christmas

december 17. we opened the 12 nights of december in dingle. it was spectacular, so say people around. hehehe...

activities include christmas float parade [17th], drum corp competition [18th], daigon [23rd] and dance sports on the 28th.

just get a glimpse of the float and dbc contest

simbang gabi

today starts the traditional simbang gabi in the philippines. it's a tradition and perhaps only in the philippines. OH HOW I MISSED this.

for years i've been here in dubai, i really really missed the spectacular choral performances, the singing of the latin songs and at times the bizarre backdrops designed by our parish priest back home in dingle.

my special correspondent told me just now, it's 12:30AM here, the mass started 4:50 AM december 16, 2009 because of the part-1 homily before the mass with the good monsignor explaining the meaning of the backdrop. hehehehe. but what was perhaps exciting is the short homily during the mass proper.

at any rate my point is simple. simbang gabi does not simply talk about tradition. it is more than that. it is an utterance. a response of man to God who revealed himself to man.

surely some people think that completing the 9-days novena would yield to a wish-fulfilled. waaaaaht? perhaps! but my experience before it was really true. and, my coming to dubai is really something i could claim to be a wish-fulfilled.

true love, confessions...

december 13, 2009. surprises do more than they're used to. even at times we can't help but get surprised more than the meaning of the term. just this pm, i was caught offguard when a friend blatantly told me of the things i fear admitting, not even to myself. that friend was so honest and succinct in the statement: "at times you do things and say words because you want me to feel guilty and jealous."

ouch! it was a slap with a caress of love. CHOS! i wanted to burst. i wanted to cry, SHUT UP! but i can't. the bartender was listening nearby. the chef turned her eyes at us, perhaps expecting a bizarre transformation.

anyway, i told that friend, i know i did it, with such intentions. then surprisingly, i saw in the face a smile - not just a simple smile, silly. it was a smile of acceptance. then the remark i heard was that, "Don't worry, with that i know you're a real person." then, i asked my friend, honestly, with the month's we've been together, can you truly say you've experienced that i am important to you? were you also jealous if i gave you tall-tales?

i was holding on the neck of the san mig light ready to punch my friend should the answer was a lie. but you know what, my friend said, "look at me. Straight in the eyes. I honestly say this to you, you are important to me. Yes, i felt the jealousy."

RELAX DEAR STUDENTS, THE STORY IS NOT YET OVER.

at that moment, i felt the world stopped. the clock seemed to forget ticking another second. i was in heaven. the haven of the hopeless soul turning into an angel. only two solid tears dropped from the center of my eyeballs. MUTA GALI... hehehehe.... pati ah.

my friend made me realize this evening that someone like me could be loved. it's not impossible. my friend deliberately struck me with a sword embroidered with honesty and love, enabling me to go back to myself. i know i could outshine my adversaries. i could readily offer solutions to problems. i could be a good leader. i could be somebody i wanted to be. EXCEPT THAT, I USED TO BELIEVE I AM INCAPABLE OF LOVING AND BEING LOVED. my friend told me to stop thinking this. my friend made it clear to me that i am being loved.

RIGHT THERE AND THEN, I REMEMBERED THE LESSON I'VE LEARNED... ONE COULD NOT SAY S/HE HAS LOVED UNLESS S/HE LOVES HIMSELF/HERSELF. at times we tend to forget that if there is one person who needs our love, care, understanding, compassion, it's NOBODY, NOBODY but YOURSELF.

ANY COMMENT OUT THERE?

real love

i've watched eula and rocky that night rocky decided to leave the big brother house. at first i was hesitant coz i was thinking it would be another crying ek-ek thingy. but when rocky had his piece, i only realized my eyes were swollen crying when the tears kissed my lips.

one thing that struck me is when rocky said, "sinasabi ng mga tao na palamunin ako. hindi ako palamunin kuya. hindi nila alam na mahal ko ang girlfriend ko. hindi nila nalalaman ang tunay na nararamdaman ko. hindi lang pera ang hangad ko sa kanya, dahil mahal ko sya."

the thing is many would readily judge you when you get along with someone, especialy when that one is not within your age or profession bracket. they would surely think the partner is taking advantage of you. they must first know the real intentions or feeling before making such judgment.

abi niyo amo gid daa dapat panumdumun ta.

pbb

what do you think of melay?

i've always like her but at times she's starting to be so TANGENT [duh, o/a in short. ehehehehe] anyway she really has the guts kag anyu-an gid xa with her acts.

the boys of the pbb? many of them are just joining the bandwagon or even simply exist there. they're not even that outstanding as many would think they are. so going back to melay and jason - their melason tandem is simply amazing. i like watching them on tv.

miracle

it was 10 a.m. december 8, 2009. i have a gut-feel that something's going to happen without knowing why. then a text from special someone brought me back from my reverie. it was a text asking for help.

my friend cannot move. his back was in intense pain. i cannot suggest anything except to ask him to ask someone and look for a hilot... he did.. yet after an hour he texted again... he was all the more in so much pain.

i rushed to his aid after a quick lunch. when i arrived in his home, i had seen how his lola, sister and tita where totally lost on what to do. i suggested i'll look for someone who knows how to do the hilot. so did i...

after the hilot, my friend texted me the moment i arrived back in school. he was again in severe pain.

in times like that, what we need is an once of faith.

at 3 pm, he told me he'll see someone in dumangas, a manug-butbot. at 4 he went there with his entire entourage. since he cannot move his back, let alone walk, he was carried to the car.

he updated me of his whereabouts. at 5 the mass started at dingle church. i prayed for him especially for his quick recovery and healing. at that moment he told me a miracle happened. he was able to sit erect, stand and unload from the car.

of course the rest was history. the manugbut-bot took her buyo and extracted some pebbles from his back where he claimed to hurt most.

this is an interplay of superstition and faith. for me it was a miracle. one moment in time i know and now can testify that THERE IS A MIRACLE WHEN YOU BELIEVE.

thanks BRO!

tagum

welcome to tagum city, davao... this is the venue for the 2010 national schools press conference, where lennon, valyn and mr. mallorca will sojourn for their national level competition.

all the best hopes for them...

rspc result

[this is lennon after he was declared vice president of the national secondary editor's guild. picture taken from a view of mayon volcano. this is the nspc in naga city, camsur]

yehey... we've made it... the regional schools press conference commenced with a big bang, well particularly for us who were so eager to know what the result is.

at any rate, our sojourn in journalism has produced one of the best results, so far that i know of, in the history of our school.

Lennon Ponta-oy, SSC IV ranked 3rd in editorial writing english, while Valyn Dayandayan, SSC IV reaped the 2nd place for sports writing english. this is more than what i've asked mam aguillon for.

the day before the contest, i did asked mam aguillon to help pray for our success, she did, and we became victorious.

any way, this years rapc is one of the biggest by far in terms of the number of teachers and students which reached up to 1170. in every contest there were more or less 120 contestants. and, if you're lucky, you'll be in the top 3 for the nspc.

so, to all my classmates and friends, we hope for your continued prayers for us [we also welcome financial support] particularly now that we are going to represent our region in the national level competition. ciao