Peculiar?

1. agadi-nwayi: old woman

It was my first time helping an agadi-nwayi cross the street.

2. ekwe: a musical instrument; a type of drum made from wood

Everyone danced to the beat as the little boy hit his ekwe. 

3. iba: fever

I’ve been absent for almost a week because of iba which later on turned out to be dengue.

4. efulefu: wothless man

Is it right to call a murderer an efulefu?

5. inyanga: showing off, bragging

Everyone in class dislikes him because he was always inyanga the material things he had.

6. ogene: a musical instrument; a kind of gong

We wanted the ogene to stand out in the new ethnic song we’re creating.

7. Uri: part of the betrothal ceremony when the dowry is paid

My mother had prepared lots and lot of food for my sister’s Uri.

8. ndichie: elders

The best part of our family reunion was the part where the ndichie sang “Bang Bang”.

9. obi: the large living quarters of the head of the family

I had to bring my father’s dinner to his obi  because he could not get out of bed because of high fever.

10. ochu: murder of manslaughter

He was captured by the police yesterday because he was accused of ochu. 

Footnote to Us

Jose Garcia Villa’s Footnote to Youth tells us about the life of a seventeen year old boy named Dodong. Dodong at a young age married, believing that he was man enough to enter adulthood. He was full of conviction, no doubts, not even a single ‘what if’ entered his mind whenever he thought about marrying the girl he always dreamt of. With his parents’ consent, Dodong and Teang married each other. Unlike Dodong, his father had second thoughts as a strange helpless light in his eyes was visible according to Jose Garcia Villa. Why is it that he didn’t make any objections in Dodong’s sudden declamation about marriage? As for Dodong and Teang, their sweet young dream got even sweeter as their first child, Blas arrived. Dodong, being a first time father, no wonder felt afraid but eventually, he got through it. As Blas grew older, Dodong and Teang had more children as well. It may sound cliché but history repeats itself, Blas came up to his father asking his approval to marry Tona. Though he had objections, Dodong agreed.

The first time I read Footnote to Youth, I honestly thought it was just about youth getting married at a young age and finding themselves full of repentance. But I guess there is more than what you think there is. Behind the not so ‘shallow idea’ of marriage at a young age, I think that what Jose Garcia Villa’s footnote to us is to be brave enough to accept our mistakes and make a change. Dodong and his father accepted their mistakes but failed to correct it. Many of us are full of conviction specially when we believe in something but when life gets a little harder, we give up. It’s not that I approve on marrying at a young age but maybe since it’s reality I have to agree to the idea of Jose Garcia Villa. Sometimes we are too brave that we forget to think about the possible consequences we might face and when it comes, it will shock us to the point that you would just want to surrender. For me, he wants us to start strong and finish stronger.

Reality’s Realization With The Help of Thinking

“Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies.”
― Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina

Why is it that our country seems like a failed experiment? Elements combined together with fantasies that are to good to be true. Too good that we Filipinos couldn’t keep up to it which resulted to an even worse result, failure all covered up with our little fantasies. As a Filipino, yes, I have a dream for my country more than success and prosperity, I always hoped that one day, we no longer have to believe in these stories that our government would tell us but we could see things the way it is without any lies and fantasies attached to it. The perfect example that could further explain how fantasies could blind you from the truth is the never-ending government corruption and how we Filipino Citizens are partially to blame.

For the past few months, we may have been seeing the same things over and over again in news headlines, newspapers and it may even be your class topic. The issue on the Pork Barrel Scam took the government a huge amount of time before they had finally convicted the main suspects. Not to my surprise, who else could it be? Our own government officials who sworn to God and to us to serve the country with honesty and promised a better future. How could it have happened that our own trusted officials where behind this corruption and how were they able to keep it a secret? One thing’s for sure, they fed us with their promising fantasies, fairy tales wherein they were our prince charming who saved us, the damsel in distress when the truth is they were the greedy and beastly creatures who wanted everything for themselves not even thinking about how many FIlipinos have no houses,no proper education and worst of all no way to start a better life.

How is it possible that we all believed in this illusion caused by their fantasies? Why did we let them build our country with lies when we had the chance to stop it? Like what Nathan Allen said in his article Filipinos: Think! Think! Think!,  “due to colonization and other factors, the Philippines may have established itself as a country full of “small minds”- and by that I mean people that were intentionally discouraged from being ambitious, and kept from their potential.” We all grew up in a fairy tale that the authorities made up that’s why we don’t know how to speak our minds and differentiate reality and fantasy and because our fantasy is what we ever wished for, we chose to live in it.

What I picked up from Nathan Allen’s FIlipinos: Think! Think! Think! that could probably be the reason why we are what are not is that we don’t give importance to who we are or what we stand for. Like our officials, sometimes we are greedy about our ideas we don’t let other people learn about them, we keep things to ourselves. Yes, we might be thinking but we don’t put them in action. The worst part is that instead of making something of our own, we our contented of copying not minding that we would look like people who have no ideas so we just pretend like its ours and even brag about how good we are at it.

Though I am ashamed of how a foreigner made me realize these things about my own country, I am quite grateful to these people who pushes us to our limits even thought they are not of our kind.

A Way to Kill School Children

I couldn’t imagine my self agreeing with the author. The very thought of it made me feel nauseas. How could you pollute an innocent child’s mind with useless junk that kept them away from life’s cruel reality. Why did they have to take away their ability to see, to hear and to think. A child’s vulnerability is a man’s strength, they may have had questions all tangled up in their little minds but that huge boar never gave them the chance to speak, “A huge boar gores mountain villagers;” and cover them with melted caramels, “Promise them toy trains, toy rails, toy bridges.” to lure them back into their fairytale. Some may have tried to speak but these “Black-streaked monkeys tote guns in tree perches;”, scared them away. Why did they do such inhumane acts if they would just cover it up?I couldn’t help but blame them for what we are right now. Because of those fairytales, we still opt to believe that all is well and that a smile can take away all the pain. News Flash! Wake up, there are no fairytales but on the brighter side, there’s reality, the only thing that we can believe in. Though today’s reality is dark and may look despairing there’s always a flickering light, indicating that there’s hope but you just have to find it.

To be honest, the first time I heard the poem’s title which is A Way to Kill School Children, I immediately thought about mental abuse, never-ending homeworks, projects and of course terror teachers who’s looks make you want to fold yourself like a piece of paper and just be thrown away. But right after reading the poem, I finally understood the reason why it had that title. It wasn’t anything related to school. It didn’t literally mean killing or murdering the school children physically but I felt it had something to do with a child’s young mind. Many people would say, “A child may have many questions and opinions, but a gift would easily keep them away.” and that’s how they killed the schoolchildren. They made them believe in the king who ate slime, monkeys who tote guns and charmed mice. They turned them into little pets whom you feed, train and give little bone snacks to make them stop barking and catching attention. In my opinion, if you hear the title even without reading the poem you wouldn’t immediately think about white-washing, or violence, death and dark secrets but like me you would think of homeworks and such. The title was so strong it made me and you believe in its little fairytale where in there were no such things as a dreaded president only a dreaded king and soldiers who were like puppets following ruthless orders like monkeys whom they said could tote guns.

VLC Experience :)

LIke what I said on my blog a while ago, I’ll be sharing about my VLC EXPERIENCE! It was truly a life changing experience as a FIlipino youth. Seeing Cebu gave me more inspiration to strive harder knowing that there are more things to improve in our country. So for my blog, I’ll be sharing my most unforgettable experiences in Cebu.

My first most unforgettable experience in Cebu was our Dinner at Tops. When we got there, it was just sunset and I was so mesmerized by the view! I felt like never leaving but I know that was impossible at that moment. It was very very cold as it got darker and darker. We enjoyed playing at the big field there and the scent of the air was just so soothing!

My next favorite is our visit to the showroom of Kenneth Cobonpue and Arden Classic. When we first got there all I could say was there showrooms are hidden. They are very hard to find if you’re not familiar with the place. In Arden Classic, I was so excited about their products and when I saw it, I was not disappointed because it was fantastic! All the details were done excellently even the smallest of them were so fabulous! With Kenneth Cobonpue, it was also the same I was shocked with furnitures and about where they got their inspirations but what shocked me the most is how expensive their products are. In Arden Classic, a paperweight cost $30 which is the cheapest already while a small chair in Kenneth Cobonpue cost Php33k. I promised my self that when I grow up I will have one of those!

 

Lastly, my most favorite is our visit to Hello Hans Movie House. The truth is, it isn’t part of our itinerary but since some of the places we were supposed to go to was unsafe because of the recent earthquake there, they decided to take us there. Hello Hans is a mini theatre. We watched the Korean movie War of The Arrows. I think we were 10 in a room. And what I liked about it was it was very cold! So if ever you go to Cebu make sure to drop by Hello Hans Movie House! 🙂

 

VLC Experience: Food

It’s been 4 days since we got back from Cebu. To be honest, I still have the “Cebu hangover”. There were just so many things that I will miss in Cebu which will be  the topic for my next post later on. For now, let me talk about the amazing food of Cebu! *clap* *clap* *clap*

Our first meal in Cebu was in ZUBUCHON! The food was just so yummy! So Zubuchon serves one of the best lechons in the Philippines. And being someone who has experienced eating there, I could say that it is very true that Zubuchon is something to be proud of.  If you’re not familiar with lechon, lechon is roasted pig marinated with different kinds of sauce and herbs.

That same day, we had our dinner in Tops! We were thought about how to make PUSO read as PU-SO but in a faster way. Like what our tour guide said, you can find Puso in any place in Cebu. Puso is also called hanging rice. It is just rice wrapped in young coconut leaves and is boiled until the rice is cooked. So after you cook the rice, all you have to do is cut the puso and eat the rice directly from it.

             

For our 3rd lunch in Cebu, we went to Golden Cowrie. The food was also delicious! They also served us a lot of meat which is composed of 4 meaty barbecues! And their soup was also so good! It was perfect for that rainy weather. If I’m not mistaken, since it was unlimited rice, a lot of my classmates ate more than 4 cups!

The last meal that we had before leaving Cebu was the best! After attending church, we went to Rodeo Grill to have lunch. What’s funny about this is that the restaurant is hidden! Haha! For me, it was one of the best meal I’ve ever had even better than my mom’s cooking. They served us a big piece of milk and the super yummy gravy! Again, it was unlimited rice so even I got 3 cups. So if ever you have plans on visiting Cebu, might as well visit the place and I’m quite sure that you will  enjoy!

Tomorrow.

I’m blogging, again. Just so you know, tomorrow is the day we leave for VLC which will take place in Cebu. I’m not really excited about the fact that I’ll have to wake up early but that’s just how it goes and I can’t do anything about it. Just by writing, I can already feel the excitement building inside me. I can feel butterflies and roller coasters in my stomach! Even though I know that there are sad things coming up for us, I’m still excited because I know that there are greater things to see. Aside from things to see, I’m really excited about the hotel. To be honest, every time my family goes on trips, I like staying in the hotel than roaming around. I always feel so comfortable and sleepy, of course. But this time, I have to go on every activity which also makes me excited, obviously. I’m really looking forward for this camp so wish us all the best! 🙂

Reminders before VLC :)

Considering the things that has happened in Bohol and Cebu, a lot of people have been reminding us of how we should act when we get to Cebu on the 24th. I think that because of what has happened, our batch should have important reminders that we should carry on during our VLC. For my blog today, I’ll be writing 2 very important reminders that I think could actually help us during our trip to Cebu.

1. See things in a different perspective.
I remember what our teachers and fellow students told us that we might not reach our expectations, I really believe in this but I know that to look at things in a different perspective might turn the negative thoughts into positive solutions that could help our fellow countrymen affected by the recent earthquake. For me, if we keep seeing the bad effects of this earthquake as a reason to lose hope or to make us feel bad, we will definitely lose hope and remain weak. But, if you use all of these as an inspiration to help and make ways even as a student you will be able to become a solution or a blessing to them.

2. Be open 24/7. Like many stores open for 24/7, make sure to keep your heart, eyes and mind open for everything that might happen or for all the ideas that yon might think of. Let all of them enter you and make sure that before they leave you have something in mind for them that will help them prosper or become better. For example, if ever you see something wrong and you have an idea to solve it or even just to help in your own way, let it enter you and while inside, make sure that you treat it with your best so that once that idea comes out of you it is polished very well.

First Ever Voice of The Philippines is Mitoy! 👏 🎤 👌

The long wait has been over! Its 11 PM and I really waited for this moment so that I could blog for my bet, Mitoy Yonting! I just can’t contain my emotions that I really shouted when they announced that Mitoy won the title as the FIRST EVER THE VOICE OF THE PHILIPPINES! Good thing our neighbors didn’t get mad… Hahaha! Even before The Voice, my parents were really avid fans of Mitoy already. They said that they used to watch some of his gigs in some resorts. We really waited for his audition in the blind auditions and at first, I wasn’t really impressed but as the show gets harder, I was really speechless! Every time I hear him hit those high notes I always need to close my mouth because I’m always amazed! His original song, “Bulag” wowed me to be honest, it was the first time I actually heard him sing in a different way that’s why I screamed and my parents got mad but who cares? Hahaha! Again, congratulations Mitoy! You deserved it and to the other finalists as well. It was well played 🙂

VLC: Challenges

If I’m not mistaken, our VLC which will be taking place in Cebu is just a month away. So as a Grade 7 student, I’m quite excited for this is the first time I’ll actually be with my classmate for more than a day! My blog today, is about how I’ll challenge my self when VLC starts or even after it. Let’s get started!

First of all, since Cebu is a very historical place, I think that an important thing I should do is to look beyond what the naked eyes could see. What I mean by that is to not just focus on what others see or the things which you can see physically. For me, I should let my heart speak of the story behind this and that instead of just looking at something and describing it. Like what Wilson Kanadi said which is “Look beyond every single thing you see. There’s always something behind.” I will look beyond things because I know that everything there has more to it than just a statue, a cross or whatever kind of monument. As a Filipino, its important to know your roots because there is so much more to know to be able to produce a fruit which is as perfect as the old ones we had before.

Go the extra mile. I’m quite sure that you’ve heard this for a million times already but I just want to share how I’ll go the extra mile as a student and Filipino. Going the extra mile is as simple as going beyond what is expected from you but for me, it isn’t just about expectations it’s going beyond what reality is bringing to you or making a change in what should happen. I feel like as a Filipino, we mastered the “going with the flow” strategy or being contented on what’s happening and just letting it be. To be honest, I’m also like that so as I go to Cebu I want to make a change in me which is to go the extra mile and making a change in what reality is supposed to be. A For me, in order to be able to achieve this, I’ll have to become more open minded with the different possibilities and as well as freeing my self from the locked mindset I have about the different things about life. I believe that going the extra mile can make a big change in me and even for the future of my country.

Lastly, I challenge my self to love my country more. If I were to write 100 things I’d do to help my country, I could do that. The only problem is to put it in action. It is quite hard specially if you have no love for your country. Among all the things I said, I could complete none if my country doesn’t have a place in my heart. I’m hoping that this VLC would teach my to appreciate more of our culture, my fellow Filipinos and of course to teach me to be deeply in love with the Philippines. If you wish to make a difference in your country, start it by making a difference in you which is to love your country.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed and learned something as well. 🙂