Happy New Year Everyone!

Here's a text message I received which I would like to share to all of you:

My dozen WISHES for YOU for 2011...

1. A LOVE that lasts

2. A HEART that forgives

3. A SOUL that heals

4. An answered PRAYER

5. TIME for yourself

6. BELIEF that anything is possible

7. COURAGE to finally do what you've been putting off

8. PROMISES that are not broken

9. FRIENDS that brings out the BEST in you

10. SUNRISE after the darkest night

11. A CHRISTMAS FEELING all year round

12. A good LIFE and a healthy BODY

Formula for misjudgments?

here it is:
Ignorance plus dim-wittedness is equal to wrong conclusions

want to try it?

Freedom of Expression: a Right to be Protected

"Freedom of information is a fundamental human right and ... the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated”, according to the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in its very first session in 1946.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democratic rights and freedom. It is essential in enabling democracy to work and public participation in decision-making. Without free access to information and ideas, the citizens cannot exercise their right to vote actively or take part in public decision-making and they are not able to freely express their views. Thus, freedom of expression is not only important for the dignity of an individual but also to participation, accountability, and of course, democracy.
The right of all to express their views freely is upheld by the right to freedom of expression and opinions. It is a right which should be promoted to the maximum extent possible due to its critical role in democracy and public participation in the life of politics. Though sometimes, there are certain forms of expression which need to be curtailed for the protection of other human rights. Limiting freedom of expression in such cases will always be a fine balancing act.
On the part of the journalists, restrictions on the right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas, in a way or another, is a significant threat to be guarded upon. This can come under attack in a variety of ways and is particularly pinned on the freedom of the press.
In recent years, progress has been made in terms of securing respect for the right to freedom of expression. Efforts have been made to implement this right through specially constructed regional mechanisms. New opportunities emerge for a greater freedom of expression with the use of the internet and worldwide satellite media broadcasting. They offer unprecedented opportunities to promote freedom of expression and information.
It is an obvious fact that everyone has the rights to the freedom of expression and information. However, some people, particularly journalists, are facing a very significant threat that they may be pressured. Hope that these rights can only be restricted under certain circumstances: to protect the rights and reputations of others or to protect public security, and to protect public health and morals.

By: Mary Abegail R. Morilla

Period or Comma?

I'm facing a sort of turmoil at present because of a co-teacher who made unreal issues about me. I used to look up to this person as a mentor, as an elder brother and most of all as a friend.
I hardly could not believe that the ones he uttered against "somebody" was passed to me. How dare him!
As a realization on my part, I should put a period on our friendship. Yes, Christmas is fast approaching and perhaps wounds have to be healed, disagreements have to be settled. I could be civil with him but I am not anymore his friend.
Some people are just born to act like snakes. He is one. Degrees are not really a guarantee that one acts accordingly. Attitude still comes out. I know, the truth will prevail but the damage has been done... I could not use a comma anymore. It's a period really...

Settling Down

Last night, I was struck by what I've seen in television. The anchor said "In the Philippines, the persons who decide to get married are getting less every year..." Statistical data were presented.

It made me realize that I'm one of those lucky ones who was able to experience how it is to be brought to the altar and exchange vows with the one you love. Reasons like financial matters and fear of commitment were set aside by my honey so we could exchange the words "I do".

Way back in my college years, a nun friend told me that the opposite of love is not hatred but fear. Thus, because love conquers fear then if two persons are in love and they are in the right age, there is no reason why a couple should not get married.

Risk of heart attack highest in December, January, study says - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Risk of heart attack highest in December, January, study says - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Open Letter to the 2010 Graduates of MRVNHS

March 29, 2010

Dear (Name of Graduate),

Time is really beyond our control. For a moment, it was only part of June but now the School Year is over and it is today that you will savor the taste of the fruits of your sweat and sacrifice.

Graduation connotes various meaning. For most of you, it means success. it may be a form of relief since toilsome tasks and rigorous trainings are over. Furthermore, it may also be a milestone.

Looking back, for a short span of time that we have been together, I believe we had bittersweet memories. I think you will agree if I will say that for you having me as your English teacher is totally having a hard nut to crack. Remember the first time you need to deliver a speech, explain a quotation, perform a play, tell a story, reveal your love story, have a jigsaw puzzle, conduct and defend a research, etcetera?

For a couple of times, you considered those as head-cracking tasks... You might be familiar with the seed germination process. The seed coat has to open up so that the embryo would be able to come out and eventually become a seedling. That process is never easy. The point that I'd like to drive at is that like a seed, you have to grow and develop. The choice to grow is within you.

What I'd like to ask from you is not admiration but an application of what you have learned. The real test is not in the classroom. The real test is the test of LIFE.

As you leave the portals of MRVNHS, let this formula be your guide:
HARDWORK + PRAYER = SUCCESS.

Congratulations and Godspeed!

Sincerely,
Ma'am Reah

True Happiness

"Happiness is a state of mind. It is peace of the spirit, a deep contentment arising from the conviction that what we have is sufficient for our needs, that we envy no one, that we don't seriously exchange places with anyone. It is a feeling of appreciation, of value for our separate & individual blessings. We draw it from ourselves-we do not draw it from others. It is a truism that the more we find happiness in material things the more that it eludes us. True happiness is seen on what we do to others, not how we have used others for our own advantage."

Kelly Blue Book

Don't Put Me in a Box

The words that I'd like to share with you are perfectly described in the following sentences. Jay Kelly on May 3, 2007 wrote in his blog and I quote "When I talk about being put in a box, I’m actually talking about being categorized, being told what I am and what I am not, being told what I can and cannot do. I know that we all do this in some form or another to make sense of our world (I’m this kind of person, you’re that kind of person, therefore we are or are not compatible…), but I have a distaste for the practice." In simple terms, DO NOT JUDGE ME FOR I AM PRETTY SURE YOU WOULD NOT LIKE IT WHEN I DO THE SAME TO YOU. Precisely, we are not judges and even those who are judges would recommend to have trial to any suspect/s before giving conclusions. More importantly, DO NOT MAKE ANY JUDGMENTS WITHOUT HAVING EVIDENCES AND/OR VERIFICATIONS.

It is totally disheartening to be judged for something that you did not actually do. Where is the room for "benefit of the doubt" when you automatically judge me even without evidences. I'm not angry with the person who did this to me. I just PITY that person and also those every single person whom she told and has believed right then and there.

Aside from being disheartened though, I still see the brighter side of it. There are lessons I've learned because of this experience:

1. No matter what position you are holding or what economic status you have, it is not a guarantee that you can give a sound judgment.

2. Though you have been good to others, there are those who would only look for something so they can pull you down.

3. True friends stand by you and with you. When there is an opportunity to doubt, they verify. They talk with you and not that they stab you behind your back.

imikimi - sharing creativity

Any Reaction?

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Reflection on our Electricity Dependence

We are dependent on electricity.

We are electricity dependent because of myriad reasons. Electricity is used to light homes, power appliances - computers, stoves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, dispensers, and the like. It has made modern living very possible and life has become so convenient. This dependence is really a reality.

Can you imagine life without electricity then? But for two weeks now, brownout has been frequent. So it is not a question of imagination therefore, the question is: How do we feel whenever there is brownout especially if it lasts for more than an hour?

Horrible, isn't it? Brownouts make us feel like we are thrown back to eighteen hundreds again. Whenever there is a recurrence of brownout, it's like life is inconvenient...

In my own experience, I really hate it when there is brownout. My routine includes checking the internet, turning on the water dispenser, and reading books. When there is no electricity, I would not be able to check the internet and turn on the water dispenser. I cannot read books well too because candle light, flash light or emergency lamp does not give me the same kind of light that I'm used to.

However, after two weeks of experiencing recurrent brownout, it helps me realize that there is still life with or without electricity. Brownouts has led me to have a communion with myself and my parents. I have less time for self-reflection when there is electricity and less time also to talk with my parents.

Brownouts bring something positive too, right?

St. Augustine's View of Love

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."
-St. Augustine

New Cover Picture

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Proudly Presents my students' write up

Take a closer look at the picture shown above. I've used it as part of my chapter test for the 4th Year students. The instruction is:
Look at the given picture. Make a composition composed of at least 100 words. Create your own title.

What amazed me is that these two students were able to write with substance. Imagine they only had 15 minutes to do this since the test was quite long.

THE WHEEL OF LIFE
by Jensen Rico

Human life is a sacred gift from God. The emergence of a single soul on earth means another birth of a human being who will soon experience the twists and thrills of the world. Life, therefore, is a thing to be treasured. Humans like us should be happy enough to accept the breath of life which God has given to us.

Human life happens for a reason. We didn't appear by just saying a "Hocus Pocus" or a lasting spell. We are the mighty trees who once came from a single seed that was nurtured below the cold earth. For nine months of stay in the soft walls of our mother's uterus which serves as our first home, we can't help but admire the beauty of life. Yet, the road of life is not always smooth. Sometimes, you have to jump at the far heights just to escape from a stumbling stone. But a smile will never fade from our faces when we overcome those trials. As what they have said, life must continue.

We are the authors of our very own life. More so, we have undergone the various stages of life. We remember those childish moments when all days for us were meant for sleeping, playing, and of course, for enjoying everything. But life doesn't stop right there. We have to move on and we can't avoid the inevitable countdown of years. Soon we realize that we have reached the teenage years. Then, we'll be entering the portal of parenthood. Until we realize that we have already grandsons. Thus, life is a process that will continue.

Life is really wondrous. What we should do is to enjoy and treasure it. We should savor life's pleasures - even if it's in pain or not.


BLESSINGS OF LOVE
by Kane Batiancila

They were made from love, are made to live with love and must end up full of love. They are creations God made to be taken care of and believed to give fun to everyone. They were beings with nothing blessed to do but laugh and cry. They are the children with so much cuteness and happiness when they smile.

Aside from the fact that they are needed to complete the cycle of human kind, they are also believed to be blessings from above. They must be handled with care, must not make them cry, give what they need (even though they do not speak, teach them the "hows and whats" in this world, to name a few for what our parents usually say.

But on the other hand, some people consider them as garbages and waste for the reason that the child was just created by an accident, due to the reason that they do not want that gift or what we call "unwanted child." This might be true but parents with this problem don't remember that what they did in order for that gift to be created is caused by their love to one another, that they've agreed to do the act willingly.

Thus, no matter what consequences it may give you, you must embrace it with will and determination just like how you accepted what you did. You must also seek guidance for the responsibility waiting for you because children are created to be born and that killing them is an act of murder. They are created to live their life, enjoy and have fun for children are not just thrashes, they are blessings of love.

New Year ... New Life

"Remember the laughter, the joy, the hard work, and the tears.
And as you reflect on the past year, also think of the new one to come.
Because most importantly,
this is a time of new beginnings and the celebration of life.”

Happy new year to everyone!