They simply thought it was strange. However, that was enough to make my young mind self-aware and self-conscious. I became deeply embarrassed of my culture and my family. We were different, and that was not something I wanted to be. I desired nothing more than to be the same as everyone else. It was never up to me, though, so I would have to live with it. However, I did what I could to hide my differences from the rest of my peers. When spending time with my friends, I’d try to avoid being at my house so they wouldn’t see my bizarre family or hear my bizarre