18 Messages

"j! happee birthday. enj0y your day! mwaah! see u tomorrow! Welcome to the club. hahaha. mornyt." ~Mica V.

"Happy 18th Birthday J! May all your wishes come true. Thanks for the friendship. God Bless u always. Enjoy your day dear. Muah. Miss u." ~Trezza M.

"December 8, 2008...the first time i saw you... the first time i talked to you.. the days when we were not that close yet.. the day u became my friend..your 18th birthday..everything happened so fast and am sure all the people who love and appreciate you are all glad to celebrate with you on your 18th year on earth.. J, i am one of those among the many people who thank God kasi nakilala ka.. ur not just a friend but a sister.. not only a classmate but a best buddy. u know...block cee loves you so much. you are our princess!!pls do be happy always. wish for you is good health, more success sa studies. un naman mahalaga diba. am looking forward of many more birthdays to spend with you..I lav u j!!! lav u sooooo much..happy bday..." ~Nashrene R.

"ei j. Happy 18th Birthday po. hehe." ~Ben U.

"to someone who coordinates the color of her bag with her shirt..

to someone who made sept. 26 & nov. 27 worth remembering..

to someone who always play safe.. =p

to someone who helped me wear the necktie..

to someone who gives me company even at midnight..

to someone who makes me smile at all times..

to someone who gave me a thousand reasons to live life happily..

to someone who won the hearts of many..

to j.. happy 18th birthday to u..

of legal age ka na. hehe.

u deserve everything the world can offer, really..

you're a great person..

a blessing to many..

enjoy this day dear. don't let anything ruin your special day..

keep rockin' bDay girl.." ~Syd. C

"Happy 18th Birthday neyb0r..
alam ko tulog ka na. hehe.
sana ako nauna dahil sa aking puso, ikaw ang nauna. haha.
weh..san ka pa sa banat ko? haha.
have a great day. mwah! lovelots.~Richard O.

"Happy Birthday ^.^

anong gift gusto mo?" ~Kuya Kix

"uy j..^_^

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

shuduy!!

blow out naman dyan!!

hahaha...^_^

enjoy po. have a nice day!!^_^" ~Lance G.

"Friendship, welcome to the age of emancipation! Happy Birthday. Ate Apple is always here, i'm just an unli away, when u need anything at all (su kaya ko lang syempre.) greetings from the rest of your bagtang family. Luvin u. Mwah!" ~Ate Eda

"J. good morning po. happy birthday. wishing u all the best. good luck po. hope you'll enjoy your day. more birthdays to come. love u! miss u po. ingat. mwah!"~Rose B.

"Happy Birthday! As always, you've been a potent source of inspiration for the family. Continue to be a blessing to all of us. We love you." ~Kuya Gian

"Happy Birthday J!

18 ka na..Luv yah. mwah." ~Annie B.

"j! happy 18th birthday. may you always be blessed. always trust God! tc. mwaah." ~Richard
R.

"whatever mistakes u have made, your only way out is to move forward. don't look back in regret but move on with HOPE.

Cuz, happy 18th birthday.

Wish you all the best! Keep on smiling! Enjoy your day.

Lab. Lab" ~Cousin E.

"j, happy birthday.

x.o.x.o

paburger ka naman dyan. hehe." ~Celine O.

"j? happy birthday!!

kala mo nakalimutan ko noh?

o see the timing. hehe. 8:12pm (PNSA yan!)

sakto sa date. hehe.

o pano ba yan dalaga ka na?

san tayo mag ddate? hehe. God Bless.

you'll need that." ~Ninz M.

"j. happy happy birthday!!

wish you all the best!"

~Steph. d.

**a BIG BIG thank you to all the people who remembered my birthday**

"Happy 18th Birthday Bestie!" ~Rhia O.

To the world's best friend.

Happy 18th birthday Yen! I love you.

After the love is gone.

you stood at my door when you heard my call,
i turned my back to end it all.
i walked away but you stayed still,
confused with how you feel.


i know it hurts to end things this way...
but i'm afraid my heart can no longer stay.
you know i've tried. i've tried.

i'm sorry, my prince...but my heart grew tired.

 

A letter for no one.

103108

my prince_,

you messed up the other night.

you said the wrong words...
you took the wrong turn...
you reacted the wrong way...
and you loved the wrong person.

yes dear, you messed up without even knowing you did.
my heart is breaking in silence.
and that's what hurts the most...

yet somehow, i've learned to set free.
..because there's nothing left for me to do but to let you be..

Fight No More

“I didn’t choose this…” There goes the voice of a boy softly spoken yet full of contempt for what he had become – a dog trying to exist as a cat. I watch him with pity as he desolately narrates how the purplish bruises on his body came into picture. He recounts how his father beat him up every chance he got since the day he decided to come out of the closet. He thought: “If my dad could accept me the way I am, then who cares what the world thinks of me?” But there was no acceptance felt; only hatred and extreme disgust.

One of the biggest battle homosexuals face today is the struggle to come out and leave behind their Oscar-winning roles as “straights”. A mighty dosage of anxiety will surely arise before the confession but it’s the mass of dilemmas that will emerge after the feat that the homosexual is most dreadful of. Number one on the list is the fear to be accepted; accepted by the family and the society. But homosexuality is not a disease that one should feel repulse of. We must always bear in mind that being different doesn’t necessarily equate with being unacceptable. It is discriminatory to determine one’s homosexuality by merely criticizing a person’s look. Call them gay, lesbian, faggot…they’re still humans who deserve some respect. But from what I’ve observed now, the prejudice towards homosexuals is becoming less evident compared from the past. I was appalled when I witnessed how homosexuals before act in the public – kissing and touching inseparably one another. It is no surprise why the society found it hard to acknowledge their presence. They had set a bad example for others especially to the innocent ones. If only they behaved themselves properly at that time, then respect would be at the palm of their hands before they even know it. But I am pleased with how the situation turned out. Both parties – homosexuals and non-homosexuals – have made a compromise and finally met halfway concerning the right to exist. It was a long battle but every plea was worth all the time and effort.

If only the thirst for acceptance is not as rampant as this at the present, the world would’ve been easier to deal with. And if only the struggle to become who we really are is as effortless as breathing, there would be less perplexity and perhaps no rejection. But the world is what it is because of us. We had the choice to make it better and we didn’t choose it...

Man vs Science

I grew up believing that God created humans for a purpose and that we have a mission to fulfill here on earth before we reach our destination. I never questioned God because it would be as if I’m questioning myself. I never doubted Him because He never gave me reasons to. A big part of this is due to the fact that I spent 12 years in a Catholic school which had always inculcated in us Christian values like loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. But now that I’m enrolled in a secular school, my eyes were opened to various realities. I discovered that a lot of people live their lives not evolving around religion and worst, not recognizing who God is. A major factor why certain people don’t recognize God is because of the strong influence of science in their lives today. They would rather familiarize themselves with simple, credible, irrefutable and rational scientific explanations than believe those miracles inscribed in holy books. The creation, for instance, was opposed by Charles Darwin’s theory where it states that man is a descendant of ape and that we evolve as time pass by. Yet we all know that something is lacking in science. It is merely technical and not meaningful. It focuses on mathematical and scientific theories but not causes. It augments our knowledge of facts but not our discernment. This enigma has brought a struggle to humans; the struggle to live life with purpose. Scientific perspective has placed an idea that if the theories are indeed authentic, then human lives may be futile. And because of this thought, man had lost hope in striving hard in life for they have found no worth in all the efforts they’ve been giving off. The more we stock ourselves with vindications provided by science, the more we lead ourselves to an understanding that human life has neither purpose nor meaning. But I have come to conclude that science and religion will never be compatible. And the reason why we have the choice to pick which one to believe is because as humans, we must be in constant motion. Only then when we’ll be able to say that today is different from yesterday. We were also raised to question every belief that we are imparted at present and we have the right to either accept it or reject it. As for me, life is too precious to not be lived without a purpose. As cliché as this may sound, we only live once and get one shot in this world so better play it right and make the three-point shot.

What happens in college.

Ida Scott Taylor once wrote:

"Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone.
And do not be troubled about the future, for it has yet to come.
Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering."

Two more weeks and it’s official…I’m now a sophomore. It’s funny I’ve only been in college for a year but it sure feels like I’ve been there forever. Earlier this morning, I caught myself wondering what this new school year would be like. Is it going to be different? Hmm. I doubt that – procrastination and harsh professors are a classic. But the real question here is – am I ready to trade my summer for a new set of class cards? That would mean no more Grey’s Anatomy and Gossip Girl marathon; goodbye to my Paulo Coelho books and hello to mind-numbing tomes. My first year was a bit traumatic which makes me feel uneasy welcoming this imminent school year. I had professors giving us unreasonable grades; a registrar who shouts at your face when unnecessary; and a guard who thinks she’s the dean. You’ll be surprised to know that the people who inspire you to pursue your dreams are the same people who will make you doubt that dream of yours. But the thing is, college is never easy. Even if you put your best effort on that practical, midterm, and final exam, a feeling of inadequacy would still linger. It seems as though a 100% is not enough. Then you’ll find yourself uncertain of the path your taking. I know so because I’ve been there. Nobody prepared me for the consequences I have to endure for taking a course I do not like. I would never wish anybody to be stuck in a situation where they had to choose between their dream and their parents’ reality check. It’s a tragedy when children are sent to school like young men are sent to war—parents hoping for their safe return, but knowing that some will be lost along the way. As for me, my steadfast faith was my escape and Christ was my savior—and will always be.

Freshies' Survival Kit

I've counted the days...

I've waited long enough...

and now it's here...S-U-M-M-E-R!

Wow. That's the only word I can mouth right now. There aren't enough words in the English dictionary to describe how my first year in college went. I don't want the moments to fall into oblivion. I want to remember every little detail. and so what better way to reminisce than to share a list of things I learned in my first year in college that'll serve as a guide for the incoming freshmen out there. Trust me, you'll be needing it.

• If you get lost, don't ask for directions. If you do that, you might as well wear a tag that says "I AM A FRESHMAN".
• If your professor says "have a copy of the syllabus," don't get one. Trust me, your P5 coin will be much well spent for a fishball rather than for a syllabus that'll get stack up at the end of the semester.
• If you forget your I.D, don't enter gate 1. That's where the vigilant guards will be waiting. You don't want to be their prey, do you?
• Don't mess with the notorious photocopier. When you meet her, you may say "if she's so sick with her life, why not just end it?!" But then again, without her how will lazy students like you survive college?
• Keep your friends close, but the smarter ones closer. You know what they say, "it's better to cheat than to repeat."
• If you overslept, don't panic. Chances are the professors are much more late than you are. You'll get used to it.
• College ain't highschool. Cheating in college is a give and take relationship. You'll receive answers only if you share answers. In highschool, the brainiacs don't get anything in return.
• Lastly, unwind like children. No one is too old for childhood games. So go ahead...run like a wind and chase those blues away. Just don't do it near the CN campus or Prof. You-know-who will end those fantasies in a blink.

Undiscovered

Once upon a time there lived a princess named Geisha. She lived in the most prestigious palace in the history of royalty. She had more than she could wish for in life: enticing beauty, limitless jewels, and a regal castle all for herself. And beyond all these riches, she had Pumpkin her ever faithful goldfish. Distinct from her past loves, Pumpkin cherished her and not once gave her heartache or dared to depart from her. How could he? Princess Geisha imprisoned him in the most exquisite fishbowl affluence could buy.But Pumpkin seemed blissful and pleased as he swam round and round his fishbowl all day. What more could he ask for? A warmhearted “good morning” complementing a generous sprinkling of gourmet fish food and a flying kiss. Occasionally, though, his water would get a little brackish due to Princess Geisha’s tears as she poured out her heart to him during long and lonesome nights.One day Pumpkin taught Princess Geisha the secret to happiness. When Princess Geisha noticed the murky water in Pumpkin’s fishbowl, she decided to cleanse it. She plunged Pumpkin into her imperial pool before tidying up the fishbowl. After cleaning it, Princess Geisha returned to fish Pumpkin out. She perceived this eccentric thing. Pumpkin was at the midst of the pool, swimming round and round in a small circle. He had gotten so eased with his little fishbowl world that he had not noticed the ocean around him.For the first time in her existence, Princess Geisha found a genuine friend – someone who mirrored her and the kind of life she lived. Pumpkin, too bestowed her a sense of purpose. From that day, Princess Geisha believed she had to encourage other goldfish like her to break away from their small fishbowl world and dive into the ocean.Since then, Princess Geisha recognize the joy in discovering one’s calling. She didn’t have to be a goldfish condemned to swim in an eternal little circle. She was a dolphin and her home was the ocean.

Perfectly Imperfect

How does one forgive herself for something she didn't mean to do?

How hard is it to accept someone's failure?

How does one take a risk that may upset the world she has grown used to?

How tough can she go?

Now hush little princess, don't you cry.

Everything's gonna be alright.

Stiffen that upper lip up little lady, I told you.

Daddy's here to hold you through the night.



11 things you did not and will not learn in school

I got this from the richest man in the world. This is just an excerpt of the speech he gave to a bunch of high school students. He spoke about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

1. Life is not fair - get used to it!

2. The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

3. You will not make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they call it opportunity.

6. If you mess up, it's not your parents fault, so don't whine about your mistakes; learn from them.

7. Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

9. Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

10. Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave coffee shop and go to jobs.

11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.