[khimaubreydeguzman]

Mobile Apps: A Modern Reality

How do you deal with the exhausting demand of life every single day?

Many mobile applications are so accessible and portable wherever we are at any time of the day. We tend to be reliant on them when it comes to building relationships, communicating, finding our interests, being productive, and more. As people who are living and coping with the modern times, we notice that the use of social media applications on our phones is really prevalent. In fact, even if we are far from each other, the distance is defiable because of technology.

For example, the utilization of Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram is dominant when it comes to building relationships and communicating, either with people we know, or complete strangers. These applications make it easier for people to connect with each other and meet new friends, or let me say, new people. It also has features where you could share pictures, ideas, and anything you like, making people feel closer to you. You could also have a video call with anyone you like, no matter how far they are, making your relationship strong despite the distance.

Speaking of building stronger relationships, there are more applications that a person could use. One of them is Zoom, which rose to popularity when the pandemic came. It is mostly used for business and academic settings, however, many people also utilize it for virtual communications. It allows people to communicate through video call, and it could cater to a large number too. A feature of Zoom, which is screen sharing, allows people to bond by watching movies, or videos. It is also really easy to use.

Since we’re talking about videos, why not add YouTube and Tiktok to the list? Both are platforms for watching and sharing videos about literally anything at all. You could watch a video that interests you with your friends or family. For example, if you like K-Ppop, there are hundreds of them that you could watch, and you could watch it with a friend. You could sing together or dance crazily in front of the screen. Or, if your siblings love watching cartoons, then maybe you could watch with them and feel like a child. These would make you learn things about each other, things that interest both of you, and increase the level of your knowledge about each other. This way, you are being connected to them on a more personal level.

 Despite all the amazing things that these mobile applications provide, especially in building relationships, we can’t deny that we use it excessively sometimes, making us lose our productivity. So how can we be productive with these applications?

With social media applications on our mobile, we could limit its use to important things only. There is no need to scroll on social media all day and talk to strangers we haven’t even met. With Zoom, we could be productive because at present time, it’s what we use to study and many people use it for their jobs. At the end of the day, we learn something after using it.

Youtube and Tiktok allows us to learn thigs as long as we limit our use of it and only use it for decent things. For example, these tutorials inspire us to learn and accomplish something.

See, these mobile applications are just some of the most common ones that makes our life easier. We don’t have to go faraway just to talk to people we miss. However, we should also know how to use it in a non-excessive manner to avoid drifting away from reality

[khimaubreydeguzman]

Epiphanies Among The Fog

“We’re all going to die but not today!”

Ah, that quotation helps me go through the day no matter how bad it is. It motivates my lazy and unmotivated self to get up, be the best lady that I think I am, and go through the day.

However, the annoying yet uncanny noise of my youngest sister is starting to ruin my bright, beautiful, and supposedly perfect morning. Before my blood starts to boil, I forced myself to get up and do my usual morning routines. The scent of coffee, milk, and bread being prepared made me feel relaxed and somehow hungry, even if I don’t like eating breakfast. I went to the living room and saw my sister prettily and innocently sitting on a chair as if she didn’t cause havoc to my ears earlier. I bid goodbye to her and my mom, as they’re the only ones awake, and went to my cousin’s home.

What I saw first were her siblings being cramped on a wide mattress on the floor, still sleepy. I almost didn’t notice my aunt standing in front of me.

“Hi Tita! May I call Dianne to accompany me for a morning walk? We won’t be going far.” I energetically asked as she leads me to their sofa.

“Of course! Just wait for her here.” She answered in such an exaggerated manner that I laughed.

After years of waiting, just kidding - after how many minutes, Dianne was finally ready and we went to the nearby road, just so we could take a walk. It was sunny but I was still expecting to feel a cold breeze, besides, we’re in Baguio, a cold city. I just got disappointed though.

“I didn’t see Nads and Prince earlier, are they still at the hospital?” I asked her.

“Yes, they’re still sick. Mom said they find it difficult to breathe.”

An awkward silence enveloped us as we continued to walk. Maybe I asked the wrong question, so I asked her to pose and took a picture of her. She was smiling so brightly that I wondered how she was able to do that. Two of her siblings are at the hospital, sick and weak. I just let go of that thought and suggested that we go home.

That afternoon, I invited her again to come with me at the rooftop. I noticed that she was not as jolly as she usually is. She only smiles when I call her, when I talk to her, and laughs when I tell an unfunny joke. Is it because of their family’s situation? Is it because she’s worried of her siblings? To be honest, she’s too young for all these worrisome matters. Maybe it’s because of her studies.

“How’s school?” I asked her.

“It’s fine. I have some difficulty learning Math but other than that, it’s fine.” She was looking at the fog ahead as she said that, with no smile on her face.

I know that many things are bothering her and that there’s chaos inside her mind. She has so many things she has to bear at home and academically. I’m sure that it’s affecting her emotionally, it’s just hard for her to open up. I don’t know how to handle such situation, so we stared at the fog in silence.

I just realized that maybe this is life.

 It’s ironic how we know that there is something bright despite the fog, something great and hopeful. However, we also know that behind a smile and happy face, there’s something dark hidden within.

[khimaubreydeguzman]

The Future I See

The first time that someone asked me what my dream is, I answered excitedly that I wanted to be a doctor. Ironically, I am scared of blood and I despise going to the hospital. I would never be qualified to become a doctor. Honestly, that time, I was just a little kid who didn't know what dreams are. I didn't have a dream, but I said I wanted to be a doctor because I thought it was cool and people look up to them for the reason that they save lives.

I could vividly remember the time when I was asked what my dream was when I was in seventh grade and we were required to write an essay about it. I didn't know what to write. I haven't thought about it at that time. The thought of a microphone suddenly entered my mind, and the images of those people who reports about death almost everyday. I decided to write an essay about being a newscaster and remembered that my uncle is a newscaster too. I got home that day with the fake dream of becoming a news reporter but now that I got older, I learned to love that dream.

When people ask me now what my dream is, I would sincerely say that I dream to be a newscaster along with my other dreams. I am fascinated with how powerful the words of a newscaster are. They report the truth even if it's dangerous. They report the truth even if it's risky. Some of my inspirations include Ms. Kara David and Ms. Jessica Soho. I also admire newscasters and journalists who sacrifice their time, health, and their own life just to tell people the truth. I remember watching a newscaster reporting even if the storm was too strong in her location, her bravery is admirable. I also dream of making documentaries like what they do on i-Witness.

Aside from being a newscaster, I also dream to be an author and a poet. As of now, I manage an Instagram page where I upload my poems daily and interact with other poets, professional and nonprofessional, from around the world. I also try to write my own novels but I know that I still lack skills on that area and I need to learn more to improve.

Moving on, education is really important to me and to my family so one of my dreams is to graduate college. Aside from the opportunities, the knowledge, and many benefits that education would give me, it would simply make my parents happy and that is my ultimate goal. I may not be the smartest student but I make sure to exert effort when it comes to my studies.

Being a newscaster and author are my big dreams, however, a dream isn't just about profession. I also have small dreams for myself. For example, I dream to collect more books because I love reading. I also dream to buy every single BTS album because I really love that band and their music. I dream to attend a BTS concert and fan meeting event. My dream includes learning how to cook, sing, and more. Just like what BTS asked on their song entitled Paradise, "Who says that a dream must be anything grand?" My dream could be as small as reciting on a class and getting the right answer.

I was once undecided about my dreams but now, I have hundreds of them. When I achieve these dreams, new dreams would unlock and that would include helping people, especially children.