From My World To Yours

Author's Note: The following post was intended to be published by the day it was written. But because  I was busy and tired, it was just posted today. 

I haven't expected that I'll meet a person of grace and high spirits like you in this third-year life. I haven't thought that I'll have a close friend who is jolly and kind, and has lots of good vibes in her nerves.

I really don't know how will I begin this simple blog, but every now and then I'm planning to write my heart out for a friend like you.

You're one of a kind, truly. A lass who likes manga* a lot. An anime fan, or in their world, otaku. A clever student for years. A young girl who is pretty and nice, friendly and happy.

You're also a jack of all trades. You can dance with gladness. You can also sing well. You also speak English with eloquence. You act roles gracefully. And perhaps, I would see you someday with an electric guitar rocking with a band. You can be fit in almost anything.

What I admire in you is that you can be in good vibes with anyone. You have that ability to relate with anybody. Also, you never lose positive energy. It's evident in the way you shout your heart out and laugh out loud in every conversation you have with others and with me.

And now, for this special day for you, I just want to greet you a very happy birthday.

But first and foremost, to let you know, I'm sorry for those times when I had gone mad and bad at you. I'm sorry for imposing an unlikely attitude towards you. I'm sorry for making you lose your positive energy. For making you sad and crying. And thank you for forgiving me so.

Thank you for being a friend that you are to me. Thank you for considering me as your brother, your kuya in the class. Thank you for letting me know that even though I can't avoid being serious at times, I also have to be of good cheer and live the light way...to stay happy and be grateful.

For another year that God has given you in your life, I wish you more blessings in your personal life and in your family, as well as a better future ahead. I hope you'll continue to enjoy life as it is as you enjoy it today, no matter how challenging it is. Do continue to work hard on your studies and never forget to trust in Him. Go for your dreams, my friend. Stay happy. Stay young.

And before I forget, may you always remember that you have a classmate, a friend, a brother here to chat and laugh with. A person you can talk to for help.

A friend you call as kaichou.

Happy Birthday.

***

*Manga(man-ga) is a Japanese term for comics.

Such A Loss (Last part of the series)

After several hours of closing my eyes to sleep that afternoon, I reviewed on 3 remaining subjects for me to take on Friday. Those three were English, Geometry—another major subject this second year, and the very tough of them all—Social Studies.

I needed to review lots and lots of information on that subject. It's like carrying and storing on your mind 3 or more books as big as almanacs, dictionaries, or those books from Preston and McGraw-Hill.

Yet, it seemed that I reviewed those things fast, I think. I took them fast, assuming and looking forward to pass them all.

I geared myself up the next day for this final day of examinations. I really did pushed myself through reviewing SocStud(It shouldn't be SocSci) and keeping those lessons inserted and refrigerated on my mind for future use.

While I worked on it, I began to take the first test.

As a youth engaged to literature and writing, I appreciate English. For the second quarter, we recalled pronouns and the manner of using it. I answered the test fairly well. I filled each blanks, encircled words, and underlined pronouns as correctly as possible. After checking my answers, I passed the gray-colored test paper, with optimism that I would pass that test. Then, I went on studying for the "quarter-pound" Soc. Stud.

After those reviews all by myself, I decided to discuss such chunks of knowledge with my classmates. I helped myself to fill my mind with those facts that I needed to have a very nice mark on my next exam.

After that review outside the classroom, the teacher called us to get inside the room. We used the remaining time reviewing up until the time when the papers were facing us students.

At some moment, I thoughtlessly counted down the seconds on the clock before the long hand rose up to number 12. And because of that, my classmates who were near to where I sat spoke up to stop my counting down. So I stopped.

And upon that happening, my mind popped up! It seemed that the storage had to release some bits and pieces that I've taken while reviewing.

No, not all was popped away. It looked like those stacked knowledge went from its boundaries to scatter themselves all around my persistent and compressed mind.

We were about to face the hardcore test. The papers were ready, just like meals served on a dish covered with a semi-sphere cover. As each of us reached for the papers, we skimmed at its contents

As I skimmed it, I was overwhelmed! My mind was all stirred up!

To the ordinary man that would be "so tough!" To the girls, that would be "OMG!" For the sosy, it would be "omigosh!" But for me, simply, it's hard! I wonder why after many reviews, after many hours of study, I still can hardly answer the test.

I pushed myself and my mind through answering each blanks of the exam, avoiding erasures, for having erasures would make my answers unaccepted.

Minutes passed by, and pressure came along. I really had such a big mental block. I really lost a good game. I had an awful fate. But, what could I do? It's not easy at all!

Two students were only remaining, who were not passing their papers yet. That included myself.

Even though I can't easily answer the test, I didn't give up. I took the time that I had to recall what I could recall as long as I could give answers.

I asked my seatmate if she's finished. She said she's not.

And as I could perceive, she's more persistent than I. We were the last ones to pass our own papers.

Upon passing the two-page test paper, I wondered why things should go like that. I thought about them all, seemingly hopeless for what will happen next.

After another recess, we took the very last of our exams. We had Geometry as our last exam for the day. It may be easy, once again, to review and read. However, being careful and critical-minded is important. Also, you should always be accurate in answers and computations, and you should always have common sense, of course. I did make sure that I'm doing them all.

I endeavored through having a passing grade on that exam. After many minutes of thinking and computing, I passed my paper with enough hopes for a good grade.

After a long and though test, I and my classmates had a sigh of relief at last. We could now cool ourselves down after taking exams and encountering mental blocks. Therefore, many of us, including yours truly, preferred for another getaway at SM(Shoe Mart) Mall at our vicinity in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

You see, how weeks could be tough for a teenager like me. Sometimes you succeed. Sometimes the results are unsatisfactory. But as long as you prepare yourself, do your best, and work hard even though it means burning a midnight oil, you'll get what you deserve, as God wills. And of course with that, you'll be given a break.

And so it goes.

A Downfall and An Uplift (Part 3 of the series)

I had a post last year entitled "A Slap On My Face", where I shared my reflections on a Biology class. It was followed by "Chaoses On My Day", where I wrote about the first day of our second quarterly test the next day. Both of the posts turned out to be a series of stories of a struggling week I had then. Therefore, I wrote 2 posts to follow up these two, but unfortunately I neglected publishing them. But now, having the chance, since it's semestral break, I'm going to share to you those posts, but I'll advise you to read the mentioned posts first.

Without further ado, here's the first one.

***

"1 down...2 to go." One of my classmates said that on her post on our Facebook group page. We all had to face 2 more days of examinations.

I had a quiet, focused and faithful review for our Thursday's set of tests. I did what I could do to prepare myself for those tests..

I reached school earlier than Wednesday...It was quiet, since we are only few yet inside the classroom. The volume in our simple room would increase as more classmates went inside and bade their "hi", except for some, just like me.

Nevertheless, I had a smooth review of our own language—Filipino. It was a nice start. It was a good review of notes at last!

Then, there it was. The examinations. The teacher with a cap went to our room. He had the papers, and he passed it on by row. We held on our papers, and we held on our pens. We started answering.

We went on. We answered our own papers well. That was a good start again. But of course, we thought of our answers making it sure that they're correct. Besides, it's our mother tongue that we're all answering about.

We all waited for the "pass-your-papers" signal. 

After we passed our papers, we went on reviewing for one major test—Bio. I had noticed lately that I could review before we begin.

As the proctor told us, we closed all our notes and books. We all gripped on the hope we had for a good score.

When I take tests, I always have this rule: take your time. I always do it. But I'm also trying to make the most out of my time..For me, doing it on this major subject test is important.

We all started answering on our Biology test.

I found some questions hard to answer. It seemed that I missed some things. I left them blank first.

I went on my paper. I skipped questions, then I went back to answer them. Sadly, I haven't answered them all. You know, that feeling when I can't put any answer on that blank or encircle a letter of the correct answer. It's not easy..

As the signal was lifted up to pass our papers, I ended up leaving items and a part of the test unanswered. I left most of the blanks unfilled. I then concluded that a different person on the desk means a different kind of exams. Definitely. Those shortcomings, those blocks, weighed me down. It was a sudden downfall.

The class of Linnaeus took a 30-minute break. Some of us went, as usual, to the canteen. Some, including myself, just stayed at our room to eat and review. We prepared ourselves for another seemingly tough test...Drafting. We reviewed on our notes and on our handouts. We looked forward to remember all that we needed to remember and to answer the test very well. Here, we need to be exact, and we have to keep the paper as clean as a breeze.

It was 9:30 A.M. And we're back on our seats. The papers were ahead of us. They're now ready to be written and encircled. We began answering. But here, we did it carefully and gently

We did our best to answer the exam as neat as possible, following the directions and warnings of the test: ALL CAPS, erasure enclosed in parentheses as the only accepted erasure.

After at least 1 hour, it's time. We're all finished. And as the proctor desired, we exchanged our papers with our seatmates and checked each other's papers. We said the questions, he'll give the answers. Still, we asked if such answers were acceptable, and he handled them all.

After the checking, each of us knew our scores. The good news came to this kid. Thank God! I've got a very nice score at last! And it would be added when we were blessed to check the papers of our fellow sophomores.

We checked, and checked, and checked. Some of us asked the proctor on the desk regarding the answers of those we were checking.

I went on, making sure that the papers were checked correctly.

The points to be added were 5 points. Then, we're so lucky that the proctor added another 1 point for it. Therefore, it was an equivalent of 10 points(4 for naming the persons around my seat, and 6 points for the privilege of checking) to be added on our actual score. However, I've just thought it was all entirely 10 points. I was slow at that moment.

All in all, there was a shortcoming, but there was also an improvement. There was a lost, but a gain came back. I was left with something to rejoice about, but also with something to doubt about. I thanked, and hoped.

(To be continued)