The Best Christmas Gift

After everything I have done today, I realized that my last 2 Christmases (this one and last year) are quite special, and although my mom and dad do not really have any "present" for me this Christmas, they actually did/do have.

Yesterday, I was proud to announce, and I quote, "just turned 15 1/2." And, yes, I am now, one day over. I announced it because it's something special. That something special was also mentioned in my "About me" box in the right side of this blog during the last few days. Yup. I am now taking driving lessons. I actually started today. The lessons were kind of boring, but hey, guess who's paying: my parents (not that I am very much gleeful about that).

Last year on the same day, I had a surgery in my ears, nose, and throat because there were some impairments in there. I started to hear better, talk clearer, and breath easier. (And that's also the day I started blogging)

The lesson is that there are some things that aren't seen, studied, understand deep enough. This happens very much that we become so shallow, so narcissistic.

But if one is careful of himself, keen and thoughtful enough to see these wonderful things that has been given to him, he is a truly blessed man. Like me.


So thanks mom and dad. I guess I'll postpone the Macbook I wished for next Christmas!

2010: Redefining Friendship

Last Wednesday December 8, Plinky presented a very interesting, rather difficult-to-answer question: “How do you define the word “friend?” I didn’t write my answer; instead I decided to put it in here and include it in the 2010 series.

Starting a friendship is a hard. You have to dress to impress, think about a catch phrase (or starting line), know something about that person, and lastly, make that person happy (even though he/she is already happy). You can always give him/her a gum; it’s true. Friendship can start with a gum. I actually did make friends with it, and it’s probably the most awkward moment of my life.

But friendships can be started in other ways, but it is still difficult to do. In our BLD Youth BONDfire in August, I interacted with the youth more deeply (but not that deep) — those youth who attended BLD YE 2 also. We ate Filipino foods, had an afternoon prayer meeting, played backyard games at night, and roasted marshmallows. After those things, we watched the movies (Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 and The Lovely Bones) I rented from Redbox all night long, and we didn’t sleep until 6:30 in the morning. I couldn’t get to sleep; besides, my mom visited at about 8:30 just to give as snacks. We all woke up at about 11, had lunch, and planned what to do on the rest of the day. The outcome: “Knight and Day” at Cincinnati Mills mall, wherein we were literally half its population that time. Walking all around the mall, playing with the escalators, looking at newly released video games (the only store opened that time)— we did everything in that mall! That’s why I like BLD very much.

Once you start friendships, though, you are going to have to overcome everything with that friend. You have to be with him/her always, spend time together.

At the point of redefining friendships, friendship must have something in it. Something of substance. Substance that is mixed with love, passion, and emotion. Right now, I’m redefining my friendships and what not!

2010: Jesus and Me

I am publishing a series of posts called “2010”. Herein I will be telling you about my year as the new year 2011 nears.

I cannot describe 2010 more than what it is for me now. A masterpiece. A change. A big change. Yes, indeed. That’s why it’s really a huge deal for me to recognize this remarkable and unforgettable year.

After my three short surgical procedures last year on my 14 and 1/2th birthday, I had always known that there are some things waiting for me the following year. I spent some days laying at home, and during that, I began my own blog. I met some great friends at BlogCatalog, a forum for bloggers, read several of their articles, and committed myself to blogging. It wasn’t very easy for me to write at that time. I actually did (and still do) not write very well and have a topic often. Therefore I posted a lot of boring news links and dull posts. 

However, one time I actually did write something. But that’s before the boring stuffs I posted. It is called “A Letter of Apology,” in which I “apologized” to the people of the world whom I have offended and insulted. I also talked about life, which I described “the most precious gift you’d ever had.” I complained about life very often. Always, actually. But I don’t really want to talk about that now because life was very suspenseful and atrocious back then. 

The happiness of 2010 didn’t come to me until July, when my mom had signed me and my sister up to a Filiipino-American youth conference called BLD, which stands for “Bukas, Loob Sa Diyos (Open in Hearts to God).” I often had fun at youth conferences, most of which are, actually, religious. Church, actually, is the most influential thing in my life. I actually began singing in our church in the Philippines. I had always been a leader and a role model of younger kids. I was always special, not to boast, though. The first bible verse and the most memorable I actually remember is Psalm 100:1, “Shout to the Lord, all the Earth.” I think that is also my inspiration for always singing — to God and to his people. One time when the church pastor (we call her “Mamang Florie”) came here to Ohio, she and my mom recalled a song I was always singing when I was little and always sick, “God is Good to Me.” (God is good to me / God is good to me / He held my hand and Raised me stand / God is good to me.) It was almost a eulogy song, I was thinking at the time when they were telling that story to a family friend. I do not remember singing that song, actually, but everything is possible, and because they are adults, it’s always true.

Anyway, I had a superbly memorable, incredible fun at the 3-day BLD youth conference (BLD Youth Encounter, as it was called).  There I learned a lot of things about the word of God, and religiously, about Catholicism, too. I am not a Catholic and everybody there didn’t (and still don’t) know. However, there was this time I had a “Confession” with the Priest, and he asked me what my sins are (or rather to “confess”); because I don’t know what we are doing and I am not accustomed of doing it, I just told him, “I am a Protestant.”  We (the new youth and I) were allocated to different locations for the nights. For some reason, I cannot talk about that. Why, one thing we learned also was the LIPJASS (Listen, don’t Interrupt, don’t Preach, don’t Judge, don’t give Advice, and keep things Secret and Sacred) and so we all can’t tell you about what happened. The girls were a little reckless (no offense) though; they had a camera with them and they posted everything they took on Facebook. Nice, ladies. Cheer-leading, bible story dramatization, visual story telling, and blindfold games were all the sorts we did. Personal and non-personal were also shared. It was phenomenal and very eventful. I haven’t had real fun until this came. My self-confidence increased very much better after these, and more “Facebook friends.” Though I said my mom forced me to do this, I didn’t regret anything and I didn’t blame her for anything. I consider it a miracle.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Although I do not really celebrate Thanksgiving, watch football, eat Turkey and all of that, I have a lot of things to be thankful for! Those include God and all his human beings (namely my family who raised and still raising me up and friends who are always there for me either if long or short distant). I am specifically thankful for my parents for their wonderful brains to bring my sister and me to BLD, where I made and start new friendships. In addition to friendships, I learned to change my attitude, speak up, and be healthy (Really, thanks!)

I am thankful also for those people who has the skills and talents to create the World Wide Web (Sir Tim Berners-Lee!), Apple and the iPods (Steve Jobs), my computer (HP), Windows (Steve Jobs!), Google (Brin and Page), and Facebook (Mister Zuckie!). I have a lot of things to be thankful for, including the pastor-tech-minister who always visited our church in the Philippines (Hello, Sir Jorge!) for giving me some “tips and tricks” with technology. He also provided me my first laptop (which was stolen from the house).

But that’s in 2007 and it’s already 2010. I am also thankful to those people who gave us the opportunity and a warm welcome here. That’s namely Tita Bena, Tita Carmen, and Tita Janet, who is my mom’s colleague since we transferred here from VA, and Ms. French, my mom’s employer who also gave me a job at her school.

Gosh, what more am I thankful for. Oh, I am thankful for me. For just being me. For being born. For being what I am. I just love me, and I am thankful also for my brain for realizing that.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! What are you thankful for?

Life's Little Instructions

So...Homecoming

(From my Tumblr blog post)

I purposefully reserved the topic for this. I haven’t talk about it on Facebook or tweet about it on Twitter.

Homecoming is something to look forward to, unless you have not dance on the floor or you are not coming with anyone. I had friends of course, but I didn’t go with anyone. It’s not something to regret but it is something to experience. (And that’s the whole lesson of coming to the dance.) And, if you have already figured out, it was also my first dance. Of course, I had no one to dance with, so I danced with some people.

In addition to dancing, I treacherously wrote everything I thought about the dance on my iPhone notes. *Note: If you want to be a great writer, write every time you think of something you may want to write or talk about. I know it’s very lame for me to do so, but it was worth it.*

I arrived to the venue at 9:00, with all waiting for the entrance. We all entered at about 9:15 after talking to some friends. Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi,” and “Bad Romance,” and Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” warmly welcomed me to the hall. I was beyond excitement of what will be happening that night. At about 9:55, anticipated friend(s) came, which was just right, and I met one weirdly and coincidentally in the bathroom. I lost him, unfortunately.

Therefore, I danced with other people, sat down for a while, and did a little game of shooting-candies-in-the-empty-cups. Rejuvenated, “Teenage Dream” came on suddenly and we went rocking the floor! Break-dancers then ruled the floor along BOB’s “Airplanes”. Entertainingly, their glow-in-the-dark bracelets’ came jerking off and permeated through the floor.  Everybody then bombarded with “The Cha-Cha Slide”. Fun night, indeed.

The rest of the night was [successful?] I couldn’t be more precise than that. Homecoming Court royalties were announced at 11:11, which was decisively the most appropriate motto for the Seniors class of 2011: “Make a Wish.” The slow-motion dance followed, along Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”.

The Dance ended at 12:00 AM. I got home at about 12:30, ate some snacks, and slept at I-do-not-know-what-time. Basically, I forgot to switch off the lights.

It's a more personal thing.

Today, I am in no emotions about anything, but I do realize one thing. It is that I am so happy I cannot express my real feelings in this blog because it is not very appropriate and it does not fit in. So to solve that problem, I created my own Tumblog, my 4th blog I have ever created in Tumblr. If you are an adult or older than me who read my blog posts, well, I am in my Tumblr from now on, except in some cases; that is, for example, when I feel like posting here, when something is really big and I want to share it to the whole wide world, and when it is very important for you to know. So from now on, on my Tumblog we go! Massively.

My Tumblr is ijoshy.tumblr.com

So, uh, see you there and don't forget to make love! =D


Eh,
Josh