The Third Option

It seems like everyone today is trying to find their own "identity". Everyone wants to fit in and belong, but at the same time they still want to honor and continue to practice their culture and traditions. The thing is that this world is not the world that makes you choose between two options. We're allowed to have our own opinions and be able to pick and choose between what we like and what we do not like. Personally, this topic is not something that I struggle with. Even though I grew up in the Philippines for the most of my life, I am fortunate enough to grow up with accepting parents that supports me in the decisions that I choose to make.

 

When I first came here, I did not really know what to expect. I did not know whether or not I was going to continue to live the way that I have been living my whole life, or if  I had to start a new one. Luckily, I was welcomed into this community where everyone was just like me. They were all Filipinos that had grown up in the Philippines and ended up immigrating here in America. They have basically already picked and chose between Filipino and American culture. They already did the work for me. They gladly helped me with my transition, and they are still here in my life to support me as well as my family. 

So how do we do it? How were we able to adapt to this American society and still keep our own culture? It's simple, really. We just do what is comfortable to us. We do not care of what other thinks because it is not their happiness that concerns us.We are a group of people that watches the Superbowl and celebrate Thanksgiving just like anyone else, but we still observe our own Filipino holidays like The Saints' Day and the Filipino Independence Day.

Overall, people should not be forced to pick between the American culture and their own culture. The thing is that there is a third option, and in this case, we are allowed to combine the two. Who says that we are not allowed to do what we please? Why should we care what people say?

Haunted House

It is because of Edgar Allen Poe's short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher", that horror stories are so popular and so common today. But what made "The Fall of the House of Usher" so great that a lot of people decided to base their stories off of it? In his story, Poe used multiple strategies that later on became a key component of horror stories. Five of the components that I would use if I were to write a haunted house story are the creepy setting, imagery, looking through a narrator's perspective, weird behaviors, and a vague ending.

Creepy settings are a must in any horror stories. They are what lets the readers know what type of a story it will be. Poe started "The Fall of the House of Usher" by describing the where the story took place and how the readers should imagine how the mansion and its surroundings would look. That type figurative language can also be called imagery. Poe used imagery throughout the story to keep the reader's attention and have them continue to be interested.

Having a limited view or viewing from someone else's perspective is another important factor. In "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe had us see the story from a narrator's perspective. This creates suspense and grabs the reader's attention and makes them want to keep reading in order to find out what is coming up. The characters' weird behaviors also tie in with the limited knowledge of what is going on in the story. The other characters are able to do anything and everything that they want, but the only thoughts that the readers will be able to know is the narrator's thoughts and how they believe things happened. This is important because it brings another level to the suspense of the story.

Last component is the vague ending. The lack of closure lets the readers explore within their imagination on what could have been. "The Fall of the House of Usher" ended with such vague ending that the readers are left with millions of ideas of how they think the story would actually end. 

These five components are exactly what I would use to create a perfect horror story. Each factor leads you one step closer to success, which is the reason why I would want to use them.