"Dream to believe and Believe to dream"

The world is turning around and so with our minds. People living were too busy, they don't have any time to work with others and even with their individual life. Young individuals nowadays are avoiding and afraid of challenges, hard works and problems because of what they believe that they can't do and solve it by their own. This is now the time to prove that dreaming and believing really works.

In life, dreams, beliefs, ambitions, wishes, hopes and more were not unusual. Too often, people always dreaming for any particular thing. Some dreamed to be a teacher, doctor, engineer or perhaps a successful businessman. There are also some who wished for the betterment of their lives and success of their career. When some people dream and wish for a certain thing, they execute it together with hard works and love. Those people who are consistent with their dreams in life, they struggle harder to reach them but if they are so dependent with it and at the point that they are not working for it, their dreams will be too far for them to reach.

There are some who says that dreaming and believing are just foolishness. Some also asked, if you have that dreams will you be happy or if you really have some, is it easy to get and cope with? For me, having dreams is not that bad only if you have just faith on it. A person who has dreams in life, surely he or she aims to drove something towards the best. It only means that one made such hard works to strike dreams.

When some people say that we should dream the future and believe to our own strength and abilities, I always recognize it. In every challenges and trials even personal experiences that I have encountered, I always employ my strength and capabilities to surpassed them. Like for instance, when I was applying to a club, I was nervous at first until I learned how to manage myself, I applied my talents, skills and knowledge to show that I am deserving. Then I was thinking, if success is the fruit of hard works, patience, understanding and more, dreaming and believing within yourself could be one.

As what I've said that dreaming and believing could be one way to reach the goal of success. The effectiveness of those will bring about changes to our life. Dreaming is effective in such a way that if someone has these, eventually he or she will struggle harder just to hit that dreams. While in the other hand, believing is effective for the reason that when one strongly believe in his strength and capabilities to overcome danger and challenges, he will commit the greatest success that he never expected in life. In relevant to these situation was my experiences since I was small. I dreamed to have a better education and to finish my studies and beyond that dreams I believe that through my hard works, the fruit of success will rapidly bloomed into my hands.

Having imaginations, illusions and especially dreams in life are just expressions in one's desire. Because when he believe, he will dream to do so and that's the nice things towards success.

"A triumphant march"

Failure will not halt, triumph will aid, glory is there and love is forever. These worthy things help us to struggle towards success and to know our failures, weaknesses and disadvantages in life so that we can elaborate them into a better one.

Succeeding in small things is just a step towards a broad future. But when we talk about “success in one's education”, it's another matter. When a student passed through the hard years in school eventually he or she will have the honor to graduate or in short to commit one's graduation. For me, the graduation march is very important for a student because it shows only that he or she bring it to the best and their sacrifices, hardworks and understanding were worth it.

In life, what I dreamed is to have a better way of living and to finish my studies. Because I dreamed and believed, I successfully graduated in my elementary years in school.the graduation which I crave most has come. It was a hot day because summer had just started, when I woke up from bed and then prepared for our graduation. I told my grandmother to hurry up because any moment from now the graduation will start. I went outside to look for a ride and afterwards we arrived to our destination, where our graduation will be held.

At first, when we entered in the campus, where the ceremony was held, we were in trouble in looking for the venue because of panicked and eventually I forgot the place. Afterwards I found the place and I immediately went upstairs and there I saw a big crowd. The crowd was full of visitors, friends, guardians, parents, city officials, VIP's, teachers and of course the most important ingredient for the day, the graduating stuadents from different schools around the city.

After I arrived at the spot, I looked for my co-graduates. My teacher put this beatiful garlands to my neck and at the same time congratulates me for doing the part of being a student during our elementary years. The ceremony started and while marching towards our seats, somebody took a shot for me and eventually I smiled to the photographer. While on the seat, I felt happy, excited, tense, sad and more mixed expressions in that scenario.

The flow of the ceremony continued. After the city officials had given their messages to everyone, each teacher from certain school one by one called their graduating students and of course one of those was me. After we were called to get our diplomas, the next part of the ceremony was the awarding of the honor students in all the schools around the city. While the awarding was going on, I was looking for my grandmother because before I went up to the building, when I looked back she was gone from my sight so it was natural for me to looked for her especially it was my graduation and also she should be the one who will witness my success on stage.

One's graduation only shows that he or she successfully made it to the top. Graduation is the best part of a student's life in school and what makes it best is through good education. If only we will struggle towards success or strive harder, we could have the best graduation ever.

"What the Stars and Sky Tell Me About Life"

Stars are far apart, and that's why they are unreachable. They look small at a distance but actually they are huge, sometimes more huge than our planet earth. Skies are wide and huge also, and the same as stars that twinkle, they also bloomed. Those things above seemed telling us about something, something I think could be possible and that thing is all about life.

Our life on earth is only a borrowed one. We can neither tell nor assure that we will last long but what I think is really possible that all of us will die, only we just don't know where and when is that. Watching and imagining the stars and skies above are factors that help us relate and remember our daily experiences in life, failures and triumphs and more.

Here in world life is said to be unfair, tough, challenging and mostly taken for granted. But for me it isn't difficult to cope with yourself, it is just that one immediately get upset and felt unhappy in such a way that he or she is not favorable with his or her life. Playful life is not unusual for me because I've already experienced this for years. I think all the disasters one's life could have are what I had experienced since the past and until now. One thing is when I was a kid, I was playing then, when a car hit me and I was dragged down below. That accident led me trauma and I realized that life is not just for fun but we should care about it.

Another incident when I was in elementary years, I think I was grade four at that time when my classmates and I were playing the game called “in-in”. It was then, when I was playing, a kid approached towards my side and then I was in trouble because we could be catch by the opponents at the time when that area will be full. Thus, I pushed him towards the other side but instead he will be safe going there, he was dragged slowly towards the corner and I was shocked of what did happen. I don't think if I hardly pushed him or he was just mistakenly step a rock or whatsoever that brought him into trouble. So we brought him to the clinic of the barangay hall. Afterwards I realized that being selfish will bring you into trouble or danger, so we should be kind and generous to everyone.

We should not limit our experiences in life to bad things, there were also good things that happened in our life. Like for instance, when I found out that my name was written in that paper which was labeled the passers of UPHSAT and that means I was qualified to enter and study in the most credible and regarded university in the country, the University of the Philippines or U.P. After the results I felt happy because my sacrifices and hard works were worth it and also excited because my dream to study in U.P was granted. Then I told myself that through hard works, understanding and patience, life would be possible.

Like the stars and skies, life has also an end. Like the stars that there are times it has enough bright, there are also times that it loses its brightness. The same as our life that sometimes we were up, sometimes we were also down. So don't abuse life because it was given by God for us to love and treasure.

"Christmas Joys"

Christmas is for all. Sharing, loving and having fun were not unusual during Christmas season. The spirit of Christmas travels all around. Programs and parties were popular during this celebration. In fact I have some that surely you will enjoy and love entirely.

It was a fresh cold morning. The Christmas fever filled the city. The start of the day makes me feel more excited. I woke up early in the morning seeking for an entity as a gift for someone in our Christmas party. After awhile I went outside to look for a ride. While on travel, something comes into my mind and I asked myself, if ever I would be going there what would be my expressions, would I feel more excited because I got there and it was my first time to have such party in U.P or I would just feel bored because it was not unusual for me. There, I arrived in school hoping for an answer.

After I arrived in school, immediately I went inside rushing towards our room because I was quite late at that time. When I'm approaching the room, I heard some noise and saw people seemed at work. Then I suddenly remember that our teacher once told us that there will be a short class in the morning, so I'm just enjoying myself throughout the day.

When the sun became hotter, my excitement burned out. Our Christmas party had just started. First, we gathered to have a prayer, then we some games, funny and challenging games and after such games we ate the foods prepared in the table. When we were done eating, the emcees announced that after several minutes we will going to start our exchanging gifts, the most awaited and exciting menu of the afternoon.

Our Christmas party comes to an end but then, when the sky became dark, the never ending celebration continued. We have these “Daygon contest” and lighting for the “ tree of hope”. Before the contest proper, we have a hard practice first. All freshman's gathered inside our room and together we executed what we had practiced. Then, we were ready to present that thing and so with our other opponents. After such plays, presentations, intermission numbers and more, we pause for awhile because the judges had hard time in choosing the winners. So, while waiting for the results, sir Montejo told and narrate us all about the history of this celebration, where the tree grew up and was found and the importance of the tree, which is now called the “tree of hope” as part of this event. Afterwards, we started putting the colored Christmas balls around the Christmas tree and at the same time it was accompanied by a background music which was performed by Cyril, who plays the violin and George, who plays the guitar.

After those refreshments, the mentors are now ready to announced the winners. All of us were tense because it was pretty obvious that our team will never win. So the winners were called and we were shocked that our team was not yet called, so we felt excited and at the same time nervous because we never expected this to happened and we could be the second placer or hopefully the first placer. Then our team won the second place and the seniors won the first place. After announcing the winners, I rushed towards the “tree of hope” and together we witness the lighting of the tree.

How wonderful experiences I had here in U.P. One of course, was the party and I enjoyed it so much. I hope that next year there will be more fun and exciting experiences to have.

"Starts an Agile Day"

Early in the morning in our house people seems to be busy. Some were preparing their entities for the next day because it was already the last day of ASEAN and of course they will go back to work the day after and what is more exciting, there are no classes during that time. My brothers and sisters were not yet awake and then I saw my father wearing his shoes and seemed he was going to somewhere.

Because there are no classes I hurriedly fixed my bed and prepared the things needed for my meddling day. Then I started doing my unfinished business, my assignments and household chores. Suddenly my younger sister approached me saying, “Noy, asa Nanay,” that’s what we call to our grandmother and then I told her that grandmother woke up earlier than me so I didn’t saw her yet.

Afterwards, I continued my work. I made my assignments and projects. After a while, someone called and that’s my mother. She told me to wash the dishes after I finished my work. I have two options, to wash the dishes first or I will finish my work. But then another work was waiting for me but I noticed that the house became silent so I went to all corners of our house but what I saw is only our cat. Something came to my mind, once my mother told me to guard our house because she was going to buy some goods in the market. So I continued my piled work.

At night our house became full because people arrived from work. So there’s another work to do but before that, mother told me to buy some drinks in a nearby store because she forgot to buy in the market. Afterwards, my mother and I prepared the table and the food for our dinner. After we have eaten our food, we played some games just a sort of fulfillment during that day and my very meddling day.

When we are about to finished all the games, my mother suddenly called me and said to clean the table and washed the dishes together with her. Then after we finished the work, mother approached and thanked me for the cooperation and a job well done. But before we leave each other, I kissed and hugged my mother tightly for her love and care she gave to me and thanked her for she made my day happy and full of memories although I’m quite exhausted but still mission was accomplished.

When I go to my room, I first cleaned and prepared the bed and before that, I change first my clothes full of germs from such hard work. As usual, before I sleep, I sang my favorite song to make my mind at peace and I thanked God for the blessings I received not just during that day but for a healthy life. When it is time to go to sleep, I suddenly heard the door clicked so I went near the door and slowly opened it and the I saw nothing so I just forgot about it and went back to bed and sleep.

"Reflections of Teachers and Teachings"

Have you ever experienced teaching your classmates in just a span of time or in short, have you experienced teaching? And if you are teaching in front of your students, which are your classmates, what are the common expressions you will intuit?

What I mostly like in UP is that there are many activities that surely you will enjoy and entice with. One of the most anticipated activities here in UP is the KYSD or Know Your School Day program where in a student is given a privilege of becoming a teacher within just a limited time or if I’m not wrong, it is a three-day experience of being a teacher.

But before the activity, I apply first for the position and subject I like or I’m accordant with. Then afterwards, I was interviewed and I felt tense, the same as what do other applicants feel. Unfortunately, I was not qualified as one of the subject teachers we applied. Thus, I did not yield, I continued what I have started then I applied to a certain position and subject and providentially I was chosen to be one of the teachers of that certain subject.

I’m happy to become the teacher of Filipino and the same with my fellow teachers. Then together with my co-teachers in Filipino we started the class punctually/ earlier than expected. I and my fellow teachers asked them to get their books and I called someone to read a certain paragraph in the book and vice versa. My fellow teachers also called someone to read or not just one but everyone was also asked to do so. After all the discussions we gave them some questions to answer about what we have discussed.

It is been a nice experience, we started the discussion full of efforts and ended with an activity, just a sort of fulfillment during our class. We asked them to stand up and let them sing and perform some of the nursery rhymes they learned by their teachers during their kindergarten years. When the bell rang, before they went to their next class we told them to sit down first and thanked them for their cooperation and hard work and lastly prayed for the success of our teaching.

Our experienced shows only how the teachers tried their best to teach us so that we can learned more about our society and to use what we learned in good things so that a bright future will be too near for us to reach. One aspect also shows how hard and difficult to be a teacher and so on students because their avowal is not that easy to get, they should release more effort to succeed although some of us will have a good or even better profession they suffer first from the challenges and trials that brought about changes to their lives and ability. So being a teacher although it was limited is already a wide experience for me and once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Endurance at Night"

Early in the morning, when I woke up I immediately took a bath, eat and etc. Then when I came to school I feel excited for our overnight in “Stargazers”. But before that, in the morning my classmates and I planned that one of us will bring a C.D of our favorite Korean Movie, “Princess Hours”, and Irene was the one who volunteered to bring. Thus, when I went home I immediately prepared the things and then I came to school at 7:00 in the evening and the most awaited overnight has started.

I went inside the campus. I roamed around hoping that my classmates were around but unfortunately they were not there yet, so I felt excited because it was my first time in some overnights that I came earlier than my classmates. So I waited several minutes until someone bothered my silence in a corner and seemed it was a monster but instead I was frightened, I was surprised because when I looked back, I saw y very cheerful classmates laughing at me and I’m very happy that they came. Immediately, we gather in an area which we talked privately about a controversial topic. Afterwards we were called and with my other classmates and schoolmates by Madame Gallo to watched the changes of the moon in the sky using a binocular, until all of us were done.

Several minutes passed by and then I noticed that I was not beside my classmates, then my classmate Mia approached and told me to go with her to the canteen and eat. After waiting the food to be cooked, we ate directly and after that we went to the LEADER room were there I saw my classmates watching a horror movie and of course we joined with them also, we shout and we were scared of some horror scenes until it was finished.

After the show we all went back to our area which we placed there our things, our bags, pillows, blankets and many more. There we lie down and we talked about again our never ending topic until my classmates were asleep already. Janelle and I were still awake thus, what Janelle did was she narrates to me about a short story until I slept without noticing it. Janelle was the last one in our area who slept.

In the dawn, everybody were still sleeping, they seemed sleeping like a rock because you could not hear a noise or even a single sound from them until a person waked us all because he thought that it was raining but then it was just a false alarm. I was too sleepy at that time but I don’t have any choice, thus I follow my classmates in doing such works. We keep our things and started to vacate the place until Ms. Theresa Yee, our president in stargazers called us all members to have a picture taking in the open stage and when we were about to finished, Ms. Yee thanked for the success of our overnight and our cooperation. We get our things but before that we were tasked to get all the trashes around the field and cleaned it.

After we were done to our tasks, I went home immediately together with Jurrine although there were some who stayed for our make-up class in Computer. I felt happy for our successful overnight and I’m looking forward for more exciting and booming overnights.

"A Love Affair with Doulos and Books"

Have you ever seen a ship which contains so many books, school supplies and many more? It seemed it was the largest floating bookstore in the whole world and it’s true it was said to be the World’s Largest Floating Bookstore. If you have seen that bookstore what would you do, will you just watched the books inside or will you buy some which you intend to buy since you heard the word MV Doulos. Here are some experiences that I have encountered inside Doulos.
Before the sun came out, I was already awake. I took a bath, ate and finally I wore my Intramural’s shirt and my black pants and I immediately went to school for an exciting trip to Doulos. After we were done to our last subject in the morning, I eat directly so that I could catch up with my classmates in the jeep which brought us to Doulos. After a long travel with some fun inside the jeep while ongoing at last we arrived to where Doulos was located.
When I step out from the jeep, my excitement was intensified. I directly fell in line until I reached the top. There I entered a room full of books, cd’s, school supplies and some souvenir items. I roamed around hoping that I could find some interesting items but unfortunately I didn’t find one. After several minutes of searching for pretty and useful books finally I found a big book of crossword puzzle, a comic book, a story book and etc. I read some but I didn’t buy them all. Suddenly I fell bored and to satisfy my boredom I roamed around not just in the bookstore but around the ship. There I found another fun.
Leaving the bookstore was not that easy. At the time when I went outside the store using the exit gate I couldn’t go inside anymore because security was strict and policy first was their concerned. When I was outside I saw my classmates and schoolmates and then I approached them. Several minutes passed by more and more people were coming. My teacher in English, Mr. Montejo asked one of the crew of the ship to pleased let us go back inside because he said that we have just mistakenly entered the area. So the crew led us to the other path of the ship.
When we got back inside the ship I wondered why we entered a different room. There I saw some tables, chairs, a wide screen, small T.V’s, different flags from different countries and some foreign crews and staffs instead of books, cd’s and other school supplies. It was then called as the ship’s activity center. It was not that big or small but it’s enough for us. A crew from Brazil was the host of the activity. He was a boy actually. He entertained us well. He prepared some games for us but before we play the games, he shows us a short film about MV Doulos. After the film showing we started the game and we successfully made it to the end.
After that unforgettable experienced of mine. We went outside immediately and thanked the members of the ship for treating us well. Then my classmates and I together with some teachers went home directly.

"Unlocked Friendship"

Friends, what a very nice word, they are said to be someone that we can approached in times of need, someone to whom we can share our problems and our savior. There such a time you have a problem and that problem is about you and your friend, what will you do? Will you just forget about it or you will find a way to have a private talk with him so that you can fasten your problem? Here are the incidents that tells about the on and off friendship of my cronies and I.

When I step in U.P, the first idea comes to my mind that here a lot in me will change such as my behavior, more knowledge to have and most of all new friends to collect. Speaking of friends truly I collected most number of cronies from the other schools. I also have my clump of friends comprises of my past classmates and until now they are still my classmates. We have such banded moments, we eat together, sometimes in our room but mostly in our classmates’ sari-sari store where there we can eat freely and have some colloquy to each other with funny responses.
Our friendship became firmer than what we have expected but then suddenly it ended up temporarily because of some conflicts. One had bad feelings to someone because she was insulted and disappointed of what people said about her. Other one attempted to leave us because she was down at that time and very upset so she felt not going with us. And then there such time that I felt exasperated with them because they just simply ignore me without telling me what the mainspring is. So I tried my best to follow them wherever they go hoping that they will recognize my presence but instead of recognizing me they just ignore me as usual.
Few days after the weather seemed fine so I’m thinking that their minds were also fine. I went to school and when I started approaching the door I walked slowly towards the door and went inside the room without looking a little face of my classmates. During recess time I sat on a corner thinking of the incident happened, then they went near to me asking what happened to me instead I’m the one will asked that question. All of us had a private talk and suddenly we became closed again and as usual they uttered some funny words to help us forget about it and became cheerful again. Our friendship arises again and it is now open to others.

So friendship doesn’t mean that we will be free from problems, it doesn’t mean also that through friendship you can avoid quarreling or fighting each other with your friends. Friendship generally means a tasked whether your relationship with your friends is sturdy enough, you can face the challenges and trials between you and your friends and most of all you can realize what’s the true role of love in your friendship.

"A Family Day Invasion"

The sun didn’t come out yet from its long sleep. The place was still silent and the cold breeze air was noticeable. I woke very early in the morning to finalize the things I will bring and at the same time I prepared for the big celebration.

Before I went to school I bothered my grandmother in her sleep and I told her to follow me together with my family in school before the program will start. When I arrived, I saw my classmates with their respective families. But when I arrived the mass had started already. I then approached one of my classmates and asked her to where I could put my things. She told me to put them in our room. After I placed my things in the room and I went directly to the tent of section Bartlett.

When I was in the tent, the mass was still ongoing. Suddenly the mother of my classmate Janelle, told me to buy something outside and then I asked Janelle and Jeny-vi to go with me to buy such thing. After we bought the thing, the mass was going to end thus we went back to school immediately and prepare for the next activity. Our field demonstration was next. It was entitled “Lapay Bantigue”. It was performed by the first year students and second year boys and one of them was me. I danced well and so with the other performers as if we’re seagulls dancing in the shore and it’s true our dance was all about portraying the moves of seagulls then it was very successful.

The presentation was already done but then the program was not yet finished. After our presentation and so with the other fear level’s presentation the flow of the celebration continued. The emcee or the host of the program prepared some games for u sand of our family. When the first game was told and discussed I volunteered myself to join and with my classmates representing the freshmen’s team but unfortunately we didn’t win. In the next game it’s more interesting and more fun than to the previous one. The game was entitled “Sack Race” and I joined in the game also, with the same team and aim. The game was exciting and finally we won as the third place.

After some fun in such games, we were now ready to eat. I ate with my family, have some talks with them and at the same time play together with my family. Then after I eat, I went to Home-Tech room and watched the exhibits there because it was also the “open house” of U.P. I saw our projects there specifically my projects were placed. I roamed around and find the exhibit amazing because some arts were placed there were very fabulous and fantastic. After I watched the exhibits I went to the soccer field and watched the game of freshmen and sophomore players and luckily our team won in the round.

It was already quite late in the afternoon but then the celebration was not yet about to end. The most awaited part and the most important menu of the program have just started. The announcing of the lucky winners of the raffle draw became the center of attraction of all but unluckily I didn’t win and so with my family. Even though our names were not picked but then our experienced here in U.P in just a short span of time was more than a prize, an unforgettable experience.