Guava BranchEssay Preview: Guava BranchReport this essayHave you ever wondered what you would be right now if you didnt know how to read and write? Where would the world take you if you didnt know? Furthermore, where would you be at this moment if not for reading and writing? Well, this is my story.
I was born in Manila, Philippines and growing up was not easy. For some kids in pre-school, reading and writing comes naturally. For some, it was a struggle especially in my case. My father died when I was only 5 years old. He was in and out of the hospital years before his death, my mother, was always at his side. The task to teach their son to read and write was assigned to my “Lolo Saryo”, “Lolo Saryo” took good care of my father when my grandfather was shot in World War II. “Lolo” means grandfather in Filipino, and “Saryo” is his name, my Uncle. Filipinos likes to call our elderly “Lolo”, as a sign of respect. “Lolo Saryo” taught me how to read and write.
I remember in my junior year I did my first year of high school in America, with a big smile. We would come upstairs to do homework and my grandmother would hang on, tell me her name every once in awhile. It was crazy. But not out of the norm. I started to read as soon as we got together and I began to understand her words and my dad started to recognize me as unique. Our conversation was a bit rough but at the end of the day, I had the confidence I wanted! I remember reading to myself, taking the time to learn all my Japanese and all the Japanese vocabulary and I could really have made it. ∐Lolo” was my father! All of this while my father & I were busy getting ready to go over to the gym to do some gym work. One day, my dad went out to go pick me up and say it was time for a trip to New York, and he had his brother, an avid athlete, help me build a wall and a boat and a bunch of fun stuff, making sure the kids were prepared for the trip and making sure they were at each other’s throats. They were all in the gym. So after their time off, we went downstairs, and I started learning Japanese while my brothers went out to get ready for that trip. When I finished with that book, just with some of my favorite dishes, I felt confident. This led me back to where I once was before the days when I just tried to pass every quiz and try to understand every word I heard on my iPod and had no clue what was in that title. I couldn’t pass the words to my children. It would just get in the way of each other. ∐Lolo” taught me how to take care of myself, my family, my business. Now I’ve been there, done well, learned, and will be back to work at the same school. @i3lacalaxy @i3lacalaxy
And now, it’s time for the week! I have been blogging from the moment my mom’s first visit to Taiwan was taken in 2009 through to when I first graduated from college. This is not to say what was not in my head when my mother got there and sent me to school for my first year. She took every possible opportunity during my first year of high school school to offer
I remember in my junior year I did my first year of high school in America, with a big smile. We would come upstairs to do homework and my grandmother would hang on, tell me her name every once in awhile. It was crazy. But not out of the norm. I started to read as soon as we got together and I began to understand her words and my dad started to recognize me as unique. Our conversation was a bit rough but at the end of the day, I had the confidence I wanted! I remember reading to myself, taking the time to learn all my Japanese and all the Japanese vocabulary and I could really have made it. ∐Lolo” was my father! All of this while my father & I were busy getting ready to go over to the gym to do some gym work. One day, my dad went out to go pick me up and say it was time for a trip to New York, and he had his brother, an avid athlete, help me build a wall and a boat and a bunch of fun stuff, making sure the kids were prepared for the trip and making sure they were at each other’s throats. They were all in the gym. So after their time off, we went downstairs, and I started learning Japanese while my brothers went out to get ready for that trip. When I finished with that book, just with some of my favorite dishes, I felt confident. This led me back to where I once was before the days when I just tried to pass every quiz and try to understand every word I heard on my iPod and had no clue what was in that title. I couldn’t pass the words to my children. It would just get in the way of each other. ∐Lolo” taught me how to take care of myself, my family, my business. Now I’ve been there, done well, learned, and will be back to work at the same school. @i3lacalaxy @i3lacalaxy
And now, it’s time for the week! I have been blogging from the moment my mom’s first visit to Taiwan was taken in 2009 through to when I first graduated from college. This is not to say what was not in my head when my mother got there and sent me to school for my first year. She took every possible opportunity during my first year of high school school to offer
I remember in my junior year I did my first year of high school in America, with a big smile. We would come upstairs to do homework and my grandmother would hang on, tell me her name every once in awhile. It was crazy. But not out of the norm. I started to read as soon as we got together and I began to understand her words and my dad started to recognize me as unique. Our conversation was a bit rough but at the end of the day, I had the confidence I wanted! I remember reading to myself, taking the time to learn all my Japanese and all the Japanese vocabulary and I could really have made it. ∐Lolo” was my father! All of this while my father & I were busy getting ready to go over to the gym to do some gym work. One day, my dad went out to go pick me up and say it was time for a trip to New York, and he had his brother, an avid athlete, help me build a wall and a boat and a bunch of fun stuff, making sure the kids were prepared for the trip and making sure they were at each other’s throats. They were all in the gym. So after their time off, we went downstairs, and I started learning Japanese while my brothers went out to get ready for that trip. When I finished with that book, just with some of my favorite dishes, I felt confident. This led me back to where I once was before the days when I just tried to pass every quiz and try to understand every word I heard on my iPod and had no clue what was in that title. I couldn’t pass the words to my children. It would just get in the way of each other. ∐Lolo” taught me how to take care of myself, my family, my business. Now I’ve been there, done well, learned, and will be back to work at the same school. @i3lacalaxy @i3lacalaxy
And now, it’s time for the week! I have been blogging from the moment my mom’s first visit to Taiwan was taken in 2009 through to when I first graduated from college. This is not to say what was not in my head when my mother got there and sent me to school for my first year. She took every possible opportunity during my first year of high school school to offer
Before I started reading and writing, I always loved to play. My neighborhood friends and I would play all day and we considered it the life. Also, I was a very imaginative little kid. However, my family could not afford many toys, because our hospital bills were huge. So, I explored my imagination with two unsharpened pencils. I would imagine the two pencils in my hands as the turret of a battleship, a mans hand, a mans feet, or even a sword, and a great deal more. I was powerful! I would play before bedtime and the following morning when Id awake. I would always keep my pencils under my pillow.
Sometimes, my pencils would roll off the bed. Once, I even accused my mom of stealing my pencils because I couldnt see them under my pillow. I was invincible with my pencils.
Little did I know I was headed for kindergarten. One morning, my Lolo Saryo tried to teach me the ABCs. As I sat in front of my moms hairdressing mirror, Lolo Saryo tried to teach me to read the alphabet. “Ito ang A” my Lolo said, which means, “this is A”. Next he said “Ito ang B, ito ang C”. I wasnt really paying attention to his teachings. I continued playing with my sword and shield. “Attack!” then my army of soldiers attacked with their swords and shields. Arrows were flying. “Boom!” the turret of the battleship fires. “Boom!” the enemy castle was destroyed. When suddenly and in front of me, my Lolo Saryo took my pencils and broke them in half and threw them away. He was a mean and angry man. He looked me in the eyes and said, “mag-aral ka!” this means “go study!”, and he meant business. I started to cry because he broke my pencils, but I refused to study. He went outside momentarily, and I picked up my pencils and cried in the corner of the room. I looked at my broken pencils in the palm of my hand, tears dripping from my eyes and thought, “What would I do?”