Thought # 1: The Gym Experience
Since my friend Jofe and my Mom are so concerned about my bil-bil hanging
out of my body, I finally decided to join Apple (my brother’s four-year
girlfriend) in her everyday workout at Gloritel Fitness Gym (about
five-to-eight-minute drive from our place). It is not as expensive
compared to the popular fitness centers here, that’s why I was
convinced to take an extra mile in reducing my weight and getting my
muscles firm.
Yesterday was my first day of going to the gym. Mirrors are everywhere.
Gym things are there, some of it are familiar to me, but most of which
are strange things to my eyes. The looks of everything did not really
encourage me that much. Oh! my eyes swerved instantly to those guys
who does not only have good looks, but well…good butts too..! haha..
I have never seen such bulky muscles for real before. Well, I honestly
have already seen one or two, but with that very close distance, was my
first time. I love being in the gym.
Kuya Nonoy was the owner and the primary instructor slash
health adviser slash mind-reader eased me up through cracking some
jokes. He lead me to the stationary bicycle, which I read was Magnet
blah, blah…Ahhmm.. it only gave me an idea to as to why the bike
sometimes is so hard to pedal. I learned that those pedals have magnets
inside that attracts one another, or shall I say, get closer to one
another as the one who rides it "pedals" them. The bike thingy was not
that hard really. So, after Apple used that walking blah blah thing,
which Apple says could make your hamstrings and butt muscles firmer and
tight, I tried it also. Then the sit-ups, curl-ups, weights, and
everything else. I realized that it’s not really easy to loose weight
and to loose all these kabilbilan that I have.
Today was my gym experience day two…and to what happened this day, I
choose to keep it for future blog entries. hahaha.. To just give
everybody a hint, I enjoyed today’s work-out more, and one of those hot
guys approached me and offered me a ride home. hahaha!
Tomorrow, I am going to work out again.
Thought # 2 I HATE MY ENGLISH PROFESSOR!!!
School was not really that encouraging
since my Asian Literature teacher, again, for the nth time, gave us
another batch of stressors. This time, she gave us the schedule of our
RAMAYANA stage play, which surprised all of us and left nothing but
disgust to the subject and yes, to her. She never told us by the
beginning of the semester that we will be having a stage play for our
finals. I think she is being unfair. WE ARE SPENDING SO MUCH!
Her first requirement was, we will be making a portfolio out of ten
stories, essays, novels, poems, etc. Everything must be there, such as,
the author’s picture and biography, characters, plot, summary,
reactions, pictures of the events, country to where it originated, name
it! All yeah! We have to get it computerized and printed, not to
mention that all the pictures must be printed colored. Does she have
any idea how much that cost? and the clear folder! everything!
Sometimes, I cannot control myself but utter curses. God of all power,
forgive me!
Going back about the stage play of hers, I so hate stage acting! I
cannot even get serious talking to people sometimes, or hide my
laughters or giggles, and now, somebody is forcing us to do acting??
*sigh* Anyway, as being president in the class, I should support my
teacher. That’s it! I should support her, or else, everybody is not
going to participate unless their class president will cooperate. I
forgot about the way I felt to my teacher then on and started thinking
about the play. I then raised my hand, asking my teacher if there were
any committees other than the actors and actresses. We are like fifty
students in the classroom, and there’s no fat chance that everybody
will have a role. or at least a part of the stage set-up, like pretend
to be a rock or tree maybe. Then I saw my teachers face seem like her
ideas are heightening. She then placed five committees in the
blackboard. One, scriptwriting and directing. Two, stage decor and
set-up. Three, make up. Four, choreography. Five, music and
documentation. My eyes bulged at the sight of the fifth thing written
on the board. Talking about music and documentation, that is my forte!
haha! I then volunteered to be the head of that committee, and to who
my members are, I do not simply care at all.
Class was dismissed after all the groups reported about the content and characters of RAMAYANA. My heart was relieved.
Thought # 3 My students love me!
Kizzia and Jade were early for class
today. I was quite sad, or I don’t know, maybe relieved of the thought
that Brianne’s not coming for today’s tutorial sessions. Whatever.
Tienne is with us, like most of the time, disturb us on what we’re
doing. Jade and I started reviewing about the mechanism of the heart as
the blood goes into it. I so love this topic! and I am starting to
think that Jade is not that bad enough as to what all her past tutors
have been saying. "Jade is no good." "She’s the dumbest kid in this
center." "I’m tired of her." Anyway, I was Jade’s tutor since Monday,
and so far, everything is going pretty well in her Math, Science, and
English lessons. Anyway, after being done with Jade, I turned to Kizzia
who was doing her Math and Science assignments. Looking at Kizzia, I
remembered how relieved I felt after being battled with the thoughts of
"I can’t be anybody pleasing to kids" when she gave me a Thank You note
on our first day of tutorials together. I still kept her note in my
treasure box ’til this moment and maybe until the rest of my life.
Kizzia’s a lot bigger now. She was this silly spoiled brat last June
that turned out to be the most likable and obedient student that I have
right now, excluding Yu Hayashi. (I so miss the Hayashi kids)
We ended quite early today because the kids does not have that loads of
assignments and reviews to work-on, that’s why, I just let them do
whatever they want to do since we still have twenty minutes left to end
the whole session. Jade brought her coloring materials out and laid
everything on the table and started drawing something—a princess. As
I turned to Kizzia, she was again playing with her latest Gameboy,
which I learned to be costing eight thousand pesos, which I think is
pretty expensive for an entertainment gadget. I could buy a palm top
with that money. Tienne was approaching me and asking me to turn-on my
radio and switch it to LOUDSPEAKER so she could hear. She started
dancing. I never knew that Tienne is a very good dancer.
Kizzia stopped playing, maybe because of boredom of her super sonic
game or because she got jealous to Jade who is drawing some pretty
princess. Tienne stopped dancing too and asked Jade if she could borrow
some crayons and coloring pencils. Kizzia started drawing too. Since
last Monday, Kizzia was so fascinated with mushrooms and elves that
almost everyday, she wanted to draw one and letting me see if it was
good enough or better than the last time, et cetera. Kizzia was, well,
not to mention of being a left-handed, was a good artist. Yes, so
everytime she shows me her artistic mushroom works, I make it to the
point that I appreciate her and encourage her enough. Every kid needs
some dose of appreciation and encouragement from time to time, so that
when they grow older, they will learn to be appreciative and encourage
others too. In Greenbox, I learned to be more patient with kids. I also
learned how to lift them up. figuratively and literally. I learned how
to make kids smile. I learned how to make kids make their assignments
without harassing them about calling their parents. I learned how to
little things matter to them. I learned that kids can be motivated by
competition and by rewards. I do not believe so much on the punishment
issue on motivation, because, I love to spoil kids. For I think, kids
have the right to be spoiled at times, and correct them when they go
beyond the limits. Therefore, I am not strict. Because of this, I know
these kids love me. Why do I say so? Simple. Whenever I go inside the
center. The kids welcome me with kisses, even the boys kiss me on the
cheek too without asking them. I am talking about the kids and not the
high school students, okay? Amazingly, these kids tell me how their day
went, their improvement of grades, give me snacks, hug me ’til we both
drop, show me their drawings, and some of the kids, especially Alleah,
visits me upstairs to say Hi.
Kizzia, Tienne, and Jade were still drawing some stuffs when I decided
to come downstairs to check if Roy, my new student (2nd year HS), is
already around. But he did not arrive yet. Teacher Lanie and Han-han
and I were discussing or rather, joking about some stuffs, then I
remembered that I left three Michaelangelos upstairs. The moment I got
inside the blue room, the kids gave me their artworks having
notes/letters in it.
From Kizzia:
Drawing: Mushroom and Elves again.
Dear Teacher Kai,
Thank you for all. I am so glad that you are my teacher. Wag ka magalit
teach ha, maganda ka gud! hehehe. Thanks for teaching me.
Love, Kizzia
From Jade
Drawing: Two Princesses
Dear Teacher Kai,
Thank you for helping me study. I love Math and Science again.
Love, Jade
From Tienne
Drawing: A princess with a arrow pointing to Princess Kay
I love you Teacher Kay!
Love, Tienne
Now tell me, Does my students love me? haha.. I bet they do. I so love this job!
Thought # 4 Childhood Memories
I saw the piles of pictures scattered in
my parent’s room tonight. As I scan those pictures, I learned that it
was all our pictures, me and my siblings’ pictures there. I remembered
all my friends. I saw my Ate Ann, Sweet, Betsy, Pedz, Sha, Michelle,
Ilona, and Ella in those pictures. Friends from all over! and wow.. I
saw the faces of my ex-crushes too. Michael, et cetera. Looking through
all those pictures hit me hard through the heart. I miss those moments
when I am carefree, when my friends are all around, when we were always
traveling, how my hair was cut so short that I felt like a lesbian, the
way I look with wearing that smile with two, missing front teeth, and
with how everything went perfectly so well.
My life is perfect even how imperfect I am. I’ve had a wonderful
childhood and teenage years. Friends, family, experiences,
achievements, and including all those aches (emotional and physical)
that I have gone through. While thinking about these things, I say that
life is worth living after all. In everything that I have went through,
there were many people that guided me, and of course, God who always
find time to be with me all-throughout. Everything is too good.
Everything is a blessing. To God be all the glory!
