Saturday, 25 February 2012

SEE YOU LATER (part 1)

-Authour's note:
My first ever chapter story.. Sana magustuhan nyo po. Feel free to leave some comments/suggestions about this post. Thanks in advance sa mga magbabasa. :D

Chapter 1:

“Ma, alis na po ako ah? Malelate na po ako. Uuwi rin po ako bago maghapunan.”
“O sige anak. Ingat ka ha?”

Si Jazel, isang Mascom student sa isang sikat na unibersidad sa ating bansa. Hindi siya mayaman, ngunit hindi rin naman nagkukulang sa buhay at sa pagmamahal ng kanyang pamilya. Skolar sya rito at kilala sa kanyang likas na kabaitan at angking kagandahan.

Eto nga at nagmamadali na siya, may usapan sila ng kanyang mga kaklase upang gawin ang tambak tambak na research sa kanilang English subject na nakatakda ng ipasa kinabukasan.

“Jazel: hala! Nasan na sila? Naku! Mukhang umuwi na yata ang mga yun. Hindi na nila ako nahintay.”

Hindi naman ugaling mahuli ni Jazel sa mga ganitong usapan ngunit kinailangan niyang bantayan ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid dahil walang maaring maiwan sa kanilang bahay ng umalis ang kanyang mga magulang.

Napagpasyahan na lamang nyang tapusin mag-isa ang proyekto. Nagtungo siya sa Starbucks kung saan dapat sila magkikitang magkakaklase.

“hmmm, no choice na ako. Kailangan ko ng tapusin mag-isa ito. Waaah! Bakit ganon hindi ako maka connect sa internet?”

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, Napag-alaman niyang nagkaproblema ang wi-fi connection ng stablishment. Nagkataong narinig ng isang lalake ang kanyang problema at tinangkang mag-offer ng kanyang maitutulong.

“Miss, hello! I’m Jerwin. Narinig ko nga pala ang problema mo. Baka pwede akong makatulong?”

“hello din! Talaga? Matutulungan mo ako pero paano?”

“may dala naman akong Globe Tattoo Broadband dito. Ito, pwede mong gamitin.”

“naku salamat, ahmmm.. ano na nga ulit ang pangalan mo?”

“Ah, Jerwin nga pala. Eh Ikaw?”

“Ah, oo nakalimutan ko nga palang sabihin. I’m Jazel. By the way, mahilig ka rin pala sa cappuccino?”

“Ah, oo. Hilig namin ng tatay ko. Sige, pwede ka ng magsimula.”

Matapos ang isang oras ay natapos ang dalaga sa kanyang Gawain at nagpasalamat kay Jerwin.

“Ang bait mo naman. Salamat ha? Paano ba ako makakaganti sa kabaitan mo?”

“Agad na tumugon si Jerwin, come with me. Libre ko!”

“Wow! Ako pa ang ililibre eh ako na nga ang nakihiram?”

“Basta, I wanna know you more Jazel.”

Sa isip-isip noon ni Jazel ay mukhang mabait naman ang lalake. Hindi naman sya nito pag-aabalahang tulungan kung masamang tao lang ito.

“Pssst! Ano tara na! Wag kang mag-alala, harmless ako.”

“Sige tara na!”

“Ano san na tayo Jerwin?”

“Nood tayo ng sine. Balita ko maganda daw yung won’t last a day without you nila Sarah at Gerald eh. Ano payag ka ba?”

“Oo favorite ko kaya sila and in fact, I’m planning to watch. Wala lang kasama eh. Now is the perfect moment.”

Pagdating sa sinehan ay sobrang daming tao. Ang dalawa naman ay pumwesto sa may gitna bandang taas na upuan.
Enjoy na enjoy ang dalawa sa pinanonood habang pinagsasaluhan ang kanilang biniling popcorn.

“Haaay! Ang ganda naman nun. Kainggit naman sina Dj Heidee at Andrew.”

“Naks! Bakit Jazel, nagka love life ka na ba?”

“Hmmm, secret! Ikaw muna.”

“Aba at marunong ka ah.”

“Syempre naman!”

“Ano bang sa tingin mo sa akin?”

“Tingin ko marami na eh. Feeling ko, chickboy ka sa inyo at marami ka ng pinaiyak na babae.”

“ehem, ehem, ehem, grabe naman!”

“hahahahaha! Eh tignan mo? Nasamid ka nga jan eh. Baka it pertains na totoo?”

“Well, you gotta find that out. Teka, maaga pa naman, marunong ka bang kumanta? Videoke tayo!”

“Eyyy! Wag na no. Nakakahiya naman.”

“Tara na! That’s part of our date.”

“Date??? Date ka jan!”

“A friendly date. Bakit ano bang iniisip mo?”

“Wala. O sige na nga, kanta na tayo. Bilisan mo at baka magbago pa ang isip ko.”

Hindi naman gaanong marami ang tao kaya’t madali silang nakakuha ng room.
Pagpasok ay agad na kinantyawan ni Jerwin si Jazel na kumanta.

“Sige na mauna ka na. Ladys’ first.”

“Ano naming kakantahin ko? Duet nalang tayo. Ikaw nag-aya ditto eh at tsaka para fair.”

“Sige, ito nalang Please be careful with my heart. Favorite ko to.”

“Favorite mo nanaman? Weird ha? Ang dami nating pagkakahawig. Una dun sa favorite brand ng iniinom na kape tapos ngayon naman sa kanta.”

“Ewan. Baka destiny?”

Sabay tugtog ng kanta at nagsimula ng umawit si Jazel.
Batid ang kanyang magandang tinig na sadyang nagpatulala kay Jerwin.
Kung hindi pa sya kinurot ng dalaga ay hindi nya malalamang sya na ang sunod na kakanta.

Ang isa ay nasundan pa ng dalawa, tatlo, apat, at limang kanta.
Sadyang pangdalawahang mga awitin ang kanilang napiling kantahin.

“Jazel, ang galing galing mo naman. Eh talo mo pa jan sa boses mo si Sarah eh?”

“Tumigil ka nga. Ikaw rin naman eh. Kaya siguro ang dami mong nabobolang babae.”

“Totoo naman ang sinabi ko eh. Ang tulad ko, kailanman ay hindi nambola.”

Inabot ng tatlong oras ang kanilang pamamasyal, kwentuhan at pagkikilanlan.

“Naku Jerwin! Kailangan ko ng umuwi.”

“Oh maaga pa ah? Tsaka hindi ka ba muna sasabay sa akin na magdinner?”

“Gusto ko sana kaso kailangan makarating ako sa bahay bago maghapunan eh.”

“Ah, ganon ba? Sige naiintindihan ko.”

Akma ng aalis si Jazel ng maalala nyang hindi man lang nya nakuha ang # ng babae.

“Jazel wait!”

“Oh bakit?”

“ah,ah,eh, pwe-pwede ko bang makuha ang # mo?”

“Ngumiti ang dalaga at sinabing, “# mo nalang ang kukunin ko. Pag-iisipan ko kung gusto kitang itext.”

“Hindi ka ba nag-enjoy? Magkikita pa naman tayo ulit diba?”


Wala ng nagawa si Jerwin sa kondisyon ng dalaga. Pagkabigay ng kanyang # ay naghiwalay na ang dalawa.

“Alam ko mapapanaginipan mo ako mamayang gabi. So, see you later.”

“Mr. Confident ah. Sige bye!”

Pag-uwi sa bahay:

“Oh anak! Tamang tama ang pagdating mo. Tara na’t kumain.”

Samantalang si Jerwin naman ay pauwi na at bigla nyang nakasalubong ang isa sa kanyang mga x.

Mabait itong si Jerwin ngunit likas na babaero. Sino ba namang aayaw sa lalakeng miztiso, matangkad, mayaman,Artistahin, at bokalista ng kanilang sikat na sikat na banda. Hindi siya nalalayo sa actor na si Richard Gutierrez kaya hindi na nakapagtataka kung bakit napaka raming naghahabol na babae sa kanya.

Ito si Faith. Dalawang lingo pa lamang noong magkahiwalay sila ni Jerwin dahil nalaman niya ang pagiging chickboy nito.

“Oy chickboy! Ang agad na bati ni Faith.”

Samantalang si Jerwin ay hinanap ang pinanggalingan ng boses na iyon.

“Oh Faith, ikaw pala yan. Ang sexy natin ah? Mag-isa ka yata? Hindi ka pa rin ba move on sa akin?”

“Malakas na sampal naman ang ganti ni Faith sa lalake. Ang kapal mo talaga no? Sabi na nga ba dapat hindi na kita pinag-aksayahan pa  ng oras eh. Jan ka na nga?”

“Ang sungit mo naman! Naku natatandaan ko, pang 3rd day pala nyang period mo. Galing ko no? kabisado ko pa rin ang schedule nyang ano mo kahit hindi na tayo.”

“Namula ang babae at dali daling tumakbo sa kahihiyang inabot.

Samantala, hagikhikan naman ang maririnig mo mula sa mga nakarinig ng kanilang usapan.

“Anong tinatawa-tawa nyo jan? Tapos na ang shooting. Kita nyong umalis na ang kontrabida eh?”

Pag-uwi ni Jerwin ay agad agad nyang hinanap ang kanyang iPhone 4S.

Sana nagtext na sya ang sambit sa sarili. Sana!
Ngunit biglang sumimangot ng Makita nyang wala man lang ni isang text mula sa 69 messages na kanyang natangap.

Badtrip naman! Wala pa rin. Kanya na lamang nasambit sa sarili.

Nang biglang tumunog ang kanyang cellphone, ang mensahe ay nanggaling sa isang unknown number.

“Jerwin thank you kanina. I enjoyed your company. – Jazel”

Matapos nito ay sinubukan nya pang magpadala ng mga mensahe mula sa dalaga ngunit wala na syang natangap pa na textback mula rito.

Nakahanda naman ng matulog si Jazel ng kanyang maalala ang sinabi kay Jerwin, “Nag-enjoy ako ng sobra. At yung tungkol sa pagkikita natin? Hmm, well tignan natin kapag napanaginipan kita mamayang gabi ibig sabihin makikipagkita ulit ako sayo.”

Napangiti at hindi kalaunan ay nakatulog na rin…

Friday, 24 February 2012

"Don't forget me my Child!"


This morning, our psychology professor asks us the thing/person which we usually fail to remember. I’m so downhearted with most of their response. “I tend to forget God. How good he is. How he make my life colorful. I mostly calls him, seeks him, every time only that I have my hardships.”
Those are what most answers were.

Do not mistake what it means to forget God. There are subtle ways of forgetting God that creep into our lives if we are not careful. We forget God when we live as if He doesn't exist. We claim His Name and do our religious duties, but our daily lives are lived as if He isn't even there. We speak His Name but our worship is not exclusively His, other gods get our attention and worship as well. Gods such as materialism, humanism, work, family, education, self. Such are our gods of Baal that worm their way into our lives if we are not careful. To worship God along with others is to forget Him and not to worship Him at all.

In his book "The Screwtape Letters" C. S. Lewis has Screwtape advising Wormwood that it is all right that "his patient," the person whose spiritual demise Wormwood was responsible, was going to church. In fact he says he is "almost glad." Screwtape goes on to explain that it is good that the patient thinks he is a Christian when indeed he is far from God, for this demise is the most subtle of all. William Willimon, Professor of Preaching at Duke University, said that more often than not Christians are "practicing atheists." Saying there is a God and living like there is a God is two different things. God is more than a "higher power." He is more than "the Man upstairs." He is more than the one who is "watching us, from a distance."

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God. "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth . . . If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroy.

Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day.
Job 8:12-13 whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withered before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish.

I came across this little story or parable in a book and I would
like to share it with you today.
One afternoon a shopper at the local mall felt the need for a coffee break.  She bought herself a little bag of cookies and put them in her shopping bag.  She then got in line for coffee, found a place to sit at one of the crowded tables, and then taking the lid off her coffee and taking out a magazine she began to sip her coffee and read.  Across the table from her a man sat reading a newspaper.
After a minute or two she reached out and took a cookie. As she did, the man seated across the table reached out and took one too.  This put her off, but she did not say anything.
A few moments later she took another cookie.  Once again the man did so too.  Now she was getting a bit upset, but still she did not say anything.
After having a couple of sips of coffee she once again took another cookie.  So did the man.  She was really upset by this especially since now only one cookie was left.  Apparently the man also realized that only one
         cookie was left.  Before she could say anything he took it, broke it in half, offered half to her, and proceeded to eat the other half himself.  Then he smiled at her and, putting the paper under his arm, rose and walked off.
Was she steamed?  Her coffee break ruined, already thinking ahead of how she would tell this offense to her family, she folded her magazine, opened her shopping bag, and there discovered her own unopened bag of cookies.
I like that story - it makes me think about how well God treats
me even when I am not treating him well or thinking all that
kindly about him.
It also makes me think about how, sometimes, I do not really
appreciate what I have or act like I know where it has come from. 
It serves as a kind of reminder to me.
         Do not say to yourself, "my power and the might of my own
         hands have gotten me this wealth."  But remember the Lord
         you God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth,
         so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your
         ancestors, and as he swearing to you today."
It speaks so well of what we all know somewhere in our hearts,
but often seem to forget in our actions and our attitudes.
It speaks of how everything we have is a gift from God,
a gift worked upon by our hands, most certainly;
a gift perhaps even enhanced by our own strength,
but a gift none-the -less,
for God gives us the hands we need,
and God gives us the strength we have.
What do you think would happen if each one of us suddenly became
a more thankful person?  If all of us suddenly became a more
appreciative people?
I don't know what comes to your minds, but I believe No one likes to be taken for granted or to see someone that
they love taking things for granted.
All of us like to be appreciated,
all of us like to be thanked,
and all of us, I believe, like to see those we love 
live thankful lives, appreciative lives, so much so that we teach our children this virtue
- at our supper tables,
- during birthday parties, 
- in the middle of visits from their grandparents,
- and just about any time that they are receiving something
from someone or asking someone for something.
but as we think with holy and prayerful minds today,
as we thank God for the harvest we are all enjoying,
I ask you - as I ask myself - where is your sense of thankfulness at? 
How complete is it? 
How deep does it run in your life?
These activities which he asked us to write down made me think and realize tons of matters.
Let’s also reflect on this.
Be blessed!

-AbbieBirthday

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

"JUST S-M-I-L-E!" :)

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word,
a listening ear, and honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around."



Actually, there isn’t any art behind it. Just that you were born to be happy, and you can show this happiness with that beautiful smile of yours. C’mon! Let’s see it. :) Okay, go!!!


To some extent, we all know how to spot a genuine smile, basically this formula:
 genuine smile = crinkly eyes

 We are all sensitive to this genuine scale, so why then is it that when when we cross paths with a stranger or casual acquaintance in the elevator, we give them a fake smile?
That 'polite smile' you know what i'm talking about.
(don't get me wrong, I do this too, unconscious at grocery stores, on streets, while waiting for something.)

The lesson? Smile with your eyes! Feel it genuinely and it will come out naturally..
Note: I am now smiling as I write this article. I love it! Thank you for reading and allowing me to express myself creatively.

A smile is so simple, yet so powerful. Some noticeable effects of externalizing your internal joy are:

  • People will be attracted to you – I don’t mean sexually (well, maybe that too), but people will feel drawn to your energy. When you smile more, you will carry an aura and poise that will draw people to you. People will look forward to be around you, knowing only that they feel great around you. People on the street, at work, your friends etc. We all like and want to be around happy and cheerful people, right?
  • Optimistic – You’ll feel more positive about yourself and the world.
  • Happiness & Joy – A smile is an expression of happiness and joy in you. Like an upward spiral, a smile will boost the happiness you feel.
  • Healthy – A smile can affect your internal state, which can have physiological impact on your physical and mental health.
  • Approachable – A smile is so welcoming and will make people feel more at ease.
  • Making Other People Happy – A smile has the power to make other people feel good about themselves. It’s heart-warming and has the power to cheer up others instantly.
  • Smiles Are Contagious – Others can quickly and easily catch it and will experience the above ‘side effects.


  • Smile at Strangers -You know those times when we cross paths with a stranger or accidentally catch someone’s gaze, and we (both) would suddenly look away in awkwardness or pretend we are looking at something else? Well, the challenge is to give them a big smile. A genuine smile, showing teeth and everything.
More Tips To Bring Smiles into Your life:

  • Smiling Journal – For two weeks, record the moments that brought out your wonderful smile. If you are ever feel down, flip through this book to be reminded of things that make you smile. Experience those moments and notice your state shift to a positive one. You cannot be both angry and smiling at the same time. I learned in physiological psychology that if the physical action conflicts with that of your feeling, the feeling inside will shift to match that of your outer sensation. One way to shift your emotion is to change your physiology.
  • Appreciation – Identify things that you are grateful for. Then focus on those things as much as possible.
  • Humor – Make a point to watch a comedy movie. To go a comedy club. Hang out with people who make you laugh.
  • Go On a Self Date – When we feel more connected with ourselves, we feel more joy and tend to naturally smile more.
  • Find Innocence - Observe a small child or a pet at play with total ease and freedom. Watch their innocence, enjoy their presence and yours. Are you smiling? Do you feel happy for them? That’s because you are connecting with the same innocence within yourself.

What makes you smile? Who made you smile today? Share your joy and happiness in a comment! See you there. *smile* <3

-AbbieBirthday