Treasure of Jade

Tolkien Valentines

2012-01-26T18:09:00.000+08:00

I'm not the kind of person to give Valentine cards. Nor am I the kind of person to celebrate Valentine's day (insert long explanation here). But I found some really funny and cute Valentine cards on Tumblr that pertain to Tolkien (and if you've read the books and watched the movies, prepare for the laugh that's coming). Enjoy!

The Wrong Kind of Love

2012-01-18T02:19:00.000+08:00

Pusong Lito by Myrus

I
Bakit kaya mapagbiro ang tadhana?
Bakit kaya pagdating niyo ay sabay pa?
Pareho ko kayong gusto, isa lang aking puso
Di ko naman kayang pagsabayin kayo

II
Bakit kaya sa twing nag-iisa
Pareho ni’yong mukhang ang nakikita?
Tinamaan nga kaya sa inyong dalawa?
Kaya ang puso ko ngayo’y sasabog na (sasabog na)
Chorus
Ang puso ko’y nalilito
Nalilito kung sino sa inyo
Ang isip ko’y gulong- gulo
Gulong-gulo kung sino sa inyo
Sino ba sa inyo ang pipiliin ko?
Dalawa ang sana ang puso ng di na malito oh

III
Bakit kaya mahal ko kayong dalawa?
Kaya ang puso ko’y nahihirapan na
Ano ang aking gagawin, sino ang pipiliin?
Puso ko’y hatiin ni’yo wala ng iisipin

To my readers who don't read/speak Tagalog, basically, the guy is an Archie caught between a Betty and a Veronica. He says that both have managed to make him fall in love with them (yes, at the same time), and that he knows he can't love both because he's only got one heart. He is confused and he says he wishes he had two hearts instead so that he doesn't have to choose between them.

At a first glance (er, "hear," since this is music), the tune sounds pretty catchy and cute, the lyrics pretty amusing. There's this guy and he likes two girls and doesn't know what to do about them. I admit I was almost hooked to that song while hearing it played over and over again one lunch time while eating at Mang Inasal. But then I stopped hearing the song and started really listening to it, and when I got home, searched the lyrics.

It sounds harmless. Really it does. However, it sends a wrong message across, a message that not everyone is aware of. It's a subtle, sugared form of the collect-and-collect-then-select concept, which, in my days and for the people in my generation was definitely not a good thing, definitely not something to be praised or lauded. It's the wrong kind of love that has been glazed and re-packaged so you won't know the difference.

It's more than just being irked with Pusong Lito's message, it's about how the world—and the youth today, especially—view love. The world has made love cheap. Saying "I love you" to your pet fish is no different from saying "I love you" to someone you really care about. Love has been dirtied, trampled upon, resized from a gazillion pixels into a 100 x 100 image.

These days, it seems that culture dictates (or rather, hints, since I don't think it will own up to saying anything like that) that the more girls you've got hanging onto your arms and paying you all those frivolous comments and flirtatious winks, the cooler and awesomer you are. That if you wear immodest clothes and treat love and sex lightly, the more popular and preferred you will be.

I don't think God designed love—real, genuine, sincere love—to be that way. I don't think He designed it for a guy to fall in love with two girls at the same time and then wonder who he should pick. I don't think he designed it for a girl to flirt and become the object of lust and desire. I believe He designed it to be pure an holy between a man and a woman who desire to eventually become husband and wife. How sweet it must have been for Adam when he woke up and saw Eve. No other "distractions." No other confusing choices.

You might be thinking Whoa! I just have a boyfriend/girlfriend! I'm not yet ready for this marriage thing! That's exactly the point. Many young people get into relationships these days simply because they want to. Or because their friends are into romantic relationships. Or because TV series, movies, and music (like the one above) make love sound so exciting.

What young people fail to think consider today is that they are dealing with hearts. With emotions. With human beings that live, breathe, and feel. And they fail to realize that they're treating each other the same way they treated their plastic kitchen set and matchbox cars when they were kids. Yes, like toys. Toys they can replace when they're no longer wanted or no longer useful. Well, surprise, surprise, boys and girls! While you could get your parents to replace your broken toys when you were younger, you can't get anyone to buy you a complete, untainted, unbroken heart.

How much better, how much sweeter love would be if we didn't give away our heart sooner, and certainly not to two people at the same time! How much sweeter love would be if we waited patiently instead of rashly submitting to our emotion's control!

My desire is for you, young people, for all of us actually, to realize that this is no longer play time. We're no longer kids who can get what we want with cute smiles and a few tears. We're adults with responsibilities in our hands and we've got to take responsibility for our lives, including with regards to relationships.

Let's not listen to what culture, TV shows, movies, advertisements, magazines, our favorite celebrities all say without first checking the Bible. Let's not get sidetracked by what we see around us, what we see in the lives of our peers, what we see depicted in the media these days. Let's not downplay and resize love, but let's see love and live love as it says in the Scriptures.

Love is patient and kind;love does not envy or boast;it is not arrogant or rude.It does not insist on its own way;it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,but rejoices with the truth.Love bears all things,believes all things,hopes all things,endures all things.Love never ends...
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

On French and Football

2012-01-15T22:46:00.002+08:00

The past several weeks have kept me on my toes with busyness and excitement. Busyness because of ministries and other various things. Excitement because January means the start of French classes. It's not my first time to take a language class (I've taken a semester of Mandarin), but still, I couldn't keep back the excitement and nervous-anticipation that I felt ever since enrolling. It has always been my dream to learn French and to speak and write it fluently, and the fact that my dream is turning into a tangible reality just makes the butterflies in my stomach dance and roll.

We started with the class last Saturday at a little place in Makati. We're around 13-15 students all in all, mainly girls except for one, actually—the unico hijo. I was almost late, no, actually I was late. One minute late, but still late, nonetheless. Everything's just slow and lazy on Saturday mornings. The wheels of the jeepneys don't move as fast as they should. The MRT stations are farther apart on weekends than on weekdays. So that meant I had to fly down the sidewalk to catch up with the time. Anyway, we arrived, trickling in by ones or twos. Some of the students enrolled with a friend. Some with many friends. Some, like me, ventured out into the unknown on their own.

Classes were supposed to begin at 8 o' clock, but a few minutes after we arrived, we were told that our enseignant would be late because he was commuting (for the first time, I think) to the school center, and that he had gotten quite lost somewhere along the way. After waiting a several more minutes, the German teacher came and—irony of ironies—taught us French. He was a pretty good teacher. He taught us the basic French phrases: Bonjour! Comment ça va? Comment tu t'appelles? Où habites tu? Tu as quel âge?

We recited numbers, days of the week, and months in a year. We couldn't pronounce quatre (four) properly, however, so we all gave it up for a loss. The real French enseignant did not get to arrive, even towards the end of the class, so we wrapped up at noontime, with the German teacher still teaching us French, according to schedule.

After class and a quick lunch, care of Wendy's coupons, I made my way to Vito Cruz, to Rizal Memorial Stadium to watch the opening of the United Football League and the two soccer matches: PAF Phoenix versus Kaya Cignal, and Green Archers United versus Loyola Meralco Sparks, with my family. So, readers, if you haven't noticed before or if you had no idea before, I'm very much into football (soccer). I like the game and the hype of the game. Period. I'm not an expert, but I know some of the rules, thanks to my brother who's really into soccer and who plans to play with a club someday.

While sitting around and waiting for the games to start, we managed to meet and have some pictures taken with our favorite players:

with Señor Angel Guirado, member of Global FC and the Philippine Azkals

with Señor Carli de Murga and Señor Angel, both members of Global FC and the Philippine Azkals

with Misagh Bahadoran, also a member of Global FC and the Philippine National Azkals
(we've dubbed him Peter Pan, by the way)

I had wanted to memorize the new French words I learned earlier in the morning. But in an exciting football game, even if you are really on neither team's side, you just can't shut out the world and drown yourself in your French notes. Something is sure to wake you, make you wonder, make you cheer and scream, leap out of your seat in excitement. I gave up the memorizing. Temporarily. But I'll definitely get back to it within the week.

After the UFL opening and the two games, after cheering and screaming and clapping, and doing all sorts of things fans do at an exciting football match, we went home. Tired. Sleepy. Attempting to think in French and failing. But happy.

Presenting..."Heart Song"

2012-01-13T15:15:00.000+08:00

Just recently, I joined a singing group, the Faith Gospel Singers. We sing choral and gospel music, and we have a concert coming up this February 18.

See the poster for details. Feel free to comment if you have any questions. Hope you can make it!

Book Tales

2012-01-11T14:48:00.001+08:00

Ever wondered what your books do at night when you're asleep?
Watch and enjoy!

Reminiscing 2011

2012-01-05T17:04:00.001+08:00

via WeHeartIt

I'm a reminiscing kind of person. I like making memories and looking back on them during nostalgic moments. 2011 has been a good year. God has been more than faithful and I'm just overflowing with love and thankfulness.

On-the-Job Training at Save the Children and International Graduate School of Leadership.
Meeting up with Professor Rich again and talking about apologetics.
A one-day voice lesson with Ma'am Jean.
Do Hard Things discussion at Pisay.
Various meetings with True Love Waits volunteers and staff.
Despedidas, reunions with many different people.
Messiah College Seniors' Retreat.
First time to visit Cebu!
Graduation from college!
Various HAPI Events.
Volunteer work at Messiah College.
Team teaching History of Diplomacy.
Steve Green concert.
Visit of aunt, uncle, and cousins; happy times at Villa Escudero.
Lunch dates with some DHT Philippines volunteers.
Noraebang nights with kindred spirit sisters.
Discussion nights with Barnabas-friends.
Volunteer work at International Justice Mission.
GFBC Anniversary Retreat.
GReG Family Reunion.
Ecole de Ballet Recording.
Azkals vs. Nepal—my first time to watch a soccer game live!
Watching other soccer games LIVE!
Libera Meet and Greet.
First time to lead a Ministry Week team in Dagupan, Pangasinan.
TLW Wait Trainings in Cebu and H.O.M.E. Library.
Becoming involved with Faith Gospel Singers.
Attending Study International Fair.
Day-out with Mommy Elvie (our missionary to Cambodia) and Bong Samnang.
SIBFK-AAFC Purpose Driven Love Camp.

To God be all glory, honor, and praise!

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer

2011-12-21T13:04:00.002+08:00

Check it out! They've released the trailer of the Hobbit! And now I can't wait for December 2012!

Internet Diplomacy

2011-12-21T00:38:00.000+08:00

On regular days, I open my Facebook and Twitter accounts and idly scroll through the updates and statuses. If time permits it, I listen to some music or watch some videos on YouTube.

Or rather, I used to. Emphasis on the past tense. These days, it's so discouraging to browse through social networks and the like. Everything's just so...trashed up.

I think it's sad how we tend to treat the internet as an outlet for all our emotions (especially the negative ones). Don't get me wrong there. I don't think it's bad per se. That's what blogs and some social networks are for anyway, to let you express yourself. It's a place for aspiring poets and authors to post some of their works. It's where aspiring musicians can let others hear how they sound. But there's got to be some kind of control.

Rudeness is the New Etiquette?
I have contacts on Facebook who think it's totally normal and a hundred percent acceptable to spew out their anger in a status. AND tag the person they're angry with. Honestly, though? It's just not gentleman-like. Or ladylike, for that matter.

I'm not just talking about the outpouring of angry feelings on Facebook statuses. There are also those who debate because of YouTube videos. You have this user who expresses his opinion on the video. Then some other user comes along and lambastes the first user. Pretty soon, things get really nasty and you've got a lot of red-letter words flying across your computer screen.

Suddenly, we live in an age when it's cool to be rude, cool to be mean, cool to be sarcastic (by the way, Facebook has "sarcasm" listed as one of its languages). Suddenly red-letter words and harsh-sounding sentences are considered "witty" and "clever." Suddenly, there's so much meanness everywhere, that it has become the norm.

In the Philippines, there's a concept of pagpaparinig. We're not straightforward. We don't usually confess if we like or admire someone. In the same way, if we're angry, annoyed, or feeling unfriendly towards a person, we won't tell that person flat out. Instead, we'll try to beat around the bush, depending on signs and body language to get the message across so it comes out in a less hurtful way. These days, however, pagpaparinig has been taken to a whole new level: the Facebook-or-Twitter-Status level. The problem with this is that there is a tendency for us to be harsher, ruder, meaner in front of the computer screen since no one can see us, even if they can read what we post. I see many youth these days post status that radiate such bitterness and anger. They don't [usually] tag the person or even place the name of the person they're talking about, but the point is, they're hoping that the person will come across their status and read it (red-letter words dripping with sarcasm and all) and realize that it's all about them.

And if that's not bad enough, Facebook has become something like a gossip channel. Accounts aren't very protected anymore. You can see the juicy, gossipy posts and pictures of your friend's friends. In some cases, you can even jump into the discussion. Twitter tweets, unless protected by the individual users, can be retweeted to over a million people. Recent news can spread in just a matter of seconds.

Though social networks and the internet are great tools that we can use to communicate, to express, to do various things, they can also be tools that will lead to more harm than good.

Scrubbing and Soaping
I remember reading books about the old days. Whenever a little boy would [accidentally] say some bad things, his mom, aunt, or grandma would take him and give his mouth a good washing (soap and all), with the hopes of cleaning (and curing) his "dirty, little mouth."

Unfortunately, I don't think scrubbing mouths will work in this time and age. Scrubbing fingers maybe, since they're the ones that type (haha!)?

Well, we certainly can't direct people with regards to how they should act and what they should say or post. It is something we need to resolve to do. If you're one of those, like me, who hates all those internet harshness, then make a commitment to be one of those who will not contribute to polluting cyberspace.

When you're typing down a status or a tweet or whatever, think first before you click that post button. Ask yourself if it's something that you would like to read. There are many different ways to be clever or witty or funny. Sarcasm is not the only option.

When someone harasses you, when you feel as if it's a bad day, when someone betrays you, take a deep breath and count to ten (or maybe even a hundred) before posting or responding to a message. Don't say any words that you will eventually have to swallow. Don't say things you will eventually regret. Be diplomatic and tactful at all times. Be encouraging. Disagree agreeably (if you have to disagree at all).

Eventually, maybe, the internet will look less like a junkyard of scattered pieces and start looking like a garden of friendship instead.

Set-Apart Femininity

2011-12-19T11:57:00.004+08:00

Set-apart femininity exudes a beauty that is not of this world; it's the spectacular radiance of a woman completely transformed by the author of all things lovely and pure.
[...]
Set-apart femininity blends the classic womanly grace and dignity of an Audrey Hepburn with the sacrificial, poured-out-for-Christ lifestyle of an Amy Carmichael.
-Leslie Ludy

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Lord of the Rings

2011-12-11T21:33:00.001+08:00

Because I'm a Lord of the Rings fan and enthusiast.

Tumblr world is rockin' because 10 years ago on December 10, The Fellowship of the Ring hit the theaters and changed the meaning of motion pictures. For those who had never yet heard of Gandalf and Frodo and the Ring, this was an introduction into a new fantasy world. For the rest of us who read the books before we watched the movies, this was a dream come true, the shaping and making of something so long hazy and blurry in our minds into a somewhat tangible reality.

As I scroll through my Tumblr dashboard, I can't help but reminisce. 10 years ago?! Why, I was only twelve years old back then! I had just finished Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia for the umpteenth time and was looking a new fantasy to read. I think I had read The Hobbit and found it a great deal to my liking. Well, The Fellowship of the Ring started showing in the movie theaters and I started cutting out posters, articles, write-ups, you name it! from newspapers, magazines, and anything else I could get my hands on. Pretty soon, the whole family became interested and Dad bought an on-sale set of The Lord of the Rings from National Bookstore.

Over the next few years, they released The Two Towers and The Return of the King respectively. Every time, I'd wait for it to come out and cut clippings from the newspapers and magazines I could get my hands on. Every time, I'd scour the internet for possible clues about what might happen in the movies. I started memorizing the names and profiles (including birthdays!) of the actors and actresses, all down to the last Orc (yep, major fan girl here!).

A few years ago, we established a tradition in our family: A Lord of the Rings marathon during the last week of December. I think I've pretty much memorized Galadriel's opening lines as she narrates the making of the Ring. But every time we watch it, we pretend like we've never seen it before. We still feel the despair when Gandalf goes down with the Balrog. We still hate Denethor to a passion because of the way he pours all his love out to Boromir, and leaves nary a drop for poor Faramir. We still laugh with Merry and Pippin's antics and the way they lighten up the screen even in the darkest scenes.

Ten years may have gone by, but I think for those who have Middle Earth blood in their veins, ten years are mere yesterdays. This trilogy is not something for us to leave on our shelves. We take it down once in a while, read it, or watch it, and re-live those precious memories.

Next year, with the coming of the first part of The Hobbit, will give us a new reason to celebrate and more memories to create.

Photo Courtesy: Peregrint

Visiting the Hundred Islands

2011-12-08T12:23:00.001+08:00

Our Rest and Recreation after our Ministry Week last month was done in Alaminos, Pangasinan, in the Hundred Islands, which is one of the most well-known tourist spots in the Philippines.

An Abramic Journey

2011-11-24T12:04:00.000+08:00

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you..." (Genesis 12:1 ESV)

What must Abraham (then Abram) have felt when he got that call from God? Excitement? Nervousness? Fear? Apprehension?

To venture out from something you've known all your life into a strange place you've never been to (in fact you don't know where and what it is) is not an everyday thing.

Could Abram have been worried? Anxious? Afraid?

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him... (Genesis 12:4a)

If he had any questions, the Bible does not record them. If he had any doubts or worries or fears, it doesn't say any. What it does say is that he did as the Lord told him to.

I can relate a great deal with Abram here, being called to step out from a known place to venture into an unknown land. Recently, God has called me to step out of Messiah, the college I went to, the place where I worked for a while this year as part-time staff, the place that's been my home away from home for the past four—almost five, actually—years.

If Abram was feeling even just a little bit of anything like I'm feeling now, he'd probably be having to deal with emotions like nervousness and uncertainty. He'd be just a wee bit afraid of the future, yet, at the same time, he'd be feeling a little bit excited and adventurous.

And in spite of all those tumultuous feelings there would be that sens of trust and faith in God. Abram may not have known what lay in the future when He first heard God's call, but he placed all strength and hope in the One who called him out, and the One who knew exactly why and what was going to take place.

God has launched me on an Abramic Journey of my own. I don't have the slightest clue where I'm going next, or what I'm going to do next, but like Abram, I'm putting my trust and faith in God. He called me out to do His will, and I know He'll get me there.

Date A Girl Who Writes by Aura

2011-11-08T23:50:00.003+08:00

“Or better yet, date a girl who writes”…ends Rosemarie Orquico’s articles on Dating a Girl Who Reads.
So here it goes…..

Date a girl who writes. Date a girl who spends her money not only on a single, definite collection or passion like “clothes only” or “books alone” but on a variety of things—-from a quirky shirt made by 4-6 year old children at a local orphanage, a lavender scarf woven by a mother of eight who has been a widow since half of her kids were able to understand that their father will never come back, a spur-of-the-moment trip to a far flung island whose caves are said to be haunted by a sea nymph, a 5 o’clock am breakfast in a 50-year old Chinese restaurant on a dusty corner on a downtown boulevard which serves the best fried rice… the list can go on and on. And notice that every time she spends, what she buys are not only the items or the experience but also the tiny details and countless stories of lives and experiences that she can weave perfectly into words.

Find a girl who writes. You know that she does because she carries around with her a handy notepad with torn papers and stick-on notes inserted in between its pages, and these are filled with random writings, often unfinished, jotted down poems, half-finished essays, a what seems to be a first sentence of a supposed to be short story, a quotation from a book, or simply just a word that evokes a lot of meaning.. The writings are not that too organized nor the handwriting too intelligible because most of the time, the string of her thoughts are faster than what her hands can muster.

Look at the hands. You can almost always pinpoint a writer by her hands. You see the girl with the smudges and smears and lines of ink on her hands, most especially in between her fingers? That’s the writer. Don’t get her wrong. She would also sometimes wonder why she couldn’t seem to get away from those ink smudges no matter how many times she would wash and scrub her hands in a day but she would end up pacifying herself that it’s a reality that she has to deal with. Look closely at the weird girl who has chipped fingernails and crooked middle and pointing fingers on her dominant hand. If you get the chance to hold her hand one day, you’ll surely feel a small, single calloused spot on the side of the last joint of her middle finger. That’s the writer. It’s the result of the love affair of her fingers with a pen or the way she would sometimes pound (Take note: pound, not type.) on the keyboard keys, very much like a pianist who is passionately absorbed, lost in his own music.

She’s the girl who would absent-mindedly stare outside the window for most of the time while you’re relating to her what you feel is one turning point in your life and when she does this, you would sometimes get a strong desire to pound on her and tell her to pay attention. Don’t be hurt by her seemingly lack of attention or interest. Don’t worry. She’s one master of multi-tasking. I tell you, you would be surprised when all of a sudden, she would turn to you, remark on what you’ve said with words that hold the deepest sense of meaning and you would further be amazed at how she would matter-of-factly tell you how your smile became somewhat crooked at one point of your story or how a single crease of line crossed your forehead at another point. Now, who’s not paying attention, huh? Do not ever, not even for a second be deceived that she’s not paying attention when she appears like her mind is elsewhere but with you. During those times, her mind is actually in full gear and she would surprise you that she can take account of your story in toto with the right details, including the life dilemma of the old man on the other table across yours which she just heard in passing while listening to yours.

Let her know what you really think of her writing. Talk about one of her poems over a cup of coffee and insert how this particular cup of coffee is special because it was planted and harvested by a certain native tribe in the southern part of the country. You’ll surely get her attention with that. Find time to read her works even those which are written on the side of her textbooks if you happen to come across with them and you would realize her great sensitivity and the special way she looks at life with a certain degree of passion.

Critic her works, don’t be afraid. She will welcome it with a humility that would make you realize that her writing is pushing her to take a great risk of exposing and baring her soul and her heart, piece by piece, fragment by fragment, to differing opinions and views.

Don’t hesitate to disagree with some of her ideas or opinions. Instead of being disappointed, she would greatly appreciate it for she understands that a great piece of writing stimulates ideas and reactions, may it be positive or negative.

It might appear difficult to date a girl who writes because of her unpredictable nature, varied taste, and wide range of experiences that she’s exposing herself into, but I’ll tell you, she’s one of the persons who are easy to be pleased and stimulated. The only key is your resourcefulness and imagination.

Yes, give her some gifts, you cannot do away with it, but don’t give her just the item or the thing. Give her the story and the words and the emotions behind these gifts. Present to her a bouquet of inexpensive flowers and her blush would be priceless because you bought it with her in mind and knowing that the money you spent will be used by a 10-year old kid to buy a new pair of blue slippers to replace the ones with holes on both of the soles. On your date, bring her to dinner on a food cart in one of the old streets downtown without worrying of being called jologs and tell her the story of the vendor who has to sell the fishballs and the kikiam that you’re eating to compensate for his allowance the following day at the local college. Give her the stories and the gifts of words, the dramas, and the funny anecdotes and you would surely move a mile deeper into her heart.

Tell her the truth no matter how ugly or painful you may think it is. She can surely take it, coupled with a poignant smile. She has heard a lot of truths in her lifetime—truths that would make other people cringe. However, she understands that behind those truths expressed in words are sometimes honorable intentions and motivations that have just somehow swayed out of the context. It will never be the end of the world to her.

Don’t get her too comfortable with your presence. Stimulate her even if your effort would at times fail. She understands failure much like she would sometimes purposely lead her characters to fail and doom for she knows that this gives substance and twist to the story, for without it, her write-up would be bland and unimaginative.

If you find a girl who writes, don’t be daunted by her seeming complexity. Keep her close. When you receive a call at 2 o’clock am and you realize that it’s her voice on the other line asking you about a certain word which is already at the tip of her tongue but she couldn’t seem to gather her thoughts completely because she just woke up due to a strong need to put to writing an idea that passed her mind while in the middle of her slumber. Don’t tell her to go back to sleep. Help her think of the right word, noting that her voice is enough to erase your irritation of being woken up and is stronger than a cup of coffee in keeping you wide awake. Who knows, she might be using you as the hero in the short story that she is currently brewing up or better yet, she is in fact writing about a vision of your life together.

You will start to write letters, the real kind, in long hand and expect to see it several years after—-yellowed pages and dog-eared, evidences of having been read for several times. You would start reading Keats and memorize some of her own original poems, reading it to her on a warm night and wonder how you ever thought before that reading poems nowadays is too gooey , when it’s the most romantic and natural thing for you to do.

Learn to ride with her quirkiness and crazy ideas and you would realize that it’s like a whiff of fresh air into your life. On the other hand, in moments when she is in deep thought, try to call her back into the dimension that you are in by your assertiveness and by balancing her silence with your thoughtful comedic acts. Don’t hesitate to break her occasional silences. Introduce and relearn with her the pleasure of experiencing the lighter stuffs in life. When she is having one of her moods during a writer’s block, take the pen out of her hand and hold it tightly with yours—-crooked, calloused fingers and all.

You will declare your love to her in the craziest way you’ve never thought possible—-in a rusty carnival ride, in the middle of a mardi gras, while walking on a wooden plank to the pump boat that would bring you to another island escapade. or probably when there’s a thunderstorm coupled with streaks of lightning and you just find yourself dumbfounded, mesmerized with her complete focus on the natural phenomena in front of her that would lead other people into shrieking, while she gazes at it intently, keeping to mind the exact color at the moment of the streaking of the lightning across the sky and the distinct sound of the thunder so she can write about it perfectly lest she needs this particular scene in her next write-up.

Life with her would be one great adventure with moments of tenderness for she understands the balance of her elements. You will at times want to throttle her, but most of the time, you would roll with her while laughing so uninhibitedly and you will smile so hard ’til your jaws ache and will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled all over your chest yet. She will ask you to write with her the story of your life together, carefully balancing the elements of love, happiness, excitement, conflict, suspense and of course, the happily ever after. And take note, this is open to editing and proofreading.

Do not expect her to be the conventional partner that you could tie on the bed post. Ask the man who tried. For anytime, she may decide to study ballet, or learn digital photography, or join the peace corps. But expect her to love you with the passion that is only equal or even more than what you give her for she is sensitive when it comes to this matter. You will have adorable, intelligent, yet quirky kids with names that have individual stories of their own. She will introduce the children to a world in which there is a balance of magic and the occasional painful truths.

Date a girl who writes because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can introduce you to seeing life in a different light and loving it with a passion like the way you look at her when you think (remember the warning about not believing even for an instance that she’s unaware?) she’s unaware that you’re lovingly gazing at her. If you can only give her monotony, and half-baked decisions of embracing her totality, then you’re better off alone.

If you want the worlds beyond ours and the worlds beyond those still, date a girl who writes.

Originally posted in Definitely Filipino.
Photos via WeHeartIt.

My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software Giveaway

2011-11-03T15:55:00.002+08:00

Ladies and...gentlemen (if there are any interested in scrapbooking)!

I previously posted about a giveaway I would be hosting on my blog—the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software. Click here to read the review I posted and see the recent scrapbook I did using the software.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. Visit the Digital Scrapbooking Kits Section of My Memories and browse through the various kits.

2. Come back here and tell me in the comments section what is your favorite kit.

3. Post as much "favorite kits" as you want.

4. Follow My Memories on Facebook and Twitter and then come back here and let me know, for additional entries into the contest.

I will randomly draw a winner and then post the results in a week.

Follow My Memories Suite Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/

Follow on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593

Follow on Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Excited? Visit My Memories now and then come back and comment! Tell your friends as well! Enjoy the browsing!

AND THE WINNER IS...

JULIENNE

"Saltwater Room"

2011-10-30T17:47:00.002+08:00

Another peak at what My Memories Suite can do (yes, I'm obviously in the digital scrapbooking stage). Posting the GIVEAWAY next week, so watch out for it!

This is a picture of my sister, Jemimah, a blogger and a photographer, and an Owl City fan (hence the theme of the digiscrap). Visit her blog here.

A Peek at My Memories Suite Software (and a Future Giveaway Announcement!)

2011-10-29T12:50:00.001+08:00

I love digital scrapbooking. I love looking at old pictures and assembling them with paper, embellishments, words, to create a scrapblog.

Recently, I learned about a digital scrapbooking software that let me download and try the software for free and (guess what!) will sponsor a FREE DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING SOFTWARE GIVEAWAY! (Cheers!)

It's called the "My Memories Suite" and it comes with some ready templates, themes, papers, embellishments, shapes, word art, and the like. You can choose to purchase more of those tools online at their website, or download the freebie kits that they have.

I found it very easy to use. You can choose from pre-made templates or make your digital scrapbook from scratch. A great way to keep your memories alive and vibrant with color and creativity!

So. I tried it out and have posted the pictures below. Let me know what you think! And stay tuned for the announcement of when I will post the giveaway. Enter the contest and invite your friends to do so as well! Anyone of you might just be the next person to win this wonderful digital scrapbooking software!

Follow My Memories here:
Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

On Classical Music (A Video)

2011-10-17T23:12:00.001+08:00

What is there to appreciate about classical music? How can we relate to classical music—notes on a music sheet with no words and sometimes an odd tone or two? And how can classical music relate to life? This is a beautiful video I'd like to share to you. I hope you enjoy and develop a deeper appreciation for classical music and the lessons that can come from it.

A Soccer Fan’s First Live Match (Philippine Azkals vs. Nepal)

2011-10-15T15:06:00.000+08:00

I ride the LRT 1 with my younger brother. My stomach is tense with nervous anticipation. It is my first live sports game and it is a soccer match, specifically one between the Philippine Azkals and Nepal.

Soccer is my passion and frustration. It is my passion because I love the sport. I don't pretend to be a soccer genius however. In fact, I just finally understood what offside really means when the Azkals played for the Long Teng Cup this year. But that doesn't keep my from loving the game. I love the tenseness, the breathlessness, that comes along with a soccer match. I love the speed. I love the gracefulness that comes with running and kicking/catching the ball.

Nevertheless, it is my frustration because I cannot play. I wear glasses and a doctor I recently went to told me that I have astigmatism in my eyes. In soccer, you cannot touch the ball with your hands. You can only maneuver it with your feet and your head. And even if I decide to wear contacts, my astigmatism distorts images sometimes, making me uncertain on where the ball is exactly.

We get down from the train at the station in Vito Cruz, some 30-45 minutes from where we live (by train) and make our way to Rizal Memorial Complex. There are lots of people milling about. Many are wearing Azkal and Filipinas Football t-shirts. Others, like me, are wearing any random blue shirts. There is a sense of excitement in the air. Vendors outside the sports complex are selling Azkal items—hats, shirts, and other things.

It is still an hour early, but my brother and I decide to go inside the complex and wait near the stadium while we wait for our tickets to arrive. We make our way near to where the guards are checking the bags. People are arriving by the dozens. There are families with kids whose cheeks are painted with the blue Azkal dog or the flag of the Philippines. There are barkadas whose voices are high-pitched with excitement. Some young men carry vuvuzelas, tooting it playfully every now and then. Some Nepalese arrive, their cheeks painted with the flag of Nepal, their shirts bright red. Voices mingle in the cool night air.

Ten minutes to the game, and people are still arriving. The national anthem of Nepal plays, followed by the Philippine national anthem, Lupang Hinirang. The game has officially begun.

Since our tickets have not yet arrived, we wait outside, making use of our ears to try to guess what is going on. There is applause, followed by shouts. Twice, they reach to a crescendo, increasing steadily, but die down after a while. Has anyone scored, we wonder.

Our tickets arrive. The guards check our bags and clear us, allowing us to enter the stadium. It is the sixteenth minute. And suddenly, the cheering increases from mezzo-piano to fortississimo and we hear the announcer say, “Goal for the Philippines!” (Goal by Phil Younghusband, assisted by Paul Mulders.)

We are now inside the stadium, seated on the green bleachers. There is the soccer field, a glimmering green, stretched out before us. We are on the side of the Nepal base. The players are running back and forth. The ball is with the Philippines. No, it is with Nepal. It is with the Philippines again. Everywhere, there is a buzz of voices, as people are discussing the game, the players, what happened at school, why the guards wouldn’t let us bring our umbrellas in. The Kaholeros steadily beat on their drums. A vuvuzela is heard in short, unmeasured bursts. Every now and then, when one of the Azkals manages to steal the ball from Nepal, all conversations are dropped as the fans cheer on the players. Sometimes it dies down when a Nepalese player manages to take it back. When a second goal (by James Younghusband) is scored for the Philippines, pandemonium rocks the stadium.

Half time. The reserve players come out and practice on the field. Everywhere, there is an expectant buzz. Two goals! Everywhere there is a sense of excitement. We take pictures of the field and of ourselves—solid proof of our first game.

The second half of the game begins. Now we are on the side of the Philippine base. The Azkals huddle together. Of course we can’t hear what they’re saying, but we can assume that they are encouraging each other and building up the team spirit. Perhaps Azkal captain, Aly Borromeo, is giving the team a pep talk. They give a final shout and run into their positions, the crowds cheering them on. We see Neil Etheridge (the goalie) all decked in white, walk to the net, the home base of the Azkals that he must protect.

Phil Younghusband wins a corner kick for the Philippines. Goal! The score is now 3-0 in favor of the Philippines. The crowd is now on their feet. We are holding our breaths. Nepal takes a shot at the goal. Incredible save by Neil Etheridge!

There are a few more minutes left. Will we shoot another one? I can hear people begging under their breaths “One more shot for the Philippines! Please, one more shot for the Philippines.” Several Azkals manage to take possession of the ball only to be stripped of it just before they can manage to kick it into the net. Just before the time is up, the ball goes back to Philippine possession—the crowd is now cheering wildly—and Matthew Hartman makes a goal.

Two minutes added time, but the score remains the same: Philippines 4 - 0 Nepal. There is screaming, shouting, cheering. The vuvuzelas are now tooted from the top of the tooters’ lungs. The Kaholeros beat their drums with so much life and enthusiasm. Spectators on the benches give their Nepalese friends a smile and an embrace. It is a friendly match after all.

After the game, after all the pandemonium has died down, though the crowd is still buzzing with excitement, the Azkals make their customary march around the stadium. They wave to the fans and thank them. I’m there in the crowd trying to take a video, but I just can’t find the right angle. Never mind, though. I’m glad to be there, and being there is enough. Chieffy Caligdong, who had an injury sometime during the second half of the game, walks farther behind the rest. But he does something different. Instead of just waving, he parts the bushes and walks on the grass, reaching out to the fans who are extending their hands beyond the wire fence that separates the bleachers from the field. It is his way of including the fans into the game and thanking them personally. And everybody loves him.

I’m on the train back home with my brother and a friend. We are tired, but we have huge smiles on our faces. I’m a little bit hoarse from all the shouting, but I don’t really mind. It’s my first live game, my first live Azkal soccer game, and it was a real treat. After instances like this, it doesn’t really matter that I might never get to play a real soccer game. Watching is enough for me.

Since I'm a Fan of Words...

2011-09-29T14:36:00.003+08:00

Found this wonderful post on Tumblr:

...and I am now bent on memorizing every single one of those so I can use it during the appropriate times.

An Adventure at the Ayala Museum

2011-09-23T13:59:00.000+08:00

In one of my maverick (read independent, not rebel) moments, I decided to tour a museum by myself while waiting for my sister’s class to end. I’d been meaning to do it for some time, actually, but I’d be met with hesitance from my part and I’d never push through.

Until yesterday.

I finally convinced myself to tour Ayala Museum, even though I was alone and even though I had second thoughts and almost resolved on inviting someone to tour with me some other time. I think the hesitance, the second thoughts, and all that, are a cultural factor. I think we Filipinos love companionship. We like eating together, going to places together, doing things together. One who is not in the company of others is oftentimes labeled a loner.

I don’t mind being labeled a loner, however. Guess it comes from being independent. Free-willed. Free-spirited. And I certainly enjoyed the tour. Immensely, actually. I started at the fourth floor (as the kind lady at the desk advised me to) and worked my way down. Since cameras are not allowed, I will do my best to paint a descriptive picture by means of words, what I saw at the museum.

The fourth floor is the special collection floor. It is filled with ancient pottery, porcelain, china, golden artifacts, and handcrafted Filipino costumes.

The potter-porcelain-china section is filled with plates, kilns, pouring instruments, trays, etc. of different kinds and from different places. Most of them came into possession during the trading days with China way back before the Philippines was colonized by Spain. Some others came from Thailand, Vietnam, and some countries in the Middle East. They are different in shapes and sizes and color. Some are blue-and-white and have fantastical designs: that of an intricate flower with vines twisting here and there, that of a lady and her maid-in-waiting wearing dresses and carrying fans, that of two dragons face-to-face and ready to fight. Others are green with a floral pattern. Others are brown and others are white.

I stayed longest in the golden artifacts section gawking at all those jewelry and wondering how on earth anyone could have ever worn them. There are some ear accessories that are the size of a palm. There are belts of every shape and size, and one particular accessory that is worn across the chest, from one shoulder to the opposite hip, that weights at least four kilos (almost 9 pounds). There are crowns and diadems. There are masks made of gold for the dead, as the tradition was to cover the face so no evil spirits would enter the body. There are rings with beautiful designs and thick necklaces of varying lengths.

The third floor was filled with paintings. Odd art, actually. Mostly abstract stuff, that come to life, however, with a fiery imagination. The second floor was the Diorama exhibit—a retelling of the Philippine history through figurines and colorful miniature displays. This was one of the showcases I enjoyed the most. It is set in a whole room, numbered according to date, and from one window, after you read the caption above and the supporting text below (and listen in on the audio—which I didn’t have when I went there, though), you can move on to the next.

On the ground floor, if I understood correctly, they have different showcases from time to time. This particular period, they had a Japanese manga showcase. I’m not a fan of Japanese manga. I’ve never read one, actually, but I toured the little room they had. It was cool, actually because apparently one portion of the room was to reenact one of the manga tales and they had rigged up a sound system which kinda freaked me out at first. It was the sound of waves crashing against the shore and a ship creaking. I am positive someone was groaning in agony. And for one heartbeat, I felt like it would all become real, and so I got poised to flee. Ah well, my advice for you: don’t take an active imagination into a museum with a rigged up sound system.

One thing I like about Ayala Museum is that it is very informative. Descriptions line the walls. In every floor, and in most showcases, there is a computer if you want to read more about a certain showcase. Dates, places, events, are all recorded specifically. It’s one museum I wouldn’t mind going back to, one museum I probably wouldn’t get tired of visiting. Well, any museum, actually since I’m a lover of histories, antiquities, ancient things, dusky stuff that hold centuries of secrets...yep, that’s along my line of adventure.

PC #30 - Missions

2011-09-20T17:07:00.001+08:00

FREE PICTURE + CAPTION/NOTE.

"Jesus told us to go, He never said we would come back." - Celso (Missionary to terrorist FARC guerillas in Colombia)

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies." - J. Hudson Taylor

"I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ." - Count Zinzindorf

"To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map." - William Carey

"We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God." - John Stott

"The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." - Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose" - Jim Elliot

"If God would grant us the vision, the word sacrifice would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short, we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ." - Nate Saint

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?" - David Livingstone

"If there is no passionate love for Christ at the center of everything, we will only jingle and jangle our way across the world, merely making a noise as we go" - William Wilberforce

On Train Rides

2011-09-19T15:54:00.002+08:00

Photo Courtesy: WeHeartIt

It’s a crazy world we live in. Especially if you’re one of those who live in the city, like me. So much rush, so much traffic, so many places to go, and so many things to do.

For the past couple of weeks I have been accompanying my younger sister to her school. And, as the quickest and most possible means of getting there is the train, we ride the MRT (Metro Railway Transit). It’s no big deal of you’re riding in the middle of the morning or the middle of the afternoon. Everyone’s in the office and not much people are going anywhere. You can sit back and relax, and maybe even enjoy the train ride. But early in the morning, during the rush hour, and late in the afternoon, during another rush hour, riding the train can be a very stressful experience. People pushing and shoving, yelling at each other, till you fear fistfights might occur; people swearing and cursing; people disrespecting others and showing no concern to old people, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and those with children.

It’s sad, actually. Makes you wonder where the age of civility and respect has gone. Not down the drain, I hope. In a world with fast-advancing technology and robots everywhere, we need people to keep us sane. People to smile at and who smile at us. Little acts of kindness along the way that remind us that we’re still alive and that life is indeed beautiful.

What-to-do, oh, what-to-do on a train ride? There are some things I have observed to be missing in general, everyday encounters with people that we need to improve on. So here's a short, but practical list of what we should do to make train rides easier for everyone. It improves our manners and our behavior, and makes life more interesting and colorful.

Be respectful.
Be courteous and well-mannered.
Don’t push, don’t shove.
Let people alight first before entering.
Give up your seat if you see someone has a greater need for it. Yes, even if you are tired. Men, don’t give up your seat just because a lady is pretty. That’s false chivalry.
Say excuse me when you need to pass by.
Keep a pleasant countenance all the time.
Be polite to everyone.
Speak softly and don't use uncouth words.

As tiring it is to ride on trains when everyone does the exact opposite of the list above especially during rush hour, there are some instances when surprises occur, like a bright ray of sunshine piercing through all the dust and smog. There was one time when my sister and I rode a train that had every seat occupied. We decided to stand, rather than wait for a next train, for fear of being late. One young man observed this and, despite the fact that he was carrying a huge and seemingly heavy backpack, stood up and offered his seat to us. It's wonderful to experience something like that, and to be assured that chivalry does indeed exist. Makes a train ride worth it after all.

Character Analysis: Cha Dae Woong

2011-09-06T21:56:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: If you haven’t seen My Girlfriend is a Gumiho yet and want to be surprised when you watch it, DO NOT proceed with reading this post any further, as it contains multiple spoilers. :))

I don’t watch TV. I’m not your regular couch potato. I’m more of the seated-by-the-window-with-her-favorite-book kind of person. Books, in my opinion (although many may disagree with me) are far, far more interesting than movies. And besides, that’s how I grew up, reading books instead of watching movies. But when a good movie/TV series comes along with a great plot, when it is highly recommended by people I trust, I usually watch it with enjoyment.

A couple of months ago, my friend Christin introduced me to a Korean TV series, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. A gumiho is a nine-tailed fox, a creature from Korean myths and legends. This post is thus dedicated to her.

The Plot

Dae Woong

The story revolves around a rash and reckless young lad named Dae Woong. Dae Woong is every parent’s worst nightmare. He is indeed, as a matter of fact, his grandfather’s worst nightmare. He’s spoiled, selfish, and doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He thinks everyone must act according to his wishes. He dreams of becoming a famous action star and will not stop at anything to achieve his goal. So when his grandfather threatens to stop paying for his tuition because Dae Woong’s character problems are getting worse, Dae Woong rebels further by running away from home.

He finds his way to an ancient temple which is shrouded by many mysterious secrets. But Dae Woong doesn’t care. He must find a way to contact his aunt and get her to pay his tuition. He threatens not to return until his balance with the school has been fixed. While he is attempting a call, using the cellphone of the temple monk, the battery goes dead. Nevertheless, much to his shock and horror, a voice speaks.

The voice tells him to enter the temple and make his way to the far end where a painting is the main tourist attraction. In the painting, there is a lady and a fox. Unknown to him, the painting is no ordinary painting, but one that holds a legend. Years ago a gumiho was permitted to become a human and she was so beautiful that so many men were bewitched and the women, afraid that the men would all run off to be with the gumiho spread lies saying that the gumiho would kill them and eat their livers.

Dae Woong has absolutely no knowledge of this and when the voice tells him to draw 9 tails on the fox, he does exactly that, little realizing that he is about to set a powerful creature free. As soon as he sketches the last tail, the world goes crazy and in panic, Dae Woong flees. He slips and falls and crashes down the slope of a mountain, and looses consciousness just as he lands in the bottom.

Mi Ho

When he wakes up, he is perched on a branch way high in a tree. A pretty girl comes along and seems to know him, but he cannot remember her. She tells him of his fall down the mountain and narrates how she has placed her “bead” inside him so that he wouldn’t have to die from all his cuts, bruises, and other wounds.

Dae Woong is incredelous. He does not believe her, but he is not going to leave her alone either, for fear of wild boars and strangers who might harass her. He does what he can to ensure her safety then proposes that they travel their separate ways. The girl follows him however, demanding that he feed her beef (her favorite food), until out of frustration, he makes a way to escape from her.

All the while, this girl is trying to convince him that she is the gumiho he freed from the painting. Dae Woong refuses to believe such an absurd story, but he starts to notice that she seems to know many things about him, like his name and where he goes to school, things he never even revealed to her; as well as her amazing strength and speed.

The girl lets him go, with the threat of taking his bead back and ending his life because, once the bead is removed, all sores, cuts, wounds, and bruises would open up, as they have not yet had the time to heal properly. Dae Woong doesn’t care and leaves. The girl does hunt him down and she does take the bead from him, but she has pity on him and puts it back, under the condition that he will supply her with beef. And so she sticks by him and accompanies him almost everywhere, much to his ever-increasing annoyance.

The Old Dae Woong
In the telling of the tale, I mentioned several negative characteristics and attitudes of Dae Woong. His person in the first few episodes is a very frustrating one. The watcher will most likely grind his or her teeth in frustration; I know I did countless times.

Dae Woong is young and rich. He has known nothing else in his life aside from the fact that he has a wealthy grandfather to provide for all his needs (tuition fee in an acting school, car, the latest gadgets, anything else he could possibly want!) and a doting aunt.

Things change when Dae Woong’s grandfather realizes that he has spoiled the boy too much. Instead of using money for tuition fee, Dae Woong uses it to buy a motorcycle, assuring himself that his grandfather has enough money to pay for the tuition fee and the secret purchase of the motorcycle.

When Grandfather finds out, however, he is livid with rage. He takes the motorcycle away from Dae Woong with the threat that Dae Woong must find his own means to pay for the tuition money he stole. Instead of accepting the punishment and swallowing the humble pill, Dae Woong rebels. He runs away and ends up in a temple, draws a nine-tailed fox out of a magical painting, and unleashes thousands of consequences he would not have imagined with his single choice of running away from his grandfather.

When the nine-tailed-fox-turned-girl attaches herself to him (meaning he needs to provide for her basic necessities) in exchange for letting her bead restore his wounded body to its vigorous, healthy state, Dae Woong now learns all about responsibility. But not in a calm way of realization. He fights it, kicking and screaming (okay, not literally). He argues with the girl and threatens her, but cannot do anything because she is the stronger one and with the magical powers.

To top it all, the fox-girl (whom Dae Woong names “Mi Ho”) has warned him not to tell a single soul. Not his family, not even his best friend. So Dae Woong is left to fend for himself, and he does not like it one bit. His sole goal is to rid himself of her by any means, and he attempts to do that several times. In one instance, he leaves Mi Ho on a cruise, using against her the knowledge that she is afraid of water. Mi Ho’s tears, however, brings the rain, and out of guilt, Dae Woong returns to her.

Noona

It is Mi Ho who first learns to care for Dae Woong. But he is blind to her affections (or he purposefully shuns them), as he has eyes only for his “Noona” (which is a term of endearment in Korean, used to address and older sister, or a friend close enough to be one). Noona, in my opinion, is the old Dae Woong’s character’s perfect match. She is a self-centered aspiring actress who wants to be admired and fussed over. She, like Dae Woong, will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and when Mi Ho appears in the scene, Noona feels threatened by her with regards to Dae Woong’s affections. She creates a series of incidents and blames them all on Mi Ho. Dae Woong believes them and so his dislike for Mi Ho increases. He will not listen to Mi Ho’s pleas on innocence.

As the story develops, however, Dae Woong’s character develops as well. He is not the flat kind of character who remains stubbornly resistant to change throughout the TV series. In spite of battling those rising emotions, his heart is warmed by Mi Ho. He can’t help it either, she is a sweet, friendly, innocent girl, who doesn’t know what a vacuum does and what soda water is. He’s drawn to protect her, even if he denies it and sometimes endangers her life by his thoughtlessness.

The Change
Somewhere, sometime in the story, Dae Woong decides to buy a couple ring for Noona with the purpose of asking her to be his girlfriend. But Noona, the hot-tempered Noona, sends a signal that she’s not interested. Dae Woong, out of frustration, decides to give it to Mi Ho, who has found out that she can become a human if someone can house her bead for 100 days. She asks Dae Woong to do so (but without telling him the reason); he agrees and in exchange, gives her the couple ring. They are now boyfriend and girlfriend in a very complicated kind of relationship.

Teacher Dong Ju

Neither Dae Woong nor Mi Ho are fully aware of the consequences of Mi Ho’s choice to become a human. All Mi Ho was told (by her “mentor” who is a mythical creature himself) is that she must find someone who will house her bead for a hundred days. What she does not know is that the bead will take the life out of the person who houses it for that hundred-day period and when she takes it back from that person, in this case, from Dae Woong, he will die.

For the first several days, Dae Woong hides his relationship with Mi Ho from Noona, hurting Mi Ho’s bead and endangering Mi Ho’s life, something that Mi Ho’s mentor, warned her should not happen because such circumstances could kill her. Nevertheless, he begins to see the true Noona—the spiteful, hateful Noona who seeks only to use people for her own interests and gains. And he begins to admit to himself that he is attracted to Mi Ho.

As he starts to see Mi Ho as something other than a terrifying fox (his first impression of her) and something more of a sweet girl, he starts falling in love with her. And this brings about a change that stuns even his grandfather. Instead of being selfish, he learns how to put others ahead of himself. Instead of leaving other people to do what he does not want to do, he starts becoming responsible. Gone is the brash, free-spirited, self-centered Dae Woong. In his place springs forth a Dae Woong who learns how to be tender, even caring; a Dae Woong who sees to the comforts of other people; a serious Dae Woong who knows how to differentiate work from play.

And Dae Woong’s character change does not stop there. Somewhere in the middle of a hundred days, Dae Woong and Mi Ho both learn that one of them has to die. Dae Woong will die if he gives Mi Ho the bead at the end of a hundred days. Mi Ho will die if she does not take the bead back.

At the brink of panicky despair, Mi Ho decides to leave. Her love for Dae Woong will not allow her to take the bead from him and end his life, even if it is, as her mentor, Teacher Dong Ju, mocks her, “a false love.” She leaves without telling Dae Woong, but he tracks her down and tells her that she shouldn’t run away just because one of them will have to die. Right then and there, he makes her take the bead back. It is the middle of the hundred-day period. Neither of them know what is going to happen, neither of them know if they will both survive, but, as Dae Woong says, they must make the choice together and face it together.

A New Dae Woong
They both survive, but only for a time being. Ever since Mi Ho gave her bead to Dae Woong, her 9 tails have been disappearing one at a time, a sign that she is about to become a human being. After Dae Woong returns to Mi Ho the bead, her tails are supposed to stop disappearing, according to Teacher Dong Ju. If they cease to disappear, it means that Mi Ho has quelled her desire to be a human and that she will no longer die. If, however, they continue to disappear, it means that Mi Ho will die on the hundredth day. Teacher Dong Ju tells Dae Woong that it is because Mi Ho is living around humans and that her desire to become on herself is so great that it overpowers the desire to live just as she is, a fox. Mi Ho does not know that, however. She thinks that she will still become a human and live. Dae Woong, however, watches her with wary concern to see if another tail disappears.

It does.

Dae Woong now has to make a choice to save Mi Ho’s life. He knows that the only reason she wishes to become a human is because of him. In a last, desperate attempt, he turns her out into the streets and declares that he does not love her because she is a fox. Mi Ho is stunned and thinks he is only saying things out of a whim. But Dae Woong insists that he cannot love someone as terrifying and inhuman as her. The realization slowly sinks into Mi Ho and she accepts it as a fact, not knowing that, as Dae Woong drives away, he is weeping.

The final change in Dae Woong’s character comes on the last week of the hundred days. He arrives back in Korea after a filming in China. Mi Ho has gone to be with Dong Ju. He searches for her, and they meet by chance one day in the park. He plays around, trying to act like Mi Ho during earlier days, when she would crave for nothing but beef. Mi Ho is unmoved. Then comes the startling news that Mi Ho is to marry Dong Ju. Dae Woong is stunned, even heartbroken, though he denies it and does not show it. And then the truth comes out: Mi Ho’s tails have not stopped disappearing. She is still going to die on the hundredth day..

Teacher Dong Ju, when he finds out, is devastated, even heartbroken, as he remembers the death of a girl he loved, whose fate is somewhat tied with that of Mi Ho’s. Mi Ho asks him, just as they are about to leave for a faraway place, as a final favor, to go to Dae Woong with a lie; to give him the bead; to present to Dae Woong the option to drink it as the only way to save Mi Ho’s life, as Dae Woong is distraught that Mi Ho has not stopped losing her tails. Dong Ju, who is still cynical about the love Dae Woong and Mi Ho have for each other, agrees and goes to Dae Woong, half-convinced that Dae Woong will hesitate about throwing away his life for someone else. But before he is done speaking, Dae Woong drinks the bead and tells Dong Ju to come to him and take the bead away and give it to Mi Ho at the hundredth day.

Dong Ju is stunned. He had been acquainted with Dae Woong’s character from the beginning, and he had been most unwilling to believe that Dae Woong had changed. But Dae Woong’s final act of bravado borne out of desperation to save the woman he loves opens his eyes. Just as they are about to leave for that faraway place, he visits Dae Woong and hears a soliloquy from Dae Woong himself, how he would give up anything and everything just to have Mi Ho live. Unable to bear the weight of the lie any longer, Dong Ju goes and tells Dae Woong that everything was just a lie and that Mi Ho will still die on the hundredth day.

In the airport, Mi Ho is waiting for Dong Ju. He arrives, but he tells her that her last days should not be spent with him, but with someone else. He gestures towards the crowd where a disheveled, breathless Dae Woong arrives. Mi Ho understands. She thanks him and goes to be with Dae Woong.

Mi Ho’s last days are spent by doing the things Mi Ho loves the most. Dae Woong and Mi Ho visit places that bring back wonderful memories. They visit Mi Ho’s friends. They do things Mi Ho had always wanted to do.

On the last day, in the last hour, Mi Ho thanks Dae Woong for giving her everything. She closes his eyes so he does not see her when she disappears. Then she is gone.

Dae Woong is heartbroken, but this time, he refuses to despair. He rises from sorrow and goes about doing his work like a man. He does not shirk his duties, but fulfills them. He does not shun responsibility, but welcomes it. He ceases to think only of himself, but puts others first. Even if Mi Ho is gone, he relapse back to his old self, but improves on a daily basis.

Then comes that magical moment, for this is a fairy tale, when a solar eclipse happens, and Mi Ho comes back. Dae Woong has been waiting for more than 3 months already, but he keeps up the faith that she will come back someday. And she does.

Final Thoughts
I did not exactly mean to tell the whole story. My fingers just wrote it out. Maybe it’s because you can’t narrate the change of a character without telling the how and the why. Beyond the fact that it is entertaining, stories like this, mythical and fantastical as they may be, however, give us glimpses of humanity. Stories like this teach us lessons on responsibility, selflessness, and even sacrifice. Dae Woong is like your average bad guy. But he proves that even bad guys can change for the better.

Contrary, however, to the fact in the story that Mi Ho changed Dae Woong, I don’t think it’s possible to be changed by a person alone. Change in character requires something bigger than yourself, something bigger than humanity even.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.—2 Corinthians 5:17

Change, I believe, is only possible through Christ.

PC #29 - Babies

2011-09-03T18:45:00.000+08:00

Day 29: A picture that makes you smile.

Forgive me if I post more than one. I'm such an adoring fan of babies.

Photo Credits:
Hongkiat.com
Pinterest.com

PC #28 - Heights

2011-08-29T20:52:00.001+08:00

Day 28: A picture of something you’re afraid of.

Kjeragbolten Boulder, Norway

Well, it's more of the fear of falling. I'm afraid of stairs and manholes and all that. But it's something I'm doing my best to get rid of (and asking God as well to take it away from me).

Edited (09.01.11): I found a picture, care of Sunsurfer that depicts a certain height I sure wouldn't want to try. *gasp* See how there's nothing underneath the rock in the middle! Nothing could make me do that!

PC #27 - My Budz

2011-08-28T22:13:00.000+08:00

Day 27: A picture of yourself and a family member.

Jotham is my youngest sibling, and since we are ten years apart, I took care of him as he was growing up. And although I'm close with all of my brothers and sisters, we're special "budz," as we call each other. :D

PC #26 - The Bible

2011-08-25T17:21:00.000+08:00

Day 26: A picture of something that means a lot to you.

My Childhood Bucket List

2011-08-22T22:50:00.000+08:00

I was browsing through my old notebooks a couple of days ago and discovered a list I had written, of things I wanted to as I grew older. Some have been fulfilled, some are yet to be fulfilled. Some are meaningful, others are downright silly. Well, enjoy this glimpse of my childhood!

1. Meet the LotR cast and crew.
2. Meet the Trumpets cast and crew (this was after I watched the Trumpets Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe stage play).
3. Meet the “ticket-taker” who resembles Orlando Bloom (he was the one who looked at our tickets when we watched the LWW play).

4. Go around the world.
5. Learn how to drive a car.
6. Learn how to swim without the fear of drowning.
7. Learn how to dive.
8. Learn how to ride a horse.
9. Learn archery.
10. Learn how to wield a sword (LotR fan girl moment).
11. Go on a cruise.
12. Audition for a play.
13. Act in a play (not anymore, I think).
14. ~~Learn how to play badminton properly~~ (yay! This happened, as badminton was my PE for two semesters! While I’m nowhere near becoming a pro, I did learn how to play it!).
15. Learn how to play ping-pong/table tennis properly.
16. Meet Alexis Bledel (because of Tuck Everlasting).
17. Meet Jonathan Jackson (Mighty Ducks fan girl moment).
18. Meet the Hamilton family.
19. Meet the Patch the Pirate cast and crew.
20. Have a reunion with old friends living abroad.
21. See the play “The Little Mermaid.”
22. Speak different languages.
23. Meet all the people in Sonlight Forums.
24. Draw Legolas and Uruviel together (LOL!).
25. Milk a cow.
26. Learn how to roller skate.

27. Learn how to ice skate.
28. Learn how to play ice hockey.
29. Learn how to play the violin.
30. Meet Charlotte Church.
31. Meet Josh Groban.
32. Drive an airplane.
33. Throw a lasso.
34. Own a pet dog/s.
35. ~~Meet with [a dear family we hadn’t seen for a long time]~~ (it happened several years ago!).
36. Collect all LotR stuff.
37. Go on a camping trip.
38. Get my own pair of Dutch klompen.
39. ~~Watch all the Star Wars films.~~
40. ~~Watch all the Chronicles of Narnia films~~ (except those they haven’t made yet).
41. Meet Westlife.
42. Meet Jump5.
43. Learn how to spin.
44. Learn how to cook.
45. Learn how to bake.
46. Learn how to weave.
47. Learn how to sew (in short “Learn how to live life from scratch.”).
48. Live in a trailer for a while.
49. Go fishing.
50. Taste champaigne.
51. Attend a ball.
52. Climb a mountain.
53. Own a pet dolphin.
54. Meet the Left Behind cast.
55. Meet Christian Bautista.
56. Ride a ship.
57. Work on the Doulos for a while (ah, sadly, she is permanently docked. Maybe the Logos Hope then?).

58. Write a book.
59. Live in a house like Lockwillow Farm (from Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster).
60. Make lembas bread (LotR fan girl moment).
61. Own a phial (Narnia fan girl moment).
62. Own an Evenstar necklace (LotR fan girl moment).
63. Stand under waterfalls.
64. Study Tolkien’s books.
65. Study the Chronicles of Narnia.
66. Peer down the mouth of a volcano (in short, sign my death warrant, I know. I don’t know whatever in the world induced me to write that).
67. Go on many adventures.
68. Solve mysteries (influenced by Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Trixie Belden, as well as Sherlock Holmes).
69. Learn how to play the harp.
70. Go under the sea in a submarine.
71. Make soap.
72. Churn butter (back to living life from scratch).
73. Climb up a crow’s nest (in a ship).
74. Own a horse.
75. Own a pet eagle.
76. Own a pet nightingale (I should have written “Own a zoo.”).
77. Read Dear Enemy by Jean Webster.
78. Ride an elephant.
79. Ride a camel.
80. Get stranded on an unknown island for a little while and name it.
81. Feed chickens.
82. Work among sheep.
83. Work in a farm for a while.
84. Visit a ranch.

85. ~~Ride an airplane~~ (first ever airplane ride was May 8 2010).
86. Go on a canoe trip.
87. Touch a deer (brought on by one of Gary Paulsen’s books).
88. Build a snowman.
89. Make snow angels.
90. Go sledding.
91. Drink fresh water from a spring.
92. Climb a tree.
93. Herd sheep.
94. Herd goats (no doubt, brought about by Heidi).
95. Meet Indians.
96. Pick berries.
97. Draw water from a well.
98. Ride a helicopter.
99. ~~Collect Left Behind stuff~~ (I take this to mean books and movies).
100. Live in a treehouse for a while.
101. Learn martial arts (aww, this I gotta continue!).
102. Make candles.
103. Wash clothes in a creek (in short, “Go back to living in the 18th Century”).
104. Own costumes.
105. Visit a sheep farm (don’t ask me what’s with my obsession with sheep).
106. Grow my hair up to my feet.
107. Ride a carriage.
108. Own a library like Beast’s (from Beauty and the Beast).
109. Explore a cabe.
110. Look for buried treasure.

111. ~~Learn how to play the guitar~~ (it needs improvement, lots of improvement! though).
112. Meet a friendly hermit.
113. Own a parrot.
114. Own a myna bird (here we go with the zoo again).
115. Have a snowball fight.
116. Visit an Indian Reservation.
117. Watch Olympics live.
118. Meet Michael Phelps.
119. Attend a musical theater workshop.
120. Own a pet prairie dog.
121. Own a pet kangaroo.
122. Own a pet lion.
123. Own a pet deer/fawn (hello, welcome again to my zoo).
124. Jump from a plane and sail to the ground in a parachute.
125. Ride a hot air balloon.
126. Make Futsal my sport.
127. Write books/stories.
128. Mold clay jars/pots.
129. Blow glass.

PC #25 - Reading

2011-08-19T22:20:00.001+08:00

Day 25: A picture of a good day.

Photo Courtesy of WeHeartIt

Photo Courtesy of Psychedelic Slippers

Photo Courtesy of A Fairytale of Photos

A good day is being curled up with a book.

PC #24 - Somalia Crisis

2011-08-16T15:39:00.000+08:00

Day 24: A picture of something you wish you could change.

When You Hover Between Yes and No

2011-08-11T13:55:00.000+08:00

Ever come across an instance in your life when you had to make a decision that would shake your world? Have you ever been left with a choice that was wholly yours to make (meaning your parents, mentors were totally okay with whatever you would decide)?

Last week, I was challenged to do something I’d never done before. Challenged to go beyond the easy way of everyday living as I had grown accustomed to it. Challenged to go out of my comfort zone. I had only to say “yes” or “no.” The decision was completely mine.

But something did not make me say “yes” immediately. As much as I was excited, as I knew that the Challenge was something that I had always dreamed of doing, something held me back. Something kept me from saying yes immediately and resoundingly. It wasn’t nervousness or apprehension.

I looked deep into my heart and identified fear.

None of us like change. We love living an easy life. We don’t like things that inconvenience us much. I’m one of those people. I like staying in my comfort zone, and I like being as comfortable as I possibly can. But I know that staying in my comfort zone is hazardous to my spiritual health.

I once attended an Operation Mobilisation gathering. It’s a missions organization. If you’ve heard of the floating bookstores (Doulos and Logos Hope), they’re affiliated with OM. Mike Hey, one of their key people (I can’t remember if he was a director or something like that before) explained stepping out of comfort zones this way:

“Out of our comfort zone, into God’s compassion zone.”

You see, a comfort zone is all about me. Compassion zone is all about God. My comfort zone teaches me to be selfish; God’s compassion zone teaches me to be selfless. My comfort zone increases my fears; compassion zone increases my faith. Comfort zone welcomes complacency. Compassion zone welcomes challenges. Comfort zone teaches me to rely on my own strength; compassion zone teaches me to rely on God’s strength and sovereignty.

”God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically, but to perfect us spiritually.”
—Paul W. Powell

While I was arguing with myself, God reminded me of His sacrifice—how He sent His Son to earth because He wants to establish a relationship with me. His Son Jesus left the comforts of heaven so that I would have hope and life. Mightn’t I leave the comforts I’ve always known, as well, to tell others of the hope and life I have received.

To say “yes” to that Challenge would mean stepping out of my comfort zone and stepping into God’s compassion zone. It means taking up your cross, denying yourself, and completely surrendering to God. When you step out of your comfort zone, you let go of your life and put it into God’s hands.

The tug of fear that was ready to swallow me up was great. But God’s calling was even greater.

So I said “yes.” Firmly. Resolutely.

”And He said to them all, ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”
—Luke 9:23

Some Thoughts on Excellence

2011-08-07T17:55:00.001+08:00

Note: I delivered this as my inspirational talk last Wednesday during our first ICS Society meeting.

Most people know me as organized, focused. When I was in college, I did not like passing a late paper or submitting a lousy assignment. I wanted to make sure I did everything on time and I gave all the tasks before me everything I could give it.

That is perhaps why most people would be surprised upon finding out that I was tremendously lazy in high school, especially during my 3rd year. Since I was homeschooled, I could study at my own pace. I could choose to do many lessons from one subject each day, or divide it equally and do a bit of everything every day for the whole week.

I started out with a lesson plan that 3rd year, and I resolved to finish quickly. Sad to say, I did not. Embroidering, doing cross-stitch and other sorts of crafts were more interesting. Reading books was even better. And so my 3rd year passed in that manner. I would start a lesson then become bored of it, and commence to reading or cross-stitching instead. By the summer in between my 3rd and 4th year, I realized that I had accomplished so little. Instead of finishing all 130+ lessons in math, I had only completed the requirements until lesson 40 something. Yes, sad, bad me. :P

That year, however, things changed. By God's grace, they changed, else I would still be the lazy person that I was several years ago. I became part of a youth ministry and met some people who challenged me to pursue excellence, not just in studies but in my life—as I'm doing my chores; as I'm being a daughter to my parents, and a sister to my siblings; as I'm serving in church, etc. I learned that I was living for myself, instead of living for God, and from that day on, I started seeing things from a different perspective.

"Up is not an easy direction. It defies gravity, both cultural and magnetic."
—Mike Abrashoff

Just as gravity pulls things down, culture tends to pull down those who strive for excellence. Why? Simply because it's not a common thing to be excellent. Everybody has become satisfied with settling for whatever is given, that they no longer strive to be excellent in everything.

"It's easy to be content with less than our best, especially when our half-hearted efforts seem to satisfy everyone around us. And being "good enough" can turn into a special hazard. Those who could do a lot better or tackle a much bigger challenge seldom do so when they're already "good enough" by other people's standards."
—Do Hard Things

That's the challenge for us, as Christians. How do we pursue excellence when everyone around us says it isn't a big deal anyway?

There are Three Strategies (this, I took from Alex and Brett Harris's book, Do Hard Things) to help us pursue excellence:

1. Do what's hard for you.
What are some things hard for you?

-obeying parents right away, even if you're in the middle of an interesting TV show, book, or a chat with a friend
-forgiving someone or asking for forgiveness
-submitting and A+ paper on time
-doing chores without grumbling

These are just samples of some difficult things we encounter at least once in our lives, and sometimes, almost everyday. But these things are difficult to do, and sometimes, because they are difficult, we choose not to do them. That is no excuse, however.

"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them."
—Psalm 1:32

The Bible's clear about it. If you become complacent, it will eventually destroy you. Complacency makes you become satisfied with even the poorest effort. And when you have become accustomed to complacency, you will cease to strive for excellence in doing even the most difficult things for you.

(On a side note, however, when I say "hard things" I don't mean the silly things. The hard things I'm talking about are the things that will challenge you and make you grow, not the things that people do for fame, like jumping off a 10-story building onto a trampoline, or things like that.)

2. Be known for what you do (more than what you don't).
1 Timothy 4:12, the favorite verse of most youth, says:

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."

Most of the time, we focus on the "don't." We say, "Hey, see the verse! You can't look down on me because I'm young." But we forget the second line which says we need to be an example to the believers.

We should not stop at the things we shouldn't do. You know that you're not supposed to lie or cheat. But don't stop there. Do more, because that's what excellence is all about. It's about being known for the things we do, whether it's being a good brother or sister to our siblings, and obedient child to our parents, or a servant-leader in our church, or a good student at school.

3. Pursue excellence, not excuses.
Isn't it better to finish a task well than to explain why you didn't do it? Isn't it easier to do chores without grumbling, submit papers on time, serve in your ministry when asked, than to explain why you chose not to, especially when you have no reason at all?

At the end of all things, there is one thing we need to realize: excellence is not about ourselves. It is not for our glory, it is not for our fame. It is all for God.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
—1 Corinthians 10:31

It's not about "giving your best," because it limits yourself to human capabilities. Excellence, on the other hand, can only be achieved b y the grace and strength of the Lord.

So why pursue excellence?

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well, that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"
—Martin Luther King, Jr.

So whatever you do, whether it be a big task or a little one, do it with excellence! Whether it be in your studies, your ministry, in doing little things for your parents and siblings—do it with excellence!

You may be asking if there is ever a point in our lives in which we can say that was have achieved excellence. Will we ever reach that mountaintop?

Stephen Kendrick, director and producer of Facing the Giants and Fireproof says:

"Pursue excellence! But remember, excellence is a moving standard; it is always excelling!"

There will always be something to challenge you. There will always be something to test you. But that should not stop you from climbing higher. In every single thing you do, big or small, it should be done with excellence, not for ourselves, but for the glory of God.

Photo Credits:
Shenet
We Heart It

Jane Austen Week!

2011-08-02T12:12:00.000+08:00

Elegance of Fashion will be having a Jane Austen week from August 7-13!

So all those who love Jane Austen's works—books, and their movie adaptations as well—this is the week for us!

Confession: I have yet to read 3 more books by Jane Austen. Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. I may not get them done by August 7, but I'll do my best to start. :))

Lessons from College

2011-07-31T00:18:00.003+08:00

Photo Courtesy: 10Den

It's the prelim exams week of the first semester at Messiah. And for the first time, instead of being the one to take the exam, I'm the one giving it. I'm actually the one setting the question paper and checking their answers. It's so surreal and so unbelievable, but well, I guess it's true, because if it were a dream, then I have been long asleep.

Last Thursday, I was asked to share to the parents and kids at H.O.M.E. Library my college testimony: what I learned, what were some experiences that changed me, what was difficult adjusting to, etc. I was homeschooled from birth to high school; college was my first time to enter a conventional school. The moms at the H.O.M.E. Library asked me to share my testimony to encourage the younger kids as well, who will be entering college for the first time in a few more years time. In preparation, over the past several weeks, since learning that I was going to speak, I've been time-traveling back to the past four years and looking for those life lessons that I think are kinda essential to students.

1. Pursue your passion.
I don't remember when I started becoming interested in countries, cultures, languages. It was definitely a passion planted in my heart by God. All I know is that as I was looking at all the courses and their descriptions, as well as all those shiny fliers from different campuses around Metro Manila, I knew I wanted to take up a course that would further increase my knowledge with regards to countries and cultures. I tried in a couple other schools before deciding to pursue Intercultural Studies, major in Diplomacy and International Relations at Messiah College.

Photo Courtesy: WeHeartIt

2. Discipline is the key.
There are various areas you need to discipline yourself in when in college. And so I made a list of dos and dont's:
-DON'T procrastinate! Turn off the TV, log-out of Facebook. Do what you have to do to keep yourself focused.
-DON'T cheat, plagiarize, or do anything that will get you in trouble.
-DO come on time. Attendance may not be important in some schools (it is very important at Messiah), but it will teach you discipline because there is no way you can make excuses to your future boss why you arrived late for work.
-DO take notes always (not having a pen or notebook on hand is not an excuse; and it's not an excuse either to say you'll just copy from your classmate in exchange for treating that person to lunch. Don't be a sycophant, my friends).
-DO get a planner or a to-do list. Use it to track your homework and other special events. That way, you'll experience less stress because you can see what you will be facing in the next few weeks.
-DO submit all your homework, assignments, etc. on time. When you're working, you will have no excuse not to pass something to your boss on time. So you might as well start practicing right now.
-DO fast from Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites and various activities that take up your time (PSP, watching TV, even reading fiction novels) when you need to study, especially when there's a very important exam coming up.
-DO follow all rules, even the trivial ones like dress code. Why? Because it's a way of training yourself for the future. And DON'T try to find a way out or a way to stretch the rules as far as they can be stretched. It reveals a lot about your character.

Photo Courtesy: NIU

3. Ask questions.
It's okay not to know the answer. It's okay to be confused. But it's not okay to take everything thrown at you without asking, without challenging (in a polite and respectful way, of course). Enhance your learning. Increase your knowledge. Find out about the things you never knew before. Develop rich insight. See things from a new perspective.

4. Know your weak spots and find a way to strengthen them.
If you tend to procrastinate while doing homework because Facebook is way too interesting, maybe you should disable your internet first. If you know that watching your favorite TV series keeps you awake till midnight, maybe you should turn off that TV and watch it some other time. Yes, I'm serious. We all have to sacrifice something in order to remain focused in the task we have to do. That's why the Bible calls us to "lay aside ever weight" (Hebrews 12:1), which are things, not necessarily bad, but things that keep us from accomplishing the task or calling from God that is at hand.

5. Pursue excellence in all things.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say; 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
—1 Corinthians 10:31 (emphasis added)

Pray for Norway

2011-07-26T18:27:00.001+08:00

Photo Courtesy: The Tour Expert

Last Saturday, the headlines of various news sites were filled with reports of a bombing in Norway and a shooting that took place soon after. Even now, thousands flock the street in Norway to mourn with the families of the victims, and thousands more around the world join them in expressing shock and sorrow.

Norway is a peaceful place. Low crime rate. The average policeman is unarmed. Thus the tremendous shock for the people when. Jen Stoltenberg, prime minister of Norway, described this incident as the worst event since World War II.

Peace, however, is not real peace unless it comes from God. Many of us tend to place our trust and faith in the things that we can see, feel, or touch. Tangible things. We place our trust in the people around us. In our government system. In our leaders.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."—John 14:27

True peace comes from God. It's as simple as that, and yet many of us fail to trust God. Peace will never come to us by our own will. I find it funny how many people, when asked what they wish for, often answer "world peace," not knowing that they can never ever have world peace without knowing that who God is.

Lastly, let's pray for Norway and her people especially in the face of such a terrible event. Many of us are unaware that Norway is part of the 40/70 window of missions. Let's pray that the Lord will raise more Christians for Him in that area and that they will rely on Him for all things, including peace.

Photo Courtesy: Watchman Network

Let Me Go Now...

2011-07-23T14:14:00.001+08:00

Photo Courtesy of *the.lifestyle.artist*

"Some things are meant to be, the tide turning endlessly,the way it takes hold of me, no matter what I do,
and some things will never die, the promise of who you are,
the memories when I am far from you.
All my life, I've lived for loving you; let me go now."
-Broadway's Little Women (sung by Beth March)

PC #23 - The Lord of the Rings

2011-07-23T13:57:00.001+08:00

Day 23: A picture of your favorite movie.

All three.
'Nuff said. :P

PC #22 - Finishing "books"

2011-07-19T15:16:00.000+08:00

Day 22: A picture of something you wish you were better at.

I often start books. I've joined NaNoWriMo for the past 3 years, but I have not gotten around to finishing what I have started. In fact, I can't go past the first couple of chapters. I've written a couple of short stories (more of re-tellings of parables) and one children's story (that was my assignment when I was in high school), but I've never really finished a book, fiction or non-fiction, and I wish I was better at motivating myself to go beyond the first couple of chapters and actually reach the thirtieth (or whatever the last chapter will be). Well, maybe next November!

PC #21 - Bamboo bridges

2011-07-14T17:13:00.000+08:00

Day 21: A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Picture from here.

When I was a kid, we went on vacation in a province one summer. To get to the house where we stayed, we had to cross this certain bamboo bridge. It looks something like in the picture, but narrower, and not as sturdy. The "flooring" is made up of just a bunch of bamboos bundled up together, and not neatly spread out like in the picture. One day, I was crossing that and nearly fell off. Which is why I'm scared to death of bridges now. Oh well...

Freedom

2011-07-12T17:18:00.000+08:00

Photo from here.

Psalm 55:6
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest."

Overnight at Villa Escudero

2011-07-10T21:40:00.001+08:00

Work is never exactly "just a piece of cake." There are many challenges, bumps, ups and downs. So when the opportunity for a vacation comes, I make sure I grab it! Especially if it's with people I haven't seen for such a looooooooong time! :)

Last week, some of our relatives took us for an overnight vacation in Villa Escudero, a lovely resort in the province of Quezon.

This is one of the halls for events. Usually, weddings are held here.
Such a pretty place, don't you think?

In one of the parks around the area.

Cabins by the river. We stayed in one of these. Pretty cool. Except for the mosquitoes.

The hammock. I so love this. There's one in every cabin by the river. Very relaxing.

We rode this from the Reception to our cabin and back again. All the while, someone was making harana (singing Filipino music while playing a guitar, usually Filipino folk songs and love songs).

This is where we had lunch. It's the main attraction of Villa Escudero. Eating Filipino food while your feet are soaking in cold water. Afterwards, you can splash around and take a picture by the falls.

With Mom, enjoying the delicious food!

A picture of us cousins in the Falls.

After lunch was swimming time. They have around 4 pools and 2 slides.

You can also go rowing on a raft—it's part of the package, and the Villa Escudero Experience sure isn't complete without it! Even for people with overactive imaginations like me, who think of the worst movie and book scenes involving rivers and forests and deadly fish and snakes and crocodiles (you get the picture).

Dinner and breakfast was served in this quaint little place.

We toured the museum before going home. There are so many wonderful and ancient collections. I'm tempted to put up a museum myself! :P

Riding the merry-go-round. I'm a kid at heart. :)

Family! :))

PC #20 - Israel

2011-07-02T12:47:00.001+08:00

Day 20: A picture of somewhere you would love to travel.

Photo from here.

Not just travel to for a tour, but if possible, stay for at least two years. I'd love to immerse myself in the Jewish culture and learn their language and their way of living.

PC #19 - Dear Friend

2011-06-28T00:23:00.001+08:00

Day 19: A picture and a letter.

I wrote this letter for a friend sometime last year—just before the sem break, I think. This was a time when "things" were starting to happen and I felt that the relationship between me and a friend of mine was barely hanging by a thread. I'm not the confrontational kind of person and I did not know how to let this friend know how I felt, so I poured it all out in writing (so please excuse the emo-ness). Now, several months later, things are okay again. Better actually, but that does not mean I take back everything I put in writing. It still holds true, and I'm staunchly loyal to my promises, staunchly loyal to that person with all my heart.

I'm not putting that person's name down. Neither am I uploading a picture. I never actually gave the letter to the friend. But who knows? Maybe that person will stumble upon this one of these days, and if you do, I hope you'll know this is for you.

I'm the bunny and you're the elephant. You should know that I'd always cheer you up if I could. :-)

Dear friend,

I want you to know that I will never give up on you.

I will always cheer you on.
Rejoice with you.
Triumph over your victories.
I will be here when you're sad.
When you're down.
When you need a shoulder to cry on.
When you need a helping hand.
When you need a listening ear.
When you need a smile.
When you need a hug.

I will never ever stop believing in you.

Love,
Alyssa

In Which I Break My Silence

2011-06-23T23:48:00.000+08:00

No, I haven't been kidnapped by aliens from outer space. Or pirates from Treasure Island. I haven't run away from home. I haven't eloped with anyone.

I've simply been busy. The kind of busy where you've got so much to do and so little time to do it. For the last two weeks, my days have been filled with helping the students enroll, writing and organizing a subject syllabus, finalizing plans for the course, and preparing lessons. Thus my prolonged silence.

I'm now working part time at my dear alma mater, Messiah College. I'm a staff in charge of editing website content. I team-teach as well for the subject History of Diplomacy. My first class was yesterday...and you have no idea how weird it felt to be called "Ma'am" or "Miss" by your former schoolmates, some of whom were just your classmates a year ago. My days are filled with research and the study of foreign languages...supposedly. I haven't gotten back to learning French after I purposefully stopped these past 2 weeks to help out in school.

So. I'm afraid my blog has gathered quite a bit too much dust for the past weeks. I haven't been able to continue the picture challenge, but I hope things will settle down long enough for me to finish it. I do update my Twitter regularly. In the meantime, I shall do my best to sweep away the dust...

Have I Already Said How Much I Love Words?

2011-06-09T22:05:00.002+08:00

Cover of Dead Poets Society

So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavour, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.
—John Keating, Dead Poet's Societ

Lessons from a Marshwiggle

2011-06-02T23:31:00.001+08:00

‘One word, Ma’am . . . All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst of things and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things–trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. . .Then all I can say is, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just four babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can, even if there isn’t any Narnia.'
—Puddleglum, The Silver Chair

Dear, dear old Puddleglum. At a first glance, he appears to be such a gloomy, bleak character. No optimism. No hopes. But there is something admirable about this Marshwiggle. This paragraph in The Silver Chair is when Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum have managed to free Rillian from his bonds. The Green Witch has entered, however, and is trying to trap them in a spell by telling them that they have been dreaming and that Narnia does not exist. Puddleglum, though he probably knows his life is forfeit, defies the Green Witch. What he says shows his true character, his strong convictions, and his love for Aslan.

I love Puddleglum because he was willing to stake his life, choosing to believe in something he loved, even if there was a possibility that it never existed. It makes me wonder how strong each of us would stand up to our convictions whenever we are tested. May we have the same stoutness of heart, courage, and conviction as Puddleglum did when the time comes!

Yay for Old English!

2011-05-25T21:56:00.001+08:00

I love words. I love how Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and Chesterton wrote. I love Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell and nearly ever classic author. And I love Shakespeare and his 54,000 vocabulary. Though they wrote in a wordy fashion, still they wrote beautifully.

PC #18 - Public Speaking

2011-05-24T17:16:00.002+08:00

Day 18: A picture of your biggest insecurity.

Even if I have done this several times, I just shake from my bones every time I have to speak in public. My mouth goes dry and, unless I have a script, my mind goes blank. They say that fear to speak in public is often caused by fear of what other people will think of you and how you deliver the message. I guess that's why this is my biggest insecurity.

Nevertheless, I've learned many lessons along the way—and still am learning more. Last year, Christin showed me a video before we spoke for the Do Hard Things session at a Southern Baptist Camp. It's a sermon of Francis Chan entitled "Think Hard, Stay Humble" and it's all about public speaking. Every now and then, I review this. It helps me a lot whenever I have to speak in public.

PC #17 - The Rebelution

2011-05-19T21:21:00.000+08:00

Day 17: A picture of something/someone that made a big impact in your life.

Story here.

I Fear a Cage

2011-05-17T00:17:00.007+08:00

And [Éowyn] answered: 'All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the House of Eorl and not a serving-woman. I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.'
'What do you fear, lady?' [Aragorn] asked.
'A cage,' she said. 'To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.'

If there ever was a fiction book that echoed non-fiction sentiments about comfort zones, this is it.

Like Éowyn, I fear a cage. I fear comfort zones. I fear them because when I stay within their boundaries and become too comfortable, I will not venture out. If I stay too long, I might never venture out at all, and I will miss the chance to do "great deeds...beyond recall or desire." I fear cages—comfort zones—because I know I can become too comfortable in one, so much that I forget to come out of it and work for the glory of God.

It's not an easy task, however. Think of how difficult it is to get out of bed during the rainy day. Such are comfort zones. They slow down your blood, they make you sleepy, they muddle your priorities.

Stepping out of my comfort zone is something beyond my abilities and capabilities. Stepping out of my comfort zone takes me into the arms of God. And when I do that, then I can do anything He asks me to. Because then, it is not my own strength that flows through me and enables me to do what I need to do, but God's.

When I am out of my comfort zone, I'm not depending on myself, but on God. When I step out, I am allowing God to use me as He wants to use me. I stop being selfish, stop focusing on myself, and turn my focus on God and other people.

PC #16 - Heroes of the Faith

2011-05-07T14:51:00.002+08:00

Day 16: A picture of someone who inspires you.

I'm not one to draw my inspiration from people—I usually draw my inspiration from God—but there are people who have impacted my life by the way they lived and the way they helped out people. They are my heroes.

Amy Carmichael, missionary to India
Picture from here.

Corrie ten Boom, hid Jews in her house during World War II

Jim Elliot, missionary to the Aucas
Picture from here.

Eric Liddell, missionary to China
Picture from here.

These are just a few. There are many more unnamed soldiers of the cross, unsung heroes who have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Throughout their lives, they put Christ and others ahead of themselves and have held nothing back in serving Jesus.

Graduation Speech

2011-04-29T21:54:00.002+08:00

Delivering the Farewell
Speech
Picture by Nicey

Good afternoon!

To our guest speaker, members of the board of trustees and the board of advisers, supporters and sponsors, the faculty and staff, parents, fellow students, friends, relatives, and those others who have come to celebrate with us on this special day of our lives: a wonderful afternoon to you all!

That morning in June, four years ago, when we entered the doors of Messiah College for our Freshman Orientation seems to be such a hazy blur in the past, and yet, this afternoon, perhaps for my batchmates and me, that day is closer in our thoughts and memories, for it seems to have happened only yesterday.

We were strangers starting out on a journeythis journey called college. This journey of discovering friendships. This journey of experiencing new things.

I guess we were all experiencing the same mixture of emotions—nervousness, apprehension, excitment, even fear as we went through the orientation program and perhaps even as we were traveling to Rizal Re-Creation Center for the Leadership Training Institute.

We were all STRANGERS—literally. We were coming from different places and backgrounds with unique experiences and stories to tell of, prior to coming to Messiah College. Yet, in spite of all that, there was a common bond that brought us closer and held us together through the past four years. Somewhere in between Bart's queries about Dr. House and Ranz's jokes, we found something that knit us together for this journey. From strangers, we became friends. From friends, we became family.

Our batch was God’s answers to our faculty and staff’s prayer for more students. The first batch had only 8 and when our batch came in...Bingo! The school population quadrupled! Suddenly, there were 32 students moving around the lobby, in and out of the canteen and the classrooms! An amazing answer to prayer!

As we first started out in this journey, we didn't give a thought about what we'd have to go through. But each experience eventually helped us grow as individuals and as a batch. And each experience brought us together—the Rizal play where Gio had to memorize complete paragraphs in Tagalog; the math classes where we had to explain why 1 and 1 made 2; the Speech classes where, out of stage fright, we would pray for Rapture to happen; Literature classes where we learned that “pain is an element of blank, and that “the world of dew is a world of dew, and yet, and yet...” and where the word “jilt” became one of the most popular words in the Messiah College vocabulary; P.E. Classes where we grew physically while dancing, exercising, and stretching our muscles; and even the fun bonding times when we would play Ligretto or dodge ball in the lobby, or the after-class sessions when we would all go to Galleria, which we fondly nicknamed “Galle,” to share what we'd learned for the day or to discuss the difference between hyphens, n-dashes, and m-dashes, or if we were Calvinists or Armenians, or who would get the next gold star in Kid Nation.

Each of these experiences, along with the lessons we learned from various subjects, molded us into who we are right now. Each of these experiences stretched us and made us grow.

And yet, not all days were bright and filled with sunshine. Some experiences were completely unexpected ones, like the time of the typhoons when we all waded through the Ortigas swimming pool (I remember the one during our first year distinctly because I became Cinderella then, losing both my slippers in the current of the flood—don't worry, I had another pair in my bag!), and when some of us got stranded in school because of the Typhoon Ondoy. Well, the one positive thing about that was that we were the first students to ever spend the night in Messiah College.

However, in order for us to truly grow, God used some negative experiences that were painful and eye-opening, to cut away and prune from each one of us the things that would hinder us from serving Him completely. We had to go through some trials during our four-year stay at Messiah, but that was because only when we are tried and purified can we come forth as gold (Job 23:10). In fact, this is the very reason for why our discipleship groups were called GreG. It stands for Gold Refining Groups.

Our four years would not be complete, however, without the presence of the batch that went ahead of us, as well as the younger batches that entered Messiah in the following years and became part of the Messiah family. God gave us ates and kuyas—the first bach of just 8 students. And He also gave us younger brothers and sisters to look after—batches that came after us.

And despite the differences in ages and in backgrounds, we developed strong friendships with them—friendships that continue to grow, memories that we will forever cherish.

Even after this day, even after we have graduated, we will still be here for you—your ates and kuyas— wherever and whenever you need us. We will still visit school and we will still have bonding sessions in the lobby and in Galle. We love you with a thousand hearts.

There are people who have created a great impact in our lives as well, and tonight, we want to thank you all.

To our FAMILIES who have been with us from the very beginning—our brothers and sisters who were always supportive and encouraging and did their best to keep us from getting stressed out. Our parents—who provided for our allowance and asked us what went on in school, who tirelessly helped us and prayed for us, who cooked our baon and gave us things to eat in the night so we wouldn't fall asleep while typing a paper. You have been there for us, you have cheered for us, prayed for us. You were there to rejoice with us when we passed a subject and comfort us when we were not so sure about what grade we would get. Thank you so much, we love you.

To our SPONSORS who have been with us every step of the way—thank you for your support and encouragement. This journey would never be complete without you. God has used you mightily and we are forever grateful. May He continue to bless you a hundredfold and may you continue to bless the lives of other people, just as you have blessed our lives.

To the STAFF—Ate Tess, Ate Mitch, Ate Elah, Ate Digi, Ate Jane, and Kuya Paul—You have been there—some of you since the beginning of Messiah—to help us enroll and you were there up till the very end to help us with the final requirement—getting our clearance. You are the backbone of Messiah College, the people who make sure things work out as they should and even when there is so much to do, you continue to smile and you continue to be such a great encouragement to us. Thank you.

To the FACULTY, the professors to whom God entrusted us there is not enough time to name all of you and thank you all one by one, but please know that we are grateful—so grateful—for teaching us, guiding us, and praying for us through the years. You've made classes fun and interesting. You've challenged us and helped us grow. You've prepared us for the workplace. That job wasn't easy, but you gave it your best. Thank you for preparing the lectures, the PowerPoints, the exams, for checking our assignements and papers. You have shown great patience and faithfulness and you were—and continue to be – wonderful examples to us all. Thank you.

To our DISCIPLERS—OUR GREG LEADERS—P Mans, Tita Marlyn, Kuya Mark, Ma'am Ste, Ma'am Janet, Ma'am Cherry (also known as “Achi”), and my very own GreG leader Ma'am Phoebe (whom we fondly called “GG” which stands for “great-grandmother”)—Where do we even begin to say thank you for all time you have spent talking to us, praying for us, counseling and advising us? One thank you is not enough to show all the gratitude we feel for everything you have done for us. Despite the busyness of your schedules, you've always made the time for us. In spite of the fact that you had endless stacks of papers to check, you've always been there—ready to listen to us and help us. A thousand thank yous.

To my BATCHMATES, the B.I.N.G.O. Batch, to those who are about to receive their diploma this afternoon as well as to those who will remain at Messiah for one more year and those who started out with us but weren't able to continue. It has been an honor and a privilege to journey through college with you. We shall treasure all the memories we have made together and we shall seek every opportunity to make more memories.

So dry your tears and give me your best smiles—we may not see each other every single day after this, as we have grown accustomed to for the past four years, but we will see each other on Facebook or Twitter and during regular reunions.

It may be the end of our college years, but it is the beginning of a new journey together, as professionals and ambassadors of Christ in the workplace.

This day signifies the end of yesterday and the beginning of a new tomorrow. It's the end of some things, and yet it is the beginning of many things.

Four years ago, on that first day, we were scared to death because we did not really know each other. Today, we stand with arms linked, facing the future together.

Four years ago, we were strangers as we started on this journey of college. Today, we are friends, ending the journey of college, beginning a new journey on our own but with our God beside us, faithfully holding our hand and continuing to mold us to be honorable vessels for His use in the workplace.

As we take a step to a new experience, perhaps we feel as Bilbo Baggins did when he stepped out of the gate of his beloved Bag End—a little nostalgic, a little sad, but also a little excited, as we echo his words: “I think I'm ready for another adventure!”

Thank you and good afternoon!

Batch 2011—Intercultural Studies, major in Diplomacy and International Relations, minor in Biblical Studies and Leadership
Picture by Nicey

Batch 2011
Picture by Christia

The B.I.N.G.O. Batch

Adventures in Cebu

2011-04-24T18:36:00.001+08:00

Hola and I'm back!

The view from my window
(just about to take off)

I've been gone for the past week. Went to Cebu and had a grand time. Rode the airplane by myself for the first time and had butterflies in my stomach while checking in. Airplanes, though they are just another form of transportation (just like buses and taxis), have another feeling to them. I don't know what exactly; I just know I felt it. They are, however, one of my most favorite rides. I just love the way it feels like your stomach has floated above your head when you take off and when you land.

I wasn't there alone (another friend, Christin, came along, although we had separate flights). Our main purpose, however, wasn't to have a tour of all the places in Cebu. We were there for the Nazarene Youth Congress as workshop speakers of True Love Waits. I arrived on Monday and came back on Friday. We were able to have a tour of some places the afternoon of Monday and then on Wednesday when we got back from the NYC. However, on Thursday and Friday, we had not much places to go because it was Holy Week and most shops, malls, and tourist spots were closed.

My flight was in the wee hours of the morning, and we touched down in Cebu, just as the sunrise touched the sky. At first, I thought those "things" on the far horizon were tall, tall trees. As the sky grew lighter, however, I realized that they were clouds.

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night." So says Legolas. But I still say that the sunrise was beautiful. :)

Flying overhead...a few minutes just before we landed.

After-lunch tour. We went to Mactan Shrine where Lapu-Lapu (or one of his brave men) killed Magellan.

THAT's Lapu-Lapu. Or rather, a monument of him.

The backpacks of the three Explorers: our tour guide's (Christin's cousin), Christin's, and mine.

Souvenir shops at the Mactan Shrine.

Cebu has two Islands: Mactan and the main island where Cebu City is located. We stayed in Mactan the whole time but often went to the main island to tour or to go to places. The two islands are connected by two bridges. We were on the first bridge when I took this, and the picture is of the second bridge.

Sto. Niño Church—the oldest church in Cebu, I think.

In the Church of Sto. Niño, people often light candles and offer up prayers.

A replica of Magellan's cross. The real remains of the cross are inside this one.

Dinner at Larsian. It's a well-known barbecue place. You can choose to order your food from any of the many stalls surrounding the place and eat in one of the tables in the center. There's just a big chance of every person tearing up due to the smoke, but the food's really, really worth it and the experience is wonderful.

On the day we went to Cebu Hidden Paradise for the Nazarene Youth Congress, we rode the ferry to mainland Cebu and from there took a bus. We got off at San Fernando and rode the habal-habal (motorcycle for 2) to the mountain top. It was a 10-minute or so drive to the top. Christin and I were saying that it wasn't called "hidden" for nothing, as the resort is truly hidden.
P.S. The real habal-habal in the outskirts of Cebu City is also a motorcycle, but it's not for just 2 passengers. Wooden planks are attached to the motorcycle so that many people can ride. I'm told that the trick is to be good at balancing. I haven't seen one or tried one yet, but I think it would be a fun experience.

Yay! We made it to the top. Haha!
Also, there was no cellphone signal at Hidden Paradise. That's because it's so way up high in the mountains.

Swimming pool! We didn't get to swim though, because we were only there overnight and we were busy speaking. :P

Doing the True Love Waits workshop was lots of fun. And challenging. It was doing Hard Things all over again. Christin and I are used to doing the TLW workshop in small groups, so the maximum number of people is usually 10. This time, we had to do it with around 70+ participants in each session (there were 2 sessions). It was a challenge and a Hard Thing, but we praise God for the strength and the words to say, as well as the new friends we made.

This was the cabin where we stayed. No, not the one up front. The one at the back. The farthest. Christin and I had to climb that hill more than 5 times a day we were there. It doesn't look as steep in the picture as it really is, but by the time we reached the top, we were out of breath and longing for things such as escalators and elevators. Haha.

The Ayala Terraces at Cebu.

Vietnamese lemonade

This is the jeepney in Cebu.

On Thursday (my last day) we walked on the 2nd Bridge and watched the sunset. Very beautiful!

Pictures copyright Peraldaiel and Imbeannonwen. If you want to use them, please let me know. Gracias!

Rosemary Urquico: "Date a Girl Who Reads"

2011-04-12T15:46:00.001+08:00

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.
—Rosemary Urquico

PC #15 - Ambassador

2011-04-10T16:47:00.002+08:00

Day 15: A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Well, I guess this hardly looks like anything I will be doing for the rest of my life, but I shall set about to try to explain what I mean by the picture.

The course I took in college—and will be graduating by the end of this month with a degree in—is Intercultural Studies with a major in Diplomacy and International Relations. Throughout the past four years, I have become more and more aware of the urgency of missions.

A passage in the Bible says:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
—Revelation 7:9-12

And so it is my goal to do my part in the Great Commission in order to fulfill that prophecy. It's my goal to be a missionary in the workplace as I represent the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I may not ever be an ambassador of the Philippines, but I will be (and would rather be) an ambassador of Jesus Christ. And not just in my country, but in other countries as well, to other people from other cultures and tribes and nations.

PC #14 - GReG

2011-04-06T19:36:00.000+08:00

Day 14: A picture of someone you couldn't imagine your life without.

Meet my fellow Gregies. We're in the same discipleship group at our school, called Gold Refining Group. On school days, we'd meet once a week to share what we've been going through, to discuss things we'd thought of, to ask questions, etc. And I can't imagine what it would be like without having them to talk to, without meeting up with them and sharing things. Over the past four years, we've created a strong bond that has molded us into being more than just friends. We are in fact, sisters. Sisters in hearts.

Don't you wish you were a giraffe? :))

2011-04-05T22:17:00.002+08:00

Of Birthdays, Graduations, and Celebrations

2011-04-04T14:21:00.000+08:00

[If I have not yet announced in any previous blog post, I do so now: I will be graduating this year. :))]

The Three Celebrants

To celebrate our graduations—as well as our birthdays, since we will all be turning a year older this April—my sister, a churchmate, and I decided to gather together some youth from our church and treat them out. First we had KKB dinner at Mr. Chow then we went around the area and took pictures and goofed around while waiting for another youth. By that time we were all feeling sleepy, drowsy, and we just wanted to grab a pillow and blanket and curl up in one of those hard chair of SM Annex.

Where we had our dinner

Nice place. Cold and quiet. Too bad the seats are hard.

Goofing around a floor-length mirror. :D

Around 9 p.m. we got up and walked to Starbucks Trinoma to meet our friend. And ordered drinks and cinnamon rolls, which we had along with a bag of chips (not bought from Starbucks). We had a great time talking, laughing, and doing all sorts of crazy things you do when you're so sleepy and suddenly you've had a huge amount of coffee. :P

Yum!!!!

Frappes, cinnamon rolls, and chips.

Pictures from HannAlyssa

PC #13 - These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-04-01T17:46:00.000+08:00

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band(s) or artist(s)

Yay, plural! :)) And since this list could become quite endless, I have decided to pick only a few of my most favorite...

Barlow Girl
Some of my favorite songs from there include:
Porcelain Heart
Never Alone
Surrender

Josh Bates
Never Give Up, which is one of my favorite songs was sung by him and first appeared in the movie Facing the Giants.

Joseph McManners
Dear little kid with such an angelic voice. I love his rendition of The Lord of the Rings' "In Dreams."

Josh Groban
Favorite songs include:
Remember When It Rained
If I Walk Away
The Prayer (with Charlotte Church)
Home to Stay
My Heart Was Home Again
Etc...

Libera
They are a choir of little boys who have such sweet voices.
A few of my favorites are:
Far Away
Time
Air in G

Karly Jurgensen
I love her voice, her songs, and how she plays the piano.

Lea Salonga
I think there is not a single Filipino who does not know who Lea Salonga is. Her voice is a familiar sound in households as many love hearing her songs. She not recreates old tunes but composes her own melodies as well. She's also the voice behind the well-known Jasmine (Disney Princess) singing a the A Whole New World duet with Aladdin.

PC #12 - My Family

2011-03-28T22:13:00.000+08:00

Day 12: A picture of something you love.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family."
—Anthony Brandt

We're a crazy bunch. We're a mix of loud and noisy and quiet and solemn. We like kidding each other, teasing each other, joking around. We're not perfect. We get mad, annoyed. We have verbal disputes, but we love each other still.

Need I say more? :))

PC #11 - Eeeww!

2011-03-27T00:02:00.000+08:00

Day 11: A picture of something you hate.

It's not that I hate lizards (and snakes). They just seem to always fall on me (the lizards, not the snakes—in fact I've never held a live snake and don't mean to). *shudder* I chose a beaded lizard 'coz' I don't really like seeing the real ones.

PC #10 - Love, Hope, and a Home

2011-03-08T22:54:00.000+08:00

Day 10: A picture of something you want to do in your life.

I love children. I love talking to them and playing with them and just seeing them. Maybe it comes with growing up in a pretty large family—we're six kids all in all—or assisting in Sunday School. I love hearing children talk in their tiny voices. I love it when they make up stories and present gifts that consist of leaves and dirt—but it's all from the heart, so how can one resist?

That being said, although it's not enough to really explain how much and why I love kids, I have this burden in my heart to begin an orphanage someday, somewhere. There are so many kids out there who don't have families and don't have homes and don't have hope.

I used to have a dream, one same dream over and over again, where I was rescuing children from a place where their lives were threatened. That was when I was younger and when I had no idea that such terrible things really exist. But I know that they do, based on my studies and research. Maybe this is what drives me to establish a place for children. Even if I don't believe in premonitions and foretelling in dreams, I know God gave me this desire to minister to kids.

I want to offer them love—give them a chance to experience a family, give them a chance to have a place they can call home, and give them a chance to hope and dream for themselves. It's not going to be the regular kind of orphanage. My dream is that this orphanage will change the meaning of "orphanage" per se. When I search for that word in the internet, it's always got such a lot of negative connotations—you've got 2 movies that have a supernatural, psychotic plot with regards to orphans and orphanages; you've got children starving and being beaten and singing "It's a Hard Knock Life" while scrubbing floors.

I want to put up an orphanage that will take away those kinds of thoughts. Where children will learn what love is and where they will learn Who is their Maker. Where they will learn how to help one another and care for one another. That's the kind of orphanage I want to put up. Where, I don't know, God will lead me to the place. How is up to God as well...but it's a dream that can't die and it's a dream I pray that God will allow me to fulfill.

PC #9 - The 'bestest' friend anyone could ever have

2011-02-28T18:51:00.000+08:00

Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

We all have different standards for friendships. But I think we will all agree that we like the friend who is loyal.
Who understands us.
Who knows what we feel like on the days we can't express ourselves.
Who knows what we are like when we're crazy.
Who will never let us down.
Who is fiercely loyal.
Who loves us no matter what.
Who will give us a shoulder to cry on when we're feeling down.
Who will rejoice with us during the times we're incredibly happy.
Who helps us grow in every aspect.

I think we all have one or more friends who possess some of those characteristics. But I think what we want is someone who will see us through both good and bad circumstances in life. Someone who will always be there for us.

I confess I don't have a picture of the person who plays that role in my life. Cameras didn't exist back then and I don't think any painter was able to capture his marvelous features. All I have is a picture of what he did to see me through life.

More than 2,000 years ago, my Best Friend died so that I might live. He took my place on the cross and took all the punishment that was supposed to be mine. I had not yet been born—but He died for me anyway, for my past, present, and future sins. And I know He did the same for you. He died, but not He lives. He defeated death so that we might have life and hope in Him. What He wants to be now, is your Best Friend, too, just like He is my best friend. And He will see you through whatever is going on in your life and will love you and be there for you always, no matter what.

PC #8 - Beware!

2011-02-26T18:22:00.002+08:00

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh.

Well, never underestimate strength! Dynamites come out of little packages! :D

PC #7 - Above all else, guard your heart...

2011-02-13T22:03:00.001+08:00

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item.

When I turned fifteen, my parents took me out to dinner as part of a family tradition (they did this to my older sister and two younger sisters when they turned fifteen as well). After dinner, they gave me a special necklace as a gift, with a pendant of a heart and key. They told me that the heart represented my very own heart and the key was a representation of a choice—the person I would choose to give my heart to.

It's been almost seven years, and I haven't given the key to anyone yet because I haven't given away my heart yet. And I am in no hurry to. I'm not looking for someone to give me roses and chocolates this Valentine's Day and I'm not looking for a candlelight dinner either.

The necklace is a treasured item because my parents gave it to me for my birthday. But most importantly, it's a reminder that true love waits—patiently, for God's perfect timing.

Many girls these days give their hearts away too easily. Many girls exchange their hearts of clear crystal glass for a diry, broken one. It is because they are pressured by their peers, or pressured by our culture and the world's standards, and what the latest telanovelas are showing.

Pretty soon, there will be nothing left but shards of someone's broken heart, and nothing but pain, regret, and sorrow.

"Broken pieces in your hands
Wondering how you'll make it whole

You know, you say
This can't be the way
You cry, you say
Something's gotta change
And mend this porcelain heart of mine..."
-BarlowGirl

I love that song because it offers hope to all the broken-hearted people out there that there's a Someone who can mend broken hearts. That Someone is Jesus who's willing to take the shards of your broken heart and make it whole again.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
-Psalm 4:23

(My parents changed the necklace a few birthdays later because the first one, the necklace on the left with the heart-and-key pendant faded and could not be cleaned. The second necklace—on the right—they bought for me only had a heart and a dear childhood friend of mine gave me the I-love-you-mail pendant for Christmas.)

PC #6 - Lady Firebird Elspeth Angelo

2011-02-09T00:15:00.000+08:00

Day 6: A picture of a person you would like to trade places with.

If I could trade places with anyone, it would be Lady Firebird Elspeth Mari Angelo of Netaia (the lady in the book cover). She's a fictional character from Kathy Tyers' bestselling Firebird series and while she had her share of weaknesses, there's a lot in her to be admired as well. :) 'Nuff said. :D (I don't want to spoil the book for those who haven't read it yet.)

BOOK: Authentic Beauty

2011-02-06T18:48:00.000+08:00

"AUTHENTIC BEAUTY may very well be one of the rarest earthly treasures today. It holds a magnetism far beyond the loveliness of a properly painted face, and it possesses a charm that towers over the enchanting grace of a sweet personality. It is not ever to be discovered in the pomp and polish of high society, nor in the silk and satin of those conformed to popular culture. Rather, it emerges only rarely in each generation, and that in the life of a young woman—a young woman who is deeply in love with the Prince of her soul."

PC #5 - DHT Philippines

2011-02-06T15:55:00.000+08:00

Day 5: A picture of a good memory.

I think I shall break the rule this time. Instead of posting one picture, I will post two. :P

Last summer of 2010, we were gathering youth from different churches and having meetings to bring a conference here to the Philippines. Well, the conference was canceled, but even then, we had a wonderful time fellowshipping and getting to know each other. We also had a chance to meet up one more time a few days before the supposed conference date—to have a prayer day. And now, one year later, that's one of the best memories I had. It was wonderful seeing all the young people challenged and doing things bigger than themselves, all for the glory of God. We do not know what God has in store for us this year, or for the next few years, but we're excited to take the challenge and do whatever He has set out for us to do.

PC #4 - Starry, Starry Night

2011-02-02T23:12:00.000+08:00

Day 4: A picture of a good night.

First of all, I'm a big fan of Van Gogh's painting and the song as rendered by Josh Groban. But that's not why I chose this picture as something to depict a 'good night.' I chose it because I can imagine the gentle wind blowing the clouds to reveal the stars in the sky. For me, while a good night sounds like one that involves sleeping and dreaming, I love nights when I can go out and gaze into the sky and count the stars...breathe in the calmness and peacefulness of it all and thank God for how He made the night.

PC #3 - White Collar

2011-01-21T22:19:00.001+08:00

Picture Challenge Day Two - A picture of the cast of your favorite show(s).

I don't watch TV. I would much rather read books. But for a while last year, there was this TV series that my dad, the younger kids, and I took interest in ('cause I don't know if I can count BBC's versions of Pride and Prejudice and Emma as TV shows). The title is White Collar.

Mozzie, Neal, Peter, Elizabeth (Peter's wife)

It's about crimes done my professionals. Not criminals, but respectable people, such as doctors, lawyers, judges, and the like. In each episode, FBI officer, Peter, tries to solve a crime. He is often aided by Neal and his funny friend, Mozzie. Neal used to be a criminal but was released from prison—his cleverness and quick wit for the FBI in exchange for information about his girlfriend, Kate (which is part of the bigger thing they're trying to solve). In short, Neal is tasked to use "the grey cells, mon ami! what is the motive!" according to Hercule Poirot.

Well, the first season has ended (without actually resolving the major conflict) and the 2nd season hasn't begun in the Philippines. So we haven't actually seen anything on TV since then...

PC #2 - Kindred Spirits

2011-01-17T23:30:00.000+08:00

Picture Challenge Day 2 - A picture of you and someone you're close with

A bosom friend--an intimate friend, you know--a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul.
-L.M. Montgomery

I actually had difficulty deciding who's picture I would put up. Though I'm not much of an outgoing person, once I get to know someone very well, I begin to open up my heart. And so, I've decided to post the picture of some friends who I've become really, really close to since the day we first met.

Me, Christin, Ate Ree, Ate Leslie

They are the ladies at True Love Waits Philippines. Ate Ree is basically my mentor. She was the one who gave me that crash-course training on what TLW is all about. Ate Leslie is our the volunteers' "boss." Christin's my churchmate and we have a million things in common. Plus, she's my co-blogger for Godly Ladies in Training.

Honestly, these three ladies are more than "people I am close to." They are kindred spirits after the fashion of Anne Shirley and Diana Barry. Conversations with these ladies always bring forth many life lessons and life truths. And even when we're laughing and having a good time, we continue to learn from each other...

Thanks, TLW Girls! I miss you and I heart you. :D

(Picture by Kuya Oda.)

PC #1 - Bonjour, J'mappelle Alyssa

2011-01-12T23:11:00.001+08:00

Well, I saw this "Picture Challenge" somewhere on the Internet and decided to try doing it (although I can't say that I'll be able to make one post per day). Basically, it gives something for you to post each time—a picture with a story, a picture with a friend, a picture of something, etc.—something that will prompt you to tell you more about yourself. So here goes.

Picture Challenge Day 1 - A picture of you and 10 facts of yourself

10 FACTS ABOUT MYSELF
1. I am an ambassador of Christ. I met Him when I was a kid and served Him since then.

2. I am a Rebelutionary. A Rebelutionary is one who goes against the low expectations of an ungodly culture (The Rebelution). I am challenged to do Hard Things and pursue excellence, not because I want to gain renown, but because I want to glorify God.

3. I am a Purity Advocate. Maybe you've heard it before: "True Love Waits." "Worth the wait."—phrases like that. Well, I believe in keeping myself pure, not just in body, but in my mind and heart as well.

4. I am a Pro-Life Advocate. I believe that life begins at conception and to kill a baby (even if it is smaller than a cell) is murder.

5. I love reading. I would choose books over TV, movies, and anything else. My parents taught me to read when I was around 4 years old. The very first novel I read was Little House on the Prairie, a book I read over again once I reached the last page. Almost a decade later, I still haven't lost the love for that series...or for reading either.

6. I love writing. Guess it comes hand-in-hand with reading? Well, not all the time. :P I've tried to take the challenge in NaNoWriMo, but haven't made it anywhere near 50,000 words yet...

7. I love languages, cultures, and people from all over the world. Which is why I took my course—Intercultural Studies, major in Diplomacy and International Relations. If it is ever possible to know all languages, I'd learn them (hence the title). :)

8. I sing. (So they say. :P) I back-up in our church's worship band and I used to sing in our choir.

9. I love office supplies. From pens to notebooks to stick-it notes to markers to planners—you name it! It's kinda my weakness. :P

10. I love going to different places. I just like exploring and going on adventures... :)

iDISCIPLE Camp 2010: Gospel in Life

2011-01-02T15:38:00.001+08:00

I had the wonderful privilege of being part of iDISCIPLE's camp staff last December 26-30. The iDISCIPLE is a holiday camp of the Southern Baptist Church's of Luzon. It was my first time to experience a camp outside of the Fundamental Baptist one, but I learned a lot and enjoyed a lot.

We were blessed to hear inspiring messages from God, brought to us by speakers who challenged us rethink our lives. We learned a lot from the sessions, the activities, and from just talking and fellowshipping with one another.

Of course, there was also bonding time. Bonding with new people, new friends and acquaintances, and bonding with old friends, such as the True Love Waits Philippines staff. I particularly enjoyed talking and hanging out with them because I rarely get to do so, being busy with school and all.

Christin and I were invited to talk about Do Hard Things in one of the workshops. The 450+ campers could choose any of the topics (from Do Hard Things to Dug Down Deep and other workshops on missions and other topics). Prior to the camp, we were told that we would be handling one of the biggest workshops...and when we got there and began the workshops, we discovered that we indeed had a big crowd. Talk about doing Hard Things! Not only were we encouraging the youth to do it, we were also learning it as well. God is good!

Another "Hard Thing" I encountered was leading a small group. The three times I attended a camp (SIBFK-AAFC), twice I was a camper, and once I was a kitchen staff. This was my first time to lead a small group and to be a counselor. Something hard, something challenging, but something God enabled me to do.

Naphtali was the name of our group—a blending of Christin's small group and my small group. They had a cheering competition, flag competition, and teambuilding activities. Because Christin and I were staff, we couldn't join, but that didn't stop us from yelling out loud "NAPHTALI! NAPHTALI! NAPHTALI! NAP-NAP-NAP-NAP-NAPHTALI!" :D

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

(pictures taken by Ate Ree and Kuya Oda)

Repertory Philippines' Little Women

2010-12-17T00:29:00.000+08:00

If you've read the Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and you've met me and my sisters, you'd think we were taken out of the book itself. That's Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, living in my older sister, me, and my two younger sisters.

Last Sunday, my sisters and I (along with one of our closest guy friends whom we have now lovingly dubbed "Laurie") had the opportunity to watch Repertory Philippines' Little Women. I have always loved watching stage plays since the I saw the Pevensie siblings come to life in Trumpets' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Since then, I've seen three more other plays (Honk, Aladdin Jr., and N.O.A.H.) before last Sunday's special treat.

What can I say? Speechless would be the best adjective to describe how I felt. Everything was so smashing good, from the actors/actresses to the songs to the stage effects! This was also my first time to watch a play with a live chamber orchestra. Beautiful, beautiful music. Kudos to the conductor (Gerald Salonga) and the musicians.

And the play itself? Spectacular! We laughed with March sisters as they encountered the aches, pains, and challenges of growing up. We cried when Beth died and the stage effects cast a lovely sunset view that was just melancholy and heartbreaking.

As I said, it was like seeing my sisters and I in a mirror-like kind of way. We're not living during the Civil War and we've got two boys in the family and our third sister is alive and walking and very healthy, but the characters of the four March sisters are very much like our own (in proper order too).

I can't wait for Peter Pan this September 2011. Sam Concepcion. ♥

- Jo April
(Jo, the second March sister, my order, too, among us girls; April—all us girls were born April, hence the pun)

Watched: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-12-10T23:01:00.002+08:00

Last Friday, we went on a family date, something we rarely get to do 'coz' everyone's just so busy with school, work, ministries, and other activities. Anyway, it was decided upon that we would watch The Voyage of the Dawn Treader during its 3D premiere showing—the very first time for some of us to watch in 3D. (Wait, I think everyone has seen something in 3D prior to watching Dawn Treader except for me. :P) After the movie, we decided to grab a bit to eat at Mr. Chow, one of the restaurants that recently opened up in SM.

Concerning Dawn Treader (and I will try not to include too much spoilers)...
Let me begin by saying this was a relief after Prince Caspian. I think many fans thought so, too. There is hope that the Dawn Treader will dispel the negative notions caused after Prince Caspian came out. I read somewhere that the number of people who will watch The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will determine if the next movie, The Silver Chair, will be made. The tendency of the film makers (of the past and present Narnia films) is to treat the series as a whole and to try to connect the seven stories (which is actually difficult to do because they're about different people). The books should, instead, be treated as individual tales that happened in one magical place; Aslan and Narnia are what hold the books together, not the other characters.

Though the Dawn Treader takes on a new plot (they added seven swords to the seven lords), it still basically follows the story line pretty faithfully. Though there were a few things that irked me—like Caspian mentioning Susan; Edmund becoming the greedy one (the script had him say Caspian's lines in the book); how "fast-paced the whole movie seemed"; Edmund and Caspian "fighting" over Liliandil, the Star's daughter (and the Star, Ramandu, isn't even there, tsk), etc.—it was a good thing I paid for my own ticket so I was compelled not to walk out. Sayang eh. :P

One more thing, it's ok not to watch it in 3D. The effects are so minimal—water sprinkling out was the best—and since there are a lot of conversations, you can't expect anything marvelously 3D-ish to come out of two people talking to each other. I was kinda disappointed that we weren't "hit" by the dragon's tail or the sea serpent didn't devour us. I would have loved to scream during my first 3D experience. Haha. :P

I'm an INFJ

2010-12-01T23:28:00.000+08:00

We took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in our Theories of Personality subject yesterday. Prior to taking it yesterday, I had only taken it once, and that was more than four years ago in a seminar done by one of our psychologists in church.

According to the MBTI, there are sixteen different kinds of personalities. Taking the test will determine if you are an introvert or an extrovert; if you use sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, judging, or perceiving.

Back then, my results showed that I was an INFP—Introvert-Intuition-Feeling-Perceiving.

"For INFPs the dominant quality in their lives is a deep-felt caring and idealism about people. They experience this intense caring most often in their relationships with others, but they may also experience it around ideas, projects, or any involvement they see as important. INFPs are often skilled communicators, and they are naturally drawn to ideas that embody a concern for human potential. INFPs live in the inner world of values and ideals, but what people often first encounter with the INFP in the outer world is their adaptability and concern for possibilities."
-Charles Martin

My results yesterday showed that I've changed, and that I'm now and INFJ—Introvert-Intuition-Feeling-Judging.

"For INFJs the dominant quality in their lives is their attention to the inner world of possibilities, ideas, and symbols. Knowing by way of insight is paramount for INFJs, and they often manifest a deep concern for people and relationships as well. INFJs often have deep interests in creative expression as well as issues of spirituality and human development. While the energy and attention of INFJs are naturally drawn to the inner world of ideas and insights, what people often first encounter with INFJs is their drive for closure and for the application of their ideas to people's concerns."

My Last Ministry Week

2010-11-26T23:37:00.001+08:00

A memorabilia of my last Ministry Week.

We were three teams that went to Dagupan, Pangasinan. The ministry there was great and I know that God is really working among the churches. I'm praying about an opportunity to go back and perhaps conduct some evangelism trainings and other workshops in the churches, particularly Dagupan Hope.

During our debriefing time, back in Manila, the team gave us stars—something like a graduation gift. Aww, so sweet of them. =) This Ministry Week was one of the best, and I will always remember it and treasure every memory built there and even after. It was wonderful bonding with my batchmates and the other lower years. 5 days is not enough to really bond, but with the few months I have left in Messiah, I want to invest a great deal of my time on them, especially the younger batches since they're the ones I don't really get to spend time with.

Each person on the team made my last Ministry Week memorable and I can't imagine what Team Pangasinan would have been like without them. Mahal ko kayo, mga pangga! =)

Just Some Thoughts

2010-11-17T00:10:00.002+08:00

Leaving everything to God. Past, present, and future. There's no describing how long I've wrestled over this, how long I've pondered and worried, how long I've been fearful and even afraid...only to realize that I have no control and there is nothing I can do, but to leave it all up to God. We're all lumps of clay, being molded by our Potter. We can influence other people, but we can't mold them. Only God can do the molding. And when we try to do the molding, on ourselves and on other people, then we are taking God's job and making it our own, and there is no way we will ever turn out to be what He wants us to be.

A Tag: Eight Questions

2010-11-05T16:34:00.000+08:00

My sister tagged me several weeks ago. I only had the chance to do this now. Anyone who wants to join the fun can do so! Just answer the questions at the bottom of this post. Enjoy! :D

1. Which do you prefer—cooking or eating? I say both! :D

2. If you were suddenly given a million dollars, how would you spend it?I'd spend it on books. :D Well, ok, not all of it. But a great deal of it will be devoted to fixing a personal library inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

3. What is/are your favorite website/s? Hmm. The Rebelution. Being a Girl Books. Blogger. Tumblr. NaNoWriMo. Christian Magazine websites. Photo editing websites. Scrablog. Etc.

4. If you could live in a fictional world/place (from a book or movie), what would it be? Firebird's world, definitely (a galaxy different from our own where aircraft shuttle back and forth from many different planets and things such as epsilon touches and alpha matrixes exist). Or Middle-Earth. Or Pemberly. :D

5. What is one thing you're waiting for? Narnia! Need I mention it's taking forever to come out this December? :P

6. Favorite rose color? Pink and yellow. (I think that was inspired by Anne of the Green Gables or Daddy-Long-Legs.

7. What do you want the world to remember you for? For someone who stood for what she believed in.

8. If you were to throw a bottled message into the sea, what would the message say? "Please rescue me from falling for you." Joke. I don't really know. I'll probably introduce myself and ask whoever finds it to write me a letter saying they got it. See how boring? That's why I came up with the "rescue me" stuff. :P

Tagging...
Christin
Deedee
Ate Cat
And whoever wants to answer these questions:

1. Who are your heroes? (Dead or alive.)
2. What do you collect? Why?
3. What is one book (aside from the Bible) you could read over and over again and never tire of?
4. If you could trade places with a book character, who would it be and why?
5. What have you always wanted to do but have never gotten a chance to do yet?
6. What is the most important advice you were ever given?
7. What's the best gift you've ever received?
8. What is do you want to do to make a difference in this world?

Fond Memories of Doc

2010-11-03T01:19:00.000+08:00

I just got back from the "service" Messiah College held at Doc Matienzo's wake. We entitled it "Fond Memories with Doc Matienzo." It was a time for us to share the things Doc told us, our memories with Doc, the lessons he taught that we could never forget, the stories he shared, etc.

I didn't get a chance to speak in front. I couldn't—I didn't want to flood the place. But what I could not say, I will say now.

I entered Messiah College in June 2007. Prior to that, my experience with the "outside world" was very minimal as I was homeschooled. Nevertheless, we had been well-trained to talk to people and other stuff like that. At home, our "first language" (which, according to Doc, is the language you are most fluent in and the primary language that you think in or speak in) was English. Our parents wanted to train us to speak English the right way. Also, we couldn't speak much Tagalog because Amah was living with us at that time. Chinese was also not that much of an option because my sister was confusing Chinese consonants with English ones.

Therefore, I had not that much background of Filipino when I entered Messiah.

Doc Matienzo was my teacher from Filipino 1 up to Filipino 3. In short, he taught me how to read, write, and speak Filipino. When my pronunciation was wrong, when I couldn't get a sentence straight, he'd never laugh at me, but always encouraged me. When I couldn't understand a word, when I couldn't even create a simple sentence, he'd always provide encouragement and helpful hints.

He was always there to encourage me and my classmates. He was always there to cheer us on. Most of his lessons were wrapped up in stories, but, though he repeated many of the stories through time, they always had new lessons, new perspectives, new angles.

Doc Matienzo was never one to raise his voice. When he was upset, he would scold us, but always in a loving, lolo kind of way.

He was always prompt, starting classes on the dot. Sometimes, he would extend a bit, but that was just fine. He never missed one day of class. Actually, I can recall only one. That was before the retreat of February 2009. He dismissed us early because he said we had to pack for the retreat.

Doc was always one with a sense of humor. He'd make us laugh with his stories and jokes and with his way of saying things.

And that's what I miss most and appreciate most about him.

It's kinda hard to let this sink in as a I realize that he won't be there to hand us our certificates if ever we make it to the Dean's List or President's Circle. He won't be there to sign our clearance papers and our grade with his firm and steady signature. He won't be there to talk about the latest goings-on in the world or to tell more stories about meeting up with Nick Joaquin and some of the other well known literary people.

But what's more, he won't be there to attend our graduation and, as one of my classmates said, we won't be able to line up to him and mano him as a sign of respect and gratitude.

We're sad, yet we rejoice because there will come a day when there will be a great reunion and we shall see Doc again.

Lemony Snicket on Death

2010-11-02T02:08:00.002+08:00

"It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things."
-Lemony Snicket

See You in Heaven, Doc

2010-10-29T22:32:00.001+08:00

Sometimes, there are no words to say when someone you know has passed away. There's this moment of disbelief and shock as you try to digest what has just happened, while you search in your mind for some reason.

For some of us, it is harder. Some of us have friends, family members, relatives, acquaintances who pass away while they are so young. And we ask, "Why?"

"Doc Nars," one of my professors, passed away earlier this evening. It came as a shock because we thought he was getting better, after his kidney dialysis and medication and all that hospital stuff.

Most of the time, however, death has a way of taking you by surprise.

My comfort is that we'll be seeing Doc again some day, in Heaven. Although we are sad at the thought of him being gone, we have the hope that we will one day be reunited with him in Heaven. (And he'll be able to tell us more stories about Nick Joaqin and Filipino.)

We'll miss you, Doc. We love you. See you in Heaven!

I Like the Results Today

2010-10-11T22:59:00.000+08:00

You Love to Talk About Ideas

You like your conversations to be deep and meaningful. You are not a big fan of small talk.

You are open to all sorts of conversation topics, especially if they are unique or interesting. You love it when a conversation takes you somewhere unexpected.

You will talk about anything, even if it's controversial or weird. You aren't shy about speaking your mind.

You may shock people with what you're willing to talk about, but at least it's more interesting than discussing the weather.

What Do You Love to Talk About?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher.

You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

You Are Reflective

During your downtime, you like to think about the world around you and develop theories.

You secretly wish that you could be a more knowledgeable person. There are a dozen things you'd like to get your PhD in.

You feel optimistic about the world, and you feel like you deal with everyday life well. You hardly notice problems.

You are inspired by your own thoughts and observations. You don't need much outside influence in order to feel inspired.

The Cafe Test

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

All for a Special Purpose

2010-10-09T18:33:00.000+08:00

It's my Senior year and we're putting on the finishing touches to the first semester. One of those "finishing touches" must be that we get into an OJT before the semester ends. We tried UNDP, some embassies, and we were supposed to try DFA, but the thing with applying there is that it is quite difficult to get in, plus most embassies do not accommodate anyone other than their own nationals. DFA, we didn't try anymore because of the difficulty and the distance (although that's a pretty lame excuse).

Still, everything happens for a reason and God has a purpose. I'll be starting next Monday at an organization. It is by faith that we will be taking that OJT since it would require that we participate on the Saturday events (and we've always had classes on Saturdays, since the very first semester). Prayerfully, there won't be any Saturday classes next semester as we wrap up the OJT, the school year, and basically our whole college life.

This organization where I will be taking my OJT is not exactly my first choice, but I have a sense that God has some special purpose. My first choice came too late, but I'm praying about working or volunteering their in the future. We'll see what God has in store.

I ♥ Pablo Neruda

2010-10-06T00:02:00.002+08:00

Tonight I can write the saddest lines

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example,'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her voide. Her bright body. Her inifinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my sould is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.

He captured it so perfectly. I need say nothing more.

(This is probably the 3rd or 4th time I've posted this particular poem of Neruda. I don't know. I don't want to recycle the previous posts because each different time it was posted had a different reason, just as tonight's reason is different from all the other reasons...)

My Cambodia Cross-Cultural Exposure Journal

2010-10-03T21:53:00.000+08:00

A Remake of the Three Musketeers

2010-09-20T21:15:00.000+08:00

They're doing a remake of The Three Musketeers. This one's starring Orlando Bloom and Matthew Mcfadyen. Orlando Bloom's the Duke of Buckingham. I can't remember who the Duke is, exactly, but I researched a little and found that he's not really a shady character (which is a relief to the Orlando fans like me). Matthew Mcfadyen played Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (2005). He was "fine," he was a gentleman, but Colin Firth will always be the Mr. Darcy of my choice, always and forever. Matthew Mcfadyen will be playing Athos in this Musketeer remake. Athos is one of the 3 musketeers. ♥ I think I shall like him muchly in this role. Hope this movie turns out very much all right.

Thoughts on Purity

2010-09-16T15:05:00.002+08:00

Christin and I delivered a little talk at Lizette's church last Sunday. Our topic was purity, particularly emotional (heart), mental, physical, and spiritual purity. I touched up on the emotional and mental aspect, and Christin talked about the physical and spiritual aspect of purity.

In preparation for my topics, I took out our copy of Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot to read and discovered many things (some I remember, some I'd forgotten) that are happening today.

Women, according to Mrs. Elliot, when they are not satisfied with how things are going, will be the initiators. Sometimes with great subtlety, sometimes boldly, we will do everything in our power to make someone we like notice us (or at least remind them that we're alive)...especially if it is a guy we view with a romantic eye. This is actually evident a great deal these days. I see it everywhere, when I'm people-watching in the bus or at a mall. It's even evident on Facebook. =)

A second thing Mrs. Elliot said (and what my talk was basically about) was that we need to keep pure. Not just physically pure, but we must also keep our hearts emotionally pure. I remember Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, particularly the part when Christian was going through Vanity Fair. As he was walking through the streets, he saw many sights, appalling and shocking and saddening. One of them was of a girl who changed her pure crystal heart for a broken one. Sometimes, we think it's okay to taste the pleasure of this world for the sake of experience. It's not. We might say that it's just for fun, or just for entertainment. We become unguarded; we watch books and movies that affect our emotional purity...not knowing that they're destroying a part of our hearts, that they're chipping away from the pure crystal clear heart that we have. That's why we've got to be careful with the books we read, the TV shows/movies we watch, the magazines we scan, the songs we listen to. The list goes on and on. Another cause for concern and another area to be watchful over is how we respond to the things that go on around us. Granted, it's natural for guys to be attracted to girls and vice versa (isn't there something like the laws of attraction?). And even if we say the celebrity response "we're just friends," we need to be careful when we receive text messages, wall posts, e-mails from them because they can stir up feeling that shouldn't be stirred up.

Song of Solomon 8:4
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.