[Free Entry #13]

I am so thankful to be part of this institution of the University of the Philippines. This got to be my training grounds for almost half a decade until I successfully become a skilled Mathematician specialized in the field of either Finance or Actuarial Science.

*Original Photo*

[Free Entry #12]

Wawa Dam (a.k.a. Montalban Dam) is really a good option to visit and spend your break!

*Original Video*

[Required Entry #10] - Defending a Position

Web 2.0/Social Media and the Youth

Reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of living amidst a Google culture (i.e. “Whatever” you need to know is a Google search away.) in a third level (third world) country such as the Philippines. Would there be more or fewer disadvantages? Choose and defend a position.

The age of information science and technology has transformed most of our lives in a homogeneous way. But can we legitimately consider such transformation to be advantageous or not?

I remember one of the most precious moments in my life –it was the time when I first experienced to use web search, particularly the Google search engine. I was a second-grader back then and the whole class where I belong was tasked to define different concepts and terms in a Science subject. Meanwhile, when I was doing my homework, I have seen a picture (in a form of advertisement) of an extra-solar planet. Consequently, I searched more for some additional pieces of information since I am really interested with the field of Astronomy and Cosmology. With the help of such tool, “the Google search”, I would have the capability to learn a lot of “precious” knowledge where I am interested.

In the year 2015, Philippines is placed on 14^th rank among the top 20 countries with highest number of internet users (Source: Internet World Stats – www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm). Even though the internet speed here in our country is not as fast as others’ around the world, Google is still easy-to-access. Google can substantially help those third world countries like ours in different ways. For instance, since poverty is still one of the major problems being faced by our country today, some of us cannot afford to pay education fees and matriculas. Those Filipino parents who are under a dilemma of serious poverty can’t even send their children in public school. With the help of Google, people can search for online courses (i.e. soft background for programming, online culinary course, etc.) they want and finish it within a couple of hours or a single day; renting a computer in computer shops is way cheaper and a bit affordable. After doing so, you can either apply your gathered knowledge in founding a small-scale business like preparing different menus in a “carinderia” or become the head server of a computer shop. We can also learn how to make some DIY (Do It Yourself) crafts and goods, and sell them with appropriate interest.

Another experience that I had during my childhood is a moment with my dad. I and my father was to fix a water connection in our backyard and we really don’t know either how to use the tools we have or how to fix the damage in our backyard at all. Since it was regarded as an urgent trouble, we consider to use Google to search for the ways and solutions we need. And yes, that was a pretty good idea because we had repaired the damages by following the step-by-step solutions recommended by the piece of information we found in Google search. Basically, that was also way cheaper rather than consulting a plumber (specialist) and it became helpful especially in urgent problems or emergency case.              

On the other hand, knowing that the said tool is always on our side, some people tend to become lazy, passive, and dependent. They just depend on the capacities and capabilities of how Google search engine can function in their lives –in a way that it can give you a quick answer on the questions popping in your head or it can even supply you the information you need without exerting any percentage of effort to go in a library. But this tool is invented to contain the world’s known knowledge, so why go to library if you can find the exact thing you are searching for in a snap of web search? This just belongs to the perks we have in our advancing and developing generation.

Going back on the concept of how this essay started, we are already living in the age of information science and technology. We do need to cope up with the advancements and improvements revolving in our fascinating era. Although we have this tool to make life easier and convenient, we should still use such thing with moderation to anticipate the development of complete dependence. Be wise and vigilant of your environment on how much people rely on Google to get through their complicated lives. Hence, Google culture reflects more advantages in third world countries than its disadvantages.

[Required Entry #9] - Definition

An Internet-related Concept

"Breezy Boy"

Have you been a "breezy boy" even once in your life? Or did someone that is a "breezy boy" make an involvement to you? Formally defining what this concept is; a breezy boy is referred to a male person who utilizes his immense confidence to get the sentiments of women. Usually, this kind of men get the attention of many social-media users because they have been part of the Big trends (through short video clips or vines) showcasing their unusual techniques to captivate and allure women's heart. From its describing word "breezy", we can apparently infer some "pa-cool" and "papogi" operations a breezy boy can splash us off. But sadly, they may sometimes cause disrespect to the ladies and appear harmful.

                                                                                                            

A Related Concept to Your Course (Mathematics)

"System of Equations"

A system of equations is a mathematical system composed of a multiple number of equations (2 or more equations) where the values ​​of different variables are unknown. Graphically, the goal in solving this system is to see their intersection (s) in the Cartesian Coordinate Plane. Those intersections would be the solution in a certain mathematical problem. But how important this concept would be in my future career as a BS Mathematics graduate? Even though I am still at the beginning of this extensive Mathematics education, I was told by my professor that this system is very important and useful. Related to its application in "real life", this system would be incredibly complex in different fields and disciplines. System of equations can be used in the field of Actuarial Science, Computer Science, cryptography, Finance, Modelling, Operations Research, and even in Logic wherein the unknown variables are related to these certain fields.

(Photo is retrieved from Google)

[Free Entry #11]

           I proudly want to say that I am one
           of the  enthusiasts  of His great arts!

                          

                                                                                  * Original Photo *

[Free Entry #10]

My Observations and Experiences as a "Freshie" in UP Diliman

Having your life in a dormitory for the first time is a little bit hard and uncomfortable. Apparently, I've got no choice but to accept and be grateful with this opportunity to live here in Kalayaan Residence Hall rather than taking the stress and risk if I decided to go to Quezon City everyday coming from a far province, specifically in San Pedro City of Region IV-A, and considering also the difficulty of the journey it would give by traffic. But as days pass, the condition used to be convenient and adjacent for me to cherish my College Life as a "dormer" and appreciate my environment around the Campus.

It's been a while since I last used GPS (Global Positioning System) of my phone. As far as I remember, I used this radio navigation system when I was transferring my things and stuff in the dormitory for the preparation for our first day as a student of the University. I and my father had used this to go here in UP because of a little fact that we were not fully aware with the routes we should take to reach our destination. With the help of the said device, we were given the absolute location (location coordinates) of the Kalayaan Dormitory.

Yeah! Reaching our destination is good enough, but I as a "Freshie", consider this UP campus a large one. Before having our first official day as an "isko", I have decided to ask some random upper-class men (those ones who do not look trolls) for relative locations of the places that would hold my classes. They told me things like "what-jeep-to-ride" and "what-to-look-for". Consequently, they also told me some significant landmarks to look around Diliman in case I would be demanded to go there. The things and pieces of advice they have said became very helpful to me in my one-semester stay here. I also get to know different places and some "pasikot-sikot" or "short-cuts" that would surely be used in my stay here.

Based on self-observations for a month stay inside the campus, there are well-observable human-environment interactions occurring. As an example, many people tend to perform their warm-ups and exercises around the campus because of some well-known factors like having a good (relative at the same) temperature of the environment; it is also not polluted here contrary to urban places external to UP Diliman.

In another part of my observations, I had considered that noticing the similarities of the characteristics and interests of the students inside the campus was very difficult. So I came up to the idea that this is the main purpose of different organizations here. I see them in different perspective, analysis, and categories. They differ in purpose and significance but at least they are built with people with the same interests and goals. I therefore conclude that they are like regions dividing the students in this premiere university with different scale or analysis.

                                       (Photo is retrieved from Google)

[Required Entry #8] - Cause and Effect

Cause: Corruption in the Philippines

According to a study conducted by World Bank (in year 2006), corruption in the Philippines is considered to be the worst in the region of East Asia and the Pacific. Why does this very cruel act seem to be an untreatable endemic disease in our country and what are the possible causes of it?

Except from the Philippine President’s, the normal monthly salaries of government officials lie below the range of an amount of fifty-thousand Pesos. With such information, we can derive that some of them tend to perform the devilish act of corrupting for their self-interests. For example, one candidate would run for the position of a Mayor in a city. Being a realist based on the current situation of our country, he would then probably spend millions of Pesos just to win the election. Is the reason behind aiming for this position really focus on purely serving his fellowmen? Or maybe it has something to do with his self-interests to somehow draw the money he spent on the previous election or even gain more (including power) through his businesses in the scope of the city?

Aside from those previous reasons, corruption is also caused by our country itself. We do not have an effective justice implementation in our country or even a strict law that extensively monitor those people in their positions. With this condition, they can easily do what they want.

Another serious thing is regarding the involvement of small public workers (like city engineers, public accountants, treasurers, et. al) to the corruption happening in our country. One of the main reasons behind this is also because of their insufficient salaries for their family. In addition, some of the high-positioned government officials are making collaboration with them to get large amount of “kick-backs” ,usually because of their non-terminating self-interests.

Yes, those are all indeed happening to our wretched country. Vast bribery, extensive corruption, pervasive fraud, heinous crime, and a lot more! But are we just going to watch the weakening flame of the candle in front of us? Of course, our response there is a big no.

“You are here to make a difference, to either improve the world or worsen it. And whether or not you consciously choose to, you will accomplish one or the other.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

*Photos above are retrieved from Google*

[Free Entry #9]

   There
   Is
   Always
   Hope
   Behind
   Every
   Blue
   Sky.



                                                                               *Original Photo*

[Free Entry #8]

"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they are still beautiful.”

                                                  

                                                                                      —Alice Walker

                                                     *Original Photo*

[Required Entry #7.1] - Compare and Contrast

High School Vs. College

Things in high school and college are really distinctive from each other. In high school, we live our lives with required multiple extra-curricular activities that are part of school activities. Point compared to college, it depends on the student if he or she would not be part of different organizations in the campus; It is therefore voluntary. Time constructs of different subjects in high school are always proposed and made ​​by the school administrator unlike in college, a student's time schedule quite depends on him or her. When we are in high school, some teachers or instructors are very considerate in giving grades to their students. Dissimilar to college, what you get is what you would really get from your college professors and instructors. Some students can lie low during their high school days but if you do this while you are in college, office of the university can bestow an advanced farewell card to you. Examinations given to us in high school are less depressive in contrary to tests given to us in college. Because tests given to us in high school are quite easy because they always come as objective tests; examinations in college really differ because they always come with surprises! Even though high school and college stuff differ, these things would always be a part of a single path for a single journey of an important goal of our life.

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

[Free Entry #7]

“Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished.”

                                             —Dean Koontz (author, Whispers)

                                     


                                                *Original Photo*

[Required Entry #7] - Compare and Contrast

My Real Self vs. My Ideal Self

It is human nature to feel discontents and unfulfillments within ourselves, and I truly consider this statement positioned beyond shadow of doubts. Due to these discontentments, I personally generated a clear impression of my ideal self if I am going to modify some characteristics and traits of mine that would somehow result to an optimal me. How do my current real self and ideal self differ from each other?

In terms of my personality in reality, I am such a type of person who actually do not care (or a person who seems care less) to the occurrences happening in our country even how important or how serious a certain issue is to our environment. It is absolutely a bad developed oddity of mine, right? Another point is concerned with my academic status. Gladly speaking, a real me genuinely set his academics on the top part of his priorities. I am actually studying hard and whole-heartedly (at the same time) because I knew that the actual measurement of one’s intellectual capacity is defined by how you have acquired a certain knowledge with your heart and mind. The third point is with regard to the physical appearance of my real self; you can visualize me as an average man with the distinction of an average height (5 ft 3 in) and a typical teen-ager with acne in his face. On the last stand, my point circumscribes with my interests. Talking about the negative side of it, I have this little bit addiction on gaming but still considerably controlled. In addition to my interests, I am a music enthusiast and I greatly appreciate different genres of music.

In a more positive view wherein I visualize myself as a perfect me (ideal self), some of my real self’s characteristics are improved while some traits retained. In the scope of my personality, I see myself as a person that is very aware on all important phenomena in his country. With this awareness, he is also concern to some serious issues revolving in his environment and he firmly believes that the righteous time would come for him to be part of the resolution of the said conflicts even in the smallest contribution he can do. In the next point concerning to my academic status, I do want to retain the developed skills and traits of my real self in which I can keep this focus in my academics. While in my physical appearance, I just want to add a little bit height to my real self and reduce some acnes in my face. On the last point, my ideal self can greatly manage his time with respect to his interests, academics, family, friends, etc.

“Nothing is permanent.” It is a fact that most of us have this imagination of their ideal selves. Some realists would say that you can’t change anything God had given you. But in a more strict reality, you can actually modify some part of yourself including your personality, belief, etc. for a better self. It is not really the end to make yourself perfect because nothing is really permanent.

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

[Required Entry #5] - Illustration

Steer Clear of the Hazards of Internet

(The Dangers of the Internet)

Internet is indeed a very useful tool in our era. Being unaware of the capability or capacity this network can cause, several people had experienced some worse scenarios and have been under the dangers of the Internet. “Facebook”, one of the best-known or most popular social-media sites, may actually become a possible root of spill-out of some pieces of private information (such as home address, work schedule, current location, etc.) of a certain person. Also, some inappropriate teen-agers are being exposed with different rated sites of pornography or sites showing an intense violent actions. Online bank accounts, significant websites, e-mails, sites accounts are getting hacked by some professional hackers and online thefts that would probably devastate a state or an individual. Reasonably speaking, it would be better if you are going to have a balanced control between your real life and “living online with Internet”.

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

Appreciation of the Little Things as Art

(Examples of Art in Our Daily Lives)

You would definitely notice different kinds of art if you whole-heartedly appreciate them. In your everyday lives, you may have encountered “graffiti” in some parts of a city; this is absolutely a good way to express arts with their huge worth of profound meanings. Some arts nowadays are expressed by different people. For instance, different vendors and small-scaled businesses show creativity in numerous ways. They usually thought of unique or rare things like those “kwek-kwek” vendors, who had made their products in a rainbow color instead following the standard color which is orange. Architectures and designs of different houses we have seen are admittedly considered as an expression of art that are observable daily. Overall, there are many things in our everyday lives that genuinely represent an art if an amount of appreciation are going to be applied on them. 

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

[Required Entry #6] - Classification

                        Different Types of High School Teachers

Having rigorous insights of your high school teachers is indeed one of very advantageous perks in surviving your life’s high school portion. By rigorous insight, it means that you, as a high school student, must have a wide background of all your present or incoming teachers told by a trustable upper-class student that had undergone these instructors in your high school. After doing so, you can already distinguish the level of difficulty they can heap upon you and possibly survive their classes considering what type of teachers they are.

The first type of teachers are the ones who can be easily “aced” by their students. They are characterized as “the lazy teachers”, “the bookish”, “the story-teller”, and “the joker”. The classified lazy teachers do not actually give challenge to any of the student. They would first give the syllabus of their classes and would consequently depend the rest of school year on exercises that can be found on the Internet because they just copied and pasted them. Some of the lazy teachers let their students to do everyday-reporting and they will only depend the grading on it. On the other hand, if you are undoubtedly a type of student that has a specialization of memorizing the required book even the index part and the bibliography of it, you should take a “bookish” teacher and you’ll get an outstanding remarks. Next, all you need to do in “the jokers” classes is to prepare the air-tank inside your stomach and laugh out loud because of their funny jokes. Are their jokes really funny? Even though some of those aren’t, you are forced to laugh to earn good grades. Finally, “the story-teller teachers” would be either a relaxing or a boring one; the condition depends on their mood. Thou shall not forget to drink a hard-core coffee before entering their classes, I mean their personal life-story classes.

Putting a right amount of effort is what the second type of high school teachers needed. This category exactly refers to those “close-to-retirement” high school teachers. If you are an average student and has a bulk of consideration and patience, the said type of teacher surely suits you. There are these “chick-boy” high school teachers that can be classified in this type. Being a male student in their classes is a little bit unfair because you need to exert a huge amount of effort and seriousness in their subjects the whole school year. Apparently, you can truly ace his class if you are a female student.

The most laborious and challenging type is in this last category. Be afraid on the first example under this type! This is a very terrifying type of instructor but if you have a brave heart, you can barely pass his/her school year. Using the term “barely” expresses that no one can ace their classes. I preferred to call them as the “military-officer-like” teachers. They are heavily strict in all times you’ve been handled by them. Next are “the Harvard-standardized” teachers. You should be grateful when you’ve only got a “fair passing grade” on them reasonably because getting a low grade in their classes isn’t the first time or the second time at all.

After all, students still differ with their capabilities and interests. There is a possibility that a certain student would find a given type of teacher really difficult, but common number of students just find the instructor good and easy-to-handle. Surviving a high school life is no big deal, but the high school life itself is the most significant part of it.

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

[Free Entry #6]

              “I love God’s shadow better than man’s light”

                                                                  -   Madame Swetchine

*Original Photo*

[Required Entry #3] - Directional Process Analysis

How to Connect your Mobiles/Laptops to DILNET?

Are you aware that an internet fee worth of 260 pesos is being paid by your parents every semester? DILNET is a fast and stable university-wide internet connection in the University of the Philippines, Diliman Campus. It primarily needs a DILNET account, of course, for you to evidently justify that you have rights to use this network as a university student, professor, facilitator, et al. But if you are not aware where you can make an account, you should first go to the Diliman Computer Center and bring the main requirements such as form 5 and valid identification card. Connecting to this network obviously requires you also to provide your own gadget like cell phone, tablet, laptop, computer, etc. that have the capability to access wi-fi connection. With your certain gadget, you just need to open your “Network Connection Settings” or anything related to this tab. Consequently, turn on the proxy and change its URL to “proxy.edu.upd.ph”. Finally, you can already have a reliable internet connection by logging-on your DILNET account to the browser; remember to be in a wi-fi zone of DILNET. Apparently, you are just currently harnessing one of your “isko” rights out of hundreds because of overpriced tuitioning system in the university. 

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

[Free Entry #5]

The Glint on Your Eyes

As I walk the gloomy path by myself

I see the stars that you bequeath

Those luminary realities that you left 

And forge me similar to a vigorous shelf

You lifted me out of the dim

And synthesize the personality of mine

Adopting your affections that make me shine

And wove me like a durable denim

We're once on a dagger's point

That makes me strong not to move on

Because it can kill me without the sensation

That will let my life's abridgement to go in front

And I thought that was the end

But I was surprised that you came

On my heartbeat without the shame

That brought me the new life that you lend

Oh my lady, I owe you my life

The life you've rejuvenated with all your heart

A heart full of happiness on my part

The happiness as an everlasting memory of my bitter strife

         * Original Work *

[Required Entry #2] - Narration

A Frightening Dream

“Where are they?” calmly asked by me to myself as I was gently looking for my parents and siblings in their respective rooms even though the electricity was cut-off. I was absolutely left confused in that moment thinking where they are in the middle of an act of a seriously strong storm as it continues to pad our house with heavy raindrops and produces rustling whistles by its wind at the same time. Due to boredom and curiosity, I had decided to go downstairs and get my phone to contact them. Because of unawareness, as I landed down my foot on the first step, I had suddenly fell down the stairs not knowing that our whole first floor was already flooded. “Holy mother cow! Are these real snakes?” shouted by my surprised self, subsisting only in my mind while I was in the deepest part of the flood and witnessed a den of snakes that really creep me out. Consequently, these snakes tightly rolled unto my legs and arms and they had then bitten me several times. Luckily, I touched a piece of metal that is part of the staircase and it gradually helped me, stair by stair, to bring up myself above the flood. “Is anybody here or can even hear me?” repeatedly yelled by myself with extreme pain because of several snake bites. My whole body was trembling that time. I can actually feel the palpitation not only by my heartbeat, but also the fast oscillating flow of the blood inside my body. My mind cannot stop to be bothered by the venom of the snakes that would definitely kill me in a matter of minutes. And a very good idea came up to my mind. Since I thought that I have no last resort anymore, I then close my eyes and feel the presence of God to seek help from Him. “Father, my mind is torn apart by these dreadful experiences. May I please request You to make me feel the enlightenment again especially with this confusion?” straightly said by me through a prayer. With all the positivity, faith, and trust, I had survived this worst dream of mine. Furthermore, I greatly considered this as one of the genuine blessings of God to me.

*Photo above is retrieved from Google*

[Required Entry #1] - Description

Visual:

   A Torpe

Hey lady! Have you ever wondered why the guy you like does not show back any mutual feelings for you? Or did you already consider the fact that he is just probably a “torpe”? Noticing the pale ruby-coloured skin in his smiling-doggish face whenever he talks with you is one of the signs! He is always wearing those unexplainable awkward smiles that usually extend up to his ears whenever he looks at you but would suddenly be gone when you have noticed him already. In fact, examining his acts would surely bust out his feelings for you. He is always conscious with the orientation of his messy charcoal-coloured hair and would also show you a typical “nerdy-porma” of a torpe. Every time you talk to him, you would possibly recognize his stuttering like you’ve greatly shocked him using an electrifying device and at the same time, his weird lips are trembling as his whole body being shaky. Apparently, you are just being pessimistic that the guy you like does not feel the same for you.

   Your Favorite Animal

Every time he lets me to sleep on his big, warm, fat, hairy belly is the best feeling I’ve ever felt! Those times when his large and long golden wagging tail bumps on my face are the funniest moments I have known! Licking me with his absolutely pinkish warm tongue maybe the sweetest gesture he can show me while giving a high-five with his undeniably large dirty paws like lion’s with pointy nails is the smartest move he can make! Obviously, he is the most handsome golden retriever for me. I love every part of him; that shining golden fur whenever it reflects light, those large and hairy ears that absolutely made him very adorable and cute, his “mala-chinito” browned-pupil eyes, those fabulous long golden eyelashes, etc. “Dagul” is the name of the said golden retriever, not just a dog but evidently part of our family.

Auditory        

                                                                                                                            

   What You Hear upon Waking in the Morning

It is surely a typical day in our home-sweet-home if I would suddenly be awoke by the absolutely surprising distorted notes and chords of Jim Root’s electric guitar (guitarist of my favourite metal band) being the ringtone of my phone’s alarm clock every day. Aside from the echoing and rustling notes he made, it would perfectly come with a hard bang and harsh boom by the bass drum and crash cymbal of the band’s drummer, Joey Jordison (Jim Root’s band mate). How come it would be a band without their legendary vocalist Corey Taylor who raspy and hoarsely sings the lyrics in “screamo” subgenre? But it is probably an incomplete day without the high-pitched, loud, and screaming “ceremony” of my mother just to tell me that I am running out of time to be at school on time.

   The Sound/s of Happiness

Those soft and high-pitched giggles she makes would always be the catalyst to complete the substance of my day. Every time she sings with his angelic soft-soothing voice would assuredly make my heart beat rhythmically in a “dug-dug-dug-dug” fast manner. Happiness is very subjective but you made it for me to be a mannerism. The way we gently tease each other is ear-splitting. The way you hardly slap me in my shoulders surprisingly producing a crispy “pak” sound because of undefinable reason is adorable. The way you softly and sweetly say “I love you” is priceless. Whenever you are beside me, the sounds of happiness are obviously present.

Gustatory

   Isaw  

Going to Mang Larry’s mini store to eat “isaw ng baboy” or “isaw ng manok” is one of the “traditions” here in UP Diliman for you to truly satisfy being a certified “isko or iska”. You should taste them with their sharp tasty condiments such as obviously sour vinegar with a sort of spiciness or with their definitely sweet sauce. Having your first bite on either “isaw ng baboy” or “isaw ng manok” is indeed memorable especially when that’s your first time to taste such. Based on my self-experience, having your first bite to the sizzling and juicy “isaw ng baboy” is seemingly addictive because I have undoubtedly found them delicious! Some of the bites were crispy and crunchy evidently because they are a little bit exposed to the heat in the grille overtime, but still they are delicious and yummy. On the other hand, some bites are a little bit oily and chewy in a way that I have found them hard to grind with my teeth. It is advisable to eat such food while they are still hot and fresh from the grille and do not forget to take a cup of condiments. And the last thing I want to share is the time I have found out that the condiments sour and spicy vinegar and sweet sauce would result to a perfect taste if you will mix them, just for my subjective gustatory sense.

   Failure

 Are you familiar with the taste of failure? Do you know the taste when it feels like you fall short? You know, that kind of feeling when you let people down, fail to meet expectations, fall down on obstacles, when things don’t go according to plan, or anything even more harsh? That taste of failure is something you’d never want. It’s something that tastes awful, bitter, or unpleasant. It’s a taste you would never like tasting again. Its taste is that of a wrecked dish. But failure just like a taste of a dish gone wrong, can be salvaged. Just add a little more spice and seasoning, improve your overall performance, and then voila, your bad tasting dish becomes delicious and your failure will be turned into a success. Turn that bitter taste into that of a sweet, yummy one.

Tactile

   Dipping my Hand in a Sack of Rice Grains

It was very funny that my parents had caught the moment I was dipping my hands in a sack of rice grains. But what thing could even be more enjoyable aside from doing this stuff? The cold, dry, grainy texture by the collective number of rice grains is such a good sensation back to my skin. The way it slowly softly tickles me and the way it rubs against my skin smoothly are very distinguishable! I have noticed those tiny-black hair on my skin slowly rising upward like I got a goose bumps involuntarily. So the thing I can spill-out is that, “I am one of the ‘pabebes’, walang makakapigil sa akin” in doing such thing.

   The Friendzone

Oh, I see you’re in trouble. I knew that you have already noticed that the person you like made you stuck in the friend zone level of your expected-to-be-romantic relationship between the two of you. What did you feel for that, madam/sir? Did you also experience the pain like someone had powerfully scratched their hard-abrasive nails against your chest? Or the feeling like someone is digging for your heart manually using their bare hands? Did you feel the ice-like temperature of his/her hairy skin indicating that he/she does not care at all to the relationship between the two of you? Or in the other hand that you’ve felt his hot burning aura because she/he always feels mad and irritated with your face. It is okay! Do not cry dude. Someday, you will get fully-recovered with the pain he/she has given you like someone did prick you with thousands of pointy and sharp needles in your body. Lastly, you will surely find the right person out of billions of humans here in Earth.

Olfactory

   Christmas

Finally! Christmas season is getting near! I already miss the aromatic sweet smell of bunches of ham rolls. The undeniably recognizable mellow fruity scent of fruits and wines makes me feel like I am the sweetest person in Earth. The strong spicy smell of grilled barbeque and mouth-watery garlicky spice of marinated chicken is very satisfactory. A large volume of buttered smell forming up our home atmosphere. But in overall, the thing that made me most excited about is the sweetest scent of new incoming blessings for myself, family, friends, and to all people living here in our world. Praise to the act of opening our hearts to the blessings of God!

   My Surroundings after the Rain

I am currently experiencing the year’s rainy season here in UP Diliman. Even though I can smell the trees here during sunny days, but the strong aromatic wood-like smell is even distinguishable after the rain has poured. The scent of grasses and leaves makes me think that I am on a very clean environment. Also, a strong moist-soil odor is noticeable when you are outdoors. Specifically speaking, the scent is called “Petrichor” (the scent that would be produced when a rain has poured to a dry soil. In addition, what I actually sense related to the scent of my surroundings after rain is the smell of an old cloth in your cabinet when it would become wet by water.