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[kirsteeen]

Si Cleya at ang kanyang Paniniwala sa Diyos

Ni Kirsten T. Mahilum

Source: Pinterest

Kaibigan. Siya ang ating kasama sa mga panahong masaya tayo. Siya rin ang ating kinakapitan sa tuwing hindi na natin kayang harapin ang kalupitan ng mundo. Masarap sa pakiramdam na magkaroon ng tunay na kaibigan lalo na’t hindi naman lahat ay kaya kang tanggapin maging sino ka man. Ngunit kung gaano kasayang magkaroon nito ay dobleng sakit sa pakiramdam kapag sila’y nawala. Ika nga nila, “mas mahirap mawalan ng kaibigan kaysa makipaghiwalay sa kasintahan.”

Iyan ang pakiramdam ni Cleya Rodrigo. Si Cleya ay isang masiyahing kabataan. Dahil sa kanyang taglay na magandang pag-uugali ay hindi na kataka-takang marami siyang kaibigan. Isa na rito si Coleen Jimenez. Matagal na panahon na silang magkaibigan kaya’t kilala na nila ang isa’t isa. Magkasama sila sa saya at kalungkutan. Kaya naman nang ma-diagnose si Coleen na siya ay may depression ay labis itong ikinalungkot ni Cleya. Nais niya na mapagaan ang kung anumang nararamdaman ng kaibigan kung kaya’t sinusunod niya ang kung anumang sinasabi nito. 

Hindi niya na namalayan na sa sobrang pagmamahal niya sa kaibigan ay nakalimutan na niya ang kanyang sarili. Nagagawa niya ang mga bagay na hindi niya ginagawa sa sarili niya noon tulad ng self-harm. Isa ring ikinabahala ng ibang mga kaibigan ni Cleya ay ang pagkahawa niya sa nararamdamang kalungkutan ni Coleen.

At iyon na nga ang simula ng pagkawala ng pagmamahal niya sa sarili. Nagsimula nang bumaba ang confidence niya at unti-unti na ring lumayo ang loob sa mga kaibigang nais makatulong sa kanyang maibalik ang kanyang dating sarili. Madali na rin itong mainis at tila wala nang ganang mag-aral. Dito na rin siya nagsimulang mawalan ng dalawang kaibigan. Labis itong dinamdam ni Cleya. Hanggang sa napagtanto niyang, “oo nga pala, bakit ako nagpapatalo sa kalungkutang ito, e nariyan naman ang Panginoon?”

Panginoon ang kinapitan ni Cleya noong mga panahong iyon. Nakatulong din ang kanyang dalawang matalik na kaibigan. Mayroon din siyang nakilalang lalaking nagpabago ng buhay niya-- si Paul. Dito naisip ni Cleya, na sa bawat taong umaalis sa buhay ng isang tao, mayroon at mayroong darating na para sa ‘yo. Naisip din ni Cleya na hindi lahat ay iiwan ka, dahil mayroong handang manatili sa tabi mo, tulad na lamang ng kanyang mga matalik na kaibigan, lalo na ang Panginoon.

Source: Pinterest

“Talikuran ka man ng mundo, ang Lord, hindi aalis sa tabi mo. Bagkus ay yayakapin ka Niya at ipararamdam sa ‘yo ang Kanyang pagmamahal sa Kanyang mga Anak,” ani Cleya. “Binuksan Niya ‘yung mga mata ko sa mga taong nakakakita ng halaga ko at hindi ako babalewalain. Pinaramdam Niya sa akin na mahalaga ako.”

Nalampasan ni Cleya ang pagsubok na kanyang hinarap dahil naniwala siya sa mga pangako ng Diyos at hindi siya nawalan ng pag-asa. Ipinagpapasalamat niya rin ang mga kaibigan niya at ang kanyang ngayo’y kasintahan na pinaniniwalaan niyang bigay ng Diyos. “I conquered those battles by surrendering it to the Lord. I knew He has a plan for me, and I trusted that.”

Ito naman ang mensahe ni Cleya sa mga napapagod na sa buhay, “huwag kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Kailangan niyong magkaroon ng faith kay Lord. Kahit parang walang nangyayari, dapat ka pa ring magtiwala. Kung sabi sa kanta, “Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save,” edi mas kaya niyang pagalawin ‘yung kapaguran mo sa buhay. At sa bawat pagod na ‘yan, d’yan mo makikita na mas malakas ka kaysa sa inaakala mo. Kaya padayon lang.”

Source: Pinterest

[kirsteeen]

The Beauty of Puerto Galera

By Kirsten T. Mahilum

Puerto Galera, or Port of Galleons in English, was a convenient place for sheltering ships against bad weather during the ancient era. It is where the Chinese traded their goods with the people here. With its still deep-secured bay and harbors, it still remained its purpose in sheltering ships. It is a municipality that is located in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It was once dubbed as "One of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World," and it doesn't lie. Because, forest-clad mountains surround the crashing waves of the sea, while the powdery white beaches have many coconut trees which are surrounded by the clear mix of azure and seafoam green sea. It is also surrounded by beautiful faunas, majestic waterfalls, flowing rivers and streams, picturesque sceneries, and more.

The town has approximately 42 kilometers of coastline and a diverse underwater ecosystem that serves as home to a variety of marine species. No wonder UNESCO recognized Puerto Galera as a Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1973 and became one of the most sought-after best diving spots in the world.

Three to four hours is the estimated time interval in land and sea travelling from Metro Manila to Puerto Galera. First, you need to ride a bus. There are several terminals to choose from: Cubao, Sampaloc, Buendia, and Alabang going to Batangas Port which is the jump-off point. In Batangas Port, there are ferries and ro-ros that you should catch if you want to go to Muelle or Balatero. You can catch it from 5am to 7pm. Jeeps and tricycles are basic modes of transportation. The minimum regular fare is 8 pesos for jeep and 10 pesos for tricycle.

And at last! You’re in Puerto Galera already. You can now visit the beautiful destinations of my dear province. The first must-visit place that I recommend to you is the Tamaraw Falls(it got its name from the species of buffalo called Tamaraw which is common in Mindoro. It is one of the most majestic waterfalls that you will ever see. It stands at 423 feet and is as tall as a 5-storey-building. Because of the twin falls merging together, you will notice the unique Y-shaped dropping waters. You don’t have to hike or trek if you want to see the beauty of our beloved waterfalls, you can already see it on the highway. But, if you want to see it up-close, you have to pay for the entrance fee which is 30 pesos for adults and 15 pesos for children. 

After that, you can visit the pride of our province, the White Beach in Isidro which is known for its powdery white sand. Numerous hotels and lodges can be found here where you can stay for as long as you want. There are also other white beaches aside from that, there’s the Bayanan Beach, Long Beach, Coco Beach, Buri Beach, and many more. If you’re interested in diving, you can go to our lovely diving sites. Some of the most popular diving destinations are Hole in The Wall, Japanese Wreck and Sabang Wrecks. You can also do hiking and trekking in the mountains like Mount Malasimbo. 

Of course, the tour is not complete if you don’t get to eat in their famous restaurants like Luca Cucia Italiana, Resto Veranda, Ciao Italia Pizzerias, Hemingway Bistro, Relax Restaurant, and more. 

You can do everything in Puerto Galera. Swim, dive, eat, take good pictures, and have an enjoyable time. So, I suggest you visit Puerto Galera immediately after the pandemic. I assure you that you’ll never regret it and you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. With all the picturesque sceneries surrounding you, you’ll forget all the bad things that happened to you for a while. So, c’mon in Puerto Galera. 

[kirsteeen]

A Gem Called Adie

By Kirsten T. Mahilum

“Ang ganda ko,” she would always say out of the blue. She would often brag about herself, about the things that she did. She would say she’s the best. But, would you believe me if I say that she doesn’t mean all of the things that she brags about? That she’s a person who has a very low self-esteem and doesn’t know her worth. She would think, “why can’t I be like them?”. She’s afraid of public speaking, shy around people, allergic to almost everything, says not so good things about her family but talks about them 24/7, acts like she doesn’t care, and is a full-time K-pop and K-Drama fan.

Do you know her? Her name is Adie.

She would say she’s pretty in the middle of our conversation. But I know that in the back of her head, she believes that she’s not. That there are many other girls out there who're prettier and attractive than her. That she can’t reach what they have. And that’s what I don’t believe. She may not be aware of it but she’s more than beautiful. There’s something about her that makes her unique and makes her stand-out among any other girls.

She’s not the kindest girl. No. She would never be. Because she would throw you insults whenever she likes to. She could be offensive when she talks. When it comes to teasing someone, she would be the first one to do that. It’s worse when she becomes hyper because she wouldn’t just throw you jokes, she would throw your umbrella, too. Yup, literally. I remember that day when we were in our 10th grade, she was so hyper and we were laughing with our friends, when suddenly she took my umbrella and my tumbler out of my bag and threw it away! I was pissed so I walked out. But she just laughed and teased me. The girl didn’t even apologize, even the next day. I don’t even know how I let that thing pass. She’s literally the most annoying person ever whenever she wants. And I can’t do anything about that. That’s what makes her “her.”

But you know what? Even if she’s the most annoying person ever, I don’t mind at all. Because that’s what makes her “her.” She may be good at pissing me off sometimes, but I still see her as one of the best people around me.

She may act like she doesn’t care about what’s happening around the world but I know that that’s one of the many things that keep her up all night. She calls herself an “overthinker”, you know? And that’s one of the reasons why she has a bad sleeping schedule. Like, who sleeps at 9pm and then wakes up at 11pm to do her modules and sleep at 4o’clock in the morning again. She would act like she doesn’t care about your shenanigans but deep inside, she would think about it. She would cheer me up in her weirdest way. She’s the best cheerleader whenever I’m on to something and the best hypegirl when I’m down.  

She hasn't achieved something big yet, and she may not know it, but she changed my life. At first, you’ll only see her as a goofy person, but once you get to know her deeply, she’s a person who’s good at words. She’s more than just her corny jokes. I learned a lot from her, especially from her views about the world. She may not realize it, but she’s brave. She would act like she can’t do something but I’ll just be shocked that she finished it already after some time. She may look strong outside, but deep inside, she’s a fragile girl. She’s good at teasing people but she’s really a sensitive person. 

She’s my partner-in-crime, my “gossip-mate,” my best friend. 

If there’s one thing that would describe her, it would be a gem. Why? Because it’s rare to find someone like her. Someone who’s one message away. Someone who’ll make your day bright just by hearing her laugh even at the smallest and corniest stuff. Someone who’ll make you feel even more bad when you’re down at the same time hype you up. Someone you know who’ll stay.

[kirsteeen]

How to Create Good Fiction in Wattpad?

by Kirsten T. Mahilum

Source: Pinterest

Wattpad is a website or app where you can write and publish your written works. It is the home of many writers. It is where some of the most famous fiction writers start. There are millions of stories posted on that writing platform. I’m a casual reader. And after reading hundreds of books, a thought came to my mind. What if I start to write? What if I make a book that can inspire readers like me? What could be the difference between me and the other writers? There’s no harm in trying, right? So, in order to help aspiring writers like me, I came up with a step-by-step guide in creating good fiction in Wattpad. So, here it is:

CHARACTER. Think of a character that you want to write about. What are his/her traits? Do you want them to be on the good side or the bad side? Do you want them to be family-oriented or to be an independent person? How does he/she look? Is it a girl or a boy? You might consider researching some famous personalities and get inspired by their experiences in the past. It’s much better if you write a character that most people relate to.

PLOT A STORY. Your imagination is unlimited. Might as well use them in making a good plot. Also, think of a genre that you want to do. It can be romance, teen fiction, mystery/thriller, horror, fantasy, etc. You can choose the genre that you’ve always read about so that you’ll have a clue on how to write them. I have one tip in making a plot: be bold. 

MAKE A GOOD TITLE. The title is one of the most important parts in making a story because it is the face of your book. I believe that the title reflects the whole story so it should be thought carefully. Your title should be intriguing. I prefer short titles but at the same time, it captures the reader’s attention. The title can be the name of the main character or should be connected to the plot of the story. It’s much better if you can be witty in making a title because it will leave an impression on the readers.

OBSERVE GOOD GRAMMAR AND CORRECT PUNCTUATION MARKS. Nobody likes to read paragraphs with messy grammar and wrong positions of punctuation marks. Personally, I’m more motivated in reading a story if it looks tolerable aside from its plot and intriguing characters. If you’re not fluent in a foreign language like English, you are free to write in your own language. Wattpad is a free writing platform, you can do whatever you want in your story. But it’s still a good thing to be able to write in another language so that more readers will be enticed.

THINK CAREFULLY. It’s okay to write whatever you want to write. But, think about it first because whatever you put there might affect the plot of the story. Affecting the plot of the story in a bad way might lose the interest of the readers. Do not be fast-forward in writing. Take your time. You must also realize if there are some offensive words in your story. If that’s the case, put a warning in that chapter or much better if you remove that part.

TAKE BREAKS. Every writer encounters a writer’s block. Writer's block is a condition, where an author is unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown(Wikipedia). If you happen to experience this condition, it’s okay to take a break. Don’t push yourself. Your ability to write will come back soon.

PROOFREAD AND EDIT. Take a look at your work after you finish it. Observe all the typographical errors that you might’ve made. Then, proofread  and edit them. You may also call a reader friend that could practice reading your book and ask for feedback. Asking for feedback may help you in improving your writing skills.

PUBLISH. Here comes the most important part-- the publishing part. In Wattpad, publishing means posting your story on the platform. When you publish it, people can read it already. But it’s not easy to gain readers. There are aspiring writers like you on that platform so you shouldn’t expect to have a person read your book in an instant. Be patient. Do not be disheartened even when no one reads your book. Think of a reason why you wrote the story in the first place and let that reason motivate you.