The Maguindanao Road Crime Scene Story.

Daily status: *currently*
 Mood: Im afraid because there was a taxi driver that has been killed near our campus!
 Music: THE SCIENTIST by COLDPLAY
 New: nothing.. new friends I guess.
 To do list: Exam in Calculus, MCB and PHYSICS.

Yesterday while Im on my way to school. I have seen this taxi that was nearby and was struck into a tree. The driver of the motorcycle told me that someone killed the driver and he was a victim of a hold-up. I was afraid because he was killed with the use of a gun. My upperclassmen told us that he was killed 7pm that night. They were at the nearby house and somebody called their attention and told them that somebody has been killed and they must called 911. After calling 911, my upper class gave the phone to that person but he refused to. And maybe just maybe, he was one of the suspects because he didn't even look like he's afraid or what, he's acting so weird and normal. And why would he refuse to talk to the police? If he isn't really the suspect why would he go right after? Isn't weird? It was also raining that night. It's really creepy to pass to that road but we've got no choice. 

The story behind it...

It was been said that the taxi driver has a customer from the SM Mall and he is heading to UP Mintal, to be specific, near our campus and would pass through the Maguindanao road. That was August 10,2012 and it was raining. It was also been said that he was first hold-up and then killed with the use of gun. The taxi was found near the "Rubber Seedling for sale"post. The fact that the guards didn't saw them because they entered the other street where there are no guards. So this might really be planned. There are some children who said that they've witnessed the crime. They said that there are lot's of them. They followed the car and killed the driver.  And up to now, the suspect hasn't found yet.

It's really creepy and very very ... That road has been an abortion road. Lives has been lost. Is it a curse to that road or what? We're really very afraid. So much.

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Yiruma’s lullabies

Daily status: *currently*
 Mood: Not so fine, because we have misunderstandings with my friends. :(
 Addiction: Kiss the Rain by Yiruma
 New: Blue Layout. :D
 THIS POST? This post is all about Yiruma as I tried to compare his songs to lullabies.

Firework by Katy Perry, the Lazy Song by Bruno Mars and Dj Got Us Falling in Love Again by Usher, are just some of the popular songs that are played almost several times a day in the radios. Who would not love songs like those? These songs will just make you dance and fix your mood for the day. This is why most teenagers prefer songs with genres like this. In contrast to this, I have a different taste of music. I adore acoustic and mellow songs such as the Kiss the rain by Yiruma. It entices my ears in a different way making me to love his songs even more. His songs give me peace of mind unlike rock music.

His songs seem to be lullaby. I love his compositions because I can imagine myself like a child listening to some sweet lullabies that brings back the memories of playing with her playmates in a sunny afternoon. I enjoy his songs like a child. Lullabies are the first love of the children. Lullabies will make them rest peacefully after a long day of fun and adventure. Lullabies will make them forget the feeling of losing a game.

Lullabies give them comfort like no other. As known in the society, when a baby cries, the mother would immediately hum a lullaby. Babies cannot understand words rather, would the songs were sung and this is what Yiruma has accomplished. The soft and rhythmic tune brings them a sense of calmness and security as they are cuddled. It is also very powerful because it can heal unwanted feelings. You cannot notice how it changes your mood.

His songs are very attractive and sentimental, like a how much a child treasures a lullaby. It would mean so much for the child especially when he grows up since it will remind him of every childhood memories. Lullabies became a part of his life. This is why older people never get tired of singing lullabies. They are always popular, unlike the new songs that are released nowadays. Even though it is not often played in the radios as much as the new and popular songs, it will never lost its popularity because lullabies will stay on the hearts of the people whom it has touched. Same as his songs, it never gets so popular to the point like the other new and popular songs, but it never gets old. New songs get popular but after a short period of time, they are forgotten.

Lullabies are very meaningful, like his songs. Sometimes, a short excerpt from his music, like a short lullaby, can give you more and lots of images than to those rock songs. Lullabies may mean your childhood or the past you have been through. Listening to a lullaby may help you remember how your mother used to sing it to you and how your mother used to soothe you when you feel very bad and that you will realize how much she love you. In times of trouble, lullabies may not solve your problems, but will give you strength to face them. For it can bring you to a simpler world, away from your worries and depressions. And at the end, you will realize that even though how complicated the world is, you will never be alone. For you can reflect lots of things even by just listening to his music.

Lullabies, like his sentimental masterpiece, can connect with your thoughts even without the use of words. Sometimes it is easier to hum to express your feelings because sometimes, there are no words to describe how you feel. This is why he is much known for his instrumental songs.

His masterpiece such as the Kiss the Rain and also the Bella’s lullaby, also seen in the movie, is so fantastic. Lullabies can help you fall asleep, in his case; his songs will help you fall in love with his piano. His songs reflect the unspoken words and amazingly, people of different age will love the way he plays his piano, professionally and passionately.

-As seen in my AH1 project under the Analogy. In case you don't know, I'm a big fan of Yiruma. :)

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Stress among teenagers

Busy and modern lifestyle is what most people blame why they are stressed. Stress is known to be a contributor to many emotional disorders and somatic illness. When stress is induced as a result of the individual’s not being able to meet his needs or demands and satisfy his desires, conflict results. Frustrations occur when a need is not met. There are many reasons why a teenager gets stressed. Reasons like changing schools, high expectations placed upon them by, negative feelings about oneself/low self-esteem, not fitting in socially, family dysfunction, pressures due to grades and homework and being ahead or behind in physical development are usually the main causes why.

Stress is simply a fact of nature that forces from the inside or outside world affecting the individual. In general, stress is related to both external and internal factors. External factors include the physical environment, your relationships with others, your home, and all the situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations you're confronted with on a daily basis. Internal factors determine your body's ability to respond to, and deal with, the external stress-inducing factors. Internal factors which influence your ability to handle stress include your nutritional status, overall health and fitness levels, emotional well-being, and the amount of sleep and rest you get. But most teenagers are having problems with the external factor. 

External factors of stress don’t just affect you physically but also mentally. When we are stressed, most probably, our personality is also affected. There are common behavioral symptoms that don’t even know that they are. In most teenagers, eating more or less, sleeping too much or too little and isolating yourself from others are the most common behavioral changes that usually occur. They tend to be irritably and feel very depressed. Our relationships to other people are also at risk because we became very inconsiderate. Cognitive Symptoms includes memory problems, inability to concentrate, poor judgment, seeing only the negative and constant worrying. The individual responds to stress can affect the individual as well as their environment. 

When we are stressed the neurotransmitters, responsible for sending and receiving messages between cells, namely Serotonin, Noradrenaline and Dopamine are depleted. Serotonin is responsible for setting waking and sleeping patterns and usually the first messenger to begin to fail under distress, and this failure will cause sleeplessness. Noradrenaline regulates our energy levels and usually when this neurotransmitter begins to fail, overly stressed teens will begin to feel a lack of energy, and they won’t feel like they have the energy to get anything done. Dopamine runs the pleasure center of the brain. Its failure will cause an inability to take pleasure in things that one used to enjoy. These three are the first affected parts in our brain when we get stressed. 

Fortunately, there are effective ways to prevent it. One way is to, teach yourself how to focus on things you can control and letting go of things you cannot control. Why waste your time on worrying things that you can’t control? Rehearsing and practicing feared situations is also helpful to control our fears. For example, you have a stage-fright. Maybe you can practice at home and pretend to be talking in the public while facing mirror. You should learn how to accept yourself as you are and identifying unique strengths and building on them, but realizing no one is perfect. Always try to maintain positive feelings about yourself. No one needs to be perfect to have a happy life. Don’t think every negative thought because this may just bring you down. Take a break from stressful situations. Whenever you are in a stressful situation, always find time to do a hobby. In my case, I listen to music to soothe my brain. If the given ways didn’t work, try sharing your problems with other people whom you trust. Sharing your problems to other people may comfort you and may also enlighten your mind that you are not alone. Because this may promote a social circle that will automatically help you in times of stress. And above all, enjoy life's simple pleasures. Be happy on what you have.

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The Modern Filipinos

Filipino values evolve as time travels as well as the way they respond to their culture and the people that surrounds them. Filipinos used to be very patriotic such as Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero who sacrificed his life for the sake of his countrymen. Filipinos are also known for their hospitality. Indeed, because they’ll treat you as if you’re a king. They will offer you almost anything available in their kitchen. They are also very respectful since they use po and opo every time they talk to a grown up. This is the trademark of the Filipinos. I classified Filipinos into different classes:

The great pretenders. Those are the Filipinos who migrate from the Philippines to other country such as Europe and America, where the salary is equivalent to dollars and time of worked is counted per hour. Who wouldn’t grab the opportunity to have a better life? And then after few years of working there, you won’t recognize them as they began acting like European citizens. Some even applied almost every beauty product just to make their skin fairer. Sometimes, they won’t talk to you in tagalong and they’ll keep on insisting that they look like American citizens. They are the Filipinos who thought that beauty products and different kinds of medicines can change the reality that they are Filipinos.

The Imported products buyers. Filipinos, in reality, hardly trust and buy they own product. It seems that you’ll look more fashionable and richer if your things came from the U.S. Sadly, foreign countries are encouraged to sell more products here and that means an additional income to them. How about the local products? They’ll just vanish that you won’t notice that they exist. Local industries are discouraged because local products will just be ignored anyway. And in this way, how will our economy grow? Most Filipinos thought that imported products has a better quality and has a better appearance compare to the local ones. This wrong idea has poisoned the minds of the people, even until the present.

The Fake lovers or china-china products. These are the Filipinos who are addicted to new gadgets and fashioned fake clothes came mostly from China. They are the ones who are loyal buyers of the new units of cell phones and camera in the pirated stores. The prices and the quality are both low. But even though, most Filipinos prefer these kinds of products since they are affordable and new. They just don’t realize that these things compare to the original ones, won’t last long and that they have to buy another one, which is not very inefficient.

The tsismosas. They are most of the time the root of all rumors. They are at the nearby store almost all day long talking about the famous people in their village and creating bad impressions and then spread it throughout. They are annoying because instead of finding a job for their family, they just sit there and talk all day long. They intrude other people lives instead of fixing theirs.

The gangsters or tambay. These are the teenagers who lost themselves mainly because of the poverty. Under this type are the young boys and sometimes, girls that you can spot in the busy streets especially in downtowns. Instead of studying, they are roaming around in the streets with their group of friends and that is that is their daily basis. They are often suspected to be snatchers. They are supposed to be the light of the nation.

I classified different kinds of modern Filipino attitudes based on my observations to their day to day life. It doesn’t mean that these are the only attitudes that existed but rather, they are the ones that are commonly noticed in our modern Filipino society. Modern lifestyle has changed Filipino values though some of it has changed, few of it still remains. We should continue doing what we think is right for ourselves and the society. Wherever we are, we should not forget where we came from, we should not forget that we are raised in Philippines and the blood in our veins is pinoy. We only have one country. We may travel so many countries but we only have one hometown, Philippines. No matter you accept it or not, that is the reality and we should be proud of it. We should learn how to love our own country because we only have one nationality and one race. We should not be ashamed of it in spite of the status of the Philippines; instead, we should help each other to have a better society.

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