BEING SPECIAL IS ABOUT BEING YOURSELF

          I walk through the doors of my school everyday and watch hundreds of people pass by. I ride a car to go home from school and I see thousands of young people just like me walk down the streets and meet with their friends. I watch television at home and see millions of people appear in the news. I look at myself in the mirror and realize that I don't look like anybody that I came across with. Well, anybody would wonder how they are different from the people around them and ask themselves about what makes them so special. 

          I believe that each one of us is created by God to be special in our own way. From the moment we are old enough to realize the idea of individuality I think we all want to know what it is that makes us stand out among the rest of the people in the world.  And from that, we want to make sure that we remain distinct in one-way or another.  For some people it means becoming the best in their studies and being popular in school while others do not focus on what they can do but instead focus on what society wants them to do. In other words, they want to fit it with what's "in" today. 

          I believe that I am special because of my personality. I was the type of girl that hid her face, afraid to speak her mind and doesn't have enough trust in herself. I always compared myself to the people around me and because of that I felt inferior especially when it comes to my school grades. I wasn't really good at socializing too that's why when my classmates ask me about someone, I can't answer because I don't know who they were. I wasn't also good at following what's "in" in society today that's why I always felt left out. But then I thought to myself, "Why would I worry about being something I am not? Why am I comparing myself to them? They are who they are and I am who I am." This thoughts made me feel confident with my abilities and strove to do my best on the things that I can do. I discovered what hidden talents I have and I worked hard in order to improve myself on the things I'm not good at. I'm not really a smart person or what you would call a "genius" but through hard work and perseverance, I was able to cope up with people who are better than me and prove myself to be special just by being myself. Even I was shocked with the results and I am very happy to know that all the hardships I went through were actually worth it. 

          I have learned that we make ourselves special by what we do, how we live and the way in which we interact with the people around us.  We do not have to try very hard to be different because we are all born different, however many will fight their own uniqueness in order to fit in, to belong or be accepted.  But we should always remember that being special is more than how many people you can get to look at you or how many awards you will receive. It's about what you live for. Its about being yourself. It's about the heart you have and what you can achieve using your own abilities.Being the best is great because it makes you number one but being special is greater because YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE.

A DAUGHTER'S PRAYER FOR HER PARENTS

Dear God,

        I have known a lot of people in my life who have suffered the loss of their parents. Some of their parents died just recently and some can't even remember the precious last moments they shared with them because their parents died when they were still very young.Whenever I ask them about it, they always tell me that they regretted not spending enough time with them and not appreciating what they have done and sacrificed until it was too late. They say that if they were given the chance to talk to them again even for only a brief time, the first thing they would say is that they love them so much.

        I want to thank you God for blessing me with parents who are still alive up to this day. I can't imagine my life without them. Just the thought of losing them already brings me to tears. I know it is selfish of me to ask for them to have a longer life but for me, they deserve the best and they deserve more than what I can give to them. I love them more than anybody can ever imagine but I know that the love that my parents have for me is greater and is not measurable. 

         I want to thank you God for giving me the knowledge and wisdom of understanding how extraordinary my parents are. As I become older, I begin to understand the hardships and sacrifices that my parents have to go through. In order to provide the necessities of our family, they would work day and night. They would sacrifice their own sleep and their own food just to give them to me. Even though they are already tired, they would still continue to take care of me. They don't care about their health as much as they care for mine. Just a little fever would already make them worried. It makes me so happy because they care so much about my safety. They would give all they have without expecting anything in return. 

        I don't even know how to start thanking them for the love, care and patience they gave in raising me. I can't even imagine the pain and stress they went through when I was only a toddler. How about know when I'm already a teenager? Teenagers today have so many problems with their relationship with their parents because they want to experience freedom and be the ones who would decide what's best for their life. They don't see the meaning behind every opposition that a parent does to their decision and instead they get mad and ignore them. But sometimes it is the parents who can't understand their children. They would force their children to do what they want  because they think that it is for their own good but they don't realize that they are only actually giving pressure to their children causing them to be emotionally unstable. 

        I want to thank you God for blessing me with such kind and understanding parents and that you have me become their child. I'm very fortunate to have the two of them by my side as I face the obstacles of life while some people can't get along with their parents as well as we do. When we are asked to write about our problems with our family in school, I can't write anything because I never had any problem with my family. In fact, I never had a dull moment in my life because my mom and dad are always there to support me and make me smile. Whenever I have problems, they would hear me out and give me the perfect advice in order to solve them. When I need to make an important decision, they won't decide for me but instead let me choose my own destiny. No matter what decision I make, they would be there to guide me and love me for who I am. They also accept the things that I can and cannot do and they always give me the will to never give up.

          I know my parents deserve a lot but I don't know how, dear God, except to ask you to bless them as richly as you can and to help me live up to the example they have set. I would like to ask you to give them a peaceful and happy life as the years come by. I know I still don't have the ability to repay for all the things they have done for me because I'm still young but I will do my best to show them that I appreciate everything that they have done and that I love them very much. Thank you again God for all the blessings and please continue to guide us and take care of us in the rest of the journey we call life. 

A Loving Daughter

          

         

HAVING REGRETS IS AN AMAZINGLY AWFUL EXPERIENCE

        Everyone has had to deal with some type of regret in their lives. It is impossible to go all the way through life without making a wrong decision or saying something you wish you hadn't said. Sometimes our regrets are so big that we would resort to finding ways to change the past. Still, these mistakes make up who we are and how we've come to be ourselves. These things remind us that we are human, not perfect, like anybody else. 

        The past few years have been a very challenging experience for me. A lot of events had taken place and these have sent me down a road I should never have gone down. I never really had a serious life changing experience and the regrets I have are mostly about my test answers. But when I became older, I realized that the biggest and worst regret I had in life is not for the wrong things that I did but for the millions of right things I did for the wrong people. 

          I am not a very sociable person and because of that, I always have a lot of trouble in making friends. Fortunately, I became friends with a few people who I can share my thoughts and feelings with. Time passed like a blink of an eye and I felt like I was the luckiest person in the universe. My friends turned from few to many. I was really happy about that and I trusted them more than I trust myself. That was my mistake. I was so busy prioritizing them that I didn't realize that they didn't consider me as their friend. I was only the laughing stock of the group and all the secrets that I told them were used against me. My appearance, my clothes, they were all just jokes to them. Sometimes I even apologize to even though I didn't do anything wrong to them. I never felt so sad and disappointed my whole life. 

        After that, I decided to stand up for myself and made myself stronger. I did some things that I can  do to resolve and even avoid some regrets that I had. I convinced myself that living with regrets is like driving a car in reverse. When I make a decision, I promised myself that I would let it go and not question myself. I told myself that I will always accept the outcome no matter what the consequences are. I try to figure out what I did wrong but I won't dwell on it too long. And the most important thing of all, I promised myself that I would have more confidence on what I can do. Even if I think it was the wrong decision, I would do my best to make it work and move on. 

         I've been walked on, used, and regretted a lot of times but it is in those moments that I've learned a lot and discovered who I am. I learned who I can trust and can’t, I learned the true meaning of friendship, I learned how to tell when people are false and when they are sincere, and the most important lesson that I learned is how to appreciate the truly great people in my life as they arrive. Don't let yourself get caught up in the past because if you don't, you will never be able to face your future without fear.

VOYAGES EXTRAORDINAIRES

          Three weeks ago, I sent a letter asking for the honor of an interview with a famous French novelist and I was really gratified to find his reply waiting inside my mailbox one week after with the simple inscription, "Demain matin 08 heures au Meurice." (Tomorrow morning 8 o’clock at Le Meurice)

          Accordingly at the appointed hour, I presented myself at Le Meurice, one of the most famous restaurants in Paris, France. It has a gorgeous mosaic floor, its ceiling was filled with crystal chandeliers, and the heavy damask curtains at the windows were overlooking the Tuileries Gardens across the street. There I sat, anxiously waiting for the arrival of Jules Verne, a French novelist, poet, and playwright best known for his adventure novels and his profound influence on the literary genre of science fiction.

          After a few moments Mr. Jules Verne entered. He was a man of good build, somewhat below medium height, with kindly blue eyes and a short silvery beard and he dressed in a modest, loose-fitting suit of black. We gave each other a few courteous words of welcome and commenced the conversation. 

          "A pleasant morning to you Mr. Verne. My name is Sophia Sanders and I just want to say that I am very honored to have you here today. " I said.

          "Don't worry about it madame. I am also thankful to you for inviting me here today. But if I may ask, why did you choose me for this interview?" He asked. 

          "Ever since I was a little girl, I always liked going on adventures with my father. We would explore the woods near our house everyday and we would always have fun. But as time goes by, we didn't have any chance to explore anymore because my father was always busy with work and I was always busy with school. One day, my dad gave me a gift in order to make up for all the time that we weren't able to spend together. Inside that gift was a book entitled Five Weeks in a Balloon, your first novel. That book made my life more fun, filled with adventure and it gave me a glimpse on the beauty of the world and how the world works. Ever since that day, I have always read your works and I loved them more than anything else." I explained. 

         I looked at Mr. Verne and I saw him smiling happily and his eyes were filled with excitement.

         "It is really nice to hear those kind words from other people. It makes me feel happy and it relieves me to know that all my hard work paid off." He replied.

         I smiled back at him and I started to ask my first question.

        "When did your career as an author begin?" I asked. 

       “As early as twelve or fourteen I was never without a pen in my hand, and during my school days I was always writing, my tasks being chiefly poetical. During the whole of my life I have always had a great passion for poetical and dramatic work, and in my later youth I published a considerable number of pieces, some of which met with a fair amount of success. My second and principal career did not commence till I was over thirty, and was brought about by a sudden impulse. It struck me one day that perhaps I might utilize with advantage my scientific education to blend together science and romance into a work of an advantageous description that might appeal to the public taste." He replied.

         "Mr. Verne, your works are mostly about adventure and science-fiction, why is that?" I asked.

         "Well as you know, I lived with my family within the town of Nantes. My father is an attorney and he always wanted me to study law just like him. But just like what I told you earlier, I was always fascinated with writing, poetry, and rhetoric. I also had an interest in geography, philosophy, and adventures. Because I wanted to pursue my love for literature and adventure, I decided to quit law school and I decided to write for magazines and the stage." He explained.

          "It must have been hard but I am happy that you decided follow your dreams and the things that you love. Now let's move on to the next. For you Mr Verne, what is Science?" I asked.

          "I do not in any way pose a scientist but for me, Science is made up of mistakes but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth." He replied.

           I was really amazed about how he remarkably answered that question. I continued to ask him questions and this time, I asked him about his works.

           "Out of all your works, what are the top 3 novels you like the most and why?" I asked. 

           "I love all my works but if I were to choose 3, I would say Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mysterious Island, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I like Journey to the Center of the Earth because most of its ideas are about the interiors of the Earth and its characters encountered prehistoric animals and natural hazards. I like The Mysterious Island because it is about the adventure of the characters on an uncharted island. I like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea because it is about the sea. The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite."

            "A very nice answer. Now for the last question, what is your favorite quote from your books and why?" I asked.

            "My favorite quote would be from my novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth ''While there is life, there is hope. I beg to assert...that as long as a man's heart beats, as long as a man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that a being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair.'' This is my favorite quote because I can relate myself to it. I have always faced a lot of struggles throughout my life and without hope, I would never have made it this far." He answered.

              "All of your answers are very good and I agree with you completely. I would like to thank you again Mr. Verne for giving some of your time for this meeting. I hope we get to meet and talk to each other again." I said.

              "I want to thank you too for sharing your experiences with me. Don't worry we can still keep in touch and I am always here if you need me. Goodbye see you again next time" He said.

               It was a great experience to spend some time with one of the best authors of all time. I will never forget everything he taught me today and I will always remember never to give up no matter how hard life gets.           

            

THE 9 CIRCLES OF CNSHS

          There is a 14 year old boy named Cedric living in a simple neighborhood. He is smart, obedient and he is the model student of his school. Everybody loves him and many of his classmates look up to him. But one day, Cedric befriended a group of troublemakers. They influenced him to do things that a high school student shouldn't do. Cedric thought he was doing the right thing so he became fond of it. This made him lose focus on his studies and this caused him a lot of trouble. This worried his parents so they decided to talk to him about it but Cedric didn't want to talk to them.

           One night, Cedric finds himself in a completely different place. It is very dark and Cedric doesn't know what to do. He sees a tall person walking towards him. That person introduces himself as Luke. Cedric immediately asks Luke about how he could get out of that place. Luke says that the only way to get out of there is to go through the school named CNSHS, the place where students are punished for the sins they did at school. Cedric asks where he could find it and Luke tells him that he is know standing in front of CNSHS.

           In front of the gate, Cedric sees a sign that says "Abandon all hope, ye who enters here". He becomes very hesitant but Luke says that it will be alright and that it's the only way for him to get out. The two of them venture forward and Luke tells Cedric that they have to go through the 9 circles of CNSHS and that each circle represents the sins of students. The first circle is the gate or The Latecomers. In here, Cedric sees a long line of students holding pens and notebooks. Luke explains that the students here are those who always arrive late at school. The students are punished by making them right long essays about their reason of being late and promising that they won't do it ever again. After finishing the essay, the students are tasked to take 100 squats and write an essay all over again. It is a never ending cycle.

          They move on to the second circle. The second circle is the gym or The Vandalizers. Cedric sees the place full of blackboards. Luke explains that the students found here are those who deliberately damage school 

property and that the blackboards are used for the punishment of the students. They are forced to write the sentence "I will never vandalize school property ever again" over and over again.

          The third circle is the canteen or The Greedy. Cedric smells something foul and Luke says that Cedric should watch his step and that the smell came from rotten food and human excrement. He also says that this is the punishment of the students who are greedy. They are forced to lie down on the floor of filth and the only thing they're allowed to eat are those on the floor. 

          After passing through the foul smelling environment of the greedy, Cedric and Luke advance to the fourth circle, the field or The Litterers. This circle is full of garbage and nothing not even a small part is clean. The students found here are those who throw their garbage everywhere and not pick up the litters they see. Luke explains that their punishment is to pick up all the garbage around but everytime they pick up the garbage, more will come. This whole process never ends.

          The fifth circle is the Learning Resource Center (LRC) or The Talkative. Luke tells Cedric to cover his ears because this circle is full of noise and it could break his eardrums. Cedric does so but he can still hear the loud noises. Luke explains that this is the punishment for those who are fond of talking and making a lot of noise. The students are tied to a chair and their mouths are covered in duct tape while they listen to the loud, unpleasant sounds. 

          The sixth circle is the classroom or The Slothful. This circle contains students who are too lazy or unwilling to work or use energy. Cedric asks Luke why there are a lot of books and papers on the floor. Luke explains that this is the punishment for the students who are lazy. They are forced to read books, write essays and lab reports and they are given a lot of homework and projects. The deadline for each activity is getting shorter everytime and if they don't submit them in time, they will be given twice as much.

          They continue forward to the next circle. Luke tells Cedric to stay close to him  because he won't be able to see things well in this circle. Cedric does so and observes that the whole place is very dark and he hears a lot of moans and cries. Luke tells Cedric that they are now in the seventh circle, the HE or The Envious. Cedric asks why the whole place is filled with darkness. Luke tells him that the students here aren't allowed to see for they have gained sinful pleasure from seeing others with great achievements and possessions brought low. 

          The eighth circle is the guidance office or The Obstreperous. Cedric continues to hear moans and cries and he sees students with their parents beside them looking disappointed. Luke says that the students here are those who break the rules or those who behave illegally or dishonestly. Cedric also observes that there are a lot of mirrors around. Luke says that these make the students reflect on their sins.

          They continue on with their journey. As they move closer to the last circle, Cedric observes that it is getting quieter and that he can no longer see anything in the dark. He says that everything around him is filled with hopelessness. They suddenly feel really cold and Luke tells Cedric that they have arrived at the ninth circle, the Principal's office or The Cheaters. Luke explains that the sins of the students here are the worst of the worst. They act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain advantage. Because of this, their punishment is expulsion. They will never be able to acquire their diplomas making them unworthy to enter Purgatory or Paradise. They will forever suffer by doing the punishments of the other eight circles. 

          After seeing the nine circles of CNSHS, Cedric realizes the sins that he committed and repents for them. He also feels sorry for the students suffering in CNSHS. Luke comforts him by saying that all the students except the students in the ninth circle will be able to reach the highest heaven, one of pure light, intellect and love if they repent for the sins that they have committed. Cedric feels relieved and thanks Luke for all the help he gave. Cedric asks Luke why he helped him and how he knew about him getting lost. Luke tells Cedric that a certain someone believes that Cedric will be able to help other people reach the high heavens because he is a person full of love, hope, and kindness. Cedric already knew who that certain someone is and thanks Him for the faith, strength, and love that He gave. After that, Luke says farewell and Cedric returns back to his home.

IS TEXTESE A TYPE OF LANGUAGE VANDALISM?

          In our world today, texting has become an essential part of our everyday lives. It is very useful for us because it allows us to communicate faster with others. A high percentage of cell phone owners text every day and most of them are young adults. Since these young adults send almost 100 text messages a day, it is no surprise that their method of texting has found its way into the classroom. There are a great number of studies that talk about the way the informal language in texts hinder kids from understanding how to write and speak properly. While some young adults think that it helps them improve their communication skills, experts say that it ruins the English language.

          Many teachers are disheartened by this kind of technology for they believe that it destroys the students' comprehension in the English language. They claim that using abbreviated words in order to save space and time distorts their ability to use words properly and their ability to express themselves eloquently through writing.They also say that many students turn in papers with poor punctuation, misspellings, and bad grammar. But there are also some teachers that praise texting because it is opening up a new world of writing for students that the classroom was never able to. Simply put, it is developing its own kind of grammar. Some texting acronyms were even added to the Oxford English Dictionary and have been constantly growing for each passing year. It also seems that there are a lot of studies saying that texting increases reading skills and drives speed and brevity of communication.

           Even though I have my own cell phone, I never got addicted to texting. Yes I text very often but it was only because it was necessary or because it was for an emergency. If you ask me about whether texting ruins my knowledge on the English language or not, my answer would be no. Simply because I believe that learning another's language doesn't affect one's ability to use proper English as long as the person knows the grammar rules and therefore knows the difference between colloquial speech and correct English.

WORK EQUALS EXHAUSTION, REST EQUALS BOREDOM

          People always seek rest in a struggle against difficulties and when they have conquered these, rest becomes insufferable because of the boredom it causes. This is really common especially for students. When they are at school and they have a lot of work to do, they want to go home and rest but when they are at home and they have nothing to do, they want to go back to school. It's kind of ironic isn't it? But we all know that it's true and I am sure that many students felt this way this past semester break. To be honest, I also expected my semester break to be something like this but as I remind myself about my experiences from that 1 week vacation, I asked myself if it was worth it or not.

          The day before the start of our semester break, I was both excited and nervous. This is because even though I should be resting, I had to review for my quiz bee about ASEAN. It is on November 28, 2013 so I really had to study. I was really happy when I found out that I was chosen to represent our school but it also made me feel stressed because that topic is not that easy to learn. There is a lot of memorization involved especially with the names and dates. But I didn't want to waste this opportunity so I studied about it for the first four days of my semester break. Those days were very productive for me but at the same time, they were like brutal training! My brain felt like it was about to explode because all the information I memorized got jumbled in my head. It was very exhausting but I felt really happy and relieved when I finished it.

          The next two days of my semester break were full of rest and fun. I mostly spent it at bed and at the computer. What I mostly did was watch movies and anime. I love watching anime because it helps me escape my normal, uneventful life as much as possible. Watching isn't the same as doing, of course, but it really helps. From watching anime I get to know characters and they become like my friends even though I know they aren't real. Anime sends me to a whole different world where possibilities are endless. I also learn a lot of life lessons and feel countless emotions through the course of the series. Right now, this is the best adventure I can get. But all my time wasn't only focused on anime. One of my classmates told me to watch a Korean drama series entitled "To The Beautiful You" because she said that it was very good and it was. It really was. I also watched a few horror movies to get into the Halloween spirit. My mom is a big fan of horror so it was really fun to watch with her.

          From October 31 to November 1, we went to my grandmother's house in Rosario, Cavite. We always go there every year during All Saints' Day. I was able to meet my cousins and other relatives (I haven't seen them for a while so I was really happy). The night of October 31, we watched Thor 2: The Dark World in SM Rosario. It was one the movies that I wanted to watch so badly because I am also Marvel fan. It was really good and the plot twists were very unpredictable. On November 1, we went to the cemetery with our relatives and lit a lot of colorful candles. Later in the afternoon, we went to my aunt's house in Tagaytay and we spent the night there. Before going to sleep, I played Dama with my parents. I was able to win a few games at first but after a while it was an utter defeat. They are really good (as in professionally good).

          The next day, the rest of our relatives followed us and we all ate at a Bulaluhan restaurant. The food there was really delicious (but I guess eating with my family was a great factor). We went back home after that and I was able to take a really long nap. When I woke up, I immediately finished all my projects and homeworks. I spent the last day of my semester break downloading songs and watching movies with my brother. To be honest, I just learned how to download songs that day and I was really happy for that accomplishment. My brother and I mostly watched horror movies.

           Overall, I have to say that my semester break was worth it. I was able to spend a lot of time with my family, I was able to do something productive with my schoolwork and I was also able to rest and do the things I love. This was actually one of the most memorable semester breaks I ever  had and I will be forever thankful about my experiences.