XVI - The Fear Onstage

I remember seeing an article about the list of things people fear the most. You may think that the first one is death, right? Well, you're wrong. Death is only at the second place. Public speaking is the number one fear of humans.

Standing on a stage, facing a large audience with cold hands and a prepared speech on mind that might be forgotten later—I may just rather melt on that spot. Or maybe just die rather than humiliate myself in front of people who will judge my every word. It takes a huge effort and bravery to give a speech to a large crowd.

But on November 27, 2015, the Asia Pacific College Speaks held Speak Sense 2, a public speaking competition with high school students from within Metro Manila as the participants in the contest. The theme was “Whether it’s the best of times or worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got” and it was guaranteed that those students have lots of ideas to say.

It was my first time attending a competition like this, and I would be lying if I said I was not nervous for the contestant. I was a little afraid for them if they messed up or had a mental block. I couldn't imagine myself as a speaker on that stage and I was having a lot of questions on my mind on what would happen throughout the entire time.

The contestants' speeches were all wonderful, although there were some that left me bored. Some were entertaining, like that one boy who gave a speech on how hotdogs and sandwiches injured him and that one boy who had a rather attractive voice. But there were two presentations that caught my attention. The champion of the contest, Phoebe Stacey Almario from Las Piñas East National High School, talked about her experience of living in a broken family, with nothing but thoughts of suicide and a deranged mother. It was very emotional for me and also for the audience. There was one line in her speech that I really liked: "Life is a beautiful nightmare."

Phoebe Stacy Almario

The first-runner up (I forgot his name, forgive me) shared his story of his relationship with his best friend. He said that he asked her to prom, and she said yes. Eventually, their relationship bloomed into something more than best friends. But after some time. she broke up with him. Most of the audience can relate to his experience. I cannot really relate that much to his speech but I found it cute and kind of hilarious when the judges were asking him about his feelings afterwards.

First-runner up

Each and everyone of the contestants did well and they all inspired me to face my fears when it comes to public speaking, even though I really struggle with doing speeches in our public speaking classes. This event helped not just the speakers, but the audience with conquering our fear onstage. It also proved that public speaking can be the very instrument to express ourselves and make our voice be heard.

XV - No Homo, Bro

You've heard of zombies and gays, but putting them together in a movie? Kinda confusing, right? What could be more outrageous than a film about gay zombies? Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington is an indie suspense comedy film starring Martin Escudero. The movie revolves around the life of Remington, who,when he was young, mocked an old gay man. The gay man cursed him to be a gay on his 21st birthday, leaving him at shock.

Remington seemed to grew up in a community where a lot of gay people live, yet they are still mocked and hated by most of the society. That is what makes the movie subversive. The movie somehow depicted the feminism slant. Remington's mother was a police officer so is her gay friend, while Remington's dad just managed their business. Hannah, Remington's girlfriend, became the dominant one in their relationship, with her making her own decisions for their relationship.

The title is funny enough, but if you'll take the time of watching the entire movie, you'll be dying from too much laughter. There were a lot of ridiculous things in the story that made the movie so funny. When Mrs. Montano roller skating inside her house and when the gay characters used gay lingo and matched it with excessive body language were just too much for me.

Martin Escudero played the role of Remington very well, even though I think it isn't easy for a straight actor to play a gay character, let alone doing a make-out scene with another guy (Remington's bestfriend played by Kerbie Zamora). It seems that he really exerted a lot of effort on understanding the character of Remington. Lauren Young's role as a strong-headed and cheerful girl gave the story more color.

Just as other films, Zombadings portrayed the gay community as people who can withstand the insults, even though sometimes they are below the belt. Making fun of the gender roles in the movie was entertaining, but at the same time it shows that they are ridiculous and everyone with different genders can do things they want to do. Maybe the film's message is to not discriminate gays, or else you could turn gay by a gay witch. There are too many gays it's gives me a headache.

But in all seriousness, I really liked this movie even though it's kind of weird. It's entertaining and a must-watch for everyone who's looking for a daily dose of laughter.

XIV - Stolen Words

Most of us may have committed crimes without knowing it. Illegally downloading pirated movies and songs is one of those, but the worst and heinous is plagiarism. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defined plagiarism as "the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person." Yet, people see this act as the same as "borrowing" or "copying" someone's ideas. They fail to see that this is also an act of stealing.

Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional, but it is still considered the same. Intentional plagiarism occurs when writers or researchers know full well they are passing off someone else's words or ideas as their own, while unintentional plagiarism occurs when writers and researchers use the words or ideas of others but fail to quote or give credit, perhaps because they don't know how. Some students may fail to understand how to quote accurately or paraphrase effectively. It is possible for students to plagiarism without realizing they are doing so. Under the regulations for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offence.

 

As a student, I admit that at some times I found myself "copy-pasting" some work from the internet and turning it as my own work, for the sake of immediately finishing the assigned task. I thought that it was impossible that the original author won't press any chargers against me, and I also I'm still underage to be arrested. The act of plagiarism is still forbidden by the law. Republic Act No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property of Code of the Philippines protect patents, trademarks, and other forms of intellectual property. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Although plagiarism can be avoided by citing your sources and references. Also, simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source is usually enough to prevent plagiarism.

There are many ways of avoiding plagiarism. Using our minds and morals is the most effective and preventive way of evading this offensive crime. We should understand the whole concept of plagiarism so that we will not be ignorant regarding this issue. We must take responsibility of our actions and determine if what we are doing is whether wrong or right.

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Sources and references:

http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/

http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Plagiarism

http://www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies/academic-integrity/how-to-avoid-plagiarism.html

XIII - An Artist of Poetry

We consider poems as an art. Poems are where we can express ourselves in words. Through poems, authors leave their messages, thoughts or ideas to the readers, in hopes of them remembering a piece of their personality. One person achieved this—which is none other than Gémino H. Abad.

The poet and literary critic Gémino H. Abad was born on February 5, 1939 in Sta. Ana, Manila. His family moved to Manila when his father, Antonio Abad, was offered professorships at Far Eastern University and the University of the Philippines. His parents are the noted novelist, playwright and essayist in Sugbuanon and Spanish, Antonio M. Abad, who was at one time Chair of the Department of Spanish in UP, and Jesusa H. Abad, professor of Spanish in UP. He is married to Mercedes A. Rivera, with whom he has five children.

Abad co-founded the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC) which published Caracoa, a poetry journal in English. His famous works include Fugitive Emphasis (poems, 1973); In Another Light (poems and critical essays, 1976); A Formal Approach to Lyric Poetry (critical theory, 1978); The Space Between (poems and critical essays, 1985); Poems and Parables (1988); Index to Filipino Poetry in English, 1905-1950 (with Edna Zapanta Manlapaz, 1988) and State of Play (letter-essays and parables, 1990). He edited landmark anthologies of Filipino poetry in English, among them Man of Earth (1989), A Native Clearing (1993) and A Habit of Shores: Filipino Poetry and Verse from English, ‘60s to the ‘90s (1999).

He was also a columnist in The Manila Chronicle, a weekly column called Exchange, with NVM Gonzales, Sylvia Ventura and Luning Bonifacio Ira; The Evening Paper, a weekly column Coming Through, with NVM Gonzales and Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo; Musa: The Philippine Literature Magazine, a monthly column called Vates: Our Poets Speak, and; Flip, a monthly column Poet’s Clearing.

He received numerous awards, local and international:

• University Professorship, University of the Philippines
• Carlos P. Romulo Professorial Chair, University of the Philippines
• Henry Lee Irwin Professorial Chair in Creative Writing, Ateneo de Manila University
• Rockefeller Fellowship, University of Chicago
• Visiting Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Visiting Professor, Saint Norbert College, Wisconsin
• Visiting Professor, Singapore Management University
• International Writing Program Fellowship, University of Iowa
• British Council Fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge and at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
• U.P. Outstanding Faculty Award
• U.P. Distinguished Alumnus in Literature
• Ellen F. Fajardo Foundation Grant for Excellence in Teaching
• U.P. Gawad Chancellor Best Literary Work
• Palanca Awards for Poetry
• Philippines Free Press Awards at the Wayback Machine (archived August 31, 2004) for Literature
• Cultural Center of the Philippines Award for Poetry
• National Book Awards from the Manila Critics' Circle
• Asian Catholic Publishers Inc. Catholic Authors Award
• Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from Unyon ng mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas (UMPIL)
• Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan in Literature from the City of Manila
• Premio Feronia, Foreign Author, 2009

He earned his B.A. English from the University of the Philippines in 1964 and Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Chicago in 1970. He served the University of the Philippines in various capacities: as Secretary of the University, Secretary of the Board of Regents, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing. For many years, he also taught English, comparative literature and creative writing at U.P. Diliman.

The University of the Philippines has elevated Abad to the rank of University Professor, the highest academic rank awarded by the university to an exemplary faculty member. He currently sits on the Board of Advisers of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing and teaches creative writing as Emeritus University Professor at the College of Arts and Letters, U.P. Diliman.

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Sources and references:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9mino_Abad

http://www.panitikan.com.ph/content/g%C3%A9mino-h-abad

XII - Regrets

A lot of people have regrets. We hope we should have done that one thing that will make us happy. Yet we haven't achieved it due to various forces that contradict our decisions. And that was what happened between me and Julia Salas' forbidden romance.

You can call me a bad lover; an immoral one. I was already engaged with a woman named Esperanza. I have loved her. I courted her with my sweet words and beautiful flowers. I saw my future with her. I thought she was the one until this certain girl caught my eye. We met one night at Judge Del Valle's house. We talked about ourselves and our stories. Her voice soothed me. Her beautiful face touched my heart. Her eyes glimmered with amusement. I felt something that no one has ever made me felt before. Under the light of the moon and stars, sitting in the porch, I felt love. Then I realized, I was in love. But I guess Julia did not felt the same.

We were drawn to each other. The qualities of youth; vigor, passion, and vitality that I lacked of was found in her. We met every Sunday, me avoiding to meet Esperanza for dinner or for her walks. As we learned more about each other, the more I wanted to be with Julia. We both enjoyed each other's company. This did not take long for Esperanza to know. And Julia also learned of my engagement with Esperanza. Both eventually despised me. I was torn. Esperanza and I were viewed by the people as an ideal couple. A couple whose wedding is getting nearer. If I broke my engagement with Esperanza, what would the people say? What would Esperanza feel? And if I will be with Julia, would she really love me?

Eight years later, I thought I'm finally at peace. I was not unhappy with my marriage. But a part of me always slips away from the world in order to dream of another life that could have blossomed, had I chose Julia. But the love I felt for her lost with the years that passed by. I understood, after meeting her again, that it was nostalgia that was taking hold of my heart, and not the "love" that I once felt for her. If there was, we should have been married. It was a welcome changed in my life.  I was comforted by the thought that I was able to meet someone who is different from everybody else.

Why had I obstinately clung to that dream? So all these years--since when?--I had been seeing the light of dead stars, long extinguished, yet seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens. An immense sadness as of loss invaded my spirit, a vast homesickness for some immutable refuge of the heart far away where faded gardens bloom again, and where live on in unchanging freshness, the dear, dead loves of vanished youth.

XI - Unified

October 26, 2015 was the beginning of a new and enjoyable week for the SoM (School of Management) students. Prior to the event, SoM was originally called SoAB (School of Accountancy and Business). To celebrate the re-birth of a new school, events and festivities were held for a whole new week for the students to take a break and enjoy.

On that very day, the students gathered around the parking lot in front of the school to start the event with a parade at around 9:30 AM. The route will be from APC to Lapu-lapu Street and vice versa. The marching band from Sto. Niño Catholic School led the parade with their outstanding performances. We walked under the sun until we were exhausted and irritated with the heat.

Tired from the continuous walking, my friend and I decided to eat first at a nearby Jollibee to satisfy our hunger and rest a bit. Upon returning back to the parking lot, we learned that we missed the formal opening and some announcements (although it wasn't really important). But luckily, we witnessed the amazing performance of the APC Dance Company (APCDC). The audience was really hyped and eager to watch the performance. A lot of girls cheered while the APCDC showed the audience their outstanding talent. After the dance number, we were left in awe. Everyone was surprised and shocked.

Afterwards, the candidates for the SoM beauty pageant arrived hand in hand, proudly showing their bright smiles and their beautiful and handsome faces. As each candidate walked and introduced themselves, the audience cheered for those who represented their courses. With so much excitement, most of the audience looked forward to the muse and escort that will be crowned Mr. and Ms. SoM.

Through the following week, I have attended some events and I found it quite enjoyable. Now that the SoM week has ended, it left me looking forward to this year's College Week and next year's SoM week. As a freshman, I will expect a lot of fun and experience a lot of things.

X - White Smokes, Dark Lives

Some people smoke for their own pleasure. Some for satisfying their addiction. Some for relaxation. Some for relieving stress and problems. And some for a "slow death." The number of people who are consuming nicotine and tobacco keeps on increasing yet these people still don't know the consequences and dangers of smoking. This is also one of the problems the youth is facing today.

Increasing attention has been devoted to publicizing the dangers of second-hand (environmental) smoke, the association between tobacco marketing and initiation of smoking among youth, and the development of strategies and medications to help smokers quit. That is why Asia Pacific College created an anti-smoking campaign to solve this problem. But is this really gonna help those who smoke? Of course not. They wouldn't even care or know about it. It's because it's already an addiction. Once you take a few puffs, it will soon become a habit. Then you will never stop.

 Honestly, I don't judge people who smoke. It's their choice and their life. They should know what will happen after they make these choices. I have seen a lot of students smoking outside the school and they seem kind of happy and enjoying the moment. BUT this does not mean that you should smoke. You still shouldn't think that smoking is going to make you "cool" and to be in with your peers. A lot of young adults smoke for gaining attention. Sometimes it also relates to depression and suicide. They believe that it is through smoking that they find peace and relaxation. They solely think it keeps their nerves calm.

Campaigns and slogans wouldn't really help someone to quit smoking. It is their own selves who can help their addiction and problems. Quitting smoking isn't easy as it sounds. Their emotions tend to build up. Avoiding lighting a cigarette can help a lot. It takes quite a long time to overcome it, but it's gonna be worth. Doing other ways and things to release your stress upon would distract you from thinking about smoking.

"No man is an island." Seeking help can make fighting smoking better. Talking to a friend or a family member or a counselor can help you a lot. You can trust them in conquering your fears and problems. If you put much effort to solve this, then you can successfully end your addiction and will make you a better person.

IX - Unravelling Tragedies

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA SERIES TOKYO GHOUL AND TOKYO GHOUL:RE BY ISHIDA SUI. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

"If, for argument's sake, you were to write a story with me in the lead role it would certainly be a tragedy."

What happens if your first date goes wrong? What happens if an innocent boy got murdered? What happens if his life took a wrong turn? What happens if he changed? Tragedy happens. That happened to a normal boy studying at a normal university living a normal life. He became a completely different person. A person who is a tragic hero with a tragic ending.

Kaneki Ken is an 18-year-old human studying Japanese Literature at Kamii University. He is a shy and reserved person, with only Hide Nagachika as his only friend. He is very fond of reading novels, mostly the bestselling author Takatsuki Sen's famous works. He is extremely gentle and appears to be optimistic most of the time. However, beneath his selfless and gentle nature is an underlying fear of being alone. Ever since his mother died, Kaneki has developed his personality to resemble his mother's. He despises the idea of solitude, hence he tries to protect those dear to him so he would not have to face his fears of being alone in the world.

In the first chapter, he and Hide were listening to the news about a ghoul attack in the 20th ward in a coffee shop called Anteiku. Ghouls are a carnivorous and cannibalistic species that are only able to feed on humans and other ghouls. They are as close to humans as possible: They normally have the same physical appearance and intelligence as a human with the exception of diet, mentality and inner biology. In Anteiku, Kaneki told Hide that he has a crush on a girl named Rize. Kaneki was eventually arranged a date with Rize. They had a great time with each other until Rize tricked Kaneki into entering an isolated alley, revealing that she was a ghoul targeting him. Rize attacked and wounded Kaneki in the abdomen, but died later when steel bars fell on her and completely killed her. To save his life, the staff of the Kanou General Hospital under the direction of Dr. Kanou decided to transplant Rize's organs into him. From then on, Kaneki became a half-human, half-ghoul.

He later learned of this when everything that he ate tastes disgusting, because ghouls can't eat normal food. He lived only on water for days, until Touka, a waitress at Anteiku, found him and offered him human meat. He can't bring himself to eat because he still believes he's still a human. He struggles to find a place of belonging as he does not fully belong with neither humans nor ghouls. When his world is suddenly transformed over night, he loses his sense of self and struggles to find his identity among the disorder that was brought upon by this tragedy.

He joins Anteiku as a part-time waiter and learns how to live as ghoul. He met other ghouls who lives peacefully and learns that they can also be humans, as they possess humane personalities, characteristics, feelings, and emotions. Kaneki eventually asks himself who are the real monsters and the real humans, as there was a federal agency that serves as a criminal investigative body in cases connected to ghoul called the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG). They believe that all ghouls are evil and should be killed. They even kill those who are living peacefully and won't hurt a single person, like a ghoul mother who was only trying to protect her daughter from being harmed.

"As my fingers and toes re-grew like fingernails or hair over and over and over and over.....and over again, every single time I got the feeling that I truly, truly, truly was a monster."

Kaneki was abducted by the Aogiri Tree, a terrorist organization of ghouls who were targeting ghoul investigators. There, he underwent a constant torture at the hands of a ghoul named Yamori. Kaneki's personality changed. He throws aside his previous ideology of "being hurt rather than hurting others" pledging to crush those who dare to threaten his place to belong. In his subconsciousness, Kaneki eats "Rize", the image of his ghoul self. This represents how he now accepts the "ghoul" within him yet not influenced by it, instead being the one who surpasses it. Kaneki becomes more ruthless and brutal in order to protect his friends, all the while maintaining complete composure. He no longer fears his ghoul side. By embracing his ghoul nature wholeheartedly, Kaneki has given up on being "human". Kaneki yearns for strength and power to protect others therefore becoming more arrogant, as shown in his new ideology that as "the strong", he has the right to "devour the weak" - an ideology held by Yamori.

"I led me by the hand, as if to fill the niches in the memories in my oozing brain fluid. Without even a destination, we kept walking. Disgusting clouds were floating in the sky. I already know what will happen to me the next time I wake up."

Kaneki begins to revert back to his old personality from before being captured by the Aogiri. He enters a period of soul-searching, seeking to reclaim his human side as well as becoming uncertain about the path he has taken to become stronger. At the near end of the manga, Kaneki returned to Anteiku to help defend his friends and loved ones from being annihilated by the CCG. He was eventually killed by a ghoul investigator named Arima at the last chapter. Kaneki had a whole introspective moment after being defeated by Arima. Coming to terms with his old self (leading his younger, black haired self by the hand) and acknowledging that his new self has been equally flawed. This signifies the end of his character arc in Tokyo Ghoul and the beginning of his new one in Tokyo Ghoul:re.

After a timeskip, he is currently living under the identity of Haise Sasaki , as a First Class ghoul investigator, serving as the mentor of the CCG's Quinx Squad and a member of Team Mado. His memories are lost to him, yet he is slowly beginning to understand what his past self was like through those that knew Ken Kaneki, such as his friends back in Anteiku.

Kaneki Ken is one example of a tragic hero with a tragic ending. He went through a lot of painful things to satisfy his desire to protect those who are dear to him. He knew he was weak before therefore succumbing to his "monstrous" side. Such a pity; he deserved nothing of all these horrible things.

Since you know that I'm a huge anime fan, I've decided to do a blog post about one of my favorites. I have watched and read a lot of animes and mangas, but Tokyo Ghoul is something that cannot be replaced. The plot is so huge and mindblowing and the first chapter just got me hooked. The characters are really meaningful. They gave me a lot of fucking emotions just oh my god I cried a lot over this series I love it so much 

VIII - Kiseijuu

I have a confession: I am a so-called "otaku."

Before you go "weeb!!!!!1!1!" or "eww ashgdsdf," I am not that kind of fan. I'm just a casual fan with an appreciation for animation, stories, and Japanese culture. *internally screams bc haikyuu s2 is so good i love seeing my children and sasuke and naruto are hella gay for each other agsdfshfg*

Yet, I was kinda disappointed in myself when I didn't have time to watch one of the animes my best friend recommended back in high school, which is Parasyte/Kiseiju. I have seen this anime everywhere in the Internet and a lot of people gave positive reviews. I researched a bit about it and there were a lot of freaky and weird things in Google images. I'm not really into body horror although I don't hate seeing gruesome and morbid scenes.

Yesterday, our EEP professor made us watch the live-action movie of the anime, and I admit, it was really awesome. As someone who prefers shounen over shoujo, I really liked it. It kinda reminded me of Tokyo Ghoul and Shingeki no Kyojin where the protagonist started as someone weak then something paranormal or supernatural turned him into a badass who wants to protect everyone he loves. Cliche and mainstream, right? But I'm a sucker for this kind of stories.

Izumi Shinichi, the protagonist of Parasyte

Parasyte centers on Izumi Shinichi, a 17-year-old high schooler who lives with his mother in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo. One night, alien creatures with worm-like features arrived in silence and darkness, descended from the skies and appeared on Earth. They are parasites who take over humans as their hosts by entering through the ears or nose and eventually eating their brains once they are inside the body. One Parasite attempted to enter Shinichi's ear but failed as Shinichi was wearing earphones, and instead entered the body by burrowing into his arm. The parasite took over his right hand and is named Migi after the Japanese word for right.

Migi (isn't he cute)

Because Shinichi was able to prevent Migi from traveling further up into his brain, both of them are able retain their separate intellect and personality. They end up fighting other Parasytes who attack them after realizing that Shinichi's human brain is still intact. These other Parasytes devour humans as food in order to survive, and Shinichi ends up fighting them with Migi's help. As the two of them encounter more Parasytes, they end up forming a strong bond as they work together to survive.

As the series/movie progresses, Shinichi becomes somewhat distant and unsympathetic, but also gains resilience. His bond with Migi becomes stronger and he occasionally begins to think like a parasite, as how he described the dead dog's body as "a lump of dog-shaped meat." He also loses the ability to empathize with others and even losing his ability to cry. Migi becomes more human, whereas the reverse happens to Shinichi.

Shinichi and Migi

The film adaptation of Parasyte hits the hard-to-find sweet spot between black comedy and serious sci-fi/horror which I find interesting. Watching the movie made me want to watch the sequel and the anime. It was also a fun watch with my friends and classmates making funny side comments and whatnot (there was a line where a police used the word "roger" and someone asked who roger was the fuck).

So if you're into gore or sci-fi or just anime, I would really recommend this movie. But of course, there wouldn't be much similarities between the film and the manga, so maybe just stick to the original series.

VII - Sense in Nonsense

"There's plenty of sense in nonsense sometimes, if you wish to look for it."

Last October 9-10, the Teatre Phileo of Asia Pacific College presented Ang Tatay Mong Kalbo. This play falls under the absurd theater category. The Theatre of the Absurd explains and expresses what happens when human existence has no meaning or purpose. The lines said by the actors has irrational and illogical meaning yet they turn into something entertaining.

The play starts in one evening in Makati with Mr. and Mrs. Santos talking about their somewhat appetizing dinner, the news and talks from the grapevine, and a family who all happened to share the name Gin Santos.

Mr. and Mrs. Santos

The story then introduces the rest of the characters discussing nonsense, fighting over silly things, and exchanging stories.

Mr. and Mrs. Reyes

Hepe and Maria

Deciphering and unraveling the meaning of the story is quite difficult. There were a lot of questions on my mind. "Why is it titled 'Ang Tatay mong Kalbo'?" "Who is the bald father?" "Why did Mr. and Mrs. Reyes repeated the first lines of the first scene at the end?"

But after reading Ms. Eliz's blog post about the play,  I learned that this was an adaptation of the French play, The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco. The underlying theme is not immediately apparent. Many speculated that it expresses futility of meaningful communication in modern society. Others thought it was a parody. The Bald Soprano appears to be a continuous loop, with Mr. and Mrs. Reyes reciting Mr. and Mrs. Santos' line from the beginning at the final scene. 

After some research, Ionesco told Claude Bonnefoy in an interview, "I wanted to give a meaning to the play by having it begin all over again with two characters. In this way the end becomes a new beginning but, since there are two couples in the play, it begins the first time with the Smiths (or the Santoses) and the second time with the Martins (the Reyeses), to suggest the interchangeable nature of the characters: the Smiths are the Martins and the Martins are the Smiths".

VI - Lost Shadows

Both are convinced

that a sudden surge of emotion bound them together.

Beautiful is such a certainty,

but uncertainty is more beautiful.

Because they didn’t know each other earlier, they suppose that

nothing was happening between them.

What of the streets, stairways and corridors

where they could have passed each other long ago?

I’d like to ask them

whether they remember– perhaps in a revolving door

ever being face to face?

an “excuse me” in a crowd

or a voice “wrong number” in the receiver.

But I know their answer:

no, they don’t remember.

They’d be greatly astonished

to learn that for a long time

chance had been playing with them.

Not yet wholly ready

to transform into fate for them

it approached them, then backed off,

stood in their way

and, suppressing a giggle,

jumped to the side.

There were signs, signals:

but what of it if they were illegible.

Perhaps three years ago,

or last Tuesday

did a certain leaflet fly

from shoulder to shoulder?

There was something lost and picked up.

Who knows but what it was a ball

in the bushes of childhood.

There were doorknobs and bells

on which earlier

touch piled on touch.

Bags beside each other in the luggage room.

Perhaps they had the same dream on a certain night,

suddenly erased after waking.

Every beginning

is but a continuation,

and the book of events

is never more than half open.

"Love at First Sight" by Wislawa Szymborsk

The poem written above can greatly describe the film Turn Left Turn Right based on the book A Chance of Sunlight by Taiwanese author Jimmy Liao. In the urban streets of Taipei roam the struggling musician John Liu and an aspiring writer Eve Choi among the vast crowds teeming the city with their half-filled hopes and soaked umbrellas.

Both protagonists share the same address, same building, yet different rooms where their beds' headboards are separated by a wall. But they’ve never met. When he leaves his building he turns right, and when she leaves her building, she turns left. We can see them almost crossing paths on a daily basis. Or riding bicycles heading to a different direction.Or an escalator – one going up one going down. Or at the metro station – one boarding the train the other one exiting. They were just like parallel lines – destined to never meet. But as the film’s tagline says: Even parallel lines might cross paths some day.

On one day they finally crossed paths, only learning that they have already met years ago in an amusement park, when both their schools had organized a field trip to the same place. They remembered exchanging phone numbers but the two never got in touch because of Eve losing her bag on the train along with John's number. They laughed about their past and exchanged numbers again without even asking for each other's names and parted hurriedly due to a coming rainstorm.

But destiny played with them again. The phone numbers written in two pieces of paper were smudged by the rain. Despite that, they strive to contact each other despite all the odds. You can feel the excitement and disappointment as we feel hopeless the two would never meet.

Honestly speaking, I'm not really into romantic-comedy chick flicks. But after watching Turn Left Turn Right, I was in awe. It left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling because of the charming characters and a plot that really touched my heart. This film was really funny, romantic, delightful, and beautiful.

V - "History was written by those who hanged the heroes."

Having encountered the quote in the title, I think it greatly describes our country's history. When we were in elementary, we've all had our fair share of knowledge in our country's rich history. Yet, we've been led to believe the lies with our innocent minds. We've believed that our history is mainly composed of brave Filipinos that defended our country from those who are trying to destroy it. But Heneral Luna begs to differ. The film focused not just on the remarkable events in history, but unravels the smaller stories and details that were left out by those who hanged the heroes. It showed the dark side of our history, the other side we haven't known yet.

Through Heneral Luna's eye-catching cinematography, immense plot, impassioned score, and well-rounded actors, it enlightened us about our history painted with half-truths and fabricated lies. With its great success in the cinemas, the film brought forth its important message to the masses. We treated the General Antonio Luna as another courageous Filipino who died for our country. However, his story tells a different one. John Arcilla portrayed Antonio Luna not as a mere hero with imperfections, but a normal human being with flaws. He was depicted as a broken hero that defines our broken history. His life, just like our history, has been whitewashed with romanticised deeds while the ugly truths are hidden from our sight. He's a brother, a son, a lover and a great leader who will do anything for the sake of the greater good. The film depicted him as a fiercely brave and madly passionate general. But above all that, many went against him--even the president Emilio Aguinaldo. Although having denied being the one behind the murder and regretting the death of General Luna, history tells otherwise.

The Americans in the film merely served as backdrop. The film begs us to understand that the true villains are ourselves. Us Filipinos are our worst enemies. Isn't it ironic? Instead of uniting to defeat the colonizers, we are torn apart by our self-interests and our lack to resolve the country's issues. "Bayan o sarili?"  This line from the film can be a great impact when questioned to the current political figures handling our government today.

Jerrold Tarog's Heneral Luna sheds a light on everything that is wrong with our nation. It is hauntinngly intense, leaving the viewers a burning passion and will to change history. The film wants us to see everything in our country with a clearer vision without the influence of those who turned our history into a pageant of unblemished patriots, of those who hanged the heroes.

IV - New Perspective

A labyrinth of confused thoughts. A disarray of distorted images. A riot of rebellious ideas. Delusions of daydreams. That is what composes my life right now. A mess. Something you cannot put together. Broken and fragile, I get lost. Lost in this world or lost in my own thoughts? Either way, it sucks.

I want to disappear. Like a bubble that suddenly pops. Like fire that goes away when you blow it. There are just too many things I don't want to face in this world. School. Friends. Family. Problems. Myself. I know deep down that I find happiness in them. But it eventually goes away. It won't last forever to make me happy. I want to escape reality for some reasons. Reasons I can't even explain myself. I want to escape from this world. Who knows, there may be a better life for me in another world.

You probably thought of suicide. Yes, suicidal thoughts always come to me. But don't all teenagers have them? I can consider it normal. I haven't told anyone about this. Not my family nor my closest friends. Some people who are depressed think that suicide is the only solution to their problems. I don't know if it was depression or just hatred to anyone. Am I the only who experiences that? I've had problems that messed me up so bad. No, I don't want sympathy. That's stupid. People only care if you're contemplating suicide. Get help from friends and family, they say. Bullshit. Nobody really cares. Nobody cares about you unless you're pretty or dying. Or dead too. Dead people receive more flowers than the living ones because the regret is stronger than gratitude.

But as of now, I'm happy. I have no intentions of killing myself. That happened months ago, but those thoughts are gone now. I am temporarily content with my life now. Well, maybe. I don't know. We don't know what's gonna happen to ourselves in the future. There may be challenges that I'm gonna face. Problems that may result to harming myself. Sometimes, I wonder how I'm still living. How I haven't killed myself yet. Then I realize, there's more to life than these problems. I thought that if I'm gonna kill myself, what happens? I wouldn't know what would happen next in my favorite TV series. What's next for my favorite characters? My favorite books? What are my friends and family gonna think? Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I’ve always believed that if you took one tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you’d be surprised by how well things can work out. So maybe that's how I survive. But maybe I was just too weak and afraid to experience a painful killing.

Appreciate your existence. Appreciate the little things. Appreciate the big things. Appreciate the people around you. Appreciate the things you have. Appreciate the music you listen too. Treasure these things. Breathe. It's not a bad life, just a bad day. I promise, it gets better.

III - Castiel Speaks

You know, I've been here

for a very long time.

And I remember many things. 

I remember being at a shoreline, 

watching a little grey fish 

heave itself up on the beach 

and an older brother saying,

"Don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish." 

I remember the Tower of Babel

All 37 feet of it, which I suppose 

was impressive at the time. 

And when it fell, they howled 'divine wrath'. 

But come on - dried dung can only be stacked so high.

I remember Cain and Abel,

David and Goliath,

Sodom and Gomorrah.

And, of course, 

I remember the most remarkable event;

remarkable because it never came to pass.

It was averted by two boys, 

an old drunk

and a fallen angel. 

The grand story. 

And we ripped up 

the ending and the rules

and destiny

leaving nothing 

but freedom and choice. 

Which is all well and good, except 

What if I've made the wrong choice? 

How am I supposed to know?

I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I consider myself the Winchesters' guardian

They taught me how to stand up

What to stand for

And what generally happens 

to you when you do.

I had no choice

I did it to protect the boys

Or to protect myself

I don't know anymore.

If I knew then what I know now.

I might have said.

It's simple.

Freedom is a length of rope.

God wants you to hang yourself with it.

So I went to an old friend for help

But watching him

I stopped

Everything he sacrificed, 

and I was about to ask him 

for more.

And so went

the long road of good intentions

The road that brought me here.

That's everything.

I believe it's what you would call

a tragedy from the human perspective.

But maybe the human perspective is limited.

I don't know.

That's why I'm asking you, Father.

One last time.

Am I doing the right thing?

Am I on the right path?

You have to tell me.

You have to give me a sign

Because if you don't,

I'm gonna do whatever I must.

II - Freaks and Geeks: A Beginner's Guide to Fandoms

 

Have you ever liked a certain book, comic, TV show, band or film? Is liking them just a past time to entertain yourself or an unhealthy obsession that leads to staying up till 2 am reading fanfiction (explained later)? Because I have. And if you're like me, then you are not alone.

 

Fanatic domains a.k.a. "fandom" have been a big part of our society. These are groups or subculture which are composed of fans who have certain feelings toward a common interest. They interact with each other either offline in conventions or online in forums. A fandom can be anything! For example, if you like Adventure Time one can make fanworks: stories, art, videos, gifs. One of these are the so called "fanfiction." These are stories that are written by fans to satisfy their fantasies and create their own story based on a novel, TV show, comic, etc. Fanfiction may or may not tie in with the story's canon; sometimes the fans use the story's characters in different situations that do not relate to the plot line at all. Fun fact: Virgil's Aeneid is literally an epic fanfiction of The Iliad.

 
 

One of the first notable fandoms is the Sherlock Holmes fandom which started in the 19th century when fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work began protesting and mourning when Holmes was killed off in the books. This led to creating the first ever fanfiction in 1897 to 1902. The Sherlock fandom is still growing due to the acquired fame of the British TV series Sherlock (10/10 would recommend).

Fan art for the Sherlock TV series on a Dutch telephone booth

In the late 1970s, science fiction fandoms began to emerge. One of the first largest science fiction fandoms is the Star Trek fandom a.k.a as the "Mother Fandom" due to being the first media fandom. They also first introduced the slash fic where you put two male characters  together in a romantic love story. This genre of fanfiction is now the most popular genre in the Internet (also my most favorite genre).

Star Trek characters Kirk and Spock are the first characters to be in a slash fic

Fandoms are everywhere. With the emerging of the Internet, fandoms became bigger. Tumblr, a microblogging site, is home to 50 million fans generating an enormous amount of love for their favorite fandoms (this is where I first entered fandoms in 2012). LiveJournal is the home of many archives for fanfiction, fanart, and meta as well as community discussion. FanFiction.net is by far the biggest and most popular fanfiction archive on the internet. Often called “The Site That Must Not Be Named” or “The Pit of Voles” because of the notoriously bad quality of fics posted there (although there are also rare quality fics there). Archive of Our Own or AO3 also archives fanfiction that is run entirely by fans. DeviantArt also archives a lot of fanart and home to millions of fanartists.

Fans can also attend conventions and events where they can partake in cosplaying and roleplaying, interacting with fans and artists. Comic-Con is one of the biggest annual fan conventions where popular artists and celebrities attend to participate in panels (attending Comic Con might be a dream come true for me *inserts crying emoji*).

The 2015 New York Comic-Con

Harry Potter fans dressed up as Hogwarts quidditch players

Fans can sometimes be viewed negatively as teenagers that have an unhealthy obsession over something. Some fans devote almost 90% of their time in doing fan activities. Although sometimes it can be very dangerous considering that you can neglect your real-life responsibilities, we aren't God to judge them. Fandoms are already their way of life now. These obsessions can really help them in many ways, believe it or not. So what are you waiting for? Join the dark side now. We have cookies and Tumblr.

(Dan Howell (danisnotonfire on Youtube) explains fandoms in a more entertaining and understandable way in the video above. Feel free to watch it! )