Dark Side Of DAting...Am I Ready for It?

In many land, dating is viewed as a means of romantic entertainment, a fun activity. Dating thus takes many forms. For some, a date is a formal, structured affair---flowers, a lovely dinner and a goodnight kiss are all part of the agenda. For others, a date simply means spending some time together with someone you like. There are even couples who are constantly seen together but who claimed to be ‘just friends.’ Well whether I call it dating, going together or just seeing each other it usually amounts to the same thing; a boy and a girl spending a lot of time together socially, often unsupervised. Nevertheless, when carried out intelligently, cautiously and honorably, dating is a legitimate way for two people to get to know each other. And yes, it can be enjoyable. But does this mean that I should date? I may feel pressure to date. Most of my classmates date and naturally I do not want to seem weird and different. Pressure to date may also come from well-meaning friends and relatives. When my fifteen year old cousin named Gladys, was asked to go out on a date then my aunt advised her, “Whether you want to marry the guy or not, it has nothing to do with it. Dating is just a part of your natural development as a person…after all, if you always turn guys down, you’ll be unpopular and no one will ask you out.” My aunt’s words sunk down deep. Would my cousin be cheating herself out of a good opportunity? I know very well this guy we will be dating. He has his own car, lots of money and I knew he would show her a great time. Gladys really go and date with the gut. She was not close to her parents and turned to the boys she’s dating to find closeness and have someone to whom she could pour out her feelings who would really understand. Nevertheless, we should not begin dating simply because we are pressured to do so! For one thing, dating is a serious business---a part of searching for the ideal man. But really, what justification could there be for two people of the opposite sex to begin spending a lot of time together other than to investigate the possibility of learning to love each other? In the long run, dating for any other reason is likely to result in anything but ‘fun’. Why so? There is also a dark side of dating; youths are in the vulnerable period of life, “the bloom of the youth.” During this time, I may feel powerful surges of affection. There is nothing wrong with this; it is a part of growing up. Most young people today used dating in order to meet and have new friends and soon will develop and may survive to adulthood. Whenever you’re pressured to date because of your friends and not by your own decision. Never be tempted to that! Stay chaste and calm, don’t allow yourself to be cheap and worthless by just dating with anyone. In my age know I realize that dating is a serious affair and negatively it may also lead me to sexual desires that’ very premature to my age right now. Think about this!

UNFAIR!

" I can’t stand an unfair teacher! No doubt many students feel the same way too. I am upset when I get low grades for what I feel is high-grade work. I resent it when discipline seems excessive or uncalled for or seems motivated by racial bias. I am really angry when special attention or preferential treatment is given to the teacher’s pet. These are the students who always go near to the teacher’s table, talked to our teacher. Granted, teachers are far from infallible. They have their fair share of quirks, problems and yes prejudices. “Do not hurry yourself in your spirit to become offended”, says one proverb. Even teachers stumble many times. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body. Could I therefore give my teacher the benefit of doubt? I experienced to feel unfair to one of my subject teachers. I was really shocked when I knew was grade was 86, which was the lowest grade given by our teacher. I really felt puzzled because I have submitted all my projects on time. Do I deserve to get that very low grade? While the others submitted their projects late but given bigger grades because they are the teacher’s pet! My teacher blamed me because it was my fault that he didn’t see my project plan in his table. It was his responsibility to keep it because he told me to put it there. Soon I realized that we sometimes fail to accomplish their task because we are very busy. What about those special favors accorded to the teacher’s pet? I should bear in mind that a teacher faces unique demands and pressures. He faces a serious predicament in which they must try to hold the attention of a class whose some minds are usually elsewhere…they have before him a group of highly moody students. Is it any wonder, then, that my teacher may lavish attention or treat him with respect? True, it may gall me when seeming ‘apple-polishers’ get more attention than I do. But why should in be upset or jealous if some diligent student is a teacher’s pet, as long as my educational need are not ignore? Besides, it may be a good idea to be a bit more true to my self. We sometimes feel that our teacher is not fair to all of the students. But we should be bare in our minds that we should understand and thoughtful to them. They are also people, they need affection and to be loved. They are also one of us, let’s not put our minds that they are really unfair because they don’t. They want us to realize that we should be diligent, obedient, and attentive and be thoughtful in the class. We should cooperate with them and never think that they don’t love us because they do. We should respect them as our second parents and never behave distractible. Let’ love them and show to them that they are one of a kind. We too, should be fair!

Death...Stairway to Heaven?

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Why am I afraid of death? I know you are also feeling the same way too. But what is it in the word death that makes it horrible? If you will have the chance to know when will be the day of your death, what will be the last things you will do? Wouldyou tell your parents and close friends that this thing will gonna happenorjust don't tell anything about it?

I've got a lot of questions and doubts that stucked up in my mind. I know no one will answer this but only myself. Which feels more pain, When you will be the one or someone you love so much will die? Even when I'm just a kid, usually when I go to bed I always say to myself, "What if one day my parents will leave me... Beacuse of death?" I thought if this thing will happen, I can't stand anymore becausethe whole world will cover me. That great loss in my life maybe the one to kill myself . But as I grew up and become a high school student,I then realizedthat I shoul not give up even th destiny will be very unkind to me because I know this thingswill strengthen my courage and fatih with God. Then I raised a questrion to myself, "If my very loved cat will die, should it be the reason to kill myself and grieve in my whole life?" No! No! No! We should bear in our minds that all of us will never last in this world because we are only humans that have our own feelings, we are not rocks that stay still in its whole life. The earth is just a preparatory school for us to develop and learn to love so that when the time comes, we are ready to face the gate of heaven and be with God.

What if I'm given a chance to know when. where and how will be my death, what will I do? ShouldI prepare and tell my parents and friends about it? That was the question that have never been decided by myself. Until I discovered an interesting website while i was doing this blog project. That said website was the deathclock.com where in it will tell you the day and year of your death by simply incoding your name, date and year of birth and then by just few seconds it will appear. Now a days we can predict our death ... Huh! But is it factual? For me, no creature have ever livedto provide the information about our death. I remembered a movie where in this things are possible and this movie was "Final Destination". The casts were able to see the future and could escape death. What, cheat death! Impossible! That were just some of my impression when I saw the movie. But there was a very remarkable line uttered by one of my favorite cast, "If you have cheated death, it will go back to you because death has its own path."

"Comb your hair while still you have it", a quote that I read from the Reader's Digest which was published in 1994. Yes, we should do our bes in everything we do and never waste your life in doing nonsense things and bad deeds. Tell your parents how you love them because someday they will also leave and be with God. Tell the precious people how you cherish them and express you true feelings for them... while still you have time. You may never have th time to tell it!

Contemplating Pure Beauty

Have you tried bathing in a well? I have tried and this experience made me admire the beauty of nature. Can you imagine how God made all this things? This is a very great miracle! Water under the land. Clean fresh and free… We had a vacation last month in our province, which was located somewhere in the northern part of Cebu. This place is very delicate and the environment was very clean. The beauty of nature was still preserved and in that place you will realize that people could live a simple and better way of living from the resources in the environment. The people were all friendly and this made my vacation remarkable. In the morning, we are awakened by the roaster’s load croak and not by the annoying sound of the alarm clocks as how we used to be here in the city. The fresh and crisp dew refreshed myself for a new day. To replenish my body I should take a bath first, but where? My cousins and I were planning to go to a nearby well and take a bath there. I was really excited about it and ready all the things I needed. The well was just a walking distance from our house. Around the well were the slender banana plants and other big trees. The mouth of the well was covered with the thick pile of moss and vines We started to take a bath and used the ladle with a rope in it or called timba in colloquial speech. The well was not that profound and the substructure could be visibly seen. The water was glimmering like a glass and was incredibly hygienic. It was really icy that I found myself shuddering with the coldness of the water. The vociferous sound of silence was really all around because we were only the ones there. So in order to thrill ourselves, we chat for our experiences in the school and the kind of classmates we have. Suddenly we found ourselves busy talking and accidentally the timba fell inside the well. The three of us really felt worried because our grandmother is going to scold us. We thought of way on how to get that thing out from the water. My younger cousin decided to go inside and get it but I refused because she might be injured and the more problem we will have. But she didn’t even care to listen to my words but went inside the well in order to get that ladle out. I was relieved when I saw her gong up bringing with her was the ladle and she was not hurt even a single bruise. The three of us hugged each other and cheered up. And now it was time to go home! That experience alone was really memorable for me. That made me appreciate the beauty of our ‘mother nature’. And I learned that a family that prays together stays together and that was the thing that determined to get over that obstacle. But the very special lesson that I learned was to ‘Contemplate The Pure Beauty”.

A look at How I Look

They say that beauty is only skin-deep. But why is it though, that the good-looking people seem to get all the advantages? And how can I cope with all the pressure to dress and look like those gorgeous girls? I don’t like the way I look! Well few of us are entirely satisfied with our own appearance. Unlike Narcissus who fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water. But for us we fall into depression when we see our reflection. I think I don’t look so good! I don’t like my hair, the way it looks from the others. To make matters worse, our appearance change so rapidly that we sometimes ‘feel like strangers in our own body.’ Thus, sometimes I fret about my own face, hair and figure. “Everything has made pretty in its time” And how I look can indeed have a profound effect upon the way others view and treat me. “Body image is a part on self-image.” For me this can affect my self-confidence and what I do and don’t in life. A healthy concern about my appearance thus makes good sense. However, when I find myself become so self-conscious that I withdraw from others or feel bad about myself, and then such concern is no longer healthy, that I do sometimes. Interestingly, distress over personal appearance is not always due to real physical defects. From a situation like this: a slender girl sits in the class wishing she was heavier, while on the next aisle, a buxom girl laments how “fat” she is. From where does this dissatisfaction come? What made me think that they’re unattractive? Was it their size that may not be as fit as the sexiest celebrity or maybe they might not have the fine-looking face? “Adolescence is a period of transition in which major reorganization of the body takes place…” To deal with the awkwardness of a new and changing body I rely upon the security of my peers. But under their scrutiny on how tall, short, fat or thin they are, can become a great source of anxiety. And when some of my friends get more attention than me or when I am chided about my looks, I can easily begin to feel bad about myself. But before I will admit that I’m an ugly duckling, I’ll ask myself first, to what extent of my physical flaws are real or imagined. Is this facial feature I fret about really so unattractive? Or have others pressured me into thinking this? “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould”, a proverb says. There is thus no reason to feel depressed because I do not look like a TV or magazine model. Nor are my peers the final judges on how tall, short or slim I must be to look attractive. I am comfortable with how I look and I should give other people a heed. Ironically, the very thing I dislike about my looks may be the source of someone else’s envy. “Charm may be false, prettiness may be vain.”

Breaking the Ice

It is Saturday night. I sit alone in my room "I hate weekends!" But there was no one in the room to answer. I pick-up a magazine and saw a picture of young people enjoying at the beach. I hurled the magazine against the wall. Tears well up. I clamped my teeth on my under lip but tears keep pushing. Unable to fihgt it any loger, i fell on my bed sobbing, "Why am I always left out?" Do you some times feel the sameway I do ? Cut off from the world,lonely, useless and empty? if so do not despair. Because feeling lonely is no feeling of fun, it is just like having a very fatal disease. Simply put loneliness as a warning signal. This warns you that you need companionship, closeness and intimacy. Sometimes loneliness is imposed to us by circumstances beyond our control, like being away from a very close friends as a result of moving to a new location. Back home, Rose and I were very close pals, closer than sisters. When our family moved away, i knew I'm really going to miss her. When the time has come for us to board on the bus, I got choked up. We hugged and said our last goodbye. I felt something very precious was gone. How did I make it out in ym new environment? It was really rough. Back home, my friends like me and care for me but here some folks I lived with, made me feel as if I were no good. I rember looking at he clock and counting back hours and thingking what Rose and I could be doing at this moment. I felt very lonely. When things are not going out well, I often dwell on better times that I had in the past. I always ask myself, "Why has it happened that thet the former days proved to be better than this?" Then I realized and promised to myself never ask such question again. Why? For one thing crcumstances are changed for the better. Then, i could thus overcome this loneliness. How? By talking about my feeling with someone who cares. I can't always live in the past. I forced myself to meet other people, smile at them and show interest on them. It worked! I found new friends and I become happy as I was before. But what about Rose? I was really wrong! Moving away did not end our friendship. The other day I phoned her and we talked for an hour and fifteen minutes. We need food to function well. Likewise we need companionship and friends to feel well. When you take one coal at a glowing heap the glow of that single coal slowly dies. But after you put the coal back into the glowing heap it glows again! In isolation, we similarly do not 'glow' well for long. The need of companionship, closeness and intimacy is built into our framework. We need them in order to "Break the Ice". The ice that separates us our happiness.

I Will Survive!

There are many things that made each and every one of us special and particular. We have our own feelings of disappointments and frustration, our own feelings of happiness and pleasure. Every individual has destined horizon to journey and obstacles to face. I know all and sundry are determined to “reach the unreachable star, that impossible dream…This is my quest to follow that star no matter how hopeless, no matter how far,” according to one of the most famous song. From my younger years to my present teenage life, I always wanted to be a star, a very bright and glimmering star among the others. The stars made me think that they are the happiest things God ever made, for them no time seemed to be sad and gloomy. I then realized that God made them to enlighten, guide and let the people know that HE never let’s distressing feelings lives in the people’s heart. “Everything has a purpose” My interest about the stars made me a better person and met new friends. Our last stargazing overnight was really noteworthy for me. There were a lot of things that took place in that special starless overnight. Though there were just few visible stars I really enjoyed that overnight. Last February 2,we had our third stargazer’s overnight and I really felt excited for it. But before the overnight I seemed to be very nervous but I didn’t know why! My father fetched from school very late and then he told me that my grandfather had been involved in a car accident. My Lolo was an old man in his 60’s but though he is old he could still mange to drive a very big grader. He accidentally bumped a man riding a pedicab who was the breadwinner of a poor family. The man was totally dead on the spot! After I heard the news I felt very worried but my father assured me that God would never leave us in this kind situations. I arrived at the campus around 7o’clock in the evening and I saw my classmates already preparing their mats and sleeping bags. After we have settled our things we take a pose for a picture taking. All of us gave a big smile in our face with an alluring pose. We had a short discussion with Mr. Christopher Go and the other University of San Carlos’ astronomical club. I couldn’t help myself to feel a little bit weary and heavy-eyed while the discussion was going on.

After the discussion we watched an outrageous movie entitled “Shatter”. I was sitting near the jealousy and suddenly, terror crippled up my spine when someone pulled my hair. I found myself shaking and trembling with panic. When I bear out who was it, I was relived when it was a second year guy who accidentally lose his balance in the dicey floor. Huh! That almost killed me. Then, a fourth year student come within reach of the DVD player and turned it off and said that she was told to turn it off because watching bloodcurdling movies is not allowed. Everyone was really discolored with her!

We just go to our sleeping bags at the playing field and it was really chilly. I wore my thick black jacket, my cap and my socks but I was still shivering because of the frosty nighttime zephyr. We didn’t feel dozy so we babble on gobbledygook things and fool around with each other.

When I finally lied down on my sleeping bag, I looked up in the sky and saw a single star shining in the darkness. It was the star that seemed to catch my eyes. While I was looking at it, I remembered my hard times; the trials that tried to let me down, the problems in my studies and our family, my personal afflictions, the peer pressures that tried to tempt me. Then I realized that I’m still alive and I survive! With that few moments on staring at that star, it determined me strive harder and to keep my passion burning in achieving my dreams. The lessons I learned from the stars’ “I WILL SURVIVE!”

Do my clothes Reveal the Real Me?

Me my mother often argued about the clothes I should wear. “It’s not too short you are just being old fashioned!” Off I ran to my room. The grand finale to a quarrel over a skirt I wanted to wear. And perhaps we have been center of this familiar controversy when our parents, teacher or other elders criticized some outfit we love. We called it casual they called it sloppy. We called chic, they called it gaudy or suggestive. Admittedly, tastes vary and I do have the right to my own opinions. But would it mean anything goes upon the way we dress? What I wear is really who I am and how I feel about myself. It will affect my social relationship with the other people. For me, clothing sends out a message a statement to others about who I am. This can whisper stability and high moral standards. Or it can also shout rebellion and discontent. It can even serve as a form on identification. And I know that it can affect my emotional feelings because in a way that my clothing also sends out my mood or my feeling. I want to inform others on who is this girl they are facing. Sometimes I see some people wearing ripped clothing, punk style dresses or expensive designer clothe as a type of their trademark. But should this mean that we need a lot of money to have our own trademark? But others use clothing to allure the opposite sex or to make they appear older than who they really are. Yes, the way we dress could attract other people especially the opposite sex. We want to be attractive to our admirers and to our crush because we want them to know that we deserve. But sometimes it will disappoint others especially those people who expect too much from us “The way we dress has a remarkable impact on the people we meet and this greatly affects on how they treat us.” No wonder my parents are just concerned about the way I dress. Remembered, when I’m just a kid my parents are always the one who decide the dress that I should wear. It should be a formal one when going to church or to any other occasions. I really felt jealous on other children of my age because they are wearing cargo pants and punk style dresses but here I am, a weird girl wearing an old fashioned dress. To my parents it is more than a personal taste. They want me to send out the right message, the one that projects me as a balanced, responsible and a moral individual while I’m just in my young age. Then, I realized that even a dress could determine the true me and how could I get along with other people. It’s not that how my peers pressured me for what should I wear but what I want the other people to get my inner message. The message that says, “I’m a girl who was educated by my parents… A girl who deserves a respect and respects other. I’m not a flirt girl; I’m the conservative one. Does the way you dress, however accomplish the right message you want to send out? What gives you the guide in selecting your clothing? So be sure to handle the way you dress not on how others wanted you to do so but how you want other people to know who you really are. Because for me ‘ My clothes reveal the real me!’

One Caring and Sharing Family, The UPIAN Way!

Remarkable! That was the memories unfolded during our family day. Last 25th day of January, our campus was very alive wit the loud cheer of the crowd. Everyone was really enjoying and a strong family ties in each family was observed.

We woke up around 5 o’clock in the morning and I felt very angry because it was supposed to be 4:30. We are really cramming in packing our things. My father drove very fast that I felt my whole body was twisting. Huh! We were still late and the mass was almost done. After the mass, all the students are told to prepare their costumes for the field demonstration. Our presentations were practiced for many weeks and all of us were very excited to present it. I was rushing in putting in my native costume but SHokkzz! My kimona was left inside the car, so I ran as far as I could to get it because the program will going to start in few minutes. Our presentation was entitled “Lapay Bantigue”. I really felt nervous because many people will be watching and I’m sure my parents will be laughing at me.

The time has come for us to present. M y whole body was trembling but I didn’t show any reaction to my co-presentors. I’m also worried about me and my partner doesn’t master the steps in the approved manner. We might be disappointing the whole group and to our audience and teachers. Before the music was played my partner asked me, “What if we might not perform the steps especially the twirling ones appropriately?” I replied showing no worry in my face but deep inside I was jittering, “Don’t worry, I know we will do it!” Then the music was and everything was going out smoothly. At last we made it! All the steps were really performed correctly and all my fears were gone!

After the field demonstration, my friends and me went to the HomeTech room to see the project displays and had some picture takings. Then we watched the soccer game of the fresh men and the sophomores. I really enjoyed the game because my cRushz was there. Everyone cheered for their teams and gave the player a warm support. Yippee! The first year won the game.

We gathered in our respective tents to take our lunch. In the Bartlett’s tent there were more then enough food for everyone. My tummy was really stuffed. Then our English teacher informed the parents to get the letter that was made by their child. I told my father to get it and I know he will be very happy for that simple gift I gave to them both. I was exhausted that day because there were a lot of fun activities and games throughout the day. Everyone was very happy and enjoyed and brought home a very remarkable memory and experience. We went home around 5 o’clock in the afternoon bringing wit us the satisfaction and fun we have experienced together as one big UPIAN FAMILY!

Facing the Reality

"King Solomon one of the wisest man who ever live, desperately fall in love with a lass who did not return his feelings. He splattered upon her some of the most dazzling poetry, which was like the magnificence of the full moon, pure like the lustrous sun and got absolutely nowhere with her!", Says the bible. Did you experience like this before? When you can’t eat, can’t study anymore! You daydream about him! You are miserable! Nevertheless, I will eventually refrain from my attempts to win him over. But how can I regain control of my personal sensation? “He that is trusting in his own heart is stupid.” This is predominantly factual, when I will found myself caught up in a romantic fantasy. However, “He that is walking with wisdom is the one that will escape.” This simply means seeing thing just the way they are. Be grateful for simple things on what that really meant to be. “How do you legitimate hope from an unfounded hope?” an fascinating question I read from a book which gave a evenhanded retort, “By looking carefully and coldly at the facts.” But how much of a chance is there of a real romance developing with the person I admire? What if that guy is a movie star, the odds are I will never even this person! My chances are really evenly muted when some grown-up folks are might be involved. Yes, actually there was a time when I fell desperately infatuated by a Korean actor who was playing the character of Lee Shin Gun, in my preferred Korean novella “Princess Hours.” Every time I take notice of the commercial or music video about it I hurried to the front of our TV and doesn’t care about the world, all I want was to see him. When I slumber, his visage was always on my mind. I spent a lot of money and surf in the Internet to find his friendster account, his photos and watching his movies online. I bought a complete copy of one of his movies and that cost a peso. All those things made me realize that I’m falling in love with someone who doesn’t even know my name! He is impossible! Furthermore, has this guy I like thus for shown any interest in me at all? If not, is there any real reason to believe that things are going to change in the future? Or am I just simply reading romantic interest from innocent words and actions on his part? All of those doubts are mixing up my mind. Is he really hundred miles away from me, impossible to reach? Or there might be someone who’s just an inch from me, waiting t be loved? Huh! But besides what would I do if that impossible man actually returned my affections? Am I ready for a serious relationship? I’m NOT! Then I should remove vexation in my heart by refusing to dwell on fantasy. There is a “time to love” and that might be years later. Days, months and seconds more…when I’m ready to “Face the Reality.”

Crushes: Why Can They Be Harmful?

I’ve begun to notice the opposite sex, perhaps in particular. New feelings and emotions surge to my body. I become very conscious of my face, hair, and my dress. Am I looking good? But just what is it that I am feeling? Is it the love, the kind that lasts forever or something else? And just what should I do about those feelings? For me crushes are as common as colds. Almost all of us experience them, and almost all manage to survive to adulthood, with their pride and sense of humor intact. However, when I will catch myself in the grip of a crush, there is little to laugh about. “I’m very frustrated because I couldn’t do anything about it. I was really bent out of shape over the whole thing!” It is no sin to have strong feelings for someone, provided such are not immoral or improper. “When you are still young, rule your thoughts and actions”, they said. Still learning to control the new and potent desires unleashed by puberty, I can be full of whipped-up romantic feelings and have no one to lavish them on. There are many romantic feelings that will bloom in our high school life. You will find the guy that will make you smile and happy by just seeing his face and glimmering eyes. Furthermore, we girls become poised and socially at ease at an early age than the lads. As a result we often find our male classmates immature and unexciting compared to older, unattainable men. I sometimes thus imagine that a pop singer or some older acquaintance is the ideal man. Boys often become similarly infatuated. However, this love I felt for such distant figures is obviously rooted more in fantasy than reality. While most crushes are amazingly short-lived, still they can do a lot of damage for me. For one thing, many objects of teenage affection are simply not worthy of esteem. A wise man said, “Foolishness has been put in many high positions.” Thus a singer is idolized because he has smooth voice or string looks. For me this is really happening to the majority of the young people today! We are infatuated with someone and spend all your day listening to his songs, watching his movie and daydreaming about him. Is it right to fill my room with his posters and shall I give-up my study time in order to attend his concert? Am I really in love with him? Or just something else But sometimes these strange feelings can inspire a particular man or woman to do his or her best to show the person he or she love that she deserves for it. Having a crush with someone may cause damage to the life of the youth. Sometimes it will inspire them to strive hard t make their special someone happy an proud for them.. And one thing that I will say is, “Never fall in love with someone whom you know is impossible neither the man that could ruin your life as well as your future.

Unspoken Affection

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There are a lot of nationalities, culture, flag and languages in the globe. I know you are very doubtful if those different persons can live together in a very great ship, voyaging together in order to help different people all over the world. They give love and welfare to people who need books in low price. Have you gone to this ship? The fierce heat of ht noon made the freshies and the Sophies sweat a lot. It was really a hot day when we went to visit the MV Doulus. This ship was three years younger than the Titanic and was considered the world’s biggest floating library. A floating library? Impossible! I never used to hear such but then I realized that was really a real stuff. Everyone felt excited as we lined up at the campus grounds while waiting for our respective jeepneys. On our way, we shared our stories and jokes to keep everyone alive. We observed the downtown in the midst of the extreme heat of the sun. I was really irritated with the killer smoke coming form different motor vehicles. When we arrive, I felt very dizzy of that long trip but I was relived that our trip was very worthy. Everyone was amazed with the huge size of the ship. In my whole life I have never seen a ship as bug as this! I was imaging myself to be riding in a cruiser ship as we make our way to the steep metal ladders of Doulus. An African woman who was very friendly welcomed us. Every crew I met was remarkable t me because all were very friendly. We started roaming around the ship and met a lot of people with different nationalities. As what I remembered, most of the books were published abroad but were sold in a low price. Everyone enjoyed scanning through the pages of the books. You can really see that the books were properly taken care. After scrolling around the ship we had a lecture about the history and the main objective of the MV Doulus’s voyage around the vast oceans of the globe. We are entertained by the videos presented by the crewmen in the ship. We are also taught some of the costumes of the other countries. It was really interesting! There were paintings on the wall of the ship that tells the history of the MV Doulus. The floor of the ship was constructed with a very shiny wood and the cleanliness of the surrounding was really maintained. After the program everyone was ordered to go down because we have to g back to school. With that one with MV Doulus my mind was really stuffed with new knowledge and no minute was ever wasted. Nationalities, culture, color, language and distance can’t be diversity in spreading God’s news and giving love to the people. Those people made us realize that “we are one.” As a saying goes, “For together we stand, divided we fall.”

HOme Sweet HOme...

"Home sweet home". This familiar saying expresess a sentiment that now a days seems hopelessly outmoded. Unrelenting family conflicts turn many homes into veritable battlefields and a yawning communication gap thta often frustrates any attempt at a calling turce. Do you want your home to be a haven of peace instead hotbed of hostility?So, other memebers must do their part. One way is by nastering few bible principles, there is so much you can do to contribute to the peace of your home. Misunderstanding betwwen the family memebers is one of the aspects that ruin a strong family ties.Why don't my parents understand me?I am neither the first nor last youth to ask such question. However when we raise these basic issues, we are often baraged by conflicting answers. Our parents are always the one that keeps the rules in your house that sometimes make us feel irked. "Honor your Mother and FAther". To many teenagers, these words sound like something out of the DArk Ages. One of this teens was Katleen, my neighborhood that opened a rebellion against her father by dating a boy who abused drugs and alcohol. Defiantly, she would also go out dancing till the earl morning hours. She felt her father was so strict. Katleen was 18 years old and thought she knew it all. She felt his father was so mean and just didn't want him to have a good time, so Katleen went out and did what she wanted to do. Many people would probably disapprove Katleen's actions. Yet if our parents ordered us to clean our rooms, do our homework or be hone in a certain hour, we would often seeth with resentment or even worse and openly defy our parents!How we view them,though, can ultimately mean not only the difference between war and peace at home but also our very own life. Our parents don't understand our feelings, our moods and the pressure in our studies. They madeour day worst by their never ending cermons that would hardly kill our ears. But we shouild also bear in ourminds that they are concerned about us. We should never turn our backs to our parents because for only a simple misunderstanding it could ruin a strong family ties.From a 'home sweet home" to a "home like hell". Nobody cares with each other. I know not one of us want to go home with flying plates. So everyone in the family should fill their home with love and care "A Home Sweet Home".

My Mentor...My Educator...

Being a teacher isn’t any easy profession. They are the potter that molds us to be good dwellers of our country and stuffed us with knowledge not only literally and physically but also our faith to God and give us the love we need. They love us as their children and we respect them as our second parents. They strengthen our passion to achieve our dreams and ambitions in the future. These educators have been part of somebody’s life, somebody’s strength and love.

There should be a special accolade for these special individuals. What will be the ideal gift we could give to them? Would it be the latest handy phone model or the newest flat -screened television? The dearest compliment we could give to them is LOVE, something that can’t be bought by money, only through respecting and caring for them. That’s what we did last January 25,2007. The chilly gentle wind and the crisp dew of the grasses refreshed the splendor beauty of the morning. Everybody get up with a jovial look as they went to the campus grounds. This day is the formal onset of Know your School Day program. This is a special day for the teachers to unwind their selves. But who will be the teachers? This time, the chosen students will be the one to teach their classmates or in short they will be the mentors. I was really excited because it was my first time to be apart of this kind of activity.

After the initiating ceremony all the students, as what was expected should treat the student subject teachers adequately. In our first session, everybody organized their things and waited for our subject teacher who was Rheena. We all did the things he told us to do and never behaved inadequately to her. I couldn’t remember all the things that turn out that day. Everything became a special moment for me and everyone tried to make the class happy. One of the funniest moments was during our Reading class. We felt bored while waiting for our subject teachers to come so what we did was chatting horrible stories and experiences. We also gossip about the strange things in our school and the ghostly creatures that were believed to be living there. For about five minutes the mentors came at last and they started to discuss. In the hub of their discussion I caught Rheena and Fidel laughing like a drain. I decided to approach my fellow classmates and ask them why. They answered me with an annoying face, ” Look at Rarry’s nose, its very big and though it was a vacuum cleaner! Hold on to your chair, you might be vacuumed”. Our mentors caught us making fun out of Rarry and made us stop our laughing.

There were a lot of memories that day, both good and bad. Laughs and disappointments, anger and gentleness. Those were just some of the things that made that day special. I know further who my classmates are and I hold trust to them Being a teacher is not a decision but a commitment. It’s not the words form their mouth but the love from their heart, that molds us to be a real person, A REAL UPIAN!

LaNguage oF LoVe

Are you tired of your feelings going up and down like a roller coaster? How can you develop a love that remains consistently strong form season-to-season or year-to-year? Contrary to popular belief, we honor or admire a person for its core genuine love. Love is a decision not a feeling.There are famous languages of love, “Trust Me”, “Sorry”’ and “Move On!”

This pinnacle words can sometimes convey happiness and pleasure but can also bring disappointment and frustration. We feel of letting loose of someone that we love but doesn’t give it back to us and just find someone who could fulfill the tear in your heart. Some folks said that you must feel a throbbing pain that blemish your heart and soul before you will feel happiness and trust.

But how can you love the guy that keeps on making a slit in your heart but you can’t let go because you are really “crazy glued” with him? Would try to let go and move on, or fight for your love because you have optimism that he might love you soon.

Teenagers now a days, find love as a true feeling for someone they admire but for me it’s a big No! No! That’s just an admiration, feelings that may last in a minute, an hour, a day or sometimes a month. But ask yourself first, “Can this feeling last forever? These made us think that love is just a simple mystery but its not. How can you say you’re in love with someone when you even don’t undertake a heartrending feeling?

Once I felt admiration for a guy that even don’t know how I care for him. He never have the chance to talk tome either gave me a brilliant smile. I started to feel disappointed with him. He never knew how I am afflicted by his behavior. But I didn’t give up my feelings for him.

I once caught him standing beside me and pertain to hold my hands but I suddenly put it in my pocket. That was the greatest thing that struck me. I whispered myself’ “Did he also felt the same way that I do? There were times that I felt tired of waiting for his feelings that I want to give up but could not help not to see him the whole day.

I was really confused of my feelings for him, sometimes I want to tell him that he was the most coward man I met through all of my life. Sometimes I want to join his hand with mine. The entire If’s in my mind. He was the one who keeps me awake the whole night thinking what was he doing, is he fine or night? That lad keeps me busy during our discussion writing his last name with my first. He was also the one that keeps on digging a hole in my heart. I then realized he doesn’t care for me and I give up!

High school is the most exciting part of the teenage life, but not for love. You can’t feel complete happiness. For me it’s not yet the time to let my feelings be true and fall for someone. Don’ let your self to have a heart as a hard as diamond or as soft as talc. Just be on yourself! Don’t find love, let love find you!

First Day High

What shall I do?Shall I swallow my pride and be the first one to acquaint myself to my new classmates or shall i just sit down and be on myself while watching eveyone having a moment of bliss and glee with their chums. Laughing and chatting with each other's stories and experiences, gratifying their fumble times. That was the things that i kept on exhilarating on my first days in UP high. I could not envision myself sitting down in a corner with a mournfful mood. A strange vgirl for everyone that kept on telling herself to be self-confident in meetign the new students because they are still queer to me. My heart was beating very fast but I showed a cheerful grin as I entered my new school. Moments of excitement and agitation was still refreshed by my mind. When I saw some of the students Wearing their uniforms, I really felt very worried because here I am wearing my green striped blouse, black cargo pants and my pair of white sneakerswith my pony-tailed hair. I just walk as if I am very self assured but deep inside I felt my heart will really going to blow-up. I am quitedubious, where my classroom was, but I remembered my mum told me to go into the very first room you will see after the soccer field and quadrangle. The room was spacious enough for thrity-five arm chairs and a teacher's table at the front. It was completely tiled and the windows were glimmering when hit by the sunlight. The lockers are at the bottom part of the room. There were only two ceiling fans aned four flourescent bulbs which was all firm and added up the brightness of the day. There were only a few students around at hat time. I looked intently to every face of my new classmates. At last!!! I felt completely happy when I saw my dearest pals since in my graders. I did not wait a single winkand ran to grab a place near my friends. We all love to talk to our experiences in our summer vacation, the funny things that happen to us until we grew louder as each shares and interrupted. Many students were annoyed of our noisy conversation but we couldn't help ourselves to miss each other's punchlines and jokes. I really to talk with this people, I never felt bored when I'm with them because they are one of a kind. AS time passes, I grew confident within mycself and I canEasily cpoe-up with new kind of people because I know they will be my friends. Why do you think I say that? One time I read a book from my mother's table But I really didn't remember its tittle. I was struck by a line there, "Every person you meet wears an invisible sign , HEY I'M HERE". So I know not all students are frantically weird because everyone should eb part of the world, not only for the rich and beautiful. My friends really helped me face my new life here ni UP High. From an innocent lass to a happy-go-lucky IRENE. The first day of school binds true friendship and confidence. Thus, the "FIRST DAY HIGH!!!!!!!!"