Diocese of Bayombong Educational System (DBES)

Saint Louis School of Solano, Inc.

Solano, Nueva Vizcaya
Telefax # (078) 326 – 7458
e-mail: saintlouisschoolofsolano@yahoo.com

SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE

Subject: CREATIVE NON-FICTION
2ND SEMESTER

Name: Gian Paul Bolante

Grade and Section: St. Charles Garnier

Week No.: 5

MEMOIR WRITING. Choose 3 questions and come up with your memoir

• What motivates you?

My commitment to myself. I just want to be something I've always dreamt. No matter

how. Much I've to work to reach there.
My mantra “ be that much successful that you don't need to check your wallet “

• What makes you happy?

What makes me happy is really very simple. When those I am around, or care for and
especially those I love are truly happy themselves. I cannot stand to be around
depressed or unhappy people and if there is anything I can do to help brighten the
mood, bring it on. I have been known to go without just so that someone else I am
close to is able to have. Random acts of kindness for those I am not familiar with tend
to put a smile on my face as well.

• How do you relieve stress?

Most important is exercise as others have said. Healthy diet, no junk food or sugar.
Meditation helps, as well. There is no single or best way depends on you and your
living situation. What works for one person may not for another. But exercise is
essential because this is what I’ve been doing to relieve stress. I’ve been so stressed
lately because of some happenings in our family, but I always find time to divert my
mood and exercising helps a lot.
1. What’s a song that brings back memories for you? Listen to the song and travel back in your
mind to a time that it makes you remember. Spend a few minutes inside that memory,
reliving it in as much detail as possible. Then write about that memory, trying to recreate it
on the page.

- If you ever feel lonely and you want to feel like a song understands you, I
would recommend Hello by Evanescence. I discovered it as a lonely, bullied
teenager with social difficulties, and although it still makes me cry, it also
makes me feel understood and less alone, in a way. ‘Hello, I am your mind,
giving you someone to talk to.’ ‘Don’t try to fix me, I’m not broken.’ It’s really
sad and it brings back some memories during my childhood days. I was kind of
bullied, as well. I’d faced some difficulties when I was still a child and that’s a
tough childhood, I must say. And this music brings back those memories. The
melancholy music combines with the lyrics, it makes me shiver and brings tears
to my eyes, which not many things do.

2. Write about a conversation that had an impact on your life.

- My mama, my papa and my older sister were my only sources of inspiration. I had
no friends to have a "real talk". So I remember the time when I was freaking out
about my upcoming game (basketball). It was my first try to play the game.
Tormented by the pressure I created on myself. And then, I used to get to hear all
hurtful talks by my fellow mates saying I was small, I can't make it because I'm
weak and such and they are far way better than me that they are strong and I am
not. I was 8. I didn't know what competition was before that. I was happy in my
own bubble. Things started to get me. I remember crying for the first time in my
life. I had no clue what was going on. If whatever I was doing was right. If I would
still pursue my fave sport because I know to myself that I'm happy with it. I want
to do it because I believe in myself that I can do it. However, because of those
mockery that I've heard about me, so many doubts creeped in. And all I did was
cry. I'm just a boy who wants to do things that makes me happy.

I could've easily succumbed to the pressure and gave up, and not end up playing
the game, if I didn't talk to my papa...

Papa : Son?
Me : Yes, papa?
Papa : You know when I was at your age, I was kind of pressured, as well because
there are players out there that I think better than me. I feel like I couldn't make it
because I'm not that good in playing basketball, but despite the negative thoughts
that I have, I still believe in myself. I made a pact to myself that I should do it. I
shouldn't give up because I can. And to my amazement, during the game, a lot of
people cheering on me. They are rooting for me and that's one of the happiest
days of my life. To see people who supports me on my passion.
Me: I want to be like you. I want people to support me, too. I just want to do what
makes me happy.
 Papa: Then, do it. No one's stopping you. It's your battle within yourself. Either you
will let those people consume you with negative thoughts or you will do everything
for your passion. Always remember that you're not doing it for anyone. You don't
need to please anyone. You're doing it for yourself.

That day I learnt two things. Your competition is always going to be with yourself
and not others. And, you'll have to believe yourself enough to not to be influenced
by someone else's fight. And the pressure on me released in a way it never came
back. It changed my perspective about competition. It made me believe on myself.
And I stopped bothering about others. It's as if no one and nothing they do makes
me envy of them. My life and my fight revolves around me. I guess, this helped me
in so many ways, I cannot enlist. If anything, it made me a happier and a content
person. With a calmer approach to life.

3. Look at a photograph of your family. What memories does it bring back?

- My papa, my mama, me and my older sister in one frame. We had a vacation as a

family to relieve stress and to enjoy, above all. We're in the poolside while sitting
comfortably and having our family bonding. We were talking about things in life.
My future after graduation same goes to my older sister. We were talking about
our dreams in life and how we are going to reach those dreams. It's beautiful. It's
so satisfying being with your family while enjoying our time as a family. This only
happens once in a blue moon that's why we're feeling the moment. The good
ambiance that the place offered to us feels so good. The scenery that is so pleasing
to eyes because you can clearly see the beauty of nature. In front of us where we
are sitting, were tall trees that made the moment so peaceful. You will feel the
contentment. Also, we prepared a lot of foods for us to have something to eat. It
was prepared by my mama and she really is a good cook. I could smell the aroma
of my favorite dish that happens to be her specialty which is the "sinigang na
hipon" it smells so good and I must say that it will taste good because it was made
by her. Having your time with your family is really good. You should always have
time for your family because family is really important. Like us, we always find
time to unwind and relax because we only live once so we must enjoy our life to
the fullest.
Week No.: 6

PERFORMANCE TASK — Craft your autobiography (500 words up)

1. What lesson in life did you learn the hard way?

2. Describe a time when your life took an unpredictable turn.
3. Who do you think of when you imagine someone saying, “I believe in you.” Now, write
about a time in your life when just knowing someone believed in you made a difference.
4. Tell about a friend from each major stage of your life, and let us know why you think of that
person as your friend.
5. What slice of your life would you like your children to know that shed light on what has
meant the most to you?

MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I’m Gian Paul Bolante, 16 years of age. I lived in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya. I have one sibling
and she’s my older sister whose very close to me. Now, I’m currently enrolled to
Humanities and Social Sciences strand. I’m not yet decided on what course I should pursue
in the future, but one thing is for sure, I want to become a seaman. I’m just a simple boy
who loves to do my passion which is playing basketball. Maybe for some, it’s a pathetic
passion, but for me, it’s not. I love things that makes me happy and playing basketball is
one of those.

Being a son and brother is not and will never be easy, but as time passed by, I clearly
enjoying it now. I have my fair share of responsibilities and I’m totally enjoying it. As a son
and a student, I have a lot of dreams in life. I want to become a successful one someday
and I will keep doing my best for me to accomplish everything. And when I say everything,
I mean everything that will make my life worthwhile. To be honest, I have one lesson in
life that I had learned the hard way. And it is to not give up on your dreams. That if you
have a dream in life, no matter how big it is or how hard it is for you to reach, do not ever
give up because nothing is impossible. Sure, it will never be easy, but everything is
possible for a person who’s eager to reach his/her dreams in life. There was a time that my
life took an unpredictable turn. It was hard. The situation of our family is not that good.
We have a lot of family issues. We have a lot of problems as a family. Indeed, my life is a
roller coaster ride. There was a point in my life that I just wanted to give up because of the
situation of our family, but through prayers, I overcome those thoughts. There is this one
friend of mine who believed in me that I am strong that I can do anything that I can
overcome anything despite the cruel environment that I was born into. He keeps on telling
me that “I believe in you” that I can do it. Even if it’s hard, he knows I’m strong enough to
handle anything that life will throw to me and that’s beautiful. That made a difference.
Because having a friend like this who supports me through thick and thin is rare. That’s
why I’m so blessed to have such a friend like him whom I can trust the most. Whenever I
have problems in life, especially when I feel like I don’t know my purpose anymore, he’s
always there guiding me and never leave my side because as for him, I’m not just his best
friend, but also his brother. And now, I realised that if someone believe in me, why can’t I
believe in myself? In every aspects. Whether it may be about struggles in life or about
reaching your dreams in life. I know I can overcome anything. I can do anything, I can
reach anything through the help of the people around me.

I think, the slice of my life that I would like my children to know that shed light on what
has meant the most to you is about not giving up in every situation. No matter the
circumstances. You can't give up because no one believes what you do. The person who
should have the utmost believe in what you do, is yourself. Every new idea to the world is
always impossible but this is the truth “impossible is something nobody have done until
someone does it and “that person might be you”.
Week No.: 7-8

PERFORMANCE TASK: Interview an individual with a remarkable life story. The individual must be
related to you. Come up with a Biography depicting his/her life story.

BIOGRAPHY

She is an excellent wife, mother, and daughter. She has always been a simple person, very nice
and compassionate. She loves people and they love her, as well. She loves her family so much
because for her, family, above all.

Back then, their lives were very hard. Her mother was a vendor while her father doesn't have a
job. She has 1 elder sister, 1 elder brother, 2 younger sisters and 2 younger brothers which means
there were only seven of them all together excluding her parents. They live together happily
despite the hardships they are facing.

When she was a little girl, she loves to play and hang around with her siblings and friends who
lived near by her house. They used to play near the railway track. They just love to place the cover
of the pepsi and coca cola bottle made up of steel on the railway track and once the train goes on
top of it they will search for it around the area and it will be as sharp as a knife. She graduated
with a Degree of Bachelor of Elementary Education at Saint Mary's University. She experienced
teaching in different schools. After a year of teaching, she decided to got married at the age of 24.
When she was 25, she became a mother. She delivered a baby girl on August 19, 2001 which was
my eldest sister named Shanaia. Then at the age 29, she gave birth to me. Born on 17th August
2004.

Her passion in teaching didn't lasts because unfortunately, something happened that filled the
urge for her to stop teaching. Something confidential happened in our family that she choosed to
leave the country and went abroad. She worked there as DH because aside from having less salary
for teachers in the Philippines, she really wanted to help my grandma. And of course, she wants to
give us the life that she wanted for us. But of course, even after making that decision, being far
with your loved ones is not and will never be easy but she managed to overcome those. She may
have experienced home sick, there are lots of problems that has happened. Her life is indeed a
roller coaster ride, but that made her stronger.

I really admire her. She brought me to this world, cared for me, and taught me a lot. She also
listened to me all the time. She is my protector and angel in this world. She is a special, simple
woman with a lot of love to give.