Why the “How I Met Your Mother” Finale Didn’t Have To Make Sense

“But love doesn’t make sense. You can’t logic your way into or out of it. Love is totally nonsensical. But we have to keep doing it, or else we’re lost and love is dead and humanity should just pack it in. Because love is the best thing we do.”  —Ted Mosby, How I Met Your Mother Season 9, Episode 22.

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After 8 years, 9 seasons, more than 200 episodes, the journey of the 5 friends in How I Met Your Mother has finally ended.

We’ve all just taken part in the adventures of Ted, Barney, Robin, Lily and Marshall. In these past few years, they’ve become part of our lives as we’ve seen them laugh, cry, smile and even believe that love is the greatest thing in the world.

The 5 friends we’ve followed through 9 seasons

We’ve had slap-bets with our friends, legen-wait for it….dary moments, and we’ve even used that famous, “Have you met (insert name here)?” wingman line. 

No Better Remedy Than Doing What You Love

The last few weeks and days have been really hectic for me. I’ve honestly been having a hard time balancing everything and there have been moments where I’m not sure anymore what I should do next. With all my extra-curricular activities and with the SAT subject tests fast approaching, I haven’t really been able to blog consistently.

Being that classes were suspended today, it was the perfect opportunity for me to study for the SAT subject tests. The problem is that as I tried to study, nothing seemed to go into my head. I’ve been feeling tired almost everyday and it seems as though every single thing as become a chore to me. I’ve started to forget why I do things in the first place and what truly matters to me.

I wasn’t really planning on blogging today since I told myself that all I would do today was study for the SAT since I haven’t really been able to study for it. Honestly, right now, I’m regretting scheduling my SATs to be taken this October especially since I just realized how hard the topics actually are (I’m taking US history and Math 2). I’m suppose to be studying right now but after several hours of studying, my brain just couldn’t register anything anymore.

Living on the Margin – A 1st Quarter to Remember!

This article is taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/125073/how-i-learned-to-live-on-the-margin

THE AUTHOR’S collection of “surreal”moments during the first quarter DAVID ONGCHOCO

The first quarter of my senior year has just ended, and up to now, I still can’t believe that so much has happened in less than three months.

Quite honestly, I never expected to be able to go through these novel and unique experiences. From traveling to Singapore and Thailand to attending the Philippine Model Congress and my first-ever press conference on Kobe Bryant, the first quarter was filled with wonderful surprises that turned into memories I will forever cherish.

The two international experiences I had were definitely the highlights of my first quarter. Not only was I able to learn about bonds and mutual funds in the Investment Management Program in Singapore and the art of debate and proper discourse in the 1st Asia World Schools Debating Championship in Thailand, but I also got to meet unique and talented individuals from different parts of the world.

I was also able to learn more about the different cultures and practices that really widened my perspective and understanding of the world. To top it all off, I made new friends, some of whom I still communicate with, thanks to the power of technology and social media.

It’s amazing how I was able to experience all that, and so much more. It’s simply too difficult to put in words everything I went through in the last quarter.

However, I’d be lying if I told you that I was able to experience all that without  drawbacks. Everything has a cost, and being able to experience all this had a cost, too.

Daily Prompt: I Am a Rock – Accepting Help then Giving Help!

This is my response to the Daily Prompt: I Am a Rock

Daily Prompt : I Am a Rock

Growing up, I never really was a person who would go out of his way to ask for help. I always wanted to do things on my own or figures things my own way. For me, asking for help was a sign for weaknesses and I was also afraid of being rejected.

Whenever my parents would help me or whenever they’d tell me to ask my sister or teacher for help, I’d feel so small and powerless. I wanted to be able to prove that I could do things on my own. Aside from that, when there would be group works, I’d usually end up doing most of the work because of the fact that I didn’t trust my group mates.

During these times, I would also think that instead of helping me, they might end up making things worse and just further eating up my time so it would be better if I did not ask for help. However, as I grew older, I learned the importance of asking for help. We cannot do everything by ourselves. We are only human and we will always need the assistance of others.

How “How I Met Your Mother” Became “Contagious” “For One More Day”

The long weekend and the several days of suspended class has given me a lot of extra time and has allowed me to really sit back and relax.

I know that there are lots of Filipinos suffering out there because of the heavy rain and I pray for their safety but in a way, I am thankful to God for the suspension of classes the last few days for it has really given me a chance to slow down and take a break from the speedy roller coaster pace of my Senior Year.

During these last few days, I was actually able to find time to do things I enjoy doing that I haven’t really been able to do because of my hectic Senior Year schedule. I was able to watch a few episodes of my favorite television series, “How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM),” and just the other day, I was also able finish two books that I’ve always wanted to finish reading, “Contagious,” by Jonah Berger and “For One More Day,” by Mitch Albom.

Contagious – Why Things Catch On

After reading the book Contagious, which basically analyzes several different products and explains why something catch on and why others don’t, I couldn’t help but think about why “How I Met Your Mother,” became such a popular show and has lasted for such a long time (imagine that, HIMYM already has 9 seasons of 24 episodes each). I also used my new found knowledge to analyze why “For One More Day,” and several other books of Mitch Albom (who is quite frankly my favorite author) has become best sellers and has been sold to millions of people.

There are many different factors as to why things spread quickly and become contagious but I’d like to focus on a few factors that are seen in both the HIMYM series and the book, For One More Day.

My Hero, My Idol, My Friend, My Daddy – Happy Birthday and Happy Father’s Day Papa!

Fathers have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Being a father is not easy and more often than not, fathers are taken for granted and under appreciated.

Fathers are expected to do everything. Fathers are often compared to superheroes and are expected to be able to accomplish a profuse amount of things in an instant. However, just like us the rest of the world, they are also human. Just like everyone of us, they only have 24 hours a day to work, pay bills, attend to their children and also satisfy their wives. It’s truly amazing what fathers are able to accomplish and how they’re able to do it.

At Staples Center, watching our favorite team live! So blessed to be able to experience all this thanks to your hard work, papa! 😀

As a son, I’ve always looked up to my father and everything that he was able to accomplish. His stories never get old. The fact that he is able to provide for me and my siblings and give us a comfortable lifestyle are enough reasons to show how amazing my dad is. But his greatness doesn’t end there, in fact, that’s only the start. He recognizes the importance of being balanced and well rounded yet at the same time, he gives his full effort in everything he ventures into.

He’s without a doubt a very successful businessman and entrepreneur. His passion for education shows not only in the businesses he enters and starts but also in the way he tries to be hands on with me and my siblings and keeps himself updated on how things are going in our respective schools. Aside from that, he’s also very altruistic and participates in various charity events and never fails to give back to the community.

One thing that my dad has always emphasized throughout the years and his motto in life is doing one’s best in anything one enters or participates in. He always tells me and my siblings not to settle for mediocrity. He pushes  us to go the extra mile and make the most out of every opportunity. He himself has said that life is just starting for him and he plans to make an even bigger impact in the society and with what he has already accomplished, I’m sure he can and will make even bigger ripples in the near future.

Posing with my super awesome daddy

He truly is my idol and on his special day, I’d just like to sincerely thank him and let him know that I fully appreciate everything he has done for me. At times, I may take him and everything he does for granted, but looking at it from a bigger perspective, I cannot imagine life without my dad. He’s always there for me whenever I need help and never fails to give amazing advice and help me achieve new heights.

He’s also a person I can talk to about practically anything. I can talk to him about basketball, school, education, technology, history and even girls. Even if at times he can get annoying especially when he constantly tries to stay connected with everything I do, my dad has helped me in so many ways that I’m just thankful that he’s my father. He truly is and always will be my hero.

One day, I hope to be able to become just as awesome as you papa. One day, I hope to be able to live up to exceed your expectations for me and make you proud. One day, I hope to be able to give back to you for you’ve done so much already for me. With all the advice and knowledge you’ve passed on to me, that day will definitely come! But for now, I’d like to say, thank you for everything and hope you enjoy Father’s Day today and your birthday tomorrow! 🙂

Happy Father’s Day and Happy Birthday Papa!

Thank you for taking care of us Papa! 😀

-DOitChoco

What is Love? Love is YOU!

This is my response to the Daily Prompt on Love, a very touchy and unique topic.

Love is something abstract, something queer, something that cannot be put into terms. To many, love may seem like such a simple and prosaic word but the truth is, it has a much deeper connotation to it. 

Love is what makes life worth living. It’s what makes each day of our lives special. Without love, one wouldn’t have purpose or reason to live. Love is what drives us to wake up every morning, may it be to go to work or to cook a heart warming breakfast for your family. Love is what makes the toughest obstacles, the deepest quagmires, the lowest moments bearable. Love is what allows us to push, fight, bite, claw our way out even if the odds are against us.

Love ultimately affects everything we do. The power of love is magical and really transforms lives! This may sound absurd to some but it’s the truth. We may all have different understandings of love, but it’s because of love that you are who YOU are today!

-DOitChoco

Mother’s Day – “A Day of Thank You(s)”

Mother’s day is a day that should definitely be celebrated for mothers hold a special place in this world. Their unique role in our lives has such a tremendous impact that the world just wouldn’t be the same without them. They exude so much love in this world percolating through even the most obdurate human being.

Without mothers, there would be no such thing as life. All our lives start in our mother’s womb. And for most of us, our mothers played an integral and vital role in every step of our development. From allaying our fear of witches, to alleviating the pain we felt when we were sick, our mothers, more often than not, thought and cared for us even during the times that we didn’t care. 

The pacifying powers of mother’s have become so prosaic and mundane to most of us that we end up taking it for granted and forgetting how much our mothers ooze with love and care for us. Just take one second and imagine what life would be like if your mother didn’t care about you or wasn’t there at all.

Who would come to your rescue when your requests you to bring eccentric materials to school? Who would put up with your fatuousness and peculiarity? Who would you go to when you need a appeasing voice? Who would be there when you were at your lowest point not sure what to do in life? Who would reassure you that you are special when you doubted yourself? Who would support you in all the endeavors you entered no matter how anomalous your interests were?

Yes, believe it or not, we have to accept the fact that no matter how bossy or abrasive our mothers may be at times, they’re still our mom who was there for us during our highest and lowest moments in life. 

On this day, I’d like to thank you, mommy, for everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for giving birth to me and not stopping to love me ever since. Thank you for disciplining me and raising me to become who I am today, even if at times I may have hated you for being such a disciplinarian, I know it was for my own good.

Thank you for the times for giving in to my requests and always thinking about my welfare. Thank you for accepting me even if at times I may be disobedient, adamant, reckless, impulsive, pugnacious or cantankerous. Thank you for supporting me in all my interests (from Digimon, to Beyblade, to Crush Gear, to Yugioh, to Pokemon, to Hockey, to Basketball and everything in between). Thank you for being there for me during the good times and bad.

Lastly, thank you for your never ending love, care and support! I may not be the most obedient son, or the perfect person, but without a doubt, I’m definitely a better person because of you!

I LOVE YOU! HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! 🙂

Mother’s Day 

-DOitChoco

Small Acts of Kindness Do Make A Difference

Just the other day, I met this one person who’s actions really stood out and struck me. This person didn’t do something crazy, spectacular or out of the blue, this person simply offered to take my picture with my graduating sister. It was such a simple act that no one would really expect and what a lot of other people would take for granted, but it was an act of kindness that really touched me. Honestly, this person could have chose to just let us be and not mind us at all, but this person was so amiable and affectionate that she cordially offered to take our picture.

“Genuine kindness is no ordinary act, but a gift of rare beauty” – Sylvia Rossetti

During this day and age, it is not everyday that you meet an affable person who offers his/her help without having to be asked. That’s what you call initiative and genuine kindness. In terms of sheer impact, what this person did may not have moved mountains but it definitely made a difference, for me at least. Here’s the thing, a lot of us think that these minuscule  acts won’t make a difference so we end up being passive and not doing anything, but in reality, these simple acts can make a difference.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  -Aesop

We are social beings and one small act of kindness can create a ripple effect throughout the world. When one does a small act of kindness to one person, that person will feel really grateful and in turn, will try to do be more altruistic and do acts of kindness in his own simple way. This will lead to him/her affecting the people around him/her and really inspiring others to follow the first person’s lead and be more compassionate to others. This will end up creating a domino effect and before you know it, one small act of kindness could be the start of a thousand more, then maybe people will see that one simple act, no matter how small, can make a difference.

“Kindness gives birth to kindness.” ~ Sophocles

Meeting this person truly was a blessing from God and I want to share this blessing to everyone in the world. The small act of kindness that I received just the other day from that person is something that has truly inspired me to be more warmhearted and to spread this kindness and what better way to do this then by blogging.

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” – Mother Teresa

To end this blogpost, I challenge everyone, myself included, to be more compassionate, more benevolent, more altruistic, more cordial and in the simplest word, more KIND. Smile more, give more, care more and simply LOVE more.

I also encourage fellow bloggers to write a post about kindness or about their own experience about small acts of kindness and how it has made a difference in their life.

-DOitChoco

The Man Who Never Fails To Inspire

This blog post is something that I’ve decided to write the day the beloved Director and President of Xavier School gave his last general assembly speech, which was on February 21, 2013. I chose to finally complete this post today and dedicate it to him as he ends his run as Director and President of Xavier School.

This man has brought about a myriad number of innovations and moved a profuse amount of lives in the last twelve years. Personally, these last twelve years have been a journey like no other, and it truly is heart breaking how the one man who made it all possible and the one man who made my journey in Xavier school such a surreal experience is leaving right before my culminating year in Xavier, senior year, the year I graduate.

This man and beloved Director of Xavier School is non-other than the revered Father Johnny Go from the Society of Jesus. I really don’t know how to thank such a passionate and fervent man who moved mountains and changed the lives of thousands of people. Honestly, it would be impossible to put into words the impact Father has had in not only Xavier School, but also in the educational development and culture of the Philippines. He pioneered and spear-headed several projects and innovations that ultimately, transformed Xavier into if not the best school in the Philippines, definitely one of the top schools in the country. He revolutionized the way we learned and brought about changes that an ordinary director would not even think of contemplating, but Father Go is no ordinary director.

He was an innovator, a man who was not afraid to take risks if he knew the outcome would be worth it. He has given us students a learning experience like no other that we could have only dreamed of. Trusting us students and giving us the power to take advantage of technology by allowing us to bring MacBooks and iPads to school are just some of the few things that have taken our Xavier learning experience to a whole new level.

It really is mind boggling how just a few years back, I was sitting in the classroom listening and learning from Father Go himself. I was truly fortunate to be part of the select few who have experienced being taught by Father Go for an entire school year. Looking back at those unconventional classes and all the novel activities he made us do, that one year under Father Go was one of the most life-changing and surreal years in my stay in Xavier School. To be honest with you, I wouldn’t even be writing this blogpost or you wouldn’t even be reading this blogpost for I wouldn’t even contemplate on making a blog if it weren’t for those unbelievable sessions with Father Go about the power of words (Father Go is a ardent blogger himself and one of the best at that; His works never fail to inspire. Check out his blog here: http://www.jcgosj.com/?page_id=769).

As he ends his venture here in Xavier School, I can’t help but feel sentimental and at the same time thankful that I was able to learn from such an accomplished man, who emphasized the importance of taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone and continually learning each and everyday. Father proved to us that each one of us can make a difference in this world as long as we aren’t afraid to step out of our comfort zone and believe in what we are capable of doing.

His parting speech during his last general assembly about how he ended up become director and what he learned during all those years leading Xavier school really moved a lot of people and left everyone in awe. Father Go never fails to inspire people and he truly has changed the lives of thousands and thousands of people. Just with his words, you can’t help but be inspired to make the most out of life.

There were two lessons from Father Go that really struck me. These two lessons are lessons that I will never forget.

The first lesson and quote from Father during that speech that really struck me was, “You have to love what you’re doing.” In life, we will be place into situations and scenarios that we don’t expect but nevertheless, in all these situations we must learn how to adapt and love what we’re doing. When one loves and enjoys what he/she is doing, one is filled with a different zeal and vibrance that enables one to make the most out of the situation.

The second lesson that I learned from Father’s speech was that, “Everyday is a chance to learn something new and grow as a person; We never stop learning until the day we die.” Nobody is perfect and there will always be things that we can learn. The world has so much more to offer and there is still a numerous amount of things that we do not know.

Father Go was thrown into an unknown and foreign situation the day he was assigned to become director, yet he took everything with a positive stride and made the most out of his situation. He learned how to love what he was doing and eventually pass on and instill in a lot of students the same mindset. He made everyday a learning experience and never stopped learning. He stepped out of his comfort zone and made changes that no other director would ever think about.

He is the perfect embodiment of MAGIS, going the extra mile. Even when he could’ve just laid back and go with the norm, he didn’t for he wanted to give us students the best possible education and learning experience so that we could grow into men fully endowed with the passion for justice and the skills for development. Just by looking at Father Go and everything he has done, one can see what a Xaverian is all about, a man for others. A man who moves mountains and goes the extra mile, not for personal glory, but for the betterment of thousands and thousands of young men.

Father Go truly is an inspiration to thousands and thousands of people. Father Go will always be a man I will look up to for he shaped me into who I am today and changed my life in more ways than one. Dedicating this blogpost to him his the least I could do to show my gratitude to Father Go and everything he has done not only for me, but for the whole Xavier Community in his stint as Director and President!

Thank you so much Father Go and I wish you the best in all your future endeavors!

-DOitChoco