I am Suling Waypene. I come from Guangdong, China. I speak Cantonese, Mandarin and some English.

I am married. I have three daughters and one son. Two daughters are married. I have three grandchildren now. The remaining two are still single. They are independent.

We all live in New York City. I live with my husband in an apartment building near Chinatown in Manhattan. It is a 20-story building. Each floor has 7 apartments. We live on the 6th floor. Most of my neighbors are friendly Jewish people. There are also some Latinos and Chinese. My neighborhood is quiet, clean and safe. Shopping and transportation are very convenient.

I am retired now. Before I retired, I worked as a fashion sample maker for a big fashion designing company. I loved my job and enjoyed what I was doing. When a dress was finished and put on the model, I always felt satisfied.

On weekdays, I go to BRC Senior Community Center to meet my friends. There is a small park nearby where we can exercise while enjoying the beautiful view and fresh air. In the park there is a stone table with a chessboard at the top where people, mostly men, can play chess or poker. The senior’s center offers 3 meals a day. It also provides many different programs and run many classes. There is a meeting almost every week. Some social workers offer workshops and teach us how to protect ourselves. This big family gives us a lot of fun. Now I feel it is part of my life and I cannot live without it.

Weekends and holidays are the happy hours for my husband and I because our children and grandchildren all come back to visit us. We spend the time together, watching TV, listening to music, singing, cooking and eating, chatting and laughing. These are the days when our usually quiet home is fully active again. Thank God for giving us so much happiness!