Stupid Limericks and Foolish Thoughts

Just to shoot breeze of how this week has been...

As part of the tree growing fest tomorrow, we planted some of the trees in the difficult locations of the school today. We enjoyed a couple take of pictures until this fellow teacher posed on a dead bark of a tree in the knoll, and presto!

The pupils essayed a laughter
As their gravitationally challenged teacher
Fell like a burden into the slope,
So, next time I can only hope
One should never dive without water.


On the other side of things, it has always brought brief cardiac arrest everytime I hear accident in my class. Last day, it was noon break when someone reported that one of my pupils was physically hurt. Call it negligence, but no matter how much I set rules, children always break.

Mary had a playmate she didn't heed
That caused the toy to fly out of deed
And Mary's nose dripped with redness
A condition called epistaxis
But in simple word is nosebleed.


Life is a constant change, and such truth of life is one of the important lessons I learned this week. As a part of career movement, there will be a reshuffling of administrators in our division and our own school head is set to roll like a stone to another school.

A strong man set eyes to new spheres
And make inspiration on yesteryears
People behind must be emotional,
But one should be at least critical
And remember not all fluids are tears.

Another Film Review of Jose Rizal

It was Jose Rizal's birthday last 19th. Better late than never, as our own way of dealing this historical day, we watched the film entitled "Jose Rizal" today. Actually it was my second time; the first being part of the requirements in one of my college subjects years ago.

Just a few cents pointing out twists in this second film review.

In my college review, I really didn't like the way that the inorganic plot was employed in the film, most especially the reverts to novel metaphors. As I have reasoned out, it made the film vague and that the novel metaphors should be a separate plot to deal.

But now I really appreciate having Jose Rizal's novel protagonist Simon Ibarra in El Filibusterismo occasionally appear, because it was one good justification how deep was the patriotism of Jose Rizal, stemming from his personal inspiration to rise against the Spanish colonialism.

Another is that, having learned the sequence of Rizal's life and works back in college, I pride myself on being compulsive when it comes to the idea of life of Rizal. We had "Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist, and National Hero" by Gregorio F. Zaide as the class bible in studying the subject and I was used to glean the bare bones of our national hero from it.

However, going beyond the reference material, I appreciate how the film depicted Rizal's cause even more clear through additional scenes - like the one with a native janitor who could be best classified as a literary "round character" who challenges Rizal's principles but ultimately brings the best of Rizal's thoughts on that purpose.

Furthermore, years back, I thought that the script of the film, especially that of lines of Rizal, were just all too bland. I enjoyed the Spanish pronunciations and accents but I really just forgot his words in the film before, not even leaving something intense psychological impact in myself.

Yet, this time, I like the how each line that Rizal threw was full of intense lessons and added a sense of humanity to myself while watching it. It seemed that every sentence he said encapsulated something meaningful that would make one get affected deep within, evaluating political and moral principles.

As a whole, the film is no plain old story. I have always proclaimed myself as a movie civilian, someone who has under appreciation of movies; but rather than an effect of viewing the film twice, I would love to assume that the positive twist on my second film review must have been due to my more mature "taste" nowadays. Oh, really, it must have been.

Anyways, belated happy 152nd birthday, Pepe!

Saved From San Juan Day

When we commuted back home this afternoon, a group of giggling youth was jamming in a circle beside the road and basking in a water wasting festivity. 

Photo Credit: http://sanjuanmakati.wordpress.com.

Actually, it's "Araw ng San Juan" or "San Juan Day", a day that we would always remember not because it is a saving day when we take a break, but because it is a calamitous day when we expect a greater probability of getting wet, excluding the chance of a rainy weather.

The "festivity" if you want to call it that way, is being celebrated every June 24 in honor of the birth of Saint John, who was said to baptize Jesus Christ in the river. The feast is notably being held annually in San Juan City in Metro Manila, and all over the country.

Filipinos usually go out the streets early in the morning and form a crowd in a merry way. Aside from bringing pails and buckets, people also use water guns and hoses to squirt water to their fellows and even unsuspecting comers passing by the street.

The crazy group of youngsters this afternoon were teasing as we passed by, but we thankfully speeded up just before the bucket of water flew in the air to drench us.

Whew! Got wet today?

The Battle Is Not Yours

Have you been in trouble? 

This was the rhetoric question in the church mass this morning. Though we would not necessarily acknowledge the grim fact of life, we live in a world that is far from being trouble free.

The life of King Jehoshaphat is an admirable inspiration to glean when it comes to overcoming troubles of life. When he heard of the "vast of army" coming against him, he humbly turned to "resolve to inquire of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 20:2-3).

When we are faced with troubles, most of us seek help from people around like family and friends. Some of us keep it to ourselves and find means on our own ways. We fail to call God who has the ultimate key to everything.

How secured we are in the middle of troubles if we just bear in mind that we should "not be afraid or discouraged" and if we realize to ourselves the beautiful assurance that "the battle is not yours, but of God..." - II Chronicles 20:15

It is indeed true that if we do not see God behind every tall odd that we face in life, we feel weak. Many times we experience feeling helpless in times of troubles because we forget to acknowledge God every step of our way.

As such, today I wholly lift and entrust my life to God. Whenever I come to face difficulties, I will always remind myself to ask God above every one first. It is impossible for me to beat all these but I must be assured enough to know that I have a great God who can. 

Photo Credit: www.tumblr.com.