We went to New York a few years ago and I had a wonderful time living there. I made many good friends both in the neighbourhood and at school. Then one night, Dad told me, "We're moving back to L.A. You'll go first, and then your mom and I will follow."

It was hard for me to adapt to the new school. I didn't like this school, a high school with some strange rules that I had never heard of. I had no friends there and struggled a lot with study. Besides, I disliked living in the house of my aunt. Luckily, my parents returned and we moved into a small apartment.

However, living with them didn't make my school life much better. They were busy unpacking and managing to adapt to the new environment and their work. They even didn't know what I was experiencing at school, I felt lonely and helpless. "Come on, darling. This move has been difficult for all of us." Mom encouraged me. However, her words didn't help at all.

Then one Friday night, my mom said to me delightedly, "I'm taking you to your grandma's house tomorrow. She has said you're welcome to spend this weekend with her. "But I wasn't happy about this idea. I had never seen my grandma since I was 5. What was I going to do there with her? The next morning, my mom drove me to my grandma's house in the country.

On the long ride, my mom kept reminding me to help grandma do housework and listen to her suggestions. But I just thought, "Grandma isn't anything like me. She can't possibly understand what I am going through. What good suggestions or encouragement can she offer?"

After arriving, my mom left for work. "Hi, Barbie," Grandma said excitedly." Come in. I've got many fun things planned." I just entered the room and said all I wanted was to watch TV.

Danilo hurried through the halls of the school for a ceremony. Ahead of him, his dad was emptying a litter bin. Danilo hoped his dad wouldn’t see him. He lowered his head, trying to get mixed in the other students. He felt embarrassed that his dad was the school cleaner.

“Good morning, son,” his dad said as Danilo passed. Danilo walked faster, pretending not to hear. But the other boys had already noticed.

“Hey, Danilo,” a boy called out. “There’s your dad, Santos, the school sweeper! Maybe he needs your help.” Another boy cut in, mentioning that Santos could do so much more than sweep. He could empty the litter. The boys all laughed.

Danilo couldn’t wait to go to middle school next year, where he would not be laughed at. He looked over his shoulder. His dad worked with a smile on his face. How could he ignore such unkind words?

Danilo ran into the meeting hall. Many people were seated, waiting for the school to announce the Teacher of the Year. His best friends, Nathaniel and Frances, had saved a seat for him. They made guesses about whose name was on the plaque(匾). They had many wonderful teachers. Danilo liked all of them. It would be hard for him to pick just one.

A cold winter, four years ago, my mother’s birthday was approaching. She was turning fifty years old. My mom did not ask for much but she wanted to spend quality time with the family on her birthday. My dad on the other hand had another idea in mind. He decided to throw her a surprise birthday party, but my mother hated surprises. No one knew how this would turn out. The outcome could be great or a great fail.

My parents have six children, including me. Five of us were in America and one of my brothers was in Ghana. My dad thought that if all the children spoke at her party in our language which is called Ashanti (阿散蒂语) then that would make the party extraordinary. When my father first explained his idea, I realized that I would have to speak as well. At that time I was an extremely shy person, especially in front of crowds. My dad gave us the option to go up to the stage and speak. He mostly wanted me to speak, because I was the youngest and he thought it would be great.

The next day when my mother went to work, I pulled my dad aside to talk to him and tell him that I would love to speak at my mother’s party. I could tell that he was crazy about the decision I made. My father and I agreed that he would help me write my speech in Ashanti. I was excited and anxious at the same time, but I knew too much worry was not going to help. I knew I had no choice if I wanted to impress my mother. All I could think about was the smile my mom would have on her face when I spoke. We practiced hard daily to memorize the speech better. My dad and my brothers were out for a whole day, preparing for the recreational center, where the party would be held. We were a little tired but we thought it was worth doing so.

Finally the day of the party came.

My dad handed me the microphone first.