My Blog

Nung third year, sumali ako sa sonnet-making sa skul. yung theme e English blah blah, nakalimutan ko na… nakalimutan ko na rin yung title nung na compose ko… tapos ayun… talo… hehe… buti nahanap ko pa sa likod ng luma kong nokbuk… nakalimutan ko nga kung eto ba yung para sa eliminations eh… basta basahin nyo na lang…

I’m the leaf and the whole of us the tree

Let this tree bear fruits of wisdom, knowledge

Let it learn the word of the foreign sea

The word will aid the tree and act as ledge

The word is light that brightens the future

The water that streams through every nation

The paint and color in every picture

The warmth felt in every conversation

The succubus that seduces laughter

The smith that yielded creativity

The waves and currents that lead the rafter

Language will take us out of poverty

Have wisdom, erudition and you’ll see

Language is a big part of history.

Vengeance is Not Ours, It’s God’s

Nung Second Grading, eto naman ang pinagawa sa min… Mag-declame…

Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread. Spare me your mercy. I am a child so young, so thin, and so ragged.
Why are you staring at me? With my eyes I cannot see but I know that you are all staring at me. Why are you whispering to one another? Why? Do you know my mother? Do you know my father? Did you know me five years ago? Yes, five years of bitterness have passed. I can still remember the vast happiness mother and I shared with each other. We were very happy indeed.
Suddenly, five loud knocks were heard on the door and a deep silence ensued. Did the cruel Nippon’s discover our peaceful home? Mother ran to Father’s side pleading. “Please, Luis, hide in the cellar, there in the cellar where they cannot find you,” I pulled my father’s arm but he did not move. It seemed as though his feet were glued to the floor.
The door went “bang” and before us five ugly beasts came barging in. “Are you Captain Luis Santos?” roared the ugliest of them all. “Yes,” said my father. “You are under arrest,” said one of the beasts. They pulled father roughly away from us. Father was not given a chance to bid us goodbye.
We followed them mile after mile. We were hungry and thirsty. We saw group of Japanese eating. Oh, how our mouths watered seeing the delicious fruits they were eating,
Then suddenly, we heard a voice call, “Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . .” we ran towards the direction of the voice, but it was too late. We saw father hanging on a tree. . . . dead. Oh, it was terrible. He had been badly beaten before he died. . . . and I cried vengeance, vengeance, vengeance! Everything went black. The next thing I knew I was nursing my poor invalid mother.
One day, we heard the church bell ringing “ding-dong, ding-dong!” It was a sign for us to find a shelter in our hide-out, but I could not leave my invalid mother, I tried to show her the way to the hide-out.
Suddenly, bombs started falling; airplanes were roaring overhead, canyons were firing from everywhere. “Boom, boom, boom, boom!” Mother was hit. Her legs were shattered into pieces. I took her gently in my arms and cried, “I’ll have vengeance, vengeance!” “No, Oscar. Vengeance, it’s God’s,” said mother.
But I cried out vengeance. I was like a pent-up volcano. “Vengeance is mine not the Lord’s”. “No, Oscar. Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s” these were the words from my mother before she died.
Mother was dead and I was blind. Vengeance is not ours? To forgive is divine but vengeance is sweeter.
That was five years ago, five years. . . .
Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread. Spare me your mercy. I am a child so young, so thin, and so ragged. Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s. . . . It’s. . . . God’s. . It’s…

Eto yung article na nireport ko sa English…. Maganda naman ‘di ba?

Saturday,

August 5, 2006

Everyday acts of heroism, chivalry and just plain thoughtfulness can come easy just from practicing the simple verse from the Gospel of Luke, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” What do I mean by that?

I was touched by acts of heroism watching the morning news this week, a young teen was in a Jacuzzi pool at a Disney hotel, when the suction pulled him underwater. Someone alerted the boy’s father and he dove in. The suction was so great he couldn’t pull the teen out. He actually gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while he was submerged. After getting the teen out of the water, the teen was in a coma for several days and he was expected to make a full recovery. Of course, being his father that was probably love not heroism that prompted his act of bravery. But the fast thinking of his father not only saved his son’s life but the son suffering from any kind of irreparable damage.

In another act, a 5-year-old boy was playing in his family pool along with he watchful eye of his grandfather. The grandfather was watching his grandson come down the slide into the pool when the grandfather fell in. This youngster took matters into his own hands and swam his grandfather to safety. Was this another act of love, bravery … or both?

Finally, in

Detroit

a homeless man found $21,000 worth of savings bonds in a trash bin while searching for returnable bottles. He turned it in to a homeless shelter where a staff member found the family of the man who owned them. A thoughtful act from someone who didn’t even have his own roof over his head. If you were in his place, would you do the same thing? If you can honestly say you would, I commend your humanitarianism. There is no price on honesty, but the man did receive $4,000 from people who had heard of his kindness.

Do you know for sure you could be honest without thought, brave without fear or thoughtful without hesitation?

In the Bible’s gospel of Luke, Jesus elaborates on this “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” principle. He says, “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Would you want someone to steal from you, lie to you, covet your possessions? Of course not. So don’t go and do these things to other people.

Do we only commit acts of kindness to those we love or unkind to those we could care less about?

According to the Bible, God says you should love your enemies, do well, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great.

These acts be it of lifesaving or just plain good-deed doing puts a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart to know there is still good in the world.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

This is your time — be brave, be thoughtful and do things you can be proud of — be a hero.

Matagal-tagal n rin nung sinabi sa ‘kin n magte-take daw ako ng upcat… E wala naman akong pake dun saka nagtataka pa nga ako kung bakit dapat ang aga-aga e ‘di pa nga ako graduate ng haghschool… kung ‘di ko pa nalaman na bibilhan ako ng bagong cellphone pag pumasa ako dun at kung ‘di pa ‘ko tinakot na itatapon n lang sa mga school sa tabi-tabi e ‘di pa ‘ko mag-aaral….

Tapos kung anu-ano na ung pinag-bibigay nila sa ‘king libro, pero yung una yung reviewer ng science (ewan ko ba kung b’at ‘di ko gaanong inaral ‘yun, e ‘di sana ‘di ako nagkanda-ugaga magreview nung malapit n ang test…. huhuhu…)…

‘Nung nakakuha na ‘ko ng application form, ipapasa ko n sana ng maaga e…. Kaya lang ang daming dahilan nung office sa skul! Nandyan ung "Wala yung registrar, nag-lunch, sarado ang opis ngayon, wala, tulog, umalis…. Hindi tuloy ako nakapagpasa ng maaga…. Takot ako kasi malapit na yung deadline nung pasahan (June 21 ‘ata yun)…. Nagulat na lang ako,

teka may nanalo daw 1 million sa deal or no deal e…

Nagulat na lang ako, pumunta mismo ung registrar namin sa clasrum at namigay ng mga application form… Aba, an’daming kumuha! Halos 1/4 ng klase…. E dahil nga madaming eche-bureche pang kailangan na ilalagay dun sa aplic form ng UP at malapit na ang pasahan, apat lang kami nakapagpasa…

Sumunod nanaman ang maraming araw bago mag-test (Aug. 6), ewan ko ba sa tanga kong sarili kung bakit ang kampa-kampante ko at nakalimutan ko nang mag-aral…. Bwisit kasi ‘tong internet e! Natauhan lang ako nung 1 wik before the test na… Aral-aral… May nagtutor na rin sa’kin ng math kasi dito natulog si Kuya Lloyd ng isang linggo…

Bumili rin si Ate ng bagong cellphone (pang-inggit?) nung Friday, 6680 ata yun… Yun bang dalawa yung camera (haytetsh na sakin yun, mayaman ka kasi e!)… Sakin daw yun kung pumasa ako (ano kaya yun, sa February pa malalaman results! maluluma na yun! Unfair! Unfair!)….

Nung Sabado (isang araw bago mag-test), pumunta si Ate Net sa bahay, overnyt… Tapos pumunta kami sa UP kasama si Pa (syempre, sinong magda-drive?) para daw i-chek yung location nung test ko (Music Building) para daw ‘di na maligaw kinabukasan….

Pagkauwi, aral hanggang alas-10… Bago matulog, sabi ni Ate Net na bago daw magtest, magpray daw ako ng 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, at 1 Glory Be. Pag nasa pinto na raw ako ng rum na pag-eeksaman, padyak daw ako ng isa… Nakapasa daw siya sa isang test dahil dun…Tapos, tulog… ‘Di pa nga ako makatulog e! Nagising ako mga alas-2 ng madaling-araw… ‘Di pa rin makatulog… Kung saan-saan na nakarating utak ko hanggang maisip ko na kung pano makuha ung degree ng angle dun sa isang tanong ng reviewer ko (haha… mukang tanga!)…. Tapos nakatulog na ako….

Ginising ako ni Ate Net at ni Pa nung alas-3 pa lang (excited aba!)… Almusal longgadog… Sasama rin pala si Ate Do… Andami nilang binaon, parang magcacamping sa UP! May nagyeyelong coke, thermos na may kape, plastic cups, bumili pa nd pandesal at mayonnaise!

Dumating kami sa UP alas-4… Tatlong kotse pa lang nandon… Mukang gago yung tiyan ko, ngayon pa nagloko… Tumae tuloy ako sa portalet ng UP (may tissue naman e)… Si Ate Do naman umihi sa kabilang portalet… Dahil nga madilim, naihi sya sa takip nung toilet! Waaahhhhhh…. Lumabas sya, basa yung shorts! Wahahaha! Tapos nakabold sa kotse!!

Dumami na yung tao nung alas-6… Kahit sa ibang building… Tapos pinabuo kami ng group of 10 (the boat is sinking ba’to?)…. Chinek yung permit… Inadvisan na magdala ng jacket at malamig raw dun… E wala akong dala e saka baka kaya ko yung lamig… Pinapasok na kami… Nagpray ako habang nasa pila tulad ng advise ni Ate Net…

SYET! Anlamig nga! Di ko kaya!… Nkalimutan ko pa yung padyak power ni Ate Net… Siguro sa isang clasrum, 50 kami…

2 bantay namen… Mahigit isang oras na instructions… Bawal pla kalkyu?! Pero pede kumain habang nagtetest… Aba, at kailangan #2 Mongol pencils ang gamit (sponsor?)…. Pinahiram naman nila yung iba ang dala (isa nako dun kasi #1 at #3 dala ko e)….

Nagtest na kami… Apat lang palang subjects… Language, Science, Math, Reading… May karampatang oras lang bawat isa… Di na pwedeng bumalik sa previous subject kung tapos na (Sabi ni Bea, classmate ko na nagtake din ng UPCAT, may napalabas daw sa clasrum nila dahil bumalik sa previous subject)…

Anlamig talaga, Yung iba may gana pang kumain, lumabas pa ko para umihi… Natatawa pa nga sa kin ung bantay kasi lumabas ako, nanginginig… Katakot sa CR, wlang tao sa buong 1st floor!

Tapos balik sa test… Bwisit na math yan ‘di ko natapos.. Hinulaan ko tuloy yung last ten sa math kasi di na pwedeng bumalik e… Pinakamadali ata yung reading… Babasahin mo lang ung isang selection tapos sasagutan yung tanong… Pampatagal lang yung pagbabasa…

Pagkatapos ng test, pagkalabas ko, di ko nakita yung kotse dun sa dating pinarkan… Mga 15 mins ako naghanap-hanap… Mangiyak-ngiyak na ko, inisip ko kung pano uuwi e kendi lang laman ng bulsa ko, di ko pa nakain… Akala ko nauna na si Papa at si Ate Net dun sa b-day ni Clyde tapos nagpaiwan si Ate Do, nagtetex nang nagtetex sa kin si Ate Do e Naiwan ko cp ko sa kotse, naka-silent!… Wuhuhu… Matapos kong magpakahirap sa test, magcocomute pa ko?! Mangiyakngiyak na talaga ako… Sabay may sumagaw sa dulo ng parking, si Ate Do, nasa kotse… Yun pla, lumipat dun sa di mainit…

Haaayyy…. Pagkatapos talaga ng hirap, sarap magpakasarap… Nung nasa b-day kami nkatatlong serving ata ako non…. Umuwi ang buong family dito sa Pasig, nagbukasan ng regalo ni Clyde, kinain ung cake pati yung mga tirang pagkain, nag-magic sing (sana nandito si Ma)…

Tapos ngayon pa-inter-internet na lang…

Makapasa kaya ako?….