November 30, 2011

So I've heard that today's the day of one of our national heroes. It is the day when we are supposedly honor the courage and the contributions of this person to the lives of the Filipinos. But, as if nothing happened. I woke up late in the morning still sick. There were no classes because it's supposedly a holiday. Moments went on and it turned out to be a normal, boring holiday. Just watching television and surfing the net all day.

The night went on, watched the news, but turned out, no Andres Bonifacio Day news on the headlines. There were news on deaths, crimes, awards, and rallies, but no honoring for him. There were nonsense showbiz news, endless commercials, useless countdowns, but no sign. Is it me or is he forgotten already?

Going back to my history, Andres Bonifacio was one of the heroes who is found in our money. But much more than that, he sparked the swords of the Filipinos during the Spanish regime in the Philippines when our national hero was in jail. He led in the formation of the most famous war group in the Philippines. He initiated the tearing of the cedulas which symbolizes the Filipinos' rage against the Spaniards. He fought many battles, but he lost to all. But, this paved way to other battles around the Philippines during those times.

Unlike many heroes who died as martyrs, he died differently. He was executed by fellow Filipinos themselves for he and his brother allegedly did something. I cannot remember that anymore. Sadly, the leader during those times were his former friend.

Many might considered him to be the national hero more than Rizal. I do say Bonifacio has done quite many things that stirred our history, but I just don't know if he is really fit to take that title. I may not give the right reasons why. But, I think his title now is fitting to him more, "The Father of the Philippine Revolution."

So this post is not just a reminder that November 30 is Andres Bonifacio's day, or the day that we have no classes, or the day that Sec. Butch Abad said that Elena Bautista-Horn needs a psychiatrist. This is a post that would remind us that Andres Bonifacio is not just a man of courage, but a person that would linger in our midst forever and ever.

Wait.

I am not quite really sure if Filipinos know that today is his day. I'm not quite sure if my sister knows why today is a vacation day. I'm not sure if the people parting on the clubs know that today is his day. Well, honestly speaking, I never knew that today is his day until just a while ago when I received a text relating to Bonifacio. People like me really needs to master these dates already. It's more than a day without classes, you know.

As what my grandmother says, and I conclude,

"Andres Bonifacio, a tapang a tao.
a putol a kamay, hindi aatras.
a putol a paa, hindi tatakbo."


Good night everyone. Goodbye November.

Colds

I've got colds and I hate it. That's all.

Clocks

Just a short note.


No one is useless. Never say you are one. Even in your deepest and darkest despair. Look at the clock without any batteries. All its hands are still in place. There might be no energy to support its life, but hey, it still gives you the exact time twice a day. Everybody has a reason to live. Never say you're useless.

I bid you farewell. Goodnight.

Dear God -- The Post Conference

11 awards.

10 trophies.

4 medals.

Countless certificates.

Countless photos.

Countless memories.

November 23-25, 2011, I’ll never forget you. My time was spent with much fun, much wit, much sweat, and laughs. Of course, that was not the main reason for me going there, but, those will be the things I will remember as I age.

In this post, I will include Dear God, a segment which I’m talking to God.

Dear God. Thank You for all the blessings that You have showered for us. Imagine, all of us garnered at least one award with four going to the next level, and Lord God, we were able to beat other schools and placed 8^th over-all!! Whoa. It’s something I’m proud off. Two were first timers, and they’re going to the next level, our chief goes too, and me, even though I only had one award, I’m going too, and that is one thing I’m going to prioritize. It’s not my forte, but I’m going to practice it. My parents’ money paid off. Nobody went home empty-handed.

Thank You also for giving me the very good company. I enjoyed it better than any other press conference that I had since Grade School. We became brothers and sisters who were sleeping together, playing together, singing together, being CSI agents together, and traveling together. I mean, for that merely 2 days of being together as a group, it felt like a month or two. It was more than a contest for me. Thank You God.

Room 316. I’ll never forget this room. A very mysterious, cryptic, mystifying room which left all of us astounded. I’m making a fictional story about that incident which happened. I may be deviating from the original story, but hey, I want to make it creepier. Haha. Imagine, a room with the sound of the television. We were knocking and shouting, but no one dared to open. Due to this, the managers and some security guards came and confronted us because they were guests. Haha. Total humiliation.

To the LHEPC! Okay, so we need Php40,000 so that we could go to the contest. Hoping to God we can gather that amount.

November 23-25, 2011, I'll never forget you.

11 awards.

10 trophies.

4 medals.

Countless certificates.

Countless photos.

Countless memories.

Dear God

It's already done. I'm through with all the contests. However, I am not that sure if I will accomplish that much. My mind is not sure but my heart says I did win on all of my contests. My heart says You guided me through all my contests.

Also, I want to payback that large amount of money my parents gave to me just so we could get here. I don't want to waste that money away. God. Whatever the results of these events which we will know tomorrow, I offer everything to You. I love You and in You alone my Hope is found.

God, please also guide my fellow schoolmates who competed in their respective contests. I know it's over but if there is still a way, please. I know we could do this with You,God.

Please also guide as our school paper reaches the top. You know a lot that it was a product of countless sweat and blood and tears.

In the end, whatever happens, never forget that I will always love You no matter what, God.

An Attempt

You do make me still,

So lofty I turn into

I'm going febrile

There's nothing I can do.

But if you will

you encompass me too

you will make me feel

the fondness of you.

*****

you reach out your hand

to the long train you'll go

with nothing but the band

you move to and fro

but when you understand

if it goes out to you

you will get my wand

and forever you'll go.

*****

the leaves twirled inside my mind

the moments do leave behind

i want to forget but I simply cannot

i want to freeze but I would just rot.

you'll go here, you'll go there

but will your promises last forever?

*****

you're like da vinci's art
the curves, the lines, so perfectly made
at first sight, you caught my heart
don't let this moment to fade.

*****

i mimic the trees
you copy the monkeys
you hide on the leaves
i firmly stood still.
you taste all the fruits
while I do recruit
we enjoy the moment
i firmly stood still
you chew nothing, you said
I'm gladly benefited
we'll take part now,
i firmly stood still.

Why Must We Fall?

It was a while since I've visited Adam's blog. And now that I saw it again, I was welcomed into another planet again. In an instant, some 50s music came into my ears and I felt so relaxed. Then, a voice was heard by me. He was telling a tale! I looked at a related post and saw the post, "Why Must we Fall?" There, I saw the lovely tale of two leaves talking. I felt different while listening to the story and reading it all at the same time. I mean, the story is very very, ugh, I can't explain it.

Sigh.

Check out the story here. The blog is at www.owlcityblog.com.

Some Random Thoughts for Today.

I have mustered to my mind some thoughts. Today was a boring day but I have in mind these thoughts which were lingering for about days already. They are different thoughts, probably no connection to each other. Most, if not all, are serious random thoughts, not those silly ones.

11.11.11

It was the 11th day of the 11th month the 11th year of the 2nd millennium. Some things happened this day, some things extra ordinary, some things useless, somethings memorable, some things epic fail.

I saw four cute kittens inside a cabinet in our laboratory. I was deeply moved by their pitiful blue eyes and their soft meows. Their mother can't be found. Trapped inside the cabinet, they must not have eaten for days. These cats were able to walk for the first time considering their feeble feet. They meowed a lot. They were hungry, I thought, but I could not do anything. As much as I wanted to adopt them, I can't. I already have Max and Michelle with us. What more if I add four. Then, our house would be a stinking disaster. I let a classmate of mine adopt two. I'm not quite sure if she did it. Gosh. Where might be their mother? What will happen to them? It's not good to see little kittens die. Such disgrace.

So today, we had our show choir contest today. It was nothing special I suppose because we just had our practice for about less than twenty-four hours (divided into four days - 1 hour for the first day, 2 hours for the second day, 3 hours for the third day, and 8 hours for the fourth day - approximately 11 hours). I was when we competed that our group was only the one which did a real show choir (like Glee). I mean, Mamma Mia! the others had overly produced props and a dozen of costumes changes. Their dances were very extreme and their songs -- not really show choir type. Well, we lost the competition but hey, we struggled a lot. It was my first time to be in a show choir wherein you sing and you dance. But what really let us struggle was, we forgot some of the lyrics. Haha. Unlucky us. We did not reach the top or even the 2nd top, however, take note, it was the Grand Finals. I know I was just a replacement but that was something to be proud of for a lifetime. Yehp. I now know how Finn and the rest of the New Directions fill when they first joined the sectionals.

What else is memorable this day?

Silence sat beside me again a while ago. While the rest of the group was busy putting make-up (I don't like them placing make-ups. I find it irritating.), I was outside the room, in a dark corridor I sat in solitude, as Silence talked to me. The room was noisy, but I never felt Noise since I was out of the room. The sky was starry as Silence and I had our conversation. It was a pretty solitary sight. "You're very quiet," said a companion of mine when she went out of the room. I just smiled. As much as I want to reply to her, Silence forbade me to. The sky was very beautiful that I want to look at it forever. Silence just smiled at me as we both gazed at the night sky. Silence left me when it was the time for us to leave for the competition. That was  another time when we met. It was a long time since we last met.

So much for 11.11.11. I know, we will never meet again. Goodbye.

With Quality comes Great Price.

The Title says it all. If someone wants to have a flat screen LED television, he should pay a great amount of money. However, if he is only after a television, okay, he can buy the cheap one. When joining a Quiz Bee, if you want to be win, produce a quality result and review very well. But if you join just in case of compliance, well then, do not review at all. It's just for compliance anyways. If you want people to read your school paper, then produce a quality paper by putting efforts to it no matter how much it costs. But if you want a school paper for the sake of producing two issues, then fine, turn it to its black-and-whitiest and to its cheapest look like nobody cares and like it's not to be seen by anyone. It's just that simple. With Quality comes Great Price.

Leader

So I have encountered a Facebook page asking students to define what Leadership is. I planned to post there, but, my post would be too long that I diverted here where I can write as long as I could. So here it goes.

Leadership is not really taught. It is innate. It comes from inside. It is learned through experience. Someone does not need to attend a leadership class to know. It just needs to be improved. Being a leader myself, I still got a lot of things to do, to improve. I know that I am still this lazy little lad who would rather stay at home and watch tv than to work until late late at night just to finish a back drop. In our case, we are not fully-pledged leaders already. We already are janitors, artists, dancers, and performers. I don't know but leaders are not servants at all times! Leaders also need to assign other people to do this and that sometimes. They need to meet the whole body and plan and assign jobs to ease the burdens. Leaders must not do everything and then be mad at their subordinates for being lazy. I know what their subordinates would say, "We were not told. We do not know. He did not assign anything." As the leader of the group, he should know it all - at least, plotted them on a piece of paper with the help of others.

I understand that leadership does not need intelligence but it needs initiative. I may say that I am a leader but I am not a responsible one. I fail. I break down. I am not good. But a prayer would always lift me up. Guidance from my Leader would lift me up to another day of stress and commands.

When this school year ends, I would be a normal student again. Free from any responsibility. How I wish that I would be like that. Even for just one semester.

But it seems it is really innate in me. I don't want to brag here but each time there is a group work, I always start the brainstorming. I always call for the members and we plan out things. In the end, I am tasked as the leader. I laugh at myself when I look back a these times. Especially in High School.

So much for leaders.

I'll try to go upward to the higher leaders, but that would be another post. But let me end this post with a quote that I've recited during my campaign when I was in 3rd grade. I can't remember the person who said it, but I have remembered this line already, "Leadership cannot really be taught. It can only be learned."

Todos los Santos

As I lit that candle, I said a short prayer asking God to grant the all the souls rest in peace and be finally be with Him in paradise. It’s a practice we Filipino Catholics when November strikes its first and second. We often go to the cemetery and offer prayers to all the dead relatives. We light candles and give the flowers. And as a Filipino tradition, we leave food to the grave of our relatives.

Only Catholics believe in purgatory, and that is the reason why we pray for the dead. We pray for their souls to journey safely to heaven and be with God forever. And we are not selfish enough to pray only for the people we know. We pray for all the souls, even those who are forgotten. And that is the reason why All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are born. Now this is something I’m really proud of being a Catholic.

This is also a moment when families get together…in front of their relative’s grave. They offer prayers together, stay for a while, eat together, laugh together and do pretty much like any family reunions do. In our case, we were reminiscing what our dead relatives’ were and how they were when they were still alive. Our younger relatives might not met them.

It’s a very momentous event. In our case, we stay up to 8pm and some might even stay until 10pm or even later! That’s how we love our relatives. We know they are dead but, we know they’re souls are still alive. We talk to them at times and offer them food.  That’s different!

Overall, this is not a time when fake ghouls and costumes roam around but a time when we pay respect to the people who have gone ahead of us.