My name is Ni Ni Aye I was born in Yangon (Thaw Myay) city in Burma. The community that I lived in was very poor, but we got to communicate and laugh together while selling dry fishes and onions. The house that I lived in was made of bamboo and heart shape leafs. I am the only child. My father jobs were selling bus tickets and a boxing trainer. He started working around 5 am and finished by 9pm. For my mother she was a stayed home mom taking care of us and selling foods. I did not really have any duties to do at home, since I was either in Burmese school or Islam school and do my homework. I was in school for a long time and I loved it. I always wanted to be a teacher but I did not get to be, because of life issues. The activities that I did with my friends were running a race and sang on the stage.

I did help my parents by selling onions, fish paste and others as I can to help them. I learned how to cook after I got married, because I did not want to get in trouble with my parents in-law. No one taught me, I just learned by observing it. I missed eating fried spicy ground catfish with lemongrass in it. One of the traditional food or dish that we mostly ate was beef. We would go shop at farmer market, they had several different types of food. We took the bus and it took only 10 minutes.

My parents were not strict about dating, but I did not like dating. I met my husband when I went to my brother wedding ceremony. He came with his music group and I was the gift receiver. He told my dad that he liked me and he asked for his permission. He agreed and we got married. I have 6 children and they are under 35 year old and older than 25 years old. I usually spoil my children and taught them what to do and not do. There was lots of celebration, example water festival and ect.. But I like being at home and watching TV’s. Our religious background is Islamic. The heirlooms that I got from my parents was an Islam book.

My happiest moment was the time when I got to live with my family because we got to sell fishes, onions and other foods together on the roadside. Now that I live alone in an another country, I miss all of them so much and I feel so lonely. I missed being with my children. Everything that I have received here in the United State was more than I need, but without my kids being with me I feel so lonely.