atcabblog

[atcabblog]

I'm losing my grip.

[atcabblog]

[atcabblog]

[atcabblog]

I guess my desire to be someone's priority stems from the fact that I never put myself first.

[atcabblog]

Contradicting what ifs are the worst crossroads to encounter.

One would say, "What if I walked away?"

The other would say, "What if I stayed until the end?"

Taking one of the two options would inevitably make you wonder about the one you didn't choose. It's a hard pill to swallow; you eventually need to decide which path to take. Staying stuck in between won't let you move forward after all.

[atcabblog]

It doesn't really matter what year it is. Life, in general, has never been good to me.

[atcabblog]

I don't understand why we relate our fragility as human beings with that of glass. We've always been told that shattered glass isn't safe to pick up with our bare hands. So when one breaks, doesn't that mean we're all bound to inflict pain to others, and to ourselves as well, when we try to gather the scattered pieces?

[atcabblog]

Farewell

Life —or in this case, death— is quite unpredictable. I might get hit by a reckless driver while I'm on my way to class, suddenly succumb to a disease that's been long thriving inside me but diagnosed too late, encounter a shooting incident and be recorded as one of the fatalities, or I simply just wouldn't wake up the next day. The point is, the uncertainty of it all renders you unable to relay your final wishes. You'll die without letting other people know your sentiments, and you'll carry these to your grave until you finally vanish in other peoples' memories.

If you happen to see this post, please pass the message on:

1. I don't want flowers in my funeral service. Refer to the previous post.

2. I don't want some corny ass music playing at my funeral. However, I'd like to have Munimuni's "Bahay na Puti" playing on the way to my final resting ground.

3. Place at least a single roll of tissue in my coffin.

(to be updated)

[atcabblog]

It was on a Saturday afternoon of January 11 when my mom and I went to buy a cheap bicycle from a surplus store. I told her I deemed the bike necessary for school. After purchasing it, we left the bike at the shop then dropped by at a local pie store a couple of blocks away.

As we were walking back to retrieve my bike, we passed by a few funeral parlors. It is kind of amusing how human beings have generated a living from the dead — by beautifying a corpse, basically living up to being a "parlor", only that the client at hand is dead. It so happened that a burial was also taking place at a nearby cemetery. Dark clouds loom above the bereaved, with white handkerchiefs in their hands to dab their red and swollen eyes.

What really caught my attention was the grand flower decorations that one would normally see in every funeral service. I never really understood such practice. To me, the flowers are a total waste of money. Except, of course, for flower shops that profit from making these flower arrangements.

As such, I jokingly told my mother that in my funeral, I wouldn't want any flower offerings. Instead, I would go for something that one might find unusual, like a cake. For me, cakes are not supposed to be served only for celebrations — and my mom would definitely agree on this, given her random cravings for cakes.

So much for the intro, but I just hope my mom remembers it. She may not have the best memory, but I wish it was striking enough for her to remember.

[atcabblog]

In the simple and mundane

All my life, I have been shackled by the chains of an inevitable entity that has resulted to my imprisonment upon this earthly world. However, for some unknown reason, I suddenly have this fleeting feeling of finally being set free; I can now reach the skies whenever I want to.

Then again, this sweet taste of freedom has terrified me more than any horror movie I have ever watched. Even if the skies are within the tips of my fingers, how do I return to stable ground? Oh, no. This is bad. Somebody, pull me back! I do not want to drift away aimlessly!

I must have been screaming at the top of my lungs, because my mother came barging into my room, with a puzzled look on her face. “Is everything all right, sweetie?” my mom asks in a rather sweet tone. I told her I just had another bad dream, to which she responded with a warm and reassuring hug. She then told me that I could still sleep for about thirty minutes, or I could proceed downstairs for breakfast.

After mom left the room, I was again lost in my trail of thoughts. Gravity. Wow. I have been lectured thousands of times in science class that it is this force that pulls us down to the ground, acting like some sort of anchor. I laughed to myself as I thought about how Earth is this clingy person who always draws others towards its center; no matter how far you drift away, you will always “gravitate” back.

I must have been AWOL for quite a while because I did not notice my younger sister standing by the door. “Why are you smiling like an idiot?” she asked. “Nothing really, just envisioning a world without an annoying meddling little sister. Oh my, that would be nice.” I replied. She rolled her eyes and uttered, “You’re letting the cold air escape by leaving the door open, stupidhead.” As I watched her smirk triumphantly before leaving, I muttered to myself, “Well, except that cold air does not actually escape, but the warm air from outside the room actually enters, since heat travels from hot to cold, not the other way around. I guess I’m not the stupidhead here.” Or so I thought. Was that even the right explanation? Holy Hephaestus, I should really participate more in class.

I wasted about fifteen minutes pondering about random stuff like gravity and heat transfer before I actually got up from bed. That was when I had this realization about Newton’s First Law of Motion. That fella was right after all. You know, about how an object at rest will stay as it is, unless acted upon by an external force. I would have stayed in bed this whole time if an external factor like going to school did not have to bother me. Newton’s quite a funny guy, don’t you think? An apple falls on his head and boom, he gets this stroke of brilliant insight to come up with a theory about gravity, then becoming a renowned scientist. If an apple were to fall on my head, all I would get is a terrible headache and a bad day.

At this moment, eighteen minutes has passed, so I decide to take a bath first before eating breakfast. As I wait for the tub to be filled with water, I stare blankly at my reflection in the mirror. It stares back at me, piercing through the deepest chambers of my soul, making me feel aghast. Sunken, deep eyes reeking of despair and desolation; chapped, pale lips in a constant sickle curving downwards; and a face, that is horrifyingly indistinguishable to be human. Snapping back to reality, I turned the taps on time before the tub would overflow. Undressing the disappointments of yesterday, I got in the water and sunk back deep enough to leave my nostrils available for breathing. And once again, I am warped to my train of thoughts.

I start thinking about how different objects would either sink or float when put in water. It is rather interesting how the discrepancies in densities would result to this. You know, when something is denser than water, it tends to sink, and vice versa. And it is rather amazing, how water or any fluid for that matter, exerts an upward force on an object immersed in it. I can sort of attribute it to your support system, constantly lifting your spirits and returning you back to the surface when you have sunk rock bottom. But then again, I think to myself, what if I become to heavy and this support system will fail to push me back up?

Tired with all the negative vibes, I dismiss the thought. I started recalling about Archimedes’ Principle, which states that the buoyant force on an object equals the weight of the fluid it displaces. If I remembered it correctly, this was how Archimedes discovered whether the golden crown of the king was indeed crafted from pure gold, without damaging the crown itself. Due to a state of euphoria, he ran around the streets, shouting, “Eureka! Eureka!” Then I wondered to myself, when will I have my own moment of eureka? Will these buoyant forces keep me adrift long enough for me to have it? Or will I eventually become too dense and sink to the bottom, drowning in my own failures and shortcomings?

I slapped myself several times and uttered repeatedly, “The day has just begun. I should not be influenced by negative thoughts.” After wiping dry and clothing myself, I proceeded to meet my mom and annoying sister downstairs for breakfast. My mom, frying more bacon in the pan, smiled sweetly upon seeing me. I smiled, too. Not to my mom, though, but to the bacon I will wholeheartedly consume in a matter of minutes. But as I watch the bacon being flipped over and hear it screaming due to the intensely hot oil it is submerged in, I think about the “cold air will escape” fiasco from my little sister. Heat transfer. Ah yes, heat is a form of energy that can be transferred from one medium to another, from a hotter surface to a cooler one. When we put a pan (with bacon in it, for example) on a burning stove, the energy of the flame from the stove touches the cold pan, transferring heat to the pan, making it hotter. This phenomenon is called conduction. My thought process was interrupted when my mom placed the bacon on my plate, its aroma filling my whole system. As I happily devoured my sumptuous meal, I thought about how my body will convert this bacon into usable energies that will drive me to function for the day, as well as how I am already two minutes late for the bus. In a surge of panic, I took my bag, kissed my mom on the cheek, pinched my little sister’s nose, and rushed out of the door.

As I walked speedily towards the bus stop, I could not help but think of random things as usual. For example, as one walks, he/she actually does some work (recalling that Work=Force*displacement), when he/she exerts some force, and as a result, he/she covers some distance. During walking, Newton’s other laws of motion can also be applied. The Second Law of Motion states that acceleration=Force/mass. In essence, acceleration is directly proportional to the force we use or exert while walking, therefore, when we will apply more force, our acceleration will increase. The Third Law of Motion is about action and reaction. When we set foot on the ground we exert force on it, and as a result, the ground exerts vertical force back on the body. One can also easily walk because of friction. It is responsible for this good grip without slipping because of a sort of roughness or resistance between the soles of one’s shoes and the surface of the road. However, if you are unlucky enough to step on a banana peel, there is a tendency to slip due to the reduced friction between your shoes and the surface of the road caused by the slippery banana peel

And yes, I already missed the bus. To alleviate for the looming bad day, I seek solace from music. With a sense of relief, I realized that I have indeed brought my headphones with me this time. I put them on and had my playlist on shuffle. The first song that plays is the infamous Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. With a slight cringe, I picture her swinging on the wrecking ball just as depicted on the music video. But then, that scenario hits me: I have to report about pendulum in class today! Oh, Zeus. As Miley belts out, “I came in like a wreeecking baaaall!”, I rehearsed my report in mind. The pendulum is any setup that involves an object AKA bob, suspended on a string and is allowed to oscillate. When it is at its highest position, the potential energy is maximum, and the opposite applies to its kinetic energy. As it swings, the potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy increases. As it reaches the central part of the setup, kinetic energy is at its maximum, and the opposite applies to its potential energy. One can say that the mechanical energy of the system is conserved if the total potential energy and kinetic energy are equal with one another. However, dissipative forces such as air resistance will hinder this balance. Oh well, I guess life would have been easier if no such forces would hinder us from achieving balance, right?

I must have been totally distracted because I could suddenly hear a loud and continuous noise that screams of danger. I might have recalled hearing it faintly despite Miley’s voice in my head, but this time, it’s extremely powerful. I turned my head east and realized a speeding truck honking its horns in a desperate attempt to alarm me is advancing towards me. The doppler effect, I processed, is a change in the pitch of a sound when the source moves relative to the listener. It is because the frequency of the sound wave changes as the source of sound moves closer to or farther from the listener. And in this case, it’s moving towards me.

I could not move a muscle; I was frozen stiff. All I could hope is that I am strong enough to endure the oncoming collision. But then of course, that is not possible. The truck moved with a greater speed, and also has a definitely greater mass. I, a lanky person-turned-statue, would surely not be sufficient to stop the momentum of this huge truck. Inertia, the ability to resist change. All my life, I have been afraid of the concept of change, thinking about how I would consequently be unable to recognize myself upon changing. And now, here I am, unable to counter it. In a matter of a millisecond, I will be sent flying away, disfigured and demised.

And then I jolt awake, sweating from the intense nightmare of dying. Wow, that all happened in a dream. I laughed a little as I remembered how I related physics concepts in trivial and mundane occurrences in that dream. But that moment of joy was short-lived, because I realized that I actually fell asleep last night while I was in the middle of reviewing for a physics exam.

Which is today. At 9am. And as I check my phone, it’s already 9:01am.

[atcabblog]

Fin

Writing a blog was a superb experience. I may have found difficulties in choosing the right terms or words, but in the end, I am grateful for the opportunity to express myself through writing (well, technically, typing). 

The blog per se was not only the new experience, but also the thought of publicly sharing my creative outputs made out of words. Albeit being a Pauleen staff for years, the depth of what I have scribbled is incomparable to that of what I pass for the school organ.

However, it still feels as though I have not given my best efforts in crafting my blog contents, because I know I could have done better. Even though I have received compliments from the people who have read my posts, I still think that my posts are not done good enough. Or worse, it was good, but not great. 

There were a handful of things I planned to include, but the magnitude of the contents may be overwhelming, so I decided to omit them. Words are my source of strength, but also my downfall. Maybe some things are better left unsaid, kept hidden from the public, away from unsolicited judgments.

Nevertheless, life will go on, and so must I. The important thing is that I will emerge as a better version of myself, as a result of learning from my mistakes and shortcomings. There will always be room for improvement, as long as I dedicate myself to accept and embrace change.

Now signing off,

Adrian T. Cabbuag

Son of Hades

the genius behind the blog posts

[atcabblog]

He was 'Sheru', meaning 'LION'.

Lion (2016)

Based on a true story, Lion narrates the life of Saroo Brierley, who takes on a life-changing journey after getting lost and being separated from his biological family.

Saroo lives in Khandwa, India along with his elder brother, Guddu; biological mother, Kamla; and sister, Shekila. When Saroo refuses to wake up upon arriving at the train station they intended to “work”, Guddu leaves him on a bench and instructs him to wait for his return. Awaking from his slumber, Saroo decides to search for his brother, whom he thinks is aboard a train wagon. He falls asleep again inside the train, and is surprised the second he opened his eyes, that the train is already in motion. This takes him to Calcutta, thousands of miles away from his home.

Unable to understand and speak the local Bengali language, Saroo wanders around and spends the night with other street children at the train station. He escapes when a group of men kidnapped the other children.

Saroo meets Noor, a kind woman who offers him food, water, and shelter. The woman mentions a man named Rama, whom she claims will help Saroo find his mother. However, upon meeting Rama, Saroo suspects that he is planning something sinister, so he decides to run away.

A man from a diner takes Saroo to the police to help locate his home and family. Upon failing to do so, he is sent to an orphanage. Several months later, with his details posted and advertised in several newspapers, his mother has not responded to the notice. However, an Australian couple, Sue and John Brierley, offers their interest in adopting him. From that point, Saroo begins to live in Australia, along with another adopted brother, Mantosh.

Twenty years passed, and Saroo is now a young man. He moves to Melbourne to study hotel management, where he also meets his girlfriend, Lucy. During a meal hosted by an Indian friend, Saroo shares his story about being adopted, far away from his biological family. It was then that his friend suggests Google Maps to use to track his hometown. Consequently, the quest to search for his hometown results to problems in his relationship with Lucy.

During a visit to Sue, Saroo learns that she was not infertile, and chose to adopt because she believed that Earth is already home to many people. Saroo decided to hide his plan of searching for his family in India because he did not want her foster mother to think that he is ungrateful. However, he reveals to her the plan when he has successfully determined the exact location, after years of persistence. Sue shows Saroo her full support of his efforts.

The movie wraps up with an emotional reunion with his biological mother and sister. Guddu, however, is revealed to have died after being hit by a train the exact same night they were separated from each other. It is also explained that Saroo has been mispronouncing his name ever since. Instead of Saroo, it is Sheru, which means, “lion.”

Guide Questions:

1. Life lessons from the movie

- The heart never forgets. Even though Saroo grew up in a comfortable life with his foster parents, not a single day has passed without him yearning to be reunited with his biological family. Moreover, he still continued to show his utmost love for his foster parents after he has successfully found his biological family. 

2. Most powerful part of the story told in the movie

- The revelation of the explanation behind the movie’s title is the most powerful part of the story. Knowing that his name translates to “lion”, we can say that it perfectly fits his personality. A lion, in my perspective, symbolizes courage and strength. He was able to characterize these even at an early age, which was shown in his ability to survive in harsh conditions, despite being on his own.

At the scene where Saroo joins the other street children at the train station, I find one particular event very striking: when one of the children offered Saroo a box to sleep on. It touched my heart because it has shown how he was willing to offer something despite having almost nothing.

When Saroo comes across a jalebi, a delicacy from his childhood, memories suddenly come rushing back to him. For me, it implies how even a trivial object for someone can hold a deeper meaning for another person.

3. Favorite character

- In the three movies to be reviewed, this would be the only one wherein the main character is my favorite. I greatly admire Saroo’s ability to adapt to different situations. Being exposed to life’s cruelties at an early age, he was able to rise above the difficulties, and emerged victoriously. 

4.  Occurrences in the movie which has occurred in my life, or which I have seen to occur to others

- I once got lost in Baguio (at Burnham Park) after disobeying my sister’s instruction to stay put. I was at the playground, and my sister told me that she needed to go to the bathroom. Since it took her a long time to return, I decided to look for her. This decision turned into something that I had deeply regretted. I had not realized immediately that I went way too far from the playground, so I got lost. It was a nightmare for me. I was running aimlessly, and crying due to fear, hunger, and fatigue. The sheer amount of people around me also worsened the situation. My dad found me after about 7 hours, and he even had to notify the police. I can still remember the surge of happiness when I saw him from afar. This occurrence has traumatized me in a way that I usually refuse to explore new locations without a companion.

5. Ask a question to a movie character

- I want to ask Saroo if ever he felt nauseous during his first time in an airplane (I vomited during my first time, and ever since, I have decided to never ride the airplane ever again. Maybe it has something to do with being a child of Hades, invading the territory of Zeus. Family conflicts.)

Thank you for coming to my ted talk. Your undying support is utterly flattering. Now is the time for me to leave the platform which has given me the opportunity to show the enigmatical machinations of my mind. Here’s an accurate depiction of how I feel:

[atcabblog]

Look into my eyes, so you know what it's like to live a life not knowing what a normal life's like.

Marcus, Short Term 12 (2013)

Short Term 12 is a residential care facility for troubled youth. The workers in the facility include Grace and Mason, who also happen to be lovers. Upon discovering that Grace is pregnant, she immediately scheduled for abortion, yet joyfully proclaimed the news to his soon-to-be-husband that they will soon have a baby.

Jayden, a new arrival at Short Term 12, has records of self-inflicted harm and aggression towards other people. During a community meeting, she explains that she is not amicable because she does not intend to stay for a long period of time, and she does not want to waste time engaging in short-term relationships.

When Jayden’s father fails to pick her up on her birthday, she exhibits a tantrum that resulted to her being sent to the cool-down room. Inside, Grace shows her own scars from cutting herself. On the same day, Jayden escapes the premises and decides to go back to her father’s house, with Grace following her. Upon finding the house empty, Jayden decides to return to the facility. She then shares a story about a peculiar friendship between an octopus and a shark. This led Grace to suspect that Jayden has been experiencing abuse.

During a party hosted by Mason’s foster parents, Grace agrees to marry him when he proposed. However, bad news and scenarios began to unfold upon her the following day: news of her father’s release from prison, Jayden was picked up by her father the other night, and Marcus attempted to commit suicide when his fish died.

While waiting at the hospital, Grace experiences an emotional break down due to the series of events that had transpired. Due to her refusal to share her thoughts, Mason becomes upset. As a result, Grace expresses her sudden withdrawal from the marriage, and admits her appointment to an abortion.

With emotions overflowing, Grace decides to return to Jayden’s house and break in. With the intention of inflicting violence towards Jayden’s father whilst sleeping, Grace was interrupted by Jayden upon seeing her. Instead of breaking her father’s face, Grace and Jayden proceed to break the windows and windshield of her father’s car.

The story ends with the reconcilement between Grace and Mason. Moreover, Marcus is shown to have recovered as told by Mason, who saw him with a girl he was dating.

Guide Questions:

1. Life lessons from the movie

- For me, the movie contained heavy content which made it difficult for me to watch. Nevertheless, I learned two things from the movie. One, a plant’s healthy growth depends on how you treat it during its early stages. Similarly, a human person exhibits a stunted growth if he receives poor treatment during his early days. Two, wounds may heal, but scars tend to remain. They serve as a form of remembrance of the pain we may have experienced in the past. The feelings may have departed, but the memory can stay for a lifetime.

2. Most powerful part of the story told in the movie

- I have to admit, the movie itself is powerful. Asking me which part made it powerful would result to an inner conflict in choosing between two scenarios: the story of the octopus and the shark as told by Jayden, and the rap delivered by Marcus. Since there is a need for only one answer, I would have to choose the latter. His rap rendition was able to encapsulate the struggles of living a life away from being normal. His emotions were clearly manifested in his lyrics.

3. Favorite Character

- Argh, another tough question. I am torn between choosing Jayden or Marcus. Both of them express their emotions through writing, and I can very much relate to that. But since only one answer is needed, I would pick the former. Her ability to express her thoughts and emotions in a creative way is something I admire. Moreover, her sarcasm and wit made her character even more noticeable.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

(Both are not high quality pictures because I do not own some fancy phone, but I hope you got the point.)

4. Occurrences in the movie which has occurred in my life, or which I have seen to occur to others

- Self-inflicted harm in various forms is done by other people to express their deep emotions. This may be a form of a silent cry of pain, an indication of one’s need for help. I have punched walls several times to release frustrations, and I also know a handful of people who have cut themselves and clawed their fingers through their skin.

5. Ask a question to a movie character

- I want to ask how Mason was able to survive without sex for a long period of time (still a virgin, though. DON’T JUDGE ME.)

Thank you for coming to my ted talk. At this point, you would probably find me in a cemetery, playing with my skeleton friends. As a parting gift, here is a picture of me in my “in the mood to play with skeletons” outfit.

[atcabblog]

Maybe the truth is, I'm really not so ordinary.

August Pullman, Wonder (2017)

Based on the novel by R.J. Palacio, “Wonder” tackles the life of August “Auggie Pullman, born with genetic abnormalities, as he deals with the struggles of acceptance and “blending in”. It also puts the lives of the other casts in the movie into perspective .

After being home-schooled by his mother Isabel, Auggie is enrolled in Beecher Prep, a private school, as decided by his mother and father, Nate. In his first days, he received mean looks from students all around him and was ostracized. He eventually meets and befriends Jack Will.

After developing a strong bond of friendship, Auggie experiences  betrayal when he accidentally hears how Jack would feel if he looked like him, and how he was only pretending to be his friend. Jack, on the other hand, was clueless that Auggie was there when he uttered this, as Auggie was dressed in a “Ghostface” costume.

With an Auggie-Jack friendship hiatus, Auggie then befriends Summer Dawson, the girl from his homeroom. Through her, Jack realized his mistake and the reason why Auggie suddenly became distant, when she gave a clue saying, “Ghostface”. The two eventually reconciled with one another, and even became partners for their Science Fair project.

Despite the mending of a torn friendship, Julian Albans and his friends torment Auggie with harsh and threatening notes given on his desk and posted on his locker. As a result, Julian was given a two-day suspension.

Meanwhile, we get to see the perspectives of other movie casts. We learn how Olivia (Via), Auggie’s sister, meets Justin Hollander, her reason to sign up for theater. They become friends and eventually, couples. Moreover, we also learn why Miranda, Via’s best friend, suddenly drifts away from her after returning from summer camp.

Drawing closer to the denouement, Auggie and Jack find themselves in a tight spot during a school trip when they were confronted by students from another school who were much older and bigger than them. After engaging in a fight, Julian’s friends step in to give them a heping hand.

The movie ends with a graduation ceremony, wherein Auggie was bestowed an award for standing out. He receives a standing ovation and a warm applause from the audience, with a remark from his mother, emphasizing how much Auggie is a true wonder.

Guide Questions

1. Life lessons from the movie

-I learned two important things from the movie. First, kindness is a choice we must never hesitate to choose. In dealing with other people of different walks of life, treating them with kindness leads a long way, especially that their daily battles are something we know nothing about. Next, being different is not always a bad thing. It is never your obligation to blend in with the background if you were born to stand out.

2. Most powerful part of the story told in the movie

-After Auggie’s first day of school, he expressed tremendous emotion after being ostracized. The most powerful part in my opinion would be his line, “It matters that I look different. Is it always gonna matter?” The problem with society is in how much we insult those who are different. Instead of growing and developing together, we stunt their growth by taking away their self-esteem via harsh words. We live in a society bound to giving importance to outside beauty, and failing to realize that the beauty from within is what truly matters.

3. Favorite character

-Before anything else, allow me to enumerate some of the characters along with justifications as to why they could also be one’s favorite character.

Auggie, the star wonder, stands as an inspiration to those who have been in isolation due to constraints set by society.

Isabel, Auggie’s mom, portrays a devoted mother who chose to momentarily leave behind her passion in order to provide comfort to her children.

Nate, Auggie’s dad, emanates strong will and determination, shown by his optimistic viewpoint.

Jack, Auggie’s first friend, epitomizes how difficult it is to find real friends. Moreover, he shows purity of heart in his desire to stand by Auggie’s side no matter what happens.

Julian and his friends, despite being bullies, characterize second chances and character development.

And my favorite character, Via, exhibits maturity and deep understanding for the things happening around her. Despite knowing the fact that Auggie receives most of the attention in the family, this does not affect her treatment towards her brother. Rather, she stands as a loving and caring big sister, ready to comfort and defend her brother at all costs. Moreover, she has never shown embarrassment as Auggie’s sister, and continually encourages her brother to stand out and never aim to just blend in.

4. Occurrences in the movie which has occurred in my life, or which I have seen to occur to others

-The similarity which Auggie and I hold is the realization that real friends are hard to find. In this world full of people with masks and facades, it proves difficult to find people with pure intentions. 

5. Ask a question to a movie character

- I want to ask Justin how he gained the confidence to directly tell someone (he likes) that he wants to kiss her.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk. I will be shadow-traveling to the Underworld if you need me. Here is a picture of me in my homeland.

[atcabblog]

The type of “review” that I won’t hesitate to do

One of the best things about technology is that it is constantly innovating. There is always something new being introduced in our world. These fresh ideas, which turn into products, are essential improvements to meet our daily demands.

(I just saw this somewhere, and deemed it relevant to the point. Floppy disks are storage devices which are now the equivalent of flash drives, only with more storage capacity. Without innovation, we may not have a device that would be able to store huge amounts of data, like porn- disclaimer: I do not have a flash drive with porn videos, if that is what you think I am insinuating.)

On the other hand, in my honest opinion, it also leads to its downside. The constant change of products can be very difficult to catch up to. As a result, some people are left behind, clueless with the “techy” things around them. One clear example? Your parents having to deal with the complexity of a machine we call the computer.

Technology has always been the greatest helping hand for man. It has turned laborious work into tasks easily accomplished in a single flick of a switch. 

I hope you are not confused at this point. This is not some opinionated essay about technology yada yada. This blog is actually devoted to a piece of technology which I have to review. I just wanted to give a little bit of unnecessary introduction to determine if you actually read the whole post. Trust me, you do not simply find diamonds in a shallow hole. Similarly, you have to dig deeper into this post to find the real deal. Or in this case, try to read everything. It will not hurt you a bit. It will just waste a few precious minutes of your time. 

Ah, technology. From the laptop I use to access the internet, to the phone I use to contact my loved ones (if I actually had cellphone load to do so), or the cameras we use to capture moments. We cannot deny the fact that technology spells our life.

This part may sound anticlimactic, but my favorite technology is not a specific brand of laptop, phone, or camera. It is actually just an app, a social media kind of app to be exact.

*drum roll* I present to you, the social media app I spend most of my time logged into, a place where I find freedom to express my train of thoughts, and the reason why I procrastinate a lot:

At first, I never understood why people where even hooked to using Twitter. I mean, it was just basically posting a status with limited characters. Where is the joy in that?

As time flew by (and Twitter’s logo is a bird, no pun intended), I came to appreciate Twitter. Its beauty can be characterized three-fold: limits, variety, and security.

Foremost, Twitter is famously known for its character limit. Basically, your posts cannot exceed 280 characters (formerly only 140). The beauty in this limitation is in how you can express yourself substantially. It is a matter of going directly to the point, but still considering the content of your post. It implies how you do not need lengthy posts to convey a brilliant point.

Next, the diversity of people you meet can be overwhelming in a positive way. Through Twitter, I have met people of various personalities. There are those whose posts are always politically woke, constantly challenging the status quo. Through them, I am inspired to participate in questioning the absurdities of the government. There are also those who voice out their laments, and seeing how other people respond to comfort them can be heartwarming, considering that others are even complete strangers.

Lastly, I feel that my thoughts are more secured in Twitter as compared to my other social media accounts. They are safe in a way that my parents do not have Twitter accounts. The last thing I need in my life is my parents meddling with something I do not want to talk about (but actually choose to post in online- how ironic).

The only reason why I could not discuss about latest gadgets is that I am not a tech-savvy. I am not really keen about the brand of phone or laptop I use. For me, as long as I have something to take pictures, communicate via calls and messages, and surf the internet, I am contented.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk. I will be hiding in the shadows if you need me. Meanwhile, here is a sketch of my other dog and I.

[atcabblog]

C’est moi

The sun has already risen and set for days I never actually counted, since this requirement was given. It was only today, as I was witnessing the sun kiss the horizon, that a word lingered in my mind which ignited the need for me to get my fingers typing:

In Philosophy, we see life as a constant quest of discovering the answer to a fundamental question: “Who am I?” It is a journey with no definite starting point. It depends on the person to choose where he wishes to explore. Along the way, he will come to understand more about himself, and all the essential aspects that comprise an individual.

In Research, we aim to seek for new knowledge to arrive with innovative ideas, which can result to an answer to existing problems. The early stage of writing the manuscript proves to be one of the most challenging part. You first need to have a problem or a question in mind, which will then be the focus of your study. After which, you will be crafting the first chapter, which is the crucial part of the study. It predetermines the journey ahead: will it be a smooth-sailing or a ship-through-a-storm kind of trip?

If you actually read all those gibberish, mazel tov! At first, I thought it was only a result of desperation to meet the 500-word limit. However, as I was typing away, I realized that it only meant one thing:

Just kidding. Now that you have a grasp of how this blog post will actually reflect the person behind it (whether he’s interesting or boring), just sit back, relax, and, well, I don’t know. You decide.

At some point in your life, you may have heard someone saying, “First impressions last.” Indeed, the way you are perceived by someone at first encounter will greatly affect the way he will interact with you. However, to dwell on your first impressions can be crippling (for the person concerned). Knowing someone skin-deep is never enough.

Skin-deep. Introducing yourself usually involves stating your basic personal information (e.g., name, age, gender). I have always seen these as trivial labels which will not necessarily define who you are as a person. However, let me just drop some useful information about me.

Name: it’s already indicated in my account

Age: is just a number hehe.

Sex: no thanks.

Birthday: I’ll tell you if you intend to give me a present.

Address: underworld

Now that I have wasted your precious minutes, let us now cut to the chase. Allow me to discuss some things deeper about me, because asking my name only yields one true answer and no follow-up questions (unless, of course, you ask the history behind my name).

Books are my source of solace. In this world full of turmoil and chaos, the realm of books has always been my escape route. I usually prefer reading fiction, as shown in my deep love for books written by J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan. The world of magic and mythical creatures has always enticed me in a way that the real world never could.

I am a self-proclaimed son of Hades. Aside from belonging to Gryffindor house, I claim to be a demigod with Hades as my godly parent. NEVER ask me whether I would prefer to be a wizard or a demigod. Sure, I would want to avada kedavra some people in my life, but tormenting them with the Furies in the underworld also works. My profile picture is Nico di Angelo, my stepbrother. Like him, I have an obsession with the color black (It has been widely debated whether black is a color or not. There are many justifications to it, but I would gladly engage in an intellectual discourse if you wish). Moreover, I usually find myself preferring solitude, away from the busy crowd. However, it does not mean that I would always want to be alone. This will lead to an explanation in the next paragraph.

I am an ambivert. There would be times where I lock myself in my room and read a good book. In other times, I would feel uncomfortable if I do not get out of the house. Honestly, it is a confusing cycle. You could be talking (and actually socializing) with other people at one point, then suddenly lose energy for talking to other people.

I have the curse of a resting b*tch face. Yes, it plagues men, too. I say that it is a curse because it impedes my social skills. I have received a lot of comments saying that I am unapproachable and intimidating. Aside from the aura I radiate as a son of Hades, my facial expression is to be blamed. In my defense, I try my best to actually seem like I am smiling or holding a neutral face when you see me along the corridors, but I guess I fail most of the time.

Everything in this blog has, in one way or another, reflected my persona. However, it is never enough to define who I am. There will always be more to know about me just as there would still be things I try to discover about my being. Furthermore, this is only the first chapter. There will still be rocky waters or calm seas to sail through.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk. Here’s a picture of my dog:

1. Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Was my learning in SPUP vital to where I’m leading to?

- I would be 28, and may be long done with my studies, dealing with the harsh reality of finding a stable job, or even looking for a lifetime partner. There are so many possibilities, and sometimes the beauty of life is in the uncertainty of things. However, I can say that a bright future awaits because I know I made a vital choice in my life: choosing SPUP.

2. Was STEM the best choice after all?

- At this point, a definite answer cannot be elicited. It will be the best choice if the K to 12 curriculum actually equips me with the adequate knowledge and skills to prepare me for whatever lies ahead.

3. What course will you take in college? Why?

- I am planning to pursue Chemical Engineering or Food Technology. My love for Chemistry is the reason behind this choice. But right now, the real problem is whether I will pass the entrance exam for my dream school or not.

4. What topic would you like to learn more in this subject?

- I want to learn more techniques in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Photoshop. With the advent of technology and the rise of 21st Century, it is actually a crucial skill to be technologically-adept.

5. Ask me anything.

- Is social media a boon or a bane?