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The story centers around how education is being imparted in rural areas in the Philippines. Melinda, a young elementary teacher, tries to make a difference in the existing norm of education or the lack thereof.

The movie has a lot of dimensions that are all realistic. First, it opened my eyes to how little our knowledge are on the real situation of people living in rural areas; how some parents view education to be of little importance thinking their children would end up just like them anyway. It saddened me to think that the people who should support their children’s dream are the very ones who do not believe in them.

But then again, we cannot put the entire blame on the parents for it is something bigger than that. There is a deep-rooted culture and lifestyle among this kind of community that needs to be changed. While it is true that poverty should not be a hindrance to success, we can’t deny the fact that certain practices are already instilled in their minds, passed to their children and that continues as a cycle.

Perhaps, this is where the government’s role comes in. In the film, some teachers settle for mediocrity in imparting knowledge to the students even making them do beyond what is required. It made me realize that being a teacher is equally important as a parent, if not more. Throughout the movie, we could see how the character of Melinda gave hope, faith, and courage to the students even if it meant standing up to her superiors.

Finally, it educated us on the disturbing reality of the situation of people living in the rural areas and the constant threat of rebels in the place. Therefore, it should be a collaborative effort between the parents, teachers, the government and the students themselves in order to impart education - especially in the rural areas - in the most efficient way possible.
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I have said this a hundred times: early this year I’ve shifted from novels to self-help books. And the book that has the biggest influence on this transition is Paano Ba' To?! by Bianca Gonzalez.

I have always wanted to buy this book when it came out because there were a lot of positive reviews. But for some constraints, I did not get the chance to buy it.

So fast forward to March 2017, when I went with my parents to CDO, I saw 4 copies of this book at National Bookstore so I bought one even though it wasn't the book that I initially planned on buying. Thank God for some happy accidents.

Speaking of which, I don’t plan to make this a review but I guess we’re heading to that direction so let’s see:

1. I’m not very good with arts, calligraphy and everything else in between but I personally love the creative design of this book. From front to back cover, there are a lot of random cliparts which I don’t really find annoying or magulo. In fact, I find it cute and complementary to the white cover.


2. When you open the front and back cover, you will see calligraphic writing of inspirational quotes. Again, surprisingly it’s not irritating to the eyes. I had fun reading them. So I think #ProjectBG Team found the right balance. (Wow. Expert… ish.)


3. The division of chapters is simple and true to its sense as well - Family, Friendship, Love, Career & Money, Failures, Fashion & Beauty, Purpose, and Self. Bianca also purposely left a blank page for the readers/writers to write on after every chapter. I like this part because it encourages an interaction (and assessment) of some sort. She then ended with some beautiful quotes as takeaway.


4. With regards to the content, I love the straight-to-the-point advice not just from Bianca but also from her friends – Toni, Anne, Luis, and a lot more. And because they’re speaking from first-hand experiences, it gives more weight to the words.


5. Bianca quoted here a lot of inspiring words from great books. This led me to reading Essentialism to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck which then paved the way to books that I wish I had known and read in the past.


6. It comes with these lovely stickers!


A little fact: I wanted to give this book to a friend but because of the end-of-the-chapter journal, I couldn’t. My dark little secrets are scribbled on those pages. I wouldn’t risk it. Lol. Speaking of, here’s a letter to myself that I’ve written after the last chapter. Write something for yourself too! ;)
Dear self,

Wow. Unsa toy uso ron, we started from the bottom and now we’re here?! Hehe.

The fact that you now (almost) finish this book is something to be proud of. It means you acknowledge your worries, anxieties, shortcomings and you’re willing to be better. It means you have an open mind for new perspective. So quit worrying. You’re doing just fine. There’s one person that I haven’t apologized to and that’s you. Sorry for those failures and times when I didn’t stand up for you. You deserve better.

So what I really like to say is I pray that you find that one job that will make you wanna wake up and get up every day. I hope you never forget who you are living for – the God who deserves your praises. I dream for you to be more passionate on your craft, more loving not just to family and friends but also to the unlovable, to be more compassionate and empathetic, to be more courageous and confident, more forgiving – to others and to yourself, to choose to be happy everyday, to be generous and to always radiate positivity and humility.

I want you to know that you’re beautiful – inside and out. Because God made you so. You are strong and resilient. You are flexible and hardworking. So whatever goals that you have, I am confident that you will achieve them if you put your heart in it. You are special and kind. You’re smart and quick so believe that you can do it. But always bear in mind Who you’re doing it for.✝️❤️
   
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When I was in high school, I wrote a letter to JK Rowling. I remember gathering information on her postal address and the means to deliver it but I ended up not sending it. The letter was sleeping in my box for 9 years, together with some forgotten journals, letters, and whatnots.

Looking back, I did not have a single regret over that. Otherwise, I’d never have anything to laugh at these days. It was so innocent (and full of grammatical errors) you’d think an 8-year old kid wrote it.

It was printed on a yellow paper with my unapologetic handwriting.

Get ready for the most cringe-worthy letter you’ll ever read from a naive 15-year old Potterhead.

Dear Ms. JK Rowling,


Greetings with love!

Hi, good day! Hoping this letter will reach you (I just hope I had an owl!). I wish that you’re in a good condition now while reading my letter. I’m not very fluent and good in English so hoping that you’ll understand my message.

I wrote to you because I really, really, really admire you. I’m a Harry Potter addict. I read your books and I really love the way you wrote. I wish I could be like you – very imaginative. As others say, “your imagination is the limit.” I hope this doesn’t irritate you but I’ll say it again – I really, really, really, really, really, really admire you. I love the way you made Harry Potter’s life very realistic. And your spells, I really love it. And the characters!! I love all of them especially the “know-it-all” Hermione Granger. She’s very clever and very intelligent. Uhm… actually we’re a “bit” similar. And I’ll never forget the best headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen – Albus Dumbledore. Well, actually Ms. JK, I really cried when I read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. What will happen to Harry in book 7? (Oh! I haven’t read book 7 yet!! Money shortage!) And if I’ll get a chance to meet and talk to you, 1 day will not be enough for us to “tackle” about HP. But of course, I haven’t got broomstick for me to get to your place. How I wish I had a Firebolt but a Nimbus 2008 will do. It will be an honor for me to meet you but that would be impossible, so as long as this letter will reach in your possession – it is my great pleasure. Ooooops!!! Before I forget, I just wanna say THANK YOU because I was inspired by you. Others say you book doesn’t do good because it’s all about witchcraft and magic but they’re just saying those things because they haven’t got the chance to read it. Or understand it. But either way, I want you to know that I learned a lot from your book. I know I’ll have no chance to meet you and know you better but please give me the chance to describe you – an extraordinary woman with extraordinary talent! The woman behind the famous story of Harry Potter. (I wish there’s book 8, 9, 10, 11, etc.)

And if it’s okay for you, uhm… I’m gonna wait for your reply Ms. JK.

God bless to your family, to your health and to your career!!


Sincerely yours,

Allain Jessel P. Macas, Phil., 15
   
    (Original letter)



Apparently at 15 years old, I was very conscious at my English skills. And if I could have a dollar for every ‘really’ and ‘love’, I’d probably be a millionaire by now.

On a different note, where does this I’m-a-bit-similar-to-Hermione-Granger confidence came from? Or better yet, why is it gone now? ‘Cause I need some of that at this point of my life. Lol.

Seriously, reading past writings is both fun and nostalgic. Not only do you get to see improvements on your grammar and sentence construction, you’re also reminded of your innocence and... your past signature.

But there’s one thing that did not change – I was, am and will always be a Potterhead. ⚡
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I am currently reading Mark Manson's book entitled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. Why, I don't know. I stumbled upon this book on a Facebook group that I also randomly joined in. I think this year, I officially shifted from novel to self-help books. Hashtag I need help.

Anyway, this is not a book review as I am still on the 6th chapter. But there are just some points in the book that are so hard to ignore. Especially because today I got to experience and reflect on one of the most essential concepts-- fault and responsibility.

As few people know, (channeling The Script) I've got a new job now in the unemployment line. So I had to find a part-time job online just because. Fast forward, I'm now working as an English teacher in a home-based online English school. Within my first week of teaching, I never encountered any serious problems. None at all. Until today. When I checked my profile, I noticed that I was marked absent in one of my classes yesterday (which by the way I finished successfully). Not to mention, the site malfunctioned at the exact same time. Regardless, they deducted an amount 6 times my earning for 1 class (that's the rule). To give you a clearer picture, if I earn say Php5,000 per class, Php30,000 will be deducted from my total earnings. That's an exaggerated example. But yeah you get the idea. Imagine how outraged I was. It was like volunteering for 6 classes. Why will I pay for something that's not my fault?, I told myself. So then, funnily enough, I remembered what I have read in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. No, it wasn't my fault. But it's my responsibility now. To borrow the words of Mark Manson, you can think of it this way-- fault is past tense; responsibility is present tense. It may or may not be my fault but it is my responsibility now that it has entered my life. So instead of explicitly blaming them for the situation, I gathered and sent some proofs that I really finished my class. While implicitly blaming them still. Just kidding.

We all have this tendency to blame others (or anything but ourselves) for our messed up situation and refuse to take responsibility but again to quote Mark Manson, we are responsible for experiences that aren't our fault all the time. This is part of life. He made a point by giving this example: For instance, you woke up one day and there was a newborn baby on your doorstep. It would not be your fault that the baby has been put there but the baby would now be your responsibility. And whatever you choose to do from that point onwards or not choose to do (which basically is also a choice) will be your responsibility as well.

The point is that whatever the state of your life is right now, chances are it's your fault. Or somebody else's. Or the result of the world's injustice. But one thing for sure is: it's your responsibility. And I believe there's so much power in that. ðŸ˜Š

PS. They already removed my penalty.
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It all started way back in 2012 when I heard Give Me Love in one of the episodes of The Vampire Diaries- which was also my favorite scene of #Klaroline and #Delena. Trust me, it was the perfect song. Check this out:


It was so beautiful that I just had to listen to the whole song. That's when I found out about Ed's music. His debut album '+' was released the previous year and I realized it was not too late to join the club. This may sound really dramatic but his music just captured my heart in a way that no other music had. It lightens up my mood and uplifts me in seconds. Deep. But that's not to say I don't appreciate other artists- I do, of course. Anyway, Kiss Me, another song from the album was featured in season 4 of TVD again. And it has also become one of my favorite songs in '+'.


I mean it's hard to pick just one song. My personal favorites would have to be Small Bump, This, Kiss Me, Give Me Love and Gold Rush. But I love the entire album. This was actually my summer jam during my OJT at Cebu last 2013. My friends had no other choice but to listen to this album on loop for 2 months. But then again, they kept on mocking me so we're even. Haha.

Of course, I couldn't get enough of Ed Sheeran. I watched all his live performances on Youtube, even interviews. He could do wonders with his unbelievable voice, his martin guitar and the loop station. Incredible talent.

So when he announced that he'd be releasing a new album... I DID MY WAITING! 12 YEARS OF IT! IN AZKABAN!



And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Multiply 'x' came out with even more lovely songs. So I immediately downloaded all the lyrics of the songs and added the album to my Spotify playlist. I'm in love with Don't, Photograph, Tenerife Sea, Thinking Out Loud (yes, even though it's a bit tortured) and Afire Love.

My respect for Ed has increased even more when I found out that he wrote One Direction's Little Things and Justin Bieber's Love Yourself (and Cold Water). And many more! If he had included Little Things in one of his albums, I could imagine it in 'x'. And Love Yourself would probably be on his latest album. But that's just me.

So then after Ed's hiatus and a 3-year gap from his previous album, he released earlier this March his best album by far - Divide. 



Dive, Perfect, Happier, What Do I Know, How Would You Feel and Supermarket Flowers (shameless cover here) are my top songs on this album. It's taking the music world by storm. Conquering charts after charts. There's no stopping this guy.

Is it normal to feel possessive right now? Haha. I feel like the world should know him but at the same time, I just want to keep his music to myself. But no matter, I'm sure Ed wants to inspire more people just like what it did to me on a personal level. ðŸ˜Š
To Ed, thank you for your music. 
❤️️
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Yes, I have self-diagnosed. And I’ve discovered that…

 1. The discomfort is essential. Perhaps, it was not evident at the time but the discomfort made me non-complacent. It actually pushed me to go beyond my career mediocrity and find the one thing that I’m really good at and work at that point.

2. There’s a way out. But it’s not pretty (depends on your perspective). Sometimes, it won’t even feel like a way out because again, discomfort. You really just have to move forward and take it one step at a time. Having said that…

3. You need to pray for wisdom and clarity. One thing I know is by praying, you're not only pouring out your concerns to God but you're actually allowing His grace to flow through you paving the way to a clearer mind.

4. It’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make you weak. But rather it speaks volume about your character. One that is strong enough to say that you can’t do it on your own. Ask advice from your family, friends, mentors and colleagues. In my case, my best friends were (and still are) my support system during this crisis. I remember clearly when I lost it at Cebu IT Park. I was at the peak of the crisis. Haha. But that’s another story.

5. Not everyone will care. So stop telling random people about your plans and expect them to validate your actions. And possibly be discouraged for their indifference. Hashtag recipe for disappointments. But then again, I’m guilty as charged. And I learned this the hard way.

6. Your family is going to be there for you no matter what. I mean, what other choice do they have? Jk. But really, there will definitely be misunderstanding. Lots of it. In my case, my parents wanted me to work in an engineering industry which should be expected of me. After all, I am an engineer. But right now, I’m trying to pursue my almost-buried passion. It took a while to make them fully understand but as of writing, no more cold treatment has been recorded.

7. Most of the pressure you’re feeling is coming from you. And the amount (from the world) that you allowed to enter your mind. Being an achiever (sort of) contributed to the dilemma. And most of the time, I find it hard to forgive myself quickly when I do something awful whether it’s intentional or not. But I find comfort in the fact that God has forgiven me. So I need to brush it all off and get over myself.

8. Resiliency. The strength to pick myself up every time I start to slip back is probably one of the most important takeaways from this experience. Cliché but true.
  
I know we all go through different phases of this crisis. Or different versions of it. Whatever you call it. Some emerged beautifully from it, others are still experiencing it. Perhaps, many people are going through it once or twice. The important thing is we choose to learn from it. Just take your time. 

So there you go. My own fair share of the infamous quarter-life crisis. But you don’t have to take my word for it. :P

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This is one of those days that I have difficulty in expressing myself in words. My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations. Phew, finally able to use that line. Thanks, John Green.

Anyway, while my friend and I were waiting for our dinner to be served in Da Vinci, I noticed a teenager just outside the restaurant. He’s around 13-15 years old. He has nothing except a rugged shirt and short pants; and the plastic bag that he was carrying with him. Food, probably. He doesn’t have slippers either. He was begging for some penny and food from the by-passers. And while he was doing this, I was just watching him with an overwhelming realization... boy was I privileged. Privileged enough to be able to go to a school of my choice, to a place where I wanted to kick off my career and whatnot. Usually, I don’t really acknowledge this kind of feeling. Because I don’t want to look at people and pity them and then feel like I’m the luckiest person on the planet. What a wrong notion, I thought. Does that mean that if I see someone who has a better lifestyle than mine, I’d feel shitty about the life that I’m living? And start wishing to have theirs instead? Isn’t the mark of a grateful heart lies on being thankful and contented of your life even though people may have worse or better? Really, I’m just talking to myself for the most part. But I was also thinking if I really have enough, or even more, is there something that I could have given for the less fortunate? Like what? Give them coins? Clothes? Food for today’s consumption? But what about tomorrow? The next day? And the day after that?

Sometimes, I feel like there’s more that I could have done but often times, I feel like there’s none.


(October 22, 2015 8:44PM)
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I had a good night sleep even though I spent probably the first 3o minutes twisting and turning. My best friends and I had one of the most meaningful conversations yesterday evening.

It started when I recommended the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. From there, we had an awesome exchange of ideas of ways to nurture ourselves. It's one of those moments when I realized I have never truly appreciated my friends for who they are. Every time they talk about religious doctrines and stuff, I always feel small and inexperienced but yesterday, I didn't. I read all their messages and I found myself thanking God for their existence. That's not to say I wasn't grateful in the past but I was underappreciating them. And it wasn't until yesterday that I have seen the beauty of having this set of friends. They help me question and eventually improve my spiritual aspect.

I also learned this in Essentialism- you need to distinguish the vital few from the trivial many. I believe faith comes first among everything else. And I have never encountered a more straightforward advice: remove activities (yes, even the good ones) that do not really help or are not aligned to your core purpose. That way you could focus all your time and energy to make that highest contribution- to operate at that point. It's not just liberating but an eye-opening advice I have gotten from an author who really lived his words.

I woke up and still realize I haven't completely removed that instinct to please and impress people but I paused and told myself that it's a process- a gradual one for that matter. So I'm doing just fine.

Committing in this kind of philosophy is gonna be hard for me but I shall make it. I'm gonna pursue it like my life depends on it- because it does.


(March 8, 2017 9:56AM)


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