'I’m not sure if I’m coming back after the holiday.We are going to Slovakia, my father is going to stay here. If he can get a job, he would stay. If not, he would come back to Slovakia and then we would move to Warsaw where my cousin lives. If he has a job, we would come back here. I would like to see this school and all the teachers again. He’s not looking for anything but he’s waiting to see if the job continues. He works in social work.'

'It looks very pretty. All the houses are done up because all the Roma people coming from here and getting money anywhere else.They are repairing all the houses and it looks lovely.'

'I would change the rain in Scotland. It’s cold and I don’t like it. It doesn’t rain in Slovakia – it’s always hot. Just once it rains there, every Monday. I don’t know why.And I don’t like the people who fight my brother every Friday. It means we can’t go out.They stand waiting for him and we have to phone the police.'

'I would take you to the house, the park, to the shops, to the swimming pool. I would take you to the hairdresser and make-up shop. I live with my three brothers, two sisters, Mum and Dad and Grandad. Nine of us. I’m happy.'

'If you come, I will take you to my favourite shops.After, we go have a cup of tea.Then we go to my Mum’s, my Dad’s, my family.Then you come talk to them. I would also take you to meet my Grandmum. If you could meet my Grandfather, he will teach you so many stuff. Like buildings and houses. He used to build them in Slovakia. He has died now. I miss him – he was my favourite.'

'Maybe one day you can go to Slovakia and see it’s very nice there – it’s got a fountain.We’ve got a fountain in the city centre. It’s very big. People sit on it, meet there, take photos.We go to buy things there. Everything. Shoes, clothes, everything.The fountain is called fountain I love you. It’s very nice and at night it all lights up. I was there when I was ten with my mum. We’ve even got a football pitch – they play there every week. I got to know because my brother plays football as a goalkeeper. It’s a small stadium. And in the park, we go...you know like where you see the films, you know where you sit – we’ve got that. It’s outside – you sit outside and you see.'

'I went to school in Cameroon – primary school. In Cameroon, school is very, very important.The best thing about Scotland is school. I like school. If I could go anywhere I would go to Africa, to my country. I miss it. I like my country. I’m going for a holiday, stay long, long. Come back. I want to be an oil engineer to find the petrol. I want to change the country because the country no have money, petrol, oil, food, water – no. I give them to the country.You know poverty? You no have money, no have food, you no have water, you no have oil, no have petrol, you no have building, no have car, you no have chair, table,TV. I give him. In Africa. Because I like to help the people – very good. Oil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering.Three.  '

'My name is Andre. I stay in Glasgow – I live in the Gorbals.The Gorbals has a really big city centre, a very big road, a very big house.Yes, a very big house. It has the theatre; George Square; the bus; a place to change your bus pass; a supermarket. My favourite thing? I like the Gorbals because it’s the city. I like the Gorbals because it’s silent, quiet. I don’t like the Gorbals because of the road – they build it then after two years, two months, they break it and build it again.'

'Slovakia is very good.The fountain is very big and round and the water is coming, it looks like plates. And a tiger’s head. And from the tiger’s head the water is coming.And when it’s too hot you can go inside.There’s beautiful houses there as well.You could get a map of Slovakia so you would know everything about Slovakia.'

'If you’re making a big cake, you put one bag of flour, six eggs, four sugar spoons – big ones.You put in the butter (just one spoon) and one glass of milk.You mix it.And you leave for ten minutes like this. Then you roll it , make four squares and put them to the side.The red stuff gets squeezed in, you put the squares on top of each other and cook for twenty five minutes. After it comes out, add the icing and eat! I’ve been making since when I was five. I saw my Grandmum doing it.'

'My Mum goes to work every day at the potatoes.The bus comes for them, takes them there and brings them back.They take the good potatoes and throw away the bad ones – sorting them out. They put them in like three bags and put them up and the man with the cart, he takes them away for the shops. It’s hard work. My Dad was there. It’s hard work - you know my Dad’s sister, her son has big arms like this because he is the one to put up. It’s a long journey there – it’s very far away.They go in the afternoon at three o’clock and they come back in the night at two o’ clock or three o’ clock. Friday they get their money.There are lots of people on the buses, sometimes two buses come. It’s all Slovakia people. Some Russian people.'

'When I first came I was happy – it was good to be here. I was scared of the aeroplane. It was my first time on a plane.You see down – you see the tops of houses.The area where I live, there’s too many people.'

I’m from Afghanistan.  
If someone came to visit my area in Glasgow for the first time, I would say welcome to my home and thanks for coming. And this is a surprise for me.
Shawlands is the best place to visit because my friends live here. It’s ten or fifteen minutes on the bus and I go to play pool with my friends.
I play football and rugby at Queen’s Park too.

I would like to live in London because I love London. London is a beautiful country. A lot of people live in London. It’s a busy country – I love busy countries. I love London. Glasgow is not very busy and London has a lot of games – I see in London a lot of games. Like people are sitting and do some games and have a lot of ideas. Glasgow doesn’t have a lot of ideas. I’d love to live in London – a beautiful country.

If I’m older I will be a professional rugby player. I play for Glasgow now. I want to be a rugby player – a big rugby player. I want all people to know me. All countries know me, all people know me. Same as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Potter and Jackie Chang. It’s a good life, I like that because if I’m watching to me then I know I am somebody.

My story is when I was little boy and I have a very bad story. I’m five, six years old and I’m in Afghanistan and I have a bad life and I’m not happy. And now my life is so better. I was living in Afghanistan with my Gran and Grandad and Uncle and I don’t have my Mum, she died. One day my Mum died and my Dad is in Glasgow and I don’t have anyone – just my uncle and my Grandad and Grandmum. And I’m working, I’m not going to school. I’m six, seven, eight years old. I’m not going to school. And I don’t have a good life – I’m not going for the park. I washed the cars, I had a job. It’s a bad life, a bad story. I did this job until I’m nearly twelve years old.

And after nearly one year I’m living in the UK. And I’m so happy with my life. I want to pick the Afghanistan flag to show all the people. To show people the Afghanistan flag. I want people to know about Afghanistan and Afghans. Not all people are bad, just some people are bad. All countries have bad people and good people. And I want to tell people that Afghanistan people do not have a good life. Nearly in Afghanistan is thirty years of fighting.

And now all the countries know Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a good country – it’s just some people don’t like Afghanistan. You know what I mean? They don’t like Afganistan – you know fighting and all the things bad…like children is dying here. And a lot of these people, like for example some American people don’t like Afghan people because white American people die in Afghanistan or white British people die in Afghanistan. But Afghan people don’t like American or British people to die. This is not Afghan people doing this to American or British people – this is other people that are doing that.

Nearly thirty years Afghanistan is fighting. Every day you watch the news, nearly thirty, forty, fifty children, people die. For what? For nothing. For what? For money.

I can’t go back to Afghanistan. That makes me sad. But I’m working for my country. Hard working. To put up the Afghanistan flag and I tell all the people that Afghanistan people is good people. Afghanistan people don’t like fighting. And I want to show for all the people – this is Afghanistan.

Some people say “why are you coming from your country to here?” – you know what I mean? Why I’m coming here is because I have a lot of problem. If I don’t have problem, I love my country. If I have a lot of problem I am coming to your country. Maybe some people are lying, not all the people. Don’t think about all the people. All the people love his country. If I am safe in Afghanistan, why nearly every day do forty people die? Twenty people die. Something like this.

The biggest change in my life is my life is safe and I’m hard working for my country. I’m coming to school now and I don’t have a job because I’m not eighteen or sixteen. I never went to school in Afghanistan. It’s so different – life easy, life better. I’m hard working, I go to school and after school I want to go to University and I’ll be a professional rugby player.

I’d like to do engineering at University – building. New buildings, new projects, new ideas. I like engineer because, you know what I mean, it’s good. Engineer is hard working. But it’s not my only idea. I have another idea about the law. For example, people say “You’re black” and I can say “No, why are you saying that? That’s wrong”. Or people who have a gun and shoot. “Why do you do this? It’s bad.” You do this – in law that’s wrong so you go to jail because it’s wrong.

And I’d like to help Malawi for the project at Holyrood. I know in Africa some people don’t have a good life. They don’t have food, they don’t have good water. And I want to help people. All the people are the same for me. And I like to help all the people, all the countries. You know what I mean?

I’d like to go to Africa. And Spain because you know Lionel Messi the football player. He’s a good man and I like watching Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Just watching this one.

In ten years time I hope I’m playing rugby for Scotland even if I live in London. I like Scotland. Scotland is good people.

'Interview with Marcela, community worker. At To Gypsyland,Tramway, Glasgow May 2013 / / / / / D:What kind of discrimination have you experienced when you were in Slovakia? / / / / /M: For example, when I was in school the Roma children including myself were sitting at the back just because we were Roma and sometimes teacher used to say that all Roma or Gyspies stand up just to show that we are different, we are not equal to others or they were looking into the hair of Roma kids and searching for hair lice.They were doing it just to the Roma kids.'

'Scotland is bigger than Slovakia.You know Slovakia is small – it’s not a big country.And the Czech Republic is bigger than Slovakia. I like Slovakia because some Scottish don’t like Slovakia people. Some fight with Slovakia people.You can’t stay out to the night. People come ask if you’ve got a fag on you – you don’t give him and they just fight you. I don’t know why. It’s not everywhere – just in Glasgow. Some people. I would tell everyone that we’re not scared.We don’t understand – we want to be friends with the Scottish people. Maybe they can, you know, maybe they can ask to him come and play football.And they ask about your name and they shake hands and they’re friends.Yesterday we were playing tennis and a guy asked if he can play with us. I say ok and we’re friends with him now. Just ask people.'

'I’d like to get a job in theatre. I’d like to be a dancer. Or an engineer. Or an art teacher. I like to take photos. My dad is a chef and would like me to be an engineer.'

'I had a dream that there were little people everywhere and they closed me somewhere and then I was laughing. I was still big.There was a lot of ants as well.The little people were the size of ants. It was in the big park and there was statues. It was in the museum.'

'I miss my friends and cousins.When I was in Slovakia this year I was crying when I was coming back. I didn’t want to.All my cousins were crying. It was hot, then we all started to cry and it started to rain.'

'I have two brothers, two sisters.They are younger.When I was younger I liked to play with my friends – football. Go to football, city centre,Africa. In Cameroon. Go to city centre, football, play team. I was playing football in a club. Cameroon likes football. Cameroon plays good, very good. Scotland is little, Scotland is little. Scotland is not a very good player at football!'

'Maybe you don’t know Glasgow and sometimes maybe you have to ask “where’s that road?...do you know that road?” And sometimes you have an old man. He’s very good. But somewhere is good and somewhere is bad.You have to ask and he said “that one – that one is your street.” My favourite thing is see like my house is there and you have to go maybe one, two minutes to the park. I like that. Govanhill Park. But sometimes I’m not going to Govanhill Park, I’m going to Queen’s Park because Queen’s Park is good, it’s very big. It has a small river, some ducks come in there and small, small fish.And you know a bird is coming. And sometimes I go to the park on a sunny day. Like today is a sunny day. I go always. If it’s wet and cold I go to my friend’s house. Not far away. Sometimes I go to the park with my Mum, Dad, my whole family. And my friend. My brother’s friend. I got two brothers and one sister. My sister is older and after is me and after me is my brother and my small brother. Some of the other boys in Govanhill Park never give me the football. One kicked my leg. I don’t know why. I’m always coming with my brother, my friend.That’s why. He said go away, that’s not yours, go away.Yeah one day I said to them, that’s not yours, you have to share it. But he said go away. I would take a visitor to meet my friend and my Dad. My friend is from Pakistan and he’s got one brother and one sister.And he’s very good. He sometimes comes to my house.And my Mum sometimes makes us chips...and sometimes burger. Sometimes it’s cold and that’s why he comes into my house – sometimes playing the computer. He’s got a computer as well and we’re playing a Moviestar game. I play Moviestar with my brother as well. It’s my favourite.You have to do a good thing and they give you money – not real. Big people is going to a shop that’s got alcohol there – in the night time it’s very shouty and they sometimes throw the bottle.That’s what I don’t like. My Granddad gave me a t-shirt when my age was one. My Granddad gave it to me and after I was wearing it but it was very big.And after my Mum said to me “That t-shirt is very big, we have to put it in a box and give it to your brother”.And I said to my Mum,“No, that is very special. My Granddad gave it to me.” And then after my age is five, then I wear it and then it’s very tight.And my Mum said just give it to your brother.And I’m saying, no that one is very special so I’m putting it in the box.And after my Granddad died. I was maybe five when I left Pakistan. I remember my whole family with my grandmother is going to a trip. And I’m very sick and my Grandmother said to my Dad to take me home. But my family said no, no, no but everyone was upset. Sometimes in Pakistan in the night time the light is gone. Like one, two hours. But Scotland’s lights is not gone. Some parts of Pakistan don’t have clean water. In Glasgow it is very good. In Pakistan in the summer holidays, it’s very good. It’s very warm. Maybe I can go next year. But I haven’t been yet because I have a green passport.When I get a red passport then I can go to Pakistan. I want to see my friend again. It’s so many years. I will say to him – tell your mum and dad to come to Scotland, it’s very good. I would like to see London because I’ve never seen it. My Uncle lives there and he said come to my house and I will show you everything. I like the river and they’ve got a very big bridge.And I can take photos as well. In ten years time I hope...like you know in Pakistan if someone doesn’t have a house...I’d like to buy a house and give it to them. I’d like to make a school in Pakistan that you don’t have to pay money to go to. Because some people don’t have money.'

'I would tell people its lots of fun here. I like school, its fun and I get to work on lots of projects. I love maths. Sometimes I want to be a doctor and sometimes a lawyer.'

'If I’m older I will be a professional rugby player. I play for Glasgow now. I want to be a rugby player – a big rugby player. I want all people to know me.All countries know me, all people know me. Same as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Potter and Jackie Chang. It’s a good life, I like that because if I’m watching to me then I know I am somebody.'

'I take photos to remember. I can’t remember my Gran’s picture, I see the photo and I can remember.'