LINKIN PARK: Living Things World Tour 2013

It was an ordinary day on the month of June. I was walking along Araneta Center when my eyes caught the publicity that says, "Linkin Park: Living Things World Tour 2013, at SM Mall of Asia Arena". I did not hesitate to text my best buddy, of course my sister (Rachelle), and informed her that our childhood dream is one-step-closer. 

We are really thrilled to attend the event. The following day, we already bought our tickets and began deciding what outfit to wear during the concert. Linkin Park has been our favorite rock band since I was in high school, and I can say that this is one of the interests we both share as sisters.

Our tickets for LP Living Things World Tour 2013

August 13, 2013, we went to SM Mall of Asia around 3pm. The concert will starts at 8pm but we decided to go as early as possible so that we have time to go around, spend time with each other and eat before the arena gates' open.

As we got near the venue, I noticed the crowd from afar and they were already people waiting outside the gates. Seeing that there were many Linkin Park supporters intensified my excitement. So we decided to stay there and joined the other LP fans.

The gate opened at 7pm, we lined up and waited for our turn to enter the venue. There are some whose bags were checked and were told to deposit their baggage on the security, luckily, I was able to bring my bag with me because the personnel did not notice the food I kept on the secret pocket (evil laughs). 

The concert staffs setting the stage

The music was booming inside the venue, but the noise of the crowd was a soothing sound to me that time. We sat on our reserved seat while examining the entire place. I suddenly felt a cramp on my stomach caused by the excitement.

Finally, the clock stroke at 8pm, and the concert started. We began shouting and cheering for Linkin Park. Everybody sang with the band as they perform. Meanwhile, as we are enjoying the show, I have noticed that the audiences in the first row in the General Admission Area went down to the Upper box, and so we decided to ask the bouncer. He told us that all of the audiences in the Gen Ad were given a chance to move in the Upper box area! That was some sort of surprise, the ticket in Upper box costs 3,000Php and yes, we were asked to move there without any charge. Ultimately, we experienced the best concert ever!

The concert ended at 11pm. I hope Linkin Park will return, and when it happens, we will make sure that our tickets will be on the VIP Area. :-)

Mike Shinoda, lead vocalist of Linkin Park

Chester Bennington

The lady with eye glasses is my best buddy

The Man I Love

This poem goes to the man, who taught me that love sometimes entails sacrifices, and at some point in our lives, whether we admit it or not, we tend to become a slave of love that we turn into an altruistic and foolish person. Love is like a battlefield; a battle between the heart and the mind. Love is selflessness; for it is about considering another person's happiness more than your own.

Taken on May 3, 2013 at Hundred Islands, Alaminos Pangasinan

The Man I Love

by April Rose L. Desuyo

It was a long and sleepless nights

I have the agony of winning up the fight

I always dream of holding you so tight

As I wonder where you are tonight?

I have the fears of losing you

I don’t know what I found in you

I saw someone else’s holding you

I stayed and cried but still loving you

It was a long and sleepless night

I thought of giving up the fight

But I remember the dream

Of holding you so tight

I can’t live a day without you by my side

The man I love was in pain

Somebody left in the middle of the rain

I reassured that I’ll always stay

And we’ll be together come what may

It was a long and sleepless nights

The man I love was hurting deep inside

I can’t suffice his broken heart that hides

But I never thought of giving up the fight

I love you still and I always will

In times of distress I am always here

Forget all your sorrow and be strong my Dear

My love consistently grows to keep you near.

The Resurgence of Death Penalty

Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III

January 29, 2014, Tuesday, Inquirer.net posted its latest news about the Senate Bill 2080 by Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. He sought the revival of Republic Act 7699 or the Death Penalty Law which shall be carried out through lethal injection, due to the influx of heinous crimes committed poses an alarming situation in the country today.

However, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima opposed the said bill. According to her, Death Penalty is not a solution against criminality. What deters criminality is faithful and diligent enforcement and due administration of criminal justice system without fear or favor. Whereas, Malacañang Palace supposed that the restoration of Death Penalty in the country needs an extensive consultation to determine public sentiments. 

Similar to Justice Secretary's argument, I consider the appropriate enforcement of criminal justice system as the cure to the aggravating crime rate in the country. Our criminal justice system has to be preventive rather than curative. Moreover, both the affluences and the commoners should be penalized regardless of their socioeconomic status.

In addition, R.A 7699 is unquestionably against the Christian doctrine. As stated in the Ten Commandments, "Thou shall not kill".  Since we are in a Christian country, Death Penalty would definitely result to opposition between the church and the government.

Hence, the resurgence of the Death Penalty Law will undertake a thorough process, an extensive deliberations and public consultations.

*Photo credits to Google
*News article credits to www.inquirer.net

Cat: Touches the Heart

"I have felt cats rubbing their faces against mine and touching my cheek with claws carefully sheathed. This things, to me, are expressions of love". -James Herriot

My babies: Pinyin, Legend, Tiger and Morning

           

I was five years old back then, when my father brought home a stray kitten he picked on the street. I named him "Morlac", he used to be my playmate, he sleeps besides me at night and I just find him so sweet. He stayed with us a year or two, and then one day he suddenly disappeared. I tried to look for him but he did not return. Morlac is my first pet.

I already adopted fifteen cats since I was a kid; unhappily, some of them were lost out of nowhere just like Morlac, but most of them died because of accidents, disease and old age. People would think it is pathetic to cry over a dying cat, but for me it is just the same feeling when one of your family members got ill and died.

I remember when one of my cats "Tuti" died in front me. He got stricken by a car that caused his death. I don’t know what to feel at that very moment. I saw my pet bled and  strived for breath for a seconds, and all of a sudden he died. My eyes went wet and my heart was torn into pieces. It was such a tragic and gloomy day. 

My newly adopted cat "Morning"

My childhood life could have been boring without my pet cats and even today, these little creatures give color and meaning to my life. Every time I arrives at home and they are running toward me, I actually feels that I am loved and appreciated. Certainly, cats could touch the heart. 

News Writing: The Basics

(From the lectures of Mr. Michael Frialde, PhilStar)

Anyone can tell or write news. In reality, people tend to spread news everyday with the little details they have in mind, whether it’s about a national issue, a celebrity controversy, or just some neighborhood incident that brought out an interesting story. However, journalism offers a way of writing news that will result in brevity, yet complete and comprehensive. For the nutshell to keep; News is a latest issue or event that interests the public. 

The first step in news writing, of course, is to gather the necessary information about the event or issue you aim to write about. Let’s take a fire incident as a sample news story. Journalists/reporters in the field use some ways to collect information and they are as follows: 

Field investigation – ask the people involved; victims, families of victims, possible eyewitnesses. 

Authority interview – ask the people authorized to give information about the news. For a fire incident, you may interview firemen, arson investigator, policemen, doctor, etc. 

Collecting information from documents – scan reliable documents for details that support the news. 

Before the actual writing of the news story, one must assess himself if he has this important skill to be able to write an average news story, which is the ability to select the essential details and dispose what are not. The inverted pyramid structure is usually advised. Giving much priority to the essential details, it occupies the uppermost large part of the polygon, whereas, the least important details occupies the lowermost small part of the polygon.

Compose a title. A news title is not long, but also not short. It may be in a catchy tone, but the purpose is to give the reader a complete thought of what the news is all about. For example; Blazing fire in Cavite, makes thousand families homeless.

Create a lead. The lead is the opening paragraph of a news story. It must contain the most important details of the news, usually called as the five W’s and one H; what, who, where, when, why and how. For example; Hundred families become homeless as a blazing fire burns their houses down this dawn in Tanza, Cavite, allegedly caused by foul electric circuit. 

Support the lead. Supply details that will elaborate the lead paragraph. One of the families involve is the Cruz family whose house is found having illegal electric connections which spread the fire among hundred other houses made up of light materials.

Give further details. You may use statements that you acquired from the field investigation. Aling Nena, 54, a resident in the neighborhood, reports that she was preparing for breakfast when she heard unknown noise then in less than a minute all the fire started.

Write more. Add details about the fire such as alarm level and investigation results. The fire department received the alarm around 5am and was raised to task force alpha around 6am. It was declared fire out around 9 in the morning. Declaring 10 million damage to structures and properties.

Conclude. Write your concluding statement. Incident is still under further investigation, according to the fire bureau. No reports of injuries and fatalities, the affected families stays in the evacuation area in the municipal hall of Tanza, Cavite. 

Blazing fire in Cavite, makes thousand families homeless.

---

Hundred families become homeless as a blazing fire burns their houses down this dawn in Tanza, Cavite, allegedly caused by foul electric circuit. 

One of the families involve is the Cruz family whose house is found having illegal electric connections which spread the fire among hundred other houses made up of light materials.

Aling Nena, 54, a resident in the neighborhood, reports that she was preparing for breakfast when she heard unknown noise then in less than a minute all the fire started.

The fire department received the alarm around 5am and was raised to task force alpha around 6am.

It was declared fire out around 9 in the morning. Declaring 10 million damage to structures and properties.

Incident is still under further investigation, according to the fire bureau. No reports of injuries and fatalities, the affected families stay in the evacuation area in the municipal hall of Tanza, Cavite. 

So there, an average sample news story. From the little details and some common sense, we were able to come up with a brief, yet, complete and comprehensive fire incident news story. But news writing is more than that; there are lots of other issues and considerations that need more discussion.

WITNESS HISTORY: The LEBRON JAMES Experience

My ticket

I heard from news programs of different TV channels that LeBron James will be arriving at Manila on July 23 at Mall of Asia Arena. This is sponsored by Nike and the way to get free tickets is to go to the Nike’s branch in Bonifacio Global City on July 17 starting at 12:00nn. They're giving away 2 tickets per person.

I am not that die-hard fan of basketball but because of my boyfriend’s, call him Mr. UnSub, enthusiast in basketball, he convinced me to watch Lebron James exhibition plays since it is a once in a lifetime event. Well, I asked, who is LeBron James anyway? Mr. UnSub told me that he is the King, the greatest basketball player in the universe since Michael Jordan. Alright, we will watch.

The night before the distribution day, I found out from the TV news and reports that there were already people lining up at the Nike Store in Bonifacio Global City. Most of the fanatics will sleep there and wait until the next day, when the store opens at 12nn. 

At 4am of July 17, Mr. UnSub called and woke me up. He fetched me at my residence at around 5am. Then we proceed to Global City. We arrived at the venue and parked our vehicle. 

Taken on July 17 at 8:20am, 
thousands of people line up for the stubs

When we arrived at the Nike Store, I asked one of the personnel on where is the end of the line. He replied that it was at the side of the Nike Store. We went there but later found out that we need to fall in line at the vacant lot at the side of Two Parkade to get a stub with number, and to my surprise I saw thousands of people in the line. 

The clock stroke at 12noon and until 2:30pm there's no information from the organizer or the execs of the shoe brand on when they are going to start giving those stubs.

4pm, Marshalls and some people already announced that they start to give away stubs by batch of 20 as they will have to go to the shoe brand's branch to claim the ticket once they already had the stub. From that time ‘til night, it was a slow process.

The picture below was taken after we claimed our tickets around 11pm of July 17.

Taken at Nike Store after a long day

On July 23, 2013 12:30pm we came at MOA Arena to finally witness the history. People were rushing to find a perfect spot to see the King LeBron James, and obviously, some guys worn their best outfit that matches their Nike shoes!

LeBron James with the PBA Players

When the show started rolling, the crowd began shouting the name of the King and taking pictures of him while performing. There are also PBA players invited to play with the NBA star. The noise of the audience echoes around the big dome, thus, it proves that LeBron James is such a legendary. This experience is another new to me. Though, the free tickets are only for General Admission, I can say that the satisfaction was gained; to be a part of this event is an achievement.

The audience at the Lower box Area of MOA Arena

Who Do You Believe? (Vhong Navarro-Deniece Cornejo Case)

“Were you ever a victim of date rape? Everyone's talking about the Vhong Navarro-Deniece Cornejo issue. Who do you believe? Did she just set him up? Did he really attempt rape? Why are some people victim-blaming? Was he just a victim of extortion?”

-(Cosmopolitan Philippines, www.facebook.Cosmopolitan.ph)

There are lots of speculations and hearsays about this controversial issue of It’s Showtime co-host Vhong Navarro who was allegedly accused of attempted rape and was beaten up in a high-end condominium in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, January 22, 2014.

The general public uses the social media as an outlet of their views, judgments and assumptions about the said issue. I have read some discussions of the supporters who sympathized and pitied the actor, while others detested and condemned Navarro with the toughest issue his into right now. Undoubtedly, these contrasting reactions from the viewers triggered me to spend time writing this paper and put my ideas into words.

Who do you believe? It is the typical question people ask when they are talking about Navarro's case. However, this question is quite hard for me to answer and basically, something that "I will not answer". Why? None of us have witness the incident; similarly, none of us know the real score of the story. We only based our judgments and presumptions from the things we heard in the news reports, from a friend, and from someone else's opinion on a Facebook post which I find undependable. Someone's version of a story may be altered or could sometimes be exaggerated at some point. Even the statements of the accused person and the complainant undertake a thorough scrutiny that takes time before someone is proven guilty. Thus, to conclude upon something you are not clear about is not a wise move; you might misjudge the persons involved, clash with other people's interpretation and end up being grilled. 

Consequently, it is evident that this prevailing scandal attests how we ponder about the information we received and how careful we are in making judgments. Now, would you mind answering the question? "Who do you believe? Did she just set him up? Did he really attempt rape?" The decision is in your hands.

*Photo credits to Google

Letters Tied on a Balloon: 21st Century Communication

The 21st Century communication is like sending messages
through letters tied on a balloon.

“We have more information but less knowledge. More communication but less community. More goods but less goodwill.” -Randall Robinson

The fact that you are reading this article says that you were born way too distant from the days when communication hardly takes place. Those old days when pigeons were used as messengers, smokes as signals and cave drawings as records of what had happened in the past. We are too lucky to live, eat, work and play in a world of convenience that ill-fatedly, has resulted in mass blindness.

A little history: When the cellular phone was first invented, there were only certain numbers of calls allowed to take place within a city. Come to think of what we have now, we indulge ourselves to unlimited calls and texts saying nonsensical things at all. When the libraries were built long time ago, they were sacred, they were protected as they serve as a well of knowledge. Think again of what we do today, we have the internet; a vast sea of information and a means of sharing those information, but most people use it only to impress the world, to show that they have the ability to buy this and buy that, through their annoying humble brags accompanied with photos as if the world is too ignorant to the things they have.

I recall what one of my teachers said one day in class when some of my classmates failed to wear their uniform and reasoned out that they have no money to buy. She said that she does not buy their alibi and won’t be such a fool to believe a lie. “You have cellphones, you buy prepaid loads, now you tell me you have no money, or is it just a matter of setting the wrong priorities?” 

Many people nowadays experience the same issue. It’s okay to have less foods in the kitchen as long as they feel privileged having new gadgets. Is it what technology teaches us to keep in mind? I hope it’s not. Don’t let man become the tool of the tool. 

Nothing really is wrong with technological advancement. It is actually a sign that man progresses, grows and matures into someone intelligent and capable of good change. However, the mind of man is so complex and

the nature of man is so hard to control. To the point that, unconsciously or in self-denial, he does not admit that what he creates is what destroys the world he lives in. The 21st century communication is like sending messages through letters tied on a balloon. We don’t know how far it will go. We’re not even sure if it will reach its destination. The advancement we live with results to more confusion and uncertainty. We talk too much but the less we are heard, we hear too much but the less we understand. When the truth is, it’s only a matter of putting the proper weight in the balance.

*Photo credits to Google

Boracay Escapades (A Dream Come True)

The Rocks at Station 1, Boracay Beach Resort

"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us..." -Anonymous

Boracay Island is located in Malay, Aklan, Western Visayas region of the Philippines and is known all over the world for its fine-sugary white sand beach. The travelers never get tired of its lush scenery, mind blowing party at night, savory food and dramatic sunset view. Indeed, Boracay is a breathtaking place one could have ever gone; Boracay Island is a paradise.

On April 5, 2013, 12pm, I arrived at NAIA Terminal 4 to catch our flight to Kalibo, Aklan. My sister accompanied me on the way to the airport. We stayed at the lobby half an hour until my friend (Angel) came. We cannot contain the happiness in our hearts when the aircraft finally aboard.  I was like a four year old kid enjoying the clouds in the plane window. Both of us were really excited to see the place we dreamt of.

"This is it!" My jaw dropped when I saw the beauty of Boracay. The sand is so adorable, and the turquiose blue sea is beyond perfection that I could stare at it for the rest of my life.  Island hopping is a relaxing cruise that pampered my eyes with the picturesque view all over the ocean, the wind and splashes of waves are refreshing. An underwater adventure such as Snorkeling is one of the unforgettable experiences I've had in Boracay, the hidden paradise in the deepest part of the sea is incomparable. Anyone will fall in love with the dramatic sunset view while walking along the beach. At night, party-goers and bar hoppers would go wild enjoying the clubs and bars. The DJs will turn the music on and people dance, sing and stay up until the dawn. Nevertheless, just like New York City, Boracay Island never sleeps.

This three-day vacation in the island is a dream come true. It is a precious memory that I will always be grateful for. In my Boracay escapades, I have proven that the world has so much to offer, and life is about grabbing those opportunities and making it possible. Achieve your dreams; go to places you wish to be, and share it with the people you love. Never let life escape you. Don't keep your dreams be just a dream, but instead, make them real.                                  

Between a Rock and a Hard Place in 127 Hours

James Franco portrayed  Aron Ralston in 127 Hours

There are plenty of not-so-popular films that deserve more credit. Such films that did not need CGI’s, special effects and enormous budget to be considered as masterpieces. One is, 127 Hours: a film based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, an autobiography written by Aron Ralston, an adventurer who got trapped by a falling boulder in remote Utah canyon where he had to cut his arm off by a dull multi-tool knife in order to survive.

The film opens on a Saturday, April 25, 2003, the light and jolly Aron Ralston as played by James Franco preparing for a day of canyoneering in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. He drives to the trailhead at night then the next morning he rides on his mountain bike, then he walks for a closer look of the view when he meets two lost female hikers, Kristi and Megan. He led the two through a route that is more interesting than they thought, including a narrow passage with a blind jump into an underground pool, where the three spends short but good time together as recorded in Aron’s video camera. As they part ways, they invite Aron to a party they will hold for the night and he commits that he will come.

Aron continues his solo adventure, through a narrow passage where boulders are suspended, wedged between the walls of rock. Fates turn as he slips and falls, one boulder also falls towards his direction and traps his right arm against the wall. His arm gets severely injured and the boulder would not let go. He yells for help, but his location is far too deep and isolated to be heard. All by his own will, he tries to survive each day, with his smashed arm, little supply of food and water, video camera as his diary and television, and all the memories he has left to hold on.

Becoming desperate, he drinks his own urine to relieve the thirst. His first attempt to cut his arm off is a failure, using a dull knife will not be able to cut through the bones. In hunger, thirst, and pain, he’s almost dying. He starts to reflect past experiences about his family and former relationship, and thinks that between those rocks lies his death, alone. After 5 days, Aron Ralston chooses between a rock and a hard place. Using his knowledge about torque, he applies enough force to his forearm to break the radius then ulna bones, and then he cuts through the flesh using the knife on the multi-tool. He fashions a tourniquet and frees himself Thursday, May 1, 2003. Aron makes his way out and runs on a family on a day hike. The family sends for help and Ralston is picked up by a Utah Highway Patrol helicopter, leaving his cap and one of his shoes behind.

Although there are changes and omissions in the film as compared to the real story told by the author, the film still made it felt real, spiced up with some drama and minus the disturbing realities that he really experienced. The praise-deserving acting by James Franco and brilliant direction of Danny Boyle brought Ralston’s story a piece of inspiration to a wider audience. If you were Aron, die or cut? His story is only a proof that life is all about making choices and firmly standing for these choices.

Aron Ralston

“The mountain is the means; the man is the end. The purpose is not to reach the top of the mountain, but to improve the man,” and I think the purpose served well.

*Photo credits to Google