CONTENTS

Chapter 1: HE WAS BORN..................................................................................................................... 3

Part 1: My name
Part 2: Her Tragedy
Chapter 2:

BECOMING A BOY............................................................................................................. 4

Part 1: My Playgrounds
Part 2: My Ancestors
Chapter 3:

ENTERING ADULTHOOD.............................................................................................5

Part 1: Surviving high school

Part 2: Appreciating Life

THE STORY OF
MY LIFE

By: Grailoune Franco Magisan

CHAPTER 1: HE WAS BORN

Part 1: My name

ON THE DAY OF MARCH 18, 1997. A CHILD WAS BORN AND THAT CHILD WAS ME. MY NAME IS
GRAILOUNE FRANCO K. MAGISAN, IM THE LAST CHILD OF MY FATHER HECTOR AND MY
MOTHER RUTH. MY FAMILY WAS VERY HAPPY WHEN I CAME TO LIFE, MAYBE BECAUSE IM A
BOY OR BECAUSE I'LL BE THE LAST CHILD THAT THEY WILL HAVE. I HAVE TWO SISTERS, THE
FIRST ONE IS MY BIG SISTER GRAMAINE AND THE SECOND ONE IS MY BIG SISTER
GRATITUDE. MY MOTHER SAID THAT I WAS VERY BIG WHEN SHE DELIVERED ME. I ALWAYS
CRY FROM TIME TO TIME FOR NO REASONS WHICH REALLY MADE MY PARENTS HAVING A
HARD TIME RAISING ME.

WHEN I WAS A BABY. I DONT KNOW WHY MY NAME IS LIKE THIS, ITS SOMEWHAT HARD TO
PRONOUNCE AND HARD TO SPELL. I'VE ASKED MY FATHER WHY HE NAMED ME THIS AND HE
SAID THAT HE WANTS A NAME THAT IS COMPOSED OF VOWEL SOUNDS AND OF COURSE TO
RHYME IT WITH THE NAMES OF MY SISTERS. ON THE OTHER HAND MY SECOND NAME
FRANCO WAS CHOSEN BY MY MOTHER AND THE REASON BEHIND IT IS TO COME UP WITH A
COMBINATION OF THE NAMES OF MY TWO GRANDFATHERS BOTH MOTHER AND FATHER
SIDE. "FRAN" CAME FROM MY GRANDFATHER FRANCISCO AND "CO" CAME FROM MY
LOLO PETOCO. ITS CRAZY, AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. I GUESS I'LL JUST
HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.

Part 2: Her Tragedy

WHEN I WAS A BABY, SOMETHING REALLY SAD HAPPENED. ITS MY BIG SISTER GRAMAINE.
SHE'S SICK AND AS TIME PASSES BY SHE PASSED AWAY AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. I KNOW MY
FATHER IS SAD AND HURT AT THAT TIME BUT IT WAS MY MOTHER WHO DEALT A LOT OF
PAIN. ITS SAD, BUT ITS JUST THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCEPT THE
REALITY THAT MY SISTER IS ALREADY GONE. MY MOTHER SAID THAT SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL
SWEET LITTLE GIRL, ACTUALLY SHE WAS THE ONE WHO WISHES FOR A BABY BROTHER AND
LUCKILY IT CAME TRUE.
THERE ARE BAD TIMES THAT HAPPEN WHEN I WAS STILL LITTLE BUT THERE'S ALSO THE GOOD
ONES. SOMETIMES I WISH I CAN REMEMBER THEM ALL, BUT OUR BRAINS CANT JUST DO IT.
WELL, WHAT CAN I SAY, WE ARE JUST HUMANS. IN MY CASE THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT

THINGS AND EVENTS THAT ALREADY HAPPENED WHEN I WAS BORN AND ITS JUST THAT I CAN'T
REMEMBER THEM ALL.

CHAPTER 2: BECOMING A BOY

Part 1: My Playgrounds
I GREW UP HERE IN

B ENGUET . ITS FILLED WITH MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS , BEAUTIFUL

PINE TREE ' S AND MANY MORE . I REMEMBER I USED TO PLAY A LOT OUTSIDE THE
HOUSE . I LOVE PLAYING IN THE DIRT THATS WHY I ALWAYS GO HOME DIRTY .

T HE

FIRST SPORT THAT I KNEW WAS SOCCER . ITS FUN AND I LOVE PLAYING IT UNTIL I
TRIED BASKETBALL WHICH IVE FALLEN INTO IMMEDIATELY . IVE NEVER BEEN TO ANY
KINDS OF TOURNAMENTS OR CHAMPIONSHIPS BECAUSE I ADMIT IM NOT GOOD
ENOUGH TO PLAY , I JUST FIND THESE SPORTS FUN ENOUGH TO DO AND I REALLY ENJOY
IT .

T HE SPORTS THAT IM DOING RIGHT NOW IS NOT ACTUALLY A SPORT . ITS MORE ON

VIDEO GAMES , ONLINE GAMES AND OFFLINE GAMES . I FOUND THIS AMUSING AND
BEFORE I EVEN KNOW IT IM SO HOOKED INTO THIS GAMES .
IMPROVED AND CHANGED RAPIDLY .

T ECHNOLOGY REALLY
A S OF RIGHT NOW EVEN THE KIDS ALREADY KNOW

THIS STUFFS . IM REALLY GLAD AND THANKFUL THAT THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY
THAT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW DIDNT REACHED ME ON MY CHILDHOOD DAYS . IM HAPPY
THAT I ENJOYED GOING OUT AND PLAYING WITH THE DIRT AND ENJOYING MOTHER
NATURE .

Part 2: My Ancestors

T HEY SAY I LOOK LIKE A KOREAN OR MAYBE JAPANESE , BUT ALL I KNOW IS THAT IM
A PURE FILIPINO CITIZEN UNTIL IVE FOUND OUT THAT I HAVE A JAPANESE
ANCESTRY .

A CTUALLY THE ONE WHO STARTED THE CLAN OF MY FATHER IS A PURE

D URING THE WORLD WAR 2 THERE WAS A JAPANESE SOLDIER

JAPANESE PERSON .

WHO RESIDED THERE IN SAGADA WHERE HE MARRIED A FILIPINO WOMAN AND ON

THAT TIME , THE CLAN OF MY FATHER BEGUN .

T HE J APANESE SOLDIER AND THE

FILPINO WOMEN WAS MY GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND

GRANDFATHER .

T HATS WHY ALL MY UNCLES , AUNTIES , LOLOS AND LOLAS HAS A

O N THE OTHER HAND
MY MOTHER ALSO HAS A JAPANESE ANCESTRY , BUT ITS NOT ACTUALLY PURE ,
ANYWAYS MY MOTHER ALSO HAS A SLANTED EYE WHICH IS THE SAME AS MINE .
U NFORTUNATELY I INHERITED HER EYES THATS WHY I LOOK LIKE HER , WELL IN FACT
SLANTED EYE OR IN TAGALOG SINGIT NA MATA INCLUDING ME .

ITS TRUE BECAUSE IN SCIENCE SOME GENES OF THE MOTHER WILL GO INTO THE GENES
OF THE SON .

S O I HAVE A J APANESE - FILIPINO TYPE ANCESTOR . W ELL , ITS JUST THE

WAY IT IS AND I THINK IM OK WITH IT .

CHAPTER 3: ENTERING ADULTHOOD

Part 1: Surviving High School

AS I GREW UP, I NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL, PRECISELY ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT IVE BEEN THROUGH
WERE ALL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS. THE FIRST SCHOOL THAT I WENT WAS A PENTACOSTAL
INSTITUTION. I STUDIED THERE WHEN I WAS IN KINDER UNTIL I GRADUATED FROM ELEMENTARY.
IVE HAD A LOT OF GOOD AND BAD EXPERIENCES IN THAT SCHOOL, ITS MORE LIKE MY CHILDHOOD
MEMORIES WHERE EVERTHING WILL START. I ENTERED INTO A CATHOLIC INSTITUTION IN MY HIGH
SCHOOL, AND IVE HAD A TOUGH TIME. IVE NEVER BEEN BULLIED WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY BUT
WHEN I ENTERED HIGH SCHOOL IT SEEMS THAT IM THE ONE WHO IS BECOMING THE BULLY, I
LEARNED HOW TO BECOME A BAD BOY INSTEAD OF BECOMING THE GOOD ONE, EVEN THOUGH ITS A
CATHOLIC SCHOOL THERES STILL A LOT OF STUDENTS LIKE ME WHO IS NOT DISCIPLINED THATS WHY
IM ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ALWAYS GO TO THE PREFECT OF DISCIPLINE OFFICE AND GOT
SCOLDED A LOT, BUT STILL THOSE ARE GOOD EXPERIENCES. I MADE IT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND
WHEN IM ABOUT TO GRADUATE I SAID TO MYSELF THAT I REALLY DID IT, MY FACE WAS SHINING WHEN
I WENT UP TO THE STAGE AND RECEIVED MY DIPLOMA, I WAS SO VERY PROUD AT THAT TIME, EVEN
THOUGH IDONT HAVE ANY AWARDS, I WAS STILL THE PROUDEST OF THEM ALL.

Part 2: Appreciating Life

IM IN COLLEGE NOW AND I THOUGHT THAT EVERTHING WILL BE OK BUT I WAS SO WRONG. THE FIRST
DAYS WERE BAD, IM ALL ALONE AND I DONT HAVE ANY FRIENDS TO TALK TO BUT ITS STILL OK WITH
ME, I SAID TO MYSELF THAT I WILL ADJUST INTO THIS KIND OF ENVIRONMENT AND SO I DID. I
ALWAYS WALK INTO THE HALLWAYS AND I SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT
COURSES AND IT SOMEHOW HIT ME RIGHT ON THE HEAD THIS QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT WILL I BECOME
IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS OR WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME NOW OR WHAT THE HELL IM I SUPPOSE TO DO
NOW. TODAY IM ALREADY AT THE AGE OF 18. IM ENTERING ADULTHOOD NOW AND IM BECOMING MORE
MATURE. IM THINKING ABOUT LIFE NOW AND IM STARTING TO APPRECIATE IT. IVE DONE A LOT OF BAD
THINGS BEFORE AND THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES ME FEEL SAD, BUT WHAT CAN I DO, IM NOT PERFECT. I
GUESS THATS IT. THIS IS ME AND THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE.