Put your ideas here. For example, name the character who had/has had an influence on you as Uncle Charlie did to his nephew. Also, see if you can find some concrete details (like the sawhorses, the carpentry tools for Maria's father, the journal belonging to Linda's uncle etc.).
Other things to think about: things the person repeatedly said; a personality trait (like Uncle Charlie's smile); a special event or incident (like the building of the cottage barn/garage). If you can think of these details, outline them here.
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My family is populated with some fairly eccentric characters.
One of my uncles, my mother's brother, has lived his entire life on a farm in southern Alberta.
He has many admirable traits, many shared with Uncle Charlie. He fixes everything, builds everything. When a calf gets stuck while being born, he ties a rope around its legs and pulls it out. (I saw him do that when I was about ten and have never forgotten it).
Probably him milking a cow, the cats waiting nearby and him squirting the warm milk into each one's mouth is an incident I'll talk about in detail. I got some,too!
And that irrepressible laugh and twinkling eyes (until tears flow down) taught me to appreciate life's bigger absurdities.
That's my Uncle Gough (now 87 years old) who lives at my grandmother's place: Coulee Bank Ranch
Each Taiwanese has seals for a bank account, official documents, contract, or simply personal need; in my big family, almost everyone has one special name seal, which was made by my grandfather. Of course, I got one too, but just before he passed away when I was about twelve.
He actually was my father's uncle until his brother, my old grandfather whom I'd never seen, died and married his sister-in-law, my grandmother, and that invited gossip from neighbours, acquaintances, and relatives--I heard from my mother. I don't know what kind of job he exactly did, yet I know he was good at calligraphy and seal carving, even though he didn't have a good education during the time under Japanese rule. I often saw him sitting at his desk on the corner of the room and concentrating on his work from his back.
Every time when I visited my grandparents (their house was just one block from ours,) he always smiled to me and called my nickname nicely but without saying something else. He was a quiet person.
When I was eight or nine, once, before the Lunar New Year, I send a message to my grandmother for my mom. At that time, he was writing spring couplets with Chinese brush, which were written on red papers and pasted on or two-sides and upside of the doors. His beautiful writing and the lines of poetry attracted me.
"Can I try?" I asked. He taught me how to hold and use the brush properly and write the character of "FU" (means good fortune) on a diamond shape of red paper.
I was so afraid of making mistakes. "Just follow my steps," he encouraged me. Of course, my writing was quite terrible. I pouted.
"Nothing will be perfect at the first time. It's your first red couplet." He let me do some more. I did get better. Since then I fell in love with calligraphy that also made me write a fine hand.
When I was eighteen, my mom handed me my bankbook and a seal. That meant I was old enough and able to manage my own bank account. The beautiful seal characters of my name remained me of him. My mom told me that my sister and I were the last two members in our family to got the name seal he made. She had kept them for my sister and me for many years.
I actually never know his name. In my culture, it's impolite to call a senior's name. My mom and dad called him uncle, and my little aunts and little uncle called him "a-pa" (father); however, he is always my "a-gong" (grandfather). He never angered about the gossip; he chose the one he loved, and he loved to do, as well as never hurt anyone. He always smiled.
After graduation, I once worked as an accounting assistant for two years, but I was not really happy with doing that boring job. Although my mom told me that artists were hard to make lots of money, and my father said that I should do a popular job. But, what did I really like to do in my life?
I thought my grandfather had shown me as I looked at my seal. I changed my career path about twenty years ago even though it was not easy since I was unemployed for a half year in the beginning. I really felt happy when I was doing graphic design and illustration work, and now I still do.
Character : my uncle
My uncle Puh was a high teacher, now retired. He had a lot of influences on my childhood. What he impressed me most was he has many outstanding gifts. One of them was sketching. He could sketch anything at random. When He was a single man, my uncle often visited my family. He liked to socialize with kids, so he usually sat at the yard steps with me, chatting and sketching. Kids in my neighborhood shouted and jumped for his coming. They must have thought that my uncle was like a magician, because he could conjure a rabbit, or a dog, or whatever the kids wanted to see out of the blank sheet of paper. When these illustrated animals popped up from the sheet or simply form the ground, there was always a big “wow” sound lingering around him. When this moment came, I usually sat beside him, swelled out with pride as if to say, “see, this is my uncle, I can ask him to sketch anything at anytime, but none of you could.” Later on with my growing up, I realized that his influence about sketch must have triggered my interest in art. Now I miss him so much.
Life’s Challenges from My Father Nazario can Lead to Personal Growth
At 12, I tried my best to work hard, I was inspired by my father to be determined and succeed in life
Maria Corazon Pedalizo
February 24, 2011
I recall my “tatang Nazario” (father) loves to sing “Obladi oblada life goes on blah, lalalala, life goes on” while cleaning his carpentry tools such as hammer, saw and wood plainer. He’ll get the towel and polish his tools with oil in order not to tarnish. This is his ritual before he will start to work.
When I was 7 years old, I loved to play “hopscotch”. I don’t know why at that time, I really make sure that he is around the vicinity while I am playing or he is doing something near our backyard. O, maybe I’m a daddy’s girl and that is why I am inquisitive to look at his handiwork.
My father has five siblings and they originally came from one of the villages in northern, Philippines. He lives there with his family until he’s 25 years old. Their house is surrounded by a huge farm with ornamental trees, rice fields and in some corners; there are some pens full of pigs, buffalos, cows, and chickens. His parents trained him to work in the farm. He knows how to plow the fields, to plant and to harvest rice. He knows how to raise pigs, chickens and tending their animals in the fields. At that time, my “lola and lolo” (my father’s mother and father) feel comfortable of living that way that tends most of their children didn’t aspire to go to college. My father just finished vocational course.
He got married to my inang (mom) at the age of 26 years old. They were blessed with 3 sons and 4 daughters and I am the third to the youngest. Probably, my father foresees that a job opportunity in the village is looming, so he decided to transfer us from a village to one of the busiest metropolitan cities called “Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.” The new place he selected is still surrounded with a farm about four hectares and less people. I think he imagines copying how they live in the village, so even we are in the city, he still finds a similar place. He brought with him his plow, carpentry tools and again he plants ornamental plants and raises poultry, piggery and looks after some animals like buffalos, cows, and goats in our new area – It’s like heaven.
True enough while raising us, he continuously works hard like a horse because we are nine in the family including them. He sings “obladi, oblada, lalalalala, life goes on”, then he gets his plow, hangs it at the back of the buffalo and toils our rice fields early in the morning. My father often reminds us, “Early to bed, early to rise, so that the grace of God be with you and always pray.” During his free time from the farm, I observe him that he utilizes his time and can manage to do other odd jobs like butchers the chickens and pigs and sells it within the neighbourhoods to earn money. Not only that, he welcomes every opportunity that comes his way like guarding the subdivision we live in. Despite of his hectic schedules, he sees to it that he has time to play with us like “hide and seek or playing cards.”
My mom, my siblings and I help him in many ways; adapt his hard work and means to survive our daily living. I can see by my own eyes that, my father is absolutely a handy smart man, a jack of all trades and leads life by his good examples.
He is an admirable, brave and strong-willed person to me, with determination and courage. One day, he is making a pig pen while singing “Obladi, oblada, lalalala, life goes on.” Out of pieces of woods, bamboo trees, and bolts and nuts – he can make it including a hand-made chairs, frames, cabinets, tables, pens and he even made our own family house. While he is working, he always wants to talk me and says, “My daughter when you grow up and are ready to work, work as if you are working with God, be true to yourself and in what you do, give your best to it, and your work will always protect you wherever you go. Also, do not to fool anyone” I was young then at that time, but those words with wisdom instilled into my mind.
He also introduces all of us to school and tells us, “even though we are having some difficulties in life, do not forget to study.” As I have mentioned, my father lacks education, but he feels that his children should go to school. My father is a man with principles and integrity; he is respected by his friends whether educated or non-educated people around us in that neighborhood.
My siblings and I grow older, we promise ourselves to study very well and finish our bachelor degrees. We want to give the best for my father or to see the world as we have seen his hard life. Fortunately, all of us made our dreams came true with my father’s guidance. I remember during my recognition day in college, I asked my father and other members of the family to be there. During the ceremony, my name was called with honors and my father walked with me happily. I can’t forget his face full of joy.
After my graduation, my father treated us to one of the best restaurants called “Max Chicken House.” We talk about our past hardships, our future, we laugh and we cry out of happiness. My father also mentions to me that whenever in future, “you will get married, remember to choose a single one, not a married one nor a divorced one”. I stated to him, “Of course not! with the grace of God, He will provide me in His time, I promise.” He is now ready to discuss this issue to me because I have finished my bachelor degree, but knowing his character when I was in adolescent stage, he is very strict and no one can court me.
I was able to work in the Philippines as administrative assistant for ten years; however, I want to help my family more. Luckily, I went to Saudi Arabia to work with similar position in one of the multinational hospitals. It was one of the greatest events and unforgettable memories in my life as my father who is very strict, allowed me to go and work overseas. After my one year of staying there, I have met someone who is a bachelor (Christian and no commitment at all) and proposes marriage. I get to know him well and he asks permission to my father through writing that he will marry me. My father’s blessings made us truly happy from then on and up to now. We are blessed to have two kids: Joshua and Karenn.
Again, my father asked me one day, “When are you going to have your own house here in the Philippines? Well, we are thinking if we have the budget. He insisted that you will have money to be able to have your own house. He said, “I am a foreman carpenter, I
my grandmother who passed down a faith of christianity.
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