'Premature' student

               "How old are you?"

               "Seventeen."

               "Oh. So you must be a college freshman."

               "No. I'm in 3rd year college."

              I always encounter this whenever I meet new people. It's awkward but I'm getting used to it. In fact, seeing the different reactions on their faces was sort of fun.

             Don't get me wrong. I am not a picture of the girl with eyeglasses, braided hair and metals on her teeth. If you also think that I have a brain like Einstein's, again, you're wrong.

              I'm just like the ordinary. I groom and dress up like how girls should be. And like any other students, I also cram, get lazy, feel bored, get low grades in some of my subjects and sometimes fall asleep when facing my books.

               You may now be wondering, what brought me to college at such a young age?

               I could say that it was a combination of luck, effort, and prayers.

              I was accelerated twice; first in kindergarten, then in Grade 5 under the acceleration program of the Tugbok SPED Center. I had a hard time adjusting to my new environment but I eventually coped up as time passed by.

               In high school , my teachers and classmates knew about my age and pampered me like a baby most of the time.

               With the grace of God, I graduated high school as Class Valedictorian at the age of 14.

              You might wonder how I cope with the pressures of college life. Honestly, the first year was hard. I was so young then and lacked two years in terms of knowledge and experiences. As a result, I failed in some subjects.

              To be more persistent on my studies, I decided to apply for a scholarship grant from the Scholarship on Tertiary Education Program (STEP). I was qualified and became an official STEP scholar.

             My plan did not fail. Because of my scholarship which required a grade of at least 85 in each subject, I indeed became very persistent in studying. I really wanted to be retained in this program because of its great benefits. This determination put me in the Dean's List thrice.

            My age even had a lot of advantages. I received many compliments from people who appreciated me for what I had attained despite of being younger than the others.

          Then I started to realize that age was not a hindrance to my studies I'm just like everyone else, struggling to get the best out of life.

               Today, when it comes to the difficulties I encounter as a third year college student, I don't remind myself of my age anymore. After all, it's not age that defines you as a person. It's all about the accomplishment of your dreams and the spirit that takes you there.

               

Living through soap

          

            Business is not about big capital; it’s about taking risks.

            Have you ever heard of Biofresh Soap?

          Biofresh soap is a product made by the OBICHEM Enterprises owned by the Ocbina family. It is a small scale enterprise which specializes mainly on beauty soaps.

          Like most businesses, OBICHEM started from scratch. According to Jacobin Ocbina who is one of OBICHEM’s regional distributors and son of its present owner, his grandfather started the business. In 1995, they started making soaps and liniments in Bukidnon without any machines and with a very little capital.

          In 2005, when ownership was transferred to Jacobin’s father, they decided to focus on just one product and that is Biofresh soap. According to Jacobin, “Focusing on just one product seemed to be the wisest thing to do.”

          Today, aside from Bukidnon, Biofresh is also distributed at some parts of the Philippines. OBICHEM has regional distributors in Davao City, South Cotabato, Caraga Region, and Bukidnon who have the exclusive right to disperse the product in their respective places.

          They also have machines now which aid them in making soaps. However, they still use the traditional handwork sometimes to maximize time. They manufacture their products at Sasa and pack them up at Deca Homes Subdivision, near the Ocbina family’s residence.

          OBICHEM spends fifty pesos on each soap bars and sells five thousand bars every month just in Davao which makes approximately four hundred seventy-five pesos.

          The only problem they have about the business now is the competitors for there are already a lot of soap brands in the Philippines. But they try to be innovative enough to meet the needs and wants of the consumers. Soaps with glutathione are a hit now, so OBICHEM also focused on producing them this year.

          “Aggressiveness and innovativeness keep the business going,” Jacobin proudly said.

          And to all aspiring entrepreneurs out there, here’s a message from Jacobin, “You should not play on the safe side always. Sometimes, taking risks could be healthy.”

"Hush Hush" (Becca Fitzpatrick) Series Dream Cast

          If the "Hush Hush" series would become a movie, I would like the following actors and actresses to perform the roles of the characters in the novel.

Patch Cipriano (Kevin Zegers)

Nora Grey (Nina Dobrev)

Vee Sky (Hayden Panettiere)

Marcie Millar (Annasophia Robb)

Scott Parnell (Mark Salling)

Rixon (Nico Tortorella)

Detective Basso (Jay Hernandez)

Blythe Grey (Olivia Williams)

Hank Millar (John Stamos)

Jules/Chauncey Langeais (Channing Tatum)

Elliot Saunders (Alex Pettyfer)

Dabria/Miss Greene (Laura Ramsey)

The Fine Line Between a Friend and a True Friend ("Cinema Paradiso" film review)

                   Friends are everywhere, but it takes one special person to be your best friend. I just discovered a film which tells us that a best friend is not someone who goes with what you want. Rather, he is someone who leads you to what he thinks is best for you.

            “Cinema Paradiso” narrates the story of friendship between Salvatore Di Vita (portrayed by Salvatore Cascio, Marco Leonardi and Jacques Perrin) and Alfredo (portrayed by Philippe Noiret). Salvatore discovered his passion for films at a very young age and for that, he went to Cinema Paradiso in his free time. There he developed a friendship with Alfredo, the projectionist of the theater. Salvatore learned how to do Alfredo’s job by observing him every time he went to the projection booth. When Alfredo got blinded by an accident, Salvatore became the new projectionist of the place. In his teenage years, he fell in love with Elena (portrayed by Agnese Nano and Brigitte Fossey) but unfortunately, their love did not last because of distance and some misunderstandings. Alfredo advised Salvatore to go somewhere far, look for success, and never come back. The latter followed the advice but eventually came back thirty years after because of the former’s death. In his return, he discovered secrets from the past and found a special gift from his best friend.

            Alfredo was a perfect example of a true friend. An ordinary friend may want your happiness, but Alfredo desired for what he thought was best for Salvatore though it may not necessarily mean the second’s happiness. He believed in the potentials he found in his friend and forced him to do something he did not exactly want. Salvatore then realized the dream he never thought he had and became successful in life.

            I also want a friend like Alfredo in my life. I want to have someone who will not spoil me by just putting up with what I want. I prefer someone who knows what’s best for me and who will scold me whenever there is a need of doing so.

            “Cinema Paradiso” presented several symbols and topping the list was the Cinema Paradiso itself. It symbolized the people’s common interest for film. It was also the place where people from diverse backgrounds and lifestyles got united for one special cause. Second symbol was the projection through the concrete lion’s mouth. It signified the long and difficult process that every film must undergo before it could be projected on the big screen. Another symbol is the film invoices that were scattered inside the projection room. It told us that life could sometimes be so cluttered and complicated. The demolition of Cinema Paradiso was also a symbol which implied the start of another chapter in Salvatore’s life.

            Most of the time, it’s not about what makes you happy; it isn’t about following your heart. Sometimes, you also have to listen to others. Their words may not always please us, but it could be best for us.

            I suggest that everyone must watch this film. It will really make you laugh, cry and think at the same time.

Chasing Dreams ("Billy Elliot" film review)

          “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This famous line is from the Chinese philosopher Confucius himself. This saying meant nothing to me before. But now, it made a lot of sense.

            There was also this Billy Elliot (portrayed by Jamie Bell) guy from the movie “Billy Elliot” who seemed to live his life according to this saying. He was the youngest among the family of miners. His father, Jackie Elliot (portrayed by Gary Lewis) and his brother, Tony Elliot (portrayed by Jamie Draven), both miners in UK, were on a strike. Billy’s father forced him to take up boxing lessons and he sucked at it. Then, he discovered his passion for dancing, most especially ballet, when he fortuitously stepped in Georgia Wilkinson’s (Julie Walters) ballet class. He secretly attended her class without his father knowing and without even thinking that this might make him appear like a total “poof” in front of his friends and acquaintances. Georgia saw Billy’s potential and suggested that he audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. However, when Jackie found out about Billy’s secret dancing lessons, he was told to stop. Over Christmas, while Billy was with his gay friend, Jackie discovered that his son really had a gift in dancing. He decided to do everything to be able to enrol Billy in the Royal Ballet School. With the help of their neighbors and friends, they arrived in London. Billy almost failed the audition for punching another child but the board reconsidered and sent him a letter of approval. Billy’s dream started to bear fruit and fourteen years later, he was made to perform the male lead in Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake.”

            Some of the many symbols that were present in the movie were Billy’s boxing gloves and ballet shoes, the letter from the Royal Ballet School, and his invalid grandmother. The boxing gloves and ballet shoes symbolized two opposite things – Jackie’s dream of Billy becoming a boxer and Billy’s dream of becoming a ballet dancer. The letter from the Royal Ballet School represented the starting point of Billy’s dream. His grandmother who also loved dancing, on the other hand, performed a special role in the film by signifying a dream that did not come true because of some circumstances.

            Of all the films we’ve watched in this class, this was the most meaningful because I, too, encountered the same situation as Billy just a year and a half ago. I was an Accountancy student during my first year in Ateneo. I’ve made a lot of friends, became comfortable with my classmates and had good grades. However, after a semester of facing the calculator, worksheet, and journal, I realized that something was missing; I just couldn’t figure out what it was. Later, I discovered that this “something” had something to do with how I lived my past. I used to be so creative in elementary and high school. I was the imaginative type – I write stories, scripts, and songs. I write about anything that comes to mind. These talents seemed to be of no use in BSA. I thought that maybe I’m not on the right path; that I needed to change direction while it’s not too late. And I did. At first, my parents were doubtful of my choice, but after some time, they accepted and supported me on it.

            No matter how hard it was to leave friends behind and to start from scratch, I was still happy with the decision I made because it made me a better person. I discovered my potentials in Masscom. In fact, three of my stories got published on Sunstar. (I don’t know if it’s enough. “Enough” for me means just making my parents happy.)

             To all the dreamers out there, I highly encourage you to watch “Billy Elliot.”

What the Government Should Know ("Astig" film review)

“When the government cannot see your sufferings, let them hear it through your words.”

 I remember stating this line in my media law essay just this semester. This was referring to the freedom to express which was, again, practiced by Director Giuseppe Bede Sampedro in his indie film, “Astig.”

“Astig” is a film which, like all indie films, exposes the realities of the society. The story revolved around four different men whose lives were interconnected. Ariel Darlucio (portrayed by Dennis Trillo) was a man who lived his whole adult life deceiving people which often lead to trouble. Boy (portrayed by Edgar Allan Guzman) was a young father-to-be who entered several rackets just to save money for his future baby. Ronald Chua (portrayed by Arnold Reyes), was a half-Chinese half-Chavacano who was left by his father and neglected by his half-siblings. Baste (portrayed by Sid Lucero), on the other hand, was an overprotective brother who wanted nothing but to help and protect his family.

If there was one lesson from this movie that I would cherish the most, it would be not to trust people easily. If we try to look at how Elgine (portrayed by Glaiza de Castro) and the other ladies were deceived by Ariel, we could see a pattern. It would appear that they were cheated because all of them looked only at his physical appearance and his courteousness towards them, which is, of course, not correct. If they just tried to be more cautious, things will be a whole lot different. There was also deception in the case of Ronald which also rooted from obliviousness.

If there was deception, there was certainly a cause for it. As we observed, all the characters were victims of the abuses of the society and of corrupt government officials. Ariel and Sally, the prostitute (portrayed by Keanna Reeves), only chose the wrong path because it seemed to be their last option. Boy and Jerome, on the other hand, chose to lose their dignity for money. Now, when we look at the bigger picture, all of them were doing incorrect things for survival. If they only had the choice, do you think they would still continue to do these things? Of course not.

What the director wants the government to know through this movie was that, if they want peace, they should reach out to those who had less. If only problems of poverty and unemployment were given priority, it would be more peaceful and there would be less crime. He also wanted the leaders to understand the situation that people in squatter areas experience.

Although the movie had some flaws (It normally happens in indie films) like faulty lighting and shakiness of the camera, which was sometimes distracting, I like the political touch of the movie. Everyone should not miss this one out.

Your Soul's Other Half ("The Dreamers" film review)

             They say twins are inseparable because they share each other’s souls. But what if somebody suddenly comes in between the two souls? Would they still be inseparable?

            “The Dreamers” is a film about Matthew (portrayed by Michael Pitt), an American student who resides in Paris to learn the French language. The story starts in 1968 when Henri Langlois (portrayed by himself), founder of the French Cinematheque, gets fired. In the protest, Matthew meets Isabelle (portrayed by Eva Green) and Theo (portrayed by Louis Garrel), peculiar twins who share with him the same passion for classic films. When the twins’ parents (portrayed by Robin Renucci and Anna Chancellor) leave home for a vacation, Matthew lives with them. There they played games related to the movies they have watched. As time passes by, Matthew notices a special and unusual attraction between the two siblings and as he gets to know them better, he falls in love with both of them. They get closer and closer to each other until their “little” games elevate to sexual games which eventually confuses their minds. And when they finally get nearer and nearer to reality, the Matthew, Isabelle and Theo find themselves set apart by their beliefs.

            Symbols are present in various parts of the film. The first one is the house where the three live. It serves as a shell – a comfort zone. It separates them from the reality waiting for them outside. Isabelle’s room is also a symbol. It represents her inner child and her innocence. Like what Matthew said, it is a side of Isabelle he has never seen before. Another symbolism is the birthmark on Isabelle and Theo’s arm. It signifies the bond between the siblings. It shows that although they don’t look exactly alike, they are still identical and inseparable.

            The movie is quite disturbing because of the unusual bond between Isabelle and Theo. Though it is expected for twins or siblings to be affectionate with each other, their situation seems to be different. They are comfortable – excessively comfortable – with each other. In fact, it was the first time I saw siblings who sleep next to each other without any clothes on. In the normal world, it will be scandalous and it will go against the morals of the Church because they were not anymore kids to do that kind of thing.

            Despite this, I still admire the kind of relationship between them. Isabelle loves Theo so much that she chooses to forget how she feels for Matthew. I also admire her for saying that she wants Theo to be with her forever because this rarely happens nowadays.

            I don’t relate much to this movie because I don’t have a brother though I think it’s cool to have one. But I do have a not-so-little sister whom I love so much no matter how many quarrels we’ve had. She’s a little bit hot-tempered but I’m really trying my best to get along with her and to be the best sister she could ever have.

            The film is not that bad, but it’s also not that good either. I think it takes a great critic to really understand the film well.