Cycle 18: My Role Model

Most people who are recognized for their greatness are normally quite old or either dead. But, one person who I admire greatly is the same age as me. She is able to deal with pain no one could ever imagine, and never once complain about her problems. Coping with the pain she puts up with is only one of the reasons she is a person I admire. The fact that she is one of the best gymnasts in the state is not only impressive, but the modesty she shows is a quality every person should have. Her kindness towards all people who ever they are makes her the most kindhearted person I know. With all of the extra-curricular activities she does she is still able to manage her schedule and be an exceptional student. This young woman I know and love is named Keolamau Yee and I will always look up to her.

Cycle 18: No Name Warrior - More Quotes

This past week our class started reading The Woman Warrior, and completed the first chapter called “No Name Warrior.” “No Name Warrior” is a story about Maxine’s aunt which was told by Maxine’s mother. The story Maxine’s mother told her was about her aunt that committed suicide after giving birth to a baby that did not belong to her husband, but someone unknown. After Maxine’s mother tells her the story she ends up leaving the scene, leaving Maxine to ponder the possibilities in which this story took place. After finishing “No Name Warrior”, our assignment was: what does Maxine’s description and imagination about her aunt say about her?

• In one scene Maxine imagines, “Perhaps she had encountered him in the fields of on the mountain where the daughter-in-law collected fuel. Or perhaps he first noticed her in the marketplace. He was not a stranger because the village housed no strangers. She had to have dealings with him other than sex. Perhaps he worked an adjoining field, or he sold her the cloth for the dress she sewed and wore.”(6)
  

In this quote Maxine imagines three different scenarios in just one paragraph, this shows off how big Maxine’s imagination really is. Because there scenarios are all so wild, it reflects that Maxine has a wild personality. As readers, we learn that Maxine is creative. These scenarios are just three out of the many in this chapter. To imagine such creative ideas, she must have a creative mind.

• In another scene Maxine describes her aunt’s actions: “To sustain her being in love, she often worked at herself in the mirror, guessing at the colors and shapes that would interest him, changing them frequently in order to hit on the right combination. She wanted him to look back.”(9)
  

Because Maxine is a teenager, her thoughts reflect that of a teenage girl. When Maxine describes her aunt looking at herself in the mirror, I assume Maxine is self conscious herself and cares what she looks like. In this description Maxine talks about colors and shapes, this may show Maxine’s bright, colorful, and artistic side.

Cycle 18: My Family Story Characterization

On Friday, our class discussed the six methods of characterization. The six methods of characterization help to better describe characters in a story. The six methods are: appearance, inner thoughts/feelings, environment, what they say, what others say about them, and actions. To help practice characterization our assignment was to choose a character from our family story.

In my family story the main character is my gunggung. Here are the six methods of characterization about my gunggung:

Appearance:

• 18 years old
• young
• cheerful

Inner thoughts/feelings:

• scared, terrified
• nervous

Environment:

• Hawaii

What they say:

• calm
• controlled

What others say about them:

• generous
• giving

Actions:

• poise
• on top of things

Cycle 18: My Family Story

Our class is going to be starting an English project called: Thousand and One Flat World Tales. Here is an idea of a story i might use. Suggestions are very welcome!!!

I was ten years old and in the fourth grade when I got into the biggest fight about the littlest thing with my best friend at the time. Her name was Taylor, and we were the best of friends ever since we first met in kindergarten.

I remember this story like it happened just yesterday, we were in class on one of the hottest days of the year. My classmates and I were slowly counting down the long minutes until our lunch break. Lunch, where all of my friends would relax under the breeze of the cafeteria fans, feeling the air blow our hair around, listening to the laughter of all the kids around me. But, this day was different, the breeze from the fans above did not seem to be as satisfying and the laughter that I heard in the cafeteria made me want to cry. This was because all the kids were laughing at me. It just so happens that my best friend, Taylor, told another girl in my class named Andrea, who I liked. And by the time lunch had arrived I was the one being laughed at and I was the one being teased.

When I got home that day, my gunggung was at my house just for a visit. And, right away he could tell his little granddaughter was unhappy. He sat me down on my bed and I explained my story. I told him how my best friend stabbed me in my back and how I wish I was never born. My gunggung, being one of the nicest men I ever met, not only made me feel a whole lot better with the story he then told me, but I also learned something about him I will never forget.

After hearing my story my gunggung then told me one of his. He explained to me that I should never wish that I was never born because I almost might not have. “I was eighteen and as handsome as ever,” he bragged. He told me how he lived the best life ever, hanging out with his friends all the time, joking around in school and always frustrating the teacher. My gunggung then told me how one piece of paper changed his life. The piece of paper he was talking about was his draft number, the number that told him if he was going to be shipped out to fight in the Korean War. My gunggung’s aspect on life changed at that moment, he could no longer goof around or do what ever he pleased, because now he had a responsibility to the United States army. His number was so low that there was no chance he could avoid not being in the war.

My gunggung then explained to me how he felt with this duffle bag in his hands, starring at the ship that would that the newest batch of young adults to Korea to fight in the war. He explained every detail to me how if felt to hug his mom for what might have been the last time. He told me how he felt anxious, scared, worried, confused, and shocked all at the same time, not knowing what would happen next. As the military officers called each number one by one, my gunggung stood there in silence, waiting for his number to be called. …84…85…86…87…88…there it was, his number 88 was called. Henry Pang, number 88, please report on deck. At that moment his heart skipped a beat. But, then a message came in. As my gunggung walk to the officer that called his name, his memories of Hawaii flashed though him mind, not knowing when or if he would ever return. When he reached the officer, the officer told him how he was saved. The officer explained how my gunggung had been pulled out of the draft and was exempt from fighting.

It turns out someone in the administration knew my gunggung and pulled him out of the draft. He was informed, instead of fighting in Korea, he was to stay in Hawaii and carry out his duties by working in the office.

After my gunggung finished his story I was speechless. If my gunggung went to fight in the Korean War, he probably would never have met my popo, and they would never have had my mom, then I would not have been born. Because of this story my gunggung told me four years ago I have never again wished I was never born.