So, this is a rough draft of my English paper. I would love some input. And of course, criticisms are welcome. Thank You! :)

Who are you and what are your intentions?

Being born and raised in the Philippines until I was 15, and also embracing my Chinese blood and culture, I have been taught a lot about traditional beliefs, faith, being conservative and reserved, and most importantly, respect. Respect for everyone around me or everyone I encounter, and respect for myself. My parents always told me not to get into any relationships until I get out of college, when I have a stable and settled life. But of course, as young as I was and am, I never listened. I thought I knew everything. I followed what I felt or wanted, got hurt, and in the end gained experience and learned a few things. I never did forget a few advices that my mother religiously told me. She said if a guy really wanted to be with me, he would wait no matter how long, do whatever he could to get not only me, but also my family, and all other things. And what my mom gave most emphasis to was that if he had any respect for me as well as my family, and if he was serious about having a relationship with me, he then would not try to get or pursue me out of my home – which is basically the 21st century or modern way of courtship, but he would rather go to my house to introduce himself, and ask my parents for permission to pursue me. Respect for yourself, wherever you are and whatever culture you’re surrounded by - that is the most important thing I have been taught in my almost 19 years of life.

Courtship – how much has it changed over the years? Do people still stick to traditional, conservative ways? Or do men and even women see it as some sort of game now? A game where they compete amongst each other to see who’s tougher, or who’d fall for the other faster? Or maybe they play this so called game as some sort of (ex) boy or girlfriend collector? Are people in this day and age ever serious about relationships anymore? Or do they just aim for pleasure, or maybe something to brag about among their friends?

As I walk into any kind of environment, I notice how some people, both men and women, act among their peers or even with their significant others. Although I’ve learned that it is wrong to make assumptions about people from first impressions, that is usually the time when everyone shows their personalities most. So for this instance, I will make assumptions and maybe even come up with conclusions about who they are.

The Romantic Guy
This type of guy is usually what most or some girls want. He’s the type of guy who could just take your breath away through his ways and actions. He’s the type of guy girls would love to show off to everyone – not just their friends but even the people they pass by while walking together. He’s everything every girl would hope for in a man. Looks wouldn’t matter as much, but hey, if he’s a self-proclaimed Mr. Romantic then he must have the looks and/or the confidence he needs to sweep you off your feet.

The Bad Boy
It is always assumed that if a girl had a choice between a good boy and a bad boy, she would always go for Mr. Bad Boy. Why? Well, I guess for the most part this could be true. Some girls love the thrill and spontaneity. Plus, these types of guys are usually the honest ones – they would tell you you’re not the only one in their lives straight up.

The One
This type of guy is usually referred to as Mr. Right. He’s not only romantic or has a side of being a bad boy; he’s also intellectual and just great to be around. He’s the perfect guy, the prince charming in every girl’s fairy tale. He’s the type of guy who says the right things at the right times. He’ll love you at your best, and even more at your worst. He’s your best friend and everything you wanted in a man all your life; the one you can tell everything to and never be judged; the one who’ll always support you. He’s the one who understands everything about the right relationship and how to work through it, and appreciates every little thing you do for him.

The Good Girl
She’s the type of girl that’s always there for you. Always poise; she is smart, classy, sweet, and chill. She’s the type of girl your mom would love for you to be with. She’s the one you see yourself falling in love with. Her innocence lures you. She makes you feel like a man. And of course, you’re her first everything.

The Tease
She’s one piece of eye-candy and you’ll never get your eyes off her. She’d love to tempt you. She’s the type of girl that’s smart, athletic, sexy, and adventurous. She’ll turn you on without even having to lift a finger. She’s the type of girl every guy wants which makes you want her more because you think if you do then you beat all those other guys. She’s very sensual and leaves you wanting more. You know you’ll never have her, but you still have that one little hope that ‘hey, maybe I’m the exception’. You’re NOT.

The Right One
She’s Mrs. Right for guys. She’s beyond all other types of girls that exist. She’s isn’t fine or one hot piece of candy; because to you, she’s more than that – she’s beautiful. She goes for her goals and reaches for the stars. She’s smart, funny, great to be around, sassy, and everything you ever hoped for to find once you’re ready to settle down. She’s never afraid of telling you the truth. She can please you in every aspect. She’ll take all your bullshit, but is also smart enough to know when to leave you. She’ll support you, appreciate all your efforts, and understand everything about you. She’s the one who completes you and makes you feel like you’ve reached your full potential as a man. She’s your girl.

In this diverse and multicultural world we now live in, we get to observe different types of society and people without having to make so much of an effort anymore. We see the world as some sort of melting pot, where every one of every culture and every little part of the world are able to meet and share with one another their own beliefs and ways of living.
So yes, over time, courtship has changed dramatically. Courtship occurs before marriage, unless an arranged marriage is planned, then this part of the relationship is just completely skipped. Over the years, however, the concept of arranged marriages has changed or maybe even swiped out of particular cultures. Traditionally, and of course it is different for every culture, courtship involves some rules, which included dowries, different ways of pursuing not only the girl but also her whole family, and other similar rituals. In the past, people would go through this kind of ritual, this thing called courtship, for a sole purpose - marriage. That all changed with the turn of the 21st century. Now, it is often heard of people referring to courtship or ‘dating’ as some sort of game. Instead of having a sole purpose for having a relationship which was marriage, it became a sort of social activity. Dating for fun became the modern thing to do, the norm. And everything else just went from there, onwards.

We all encounter different types of people every single day of our lives and everywhere we go. The romantic guy would be the one you’d imagine to meet like how they do on soap operas. How would he pursue you? He could be like ‘The One’ in pursuing someone. Give you with gifts, take you out to a nice dinner, give you flowers, chocolates, compliments, and say the right things at all the right times. Difference is, ‘The One’ would be more serious about this, and he’d do more to get you and even your family to like him; ‘The One’ would respect you and everything about you more than the romantic guy. And when he’s ready, he would even introduce himself to your family and tell them his intentions and how he’s serious about you. The romantic guy, contrary to what most people know or believe, is only in it for the chase. He loves the thrill and emotion it gives him to be able to get a lot of girls to like him. This could probably be stemmed from past failed relationships or being rejected so bad in the past that he’s just in it for revenge with the female population. We could say that ‘the romantic guy’ and ‘the one’, in a way, are the counterparts of ‘the good girl’ and ‘the right one’. The good girl is shy and reserved, she, like the right one, would probably prolong the courtship process just to be sure that you have the right intentions, or that you’re serious about her, and once she’s sure about this, then she’ll accept you. Also, if you’re her first everything, she would want everything to be perfect because she already told herself that you’re the one, and she would do anything she could to make you happy. And the bad boy? You’d most likely meet him in the streets - at a club or bar, and ask you for your number right then and there. He’d probably say “Hey Shawty, what it is?” or somewhere along those lines. And some girls like this because they want to feel rebellious, or maybe because they know that they wouldn’t need to be committed, or maybe they just want something different in their lives. The tease could also be counter-parted with the bad boy, but in a different way. The tease would act promiscuous, and flirt around; she’d tease you, make you do things for her, and lead you to believe that you have a chance, and basically just does these things for her own personal benefits. But once she finds her match, the right one for her, the one who just takes her away, then I think she could either be the good girl, or maybe even the right one.

And so, as the process and rituals of courtship changed over the years, we still retained some traditional ways and beliefs, especially if one is serious about the other. Respect is the most important thing to have and give, for yourself, for your significant other, and for each other’s families. Although the 21st century way of courtship became that of a social activity, or even a game to some, in the end, it’s still always about finding the right person to spend the rest of your life with. It’s still always about your ‘happy ending’.

[from my blogger account :D]

1. NO MORE DRAMA
2. BE A BETTER PERSON
   
3. NEVER EAT FAST FOOD AGAIN [Karla! XD]
   
4. CONTROL MY TEMPER/EMOTIONS
5. SAVE UP - STOP BEING A COMPULSIVE BUYER [lmfao!]
   
6. WORK/STUDY HARDER
7. BE HAPPY
8. ALWAYS REALIZE HOW BLESSED I AM
9. LIVE BY THE DAY & ENJOY IT & ALWAYS HAVE FUN
   
10. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT PROBLEMS COME SO I CAN LEARN & BE STRONGER
11. STOP THINKING TOO MUCH ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS
12. STOP BEING SO SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP-WISE* [Karla! XD]
13. LOVE LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW*
14. CRY IT ALL OUT WHEN SHIT HAPPENS*
15. NO MORE CURSING
16. RUN EVERY MORNING [hopefully]
    

i never make New Year's resolutions cuz I know somehow, I will forget them. But this year's an exception. I think of what's been going on in my life since shit happened to me, I think i'm in desperate need of some new goals and things to look up and forward to.

i know there's more that i wanna be able to do and right now... i keep forgetting. but yea. that's it for now, i'll be updating this list as soon as i remember or think of new ones... XD