LITFILI WEEK 8

In my case, breaking up is one thing i hate experiencing. There's always the "what went wrong video" that replays over and over in my mind. The beauty of breaking up though, when it happens to me, is knowing that at least I did the right things and I get to keep my dignity. Anyways, the story "Reconnaissance" was a really good story. The details were so well described that I finally get how getting over a break up happens in a girl's point of view. A thing I notice is that it's not that different with how a boy deals with a break up. The story was also very modern that I knew that these really do happen, it's not just some made up fairy tale. I think the story can also be a guide book or a self help book during turbulent times in a relationship. You can read it in so many different ways, as a novel, a guide book or even as a movie script


The story "Smaller and smaller circles" was a bit too... well it was boring. I thought I was watching a bad episode of prison break. So much talking and thinking when it was so obvious already who did it. The story however had one good point for me, the tenacity of both characters is shown, they never gave up on the search even when everyone else seemed to forget it. This is what our country needs, to not think of news as important today and then forget it tomorrow (example is the ZTE deal.. All i hear now is Gabby Concepcion on the news). You never give up on something, because if you do, then you'll think in the future, what if.. Don't think of what if this happens, remember that there are also good answers and not all bad. If it's bad, then at least you'll know that you tried. Good times everyone!

LITFILI WEEK 7

First off, a Public Service Announcement. I can't do LITFILI WEEK 6 cos I don't know the story..sorry, i'm guilty of not reading it and instead of writing something related to my classmate's work, i'd rather not... back to the blog


Generations is the Filipino version of the movie"Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Not in the bloody, brutal killings and cannibalism but with the saying "There's no place like home." Children are influenced by their parents. Everything we do is always blamed on our parents. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners" or "ang bait, mana sa nanay" or dad's favorite "Ang poging bata, kamukha mo daddy mo."


I think it's true on we grow up according to how our parents raised us. Example, I was at church one time and there was a small boy who was shouting, his dad couldn't control him and shouted at the boy (in church). Everyone looked at them. That boy will probably grow up noisy!!! Another example is my mom and our eating habits. She's like a wedding planner during dinner, everything's gotta be smooth (ask joji or james). Back straight, feet flat on the floor, chew with your mouth closed, elbows off the table, bring the spoon to the mouth not the other way around, always excuse yourself, use a knife to cut your meat, scoop your spoon forward when getting soup, and the list goes on (wanna come over for dinner now?).... And you know what. It helps, I love the way I eat, I notice lots of people who eat like there's no tomorrow and I remember what my mom did for me.


Back to the story, The girl killing her father wasn't shocking for me, come on, they're all pissing off each other at their house. They're practically insane! Remember guys, your kids are a carbon copy of you. So if you want them to have a sweet life, then manners and good conduct go a long long way. Good Times. Thanks Mom!

LITFILI WEEK 5

"The only thing constant in this world is change." 70 years ago, If i said "hey babe" to a friend of mine, I would probably get arrested for rudeness. These days, It's common to call your everyday friends sweet names like "babe" or "dear." Life today is completely different from before. From the clothing to the gadgets, everything is instant these days. I don't think change is a bad thing though. It really depends on how we use it. A funny thing I notice is how a lot of us tend to go back to the old methods when new stuff don't work. For example, I have a friend who texted a girl he liked for 4 months. The girl wouldn't budge and he became really upset to the point he was giving up. My other friend told him to just court her old school style... with flowers and chocolates and music. Know what, it worked, they're still together now. Even in fashion, notice how the old styles are starting to get back in the scene.. The chucks, scarfs, hats, etc. My point is, all these new things are here to help us, they make life easier, but let's not forget the old methods because they are tried,tested and proven to work. It's good that we still celebrate all the traditions we have.

To sum up everything, I say we should accept all these changes. They are for our benefit anyways, let's just not forget where we came from and how we got to these changes. It doesn't matter if you're old school or new breed, all that matters is your happy with who you are and what your state is. good times everyone!

LITFILI WEEK 4: Decisions, decisions

One time, I was riding an airplane and I look at the menu for dinner. "Oh my God, Cajun Chicken or Grilled Salmon." Now these are two of my most favorite airplane food ever and they were on the same menu. So which one do I choose. The chicken or fish..hmm...it may seem dumb but I had to think real hard because i've been travelling for 16 yrs and I only ate the Chicken 4 times and the Salmon 3 times. (Yes, i count it!). So here comes the stewardess and im thinking, "Chicken".. "Salmon.. "or maybe my sister wont eat hers..hmm."(Singaporian Accent) Good evening sir, would you like the Chicken or Salmon?" "(Oh no, sprite moment)umm.. Chicken pls." Did I regret it, of course not because my mom gave me half of her salmon later (okay, i asked for some).

That's what I'd like to point out in the stories "The Corral" and "Love in the cornhusks." Your decisions are yours to choose. That's why Tinay did not regret leaving her first love. She blushed and got emotional but at the end of the day, she goes back to her family. That's something that Pilar should remember if she were present at our times, she thought that she did not have a choice because one guy ignored her which leads her to a guy who she does not love. It's not the end of the road for her, move on and if she does marry Mr. Perfecto then its her choice.

So people, remember, your actions are your choices. Don't go Stallone and say "I had no choice" cos there always will be a choice. And if you do choose, choose it because you want to, not because it's in or you were told to. Good times everyone

LITFILI WEEK 3

Do you remember the time when you first felt that tingle in your heart, she walks by and as she approaches your direction, you get goosebumps and everything goes slow mo. I don't know about you guys but that's how i felt when I was going to start courting my crush back in High School. I always admired her for her charms and charisma, and so when it was her birthday, I gave her a present and asked her out. She agreed and our first date was.. well.. to put it in a word, horrible. Everything went wrong, she was late, we talked about the wrong topics, i forgot my bag at the movies, the mall was crowded and i found out that she wasn't the nicest person in the world. Although i did try to understand her unlike the boy in "Bread of Salt," her attitude was really stubborn and was sometimes very ignorant. So that's when I stopped dating her and we still turned out to be friends, my point is, people today tend to look at the physical aspects of a person rather than her "inner beauty," i myself, am guilty of this. I think that most teenagers are more infatuated with a person rather than really in love. You get kilig when your crush says hi to you or you see her staring at you but you really dont know the person.


Summer Solstice is a story that always reminds me of what my dad told me back in 1st year college. "When you meet THE girl you want to marry, treasure her cos she's the only one who will stick with you when your old and ugly." I think this is what Don Paeng felt, he felt he was back when he was courting Dona Lupeng. There was passion and intensity among them and that I think is what keeps a good marriage running. Nowadays, people could easily get divorced or annulled and you could change your partner whenever. That's why its important for us to realize that marriage is sacred, love is sacred and should not be broken. It's like preparing for an exam, you spend time to study it, review it, and practice it until you get it. We should remember to take one step at a time and not to rush everything else because if we do, the only end you'll meet is an F. Good times everyone

LITFILI WEEK 2

The two stories that were presented, The Mats and Divide by Two, both by Francisco Arcellana both showed traits present in Filipino Families. Between the two stories though, The Mats showed more good Filipino Values. In the story, the father shows a typical Filipino attitude about respect for the dead. This is present because Filipinos always give respect to their departed loved ones. We visit them at least once a year (All Souls Day) and give them gifts so they will know that we still remember them. The story also shows equality among children, typical in a Filipino Family. I think Divide by Two also shows Filipino Traits. Being Hospitable and friendly to the neighbor is a sign of Philippine Culture. A bad trait though that is seen in the story is how we can be "chismoso" about other people's lives. So to sum it all up, I think both stories were able to show an equal amount of traits present among us.

LITFILI WEEK 1

In "My father goes to court" by Carlos Bulosan. It is stated that Filipinos are happy people. I agree, in a recent survey. We rank among the highest in happiest people in the world. Notice how many Filipinos are struggling now, but they always seem to have the time to laugh it off. I think it's important to have a good laugh at least 5 times a day. The story also shows the bond and the love seen in a Filipino Family. Even through hardships, a Filipino family would stick together. Same goes with the story "How my Brother Leon brought home a wife" by Manuel Arguilla, it is shown how Filipino families show respect to each other. We would'nt just marry someone immediately, we show him/her to our family and we ask for our parents blessing.