Change

     New Year is near! People are rushing to buy 13 fruits, gifts, polka dot things, sticky food, etc. It's the time to change, not only on the outside but also in the inside. We should learn from the mistakes that we did this year and change our bad attitude/habit as we welcome the new year. The Year of the Water Dragon. So, you should already put in mind your New Year's Resolution so that you can have a Happy New Year! :)

CAF Play: Chinese Cinderella

     This is the Play that we were most nervous about. You know why? We've been changing and editing our script. We changed it for four times already. And we were so stressed because we have to change again the technical script plus, we have to memorize some new lines an scenes again. And we don't have enough time left.

     We don't have a choice but to do our best 'cause it's now or never. All of my lines changed but I'm glad because it was shorter. We told ourselves to do better in our CAF Play since we lost in our CAE Play. We didn't go back and forth from the Hall to the classroom like what we did in our CAE Play 'cause we learned our lesson already.

     My tears were starting to fall when were preparing at the backstage because I was really afraid of what might happen but I tried hard to stop it. The people weren't sleeping anymore! They were wide awake and they were laughing, clapping and, we reached our goal--- to let the audience cry in the end! We were rejoicing and crying after we performed because it seems that we have a chance to win in this Play even if we haven't practiced that much and after all the things that happened to us as a class, we didn't expect this to happen. 

     December 2 came and I had mixed emotions--- excited, nervous, curious, lazy. When the awarding started, my hands were so wet and even though it was cold, I was sweating. When the awards for the CAF Play came, my jaw was chattering like I was in the middle of an ice cold pool. I was really shocked when I heard my name as one of the "Bagong Tuklas na Aktres sa papel ng lalaki". I didn't know what to do and I was overwhelmed. When I got up the stage, I feel like my body was shaking and wobbly like the scarecrow in the Play "The Yellow Brick Road". When they were about to announce the winner already, we were all holding each other's hands and getting ready to jump and rejoice if ever we will hear that we really won.

     Voila! WE WON! St. Elizabeth really won! And we heard that right. Thank God! He answered all our prayers that we will win since we lost already. That really made my day. Congratulations to myself, to my classmates and to the whole High school Department ☺

CAE Play: Anna and the King

     We were ready to present already for the Pre-judging last November 26. Unfortunately it was moved to November 28. We were all disappointed because we have to wait and we want it to finish already but we can't change that.
     Before we got to present, we came back and forth from the hall to the classroom because we forgot some things, etc. And Marianne said that it was bad luck, so we stayed outside the hall. We haven't got the chance to watch the St. Catherine perform but for our Play's sake, we just kept watch of our props and entertained ourselves outside the Hall waiting for our turn.
     When we presented, we saw some people sleeping and not paying attention and I think that's so rude. And after we presented, they immediately announced the winners. I think that's so harsh. We haven't even gotten out of the backstage. St. Catherine won and it was okay to me but when we got to the classroom and I saw Isza going wild and crying, I was affected by that and I started crying too. I was not mad at St. Catherine because they won, it's because of how they announced the winners. I think they should've given time for us to finish backstage or at least to cool off or to calm ourselves after our performance. It doesn't matter now, because that happened already. Past is past. So be it.

Disaster All Around

     The TDR of the three sections of year 2 were a total disaster. It looks like we haven't prepared at all. My role is a father. And that's a first to me. I'm not good at acting and I didn't expect to get this role. but I had no choice but to accept this. At first, I was not nervous for our TDR but when the day of our TDR came near, I became afraid and nervous. And again, we waited for a looong time for the section before us to finish. 

     And so, our TDR began and ended with the critique telling us that our play wasn't good unlike in our CAE play. The critique also told us to cut some scenes in our script so that means we really have to edit it and cut/add some scenes. It's just like we're beginning from scratch. And all my lines changed. I was feeling so negative at first but after a while, I just thought that I did my best and I shouldn't feel bad, instead, to be positive and improve my acting. I just hope when the day of the Play comes, we will perform well and do our best and that we can make the viewers happy with our play. (Sorry, I don't have pictures to post here for CAE and CAF because the camera of one of our documentors got lost and in her camera was where most of the pictures were.)

Mistakes Unseen

     Last November 10, we had our TDR for our CAE Play. We prepared during the morning even though our TDR was still in the afternoon and our teachers didn't show up, so that was perfect. I was braiding my classmate's hair and after that I changed into my costume. It was a really hot day, plus, I was wearing black leotards. And we waited for a looong time for the other section to finish their TDR. At last, when they were finished, we started preparing everything in the stage.
     Our TDR started off nice and smooth but in the latter part, we panicked and eventually, we had many mistakes. We were pacing at the backstage and I think we were noisy but we keep reminding each other to keep quiet. We kept on being like that until the end of our TDR. And, law and behold! The critique told us our advantages and disadvantages but most of it were good things. He even told us that our technicals were good and that our play was the most clean of the three sections. We just laughed at it because he just didn't know what we were thinking and doing backstage. I just hope we will win!

The White-Sand Beach--- Boracay!

   
     Boracay is where everybody wants to go, even the foreigners and tourists. It is one of the best white-sand beaches of the Philippines. It is also where we went last summer for our vacation. It was very beautiful. It was paradise! I like the view especially when the sun sets. I feel so free just by looking at the cool and clear waters of the beach. We did Island hopping. I learned that we were so close to Romblon already. We also saw other resorts there, even the one of Manny Pacquiao(I'm not sure if he owns it or his friend). We also watched the fire dance and many more. The truth is, I'm really afraid to swim especially on beaches. Good that I know how to swim now but only on swimming pools. But when it comes to beaches, I am SO afraid. Unlike when I was still small, I'm just staying at the end of the waters at the shallowest part, now I can go deeper just up to my chest but still afraid.

   
     When we went snorkeling, I was the only one left in the boat but they forced me and I gave in. After all, it's not all the time you can go there. When I went down the boat, I was very afraid and paranoid of what may happen to me especially when I looked into the water, the corals were swaying and the fishes were swimming around. They all look so scary! They look like monsters ready to eat me. I just made sure my feet were floating above the waters and after so much whining, finally I got back up the boat and I was so relieved. We strolled along the shores every night from Station 1 to Station 3.

   
     It was also a coincidence beacuse the PBA stars and Piolo Pascual and his sister were there. We had our pictures taken with some of basketball players but Piolo had with him his guards surrounding him and we can't go near him. I think it's so selfish of him to be like that. Does he think we, Ilonggos are gonna eat him or gonna go crazy around him? Actually, my family and I don't like him. We always say that he's gay. haha! We don't care if he's there, so we just
continued on with what we're doing.
   

     We stayed there for three days only because it was the last week of May when we went there. And school is coming up. So we had to get going. I feel sad but at the same time, excited for the new school year. 

     ...And that's all for our vacation :)

Her Last Birthday with Us...

     After our Interaction with the SOS children, we celebrated Rachel's last birthday here in the Philippines with us because she'll be leaving next year already. We ate at Midtown Hotel. The food was very delicious and I was full. We had fun there, just talking about what's happening recently with our lives, etc... After that, we met with Isza, Marianne and the rest of their group to buy materials for our props for the play. We just walked going to Unitop to where Isza and the rest were. It was just near and it's easier and more fun to walk with your friends. We even stopped by at a store to buy Superman ballers. After so much confusion with Isza's instruction, we finally saw them.
     We started to go around Downtown to find and buy materials for our props. The heat was scorching hot but that didn't stop us because it was fun, we didn't mind the heat. We also bought bracelets for ourselves and some cute things. After our long journey around Downtown, we were so tired and then we parted ways. We had a long, fun, and tiring day but we learned so many things from the Interaction to Rachel's birthday up to our props searching. I hope we can do it again :)

 Superman Baller

Rachel, Lei, Shiela and Me