REACTION PAPER ON AN ARTICLE, “OUR WORST ENEMY” BY AMB. “AL” VILLACORTE

In this article written by one of the brightest ambassadors of the Philippines had shown us that the problems that is happening in this country such as corruption, poor governance, traffic, lack of discipline of its citizens, and others is because we choose the wrong decisions and that is the problem why we can’t achieve change. Definitely, we are our worst enemy.

People are even urinating in public showing that the Filipinos are ignorant of the existing laws against it. That is the problem, obedience to the law is almost optional. Indeed, this so-called “yuck” factor should disappear. However, this problem has already been part of the culture of the Filipinos. How can we change this? How can we show our pride as being a Filipino if others are damaging it? It is sad to say, but that is the truth.

Is there a way we can mend a “damaged culture”? Yes, of course. We are a Filipino and we are known as religious people with values, with a big heart, unique talents, and respect to elderly, and nothing can beat the Filipino hospitality. However, we need to correct the wrong decisions, the wrong things, and the wrong direction that we chose.

Remember, nobody else can help us if we don’t help ourselves. Let us rebuild again the reputation we are known for and undo the bad side of us. Let us be well informed of the laws of the country and take our part in achieving change for the Philippines. We are our worst enemy, but we should not let it defeat us. Let us together fight it for a better Philippines that we all can be proud of.

The Fighter

Why do we fight? What is it that is worth fighting for? What is the value of fighting? Do we need to fight? Do we know what we are fighting for? Are we a fighter?

We are all fighters. Since the day we are born and the day we learn to walk and speak, we are already fighting. Until now, we are still struggling to achieve our dreams, our goals. Some of us are victorious and some had failed. Others continue to fight, but some prefer to give up. You will always have to choose, but before choosing make sure you can handle the consequences you might encounter. I am not scaring you, but rather I am getting you packed up for your future.

Allow me tell you a story of a good fighter. His name is Alvin, a great man and a soldier. He is a simple man but he is a man that will stand for what he believes and will never give up just to tell everyone that he is worth it. All his life, he had been fighting hard to win his battles and he achieved it. There are times his soldiers will fall behind and get hurt during the battle, but as their leader, he will always return back to carry them behind his back. His soldiers look up to him and idolized him. They know that as long as he is there, they are in safe hands. He had achieved their trust and respect.

However, he is currently facing another battle, but this is not just an ordinary battle. This is a battle that will require him a long patience, a strong mind, a tough heart and a stable body. He needs to survive this battle; even it could take a long time. Sadly, He had lost most of his soldiers. Their enemy is so strong which they didn’t expect. As days pass by, they continue to decline in numbers. His soldiers told him that they need to surrender because they think they could not make it through this one. But still, he didn’t listen. Most of his soldiers ran away from the battle to save their souls but he continues to fight. Days continue to pass and he is losing hope, he had exhausted all his strength, he is hungry, and he is tired. He is crying because of pain and suffering. Can he survive this battle? Is he going to continue?

Those who stayed with him continue to encourage him to fight and never give up. They believe in him and they know that he can finish and win this one. They will never leave him for he never leaves them. They are willing to wait even it might take forever. This becomes his reason to stand up and to finish what he started. Because he knows that he is never alone. He is a fighter, a hero to everyone and he won’t easily give up.

Remember my friends, we are all fighters. We may sometimes want to give up but remember that you are not alone in your battles. Be like Alvin, he continues to fight and stand for those who believes in him. Have faith in God and you will be surprised that you had won any battles you face. You might be defeated at the end but at least you didn’t give up. You are born in this world for a reason and so be strong and FIGHT. So let me end this by giving you a quote by George Patton, “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.”

Author's note

Thank you for reading this blog, its been a long time since I made one. So I hope you enjoyed. I dedicate this to my friend, Alvin.

God bless you all, my friends

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. J

Believe that change happens.

Change? Why change? What do I have to change? Do I need to change the way I look? Do I have to change my attitude? Do I have to change the way I think? Do I have to change the way I live? Do I need to change? Does changing be more effective? Do I believe that change happens? Who should be the first to change? What should change first? When should changes happen?

In this world we live, there are people who believe that changes is impossible to do instead they prefer to complain with their life and there are people who look at the future and waiting for change to come and hoping it will be soon. However, they don't do anything to achieve what they are waiting for. The dream that they are hoping for will remain just a dream. Yes, I once told you to be patient and wait but I never told you to not do anything.

Why are we not doing anything? Are we going to continue waiting for nothing? Are we going to wait for someone to stand and do it for us? Why are we afraid? What can I possibly do? Can I do it? What if I failed? What if it is not effective?

Yes, negative thoughts will whisper to you and convince you to stop and give it up. Ignore it my friends and shout 'Not Today!!!' Stop with the 'What Ifs' instead say that 'I can do it.' Don't let fear take you away from what you are fighting for. Because defeating fear is just the beginning for there are more fights to go.

Change is something we want yet not everyone is willing to do it. Remember that change starts from you. Change is the reason why people become successful. Change is the reason why a country progress. But let me convince you more by telling you my story.

Last week, I was given an opportunity by our church to participate in a kid's camp. I was a group leader of a group consisting of four young children who are from 8 to 12 years old. As a person who had past experience with leading a group whose members are the same age as me, obviously this one is different and yes it would be a challenge for me. At first, I introduced myself by making fun of myself, specifically my size. And I thought it won't work. Lucky for me, it was a great shot. I must say in just 10 minutes the group is now comfortable with me. So I was able to get to know my group and I found out that all my members are just like me when I was young, a shy person.

There are times when they were asked to share their views about a topic in front of all the people, but because of the word 'shy' they prefer to just keep quiet. But I didn't lose hope and I am determined to make them speak. I motivated them and told them that I was once like them and told them how I overcome it. That night we had a bonfire session when each member of a group is asked to write down in a piece of paper about the bad attitudes they have and the things that they want to change. And after that they throw their paper to the camp fire. After that they asked who wanted to speak and share their reflection. Suddenly one of my members, put his hand up and I was shocked. At first he was silent and so I went to him and hold his hand. He looked at me and I told him that I am here and you can do it. Other people might not see it, but i felt he was tense, he was shaking. After a few seconds he spoke and told everyone that he was blessed to be in this camp and happy that God gave him a great leader. After that, I don't know how but all my group members put their hands up and shared their experience and thanking me for being there for them. At that very moment, I felt like crying and I felt like jumping. I am so proud of them, they overcome their fear. They changed. I can't describe how happy I was. But what I am sure of is that after that night the once most quiet group are now the most noisy group.

See, if those children can change, why we can't? If those children are brave enough to change, why are we not? Because the truth is, we can, we can change. We can change how the world thinks. We can change how we live. We can change our attitudes. We can change for a better and prosperous life. Be determined to change. Don't be afraid to change because everthing changes and happens for a reason, right?

Yes, my dear friends believe that change is possible and never been impossible. Believe that change happens and remember that to change is never too late because the truth is we are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we seek.

Thank you to all my readers and God bless you all.

Yours Faithfully,

Dr. J

Never ever give up on something worth the wait.

There are moments in our life when we fail. There are moments when we feel pain. There are moments when we suffer. There are moments when we feel angry. There are moments when other people hurt us with what they do. There are moments when we lose our patience. There are moments when we lose our chances. There are moments when we lose our confidence. There are moments when we regret. There are moments when we feel confused. There are moments when we feel weak. There are moments when we feel alone. There are moments when we want to give up.

In our life, those things I mentioned  above are not easily avoided. They will try to test you. They will try to challenge you. They will try to bring you down. They will try to make your life miserable. They will try to convince you that it is time to give up and let it go.

Are you up for the challenge? Are you going to continue fighting? Are you willing to continue? Are you prepared for the worst? Are you ready? Can you handle it alone? Now those are the questions.

Everybody in this world gets hurt. Especially when it comes to love. And you can't argue with me, agree? That's because some people are confused with what they feel. Some people can't accept their feelings. Some people pretend to love. Some people are afraid to love. Some people intend to fast track everthing. Some people are not ready for a relationship. But what they don't know is that they are actually hurting the feelings of another person.

In a relationship, sacrifices, trust, commitment, acceptance, openness and the like are needed for a successful relationship. Some people are confused with what they feel as I said just now. Don't push yourself, give time, think about it and when you are ready face it. Some I said are afraid to love again. Well, I can't blame you guys. It will indeed take time for that scar to heal. However, all I can say is that don't let fear take you away from your happiness, fight it. Be happy, be strong and be willing to open your heart again. It doesn't end there. And to other people who isn't ready for a relationship yet, like me hahahaha. Don't be so hard on yourself. Don't be jealous with your friends who are in a relationship. Trust me that there is a right time for that. Besides if you are still young, then why not enjoy being young and free. No, don't tell me that no one loves you. You still have your parents and your friends who are always there for you during your darkest and brightest hour and who loves you because of who you are.

Always remember, when you love someone, don't give up on them that easily. It might take a long time but whatever happens make them feel that they are worth the wait. Because there are many things in this world that is indeed worth fighting for. Some people say that it is hard to wait around for something you know might never happen. But remember that it is harder to give up when you know its everthing you want. Be there for them. However, be gentle, dont rush things up. After all, love is a slow dance.

Whatever happens, whatever challenges you face, whatever pain, suffering and anger you feel and whatever life gives you. Always remember to be strong because strong walls shake but never collapse. It is not going to be easy, it is going to be worth it. Keep in mind that when life gives you something that makes you feel afraid, that is actually when life gives you a chance to be brave. Believe that in your journey, you are not alone. God is always there for you to give his hand when you fall. Trust in him and ask for his wisdom and guidance. Lastly, never give up and just keep fighting because your journey doesn't end here yet.

Thank you very much to all my readers and to the person who requested this. Hahaha you know who you are. Hope you like it. God bless to everyone.

Yours FAITHFULLY,
Dr.J

Defining Happiness

What is happiness? What does it mean to be happy? Well it seems these questions are those questions that no one knows the answer to. However, I am determined to find it. So what do you think is happiness? Of course there will always be a simple, boring response that any scientist can tell you. Happiness is an experience that we know happens when there are certain levels of different chemicals in our brains. These chemicals trigger a response somewhere in our nervous system, and we feel what we call "happy." Unfortunately, that still doesn't answer us. That only tells us what happens, but that is not enough. Some would say that happiness is something that lies in the deepest parts of our bodies. It resides in all of us but not everyone acknowledges this.

Well one of the ways to find the definition of happiness is to find out what makes us happy. Well it could be anything. It could be an activity we enjoy, or maybe a person who you value the most. Anything we do, we see can make us happy. Knowing what makes us happy put us at least one step closer to knowing why, and what happiness really means.

Happiness is indeed something that we cannot buy or sell. In my own experience, I never saw a store which sells happiness. And if there will be such store, then I guess everbody in this world are happy, agree? Maybe you might say that expensive items like jewelry, luxury houses, sports car, money are the happiness of any person. That is not true and will never will be true. That is not real happiness.

Real happiness is when you are contented on what you have, when you learn to love and care for someone, being positive and throwing away the negative, being yourself and not someone else, being a great person and setting an example to others, being a servant and at the same time a leader, being generous and helping the people in need, being a person who respects others, being a child of your parents, being a friend to others and the like.

Be happy, for there are many reasons in this world to be happy. Be happy because you can see the sun shines every morning and sets every night. Be happy because you can feel the wind. Be happy because you can still eat and taste various types of food. Be happy because you can walk and run. Be happy because you can read and write. Be happy because you have a family and friends that loves you. Be happy because you are alive and well.

Some people would ask me, "How to be happy?" And I would just reply, "Everyone has their own happiness, you just have to find it." Believe in me when I say that. As I said earlier, anything we do, anything we see can make us happy. Find it, only you can find it and only you can feel it. It is around you somewhere. Don't waste time looking at the past, you won't find your happiness there. Instead look forward at the future ahead of you. So be alert, for I don't want you to miss it. Be patient and don't give up. And I guess soon you will find what will make you happy.

At the end of the day, we can't define the meaning of happiness in words. Because only you can define it to yourself, only you can figure it out and only you can feel it. Let all of us be happy and remember that happiness is just around the corner. So go out. Go find what makes you happy. We all have the right to be happy. Lastly, be happy not because everyone else is doing it, but because it is the best thing that there is something to do.

Thank you my friends for reading my blog, I really appreciate it. Thank you for giving me the inspiration again Mr. Lance. Hahaha God bless to everyone.....

Yours FAITHFULLY,
Dr. J

The Unknown Side

There are things that we hide, there are things that we want to change, but isn't it unfair to other people to hide our real personality? We are afraid, but maybe it's time to show our unknown side.

You, me,  them, everbody have our own unknown side. We are afraid to let it go and instead we prefer to hide it. Why? Because we fear that people might not accept and like who we trully are. Maybe, we are just protecting ourselves. The problem is, we humans intend to judge other people without even knowing the real truth behind it. Ignorance!!! We are ignorant. I, myself is a victim of being ignorant.

However, a person help me escape from being a prisoner of my own ignorance. He help me to move on and help me to start a new life. If it weren't for him, I would have rot and died in that prison that I created. Now let me tell you our story.

So, let me call him Draco Malfoy, the name I created exclusively for him. Well you guys might be thinking why that name. It is because of his attitude, or to be more specific, his horrible attitude. Let me add annoying, ambitious, rude, insensitive and all those bad adjectives that can be use to describe a person. He is said to ge the most hated person in the class and I, myself dislike him. Sometimes we would talk, but I will just pretend to listen. Sometimes I would say negative things behind his back and sometimes I would think to myself that he has zero chance of changing. But I am wrong.

One day, while I am sitting on the train beside my most hated friend. I don't know what force or thing that struck me, made me listen to me. He was telling me about how he feels that almost everybody in the class hated him. He also told me his high school days and told me that all his life, he didn't experience the true meaning of friendship. And that is when I realized that he is lonely and all he wanted is a friend, a real friend and at that moment, I felt bad, I was wrong to judge him, how could I be so cruel to him. So I told him that I will help you change if you will help yourself also.

Now, the Draco Malfoy is no longer the Draco Malfoy I knew. I saw his commitment to change, he listened to all my advices and now I am proud to say that those negative adjectives that I used to describe him are now positive adjectives. And what makes me more proud is that he became a good friend of mine and I can't believe that I, who once a hater, now a good friend. He deserves my respect, my protection and my loyalty. Even our classmates are shocked on what he had become. He also got the trust of my another good friend and my idol, Mr Lance, who also contributed to helping to change our friend.

The lesson here is very simple. Firstly, don't judge a person until you haven't discover his unknown side. Secondly, give them a chance to show who they trully are. Thirdly, if you are given a chance to make a difference to a person's life, do it. Lastly, always believe that everybody can change and it is never too late to do that.

All I can say is that, Its been a great honour and blessing that you my friend came to my life and help and guide me to the right path. Indeed God works in mysterious ways.

Hahaha thank you very much Mr. Lance for giving me the inspiration to write this blog. I dedicate this to Mr. Draco Malfoy and to all reader I hope you like it. GOD BLESS TO EVERYONE.

Saying Goodbye to 2013

Another fresh new year is here. Another year to live. To overpower our worries, doubts and fears. To love and laugh and give. To forget and forgive. To commit mistakes and learn from them. To improve ourselves and others. So let us be thankful that God continues to bless us another year.

However, my fellow friends, let us not forget all the incidents happened in our life this year, 2013. Let us ask ourselves. Did we achieve our goals? Did we manage to improve ourselves? Did we manage to fight and win the challenges which we faced? Did we hurt anybody? Did we forget and forgive our enemies? Are we happy? Are we satisfied? So let us look back our past, my fellow friends.
 
We all know that many things happened, not only in our lifes but also to our country. This year, the Philippines faced many tragedies, just like the crisis in Mindanao, the earthquake in Cebu and Bohol, the Typhoon 'Yolanda' which struck Tacloban and other incidents. Yes, many people's lives were changed, many people's love ones, homes were taken from them in just a blink of an eye, and this still marked in minds of many. Others were traumatized, others steal and kill to survive. How could we forget these incidents. But even though, the Philippines faced these problems, we still manage to stand up and fight. And that is something the world sees. That my friends is something we the Filipinos should be proud of. But let us look at the bright side, there are also many things that made Philippines a proud country right.

Not everytime, we will be successful, there is always failures. Yes, it is impossible that a person would not experience failures, right? Because I believe that before you succeed you always fail first. There are no people in the world, who did not fail. So don't lose hope my friends. We have another year. That is why God gave us another year right, to improve, to succeed. But let us not forget that to accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream: not only plan, but also believe. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

And for me, well, I could say that, I am very thankful to God for all the blessings, I receive, the patience, the strength, and all things that made Jeff, the Jeff you know. I am very thankful to my bestfriend in Brunei and my friends and families in Brunei and the Philippines, who is always been supportive and always there for me during my brightest and darkest hour and always making me happy. And yes, I faced many challenges, I learned from my mistakes, I accomplished many things, and I realized many things. And yes, I feel proud also that I helped other people with their problems. Thank you for trusting this Big Jeff. So always remember Jeff is always here to help, for you are not alone and I am not alone. But hahaha Unfortunately, I did not manage to fully accomplished one of my 2013 new year's resolution, and that is to get thin, hahaha maybe next year. How could I ever forget this year. The year, that I faced my new life in the Philippines and would you look at that, I survived.

Soon, the year 2013, will end, we will face another year,  another challenge, another journey for our journey, doesn't stop here, we must continue to fight, do not lose hope and continue to have faith to our God Almighty. Remember, on the first day of January is the first blank page of a 365 page book. So write a good one hahahaha. Good bye 2013, and Hello 2014.

Happy New Year to all my friends and wish u all the best. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

The Time for All

Would you look at that.... another year will end soon and Christmas is just around the corner.... Are you ready for Christmas? So let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and have a wonderful vacation yall.

So what is Christmas? Well It is the time for happiness, a time for joy, a time for love, a time for caring , a time for giving, a time for peace, a time for forgiveness,  a time for a feast (My favourite), a time for enjoyment, a time for relaxation, a time for our families, a time for our friends, and it is a time for all.

Yes we could say, Christmas is a time for all, and that is what makes it special. One thing that I mentioned before is that Christmas is a time for happiness, joy, love, giving and peace. Yes that is what I love about Christmas, everybody is smiling. I love people who keep on smiling and of course receiving and giving gifts is also my favourite, I mean who doesn't love it? Hahaha, If you have problems, forget it? Come on, you should enjoy. Love problems??? Well, Christmas is a time for love right, Is doesn't matter, whoever he is or she is, forget them for a while, remember many people around you care for you and love you, you are never been alone. Okay, be happy, It is Christmas.

And another thing which I love about Christmas, is the colourful surroundings and of course the different types of food, gosh I am excited. Yes, the Santa claus, the Christmas trees with a star on top of them, the Christmas lights, people caroling. It only happens once a year. Happiness is everywhere.

But what makes it more special is that, it is a time to forgive and forget. Sometimes it is hard to forgive and forget something bad, that a person did to you or to your friends. But we should keep in mind, that there are no perfect person on Earth except for our Almighty God. We all make mistakes, and that is human nature. We should learn to forget and forgive. Even I find it difficult to forget and forgive, well thanks to my friends, they made me realized that, what if the person I dislike, have problems, or whatsoever, what if, I am not in the right side, so I guess I should just let it be and forget. And it is Christmas, probably it is the right time to forgive and yes to  whoever you are, I forgive you.

Yes, indeed there are many things that makes Christmas  special. What makes Christmas even merrier, is that if you spend it with your family and friends. I just love spending my Christmas with all people who I care. I love eating with them, exchanging gifts with them, laughing with them. You see, the feeling during Christmas is something I can't explain, probably you might feel it that way too.

Christmas is time for all, Christmas is not just a simple holiday, but it is holiday with many purpose as I said earler, and that is what makes it very special. Be happy, forget and forgive, enjoy and give, for that is why Christmas is made at the first place right.

Merry Christmas to all and God Bless you my friends.

Our Ignorance

In our world today, ignorance is one of the common things we humans possess. But first of all, what is ignorance? Simply, it means lack of knowledge, education, or awareness. Many would say that ignorance is one of the biggest problems we all face nowadays.

Well I would like to ask you some questions. How much do you know about your government? How much do you know your country's history? How much do you know your rights as a citizen? How much do you care for your country? How much do you know your friends? How much do you know yourselves?

Why do you think I would waste my time to ask you those questions? Well the reason is that, I want you, my fellow friends, to think again and ask yourselves, do we know the answers to those questions? Well probably the answer is 'NO'.

To be honest, I am writing this because I am also a victim of my own ignorance. We must admit it, we are sometimes ignorant of our surroundings.

Sometimes we would judge people because of their looks and attitudes, sometimes we would criticize others for their actions, sometimes we would blame our government with their faults, sometimes we would forget others who really done something significant and ready to die for our country and instead we care more about a celebrity, sometimes we would do something which is against the law and sometimes we would do something that would not only hurt ourselves but also others.

Do you think, when you criticize, blame, or judge, are you always at the right side? Well think again, how can you be 100% sure with your conclusion? We must understand that in a scientific method, we can't conclude until we make observations, analyzations, experiments. Right? So be sure when you judge, or better don't judge.

Sometimes there are people who never smile and never talk to anyone,  maybe because he is protecting himself, but probably we would conclude that this person is a bad person. Sometimes there will be reports saying that this politicians are accused of corruption, but probably we would criticize him, but how can we be sure that he actually did it, it has not been prove yet. And yes I became a victim of judging.

Now, are we going to continue to close our eyes and be ignorant of our surroundings?  Are we going to let our ignorance overrule us? Are we going to accept our downfall? We should stop it, open our eyes, look for the truth and see the real truth. Let us help others and lead them to the right path. We can always change, it is never been too late to change. If we all will change, then we can make the world a better place. So remember my friends, don't let our ignorance take us away for it will only reward you harm.

Thank you for reading sirs and maams and thank you to my fellow friend, Lance, for giving me inspiration to write this blog. GOD BLESS YOU ALL....

The Leader

First of all, I would like to dedicate my 8th blog for this special day in the history of the Philippines, because today is the day one of our heroes was born, Andres Bonifacio. Its been 150 years since Bonifacio was born and still the Filipinos continue to honour this day.

Let me tell you a little background about Bonifacio. He is said to be father of Katipunan or also known as K.K.K, which is a secret organization which seeks and hungers for independence from the Spaniards for Bonifacio believes that the only way to achieve independence was to overthrow the Spanish Government ruling in the Philippines. Bonifacio is a great person and a great leader who have many dreams for his country and his fellow Filipinos. He inspired the Filipinos to join him and fight for their country. He opened the eyes of the other countries who is under the rule of another country that it is unfair that other countries is ruling their country and he is the one that made others realized that the 'Filipinos are worth dying for' just like Senator Ninoy Aquino, the father of our current president. That my friends is a great leader.

So what do you think is a good leader? Does a person with good looks makes them a good leader? Hahahah Of course not. Well if you would notice, most leaders in the world are good looking except of course for Hitler. hahahaha. But don't get me wrong my friends. The truth is I admire Hitler. Suprising? Well because Hitler has many talents and espeacially his expertise in public speaking that would really touch the hearts of the people listening to him. However he used all of this things not for good but for evil.

You see I never agree that some people said that not all can be a leader because I believe that everybody can be a leader because there are no people on earth who is born to be a leader. You have to earn it, work hard for it to make yourself become a leader. Agree? Well what does a leader must have and must do to make him a great leader?

A leader is a person that won't leave his subjects at any times, a leader will always be happy to serve his subjects, a leader listens to his people, a leader inspires his people to be the best, a leader must have commitment, a leader must be honest,  a leader must be responsible, a leader must be good in public speaking, a leader must always be ready to take risks and sacrifices, a leader must always be humble to the earth and most importantly  a leader must have a good attitude.

Do we need to have this abilities to become a leader? No, just like I said being a leader is learned and earned. Let me tell you my experience. You see the Jeff that my friends know today is an outgoing, fat, funny, friendly, insensitive kind of person. But back during my first year in high school, Jeff is a shy person who would not dare to speak in public or talk with other people. So what do you think changed me? I changed because I was given the oppurtunity to become a leader. I began to be exposed in several occasion and public speaking and seminars and so on. I began to meet many people and so it trained me to be more sociable, hehehehe. So as time goes by, the word SHY was gone in my dictionary. So being a leader really taught me a lot and I am thankful that I am like this now. But I can't gurantee myself as a good leader for I know there are others out there who are better than me. Now I decided to rest and to whoever will lead me, I could assure them that I will remain faithful to them.

So my fellow friends, we could say that being a leader is hard and have many responsibilities. But at the back of it you will learn and realize many things. However it is your decision always to accept your destiny to become a leader. I am not forcing you, after all, everybody can be a leader.

Thanks for reading sirs and maams, Happy Bonifacio day to all and God bless

The value of friendship

Friendship is one of the most beautiful thing on Earth, we need friends to share our thought, share our happiness and sadness in life. Friendship is also one of the things I value in life. However, not all of us know what is a real friend? how can you consider a person as your best friend?

Well a real friend is a friend that is faithful to you, a friend that you trust and who trust you, a friend that will always be there for you during your darkest times, a friend that will always help you stand up and never leave you when you fall, a friend that will always remind you to never give up and keep on fighting, a friend that will make you happy when you are sad, a friend that will protect you and a friend who will understand you.

Being with my friends is what brings me happiness and I guess without them I won't be who I am now. Now I understand why there is such a thing as friends.

All my life, I met many people who became my close friends but only one friend became my best friend. His nickname is Bob, he is from Brunei. For me he is the best, obviously. Well let me tell you the story of our friendship. Before I met him, Bob was a shy type of person and when I met him he changed because I broke his shell.  Hahaha. What I like about him is that we both have similarities when it comes to attitude and the only difference between us is our size, hehehe, For your info, I am fluffy. Hahah our other friends call us big and small. When we talk, you guys might think that we are girls, but trust me I am straight and I don't know about him, hehehehehe Just kidding, I hope he didn't read this.

Now that I am in the Philippines, I thought that he would forget me but I was wrong. Eventhough we are both far away we still communicate. Because of this, I proved to myself that friends are forever. I don't understand why others said that friends doesn't last long. But again I would also like to say thank you my close friends here in the Philippines, for many reasons, one would be accepting me as a friend.

However, there will also be other people acting as your friends, who would dare to stab you in the back. And I myself have experience that and yes it hurts but I don't blame them. I would prefer to blame myself. But of course it hurts but I prefer to forgot about that because I believe that I have many other friends out there who is a real friend.

But to be honest, one of the things which is my weakness other than food, would be my friends. I would never want them to be hurt by others, and yes I will do everything to protect them physically and mentally. Because it will break my heart to see them hurt. Well now you know I am big for a reason.

So for me really friends are very important. Without friends is hard. Life without them would be incomplete and miserable. So my fellow friends, remember a person can't live in this earth without a friend and believe that friendship does last forever and lastly remember that you can't face any challenges in life alone, you need a friend who will be there to say "You can do it."

I dedicate this to all my friends, hope you like it, Thanks for reading my fellow friends. GOD BLESS YOU ALL

The values of a smile.

Smiles, one of the important things I value in life. For me, smiling is what makes the world go round, believe me or not, I personally love smiling.

Well we all know that it takes more muscles and energy to frown rather than to smile, so why frown? Right. However, what does a smile mean? Simply it means that you are happy. But why do we need to smile? Well there are many good reasons why we need to smile.

One reason why we should smile is that we must be thankful that we are still alive and we have our family our friends, right? So smile while you are alive, just kidding. Hahaha. Another reason is that when we smile, we are not only making ourselves look happy but at the same time we make other people happy as well. Well that is the beauty of it, A smile can affect another person. When a person is sad and when we smile at him probably it will make him feel better. And another reason is that when we smile, people will have this impression that we are easily approachable and so in other words we can attract others. But make sure your smile is legitimate or correct or socially accepted and I dont mean that the seductive smile or even the evil smile is in the list of the smiles which is appropriate. Just use the simple smile, that is fine.

Well of course, what would be the use of our teeth and mouth if we dont use it to smile right. That is why God gave us this that would not only benefit us but also others. However there are many smiles that I won't forget. One would be my bestfriend's smile back in Brunei who has been one of my source of strenght there. In my life, I have seen many others with different types of the smile and then again another person I met here in the Philippines, with the same smile just like my bestfriend. But the funny thing was that both of them are born on the same month. Well now I am asking are everyone born on this month have the same smiles. So when I first met this person, his smile did something that changed my life.

His smile was filled with joy and his smile seems like that it had powers to attract others quickly. Well I really can't explain his smile. But I am pretty sure that the smile was a smile of a faithful, strong and a wise friend. So what do I mean that it changed my life, well because of that smile, it made me feel secure and it made me feel home again.

Every morning he comes to school with that smile always mades my day complete. That smile is also the reason why I survived here in the Philippines. Unfortunately, now something changed, the smile that I used to see know is now just a simple smile. That is why I know deep inside that eventhough he is smiling, he is in pain and yes it breaks the heart to see a close friend looking like that.

However, I still believe that his smile will return and rise again because I know that whatever challenges he face, he will still manage to smile. That is what I admired about him, his strength.

So my dear friends, eventhough we have many problems in life, we should not forget to smile, we must remember that any challenges faced will soon be gone. We must keep on fighting for that is what life is for, to fight and still we must not forget that we should always trust to our Lord our Saviour, for nothing is impossible to him. So keep on smiling people for every tomorrow is a new day.

Thanks for reading sirs and maams, God bless u all....

Past is Past

What is the past? Well the simple explanation would be the past is our History. The question is do we need to go back to our past or just completely forget our past? It won't change anything. Past is past, it won't come back. But how confident are you that it won't?

So again, do we need to go back to our past? Well the answer is again yes and no, why? Let me tell you why.

Let us start with yes. Why do we have bother about our past. Some people would say that it is useless to study our History. But we should understand that there is a saying that History repeats itself. Well it is possible and I myself believe in it.

So the reason why we should pay attention to our History is to understand the mistakes done by our ancestors and so that we can avoid making the same mistakes in our life again. In addition to that, History makes us realized that not all bad leaders are bad. If you notice, they are smart, they are wise but unfortunately they used their talent for evil. So what I am saying is that we can learn many things in History and by learning this things, we will become a better person.

But if you look at the other side, my fellow friends, sometimes people would prefer not to go back to their past. Can we blame them? That is a negative, we can't blame them. Because sometimes our past hurts and going back would just bring the pain back. Eventhough we know, that we have to face our past, forcing ourselves would be a bad idea. So that is why some people would prefer to forget. Perhaps forgetting the pains and sufferings we experience is better than remembering them,

Actually my dear friends, it is better to move on and continue to look forward at our future rather than to look back at our past. As an advisor, I always advice my friends that we should learn from the past and at the same time we should continue to move on and continue to fight, for our journey doesn't stops here, we will face more problems and challenges, we will fix our problems so keep going on and keep on fighting. The past is the past. So let us continue to rewrite our History for our History never ends.

Thanks for reading sirs and maams, hope you like it.... God bless

Love and Food

Hey, how you doing? Hope you are doing well. So my friends what comes in your mind when you see the title 'Love and Food' ? Well it is actually about the two things which are important in a person's life.

So let us start with love. What is Love? Well a simple explanation would be sharing. Loving is sharing, right? But of course sharing diseases to someone is not loving and sharing one person with another person is also not right. If you know what I mean. However, let us look at Merriam Webster's explanation. According to the dictionary love means strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. Oh whatever.

Now let me define food, hahahahaha. Well it is obvious food is the one you put inside your mouth that gives a person energy, hahahaha. Well for your information, I love food, who doesn't right? Well I prefer Italian food, how about you? Ok, somebody stop me, I am making myself hungry.

For me food is the love of my life for now. Well still waiting for someone though but I am not looking forward for it yet. Well you can call me selfish but thats my decision and nobody can change it. Well I guess I am still young and not yet mature for this yet. Besides there is still many different kinds of food out there waiting for me.

Now my fellow friends, can you live in earth without love? Its funny but some friends of mine said they can't. Well actually you can. However, can you live without food? Well of course I can't, how about you? Of course a person can survive without love but can't survive without food. So the lesson is don't be so obsssed with love.

Just like the what the song said "Too much love can kill you" So true. It is okay to love someone but make sure that you must also love yourself. Don't give everything to the person you love, leave some for yourself too. I mean why kill yourself for the person you love like Bruno Mars hahahaha if you remember his song 'Grenade'. That is not what I call love, I call it crazy.

So my fellow friends when you love someone, don't forget to love yourself. And lastly, there is no need to rush when it comes to love. They said love is slow dance. So have fun always but I don't mean you play with the person you love. Hehehehe

Thanks for reading sirs and madams, hope you love it.

Insults are just words.

An insult is an expression, statement (or sometimes behavior) which is considered degrading, offensive and impolite.
I guess everybody around the world have experience insults from other people, right? Hahaha

The question is, do we need to get hurt or to pay attention to this insults? The answer is yes and no. Surprising yet confusing, so let me elaborate more.

So lets start with yes, we have to listen. Sometimes we people can't really see what our attitude is to other people. Sometimes we don't realized that we are hurting them already. So analyze these insults to yourself, do you think you are doing this? If yes, then you have no choice but to change but some will still continue to do it for they think that they are in the right side. Well that depends on each other's principle.

Now with no, we should not listen. We have to understand that some just dislikes you because of who you are, well perhaps they are just jealous. But you should show them that you wont get affected with their insults. Well the reason is there is a possibility that they will just stop because whatever they do, you won't get mad.

For me, I treat insults as jokes. All my life, people been tellings insults such as "you are fat", "you re big", "you look like an elephant." However, even though people saying this to me, I just prefer laugh at them. I always believe If I'll be mad, then they will think I am sensitive. Not to mention, it is a waste of energy if you get mad. Words are just words, they won't hurt you if you won't allow them. But I also prefer to make my life as fun as possible, because if you will always be serious then you life on earth is boring and useless. In addition to that, I also have the passion with insulting myself because I believe that the best joke is insulting yourself rather than insulting and hurting others. Well I love playing safe so thats why.

So my friends insults are just words, its your decision if you would listen or not, but also keep in mind that insults is one of the reason why people suceeds, right? Life without insults would be incomplete. My only advice is have fun for you only live once or YOLO thats why. Hahahah

Thanks for reading sirs and maams. GOD BLESS

Challenges will come and go but the Filipinos remain strong

I never realized that for only a day Typhoon Yolanda can do such a big damage to the Philippines. For a day a lot of people's lives,  things,  love ones and homes were taken from them.

It was reported that Typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ one of the strongest typhoons on record struck the Philippines. Weather officials said ‘Yolanda’ had sustained winds of 235 kph (147 mph) with gusts of 275 kph (170 mph) when it made landfall. And it was reported that death toll in the Philippines could reach 10,000.

I am pretty sure, people will be asking why do they have to encounter this? But of course we can't avoid this. But even I keep on thinking, why the Philippines? As we all know that the problem in Cebu and Bohol is not yet finished and then Yolanda and a new Tropical depression called 'Zoraida' came to the picture, why? I can't help but ask why?

But I believe that all of this is just a test, a test of faith to our Lord our Saviour. So we should always trust and remain faithful to God. There will always be challenges in life and we can't avoid it. We have no choice but to face it. It is really a great blessing that many countries have donated to the Philippines for the victims of Yolanda.

Now the question is did the government acted fast? Well perhaps they do or do not. But as reported the Government have already informed the public that a super typhoon would hit the Philippines the day before the landfall. However people did not expect the sudden rise in the water levels.

Last night while watching news, it broke my heart, looking at my fellow Filipinos suffering. Can we recover from this? Of course why not.

But what I realized, eventhough they lose everything, they can still manage to smile. So to all my fellow Filipinos affected, we can do this and we must remain faithful to God. Just like what CNN said eventhough the Philippines was hit by many typhoons, we can still manage to stand again. After all we are Filipinos and that is what we Filipinos must be proud of. So lets continue to pray for the Philippines.

God bless the Philippines.

Facing my Mother land and knowing the values of friendship

Firstly let me introduce myself. I am Jeff Andrey B. Santos from the Philippines but born in Brunei.

After completing my high school years in Brunei, I decided to return to the Philippines with my father while my mother stayed in Brunei to continue my studies to be a future diplomat. And that for me is a big challenge

It is kind of embarrassing why would I be afraid of my own country, agree? Well its fear and i must overcome it. So before I left Brunei, I prayed to our Almighty God. I asked to give me strength to face my new life. When it is time for the plane to fly, I was really sad to leave my first home but i promised to myself that "I will return."

In the Philippines, of course you can't escape from culture shock, it will always get you. So I applied at the Ateneo University for college, but unfortunately I wasn't qualified enough for it. So then I applied to another university called Lyceum University and there i was accepted.

So before my School year starts, I faced many people and many things in my life that gave me strenght. I met a person whose father passed away early, and he told me his story that it is difficult for him not having his father beside him. But what I realized, he survived, so why can't I? So this person gave me strenght and the other thing is my faith to the Lord our saviour.

Now is the big climax of my life, is that entering my college life. The night before my first day I had a silly dream. In the dream, I went inside the classroom and then someone threw a paper ball at my face and everybody was laughing. What a dream?

The next day, I was really nervous on what to expect, I been asking myself is that nightmare of mine will come true. However, I was wrong. As i open the door, I was firstly greeted by one of my classmates that was one of my inspirations, his nickname was JD. As time goes by I met 4 more guys that became my hahaha shield, or my guardians in the classroom.

I met different kinds of people with different kinds of attitude. It is such a great feeling that eventhough you came from a different country, you are accepted by them and respects you. i never expect that.

Months passed, I began to get used with my surroundings and I was really happy with my life in the University. So one of my favourite friends which inspired me the most was Lance, he was such brilliant guy. When i first met him, he had this smile, a smile that made me happy and kind of remind me of my bestfriend back in Brunei. I don't understand but that smile have incredible powers. So let me tell you about this guy. He had many talents and some are his ability in photography, in writing and the way of talking in front of the class. But what made me inspired by him. Well the answer is his wise decisions, his strenght. And I must say, during the times that I want to give up, he is the one that always say. "Just trust in me" and what made me even happy is that he trusted me, he opened up to me about his life and for me that is a very great honour and I can't destroy that trust. Once he said he will always stand up to go against an idea which was supported by many and only him opposing it, so for me I am the one who will support him because I know that he can't handle that alone. Currently i feel sad with my friend, it hurts me to see him like that and I know eventhough that he is always smiling, I know that he is in pain and the reason why will be a secret. Hahahaha So all I can say is that he changed my life.

Again I met another person, let me call him Draco malfoy, who have such a terrible attitude and was disliked by many. I adviced him to change, and I am very surprised that he actually listened to this fat boy. To be honest, I never thought that he can changed. But then recently I asked him, "What happened?" He answered "You changed me." Of course that is something I must be proud of and am happy that he listened and another thing is that now he is open to me and he trusted me. That my friends is something. to be honest, I judge him, so again I learned from my lesson that everybody deserves a second chance.

So lastly my dear friends, the value of friendship is a big thing to me but of course family and food too. But friendship like family cannot be replaced. Now I understand many things that helped me be a better person. I know that God destined me to be in my school currently to be a better person, to help others and he knows that I am happy here and i realized that going back to the 
Philippines wasn't a bad idea hahaha. So God never dissapoints me, he gave me friends who became my strenght and so I would like to thanked our God for every blessings he gave me.

And now am proud to say that i have survived hahaha.
I dedicate this to my fellow friends, I love you all.