•Being a woman living in the 21st
century, I still value the importance of marriage. For me, marriage is one of
those most awaited happenings in a woman’s life. It is a dream of every girl
that she thinks of as she grows old. It
is like the beginning of your own fairytale to happen. My ideal wedding is just
simple –be with the special persons in our lives on the wedding day, be married
at a church that has a significant meaning between the both of us, wear my
dream bridal gown as I walk into the altar with my parents, and feel like a
princess turning into a Queen as I approach my life’s King. I want our
fairytale to be as memorable and sacred as it should be, to have a good start
of living our dream reality as couples.
2. If you were Awiyao, would you
also give up your marriage just to follow a certain tradition?
•If I were Awiyao, I would not
give up our marriage just because of an existing tradition. As the saying goes,
“Love knows no boundaries.” – If you truly love your partner, nothing can stop
you from being with him/ her. I would ignore whatever that tradition is. I
would do whatever it takes for our marriage to last. Also, it is a matter of
weighing which is better between the two. For me, marriage is a sacred thing –
which makes it more important than following traditions or what people are used
to do.
3. If you were Lumnay, would you
also follow the tradition?
•If I were Lumnay, I think it’s
not me who would make the decision. I will let my husband, Awiyao, to choose if
he wants to stick with our marriage or not. It is because the tradition was
only appropriate to him and my decision would base on his’. If he wants to
follow the tradition, then I will sacrifice and leave him. But if he opts to
disregard the tradition and stay with me, I will be with him until the end.
4. Do you also believe that
having a child makes a family complete?
•Yes, I believe that having a
child makes a family complete. A part of being married is the want of the
couple to have a child. It makes the relationship of a married couple be
worthwhile. A child adds color to the life of a husband and wife. It gives them
a lot of reasons to fulfill their duties and responsibilities as parents. It
makes their life together as parents, be a meaningful one.
The How’s, What If’s and If
ever’s
1. How do you think expectations
of society affect the life of married couples?
•Societal expectations affect the
life of married couples in a way that they add more pressure on their
relationship. Society expects married couples to achieve that “perfect
relationship.” It sets the unwritten rules that may cause problems on their
life as partners. There are many dos and don’ts, shoulds and shouldn’ts;
married couples are hesitant to do what they want because society has made a
standard that they must follow.
2. What if you belong to Awiyao
and Lumnay’s tribe, will you also follow the same practice?
•No, I will not choose to follow
that practice especially if it’s against my will. I would not let my husband and
our relationship suffer just because of a practice or tradition. I also believe
that the reason why couples were married is because they want to spend their
life together until the end. Hence, there must be no reason for them to
separate because love knows no
boundaries.
3. For Females: Do you also
believe that between a man and a woman, the latter is expected to do more
sacrifices?
•Of course not, I believe that
both men and women were made equal. No one is made to do more sacrifices
because we’re both humans. What men can feel, women can feel too. Both deserve
to be treated equally and fairly.
4. How are men and women
portrayed in the story/ Their roles? Their rights?
•The story showed how men and women were treated before. They do not have the right to choose what they truly want because there are boundaries set for their relationship like following such customs and traditions.
5. What dominant characteristic of each is shown by Awiyao/ Lumnay’s character in the story?
5. What dominant characteristic of each is shown by Awiyao/ Lumnay’s character in the story?
•For me, there are two dominant characteristics that both characters possess in the story. First is the positive one; each of them showed their loyalty to their tribe's traditions. They set aside their feelings to follow what others expected them to do. The second is the negative one - they have shown an act of cowardice. They are not brave enough to fight for their relationship, and face the problems that they will encounter.
6. If ever you are Awiyao or
Lumnay, how will you prove your love for your wife or husband?
•Marriage is something that you
can hold on to until the end. If I were Lumnay, I can prove my love for my
husband by being with him no matter what happens. I will not easily give up our
marriage just because of any traditions. I will fulfill my promise to him that
we will be together through thick and thin, for richer or poorer, in sickness
and in health. Whatever problem we might face, I will make sure that I am with
him all the way until the end.
7. How do you live to the
expectations of society? Do you consider “society’s expectation” important?
•Over the years, society has
formed this perfect person, with expectations that no one could ever reach;
expectations which belittle people if they weren’t met. As a woman and a
teenager, I can say that it is important to follow these expectations made by
the society, but not to the extent of doing everything because the society or
the universe expects you to do so. Graduate high school, get a degree in
college, have a stable job in the future – these are some of what people look
forward to us, teenagers. These things help us to achieve our goals and become
better individuals. I live by following those expectations that became the
“standard” of today’s generation.
8. What will you choose: dignity
or love? Explain your answer.
•It depends on the situation. Love makes the world go round - everyone prefers to love and to be loved. However, love has always a limitation and that is dignity. If I were on a situation where love becomes toxic in my life, I would prefer dignity. I believe that one should not let his/her dignity be affected or downgraded because it is a matter of respect for yourself and your feelings.