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Teenagers often have a hero or heroine they admire and want to imitate. Some of
my friends worship celebrities like football stars and Hollywood actors or
actresses because of their talent and good looks. The person I admire is closer
to home. He is neither famous nor wealthy. But my grandfather is the person who
most deserves my admiration. My father's father, Yang Fu, is a clever man. He
was born to a farmer in the Shandong province of China. His father was too poor
to send him to school. As soon as he could walk, he was helping his parents in
the field. At the age of 15, he followed his older brother to Malaya to work.
They worked from morning to night as rubber tappers and laborers. Grandpa saw
the potential in the rubber industry. His good business sense led him to
convince his brother to buy a small rubber estate. It was the right decision and
life became better for them after that.
Grandpa faced a lot of difficulties in his life but he never gave up. During
the Japanese Occupation of Malaya in the 1940s, Grandpa's brother was killed.
Grandpa lost everything. When the war finally ended, it was
back to square one. Grandpa worked harder
than before. He planted rubber on a small plot of land. Steadily, his business
flourished and he became the owner of
several rubber plantations and fruit orchards in Negeri Sembilan and Johor.
Finally, he got married at the age of 30 and had three children.
Grandpa's children respect him greatly. Although Grandpa is not educated, he
is a man of wisdom. He trained his children to think logically and
instilled in them strong self-discipline.
Today, my uncle is a famous surgeon, my aunt is an architect and my father is
the head of the family business. All three owe their success to the values
Grandpa taught them.
In conclusion, I have yet to meet another person who deserves my admiration
and respect like my grandfather. He is clever, hard-working, persevering and
wise. I strive to use him as an example in whatever I do. I am honored to be his
grandchild. |
