I have this assignment for U.S. History called the "Family Tree project". I'm supposed to research the history of my family, and all that jazzy crap. I told my mom about it... about a week or so after my teacher assigned it to me. About a week later, she handed me EVERYTHING I needed for the project, all I had to do was transfer all of the information, maps and pictures onto my poster and I'm done. I was really suprised.. but hey, I'm not complaining. But my mom's grammar really isn't all that good, so I have to re-write most of what she said. Here's one part of the report, that of which, is my mom's original writing--NOTHING was changed.

"Since my Dad Nilo passed away when I was at a very young age, I did not have a story to tell about his family. The stories was about my Mom’s Dad which was one very interesting hardship and successful story. Grandpa Amado was the 2nd among 7 siblings of a very poor farmer couple in Samar, Philippines and he was born in 1913. Back then, it was common for parents to rely on their children to help out on the farm. Education was not a priority for my great grandparents because they could barely put food on the table. However, Grandpa Amado was determined to get a good education and so he strived at a very young age of 9 years old to send himself to school.. He gathered and sold firewood and other farm produce to buy his school supplies and other school needs and walked barefooted for 5 miles everyday to school. His other siblings did not follow his footsteps and preferred to stay and help out in the farm. Because he was intelligent he was accelerated twice during elementary grades. When he finished high school, he joined the military and became a Philippine Constabulary assigned to guard at the Philippine President’s official residence, Malacanang Palace during the time of President Manuel Quezon, the Commonwealth president in 1935. In 1941 when Manila was under the Japanese Occupation, he joined the Manila police. In 1942, during World War II, he joined the Guerilla forces. After being surrendered to Japanese forces in April 1942, American and Philippine soldiers and guerillas were forced to march for days in the scorching heat through the Philippine jungles. Thousands died or were killed during the march which later became known as the Bataan Death March. He and a few others were able to escape this Death March. In 1945 after the Americans liberated the Philippines from its Japanese aggressors, my Grandpa took and passed the Air Traffic Controller examination given by the Americans. Then he married my Grandma Felipa in 1946. While working as Philippine Air Traffic Controller, he did not stop there and still have his ambitions to finish college. With the moral support of my Grandma, he studied Law and graduated. He passed the Bar examination and became a lawyer in 1952. He retired as Air Traffic Controller and established his own Law Firm in his hometown in Samar. His clients were poor people who can barely pay his legal fees. Most of the time he is being paid chicken and rice for his efforts. There were also times when his legal services were free and he pays his and the clients legal expenses from his pocket. When he was not busy with his Law Firm he worked at his parents farm which he he saved from being forfeited and later became his property. He employed relatives to help out in the farm and he helped his siblings who are interested in getting an education. He was the only one who finished college, though. Because his siblings were not as determined as he was before to finish higher education. My Mom said that his father’s story was the driving force for her and her siblings to finish a higher education. My Mom is an Accountant; her brother, was a former Philippine Air Traffic Controller who became an Aircraft Pilot; and her sister is presently the Asst. Chief Air Traffic Controller. My Mom said that her father always said to them these words 'Your Mom and I don’t have riches to give to you excepto give you a good education which nobody can steal away from you'."

......

First of all, I would NEVER start an essay with "Since my Dad Nilo passed away...." -_-; And I hated the way she called my "grandpa" and "grandma" that absurd and childish way. It seems too juvenile. And using numbers like "2nd" and "7" in an essay? Baaad idea. You're always supposed to type out the entire word of the numbers, when writing on a formal report. "In 1942, during World War II, he joined the Guerilla forces." What the hell is that? Wierd sentence structure, I must say. It should be something more like, "My Grandfather joined the Guerilla forces in 1942 during WWII" which, I might add, is the CORRECT spelling of "World War II". "World War II" is incorrect, the proper and correct way to write it is "WWII". My History teachers from way back when told me that, along with my current U.S. History teacher, also. Heh.

Ooookay. I should just stop correcting my mother's writing and get working on my own for this stupid assignment. Later.