2013 – A year of lows, A year of highs, A YEAR TO REMEMBER!

I sit here wondering how Christmas could fly by so quickly this year that I didn’t even feel the Christmas vibes at all. Then suddenly, it’s just a few hours before the start of the new year then it’s already the new year, yet how did I spend this day and the last few days at that? Glued to my laptop, drafting up essay after essay in search for the perfect combination of words that would encapsulate my first 18 years of living as I wrote my personal statements for college applications.

I guess that as this year comes to a close and another new year starts, it’s just right that I actually take a break first from finishing all my College applications and pause for a moment to look back at what an incredible year it has been.

A year of extreme lows and extreme highs, a year like no other indeed 🙂

Who would’ve imagined that my lowest moment would catapult me into a much bigger world where I got to venture into new countries and exchange stories with newfound friends?

Honestly, the year 2013 has been my most memorable year so far. From experiencing a right of passage in Prom to attending the Ateneo Chemistry Camp to all the SAT review sessions to tearing my ACL to joining Debate to writing for Inquirer to starting my own business to all the other experiences and moments that I enjoyed with both new and old friends alike, this year truly has been a year like no other and I’m glad, I can one day look back at my blog thankful for every single moment of this year.

2013 truly has been one hell of a ride. As I scroll down right now and look through my blog posts, I can’t help but feel nostalgic as I remember all the laughter and the tears this year has brought me.

Yet in all these moments were silver linings that have ultimately made me realize that anything is possible in this world for life is what we make it – something I will keep in mind in the new year, which will hopefully be just as memorable or even more. Ultimately, no matter how dim and hopeless a moment can be, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel for things do work out for the better!

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

XS Appreciation Day 2013 – Thank You Teachers! :)

*This post is in celebration of Xavier Appreciation Day 2013 and all the teachers out there

Happy Appreciation Day to all teachers out there! 😀

Teacher’s have one of the hardest jobs in the planet. Our teachers have the extremely challenging task of teaching us lessons both inside and outside the classroom. They’re the ones who spend almost every single day doing something to help us become better students and better persons. They’re the ones who inspire us to push ourselves to the limit. They’re the ones who tell us that we shouldn’t settle for mediocrity.

A Xavier teacher’s job is even harder. When you have students coming from Chinese backgrounds with a mix of several different cultures, it becomes quite a challenge to deal with students. To add to this strong cultural presence, in a generation where students are very narcissistic and believe so much in their own beliefs, it’s very difficult to get students to listen in class. When you have students who are distracted 24/7, it’s always a challenge to get them to put in effort and make the most out of their education.

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.

Finding Ones Passion, Working Hard and Dreaming Big – Why you can be who you want to be!

Repost from: Youth Are Awesome!

Finding Ones Passion, Working Hard and Dreaming Big – Why you can be who you want to be!

Finding Ones Passion, Working Hard and Dreaming Big – Why you can be who you want to be!

We all want to be the next Steve Jobs, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Taylor Swift, JK Rowling or what not. The problem with most of the youth today is that we’re either very spoiled or have too much distractions in our life. Technology, social media, and other different mediums have clouded our minds as to what it takes to achieve success.

A lot of us think that it’s impossible to be the next Michael Jordan or the next Bill Gates. However, we must remember that all these successful individuals all started somewhere. They weren’t phenomenal performers or multi-billionaires from day 1. They started out just like you.

After reading several biographies of the most prominent individuals inthe world, I’ve found a couple of similarities in these men and decided to highlight some key traits and things that helped these individuals change the world.

Find Ones Passion

 The most successful men in the history of the world all had one thing in common. They all had a PASSION.

Passion is a word that is thrown around and mentioned so many times to us youth that sometimes it sounds so cliché already. The funny thing is we don’t truly understand what passion is and what it means to have a passion.

Passion is something greater than you can imagine. Passion is not just about interests or hobbies. Passion is about being dedicated to something and really going the extra mile. What allows one to be passionate is the sole fact that you love this something so much that you’re willing to do anything to achieve your goals.

You can be passionate about practically anything but it has to be something. Passion is where everything starts. From Justin Beiber to Steve Nash to Bill Gates, they all had something they were passionate about–––something they were willing to spend all their time on just so that they could be successful in that something.

“Do what you are passionate about, the rest will follow.” – Praveen Sherman

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

When Art and Science Collide, You Get….

Art and science may seem like two completely different things but looking closer, they actually complement each other. Can you imagine a world without art or science? What kind of world would that be? Today, there are a countless number of things that would not be possible without the collaboration of art and science.

Based on their common description, art and science are worlds apart. Art leans more towards the creative side, while science deals more with facts. Although they are different put them together and you have your everyday favorites. From modern day technology and high tech gadgets to your favorite novel or movie, art and science played a part in making all these possible.

A more specific example would be the world wide phenomenon known as Harry Potter. You would think that Harry Potter was a novel based solely on the imagination of J.K. Rowling, but contrary to popular belief, J.K. Rowling got help from history and science. In fact, several of the characters, locations, spells and even parts of the plot were based on scientific and historical facts. Science, without a doubt, played a part in the creation of the hit, soon to be classic, but at the same time, the creativity and artistic talents of J.K. Rowling is not to be forgotten for she still has one of the most creative minds out there and the world wide fame of the Harry Potter series is a testament to that.

Another example would be in the field of technology, the advent of smartphones. Smartphones have risen and almost every person tinkers with one each and everyday. Its myriad of functions and applications make it a very efficient and handy tool in our everyday lives. Advancements in computer science is what led to the creation of these types of gadgets but we cant disregard the part art played in the rise of smartphones. The sleek and elegant design of smartphones make them easy to carry around and handle. Aside from this, the interface and design of the applications and the phone itself should be credited to the creative designers and artists.

Truly, art and science go hand-in-hand in making our world a better place to live in. From helping us become more productive through advancements in technology to entertaining us and introducing us to places like Hogwarts.

-DOitChoco