Welcoming The Last Chapter of Our High School Life

Third grading period is about to end and it also means welcoming the last chapter of our high school life. Time do really runs fast and hope sometime that it would be lengthen so that we will have more time together with my classmates. I do have some teary eyes when I think of it but we have to accept that there will come a time that we will not see each other but in a short period only.

       And yes, this grading period should end already.  But, let us first reflect to all things we have done during this 3rd chapter of our high school life.  Let us ask ourselves if we have done our very best to pass all challenges. Well, for me I did all my best but I guess my best wasn't good enough. I don't want to disappoint my parents because of my grades going down.

       I learned a lot during this grading period. I have learned how to mingle with people and be more friendly. I am not that good getting along with people and do sometimes call me KJ. But when I joined that Regional Leadership Training, I did learned a lot. In our ICT, I acquired lots of knowledge how to use the basics in making a web page using the notepad and also hastened my skills in making articles about certain topics. I also realized that much more improvements are needed and shall be doing my best to improve.

      Moving on, I will be having a new me this new year. A more patient, studious, disciplined, and obedient. I have to do these things for me to develop and bring out the best in me so that better results would shine and be seen through my grading sheet that might give great help in achieving my goals in life.

New Year, New Me!

          As the countdown begins with 3...2...1... Happy New Year!

          It has been a tradition for us Filipinos to welcome a new chapter of our lives to be making noises, lighting up the sky with fireworks, filling our stomach with different kinds of foods, and many more. But one thing that is very important for us to have this New Year is to have changes. Changes may mean good or bad but what we should bear in mind always is to change for the better for us to have a better life and a better future.

          I shall be welcoming this year 2012 with a new me. The old Marc Nixon Tacud Pelayo is someone known for some of his bad attitudes but is better known with his good attitudes. A new me means someone who will be more disciplined, more studious, more patient, and less pasaway. I would be doing my very best to achieve these goals so that I would have the better living and a colorful future ahead of me.

         More disciplined, I have discipline but what I shall do is to enrich it to bring out the better me; More studious, I do review my lessons only before examinations come but this year, I shall be reading my lessons even without any hesitations or waiting for examinations to be announced; More patient, patience is very important because things do come in the right time when God permits. We should not be upset when things do come late in our lives because God do plans everything; Less pasaway, well it means that I'm used to breaking the rules but this year, I shall be doing my best to obey rules given to me. I get laughs when I do break some rules and I just know that what I'm doing is wrong which sometime gives me punishments and did realize that wrongdoings do deserve some punishments.

          It feels good to be living in this world with the right kind of attitude mingling with people whom you share memories with which you'll never forget. It also gives you honor to be recognize as a person who have done good or right things to others and making them happy being with you. And as we welcome each year, let us do some changes which could make us better inside and out so that God would be so much proud of us and wouldn't be regretting giving us the opportunity to live in this world.

Keeping in Mind My Mother Tongue

               Mother language has a great effect in our growth even before we are being born and it also plays an important role in shaping our thoughts and emotions. Our personality development depends upon what has been conveyed through the mother tongue so, vocabulary must be chosen with care when talking to one another. Our learning of concepts and skills starts with our mother tongue and through this; we may express our feelings and emotions. Mother language has such an important role in us because our childhood is spent in its imprints. A bond between us and our parents is established by love, compassion, body language, and the most important one, verbal language. Connections between heart, brain, and tongue are being made when a person speaks their mother tongue. Our characteristics are truly revealed through the mother tongue because the sound of the mother tongue in the ear and its meaning in the heart give us trust and confidence.

                Mother tongue is also an indicator of our cultural identity. An Ilocano like us talks and connects with one another with our mother tongue which is Iloco. Iloco dialect links us with the culture of our society and shapes our identity as Ilocanos. Children from immigrant families who don’t know their native language are experiencing identity crisis because when a child doesn’t know his language well, we can’t say that he will be nurtured with his culture properly for the face that the relationship between language and culture is deeply rooted. Mother tongue is a powerful tool used to preserve culture and cultural ties and children who are unaware of their culture, language, and history will lose confidence in them together with the family, society, and the nation to where they belong to. We will identify ourselves with the language and culture we know best. We must not forget that we live in a multicultural society and we should learn about other cultures and respect them as well.

                To talk in a language is developed though our mother tongue. We will get familiarized with the shade of a language, how to learn and use it, and it will enable us to learn other languages as well. If we are very good in our first language then, it would be much easier for us to learn other languages learned at school. And if we continue to develop these abilities in two or more languages throughout our primary school years, we gain a deeper understanding of language and will acquire knowledge about how it can be manipulated and applied in different ways. Our mother tongue is being replaced by the majority used language if we have little mother tongue support at home. Some parents and educators believe that in order for us to learn a second language quickly and succeed at school, we should use the majority language not only at school, but even at home. We know that we Filipinos can speak fluently two or three languages. And as Ilocanos, we should continue using our mother language in able not to lose it when getting used to other languages. But some just express themselves in the majority language when they lack literacy and vocabulary in their mother tongue.

The True Essence of Christmas

The 25^th day of December is a very significant day for all Christians for it is known as the day of birth of our Jesus Christ. Christmas do mean sort of things to different folks, but what could really be the true essence of celebrating Christmas?

One of the most important thing to show every Christmas is what they call love. For let us not forget that love is the most powerful thing on earth and it is the big love of Jesus Christ for us which cause his death. Jesus Christ did love us so much and as a gift to him, let us also love one another. Love is the true essence of life because it embodies all the Jesus Christ represents.

Christmas is also a time for sharing with our love ones. Christians do usually share food, gifts, blessings or other things that could bring joy to others. It is also very common to see people giving cards with words of encouragement. And for me, time which is being shared to others is a very significant thing for time has no cost and can’t be bought money.

As we show love to others, we should also forgive those people who have sinned to us throughout the year. Forgiveness is a way to show love and affection to others. We should be open hearted setting them free from their sins to us. Let us just forget the bad memories happened and just start the new chapter with the happy ones.

The essence of Christmas goes beyond just showing love, sharing and forgiving. With the through essence of Christmas, we are able to feel what Christmas really means. Joy is felt with everybody around us when we feel no hatred toward others. Let us continue to spread love everyday and not just during Christmas days.