Once our neighbour caught a sea-snake and put it in a basket to sell. Their children asked my sister and I to come and play. My sister was about 3 or 4 years old. The snake crawled out of the basket and bit her finger. It was just like a needle that pricks in your finger. Then she fell asleep. She wanted to drink water. A few hours later she closed her eyes and stopped breathing.

If we had money she would still be alive. My dad was very sad, because we didn't have money to save my sister. My dad thought it was not good to live in Vietnam. One day he silently went fishing with my brother, the next day they didn't come back.

My mum was very worried for them, because on that day the weather was very bad, we all had to work hard for our daily food. A month later he sent a letter to my mum. He said that he and my brother were now in Hong Kong in a refugee camp. My mum was very happy that they were safe.

Two years later they came to Australia. My dad tried to work very hard to earn some money and then he sponsored us. My mum was very happy about by brother's education. I felt very, very sad to be leaving my village and my mum felt the same, for our grandma and grandpa were still there but she wanted us to have a good education in Australia.

Like my brother, she doesn't want our lives to be like her life. I think I have more opportunity to become something that I want to become than in Vietnam.

I don't need to be rich, but I can go to school here in Australia. I know how to speak English. I came here when I was in Grade 4 and now I'm in Year 8.