MSU Golf Course

When you go to MSU Marawi City, you will see the Golf Course. It is a 9-hole golf course laid out on the gentle greenery of the campus. Aside from golf, it is also a good place to relax, breathe the clean country air, and bathe under the gentle sun. You can also view from here the mountain of Sleeping Lady. When I was a kid, I always go there with my friends to play and to have a picnic. The letters of the MSU are also engraved on the grounds of the golf course.

ANOTHER INSPIRATION

I am inspired by the movie August Rush. When I watched this movie, it brought me tears. Just from the first scene, you will know that it is good. Evan used his talent to find his parents and he never gave up even if many troubles came his way. It proves to us that if you keep on trying hard on something, in the end you will be rewarded. Evan overcame all the obstacles and he never lost hope because he believed in God. If you also believe in God and yourself, nothing is impossible. Below is a synopsis of the movie. I hope you enjoy reading it.


AUGUST RUSH


This is a story of a music prodigy. Lyla is a renowned and beautiful cellist and Louis is a bass player in club. Lyla and Louis falls in love once they meet each other following the music. Since they have different life, they have to separate without seeing each other once again. However, Lyla has had their baby-Evan, a prodigy born to music. Lyla has an accident and bears the baby but Lyla's father gives the baby to an orphanage but does not tell her this in case of affecting her career. After that, both Louis and Lyla give up the music career. Eleven years later, the poor little Evan believes that their parents are waiting for him and goes to New York to find his parents. In New York, his music gift leads him to success but also gives him some trouble. A monger uses Evan to make money and prevents him from success. He escapes and runs into a church and people there are surprised by his gift and send him to the best music school, Juilliard. In the Juilliard school, he receive the normal education but his genius makes him brilliant and created his composition--August Rhapsody in C major. At the same time, Lyla and Louis both begin to play music again and Louis has been in New York. Because of his perfect performance, Evan is granted an opportunity to play his music in the central park in front of thousands of people. There are totally three composers and he is feathered last, in fact, his mother is the second one. As Evan is directing the orchestra to play his rhapsody, Lyla and Louis come to the concert following the music again. The family get together finally.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Activity 7

Deforestation is clearing Earth's forests on a massive scale, often resulting in damage to the quality of the land. Forests still cover about 30 percent of the world’s land area, but swaths the size of Panama are lost each and every year.
The world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years at the current rate of deforestation.
Forests are cut down for many reasons, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families.The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more room for planting crops or grazing livestock. Often many small farmers will each clear a few acres to feed their families by cutting down trees and burning them in a process known as “slash and burn” agriculture.
Logging operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper products, also cut countless trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forests—which leads to further deforestation. Forests are also cut as a result of growing urban sprawl.
Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Seventy percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.
Deforestation also drives climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water vapor back into the atmosphere. Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts.
Removing trees deprives the forest of portions of its canopy, which blocks the sun’s rays during the day and holds in heat at night. This disruption leads to more extreme temperatures swings that can be harmful to plants and animals.
Trees also play a critical role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming. Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere—and increased speed and severity of global warming.
The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees. Though deforestation rates have slowed a bit in recent years, financial realities make this unlikely to occur.
A more workable solution is to carefully manage forest resources by eliminating clear-cutting to make sure that forest environments remain intact. The cutting that does occur should be balanced by the planting of enough young trees to replace the older ones felled in any given forest. The number of new tree plantations is growing each year, but their total still equals a tiny fraction of the Earth’s forested land.

HERO

Activity 6

I consider my father as my hero because for me, a hero is one whom you look upon too. They are your inspiration and they give you strength. You want to be like them and make them proud of you. My father has led a hard childhood. I admire his perseverance in studying and I also admire his intelligence. Most old people have already forgotten the things that they’ve learned in school but my father still remembers it even if he’s fifty eight now. If I have assignments that I can’t answer, I let him answer it. Too bad he’s not here with me. He’s working abroad so I can’t ask him if ever I have a difficulty in mathe. He’s really unbelievable. It’s maybe because he reviews all he learned so he can’t forget it. Sometimes I don’t want to study but when I think of him, I feel bad that I end up studying. He always encourages us to always study hard because he believes that if you finish your studies then you can have all you want and you can then enjoy your life. He may appear strong and strict from the outside but I know that deep inside, he’s not that strong. I never saw him cry but I think there are times that he’s crying inside. He just didn’t let us see it. Sometimes I pity him. He’s working so hard, as in everyday but in return, all we gave him were more trouble. I tell myself to not disappoint him but I do so sometimes. I really respect him.

The Carpenter’s Gift

Activity 4

The story led me to realize that I should be the bridge builder if ever I had a misunderstanding with someone. Aside from it strengthening your friendship with that person, it will also bring joy to you both. The saying that conflict makes friendship grow stronger is really true. Because if you don’t have a fight or misunderstanding with a friend, then you won’t know their true colors. It brings out the bad in them and you will realize each other’s true attitude that you won’t be shocked if ever you have a fight again and you will know what to do next time you have a conflict. You have nothing to hide anymore and that will make you even closer. The conflict will also lead you to choose if you want to continue your friendship or just forget it. Well, the decision is yours.

Whenever I have a conflict with my older sister, I think I am the fence builder. I don’t approach her and apologize but rather the other way around. Even if it was my fault. Well, she should be because she’s older (that’s my pride talking). It seems like we always fight for the past few days. I don’t like her nowadays that I wish she go back to her boarding house. But I also feel lonely whenever she’s not around. As time passes by, the pain lessens and we forgot about them. Time heals everything. That’s why you should let the person cool down first before you try to talk some sense into them because if you do it when they’re angry, then it won’t change a thing. Everything you say or do won’t agree to them. I think that is also one of the reasons why the brothers were easily brought together again because a lot of time has passed already. It caused them to miss each other and they realized that they are the only ones who can help each other because they are family.

Nobody stops to say Thank You anymore

Activity 3.2

I agree with the author. Our manners are at a mess right now. It’s like we forgot them because nobody uses them anymore. Only some. It’s like now, it’s just normal to us to not to say thank you and sometimes, it will be more a shock to hear your friend say thank you if you haven’t heard her say thank you even once. So I think, rather than say thank you, they avoid saying it because they want to avoid to be teased.

The parents also are to blame because they are the first to teach the child. It must be that since a child, they must train them. The earlier, the younger, the better. Because during those age, the children are easier to teach. Train them as early as possible.

Another influence also is the TV because nowadays, it’s common to hear curse words in the TV that the children, who are always at home can also learn. The government must warn the TV stations to avoid using curse words because those are bad for the children. I was reminded of a documentary that I’ve watched recently. It was about a 4 year old girl who was raped by a 12 year old boy. When asked, the boy said that he saw it at the TV of their neighbors. That was how he learned about it. No matter how much the girl’s family wanted him to be imprisoned, they can’t because his underaged and it is stated under the law that children under the age of 15 can not be called criminals because they are also victims. Like the children, if ever you hear them use curse words then you can’t blame them. The blame will always fall to those older than them.

A reflection on the story of Hani

Activity 3.1

The story is about Hani who has the courage to believe in herself despite her educational and financial background. I used to be like that before. During those times when we were not having a good life, I mean when we don’t have that much money, I studied better compared to now. Because my determination then to be a top student is greater because I wanted to finish early to help my family. When you are poor, it will make you strive harder. But if you’re not struggling in terms of money, then you won’t do that right? Because you’ll just say to yourself that I don’t need to study because we are rich. That is most likely will be your reaction. The story had led me to realize how I was like before. For me, I like the me before than now. Because I think since I went to study in Jeddah, I’ve changed. I don’t study hard unlike before and I learned how to criticize others from the influence of those around me. But if I also have the determination to be back to the way I was before, which is the studious one, then I believe that I can do it. If Hani can, then so can I.

Comments on Shrek 4

Activity 2

When I watched the trailer, it was so good and it makes you expect a lot on the movie but when I’ve watched the movie, it was a little boring. I watched it alone actually. When I am watching it, I am like, “why is it so long? When will it end?” Lucky for me, I wasn’t the one who bought the CD. It was my sister. The movie was okay but I liked the first one more, which is the Shrek one, where Shrek rescued Fiona there.

I didn’t enjoy it much. Maybe it was because I am alone when I watched it. Just why I didn’t feel it. Maybe. The effects are good but I am not that familiar with the soundtracks used. The plot of the story was simple, and it ended with a happy ending, as a fairy tale should be. The title of the movie is "Shrek 4 - Forever after". it is the final of the Shrek series and it goes like this:

Shrek was tired of his life and he felt that nothing is interesting in his life anymore. His routines everyday doesn’t change. It was always repeating. When the first birthday of his children came, many of his fans came to him to get an autograph, but he was so busy managing the party. They are always disturbing him. When the cake of his children was eaten by the pigs, and it was so noisy around him, he was so fed up that he screamed out of frustration. He and Fiona also had a fight about it so he just went home. On his way home, he met Rumplestiltskin. They had a drink and he confessed his problems to his new friend. He said that he wanted to go back to the way it was before where the people around him were scared of him. He wanted to feel like an ogre again and he wanted to live peacefully in his swamp. Hearing his problems, Rumplestiltskin offered him a contract where Shrek can go back to one day of his life. It was any day that he like to go back to. So they made a pact. But unfortunately, Shrek was duped and he was sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away -- where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met. It was the day that he wasn’t yet born. The only way to break the contract is true love’s kiss. So he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

The lesson that I learned in the movie is that be contented of what you have. Do not wish for something because you might end up losing everything that you have. You will only realize how important a thing or a person is until they are gone, which proves that regret is always at the end. So take care of all those people around you because you'll never know when they'll be gone. Cherish every moment that you spend with your loved ones and be thankful of everything.

My Missions in Life

Activity 1

My Missions in Life

My mission in life is to become a doctor. Ever since I was a child, I really wanted to become a doctor. Aside from it having more than enough salary, you can also help people. I started having this dream when I was in elementary because before, when my father’s contract in Saudi Arabia was finished (I was six years old at that time), we suffered how hard it is to live if you don’t have enough money, plus the fact that we are thirteen in the family. So there are many mouths to feed. So during those times, I told myself that I wanted to be a doctor to help my family. I told myself that I need to become rich. So I studied hard. But I guess I didn’t do my very best then. Even though I did more than okay in my studies, I failed to surpass the highest grade in our class. My parents expected a lot on me but somehow, I seem to disappoint them.

I also wanted to become a doctor to bring joy to my parents. My father also wants me to become a doctor so I need to study hard first. Studying is a stepping stone for me in order to become a doctor. So right now, I have to do it step by step. I need to focus on my studies and become a cum laude. That is my goal in these four years, to become a cum laude. Hopefully. I don’t want to waste the money and effort that my parents exerted upon me. Sometimes I feel bad because in our family, I think I am the only one who spends so much money. Last month only, they had to sent me money ‘twice’. Whenever my father calls, he always tells me to study hard and learn how to budget. So little by little, I am trying to learn now. But there are those times also that you face different temptations. The only thing to do about them is to learn to avoid them.

Like I’ve said, I can only pursue my mission if I study. Not just study but study hard, better if harder. I must avoid those persons or things who bring bad influences to me. Above all, I need to pray to God. I must not forget Him in all the things that I do. Aside from God, me, myself, am the only one who can help me. I must be determined in what I do. My inspirations are my parents and my family. I also need to love what I do. I mean, I “love” what I do, in my own way. But there are those subjects that I find to be boring. What I need to do is I just need to think of them as interesting and I need to love them. I need to be serious also in my life. I also need to strengthen my weaknesses by facing them. Example of it is my weakness to speak the bisaya language. I hope that when I graduate from college, I am fluent to it by then. It is one of the obstacles that I need to get through.

In the future, after I become a doctor (I hope so), I also want to become a surgeon. Regardless of how many years it will take me to become a surgeon, in the end, I know that it will be worth it. By then, I want to work abroad. It’s not that I don’t like it here in our country. It’s just that in terms of salary, I don’t think that I will progress here. I need to think of myself first before my country. Well, I can just help my country after I’ve saved enough money. That’s what I need to do in order to survive. Grab the opportunities as they come. I hope many opportunities will come into my life.

If I’m a surgeon by then, I can now help my family. I can now repay my parents for all the sacrifices that they’ve done for me. I want to send them money also for them to enjoy. Speaking of family, I don’t think that I will marry early. Of course those time will come that I have to have my own family but for now, my priorities are my studies. One of the things also that I’ve learned in our family is that never to give birth to many children. I admit that the more, the merrier. But in reality, before doing something, you have to think about it first. If you think you can provide for them, then go. But if not, do not force yourself. So I plan to have only a small family. Four children or less will do. In terms of husband, I have to find that man whose finances are stable. Because in this world, money is always an issue. You must be wondering why I always mention money. Well, it’s not that I’m “mukhang pera” (used to describe someone who has the propensity to acquire money, a worldly person, someone who values money and riches above everything else), you know. I’m just being practical. That’s why I plan to marry when I already become a surgeon and even if I’m married, I want to work. You can’t always depend on you r husband because you’ll never know what might happen. Better to be prepared than sorry.

These are just some of my missions in life. But my first and foremost mission of course is to worship God. Without Him, I don’t know how I can do all these things. I hope that He guide me in all the things that I do and never to let me stray in my path. May God bless me.