ismael-catherinenicolee

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." ✈

When you travel, it makes you a story teller. You tell the beautiful and factual information about the place, and also how its culture, traditions, and the lives of people there started. And before the pandemic started, I had the chance to visit my father's hometown which is Kalibo, Aklan. And I can say that it is an unforgettable experience for me that I will surely treasure for the rest of my life. Kalibo is the capital of the province of Aklan. Kalibo is famous for its festival which is the Ati-Atihan festival. It is a festival that is being held every year in the month of January. Ati-atihan festival is a way to honour the Sto. Niño. It is way back December 2019 when my family decided to visit Kalibo, Aklan. I'm really thankful because I got the chance to see the beauty of Kalibo, Aklan before the pandemic happened. I get the chance to see the beautiful beaches and to know the different tourist spots of Kalibo, Aklan and to experience the hospitality of the people there. Some of the tourist spots of Kalibo, Aklan are Boracay, Kalibo Aklan Cathedral, The Bakhawan Eco Park, and the Sampaguita Gardens. 

(Pinterest.com)

Since my stay at Kalibo was long, my uncle decided to take me and my cousins on a tour and of course, to see the beautiful places of Kalibo. That day, we went to Pandan beach in the morning until afternoon and we went to the Plaza at night. When we went to Pandan beach, it is said that boys who are newly circumcised usually swim in this beach to help them lessen the pain that they are feeling. Also, Pandan beach is known for its "ihaw-ihaw" where people get to grill fish, chicken or pork. When we got there, I immediately took a pic of the beach. The sand is white, and the trees are tall. And when I try to swim, there are so many beautiful shells under the sea. That's why me and my cousins had so much fun! And at night, we went to the plaza. We saw people dancing on the streets. My uncle said that it is because of the Ati-Atihan festival. I saw people who had black lines on their faces. My father said that it shows gratefulness and honour to the Sto. Niño. And so, I gave it a try. We joined the long parade and drank a bottle of juice, while adults drank their beers. It is indeed a fun night! 

#Pandan Beach!! 🏖

#Plaza!! 🎪

It's December 24, 2019 and my family and relatives decided to go to Kalibo Cathedral tomorrow morning to give thanks to the Lord, and since it's Christmas. The Cathedral Parish of Saint John the Baptist, also known as the Kalibo Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral church. It is situated near the Aklan River. But when night finally came and it's December 24 at 11 o'clock pm, I saw trees started to fall and the wind was blowing. The rain is pouring heavily. Signals started to be gone. So my relatives decided to celebrate Christmas only at our home in Kalibo. Even though the rain continued to pour, it did not let my relatives stop celebrating Christmas and still, many children were singing outside our house for them to have Christmas presents. My trip to Kalibo, Aklan is one of the best moments that happened in my life. Many plot twists and unexpected happenings occur but at the end of the day, it became memorable for me and for my family. "The best thing about memories is making them." -Ama Ata Aidoo 🤍

#Travel Writing ✍ #Kalibo Aklan ✈ #Memorable Experience 🥰

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

"Don't tell me it's a sin to be in love with HIM instead of HER." 🌈

When you think of it, having a relationship with someone who has the same gender as you is unusual. And others may see two people loving each other as different from others. Love is not only for a man and a woman. Love can also be felt by people who have the same gender. Love can be felt by everyone. And loving someone with the same gender as you is more difficult than loving someone of the opposite gender. Their relationship might encounter discriminations from the people around them. And yes. That's the reality. 

And from what I have red, the text that stood out to me the most is the letter of Xavier to Emil in which he said that "What you and I have had is the truest love I have ever felt." To be honest, the concept of having a relationship with the same gender is not new to me but the concept of having a true love is the one that is new to me because nowadays, it's rare to find someone who has pure intentions to you. For me, the main point of the story is to show what it is like to experience true love with the same gender as you. Also, to show how they fought for their love until their death. And for me, I agree with the main point of the story. Because when you love someone, or when you love something, you will do everything to have it, or you will do everything to make that relationship last.

(twitter.com)

And in the story that I have red, I'm surprised by how Xavier really loves Emil. Because after Emil died, he also committed suicide. His life becomes dark when his love Emil dies. And what disappointed me the most is when the parents of Emil do not want Xavier and Emil to see each other. So if I had a chance to change any part of the story, I would change it to Emil and Xavier lived longer and enjoyed the love that they have for each other before Emil died even though many circumstances may come. Also, I would like to change the part wherein Xavier committed suicide to Xavier and Emil still get the chance to enjoy and feel their love for each other until their last breath. That at the end of the story, they died together but at least, they have each other until their death, and no one committed suicide. And the text from the story in which Xavier said to his letter: "What you and I have had is the truest love I have ever felt" reinforces my existing ideas in a way wherein it shows that love is a deep and a broad word. That love can last forever until death comes. This text helped me to better understand and explore the topic by not just defying the word "love," but also by knowing and exploring the deep meaning of it.

(twitter.com)

#A Gay Love Story 🌈 #Emil And Xavier 🤍

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

The Filipino Courtship Practice: Then and Now

"Courting is ongoing and it is NEVER going to end."

When a man is caring, affectionate, and kind to a woman, it means that it’s his way to show and reveal his love to that woman. If a man admires a woman, he will do anything for her, and will do everything to make her happy. And in order for him to get the attention and the sweet yes from her, he would first court her. For Filipinos, courting is a tradition. Before a woman accepts the love of the man, he should first show his sincerity, loyalty, and genuineness to her. Filipino courtship was a way on how a man can show his admiration to a woman. Before, it can be done through harana, paninilbihan, spoken poetry, and sending love letters. When she finally says yes to him, they are now in a relationship and it is called magkasintahan in the Philippines. But as years passed by, Filipino courtship is slowly changing. As generations become more involved in social media, people can easily meet new people. And that’s where online relationships and courtship began. That’s why in this generation, men mostly court women online just like sending sweet messages to each other through texts and calls. But some still prefer the traditional way of courting. And when it comes to courtship, traditional courtship is way better because it really shows the sincerity of a man and how pure his intentions are.

(Mutualart.com)

Before, Filipino courtship can clearly show the efforts that a man can do for a woman. Since before, a man personally introduces himself in front of a woman and to his family. A man personally serves at the woman’s home to prove his loyalty. Also, a man introduces himself by singing and serenading outside the window of a woman with a guitar at night. A man writes a poem and recites every line to the woman he loves to express his admiration and genuineness to her. Before, through traditional courtship, it is easy to recognize if a man is serious, and how much effort he can give just for the woman to accept his love for her rather than the Filipino courtship now wherein a man and a woman knows and introduces each other only through social media.

(Medium.com)

Also before, Filipino courtship allows a man and woman to be comfortable with each other because they can see each other personally. Through traditional Filipino courtship, a man can express his love personally to the woman he admires and later on, the woman is finally comfortable too and can really express her gratitude for the patience and the willingness that the man is giving to her. By traditional Filipino courtship, a man and a woman become familiar to each other. They can find common interest because they are seeing each other personally and can directly say what they want to say to the point that even their secrets are being shared because they are now comfortable with each other rather than the Filipino courtship now wherein a man and a woman are comfortable with each other through online only.

(Deviantart.com)

Lastly, the traditional Filipino courtship allows a man and a woman to get real information about each other because they always see and share real life experiences with each other. Talking with someone personally avoids someone misinterpreting your traits, physical appearance, and many more. And before, men and women can’t tell any false information about themselves because it is easy to recognize if they are saying the truth. In short, they can’t change their personal information just to impress each other, especially men. Before, a man always told his personal information to a woman honestly for him to be trusted by the woman rather than the Filipino courtship now wherein a man and a woman share their personal information with each other online that might cause dishonesty with the said personal information. 

(Pinterest.com)

In conclusion, Filipino courtship practices before are better than the Filipino courtship practices now. It really shows the sincerity of a man to a woman. If people in this generation will still continue to do the Filipino courtship practices before, many women will appreciate a men's effort for them, and many men can prove that their love is true. Filipino courtship practices before introduces formality into the relationship and of course, to the woman and to her family. Lastly, the before Filipino courtship practices allows certainty in a relationship. If a man and a woman are stuck in an online relationship and with no physical or face to face interaction, how would they know if they can be certain to each other? If a man is serious and he really wants to express his sincerity to a woman, the Filipino courtship practices before should be seen to a man especially in this generation.

(Stoneartz.wordpress.com)

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

Call out and Cancel Culture

"Open your mind before your mouth."

Calling out or canceling a person based on his or her own beliefs, traditions, or choices in life is an action that people mostly do when they don't like that person's actions. Calling out means giving attention to the mistakes or actions of others that keeps on bothering a person or a group. Canceling means removing a person just because a person or a group doesn't want that person's beliefs, actions, or life choices. Calling out and canceling culture or people is a way for a person or group to express disapproval. Disapproval on someone that they also consider as different from them. Disapproval can be shown through criticizing. But mostly, a person or a group criticize when that person did something wrong to them, or when they saw something wrong to that person.

#Disapprove

(Northern Star.com)

For me, calling out and canceling a person is good but it is also bad, depending on the situation. Calling out and canceling culture is good when the mistakes or actions of  one person are being called out to be changed in a positive way. Calling out and canceling culture is bad when it becomes criticism and bullying. It is bad when a person or group starts to criticize a person even though his or her actions are not bad or even though he or she did not do something wrong. Calling out and canceling has its good and bad side. Some say that calling out and canceling culture is toxic but I think it really depends on how people will interpret the call out and cancel culture, and it also depends on how they will call out and cancel people in their lives.

#Good and Bad

(Aleteia.com)

And as I noticed, call out and cancel culture becomes toxic because of people who spread hate online. People nowadays use the internet to cancel someone. Usually, people use death threats on social media, and some people post hateful pictures or comments about that person or group. It can affect mental health. But for me, there's nothing wrong in calling out and canceling someone if that person or group really made an action that you don't like or an action that might offend you. Also, if that person or group really did a bad behavior, or doesn't know how to respect you. When I read the words call out and cancel, it sounds negative. It can make one person sad, lonely or left out. But I think calling out or canceling someone with a valid and appropriate reason is the best way to apply the call out and cancel culture.

#Call out and Cancel

(ise.edu.vn)

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

"No one is you and that is your superpower."

When you love yourself, you will know what's the real meaning of happiness and acceptance. Loving yourself is seeing the good things in yourself no matter how many flaws there are. You are focusing on how different you are from others in a positive way. But most of the people in our surroundings are negative. They always thought that in this world, being different from others means that you do not belong to them. It means that you are not fit in their group. In this world, being different only results to discrimination.

(Pinterest.com)

When your physical appearance is different from others, they easily judge and discriminate against you. This happens commonly to teenagers, especially when they are in school. In school, it is commonly called bullying. And even on social media. People, especially famous women that we often see on social media are being described as "perfect." Mostly, women who have a light color skin, have a perfect shaped body, have long and shiny hair, and have long legs are the definition of the word beautiful and perfect for people not only in social media, but also for people in our surroundings. 

(Pinterest.com)

That's why many teenagers are insecure with their skin color, body type, height, and many more. When a woman is insecure, she often compares herself to other women. After that, she might feel that she is worthless. It will lead her to asking questions like what's missing to her? She will start to dress nicely and copy what other girls do. Most teenagers nowadays depend on their beauty on what they see on social media and on their surroundings to the point that they can't appreciate their own beauty.  Therefore, by creating this advocacy, It can help women to boost their confidence, and to push them to be the best version of themselves.

(Pinterest.com)

This advocacy is not promoting women to be obsessed with themselves and to be overconfident. Instead, it promotes women to love and accept their own flaws. This advocacy promotes them to work on themselves to be a better person. Moreover, it helps women to practice loving themselves, and that they don't need others for them to feel loved. 

(Pinterest.com)

And as I encourage every woman out there to embrace their flaws and be proud of who they are as a person, I hope that there are women out there who are with me and who have continuous support for this "Self-love" advocacy. Always remember that our greatest bully is none other than ourselves. There are women who are harsh to themselves because of what they often see on social media. By social media and also by the people around us, our own standard of beauty, and our own definition of perfect changed. By this "Self-love" advocacy, let us all change the way people treat themselves whether it's physically, emotionally, and mentally. Self-love is the only thing that can kill the bully inside us. Bully that lives inside our heads and keeps on distracting us from showing our true self, especially our uniqueness. May this advocacy motivates and teaches you to love yourself more and more everyday. 

(Pinterest.com)

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

Lack of Motivation

Last October, I felt unmotivated at everything. Many challenges and circumstances occur. And because of the situation right now wherein everybody is experiencing the pandemic, I think it's normal that I can also feel that way. And also as a student, I think that it is normal for me to experience these kinds of challenges. And last month, which is the month of October, I suddenly felt lonely and I just want to rest all day long because I am avoiding the feeling of sadness and unmotivation.

#UNMOTIVATED 😩

today.com

It started when my teacher said that my preliminary examination has not been submitted. Because I really thought that all this time, my preliminary examination has been submitted. After reading the email that my teacher had sent to me, I felt so unmotivated to comply and to do my remaining task. Because at that time, I felt like all my efforts and answers in that preliminary examination were gone. And after a week, I woke up and saw my grandmother was fixing her clothes and putting it in a huge bag. From  that moment, I already knew that she would leave the house and go back to her province. And of course as a granddaughter who has lived with my grandmother for almost eighteen years, it was so difficult for me to know that my grandmother is leaving. The saddest part is accompanying her to the airport just to make sure that she is safe while waiting for her flight.

#LEAVING 🎒 #GRANDMA 👵

istockphoto.com

Also, that week, I randomly missed my friends that I haven't seen for two years now. That time, I really missed the feeling of having someone to talk to. Someone who has the same traits, characteristics, and habits just like me. I miss the feeling of having fun. Also, I miss our bonds, and the laughs that we share during class and after class. That time, I felt like the pandemic really changed everything. People, lives, surroundings, beliefs of people, everything. That time, many realizations occurred in my mind that's why it keeps me lonely and unmotivated.

#F R I E N D S 👭 #MISSING THEM

But as days passed by, everything seemed to be okay slowly. And for me, that's what's important. To keep on moving forward no matter how slow the process is. And I can say that now, I am much better and I'm slowly getting motivated again. Also, my teacher gave me a second chance to do the examination again, and I'm happy to see that my grandmother is happy and healthy even though she is far away from me. Also, I always keep in mind now that the time will come where I can be with my friends again once the pandemic ends. 

#COPING! 💪

pinterest.ph

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

Millionaire!

After my online class, I decided to go and get a nap until I dreamed about being a millionaire. In my dream, while I'm sitting in a wide long bench, and thinking about how my day went, an old twenty pesos flew towards me. It feels like it is really for me. It feels like that small amount of money will change my life. So I get the money and see if it's real. The money looks old, but in just one look, you'll see that it is real money.

#REAL! 🧡

thepinoysite.com

At first, I was so hesitant to get that twenty pesos because what if someone owns it? So I looked around and got the money slowly. After getting the money, my hands are shaking but atleast, I already have the money, and I'm the one who owns it now. And since I have a feeling that the money is lucky, and that money will change my life no matter how old and no matter how small the amount is, I still went to a lottery and I used that twenty pesos to buy a lottery card. Because maybe, I might win! Besides, there's nothing wrong if I try. I’m surprised that they still accept my money even though it’s really old. After two days, someone gave me a really thin newspaper, and I can't believe that I saw the numbers I put in my card two days ago! I asked myself and said: "So does this means I won the lottery?" From that day, I feel like the universe really hears me! 

#WINNER 🏆 #LUCKY ☘ #SURPRISED 🙀

dontgetserious.com

Fast forward in my dream, I already got the money and it is worth three hundred sixty million pesos! I can't believe it! And since I already have the money, I went shopping and went to different famous luxury stores. I buy different luxury clothes, bags, shoes, watches, and many more!  And since I already have all I want, I decided to wear different luxury clothes everyday.

#MILLIONAIRE 💸 #RICH ✨

luxe.digital

In my dream, I wore a simple but elegant blue dress with a red ribbon on the side, and a black five inches heels from Gucci. On Tuesday, I wore a white long dress, and a black leather shoes from Prada. On Wednesday, I wore a pink fit dress, and a white three inches heels from Louis Vuitton. On Thursday, I wore a dark and a long red dress, and a black leather bag from Chanel. On Friday, I wore a brown long leather coat and a black ankle boots from Hermes. On Saturday, I wore a long and shining silver dress and also a silver four inches heels from Dior. And lastly on Sunday, I wore a brown and red checkered skirt paired with a plain white sleeveless top, and a black leather shoes from Burberry.

#EXPENSIVE ✨ #LUXURY CLOTHES 👗

istockphoto.com

After that, my alarm already rang for my asynchronous classes. And from that, my dream already ended. 

#IT'S JUST A DREAM 💭

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

Catherine’s Blog

"Life is a Collection of Moments."

Life before the pandemic is such a memorable experience for me. My travels with family and friends are the memories that I treasure the most. Before the pandemic started, me and my family always loved to travel. We not only travel to different places in Luzon, but also in Visayas. Every December, we always visit the hometown of my father, which is Kalibo, Aklan and the hometown of my mother, which is Iloilo City. And I can say that visiting and traveling to these places are one of the best choices that me and my family have ever made. It is exactly December 19, 2019 when we travel to Kalibo, Aklan. Kalibo, Aklan is a province in Western Visayas region of the Philippines. The province is situated in the northwest portion of Panay Island, bordering Antique to the southwest, and Capiz to the East. Some tourist spots of Kalibo, Aklan are Boracay, Kalibo Aklan Cathedral, The Bakhawan Eco Park, and the Sampaguita Gardens. 

At first, I thought that we will only stay at the house of our grandparents but surprisingly, my father took us to different beautiful places at Kalibo. We went to Plaza, Lambingan beach, and Pandan beach. My father took us first to the the plaza. The plaza is surprisingly big and beautiful. The christmas lights are colorful, and it keeps the plaza lively especially at night. Street foods are all over the place. We used to ride in the carousel, and join the band wherein they are celebrating Ati-Atihan. Ati-Atihan is a Philippine Festival held annually in January in honor of the Sto. Niño in several towns of the province of Aklan, Panay Island. The biggest celebration is held during the third Sunday of January in the town of Kalibo, the province's capital. And to enjoy the parade, my father put four lines in my face that comes from a charcoal. My father said that it shows gratefulness, and it serves an honor to the eatas. It is indeed a fun and memorable night because it was my first time to experience joining a band.

#First 🤍

Tomorrow morning, we continued visiting different places at Kalibo, Aklan. The weather is really hot so we decided to go for a swim. So we went to Lambingan beach. When I first saw the beach, I was so amazed. The beach is so wide and beautiful. The sands are brown, and the shells are attractive. When you go to the ocean, the water is cold. When we went to the beach, and the lifeguard said that it was low tide. So my father and uncle decided to take us to a more deep and far place of the ocean wherein we can still feel and reach the ground. At first, I was afraid even though I knew that it was a low tide. I was surprised that I can still feel my feet, and that I can still reach the ground. I enjoyed the cold water, while I swam with my cousins. When we already felt the heat of the sun and realized that we are already far from our cottage, we decided to go back to our cottage. We used to have tan lines but it is worth it because it is so fun and the view is so relaxing.

#Lambingan Beach 🌊

On the third day, my cousins still wanted to go for a swim so my father decided to go and look for another beach. This time, more relatives are coming with us. The beach is located in Pandan, Antique, so it is called the Pandan Beach resort. Pandan Beach Resort is an ideal spot from which to discover Antique. It is just 32.2 kilometers away from Boracay. The beach showcases its top selling food, which is barbecue. The beach has a white and clear sand, and its views are big mountains.  The beach is surrounded by trees, and swings on the side. At lunch, we ate their best selling barbecue.  And after we ate our lunch, we collected beautiful shells near the beach. We form different shapes in the sand. And since the view is very nice, I decided to take a pic and to do some poses. And before returning home to my grandparent's house, me and my cousins used to eat five scoops of ice cream. That day was so fun!

#Pandan Beach Resort 🌴

Tomorrow morning came, and the strong wind woke us. That time, it was also raining. At first, we were panicking because the water was coming inside of our grandparent's house. The roofs have holes so the rain keeps on pouring inside of our grandparent's house. In our situation at that time, we didn't even realize that it was already Christmas day until children were singing Christmas songs outside of the house even if it is already flooding. My heart was touched when I only gave them five peso coins, but the laughs and smiles on their faces are already big. Even though it's raining and the wind is still strong, we still chose to celebrate Christmas day. We have foods like spaghetti, adobo, lumpiang shanghai, and the very special letson. It is fun because even though the weather is not good, we still found a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We still found a way to bond and share our laughs with each other despite of the bad weather. This is a remarkable experience for me because it is my first time celebrating Christmas wherein the situation is kinda different.

#Christmas Day 🎅🌲

All in all, my travel experience to Kalibo, Aklan was very fun. Even though some unexpected things happened, I'm still grateful that I experienced traveling to Kalibo, Aklan before the pandemic happened. Because until now, I'm still treasuring the memories that we made, when we were still in Kalibo. 🤍

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

A Letter To Youth

Dear Youth,

Honestly, as an adolescent too, there’s a fear in me like, what if I’m not ready in the new stage of my life? I know it is not easy and it is very challenging when you are in the stage of adulthood. But, this is all I can say. Don’t be afraid to step in to the new stage of your life and to the new challenges that you may encounter as an adult. Instead, trust yourself that whatever challenges may come, you will always choose to be brave, especially to try new things as an adult. Because preparing and being ready for the next stage of your life can help you to understand and to accept things especially when it is the first time that you encounter it. And for me, preparing for your adulthood means preparing for your future, and what will your future be. Because I believe that you will make your own future and on how will it turn out. And lastly, for me, preparing for your adulthood means preventing yourself to any wrong doings and bad influences that you may encounter in your adult life because you are now aware and prepared of what’s gonna happen. So if I were you, as early as now, prepare for the next stage of your life and encourage others too! ❤❤

With Love,

Catherine ;))

[ismael-catherinenicolee]

Activity 7: Journal Diary

• How did you find the lesson? What activity/ies do you particularly like? dislike? Why?

- I found the lesson very exciting and interesting. The activity that I like the most is the Johari Window, because it helps me to be aware and to improve my interpersonal relationship with others. And I don't have any particular activity/ies that I dislike because all of the activities help me to know and develop myself.

• What did you learn about yourself as you worked on the activities for this lesson?

-What I learned about myself as I worked on the activities is that I don't know myself that much and It isn't that bad to step out in my comfort zone and to try new things.

• How can knowing and understanding yourself help you in accepting yourself?

-Knowing and understanding myself can help me in accepting myself by slowly, I am trying to learn on how to accept my imperfections, flaws, weaknesses, and everthing that I don't like about myself.

• Do you think knowing and understanding yourself can help you to have better relationships with other people? Why? or Why not?

- For me, knowing and understanding myself can help me to have better relationships with other people because I can confidently show my true personality to other people without lying and just showing my true self because I truly know and understand myself, and because I love and accept myself just the way I am.