Teen-age.

Aug 14; At home, my brother ask a favor from me. He like me to help him with his Journal entry entitled, "The Joy of being a Teenager". As I'm doing such, a thing popped up my mind. Why not write about it? It's a good topic that I can relate to. Anyone can. :)

It is said that being in the stage of being a teenager is one of the happiest moment of one's life. I beg to agree.

This stage, the adolescents, are being conditioned by the stimuli present in their environment. Meeting new friends, hanging-out with them, having your crushes, falling in love, going through your first heartbreak, appreciation of teachers in school, experiencing embarassment in front of the class -- all of these, can be found in one's teenage life.

Remember the feeling when you first had your eyes for this particular classmate? You're beginning to feel those butterflies in your stomach... The sudden blushing of your cheeks. The light and wonderful feeling when s/he is around. It seems like life is so much beautiful, colorful.. perfect! Love makes the world go round. Hayy :) Then SUDDENLY </3. You've learned that this classmate of yours has eyes for another, what makes it worse, s/he's your friend. You don't know what to do. You felt like it's the end of the world, exaggerating. It feels like "Ouucchh, why not me? -___- What's with her/him that I don't have?" Heartbreak. </3 Emo. (Enough for this stupidity. So much of being hysterical)

The question. What's with this stage that one would like to go back over and over again? It is indeed true that everyone of us experienced/is experiencing/will experience this stage but let us face the fact that not everybody can undergo this joyously. Not everybody is fortunate enough to experience the happy life of being a teenager due to some circumstances. But let's look at the bright side of this situation. Teenage Life, for the elders, it's one time of their life that they are very much glad to reminisce, a time of their life that is much cherished. Looking back at their experiences, their "old" way of living this stage. They even compare this to how teenagers of today live this stage.

Today, most of them say that WE have our own way of undergoing such. But the bottomline is the same -- the truth of having this untainted feeling, the Joy of being a Teenager.

Ideas never stop popping on my mind. But I don't need to write about it anyway. Everyone has their own story. And I'm pretty sure, all of us has good things to keep :D

I miss being a Writer

Years ago, I was able to govern our school paper. Monican Herald (Oh, how I miss you!). I was then the Editor-in-Chief, luckily. That was an exhausting task, seriously. But I never treat that as a responsibility. Rather, I take it as an opportunity -- A challenge that could prove my worth. A chance of showing what I've got.

It never reached my mind that I could, someday, follow the footsteps of my admired co-staffers (whom were then the EIC's in their time). I was just a happy avid fan whenever they come up the stage receiving awards for winning the Press Conferences they've participated. Clapping my hands joyously as the school gives recognition for their excellence. Kudos to all of you! You were my inspiration :)

Now it's my time. My time to shine, not to mess up. Pressure's all over me. School, family, friends, teachers, mentors, everyone -___- I was afraid, yeah, that't the best term to use. It's never my forte to write Editorials. I was trained (?) of writing Features. Even back in my elementary years, I was then part of the RLC Tipster as a feature writer. I never ever tried writing editorials that why when the District Press Conference came, Gawd :-x I feel pity on myself. Hahaha! Seriously. Confidence wasn't in my vocabulary. I'm much expecting to fail rather than to win. Too bad for an EIC, right? Haha, I'm stupid. I admit. Editorials are way different from other writings. You have to be very careful with your words. You have to take a stand, and defend it. Good thing, I was then a debater. It did help. Going back to the District PressCon, different schools from the district level participated in the same contest. Having my scratch paper, pens, and a little bit of courage and determination, I've entered the room and partake the battle. Awarding came.. 10th place, 9th... 5th, 4th... I wasn't called yet, my heart's beginning to feel hopeless. Then the emcee called for the 2nd placer. Sta. Monica Academy! I was like, "What? Did I make it?" Oh my! Thank God! I really made it. I was able to made it! =))))

The battle didn't end up with the Press conferences we're into. For me, the real thing was on our final output. The school paper itself. It was a blast. it's fun working with amazing people! The MH Staffers! How lucky I am to lead them, not really leading, maybe just working with them. It really felt good to have such determined staffers! They didn't leave me hanging. Together, we did our best having the output. And yes, we did it! We did it really nice. So heart whelming! Fulifilling in my part. There are still many problems we faced, and solved of course --- Together.

I just feel writing this. Sorry. Didn't able to run through everything. -__-

#OnceAWriterAlwaysAWriter

Toys aren’t just Toys.

Roland Barthes’ essay about Toys stressed out the comparison of toys to Man. It is indeed true that we see Toys as another person or thing. Someone or something associated to us  which, on one way or another, became a part of our life.

If we will have to analyze what’s really something in our toys we will discover many things which we never thought of thinking. We are already conditioned, in our childhood years, that we should get attached to certain things called toys which will shape what we believe at the present.

Everything at the real world has its own replica in the world of toys. From the furniture in our houses, to the things a girl use to style her hair, up to the soldiers and their weapons who fight in wars. Everything we can find in the real world has its microcosm in another world – a world of fantasies, a world where kids play – a play which sets them in the near future. It places a mind-set on us that what we play is a portrayal of what we will do as we grow older. It is more likely to be a preparatory of our roles as a person – according to gender. Let us put it this way: if you’re a girl, naturally, your parents will buy you Barbie dolls, teddy bears, baby toys – and all other things that a GIRL uses. When kids decided to play “Bahay-bahayan Game”, as what Filipinos call it, of course, the girl stands as the mother, and the boy, the father. They will imitate what these mother and father does in the real world. The father will be out of the house, working, earning a living for his family. While the girl will be left in their home having the custody of their children, doing the household chores. Here’s the explanation: What we expect of the girl with these dolls and other stuff, is for she to tame, take care and treat it as something dear to her. As if she is playing the role of a mother, “babying” her children. Feeding  them, taking good care of them, loving them. What’s the implication? As early as maybe two or three years old, the girl is already trained to have a responsibility of being a mother. I’m saying this based on what a typical girl like me had experienced. Now I’m left with the thinking that why is there an inborn culture about this “conditioning” of the kids? Why were girls aren’t given guns as their toys? On the other hand, why were boys aren’t given the chance to play with make-up kits or with dolls? We can’t deny the fact that there is this masculine bias existing even in our young age, in our playing years.

Another point that Bathes said is the user-not-creator function of the child. Wherein the child is only the owner, not the creator. He is provided with things that are already “given” or ready-made. He did not have the opportunity to create and discover on his own. The actions the child has to do depends on what he “should” do based on what is “given”. Let us go back to the girl being conditioned with the role of being a future mother. At a very young age, she didn’t have the chance to play the responsibility of what a father has to do because SHE is a girl and what she SHOULD do is to play the role of a mother, whether she likes it or not. Her gender serves as what is given; it states what the position on the play she has to depict.

He also focused on the difference between the substance used in creating toys. The distinction of Wood to plastic ones – the product of nature and the product of chemistry.

If we could just observe the cycle of Toys in our life, we can conclude this one – Parents buy toys for their child. As time goes, the child grows older. Their toys become inappropriate for them up to the extent that it become obsolete, useless. Where is the relationship there? The sentimental value? LOST. The concept of wood being the main substance of our toys is to make us realize that our toys should grow old with us. In fact, toys aren’t just toys. They should live at the same time with the child. It should last; together with the importance and sentimentality that is present there.

We have toys for entertainment, for joy. We got these from rewards of good behavior or excellent standing at school. We got these as gifts from people who are very dear to us. The insinuation of the endearment of the giver of these toys to us makes us treat that toys the same as how we treat the giver. If we will go deeper to that understanding, we can see what really toys are for. Toys aren’t just toys. They are more than that.

HOW NSTP-CFFP 1 CHANGED MY LIFE :)

It’s been a while since I have my last entry. Well, forgive me for the inconvenience. I forgot that I have a blog. Haha! Kidding. Just want to share this piece. I’ve read this just a week before while erasing some files from my lappie. This is our final requirement on Nstp-Cffp last 1^st semester.

The ENCOUNTER.

- A flashback of WHAT REALLY MATTERS!

My first encounter with NSTP-CFFP gave me an impression of a BORING meeting every last subject of Mondays and Wednesdays. But the succeeding classes made my perception definitely wrong. The next hours where I found myself in one of the rooms in the CC made me realize that's it's not just the LESSONS I can get from my major subjects that's important. What are essential are the things I can learn behind it. And the NSTP-CFFP proved that to me. Now, I'm taught of not only the things about Accounting (and other subjects), instead I'm taught of what's really essential - the Lessons in life. These lessons, which shaped me to be better. Lessons I can bring up to the last day of my life.

These are my NOTED ENCOUNTERS with NSTP-CFFP which I'll treasure forever - the memories, learning, and the people behind it. Promise.

The Outreach. Whoa! I've been into places like fields, ponds, rocky and muddy roads, mountains... But that encounter with Sibobo, Calabanga was so different! The interaction between ME and the place, ME and the residents, ME and my fellow students did really made a sense on me. It made me think that I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! I can leave a legacy of mine. I can help. I can reach out. I can still GROW UP. Grow up to be better, to be more aware of the reality. The LIFE GIVING - that's what I call our tree planting activity. We don't just plant. We plant for a purpose. And what is that? To provide the residents HOPE. Yes, we helped but the return for that 'granted favor' was definitely MUCH MORE on our part. WE LEARNED. Setting aside those signature clothes, expensive shoes, prestigious school, we, bare foot, walk through the 'crabby' mud regardless of who we are, of where we came from. There, we learned what truly LIFE is. WE GAINED. We gained what is SIGNIFICANT. We gained the resident's hospitality, our schoolmates' friendship, the University's trust. We gained, yes. A lot. WE WON. We won in a way we learned HOW TO BE WITH OTHERS, and HOW TO BE THE OTHERS. We live out Ateneo's desire - to be Men and Women for Others. :)

Discussion: The Family. Very confidential it may seem, still, it's important to deal with it. I learned a lot from our group sharing. Some I can relate to, some were the very opposite. A part of our life is given closure. It made us be aware of others' families and we learned from them that made an impact to me. In the very first place, it did make me realize how lucky I am to have a COMPLETE and HAPPY family. Yes, my family isn't perfect. We are not perfect. But the fact that we're together, loving each other, makes life ALMOST PERFECT. It taught me how to appreciate every little thing my parents do to me (to us). It's hard to be a parent, they say (and I also think it is). It made me become more APPRECIATIVE... And a little bit sweet! Now, it doesn't anymore feel awkward showing my love to them.

Discussion: The Self. Yes, Myself. I thought I already know myself. Well, not until we tackle about this. It opened my eyes to the reality that the ME I know isn't the real ME. The activity of the MANDALA MAKING and the 'rotating one-on-one sharing' is really fun. I am able to talk with 7 of my block mates’ heart-to-heart. What made me laugh is when I ask them their first impression on me. They say they thought I was so suuupper mataray and suuupper maarte. What made my heart leap with joy is the fact that they told me I was far different from the ME they thought at first. :) Even I did have a revelation of myself. Now, I know myself better. And because of that, I can make necessary CORRECTIONS.

Thanks to NSTP-CFFP for making me aware of everything - that really matters! :) Thank you too Ma'am MG. Continue inspiring other people. God bless! :)

Crazy little thing called LOVE :)

Based on a True Story... of everyone <3

Just wanna share with you a NEW FOUND FAVORITE. It's a Thai movie starring MARIO MAURER as P'Shone (The Love of my Life. HAHAHA!) and Pimchanok Lerwisetpibol as Khun Nam. To make it a sort of summary, Here: Nam is a young and ordinary highschool girl, unattractive with nerd glasses and dark skin. She has a big crush on a heartthrob senior, P'Shone, at school. (I also have a big crush on him! :D) To make him see that she exists in his world, the girl tries to improve her physical look and attempts to become the star at school. However, her crush seems not to pay any attention to her yet. Ooops. I guess this is enough :) I recommend this movie. It's worth watching! I promise and guarantee you! :D

I hate to say this. As much as I want to upload the movie, I can't :( I'm having a hard time. REALLY. Just check it on Youtube. I wish they have the copy :>

A Lesson to Keep

Movie: Sister's Keeper

            That movie was a great piece full of heart-felt performances. You can really feel what Anna’s trying to convey, her longing for mother’s love, as well as in Jesse’s case, and what’s really is Kate’s desire not anymore go on with the surgery.

            In the Philippines, that scenario (Anna going to the office of Campbell Alexander in order to hire him to sue her parents for the right to her own body) is more likely to be impossible. Here, because of being family-oriented, will not find it hard to give something for our someone. But on their case, we can really see that Anna is willing to give (as she always did) anything for her sister’s sake. But it is Kate herself who insist that Anna should not and also, she forced her to hire a lawyer for a medical emancipation. Anna, as an obedient and loving sister, though painful for her, had to pursue the case as what Kate wants. Here, we can see how Anna played her role as a “younger sister” – who easily follows what her elders said. This just says that whatever happens, whatever it takes, your family will always be your family. They will be there whether you like it or not. They’re willing to help, care and love for you even though you don’t ask for it.

            Another lesson. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. The ending of the story shows a good example. Sara, their mother is expecting or let me say ‘waiting’ for Kate’s death, but this sad twist of fate happened. It’s the other way around. Anna together with Campbell met an accident. And sadly, Anna didn’t able to survive. The good thing here is, still, it’s Anna’s will that is favored. Her kidney was donated to her sister, at last.

            Life is short. We all know. We don’t own our life, we just borrowed it. So whatever your reason is, you can’t really say you can do anything with your life. And then you’ll say, who cares? It’s your life? Nah. It’s not even yours! We’re just the ‘caretaker’. So be thankful. Never waste your life with nonsense. Whoa! I’m talking too far from the movie. Well, just a plain reminder. Have a good life! (:

Life is short. Make the most out of it.

           

Little by little, I’m becoming a Movie Addict. Title: “The Bucket List”. That was a story of two people, who by circumstances, turned out to be good friends. One was ‘extremely’ rich, while the other’s not so. What I’ve remembered was their very first meeting was in the hospital wherein they’re both sick, with a tremendous disease. Even the treatment of that hospital to the two was different. The rich one always talks about business, with his Personal Assistant always on his side, while the other one, treasures his family so much. End point, they’re really dissimilar to each other. The billionaire (rich) found out that there’s this list his companion was keeping. A “bucket list”, a wish list hopefully to be done before he die. His companion got up who was then sleeping when he’s reading the list, and got a little bit mad for it was too private for his part. They end up filling the list with some other ‘wishes’ particularly destinations they want to go. The even listed they want to kiss the most beautiful woman in the world, witness something majestic and laugh until they cry.  They came up with the decision to ‘give up’ the medications and fulfill their list. First thing they’ve done, skydiving. Then, they get a tattoo, car racing. Afterwards, they travel to the jungle of Africa, the pyramid of Egypt, the Taj Mahal at India, the great wall of China, climb at Mt. Everest and finally Hongkong. The billionaire didn’t new that there’s this plan of his companion of taking him to his daughter. When he knew it, he got really mad, torn the bucket list and left him. He then got home. With open arms, his family, happily, accepted him once more. While having a good time with his family, he had a heart attack (?). He was then confines to the ICU with a critical condition. His friend was informed and quickly come to visit him. They meet, finally, after they part ways in front of his daughter’s house. A piece of paper was given to him with her dying friend, and they burst out into laughter. He then gave him another copy of the bucket list with TWO remaining points. TO KISS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WORLD and TO WITNESS SOMETHING MAJESTIC. Afterwards, his friend died. He promised himself that he’ll fulfill the remaining. He then go to his daughter ask for forgiveness. On the later part, the billionaire also died. Their remains was put in a metal box that can be found on the top of the snowy mountain. That was something majestic. At the end, the movie leave is with simple points. LIFE IS SO SHORT, we should FIND OUR PURPOSE, and try TO LIVE IT. Our FAMILY were the best people on earth and there’s no one that can replace them. MONEY CAN’T BUY EVERYTHING. Be inspired :>