Language has always been a big issue lies between me and this country. As a photographer, the barrier of language and strangeness of the culture could be either problematic or interesting. While I was struggling in developing my project here, I started to drive along Salina St back and forth to see the city I live, the world outside college. That is when I begin to shoot along the street.

I came to the street as a stranger, ,a tourist, an foreigner and in terms of culture, an outsider. Being a photographer gives me a way to engage with people, observe the culture. My camera is a tool for me to observe the true America culture and further explore the ideology behind this intriguing and sometimes desolate land.

During the process, I ask the subject use one sentence to present themselves in the image and the message would come out as a brief message printed as part of the caption. Talking with people is as interesting as taking their pictures.

In October 2006, I met a family in the intersection of Salina and Washington St. I asked if I can take their picture, one man responded asking me if I can spare some money. " Don't take people's money ! Dad ! "A little boy with a bike walked quickly with his mother across the street heading north after dropping the word. Eventually, the man posed in front of my camera. He gave me one sentence to present himself-"I am a poor people , but a good people." He then left quickly to caught with his wife and kid without taking a dime in pocket.

Many times I can not relate to the conversation due to the lack of cultural background. During the process of struggling to comprehend literal meaning, I proceed in my way ideologically to forge my viewpoint about the people and the landscape they stand.

Right now I am defining the project as a community project. Except for regular traditional gallery space, I am printing those images as a stack of business card and poster and try to utilize some public space to spread the image out, to deliver the message back to the people working or living on the street.