Benji In Da Hauz



     I like the fact that APC went all-out and actually invited a celebrity to be our speaker. When I heard Benjamin Alves was going to be our speaker for the day, I was all ???? because I honestly didn't know who he was because I didn't watch local movies and shows much. However, when they told me that he was the actor from the movie, Sana Dati, I realized who he was. Anyway, I did not expect him to be a writer at all, but when he read his poem for us, all I could say was "oh my God." There were students who did the slam poetry too, and all their poems made me react in such a way.
     One group's main point in the poem was about falling in love. It was a tragic poem though, because they either let the person go, realized they loved someone when it was too late, or suffered from one-sided love. They were hurt and they didn't end up with the person they love, sure, but I feel the need to stress this out: try falling in love with someone who doesn't know you - who doesn't even know you exist. Anyway, I'm not going to talk about that because I know a lot of close-minded people would react on it.
     The second group connected love to a book. This was my favorite (even if the students' voices were a bit soft and they weren't very synchronized) because I know. I KNOW what they're trying to say because that's how I think of love too. It's like you drown in the feeling of love, just like the way you'd drown in a book. Books end, yes, some even tragically, but when you really love someone, you would read your love story again and again no matter how painful the ending is.
     Finally, the third group (or should I say duo??? because there were only two people?? IDK) made a point to make the listeners see that we are all humans. People are different from one another but we are all living, breathing humans. Being different doesn't make anyone less like a real person.
     Poetry is a beautiful thing. Words are so beautiful especially when they're sincere. I love how people express what they're feeling through writing and I love it more when people write BECAUSE of the person they love.

Here are a few of my favorite lines from Benjamin Alves' poem:
"Your smile was like the stars in the sky."
"Learning what she means even when she doesn't know what she means"
"Love is the only heaven on earth."
"Poetry is love written on paper."

ABMAnuod Tayo Ng Bago

     There are a lot of things that interest me and one of those things is animation. I don't plan on taking animation as a major, but it is still a wonder for me how animators make such wonderful movies, shows, and clips. Luckily, an animator was invited to give us a talk.
     Most of the people who attended the seminar were aspiring animators who had tons of questions to ask the speaker. During the talk, I was able to grasp a few techniques people use when they are working on an animated clip or movie. It was also a relief to see that a lot of people agree that animation is not only for kids. Animation is supposed to be something everyone can enjoy, not just young people. No matter how old or young you are, you can still enjoy animation. Just because you aren't in your teenage years doesn't mean you have to give up everything that reminds you of what your childhood felt like.
     Aside from the speaker, we were also shown videos made by APC students themselves and I was very, very impressed. I bet it was hard for them to make videos like that, especially since students usually have busy schedules and days out with their friends. I'm not sure how people come up with such concepts and I also don't know when they found enough time to make all that. They showed us that students can make amazing things even if they are busy with their studies, families, and social lives. People always look down on our course but I'd like them to try and make things like the videos the students come up with and we'll see who's really below. All you need is determination to make money and live.
      Animation, film making, drawing, web designing, etc. These are the things people say are the majors students shouldn't take because no one needs them and they cost too much, when in reality, it is something we cannot live without.

Election Seminar

     It was really hard to understand anything about the seminar because it was hot and I was hungry, but I do know that elections are something no one should consider as a joke or something you are only obliged to do. This issue is very serious, especially since almost everyone in college can already vote.
     Some people, e. g. those who are under eighteen like me, may think that the elections are only a matter of cheating and false promises, but that all depends on the voters. There are so many candidates who may be true to their word when they say they want to build our economy, but integrity requires action. You may want to prove something and make people believe in you, but where are the documents? Where is the proof that you’re really doing what you can to improve our country? Sure, there are people like Mayor Duterte who is very influential in Davao because of everything he’s contributed there, but can you say that he’s honest when he can’t even explain issues like the Davao Death Squad? Or Senator Marcos who has presented quite a number of impressive platforms but never apologized on behalf of his father for Martial Law? These are only some of the most talked-about issues when it comes to elections, but I assume they’re enough to get you to think about who’s really honest about their word. There are candidates who are definitely honest, but are they really effective? Do they go beyond boundaries to fight for what they know is right? Because people are so easy to manipulate these days that just one word from others can make them swerve to the wrong lane. Even voters themselves don’t have enough integrity to know who they should vote for. These candidates have their own agenda, their own principles, and some are willing to do what it takes to reach them, including buying the votes of the citizens.
     You may believe in a candidate because of their words, but I want you to think about it. A true leader has the integrity to set something right and to know where they stand.

Paddington Bear

"A home is more than a roof over your head."

     Paddington Bear is a story about a bear looking for a home. I've heard a lot about this movie but I never bothered watching it because, like I said before, I don't watch movies much. Anyway, I instantly got snatched by this movie because of the bear. (Yes, Paddington Bear.) I love animals and I easily get distracted by cute ones. I had no idea what the movie was about at first, all I knew was that people liked it a lot. I am now one of those people.
          It was quite an emotional roller coaster watching this movie. I laughed a lot but I also cried. Literally. I thought I would be strong but no I am a softie and I cried and cried and cried. I tried to hide my tears but I was actually sniffling a lot. I'm not sure if others noticed, though. Feelings aside, the movie had such a great message and all ages can watch it. The animation is amazing and  the story line wasn't overused. Paddington Bear made us realize that a home doesn't have to be a place. A home can be a person too. You can feel safe and at-home just by looking at a certain person. It doesn't have to be someone close to you or someone who's always with you. It doesn't even have to be someone you know personally. Sometimes, we find home in the people who make us happy, no matter how far they are. They don't have to be related  to you; a home can be found anywhere and in anyone. All it takes is a feeling and you'd know what I'm talking about. 
        Finding a place you can call home  is hard. Sometimes even the houses we live in can't even be called our home. A house is very different than a home. 

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

     I would've said that this event was boring if I weren't one of the contestants. Honestly, it was so hard for me to focus on the matter at hand when all I could think about was how funny the word SQUAB was. Of course, there was also the pressure of representing our block together with two others, but we just had fun and laughed at our mistakes. It was a pretty great experience.
     We only made it to the semi-finals, I think. I don't really remember, but anyway, my point is, even if we didn't win, I guess I was still relieved. I wasn't relieved that we lost, I was relieved because it was finally done. I didn't have to answer more random questions and I didn't have to contemplate whether the answer we were going with was right or wrong. I have to say, though, participating in this event with Marlou and Tophee was actually really enjoyable because we didn't take it seriously. During the whole thing, all we did was ask each other what our guts were telling us and we usually went with that. The whole thing was smooth and tension-free, well, for me. It was really fun to learn new things too, but I didn't pay enough attention to remember any of it. Oops. Oh well! Anyway, the event made me realize how fun every competition would be if no one took it seriously, BUT!!! When it comes to competitions that can affect our grades and reputation, I am not willing to say that it's okay to lose. Competitions are fun, yes, but there are certain competitions that we just can't afford to lose.
     I'm not confident enough to say that we can win more competitions in the future because we have a tendency to slack off and there are too many things going on within our block that needs some EXTREME FIXING but I hope (really, I do) that we will be able to enjoy the future competitions and win a decent number of them. (If only things weren't so complicated in our block :----))

Sana Dati


     First things first, I do not like romantic movies. AT ALL. I get bored easily because there are so many movies these days that reek of banality. It annoys me when the characters fall in love with each other as soon as they meet, like GIRL, WAIT FOR HIM TO TAKE YOU OUT.
     In the movie, Sana Dati, all I could think about was how irritated I was. Honestly? It was cliche and I found it way too predictive. She falls in love with some guy and the guys dies and of course, of course, OF COURSE, said guy's brother shows up  ON HER DAMN WEDDING DAY. I also have one thing to ask: Why did she even tell the guy's brother to run away with her?? Umm?? I would've appreciated it if she just let him get to know her since that was what he wanted, but no, she had to ask him to go with her because she wanted "get out of there." That is not what she should've done. That was the love of her life's brother, for Christ's sake! I mean, WHO EVEN DOES THAT? Then in the end, she says, "I love you," to the guy she married??? I was so annoyed, God, I honestly wanted to slap her in the face.
     The only good thing about is movie is the message it tried to give the watchers. It wanted us to realize that when you love someone, you can never replace them in your heart. No matter what other people say or who they shove in your face, you will never feel the need to replace the person you love because you simply love them for who they are.
     It's funny how people constantly try to tell you who you should love, don't you think? When are people going to realize that when someone is in love, nothing can get in their way? No one can stop them from loving someone.

Turn Left, Turn Right

     Destiny is an old hag. I'm sorry for the comparison but it just is. Sometimes it plays with you in the cruelest way just so you can say that all the unfortunate events were worth it. Sometimes it gives you what you want just so it can take it back and leave you to realize that you should've been more grateful. In the movie Turn Left, Turn Right, destiny played the role of the villain-slash-fairy-godmother. Though all the close calls were frustrating, it was still a great movie because it was able to capture our attention and teach us a few lessons.
     From the beginning of the movie, it was already very interesting. It was somehow told in two different perspectives - one from the girl and one from the boy. Of course, just by that, you will be able to tell that it is a love story. What's impressive is that though it's a love story, it is still filled with so many twists and turns that none of us got bored. Love is a very common theme for both books and movies, but this movie in particular proved that not all love stories are alike. Every scene left me screaming and wanting to pull my hair out, which is,believe it or not, actually a good thing because it means I didn't fall asleep halfway through the film. The characters also piqued my interest because they weren't your usual Adam-and-Eve. I liked how both of them were just normal people and not the type of pairing wherein one was rich and the other was poor, or one was famous and the other was a loser, or one was special and the other was not. Stories that are able to pull off the normal-normal pairing are rare, so this movie earned a big thumbs up from me.
     The way life works is very surprising and sometimes even frustrating. The movie was able to show us the importance of waiting and trusting our future because someday everything will work out if we just let things be.
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