Back to school, back to UP!!!!!!

Hi pwikzzzzzzz!!!!!!! The busy and stressful summer is over! And of course....we're goin' back to school!
As for me I'm goin' back to my beloved school, The University of the Philippines! I am proud to say that I am a UPian!
Going back to school was a blast! We went back to school by June 13. After the Independence Day of the Philippines, June 12. This school year is pretty much exciting coz' there will be new teachers to walk the halls of UP! And it's also a bit sad coz' Bartlett's ever loyal asviser and my favorite teacher, Mdm G, retired last year and went to the states. huhuhuhu! How sad!!!!! And the ever favorite teacher in UP high, Sir Nelly, also retired w/ her last yr. We will miss all his notorious jokes and green jokes!!!!!! We'll miss you sir!!!!!!!!
But still life goes on, and we shall see what my performance would be this year. "tan awn lang nato atong gama ani run!"

Continuation…

Jesus Is Killed

Look at the terrible thing that is happening! Jesus is being killed. They have put him on a cross. Nails are driven into his hands and feet. Why would anybody want to do this to Jesus?
It is because some persons hate Jesus. Do you know who they are? One of them is the wicked angel Satan the Devil. He is the one who was able to get Adam and Eve to disobey God. And Satan is the one who got the enemies of Jesus to commit this terrible crime.
Even before Jesus is nailed here on the cross, his enemies do mean things to him. Remember how thy came to the garden of Gethsemane and took him away? Who were those enemies? Yes, they were the religious leaders. Well, let’s see what happens next.
When Jesus is taken by the religious leaders, his apostles run away. They leave Jesus alone with his enemies, because they become afraid. But the apostles Peter and John do not go very far away. They follow along to see what happens to Jesus.
The priests take Jesus to the old man Annas, who used to be the high priest. The crowd does not stay here long. They next take Jesus to the house of Caiaphas, who is now the high priest. Many religious leaders have gathered at his house.
Here at the house of Caiaphas they have a trial. People are brought in to tell lies about Jesus. The religious leaders all say: “Jesus should be put to death.” Then they spit in his face, and hit him with their fists.
While all of this is going on, Peter is outside in the yard. It is a cold night, and so the people make a fire. While they are warming themselves around the fire, a servant girl looks at Peter, and says: “This man also was with Jesus.” “No, I wasn’t” Peter answers.
Three times people say to Peter he was with Jesus. But each time Peter says it is not true. The third time Peter says this, Jesus turns and looks at him. Peter feels very sorry for telling these lies, and he goes away and weeps.
As the sun starts to come up on Friday morning, the priests take Jesus to their big meeting place, the Sanhedrin hall. Here they talk over what they are going to do with him. They take him to Pontius Pilate, the ruler of the district of Judea.
“This is a bad man,” the priests tell Pilate. “He should be killed.” After asking Jesus questions, Pilate says: “I can’t see that he has done anything wrong.” Then Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas. Herod is the ruler of Galilee, but he is staying in Jerusalem. Herod can’t see that Jesus has done anything wrong either, so he sends him back to Pilate.
Pilate wants to let Jesus go. But Jesus’ enemies want another prisoner to be let go instead. This man is the robber Barabbas. It is now about noon when Pilate brings Jesus outside. He says to the people: “See! Your King” But the chief priests yell: “Take him away! Kill him! Kill him!” so Pilate lets Barabbas go free, and they take Jesus away to be killed.
Early Friday afternoon Jesus is nailed to a cross. You can’t see them in the picture, but on each side of Jesus a criminal is also being put to death on a cross. Shortly before Jesus dies, one of the criminals says to him: “Remember me when you get into your kingdom.” And Jesus answers: “I promise you that you will be with me in Paradise.”
Isn’t that a wonderful promise? So you know what paradise Jesus is talking about? Where was the paradise that God made at the beginning? Yes, on earth. And when Jesus rules as king in heaven, he will bring this man back to life to enjoy the new Paradise on earth. Can’t we be happy about that?

Continuation…

Let’s skip the happenings after Adam and Eve has become to the…BIRTH OF JESUS TO HIS DEATH.

The angel Gabriel was sent to a fine young women named Mary. He told her that she would have a child who would rule as king forever. The child, Jesus, was born in a stable, where shepherds visited him. Later, a star guided men from the East to the young child. We learn who caused them to see that star, and how Jesus was saved from the efforts to kill him.
Next, we find Jesus, when he was 12 years old, talking whit the teachers in the temple. Eighteen years later Jesus was baptized, and he then began the Kingdom preaching and teaching work that God sent him to earth to do. To help him in this work, Jesus chose 12 men and made them his apostles.
Jesus also did many miracles. He fed thousands of people with only a few small fishes and a few loaves of bread. He healed the sick and even raised the dead. Finally, we learn about the many things that happened to Jesus during the last day of his life, and how he was killed. Jesus preached for about three and a half years, so this continuation would cover a period of a little more than 34 years.

An Angel Visits Mary

Mary is an Israelitess, who lives in the town of Nazareth. God knows that she is a very five person. That is why he has sent his angel Gabriel to speak to her. Do you know what Gabriel has come to tell Mary? Let’s see.
“Good day, you highly favored one,” Gabriel says to her. “God is with you.” Mary has never seen this person before. She is worried, because she doesn’t know what he means. But right away Gabriel calms her fears.
“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” he says. “God is very pleased with you. That is why he is going to do a wonderful thing for you. You will soon have a baby. And you are to call him Jesus.”
Gabriel goes on to explain: “This child will be great, and he will be called Son of the Most High God. The Lord will make him king, as David was. But Jesus will be king forever, and his kingdom will never end!”
“How can this all be?” Mary asks. “ I am nit even married. I have not lived with a man, so how can I have a baby?”
“God’s power will come upon you,” Gabriel answers. “So the child will be called God’s Son.” Then he tells Mary: “Remember your relative Elizabeth. People said that she was too old to have children. But soon now she will have son. So you see, there is nothing that God can’t do.”
Right away Mary says: “I am God’s slave girl! May it happen to me just as you have said.” The angel then leaves.
Mary hurries off to visit Elizabeth. When Elizabeth hears Mary’s voice, the baby inside Elizabeth jumps for joy. Elizabeth is filled with God’s spirit, and she says to Mary: “You are specially blessed among women.” Mary stays with Elizabeth about three months, and then goes back home to Nazareth.
Mary is about get married to a man named Joseph. But when Joseph learns that Mary is going to have a baby, he doesn’t think he should marry her. Then God’s angel says to him: “Don’t be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is God who has given her a son.” So Mary and Joseph get married, and they wait for Jesus to be born.

Continuation…

Why They Lost Their Home

See what’s happening now? Adam and Eve are being put out of the beautiful Garden of Eden. Do you know why?
It is because they did something very bad. And so God is punishing them. Do you know the bad thing Adam and Eve did?
They did something God told them not to do. God told them they could eat food from the trees of the garden. But from one tree God said not to eat, or else they would die. He kept that tree as his own. And we know it is wrong to take something that belongs to someone else, don’t we? Well, what happened?
One day when eve was alone in the garden, a snake spoke to her. Think of that! It told Eve to eat fruit from the tree from which God told them not to eat. Now, when God made snakes he did not make them so they could talk. So this can only mean that someone else was making the snake speak. Who was that?
It wasn’t Adam. So it had to be one of the persons that God had made long before he made the earth. Those persons are angels, and we cannot see them. This one angel had become very proud. He began thinking that he should be a ruler like God. And he wanted people to obey him instead of obeying God. He was the angel that made the snake talk.
This angel was able to fool Eve. When he told her that she would become like God if she ate the fruit, she believed it. So she ate, and Adam did too. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and that is why they lost their home.
But someday God will see to it that the whole earth is made as pretty as the Garden of Eden. But now, let’s find out what happened to Adam and Eve.

A Hard Life Begins

Outside the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had many troubles. They had to work hard for their food. Instead of beautiful fruit trees, they saw lots of thorns and thistles grow around them. This is what happened when Adam and Eve disoveues God and stopped being His friends.
But worse than that, Adam and Eve started to die. Remember, God warned them that they would die if they ate fruit from a certain tree. Well, the very day that they ate they began to die. How foolish they were not to listen to God!
The children of Adam and Eve were all born after God put their parents out of the Garden of Eden. This means that the children would also have to grow old and die.
If only Adam and Eve had obeyed God, life would have been happy for them and their children. They could all have lived forever in happiness on earth. No one would have had to grow old, get sick and die.
God wants people to live forever in happiness, and He promises that someday they will. Not only will the whole earth be beautiful, but all the people will be healthy. And everyone on earth will be a good friend with everyone else and with God.
But Eve was no longer a friend of God. So when she gave birth to her children, it was not easy for her. She had pain. Being disobedient to God certainly brought her a lot of sorrow, don’t you agree?

Continuation…..

This is the continuation of the series of stories in my blog about the Lord. Now the Lord has made the world better and is suitable to live in. He has also made the first man and woman who will then be our ancestors….

A Beautiful Garden

Look at the earth here! How pretty everything is! Look at the grass and the trees, the flowers and all the animals.
How did this beautiful garden come to be? Well, let’s see how God got the earth ready for us.
First, God made green grass to cover the land. And he made all kinds of small plants and bushes and trees. These growing things help to make the earth pretty. But they do more than that. Many of them also give us foods that taste very good.
God later made fish to swim in the water and birds to fly in the sky. He made dogs and cats and horses; big animals and small animals. What animals live near your home? Shouldn’t we be glad that God made all these things for us?
Finally, god made one part of the earth a very special place. He called this place the Garden of Eden. It was just perfect. Everything about it was beautiful. And God wanted the whole earth to become just like this pretty garden he had made.
But there was something missing. Do you know what God saw that was missing? Let’s see.

The First Man and Woman

Who were the first man and woman? Who made them? It was God. And the first man and woman come to be called Adam and Eve.
This how God made Adam. He took some dust from the ground and with it he formed a perfect body, a man’s body. Then he blew into the man’s nose, and Adam came to life.
God had a job for Adam. He told Adam to name all the different kinds of animals. Adam may have watched the animals for a long time so he could pick the best names for them all. While Adam was naming the animals he began to see something. Do you know what that was?
The animals all had mates. There were papa elephants and mama elephants, and there were papa lions and mama lions. But Adam had no one to be his mate. So God made Adam fall into a deep sleep, and he took a rib bone from his side. Using the rib, God made a woman for Adam, and she became his wife.
How happy Adam was now! And think how happy Eve must have been to be put in such a beautiful garden to live together in happiness.
God wanted Adam and Eve to live forever. He wanted them to make the whole earth as pretty as the Garden of Eden. How happy Adam and Eve must have been when they thought about doing this! Would you have liked to share in making the earth a pretty garden? But the happiness of Adam and eve did not last. Let’s find out why.

The Beginning of a New Beginning

Through the past years of my life, I’ve been so damn bad that I could hardly think of those things I’ve done. I’ve been talking to my parents as if they were my level of respect; I steal things not just from the purse of my mother but also from the things of other people. These things are just some of the things I would describe as rebellion against God.
Since then, God has told us to be good in this world, he has told us to follow him and obey his orders and of course him.
Last night an amazing thing happened, I dreamt about my crush and I holding each other’s hands never letting go until the end of time. I woke up and faced a new morning, it was a beautiful day and I thought to myself, what a wonderful world!
I’ve realized that every little act we do is seen by God. He is the light that we see each day and the stars that we dream each night. He is the Alpha and the Omega, he is the beginning and the end.
I’ve also realized that there’s more to life than being depressed, crying all day and thinking about all the worries in life. What we should do is to start changing, changing for a better life.

This month of March, I’ve decided to make a blog on a series of stories about the Lord, these are stories about God that we could reflect upon until we die…

God Begins To Make Things

All the good things we have come from God. He made the sun to give us light by day, and the moon and stars so we can have some light at night. And God made the earth for us to live on.
But the sun, the moon, the stars and the earth were not the first things God made. Do you know what the first was? God first made persons like himself. We can’t see these persons, just as we can’t see God. In the Bible these persons are called angels. God made the angels to live with him in heaven.
The first angel God made was very special. He was God’s first Son, and he worked with his Father. He helped God to make all other things. He helped God to make the sun, the moon, the stars and also our earth.
What was the earth like then? In the beginning no one could live on earth. There was nothing but one big ocean of water all over the land. But God wasted people to live on earth. So he began to get things ready for us. What did he do?
Well, first the earth needed light. So God made the light from the sun to shine on the earth. He made it so there could be both nighttime and daytime. Afterward god caused land to come up above the water of the ocean.
At first there was nothing on the land. There were no flowers or trees or animals. There were not even any fish in the oceans. God had a lot more work to do to make the earth really nice for animals and people to live on.

To be coninued.....

Seeing the one You Love from Afar

Hi friends and enemies! It’s me again. Please bare with me if this month, I’ve written so many blogs. Peace!
I’m now going to write again, about my life as a boy, loving a girl.
Have you ever been in love? Have you ever been so desperate to see her, talk to her, hold her with your arms and tell her you love her from the bottom of your heart? Yes, I’ve tried it and I desperately have been so in love. So in love that I felt I could die for her.
It all started during first year high school (to all UP students just guess who she is). It was the first day of classes when I first met her. I still remember that very scenario; she was standing by the door, wearing a jacket. When I saw her, as if I was struck by lightning! She was so pretty I wanted to grab her and talk to her, but I thought, who am I to talk to her when weren’t even still friends during that time. We were completely strangers to each other.
After that, I kept thinking about her. But after the many things we did that day, I just simply forgot about her.
The third week of high school came. Many students were now joining clubs and other extra curricular activities. As for me, I joined the UPSTAGE or the University of the Philippines Theater Arts Guild for Education. This club involves theater activities, many forms of dancing, and singing. But it specialized in ethnic dances and presentation as to what the club’s adviser, Ms. Ligaya Rabago Visaya’s theme is.
Before joining the club, of course we still have to audition. Many first years joined the audition. Including the VIP Delegates, a social group in our section which I am in.
My classmates, or should I say group mates sang, danced, acted and impersonated our teachers. And I, the king of impersonators in our school, impersonated some of my teachers including the club’s adviser.
Then out of the blue, I saw her, the girl I was so amazed with. I was again as if struck by lightning. What she did was, she sang. She sang a very familiar song which I recognized as the song, Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne. From then on, I had a crush on her. I thought about her always. And she just couldn’t get out of my mind.
November came, as for many universities, intramurals month. I still remembered that very day, Thursday, November 23, 2006 the whole world fell upon me and I was as if, I couldn’t breathe when I heard the news that the very person I like was now the girlfriend of my previous best friend.
There were no nights I wouldn’t think of her and there were no days I wouldn’t suffer of depression. I didn’t actually know why but it’s as if she was a very dear person to me, it was as if, I fell in love!
December 22, 2006 was a day I couldn’t forget. It was the eve before their (well you know who) monsary. For 2 hours I cried and cried. I just stayed in my romm remembering the days when we were still friends, talking to each other, hanging-out and walking to many places near our school like the College Department in our school.
The following days worsened. Her boyfriend knew I had a crush on her, so I couldn’t dare talk to her or simply go near her. I wouldn’t dare go near a person whose boyfriend is so angry at me and has a very feared group. But I told myself, “how could you be a coward, if you love her you should fight for it”! But I just didn’t have the strength to do it.
It feels very odd seeing both of them holding hands, talking to each other and just having fun. It’s like I’m going to burst! During break I would sit at our bench and watch her from there, she would be inside her room by then. I would just feel sad be depressed and sometimes cry.
I’m not very lucky when it comes to love, but somehow and in someway, I’m going to be lucky at it and I hope I could find the person who would love me truly too. I’ve learned something from this “ ‘wag hanapin ang pag-ibig, ito’y darating” as a famous OPM song goes.

A Love Affair with MV Doulos and Books

Helping – a very strong word. It is the act when one takes pity to anyone. This is what the crew of the MV Doulos has been doing ever since it was made. They have been crossing nation to nation, helping the people who are poor, oppressed, in war, or even the most corrupt people they have been helping.
Here are some facts of MV Doulos…
The MV Doulos is the world's oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship. She is now owned by the German charity Gute Bücher für Alle (Good Books for All), and is used as a floating bookshop. Over the years, she has been known as the SS Medina, the SS Roma, and the MV Franca C.
History
The Medina was built in 1914 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company for the Mallory Steamship Company of the United States. She was a freighter serving the Atlantic; during World War II she served with the United States Coast Guard.
The Panamanian company Naviera San Miguel SA acquired the Medina in 1948; they renamed the ship the Roma, and converted her into a passenger ship with cabins for 287 people, and dormitories for an additional 694 people.
In 1952 Naviera San Miguel resold the Roma to Linea Costa, an Italian company. At this time the SS Roma, a steamship, was converted into a motor vessel and renamed the MV Franca C. She carried passengers between Italy and Argentina. In 1959, the Franca C was adapted into a cruise liner, principally cruising the Mediterranean.
In 1977, Gute Bücher für Alle acquired the Franca C, and renamed her the Doulos. In her current role, she is manned by a volunteer crew and visits sea ports world-wide.
Did you know that it was built only 2years after Titanic?! Wow this boat does has something to be well remembered about.
Why would we say, love affair with MV Doulos? Because this boat is full of love, it takes with them love from every country they go to and in turn they also give love to every country they visit through helping and caring for the pity citizens.
Actually, last February, we visited this historical ship ‘cause it visited us here in Cebu after several years. It docked in Pier I near the South Reclamation Project. We, the students of the University of the Philippines High School Department, were lucky enough to have the special treatment when we visited the boat.
We had so much fun! We read books, ate ice cream, talked with the crew, drank juice, and enjoyed the scenery of the ocean! Actually I was so sad when I saw my crush hanging-out with his male classmate, just enjoying the wind and the scenery of the ocean. Well that’s life.
After enjoying the books we bought and read, the crew made a program just for us and this lame lame school, the Asian College “chuva” something. The crew had several games for us, and our host was Brazilian.
We went home with stomachs full and with books from the boat. (their books were very high quality).
Well that’s it for today….BBBBByyYyYEEEEEEEEeee!!!!!!

Wanted: Perfect TEACHER!

We students, often say that teachers aren’t caring, we say they are very rude, annoying, boring and sometimes we often say they’re mad! Yes, it is very true that we often say these words and talk about it to our friends. And yes, teachers are sometimes very much like this. But do we know why they’re doing it? Do we know what they have to endure to teach us? Do we know that they are only doing this just for………………………….KIKAYS! Joke only!
No, they aren’t doing this just for, “kikays”. They aren’t doing this because they are angry at us, but because they truly and dearly love us!
Being a teacher is no easy job. You have to be strict, well disciplined and at times be the superior of all, to show a good example and leave a good impression to your students.
Here is my experience on being a bad boy to my teacher…..
Once, I had a teacher, my favorite teacher! Her name was, Ms. Madelin B. Tinapay. She was also a mother, so, she well knows how to take care of in obedient children like me. She had two children, Rendel, and Renelin, who we, her students, treated her like our own brother and sister. We would usually call her, teacher “Madie”.
Teacher Madie was a kind, thoughtful, caring and lovable teacher. She graduated Magna Cumlaude in College. She was such an achiever. Then, she chose to be a teacher at the Lahug Elementary School, my school. At first, she was still a teacher for the regular class. Then, when our adviser at the Science Class was promoted to become our Assistant Principal, Teacher Madie then became our new adviser.
Our first impression on her was that she was very strict. We though she wouldn’t be as good as our previous teacher.
But we were wrong. She was in fact better than our previous teacher. She was very kind to us that we would treat her as if she was our best friend. She would sometimes jam with our jokes and would always spend time to “chika” with us.
We all know that Math is a very boring subject, but not for our class. Teacher Madie would hold mini Math Challenges to ignite our energy and to make Math so fun that we would sometimes wish it would be Math that we learn everyday.
She was also very good at Math, because of her expertise in this field, we won 3rd in the Division Finals, DepEd, MTAP, Math Challenge. We were so happy with our place despite the many very good schools that joined the competition.
Now let me tell you what bad thing I did to this very wonderful teacher.
One time, we had an exercise in Math that involved decimal points. Our class decided that instead of writing .1, we should write 0.1 to lessen confusion of the teachers. The problem was I didn’t listen (‘cause I was busy drawing my crush in my notebook). My score for the exercise was (I could still remember the exact score), 15/20, just because I wrote .1 instead of 0.1 as to what the class decided. I really expected I would be perfect on the said exercise.
After learning that I wasn’t perfect, I cried and I cursed my teacher just for one exercise. I said many mean words to her; I cursed her for so many times. I didn’t talk to her for a week!
But in the end, I said sorry to her because I realized that I was the one who was wrong and I was the one who had been unreasonable.
So this one thing I can only say to you people, never treat your teachers as if they’re just your servants.
I leave this saying to you:
“Do not do to others what you Don’t want others do unto you.”

BYE!

:-) Friendship (-:

Many people will walk in and out of your life.
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.

Friends

Anger is only one letter short of danger
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.


He, who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others
You can't live long enough to make them all
yourself.
Friends, you and me...
You brought another friend...
And then there were 3...
We started our group...
Our circle of friends...
And like that circle...
There is no beginning or end...
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.
That is why it is called the present.


Show your friends how much you care...
Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.
If it comes back to you, then you'll know you
have a circle of friends.

When you receive this letter,
I recommend that you send it to all your friends,
including the person who sent it to you!
You don't have to send it to your friends, it's your choice.
I don't want to force you to do it, but trust me;
it's always good to tell your friends
some nice words now and then
and that you care...

...When History Began…

How did the world begin? Where did we come from? People have been puzzling over questions like these for thousands of years.
The Bible tells of the Creation of the world in the Book of Genesis. It tells how God created the world and all living things.
But there are other stories about how the world began that have been told by people from many lands and with many different beliefs. These stories, which are very old, tell us a great deal about the people who first told them and the places where these people lived.
There is also a new story that scientists from different land are still trying to put together. Some people do not agree with this scientific story. But most scientists think it is true.
Scientists tell us the earliest man-like creatures were alive about 14 million years ago. They were more like apes than people, but they did move about on two feet looking for fool.
Some types of early people, like Nutcracker Man, did not survive. Those that did had changed their way of life. They moved out of Africa, into Asia and Europe. They became meat eaters and they learnt to hunt in groups and to share their food. They used sharp flint and stone tools.
About 40,000 years ago, modern people appeared. Their brain was the same size as ours today and they behaved more like us. They were able to make finer tools to help them to hunt; they buried their dead, and painted the walls of the caves where they lived. Prehistoric paintings have been preserved in many parts of France, Spain, North Africa and Australia. Some of them are as much as 30,000 years old. They have been preserved in the caves, where there is no wind, rain or sunlight to wear them away, for all those thousands of years. Most of the paintings are of prehistoric animals like woolly mammoths and rhinoceroses, and of bison, horses and deer. Very few show people. No one knows exactly why these pictures were made. Some scientists think the prehistoric people used the paintings to make magic - magic they believed could help them when they went hunting. Others think the animals were meant to stand for something else, like spirits of gods.
Later, about 10,000 years ago, people began to farm. They stayed in one place and began to live in groups called communities.
Think about all the things you’ve been doing lately. Have you been reading? Writing? Studying? Praying? Playing? You are sure to have done some of these things. Most people’s lives today are filled with such activities. They are the activities of a civilization. But it hasn’t always been like this.
At first, (as I said) people were only hunters or farmers. Then, as time passed, farming began to solve the fool problem. People grew more food than was needed each day. So they could store some away. Now there was time for new activities and skills to be learnt.
The next big step was for people to get together and work out laws to live by and ways of sharing and recording their knowledge. This was the beginning of civilization.
The first civilization grew up about 6,000 years ago in Sumer. Today this area is called Iraq. Other early civilizations followed in India, Egypt and China. The Sumerians developed farming machines and skills. Cities developed and here the earliest forms of metal work, brick building, writing and money began.
In India the Indus Valley civilization developed along the banks of the rivers in western India and Pakistan. Later civilizations also spread along the River Ganges.
The Egyptians believed in everlasting life. The Egyptian kings, called pharaohs, built tombs inside enormous stone pyramids. The records of their lives are still being unearthed today from these burial places.
The great area of the Far East had been divided by wars. Now the Ch’in tribe succeeded in uniting everyone into one vast empire called China.
All these places had something in common- they all had great rivers, which made the land good for farming. The easier it was for people to farm land and get food, the more time they had left for other things.
People have certainly made an impact on this earth. We’ve been around for a long time, but in the history of the earth we’re really late arrivals.
Imagine all of earth’s history squeezed into one day. On this scale the tiniest living things probably first appeared at about 4 am. But the first animals with backbones – fishes – don’t appear until about 9:20 pm. Man-like apes appear one minute before midnight – and modern people less than one second before midnight strikes.

What the Stars and the Sky Tell Me about Life

In the beginning, there was nothing, purely…nothing. Just a vast wide space without anything in it. Then, the Lord decided, “I shall create the sun to have light within this wide space”. Well, you know what happened next, and after it, and after it, and after it.
God made so many things! He made the trees, flowers, the people and many other things in this big, big universe! But the most beautiful of these creations, (in my opinion) are the stars and the sky. The sky which gives delight by day, and the stars which serve as our dreams at night.
But what do these beautiful creations tell us? What good could it give us? Would these improve our lives or achieve our goals? That I leave to you. We, who ask these questions, are the only ones who can answer this.
Let me tell you my experience when my most favorite person in the whole wide world, my grandma (except of course my parents and God), passed away.
My grandma’s name was, Glyceria M. Pangilinan (the mother of my mother). She was a simple, honest, religious, trustworthy, thoughtful and caring mother. She was…my best friend (during those days). And of course, her favorite grandchild was…me! What I always would like to call her was, “Lola Inay”. The very day I was born, my grandma cherished me as if I were her own. She took care of me and laughed at me, when I would do weird things like, eating “bahaw” with my bare hands when I was a child, and one time when I played with my toy iron and I would say, “ay init!”. She would also read me stories of the old, defend me from my elder brother and sister, and would even make me pancakes and banana chips! I never EVER thought that one day, she would be…gone T_T.
She died from a heart attack. My cousin says they were just peeling Indian mangoes when suddenly; she fell back on the floor. The doctors did everything they could, but the sad thing was, I didn’t reach her at her last breath.
Though difficult, I really tried to face it like a man. But the pain was too difficult to endure, and at that time I couldn’t think of anything but cry and remember her as a friend.
In the end, I recovered from that tragic moment. I simply prayed that she would be alright in the hands of our Lord.
Now, I’m happy again. But still, I sometimes dream of her every night and the pain in my heart would come back as if I was stabbed directly on the heart.
You see, happiness could be seen even in the darkest of our time. But it only remembers when you turn on the light.
When I look at the sky, I could see my different goals in life. I see the hope of humanity is still in the holy hands of God. And when I look at the stars, I could dream away into the night, imagine that I’m flying over the world, seeing my loved ones happy and full of life. But only this I can say, that by having faith in God, we can surpass the hardships we encounter and await our journey to HEAVEN!

Love……God’s gift to Human Kind

Many people in this vast world have fallen in love to their opposite sex. Others, maybe to their similar sex. Hehehe (curvy gyud!)! Love is a very normal and natural way to interact with society. It is the most essential part of a person, making him or her strong in facing challenges in his or her life. But others make it a habit, that because of loving somebody you get to be bad, weak or hopeless in life. But in someway, there will always be an answer from God, he would lift us up and give us strength to achieve our goals.
Let’s take for example this boy, Johnny, a very bright, smart, intelligent and talented person. You could really say he is a perfect guy. But there’s just one small problem, he isn’t handsome enough to impress the girls.
One day, he was walking to school, he met this very beautiful young lady about his age. She was tall, pretty, intelligent, smart, in other words, a girl any man would ask for. She was in fact Johnny’s new schoolmate.
This girl was a transferee, from the other school in the eastern coast, their family moved in the western coast because of some family affairs. Her name was, Emily.
Johnny was so delighted that Emily was their new schoolmate, but Johnny had one small incy, wincy, tiny problem, she wasn’t at his section. This made Johnny so desperate to cope with her and to get to know her better in any way. And in any way indeed.
Johnny kept sending secret letters to Emily, putting it in her locker every after class. Then, Emily would read the letter and would be so happy every time she finishes reading it (Johnny was so good at letters). Johnny would watch her in the canteen area, sitting at a table far from her. What he didn’t know, somebody was also watching him, Larry.
Larry was a bully in the school. He would treat the students there like vermin; he would throw them outside their rooms and punch them afterwards. He had a much feared group called, THE POKEMONS (actually all his group members were pokemon enthusiasts and were also hardcore bullies). Larry was the leader of this group. But despite the fact that he was a bully and all, he was still the all time campus crush and all the teacher’s favorite, they say because he was “handsome”
All the students at their school knew that Larry had a stone heart, meaning he didn’t have the capability to love. But they were wrong; Larry was actually secretly in love with Emily, the new girl. And what’s worse? He already knew Johnny was also secretly in love with Emily and he also knew Johnny was the one sending love letters to Emily! This was a problem Johnny should have known.
And guess what Larry did? He pretended that he was the one who was keeping on sending letters to Emily. This made Emily fall for the wicked boy and eventually became a couple.
But what happened to Johnny? I’ll answer that question!
After knowing the real situation, that he was never going to have a chance with Emily, his grades went down. He was miserable all the time, and he always became sick and tired. Then, his mother got so worried. She says, Johnny wouldn’t eat anything and would lock himself up always in his room.
But Johnny still didn’t stop writing letters to Emily, at that point, somehow he got strong. He stood up opened his door and went to the……………..Bathroom!
Johnny’s mother was shocked at the sudden pull out of Johnny from his room. After a couple of hours, Johnny went out of the bathroom….”AAAAAHHHHH!”, her mother shouted. Johnny was so darn handsome as if an angel was standing in front of Mrs. Wood, Johnny’s mom. “What did you do to your face child?, there’s no more pimples, and oil from your face!, your hair its so nicely fixed,” her mother asked. He just said nothing and then, he flashed her mother a big….SMILE!
The next morning, he rushed out of the house quickly and went to school. In riding the bus, he was luckily joined by no other than….Emily!
Emily didn’t recognize Johnny because of his new look. Suddenly, their eyes met, and Emily blushed, for there was a very handsome boy staring at her! When they reached school, Johnny was just behind Emily following her like a tail. Suddenly, almost all the students were watching Johnny. At first, they didn’t recognize him. Then, a girl approached him and asked him who he was, Johnny just answered his name, and there were lots of hissing sounds that surrounded the campus.
By lunch break, everybody went into the cafeteria to eat, as usual, Larry was always sticking to Emily like Velcro. Suddenly, Johnny unusually got 2 tables, connected it and stood on the table. He then, started singing a song which Emily said, ”why is that song very familiar to me?” Then, Johnny just answered, “’cause you’ve heard it through, MY LETTERS!”
After that, Johnny explained everything to Emily in a form of a song. Then, Emily dumped Larry for doing such shameless thing! Larry got expelled afterwards because of a confidential reason. And finally, Johnny became good again in his grades and guess what Emily and Johnny were then a couple and Johnny became the very new CAMPUS CRUSH! God works in unexpected ways. He may give you luck or punish you. So, to all the broken hearted out there and are so hopeless with love, try on reflecting on this story and maybe, who knows, you could win a heart the next day.

…The Life I Have…

Tik-tak-tik-tak, the clock went on. “Dodong” was dripping wet with perspiration. Suddenly, the doctor said, “It’s a boy.” Dodong went into the delivery room, and there I was held upside down, crying and blood covered my whole body. “Rarry” was born!
Hi! I am Gerardo Ray P. Abatol. Born on September 7, 1993, at the Perpetual Succor Hospital, Tuesday-10 pm (specific gyud na ha!). I’m just 13, cute and my best asset………being………SMALL! Well many say I’m small but TERRIBLE!
If you want to know me better, specifically and properly, here’s my PROFILE!

Name: Gerardo Ray P. Abatol
N-Name: Rarry, Rarrybut, Butan, Lucio, Rarrypotter, Rarrylicious, Gerry (as in Jerry)
Address: St. Therese Drive, A.S Fortuna St., Banilad, Mandaue City
Contact#: 345-3439, 0916168700
E-mail Add: rarriepotter@yahoo.com, rarrylicious_dep@yahoo.com
Country: Philippines!
Hometown: Cebu

…More/Other Information…
Favorites:
Food: Pizza
Color: Blue
Book: Harry Potter
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Movie: The Pink Panther
Director: Steven Spielberg
Singer: Leejee Moody Zamora
Actor: Daniel Radcliffe, AKO!
Actress: Leejee Moody Zamora
Band: MYMP
Word: Chuvalerns 2x!, r u dep?, ano ba?!
Motto: “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength,
but by the strength of his heart” –Hercules (Disney)_

Crush: 125510 131515425

I am the 3rd child of Crisaldo C. Abatol, my father, and Cecilia M. Pangilinan-Abatol, my mother. I have 3 siblings and they are, Audrey Criscille P. Abatol, the eldest, Kenneth Gerrad P. Abatol, my elder brother, and Glycel Therese P. Abatol, my younger sister.
Let me tell you about the history of our names…..My sister’s 2nd name, Criscille, is the combination of Crisaldo, my father, and Cecille, my mother. The second name of my brother, Gerrad, is the combination of my grandfather’s name, Gerardo, and my father’s name, Conrad. My name comes from my grandfather, Gerardo E. Pangilinan. And my baby sister’s first name is the combination of my grandmother’s name, Glyceria, and my mother’s name Cecilia. And her second name comes from St. Therese w/c is our Patron Saint here in Banilad, Mandaue. What a HISTORY!

I would now like to tell you about our life then in the past.
My Father was previously a very successful businessman. So, we had a great life. Nice things and very great schools. We enrolled in school like Forum (which is a very expensive and good school), Maria Montessori Children’s House (MMCH) and many more. We could ask anything we wanted. We would go on outings anywhere. Go to Glico’s (twice a day!), go to Mindanao every summer (‘cause my grandmother lives there) and even go to Daan Bantayan Island wherein there’s a very big mansion of my Father’s best friend! We stayed there for a week!
My parents were hand-in-hand with the business. But suddenly, my Mother asked my Father to stop the business because she was so sick and tired of the people who were even the ones who get angry if my parents (specifically my mom) would collect money from these people’s “utangs”. Then and there, our whole world turned upside down. My Father got unemployed and we also got no money left at all.
Thanks to my grandfather (who was also running a chicken business) he let my Father help him at the “ihawan” or help him deliver the chickens to different stores/restaurants with a salary of Php300/day. Not a bad salary for a small family.
Then, the three of us, my brother and sister (at that time my baby sister wasn’t born yet) enrolled in this small but good school, LAHUG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!
I think it was a blessing in disguise for our my parents to let go of their successful business, because if not, I wouldn’t be able to meet my friends that led me to influential attitudes that improved my life. I wouldn’t have met my favorite teachers in LES that led me to the better of my grades and academic achievements. And I wouldn’t be able to study in U.P because by then we would still be “rich” and I wouldn’t pass the income category or whatsoever that involves money!
So, thank you Lord for this blessing and may you still shower these “unexpected” blessings to our family and to other families here in the world!

Living Up To the Family Name

Having been part of a very noble and disciplined family is a very big responsibility. You should follow what your family has done well and what they have strictly been following since your ancestors were ever born.
In other words you should “live up to the family name”.
Here is a simple story I wrote about a family, who never thought of losing success in life. Let us see what happens in this simple story I wrote entitled… “LIVING UP TO THE FAMILY NAME”.
Discipline, love and care for their relatives and their people is a family trait that the natives have remembered of a very influential family, the Makalates. They lived in a small but very proud town also named after them (it was named after their first governor, Hon. Andionicio Protenciano Perfecto Makalate Sr.).
The Makalates have reigned this beautiful town for already 5 centuries! They actually had the bloodline of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the successful colonizer and first Governor-general of the Philippines. Due to Spanish influence and blood, the Makalates have governed many different towns and many provinces. But by the time the Spaniards were thrown out of the Philippines, the Makalates were also destroyed and their reputation, devastated. But still, some remained and weren’t affected by the end of the Spanish regime (because of political reasons). And the last of the Makalates, which were one of the remaining family members, who remained only because of corruption, was the family of the present mayor of Makalate, Mayor Andionicio Protenciano Perfecto Makalate III. He had a very very beautiful wife, Madame Menesquieta Nepomucenang R. Makalate.
The town people usually call them, Mayor Andoy and Madame Nenang. The couple accepts what the town people calls them, but only these things. What do I mean by, “but only these things”. The couple were very cruel, they would scold the town people without any reason and accuse them with crimes they didn’t even dare do. The people were treated like vermin ! But actually, only the couple are like these. Their 7 sons and daughters were the other way around. They were very much like their ancestors, well disciplined, cares for other people and most of all loves one another.
Their family owned businesses, most of which involved restaurants and fast food outlets. And the most successful business of theirs, which is their main source of money and income is their very famous restaurant, Italianos de Legaspi.
One day, Mayor Andoy was driving up to their Italianos de Legaspi restaurant. When he reached there, he almost scolded all his people . He asked why the robbers stole all the money in the restaurant including all the valuable utensils and antiques (there was robbery the night before). In my opinion, why would he ask this question to his people when his people do not know what the robber was thinking when he robbed the restaurant. The mayor was so angry that he called for all the police in the town for the immediate search for the robber.
For four months the investigation went on. Mayor Andoy’s money were all used up just for one robbery, I mean, he just wasted his money for one crime?! Suddenly, all pf the Mayor’s money dried up, their restaurant was a wreck and their other businesses turned down to bankruptcy. Their family’s life went into total devastation. In one blink of an eye, all of the Makalate’s savings and possessions went into “sudden death”.
Then, Mayor Andoy was forced to resign because of the town people’s numerous protests about his forced search to all the town people’s houses without any search warrant and many other cruel things that the couple did to their people.
Their family went into serious poverty. All their belongings were confiscated by the government with a reason they did not know. In the end, Mang Andoy and Aling Nenang (former mayor and first lady) , left their sons and daughters to an orphanage, pretending they weren’t alive anymore so that they wouldn’t lose face to the people.
So you see, life could be so challenging. Everyday you face challenges you didn’t ever expect would happen…’til then……………………..BYE!