The world is falling
Falling apart
Watch as it rapidly collapses
Shattering into a billion pieces
No one notices
No one ever stops to look
At the girl who wears a mask
Hiding pain deep within herself
Everyone loves the girl
Who wears a mask
Full of smiles and laughter
But no one dares to look
Beyond the disguise
Where all the pain
And dark memories reside
A tortured soul remains
Occasionally, she tries
To show others
Who she really is
But no one stops long enough
To listen
To the troubles of a girl
Wearing a mask of smiles
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Essential Questions Reflection: What kind of world is this? And, how should we live in it?
Essential Questions Reflection: What kind of world is this? And, how should we live in it?
The world is a happy place full of wonderful people. People who are nice to each other, peaceful, and caring. A place where there are no wars or any conflicts at all. A place where animals are happy where they live and birds sing happily in the trees. A place where plants flourish without the worry of being depleted. A place where everything can co-exist in total and complete harmony. A world that is perfect. That's how it is… in fairytales.
The real world is a place of wonderful people, yes, everyone is wonderful in their own ways but there always is something in a person, which prevents them from being perfectly perfect. Everyone begins as someone who is caring and peaceful. Remember the days when you were still in kindergarten? Where everyone learned the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” and treated each other with kindness? It was where we all shared and helped each other out and everything was kept simple. Sometimes we would get jealous of others because of what color crayon they had and try to beat each other to be first in line. That would be all the drama. But as time passes, these seemingly unimportant feelings develop into unfortunate and undesirable qualities. Qualities such as: backstabbing and lying to be better than others, becoming jealous of each other, becoming vain and wanting to be prettier than each other. As we grow up, these may become more and more apparent in our societies, but in many different ways of course. Countries want more and more power. Whether it maybe land or resources, we all strive to have more than the other, to become more advanced than the other, to become better than the other. To do this, we have all sacrificed our environment, our animals, and our people. People are depleting the Amazon Rainforest for paper, killing poor innocent animals for fur, sacrificing people in unnecessary wars.
Maybe I’m just naïve and maybe I don't get everything and what’s going on, but I think that we should all live together better. Not better in a sense of a country wanted more power and money, but the type where there’s less fighting, more sharing, where people would get along more. A lot of Americans are becoming obese while a lot of other people in third world countries are still malnourished. Maybe we could share the food so everyone’s healthy. Maybe people could share the money and the power. Maybe if we shared, it would resolve other conflicts too. Although the people who “need” will have more, and the people who “want” will have less, they can be happy knowing that they helped someone in need. What’s better than that?
The world is a happy place full of wonderful people. People who are nice to each other, peaceful, and caring. A place where there are no wars or any conflicts at all. A place where animals are happy where they live and birds sing happily in the trees. A place where plants flourish without the worry of being depleted. A place where everything can co-exist in total and complete harmony. A world that is perfect. That's how it is… in fairytales.
The real world is a place of wonderful people, yes, everyone is wonderful in their own ways but there always is something in a person, which prevents them from being perfectly perfect. Everyone begins as someone who is caring and peaceful. Remember the days when you were still in kindergarten? Where everyone learned the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” and treated each other with kindness? It was where we all shared and helped each other out and everything was kept simple. Sometimes we would get jealous of others because of what color crayon they had and try to beat each other to be first in line. That would be all the drama. But as time passes, these seemingly unimportant feelings develop into unfortunate and undesirable qualities. Qualities such as: backstabbing and lying to be better than others, becoming jealous of each other, becoming vain and wanting to be prettier than each other. As we grow up, these may become more and more apparent in our societies, but in many different ways of course. Countries want more and more power. Whether it maybe land or resources, we all strive to have more than the other, to become more advanced than the other, to become better than the other. To do this, we have all sacrificed our environment, our animals, and our people. People are depleting the Amazon Rainforest for paper, killing poor innocent animals for fur, sacrificing people in unnecessary wars.
Maybe I’m just naïve and maybe I don't get everything and what’s going on, but I think that we should all live together better. Not better in a sense of a country wanted more power and money, but the type where there’s less fighting, more sharing, where people would get along more. A lot of Americans are becoming obese while a lot of other people in third world countries are still malnourished. Maybe we could share the food so everyone’s healthy. Maybe people could share the money and the power. Maybe if we shared, it would resolve other conflicts too. Although the people who “need” will have more, and the people who “want” will have less, they can be happy knowing that they helped someone in need. What’s better than that?
Seven Ways to Look at a Heart
Seven Ways of Looking at a Heart
- After Wallace Stevens
( I )
Among the flawless beauty and perfection
The only defect
Was a shattered heart
( II )
The heart is essential to human life
But only a small part of the human body
( III )
A heart and another heart
Are one
A heart and another heart and love
Are one
( IV )
I do not know which to prefer
The beauty of lies
Or the beauty of the truth
( V )
When the heart is not shown
It marks that there
Has become two separate worlds
( VI )
The sun is shining
The heart must be beating
( VII )
It was a beautiful girl
She was flawless
Her heart was about to be shattered
The dreaded words
Were on the tip of his tongue.
- After Wallace Stevens
( I )
Among the flawless beauty and perfection
The only defect
Was a shattered heart
( II )
The heart is essential to human life
But only a small part of the human body
( III )
A heart and another heart
Are one
A heart and another heart and love
Are one
( IV )
I do not know which to prefer
The beauty of lies
Or the beauty of the truth
( V )
When the heart is not shown
It marks that there
Has become two separate worlds
( VI )
The sun is shining
The heart must be beating
( VII )
It was a beautiful girl
She was flawless
Her heart was about to be shattered
The dreaded words
Were on the tip of his tongue.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Reflection
gleaming hatred does unfurl
escaping wild into the world
the once beautiful rose begins to die
turning its pedals away from the sky
a heart left twisted left to bleed
of love and joy there is no seed
the entire world has slipped away
theres eternal night death and decay
she lies on the ground paralyzed with pain
sightless eyes see only hurtful stains
in her eternity there's no tears left to cry
her wings are broken unable to fly
the raven gives one final crow
holding on to the edge but ready to go
she suddenly wakes and faces her fears
closes her eyes and turns from the mirror
escaping wild into the world
the once beautiful rose begins to die
turning its pedals away from the sky
a heart left twisted left to bleed
of love and joy there is no seed
the entire world has slipped away
theres eternal night death and decay
she lies on the ground paralyzed with pain
sightless eyes see only hurtful stains
in her eternity there's no tears left to cry
her wings are broken unable to fly
the raven gives one final crow
holding on to the edge but ready to go
she suddenly wakes and faces her fears
closes her eyes and turns from the mirror
Sunday, July 15, 2007
edited sonnet
apprehension
violent waves crashed against the sharp rocks,
moving boats were at the harbor's docks.
stood i on cliff next to ominous sea,
stood he on the rocky cliff next to me
it turned 12 o'clock, our watches blinked,
together, hearts were passionately linked.
we went to the tip but then he stopped,
and he watched me fall towards the rocks.
i was blinded by love and he was scared,
i was stupid thinking that he had cared.
i miss the boats at the harbor's docks,
but the waves crashed me against the rocks.
my blood flowed like a million teardrops,
my world was crushed as my heart slowly stopped.
violent waves crashed against the sharp rocks,
moving boats were at the harbor's docks.
stood i on cliff next to ominous sea,
stood he on the rocky cliff next to me
it turned 12 o'clock, our watches blinked,
together, hearts were passionately linked.
we went to the tip but then he stopped,
and he watched me fall towards the rocks.
i was blinded by love and he was scared,
i was stupid thinking that he had cared.
i miss the boats at the harbor's docks,
but the waves crashed me against the rocks.
my blood flowed like a million teardrops,
my world was crushed as my heart slowly stopped.
Monday, April 16, 2007
sonnet analysis
“Apprehension” Analysis
“Love is any number of emotions or experiences related to an intense feeling of deep affection or profound oneness.”
Love is something that is hard to understand. It is something that is full of twists and turns. Some of which are good and some of which are not so good. When you first love a person, you promise to care about them, understand them, and to always be by their side when they are feeling down. But a person can have feelings for you one day, and have them disappear into thin air the next. It can happen at any moment in time. When their feelings disappear, the love does too, along with everything else that came with it. Happiness and contentment are all replaced with feelings of regret, pain, hurt, and possibly hate.
While I was writing this sonnet, I was trying to imagine how I, myself would feel if I was in Helena’s position. How Demetrius had loved her, but left her for Hermia. He must have been a good man with many promises for a smart girl like Helena to like him. But the promises he made were shattered as he left her. She must have felt very hurt and shocked because the man that she loved had fallen out of love with her and in love with her best childhood friend, someone she trusted and believed in.
The crashing waves represent how sudden Demetrius’s words must have felt to Helena. This poem takes place at 12 o’ clock midnight. The moving boats are hard to see in the darkness but represent the dark things in the future that don't seem like they’re there, but in actuality are. Standing on the cliffs next to each other represents equality and how their love was equal. The ominous sea hints that something bad is about to happen. If Helena loved Demetrius as much as the book portrayed, she would have probably wanted to get married to Demetrius, but Demetrius probably said to wait, didn't ask her, or said “no”. This shows commitment problems and how he was probably afraid of the future. And while they were in that state, Demetrius meets Hermia and falls in love with her. I think that he is lucky that Helena wasn't very bitter about the end of their relationship, but it is quite unfortunate that Demetrius was the bitter one about it. I think if someone had the right to be, it should have been her, not him. It shouldn't have been weird for Helena to still like Demetrius because it was probably a sudden breakup, and she didn't accept the fact that Demetrius wasn't hers anymore yet. This poem portrays how sudden love can come and go, and how fatal love can be.
I think that if I were to be caught in a situation like this, I would feel very jealous, hurt, and not know what to do. It would feel as if my world would be collapsing, falling apart, and slowly ending because I am the type of girl that cares about these types of things. When something like this happened to my friend, I tried my best to comfort her and be by her side to listen to her. After that experience, I have been more careful in trying to not be caught in a situation like it. Love is a very fragile thing, but hearts are even more fragile, because they can shatter with only a couple of words or actions.
“Love is any number of emotions or experiences related to an intense feeling of deep affection or profound oneness.”
Love is something that is hard to understand. It is something that is full of twists and turns. Some of which are good and some of which are not so good. When you first love a person, you promise to care about them, understand them, and to always be by their side when they are feeling down. But a person can have feelings for you one day, and have them disappear into thin air the next. It can happen at any moment in time. When their feelings disappear, the love does too, along with everything else that came with it. Happiness and contentment are all replaced with feelings of regret, pain, hurt, and possibly hate.
While I was writing this sonnet, I was trying to imagine how I, myself would feel if I was in Helena’s position. How Demetrius had loved her, but left her for Hermia. He must have been a good man with many promises for a smart girl like Helena to like him. But the promises he made were shattered as he left her. She must have felt very hurt and shocked because the man that she loved had fallen out of love with her and in love with her best childhood friend, someone she trusted and believed in.
The crashing waves represent how sudden Demetrius’s words must have felt to Helena. This poem takes place at 12 o’ clock midnight. The moving boats are hard to see in the darkness but represent the dark things in the future that don't seem like they’re there, but in actuality are. Standing on the cliffs next to each other represents equality and how their love was equal. The ominous sea hints that something bad is about to happen. If Helena loved Demetrius as much as the book portrayed, she would have probably wanted to get married to Demetrius, but Demetrius probably said to wait, didn't ask her, or said “no”. This shows commitment problems and how he was probably afraid of the future. And while they were in that state, Demetrius meets Hermia and falls in love with her. I think that he is lucky that Helena wasn't very bitter about the end of their relationship, but it is quite unfortunate that Demetrius was the bitter one about it. I think if someone had the right to be, it should have been her, not him. It shouldn't have been weird for Helena to still like Demetrius because it was probably a sudden breakup, and she didn't accept the fact that Demetrius wasn't hers anymore yet. This poem portrays how sudden love can come and go, and how fatal love can be.
I think that if I were to be caught in a situation like this, I would feel very jealous, hurt, and not know what to do. It would feel as if my world would be collapsing, falling apart, and slowly ending because I am the type of girl that cares about these types of things. When something like this happened to my friend, I tried my best to comfort her and be by her side to listen to her. After that experience, I have been more careful in trying to not be caught in a situation like it. Love is a very fragile thing, but hearts are even more fragile, because they can shatter with only a couple of words or actions.
edited sonnet
Apprehension
Violent waves crashed against the sharp rocks,
Moving boats were at the harbor’s docks.
Stood on the cliff next to the ominous sea,
He stood on the rocky cliff next to me.
It turned 12 o’ clock, our watches blinked,
Together, hearts were passionately linked.
We went to the tip but then he stopped,
And he watched me fall toward the docks.
I was blinded by love and he was scared,
I was stupid thinking he had cared.
I missed the boats at the harbor’s docks,
But the waves crashed me against the rocks.
My blood flowed like a million teardrops,
My world was crushed as my heart slowly stopped.
Violent waves crashed against the sharp rocks,
Moving boats were at the harbor’s docks.
Stood on the cliff next to the ominous sea,
He stood on the rocky cliff next to me.
It turned 12 o’ clock, our watches blinked,
Together, hearts were passionately linked.
We went to the tip but then he stopped,
And he watched me fall toward the docks.
I was blinded by love and he was scared,
I was stupid thinking he had cared.
I missed the boats at the harbor’s docks,
But the waves crashed me against the rocks.
My blood flowed like a million teardrops,
My world was crushed as my heart slowly stopped.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
sonnet...
Apprehension
The violent waves crashed against the rocks,
Moving boats were at the harbor’s docks.
He stood on the cliff above the big sea,
He stood on the cliff that was next to me.
It turned 12 o’ clock, our watches blinked,
We would be together, our hearts were linked.
We went to the tip but then he stopped,
And he watched me fall toward the docks.
I was blinded by love and he was scared,
I was stupid thinking he had cared.
I missed the boats at the harbor’s docks,
But the waves crashed me against the rocks.
My blood flowed like a million teardrops,
My world was crushed as my heart slowly stopped.
The violent waves crashed against the rocks,
Moving boats were at the harbor’s docks.
He stood on the cliff above the big sea,
He stood on the cliff that was next to me.
It turned 12 o’ clock, our watches blinked,
We would be together, our hearts were linked.
We went to the tip but then he stopped,
And he watched me fall toward the docks.
I was blinded by love and he was scared,
I was stupid thinking he had cared.
I missed the boats at the harbor’s docks,
But the waves crashed me against the rocks.
My blood flowed like a million teardrops,
My world was crushed as my heart slowly stopped.
Friday, March 9, 2007
heritage paper
Many adults tell stories of their experiences when they were a child and stories that were told to them, to their children. Why, you would ask, would they ever want to tell you those long, boring, stories that never seem to end? Stories that never seem to apply to what you’re doing? They always tell them for a reason. If you take some time and look deeper into the story, you will find their hidden message. You will find that when you grow up and are as old as your parents, you will tell many similar stories to your children as they had told you.
One of my uncles, Uncle Wallace, came to Hawaii over winter break. His mission was to find more information about my great-grandfather, Soong Shiu Kwai, who helped Doctor Sun Yat Sen, who is known as the father of the Republic of China, overturn the Qing Dynasty. The Qing dynasty had corrupt politics and was very conservative. They created more taxes so they could pay the expenses of war. This was an unbearable burden for the people. Doctor Sun Yat Sen disliked this and decided to overturn the dynasty.
I had never known that I had a great-grandfather who had lived in Hawaii, much less help overturn the Qing Dynasty with the famous Sun Yat Sen, whose statue resides in Chinatown by River Street. Soong Shiu Kwai sounded like a very interesting person, so I decided to ask Uncle Wallace about him.
“Uncle!” I said, “What was Soong Shiu Kwai like?” He was shocked that I would ask him such a question. I think it was partially because he didn’t quite know me yet and because he thought my father would have at least told me something like that.
“Soong Shiu Kwai was a very great man,” he said. “He was very brave and did not fear death.”
I asked him, “Really? How so?” I could see the eagerness in his eyes to tell the story.
This is how it went:
“Your great-grandfather was arrested by the Qing Dynasty on November 7, 1914 because he was helping Doctor Sun Yat Sen. Even though no charges were booked against him, He was locked up in the Hong Kong jail, not permitted to communicate with anyone. The guard felt sorry for him and decided to help him out by delivering a Chinese Pin Yin letter for him to the newspapers. The letter was published the next day. As soon as his father, Soong Chu Jen, read it, he dashed to the American Consulate with his American birth certificate and citizenship papers begged the American consul-general for help. The consul-general called the governor of the jail and asked what the charges against him were. The governor told the general that it was nothing serious and that everything could be solved without their help. The next day, the governor told Soong Shiu Kwai that he would be sent to Canton as a traitor. British law prohibited him from being extradited without being given a hearing on the charges that were made against him. He told the governor this, but the governor only mocked him.”
At this moment in the story, Uncle Wallace sat up straighter and looked me in the eye, “Since your great-grandfather knew that he would most likely be sentenced to death no matter what he did, right when the governor turned to face the window, he ran to the governor’s desk, grasped the heavy water bottle that stood there and brought it down as hard as he could on the governor’s head. He stared at the broken glass for a moment and then hurled what was left of the bottle at the bloody face. The sharp edges of the glass cut him even more deeply than it had before and as the blood came gushing out, the governor ordered his men to put him in chains. Even though this seemed very extreme, your great-grandfather did this for a reason. Because attacking a governor was against the law, he had hoped it would get himself into the local courts in Hong Kong, where he could show the others what the true complaint of him was. But, his cunningness brought him no luck and he was shipped to Canton the next day. While he was at the Canton jail, he recognized the jailor as one of his previous comrades. The soldier was still loyal to him and helped him deliver an English letter to the American Consul in Canton. The letter eventually got telegraphed to the American consul- general in Hong Kong, and all sentences were suspended until there was a hearing. The Canton consul protested and demanded his release. The release it was granted. He refused to leave the jail until the authorities provided him with a ferry to the American consulate, because he knew the moment that he was released from jail, he would be arrested again. After having met the consul, he was advised to not go back to Hong Kong because assassins would try to assassinate him. He was then sent to Macao. He talked to the American consul-general in Hong Kong and was given the advice to take a ship to Honolulu, Hawaii. He decided to go and the official paid for the passage.”
This story has inspired me to believe and to do what I think is right. You shouldn't give into peer pressure from others because it is not nearly as important as what you believe yourself. Always do what you think is right and everything including all the problems will eventually work out.
One of my uncles, Uncle Wallace, came to Hawaii over winter break. His mission was to find more information about my great-grandfather, Soong Shiu Kwai, who helped Doctor Sun Yat Sen, who is known as the father of the Republic of China, overturn the Qing Dynasty. The Qing dynasty had corrupt politics and was very conservative. They created more taxes so they could pay the expenses of war. This was an unbearable burden for the people. Doctor Sun Yat Sen disliked this and decided to overturn the dynasty.
I had never known that I had a great-grandfather who had lived in Hawaii, much less help overturn the Qing Dynasty with the famous Sun Yat Sen, whose statue resides in Chinatown by River Street. Soong Shiu Kwai sounded like a very interesting person, so I decided to ask Uncle Wallace about him.
“Uncle!” I said, “What was Soong Shiu Kwai like?” He was shocked that I would ask him such a question. I think it was partially because he didn’t quite know me yet and because he thought my father would have at least told me something like that.
“Soong Shiu Kwai was a very great man,” he said. “He was very brave and did not fear death.”
I asked him, “Really? How so?” I could see the eagerness in his eyes to tell the story.
This is how it went:
“Your great-grandfather was arrested by the Qing Dynasty on November 7, 1914 because he was helping Doctor Sun Yat Sen. Even though no charges were booked against him, He was locked up in the Hong Kong jail, not permitted to communicate with anyone. The guard felt sorry for him and decided to help him out by delivering a Chinese Pin Yin letter for him to the newspapers. The letter was published the next day. As soon as his father, Soong Chu Jen, read it, he dashed to the American Consulate with his American birth certificate and citizenship papers begged the American consul-general for help. The consul-general called the governor of the jail and asked what the charges against him were. The governor told the general that it was nothing serious and that everything could be solved without their help. The next day, the governor told Soong Shiu Kwai that he would be sent to Canton as a traitor. British law prohibited him from being extradited without being given a hearing on the charges that were made against him. He told the governor this, but the governor only mocked him.”
At this moment in the story, Uncle Wallace sat up straighter and looked me in the eye, “Since your great-grandfather knew that he would most likely be sentenced to death no matter what he did, right when the governor turned to face the window, he ran to the governor’s desk, grasped the heavy water bottle that stood there and brought it down as hard as he could on the governor’s head. He stared at the broken glass for a moment and then hurled what was left of the bottle at the bloody face. The sharp edges of the glass cut him even more deeply than it had before and as the blood came gushing out, the governor ordered his men to put him in chains. Even though this seemed very extreme, your great-grandfather did this for a reason. Because attacking a governor was against the law, he had hoped it would get himself into the local courts in Hong Kong, where he could show the others what the true complaint of him was. But, his cunningness brought him no luck and he was shipped to Canton the next day. While he was at the Canton jail, he recognized the jailor as one of his previous comrades. The soldier was still loyal to him and helped him deliver an English letter to the American Consul in Canton. The letter eventually got telegraphed to the American consul- general in Hong Kong, and all sentences were suspended until there was a hearing. The Canton consul protested and demanded his release. The release it was granted. He refused to leave the jail until the authorities provided him with a ferry to the American consulate, because he knew the moment that he was released from jail, he would be arrested again. After having met the consul, he was advised to not go back to Hong Kong because assassins would try to assassinate him. He was then sent to Macao. He talked to the American consul-general in Hong Kong and was given the advice to take a ship to Honolulu, Hawaii. He decided to go and the official paid for the passage.”
This story has inspired me to believe and to do what I think is right. You shouldn't give into peer pressure from others because it is not nearly as important as what you believe yourself. Always do what you think is right and everything including all the problems will eventually work out.
heritage paper
Many adults tell stories of their experiences when they were a child and stories that were told to them, to their children. Why, you would ask, would they ever want to tell you those long, boring, stories that never seem to end? Stories that never seem to apply to what you’re doing? They always tell them for a reason. If you take some time and look deeper into the story, you will find their hidden message. You will find that when you grow up and are as old as your parents, you will tell many similar stories to your children as they had told you.
One of my uncles, Uncle Wallace, came to Hawaii over winter break. His mission was to find more information about my great-grandfather, Soong Shiu Kwai, who helped Doctor Sun Yat Sen, who is known as the father of the Republic of China, overturn the Qing Dynasty. The Qing dynasty had corrupt politics and was very conservative. They created more taxes so they could pay the expenses of war. This was an unbearable burden for the people. Doctor Sun Yat Sen disliked this and decided to overturn the dynasty.
I had never known that I had a great-grandfather who had lived in Hawaii, much less help overturn the Qing Dynasty with the famous Sun Yat Sen, whose statue resides in Chinatown by River Street. Soong Shiu Kwai sounded like a very interesting person, so I decided to ask Uncle Wallace about him.
“Uncle!” I said, “What was Soong Shiu Kwai like?” He was shocked that I would ask him such a question. I think it was partially because he didn’t quite know me yet and because he thought my father would have at least told me something like that.
“Soong Shiu Kwai was a very great man,” he said. “He was very brave and did not fear death.”
I asked him, “Really? How so?” I could see the eagerness in his eyes to tell the story.
This is how it went:
“Your great-grandfather was arrested by the Qing Dynasty on November 7, 1914 because he was helping Doctor Sun Yat Sen. Even though no charges were booked against him, He was locked up in the Hong Kong jail, not permitted to communicate with anyone. The guard felt sorry for him and decided to help him out by delivering a Chinese Pin Yin letter for him to the newspapers. The letter was published the next day. As soon as his father, Soong Chu Jen, read it, he dashed to the American Consulate with his American birth certificate and citizenship papers begged the American consul-general for help. The consul-general called the governor of the jail and asked what the charges against him were. The governor told the general that it was nothing serious and that everything could be solved without their help. The next day, the governor told Soong Shiu Kwai that he would be sent to Canton as a traitor. British law prohibited him from being extradited without being given a hearing on the charges that were made against him. He told the governor this, but the governor only mocked him.”
At this moment in the story, Uncle Wallace sat up straighter and looked me in the eye, “Since your great-grandfather knew that he would most likely be sentenced to death no matter what he did, right when the governor turned to face the window, he ran to the governor’s desk, grasped the heavy water bottle that stood there and brought it down as hard as he could on the governor’s head. He stared at the broken glass for a moment and then hurled what was left of the bottle at the bloody face. The sharp edges of the glass cut him even more deeply than it had before and as the blood came gushing out, the governor ordered his men to put him in chains. Even though this seemed very extreme, your great-grandfather did this for a reason. Because attacking a governor was against the law, he had hoped it would get himself into the local courts in Hong Kong, where he could show the others what the true complaint of him was. But, his cunningness brought him no luck and he was shipped to Canton the next day. While he was at the Canton jail, he recognized the jailor as one of his previous comrades. The soldier was still loyal to him and helped him deliver an English letter to the American Consul in Canton. The letter eventually got telegraphed to the American consul- general in Hong Kong, and all sentences were suspended until there was a hearing. The Canton consul protested and demanded his release. The release it was granted. He refused to leave the jail until the authorities provided him with a ferry to the American consulate, because he knew the moment that he was released from jail, he would be arrested again. After having met the consul, he was advised to not go back to Hong Kong because assassins would try to assassinate him. He was then sent to Macao. He talked to the American consul-general in Hong Kong and was given the advice to take a ship to Honolulu, Hawaii. He decided to go and the official paid for the passage.”
This story has inspired me to believe and to do what I think is right. You shouldn't give into peer pressure from others because it is not nearly as important as what you believe yourself. Always do what you think is right and everything including all the problems will eventually work out.
One of my uncles, Uncle Wallace, came to Hawaii over winter break. His mission was to find more information about my great-grandfather, Soong Shiu Kwai, who helped Doctor Sun Yat Sen, who is known as the father of the Republic of China, overturn the Qing Dynasty. The Qing dynasty had corrupt politics and was very conservative. They created more taxes so they could pay the expenses of war. This was an unbearable burden for the people. Doctor Sun Yat Sen disliked this and decided to overturn the dynasty.
I had never known that I had a great-grandfather who had lived in Hawaii, much less help overturn the Qing Dynasty with the famous Sun Yat Sen, whose statue resides in Chinatown by River Street. Soong Shiu Kwai sounded like a very interesting person, so I decided to ask Uncle Wallace about him.
“Uncle!” I said, “What was Soong Shiu Kwai like?” He was shocked that I would ask him such a question. I think it was partially because he didn’t quite know me yet and because he thought my father would have at least told me something like that.
“Soong Shiu Kwai was a very great man,” he said. “He was very brave and did not fear death.”
I asked him, “Really? How so?” I could see the eagerness in his eyes to tell the story.
This is how it went:
“Your great-grandfather was arrested by the Qing Dynasty on November 7, 1914 because he was helping Doctor Sun Yat Sen. Even though no charges were booked against him, He was locked up in the Hong Kong jail, not permitted to communicate with anyone. The guard felt sorry for him and decided to help him out by delivering a Chinese Pin Yin letter for him to the newspapers. The letter was published the next day. As soon as his father, Soong Chu Jen, read it, he dashed to the American Consulate with his American birth certificate and citizenship papers begged the American consul-general for help. The consul-general called the governor of the jail and asked what the charges against him were. The governor told the general that it was nothing serious and that everything could be solved without their help. The next day, the governor told Soong Shiu Kwai that he would be sent to Canton as a traitor. British law prohibited him from being extradited without being given a hearing on the charges that were made against him. He told the governor this, but the governor only mocked him.”
At this moment in the story, Uncle Wallace sat up straighter and looked me in the eye, “Since your great-grandfather knew that he would most likely be sentenced to death no matter what he did, right when the governor turned to face the window, he ran to the governor’s desk, grasped the heavy water bottle that stood there and brought it down as hard as he could on the governor’s head. He stared at the broken glass for a moment and then hurled what was left of the bottle at the bloody face. The sharp edges of the glass cut him even more deeply than it had before and as the blood came gushing out, the governor ordered his men to put him in chains. Even though this seemed very extreme, your great-grandfather did this for a reason. Because attacking a governor was against the law, he had hoped it would get himself into the local courts in Hong Kong, where he could show the others what the true complaint of him was. But, his cunningness brought him no luck and he was shipped to Canton the next day. While he was at the Canton jail, he recognized the jailor as one of his previous comrades. The soldier was still loyal to him and helped him deliver an English letter to the American Consul in Canton. The letter eventually got telegraphed to the American consul- general in Hong Kong, and all sentences were suspended until there was a hearing. The Canton consul protested and demanded his release. The release it was granted. He refused to leave the jail until the authorities provided him with a ferry to the American consulate, because he knew the moment that he was released from jail, he would be arrested again. After having met the consul, he was advised to not go back to Hong Kong because assassins would try to assassinate him. He was then sent to Macao. He talked to the American consul-general in Hong Kong and was given the advice to take a ship to Honolulu, Hawaii. He decided to go and the official paid for the passage.”
This story has inspired me to believe and to do what I think is right. You shouldn't give into peer pressure from others because it is not nearly as important as what you believe yourself. Always do what you think is right and everything including all the problems will eventually work out.
heritage paper
Many adults tell stories of their experiences when they were a child and stories that were told to them, to their children. Why, you would ask, would they ever want to tell you those long, boring, stories that never seem to end? Stories that never seem to apply to what you’re doing? They always tell them for a reason. If you take some time and look deeper into the story, you will find their hidden message. You will find that when you grow up and are as old as your parents, you will tell many similar stories to your children as they had told you.
One of my uncles, Uncle Wallace, came to Hawaii over winter break. His mission was to find more information about my great-grandfather, Soong Shiu Kwai, who helped Doctor Sun Yat Sen, who is known as the father of the Republic of China, overturn the Qing Dynasty. The Qing dynasty had corrupt politics and was very conservative. They created more taxes so they could pay the expenses of war. This was an unbearable burden for the people. Doctor Sun Yat Sen disliked this and decided to overturn the dynasty.
I had never known that I had a great-grandfather who had lived in Hawaii, much less help overturn the Qing Dynasty with the famous Sun Yat Sen, whose statue resides in Chinatown by River Street. Soong Shiu Kwai sounded like a very interesting person, so I decided to ask Uncle Wallace about him.
“Uncle!” I said, “What was Soong Shiu Kwai like?” He was shocked that I would ask him such a question. I think it was partially because he didn’t quite know me yet and because he thought my father would have at least told me something like that.
“Soong Shiu Kwai was a very great man,” he said. “He was very brave and did not fear death.”
I asked him, “Really? How so?” I could see the eagerness in his eyes to tell the story.
This is how it went:
“Your great-grandfather was arrested by the Qing Dynasty on November 7, 1914 because he was helping Doctor Sun Yat Sen. Even though no charges were booked against him, He was locked up in the Hong Kong jail, not permitted to communicate with anyone. The guard felt sorry for him and decided to help him out by delivering a Chinese Pin Yin letter for him to the newspapers. The letter was published the next day. As soon as his father, Soong Chu Jen, read it, he dashed to the American Consulate with his American birth certificate and citizenship papers begged the American consul-general for help. The consul-general called the governor of the jail and asked what the charges against him were. The governor told the general that it was nothing serious and that everything could be solved without their help. The next day, the governor told Soong Shiu Kwai that he would be sent to Canton as a traitor. British law prohibited him from being extradited without being given a hearing on the charges that were made against him. He told the governor this, but the governor only mocked him.”
At this moment in the story, Uncle Wallace sat up straighter and looked me in the eye, “Since your great-grandfather knew that he would most likely be sentenced to death no matter what he did, right when the governor turned to face the window, he ran to the governor’s desk, grasped the heavy water bottle that stood there and brought it down as hard as he could on the governor’s head. He stared at the broken glass for a moment and then hurled what was left of the bottle at the bloody face. The sharp edges of the glass cut him even more deeply than it had before and as the blood came gushing out, the governor ordered his men to put him in chains. Even though this seemed very extreme, your great-grandfather did this for a reason. Because attacking a governor was against the law, he had hoped it would get himself into the local courts in Hong Kong, where he could show the others what the true complaint of him was. But, his cunningness brought him no luck and he was shipped to Canton the next day. While he was at the Canton jail, he recognized the jailor as one of his previous comrades. The soldier was still loyal to him and helped him deliver an English letter to the American Consul in Canton. The letter eventually got telegraphed to the American consul- general in Hong Kong, and all sentences were suspended until there was a hearing. The Canton consul protested and demanded his release. The release it was granted. He refused to leave the jail until the authorities provided him with a ferry to the American consulate, because he knew the moment that he was released from jail, he would be arrested again. After having met the consul, he was advised to not go back to Hong Kong because assassins would try to assassinate him. He was then sent to Macao. He talked to the American consul-general in Hong Kong and was given the advice to take a ship to Honolulu, Hawaii. He decided to go and the official paid for the passage.”
This story has inspired me to believe and to do what I think is right. You shouldn't give into peer pressure from others because it is not nearly as important as what you believe yourself. Always do what you think is right and everything including all the problems will eventually work out.
One of my uncles, Uncle Wallace, came to Hawaii over winter break. His mission was to find more information about my great-grandfather, Soong Shiu Kwai, who helped Doctor Sun Yat Sen, who is known as the father of the Republic of China, overturn the Qing Dynasty. The Qing dynasty had corrupt politics and was very conservative. They created more taxes so they could pay the expenses of war. This was an unbearable burden for the people. Doctor Sun Yat Sen disliked this and decided to overturn the dynasty.
I had never known that I had a great-grandfather who had lived in Hawaii, much less help overturn the Qing Dynasty with the famous Sun Yat Sen, whose statue resides in Chinatown by River Street. Soong Shiu Kwai sounded like a very interesting person, so I decided to ask Uncle Wallace about him.
“Uncle!” I said, “What was Soong Shiu Kwai like?” He was shocked that I would ask him such a question. I think it was partially because he didn’t quite know me yet and because he thought my father would have at least told me something like that.
“Soong Shiu Kwai was a very great man,” he said. “He was very brave and did not fear death.”
I asked him, “Really? How so?” I could see the eagerness in his eyes to tell the story.
This is how it went:
“Your great-grandfather was arrested by the Qing Dynasty on November 7, 1914 because he was helping Doctor Sun Yat Sen. Even though no charges were booked against him, He was locked up in the Hong Kong jail, not permitted to communicate with anyone. The guard felt sorry for him and decided to help him out by delivering a Chinese Pin Yin letter for him to the newspapers. The letter was published the next day. As soon as his father, Soong Chu Jen, read it, he dashed to the American Consulate with his American birth certificate and citizenship papers begged the American consul-general for help. The consul-general called the governor of the jail and asked what the charges against him were. The governor told the general that it was nothing serious and that everything could be solved without their help. The next day, the governor told Soong Shiu Kwai that he would be sent to Canton as a traitor. British law prohibited him from being extradited without being given a hearing on the charges that were made against him. He told the governor this, but the governor only mocked him.”
At this moment in the story, Uncle Wallace sat up straighter and looked me in the eye, “Since your great-grandfather knew that he would most likely be sentenced to death no matter what he did, right when the governor turned to face the window, he ran to the governor’s desk, grasped the heavy water bottle that stood there and brought it down as hard as he could on the governor’s head. He stared at the broken glass for a moment and then hurled what was left of the bottle at the bloody face. The sharp edges of the glass cut him even more deeply than it had before and as the blood came gushing out, the governor ordered his men to put him in chains. Even though this seemed very extreme, your great-grandfather did this for a reason. Because attacking a governor was against the law, he had hoped it would get himself into the local courts in Hong Kong, where he could show the others what the true complaint of him was. But, his cunningness brought him no luck and he was shipped to Canton the next day. While he was at the Canton jail, he recognized the jailor as one of his previous comrades. The soldier was still loyal to him and helped him deliver an English letter to the American Consul in Canton. The letter eventually got telegraphed to the American consul- general in Hong Kong, and all sentences were suspended until there was a hearing. The Canton consul protested and demanded his release. The release it was granted. He refused to leave the jail until the authorities provided him with a ferry to the American consulate, because he knew the moment that he was released from jail, he would be arrested again. After having met the consul, he was advised to not go back to Hong Kong because assassins would try to assassinate him. He was then sent to Macao. He talked to the American consul-general in Hong Kong and was given the advice to take a ship to Honolulu, Hawaii. He decided to go and the official paid for the passage.”
This story has inspired me to believe and to do what I think is right. You shouldn't give into peer pressure from others because it is not nearly as important as what you believe yourself. Always do what you think is right and everything including all the problems will eventually work out.
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