#5 MingMing

I had an experience of watching IPAG theater performance when I was still in high school. The title of the performance was Suhi. When I was watching Suhi, At first I didn't understand the story because of many exchanges of conversations and point of views. But when the story progressed, I began to understand the story. My experience in watching Suhi was the same when I was watching the MingMing performance also by IPAG. This story was very hard to understand. Even at the last part of it, I was still not sure of what the story was all about. I just understand that the story was about a muslim family in the Japanese occupation period who had family problems.

I want to explain everything that happened in the performance. At first, when the performance was still not starting, there were two persons who were laughing and shouting and acting at the side of the stage. I realized that they were part of the show since they were dressed all white and had tattoos all over their faces. I assumed that they were representing deities or gods that the people in the story were believing in. I sometimes get frightened because of their reactions. They were just by my side and they have really weird voices and movements. They didn't stop acting until the show started. Now they were the ones who initiated the show. They went to the stage and then I noticed that there was a person, covered in white cloth, lying on the floor. There were also people sitting on the table. I think they were a family. The deities took of the cloth from the person lying on the floor and the person was a young girl. The young girl slowly stood up and the show started.

The family was discussing issues about marriage. The one's discussing were an aged man, a woman, and an aged woman. The young girl was just like a spirit, they didn't notice the girl even though she was already shouting just to let them notice her. The man was telling the woman to marry someone she doesn't want to because he was very ugly. They forced him until she finally gave in. She married the man but they didn't last long because she found out that her husband was sort of gay. Her husband was always with boys, doing sweet things. So she left her husband and went to another place were she met this a guy that she fell in love with. The guy was a professor of a institute. She like the guy because he was good-looking and the guy had naughty hands. After quite a while, the woman got pregnant. When she returned home, the old woman and old man were very angry with. They punished her through their own arms but they didn't abort the child. The child was named Mingming.

All throughout the story the young girl from the start was just following this woman, talking, shouting, doing anything just to make this woman notice her. But that didn't even let the woman even glance at her. It was as though the woman can't see her. So she cried and cried at the corner.

Back at the story of the woman, she left her child with the old man and woman so that she could work at another place. After sometime, the japanese attacked their place and they were forced to evacuate their area. But they were also wanted because the old man had crimes. So they fled to the mountains. But at the mountains, Mingming was captured. When the woman was informed about this, she cried a lot. She didn't know what to do. Then It was shown in the story that Mingming died due to sadness.

Remember the young girl from the start? She was the one acting in this scene. That's when I realized that the young girl from the start was Mingming. That's when I understand the story. After the story was performed, It was still explained by the leading man and the story writer. The story was very hard so understand but when you understand it, you can really say that it had a very interesting story.

#4 A day as a College student

Before sharing my story, I want to start by sharing what I had encountered during my early days as a college student. Even though it was still summer, I was very excited of the thought of finally becoming a college student. I was excited of the new things to come, new friends, new environment, and a new school lifestyle. Since I’m already a college student, there are many adaptations to make. One of them is how to spend your free time. I was already trained in high school that I would have a class from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm but in college, there are many lapses in between classes. I didn’t know what to do in those times. But I just spent it by hanging out with my friends, doing anything that’s fun. We spent most of our free time at a internet café, playing dota(A strategic computer game). This made me more addicted to the game. If we wouldn’t play, we would just get bored and won’t feel energetic in coming to class. We also played some ball games to exercise our bodies and not to make us computer geeks. That’s how we spent most of our boring free times.

It was a Tuesday when I went to school, running, because I was almost late. When I reached the room, I was already sweating early in the morning but at least I reached the checking of attendance. Our teacher told us to get a ¼ sheet of paper. I was nervous of the thought that he was going to give us a short quiz about his past lesson. I didn’t have a clue of his lesson because I slept through it. I didn’t even know even one topic of the lesson. The test ended with bad results. I got 1/10 from the quiz and that was depressing. But I was very happy to hear that he wasn’t going to record it because that was just a test if we were really listening to him. At least now, I can be ready for surprises.

After that class, we were supposed to have an English class but we still can’t meet since there was no room for us to use. So now, we have a very long free time, from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. I wanted to go home but I was dragged by my friends to an internet café to play dota. But actually, I really wanted to play. So when they told me to play, I agreed directly. So we played dota until 2:30 pm and after playing we ate our lunch. It was already 2:30 pm so I was very hungry. I ate lunch at a cheap eatery but I bought many foods to fill up my stomach. We waited until it was 4:15 before going back to school for our math class. After the class, we went back to the internet café to play dota again. It was fun playing the game because of the verbal fights between teams.

I ate dinner outside because I still wasn’t satisfied in the game. I wanted to play again after eating. This time I played the game so focused that I only have little mistakes. I was so happy to stay late outside the house just to play dota with my friends. I arrived home at almost 10:00 pm. I was scolded because of coming home late but I was still smiling after. I studied a little before going to sleep so that I would be ready for school tomorrow. Well, that’s how my day ended. And it goes on and on like this till the present time. 

#3 Believing in the Dead

Believing in the dead depends on the person's experiences with it. If the person haven't felt, heard, or seen ghosts, of course they wouldn't believe in them. But in if you have encountered them in anyway, ghosts will always exists at the back of your mind.

In the past, I have always believed in them because my older siblings had told many stories about them. Well, I was still little so I was so amazed at their stories that I was so cautious about ghosts especially at night. But as I grew older, I questioned their stories. Some of them could be true but many of them were very impossible. I thought about how stupid I was to believe in them. Especially the ones that my friends told me. My siblings always scared me that ghosts would be waiting for me outside the gate if I would go out to play. That was the reason I didn't enjoy much of my childhood.

At one point, I stopped believing in them but when I started to feel their presence, I was afraid that they truly exists. My most common experience is when they have fun in teasing me. They hide my things and when you had already searched everywhere and give up, it would just appear at the place that could be easily seen. It makes me angry especially when your in a hurry then when your ready to go, you notice that your cellphone or ID isn't with you anymore. I also had an experience in my room. When I was sleeping early, I woke up at 2:37 am and noticed that someone or something was slowly pulling my blanket off of me. Have you ever felt very curious but too afraid to look at something? That was how I felt. I wanted to know what it was but my body wouldn't listen. I was too afraid to know who or what it was. I just forced myself to fall asleep and take that thought out of my head. There was also a time when I was walking home very late and on my way home I passed through a gazebo and I saw someone, whom I  assumed was a girl because she was sitting like a girl, wearing all black. The only thing I saw was her eyes and when I looked at it clearly she had read eyes and worse, it was looking straight at me. I was stunned for a moment and I ran for it.I kept silent about it because I didn't want my siblings to make fun of me, believing in ghosts or other things.

And now, I still believe that ghosts do exist but I am not that afraid of them like how I was back then. Hearing voices, Feeling strange things, or seeing something wrong, I wouldn't mind them anymore because if you do, they would just like to play with you more until you wouldn't want to be alone at night.

#2 Introducing Myself

Hi! I am Gregel G. Redublado Jr., currently studying in MSU-IIT as an ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering) freshmen student. I live near the campus in Zone 1-B Puroksudlonon Brgy. San Miguel, Iligan City. I graduated as an elementary student at La Salle Academy situated in Iligan and as a high school student at MSU-IIT Integrated Developmental School.

Grade 6 pic 

I'd like to start sharing at my life in grade school. I could only say that my early years in grade school was boring because I spent most of my time at home , library and at the classroom. I didn't have much friends because I wasn't that friendly to people and I get easily irritated when distracted or being picked upon. If they tease me a little, I get annoyed and would pick a fight. I only enjoyed grade school when I was at sixth grade. When I had trustworthy and fun-loving friends. We played basketball, soccer, dota and other things that boys do when they hang out. That's how my life started to become fun.

In my high school life, there were so many ups and downs. In my first year I got addicted into playing dota. For boys, it is normal especially when it's your first time playing the game. It makes you challenge yourself to be better to beat other good players. I found many friends because of playing dota. We had playing the game because it requires strategies that could make you use your head. I got so addicted to the game that I almost forgot about studying. However in my second year, I stopped playing the game because I had a girlfriend. At first we were so happy with each other but in the end we broke up because we don't seem to go well with each other. Well, that's how I got to play dota again. And this time I also wanted to join the basketball team to have an experience in inter school competitions. I am athletic so with luck I got in the team. Everyone should try being in an inter school competition, it boosts your confidence and takes away all the stage fright you have.

In my third year, I found this girl who was very ideal for me. I really liked her but I don't want to share much about it because we didn't end up with each other for so many other reasons. But in this year, I was free to do anything I wanted because no one would tie me up anymore. I enjoyed the year because of new friends and new enemies to look up to. To me, in this year I was very competitive. I challenge some other dota players in playing 1 on 1 and I also wanted to be better than our top scorers in the classroom. In my fourth year, since it was my last year in high school, I gave it my all. I studied hard to have excellent grades, played dota to the max, continued playing basketball, and still have time for family bonding. It was hard balancing everything but I did survived the struggle. It was like doing everything you wanted without relaxing. I would go to school from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm   then play dota from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm and then study from 10:00 pm to 12:00 pm. Then on weekends I would spend my time with my family. This was how my life went. It was hard but it was very fun and exciting. It was very fulfilling when you still have high grades even though you still played dota, played basketball, and would still have time for your family. But I also want to share one part of my fourth year. it was when I had this girlfriend who is till my present girlfriend. I really like her even though she also have many flaws because she makes me smile when I'm down and she really makes my day just being with me. She's very fun to be with and she has this aura that makes me feel comfortable. Her name is Mykhaela Aubry T. Saladaga. I really want to know more about her and I really want to continue living my life with her.

Now that I'm in college, I expect many things. I want to enjoy my life here just like how I enjoyed my life in high school or even better. I still want to give it all because I still want to be a part of the Dean's list students.

#1 I Stopped to say "Thank You Mom and Dad"

The phrase "thank you" can really be meaningful to a person's life. It enlightens a person's mood when he's in a predicament. It makes a person grateful because he's done something right and would make him repeat the good deed. This is how a simple "thank you" could change a person's personality because of the feeling of satisfaction knowing that he made someone happy.

When I was still a little kid, I always say thank you to people who helped me, especially mom and dad, because they are always by my side when i need them. They help me a lot. But now, I seem to forget saying thank you to them. I really want to thank them for everything. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be me right now. I would be an out of school youth with no future and with too many vises in life. I would be living in the streets, smoking, drinking and doing many other stupid things because of my lack of control. But I didn't cross that road because they helped me in suppressing my behavior by loving me and caring for me. They always make me happy even though sometimes they could be really annoying but I'm very blessed to have them as my parents. I really want to express my gratitude so that they would also know that I'm happy because of them. So that they wouldn't be worried that they aren't making me happy but be satisfied with the feeling that they are making their son happy. I want to regain my personality when I was still a little to make them happy and they would be proud of their actions as mother and as a father.

I could sometimes see their smiles when I would say thank you to them. It makes me happy that they feel satisfied of what they have done. I want to make them glad to repay their love and care for me. They are very deserving of being recognized as a great mother and a great father though sometimes I get angry because of my mother's yells but this is her way of caring for me. She doesn't want that something would happen to her son. All I could wish for is to make them happy that one day they could say that they had a meaningful and successful life as parents.