Saturday, January 26, 2013 (8:45 pm)
THE ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
The Analects of Confucius is a collection of priceless teachings of Confucius, the Chinese Philosopher and Great Thinker who lived 551BC-479 BC, who stills reigns as as one of the most notable figures in the history of human thought.
Confucius is a great sage of the eastern world, endlessly revered and quoted, possessor of one of the greatest minds ever. He was a sage whose broad range of interests included philosophy, ethics, education, social criticism, and politics. Very little is known about his life, other than "his life was his prayer". He was a philosopher, intellectually independent, devoted to the public good and so on.
LESSON #2 YOUR FRIENDS MATTER
No man is an island. Our friends are a prophecy of our future; where they are is where we are headed. It would serve us well to find friends who are going where we want to go. So it is important that we should value them and treat them with respect and love, because they are our twin souls. Our life would never be more meaningful without our friends.
Don’t sweat the small stuff; to be wronged is no great offense. Don’t let the wrongdoing of others ruin your day. Don’t let they’re negativity occupy your thoughts. Don’t let anyone bring you down just by committing mistakes. Mistakes can always be corrected if you are just willing to. Make these mistakes as life lessons so that the next time you commit it, you know how to handle it. To be wronged is nothing!
Solomon said, “He that is slow to anger is greater than the mighty.” Always remember to keep your temper in check and to consider the consequences. Don’t let anger eat us. As much as possible, we should learn to keep calm, take things gently and face every situation with peace and tranquility.
Saturday, January 4, 2013 (2:34am)Confucius is a great sage of the eastern world, endlessly revered and quoted, possessor of one of the greatest minds ever. He was a sage whose broad range of interests included philosophy, ethics, education, social criticism, and politics. Very little is known about his life, other than "his life was his prayer". He was a philosopher, intellectually independent, devoted to the public good and so on.
His philosophy in the analects focused on issues of morality, both from a personal as well as a governmental perspective, he also taught concerning the correctness of social relationships, justice and equality.
Reading the analects gave me the opportunity to find my own gems of wisdom, it was as if I was one of the students of Confucius sitting comfortably and listening to him intently. Every letter printed in the book is a piece of treasure that no one can undeniably question its significance. The analects was composed of gems of wisdoms that I can proudly pass on to my future children, to guide them as they grow up as men and women not just to have a disciplined life, but to have a life worth living.
Here are the following things that anyone can harvest while reading the analects. These aren’t just simple teachings, these are life changing knowledge that anyone can acquire. One just need to have a cleanse soul, pure heart and a mind full of understanding in order to appreciate his teachings.
LESSON #1 KEEP GOING
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
This means that reality speaking, all life demands struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish, and insensitive to the real values of life. But if you keep going down the right path, you will eventually get to your intended destination. The hard work is being consistent; anybody can do right for a day. The person who succeeds is the person who stays committed despite the circumstances. I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true - hard work pays off. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
LESSON #2 YOUR FRIENDS MATTER
“Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”
No man is an island. Our friends are a prophecy of our future; where they are is where we are headed. It would serve us well to find friends who are going where we want to go. So it is important that we should value them and treat them with respect and love, because they are our twin souls. Our life would never be more meaningful without our friends.
LESSON #3 GOOD THINGS COME WITH A PRICE
“It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.”
This lesson explains a lot! It’s easy to hate, it’s easy to be negative, and it’s easy to make excuses. It is love, forgiveness, and greatness that require a great heart, a great mind, and a great effort. People should learn how to spread love and affection. We shouldn’t be afraid to love, and we shouldn’t be stiff enough not to give forgiveness to those who have done ungrateful things to us. What matters here most is the virtue of having a pure heart and soul towards other people.
LESSON #4 SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS FIRST
“The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
Confucius said, “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” Whatever you are called to do, if you are to succeed, you must first be prepared. Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn't what you get for it, but what you become for it. So shake things up today!
LESSON #5 TO BE WRONGED IS NOTHING
“To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
Don’t sweat the small stuff; to be wronged is no great offense. Don’t let the wrongdoing of others ruin your day. Don’t let they’re negativity occupy your thoughts. Don’t let anyone bring you down just by committing mistakes. Mistakes can always be corrected if you are just willing to. Make these mistakes as life lessons so that the next time you commit it, you know how to handle it. To be wronged is nothing!
LESSON #6 CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES
“When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
Solomon said, “He that is slow to anger is greater than the mighty.” Always remember to keep your temper in check and to consider the consequences. Don’t let anger eat us. As much as possible, we should learn to keep calm, take things gently and face every situation with peace and tranquility.
LESSON #7 MAKE ADJUSTMENTS
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
If it’s looking like you’re not going to make your goals this year, now would be a good time to adjust your plan. Don’t accept failure as an option, adjust your sails, and you will sail safely to your goal. Sometimes there's not a better way. Sometimes there's only the hard way. It’s important that we should continue to be optimistic; it's hard to beat a person who never gives up.
LESSON #8 YOU CAN LEARN FROM EVERYONE
“If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.”
You can and should learn from everyone, be it a crook or a saint. Every life is a story filled with lessons ripe for the picking.
LESSON #9 ALL OR NONE
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
Whatever you do, do it with everything, or don’t do it at all. To succeed in life requires your very best, give you’re very best, and you will live without regrets.
These are just some of the powerful life lessons from Confucius teachings. It may be simple, but it’ll be hard to achieve if no one has the heart to appreciate and exercise his teachings on the daily basis. The analects wasn’t just all about life, one thing that is also significant in the book is Confucius political ideology.
LESSON #10 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ALL
Confucius taught the great political ideology of the power of example to rulers and political bodies. Rulers and politician, he said, can be great only if they themselves lead exemplary lives, and were they willing to be guided by moral principles, their states would inevitably become prosperous and happy.
The Confucian view is that political leaders should be the most talented and public-spirited members of the community, and the process of choosing such leaders should be meritocratic, meaning that there should be equal opportunity for the best to raise the top.
To sum it up, Confucius' teachings are gems that are priceless. These life lessons are one of the few things that money can’t buy. It covers all aspects of life. It is notable at imparting not just simple life lessons----but life changing experiences that anyone can relate to. All in all, the book aimed to teach one great lesson, and that is to act with courage and integrity, be thorough, chart your own path and learn continuously.
TO THE PERSON WHO LEFT ME HANGING
To the
person who left me hanging,
I just want you to know that I’ve been lying
here all day, listening to some old songs, talking to my heart and trying to
explain why sometimes I catch myself wondering what might have been –what could
have been different if I had just said it.
You know what? I’m mad at myself, not at you.
I’m mad for always being too nice, for making you my life, depending heavily on
you, wasting my entire time on you, thinking about you, always forgiving you,
still dreaming of you, for getting too attached on you, and most of all… for
not hating you –which I know I should… but I simply can’t. ‘Coz the truth is, I
still have feelings for you. And no matter how many times I tell myself that
I’m better off without you, a part of me just won’t let go.
I thought I’ve already moved on. But I guess
that’s life. There will always be faces you can never look at without any
emotion and there are names you can never hear spoken without that same old
feelings returning. And just when you think you can already move on, you’ll
remember all the countless reasons why you held on so long.
It’s so frustrating that everything I did
today reminded me of you and every song I heard somehow is related to you. You
know what? You are that one person, the person who left me without reason and
have forgotten to close the door.
Honestly, I wanted the night-to-dawn phone
calls back. I wanted the quick replies once more. I wanted the feelings to be
mutual again. I just wanted to have things the way they once were. But it’s not
going to happen, and it’s hurting me inside. I wish I could have hurt you
before you hurt me.
I want to scream, and I want to cry. Coz I
hate that you go of me before I even got to say goodbye and I hate that you’re
the one thing I want the most but couldn't have.
But somehow I know we’ll meet again, not quite
sure where and not sure when, but I hope and I pray that if when that time
comes…I can already smile again…’coz you are not here in my heart anymore.
Sincerely
yours,
The
person you left hanging
Friday, December 27, 2013 (4:15 pm)
WELCOMING NEW YEAR, THE FILIPINO WAY
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from http://blogs.voanews.com |
Who doesn’t want to have a good
luck next year? I guess all of us, regardless the nationality want to have a
bountiful time every New Year, that’s why we still carry on practices from our
grandparents, which we strongly believe can bring us fortune.
Filipinos
in particular, have plenty of beliefs and practices which are associated and
believed to bring good luck, fortune, and prosperity in the New Year.
Filipinos
from now and then still do that practices every year, because for them, breaking
up with tradition is like giving up one’s comfort zone. So people observe them
whether or not they make sense.
Here
are some of the New Year traditions in the Philippines:
1. Wear
clothes with polka dot prints
Filipinos
believe that dots symbolize coins and the practice is supposed to invite money
in the coming year. Aside from this, those clothes must also have a deep pocket
and filled with money bills and coins and jingled it at the stroke of midnight
for good luck.
2. Make your
new year’s resolutions
This is a
tradition where you must write your vows to work harder, study harder, exercise
more, give up vices and generally try to be a better person than you were
during the previous year. But unfortunately, some people never seem to actually
stick to them.
3. Prepare
fancy foods
Filipinos
believe that pancit or noodles must be cooked for the media noche because it
signifies long life, as are eggs signifying new life. Traditional delicacies
made from malagkit like biko must also be prepared so good fortune will stick
around throughout the year. Others also believe that sweets like cakes, fruit
cocktails and etc. must be prepared to maintain the sweetness and friendliness
of all family members all throughout the year.
Meanwhile chicken are not served,
because Filipinos believed that chickens beg for food, and they don’t want to
have to scrounge for food in the coming year. Pork is said to be a lucky food to
eat on the New Year.
4. Fill in
your wallet with money
Many
believe that whatever condition your wallet is in when the New Year arrives, so
it will be the rest of the year. So Filipinos always make sure to put in the
money they received on Christmas to have fortune the whole year.
Also, they’ve been practicing to not start
the year off by spending money. Frugality on the first day sets the tone for wise
money management in the coming year.
5. General
Cleaning before new year strikes
Filipinos
spend the last days of the year vigorously cleaning everything, especially of
dust. However, on the first day of the New Year, you are not supposed to do any
cleaning. No cleaning on New Year’s Day itself because as they say, you might
sweep away the good fortune that came in on New Year's Eve.
6. Prepare 12
round fruits
These round
fruits also symbolize money; Filipinos prepare 12 fruits, for each month of the
coming New Year. Twelve round fruits should be on the table as it is a sign of
prosperity for the next twelve months. They believe that if you have a complete
set of 12 fruits, then good luck will come on your way in the coming year!
Meanwhile,
here are some of the New Year traditions in the Philippines when the clock
strikes at 12 midnight:
1.
Make some
noise!
At the
strike of 12:00 midnight, Filipinos make very deafening noise! Church bells ring, firecrackers rule the sky, kids gaping in awe as they see the different colorful firecrackers, blooming in the sky. The banging and booming rise to a climax
which includes clanging of old pots and pans, blowing jeep, car or tricycle
horns. Empty cans are also dragged all around and the famous torotots are
blown. Filipinos believe that this is the perfect way to scare away evil
spirits.
2.
Open all
doors and windows, turn on all lights
All doors
must be left wide open to allow good luck to enter. This includes cupboards,
drawers, cabinets and windows! Lights and other appliances should also be
turned on to attract luck and good spirit.
3.
Scatter
coins around the house
Filipinos scatter coins in
every corner of their houses when New Year comes, in this way, they believe that
this practice will let money and good fortune overflow in the coming year!
4.
Fill up the
cupboards especially with basic food stuff
Basic food stuffs like rice,
salt and sugar should be placed around the house to make sure that the families
will never have scarcity for food in the coming year.
5.
Jump twelve
times!
This practice is the most popular
for kids. But there are also adults who do this whether for fun or because they
take it seriously. To jump twelve times for them means they will get taller
next year. The higher you jump the taller you grow.
6.
Media Noche
As soon as the noise stops the
family starts to eat a thanksgiving feast called Media Noche, it is believe
that we should put as much food on the table so that next year you will have
food all year round.
But
with or without these rituals we practice since we were young, the most
important thing to do this New Year is to thank God for all the blessings He
had showered upon us for the previous years and still thank him for the
blessings He will give to us for the coming years.
Simple
or extravagant festivity doesn’t matter, as long as the family is together,
that makes a great and prosperous New Year celebration!
Thursday, December 26, 2013 (11:10 pm)
CHRISTMAS IN TACLOBANONS' HEART
Despite
the devastation and trauma they experienced due to super typhoon Yolanda, the
people of Tacloban City are still not losing the Christmas spirit, proving the
whole world that not even the strongest typhoon can dampen the Filipino
fortitude.
2013 has been a tough year for the
Philippines. Various natural and man-made calamities battered the country, from
failed siege in Zamboanga City by members of the Moro National Liberation
Front-Nur Misuari group to the 7.2 magnitude killer earthquake that hit the
provinces of Cebu and Bohol and just recently, super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that
devastated Eastern Visayas.
When Typhoon Yolanda made landfall in
the Philippines, it did more than just ravage towns, villages, and lives in the
six central islands it swept through, it changed things forever, not just here
in the Philippines, but all over the world.
The whole world witnessed the vast
destructions brought by the super typhoon in Tacloban City, the hardest-hit
area. We learned of about the thousands of people who were killed and were affected
by the strongest cyclone ever recorded. We saw the catastrophic smash up on
houses, churches, schools, government buildings, electric posts and all
structures that met the eye of the typhoon.
But Philippines wasn’t alone in its
darkest hours, kind hearted people helped the victims not only from fellow
Filipinos but also from all over the world. The victims in return thanked the
generous donors. And despite the unfortunate event, Filipinos showed the
entire world that their faith in God is not destroyed; Yolanda is a powerful
typhoon but their Faith is stronger which Yolanda cannot destroy.
A month after the tragedy, the people
of Tacloban City are celebrating the holiday season with greater hope and
resilience. The need for a sense of normality is evident throughout the city.
Ten power-generated lanterns can be
seen shining brightly at the Santo Nino Church - one of the few buildings with
electricity in Tacloban and a 17-meter Christmas tree has been erected in front
of Tacloban’s city hall, creatively decorated with used water bottles and iron
pipes left behind by the storm.
Groups of neighbors could also be seen
putting up a Christmas tree made out of recycled things and debris left behind by the
typhoon. In the Palo Central Elementary School
in Leyte, colored plastic bottles are hanged on a tree while Christmas cards
with thank-you messages were painted on walls. In some shopping centers in the city
that resumed operation after the tragedy, Taclobanons can be seen flocking to
buy gifts and Noche Buena items.
Even though most of the people
affected by the typhoon are still entirely dependent on aid and will miss out
on eating lechon and fancy foods that usually crown their Christmas feast, even
if some have no longer houses and will be celebrating Christmas in the halls
and classrooms that still serve as evacuation centers, and without the usual
gift-giving, the Taclobanons intend to celebrate Christmas along dark roads and
amid ruin, with bonfire, laughter and hope. Christmas spirit remains alive in
their hearts.
Survivors have taught us that it's
possible to overcome impossible circumstances when you put up a fight. They
reminded us all that we should never lose hope and faith to God and we must
always remember “After the rain comes a rainbow”.
Indeed, the typhoon-proof Filipino
spirit showed by these people will make the city and the province rise again.
Sa
mundo kung saan may apat na sulok ang kwarto, malalapad ang mga dingding at may
isang blackboard na kulay green, mahirap mabuhay –lalo na kung wala kang papel.
Sa
klase ng mundong ginagalawan ni Juancho, marami ang walang papel. Lahat ay uhaw
na maisulat ang iba’t ibang kwento ng hamon ng buhay, lahat gutom sa isang pad
paper na yellow ang kulay. Ang yellow paper na ito ay sinasamba ng mga taong
desperadong makamit ang tagumpay, pinupuri at pinagpupugay ng mga taong umaalab
ang mga damdamin na salat at walang masulatan ng mga hinaing sa buhay.
Nagtataglay
ito ng malakas na kapangyarihan –kapangyarihang kayang pagdikitin ang langit at
lupa, may kakayahang manaig ang kabutihan laban sa kasamaan –at higit sa lahat,
kayang baguhin ang ugaling anumang kubli ang gawin dito upang maitago, ay hindi
maaring sa isang iglap ay magbago.
Napapaamo
nito ang lahat ng magagaspang na ugali, napapabait ang maiitim na budhi,
napapaluhod ang mga taong pinatigas ng pride ang kalooban at nagiging kaibigan
lahat ng kaaway na sinumpang kailanman ay hindi na lalapitan.
Kapag
ito ay nasulatan, kailangan mo na itong panindigan. Kailangan mo itong maipasa,
buong buhay mo dito na nakasalalay…wala na itong atrasan. Ang pulang marka na
galing sa tinta ng taong hinayaan mong kontrolin ang buhay mo, at paikutin ka
sa gusto nilang maging takbo ng mundo, ay ang nagsisilbing hatol sa mapait na
pinagdaanan bunga ng pagsamba sa papel –ang papel na pinagkatiwalaan mong
isasalba ka sa mapait na katotohanang pinabayaan mong maiwan ang isang bagay na
sa kanila’y dapat abot langit mong pinapahalagahan.
Sa
mundong malaki ang ginagampanan ng dilaw na papel, lahat nagkukumahog para ang
mga sarili nila ay maisalba. Kung ikaw ay pabaya, mapaglilipasan ka, kung ikaw
ay kukupadkupad, mauubusan ka. Kaya kung nais mong mabuhay sa mundong pinaiikot
ka sa sarili nilang kagustuhan, pilitin mong pahalagahan ang sariling dilaw na
papel na simbolo daw ng iyong magiging kahihinatnan.
Kahit
ang damdamin ay kumakawala, ang utak ay nagsasabing hindi ito tama, na sa
paglaban ay parang wala namang mapapala, naniniwala akong si Juancho na ang
apelyido ay Pagbabago ay tatayo, maninindigan, lalaban at patutunayang ang
isang pad ng papel ay maaring sulatan …pero hindi kailanman ito ang magdidikta
sa kung ano man ang ating maaring magiging kinabukasan.
Saturday, December 21, 2013 (12:00 AM)
Hey you, you are beautiful.
When we talk about beauty in people, we often refer to their physical attractiveness. Of course, a beautiful face is pleasing to look at. Flawless skins and trim figures would give you the impression of beauty.
But even if you don’t possess any of these, you are beautiful!
Even without an ultra-thin figure, perfect hair, perfect make-up, and perfect smile, you are beautiful!
Even if you’re not the kind of girl who will turn heads, you are beautiful!
Even if you’re not the one who will look photogenic in every angle, you are beautiful!
And even if you would not get a hundred likes on every single selfie you upload on the Internet, you are beautiful!
Believe me, even if the world will try to tell you otherwise, you are still beautiful!
Why? Because true beauty is beyond just the outward appearance, it’s the way you do, the way you think, that makes you beautiful! It is not only something that pleases the eyes, but also pleases the mind.
From the very start, you are already made beautiful by God! He created you in His own image. He gave you your eyes, your height, your hair, and your personality. God has given you beauty that far balances your flaws.
You don't need to overdo it with the makeup, ‘coz true beauty is more than skin-deep. You cannot be only admired for your physical appearance; you are admired for your inner qualities.
You don’t need to flaunt your physical attributes by wearing scantily clad outfits just to be attractive, ‘coz if you dress in a modest, feminine way…that makes you attractive. You are not only then can be seen beautiful, you can also gain honor and respect from those who sees you.
You don’t need to converge entirely, forcing yourself up on achieving your desired body vital statistics, ‘coz having to know your strength that will help you to enhance your confidence, having a true heart and being a real person are enough to show the whole world the beauty inside you.
You don’t need to keep on uploading selfies on your Facebook or Instagram account just to shout it out that “Hey! I’m pretty (with approximately five filters)” ‘coz if you try to make a difference in how you see yourself in the mirror, people will notice how beautiful you are.
You will always be beautiful if you are aware of your true potential. If you just keep your mind and eyes open of your true self, and everything that surrounds you, make wise decisions and put your faith and self-confidence in everything you do, then you’re indeed the most beautiful creation in the world!
So who says you are not beautiful? You know the truth. Don’t listen to their lies. You are beautiful and you are worth the whole world!
Now playing: “Who Says” by Selena Gomez
P.S You are beautiful. Don’t ever forget it. :)
It’s true that friends are the most important persons in our
lives. And sometimes, we cannot live without them.
They are people with whom we do not have any blood
relation, but we have one heart, and are connected by feelings. They are the
people who we know for ages, or even if we don’t, we feel like we were born on
the same day.
They play a very significant role in
our existence. They can change us, influence our decisions and teach us news
things. They can even make us a better person and fulfill every need we ought.
Everybody
has his or her own circle of friends. But they always fall into a few key
categories, and though we love them all, they’re all valuable in many different
ways.
Though our friends differ and come in
all shapes and sizes, there are still remarkable personalities of a friend that
we can see in common regardless what kind of circle of friends we may belong
to.
THE GOOD LISTENER
This is a
type of friend whom you can trust to let out all your dramas and difficulty in
life without judgment, and without interrupting to offer advice, ‘coz listening
does not entail giving advice (not until you ask for it). Sometimes, this type
of friend is also someone you can trust totally with your deepest and darkest
secrets, knowing full well that they would not share it with anyone else.
This friend
is the perfect person whom we can speak to when we need an ear willing to hear
us in order to lessen the burden we go through even when there may not be any
solutions to problems.
THE CLOWN
A type of friend who makes us laugh out
loud, big-time. This friend never ceases to entertain and may at
times inspire us, for better or for worse. Sometimes, parties and getaways,
without this type of friend, are somewhat dull. At times, this type of friend masterminds
all crazy pranks.
This friend
is the perfect person whom we can hang out with whenever days are boring and we
need a clown to brighten up our moods.
THE
BRUTALLY HONEST BITCH
A type of friend who will not always
tell you what you want to hear, but they’ll certainly tell you what you need to
know. This friend is someone we really appreciate even if their painfully true
to us because we can always count on them to be the one person in our life that
tells everything to us straight.
This friend
is the perfect person whom we need when in doubt about our decisions in life.
This kind of friend provides us a clear mirror to advise us, also this friend
allows us to look in the mirror and see the reflection of how we really are.
THE CHEER LEADER
The type of friend who makes us tick and help us become
the person we want to be. He/she encourages us to reach for our dreams! This
friend is not literally a part of a cheer leading group, he/she is considered
as cheer leader because this friend supports you all throughout, whatever
decision you would come up.
There are always periods in our life when we feel down or
maybe a little bit depressed, this friend would be there for us to support and
encourage us to do things and to make us feel better.
THE
RADAR
A type of friend who can't really read our minds, but
chances are he/she can usually tell when we are happy, sad, excited, shocked or
upset. If this friend is aware that he/she is doing something that annoys you, this
friend try to change hi/her ways or at least talk to you about it.
This
friend is the perfect person whom we can count on to whenever we feel we’re not
true about ourselves anymore—in times of great confusion. Like the brutally
honest friend, this friend also allows us to look in the mirror and see the
reflection of how we really are.
THE KNOWLEDGE-PROVIDER
The type of friend who knows
practically everything! It’s like hi/her
mind has an encyclopedic knowledge of everything in the world. But despite
having this unique ability, this type of friend keeps things neutral and non-inflammatory
whenever he/she hangs out with the group. This friend also openly reveals his
crazy and dark side, to downplay own intelligence at times.
This friend
is the perfect person whom we can run to whenever we have problems in our
homework or any academic difficulties. This friend would generously share
his/her knowledge to us.
THE HUGGER
The friend who always has his/her open arms for us. This
friend always offers a big hug to us whenever we need comfort. He or she will
always care for you no matter what problem we have and will give us the
necessary support to reach our certain aims.
This
friend is the perfect person whom we can run to in good and bad situations.
THE BIG SPENDER
A type of friend who generously treats the group most of the
time, without asking anything in return. This friend probably has millions
inside his/her pocket! The group usually depends on this type of friend
whenever they go out on a trip.
This friend
is the perfect person whom we can run to whenever we have financial problems.
But of course, we shouldn’t limit this friend only to financial aspects,
surely, this friend also has qualities that we can depend on whenever we need
someone to be on our side.
THE TIGHT-FISTED
Unlike the big spender friend described above, this type of
friend is very frugal. He/she never spends a single centavo to treat the group,
because money, for this kind of friend, should be spend wisely. This friend, at
many times, would like sharing his/her sense of money, whenever the group would
hangout.
Not
everyone is cut out for a life of frugal living, that’s why this friend is the
perfect person that can set an example for us to value money.
Our friends
are people in our lives that never fade, leave us, or give up on us. Their mere
presence in our lives can give us the much-needed boost, strength, and
self-esteem to keep us going on. Without them, perhaps our lives would be
pretty dull, boring, and uninteresting.
We may have
different types of friends, but though they have differences, the most
important thing is that, they all balance us out and teach us new things. They
can make us a better person and fulfill every need we could possibly have in a
friend.
Saturday, December 7, 2013 (12:37 pm)
LOVE ON SILVER SCREEN
Everybody wants a love story like in the movies or in fairy tales---even me. But true love isn’t at all like the movies. All these things aren't real.
We live life hoping for a happily ever after, because Cinderella and Prince Charming did. We live life wishing that there will be a guy out there for us that will want to sing us a song, write us a poem or whatever it is, ala Ryan Gosling of The Notebook.
We live life hoping for a happily ever after, because Cinderella and Prince Charming did. We live life wishing that there will be a guy out there for us that will want to sing us a song, write us a poem or whatever it is, ala Ryan Gosling of The Notebook.
We live life desiring to wake up one day with ‘love's first kiss’ and prove that true love conquers all, resembling Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. And we live life longing for a love that will last forever, similar to Landon’s unconditional love for Jamie in A walk to Remember.
But these are just fairy tales fed to us by Disney and Nicholas Sparks.
These movies are instilling a twisted sense of the "perfect" relationship within people, providing unrealistic expectations about love. These films are oversimplifying the process of falling in love, and are wrongly giving the impression that it could and should be achieved without any effort at all.
In real life, we live in a planet called Earth where our Fairy Grandmothers stopped existing when we were seven. No one can really endure too much cruelty from wicked stepsisters, and can the bear the never-ending chore list from an evil stepmother.
Real life is messy and complicated, and men are not as perfect as you may seem to imagine. No one’s too good to be true. Guys are rarely waiting for you for seven years, building your dream house.
The world will continue on living while you sleep, and a simple kiss can’t save you from coma. Time won’t wait for you and you won’t have a whole castle that will fall asleep with you.
In reality, there’s no special way love forms…Sometimes, it just happens without someone taking our breath away. It can happen without experiencing the famous slow motion…it can occur without getting your heart skip a beat.
Love has no beginning, middle and end, not like in the movies. It’s a series of unpredictable, confusing, exciting, and yet so scary happenings. It doesn’t only last for an hour or two. It can last for years and beyond.
In real life, there's no such thing as happily ever after. If you want to be happy, you must work on it. It always comes with no guarantees. We can make all the plans we want. But, until things actually happen, we truly do not know how things will turn out.
Unlike movies, we don't always get the chance of a happy ending. Just because you love someone so much, doesn’t mean they are the right one for you. But we do make the decisions that lead to it.
Love is not like the action movies where we can just wait for someone to rescue us. We can never have a knight and shining armor that can save us from mighty dragons anytime. Because in real life, we need to do things for ourselves, and we need to rescue the people we love too.
At the end of the day, life is about writing your own story, living your own emotions, and loving every bit of it. Being a dreamer can turn our life into a flight of fantasy. But you should never be carried away with your emotions ...‘coz life is much more than movies.
I’m not writing this to discourage you…or to blow the light of hope in you heart on finding Prince Charming in your life. Reality is, we are all searching for Prince Charming, but we should not live in a fairy tale world. ‘Coz when you live in a fantasy world that the movies create, you shut off reality and ruin your chance to meet the real guy who can offer you a real romance. That guy doesn't have to be as perfect as Prince Charming...what matters is...he EXISTS.
----Yay! The reason why I wrote this: I was inspired by KC Concepcion’s song entitled Not Like The Movies and a poem I recently read.
What does it mean
to be happy? What is it that makes us feel that certain kind of feeling that
none of us can really put a finger on?
Happiness is a
simple word, but difficult to define and live out. If you are going to ask the
brainy ones on what that word mean…you would prefer to get a roll of tissue
because you would end up getting a nosebleed.
Scientists define happiness as an experience that we know it occurs when there are certain levels of different chemicals in our brains that trigger a response somewhere in our nervous system, and we feel that thing we call as “happy.” But who cares about those chemicals? Do we need to find out its scientific classifications and compounds just to justify what it really means to be happy?
Scientists define happiness as an experience that we know it occurs when there are certain levels of different chemicals in our brains that trigger a response somewhere in our nervous system, and we feel that thing we call as “happy.” But who cares about those chemicals? Do we need to find out its scientific classifications and compounds just to justify what it really means to be happy?
Practically
speaking, “Happiness” is just a word that can be found on the dictionary. So
why make a big deal out of it? Why lay great care about it?
But how come that
simple word bring so much impact on our lives? What does that word really
denote? Why is it that when you feel happy, that’s all there is. Why does it
take control of everything else? And when is the time that we consider
ourselves as truly happy?
It seems to me that our main purpose in life is too seek for happiness and give
it to those people who badly need it. It is not ready-made, that’s why you have
to search for it. It doesn't come from anywhere else, but it comes
from your own action. It doesn't depend on the condition of life in
which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience and
freedom in all just pursuits.
You have to feel it for yourself. You need to figure it out in your own way, and not let anybody else tell you what it means. You have to answer it for yourself and learn it for yourself. The key is you!
Therefore, happiness is a powerful emotion that can’t be entirely defined
by words. It can’t be something superficial, or something that only lasts for a
day or two. It’s something that affects your entire system…your complete
well-being…your whole life! It lasts a lifetime. It comes from inside of you.
That can be perhaps, the appropriate way to describe it.
But the question left hanging is…when is the time that we consider ourselves as
truly happy? Honestly, the answer to that question is based on your true self.
We all have different ways to know when is the time that we get to feel that
bliss.
A general answer could be, that particular time when you feel that there’s no
stress or anxiety. That time when you feel that your heart is free from hatreds
and your mind is free from worries.
No one can really tell you the formula to attain complete happiness. But
you can be able to feel it if you just get rid of all the doubts and go
for it! Your mind is your worst enemy, thinking too much only leads to problems
that can hinder you to become happy, it would only create problems that weren't there
in the first place. So you should try to forget all the reasons why being
happy won’t work and believe the reason why it will.
If you want to be happy, then open all your doors, step outside, and
take a good look at the world you live in. Live your life, take chances,
and be crazy because right now is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest
you’ll ever be.
You should all do everything that will make you happy as long as you live because life is faster than you think.
Go find what makes you happy!
THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFERER
“Why does God allow the
righteous to suffer?” That is certainly the question Job raises, but it is
worthy to note that he himself never received a direct answer. There is nowhere
in the book that Job learned the reason for his suffering. He was never made
aware that God calculates him as righteous. Does God truly make us righteous or
does he merely declare us righteous?
Job’s dilemmas begin when
God presented him to Satan the devil as a model of excellence of virtue.
According to God, “There’s no one like him; he is blameless and upright, a man
who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). God allowed Satan to distress Job.
Clearly, God was not
punishing Job for sin. God himself said that Job is “blameless and upright.”
Job suffered because he is the best of men, not because he is the worst.
Suffering is the hardest problem one could ever meet. In Job’s life, he
experienced suffering the most awful way. He underwent physical suffering,
mental pain and misery, and the sense of being alone.
Satan did all evil actions to distress the mighty believer. Life has gone
senseless and crazy for Job. Job’s tragic circumstances challenged and
contradicted everything he has always believed about God as an awarder of the
good.
While Job’s questions and
complaints often come close to charging God with wrong, he never overlapped the
line and humbly submitted to God when told that the answers to his questions
are beyond his ability to understand. This shows us how the righteous should
bear up under suffering.
God’s existence is not in
question for Job. He knows that somewhere in the universe God must be alive.
Still trusting in God as his Advocate, Job insisted, “I know that my Redeemer
lives” (Job 19:25).
The book have conveyed significant
messages. It imparted a message that Man is unable to subject
the painful experiences of human existence to a meaningful analysis - God’s
workings are beyond man’s ability to measure. And that Man simply cannot tie all
the “loose ends” of the Lord’s purposes together. We must learn to trust in
God, no matter the circumstances.
Suffering is not always the
result of personal sin - The mistaken conclusion drawn by Job’s friends is that
suffering is always a consequence of sin. Job proved this is not the case.
Suffering may
be allowed as a compliment to one’s spirituality - God allowed Job to suffer to
prove to Satan what kind of man he really was.
Perhaps God allows these
things to happen in order to draw more people to come to a greater good.Perhaps God permitted
suffering to manifest the eternal glory. Perhaps God agrees the test
of suffering to build character in the person involved.
We must never think that
following God means no trouble or suffering. Suffering is a terrible
experience. But God can use the experience of suffering for good. Job’s
experiences can explain why righteous people may go through discouraging and
traumatic times and be tempted to dislike God for not obviously and quickly
intervening on their behalf. Like Job, we can fail to understand that God sees
far more than we see.
No
matter how difficult a trial is, we should never assume that God isn’t
listening or He doesn’t care at all. He sees lessons we need to learn that are
beyond our present understanding.
Monday, November 25, 2013 (11:12 pm)
Monday, November 25, 2013 (11:12 pm)
Si
Intoy ang bihasa sa lahat ng mga magtatahong sa Kalye Marino sa lungsod ng
Cavite. Tinatawag siyang “Intoy Syokoy” ng mga tao dahil para nga raw itong
isang syokoy na nakakataglal sa Ilalim ng dagat na parang may hasang ito tulad
sa isda. At kahit bagong ligo pa siya ng tabang na tubig , huwag lang
pagpawisan ng kaunti ay amoy dagat agad siya. Pinaglilingkuran niya ang
kaniyang amo na si Mang Amor.
Isang
araw ay tinamaan ng mga alig ang mga tahungan ng mga tao sa kanilang lugar.
Bilang magaling na manininisid at bihasang magtatahong, si Intoy ang inaasahan
ng mga taong maglilinis at magsasalba sa kanilang tanging kabuhayan mula sa
pesteng alig na dumadalas na ang dalaw bitong mga nakaraang taon.
Natutuwa
si Intoy dahil kung maraming tinamaan ng alig, tiyak bukas at hanggat sa mga
susunod na araw ay maraming may tahungang magpapalinis sa kaniya. Kikita siya
ng malaki. Ngunit malungkot siya, dahil bukas o sa mga susunod na araw pa siya
kikita…ngayon niya kailangan ng pera! At ngayon sana niya aanihin ang sarili
niyang tanim na tahong na pasikreto niyang ginawa. Matatapos nasana ang
kaniyang paghihintay at magkakaayosnasana sila ni Doray. Kursunada ni Intoy si
Doray kahit noong mga bata pa lamang sila kahit alam niya at ng buong Kalye
Marino ang trabahong paglalako ng ‘tilapya’ o katawan ni Doray sa mga parukyano
at maging sa mga mangingisda. Nagustuhan niya ito dahil mabait si Doray sa
kaniya dahil maliban kay Berto ay ito lang ang nagtitiyagang makinig sa
kaniyang mga kwento at pantasya.
Kaya
siya namomroblema ngayon kung saan kukuha ng pera ay dahil may usapan sila ni
Doray. Gusto niyang dalihin ang ‘tilapya’ ni Doray. Hindi niya alam kung gusto
ba niyang mahalin o anuhin lang ang babae. O baka naman mahalin at aanuhin din
pagkatapos. Isang gabi ay nakita niya si Doray na nilalako ang kaniyang
‘tilapya’ sa mga parukyano. Gustong sumabay ni Doray sa kaniyang pag-uwi at
pinagbigyan naman niya ito.
Nagulat
si Intoy sa tinuran ng dalaga, marahil ay nasabi na ni Berto dito ang tungkol
sa kaniyang balak kay Doray. Hindi niya alam kung matutuwa siya o magagalit sa
kaibigang washer. Hindi rin niya alam kung nakikipag-syota na ba sa kaniya si
Doray o simpleng pinaglalakuan lang siya ng ‘tilapiya’ nito.Hindi nakatulog si
Intoy sa gabing iyon nang sabihin ni Doray na pupuntahan siya nito sa bahay
niya. Marami sana siyang balak. Bibili sana siya ng makakain at aayusin ang
sarili upang sa ganoon ay hindi
nakakahiya kay Doray. Ngunit ngayon ay pinatay nag mga alig ang sagot sa
mahabang pag-hihintay na iyon ni Intoy. Wala siyang pera. Wala siyang ibabayad
kay Doray. Ngunit paano kung gusto pala siya ng babae at hindi ito
nagpapabayad?
Gabi,
salamat sa paunang bayad na isangdaang piso sa kaniya ng amo, nakabili siya ng
pandesal at mantikilya. Pero hindi nakahanda si Intoy. Hindi pa siya naliligo
dahil sa mag-hapon na paglilinis sa tahungan. Nakaupo siya at makikita ang
mahapding sugat sa kamay. Naramdaman niya bigla ang langitngit ng tulay na
kawayan. Nakita ni Intoy si Doray na iniluwa ng dilim na bagong paligo.
Naikwento niya dito ang nangyari sa tahungan at ang pesteng mga alig. Nagulat
na lamang siya at hinawakan ni Doray ang kaniyang kamay at sinuri ang sugat.
Hinalikan ito ng babae at inakay siya paloob sa bahay.
Lie
to me is a typical love story, actually while watching it, there are a lot of
Drama and Comedy. Even though it’s an asianovela, the script writers who
translated it in our language really did and extended much effort. It’s
ordinary yet it’s a special drama. To think that i’ve only watched the first
two episode, the plot is not something out of usual.
The
script writer most probably based its story to the “traditional” Three Act
Structure of any story wherein there is ACT ONE – THE SET-UP (Boy Meets Girl),
ACT TWO – CONFRONTATION (Boy Loses girl – fights to get her back) and ACT THREE
– RESOLUTION (Boy Gets Girl). The main theme which everything starts from a lie
seemed interesting at the beginning, but then as the story moved on it became
typical as other dramas. The plot is familiar however, the characters and their
circumstances are quite different and so it is still refreshing to watch and to
anticipate what is to happen. It has a lot of twists and romantic scenes that
every teenager and adults would enjoy.
I
consider this show as “mabenta” to the adults, maybe the script writer decided
to create this story because of what most adults are experiencing nowadays that
because of peer pressure, you will be forced to do something unusual just to
satisfy them, and satisfy your pride as well. Actually, the story is about a
woman in her mid 20s lying that she was forced into marriage and then a lot of
things happen after that. I think the main aim of the script writer is to
inspire us and make us fall in love with the characters and the story. The
story itself is something exciting to look forward to every episode for the
twists.
Saturday, November 25, 2013 (7:56 pm)
SPEAK FOR WOMEN'S RIGHT
Saturday
Episode of MMK? That gives me goosebumps. This one is really an alarming issue.
Despite many successes in empowering women, numerous issues still exist in some
areas of life, this episode shows how disturbing and heavy it is that few girls
at a very young age nowadays are victims of different forms of sexual violence.
MMK
FEATURES LIFE STORY OF YOUNG GIRL RAPED IN FRONT OF HER MOM. Beauty is a
blessing for most women, but not for Nene, who because of her beautiful face
and body was sexually abused several times, it brought her to misfortunes.
Nene’s life story will be featured in Maalala Mo Kaya this Saturday (June 2)
topbilled by former Goin’ Bulilit child star Jane Oineza. At the young age of
15, Nene (Jane) was recurrently raped by her stepfather. But her world
drastically changed when her mother even assisted her live-in partner in the
act of rape. Since then, Nene cursed the beauty that she possesses. How can
someone who lost her self-respect regain her love for herself?
Together
with Jane in the MMK episode are Angel Aquino, Carlos Morales, RS Francisco,
Vangie Labalan, Ana Abad Santos, Archie Alemania, Gerald Madrid, Jacko Benin,
Kyline Alcantara, Liz Alindogan, Jesette Prospero, Minco Fabregas, and Elaine
Quemuel. It was researched by Mae Rose Balanay, written by Benson Logronio, and
directed by Nuel Naval. Don’t miss another remarkable TV masterpiece this
Saturday in the longest running drama anthology of Asia, “Maalaala Mo Kaya”
(MMK), after “Wansapanataym” on ABS-CBN.
BASHA AND POPOY
Popoy
and Basha have been together forever. They’ve been the epitome of perfect
relationship. At least that is what Popoy thinks.
Their
love story started when they met as students in a university. Popoy was taking
up Engineering while Basha was a freshman in Architecture. They have been
inseparable ever since.
There
is no Popoy without a Basha and vice versa. They are certain that they would
get married someday and build a home together literally and figuratively.
Architect Basha will design and plan their dream house while Engineer Popoy
will be the one to build it. Everything is perfect.
But
all the planning and dreaming eventually take a toll on Basha. Tired of trying
to carve her own mark in the firm where they are both working, she suddenly
tells him that she wants to resign and move to a smaller firm where she can be
given a bigger chance to design on her own. Popoy is alarmed by Basha’s sudden
decision. Basha tells him the problem that has been brewing inside her for the
past year, the real reason why she wants to leave their company & she is
tired of Popoy and their relationship. She feels that Popoy is all over her and
that she hasn’t been given the opportunity to decide and plan for herself
because Popoy already did everything. Popoy is speechless. Inside, he is
devastated. That same night, Basha asks for a breakup. She tells him she needs
the space to grow on her own.
Not
knowing how to pick himself up after the love of his life leaves him, Popoy
struggles to live his new life alone. Meanwhile, Basha resigns and transfers to
a smaller firm where she begins to feel the freedom she’s been longing for.
Popoy and Basha try to live without each other but the ties that bind them make
it harder for both to move on. Their families and friends became constant
reminders of the promises and dreams they had during their happier days.
Slowly,
Popoy learns to pick up the pieces and discovers a life that he can call his
own. But Basha’s journey proves to be more difficult, especially when she sees
Popoy starting to date other girls. A part of her wants to get him back but a
part also knows that she was the one who asked for this.
Opportunity
knocks when Popoy’s aunt commissions them to build her house together. After
feeling awkward around each other, Popoy and Basha eventually warm up. After
all, five years of being together is hard to erase. Slowly and unconsciously,
they fall into their old routines and find themselves enjoying each other’s
company once again. Both realize how much they’ve missed each other yet both
also recognize how much they’ve changed.
But
Popoy knows too well that giving in would mean going back to how they were
before. And he’s way too scared to get in the way of Basha’s growth once again,
especially now that he has seen that she can do it alone.
CREDITS TO: Pinoymovie.com
Sunday, November 24, 2013 (11:59 pm)
MOVING ON 101: THE ART OF LETTING GO
Letting
go has never been easy and holding on has always been difficult. Bakit? Eh
Paano mo ba kasi makakalimutan ang taong lahat ng panahon mo binuhos mo sa
kanya at halos sa kanya mo na pinaikot ang mundo mo pero hindi naman pala kayo
magkakatuluyan sa huli. Ang hirap dumaan sa sitwasyong gumising ka na lang
isang umaga, hindika na pala parte ng buhay niya. Wala ng text na bubungad sayo
pagkagising mo palang ng ‘goodmorning babe, iloveyou’. Wala ng dahilan para
makipaglaban sa antok ma-replayan lang siya ng ‘iloveyou too’.
Dito
mo marerealize na ang puso,isang maliit lang naman na parte lang ng katawan
natin. Pero pag nasasaktan, buong pagkatao mo naaapektuhan. Ang normal na araw
sayo dati noong hindi mo pa siya nakilala, araw na lang ngayon na puno ng
kalungkutan. Para kang napunta sa ibang mundo. Sa ibang dimensyon kung saan
para kang nakakulong sa isang kwarto na hindi mo alam kung papaano kang
makakalabas kasi wala kang makitang pinto o bintana.
Sabi
nila madali naman daw kasimag-move on. It’s just simply removing “L” from
“LOVER” and realize it’s “OVER” daw. Eh kung ganoon pala kadali edi sana walang
nagpapakalasing para makalimot. Wala sanang emo na naglalaslas kasi iniwan, at
wala sanang taong ginagawang tanga ang sarili wag lang siyang iwanan. Hindi yun
isang simpleng pagkukunwari na hindi mo na siya mahal hoping na sana ito ay
magkatotoo kahit para sayo parang katapusan na ng mundo. Ang hirap kasing
kalimutan ang mga taong binigyan kanang masasayang mga sandali sa buhay mo.
Moving
on is a not a simple process. Hindi yun isang simpleng pagsasabi sa sarili na
“makakalimutan din kita”, pero sa dulo may SANA. It’s a process and you have to
promise yourself that you’re really ready to let go. Okay lang umiyak, dahil
yan ang effective na paraan to ease the pain after you drifted away from each
other. Okay lang na magdrama ka kahit ilang segundo muna, pero pagkatapos mong
umiyak, you should erase all the bitterness away.
Tanggapin
mo na wala na talaga kayo. ACCEPTANCE is the key…isipin mong every EXIT is an
entry to somewhere, balang araw magpapasalamat ka sa ginawa niyang pag iwan
sayo dahil marami pang pagkakataon para mahanap ang totoong magmamahal sayo.
You just have to give a chance to yourself to love again. Kaya hindi dapat katakutan ang salitang
“MOVE-ON” eh, kasi hindi ka naman
mamamatay sa salitang yun, pero mabubuhay ka pa ng mas MASAYA kapag nagawa mo
yun.
Sunday, November 24, 2013 (11:03 pm)
Sunday, November 24, 2013 (11:03 pm)
THE CRIME OF PADRE AMARO
The Crime of Padre Amaro is one of the most
controversial movies of all times. Roman Catholic groups in Mexico tried to
stop the film from being screened.
There
were scenes not suitable to the very young audiences. If you’re a catholic then you can’t just help but to condemn the
scenes and the movie as a whole as well. I guess, if there were no
objectionable scenes, then the film would never have been criticized by the
part of Roman Catholic groups in Mexico who tried to stop the film from being
screened. I wouldn’t turn this piece into a rant, but with a film such as this,
I realize it’s difficult not address the subject matter in a neutral, objective
fashion. And having spent so much time in artistic fields, I pretty much know
how most filmmakers feel about religion.
From
the trailer itself, Love, Lust and Sin, there were a lot of sexual acts in the
movie not suitable for the very young audiences. One example is, the
controversy surrounding the film centers on the Padre’s decision to abandon his
chastity for a pretty young girl. While the 16-year old Amelia supposedly
seduces him — another sign of the town’s infectious corruption — the Padre
barely offers any resistance and is, in fact, the one who arranges for the shag
shack where they spend their afternoons. He is also the one who suggests Amelia
don nothing but the Virgin’s satin cloak during one of their ‘sessions.’
Strangely, Bernal plays these scenes with little emotion at all, again leaving
the viewer without any sign of inner turmoil.
This makes it incredibly difficult
to care for his character when he ends up having to take Amelia to get an
abortion, and having to deal with the outcome. The movie shows the complexity
of good and bad. Things are seldom black and white. Early in the movie Padre
Amaro shows concern for the people, especially for a severely handicap daughter
of the church’s sexton. But later in the movie, he uses her for his own
purposes and to cover his tracks, fires her father, the sexton. He seems
heartless at Amelia’s plight, but a spark of compassion again shows as she
dies. The director might have done better making two movies.
One could deal
with issues of celibacy of the priest and illicit love affairs—Father Amaro’s
movie. The other could deal with an even larger universal issue, a problem that
exist beyond the church, in how we often compromise ourselves in our efforts at
doing good. Father Benito, who justified receiving drug money by saying “I
always thought you shouldn’t be too picky about money given for good purposes,”
could be the star in this film which would examine the old “means justifies the
ends” theme.
I
guess not, because the scenes added curiosity for the viewers to be intrigued
and for them to be much more interested in the story or movie. I guess the film
is such an eye opener, I mean, there are a lot of sins a priest can commit,
after all, they’re just like us, ordinary people. I’m not saying that the
Catholic Church, or any institution are managed by imperfect people, is above
criticism. After all, even in the modern era, scandal and corruption has
occurred in the church.
All in all, The Crime of Padre Amaro is a very engaging
story, and as a film, I must say that, yes, it is very solid. It’s very
powerful, and you’ll feel an emotional bond with the characters. And although it
may be, in parts, accurate in pointing out corruption, hypocrisy, and human
weaknesses within some of the most trusted elements in our communities,
Carrera’s film seems to box all Catholics in general into this unfriendly
corner.
As a non-Catholic, even I think that’s a little unfair. This is a
highly acclaimed and just as controversial, this foreign film was a huge hit in
Mexico. It’s yet another high profile example of Catholic-bashing disguised as
art. Based on its merits as a story, The Crime of Padre Amaro is certainly
compelling and well-made. Director Carlos Carrera skillfully creates a
“what-if” scenario that weaves politics, religion, corruption, and the dangers
of moral fanaticism into a sobering tale of human weakness and tragedy. I must
say that the end result is a believable-looking film, and the young Gael García
Bernal gives a brilliant performance.
Sunday, November 24, 2013 (10:56 pm)
UNKABOGABLE TALEN-TODO!
“Tibay at lakas ng loob ang iaalay…para lang
sayo! Nais kong malaman mong may karamay ka…nandito lang akooooo!”
Halos mabingi na ang tainga ko dahil
paulit-ulit na umaalingawngaw sa paligid ang kantang iyan saan mang sulok ako
mapunta sa unibersidad. Nagtaka ako kung bakit. Tapos na naman ang palabas na
Captain Barbel, pero bakit tila lahat ay na-last song syndrome sa kantang iyon?
Napa-isip tuloy ako, pero nabatukan ko rin ang sarili ko. Oo nga pala, bakit ko
ba nakalimutan? Katatapos lang pala ng CLL Concert! Muling nanariwa sa aking
isipan ang mga eksena noong araw na iyon.
Lahat
ay nabaliw kay Captain Barbel matapos itong magpakitang gilas sa entablado. At
kahit sumemplang ito sa pagtalon, wa-epek sa mga tao, nakadagdag pa nga ito sa
pogi points ng superhero. Pero hindi lang naman si Captain Barbel ang bumuo sa mga
araw ng mga nagtitiliang manonood. Ang buong palabas mismo ang naging dahilan
kung bakit nag-trending sa isipan ng mga estudyante ang nasabing konsyerto, at
kung bakit ito naging laman ng usap-usapan ng mga iskolar ng bayan kinabukasan.
Kahit nawalan kami ng pamasahe at pangkain matapos magbayad ng tiket, sulit na
sulit naman iyon at kahit kumakalam ang aming simukra habang nanonood, wala
kaming pakialam….mapanood lang si Captain Barbel—-ay este…ang mga taong
nagpakita ng kakaibang talento sa CLL Concert pala, lalo na si Bb. Malaga! Para
mapatunayang hindi lang ang gwapong tagapagligtas ang pinanood ko, narito ang
aking reaksyon sa naganap na ‘UNKABOGABOL’ TALEN-TODO SA 2ENTE 5INGKO!
Noong
una’y para kaming nakikipagpatayan sa pila dahil sobrang siksikan ang mga tao.
Ika nga, pila pa lang blockbuster na. Laking pasasalamat naman namin at
nakarating kami sa loob ng Gymnasium ng buhay. Nag-umpisa ang palabas sa
nakakapangilabot na pambungad na dasal ni G. Rolly. Nakakahalina ang kanyang
boses, kaya’t ako at natuwa. Doon pa lang, nasa-isip ko na, na magiging kakaiba
ang palabas na ito. Matapos magbigay galang sa pagkanta ng ating Pambansang
Awit, nagsimula na ito at nabusog ang aking mga mata sa makulay na palabas!
Nakakita ako ng ibang ibang kultura at sayaw ng iba’t ibang bansa. Hindi ko
naman akalain na ang gagaling at bigay todo kung gumiling at sumayaw ang mga
propesor ng kolehiyong iyon (Makapag-shift na nga! Ha-ha). Kung may sayawan,
siyempre, hindi mawawala ang kantahan. Natuwa naman ako at mga kantang
pang-90’s ang tema ng programa, pasok iyon sa panlasa ko.
Dahil kahit sa
modernong henerasyon ako kabilang, ang puso ko naman ay para sa mga kantang
napaglumaan na ng panahon. Ang kung may kantahan, siyempre, may sayawan ulit!
Ang pinakatinilian nga ay ang numerong lumabas si Captain Barbel, Darna, at ang
boksingero. Matapos iyon, may kantahan ulit ! Nagpakitang gilas ang mga
propesor na biniyayaan ng magagandang boses, kumanta sila ng mga musikang pasok
sa panlasa ng mga kabataan. Ang aking natandaan ay ang ‘Rolling in the Deep’,
‘Price Tag’ at ‘Bad Romance’. At ito pa nga, muling nagsigawan at nagtilian ang
mga estudyante nang kumanta si Captain Barbel sa katauhan ni Sir Joey ng ‘Moves
like Jagger’. Doon pa lang, pakiramdam ko, anumang oras ay magigiba ang
Gymnasium sa sobrang lakas ng tilian. Instant artista si G. Clutario.
Nagpakitang gilas ulit ang lahat sa huling numero ng konsyerto, dito ay
ipinahayg nila ang taos-pusong pasasalamat sa lahat ng nanood.
Sa kabuuan, kanina ko
pa nga paulit-ulit na sinasabi, maganda talaga ang kinalabasan ng palabas.
Sulit na sulit at sana may Part Two! Siguradong aabangan na ng mga iskolar ng
bayan ang pagtatanghal nila ulit sa ika-26 na anibersaryo ng kolehiyo. Binabati
ko ang kolehiyong ito ng maligayang ika- bente singkong anibersaryo! Nawa’ymagpatuloy kayong magbigay na kasiyahan….at KILIG, sa mga estudyante ng
Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.
Saturday, November 23, 2013 (8:09 pm)
STRESSING YET REWARDING!
Friday, November 22, 2013 (8:06 pm)
It’s
typical for us students who are taking up Bachelor in Broadcast Communication
to be tasked to write a library research paper.
Such an assignment often creates a great deal of unneeded anxiety in us
student, which may result in procrastination and a feeling of confusion and
inadequacy. But after all the hardships that we’ve been through in our journey
in writing our library research, we realized the importance of this course.
Writing a research paper is an essential aspect of academics, and should not be
avoided on account of one’s anxiety. In fact, the process of writing a research
paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences one may encounter in
academics. What is more, many of us students will continue to do research
throughout our careers.
Our
topic was entitled ‘The Relationship between the Learning Styles of Students
and the Teaching Techniques of Teachers for Better Classroom Discipline and
Greater Student learning’. Since it’s just a Library Research, we chose that
topic so that we’ll have no hard time looking and viewing for sources and other
related literatures. True to it, when we surveyed the library, we found books
and journals related to our chosen topic, same as when we searched on the
internet. It’s not easy to write a research paper. In writing this kind of
stuff, students should really carry on to themselves the virtue called Patience
and a great pressure tolerance should be added. Students should not look at
Research Papers as a stressing and depressing work. It doesn’t have to be that
way. Looked at it properly, research papers can be a great way to deepen our
understanding of our chosen field, and may be the first step towards developing
a specialization that will serve us move into our career in advance.
To
end this, we students should realize that research writing is part of our
college life…we have no escape in this requirement. We just have to know how to
handle it correctly. I guess the best trick you can use is to make you enjoy in
writing this kind of stuff is to write about something that reflects your interests
and truly fascinates you, something that you would want to know more about even
if you hadn’tbeen assigned a paper.
Friday, November 22, 2013 (8:06 pm)
MALUPIT NA HAGUPIT NG PAG-IBIG
Well,
iyon ang opinion ko nung una….pero may isa akong kaibigan na nag-kwento ng
kaniyang miserable love life. Well, kaibigan ko yun kaya kahit naririndi ako sa
kwento nya, nakikinig pa rin ako. I suddenly got curious. Napaka-talino at
napaka-disente niyang babae pero nabiktima siya ng malupit na hagupit ni
Pag-ibig? Then I realized, hindi pala talaga mapipigilan ang pag-ibig. Hindi ko
inakalang mapapabilang siya sa dumaraming populasyon ng mga broken hearted sa Pilipinas.
At umabot pa sa puntong muntik na siyang mapabilang sa mortality rate. Buti na
lang at napigilan….kundi….goodbye Philippines and Good bye world na.
Gaano
katindi ang love? Isipin mo, nagagawa nitong mapaghintay ang mainiping
tao,masaktan ang manhid, maging sweet ang bitter, mapalambot ang matigas ang
puso,mapatawa ang isang malungkot, gawing corny ang mga seryoso, mapatino ang
mga basagulero, mapatawa ang mga suplado….at higit sa lahat…gawing tanga ang
isang matalinong tao.
Ayokong
mainlove…kasi sabi ni nanay, pag na-inlove ako, masisira raw ang kinabukasan
ko. Kaya simula noong bata pa ako, itinanim ko sa utak ko na bawal ma-inlove.
Pero iba nga talaga kapag puso na ang nagdikta. Magiging sunud-sunuran ka.
Mapapako lahat ng pinangako mo sa sarili mo, masusuway lahat ng batas na ginawa
mo, mabubura sa isip mo ang pananaw na pinanghahawakan mo….in-short…mawawalaka
sa sarili mo, friend. Kung inaakala mong malakas ka, at kayang mong pigilan ang
sarili mo sa mga bagay na ayaw mong mangyari, pagdating sa love, magugulat ka
na lang at magiging alaipin ka nang puso mo. Ganoon kalupet ma inlove.
Napakasarap na feeling…..pero pagkatapos mong maramdaman iyon, siguradong
isusumpa mo na ang salitang Love….kasi, lahat may kapalit. Kapag dumating sa
puntong nasaktan ka, iyon ang pinaka-malupet sa lahat. Dahil hindi mo na ulit
papangaraping ma-inlove ulit. Isang bagay na ayaw na ng isip mo…ngunit patuloy
namang umaasa ang puso mo ng kapalit.
Una
sa lahat, Nababadtrip akong makakita ng dalawang mag-syota na naglalandian.
Holding hands, may pabulong-bulong-giggle effect, nagsusubuan, at marami pang
iba. Hindi dahil bitter ako dahil wala akong syota, pero naman, bakit pa ganoon
sila ka showy? Bakit kailangang ipakita sa publiko? Ang sarap nilang sigawan ng
: “Hoy! Mag-check in na nga lang kayo!”. Nakakaasar. I’m really against public
display of affection. Pero inuulit ko…Hindi ako bitter. Sabi nila tatanda raw
akong dalaga, dahil monster ako at man-hater. Duh, pwes hindi ako natatakot
tumanda ng walang kasama. Monster daw ako dahil masama lagi ang tingin ko sa
mga mag-syotang nakakasabay ko sa jeep na naghaharutan. Kung may batas lang na
ipakulong lahat ng naglalandian, siguro ang dami ng napatawan ng death penalty.
Kaya
kung ako ang masusunod, dapat maging mapanuri, mapagmatiyag, at huwag
mapangahas (Matanglawin?!) tayo pagdating sa pag-ibig. Hindi lahat ng lalaki ay
kasing bait at kasing buti ng iniisip mo, hindi lahat ng lalaking dadating sayo
ay siya na ang Prince Charming mo (agad-agad?!). Looks can be damn deceiving!
Dapat protektahan natin ang puso natin dahil sa mga taong walang pakialam sa
nararamdaman nating mga kababaihan.
Huwag kang mawalan ng
pag-asa o mag-inarteng magpakamatay na lamang dahil broken hearted ka. Bulok na
ang style na yan. Okay lang masaktan, friend. Minsan kasi kailangan ituro ng
mundo sayo ang tama sa paraang masasaktan ka. Para tigilan mo na ang mali at
malaman mo ang pagkakaiba ng dapat sa hindi dapat!
Friday, November 22, 2013 (7:56 pm)
CHIEF JUSTICE: CONVICTED
Forty-four
days of impeachment trial proceeding, and now, the senator judges came up with
a solid decision—- to convict the highest officer on judiciary, the Chief
Justice Renato Corona.
A
total of twenty senator judges including the presiding officer Sen. Juan Ponce
Enrile were in favor for conviction and three voted for acquisition, namely
Sen. Joker Arroyo, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago and Sen. Bongbong Marcos; that
was the total votes garnered on the last historical impeachment trial (on SALN
issue).
Even
though a lot of people are rejoicing because the Chief Justice can now step
down on his throne, I still stand that the accusations and allegations thrown
and tossed on him were merely not worth impeachable. His unintentional mistake
in jotting down his assets on his SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and
Net worth) are simply not counted as ground for impeachment. I believe that his
interpretation of the law on dollar accounts’ confidentiality is factual as
well as the co-mingled fund account under his name, after all, he’s the Chief
Justice, he knows the law more than anyone could.
Impeachment
is a very complex issue. It’s a political process, not a political
assassination. Ever since the impeachment trial heralded, we can see that he’s
been condemned and tortured emotionally by people who are trying to fuel the
issue. Others were throwing black propagandas on him and dirty tactics to ruin
his reputation and name that he’s been shielding for ever since, even his
family, the Corona Clan and the Basas issue on land and properties were all
exposed up, bringing the family dispute back into life again after thirty long
years.
Impeachment
is a sensitive matter. The fact that the country’s Chief Justice, the highest
official on judiciary is on trial, then the prosecution team and the
complainants must present accusations that are worth impeachable. Indeed, it’s
true that this matter is a one step away of violating the constitution.
Friday, November 22, 2013 (4:06 pm)
WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES A LAW, REBELLION BECOMES A DUTY
Social
networking sites nowadays such as Facebook and Twitter are getting darker.
Netizens were changing their display pictures to black wallpapers as their sign
of protest for Republic Act 10175 also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Law.
For
the record, thirteen senators voted to pass the law, namely, Sotto, Revilla,
Villar, Lapid, Pimentel, Estrada, Legarda, Escudero, Lacson, Honasan, Cayetano,
Marcos, and Recto.
The
law particularly averts wrong and illegal doings of Netizens like hacking,
system interference, cyber-squatting, identity theft, cybersex, spam, cyber
child pornography and the most controversial online –libel.
If
that’s the case, if you’ll post about your comment on the shameless doing of a
certain politician, say for example telling his a corrupt and dishonest
official, it could be classified as libel, which is defined in the Revised
Penal Code as “the public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or
defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or
circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural
or juridical person…”So what this one particularly wants is for us Netizens to
be nice (which I doubt will never happen). What they want to hear are nice words
and praises to Netizens who happens to use blogs, Facebook, and Twitter as a
driving instrument to let the world know about their beefs and complaints on
certain elected officials. The law says,
if you can’t say anything good, then you better shut up. That’s great for
insignificant at minor issues but not when we’re talking about officials who
use their position to take advantage of vulnerable people.
The
law even punishes the ones who will ‘like’, or ‘share’ something it doesn’t
like. Those who play a part in innocently spreading the libelous content shall
be charged also for aiding libel. That means the act of hitting the “Like”
button of Facebook or retweeting posts on Twitter may be labeled as unlawful as
well.
Ramil
Digal Gulle explained: “Interestingly, the Supreme Court of the Philippines has
also ruled that even ironic, suggestive, or metaphorical language could be
considered libelous. You don’t have to directly call someone a liar and a thief
to get sued for libel. It’s enough to suggest it or state it sarcastically—as
long as you do so in a public manner like posting on the Internet.” So even if
you’re kidding around, if a person reports you’re being sarcastic and claims
your posts are libelous, you could get arrested.
Another
thing, under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 the so-called “victims” and
their lawyers “could argue in court that old libelous posts that are still live
today can be charged with online libel, by keeping it there today, you’re still
publishing it now. So if you’re still publishing it after the law took effect,
then you’re liable for its publication today according to University of the
Philippines College of Law Professor Atty. JJ Disini. So if you have mocking
post on your foe about let’s say three years ago, you could end up going to
jail for that.
One
shocking fact about this law is that it has greater penalties. If you get
nabbed for libel (not online) you just may spend maximum of 6 years in jail.
But if you get charged for online libel, you may spend a maximum of 12 years in
prison and be fined for about ₱1,000,000.
It’s
so sad to hear that we, Netizens are deprived from freedom of speech. It’s
important to note that we are bloggers, not terrorists. Expressing one’s
thoughts is not a crime. Instead of having a Law for all the Filipinos that do
net surfing, why doesn’t the Government focus on people who are starving?
Friday, November 22, 2013 (3:56 pm)
Friday, November 22, 2013 (3:56 pm)
I AM A MORNING STAR!
The sun is scientifically considered as
the ultimate source of light and energy. Even when darkness comes, it still
gives its glories to the moon to light up our paths. If there is no sun, I bet
sadness and blues will reign in the world. Why? Because the sun doesn’t just
give light to the humankind, it also gives happiness and hope to whoever stares
at this wonderful creation.
When a person says that he reflects
himself like a sun, he may be a source of radiant warmth and glory to the
people surrounding him. In my case, I can say as a daughter that I am the sun
of my parents, because I am their spring of laughter and happiness. I always
see to it that whenever something is bothering them, I am in the way to make
them feel better by calming them up and cracking up jokes on them. A good laugh
is sunshine in the house. It’s a simple way to make them realize that
everything’s going to be alright.
As a friend, when it is dark, I will
always carry the sun in my hand for you. The moment you’ll feel that the world
is against you, and you’ll get confused on which path to choose, just believe
in me, I will be there to light up your track and will willingly be your guide
to realization. I’ll never get tired of rising even when the time comes that
you’ll get weary of being under the sun. I’ll never get tired of praying that
all the ill-fate days are rubbed away from your life and may you get sunshine
and rainbows in your life, my friend.
As a child of God, I believe that God
values me like the great sun. I have confidence that I am also one of the
wonderful creations of God. Like the sun that shines through the sky, my love
for him is worthy and sound.
In life, it’s true that you can’t please
everybody. I may be like the sun to others that irritates their eyes whenever
they throw a glimpse, but I have that confidence that God created me to become
one of the sky’s beauties. And even though sometimes I fail and that causes me
to go down, similar to the sun, I plan in hand and rise again. Imagine how
magnificent the sun is! You really must see the true sun in you, feel the
promise of tomorrow and begin spreading the glow of the rays of the great sun
in the lives of others.
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