I don't know why. But every time we don't expect to win, we do.

Just like all of the hardships we counter during our cheers and chants, we still encountered them during our practices for the speech choir competition. We fight. We argue. But it's making the block's bond stronger. The more we encounter hardships, the more we become closer to each other.

During the competition, I can't help but to be scared. Scared that we won't be to perform it well since we made a lot of changes as our turn draws near. Scared that all of our hard work will be in vain.
That's what I thought as I watch the other blocks perform.

I am also embarrassed because of our audio visual presentation. I edited the video that's why I'm the person who embarrassed for it. None of my block mates saw it before it was presented in front of everyone. I was watching the avp of the other blocks and their videos are really short. When I edited ours, I made sure to make the video 4 mins long because I thought that was the required length. I am also embarrassed for it because of a reason I can't really explain. Maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from, if you have been in a similar situation.

During the awarding, I am trying to cover my ears when the champion is being called. Simply because we committed a lot of mistakes during the presentation and I don't want them to call the other block since this is something we really want. Not just because our grades is in line with this, but because we really worked hard for this. I can't imagine how I would react if it wasn't us who were called.

It was an honor. Especially when sir Deeno said that this is the first time that TM ever won the speech choir competition. That keeps ringing inside my head. I know that TM151 will continue in making name for the TM not to be underestimated.

I am really in awe when I watching the ignite speakers. They all speak with confidence and they don't look like they're scared. Since I was given a chance to talk in front as well, during the public speaking competition and since I also did an ignite speech for our finals, I know what it's like to be in front and what it's like to deliver an ignite speech. I admire them very much for I know how hard it is to deliver an ignite speech because every second counts.

Everyone did a great job in delivering their speeches and they did a great job coming up with a topic that is interesting for the crowd.

I don't want to sound biased, but I am rooting for Charella. Not just because she's TM151 and she's my friend, but because I can really see the potential in her. I also know how much she wants this.
She may not be part of the winners, but she's still a winner to me. Being able to represent TM151 in front the crowd is amazing.

Congratulations to all the winners for the ignite speech. I also want to thank you guys for inspiring me.

When I was chosen as one of the competitors for the speech competition, I honestly felt joy but at the same time, I felt burden. It was an honor to be chosen as one of the great speakers out of the 33 TM, but I felt burden because we have a lot of projects that needs to be done and I don't think I have time to participate on the said competition.

As the competition draws near, I don't feel pressure at all. That's because I plan to get eliminated on the elimination round. I heard that they'll only pick 3 students per room and I also heard that AC Students are really good in public speaking. With that being said, there is a low percentage of me being picked for the final round because I know how horrible my public speaking skill is.

A day before the competition, everyone is memorizing and mastering their speeches. But I didn't. Even a little. I didn't attempt to memorize because I was planning to sabotage my performance because I don't want to prolong my agony. haha

During the day of the competition, my block mates are literally nervous and quite panicking, but I didn't. I don't have anything to be scared of because I have no plan on winning. If I commit mistakes, then that's better because that will create a bigger percentage of me being eliminated.  I just want to get things over with and start feeling the Christmas feels as the term ends.

As we move to the respective rooms we are assigned to, there are constant battles within my mind; Do I sabotage this or am I letting myself be embarrassed in front of everyone? One by one, everyone is being called to perform and so far, the people who have performed were holding a copy of their speeches in front. Then finally, my name was called. In the end, my pride couldn't let myself be embarrassed in front of the crowd. Just to get myself eliminated, I brought the copy of my speech in front. In the end, I didn't even glance at the paper and before I knew it, I think I did a pretty good job with my presentation even though I was planning to sabotage it and didn't prepare for it.

I knew it. I knew that I would be part of the 3 students that would be competing in the finals. I don't want to hear my name being called as one of the competitors, but I did. When my name was called, I felt honor and privilege to be part of the top 9. But as the final round start, I don't know what I would do. I wanna cry. I wanna forfeit. But I can't. When I saw my name as the first person who would speak in front, I felt the pressure even more. As a first  person, who would be talking in front, I would be one setting the standard and that thought scares me. But, the thought of failing in front of everyone and being a laughing stock scares me the most. Especially that this is the very first time that I would be on a big stage alone and I would be talking. I have been exposed in a crowd a lot during high school, but I would be on the stage with a lot of people and we would be singing, dancing and acting. Talking is different. I think it's the scariest to do in front of a crowd.

So, I performed. And as you can guess, since I didn't prepare for it, I failed,
But, that doesn't really matter right now. I am really happy for giving me a chance to be on the stage conquering my fear. After talking in front and failing, I believe I am more confident right now for I know what it is like to be in front of the big crowd and failing. Next time I would be ask to talk in front, I would definitely be still scared but not as scared as I felt during the Speech Competition.

Thank you, Asia Pacific College for giving me this opportunity. This is definitely one of the things that I will remember that made my college life noteworthy.

During our EEP Class, I was able to watch Phantom of the Opera. Actually, I tried watching Phantom of the Opera before, but since I watched the movie version, it was quite boring to me. It was not as amazing as the musical play.

So here's the plot summary written by phan007 on imdb:

Our story begins with Opera Populaire's manager, Lefevre, leaving. His successors, Andre and Firmin, take over the opera, and bring with them their new patron, le Victome Raoul de Changy. To celebrate their new managers, the opera throws a gala, at which the leading diva refuses to perform, due to the mysterious 'Opera Ghost' who seems determined to have the screeching diva leave. Without a diva, Andre and Firmin are strong-minded to find a new leading lady, so they invoke the talents of a young, chorus-singer named Christine Daae, who has been taking lessons from a mysterious tutor. Raoul, Christine's old childhood sweetheart, who recognizes her at her triumphant gala performance, wants to bring Christine back into his life. But, suddenly, Christine's mysterious tutor reveals himself to her... Now, will Christine ask everything of Raoul or listen to the Music of the Night?

I am really glad that our professor showed us the musical play because I have always been dreaming to be a Classical/Broadway singer... But, there's not much motivation around me since I am not exposed to anything Classical/Broadway related. Especially that in this generation, they are really into pop. 

Watching the play triggered something inside my heart. I want to continue pursuing to be a Classical/Broadway singer. Maybe, I am really not born to be a pop singer, but a Classical singer. ;)

Back to the musical play, I loved everything about it! The character choices, the original soundtracks, the story, everything!~ 

If you haven't seen it, I recommend that you should. Especially the 25 years celebration on Royal Albert Hall.

Once again, we didn't have class for the entire day and became an audience to the high school student who presented they speeches. We were forced to watched this. I didn't enjoy it at first, but lately one, I didn't realize that I am really enjoying the event.

I know that the kids were really nervous especially that they are in an environment they are not familiar with and with the audience have never crossed path with, but still, they all act professionals. I really admire them for sharing a piece of them to the audience especially the sensitive topics like family issues and personal heart breaking experiences. They were really brave. I will be part of the speech competition in December and I think I wouldn't be able to do as amazing as the kids did. They were really marvelous.

Each contestant really gave they all, I can feel their passion and their energy all the way from the back of the audience. I wish I could talk more about the individual contestants, but I have decided to talk about the winner alone. The winner is really tall and pretty, She has the legs and body, I've always dreaming to have. Hahaha enough with her physical look. When it comes to her skill in public speaking, I think she really does have a talent. Every word that comes out of her mouth has feelings behind them and her connects with the audience. When she speak, it does not seemed it she memorized it. She was definitely born for public speaking.

A day well spent. I learned so much from the kids and I enjoyed that day. I hope I'll be able to do great on the day of the competition cause I do not want to be a laughing stock infromt of the entire SOM.

I did not expect to enjoy the seminar. At first, I was really happy just because we wont have class for the day, but there something more than that. The seminar was really eye opening especially to those people who have their hearts open since the beginning. The only reason why I tried listening because our gramcom prof said that we will have a quiz regarding the topic. I am not into writing much, but I learned so much from them.

The first speaker talked about how to write stories effectively. She gave us tips and tricks that might help us in the future. We all know that The famous 5W and 1H  formula to get all the necessary information for a certain topic, but what everyone always forget is the question "So What?" Why should the reader care? Answering that question will definitely improve your writing skill. She also shared to us the Art of Interview . And here they are:

1. Embrace the silence
2. Do not be afraid to play dumb
3. Takes notes for more questions
4. Research is a process of gathering data, not a result
5. Start strong. Eng Stronger.

The second speaker spoke about the social issues which really caught my attention so much that I wasn't able to write any notes at all. I was so impressed with the things she discussed. She is not against entertainment but people has the power under our finger tips that we can help people around the globe. The media only feeds the people what they want, that's why more important topics were being put aside because we're too focus on the entertainment especially AlDub when we could have been saving people lives.

The last speaker discussed the role of the media and advocacy journalism. The media has three roles: to inform, to educate and to entertain. While advocacy journalism, should always look at all the sides of the issue to promote fairness. Corroboration is important as well as the two source rule. She talked more about raising awareness and presenting news.

The seminar was really good. I had fun.

According to Merriam Webster, it defined Plagiarism as the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person. Basically, plagiarism has been one of the rising issues in this generation .Well, this is only based on my observation.

The youth has been more dependent on the internet that they copy and paste everything. Little did they know that plagiarizing or not giving credits to the owner is against the law and it's not a crime, but it may lead to a serious offense. The cases of plagiarism can lead to constitute copyright infringement.

I have searched the consequences if you commit plagiarism. This might be an eye opening to you, who are reading this, to give second thoughts before committing plagiarism again. I believe that all of us have. When I was younger, I didn't know anything about plagiarism and I am really glad that my high school teacher taught me the right thing.

So here's what ithenticate said about the consequences when you committed to plagiarize. Pretty much, ithenticate just said more about reputation being ruined; your personal reputation, student reputation and many more.

When you plagiarize, the owner is not the only one affected here. It's you as well, for you are not learning the proper and self discipline when it comes it researching habits. It's quite unfair for the other students as well for they are competing with someone who's not using his or her idea in the situations and it is otherwise known as cheating.

Here's how to avoid plagiarism:

1. Paraphrase. Summarizing is quite different because the exact ideas of the owner are still there. Try to paraphrase because when you paraphrase, you are telling the story with your own words and own understanding. Just read the entire article or etc before you start writing, so you can express them with words.

I hope this was helpful c:

Everyone knows that I'm an anime enthusiast and I am making this post because I want you to like or at least understand why we, anime lovers, cant stop watching anime.

1. Anime is very inspiring. Especially if you're watching sports or adventure, there are a lot of struggle in their journey just like how we get struggles in our journey as well and you can get to pick up words that will be grave into your heart. I can give few examples, but I forgot which Anime it came from since I already watched hundreds and I don't exactly remember.

When you're on a verge of giving up: "It's not over until it's over."
Separating ways with someone important: "It's okay because we are still under the same sky."
Aspiring professional musician or sports player, but you feel down and you want to give up because everyone around you is really good at it: "Nobody is great from the start" 
Someone is trying to pick a fight with you: "A barking dog seldom bites"
When you're being deceive by the outward appearance: "Not everything that glitters is gold."
Justice related: "It's not that justice wins. The one who wins is justice."
(Bonus) If you're trying to get away from being the hot seat: "A secret makes a woman, woman." --Vermouth form Detective Conan

There is so much more and here are just very few of the great inspiring lines out there. It's just that these are the lines I can remember right now.

2. Anime is very relatable. If you're going through something and you don't have someone to share what you're feeling is, try watching anime. If you found the character who is similarly going through the same thing, you will hear the words you can't even form in your mouth and you will hear comfort words you have been dreaming to hear. And the fact that it is very relatable is what makes it very addicting. Among all the hundreds of anime I have watched, the character who I see myself completely in is Ayase Chihaya from Chihayafuru. That's why when I was watching the Anime, I can't help but cry every time she cries because I know how it felt and I am pretty sure that if I were her, I would cry on that circumstance as well.

3. You can learn Japanese effortlessly. If you think this is a joke, then I am a living proof of this. I have never enrolled in any Japanese class but I can speak, read, write and understand Japanese. I have been watching anime since at the young age and I literally watch it everyday. That's why I am exposed to the language very well. I am not completely fluent, but I am above basic. Another living proof of this is Joe Inoue. Though he is actually Japanese, he wasn't born and raised there. He was born and raised in California and first learned Japanese from Anime and Manga.

I hope this made you a little curious about how amazing Anime is, if you still don't know.

Paz Latorana is one of the foremost writers of the first generation of Filipino English writers, both in literary writing and education was a poet, editor, author and teacher. Paz was born in Boac, Marinduque in 1907. She was brought to Manila at a young age and finished her basic schooling; first at St. Scholastica and later at South High School. She attended University of the Philippines in College and took a degree of education. She works as an elementary school teacher in the morning and attends class in the evening. In 1927, she joined some campus writers and formed the U.P Writers Club and contributed a short story, "A Christmas Tale" to the maiden issue of "The Literary Apprentice". Her short story, "The Small Key"won the third place in the same year in Jose Garcia Villa's Roll of the Honor for the year's best short stories. Some of her other stories received similar prizes over the next several years.

In her senior year, she transferred to the University of Sto. Tomas, from which institution she graduated in 1930 and where she subsequently enrolled for graduate studies. Her dissertation entitled “Philippine Literature in English: Old Voices and New” received a grade of sobre saliente, qualifying her for a doctoral degree in 1934. By this time, Latorena had already joined the faculty, earning a reputation as a dynamic teacher. Among her many students were then-aspiring writers Juan Gatbonton, F. Sionil Jose, Nita Umali, Genoveva Edroza Matute and Zeneida Amador. Increasingly involved in academic work, Latorena wrote fewer stories and at longer intervals, publishing her last known story, “Miguel Comes Home”, in 1945. In 1953 while proctoring a final examination, Latorena suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which proved fatal.

Thirty-five of her stories have recently been collected in a single volume: Desire and Other Stories, edited by Eva V. Kalaw (U.S.T., 2000).

I'm sure you've seen those characters with beautiful massive round eyes, colorful hairs, and amazing body structures. Just in case you don't what it is called, let me give you more information. Japanese animation, also known as anime, is a popular type of animation that is spreading like wild fire throughout the globe. The difference between Japanese anime with the western cartoon is that Japanese anime's target audience is not for kids alone. Anime is popular to many teenagers and adults. Same applies to the Japanese comics known as Manga.

In order to understand Anime, a look into the history is important. The best place to start is around World War II, since that was the time when the anime and manga industry evolved significantly. Around 1940, many organizations for artists were formed; among them were Shin Nippon Mangaka Kyokai (New Cartoonists Association of Japan) and Shin Mangaka Shudan (New Cartoonists Faction Group). The government used those who were not banned from work and not in the army in influence the people through their artwork filled with propaganda to use against the nation's enemies. The propaganda films that were made during the World War II were Momotaro no Umiwashi and Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei.

The first generation of animators in the late 1910s and also known as the fathers of anime were Oten Shimokawa, Jun'ichi Kouchi and Seitaro Kitayama. Oten Shimokawa was a political caricaturist and cartoonist who worked for a magazine Tokyo Puck. He was hired by Tenkatsu, who was an active Japanese Film studio, to do an animation for them. Due to medical reasons, he was only able to animate 5 movies, including Imokawa Mukuzo Genkanban no Maki (1917). Jun'ichi Kouchi was carcicaturist and a painter. He entered the cartoonist section in 1912 and was hired for an animation by Kobayashi Shokai in 1916. His works include around 15 movies and he is viewed as the most technically advanced Japanese animator in 1910s. Seitaro Kitayama is different from the two mangaka I mentioned earlier for he was not hired by large companies and made animation on his own. He founded his own animation studio which is Kitayama Eiga Seisakujo, but later closed due to lack of commercial issues.

Oten Shimokawa

Jun'ichi Kouchi

Seitaro Kitayama

Anime never stopped evolving and still creating better animation every season of the year that you should look forward to.

This is my first ever SOM Week! Well, that's pretty much obvious because I'm a freshman.... I tried my best not to participate because I don't want to miss any class. The good thing about it is we did not have any. I had mixed emotions about it because I don't want to have class but every time I think about the effort I made to wake up early and not to be late on my 7:30 class makes me sad. Waking up early is really what makes school challenging for me in general. It's just so hard. 

Anyway, back to my topic, the only event I willingly joined in is the TMystery. No one in this world would understand how much I love mysteries. I love how it makes my brain works and I love it every time my deduction is right. Everything about mystery is lovable. I usually watch detective anime like Detective Conan, Kindachi, Detective School Q ever since I was a little kid which I think triggered this mystery lover inside of me. That's why before I entered college, I was actually thinking in taking up Law rather than Tourism, but the thought of studying too long prevented me from doing so. Before we entered the room, we had a briefing in RM 1014. They told us the story, but not entirely because as detectives, we need to learn more about the disappearance of Louisa. The funny thing about this is we actually solved the case before we even enter the room. My classmate, who is a member of the other group, told me that he is confident that Louisa died and he has a proof. But me and my chocolatey buddies, my group, deduced that Louisa was raped by her own dad. We deduced that based on the briefing discussion we had. When we entered the room, it doesn't really matter if you have solved the case before you go because what you'll do inside is the decode everything and each phase has reveals what really happened to Louisa, which we already knew. I was not confident that we'll be able to finish the game because I thought 30 minutes is not enough. I also heard that 2 groups already finished the game and I heard that it's really scary inside, so lost all my confidence. Once we were inside, I can feel my heart beating really fast. Not because I am scared, but because I am too excited. The feeling of being scared was gone because it was overtaken by the feeling of excitement. During the awarding, the third place finished the game for 21 minutes. The second place finished it for 20 minutes and we, the winner, finished the game for 12 minutes. The time gap between the 2 groups and the thought that we actually played around inside the room, when we could have finished it for 8 minutes if we didn't makes me really happy. This is the event that actually made my entire SOM Week. Thank you TM for creating a very exciting and an amazing event. Thank you for letting me be a detective even just for 30 minutes. It was a dream come true.

The second event I participated in is the Clash of Courses; quiz bee. The funny thing about this is I didn't sign up for it. I got shock that my name was listed without my permission, but at the same time it was an honor. The experience was not as amazing. I am actually disappointed for I only encountered one question that I was able to study in the past and the rest of the questions were all something only a second year or third year student can answer. So all those times, I was answering based on how I feel which is all by chance.. I was really disappointed with the result cause I scored so low that's why I am planning to join once again on my third year in college.

I attended SOM Fright Night because of the awarding of TMystery. I am not really into parties. I just like it every time I get acknowledge. I am sure I am not the only one. It just boosts my something inside of me and motivates me to do more. I also attended Mr & Ms SOM 2015 pageant because I am rooting for few people. For the male, I was actually rooting for the current Mr SOM 2015, Karyll Lapuz because as I was watching the male contestants, I think he is the most suitable for the title; the way he walks, the build of his body. For the female, I was rooting for ate Debbie Dimaunahan. Same reason why I was rooting for Karyll, it's because of the way she walks, the way she carries herself. She is really like a beauty queen. Watching the pageant triggered me to join on my third year in college. Hahaha I actually auditioned for this, but I was not that serious. Answering questions about how am I better than others made it hard for me. I just can't do it. That's why I kept answering "I don't know" during the audition. I think it's so conceited if I answer questions like that because I believe that no one is better than the other. We are all better at something and weak at some things which make us all equal.

SOM Week was really fun. I am actually enjoying my college life than my high school life because I feel like a new bigger door opened for me. Since I came from a small populated high school, everything has always been the same. I had the same circle of friends for 8 years; same jokes, same stuffs to talk about, same things every day. The events that the school have are most likely the same for the 8 years I have stayed there; there's a musical play during Christmas time, same event during July, same event every. Single. Year. It's also hard to be in the same place for too long because the teachers their favorite student and I am never the favorite. The efforts I made were voided that's why I lost all my motivation in studying. But now, I can start new. I can start building my name for myself rather than having someone talk behind my back to introduce me and I believe that as a flower, I am placed where there's bigger pot for me to grow and experience new things, make new friends and learn new stuffs.

In case you didn't know, I am an Anime enthusiast/anime lover/otaku or whatever you call it. Anyway, after the first term, we had a one week vacation before the second term starts and you know what I did, I just watched anime the entire day. I did a Mad House marathon; which is the anime I watched during that week were all created and produced by Mad House Productions. One of the anime that I watched was Parasyte. So the story goes with a parasyte trying to overcome the world by growing into a human brain. Then this one parasyte failed to conquer the mind of the guy named Shinichi and ended up growing into his hands. The parasytes were killing humans for food and Shinichi is trying to save the world with the help of Migi (which actually means right hand in Japanese).

During our EEP Class, at first I didn't know what movie we were watching and everything seems so familiar. Then I asked my professor what was the title and she said it was "Parasyte". I actually hate it every time they make a live action of an anime because it ruins it. The only live action I acknowledged is Rurouni Kenshin. It was really amazing. Every detail, the character choice, the effects, everything is just so good. I heard that the live action of Dragonball and Shingeki no Kyojin were really bad. that's why I didn't even bother watching it. From what I heard, Death Note's live action was good but has a poor character choice. Anyway back to my story, As soon as I found out that it was a live action, I started comparing it with anime as I watched.

Surprisingly, I think they did a pretty great job with this live action. They characters were really similar; how Shinichi looks like, the parasytes. I like the effects, they seem realistic. The only thing I didn't like with it is how many characters from the anime were removed like Shinichi's dad, Suzuki Akiho, and Uda Mamoru. I also didn't like how the scenes were shuffled (you won't understand unless you actually watched the anime) and how it was not as detailed as the anime. But overall, I actually enjoyed watching it. It was amazing. It's almost as good as Rurouni Kenshin's live action. Even though I haven't seen the sequel movie, I am pretty sure it's just as outstanding.

As a girl born with asthma, I really hate it every time someone is smoking near me. I mean, if they want to die early, I just hope that they won't include innocent human beings with them. Just kidding. What I am really trying to say is that pretty much where I go, there's always a person who smokes. I am even seeing kids around 7 - 10 years old smoking which is really shocking because I think the reason why there are doing it is because they see the oldies do it. They think it's "cool" and they think that now that they are smoking, they "fit in" to the society. Some smoke because for them, it a "stress reliever" and there are many more reasons why they do it.

I have seen a documentary about the guy who can no longer talk and has a hole on his throat. It is literally a big hole. It's quite disgusting to look at. I forgot what you call the disease but this guy  got it from smoking. He stated that he smoked a lot. Around 2 - 3 packs of cigarettes a day is really a lot. Whenever he talks, he relies to a talking device and he eats by getting the mixtures pour down his throat. In that documentary, he also stated something like telling the people to stop smoking before it's too late because they can still do something, while he cannot. They must learn from his mistake.

The ironic thing about this is they know how bad smoking is for the heath and that they can get worse diseases like cancer. Actually, my aunt died because of lung cancer. Not because she is smoking, but because she is surrounded by people who smokes. Just because you don't smoke, doesn't mean you are safe.

I also noticed how a lot of students in Asia Pacific College (APC) smokes at the parking lot. I mean, I don't really care since it doesn't really concern me, but I am really impressed that APC is doing something. They launched an anti smoking campaign because they are concern for their staffs, teachers and especially, students.

It's never too late stop until it's too late.

(c) Jillian Valenzuela

Tatay Mong Kalbo is the tagalog rendition of The Bald Soprano. It's a play from the theater of the absurd. We, me along with my block mates, watched this being performed in Asia Pacific College by the Theatre Phileo. And if I have to very honest, after watching the play, I don't know how to feel about it. I am aware that's it's from the theater of the absurd and my mind still thinks logically. At first, I was so lost that I kept asking my classmates what is happening cause I didn't understand it. I thought I was the only one and it was really comforting to know that everyone doesn't understand it as well.

(c) Jillian Valenzuela

A normal play would have a normal story, with normal characters, with normal settings, with normal conversations, a problem to solve and a climax. Well, this play doesn't contain any of it at all. The story went on talking and debating about nonsense things.

The thing that kept me interested is the actors. I really admire their talent in acting. I personally think that they did a great job. They really were on character when the play started. It was just amazing. No words could express how much I appreciate their acting skills. They were like professionals. If it was me, I wouldn't be able to do it. Just the part where the couple hugs each other, I think I would definitely quit if I was part of the play. I couldn't take it when a guy touches me. And as it's part of their character, it doesn't seem to bother them at all, but I am p

retty sure that it was quite awkward at first. The way they talk and the way they laugh, which is something that is hard to fake, looks really realistic.

Overall, I did enjoy watching the play.

“The Red String of Fate is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese legend.  It is based on the premise that the Gods tie a red string around the ankles of those who are destined to be soul mates and will one day marry each other.” According to Wikipedia.

 

There’s an old story in Chinese folklore about a magical connection between two people that are destined to be soul mates, called ‘the red string of fate’.

It’s not the kind of connection we’re used to thinking of, where you fall in love with your soul mate and feel an intense connection to them.

In Chinese folklore, the red string of fate is an actual object… a string that’s red, but also invisible at the same time. It’s tied to a pinky finger of every person on earth and stretches all the way out to the pinky finger of their soul mate wherever that is, regardless of time and space. Legend says that the string can get very tangled up but it will never break.

One good example of this is the movie we watched in school entitled as "Turn Left, Turn Right". It didn't talked about the Red String of Fate itself, but they story was about a two persons being destined for each other that no matter what happens, it's still them in the end.

They are always at the same place at the same time, but never really crossed path. They say the same thing at the same situations and same problems occur in their lives. Everything about them is almost the same, I think that's what they call it "your other half".

To make the long story short, there was a time where they actually crossed paths. They were spending time together, chatting and doing all those stuffs. While they were chatting, they were really happy to actually found out that the person in front of them is the person they liked in middle school whom they lost contact with. I rained really hard and there's something they have to do, so they exchanged contact numbers and went on with their lives. As soon as they arrived on their individual homes, the paper they wrote on has nothing but a smudge writing of numbers because it got wet by the rain. A lot of trials and circumstances happened and in the end, before they leave the country, they were able to find each other.

If you're watching this movie just for pass time, I think it's okay. It's somehow interesting and intriguing. I think the author's idea and imagination is really marvelous. He was able to create a really cute story that would entertain all ages. But if you are a type of person who is easy to get influenced by people or media, I suggest that you should not watch it. You ask why? Well, that's because if you watched it, you'll start believing in "destiny". You'll start believing that maybe somewhere out your "soul mate" is looking for you. You'll start thinking that what if that soul mate is someone who's riding the same bus as you or he is on the room below or across you. If you're in a relationship and you had an argument with your boyfriend, you might start doubting that maybe it's because it's not meant to be. He is not the one destined for me. 

I don't believe in destiny. I don't believe in finding your other half and it'll make you whole as a person. Actually, I used to believe in all those fairy tales. I am glad that I stopped. 

When it comes to the "finding your other half" issue, I think it's so wrong to be engage in a relationship when you're not whole yourself. As a half, you are not complete yourself. You lack a lot of things and still needs to grow more. You'll just destroy each other if you're a half being in a relationship with another other half. I think that's why most relationships fail. And no person can make you whole except for Jesus. He cannot only make you whole, but He can make your heart overflow with love. Only Jesus and Jesus alone can.

When it comes to the "destiny" issue, I think that you don't have to live life waiting for that person. Because I'm pretty sure there's none. Before you get into a relationship, make you the both of you are whole individuals and pray for that person. Ask God for wisdom in decision making and just be the "perfect" person for each other. 

The experience I gained from this competition is not comparable to the things I experienced in the past. To be very honest, I had a really hard time at first that I was just starting to not care at all. I was telling to myself that the stress the Cheers & Chants is giving me is really not worth it. I don't care if we don't win. I just don't want our block to be laughing stock in front of the entire SOAB. So, these thoughts of mine were repeating in my head no matter what I do or where I go. It keeps on hunting me and I am really trying my best to runaway from it.

I felt really bad that I was the assistant leader, but I gave up on the position because handling my classmates gives me a really hard time. Whatever you tell them, it just won't sink in to them. The pressure my vocal cords gets whenever I shout just to shut everyone out is really painful and not worth it. they would be silent for the first 5 seconds and everything will be back to normal. You know that as an inspiring singing, my vocal cord is important. I was told by my vocal coach in high school to refrain from shouting as much as I can and talk soft if I can in order to protect my vocal cords. That's why I gave up. Because I think it was just not worth it.

Days went on as three of my classmates were very diligent and helped our leader with the cheers and with handling the section. And just like what you expect, I really tired my best not to help with handling the section, but I am trying my best to help with the making of the cheers. As a person who's really bad at it, I can't really suggest something that has a wow factor in them. The best thing I can do is to follow their lead, do my best in every practice and suggest things if I think something is off.

As the day of the competition begins to arrive, the aura within the classroom gets heavier each day. The people who are serious with the practice are also getting mad with the non serious ones. Every heads were exploding. We are losing so much time scolding and lecturing each other. I try my best to be silent and just cooperate. When we were practicing, I learned that if I shout "3, 2, 1, GO!", everyone will start doing the chant even if they were talking to each other. Since then, I stopped getting mad for I know that it is useless to them and started shouting the countdown whenever we are starting.

One day before the competition, we have decided to stay in school until 6 pm and that was the day that the choreography of our chants were made and taught. By the time that everyone was starting to get serious and starting to enjoy the practice, we were told that we have to go home at 5:30. There was a feeling in my heart that was relieve for I know that at least we won't be able to be a laughing stock tomorrow.

On the day of the competition, we had an agreement that we will attend school at 6 am in order to practice. Setting my alarm on 3 am to prepare, but when the alarm rang, I can't lift my body, my throat feels itchy and I am not feeling well in general. I texted my classmate that I will attend school at 7:30 am. I left home at 7:10 and guess what, there's a heavy traffic. I usually drive to school for like 10 to 15 minutes, but on that special day, I arrived around 7:50 am. That morning, things weren't going my way already and I couldn't think of anything worse that could happen.

I fixed myself. I wore the costume, putted make up and fixed my hair. After that, we started practicing again. mastering the actions and placing, but just like the common rehearsals we had, the majority were not cooperating. They kept on talking and the leaders will scold us then start a serious practice for a minute then they'll be talking again. Fortunately, there are three upperclassmen who gave us their opinion and helped us. To make the long story short, they were a great helped. The only thing that is left now is for us to perform.

We went to the mph1 and sat where we are supposed to sat. I can hear the pounding of my heart as I look at everyone. I can feel my hands getting colder as the event starts. I can feel my knees trembling as our performance gets closer. When we performed, something happened that was not part of the plan and I panicked. literally. my heart and mind were panicking and my body started moving on its own. I committed 3 mistakes which scared me more cause I am in the middle front. As we go back to our place, I kept telling myself that it's doomsday. We lost. As the awarding takes place, I feel sadder and ashamed for it'll be very embarrassing if we weren't able to get a single award with just 4 competitors. When we are called as the first runner up, I don't know how to explain how I felt. I am just so happy. It is something I never expected based on our rehearsals. But we did it.

This is a bittersweet experience and a very memorable indeed. This is one of the things I will never forget in my college life. I am hoping to have more memorable experiences and enjoy the journey as I go.

credits to the owner of the photo

To be very honest, as a person who is not really into history, I really enjoyed watching Heneral Luna. For your information, Heneral Luna (English: "General Luna") is a 2015 Filipino historical biopic film depicting General Antonio Luna's leadership of Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine-American War. Before, I don't even know much of the people who played a big role in the history of the Philippines besides Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo. And I am really ashamed to tell you that. Cause as a Filipino, I should know more about my own country's history to be able to love it deeper and to be more proud of it. I can honestly say that the reason why I am now more informed about the Philippine History because of my first term in college. We had to take that subject and honestly, I didn't like it because I don't like history, but my professor has so much passion in teaching history. It is just hard not to listen. The way he teaches is like he is telling a narrative story and he shows us videos of Xiao Chua, who is

a history professor as well and a historian. I wasn't really planning to learn that time. That is how much I am not into history. I just want to pass the subject, but as time passes by, my intention changed. I am really glad that I learned a lot.

I just learned about Antonio Luna just recently. And if you are wondering why I watched the movie when I am not into history, well that is because of my curiosity. The production (is that how you call it?) of Heneral Luna visited our school and they talked about the movie. After that, they showed us a trailer which is a cliffhanger that triggered my curiosity more. So to be able to satisfy my curiosity, I watched the movie with my friend. So, today I will talking about the things that make you love and hate Heneral Luna (2015) based on my experience.

Let us start with the positive things.

Things that make you love Heneral Luna:

1. It triggers something on every Filipinos' heart. It triggers a sense of realization and nationalism to the people. Filipinos, in general, tend to play the blame game all the time. They blame the growth of the economy on the government alone. They blame the government for they are poor because they expect the government to supply their every single need. They blame the current president for the problem he just inherit from the past presidents. They blame the current president that his ways are horrible and the past president, who they used to blame and bash, is better. They just keep on blaming. Another is that, sadly, Filipinos have a crab mentality. Even way before as we have seen the movie. Aguinaldo was afraid that Luna might steal his position which Luna is capable of, but he wouldn't for his intention is to give freedom to the Philippines.  Aguinaldo surely saw how great Luna was, that why he decided to kill Luna before he could even go higher that than what Aguinaldo expected. Another bad attitude of Filipinos is lack of nationalism. As shown at the movie, Filipino businessmen care about their businesses than the freedom of the country and the lives of many Filipinos sacrificed. They betray fellow Filipino in order to protect their business.
One of the powerful phrases I heard from the movie is "Hindi ang Amerikano ang ating mga kalaban, kundi ang ating mga sarili" (Our enemy is not the Americans, but our own selves). It is a single phrase that covers a lot of things. The movie is like telling me/us that it is not too late to change. We don't have live up the "traditional attitude" of the Filipinos that we know of. The battle that we are talking about here is not just the physical battle, but the battle of the mind; how we think produces how we act. By battling with our own individual minds, every individual can be the best they can be which can produce a better nation. It's not right to blame the entire nation to a single person because every single individual makes up the nation.

2. Sense of Humor. The jokes were really easy to reach, but not predictable. This makes the movie alive, amusing and most importantly, not boring.

3. Characters. The characters were amazing because each character represents the characteristics of the majority of the Filipinos. It's easier to relate or understand where they are coming from and it's easier to reflect on ourselves to change for the better. If you know that you have a crab mentality, which I know you wouldn't admit publicly, you will be able to see the result of a situation if you're working on pulling people down.

When it comes to the things I hate about it, there is only one.

Thing that make you hate Heneral Luna:

1. Not being too realistic. I think this most apply to the part where they slaughter Heneral Luna. He was shot and stab a million times, yet he can still stand up and utter sentences. I am not really against it, I mean if it is just for entertainment, why not, right? This is just my personal opinion about it.

If you have seen the movie, you can comment down below your thoughts and idea about the movie, I would love to read them. AND if you haven't seen the movie, you should. Really. You're really missing out a lot.

If you're reading this, I am pretty sure it's because you want to feel better about yourself or you just feel like reading this blog of mine since you got curious about the topic. Whatever your reason may be, I would appreciate it if you would read it until the end. I may be able to impart something for you that might help you or prevent you from doing this things.

The tips that I will be imparting with you are the things that I experienced and learned through the years. I was able to overcome the feeling of "not-good-enough" in late 2014. I don't even know when it started, but ever since I was a little kid, this  awful feeling is following me around. I hope I am not the only one who felt this. I hope someone was on the same boat with me. 

How To Instantly Improve How You Feel About Yourself

1. Stop comparing yourself to others. Whether it be your skin color, height, weight, talents, skills or whatever you compare yourself to others, you should just stop. I know that it is not easy as it sounds, but this way, you won't feel bad about yourself. If you start comparing, you will not see anything but the good in them and the bad in you. The only reason why you think you're bad as a person in general is because you know your own weakness and everyone has one. don't worry. Rather than focusing on the things you hate about yourself, why not start facing the morning everyday appreciating the things you love about yourself and gradually start loving the things you hate about yourself. One by one. don't force it. It will take time.

When it comes to talent and skills, never compare their page 45 to your page 5. They might have started earlier than you and they might have practiced longer everyday that's why they progress faster. I am not saying that you should force yourself to practice 10 hours a day if you don't want to, but what I am saying is just be the best of you can be. 30 minutes of practice a day is better than nothing. A slow progress is better than not progressing at all. A person may be skilled in music, but not in sports. Or a person may be born to be academically good but not born to be a great one. Everyone has something that they are good at and bad at. Rather than focusing of the things you can't do, focus on the things you can do. Remind yourself that someone will always be better but they can never be you.

2. Nobody is great from the start. If there's someone who you think is so amazing and you will never reach that level, you have to remind yourself that nobody is that great from the start. If they were able to reach that level, you can too. And if you lose into a competition, I want to tell you and let you know that it's okay to lose, because it only means that you can get better.

3. Don't Hate. Appreciate. If you saw a person that is better than you and the type of person who you dream to be, a normal person tends to get jealous or envious and it will start making them bitter about that person. Instead of getting envious, start appreciating them. Tell them directly your compliment and how you really feel about it. Let it all out.Trust me. Based on experience, this works. Not that it will only make you feel better, but it will make that person feel better as well. You don't know if she's riding the same boat of "not-good-enough" and that compliment will definitely lift her up and help her overcome that feeling. Even the most beautiful girl we could think of surely felt that she's not as beautiful as you think she is. She might even felt she's not beautiful because there's someone who she thinks is beautiful and compares herself to that person. So what I'm saying is that for sure, every human being felt this kind of feeling regardless if you're a celebrity, you're popular or whatsoever.

4. Know your identity in Christ. If you know who you are in Christ, you will always feel better about yourself. His every "I Am" is our "In Him". If He says that this is who He is, we can proudly say that we are like that as well in Him. He will also free you from every bondage that you are encountering in life. You are a conqueror and an overcomer in and through Jesus Christ.

I hope that this was able to inspire you or impart few things to you that you might be able to impart to others as well. If you are still overcoming this kind of feeling, you can comment down below. I would like to inspire and help you overcome it as well. Honestly, there are still times that this feeling comes back, but since I was able to overcome it before with the help of Christ, I just remind myself the things and person that helped me overcome it. If you were able to overcome it, you can comment down your story below. I would love to read them.

Hi! My name is Pamela S. Gatdula and you call me Pam for short.

Most of my friends call me Pam, some calls me Pamu and my family calls me Elay.

Pamu is a Japanese word for Pam and since I am greatly influenced by Japanese anime, I started using it when I was in high school. My close friends would even add Japanese honorifics like chan, chi, san, sama to make it more Japanese sounding and cuter.

Anyway, I am born on the 4th of April in 1998. So, I am currently 17 years old, but I mentally stopped counting when I was around 14 years old. That's why it still won't sink in to me that I'll be 18 in few months and I should be more matured and independent.

I am born and raised here in Manila. There are six people in my family and I am the third child of four children. My father is a business man who handles our family business and my mother is a typical housewife who takes a good care of us and the household. 

Just like any girl, I also dreamed of being a princess. My delusional mind sometimes imagines situations where I am a long lost princess in a faraway land. Little did I know that I really AM a princess.

I was a long lost princess until I was founded by my heavenly Father who is the king of kings and the lord of lords. That was one of the major events in my life that made me who I am today. My relationship with Him is the most important relationship I have.

Ever since I started learning more about my heavenly Father and I started spending more time with Him, I learned so much about myself as well. All of the questions I had when I was younger were all answered by Him. Now, I know who I am, what my stand is, what I stand for and the purpose of my existence.

I am the type of person who doesn't do things without its purpose. I don't really follow the trend unless I know and I like its purpose. I don't really experience peer pressure because of this and I couldn't careless of what they'll think of me. The most important opinion that I really care about is my heavenly Father's and my family's because they are the most important people in my life.

I'm also one of those people who don’t have a "best friend". 

I call and I get called by my friends "best friend", but I can never treat them like one. Mainly because I can't really open up my heart to other people no matter how long we have been friends. 

My only best friends are my parents. I can really tell them about anything without sugar coating what I have to say. When I am mad, I immediately tell my parents why and I don't really need to filter the words that'll come out of my mouth. They also give me the best advice that I know and I can fully trust that it's for my own good. After that, I'll feel so much better. I used to try telling my "best friend" who was my classmate about what's bugging me and after telling it to her; I only heard common comfort words which you can usually hear from dramas and movies. It didn't make me feel any better. I tried this multiple times with different people who I used consider my "best friend". 

That's when I knew that I am the kind of person who must stop considering one of my friends as my "best friend". It's okay if they'll consider me as their best friend but I must let them know that I won't be able to do the same. It'll only hurt them and I think they'll find it unfair that they share their secrets and problems to me, but I wouldn't be able to do the same.

Just like any other human being out there, I long to be someone who can and has accomplished a lot of things in life. I want to try different and unique jobs when I grow older like being a voice actress, a food critic and many more. That's just to name a few. I dream to travel and explore the world with my family. I wish to be able to speak in 3 or more foreign languages fluently. It is my heart’s desire to be able to play different all kinds of instruments like violin, harp, trumpet, euphonium and many more. I would love to have a house that has a transparent elevator in it. There are so many things I dream to accomplish that I wouldn't be able tell you all about.

When it comes to my hobbies, one of them is that I spend most of my time watching anime. Believe it or not, that's where I actually learned how to speak, read, write and understand Japanese. Since I always hear the language every day, my body started adapting to it and started using the words unconsciously. When I was in high school, I randomly speak in Japanese at home and in school, even to my teachers. But when I entered college, I am trying my best not to randomly speak the language because everyone will think it's weird and I doubt that somebody will understand.

I am hoping to enroll in a formal Japanese class in the near future. I fell in love with the language so much that I couldn't turn my back away from it.

I am also genuinely fond of music in general.

I usually listen to classical music, jazz, pop and RnB. I don't care what language was used in the song as long as there's something about it that was able to capture my heart.

Being able to play instruments is also what makes music very engaging and appealing. So far, I can play the piano, guitar, a little bit of drums and violin.

But the most amusing and enjoyable for me is singing. I wish to have a flexible voice where I can sing different genres especially classical and jazz. It has always been my dream to be a singer ever since I was a little kid. Unfortunately, I wasn't born with a great voice and it was a love-hate relationship with singing. In fact, I was even tone deaf then. It’s so sad, right? I tried running away from that dream many times more than I could even remember, but something is always pulling me back and before I know it, I am up chasing the same dream again.

By the grace of God, my voice started improving. I can proudly say that I sound way better than before and can do some techniques. I am not giving up on this dream of mine. It may seem impossible, but Jesus is my hope. He makes a way when there seems to be no way and with Him, nothing is impossible. He makes me limitless.
(You can check my soundcloud if you want see how much I improved from being tone deaf. haha feel free to leave a comment: https://soundcloud.com/pamelagatdula/say-something-cover)

Just in case, you are wondering why I am making this blog, I'll tell you the story behind it.

I am a freshman student taking up Tourism Management in Asia Pacific College and this blog is a requirement for my EEP Class.

I am not really into making blogs, but I can definitely say that I really enjoyed making this first ever blog I have ever done in my life. I'll be posting 15 blogs within the term and I hope you will appreciate and enjoy it as much as I do.