365 Days In A Year

There are three-hundred and sixty five days in a year. All of which, you're given chances, ideas, opportunities, memories and etc. I've done all I could to treasure this three-hundred and sixty five days. I guess, I've ended the greatest year in High School, met the greatest people in College, had fun with friends in college. I couldn't be more thankful to have met these people. In the start of 2013, I was having doubts. Who wouldn't be? I was about to finish High School and had no prior knowledge with regards to how college life would be. I was... afraid. Was I afraid? I probably was. It's been so long since I was a high school student. (Yes, the amount of months that have passed is enough for me to call it "so long".) Transitioning from High School to College was PROBABLY going to be a drag if it weren't for the Chatters of 2013. If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't have had the strength to run as an independent candidate during the freshmen elections.

Secondly, this year wouldn't have been great if it wasn't for N61. They're the people that really made me feel like I'm one of them. I wasn't close with my block, for the obvious reason that the block was divided into different groups. Furthermore, there was one dominant group that felt like they were the ones leading the entire block; so no. I disliked the fact that my block was like that. N61, however, was the block who was kind enough to take me in. I've made the greatest friends there too. Based from my point of view, they're the friends I know I can count on. I'd like to mention team "How To Save A Life", a self-named team whose name was based on The Fray's song "How to Save A Life". I've had fun with them in the past few months. The adventures, the laughter, the tears, the tiredness. I could never forget those.

Lastly, my friends. Too general? The numerous people who have been making my day a happy one constantly. They made my year bearable, and that alone is something to thank them for. I'd like to thank the experiences I've had in this year. They made me, become me. Although I'm feeling quite troubled right now, this too would probably pass. Although, it pains me because as time passes by, I begin to notice that I'm losing friends just as fast as I gain them. It just fills my heart with joy, however, that the people who have never left my side was Mech. I guess it's true that High School friends are there, and will never leave you. Although, they are quite scumbag at times, I know it's just our way to bond. I just hope 2014 would be better.

Don't English Me

The title of the documentary which I will be discussing is “Don’t English Me”, a documentary from i-Witness from GMA-7 hosted by Howie Severino. The show I-Witness is a documentary show which is always being aired in GMA-7. The intended audience was none other than the Filipino people, regardless of what their social status was. The documentary aimed to make people of different social statuses aware of what was happening around them. It tried to make them further understand the different hardships that different people from different social statuses are facing not only due to financial constraints, but also due to educational attainments.         

            The purpose of the documentary is to make people aware that not everyone receives the same level of education as everyone. As a result, people have a hard time defining and differentiating the numerous types of words that are present. Majority of the people would just rely on how the word is heard rather than how it is written, or spelled. Furthermore, people do not care about what education they receive for they believe that education is just the same. What the director wants to convey to the audience is simple, education is important. Being well educated means being able to comprehend and understand the different things which are present in our society. Additionally, being well-educated means that we are capable of further improving our country’s literacy rate. In turn, we would be able to improve our communication skills which would raise our level of efficiency.

            Prior to watching the documentary, I was aware about the different problems that our society was facing. This is evident along Taft Avenue, and in front of De La Salle University. I am under the impression that the people around these areas, the ones who are utilizing the “padyaks” are the people who are unfortunate enough not to get the level of education that they desired, the level of education they needed. I expected to see worse. From what I know, there are people who have infinitesimal comprehension with regards to the English language. I don’t believe they wanted to, but rather I think they were deprived of that right. From what I know, people who reach a certain age will start to become lazy to learn new things. This would be a factor that would hinder their understanding on things that would greatly augment their skills in understanding the desired language. I wanted to ask, why isn’t the government giving much attention to this issue? If they really believe that manpower is their greatest asset, then why doesn’t the government invest heavily on things that would heavily improve the quality of education that each person will receive? Does the government really intend to do so?

            The documentary is about the people who aren’t that proficient in the English language. They’re the type of people that we criticize because they’re usually wrong with what they say, and how they spell it. When the level of education of the teachers were questioned, it became a point of interest because it was the point in the documentary wherein you could find out whether or not the teacher was capable of handling her students as well as herself. The various locations wherein the documentary was filmed also played in defining and shaping the information gained from the documentary.

            With regards to the finished product, the sound effects were well placed. The documentary was really well edited, and the render quality was nice. The angling and the timestamp editing was used efficiently. The interviews were thorough and really gave an in-depth with regards to the subject. The special effects like slo-mo, and fast motion which were used in the documentary were a big help in showing the events of the documentary.

            In general, I liked the documentary. I did not like a specific part because each part was able to show something unique, something different which the other parts did not have. I’ve learned that not everyone is lucky enough to have the same level of education that I have right now. Furthermore, what caught my attention is that though there are different people and different ways of learning, not everyone is blessed to be able to understand and learn things fast. The only drawback of the documentary is that it was too short, and that there could be more things which could be added to it. I would recommend this documentary to sociologists as it would allow them to immerse themselves further into the depths of society. 

Reference :

jdmuzhikero (2013, July 9). "Don't English Me" [Youtube] Retrieved from : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUThy6JMY0

What are the prospects and limits of my power as a Citizen?

I am a student, that is true. But I never allowed myself to just be a student, I wanted to stand out. I didn't simply allow myself to just be a student, I allowed myself to be a harbinger of change, a harbinger of development. I wanted to become just that, because I wanted the future to be how I visioned it to be. As early as now, I'm aiming not only for my future, but for the future of the people around me as well. I want to be able to live in a world where everyone is cooperating towards development. I want to be able to live in a world where everyone is living their peaceful lives, enjoying the things that are present because they worked hard for it and deserved to be where they are right now. I'm a citizen of the Philippines, and I'm doing what I can to achieve this thing that we all desire; development.

Everyone in this country wanted development, but never really did something to achieve that. I wanted to be different, I wanted to do what I could in my power to reach and attain such. At the age of 15, I got into investing in the stock market. This wasn't to brag my riches, but to prepare myself and my future. But then I realized, I'm not shaping my future alone. I'm also shaping the future of our country. Why and how? Whenever I invest in the stock market, part of the proceeds go to the companies in our country. Through that, they are able to flourish and further improve their outputs. A lot of people say they have dreams for the country, but what have they really done to do so? I'm doing my share, my part in this citadel of improvement that we all so desire.

Yes, I am faced with limits that hinder me from attaining this dream. But even so, I'm doing whatever I can and I'm overlooking those limits. I don't want to be a statistic in this country of ours, I want to be different. I want to be able to look into a clear future, a future for my kids. Yes, for now, I may be a student. Yes, I may be limited to financial constraints. Yes, I may be limited because of my age. But I know, when the time comes, I will be able to pursue my dreams for the future.

Nothing will ever stop me from doing what I can for the country I love. I am a Filipino, and I am a student of De La Salle University. I dream of a better future for the best country to be in.

What major insight have I gained so far from my on-going experiences in engaging in the initiative?

As me and my groupmates were discussing as to what problem we were going to address, I realized something.

"We should tackle the things that are abused and overlooked in society right now."

Thus, we chose to target the people who are smoking. Yes, smoking is a vice. Yes, smoking relaxes people. But smoking? It is really something that should be addressed to appropriately. Statistically speaking, smoking has killed a lot of people.

From our government initiative project, we believe that we're able to subdue some of the people that we were aiming to address. We believe that smoking is a growing concern in our school (yes, our target is our school.) We chose smoking because it's one of the things that people cannot live without, but also the thing that kills people. Additionally, smoking debilitates our health. If we aim to be an effective country, then we have to subdue these vices. This became our concern because we wanted to aim for societal development. After all, we're students of AB- Developmental Studies. So far, we've been trying to ask and convince some people to stop smoking. We explain what smoking does, what its harmful effects are and the like.

If we can accomplish this, we will be a step closer to improvement. What we're doing so far is we're telling people near agno the dangerous effects of smoking. So far though, we believe we're doing okay. I've learned that the people who are smoking just smoke because they're stressed. What we aim to tell them is that there are alternatives to smoking. 

As a Citizen of Our Country, What do I hope to achieve?

NOTHING...


...is what I would have said if I was a pathetic free-loader of our country. But thank God, I am not. Knowing the state of our country, the emotion called sadness has dawned upon me. Why? Corruption is rampant, the people aren't cooperating. I always ask myself, "What future does our country have?" I mean, really. What future WILL our country have? If this keeps up, I'll end up hating our country. I don't hate our country now, I just hate our government. I mean, look. The PDAF scam? How is that going to regain the trust of the people? Where is the "government" that we pay our taxes to? We all look for change, but don't do anything at all to achieve that change. Oh wait, let me highlight that part. Change.

Politicians say, "Gusto ko ng pagbabago." But what have they done so far to achieve that "pagbabago" of which they speak of? Are we all puppets of this game that they are playing? Because if we are, I am clearly not amused. I am not even slightly amused. Personally speaking, I'm not after change. When I ran as an independent candidate in De La Salle University's batch election, I specifically said this. "Change? Change? Bakit change ang hinahanap natin? Ano ba ang sobrang mali sa university natin at naghahanap tayo ng pagbabago?" In our university, we don't need change. Our university is already good, we just need development to further enhance it.

Honestly, I haven't done anything significant yet. But I'm still young, there's still time to plan a lot of things for the future. The main reason why I wanted to take up law was because of our country. I'm not in favor of the idea of staying in an underdeveloped country; nor am I to entertain the idea of our country plummeting itself into a spiral of disdain. For our country, I want change. I want development. I know, I can't do anything about that now. But someday, when I have the power to make a difference, I will take that opportunity. I'm tired of our country remaining as a third world country. I'm tired of how other countries mock us because of our economy.

I know, someday, our country will rise up. I know, that what I hope to achieve will be achieved. Development, nationalism and a clean government. If those three are achieved, only then can I rest. Only then can I rest my heart, and proudly say: "I am a PROUD FILIPINO."

Sincerity, Survival (Media Log # 4)

Promotional Poster for 3 Idiots

The film 3 idiots is about 3 engineering students trying to survive college, and their terrible director. The film is really in-depth and shows the qualities of friendship, trust, love and fortitude. Furthermore, the film shows the importance of family. This was evident when Raju panicked and strived just to uphold his father's name, to show that his sacrifice was not in vain. Emphasizing friendship, Rancho really strived to emphasize this. Rancho did everything for his friends, he wanted them to have the future that they desired. This was touching as in our time today, not many people are like that. Even amongst friends, there would always be that one selfish person who cares only for himself. Emphasizing love, Rancho really did his best in order to make Pia happy. Nothing stopped him. He really went against all odds just to show that he liked Pia, and that not even her father would be able to stop her. It was really nice what happened in the end, when Pia felt the same for Rancho. Emphasizing trust, Rancho had one favorite line in the movie: "All is well." Whenever Rancho's friends would be down, Rancho would always say that line. It meant that he really trusted fate that whatever would happen, it would always be good. Emphasizing fortitude, Rancho never gave up in proving his point. He even went as far as defying their director just to prove his point. In the end of the movie, Chatur (Rancho's rival since college) was greatly disappointed when he found out that Wangdu (Who was really Rancho) was successful. He could not accept the fact that he lost to Rancho AGAIN. 

Now comparing education now to the education in the film, there are too many differences. First and foremost, education was actually a real priority in the film. Education wasn't just something to pass time, it meant more than a degree. In current time, most of the people just care about earning a degree in college. But Rancho? He didn't care about getting a degree or not, all he cared was getting educated. Most of us don't care about being educated, we just care about getting a degree. What for? Just so we could brag about it. Scream to the world our achievements and such. Friendship in the film was superb, I swear, it was magnificent. I once promised myself that I would be like that to some few people in my life. Although I wonder if I'm even partly successful with that endeavor. Personally, the reason I do so is because I know someday people will forget my name. But, all I hope for is that these people will never forget what I've done for them.

"Pursue excellence, and success will follow." This was the quote that really struck me. All my life, all I've ever wanted was to be successful. I never aimed to be excellent because I didn't know that these were two different things. I've always wanted to be successful because I wanted to make my parents proud. I've been thinking of it the wrong way, I should've tried aiming for excellence. I should've followed my former alma mater's motto, "Excellence through technology with a soul." This movie really opened my eyes to the greater picture of the world. It changed my views, really. 

To conclude this post, I would like to leave my viewers with one last sentiment. You may have a lot of friends in life, but not everyone will do everything they can for you. Some will attack you behind the back, but there will be this few whose lives they will risk just for you. Stay with those kinds of people. But remember to do the same for them.

Who Inspires Me

Inspiration is one of the things that just happen. It's also surprising to know that the effects of inspiration are extreme, and could really augment the level of work that a certain individual can produce. At least, that's what I'd like to say. To say the least, I'm inspired by a lot of people. But I'll focus on only the ones that really matter to me, the ones that have really pushed me to become greater. The people, that I know have gotten me here now. You may laugh, you may question. However, you may not say anything against this because this is my life. You have no say in this.

My parents

We all came from two people, our parents. I believe that they are the root of everything. They are the reason why I'm currently studying in La Salle, the reason I am currently living this life now. I owe these two a huge portion of my life, and I cannot help but be thankful for everything that they have done. My father has inspired me to become extremely better in terms of everything. To describe my father shortly, he is a selfless man that wants to help everyone he can in his power. He's a seafarer by choice, and a loyal husband to my mother. He's also the one who taught me that love is something that you cannot stop, that love is something that will bind you to become a better person. I really idolize my father in everything, because he's a respected kind guy that will really do things that will lift up your spirits. Now, my mother is quite the opposite to how my father is. My mother is a strict person, however, because of her I grew as a disciplined individual. She's the one who handles the finances here in our home, and I'm impressed at how she's able to act as a father-mother figure here in our home because my father is always absent. To describe my mother shortly, she's the type of person that will really fight people if she knows she's right. She's able to go through boundaries, laws even if it meant proving herself right. She inspires me to study well because I know, that it's because of her that I became like this. I became this thick-faced person that society knows.

The next one is someone that's probably quite unexpected. Again, don't judge. You're reading this blog because you wanted to, it's not something that you should be questioning anyway. There's this thing called respect, and I believe that you should have it. Anyway, here goes.

Alyssa

In my previous entries, I made mention of a girl that really made me who I am now. She's really quite the girl I might add. She's the reason I smile bright smiles, the reason I try to be strong, the reason why I am who I am right now. Back in High School, I wasn't as active as I am today. But when I met her, I guess you could say, she changed me. When you meet someone that changes your life, your perception with regards to a lot of things suddenly change. The moment I met this girl, I knew in that moment, I was going to do everything for her. Why? Back in High School, I made a promise to myself that there would be a girl that I would do everything for regardless of what happens. As time and fate may have it, it became her. To share something about her, we both ran in the freshmen elections back in first term. However, there was a time when I stopped campaigning for myself and started campaigning for her. Back then, I didn't know what I was doing exactly. However, it gradually sank inside me as I realized I was doing it for her. For me, her happiness is what inspires me to do everything better. I mean, yeah. I really like Alyssa, to the point that it's caused me to become far greater, more improved than who I was before. Sometimes though, I'm having a hard time with expressing my feelings. I don't know, I worry that someday there might come a time when she'll stray from me. But, I keep in mind this small little detail. 

"If the end says no, then it does not matter for as long as she is happy, I am too."

Truly and honestly, that's the only thing that matters to me. I promised her that I would never leave, and I promised her that her happiness means a lot to me. I said those things, and so I shall do everything for it. Because there's no other girl that has made me feel this way, that has inspired me to become better in everything in my life. You don't do good things and expect to receive something in return, you do things for the sake of doing them. And I may sound redundant, but again : Her happiness is all that matters to me. 

The Five People You Meet During Your First Year in College

How many months has it been since I entered college? Five? Six? Let's say six. A lot has happened in that six months, and I've realized a lot from just being a student here in this institution. I've gotten through bad times, good times, lonely times, and I've witnessed a lot of different things so far. However, I'd like to focus this entry on something a little particular : The Five People You Meet During Your First Year in College.
(Note : While I'd like to use actual pictures in order to represent The Five People, I'd like to keep who these five people are, anonymous.)

5. The Mentor
All schools obviously have teachers. But the role of The Mentor is not just to teach you about school, but his/her role in your first year of college life is to guide you with the basic - advanced things of college. You'd be surprised, you've been reliant on this person since the first day. (If not the first day, you'll meet this person soon. Take note, this is also a student. Usually around 2 - 4 years higher than your year.) My experience with The Mentor is simple; he's the reason I met the #1 in the Five People You Meet, he helped me run in the batch election, and he's the reason I gained a lot of friends here in La Salle. Once s/he's graduated from your school, you'll gradually notice that you'll be someone else's The Mentor.

4. The Casual Friends
As with any society, there exists the group of people that you know you can trust. This, however, takes on a new form. The Casual Friends are the type of people that you can or you can't hang around with. They'll be taken on with the casual "Hey" "Hi" "What's up?" kind of greeting. However, as with any purpose of a friend is, you can strike up a decent conversation with a Casual Friend provided that they aren't busy, and so are you. From a Casual Friend, they may turn into something greater. You may notice that you're gradually getting closer to this person. Feelings? Maybe. But again, don't hope for something that you're not even sure will really happen. Things like that always end up in regret. Take note, ALWAYS. My experience with The Casual Friends? They're the people I tell my most notable greeting to : "Oy, musta buhay?" or "Oy. Stah'?" It's one of two. Funny though, I find the people I talk to in this matter to be trustworthy.

3. The Haters
You may be kind, or you may be open. Maybe you're none of those two, but maybe you're the type of person who really fights for what s/he believes in. You may be doing nothing, but that may be the reason why you're getting this. Who are they? The Haters. The Haters are the type of people who you might not even be expecting in your life. However, if they surface, you'd be surprised that the very people who are your "haters" are actually the people whom you considered "your friends". I'd like to stress the importance of avoiding these kinds of people. Why? If your will isn't that strong, you might not be able to take their flames, their hatred towards you. Add the fact that they could be hating you just because they want to. Again, this isn't a perfect society. We live in a society wherein people believe what is wrong and complain about it. You don't want haters? Sad truth, buddy. Whatever you do in this world, you're bound to get haters. My experience with The Haters? Simple. My very own blockmates are my own haters. It's funny though, I wanna see them go in an Engineering class and find how "terrible" it is for them to be there. I enjoy being in an engineering class; it's fun. Attitude wise, I'm probably in the wrong college. After all, growing up in an all-boys school? There's a difference, culture shock and all.

2. The Best Friend
From casual friends, you're bound to find this person. Again, the strongest friendships are not the ones which you instantly get, but rather the ones that take time to forge. This one, The Best Friend, is the type of friend that will never leave your side. Perhaps a joker, perhaps the silent type. One thing's for sure though, s/he's there by your side. Being with you during your fall, being with you during your success. But remember, they're not the type of people that you're going to use only because you need them, they're there because they are your friends. Remember the difference between a friend and a servant : A friend does such because s/he's your friend, a servant does only what s/he's ordered to. The role of The Best Friend in your first year in college is to help you with the various things that you need to get done in college. Mostly emotional though, I doubt you'd be knee-deep in too many problems at this point. Be informed though, the influence of The Best Friend does not simply wane; it stays even after you graduate from college. Trust me. My experience with The Best Friend? Well, he's basically the guy that helped me through a lot of things, he's like a brother. He helped me when I campaigned, he was really the person that helped me get through a lot. Until now, I owe him a lot. How I repay him is not a question, because the very foundation of our friendship was through help I never expected. God bless this guy.

1. The One
It's funny, isn't it? How you might meet The One during your first year in college? Well, this is on a case to case basis. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, you're in for a lot of things. The moment you meet The One, you'll notice a lot of changes with regards to your personality, and even the way you dress. Why? You're suddenly going to become conscious with regards to a lot of things. You'll realize that, you have to be perfect for him/her. You're going to do everything for her. But stop : Is she really The One? Or The One... You Meet in College? There's a difference between the two. The One, is the person that you're going to fall madly in love with. But the good thing is, s/he will feel the same for you. The One... You Meet in College however, is a different story. S/he may seem like s/he will be The One, but don't be blinded. That's a fallacy. But remember this, The One You Meet in College is someone that you're meant to share memories with. The One You Meet in College is the person that you're bound to do everything and anything in your power, just to ensure that s/he's happy. However, don't fret. The end game of The One You Meet in College isn't always negative, there's always this chance that the two of you are bound to be together. You want to find out if that will happen? Never give up, see the path through the end. My experience with The One? I like her, a lot. I know she knows that, but well... I don't know. Things have gotten so complicated since, but again, if there's one thing that I promised her... It's that I would never leave her no matter what happened. True to my promise, I'm with her. I don't plan to leave her side, and I plan to keep fighting for her happiness. Why? It's not a question of can or can't, and there are reasons I'd really rather not explain. All I know, is that the happiness of this person is my happiness. If she's happy, then I'm happy. I'm just glad that I'm in this college, otherwise I wouldn't have met her. She may be a woman of science, and I may be a man of words. The difference is great, but I'd really rather see this through the end. But as with every romantic soul would say,
"I'd love to see her in my future."

There you go people, The Five People You Meet During Your First Year in College. (At least, they're the five people I met. Lol.) I hope you enjoy your first year in college. Never forget, your friends are there.

Strangers, Again (Media Log #2)

WongFu Production's short film "Strangers Again"

Lao Tzu once said, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Truly, love is one of the most basic things that our life revolves on. Without love, we wouldn't be alive. Without love, our very existence would prove to me meaningless and our significant lives would have significant to no value at all. Love, after all, is something that we all value. @AlisteContreras (2013, May 15) We fall in love with the strangers in our lives. That being said, I can agree to that. Isn't it weird that we fall in love with the people who were once strangers to us? 

Relationships are formed when love is present. As Oscar Wilde once said, if you don't put love in your heart, it's like a flower garden with dead flowers. There is a special bond between two lovers. This is the relationship that they cherish and strengthen, the type of relationship that really deserves to be taken care of. When two people become lovers, they first start as strangers. From there on, they become acquaintances, then friends and finally lovers. However, sometimes the wrong cycle is formed. From there, the two people become strangers again. 

This short film shows that cycle. People that started off as strangers, friends, then finally lovers. But apparently, they broke up and became strangers again. It wasn't a pretty sight to see. That coming from me, I've had my share of experience regarding that topic. It's never easy to see someone that was once close to you become a stranger again. As Martin Luther King Jr, once said, hate is too great a burden to bear. That's why rather than becoming enemies, they'd rather become strangers. It is still wrong, however, that such great relationships end up like that. I mean, there's a reason why love was there. For me, I value love greatly. I mean, not because love is love, but rather because I know and believe that I cannot live without love. I believed and still continue to believe that without love, nothing that we see now will ever be real. Everything in this world would be phantasmal had it not been for the existence of love. 

If ever I get into a situation like the one presented in this short film, I know I'd be sad. I'm not used to losing friends, especially if that friend was my lover. I cannot bear the fact of losing people in my life, that they just become strangers again. That's one of the things I never want to feel. Because as a wise man once said, no man is an island.

Something in Life

What I believed to be just a regular summer turned into a summer that I could never forget. It was April 4, 2013. Me, along with the other 3 pioneer chatters, founded the Chatters ID 113. It was in this group that bonds were formed, even before the start of classes. It was in this group, that I came to know her.

Who exactly is "her"? Again, in a previous post, I mentioned there that I cannot disclose her identity. But what I can disclose about her, is that she studies in De La Salle University. She's currently taking up a course in the College of Science. For me, it's because of her that I actually find strength to get out of bed and actually make something out of my life. Truth be told, if I could just stay in bed for the whole day, I would. But the hope of bumping into her at school gives me the urge to wake up early.

To describe her, she's smart, friendly, beautiful and ideal. I don't find fault in her, no. None at all. Not even fault of the infinitesimal value. I want to do everything for her, anything that could make her smile. I don't want her to be sad at all because I feel that when she is sad, I am partially at fault when I cannot make her smile. I mean, I really like her. We're not even together, but then again this is just one of the few things in life that I have to fight for.

My father once said, "If you're going to have a crush, be loyal to that crush. Because if you can't prove to be loyal to your crush, how much more if you become her boyfriend?" Those words struck my heart, and I've lived by my father's words since then. I don't know if she knows that I really like her, but maybe she does. I mean, the people around her know all about it. Yesterday, her blockmates helped me surprise her for her birthday. It was an advanced gift, I couldn't do it any other day because of time constraints. Again, I couldn't be more thankful for her blockmates.

What the future holds is uncertain. But what I can certainly say out loud, is that I truly like this girl. That I'd do anything (forgive my redundancy) for her. Again, life isn't a question of can or can't. There are some things in life that you just do without question, without regrets. I find happiness with her, and whatever I do for her makes me smile if she smiles.

If ever the day comes, then I'd be delighted. But for now, I just want to express what I feel for her. Maybe she knows that I like her, maybe she doesn't. But I'll tell her that I really like her someday. But today, is not that day yet.

What Bothers Me (Thieves)

My name is Lee Contreras, a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines. I was born and raised in this country, and I'm proud to be called a Filipino.

As a Filipino, I reside in the Philippines. (Obviously) The Philippines is a beautiful country. It holds a lot of natural wonders, the people too. The people are hospitable, that no matter what social class they are in, they'll always be able to face different kinds of people with a smile. Additionally, one good thing that Filipinos can brag about is their "bayanihan". It's not everyday that you get to see a country that, when in their deepest point would rather think of others rather than themselves. I find this unique amongst Filipinos, and I find it to be one of the few things that we can say and we can be proud of. Personally speaking, simply because of that, I could already say that "I'm proud to be a Filipino!"

However, though there are a lot of things that I can shout to the world and be proud of being a Filipino, there are also some things that would let me cower and be ashamed of being one. First of all would be our disunity with regards to the economy of our country. What's the root of this? Our elected officials. We elect these officials and trust them that they'd be the ones to lead us to a better tomorrow, but in reality that's not what they want. Some of the elected officials of our country abuse their power and use it in order to further enhance and make them richer. I don't believe that should be something that we aught to be proud of. However, that's not what I'd like to give emphasis on. What I would like to give emphasis on, would be the most common crime in our country. Stealing.

An example of carjacking by breaking the window of a car

Stealing is one of the most universal crimes. It doesn't exist only in the Philippines, but other countries too. Now, I wanted to give emphasis on stealing. Why? It happens everyday. It happens in simple things, objects such as ballpens and pencils. As a citizen, this bothers me. How can we flourish if our citizens themselves steal from others? This is the reason why the statement "the rich get richer, the poor just multiply" becomes concrete. Stealing, happens because some people don't want to work hard for what they want. Stealing, happens because people didn't work hard enough in order to sustain what their family needs. I believe that this is wrong. However, stealing doesn't simply line with blue-collar people. Our government steals much more money from us that we thought was possible. Just recently, the case of Janet Lim-Napoles surfaced. She stole wads of cash from us, through where? Taxes. How is that fair? We lose money even though we work hard? Our money goes to the people who just sit in their lavish seats while we, the people of the Philippines, rot here because we lack the resources? No matter how small, or how big the theft... If it's stealing, it's stealing. I believe that this should be remedied. 

I don't want to live in a country wherein people steal from each other.

Media Log # 1

Commercial of McDonalds back in 2009

Humans are the most undeniably complex creations of God. Their minds are uncontrollable, able to conjure the most unorthodox and the most undeniably unbelievable ideas in a short span of time. Their minds are also unpredictable, able to think and change their decisions in a matter of seconds. What makes humans more complicated, is their emotions. What makes them impressively different from other creations of God, is that they have the most complicated emotional tract. The most important emotion that humans hold, is none other than love.

Love, is something that's extremely hard to define. There are a lot of ways to define love. It could be defined through words, actions, thoughts or even just things. But what's hard about love, is that it doesn't come so simple. What I'm talking about is intimate love. It's not something you can easily find or stumble upon. Love has become so modernized, tainted that people misunderstand love to be something that's just a fling. That's the greatest mistake anyone could ever make, and I believe that's what makes love now fake. People believe it to be something that's just temporary, that it doesn't last anymore. This commercial, however, proved that otherwise.

In the start, this commercial showed two children just playing around and holding hands. The next scene shows them to be grown up, the girl still pulling the hand of the boy. The girl then introduces the boy to her husband, and it crushes the boy. However, he comes to understand that though they aren't together, he still considered the girl to be his first love. That alone was enough for him. It shows that though he didn't get the girl, he chose to be happy for her knowing she was still the first girl that he fell in love with.

Now, the stereotype in this commercial was obvious. One, just because they were friends since they were young doesn't necessarily mean that one of them will develop feelings for the other. It doesn't always work like that. Two, a common cliché. Although they don't fall in love with each other, one falls in love with another person. The girl got married with this other man, it's typical in any film. However, in reality that doesn't always happen. What's unique about this commercial was its message to the viewers; not everything we start ends the way that we want it to end.

College Life Sure Is Something

OOPS

Is it, really?

When I first thought of college, I thought it was going to be a drag. No, wait. It wasn't an "I thought", it was more like "This is really going to be a drag." Well, so far, I'd like to say otherwise. Generally speaking, college life is starting to become something that I NEVER imagined it to be. What I'm trying to say is, it's becoming something that's quite hard to understand. No, no. I'm not talking about the unpredictability of it. I'm talking about how I'm handling it, compared to how others are handling it. It's surprising to see that other people are finding college to be "chill" and "easy" while I'm here trying to keep things under control. It's hard to get a 4.0, and there are some profs that I'd really rather not take. Not only that, there are also some people that would really criticize you. People that would hate you for something you did, that would bash you even though you already apologized to them. But I don't hold it against them. If they don't accept my apology, fine. If they hate me, fine. This is my life, and my blog.

I would like to say that college has been bearable because of some people. If I may, I'd like to name a few of these people. Aldrich Gonzales being my trusted friend, and gym buddy from time to time. I wish him nothing but the best in his endeavors in the College of Business. Ian Dela Cruz, being my trusted friend and my plyo buddy. Additionally, him being my friend who's my "IAN, PRE MAY PROBLEMA AKO." kind of friend. Lorie Mae Sy, my best friend and lunch buddy. One of the few people I go "emo emo" mode to. Bianca Mari F. Pecson, the crush of my friend and also one of the few most reliable people I know. The type of friend that when you text "Hey, let's hang." She'll say yes. I just hope that she clears out her problems in life though. Robert Sarte and Brendel Lim, the two people I talk to everyday in chat. They're the two people I constantly talk to. We talk about random things ranging from "her" (her identity will be disclosed later), food, places, etc. and it's actually fun to talk to these people. Definitely one of my few reliable friends in college. DEFINITELY? I don't think the word's enough to describe them. They're REALLY someone to me. Derrick Zhou, Alfonso Daroy, Raymond Celestino, Tyrone Yap and Jay Doria. My "guys in the block." They're the people I could really make some noise with. I'd like to list everyone, but the list is just too many. (Although it's funny because I said "few" awhile ago, anyway. Moving on.)

Ooh, before I forget. Compared to High School sports, College is a bigger deal. If I may mention the UAAP. It's REALLY a big deal. I mean, it's not everyday that you get to see people bashing other universities because of their team losing, or something. It's funny and sad at the same time. Funny because the fights are often because of school pride. Sad because they take it to a more personal level. I just hope that people will be able to understand and separate "school pride" from "actually just hating people". Never forget that the UAAP is just a game; it was never meant to determine your level of intelligence or your greatness in the sport. Where you're from, who you are. Remember, just be proud of your university for doing what they could to show something.

With regards to my friends in high school, I do miss them. I miss my childhood best friend, seatmate and partner in stupidity "schupid boy" AJ Celebrado. I visit him and my two other best friends Charles Mon and Paul Carcasona from time to time. It's quite funny to see them, they're like a walking comedy show. I do hope that my other friends Santino, Eymard, Ken, Ayrton, Jarvin, and the rest of Mech are doing well in their endeavors. Especially Eymard, AJ, Lester and Charles. Taking up Accounting, taking up Engineering. I hope these guys will survive and bring pride to Don Bosco.

Before I forget, I mentioned "her" awhile ago. I cannot disclose her name, but I will describe who she is to me and what kind of person she is. She's cute, smart, friendly and shy. She's got this smile that really gets you thinking, "Why did an angel like you decide to stay here on earth?" She's the reason I wake up every morning. Why? Well, I keep sending her text messages like "good morning!" She made college life for me, bearable. She's really good too! She's taking up a hard course in the College of Science in De La Salle University, but I know she'll be able to pull this off. She's a great person, she really is. I don't think college will be the same without her, but I really like it because she's there. Well, not only because she's there. I mean, I really like her. The way she laughs, the way she talks. I even bought her a little something something for her birthday. I just hope she'll like it. I just hope that she'd always have that beautiful smile up her face, because I'd do anything to keep her smiling.

Anyway, to sum it all up, college life is fun and complicated. This is only the tip of the iceberg, I haven't even finished it yet. I've only finished the first term! Oh yeah, grades wise, college is good! The profs are nice, CRITHIN and NTROPSY to be exact. My CRITHIN prof is really cool. He teaches things that aren't in the book, and he really knows what he's saying. The words he uses, the arguments he presents. It's something that I really admire and respect. I'd definitely take him up for my future subjects if I could. Heck, I'd take his subjects up if I was a Philosophy major. He's a good prof in the classroom, and a cool "tropa" outside the classroom premises. Definitely not a dude to forget. With regards to my NTROPSY prof, I'm really thankful for having her as my prof. She's like a mother to me. During the campaign period, she's the one that kept telling me to keep going. She believed in what I could do, and she teaches well too! She teaches things that aren't in the book, and she teaches you morals that you'd really be needing in life. If it was possible to take her up again in a future subject, I would. But sadly, I'm not a Psychology major. She really touches lives, and any student under her would really appreciate her because she has genuine concern for her students. Really.

Anyway, I'd have to end this post here. Brendel and Rob have left messages, and I have to reply to them. Well, not entirely. They've been searching for this blog for an hour and a half (maybe) and they still have no luck. It's time to show them this blog.

Time to show them the life of a clandestine infinitesimal.

Freshmen Elections

The freshmen elections for FAST 2013 is by far the most grueling, tiring and stressful event in my life. Not simply because it's an election, but also because I'm running as an independent candidate. It's one of the greatest challenges I'll ever face in my life, and I believe that this will probably be the challenge that will decide how my future will go.

Photo credits to Chezka Tabajonda.

This was me, Lee Contreras, during the debate. It was impressively hard to go impromptu, but I believe that my answers all came from the heart. My answers all came from what I truly believed, and what I experienced as a student. I didn't want to get my data from research and observation, I wanted to get my data from something more conventional. Immersion. I was still a student of DLSU - CLA. Why not use that to my advantage, yes?

Now, I will answer here some questions that people always ask me. These are the questions that people usually ask me in my RTR, or in the open forum.





1. Why did you run for batch president? Why did you choose to run as an independent candidate?

The choice to run for batch president came when I noticed a lot of things that needed improvement in the university. No, we don't need change. We're already in a state where change isn't exactly needed. We needed development. I could see nothing that is so wrong with our university. So why bother asking for change? Research? Observation? I'd rather not. I'm still a student. I used my being a "student" to immerse myself into a life of a student from CLA, and that's what I used to find out some concerns that needed to be addressed. I chose to run as an independent candidate because I believed that it will be easier to address their concerns if I wasn't affiliated with anyone. It provided me with an unbiased view, and it gave me a chance to really be a servant-student-leader. Before I ran though, I didn't have the confidence. I was looking for a push that would really let me go forward. I'm usually with this girl. She lives far from me, but I usually bring her as close as I can to her house. That's, in Santolan station. LRT 2. She was the push I needed to run as batch president. It's because of her that I am able to run for batch president. It is because of her, that I have the strength to work for a better future for ID 113, for La Salle in whole.

2. What is the M.A.M.O. project? Where did it come from? Why did you choose that as one of your platforms?

The M.A.M.O. project (Multiple Arts Manpowered Objective) is a project that aims to give recognition to our batchmates who are impressively talented. It will allow them to showcase their talents (singing, dancing, acting, art, poetry) to the public. I chose this as one of my platforms because I believe that our batch needs recognition. Our batch, as early as now, needs to be known university wide because we're the ones who will stay in the university for quite a long time since we just got here. Additionally, this is one way to improve social development (which is the focus of all my platforms) as I believe that one of the prerequisite for social development, is recognition. Recognizing the talents of our batchmates, the people around us. This will be the key to our future. The title of the project was inspired from the person who was the "push" I needed in order to run. It's a way to give my thanks to her, and it's a way to honor her as well.

3. How does it feel like to run as an independent candidate?

With all honesty, running as an independent candidate is the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my life. It's intimidating to go against two political parties, and it's hard because I don't have that much financial support and moral support. But then, the one thing that I keep in mind is. Who am I really running for? Am I running for myself? Or am I running for the people? I'm running for the people. If you're working for the future of others, if you're working for their happiness and success. Then who's to say that I can't make it? Who's to say that I should back down from this campaign? Yes, I must admit it's really hard. But nothing can stop me from proclaiming what the people want. Because as I always say in my RTR's, "I'm not running for myself because I won't get anything from that, no. I'm running for the people because I want to genuinely address what they truly want. Not what I think they truly want." Adding fuel to the fire was finding out that I, along with the other independent candidate, are the first ones to ever run as independent candidates in the freshmen elections in the history of the College of Liberal Arts, De La Salle University. It's pressure play, but I don't think there's anything that would really change my mind now. My vision is set, my platform is steady, and my will is stronger than ever. I'm more than ready to face whatever challenges I have for the College of Liberal Arts, ID 113. I will do my best to become their leader.

College

I find it kind of hard to imagine that it's already been a month since I entered college. I feel the same, with the exception of having female classmates of course. The stress, the work, the boredom I experience in class. I feel like it's all been multiplied by a comparatively higher degree. My life in college so far? Think about a rock, placed in a vestibule of water. I'm trying to be that rock, immune to the waves of society. Lol. What am I even saying? I wore a barong on the first day, part of the staff of the OVPIA, an actor in Harlequin. What are my other achievements so far? I can't quite grasp anything worth bragging about my life. I still feel that my life has very little to no reason at all to live. It is quite anarchic in a complicated way.

That's me during La Salle's Animo Legacy.

Nothing much has changed since I got to college. I still feel my freedom, though I feel the stress. Love? It's still indefinite as it was before. I could never get someone to like me. I guess, it's what makes me, me. I'll just have to live college as a regular student, trying to be able to leave a mark for the future generations.

Love

Whenever I'm given the opportunity to go out alone (Yes, that happens.) I tend to see couples wandering. On my part, it hurts whenever I see couples like that. I wasn't blessed to be in a relationship. I wasn't even blessed with the slightest gift of a handsome face. (I am obviously not handsome.) We live in an age where people fall in love because of what they see. I'm not referring to actions either. I'm referring to what meets the eye, face value.

Really, I don't quite understand why love revolves around face value so much. There used to be a time when love revolved around how the person was formed. Whenever I would think about it, I question how the concept of love now came to be. Love for friends? Love for family? Love? Love? Please, I didn't give up on love. Love gave up on me.

He Who Travels Alone

He who travels alone,
So lost, so weary
In the journey of his life,
He has lost everything

Tread through the desert of life
Wade through the ocean of dysphoria
Flew through the skies of euphoria
Sought refuge in his own mind

The deserts are taking its toll on him,
The oceans are getting violent
The skies have gone dark
He who travels alone

Some Things

In life you just do. I believe in that saying. 

I do things in my life without question. Whenever there's something in my life, I end up just doing it. Given the situation, I seem to automatically do absurd things. While I'm writing this, I'm listening to Closer 2 Closure - Let Love Bleed Red. It's the band that later became Sleeping With Sirens. Honestly, this post will be filled with a lot of my thoughts. This post will be filled with impeccably depressing words. Why?

I can't understand what's happening in my life. I thought 2013 would be my year. I THOUGHT. I guess I was wrong. I want to understand my life further. Everything will be all right? How I wish. How I wish. As I'm writing this now, I'm looking at the clock and it's 5:26 PM. I still question my existence here in this salted world. Thoughts like, "Just lay me down." or "I just want to run away from all of this." slowly enfold my infinitesimal mind. I don't even know what the root of this pessimism is. I just can't figure myself out. Minsan, parang gusto ko na lang maglakbay at alamin kung san ba nangagaling tong mga iniisip ko. One minute I'm happy, the next minute I'm intensively depressed. I wish I could understand my life. 

I wish.