COMPOSITION 2. Biography JOAQUIN MERCADER I'm going to write about my dear grandfather. He was born in Orihuela (Alicante), on October 28, 1919. He has six brothers and two sisters, he was the youngest child in the family. His grandfather came from Republica del Salvador, but his parents were from Orihuela. He grew up with his parents brothers and servants and he was brought up by them as well. Joaquin had a very happy childhood, he had a lot of friends and sometimes they played football in the street. When he was nine, he travelled to Madrid due to his father's business and there he studied the primary school and passed the academic year without difficulties. However, he wasn't a brilliant student. He was very interested in learning a lot and he enjoyed studying. He liked ugly teachers least because sometimes, if the students didn't work hard, teachers beat them. He had a lot of friends in Madrid, most of them are Joaquin's neighbors and classmates. In 1936 he had to give up studying because the Spanish Civil war started. He didn't go to the university. Joaquin was a handsome and nice boy. He was thin and not very tall. He talked too much and sometimes he was a bore. In spite of talking a lot he was pleasant and fun. He was a stenographer and a typist, he worked in an office as a merchant in MACAYA SA, in Barcelona. When the war started, he traveled to France and Algeria for a year as a refugee. His brother was the manager of the GENERAL MOTORS and he gave a job to Joaquin. Then it was easy for him to find work. He earned 90 pesetas every month. He couldn't do anything else to earn his living because he didn't have time enough. He went to the office from Monday to Friday, and every weekend he played football in a popular team called U.D. Fortpienc. He was still living with his parents, brothers and sisters. All his brothers worked for the GENERAL MOTORS, but he worked alone in Macaya's office. He didn't have any fixed habits because he had to go away when the war started. He didn't smoke and hardly drank. He went to work on foot or by train. He never won a prize, he wrote a book about the family's history. He had only a girlfriend, and she was his wife for fifty years. He was always in love with her, Joaquin loved her until death separated them. He has been married for about fifty. He has got a daughter. At the moment he is an old man and he is not doing anything. He isn't planning to do anything, because he is happy with his quiet life. He would like take his granddaughter to Alicante. He enjoys reading most, watching TV and going for a walk. Joaquin is happy and healthy. He isn't sorry about anything. I think he is too much vain. He is most proud of his body and good health because in spite of being 82 years old he can read without wearing glasses! . He feels young and handsome. He is most interested in politics and in the NY's war at the moment, and he doesn't care about gossips. He thinks that health is the most important thing in the live. He doesn't believe in ghosts. He likes the sincerity and the comradeship about society, and he likes violence least. If he could, he would prevent war and fights, he would learn English, and he would like to live a lot of years with good health and never worry his daughter. He can't stand Ana Obregon, Joan Gaspart and some other famous people who are rich without doing anything interesting. He has been in Madrid for nine years. As soon as he started to work, he traveled to Barcelona and he has been here for all his life. He has hardly ever been ill, but he has had some asthma attacks. Once he went to the Carcel de St. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and it was spectacular. He has always tried to paint the walls of his sitting room, but he hasn't done it yet. Once they put him in prison (Joaquin didn't tell me why). He is determined to take me to Alicante to visit our relatives. He has never argued with anyone. The only thing that he had to do in spite of hating it was fight in the war. 1

My grandfather is the nicest man in the world. I love him. He had took care of me when my grandmother was ill. I have known him since I was born. He came to visit us at home every day and he always has dinner with us. We neverhave a chat, in fact he talks and I listen! I enjoy his company every hour. He is my only grandparent. He taught me the meaning of a lot of words and I learned to play football from him. At the moment I not only know the rules of football but I like it a lot as well. I've never hated him. I love my grandad and I will always love him. When he talks about his life, he seems happy. He has been happy and successful in life. I only hope that he will be healthy and he will have a long and happy future. Both of us enjoy reading and watching sports on TV. Some people think he is a bore and he talks too much. But I like his stories and they aren't boring for me. I have a lot of arguments with him nearly every day, because he is an old man and he doesn't like to be so. Gloria Alarcon 1º 1 20/11/01

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