The Look by Sarah Teasdale (True love that haunts you night and day…)

Strephon kissed me in the spring,
Robin in the fall,
But Colin only looked at me
And never kissed at all.

Strephon’s kiss was lost in jest,
Robin’s lost in play,
But the kiss in Colin’s eye
Haunts me night and day.

-- Sarah Teasdale

Sarah Teasdale was an American lyrical poet. She was born Sarah Trevor Teasdale in St. Louis, Missouri. Sarah Teasdale’s major themes were love, nature's beauty, and death. Throughout her life, Teasdale suffered poor health. It was only when she was nine, when she was judged healthy to begin School. She made great poems, but she was never able to experience in life the passion that she expressed in her poetry.

The eyes are the windows of the soul. I believe that it will always let you see what a person truly feels; what is really inside his/her heart. You may not understand it right away but you will surely find it very sincere. The eyes will never lie and can be the most effective instrument in expressing love.

The eyes will give you a mystery of the persons love. Maybe that is why the kiss in Colin’s eye haunts the persona in the poem night and day. The kiss that Strephon gave in the spring and the kiss that Robin gave in the fall might be insignificant for the persona. She might think that the kiss did not sincerely express the love of Strephon nor Robin’s love. Some people believe that kissing someone is an expression of love. Well, I partly believe in that. But, as what the persona in the story said, “The kiss in Colin’s eye haunts me night and day”. What could be in that look? The look that was more passionate than the kiss. Too complicated to understand but that is how love works.
This short poem can be interpreted with entirely different ideas because it has so many complex meaning. As what the titles tells us, the look of Colin gave a big impact in the persona’s heart. Maybe she felt that she was loved. The other kisses from Strephon and Robin did not give any feeling of love in the persona’s heart. What is so passionate in that looked that it left in the heart of the persona? Maybe love was really there because it was greatly appreciated and remembered. Love is like that. It really cannot be explained. You just feel it. It doesn’t knock in your door and ask for your permission for it to be able to enter. It just comes, and it is your choice if you are going to accept it or let it walk away.

I Don’t Deserve My Dream

When there is Night Within a Day

Mind Over Heart

A Mother Will Always Understand

3:00 o’clock am Fears

Why Can’t I (Yes I have limitrs…)

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Things that I Learned in my High School Life

Things that I Acquired in my High School Life

A Wonderwoman in Me

Good Boys and Girls (Retreat)

Learning How to Love (I don’t know if I truly love you… I am only sure of one thing. If I would love somebody, I want that somebody to be you)

Loving someone is not that easy. It is very simple but too complicated to understand.

Tan the Great

Section Tan, the greatest section in the University of the Philippines in the year 2007. The section that is the most in everything! Why do I say so?
Section Tan has always been the most when it comes to the different categories of greatness in the University of the Philippines. When it comes to the attendants of the students, section Tan has the highest number of students that were late and the highest number of students who were absent for the school year 2006- 2007. Amazing isn’t it? When it comes to the cleanness class room, section Tan was acknowledged as the dirtiest classroom in the University of the Philippines. In the number of circulars returned, section Tan had the greatest number of circulars that were not returned. What else? Section Tan was also acknowledged as the noisiest class in the University of the Philippines. Wow! Go go go section Tan. These accomplishments are concrete evidences of our greatness.
Now let us talk about the real greatness of section Tan. The real greatness of section Tan lies in the students in this class. Nobody leaves anyone behind when they are in need. Forbidden things were done to save everyone, even those things that may grant as the most beautiful reward in The University of the Philippines, EXPULSION! Well, now we are almost done with our struggles as a class. Before I get over with this, let me talk about the great accomplishments of section Tan. We won in the ensemble acting ABAKADA during the Linggo ng Wika. We really did our best to win in this contest and we made a lot of sacrifices. We also got a place in the first three in all the radio quiz that happened this year; the radio quiz during the Linggo ng Wika, intramurals, Science and Technology Week, etc.. During the Science and Technology Week, we also had many winnings in the science related games like the building of the tallest tower using straws, the passing of the balloon with water in it, etc.. During the Drama Fest, section Tan received great awards. The award for the Best in Production was given to our class. We shed tears for this production and many had a fight because of this production. Internal conflicts between good friends developed because of the pressure of this production. Even though we had many conflicts that concern this production, we still managed to show a very good presentation. It was a good thing that after the presentation, the conflicts disappeared. Everyone was just very overwhelmed of that unexpected success. Maybe section Tan is not the most admired class in the University of the Philippines, but I am very proud that I have been a part of this class. The craziest persons in the University of the Philippines (including me) are in this class. We have been through a lot of things. Together we faced the storms and shared the glory and honor that we attained. Great things really happened in this class because of the great persons around.

High School Alumni Homecoming Speech

Each of us in our Public Speaking Class was assigned with different occasions for us to have a speech on that time. I was given the privilege to give a speech during a
High School Alumni Homecoming. And this was what I talked about…

Isn’t it great to be a Upian?
Yesterday. Tomorrow. And Now.
Yesterday. Tomorrow. Now.

Ladies and gentlemen, alumni of the University of the Philippines, colleagues, fellow time travelers- welcome to Homecoming. By sheer will power we’ve turn back the calendar to 2007 tonight.
The friends we make in high school will stay with us for the rest of our lives. we tend to judge ourselves by where they are in life and believe me, you can bet that they are doing the same. If you have been asked to give any speech for your alma mater’s reunion consider it a big deal! It is your chance to tell them how confident you are, how far you have come, and how much each of them means to you. Let me help you mark this major milestone with a speech that is witty, humorous, and utterly sincere.
You were all beautiful, all wonderful. But now you’re more beautiful and more wonderful than ever. I can still remember most of our memories in high school, how we stood together through all the storms, and how we shared all the glory and honor that we attained. Of course, let us not forget all the “kilig” moments that we had. Remember all those hidden admirations and relationships that we had? They all made us human.
On a serious note, maybe the memory book is really what this event is all about. For the better part of the 70 people in the University of the Philippines batch of 2007 who grew up together. We had the honor and great good fortune to live, love and learn in the University that is known as the Philippines’ center of academic excellence. In 2007, we were thrust out into, and upon the world. I think we knew at that time when we graduated, that we as a batch, had something special. We certainly weren’t the most athletic or the prettiest batch that ever graduated from The University of the Philippines, but we had love of life, a curiosity about life and a sense of humor that was unique.
And maybe that is what this weekend is all about, to rekindle friendship, to renew old acquaintances and to remember again who we are and where we come from. I for once am incredibly proud to be a member of the University of the Philippines, Batch of 2007.

So let us all raise our glass in toast to the Batch of 2007.
those who are here,
those who are not,
and those who have gone before us

Thank you.

I was really grateful for this activity. it made me conquer my fear. And I was also very thankful for the comment that my teacher made. She said that I was a very wholesome speaker and emphatic too. She also said that I just need a little more Projection. I’m hoping to have another activity like this. It surely gave me a new knowledge and a great experience.

Loneliness by E. E. Cummings (When there is no one beside you…)
1 ( a

1 e
a f
f a
1 1

s )
o n e
1

iness

1 (a leaf falls) oneliness

From 1911 to 1916 E. E. Cummings attended Harvard, from which he received a B.A. degree in 1915 and a Master's degree for English and Classical Studies in 1916. During his lifetime, he published more than 900 poems, along with two novels, several plays and essays, as well as numerous drawings, sketches, and paintings. Cummings' poetry often deals with themes of love and nature, as well as the relationship of the individual to the masses and to the world. This poem loneliness do not involve any typographical or punctuational innovations at all, but purely syntactic ones. Syntatic is way of arranging individual words into larger phrases and sentences. E. E. Cummings had a very great life in poetry and now we can see one of his works.Loneliness, this is a very complicated poem to understand. The poetic way of writing is very complex to understand. Loneliness, solitude, isolation, lonesomeness, seclusion or what ever you want to call it, this gives out the same feeling, feeling alone or having or causing a feeling of being alone and sad, a having no one or nothing else around. As what I have seen in analyzing the poem, I found a phrase or something like a code. 1 (a leaf falls) oneliness, a leaf falls inside loneliness. A leaf falls when it is not attached to the stem or when it had nothing to hold it. I can associate it to the feeling of a person when they alone, it is as if they just want to fall. When you are alone, you don’t have anyone to hold on to and that is why you fall. A leaf also falls during the season of fall. Leaves fall and the trees die. The season of fall for me symbolizes failure or breakdown. We usually feel failure when we are alone. When there is no one beside you, the feeling of emptiness then encloses your heart.

Loneliness is a very hard feeling to surpass. It would take a great strength for you to be able to conquer this feeling of loneliness especially because you have no one beside you. For me, loneliness is the feeling of being unloved. When you are unloved, you won’t be able to do great things. You won’t be able to show to the world, who you really are and what you really feel.

Each of us needs someone to be with us for the rest of our lives. No man is an island and we need others to carry on. Needing someone is what a normal person feels. When we are alone we might not be able to go through the dark roads of life. We need someone to hold on when we can’t go on anymore and someone who will catch us when we fall.

Love: an act of will not of the heart

Love is a very complicated feeling to understand yet it is very simple. I think love is when you choose to love someone with all your heart. Too complicated isn’t it?
I consider love as both an act of will and of the heart. I won’t consider it love when your mind and heart does not agree in what they both feel. In loving, your actions are your choice, and you heart says what you should do. This is very hard for me to explain because I’m not sure if I ever loved or am loving someone. I just know one thing, whatever is this that I feel, this was my choice and my heart was the one who gave me this feeling. Since I am already struggling in explain my opinion, I’ll just tell you a little story. Once there was a girl, who protected her heart with a very thick metal. She never let anyone see what was really inside her heart. I can say that she was very good in this. you won’t appreciate this girl unless you seek out the real her. She never wanted someone to love her just because of reasons that can be explained by words. Silly girl! It would be very complicated for a guy to tell her about what he feels. Well, that is just one of her foolishness. She continued believing in her principles about love until a guy came in to her life; someone that she never expected. Slowly this girl was the one who opened her heart for this guy to see her. The thick metal that covered her heart slowly melted. Believe me, it was not that fast. The girl had many questions that troubled her. Her brain was over working. She had this question; Should I stick to my principles despite the risk of losing him? Will I love her with all my heart and not think about the future or should I protect myself from the hurt that I might experience and not fall too much (this would be a big hindrance for a relationship to succeed)? It took a long time for her to decide. And finally, these were her words, “I will love him with all my heart. I don’t care if I would get hurt. I’d rather get hurt than never get the chance to be happy with him. If I would get hurt, I know that he will be worthy of the tears that I will shed.” See? It was her choice. She had an option but she chose to be happy despite the risk of hurting herself. I guess that is part of loving someone, and that what makes love a once in a lifetime experience. If ever given the chance to love and be loved, don’t be afraid! I believe that the only thing that you will regret in this life would be the risk that you did not take.

How I Want to be Remembered When I Leave High School

Each of us in Batch 2007 of UP High is a very unique individual. Not one character is entirely the same as the other. And that makes this batch very special. We all complement each other that makes us all one.
Leaving high school would not be very easy for me. In my high school life, is where I found my real self, my real self that most of them accepted and appreciated. I know that I’m the kind of person that is very difficult to be appreciated. It would take a very great patience to understand a Christine Marie Nolasco. I consider myself as a very deep person. If you would judge me directly and you won’t give yourself the chance to get to know me better, you really would not like me and you would miss one half of you life for not knowing me. My personality is very complex. You would not see my real identity in those smiles, laughs and unkind words that I give out everyday. You have to dig deep and seek out the real me. And it would take years to be able to do that. Believe me; it would really take that long. That is how covered I am. The usual first impression of the people on me is that I am very “maldita”. Well, I won’t say that I’m not, but that is not the only thing that is in me. When I leave high school, I want my batch mates to remember the real me; not someone who is very “maldita”, but someone who is very kind, sweet and passionate. We had this activity in our Public Speaking Class. We were tasked to make a Juhari’s Window for ourselves. There we wrote something about our free self, the part of our selves that is known by everyone. We also had to write something about our private self, a part of us that is not known by others, only by ourselves. The blind self was also included. This is our part that is only known by others and not by us. There was also a part that only God knows, things about us that we don’t know and others also don’t know. In my free self these were my description of myself: fun to be with, bossy, funny, entertaining, wise, friendly, moody, confident, talented, strong-willed and cheerful. Well, they are partly true, but sometimes I don’t find myself fit to those descriptions. In my blind self, these were the description of my friends: I love and care for my family so much(it is so amazing that I did not know about this one), a very organized person, caring, weird, diligent, sweet, insensitive(correct!), close minded(not that much). In my hidden self, these are the things that I wrote: insecure, knows how to handle money, benevolent, merciful, “selfish”, a very good secret keeper, confusing, foolish, patient and impulsive. Many people think that I am very confident about myself and that I look at myself as someone who is indomitable, this is their biggest mistake. If they only know how much I needed someone to cry on; someone hat could be my source of strength and someone who will not consider me as a wonderwoman. Sometimes I just want to be like a child, someone who needs someone by there side. I love how my friends look at me, but I would greatly appreciate it if they could see the feeble part of me. It is so complicated when people think that you are very strong. Just a simple insight from within me, strong persons are the most difficult person to understand.

That’s just me! Hope they will never forget me…

My Nonsense Fears in Life…^_^ (sure lageh ko na nonsense ni… swear)

What are your simple fears in life? Are you doing anything to help you conquer these fears?
I believe that every person in this world has his/her own fears in life. I myself have so many fears. I’m afraid of dogs, snakes and crocodiles. I know that if these animals would be able to bite me, it would be very painful and maybe I would die. I’m also afraid of having so many pimples on my face (tsk3x… it doesn’t look good). Well, here comes a reasonable fear, my greatest fears are loosing my parents and friends.
I’m afraid of dogs, snakes and crocodiles because they all bite persons and they may cause death. I’m afraid of dogs because my mother always tells me that I could get killed when a dog bites me. And the cure for their rabies is very painful. I’m also afraid of snakes because they are very poisonous. And I’m afraid of crocodiles because they look very ugly and I feel that they can swallow me as a whole. I’m afraid of all these animals because they all have sharp teeth (nice reason… hehehe).
I’m very much afraid of having so many pimples because my face looks pretty ugly with them. Pimples tend to develop in teenagers because of an interaction among hormones, skin oils and bacteria that live on and in the skin and in the air. There are so many causes of pimples and unfortunately, I have no time to prevent them (too busy in my studies). So, a friendly advice from me, just always clean your face before sleeping. I guess this could help prevent pimples on our face.
One of my greatest fears is loosing my parents. I can’t imagine my world without my parents. Who will take care of us without them? Who will be my inspiration in life? To whom will I offer my blessings without them? My parents give me all the things that I need. They sacrificed almost all their wants for me. My parents are very unselfish and caring. When I grow up and already independent from them, I want my parents to experience nothing but happiness.
Loosing my friends is another thing that I greatly fear. I’m the king of person that spends most of my time with my friend. I discovered myself with them. My friends were always there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. My friends are the ones who lift my spirit every time I’m down. They were the ones who comforted me when I was down. They are like my parents who brought me up and guided me on my way through exploring life. They lighted my dark road towards success. And they were always there. I was very lucky to find these great persons.
Oops! I almost forgot my latest and may be considered my greatest fear, LOSING HIM. My life was happy before. I just never expected that my life would be happier with him. I hope he will never leave. I’m really afraid to lose him, but I would rather get hurt, than never get the chance to be happy with him.

Fears can be healed, and here are my simple tips to conquer my fears: Accept it, don’t run, try to relax and keep in touch with reality. With these you might be able to conquer your fears. Every person has his/her own fears. All we have to do is face them.

Research: Peanut Pod Ashes as a Substitute of Sand in Concrete Hollow Block

The study Peanut Pod Ashes as a Substitute of Sand in Concrete Hollow Block aimed to find out the feasibility of peanut pod ashes as a substitute of sand in making concrete hollow blocks. Sand is mostly compose of quartz and quartz is mainly made up of Silica. Silica promotes hardening in concrete mixture. Burnt residue of peanut pods consists principally of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and silica.

To determine to feasibility of peanut pod ashes as a partial sand substitute, 5 kind of concrete hollow blocks were made. Each contained cement, water, and different ratios of sand is to peanut pod ashes. In preparing the peanut pod ashes, the peanuts were removed from their shells. Then, they were left to dry under the sun until the moisture in the peanut pods were gone. After that, the peanut pods were then burned. A metal container, a wooden stick ang denatured alcohol were used in the process of burning the peanut pods. The peanut pods were burned until they became ashes. Different mixtures of sand and peanut pod ashes were then prepared. The different mixtures were: 100% peanut pod ashes and 0% sand with 5 L of peanut pod ashes; 75% peanut pod ashes and 25% sand with 3.75 L of peanut pod ashes and 1.25 L of sand; 50% peanut pod ashes and 50% sand with 2.5 L of peanut pod ashes and 2.5 L of sand; 25% peanut pod ashes and 75% sand with 1.25 L of peanut pod ashes and 3.75 L of sand, and 0% peanut pod ashes; 100% sand with 5 L of sand. Water ang 5 L of cement were mixed to each of the mixtures. Then, the mixtures were placed in a mold with a volume of 630 cubic milliliters. After that, they were labeled and left to dry for at least 7 days. The compressive strength of the different hollow blocks were then acquired using a machine.
From the data obtained in this study, the compressive strength of the concrete hollow block with 0% peanut pod ashes and 100% sand was 270 psi; with 25% peanut pods’ ashes and 75% sand was 785 psi; with 50% peanut pods’ ashes and 50% sand was 250 psi. The two concrete hollow blocks which had 75% peanut pods’ ashes and 25% sand, and 100% peanut pods’ ashes and 0% sand were not formed. The concrete hollow block with the greatest compressive strength was the one with 25% peanut pods’ ashes and 75% sand. It had a compressive strength of 785 psi. From the findings, it can be concluded that burnt peanut pods may be a cheap sand substitute in making concrete hollow block as shown in the results of the compressive strength of the concrete hollow block with 25% peanut pods’ ashes and 75% sand. It had a compressive strength of 785 psi. Combining a little amount of peanut pod ashes with the mixture of the concrete hollow block may strengthen the concrete hollow block. The reason may be that peanut pod ashes occupy the spaces that sand cannot occupy due to the size of its particles. However, adding an amount of peanut pod ashes greater than the amount of sand may weaken the concrete hollow block. The silica content of peanut pod ashes may not be sufficient to hold all the different particles of the mixture together.

“Yup… It’s My Citizenship…”

When I was a young girl, I had nothing else to think of except myself, my family, my friends, and all the things I wanted. I never cared about the people whom I don’t know nor my country, because I thought, why would I care about my country if there’s the government who should be responsible of thinking for the betterment of everyone?!? The government formulates public policies and conduct affairs of state. The government is responsible of providing access to health services, free education and a decent shelter, affordable services such as water supply and utilities for its people. The government should assure the protection of its citizens, assure the people pf their political rights, used public funds for the peoples protection and welfare and assure that he people have sources of livelihood and jobs with sufficient wages. It is the government’s duty to encourage, develop and promote entrepreneurship among its citizens. See? With the government accomplishing all its responsibilities, I think I don’t have to do anything for my country anymore. But then, later on, I came to realize the real worth of my being. I have pondered on the undeniable thoughts in my mind, I am a Filipino and I should be proud of it. And I believe that I should contribute anything for the betterment of my country. I know that my country needs me.
As I grew up, I have then realized that fulfilling the duties for my country isn’t that easy. Uncountable soldiers died just for the sake of defending our country. So as the title holders in the field of beauty, sports and inventions, they really strived hard to bring up the name of the Filipinos as good potential leaders and citizens.
Then, I thought, what have I done for the sake of my country? What have I done for my fellowmen for them to be proud of me? Have I really risked my life for the sake of defending my countrymen? Have I brought home the bacon for the sake of the entire Filipino nation to be recognized all over the world? No. I have done not as great as what Jose Rizal or Manny Pacquiao did. But, I have performed the best of my capabilities to be a good citizen of my nation. I am serving my country with all my might and with all sincerity. Though it is just in my own little ways, I know that my simple acts will make a great difference. Still, a thought bothers me, what is the use of my citizenship for me? Is it just for the sake of having an identity? Or is it just for the sake of being recognized and not be known as a barbarian? No. I have realized that being a Filipino and knowing my citizenship is my passport of exploring more of me. It is the key that would greatly help me for the success of my being. Whatever my happen, I would always be proud that I am a Filipino! Come what may…

Gasa Sa Gugma
Be gentle and loving, be kind and polite, be thoughtful of others, and be sure to do right. Politeness is to do and say, the kindest thing in the kindest way.
I never thought that February 2, 2007 would be one of the unforgettable days of my life. The day started, and as usual, there were a lot of school works. The nice part of the day only started at 2:00 pm, when we departed from school to go to Gasa Sa Gugma. The bus ride was quite fun even though I did not join the “party” of the crowd. I just enjoyed watching my batch mates laugh and talk. They were bumping at each other every time the bus stops. Some of them were singing while others are talking with loud voices. When we arrived, the place was so silent. Well, what could you expect, the people living in that place were old persons with other younger persons who take care of them. It seemed that everyone in that place was thinking. I think they’re not fund of talking. Not in my nature, but honestly speaking, I really had fun at that place. I never expected that I would learn something from those people. I learned to understand certain things about life that were beyond my mind’s eye. I have realized that I am still very fortunate to have my family; a family who cares for me. I felt a slight prick in my heart when I heard about there different stories. Some of them have no families, while others still do, but their families are not capable of supporting them anymore. Some of them are still being visited by their families, while others have been forgotten by their families. It doesn’t feel good thinking about all those people who can just leave their family members behind. I feel that that they are the worst kind of people existing in this world. I think that we should learn to be kind and start to care. The people there need love and attention. If they feel that they are loved, I know that that they will be happy. At least for the last days of their lives they’ve experience happiness. I know that a simple listening ear would surely lessen their pain and sorrows. Telling them that they have done something great in their life’s journey would surely lessen the regrets that they have in their lives. I also had some realization when they told me about their regrets in life. While listening to them, I realized that we should do the things that we believe will make us happy. I know that someday the only things that we are going to regret are the risks that we did not take.
We should never waste the chances that come in to our lives. Chances usually only comes once in a life time. And, we should keep in mind that great things never last. So, better start living your life to the fullest.

Teacher like? I guess not…

Great patience will always be rewarded with great fortune. Especially patience accompanied with love and care.

Know Your School Day (KYSD) started last January 25, 2007, Wednesday. I applied as the Social Science teacher for this day. I replaced Professor Alfredo Montaño who is one of my favorite teachers. Four students applied for the position as Social Science teacher and all of us were accepted. The other three teachers were Shydel Raya, Sunshine Enriquez and Eldee Balolong. Fortunately, the three of us are friends so we did not have any trouble working with each other. During our class, we gave a 25-item test to our classmates. The test was about current events, important things from the book and also from the lecture that Prof Alfredo Montaño gave us. During the whole duration of the test, my classmates kept on murmuring. They were complaining about the items involved in the test, that they were very difficult. Maybe they were not that prepared for that test since we did not tell them anything about it. We intentionally gave that surprise test, as what Professor Alfredo Montaño told us to do, to know if our classmates learned anything from what he had discussed, if they read the book and if they were taking note of the current events. As for my part, I was the one in charge of the questions from the book. I did everything that I could to make that part of the test easy but still intellectually challenging. Despite the effort that I made, still I heard complains from my classmates. Those protests did not make me feel good because I know that I have tried my best for them to have good scores in that test. My patience was really tested during that time and I had to control my temper. At that moment I realized how amazing teachers are. It is not that easy to understand different students with different attitudes. It does not feel good when one of your student’s fail. If a student fails that feeling of failure is doubled for the teacher’s side. Great patience is needed to make it through all these situations. Patience is an excellent quality and I can’t equate my patience to the patience of a teacher because I am an impatient person. I know that my teachers love me and that they care for me. Even thought I am a very stubborn and lazy student, still I know that they are concern of my future. I know that they want all of their students to be successful in the near future. If they get too strict on you, be thankful, it is a good sign that they care for you. And try to follow them to the best of your abilities, because they will surely be grateful if you show them that you are thankful. With all those sacrifices that they have done and they are still continuing to do, I believe that we should honor them.
Hopefully, I would learn to be more patient and learn to care for others someday. Being more patient would surely help me attain my aspirations in life. I’ll forever be grateful to my teachers because they taught me essential things about life, things that only through them might be granted to me. They taught me things beyond what was expected from them. They taught me how to live through the raging difficulties of life.

A Foolish Dream…

Believing in fantasy once in a while is good. It helps me escape from the pains of reality. In the world of fantasy, almost everything is very exciting.

Witches, warlocks, white lighters, dark lighters and demons, these are the creatures that exist in the world of the Charmed Ones. Spells and incantations are cast, and potions are made. The Charmed Ones are three sisters destined to be the most powerful witches. The three sisters have three different powers, one can control objects with her mind, the other can freeze time, and the last one can see the future. They are witches but they were once normal human beings. Still they sometimes want to act normally; by these I mean become stubborn like normal human beings. The most stubborn and the youngest among the three sisters is Phoebe. She is the one who can see the future. She is always the first one who does crazy things, like using her powers to know the future winning numbers in the lotto. Still there was something good in what she did, she shared the winning numbers to an old couple who were about to lose their house. Anyways she wasn’t able to benefit from the winning lotto ticket that she had. The numbers on the lotto ticket disappeared just after the winning numbers were announced. It only shows that you should not use your powers just for your own good. The one born in the middle is Piper. She is the one who can freeze time (a very interesting power for me). Piper is always the one who initiates forgiveness in the family. She always stays in the middle every time Pru and Phoebe has a fight and makes them forgive each other. She is also very responsible and a very good cook. Piper is the most kind among the three sisters and she has a very good heart. She always has the time to help others who are in need. The eldest among the three sisters is Pru. She owns the last power, which is the ability to make objects levitate. Since both their parents are gone, Pru was given the responsibility to take good care of her two sisters. She acts as the mother and father in the family. And she works for her family to make their lives comfortable. These three sisters are the Charmed Ones. They are given the responsibility to save the innocent. It is their duty to protect the people from any form of harm from their world. Combining their powers will create the Power of Three, the most powerful magic in the world of the Charmed Ones. This power is undefeatable and cannot be vanquished.

Sometimes I wish I was one of the Charmed Ones. Having my own power would surely make my life a lot more exciting. I would really love to fight demons and warlocks then save the innocent. If given a chance to have my own power I would surely make the best out of it. I would use my power to live a comfortable life. And of course, I would also use my power to help anyone who might need it. You may think that I’m so foolish to think about these things, but I’d rather be called foolish than go crazy because of too much reality.

The Problem with Men and Women (not pertinent to all males and females)

As what I have noticed, most men are prideful, that their pride is more important than anything that exists in this world. I see that they find it hard to accept their mistakes; that if they can still manipulate the problem, they will do everything that they could. They will make it appear that they did not commit any mistake. I usually see this attitude in boys playing sports. Most of them have not developed sportsmanship but are still fair players. It is good to give importance or a considerable value to yourself. It would show that you love yourself, but always remember that too much self love is not good. Most problems are unsolved because no one wants to lower down his/her pride. I also noticed that most men tend to always play safe. They assure their selves that they won’t turn out as losers by the end of the game. For me, this is a problem because they sometimes “unintentionally” hurt another person. One concrete situation is when a man courts a girl. Even though he makes promises to this girl, there is another girl who is waiting for him. He makes promises to both girls so that if he gets rejected by one girl, the other will be there for him, and obviously it won’t have such an enormous impact on his pride. Though men give spice to women’s lives, they sometimes get too spicy and make women cry.
Girls are the most sensitive creature in this world. They tend to act according to what they feel or base on their instincts. Because of this, I find most of them to be impulsive. I think this is a problem because they have the tendency to do and say things which they don’t actually mean. And I know that it is very difficult to turn back things which has been done and said. I’ve experienced this myself for so many times. I’ve been in complicated situations for countless times just because of what I’ve said that I did not actually mean. In fact, I’ve been called to the guidance office for several times just because of my stupid mouth. Well, as what everybody always says, “Laging nasa huli ang pagsisi”. What can I do? What has been done has been done. I just have to learn from those mistakes and never do it again (I hope so). Self-control is the answer to this problem. We must think before we act, so that by the end of any action, we won’t have anything to regret. We have to be very careful with what we do, and with what we say because we might hurt others. We always have to put in our minds that all people have feelings. But of course, it does not end in just knowing that others have feelings too, we have to care. If we want others to respect us, we must respect them too.

Me Myself and I

Hi! I’m Christine Marie Nolasco a resident of Upper Bacayan, Cebu City. You can call me Chrizzy for short, that’s what my friends call me. I was born on October 7, 1989 and I’m 17 years old. My zodiac sign is Libra. I’m already in 4th year high school at the University of the Philippines. Most people say that I’m a great dancer a good singer, a very sporty person, a good friend and a very bad enemy. But I do admit mistakes. I really like persons who treasure friendship and I don’t like persons who do not see any negative things about themselves.
Now let me tell you about my talents, skills and abilities. I can best compare myself to a television because like the television, entertainment and a little knowledge is what I give, and sometimes I can be a very bad example. But entertainment is what I could give best. I can dance well, sing a little and also act. If you want a reality show, just turn me on. If you want drama, comedy and variety shows, you can find it in me. Just like a television, I’m a big package of talents. I really love to make people laugh. It always brings joy to my heart whenever I see a smile on somebody’s face. I think that just me, the entertainer. When I am me, I can be the best of who I am. So always be yourself, I think that’s the best way to live your life to the fullest. Aside from being like the television, I also love playing volleyball, softball, soccer baseball, badminton and even basketball. I usually play these games with my friends every after classes and I think that I’m not such a mediocre player of these games. Another skill that is not known to everyone is my cooking talents. My mother always tells me that I cook very well, I don’t know, but I hope it’s true.
Let’s talk about my favorites. My favorite food is fried fish but now I minimized eating this dish. My favorite colors are pink, black and white. My favorite animals are cats because I find them very adorable. My favorite movies are horror movies. I really don’t know why, I just love watching them. And lastly, my favorite place is the field of our school. This is because I first saw my self at that place. Do you want to know why? Well, my friends and I shared our secrets at that place. I cried at that place, I laughed at that place, and we strengthened our friendship at that place.
I do believe in many sayings but the best saying for me is this; "Life’s greatest poverty is not in riches, but in spirit, and life’s greatest wealth is not in money, but in friendship. I’m the kind of person that really treasures friendship though I’m not that affectionate, I let them know that I treasure them in my own weird ways. For me friends are like pillows, they will always be there to comfort you.
My greatest dream in life is just to experience complete happiness, to love and be loved. I believe that I can reach this dream not by being somebody else but just being myself.

Challenge by Choice

Last summer, I’ve experience the best camp in my whole life, the Kool Adventure Camp. This camp taught me lessons in life in a very exciting manner. I’ve experienced so many things in this camp that I never thought of doing, things that were beyond my imagination.
First part of the camp was introducing ourselves and some lectures of course. During the whole duration of the camp, we used camp names. My camp name was winx and I actually don’t have any explanation why I chose that name. I just think that it sounds good, sounds like a name of a dreamer. After having the lecture, we played the first game and they said that we have to play to win. At first I did see the logic behind what they said. I only knew it after losing the game. The set-up was like this, we have balls and baskets. The basket of the other team was placed near the other teams shooting area. The only rule was to follow your task. If you’re the shooter, you can only shoot the balls and if you’re role is to get the ball, that’s the only thing that you can do. After the game, our scores for the three rounds were totaled. But the score for one team was the total score of the three teams for the first round. It’s so ironic isn’t it? We were shocked but then they explained the reason to us. They said that if all of us wanted to win. We could have helped the other groups. The rule doesn’t say that we can’t shoot the other team’s balls in to their basket which was very near to us. We were all shocked and fascinated with the situation that they gave. They said that we have to play to win. Since everyone was concern of winning by themselves nobody got the perfect score. Sometimes we have to help our opponents so that we can experience the best victory in life. Playing isn’t always all about winning. Sometimes the best part in playing is helping one another to reach everyone’s goal so that no one will be left behind.
The second day was spent in Punta Engaño where we had our rope course. We had the pamper pole, wall climbing and the high Y. In the pamper pole, we had to climb a pole with a disc on top. Stand on the disc and jump off to reach for a rope a meter away. The rope there was considered our greatest dreams or our hearts deepest desires. I was very happy to reach that rope. Before jumping off, I shouted that I want to please my mother. My mother and I never had a good relationship. We always end up fighting when we’re talking. But deep inside me, I really want my mother to be proud of me. Another heart pounding course was the wall climbing. In this course, three campers were tied together and one was blind folded. All of us must reach the top together, this is our goal. In this challenge, I learned that we should never leave anybody behind that helped us climb, because you will never reach your goal. The most challenging course for me was the high Y. In this course, the rope was formed into a letter Y. In the first part we had to walk on the rope all by ourselves but holding on another rope. When we reached the middle, we had to let go of the rope that we were holding. There is another person at the other end which I will meet at the center. Together we had to reach the other end just by holding each other and depending on each other for balance. I learned in this course that in order to proceed with our lives, we have to let go of the ropes that hinders us from moving on. We have to trust and depend on others but still maintain a sense of balance in our own selves. After the end of the rope course day, I was already very tired but the experience could never be compared to anything.
The activities on the third day basically summarize all our learning from the first two days. This camp really opened my mind to the different aspects of life. I’ll forever treasure this experience and I will share the things that I’ve learned to others who might need them.

Just Expect the Unexpected

Ever felt a very strange feeling, the feeling that they all call love? Love comes at the most unexpected moment. You’ll never know when and where it would strike you.
I have always known my self as someone who doesn’t care about what other people think about me. I know that many people hate me and I don’t care, because I believe they’re the ones who make my life exciting. Nobody even tried to tell me about what they feel. Not until I was in third year, when a boy openly expressed to the whole class what he felt, that he doesn’t like my ways. I can never forget get what he said. "Bossy man gud kaayo ka", these were the exact words that came from his mouth. I was shocked and I did not know what to say. I did not understand what I felt at that moment. I was just sure of one thing, I was really impressed. Isn’t it very unusual? Because of that incident, we did not become close even though his seat was very close to mine. From that day on, I started to care. I realized that no man is an island and that in this life we need others to carry on. That boy really helped me realize many things about life. At first I was just impressed, but then as time goes by my feelings for him keep on growing. Of course nobody knew about that, even I didn’t know. I just realized how much I love him this school year, my last year in high school. In realizing this feeling, I’ve done many things just to get close to him. If you consider two persons who keep on hurting each other physically still friends, then yes it was effective, we became friends. I was happy and very much contented with the situation. I did not wish for anything else, that friendship was enough for me. Everything stayed the same; we continued fighting over little things. It was just for fun though, it was not a serious fight. Each interaction with him makes me see the real him, someone who is very amazing and simply extraordinary. Who would expect that I would fall for this guy? After what had happened the other year, it seems impossible for us to fall for each other. That’s what they think, but actually, what they believed in didn’t make my hope waver.
It was like being hit by cupid’s stupid arrow. I’m not being presumptuous, but I felt that he started to care during the last days of November. He doesn’t hit my head and slap my hands as painful as before. Honestly, I did not like those changes. I love it when he hits my head with a book. I just miss those days when I ran after him just to hit his forehead. Anyways, I know I can’t do anything about it but at least we're still friends. My most memorable experience with him happened on December 3, 2006. We had to take the DOST scholarship examination on this day. Unfortunately we had different testing areas. I had to take my test at Consolacion while he had to take his test at CIT. Still it’s okay because we were texting before the test started and also after the test. I was in a very good mood while taking the test because of the good luck message that I received from him before the test. After the test, my friends and I went to one of my friend’s house. I wasn’t expecting him to go there too, but he did. All of us then decided to watch two movies. We watched the Wishing Stairs and Saved. The movies were very boring though but they did not spoil my day. The best part of watching those movies was that I was sitting beside him and leaning on him. My head was comfortably placed on his shoulders. The effect of cupid’s arrow was working on me again. At that moment, I was wishing for the time to stop, that I’d forever be together with him. But it had to end and we had to go home. At least I have a moment with him that I will treasure forever. Still I’ll continue loving this guy…

J.S. Prom 911

I hope to experience a very wonderful J.S. Prom this year. I have so many wishes that were not fulfilled during last year’s J.S. Prom. Now my wishes are the same. Still I’m hoping to be the Senior Princess or the Prom Queen and to dance with the man of my dreams.
Receiving the award of being the Prom Queen or the Junior Princess would be a great honor for me. Maybe you’ll think that I’m a dreamer, but that’s why I’m here in this world, to dream and fulfill it. Others may think that it is impossible because I don’t have the looks and the body, but I believe in myself. I know that I can do it. I’ll just have to feel beautiful and everything will turn out right. Here are some tips that I think might help those who want to look beautiful: Having a high self confidence would really contribute to looking good. Just feel beautiful and you will look beautiful. Never let the comments of other people get in your mind especially if those comments don’t make you feel good. Those comments will only lower down you self esteem. Always look at the bright side. For you to develop you self confidence, think of the things that you have that others don’t have. We are each unique individuals. Never expect that you have all the positive qualities that others have. Surely you have something special in you that are not possessed by others. Having a positive attitude towards life will make you feel better. If you experience bad things, then be thankful, that only means that you are alive. Problems are part of life. Life is not only compose of happiness but all the emotions that revolve around this world. So be optimistic, feel beautiful and you will look beautiful.
Another hope of mine is to dance with the person whom I love. It doesn’t feel good when during the last dance of the J.S. Prom you’re only sitting. Last year, I did many things just to cheer myself. I kept myself busy just to put in my mind that I can’t dance now because I’m doing something, when in reality, I’m not dancing because nobody asked me to dance with him. If he will just dance with me during that night, everything will be perfect. A perfect dress, for a perfect night, for a perfect dance with the perfect person, that’s all that I could wish for. How could I possible wish for another thing to happen? If he will dance with me, stopping the time would be the only thing that I would want to do so that I’ll forever be in his arms. That nothing will keep us apart.
If these hopes won’t happen, my heart will not be the first heart broken, and my eyes will not be the first eyes to cry. Those were all my wishes for this coming J.S. Prom. Well, this is life, the every life of life. So, always have hopes and always dream, because it’s the only free thing in this world.

^_^

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when adults are afraid of the light.
At every step the child should be allowed to meet the real experiences of life; the thorns should never be plucked from the roses.
Experience is a hard teacher; she gives the test first and the lessons afterward.
Free will is not the liberty to do whatever one likes, but the power of doing whatever one sees ought to be done, even in the very face of otherwise overwhelming impulse.
With knowing comes responsibility;
With responsibility comes a choice;
With choices comes the future.
…you don’t get to choose how you’re going to die, or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.