Katipunan Breeze
February 17, 2008
He is a man of faith. He is a devout follower of the teachings of the greatest teacher, Jesus Christ. He used to be a member of the general congregation of the belief. But he converted into a ministry because of the intercession of a divine scholar; a conversion that was for the better, he says. Ever since, his devotion became more powerful and stronger than it used to be. He is a man of faith, a faith that blossomed at an early age and still growing until today. He is also a man of intellect. He fancies playing a certain strategy board game. A critical thinker, he easily outwits his opponents. He decapitates the enemy’s forces with seeming simple yet deceiving strategies. He is a grandmaster of Checkers, a man of intellect. He is also a man of service. With all heart, he is proud of being a “promdi”. From the cool and sunny island paradise of Catanduanes, he decided to venture to the concrete and polluted shores of Manila in order to help his parents and siblings he left behind. He hoped that the knowledge and expertise he acquired from finishing a 2-year vocational course on Fish Processing could be of use in his adventures in the big city. Sadly, a Mafia-like syndicate bamboozled him. Yet amidst the treachery and deceit, he accidentally bumped with his true love in the form of a perfect Aphrodite. Their love grew, and it produced family. With this new family, he intends to serve and work to his full capacity in order to fulfill to this new family a goal he failed to deliver to his old family. He is also a man of freedom. He enjoys the cool wind on his hair while cruising the streets of his new home on his motorbike. Ultimately, he is a man of passion. He loves his Teacher, his Checkers, his family, and his Harley. He lives to love, and he loves to live. He is Villamor “Billy” Tuason, tricycle driver.
Like Billy, I am also a devout Christian. Like Billy, I am also an avid player of Checkers. Like Billy, I was also able to reach tertiary level of learning. Like Billy, I am also from the province. Like Billy, I also currently live in Quezon City. Like Billy, I also traverse Katipunan and Ateneo from Monday to Friday. Like Billy, both my parents are still alive. Like Billy, I am also male. Like Billy’s, the daughter-son ratio of his family in Catanduanes is 1-2. Like Billy, I also try to live in accordance to the Word of God.
Unlike Billy, I am Catholic. Unlike Billy, I transferred to Manila to study. Unlike Billy, all my siblings are still alive. Unlike Billy, I am taking a 4-year Bachelor in Science course. Unlike Billy, I go to Ateneo to study. Unlike Billy, I am able to go to Ateneo in a van. Unlike Billy, I go to Katipunan to have fun. Unlike Billy, I am from Davao. Unlike Billy, I live in a village in Quezon City. Unlike Billy’s, my family is financially stable and my parents are able to provide my basic needs.
Bragging aside, I was blessed with a prosperous life. I was raised in a small, peaceful family. I was given almost everything I wanted. I study in a prestigious school, and am taking a prestigious course. But as I see what I have in the eyes of an ordinary, low to middle class person makes me appreciate more what I have. I used to complain that I always get hand-me-downs from my older brother or sister, books, shoes, etc. But Billy was raised in a family with nine children! Imagine the hand-me-downs that he received. Also, I always complain that I don’t always have everything that I want. I would get envious whenever my parents gave something to my siblings. My insides would boil of anger and envy, so I used to throw tantrums just to get whatever I want. But seeing Billy, his current state of life and occupation, that material and monetary wealth is not the gauge of happiness. He says that even though he is just a tricycle driver, he is happy of what he has, his three children, his loving wife, and his ministerial community. He proved to me that being happy is not having the largest, most expensive, and grandest things in life, but being happy is having and appreciating the simplest things in life.
Summary:
Billy Tuason is a religious man who plays checkers. He comes from Catanduanes, and supports his parents and siblings.He wanted to work as a fish processor, however he was bamboozled by mafia. He finally has a family of his own, and he now is a tricycle driver.
Similarities and differences are listed, and a reflection is made.
Assessment
a. The ways that the author used to make the facts concrete were interesting. There was thought and effort on the blog.
b. The blog was generally organized. Personally, the similarities are easier to read in list form. (just an opinion)
c. The topics were interesting. His mafia-victim history and checker game domination were new ideas. The reflection showed that the author reflected deeply and discerned carefully.
Summary:
Billy Tuason is a tricycle driver, a Catholic, a checkers grandmaster, and a family man. In the hopes of a better future, he moved from Catanduanes to Manila, only to be a victim of a syndicate. All is not gloom, however. In Manila, he met his wife (to-be at that time) and together, formed a family. He currently drives a tricycle for a living and hopes that his earnings will make life easier for his family.
a - b. Strong use of parallel sentence structure shows clear thought and organization in the essay/blog post while at the same time establishing connections between the different aspects of Mr. Tuason’s life. Monotony is prevented through varying sentence length and structure at three or so sentences.
c. Interesting tidbits regarding the relevance of checkers and syndicates, allowing the story of Mr. Tuason’s life stand out over usual life stories.