Genre: Opinion/Argumentation

Childhood Memories That Made Me Who I am Today : I was 15 when my father died and after his death I received my result card through the post . I was really happy to see that I passed the exam with excellent marks but I wanted to go to college but it was hard for my brother to send me to college . But I started to teach other children in the village . They really needed help in their studies because their parents could n't read or write they send them to me in evenings after school . So in the morning I 'd go to college and in the evening I teach them and I 'd use the money they gave me to pay my college fees , bus fare and I made my uniform with my own money and I was really happy because I had got everything that I want . I worked hard that 's why I want my son to work hard to carry on with his studies . I was born in the Yemen in 1976 . I lived in a village called Yafa with my Mum and two brothers . My dad lived in England because he was working there and he was sending us some money to live on . I hardly knew my dad because the first time I saw him was when I was 2 years old , which is a time I ca n't remember . When I was about 4 or 5 years old my dad came to visit us and I will never forget that day because he bought me a big doll which I really loved and he bought us lots of things . I was very happy . We used to live a very poor life . We all stayed in one room . We slept , cooked , ate and sat in the same room but me and my brothers were very happy and we used to spend most of our time outside playing . My Mum was n't very well . Also she had to work very hard because in the village we had to go very far to fetch the water from the well and to fetch the wood to cook on . We had electricity but it only came on at night for a few hours . We also had to help my granddad in the field . After a few years my Mum's health deteriorated and my Dad wanted us to go and live with him . We were very happy and we went to the city to go to the British Embassy . The city life was very different to the village life . It was more modernised and I loved it and I still remember the blue sea , it was beautiful . However the bad news was that the British Embassy refused to let me go with my parents to England because the law in Yemen did not allow any children who were over 7 years old to go out of the country and unfortunately I was seven years old . My brother's were younger than me so they went with my Mum . We all were sad and disappointed especially my Mum she was devestated but she was very ill . Her Mum and Dad told her to go and leave me with them . I remember the day when she left she was crying all day but I was excited and happy to live with my grandparents . When my Mum kissed me goodbye I saw her crying and I started to cry . I was very happy with my grandparents and they loved me very much and they did their best to make me happy . They gave me everything I wanted and they were very nice and kind to me . My grandparents house had one room and a very small kitchen . They had a cow , some sheep and some chickens and I used to help look after them which I really enjoyed . I used to go to school . I started just before my mum left but I did n't like it . I stayed in school for four years then I left because I wanted to help my grandparents more . What I really enjoyed the most was fetching the water from the well with my friends . We used to have lots of fun and we used to go to fetch some wood and it was very far away so we used to go up the hills and down and we played on the way and we had a laugh . We had to get up very early just before the sun rise and we came back after the sunset . I think that these were the best times in my childhood . As I grew older I missed my mum and brothers very much . I used to cry every night as I remembered them and I never stopped thinking about my parents They used to send me some letters , clothes and money and we talked on the phone only once in two or three years because the telephone was very far from our house and very expensive . When I was about 12 years old I used to do everything in the house such as cooking , cleaning , taking care of the animals and helping my granddad in the fields as well as fetching the water and the wood . My day would start at 5.30 in the morning and would end when I went to bed which was about 8 . 00pm In the morning when I saw the other kids going to school , I realised how much I missed school and I wanted to go back so my friends and me decided to go back and we did . I really liked it this time and I did n't want to leave because we had such a good time . When I was 13 years old , I realised how much I missed my family because when I was younger it did n't really bother me but then I really wanted to see them . One day just a few months before my 14th birthday I received a letter from my mum and dad and she said they wanted me to join them in the UK . The law in Yemen had changed because the south and the north of Yemen were united . I was very happy and very excited and at the same time I was shocked because I did n't expect that to happen as I thought they might come to visit . I was so happy that I could n't sleep that night I could n't believe that I was going to see them after 7 years without them . After a few months and just a week before my birthday I finely went to England and my granddad came with me . It was very hard to leave my grandma and all my friends . When I arrived at the airport my mum and dad were there and I did n't recognise them but I was very happy to see them . When we went home and I saw my brothers I could n't believe how big they were , because I was imagining them small like when they were in Yemen but they looked different . I liked the house even though it was a small 3 bedroom house , but it was different compare to the house in Yemen . A few weeks later it was my birthday . I had a big party and I had lots of presents . I was playing with my dolls and I felt like a child again because in Yemen I felt like an adult I was only 13 years old , but I had lots of responsibility and I did n't have time to play . For the first few months I was very happy and I loved England until I started school . I did n't like school because I could n't speak English . I did n't understand a word and it was very difficult for me to make friends . Some children used to make fun of me and they used to call me names and they used to say horrible things to me which I did n't understand at the time but they knew it was n't nice and my teacher was n't nice either . I was the only child who spoke Arabic in the school . I hated school and sometimes I used to come home crying . In the school I felt like I was deaf and dumb because I did n't know what they were saying to me and I could n't talk to them . It was terrible . At home I felt a bit strange . I felt like I did n't know my family even though my mum and dad used to spoil me and they bought me everything that I Iiked . My brothers used to be jalice of me and I did n't like that . I hated England and I wanted to go back to Yemen . I really missed my grandparents and my friends and all the things that I used to do . I remember when we first came to England - my granddad - on one day regularly he used to always take my 3 brothers , my sister and myself on the 75 bus from our house on Barnsley Road - it was a very long journey to Millhouses park . It used to be our treat . He used to put us on the peddle boats and then pay for an ice-cream each then we used to get on the bus back home . My granddad was a very caring person this makes me always wanting to be there wherever my children are , know what they are always doing . It was the day before Eid . I was about 8 years old , and I living in the Yemen with my grandparents . " Is it Eid tomorrow ? " I asked my grandmother happily . " We do n't know yet , We have to wait til the sun goes down , then we will foind out " . " Why ca n't we find out now ? " I 'm going outside to look if I can see the moon " , I said angrily . I went outside and I was looking to the sky , the sky was very clear , but I could n't see the moon . I walked back to house slowly and sadly . My grandmother was getting the food ready . " I want to help your grandmother , what can I do ? " " Go and get the things ready for the fire " . My grandmother said , so I ran quickly to the top of the house and I got all the things we needed for the fire . If the next day was Eid everyone would go to the roofs of their houses and light a little fire and that was the sign . We see the fire and the hole village know it 's Eid the next day . I was very excited and I could n't wait till the sun goes down . I went to the kitchen and I said " The fire is ready grandma . What shall I do now . " ' The food is ready , so there 's nothing to do now . We have to wait till the sun goes down . There was only about 10 minutes left but it seemed very long and it went past so slowly . When I was child and go to school when I came back from school my Mom wanted me to help in the kitchen but I said I needed to do my school work . I admired my Mum she was very great because she brought me from there to here . She taught me everything . Now I think what Mom said to me about doing house work is true . At that time it was very difficult to do all things but it is good how much I learned then . Now I can do everything like handle my house , cooking , serving , looking after my guests and my inlaws are happy with me . Now I am really happy with my Mom . I remember the closed doors when I came to England . Everyone shut their doors . In Pakistan all the doors were kept open and everyone shared everything . We often visited each other 's houses I was born in Somalia second capital city of Somalia it was a big city . My mum has 3 boys and 3 girls I am second child of my mum I used to be when under 10 I like to play outside play with the boys and girl . I used to go to school in a morning walk to school it 's far from my house come back and then I would go to religious school as well . I was beastly as a child ; I used to love playing outside I do n't like the indoors my mum she used to be shouting at me all the time " come on in and help me " I used to help my mum cooking and cleaning the house I used to do quickly the house work to go outside and play , I would make it a race they used to be girls working in the house no boys always girls I say spare to me to play outside they never do house work but my girl friends always racing saying whose going to finish house work first we finish quickly as soon as we can to play outside . I love my life my dad worked we have a lovely life my mum was so kind , my mum still live same house I was born . I finish secondary schools and after this my uncle shop to work y uncle shop , you know I was so beastly little girl . I get married when I was 16 I had my first baby when I was 18 years old my I was so scared my mum help me she help with the baby I was so young I was scared my son is now 24 years old . I am not having another baby I had my second 10 years after my first . We came to England , I left my son with my mum my and my husband came to England December 1990 I had 4 children here 2 girls and 2 boys since I born I had a lovely time I have good health still carry on my life , I 'm still a beastly women I working in school lunchtime supervisor for 6 years I do n't know what I 'm doing I 'm still beastly ! I was born in England but we lived in Pakistan and well , we had a nice house and lived with my grandparents ' cos I remember my mum since she got married always had to live with her in-laws . I remember us all being born '' cos we were kept like a second thing in my mum's life ' cos of my grandparents . We had to wash the clothes and that because there was n't a washing machine , I remember my 3 brothers when we first had our cycle because in Pakistan we could l get a cycle with five seats it was a beautiful moment when we could all sit on the cycle together and ride away on the uneven roads they were all dusty and uneven but it made it special because we were all a family . My dad came to England to work before he bought us all when he could afford to bring us all and he bought my grandparents . I remember my granddad always used to take us on a bus to Millhouses park once a week all 5 of us on the bus and he 'd buy us and ice cream and put us in the boats , oh he was such a good natured person he was so loveable and cuddly all the time with us my dad is totally different he 's a bit hard with us he 's not a soft person he does n't do that with my kids , his grandchildren . My granddad used to do that with us all the time . When he passed away it was a real emotional time . Those are the memories that I like to keep .