547 Ricko (China, Age 17): English

Memoir

My name is Ricko, I come from China. When I was 4 years old, my grandfather come to the United States to work. He want my grandmother, my parents and me also come to the United State, so he work hard and earn money. In China, I live in a medium size house. We have 3 people live in this house. My parents and me. There is a park next to our house. When I was unhappy, I will go to that park, and sit on the chair, watch people who was walking pass there.

When I go to primary school, those teacher are very strict. They want you remember all the Mathematical formula, a paragraph from a reading, and English word, etc. If you can’t, teacher will request you to stay after school until you can make those thing learn by heart or you copy something you don’t remember  a hundred time, even a thousand time.

My father is a cook, and my mother take care of me at home. When we had vacation, My mother never let go to outside play with my friends. She think I am going outside with myself is danger. I just can watch TV or study at home. but sometime my mother take me to play. so I try to look for some friends from internet. Play computer games with them.

When my grandfather want us come to America , my father and my mother need to fake divorce, and then I follow my father come to the United State, my mother stay in China.

When I come to America. I go to junior high school.  All my classmate are ABC they speak English, even though some of them know how to speak Chinese, I can’t even get into them. I come to school every day, but I sleep in every class. Except math and ESL, because this two classes is only I can understand. In this school I had less than ten friends. I almost can say I learn nothing in this school. Fortunately, I only need to stay in this school one year, then I finish the school.

When I finish junior high school, I come to high school. In high school I can make a lot of friends, because they speak Chinese and English, they can translate for me. all the teacher are nice and helpful. I can understand every class what they say. Now I live with my grandparents and my mother, my father go with his friends to San Francisco to work. I think I won’t miss my country, because I like new things.