, after learning and asking many questions, Emre found the perfect place to open his business in Cypress Knolls.ย He knew it was a great place for his business because it had everything he needed to be successful: a grocery store next door, a coffee house, and a restaurant across the street. He had many friends and family members in this neighborhood, and they would be supportive of him.ย Emre’s dream was finally coming true. He decided to open a nightclub called “Turkish Nights.”ย ย
After he rented the building, it took six months for him to open his nightclub.ย He invested all his savings into this business. It wasn’t easy, but he got his business license, alcohol beverages license, and all the other documentation he needed to open the business. By his opening night, he had a fully stocked bar, a great DJ playing some of the best modern Turkish music, a couple of bouncers, two bartenders, and 4 well-trained waiters.ย
Emre was very proud of himself and his accomplishment. He opened his nightclub at 10 pm on a Friday night. The place was packed, and Emre had to turn people away from his door. He was extremely happy to see his friends and neighbors at his nightclub. They were all enjoying themselves, and everyone was having a great time. They ordered lots ofย drinks, danced, and had fun together. It was the most important night of his life. He felt so happy and proud. His hard work and dedication paid off. He was enjoying his job and making lots of money in his new business.ย
Emre’s success at opening his nightclub in Orange County was an amazing accomplishment. He now became a part of the American Dream for many young Turks. He knew his nightclub business would be successful because he was creating jobs for other Turks in Orange County.ย He knew this because he met many Turkish friends who wanted to become DJs or bartenders in Emre’s nightclub. Some of them even got hired in Emre’s nightclub.ย This made Emre very happy. He felt like he was helping other people with their dreams.
After a couple of years of working hard to make his club successful, Emre bought a nice home in nearby Newport Beach, California, USA. Now that he had money in the bank and a great credit score, he could afford a home over a million dollars overlooking the Pacific Ocean.ย
His friends and family members were proud of him and happy for him. It was great to see him enjoying the fruits of his labor. Emre’s dream came true. He was living the American Dream. However, he still wanted more. He started thinking about the future and what his next dream would be. He had some ideas about what he wanted to do with his life. He remembered what he wanted when he moved to the USA; he already had a successful business and a nice home.ย It was now time for him to start a family of his own.
Emre wanted to find a Turkish wife who shared his passion for his culture and country. He wanted a woman who wanted to get out of her parent’s house and be independent. Emre’s ideal woman wanted to be financially stable and happy.ย Emre found all these qualities in his new girlfriend. Her name was Selin, and she was a single mother from the Turkish countryside.ย Emre and Selin got married, and they both loved each other. They had many kids and lived together in their lovely home overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Emre’s American dream came true. He learned English, started a dynamic business, made a lot of money, started a family, and was able to provide for his family. Emre and Selin were happy together. They traveled with their children throughout the United States and the world and had a great time together.
English Learners, what did you think of this story? What did you like, and what did you want to be different? How would you continue this story? Add your insights in the comments section below.
Activity: Multiple-Choice Questions
Directions: Please take out a sheet of paper or use your notebook to write your answers. Once you write your answers on your paper, please review the answer key below.
- According to the passage, why did Emre want to improve his English skills?
A. To start a business in Turkey
B. To move to the United States
C. To travel the world
D. To become a bartender - Which of the following best describes Emre’s experience in finding an apartment in Orange County?
A. Easy and affordable
B. Difficult and expensive
C. Convenient and close to the airport
D. Spacious and luxurious - How did Emre improve his English skills?
A. By taking free online English courses
B. By watching Turkish TV shows
C. By attending a language school in Turkey
D. By reading English books - What was Emre’s job at the “Red Barn” restaurant?
A. Waiter
B. Chef
C. Bartender
D. Manager - Why did Emre decide to open a nightclub in Cypress Knolls?
A. He had many friends and family members in the neighborhood
B. It was the most affordable location he could find
C. There was a high demand for nightclubs in Orange County
D. The neighborhood had a low crime rate - How long did it take Emre to open his nightclub after renting the building?
A. One month
B. Three months
C. Six months
D. One year - According to the passage, what was Emre’s most important night?
A. The night he arrived in Orange County
B. The night he opened his nightclub
C. The night he bought his home in Newport Beach
D. The night he got married - What did Emre’s success at opening his nightclub mean for other Turks in Orange County?
A. They could attend his nightclub for free
B. They could find employment opportunities at his nightclub
C. They could receive financial assistance from Emre
D. They could open their businesses in Orange County - Why did Emre decide to buy a home in Newport Beach?
A. It was the most affordable option available
B. It had a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean
C. It was close to his nightclub in Cypress Knolls
D. It was recommended by his friends and family - How did Emre meet his wife, Selin?
A. Through a matchmaking service
B. At a party in Orange County
C. At his nightclub, “Turkish Nights.”
D. Through mutual friends - What did Emre and Selin have in common?
A. They both wanted to start a business in Orange County
B. They both wanted to travel the world
C. They both shared a passion for Turkish culture
D. They both had a million dollars in the bank - What was Emre’s ultimate goal after achieving the American Dream?
A. To start a family of his own
B. To become a famous DJ
C. To retire and travel the world
D. To open more nightclubs in different cities - How did Emre provide for his family?
A. By working as a bartender
B. By investing in the stock market
C. By opening a successful nightclub
D. By receiving financial support from his parents - What did Emre and Selin enjoy doing together?
A. Working at the nightclub
B. Going on family vacations
C. Cooking Turkish food
D. Playing sports
Answer Key:
- B
- B
- A
- C
- A
- C
- B
- B
- B
- C
- C
- A
- C
- B
Hello everyone,
All the stories I read, were very nice. The actors that applied and won the green card, travel to the United States of America, try to find first a hotel as a home and a job, learn English make so much money, create a business, buy a house, get married and live with their children. They notice that the life is very difficult and expensive in America. You must work very hard if you want to live in that country and own his life. Great stories, they were all successful, but it misses some difficulties to render the stories more attractive.
See you soon.
This is a great and inspiring story. It shows how dreams can come true, as long as we hard work, trust in God and ourselves.
It also teaches us that our dreams will help others as well. I loved it.
Hello , Hind from Iraq, Emre ( young man ) lived in Turku wanted to improve his English skills so he could move to USA and have a better life .
His dream came true , he learned English started business he was passionate about made a lot of money started with family
Iยดm happy for Emre, I canยดt imagine how difficult is to make a nightclub and study business it sounds hard to make but not impossible. My dream is saving much money and inverted my money, I hope to find an excellent way to invert my cash.
I thought the story was good. It is a good that you have made the effort to fulfill your dream. Its history gives us an idea of what California, one of the most expensive places in the United States, is really like.