Brother Sun, Sister Moon

This was how St. Francis of Assisi addressed the things around him. Today, we had an activity somewhat similar to that, only, we had to take care of a prep 3 kid assigned to us. At first, I was reluctant, because I'm not really good at kids. I used to hate kids because they are annoying. Ha! Look who's talking...

I have been nudging Ms. Ong, Ms. Tan and Ms. Chua to swap partners with Earl. You see, I know Earl's partner. If I 'accidentally' made him cry, I would just apologize to my Ninang. (Now you know what is our relationship?) But if I made the other kid cry, I'm dead. His mum might kill me!!! They refused. Rawr...

I had no choice but to be partner with him. Oh yeah, I haven't introduce him. His name is Dustin Wenzel Maceda. He's a tall kid, I think he is the tallest kid in his class (just like my extra tall youngest brother). Thank God I didn't switch partners. My knees would ache from all the kneeling, squating, etc, just to hear him say something. He's a shy boy. He doesn't dance. Haha. He just stood there, watching me dance the Wawa Song like an idiot.

So that's it. We had lots of fun. We played games like the Obstacle Course, the Pop My Balloon, Game Ka Na Ba? and the game my partner and I played, the Tug o' War. The game ended with burnt hands (exaggeration... hehe). We had snacks. I brought my favorite cookies to share with the boy (but he didn't like it). I wonder. Don't people like milk cookies? Nevermind that question... He shared with me his Moo chocolate drink. Shempre, I had to be a big brother to him, that's why I cleaned up the litters.

The problem with that activity is that they end. Before we left, I gave my loot bag (is the spelling right?) to him. Ah, the sadness of parting... I escorted him to his class and then I went back to my classroom to prepare myself for the afternoon classes.

Here are some of the pics I took a while ago:

Me and Shoti Dustin

Another pic of Me and Dustin

Me and Trumpmy. A lot of people thinks that we are twins. Dr. Evil and Mini Me... hehehe

So that's it. That's what happened today. Haha. Oh yeah, I'll not be posting these few days. Out of time. Gotta pack now! Bye!

Before I forget, pls pray for Mrs. Camacho and Ms. Pacleb. They are currently having dengue. Mag-ingat sa dengue. Adults rin nabibiktima.

Unannounced Chinese Essay Writing Contest...

I had a shock after knowing that today's the chinese essay writing contest. To a lot of people, this was just another painstaking job... Why do I make a great fuss out of it? I'll tell you why. I promised myself that I would bag the silver or gold medal this year...

Anyway, the topic of today's composition is... uh... Interesting... for people... like me... hehehe. The topic goes like this: HOW WILL I STUDY MY LESSONS IN HIGH SCHOOL or something liek that... At first, I told Lourdes that this is one heck of a topic. i mean, compared last year, this was much more difficult. Last year's topic is about the COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS TO SJCS. Of course, I had a lot to write, because I was "mad" at the "school" at that time. (sorry...) I put all my thoughts in that one piece of white paper...

Back to the topic. I told myself after panicking, "It's no use to panic now. Why not start working on it?" Then, I had the laugh of my life! This topic is perfect for me! All the experiences I had in my 16 years of living... This is not a complicated topic after all!

Now, I would like to share some of the topics I wrote this morning...

Third year lessons... it's not that hard. To tell you the truth, studying is much more easier compared to working. What makes it hard is the way people think it's hard. It's all in the state of mind.

a. Interest (Sing4 Qu4) : We, students, must have interest towards our studies. This is one of the most essential part in learning. If one has interest towards the topic, then his entire body is filled with energy to do that task. A pile of books may seem like friends that gives knowledge. But, if there's no interest, the pile of books may seem like a pile of trash, waiting to be disposed.

b. State of the mind (Jing1 Shen2) : People part of our history tells us that early to bed + early to rise = healthy body. They also said that morning is the best time to study. I myself have experienced this. I stay in front of the computer longer than staying in my bed. That's why I have huge panda-like eyebags. When the classroom is silent during a discussion, it means one thing... FRANZ IS ASLEEP. Important details do not always appear in notes. It comes from lectures! Don't believe me? Then wait. I'll show you my valentine report card. That's the product of being irresponsible.

That's all I've got to share. I managed to come up with two pages. No surprise there. My dad could write 800 Chinese characters in an essay and have it published in the editorial. Hehehe.

I dream to be like him someday, a Chinese geek... Hey, it's not bad to dream, right? What's most important is that those dreams were put into actions so that they could be fulfilled. Dreams do come true if one works for it.

Kapag May Tiyaga, May Nilaga.

Surprisingly, I earned 200 bucks today for working at Mum's office. Hahaha :D

You might be wondering why I became so "masipag" today. To tell you the truth, I did it for the MONEY!!! Have a little peep in my wallet, and you'll see no chik ching in it. I'm broke. I need to find money, the HARD way.

Parents always tell their kids that earning money is one difficult job. They have to look for new styles to sell their products, etc. But kids think that money comes in a snap. No, it doesn't. We see our parents staying in air-conditioned rooms, making a few telephone calls, signing few documents and other not-so-difficult stuffs. REALITY CHECK: Behind those "not-so-difficult" stuffs are problems, frustrations, and the like. Who says money looks for its owner?

This is one lesson I learned today. I was forced to work part time because I had a hard time asking funds from my very stingy parents (dad: BAYAD NA NAMAN??? ; mum: BAKIT UBOS NA PERA MO???), that's why I had to do it. :((

Ahhh... I might "sprained" my fist, but it was well worth it. At last, I have something to fill in my wallet!

hehehehe

Lessons learned:

1. You can't ask all the time. Parents are humans. They die...
2. The Filipino quote in the title.
3. Love your work! It's the number 6 of the Dumbguard Knowledges. Thanks, CAT!!!
4. Don't depend on luck. Depend on your working capacity.
REMEMBER: SUCCESS is 99% PERSPIRATION!!! The other 1% goes to inspiration, luck, etc.

One of the Greatest Bonding Time with 3B...

Franz's schedule for the day...
(1) speech choir practice
(2) Jasmine's birthday party
(3) malling with threebeerrific dabarkads

(1) We had our speech practice today at Angela V's crib.

credits:

a. Angela: thanks for letting us stay and have our practice there.
b. Angela's mum: thanks for giving a good place to practice :D thank you also for the great snack! :)

(2) FUN is equal to Jas's parteeey plus lots of fun stuffs
Fun stuffs = DA WAVE!!! Chatting, laughing, story telling, Franz and Glen's Voltes V performance, singing WHERE IS THE LOVE (sabay action ng malaking puso...), taking of pictures and having a photoshoot for FHM (for HORROR magazine), love teams and love triangles, 2 helpings of lunch (ang sarap ng hipon!)... NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE FUN WE HAD

Our teachers were also there. hehehe A teacher IN school is someone scary... strict... no fun... etc... BUT, a teacher OUTSIDE school is wacky, not KJ (sorry...) ... in short, MASARAP KASAMA.

credits:

a. Jas and family: we had a good time! thanks for letting us out of our cages... hehehe
b. Charlene's mum: thanks for the ride to RP

(3) GIMIK TYM! We watched Employee of the Month. This is one funny movie. I was the one who laughed the loudest in the theater! :D
After the movie, we went to the arcade and played a few games. Dan still owes me 7php for ending my game so soon.
We played two pranks in the mall. (Pranks are confidential and mustn't be revealed...) >:) Then, it's time to go.

credits:

a. 3B: thanks for suggesting a comedy movie, not a horror one. I might not sleep for three days if we watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre... or Txt...
b. Alexis: thanks for the autograph (you know who you are.)
c. Dan: thanks for ending my game. Naaaddict na ako sa larong iyon!

I have to crawl to bed. My legs are killing me! Night night people!

... @_@ ...

It's already 1:31am in the morning, and I haven't gone to bed. Yeesh... that's the problems of some insomniacs like me.

Current mood: FURIOUS

Why: mum is singing me her "song" (sermon...)

How can I explain to her that I am an insomniac, when she won't listen?! This is life when you have stubborn mums...

Putting that aside...

Today is one tiring day. It's the feast day of Saint Jude, our patron saint. We had our annual procession, and since I am a CAT, I had an assignment... honor guard of the Blessed Virgin Mary. During the procession proper, there were some "pagkapalpak", because things didn't go according to plan. But at least, the show went on...

I got home, with an aching lower back... Gee, I must be really old...

Oh yeah. A friendly tip, don't buy cars that are colored black. They seem invisible during the night, but when you crashed on them, you'll have one nasty bumper...

Time check 1:51am. This time check is brought to you by the Burning Desire of a Fiery Horse.

Mum's gone.

Yes! I've been waiting for this time! I'm starting to feel sleepy. I need to get some shut eye.

Good morning everybody!

The Face of Meekness

My son has reached the stage where he has become very conscious of the clothes he wears and the way he parts his hair. He stands in front of the mirror and fixes his clothes endlessly, taking good care of the way he looks. I think that every one of us passes through this stage, when appearance seems to be the most important thing in life.

The was, however, one man in history for whom appearance did not matter. It was the least of his assets. Abraham Lincoln knew he was not a handsome man. When told that someone had called him "two-faced," he said, "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?" How's that for a reply?

Lincoln never let his appearance bother him. But other people, friends and foes alike, used it to insult and attack him. When they were both practicing law, Edwin Stanton would often call him "gorilla" in public debates. No man was insulted for his looks more than Abraham Lincoln.

But the great American president found this understandable and never let such criticism alter his feelings about other people. As a lawyer, he learned to respect Edwin's Stanton's mind. In fact, when he became president, Lincoln asked Stanton to join his cabinet as Secretary of War.

People close to Lincoln objected his choice. They could never forgive Stanton for rediculing this humble man. When pressed for an explanation as to why, of all peopleeligible for the post, he chose the man who so bitterly and cruelly insulted him, Lincoln replied, "I chose Stanton simply because he is the best man for the job."

This is one of the many reasons why Abraham Lincoln turned out to be one of the greatest presidents, if not the greatest president, of the United States of America. He recognized a person's worth no matter how that person may have hurt him. What do you call this quality? Is it patience? Is it naïveté or foolishness? Is it plain stupidity?

I call this meekness. I call this humility. Many mistake meekness for weakness, but the exact opposite is true. Meekness is power that is under control. It's not weakness, but discipline and the ability to control power, to wield it under the right circumstances. And this, I can assure you, is something only big people can do. i see myself blowing up from time to time whenever I feel that I have been unjustly accused or taken advantage of. These are times when controlling my temper becomes a great stuggle, and I end up reacting negatively to the situation, much to my regret later on, of course. The workplace is full of situations like these.

Meekness is the God-given ability to keep power in check. It takes a man of strong coutage to be able to do so. In the Bible, God calls Moses the meekest man on earth, and he was certainly no weakling.

Stanton and everyone else who came to know Lincoln soon came to forget his looks and became aware of his inner beauty. When Lincoln was shot, Stanton, the man who once called Lincoln a "gorilla," looked at the president's rugged face and said through tears, "There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen." In the end, Lincoln's forbearance, patience, meekness and love prevailed.

Remember that appearances deceive. Remeber, too, that God does not look at the way we dress or walk, but at what is in our hearts: "Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth."

- Francis J. Kong
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Lessons learned:

TRUE BEAUTY IS IN THE INSIDE, NOT ON THE OUTSIDE
- Don't look for the outer beauty of a people. It's the inside (the heart, the mind, the character, everything inside a person) that counts.

PANGIT KA kung:
maganda ka, pro pangit ang ugali mo

MAS PANGIT KA kung:
pangit ka nga, pangit pa ugali mo

MAGANDA KA kung:
pangit ka, pro maganda ang ugali mo

MAS MAGANDA KA kung:
maganda ka na, maganda pa ugali mo

Thanks, sir Francis, for writing this story!

Life stories...

This blog is entitled Life Stories. I got this name from a book (Life's Work, by Francis J. Kong). This book was a gift to me on my birthday.

I will be posting his works here.

I hope you will love this wonderful book. :D

Welcome Readers

I've deleted my first blog. I thought that blogging was a waste of time... but, I realized that it's not. I could pour all my joys, pains etc in it. So dear readers, happy reading.