After this, I started to practice different sports, like swimming, boxing and soccer. When I was 18 years old, I did my military service. In the army, I continued practicing the sports. We competed, representing the army in different competitions. I spent two years this way, with the army and sports, and so I completed my army training.

After three or four years more, I started coming to the U.S. to work for short periods, for one to two months, to make quick money and go back. This happened for two or three years. Then I started to live in L.A. permanently. I started working in different kinds of jobs, in factories and the kinds of places normal for people like me who don't have a career.

Now I've been in the U.S. about fifteen years. During these years, I tried to make a family. These were beautiful years and I have two beautiful daughters, Mylai and Esperanza. But five years ago my relationship ended and now I have to try to make something of my life. Now I live with my older daughter, Mylai. She is twenty years old. She's independent and doesn't like school much, so she's working and soon she will make her own life.

The other daughter is fifteen, and she's with her mom. She's in her last year of high school. Her name, Esperanza, means "hope."

When I have the chance and the space, I have animals. Now I have a possum. I was jogging the other day near Echo Park and saw him trying to cross the street. I saw he was a baby and I was afraid he would get smashed, so I took him home to m