WHERE HAVE ALL THE APPLAUSES GONE? 

( a short declamation piece)

Spotlight (snap) Microphone (check 1 2 3 good) Music (let me hear it? Up, down, sustain... out)

I am Luisa...

I was a performer. Indeed a good one. No, exceptional, great, loved, adored.

 I am an actress on a stage play. Musicale is my forte. I sing. I dance. I act. And with every gesture and every punch line I do, There are screams and applauses... ( Thank you! Thank you! Oh, I love you too! See you on my next show!)

Oh how I want to hear that always! So sweet and pleasant...

Nice words from here and there and everywhere! I so love it!

Company call! Green Room is at room number 406. We’ll have a run-through.

Rehearsal once again... When my director say, You Luisa! You’re going to portray the lead again, you better give your best shot. I just smiled and humbly say, Thank you Direk, you just don’t know how happy I am that you chose me again, I will never ever fail you... and the curtain opens once again, all I have to do is do the routine and that’s it. Screams, applauses have come once again...

Months... years...Different stages, different places, different audience, I have encountered once again... with me as the lead, I did it once again...

But at one point... something bothered me... I looked in my mirror... I am not getting any younger and my age doesn’t fit to any younger roles anymore... and I suddenly felt that I am ageing... wrinkles on head... warts on my cheeks... and grey hair... lots of it...

Coldness has plunged into my very spine... like a dagger... slowly... slowly...

It was like performing in front of the stage and yet no one would like to watch...

Feels like floating in nowhere... and you know how it feels?

Painful... like tons of metal had thrown upon me...

 **Where are the screams? Where is the laughter? Where have all the applauses gone?

Can you tell me? Can you tell me please? Can you? Can you?

Please! I’m begging you... tell me... tell me... oh please I am not going anywhere, I’ll stay here. This is my palace, this is my kingdom, this is mine, mine, mine! I can't live without it, its my LIFE! its my whole LIFE!

And as the curtain close... I say goodbye dearly to you... my beloved audience... til next play... goodbye... goodbye...

question number 10

Gadget: want or need?

 I am not really a techie kind of person but I buy some gadgets too, usually out of need not just out of want. My latest technological gadget I have today is my Neo laptop. I find it convenient to use because I don’t have to go outside and rent a computer especially with my course, computer is now a necessity. I work in it. Files and any stuff that are needed – name it. Life has been easier with a computer in front of you. But somehow, technology has its disadvantage too, Of course, if you have a laptop, one thing you can’t resist is to use the internet and most probably log on to face book.  And I admit I am one of so many people who are like that. I usually spend lots of time browsing whatever on face book then comment here and there, take a look at the picture of this and that, like someone’s post, everything. And honestly, sometimes I spend more time in doing that than to study and I know, I am not the only one who’s like this.

I believe that all the things in this world were created with purpose, a purpose which is only for the good of the mankind alone, but nowadays, since we are free to do whatever we want, we can’t even notice that the things we are about to do may affect lots of people.

TP

LOSS OF PRIVACY

Internet is one of the main pastime of every individual. We tend to broadcast almost everything in it. The things that we usually do, our bonding with our family and friends. Photos, videos, and even slideshows will be posted sooner or later in face book, multiply, twitter and any social networking thingy. But the question is… are we sure that these photos and memories will be secured forever?

How sure are we that we’re the only ones viewing all those stuffs?

Things like that. In short, privacy is equals to security.

I believe that in social networking, It is impossible for you to be a private person because every little thing about you will be broadcast and sometimes, without your knowing.

 This is one thing I hate about social networking but sometimes, instead of being at those posts or blogs, sometimes all you need is to laugh at those things and suddenly, everything will go back to normal.

I guess the best thing to do about these issues is that we should be very careful of what we are going to show to the public or co users so that we won’t get insulted or bragged at in that kind of post or display in our facebook,multiply,twitter, and all kind of accounts that could be found in the internet.

"BE DISCREET AND ALERT"

MY OWN PHENOMENOLOGICAL OF LOVE

Love, though a simple single word could be defined in a thousand ways and

all of the people have their own perceptions about it. Love can be found anywhere.It is for everyone.

Romantically speaking, love is not like a lightning, that once you've seen the person you thought was meant for you, you will be struck and suddenly the time will froze, its not like that. I honestly believed that love is a step by step process that was ought to learn by anyone. For some, love corresponds pain but for me, it doesn't have to be like that because what I've learned is that, Love was made to ease the pain and not to cause pain. Perhaps,if the couple or one of them didn't do anything to make the relationship work or your partner hurt you in whatever manner(physically or emotionally). Its not love that caused you pain, its the person. Just like the things that was mentioned by my philosophy professor in relation with our topic about phenomenology, some things are just accidents in a certain topic or situation or person but then again, it doesn't mean that it is true. 

Based on my experience, Love doesn't have to require equal interaction just to be called love. Example: Love between parent and child, it is called disinterested giving. You are loving your parents without really noticing it. I, myself, experienced that. Another concrete example is a girl who is loving a guy from a distance (not to be taken literally) although the girl is loving the guy sincerely, the guy can only offer friendship. The girl knew that but despite that reason, she still continue to love him and never ask anything in return. This situation could also    be categorized in the definition of love. Last example, When God gave his only son just to save us from all of our sins. Some of the people didn't even paying attention to it but still God did it. That's a very selfless love.

Whatever the case may be, If you're talking about LOVE, You just have to show it. Period. No questioning of how would you have it back. NO BUTS AND IFS.

Love ca't be measured by anything because it wasn't made to be weigh or to be counted. It is the most important thing we could ever have. If all your riches in the world were all gone at least you have one thing. LOVE.

A daughter's Lament

Every girl is dreaming to have a complete family. A kind of family that’s happy and very supportive to each and every member of it. I am of them.

            I grew up without having a father by my side, I mean because he’s working abroad during those times up to now. He’ll be in different countries for about 9-10 months then he’ll be back here in the Philippines for vacation. One thing I noticed about him is every time he’ll be here, it’s like he doesn’t have any intentions of being a father to us. He’ll only talk to us when he needs something. He didn’t even bother to ask us how’s our studies going, did we (me and my brother) have received any achievements or something like that. I never hear any of those from him. Sometimes I get exasperated in his attitude because instead of mingling with his kids (with us), He’d rather be alone or going somewhere else to keep himself busy. Is that a right way to be a father or he wasn’t taught how to be a good one? Well I don’t believe one should be taught just to be good to a certain skill and being a father is not a kind of skill one should learn, it will naturally come out. As a father, you should be the one reminding your kids about the things they ought to know, things that can never be learned in school or by peers or else something terrible might happen or worse, something destructible which I know any parent wouldn’t want to happen to their own child.

            He never told us his story and I felt like his not even interested to share any of those memories he had way back when he was still at our age, way back when his parents were still alive. Until my mama told me that he was mistreated by his father, he was working so hard to be able for him have money for his needs basically academic needs but his father would just get all those money and throw it all up for a cock fight and due to bad faith, his father will lose. And at the end of the day, he is broke. All the money he got from working all day was vanished because of the irresponsibility of his father. I guess from that day on, he promised to himself not to be like that when he became a father that he wouldn’t allow his children to experience that. Yes, luckily, he wasn’t that kind of father to us. But he’s so numb. He didn’t even know us, literally, because he didn’t observed us grow and the thing is…He’s not reaching out to us, I, personally wants to talk to him and know his story but I am afraid he would reject my offer. He seldom laugh, his face is always serious. He seemed deep but shallow. He always blames me for being a careless spender. He always sees if there is something wrong with everybody except himself. But he wouldn’t even bother to ask if there is something wrong with him that’s why we’re treating him like a stranger to us because at one point, He really is.

            I wish he could realize what we really want from him. It’s not the money but his willingness. It’s not the gadgets that he bought for us but his presence. And it’s not the chocolates that he gives us but his love. If a mother’s love is incomparable, nothing could be greater than a father’s love. That’s just what I want. Is that hard to ask?

Little Things Matter

     Big things come from small things. A building won’t be build without materials such as hollowed blocks and cements. A cake won’t be formed without flour. A fisherman won’t catch fish without bait or a lure. A cell phone won’t function without its battery. A student won’t be able to write his/her homework without a pen. Any individual who is studying or working won’t be able to enter in such establishment without an ID. A poem won’t sound good if it didn’t come from the heart. A family without communication is like strangers living in one house. A Microsoft PowerPoint presentation won’t be good to watch at if it lacks animation.

                Sounds ironic right? Small things can affect the whole thing. One word that was removed in the sentence or phrase can actually change the whole story. One fatal error can ruin the relationship you’d been treasuring for years.

                Imagine living your life without that small things, small things that can make other people happy. Those small things you treat is their life, that those small things could also be a part of your life. It might make or break your life. Just like money, did you ever thought of that?

                Here are some proofs: In most cases here in the Philippines, some couple would fight over single money that was spent. Most of the relatives were having squabbles just because of the money or land they will inherit from a dying rich relative. Freaking true! It happens in real life!

                Think of it… its just a small thing but it can really ruin everything, relationships, family, and even a society! So, give sympathy to such things you treat as small. Beware and spare yourself from those people who were fighting for such a shallow thing.

                Now I can really say that SMALL but TERRIBLE could be justified in this aspect.

              Balance things over because there’s always a solution for every problem which you think is big.

A Lover’s note

            I was once a lover… to whom? I also don’t know… I could be a lover to every guy I fell in love with, but the question is… could they or he be… a lover to me?

            I’ve always been dreaming to be a girlfriend of a guy who’ll treats me right, who’ll say I’m the one for him, who’ll see me and love for being me and the one who’ll stay despite the fact that he was  surrounded by some beautiful girls. The one who’ll be proud to tell the world that I am his girl.

            Nowadays,it’s really hard to find a person who’ll stick with you till the end… because most of the guys defined beauty as something that could be seen outside. Fair complexion, vital statistics, pretty face… that is beauty to them…What they didn’t know is… External beauty will fade through years. Only the personality or one’s character will remain until the end.

            I am just a girl who’s looking for someone who could be right there next to me whatever happens. The one who’s more than a lover to me…  Someone I can call a partner.

            In my twenty years of existence, currently a 2^nd year mass communication student in Adamson University (supposedly a graduating Tourism student but for some circumstances, I failed to finish it). Well, talking about having a relationship, I never had a serious one. My recent suitor was Jake; I was forth year high school way back then. Seemed too long, well that’s life. I wasn’t born with such beauty that could be appreciated by everyone. I only look gorgeous once I put my make up on. (At first, I hated that idea but now, I’m used to it. If you have your make up on then you’re gorgeous if not, then not. You’ll just look pale in front of the crowd.)

            Back when I was in high school, I wasn’t really attractive. I am beautiful in the eyes of some but not in the eyes of many. But as I grew up, I realized that I have to look presentable, at all times. And I have to keep on mind that you’ll only look good if and only if you’ll feel good about yourself because I agree in the saying… “Real beauty comes from within”.

            I am not worrying anyway because I know someday; God will let me meet that person in his own time and place. I may not have a perfect relationship that is yet to come but I’ll make sure that every second count.