Train the Mouth

I am a traveler. My mind has brought me to places I never even imagined before - nightmares, conclusions, plans, and either reality that could even bite or satisfy. 

Science says that the largest external organ of the body is skin, and as the popular metaphor goes, skin thickens when people finally speak the worst words or act the most awful behavior. 

A moment of reminiscence has placed me into an awkward position of shame when I finally realize that my awful mouth has been the cause of a lot of trouble in my life. Often times, the after shock of an earlier word storm that came out from my own mouth is directed towards the people I love - My family. 

But thank God I know how to say sorry. I guess the peeves of having to say so much has perks after all. - Forgiveness due to solemn reconciliation. 

Despite the fact that my mouth has been the greatest of all my problems, I can say that It could be the stairs towards an achievement. Anyway, I'm in a training right now because I'll be needing the voice in the near future. 

Voice is powerful. Idea is more powerful than an atomic bomb. Being a journalist in the Philippines is quite exciting and funny as well. My internship did not only help me to be determined, it shaped me (Literally shaped.)  I tried to find my luck Malacanang last vacation. The palace is popular not because It is the President's residence, but because people of different personality stays there. People whose integrity or honesty is often questioned by the mass public. The funny thing is, we are the boss during elections, and we are nothing when they are already in the position. Anyway, There is where I found people who speak either to ruin or to make the President's name, well, PLEASANT. (Often times, the succeed, and often times, they turn something into a farce.)

The words of a witness is very important to solve a crime. A lie can manipulate, truth can set free, saying nothing could be the most dangerous more than the fact that It could save a life.

Words can hurt if they are true and sometimes the reason why we say things is because they are based from facts, and therefore, valid. I may have hurt people when I try to correct them and I can say that constructive criticism isn't always helpful. I may have hurt people for saying how bad they are about something though the intention is to make them better. And this is part of my training - to view first the emotional statusof a person before talking. 

Sometimes, the difficulty of stopping our selves to say something that comes of our brain is is part of the challenge to be discreet and cultured in the way we utter words. Whatever we say to people around is is a reflection of how we are raised as persons. Whatever comes out from our mouth is a description of who we really are, and the best thing to do is to always think twice before anybody gets hurt.

"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words." ' Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The Talk Therapy

"Di kasi sila maubusan ng kwento." - Tita Mawie

True to that. We can never tell how and when our lives would end so I chose to show  love to my cousins by talking to them.
This is moli, my cousin, And we love talking.
We saw each other yesterday. I wasn't a huge surprise when I went home with a little sore throat.  HAHA
They say that aside from laughing, talking is another great therapy for someone lonely. It's a way of escape where you can learn and realize something apart from the things you already know. 
It is an extension of an earlier knowledge. wah?
It is re-connecting with the lost ideals brought about by distance. true haha
ABOVE ALL, It is the power to just 'BLAH."

HAPPY TALKING, EVERYONE :)

HAHA. Natamaan lang ako. so, sorry na :D

If she had a gun, she might have pulled the trigger.

I wish to congratulate people whose moms, though not perfect, are loving, considerate, and compassionate. The overview of my childhood is a nightmare. I go to school bearing bruises because of what my own mother describe as “a result of my being dumb and disrespectful to her”.

 I get bruises as a punishment for almost everything I do – from having been late from school, from getting low scores in math, from playing games in the computer for so late, for turning on the lights when I want to cut my nails while she is asleep, for waking her up during afternoons when there are visitors. She beats me because of almost anything.

If she has had a gun, she might have pulled the trigger on me. I cannot say that I am a diligent daughter, nor AN intelligent one who earns good grades in every subject. Isn’t it normal to say that a mother can understand that her child cannot be everything she desired? I never really wanted pity, although I should be honest that I wanted revenge – revenge from my self-pronounced maltreatment.

Once a childhood friend punched me on my left shoulder as a joke, I gave her curse words because she hit me from where the bruise was. I was fresh from a beating up the night before the exam because of an I- can’t-remember-why-reason, and I bet that It is something which is not worth the beating.

Once, I tried a gay beautician’s iron curler and when my own mother saw me having waves in my hair, she told me I was “malandi”. The beautician was scandalized with that for he heard it firsthand. I never really cared to answer back though I was hurt. I already know that she is like that and putting up a fight will just place me into a high danger – she will get my father’s belt and beat me until there is no blood.

My mom and I do not usually talk during Christmas or New Year because I have a feeling that I am not worthy of her curse words. Because every time we talk, all I receive are insults, if not judgements. I never wanted to have pity on myself because I know I could do much better without her. I could be a better person without her

She is not really supporting me now so I can say that I do not need her. My Father’s love for me and for my brother has proven that the three of us can live together without someone who shows love to us if there is money.

I forgave her for being so. After all the many curse words she has given me and after all the many bruises my body has received from her raging hands, I think it is time to let go of the memories and remove her officially in my life.

At least now, there are no more sad maladies. I’m not ashamed of myself anymore because she can no longer disrespect of insult me with her harsh words. Can you ever image a mother who could kill her daughter? I can because I happened to experience the worst tragedy of my life.

Google Images

A truce with Instruction: A different view on Online Shopping

I MADE THIS FOR SOMEONE WHO LOOKS FOR A WRITER. I FOUND OUT SHE ALREADY FOUND SOMEONE MORE WORTHY OF THE POST. I'LL JUST BLOG THIS ANYWAY

--it is a form convenience while you shop for the latest finds on screen. it is also a test for readership and how well you understand the given instruction.--

For not so long now, online shopping has emerged from websites that are not usually known, to social networking sites where we can now define its roots. More and more people are attracted to online shops because "it is one click away." Some people like professionals and even students who do not have the luxury of time chose to go infront of the computer and entertain themselves by looking at wide range of online stuffs. The variety of finds an online seller offers define how Filipinos revel in goods/stuffs that would click to the growing demands of the market. 

Shopaholics each have a share of stories about how their hearts are broken by the fact that not all stores/boutiques house in what they really wanted or needed in accordance to their money. 

Thanks to online shops for they emerged as a solution. Some people would risk going to a boutique even though they only have a little money. The result is they would go home without buying anything. The point is, the time and the effort is wasted and yet, you did not gain anything but stare at the things you really cannot afford. Online shopping is where we can find better stuffs with better prices, if not replicas. It is where a click can lead us to different dimensions and thus, off to what we really wanted. it is where we can explore numerous options of clothes, watches, books, shoes, food and selections that our pockets can afford. It is where we need not to worry about snatchers, about getting lost and about getting standed into a pool of different people. 

Online shopping has indeed established itself as one of the most reliable, friendly, and easy way to connect people to their passion for good finds. It has reiterated the Filipino's growing love for what is new, and reinvented what it feels to shop for something unique without having to suffer the heat of the sun or the irritation which a rainy weather gives.

What we are forgetting here is readership. It is safe to say that some people are not really familiar of the modes of payment, but it will never be wise to say that the description of an item is too wordy to even ask the seller how much an item is even though it is already written. Some time ago, I am guilty of what I am preaching. Mediocrity at its finest is what I showed.

 So with great shopping comes a great demand for making yourself smart. Enjoy shopping at its best!  

Have you figured things out? (from PDI)

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/7497/figuring-things-out-before-i-turn-20




Figuring things out Before I turn 20 

By: Laira Janelle Contreras
Philippine Daily Inquirer

It’s only about a year before I turn 20, and I find myself in transition, while I connect my present situation to my teenage life just past. It was not a completely happy metamorphosis, but of course, I can say that I’ve learned a lot.

Teenage life is indeed full of surprises. However, some of them do not surprise you in a good way; some scare you enough to make you stop trying. After everything I went through in my teen years, I think some of my experiences are worth sharing.

Some of my teenage moments could be the epitome of unproductiveness, while others are about figuring things out while growing up. Sometimes, my typical lazy teen attitude resulted in unfinished business and unachievable goals. Before, I wanted to write a story, finish a thick horror book, clean the house, exerciseand do sit-ups, etc. But days passed without my achieving anything.

Suddenly other responsibilities came rushing in, leaving me no choice but to prioritize the most important ones. As a result, my other goals were abandoned, and the only thing that haunts me now is regret.

Truly, the saying “There is still a next time” can somehow be dangerous, and many teenagers nowadays may have discovered that for themselves.

Among the many exciting moments life offers us are the bittersweet college days. Back then, several organizations were recruiting members. I signed up, but got discouraged the day before the actual screening or auditions. I wanted to join the debate team, the TV production team, and the school paper, only to realize now I did not belong to any of them because I was too afraid to try. When people are busy making themselves believe they don’t have talent, the result is no growth, and we will get stuck with the thought itself.

Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.” This quote, which I picked randomly from a fishbowl, helped me ponder how having low self-esteem would always make you think you can’t. I realize that positive thinking plays a very important part in achieving many goals. It’s when you start believing that you find ways to make use of your time and your talents, and it is when you feel you can’t that you stop trying and  fail.

Encouragement

When times get rough and you can’t solve a problem alone, words of encouragement from family and friends could be useful. My mother told me, “Don’t say you’re busy because there is time for everything.” A very calming thought, with a grain of truth.  If only we had good time management, we would not be stressed much by tasks and responsibilities.

A good friend made me realize that though you involve yourself in different organizations in school, you can still take care of other priorities, if you know how to weigh things wisely. Life gets really hard, especially when the thought of the future pressures you, but when we focus on the future more than we really have to, we tend to forget the present.

Do you feel like you want to be a child again because of the many pressures you experience now? And have you ever felt like going back to the past to fix something? A friend told me, “Life is a continuous green light.” It only becomes red when we die. Some people are pressured by their age, thinking that older people enjoy more benefits and get the chance to do exciting things like applying cool make-up, enjoying the nightlife, wearing flashy dresses, and many more.  But it all boils down to one truth: no matter what we do, we can never bring the old days back, so enjoy life and whatever you have now, and try to do things you won’t regret.

Young people are sometimes pressured and sad upon seeing people who are in a relationship, while they aren’t. They are often imprisoned by a feeling that they are left out and lonely. While love blooms in unexpected seasons and places, it wilts when the time is not right for it to grow. Some people are afraid to love, others people are very excited to know what first love is, still others are enjoying love. Then there are those who have loved but lost, and those too tired to love again. Love can never be forced; it can never be bought, and certainly never be manipulated. Love will come; just wait.

Alien, Nagbabala sa Whale Hunting. (Yes, Tabloid haha)

(Google Images) Can I work in Tabloid now? 

Nanginginig sa takot ang pitong dalaga habang isinasalaysay sa pulisya ang nakatatakot na pangyayari habang sila’y nagpapahinga sa paglangoy sa Kukui Beach, Faroe Islands. Napansin daw ng pito ang papalapit na puting nilalang na animo’y walang saplot.  Sinabi ng mga dalaga na kinilalang sina Feliz, Petra, Churine, Fleur, Dogna, Uriela, at Karinna, na habang papalapit ang nilalang na naaninag nila bilang isang alien, ay nagliliwanag ang daan at namamatay ang mga halaman na dikitan nito. Ang buong akala ng mga dalagang ito ay katapusan na ng kanilang pagiging birhen at gagahasain na sila ng alien. Ngunit laking gulat nila nang lumakad sa itaas ng dagat ang alien na ito at humuni. Ilang sandali pa lamang daw ay nakarinig na ang mga babae ng mga huni galing sa dagat. Sinubok ng pito na tumakbo papalayo ngunit napansin na paralisado ang kanilang katawan at hindi rin makasigaw. Pagkatapos nito ay tumingin ang alien sa pitong babae at nagsalita sa kanilang wika, na ang ibig sabihin sa Filipino ay: “Kapag nagpatuloy pa ang talamak na pagpatay sa mga balyena sa bayan na ito ay kukunin ko na kayong lahat upang manilbihan sa Tumpalolak.”

Naalarma naman ang mga awtoridad sa nangyari pagkat pinapayagan sa bansang ito ang paghuli sa mga long-finned whales bilang isang katuwaan lamang. Pinatigil na rin ng mga animal rights group ang nasabing panghuhuli ngunit umalma naman ang mga hunters pagkat ang isa sa pitong babae ay pamangkin ng president ng animal rights group. Sinabi ng hunter na ito na gimmick lamang ang kwento ng pitong dalaga.

Kamakailan lamang ay may isang matandang babae ang nag-asal propeta at nagtatakbo sa Kukui Beach at nagsabi na malapit nang dumating ang mga tiga-Tompalolak.”

Hindi naman maipaliwanag ang mga tumubong ugat sa likod ng pitong dalaga na hugis balyena. 

Camaraderie with the Beat

My first love was dancing, but I guess, dancing never came to love me that much.

Isn’t it cool if everyone knows and admires you because of how you move in the dance floor? Is dancing merely a passport to fame or is it just a self-expression and passion?   

If I could ask God for a talent, it would be dancing. Way back in elementary, school activities like Filipino week, Family Day, and many other talent day, would include a dance number and I’m one of the few who doesn’t pass the auditions. Sad memories and dancing downfalls include joining the cheering squad on my second year standing only to know that the cheer captain removed me from the post, and joining dance competitions and find myself dancing at the back where people could hardly notice that I exist and actually committed numerous mistakes.  Truth us, I never gave up from there. 

During my last two years in high school, I auditioned on our team’s cheering squad for the intramurals and found my self in. I was happy even though the dance instructor is having a hard time teaching some of us the steps.

Equal Share

Some are born with flexible bodies and grace, while some who are asleep when God scattered such are sometimes out of the topic when it comes to dance. But more than that, I discovered something funnier and more confidence boosting. I noticed that I’m not the only person in the world who is poor in dancing, and I’m not the only one practicing hard to improve it. Some people are good in singing but are poor in dancing. Some are good debaters while some are good musicians. Then I realized, you can’t get everything after-all. The fair share of talents is given to us and of course, not a single person gets it all. Take our National hero for example -  Rizal who knows it all and could MAYBE do it all. Is it fair to still be criticized by many and even doubted the fact that he should be a national hero? The point is, no matter how great and talented you are, there will still be a single flaw that will make everyone of us Human.

Acceptance is quite easy

I accepted the fact that my first love didn’t learn to love me that much. But still, I continued to love it anyway. Have you ever run after someone you like and that someone doesn’t even recognize you? That’s dancing for me. But still, I never forget dancing as my first love At times when I can’t do much, I sit down at UST Quadricentenial Park that looks like a huge dancing studio because almost all students practice dancing there and watch the dancer’s movements and try to memorize it inside my head. Soon, I learned that the secret is focus. “Enjoy lang, wag masyadong ma-pressure,” As some dance instructors would say it. Then I realize that when I dance, I think more of the outcome of the whole routine and never really learned to enjoy while listening to the beat. I learned that dancing is a kind of camaraderie with your body and the music. The reason why I lack the grace is because of the pressure, and the reason why many people who wants to dance but are not given grace is because they lack self-confidence.

          Before my 18^th birthday, my friends and I decided to have a dance number and practiced for weeks. I noted all the things I’ve learned from watching the dancers at the UST Quadri Park. I enjoyed the beat, hit the timing, relaxed my body, and felt that dancing began to love me more and more. At the day of the event, the crowds cheered and my 18^th birthday, even though I had some flaws, became memorable because my first love was there.

I hosted an inter-school hip-hop dance competition at the Lyceum of the Philippines a few months back. I watched the contestants do incredible stunts and amazed on how the girls move gracefully, as if the music are their boyfriends. I noticed that many loves dancing. Dancing, like any other talent is not for people who give up and back-out every time they loose hope on it. I love watching people dance. Often times, I watch Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde do the ballet and do some incredible tiptoes while wearing glittered tutus, cheered with high hopes with the UST Salinggawi dance troup and observe several hip-hop dancers rock the dance floor.  

Every one of us has talents of our own. If you love dancing but simply can’t do well on it, I’m sure you are good on other things.