Chapter 1: Roots

Family is like branches on a tree. We all

grow in different directions, yet our roots
remain as one

During the dawn of August 26, 2001, I was born in a hospital

called, Our Lady of Lourdes, in Mandaluyong, Philippines. It

was a hard labor for my mom since I was a caesarian or csection type of birth. After the hard labor my dad, who was then
working here in America, came home to see me for the first
time. During his 1 month vacation they were able to baptize me
in a catholic church, I remembered vividly after the baptism we
went to eat a restaurant called Max.
After my dads brief vacation he went back to California to
go work at Home depot, this left my mom along with my uncles
and aunts to raise me. Throughout my toddler years every month
my dad sent money to my mom to pay for the house rent and
any other needs. I lived with my sister, aunt, and my mom in a
house at Mandaluyong.
We lived in a close-knit community and had each others
backs. Half of my dads side of the family lived closely to me
and which meant I grew very closely with my cousins. My
moms side of the family lived in Zambales, Philippines which
was a rural area.
From time to time we went on vacations there and I grew
very fond of the atmosphere there. It was a nice atmosphere
there because it was very peaceful and it felt very homely. My
grandmother and grandfather lived there for about 20+ years.
Which made the place a little bit more special
Whenever I was there I was welcomed by my dogs a & b. It
was a comfortable lifestyle I lived. When I turned 5 my parents

chose to send me to a private kindergarten school called Mother

Teresa. Throughout kindergarten I was an honor student that
always got As. Whenever I got As my father would always
reward. One of my most memorable awards was a Nintendo
game boy advanced.
Throughout my childhood I was awarded with lots of toys.
At a young age I became very picky and one of the things I
disliked was the color pink and I did not have any single item
that was colored pink. My favorite color was then orange.
When I turned 8 I had a private party at a McDonalds. I was
what you would call a spoiled child. When I turned 9 my
petition to go to America was then approved, which meant I had
to leave my family and friends for America. I was very nervous
& at the same time anxious to go to America. When the day
came, it was full of good byes and crying and at the day I made
the promise to come back.
When we got to our seats on the airplane, I then knew my life
was about to change after a 8 hour flight. On the plane the only
thing I thought about was the opportunity that I was going to get
once I got here in America.

Once we finally got there at the airport I was greeted with a

warm welcome from my dad and aunts. During the first few

weeks I spent here I considered myself as a tourist. After those

few weeks we spent time moving into my aunt ferrys
apartment. Only there was I finally introduced to an elementary
school. It was Cahuenga elementary school. My sister went to la
high. After my placement test I was placed in the third grade. On
my first day to school I was very nervous.
I had the right to be nervous because I was joining in the
middle of the year and I was also the new kid. During the first
few months I was able to adjust to the environment and I was
able to catch up and establish myself as a student willing to
learn. During the third grade I was an honor student that finished
at the top of my class.
After the third grade I had to prepare myself again as the new
kid because I was moving to a new school called Charles. H
Kim. The first day there I was actually able to adjust to the
environment and I was able to surf through the year finishing as
the top of my class again.
Luckily for the fifth grade I didnt need to move so I was able
to go through the year without trouble. During the fifth grade
one of the highlights was getting introduced to Rise Kohyang
middle school. After an assembly I was quickly convinced about
going to Rise Kohyang middle school.

The first day of middle school was sought after because it was a
start of a great school. Throughout 6th grade I was comfortable
because I was able to set up a comfort zone. I realized
throughout 6th grade we had been able to build a small but strong
community. We were able to finish to strong that year and set
our school as one of the schools to be.
On the days that led to 7th grade I thought our little
community that we had set up vanished because we were what
you would call overpopulated, but I was proven wrong because I
realized our community wasnt gone but it was upgrading

Chapter 2: The Now Me

Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find
the present, and the past perfect!- Owens Lee
Pomeroy

I live a normal life for a 13 year old. I live my life

on the motto,If you love to do something give it

your all. I like to keep those who I love very close

to me. So my family is the most important thing to
me. They are very supportive in everything that I do
and I love them for that.
I go to the best school called Rise Kohyang middle
school. At Rise I am able to express myself to the
fullest extent which is what I love about this school,
though at times school proves to be difficult I still
get excited everyday knowing that Im going to one
of the best school with my friends.
My friends and I are very competitive at school
which proves to be good since we always try to
better each other. At times when we are not trying to
better each other, we like to make each other laugh.
Though sometimes we take things too far and end up
hurting each others feelings, at the end of the day
we enjoy each others company.
When it comes to entertainment, I enjoy listening
to a certain lyricist that goes by the name J Cole. I

enjoy his music because each and every one of his

songs contain a story that is told with constant
wordplay and rhymes, though his music is
sometimes considered explicit I still enjoy listening
to it.
I also enjoy his music while Im on the go on my
bike. Biking/cycling has also been one of my
favorite escapes. Though cycling can be a dangerous
sport in a city full of cars and people, I still enjoy the
sport and I have taken so much interest in the sport
that I have taken time to appreciate the history of
cycling.
Speaking of my favorite pastimes, eating comes
into my mind deliberately. Though some people
enjoy food in quantity, I enjoy mines in quality,
which means I like food that has history and great
taste.

I like foods such as Italian, Korean, and Filipino

food. Especially Filipino because I was born into a
family that enjoys to cook and eat!
To work off all the food that I eat, I either go
cycling or if I dont have time to cycle I go to my
local park and play any sport that Includes scoring
and balls.
Though at times I struggle to sleep, I often try to
think about the future and what it holds, but I can
only wonder because I aint no psychic!

Chapter 3: The Future Me

The best way to predict your future is to
CREATE it Abraham Lincoln

After Middle school I plan on going to a high

school that is highly recommendedMath and
Science prep academywith my friends. Due to my
intelligence I will probably finish in the upper
echelon in my class. After finishing high school I
will aspire to be a part of Uncle Sams great army,
but as an engineer in the Marine Corps.
To be an engineer in the Marine corps I will have
to study engineering in college. I would also like to
have a major in psychology, since I was always
amazed by how others think and how they live.
Speaking of living, I plan on living my life to the
fullest, now I know thats what almost everybody
says but being a marine will allow me to be
deployed in places where I could be enveloped into
new diverse cultures

And for me to be a successful Marine I have to live

a life with an open mind and heart. What comes with
being a marine is a life full of instability. Being a
Marine calls for me to be available for deployment
at any moments notice which is something that
needs to be considered in my life, and when
deployment comes my family will have to be ready.
When Im not deployed I would love to continue
my interest in the sport of cycling without the
doping(Lance Armstrong reference). And since I will
be living in an area much like Oregon, I will be able
to bike in a less city-like area, like Los Angeles.
Other hobbys such as music will continue as long
artists such as J. Cole and Drake continue their
storytelling with music. Music will also be an
activity that I will teach to my children. While doing
all of this I hope to still be in contact with the closest
of my friends and present myself as someone who is
trustworthy and helpful.

Taking advantage of my masters in psychology and

my reputation of being a trustworthy and helpful
person will allow me to create a program that helps
to end a struggle to develop a good relationship
within a family. There is nothing sadder than a
family whos been split apart, though this may only
help a few people, it will still allow me to instill
change within my own country.
Although I cant tell the future, this chapter in my
book will serve as my life checklist, and will allow
me to look forward to the future. Because as its
been said ,The future is ahead, so better prepare for
it,

Chapter 4: Twilight Years

A grandfather is someone with silver in his
hair and gold in his heart- Pinterest

After retiring from a 30 year career as a marine, I

plan on staying in the Oregon area, mainly because
at an older age I would like a quieter surrounding.
Living in Oregon would also provide an escape from
the ever evolving metropolis that we call cities.
Being the adventurous person I was I will visit
Europe with my grandchildren. I will also take my
grandchildren to my old home in the Philippines. In
terms of my grandchildren, I want to be a
grandfather that will always be there for both my
children and their children serving as a figure of
wisdom and help.
Being a person of many experiences I want to
record all of my experiences in a rap and share it
with the younger generation. I would also want to
immerse myself in the future technology. When Im
still be able to, I would want to try to relive my
younger years.

I would also like to have the chance to visit some

of my old friends and just talk, reminisce, and share
some McDonalds, preferably a happy meal. I would
also like to have my grandchildren meet my friends
and see how we did it back in the old days.
With old age I would still like to have the ability to
bike, one of my favorite sports. I would also want to
share my hobbies with my grandchildren and
hopefully bond with them.
In my older age I would have to live a life with
restrictions, but with future technology I should be
able to live my life without restrictions. And without
restrictions I would go skydiving and complete
everything on my bucket list
In conclusion, I want to live a complete life. I want
to live a life that will serve as an example for all of
my grandchildren. The only downfall would have to
be the gray hair but I can live with it.