Life is not always pleasant when living in the U.S. as a teenager, especially if you're Chinese. Last school year I experienced many difficulties, although homework had never bothered me, but when I was out in society problems started to show.

When I moved to my new house last Thanksgiving the teenagers were very nice to me so knowing them wasn't bad. The community was nice, the adults looked well educated, so I thought that the teenagers must be pretty smart and do good in school. But it turned out that I misjudged it and after three months my neighbors started picking on and laughing at me.

Everyday on my street there are screaming, loud music, and the sound of a basketball next door after school. That's when I started see a big difference among me and my neighbors. I choose to do homework first after school because I feel it is important. But the people who live on my street they don't feel that finishing up their homework is as important as playing ball outside. Although they aren't really serious about school work they are nice I thought.

My neighbors seemed pleased to have a Chinese living in the neighbor- hood during my first week here. They introduced me to some of the people who goes to the high school and was extremely kind to me. But we are different because they aren't as serious about school as I am. Some of them rather fail than do homework.

But on that week I learned that we are different in several other ways. For instance when I was playing basketball outside one day I heard my next door neighbor Matt cursing at his dad on their drive way. Matt could talk about anything, for that reason I thought he was a pretty open minded guy. I discovered that when I went over to his drive way to play ball that day. As time went by I figured that his attitude towards people wasn't all that good. On the day that I met him a girl Tracy was playing basketball with us too. We were playing a game of knock out and he yelled at her all of a sudden because she made the basket but he didn't.

On my first weekend at the new house I had to clean the pool deck. My other next door neighbor Chris and his friend Corry ran by and told me that they threw a girl into the lake and got caught. Crazy!

After two weeks I thought it was good to have some people to play basketball with me. Although my neighbors are a crazy bunch people they were nice to me then. But I had misunderstood and they did the same.

I misunderstood them by thinking "nice neighborhood smart people." They made the same mistake by thinking "the new kid on the street have something in common with us, he plays outside everyday like us." But when I transferred to Wellington Landings Middle School last semester our thoughts was proven to be wrong.

When I first went there I was working hard to get caught up and it was no problem. But starting from the second semester I had a whole lot of homework everyday so I couldn't go outside to play with them a lot. After four weeks they got tired of me.

Soon they pick on me at the bus stop everyday. They laugh at my teeth being yellow. But I was being considerate, because they don't know why they are yellow. Sometimes they try to pick fights with me but they never did try to fight me.

One day after school on the bus, they gave me a toothbrush and some toothpaste then insulted me with the words, "go brush your teeth." I went home and show them to my parents. Following that I went return the tooth- brush and the toothpaste to the owner. With hatred I said, "you are very kind hearted, but I cannot accept your things." He took them back and snared at me. I was happy because that made him mad. It was time for revenge after all that I have went through.

Never again have they talked about or made fun of my teeth. But they were still laughing behind my back. It was strange that the people who don't know much about me pick on me. My next door neighbor just stand there smiling when people pick on me at the bus stop. It was no wonder that he tells people to pick on me, he is a whip himself, he won't do anything bad to me because I live next door to him. Some people are just to afraid to do anything to a person they hate and have to tell other to do something. If I wanted to go beat him up I would, with no regard of where he lives.

Until last spring break it was getting so out of hand. They try to still things from my book bag. Talk about my family. The more I ignore them the more harder they try, but they got no where. At the beginning they thought I was like them but when they finally figure out that I wasn't they want me to be like them. If I didn't do what they do I'll get picked on. No two person in the world is exactly alike. So I ignored that fact.

I admit that I am a little too serious some times. I should learn how lighten up and enjoy life like my neighbors. Thus I don't want to be a person who only cares about how to have fun. They try to make me be like them, but they can't so they pick on me.

They had finally give up because they could not do anything to change my personality. So after last spring break I had never heard another about me. In fact they acted as if though they felt sorry for what they did.

Now instead of picking on me they broke my basketball hoop four times. The first time I saw them and told them forget it, just don't do it again. The second time they broke it while the rim was still brand new. I got so mad and went from house to house asking them if they knew who did it.

The third time they had a good story. Matt broke it and Alex came over and told me about a tall black kid who wanted to break Matt's rim but they wouldn't let him. So he came to break my rim. I said, "the tall black kid was one of you guys." I didn't trust them. I really didn't know who did it so it was no use blaming one of them. When dad got home and was checking on the rim two people from across the street came and told my dad that Matt and all the others are really bad. I could of swear, if I had a grenade launcher I would have blow Alex, Matt, JP and the other people who were part of that insistent away. But in America if you don't have a witness you can't do anything about it. So we've never let them play ball on our drive way again.

That was the last time that I have ever talked to them. Now there's even a bigger problem.

My history teacher really don't like me. One day he was talking about eight country who once attack the world and done a lot of damages in China. He told us every country, but when he said the eighth one was Canada I raised my hands and asked, "is it suppose to be the United States?" He sort of glared at me and told me to see him after class.

I walked to his desk after class and he told it was suppose to be the United States, but he didn't want the student to know the U.S. has once got together with other countries to attack the world. I told him I understand and apologized. From then on my history grade have always come one-tenth of a point from an A.

On the last grading period last year my history teacher told me to sit next to my next door neighbor. Because he knows that Matt is bad and is likely to copy off me he put us next to each other. On the chapter test I was noticing that Matt was copying but I pretend nothing was going on. Then the teacher came and told me he was copying why did I let him. I said I didn't know, I was paying too much attention on the test. He warned that the next time that I don't become aware of someone copying me he'll give both of us a zero. Then the teacher send Matt out to the hall.

Just because all that happened I got two B's in a roll in history. That's even worst than getting picked on. Because those two B's can rack my whole future. So next time I'll never disagree with a teacher just to keep myself out of trouble.

When school got out for the summer our house got egged by my next door neighbor. I didn't see him doing it, but I knew it was him. That afternoon I was playing basketball outside and his dog picked up a chicken bone in the grass. He took it out of its mouth. I asked respectfully for him to throw it in the trash can or out in the street, just don't throw it in the grass. He went right on throwing it in our grass. I went in to get a paper towel and picked the bone up and threw it in the trash can and the next day our house was egged.

I haven't made any contact with my neighbors all summer and they have never done anything to me or to my house but egged it. I am not expecting the end of people picking on me, because every where I go there would be criticism so I have to live with it. But I can't let a bunch of donkey people mess up my life.

High school is almost starting for me. The bigger things in life are learning how to take advantage of life, make decisions, and get on the right track. I can't forget the last semester of eighth grade its something that should be learned. Of course I should learn to points that are missing from me how to lighten up in life and enjoy life, my neighbors know lots about those two points.

I have learn three things from the last semester. Don't be afraid to do something when people are going to humiliate you. That way they'll think you are human not a whip. Don't let words get to your head. Ignore it when a jerk says you are ugly as dog. Or with words you can say, "if you think that, then don't look at me." Third, have a social life. But don't go too fast because it takes time to make friends. That's why I made a mistake, when I moved here I didn't take my time to make friends. I went too fast.

Last semester was not to be forgotten. I must learn how to deal with social problems better.