On Being Taught By Students

What do you feel when you are being taught by students? Do you feel ashamed? Do you feel surprised? Do you feel shocked? Or will you just act like nothing has happened? For me, being a teacher to your fellow students involves a lot of sacrifices. You have to give up many things, more patience to burn, and a lot of smiles to give (even if you don’t feel like smiling). So what about you? What would you feel? But let’s tackle that later. Let’s talk about how I felt.

Picture this scene. Your seatmate and best friend, stands near you one day and asks you, “Beverly, what’s the answer???” Then you realize the drastic change of schooling nowadays. I am more comfortable with situations where students are the ones acting as teachers. I can talk to the student-teachers with my heart not beating fast (it also means no stammering). I can interact with my teachers naturally. I feel that there’s nothing to be afraid of.

My experience in the know-your-school-day (KYSD), even though I did not apply as a student- teacher, was quite fruitful. I learned the sacrifices my classmate–turned–teachers have to make just to be able to teach his/her fellow students, not only the subject matter, but also some values. We enjoyed each other’s company because we were able to jam with each other. We were shocked though, when a classmate of ours whom we thought was very shy, was standing in front of us acting as our teacher.

What I like about KYSD is that it gives students the privilege to experience something beyond the boundaries of the four walls of the classroom. The other lesson I learned from KYSD is the sacrifices our teachers have made just to impart knowledge to us. I learn the hardships they endure. Through this Blog, I would like to extend my thanks to my energetic and patient teachers for teaching me different things that opened my eyes to the reality of this world and beyond. Now I am leaving second year, I would miss my teachers for this year. I would miss the wonderful experiences my fellow classmates and I had experienced. I would cherish these memories in my heart. Thanks to KYSD, I was able to appreciate my teachers, especially those whose subjects I felt are more difficult than the others.

Fame and Love Never Mix

Have you ever wondered why relationships between stars (i.e. actors, actresses, singers, basketball players) never last? I think one of the reasons is that fame and love never mix. To name a few… Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gylenhaal, Paris Hilton and Paris (sumthin’), Bing Loyzaga and Janno Gibbs, John Estrada and Vanesa del Bianco, Pops and Martin… Only few relationships (in show business anyway) tend to last forever.

Fame and love never mix because with fame comes competition in different forms. One of the overused reasons is “irreconcilable differences.” What does this mean anyway? This means nobody has time enough to really sit and talk about what’s wrong! The other most obvious reason is a “third party.” Well this simply means you’ve fallen out of love and putting all the blame on the third party. Or maybe the reason is simply that an actress or an actor simply flirted with somebody (who probably has commitments already) using her/his beauty and body. When the seduction succeeds, there would be a “secret” relationship. Why secret? Because the relationship is supposed to be forbidden since one has already a commitment with someone else. Anyway, when everyone finds out about this relationship, the actress would cry her heart out (to get the public’s sympathy) and say “we fell in love with each other,” or “we did it for love.” In reality though, it started out with flirting. You think you came out clean there lady?

Well, let’s focus on TIME (or the lack of it). I think this is one of the major reasons why fame and love never mix. Of course, if you were famous, you’d have projects/endorsements left and right. Putting on make-up alone would already eat up a lot of your time. You’d have to appear beautiful at all times for the public to admire you…so you go to the salon to have your hair and nails done…then off to the spa for a body massage, foot spa and a facial…to your favorite designer for a list of clothes you need for the next week or two…Hectic huh? Have you ever been to a make-up room? I’m sure in every make-up room, you’d hear the words “hurry up,” “could somebody get this hair done?” or “how do I look?” (even if she has this big mirror in front of her) See, they’re quite busy. So what happens is that they meet a beautiful girl or boy – and in such a short time “fall in love” (even if they hardly had the time to get to know each other). As expected, after realizing they’ve had enough of each other, they break up.

PEER PRESSURE could be another reason why fame and love never mix. I can just imagine the pressure and stress a showbiz personality has to endure just to maintain a certain image and a circle of so-called friends. Then of course there’s always the thought that tomorrow may not be your time anymore – with many new talents coming in. Whew! What happens is that when you get pissed (which could be often), you blow off steam at your partner. Expectedly, at the end of a month or two, you call it quits.

There could be a thousand and one reasons (excuses) why fame and love never mix. But I’m sure there are also a thousand and one ways to enable fame and love to mix. I think that love, whether between famous people and between the not-so-famous people, is just the same. Love may not also work for the not-so-famous people (just like the famous ones). In order for love to last forever, both have to work for it. Time should not be made an excuse, instead manage it well and use it as a weapon to strengthen your relationship. I am not sure where the future will lead me (will it lead me to fame or not?). But definitely, when it comes to relationships, I want mine to be just like that of my parents – still going strong after 14 years of married life! (Eat your heart out Britney Spears!)

Draculas Journal

For hundreds of years, I have existed as a monster. You fear me for I go out at night, bite your necks and suck out your blood. I don’t know why I love blood. When I drink blood, I feel 20 years younger (you say so too!). I can’t confirm if I really look as I feel (20 years younger) because remember, I don’t have a reflection in the mirror.

It has been a long time since I’ve written again in my black book (my diary). You have long proclaimed me dead. Ha, ha, ha, now I’ve proven you wrong! I was only asleep. I was unable to escape this unlucky fate. For a long time, I hid in a barn in Transylvania and I’ve lived there ever since I awoke. I longed for those days when I still lived at the palace. My lifestyle then was quite extravagant. Drat to you who learned of my “nocturnal activities!” Oh well, I better make the most of what I see, hear and learn now to further my plan of world domination.

Sadly, I seldom go out for bites nowadays. I can sense the world changing. I can see tall towers that you people call as “cell sites” and big dish-like structures you call “satellite dish.” I hear you talk in English but I can’t seem to understand the words coming out of your mouth. Words such as internet, I-pod, digital camera, cellphone. I also hear the words surf the net, Yahoo, Google, Friendster, etc. What are these? Have I awakened in another world? Aahh no, I’m sure this is still Earth, but a very different Earth. I used to have a very big library with all the books about England. Now, you talk about a very big CD–ROM Library. What’s that?

I have to be very careful nowadays when I try to go out for a “bite.” You now have a “jail” with people in uniform closely guarding it. And I learned that if you commit a really big crime, you don’t go to jail. Instead you are condemned to die, not in the gallows, but through lethal injection.

Now, I’m really interested in this internet thing. I learned that you can find anything in the internet. I want to search for new places where I can find new victims or what you call as “new blood.” I also want to “chat” with people across the globe. I’ll try to learn their addresses, their weaknesses and strengths. Then when I already have their trust and confidence, that’s the time I can victimize them. He, he, he. I can always create an alias so there’s no way they’ll ever find out the real me. Besides, I can do these things inside the safety of my hiding place. I can now see that this internet makes my plan for world domination relatively easy. I’ll turn you all into vampires in due time…that’s a promise.

Aahh… that was tiring. I must sleep now dear diary because it’s near sunrise. My coffin, which I built from the wood planks I found in this abandoned barn, awaits me. Sweet dreams!

THE DIARY OF BRITNEY SPEARS- Part II

Oh dearie me, since I’ve been in rehab, beans are starting to spill out. People already know my secrets. I don’t know what to do, dear diary! I’ve tried to clean up my image since I went into rehab but people seem to doubt my sincerity. They keep saying that going into rehab is the only good thing I ever did. I’ve read the news today, and aw my gawd! My worst secrets are out, thanks to Jason Alexander for taking me to the place where I shouldn’t have been. I don’t like this, dear diary. I can feel the ground below me crumble every second they criticize me. How I wish the earth would just swallow me – THE SHAME! I can’t bear the shame anymore. Want to know what have been revealed about me so far?

Let’s start with some very hush-hush secrets that they’ve spilt out. First: My lesbian sex tape scandal. Oh dear diary, if only I could cover this one up! This happened February 12. The news said, “a surveillance tape showing the troubled pop star, Britney Spears (that’s me) getting quite intimate with two female dancers at a New York club as the latest hot property for internet porn companies. The singer (me again!) changed into fishnet stockings and a bikini while partying with … (end).

Oh dear diary, I know this is true and I’ve made a fool of myself (well, I was always a fool). I was jammin’ with the girls and then something just got inside my head about, you know… I am not a lesbian, I can assure you that! Let’s say, I love to try new things. I love adventure. I want to go to the places I haven’t visited yet, or do things I haven’t done yet like, going steamy with girls, shaving my head, or posing naked while pregnant…ya know…

Next on the list of my exposed very hush-hush secrets is that I took drugs for years. Well, thanks to you Jason Alexander for being truthful to the press and to the people. I love you for it Jason babe. Don’t worry, when I get out of rehab…I’m gonna @#$%*& you!

I know this is Jason Alexander’s way of getting even. But I tell you Jason dear, I have my ways of getting at you too. You told them we took ecstasy together (it felt good). You also told them that I got away with a lot of stuff because I’m Britney Spears (well, you do have some privileges if you’re famous). By the way, why in heaven’s name did you tell them that I was no longer a VIRGIN? Gosh! That really ruined my reputation. I had to dress as a demure schoolgirl in my earlier videos just to establish that VIRGINAL reputation then you…you just blew it! I worked hard for my reputation, from the time I started with Mickey Mouse Club to Oops I did it again. You never cared for my efforts. You just have to spill it out, don’t you?

Dear diary, I’m so upset and confused. Before this rehab thing and before all these scandals broke out, people look at me and see SUCCESS in every way. They just don’t know that I have sacrificed a lot just to make my mom happy. They just don’t know that I have never lived a normal life as a kid because I started young in the movies or on television. They just don’t know that at some point in my “successful” life, I became tired and confused, so I rebelled. Now, I guess people call me different names…BAD INFLUENCE, SLUT, DRUG ADDICT… Sad isn’t it. Dear diary, do you really think this is what I wanted? Am I solely to blame for all of these? Am I not a victim of pressure due to fame? Was my family part of this mess? How about my so-called friends and love ones? What have they done for me? I don’t know dear diary… anyway I have to say goodbye for now. Have to put on some hair grower on my head. MWAH!

Palmapithecus-continuance of Evolution

As messenger of the king Ziggurat Palmapithecus, I hereby declare, CONTINUE EVOLVING. Yes, we are already in a very stable condition and we have fully evolved. However, we know we can still evolve, so continue doing so. We Palmapithecus species are very rare that we have the most unique DNA structure in the planet. We also have the most unique logical skills and we excel highly in academics. Sometimes though, we get into trouble and make utter fools of ourselves. Even then, we’re still the best! We stand as one indestructible force in which even the hardest of all hard militant groups or the strongest of all strong weapons of destruction cannot destroy. Hail the Palmapithecus species!

We have survived years of evolution without any major setbacks. Even though we took the mind-breaking Chemistry exams of Mdm. Lapa, or the mind-boggling Algebra quizzes of Mdm. Nuñez, we are still here and still going strong! Although we have committed violations and we know that at the end of the semester, we have to answer for these – we know we will still triumph in the end. We have overcome not only academic challenges, but emotional challenges as well (such as these things called “love”, “love triangle”, “jealousy”, “confusion”)

Palmapithecus, we have enjoyed a year of evolution together bringing along with us many fond memories. The past year has been a year of happy, embarrassing, surprising, and totally awesome moments. Aahh, those totally unforgettable moments…remember the time you tripped near the sink or worse, in the middle of the quadrangle? How about when you pronounced a word incorrectly and get laughed at? Or when somebody says “I love You” with the whole population witnessing the event…we’re sure to remember all of these!

We also cherish those moments with our superiors/mentors – our teachers. We feel close to them. Sometimes even if we argue with them (as part of the class discussion), we still end up as friends. We jam with them. We want our teacher to remember us (especially in making the grades – joke only!) so we make “sipsip” by carrying the teacher’s bag or books to the classroom (sorry Mr. K., I am annoyed everytime you do that – style mo bulok!). Of course the teachers can read our minds (being sipsip), but still, this act puts a smile in their faces (forced smile?).

Enough of all the reminiscing, lest you fall asleep. Let’s go back to the declaration. We have truly evolved Palmapithecus afarensis/ziggurat…we have evolved. Continue evolving into a better (or best) species. Continue growing and developing not just physically but emotionally, spiritually and mentally as well. Go Palmapithecus! Let us continue our quest of becoming the best (as always)! In the far future when all of us have evolved, we know that we cannot go back to our past form (or retrogress), but we can always look back at the memories (fond or otherwise) that may help us evolve further. In other words, never forget where you came from!

I am Afraid..... of the Dark

I don’t know exactly when it started. When the lights are turned off, I shiver. When I’m alone in the middle of a dark road, I shake. When I’m suddenly trapped in a dark room, I scream…aaahhh! I just don’t know why. I can’t remember any traumatic experience that could have triggered this fear of the dark.

Many people though have phobia of the dark because of a traumatic experience when they were kids. For some, their fear of the dark was triggered when they experienced being trapped in a dark closet. For others, it was due to a very strong imagination – imagining seeing “ghosts” or “monsters” in their rooms or closets. As for me, I can’t recall having any of these experiences when I was younger. It just happened and I can’t seem to find a cure. How I wish this fear of the dark would go away or be cured because it’s really embarrassing. You see, even if I’m only 13 years old, I probably look older because I’m a bit tall. Imagine a big girl screaming her lungs out because she’s afraid of the dark. My love for reading scary novels (Stephen King’s) never helped. If only the cure can be bought from a drugstore, I’d buy one whatever the cost. If only this phobia is like a gangrened leg that can be amputated, I’ll have this amputated right away!

I feel that this phobia of the dark is like a debilitating . . . disease (?) that spreads like wildfire from my heart to my brain and to the different parts of my body. When this happens, my natural reflex would be to let out a blood-curling scream…AAAAHHHH!!!

Do you know that I sleep with the blanket covering my body from head to foot? When my mother thinks that I’m already asleep, she would try to remove the blanket from my head because she fears that I may not be able to breathe. However, I would always manage to cover my head back. I tried to do a lot of things to fight this fear. I have tried keeping the lights on while trying to sleep. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t sleep with the lights on. I have tried opening my eyes in the middle of the night when all is dark and quiet. And I ended up in a panic, shutting my eyes back and trying hard to get back to sleep. My only conclusion (and excuse?) is that maybe I’m really still a child. Like little kids, I have a very strong imagination in the dark. I imagine seeing scary apparitions from probably, just a bathrobe hanging near the door of my room, or from my guitar hanging by the wall. I imagine hearing scary sounds from the bamboo tree near our house or from the cats fighting outside. This is really sssooo embarrassing!

Every now and then I try to get used to and act brave in the dark. Gosh! It’s sooooo hard! I have never been consistent. This time I feel brave, the next time I chicken out right away and turn on the light. So help me God! What do you think – that I’m a scaredy-cat or sumthin’? Hah, I’ll poke your nose if you think that!

Don’t worry, I’m still trying to overcome my fear of the dark. Maybe in time, I can be successful. What is important is that I recognize this weakness and I’m trying to find a way to overcome it. So in the meantime, when in the dark…SMILE (though you may be crying inside), DANCE (though you may be shaking inside)…oh what the heck…GO TO SLEEP!

TEENAGERS

They’re gonna clean up your looks
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you

Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you son
So they can watch all the things you do


Because the drugs never work
They’re gonna give you a smirk
‘Cause they got methods of keeping you clean
They’re gonna rip off your heads
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine

They said all teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone’ll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they’ll leave you alone, but not me

The boys and girls in a clique
The awful names that they stick
You’re never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you’re troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did

They said all teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
they could care less
As long as someone’ll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they’ll leave you alone,
but not me

Oh yeah
They said all teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone’ll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they’ll leave you alone,
but not me

All together now

Teenagers scare
The living shit out of me
They could care less
As long as someone’ll bleed
So darken your clothes
Or strike a violent pose
Maybe they’ll leave you alone,
but not me

this is Teenagers by the My Chemical Romance. I was really affected by this song. Because I am also a teenager, THIS SONG IS FOR ALL OF US, TEENAGERS......

WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE

When I was a young boy,

My father took me into the city

To see a marching band.

He said,

"Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken,

The beaten and the damned?"

He said

"Will you defeat them, your demons, and all the non believers,

the plans that they have made?"

Because one day I leave you, A phantom to lead you in the summer,

To join the black parade."

When I was a young boy,

My father took me into the city

To see a marching band.

He said,

"Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken,

The beaten and the damned?"

Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me.

And other times I feel like I should go.

Through it all,

the rise and fall,

the bodies in the streets.

When you're gone we want you all to know

We'll Carry on,

We'll Carry on

Though your dead and gone believe me

Your memory will carry on

Carry on

We'll carry on

And in my heart I cant contain it

The anthem wont explain it.

And we will send you reeling from decimated dreams

Your misery and hate will kill us all

So paint it black and take it back

Lets shout it loud and clear

Do you fight it to the end We hear the call to

To carry on

We'll carry on

Though your dead and gone believe me Your memory will carry on

We'll carry on

And though you're broken and defeated

You're weary widow marches on And on

we carry through the fears Ooh oh ohhhh

Disappointed faces of your peers Ooh oh ohhhh

Take a look at me cause I could not care at all

Do or die

You'll never make me

Cause the world,

will never take my heart

You can try,

you'll never break me

Want it all, I'm gonna play this part

Wont explain or say i'm sorry

I'm not ashamed,

I'm gonna show my scar

You're the chair, for all the broken Listen here,

because it's only..

I'm just a man,

I'm not a hero

Just a boy,

who's meant to sing this song

Just a man,

I'm not a hero

I -- don't -- care

Carry on

We'll carry on

Though your dead and gone believe me

Your memory will carry on

We'll carry on

And though you're broken and defeated

You're weary widow marches on

We'll carry on

We'll carry on

We'll carry on

We'll carry

We'll carry on

This is one of my favorite songs. this is Welcome to the Black Parade by the My Chemical Romance. they are the best rock group evah!!! Do you like this song too?? Listen to this.

MY MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS REVEALED

The things I wrote today are part of my past reminisces of me part of growing up. So please, when you read this, be ready to be protected of the gases of euphoria this blog maybe excreting.

Most embarrassing moment no. 1

I was in kinder 1 at that time. I was walking towards the lavatory to wash my hands when ooohhh… I tripped! It was very embarrassing! Many students looked at my direction and laughed. I was red –faced at that time because of shame! I covered my face with my hands to avoid the looks of my classmates, who at that time are all smiles. But well, the angel of mercy came and sent a cute boy strolling and helped me up. This came stir from my classmates and they began teasing me, “uuuuuyyy…. Beverly”

Most embarrassing moment no. 2

I was taking a kindergarten entrance test at Cebu Normal University at that time. I was having a hard time answering the questions. I bit my pencil between my teeth and incredibly forgot that it was there. Then, the proctor said that there are only 10 more minutes left so I looked for my pencil; I began to have hysterics since I forgot where I put my pencil. Then I started to drool. Then when I wiped my saliva away, I felt something wet and hard between my teeth. (It’s not what you think it is) and then oh! There was my pencil, all wet and mushy. The teachers, the students, who were disturbed by the commotion I had made, couldn’t hide their grins when I discovered that it was there all along.

Most embarrassing moment no.3

I was 9 years old at that time. My father, my cousin and I were walking towards our van. We just came out of Ayala. And then, the moment came, sweeping through me like a raging thunderstorm. I tripped through a very big rope that serves as a ‘fence’ for the cars. Serves me right for trying to go over the rope. I fell face –first. My father and my cousin laughed at me so hard that I began very red- faced because of shame. Luckily there are no other people at the parking area.

Most embarrassing moment no. 4

I was in the province at that time. It was fiesta. While my parents and other relatives were preparing for the food, design, and other whatsoever, my cousin and I explored the area. We were looking for a toilet because we want to urinate. At the other side of the road of our aunt‘s house, we saw our grandfather, with his carabao. We ran to him to kiss his hand. We also asked where we could find a place where we could urinate. He pointed us to the nearby river. He said that’s the only place he knew. So we hit off, and the two of us hid behind the anahaw leaves beside the river. My cousin, who is a prankster, finished first and left me all alone. She said she’d cover me when she finished first, but it tuned out that she left me, and while I was urinating I heard the coming of a bicycle. I thought that my cousin is there to tell him that I was here. But of course, she wasn’t there and the boy riding the bicycle peered over me. When I saw him, I screamed, pulled my shorts up, and ran to my aunt’s house, all embarrassed and ashamed.

These are all my embarrassing moments. It takes all my pride to type this, so please, if your reading this, don’t laugh so hard, maybe all people will know what’s in store for me.

TOM'S DYING WISH

(This is for all the cats….)

My fellow minions, before I die, I would like to share to you my subjects and the hope that you would be able to accomplish them in due time. (But anyway, all your interested at is the billions of dollars you‘ll get from me. But hey! Let’s get to the topic. As you all know, I’ve sent all my nine lives in vain chasing and catching my nemesis, the stupid mouse, Jerry. (But I cant understand of why I cant catch him, and when every time I was able to catch him, he was also able to slip from my hands, and ending up with me putting into trouble.) I’m writing this, because I know I have little time life to live in this world. I’ve been chasing and catching Jerry today, and I found myself falling off at the top of the empire state building, my ninth life busted. (Just like King Kong, -------- though he’s saving a girl and I’m catching a mouse) Well! Well! Well! Let’s get to my “subjects of interests” as we put it before I close my eyes and leave this world for good.

1. The fast eradication of Jerry’s family and relatives
My fellow felines, as we all know, I am rich now, (but it doesn’t matter to me, I ‘ll spend anything just to get my hands on Jerry.) I am rich because I have sent all these years in working with the Looney Toons, and billions of children, not only watch me all over the world, making my show a hit, (is chasing a mouse interesting?) Anyway, I want you to spend a part of my money, since the eradication costs like, 500 million dollars. I want the eradication fast. You can claim my money ion the bank; I don’t know which bank, maybe there are hundreds of them. Don’t worry; I’ve already identified you to the different banks in the country, (also in the banks in Germany, England, and Paris.)
P.S: pls. Do it fast. Jerry’s’ family is quite a number that’s why you should act now! At least, to lessen some suspicions, so you can’t do the panic killing - as we put it. I want eradication! I want it fast!


2. (Absolutely confidential) The stealing of Jerry ‘s property and real estate business benefits.
My minions we, the ever powerful cats, destroy and steal Jerry’s property as soon as possible! When he realizes that the poor stupid mouse has no home to go to, we can easily spot him and…hehehe…how shall we put it more delicately, we‘ll silence him. Many of you would enjoy this, but! We should be careful and we should keep mum about this all business of ours because it might destroy our reputation as cats as the best clean animal. (Oh, really??)

These are all my interests. I hope you can fulfill them in just a short time. We have to accomplish this ----I mean, these, matter as though this is one of a hell, “2 commandments.” We shall finish, us, together, the most infuriating race in the world---- the mice.

This shall be effective this February 31 2008, when the apple fell from the orange tree. let Jerry realize that the cats rule the earth in the past, present, and hopefully, in the future.

CATS RULE!!!!!!!!!

SIGNED,
Tom

THE DIARY OF BRITNEY SPEARS

THE DIARY OF BRITNEY SPEARS

Duuuh… this is the most hectic year I’ve ever had in my whole life. And I think I got into some kind of a “freak -out” but other people describe as “nervous breakdown” or “insanity”. I can tell you straight in your ugly face that I ‘m not insane, or mad, or something. It’s just the effects of too much marijuana. Come on! I was just trying to have a good time, forget our break – up with Kevin, and forget my short – lived friendship with Paris Hilton, gosh… she is the most infuriating bitch I have ever met. She comes here, telling me that oooh…. I’m going to help you forget your break –up with Kevin, and she goes and brings me to gimmicks to many of the most expensive hotel bars and restaurants in the United States. Maybe, I forgot everything at that time and some stupid paparazzis caught a picture of me with no, with no… underpants at all! No panties at all! I almost died of shame.. No just a little, since I am used to it anyway. Anyway, as Paris’ song “stars are blind” I am blind to all that’s happening to me around. I go, to this place, to that place, forgetting about the baby sometime, only remembering it when I am a block away and I ‘m home. Many questioned of me being a parent, but why? I am just one of the richest girls in Hollywood, and I can provide them with all the comfys that they need. They don’t have the right to question me of being a mother! (Or do they have?)

About the rehab. The rehab is marvelous, with the nice luxurious bed, the horse- riding facility, and the swimming pools…its just like home. I learned that Ben Affleck also had his rehab here. See? This place is a star- studded place. But I felt bad. I just realized that my head is bald. Maybe its because of the shampoo or something. Or is it the chemotherapy? I don’t remember anything of the kind. When I ask the doctors about my hair, they look amused and told me that; I cut off my own hair. Can you believe it? I surfed the Internet, and saw an auction online, Buy Britney’s hair, $1, 000, 000. 00. I have to check whose Britney they’re talking about. But the people around me insisted that I cut off my beautiful, long blond, hair. I was in despair. I didn’t know that drugs can take you to unbelievable volumes and I can do things that I hadn’t done before, like, cutting my own hair.

Now, even though I’ m on my rehab, I can see people looking at me, with like, yucky expressions. I am not yucky! But I found myself singing:

“I see you looking at me
Like some kind of a freak
Get out of your seat,
Why don’t you do something?”

And I see people doing something like, booing at me or laughing at me. I can‘t take this anymore! I’m not the “lucky” anymore or a girl (not yet a woman). Oh please!! Maybe I am mad after all. I just learned that my ex Justin Timberlake had already broken up with his girlfriend, Cameron Diaz. I was in supreme ecstasy. My two past marriages didn’t make something out of me, just orgasm… and sadness. I went crazy when I broke up with Justin, and went crazier when Kevin left me; he only interested on my money, and left me to take care of the kids. Aaarggh!! And then I met this happy –go –lucky girl named Paris Hilton who once had a row with Nicole Ritchie. Once, I don’t see why a hotel heiress runs out of friends. But after that unfortunate incident, I learned why. She’s a user! Anywayz, the people told me its time to go down the pedestal because I’m becoming a big disgrace! They don’t love me anymore! Now, they have become fanatics of the Irreplaceable Beyonce, of eeww…. Of Christina Aguilera‘s Ain’t No other Man. Yeah Christina, it ain‘t you who‘s going to question me!

Yeah, dear diary, this year’s very hard for me, and for us. While I’m lying here in the sofa, I keep thinking of the things that’s been happening to us, if I can only get at the time I’m still the princess of pop, maybe things are much better. I’ve been going wild, things intoxicating me, (TOXIC: PLAYING) but we’ll be strong, dear diary, we’ve done these things before.

PLAYING: OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN

RAINY DAYS

RAINY DAYS

There was a time the raindrops fell from the sky, curing and washing all your hurt away. It causes the earth to rejoice of this blessing. Rain means blessings, blessings not only for us people but for other creatures as well. Rain means happiness, as children go out of their homes and wade and play with the cold raindrops. Adults take out their colorful umbrellas and walk together, when we look at them from the sky, they would look like flowers in a bloom. Rain symbolizes the coming of spring in other temperate countries, the time when buds open, leaves becoming green again, saying, “autumn and winter are gone, the red leaves and empty branches a memory….” The butterflies getting themselves ready, for the spring flowers open as soon rain comes, and all environment is moving and alive.

Do you like the rain? Me, I do. But sometimes I feel so grumpy whenever there’s rain because it means that I have to wear those heavy raincoats and parade down the street like a fireman who has lost its way home. But honestly, I love the rain. I like to shower myself, enjoy and forget the all my problems and miseries. Once, when I was in grade 1, I was tempted to bathe and enjoy myself in the rain. And it turned out that I did. I waded, kicked, played and frenzied myself and did not think of the reprimand I will get afterward. When my teacher saw me all soaked and wet, she almost swooned and she punished me, after drying up, of course. But I didn’t care. When my parents knew about this, I didn’t care. What was on my mind at that time was the nice feeling of being under the rain, being blessed with the entire blessings God has showered upon us.

Being in the rain and getting a cold are just some minor effects on being on the rain. Feeling happiness is a big, major effect on being on the rain. You feel God’s presence and you feel comforted of the way He has touched you with those powerful hands. Let me share to you a poem about rain:

RAIN

Rain...Rain...

how sweet and lovely is a water from sky

..Rain..Rain..

it`s a wine of lovers...

Rain.. Rain..

it`s a lovers` pain...

Rain..Rain..

my misses and longing to you as a desret...

Rain..Rain..

aren`t you coming back again to me, ,

as a rain..come back to me as a coming rain..

come to wash my soul with a waters` sky..

with your hands...

hug me to you...my heart become sick from a sadness and pains..

Rain..Rain..

it been so long for waiting..

untill, i become addicted to your waiting and a patience..

Rain..Rain..

aren`t you coming back..

a rain already here..

please don`t let me alone with a rain...

by: hazem02@yahoo.com By hazem02

See? Isn’t it nice to stay under the rain? . Isn’t it nice?
What about you? What do you think? Do you feel like what I feel about rain? Raindrops and rain are the things which reminds us that God is always near and you can always feel his presence around us.

What A UP Student is Not

What a UP Student is Not

Before I continue writing this blog, I want to greet everyone in UP a big HELLO! I just want to tell you that when I wrote this blog, I dug up all my experiences in order to make a realistic and presentable material. I dedicate this blog to my school, the University of the Philippines High School in Cebu (Char!). I promised to set all my wackiness aside, and reveal my serious side (thunder, lightning and mocking laughter). Joke, joke, joke!

The truth is, ‘What a UP student is not’ is a topic that maybe a UPian would care little about. I think the UP populace is heterogeneous. You see different characteristics, some endearing, some frustrating, and some even shocking! Contrary to popular belief, it seems to me that, there is no ‘typical’ UP student. A UP student may indeed possess many positive traits. However, there are also many negative traits that can be attributed to a UP student. Nevertheless, no matter how difficult this topic is for me, I tried to come up with a few characteristics that may differentiate a UPian (high school and college students) from a non-UPian (all levels also). I just hope you would agree with my choices.

FIRST, UPians don’t speak for their rights?

On the contrary! A non-UPian would possibly let other people trample on their rights, but definitely not UP students. In fact, the above statement would just send people’s eyebrows up. Don’t speak for their rights? I don’t think so. As you can see, youth groups and organizations are probably found in all schools and universities. However, what differentiates UP from other schools is that, these organizations are easily mobilized into dialogues, fora or rallies. These are venues where students can openly express their sentiments, whether pro or against administration or national policies that seem oppressive to students’ welfare. Aaah, what freedom of expression! There are very few schools that tolerate these kinds of activities. What happens then is that non-UP students become apathetic and no longer care whether their rights have been violated or not. Maybe because the repression imposed by the school has led to unawareness on the part of the students of what their rights are as students. Contemplate on this my dear schoolmates. Are you apathetic? If yes, maybe you are in the wrong school.

SECOND, UPians don’t try their best to achieve their goals?

Now that’s funny. How can anybody think that? A non-UP student may easily give up their dreams and goals especially when achieving these becomes difficult. For a UP student, passing the UPHSAT or UPCAT is a goal in itself. Many dreamed of entering the premier state university of the Philippines but only a few can be accommodated. Passing the UP entrance exams never stops a UP student from dreaming on or achieving higher goals.

A non-UPian may be contented with a passing grade or “so-so” performance in school. He or she may shrug off a few failing marks thinking, “there’s always next year or next semester”. Why sacrifice my social life or sleep by studying or by “burning the midnight candle?” It doesn’t matter to them if they have low or failing grades, anyway “my parents can afford to pay the tuition”. UPians on the other hand, have to make many sacrifices to achieve their goals. Break time is sometimes sacrificed. For example, when there is an upcoming test, the room is soooo silent. Why? Of course, all are studying (or so it seemed to me). They have to study and study hard to pass the exams. A failing mark wouldn’t look good especially if your future plan is to take the UPCAT or graduate with honors.

A non-UPian may be contented with a high school diploma. “My parents do not have the financial capacity to send me to college. I’ll just look for work in the department store or production line or better yet, I’ll apply abroad as a domestic helper.” Well, these are still goals in themselves but if you are a UP student, will you be contented with these goals? If your answer is yes, you may transfer to another school where you don’t have to make a lot of sacrifices.

Insect Mating and Sexual Behaviors

Insects are very interesting creatures. Yet, we seem to take them for granted. Maybe because they are often tiny and inconspicuous. I’ve learned from my mother (who takes special interests in aquatic insects) that insects are very important to the food chain, hence to the balance in nature. Aside from this, some have very interesting behaviors, which would put us humans to shame. Here are some of the facts I have encountered while browsing through my mother’s notes.




Do you know that SEX is not a necessity to insects? This is because some insects exhibit parthenogenesis or egg production without sexual fertilization (i.e. aphids), while one species of coccid exhibit hermaphroditism or self-fertilization of eggs. We humans might think, where’s the fun in these activities? Well, unlike humans, insects use instinct in order to cope with the realities of life. Reproducing without sex is quite advantageous. For some insects, having sex will cost them a lot, such as:



Cost of meiosis – this means sacrificing half of the genotype
Cost of recombination – may result to dangerous or lethal homozygosities (abnormalities and death)
Cost of mating – time and effort in finding a suitable mate
Cost of producing males – when in fact a parthenogenetic female is likely to produce twice as many daughters and four times as many granddaughters as the average sexual female

But again, not having sex could be boring even to insects. So, most insects still use sex in reproduction. Why? What are the advantages of having sex? READ ON HUMANS AND LEARN! Having sex in reproduction is not only fun but more importantly results to diversity or “variable” offspring, which may be better able to survive in the “new” or changing environment.

Insects are quite wise (it makes me wonder, are we descendants of insects?). They have pre- and post-mating strategies to enhance chances of successful mating. Here are some unique strategies (I don’t know if we humans can adopt these strategies):

Mosquitoes practice female monogamy induced by male accessory gland substance – after mating, male mosquitoes secrete a hormone that reduces the sexual receptivity of the just-mated female

Dual function of the damselfly penis, which are sperm removal and transfer – transfers sperm and removes sperm deposited by ‘preceding’ male

damselfly penis

Male bedbugs (Afrocimex spp.) possess structures that mimic female genitalia – rival males who mount these “female mimics” just waste their sperm

Many species exhibit prolonged copulation (a form of mate guarding) such as the damselflies and dragonflies

Enallagma exulans in copula

Of course, like humans, insects also undergo a period of courtship before mating. Here are some of the “devious” ways on how the male insects choose and catch the attention of the females.

Adaptive female-mimicking behavior in a scorpionfly – males use prey in courtship è offers prey to a female, then (if she accepts) mates with her; male strategies to obtain prey:

Some steal prey from other males (‘victims’ must wait longer before copulating)

Deceptive transvestism – some males act like females (landing near another male that has a prey item & lowering wings as receptive females do) to obtain a prey item

Choice for high fecundity or fertility – male tend to choose larger females; larger females can often produce more eggs and offspring (e.g., mormon crickets)

Female chooses males with increased fecundity, (may select males that court most vigorously, since ‘vigor’ is correlated with sperm supply)

You can be amazed by the criteria an insect sets in choosing a mate. Here are some of the “surprising” facts about an insect’s choice for immediate gains and/or parental ability:

Females tend to accept only males with insect prey above a certain size; possible benefits of such a preference
Male mates while female eats, so a larger insect means that female eats longer, therefore, copulation is longer & this helps ensure fertilization of eggs

More food from a male means less hunting by the female; less hunting means a reduced risk of being caught by a predator (i.e., spider's web)

Males that bring larger prey may be of higher quality

Now tell me, does size really matter? Definitely not when it comes to mating, courtship and sex. Look at the amazing style of these tiny insects. After reading this Blog, I’m sure you will never take insects for granted. In fact you may look at them with awe.

THE MOST ENDANGERED BIRD IN THE WORLD

I want to share with you guys some facts that may open our eyes a bit on what is happening to our environment. Do you know that the Philippines is home to a wide array of plant and animal species? According to Dr. Lawrence Heaney of the University of Chicago who has conducted field researches and training programs in the Philippines, the Philippines is like the Galapagos Islands multiplied tenfold. More than 510 species of land mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians exist only in the Philippines.

Here’s more. Are you a fan of the noontime game show Game Ka Na Ba? If yes, maybe you had seen one episode of the original GKNB where the million-peso question was (translated in English): “Where in the Philippines would you find the most endangered bird in the world, Dicaeum quadricolor?” I remembered hearing my mother, who was also watching the show, answering “Cebu”. Unfortunately, the male contestant did not hear my mother’s answer, otherwise, he could have won one million pesos. Instead he answered “Palawan”. Of course he was wrong and my mother was right!

The Cebu flowerpecker, Dicaeum quadricolor, is considered critically endangered. The 10-centimeter-long bird has been presumed extinct since 1905. Historical records show that specimens were collected from Toledo and Cebu City in periods earlier than 1950. It was reported as rediscovered on February 1982 in Tabunan, a remnant patch of forest at Central Cebu National Park. This led to a wave of conservation interests in the site. The Tabunan forest is also home to the largest known stand of Cebu Black Shama bird or “siloy” and Cebu Cinnamon Tree.

The Tabunan forest is the only home of the Cebu flowerpecker and its area has shrunk to a mere 185 hectares of forested land. Tabunan is one of the largest remaining fragments of original forest left on Cebu. It is probably the last hope for some of Cebu’s few remaining unique wildlife treasures.

The Cebu flowerpecker is much similar to the other Philippine flowerpeckers if not for its four colors (hence the name quadricolor). The bird has a grayish-white underbelly, black back with a bright red, triangular patch and a green rump. It is also distinguishable from the other flowerpeckers through its chirping.

Intensive fieldwork since then has confirmed only four birds in existence – two adult males, an adult female and an unidentified juvenile. The Cebu flowerpecker has virtually never been studied because it is so rare, but it appears to be breeding in Cebu, particularly, the Tabunan forest. This species of bird is considered to be ‘strictly confined to forest’. Recent observations indicate that it is associated only with tall, closed–canopy conditions. The forest at Tabunan, which lies in a thin-segmented strip on a steep and very uneven, west-facing limestone hillside, barely possesses any closed-canopy areas. This is because much of it has been selectively (but heavily) logged, affected by landslides, and because of the angle of the slope on which it stands.

Cebu flowerpecker feeds on small fruits (berries) in the canopy of a forest tree. This is first observed in December 1992 as a male species was noted feeding on a fruit in the canopy of a tree, confirming the assertion that its food is fruit and suggesting, along with the stoutness of the bill the species is a canopy frugivore (fruit eater).

Not much has been studied on the reproductive and breeding behavior of this avian species. Most, if not all, of the characteristics being described are observed not in captivity but in the natural habitat of the Cebu flowerpecker. A study in captivity of this bird has some constraints basically because they only number a few and they may not survive out from their natural place. Breeding was reported in the month of June by F.S Bourns and D.C Worcester, possibly on the basis of four young birds (three males, one female) they collected in June and July 1992 and described in their notes. Observations of four birds apparently with bright pink legs (possibly a seasonal character), chasing each other very actively, and at least one of them, a singing male, in March 1993, suggest breeding-season ebullience. Due to the bird’s rarity, no substantial study has been made in the reproductive cycle of such species.

REACTION TO MAX SCHULMAN’S “LOVE IS A FALLACY ”

Max Schulman’s story “Love is a Fallacy” is one of the funniest “love” stories I’ve read so far. Its contents range from dumb to dumber but definitely fun to funnier events where the reader at the end eventually says, “I told you so! or Who’s dumb now?” So how would you describe a stupid or dumb person? Stupid people, as what most of us think, are easy to fool (gullible) and easy to bribe. Looking at these descriptions closely, I realize – wait a minute, a lot of people I know fit these descriptions sometimes (especially now that elections are fast approaching)!

On the other hand, the one taking advantage in the story is known as a man of intellect. He easily thought of a devious way to get Polly, the girl he had long coveted. He wanted this pretty girl to be his girlfriend. Unfortunately, he thought that she has nothing between her ears except looks. His arrogance made him think that he can rub some of his intelligence to the girl he “snatched” from his roommate, make her worthy to become his wife, a proper hostess for his many mansions, and a suitable mother for his well-heeled children. Love has never been in the picture for this intelligent young man. He had “illusions of grandeur” when he thought he can “make” a perfect woman – comparing himself to Pygmalion, the principal character in the Greek mythology ‘Pygmalion and Galatea’.

To begin Polly’s transformation, the intelligent young man introduced to the girl some topics in logic. As expected, the first night was kind of hopeless. He thought Polly had a “logic-proof head”. But then again, he never gave up. I think, he looked at the daunting task of improving Polly’s intelligence as a challenge. At this point in the story, I thought the intelligent young man, was not as intelligent as I thought he was at the beginning of the story. I found myself thinking, “haven’t you got common sense? Stop trying and start quitting!!” His argument that it is easier to make a beautiful dumb girl smart than to make an ugly smart girl beautiful, is quite unintelligent. Why not use his intelligence and look for a pretty as well as smart girl? This way, he did not have to spend a lot of time and energy trying to “transform” her to the perfect woman.

As I read on, I realized it was just as well that he had made up his mind to make Polly his “perfect” girl (instead of listening to my inner ravings) because the events became more interesting and funny. One glimmer of hope I saw was that Polly seemed genuinely interested in the topics. However, as expected, Polly took the teachings in logic quite literally. Based on Polly’s reactions to the examples given by the intelligent young man in trying to explain the topics, I quickly concluded that, ahhh, she’s hopeless and she hadn’t absorbed anything at all.

Then my perceptions about Polly changed when I reached the part of the Poisoning the Well. Hmmm, she’s not as hopeless as it seemed. The more I read on, the more interesting the twists of events. In fact every logic topic that the intelligent young man taught Polly bounced back into his face when he tried to ask her to go steady with him. I thought, ha ha ha, look what you did kid – all the effort you exerted, all the manipulations, still the girl ditched you at the end. Good for you! You got what you deserved! So now, who’s stupid?

The story is really quite funny, seeing the narrator’s efforts wasted. It shows us how different people perceive love differently. I think the most important lesson here is: do not be so arrogant or proud to think that you are the intelligent one and anyone who thinks and acts contrary to what you think and how you act are dumb or stupid. This is because intelligent people may act or think stupid at times and not all “seemingly” stupid people think or act stupid at all times, especially when it comes to affairs of the heart. Another lesson is that: never take advantage of the dumb for you may come out looking dumber in the end. Lesson number three: perhaps having a raccoon coat is not such a bad idea…after all it won Polly’s heart rather than logic! Saying that love is a fallacy is rather, in Polly’s words, a “hasty generalization”. Maybe for Polly, love is equivalent to a raccoon coat. Who are we to decide for her?

A SUMMARY OF MAX SCHULMAN’S “LOVE IS A FALLACY ”

Max Schulman’s “Love is a fallacy” is about a story of, well, a story of stupidity. It’s a story of how a very intelligent young man took advantage of a roommate’s stupidity in order to get the girl (who’s very pretty but quite empty-headed as well) he wanted, but only to get frustrated in the end.

Petey Bellows (the stupid roommate) wanted a raccoon coat so as to be one of the “Big Men” on Campus (meaning, one who’s “in”). The narrator (the intelligent young man), remembered that his dad had a raccoon coat at home. He made a suggestion to his roommate, his father’s raccoon coat in exchange for Petey’s current date, Polly Espy. The intelligent young man wanted Polly as his girlfriend, and eventually his wife.

Polly is almost perfect, beautiful and gracious. She has an erectness of carriage, an ease of bearing, with poise that clearly indicates the best of breeding. Her table manners are exquisite. He had seen her at the Kozy Kampus Korner eating the specialty of the house—a sandwich that contained scraps of pot roast, gravy, chopped nuts, and a dipper of sauerkraut—without even getting her fingers moist. But!! There’s a big but. She is not intelligent, not even close. However, the narrator is determined to get the girl and planned to teach her some logic to smarten her up.

Smart as he was, he eventually got Petey ‘s girl, Polly in exchange for the raccoon coat. He taught the girl some logic – i.e. Dicto Simpliciter, Post Hoc, Contradictory Premises, Ad Misericordiam, Hypothesis Contrary to Fact, and Poisoning the Well. The girl was, at least, interested about this “stuff”. At the end of the sessions, he told the girl that he loved her and asked her to go steady with him. The girl said no since she had already promised to go steady with Petey Bellows. The intelligent young man went in a fit of rage and began blabbing criticizing Petey. Polly surprisingly applied his teachings about logic to counteract his criticisms. This really got him at the peak of his rage, and demanded an explanation of why she wanted to go steady with “dumb” Petey. Not surprisingly, Polly answered, “Of course, he’s got a raccoon coat!”

MIRACLE

According to the bible, Jesus made many miracles. He made the dead rise, the blind see, the cripple walk, etc.
But do you know that there are miracles happening around us? At present, many do not believe in miracles or if they do, such miracles take the form of a miracle drug, miracle surgery, miracle food––all made possible by science and technology. Well, these are probably miracles too. According to Webster’s English Dictionary (2005) a miracle is not only an extraordinary event attributed to the supernatural, it is also any event that is unusual or astounding; or a remarkable example of something.
I believe in miracles but do not strictly adhere to Webster’s definition. For me, miracles can be simple breaks in a world of pressure, panic and chaos – like finding time to relax, listen to music, read my favorite novels, or simply be able to appreciate God’s gift of nature. Miracles can be in the form of political reconciliation – such as the end of the cold war (USA vs. USSR), or simply the fact that no nuclear or biological missile has ever been released in the height of war in the Middle East. Let’s get closer to home. With all the threats of mass rallies, terrorist bombings, heavy traffic, uncooperative weather, etc., the peaceful and relatively successful staging of the ASEAN Summit here in Cebu was short of a miracle. Don’t you think so? Being able to do things your way is also miracle.
Miracles may also come as simple acts and as simple events. With a score of 49/100 in your Biology exam, a consideration of a wrongly spelled answer by your teacher is a miracle that would change an otherwise failing score to a passing one. With only P 5.00 left in your pocket, finding a 1-peso coin is a miracle since you are saved from walking home from school.
But the best miracles are those that are taken for granted. Do you think we can live another day without God’s gift of fresh air or fresh water or fertile soil? Definitely, being able to wake up the next morning is a miracle. What I feel about miracles, is reflected in this poem:

MIRACLE
(Watt Whitman)

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky.
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water.
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest.
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown,
Or of stars shinin so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate, thin curve of the new moon in spring;
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles.
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle;
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle;
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To one the sea is a continual miracle.
The fishes that swim – the rocks –
the motion of the waves –
the ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

So you see, in this beautiful world, a miracle can be witnessed everywhere and is not the exception. All of God’s creations are the miracles we need in life. We do not need miracle drugs to keep us alive, or miracle surgeries to keep us young and beautiful. All we need to do is to take care of God’s gifts to us so that these will continually give us the miracle we call Life.

TRIBUTE

These are poems I collected because of their special meanings. I dedicate these to the people who have affected my life in a way or another.

A TRIBUTE …for mothers far and wide…

HER WORDS
(Anna Hempstead Branch)

My mother has the prettiest tricks
Of words and words and words.
Her talk comes out as smooth and sleek
As breasts of singing birds.

She shapes her speech all silver fine
Because she loves it so;
And her own eyes begin to shine
To hear her story grow.

And if she goes to make a call
Or out to take a walk,
We leave our work when she returns
And run to her talk.

We had not dreamed these things were so
Of sorrow and of mirth.
Her speech is a thousand eyes
Through which we see the earth.

God wove a web of loveliness,
Of clouds and stars and birds,
But made not anything at all
So beautiful as words.

They shine around our simple earth
With golden shadowings,
And every common thing they touch
Is exquisite with wings.

There’s nothing poor and nothing small
But it is made for them.
They are the hands of living faith
That touch the garment’s hem.

They are as fair as bloom or air,
They shine like any star,
And I am rich who learned from her
How beautiful they are.



…for all the little children, listen!

BETWEEN TWO ANGELS
(Unknown)

There stood in a garden, a child sweet and fair,
Watching some fruit that hang ripening there.
Two anxious angels were watching above:
One gazing in hatred, the other in love;
One clothed in black, the other in white.

The child never dreamed that the angels were there.
He just longed for the fruit so rich and so rare.
How I should like the big apple so red,
But I cannot forget what my dear mother said
That doing the things I’m forbidden to do
Would make me unhappy and grieve her heart, too.

“ Take it,” the dark angel whispered, “ and eat it.
it is not very often you get such a treat.
There is no one to see you and no one to tell.”
So up went a hand, it could reach the fruit well.

But the child paused a moment and said as he smiled,
“I’ll not be a thief, I’ll be a good child.
The rustling sound stirred the soft summer air.
One angel was gone but the other was still there.

The angel of darkness had taken its flight.
The child was alone with the angel of light.
In this little story we plainly see,
An everyday lesson for you and me:
We can conquer temptations––the angel of night,
If we listen to conscience––the angel of light!


…for our energetic little brothers, big men in small packages…

A BOY’S DREAM
(R.M. Cayari)

When I grow up I’d like to be
A brave, strong rover out at sea,
A-sailing on the ocean tide
To see the big world far and wide.

But then I also wish to fly
A whizzing jet plane in the sky;
I’d make a loop and zoom and dash,
And come to land without a crash.

Oh! How many things I’d want to do!
Like building houses big and new;
How very happy I would feel,
If I could build a bridge of steel.

I’ll try to do these if I can
When I’ve become a full-grown man.


…and lastly, for our fathers, who toiled from dawn ‘til dusk or dusk ‘til dawn.

MY CREED
(Howard Arnold Walter)

I would be true,
for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure,
for there are those who care;
I would be strong,
for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave
for there is much to dare.

I would be friend
of all –– the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving
and forget the gift,
I would be humble
For I know my weaknesses;
I would look up ––
and laugh, and love, and lift.

THE LIBRARY OF MY LIFE

“Ma, what’s the meaning of Muntingia? What’s a fjord? How do you pronounce fjord?” I always seek my mother when I do not know the meaning of some of the words in a book I’m reading. She is my “walking” library – always around when I need her. Very convenient indeed, for instance, I don’t have to browse through the thick pages of a dictionary in trying to find the meaning of words. When making assignments that need to be computerized, she is always there on my side to help. I think she has a very high I.Q. – maybe near the genius level (ha ha, I’m sure that she will deny this!). Sometimes though, she thinks I’m just being lazy and tells me to look them up myself in the dictionary or the internet. She is a faculty member of U.P. Cebu College and I’m very proud of her. My father is another great inspiration in my life. Like my mother, he is always there to help me (i.e., teach me how to solve some of my Chemistry problems or how to organize my time). He’s the one I run to if I need to “build or create” something for a project (i.e., Home Technology or Physics project). He is my “working” library.
Friends – aahh . . . what great assets in the library of my life! Why? Well, for one, you don’t always have to pay for internet time or browse through the dusty pages of a book in a library if you are faced with a difficult assignment. You have intelligent friends whom you can run to (of course, there are times though that they may not know the answer too – then that’s the time you go to the library or the internet). When I was in Grade 6, I sometimes go to Jay Marc (he graduated class valedictorian) to help me solve some difficult Math exercises. My best friend, Leah Rose is my encyclopedia in the Visual Arts because she is really good at this. She knows who are the great painters in the country and abroad (she idolizes some of them). If you have problems in school, never hesitate to run to your friends for help. In return, never turn away a classmate or a friend who needs your help.
Teachers and books are my other important sources of knowledge. I consider them as treasures of the library of my life. They always come in handy whenever I am faced with difficult topics that need some extra explaining or research. Books for sure are great treasures because they are always with me in school and even at home. They help me a lot with my studies. Parents, friends, teachers, books have indeed helped shape my mind and me as a person. Having difficulty with your assignments, projects, or even your personal life? Don’t hesitate to tap first the “library” of your life. They’re always there, and never dusty! Of course, they may not be able to answer your every query, but at least they make your internet or library time shorter.

TRAGIC LOVE

You have probably heard of the saying “love conquers all”. You may see this famous saying in a different light after reading this poem by a famous poet who was able to weave beautiful masterpieces especially when drunk.

ANNABEL LEE
(Edgar Allan Poe)

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived, whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love, and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love,
I and my Annabel Lee,––
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsmen came,
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulcher,
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me.
Yes! That was the reason (as all men know)
In this kingdom by the sea,
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.


But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we,
Of many far wiser than we;
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee,
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
And so, all the night-tide
I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
In her sepulcher there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
What a tragic love story indeed. In this poem, although the lovers can no longer be physically together, their love for each other had remained strong. Why do some love stories end this way? Here are some of the possible causes. A frequent cause is jealousy. In fact, the poem mentioned of jealousy in the following lines:

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me.
Yes! That was the reason (as all men know)
In this kingdom by the sea,
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But in my understanding, the jealousy of angels as the cause of the lovers’ separation is not true. The other common reason why love stories end tragically is because the family of one or the other disapproves of the relationship. This is the most likely reason why the lovers in this poem were separated, based on these lines,

So that her high-born kinsmen came,
And bore her away from me,

Whatever the reason for a lovers’ break-up, love could indeed conquer all so that some love stories even end up happily ever after. In this poem though, the love story ended in the death of the girl. However, even in death his love for Annabel Lee never waned:

But our love it was stronger by far than the love…
…And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

…And so, all the night-tide
I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
In her sepulcher there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.