Isabel Gil Dominguez shares details about her family and background in the Philippines. She discusses two particularly impactful memories - dislocating her knee at a young age, which left her bedridden for 3 months, and her family's move to Canada in 2009. Throughout the document, she reflects on wanting a career helping others travel, as a model, ballet dancer, or chef. Ultimately, she hopes to have a family of her own one day and make more happy memories than sad ones as her story continues.

1. Isabel Gil Dominguez
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ELA – Writing Assignment My Story 2
I am a story. You are a story. My story begins on January 01, 1999 when my journey started..... My full
name is Isabel Gil Johnson Dominguez. My parents are Mary Ann Dominguez who is now working at the
Winnipeg Airport as a baggage attendant and as a cleaner. My dad is Don Jones Dominguez; he is
working on Chicken Delight. My mom said that I was named after her favourite European model –Isabel
and my grandfather- Gil Johnson. I was born on exactly 7:30 pm in De La Salle University Hospital at
Cavite, Philippines. I was that 1st baby. I was a tall baby and I weighed on 3357 grams. I have 1 younger
sister; her name is Ileana Gale Johnson Dominguez. She was born on April 12, 2000 at De La Salle
University Hospital too and she goes to Principal Sparling School. She is in the 5th grade. She was the 2nd
baby, she was born on 2:31 pm and she weighed 3311 grams. My parents are born in January. My mom
was born after the day I was born. My dad’s birthday is the 26th of January also. Although this is only a
few information about me, please stay tuned as I share my ups and down moment/memories.
Although my life is full of positive and negative memories, I always think of it as a story in a
book of fairytales, where I get to share my story. But page 2 of my story just began..... My most difficult
memory to forget was when I dislocated my knee. I still remember when my mom helped me to get-up
and fix/locate my knee. I was rushed to the hospital by my mom and dad. I was very seriously scared
especially going to a clinic. I don’t like entering any type of medical hospital because I hate seeing blood
and looking at people curing due to an accident. I was very sad because the doctor said that if my mom
doesn’t know how to locate my knees again (by the way, my mom is an aerobics instructor before) I
would be in cast. I cried and cried until my eyes were swollen. I was bedridden (lay down on the
bed/couch –not going anything) for 3 months. I think I had to stop school until I was fully recovered. I
can still think back on the day my relatives visited me on the couch. I told my mom, why do they visited
me, I’m fine and because of that I felt that they are very sorry for me so I burst into tears. I would say
that it really had an impact on my physical strengths and abilities because until now still can’t join sports
although it has already been 3 years, and made me scared. I told myself that if it didn’t happened I
wouldn’t be as strong as I was this time. I would just imagine that it never happened, every time I reflect
to it , it just brings up the painful memory again and again. Although I have sad memories I also had
happy ones which I will reflect with you. I still remembered when my whole family traveled here for
good (live here maybe forever). It was a sunny day on May 25th 2009, when we traveled from Manila to
Vancouver by PAL plane (Philippine Airline). My family first stayed in Vancouver, we had an extra 6
hours to stay a bit in Richmond where my mom’s best friend ever since lived. They have 3 children. It
was a hot day but a bit windy, we went, to the mall, go to a restaurant the same as star bucks but
different name and stayed at their house. After we visit, we went to the airport one more time and
headed here in Winnipeg. My mom’s cousin picked us up at the airport and headed to their house. At
the few weeks I still have jetlag because of the different time zones. It did really had an impact not only
myself but also my family’s lives because we had a lot of relatives left behind, but soon we would be
able to help them to be here with us, and my friends , cousins that I used to bond with my sister and I.
Although my two different memories are positive and negative, I hope that I would have more positive

2. Isabel Gil Dominguez
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memories, and less sad and painful ones, like the other “happy endings” in a book of fairytales. My
future is yet to reveal.
Like the last chapter of a book, everything always comes together. Ever since I was young, I
never settled into what I like when I grow up. Most of my classmates before wanted to be this and that,
but not like me because by that time I only want to graduate and help my family. But I went here in
Canada and saw the immigration officers I told myself “I wanted to be like them someday”. I like helping
other people to travel and explore around the world. Ever since I sticked to what Io want to be when I
grow up and try my hardest everyday to pursue my dream. When my mom introduced me modeling
such as watching Victoria Secret Fashion shows in YouTube and buying fashionable clothes, I got into
watching them more and told myself “ Would I ever be like them?” because many people say to me your
tall and you should join sports and modeling. I also like to be a ballet dancer like before, ever since I was
young, I had lessons with my cousins and bond together on the studio. I had been on recital where we
perform on a mall where I am on the SPOTLIGHT but suddenly the unexpected moment came up- I
stopped because of my dislocated knee. For me, dancing is a way to express my emotions and a way to
communicate with others by sharing stories. I wanted to be a chef someday. I love, love cooking just like
my mom. I really like her Filipino dishes such as adobo, menudo, afritada, adobong pusit, calamares and
many more. I wanted to take culinary course for my university buy I’m sure that it cost a lot of money.
For me to be able to reach these goals successfully, I would have to study and work my hardest every
day. I would be responsible for any work that was given to me and believe that anything is possible to
happen by organizing my work and being focus. I would also like to travel and explore around the world
due to I want to see different landmarks and learning different cultures. Like my mom and dad, I would
like to have a family where we can bond forever and live everyday to the fullest, just like what happen in
a happy moment in an episode of lifetime.
You knew a lot of my personal information; I shared my painful and happy memories, and what
I wanted to be since then. Although this is just a small chapter of my story, I hoped that you did learn
things about me. As my journey of life continues, I’d hope to have more happy memories than sad and
painful ones. Like any emotional book, my story had arrived at the end.