Precious Heritage Orphanage..I Will Come Back!

I have been a kid once and I miss being one. My life revolves between my work and my family. Little do I know that aside from that I still had a mission to do in this world. That is to teach kids the value of life and share my love with them. My time at Precious Heritage Orphanage has been a life altering experience. I was really glad to be part of this outreach program. I feel very blessed with the opportunity given to me by the small group headed by Caesar Ramirez and the Victory Church. I will be forever thankful to them.

I was a bit exhausted on my way to Precious Heritage Orphanage but when I saw the children, my anxieties were relieved. My mood was positive. When I saw all the smiling faces welcoming us as we walked inside the orphanage, I knew I was meant to be there. Flashbacks started when I saw them playing and enjoying their life as a kid. I knew I was like them so many years ago. Energetic and playful. In one way or another, I missed my childhood days. My heart melted as they approached us. Much more when we started the program. Despite of their situation, they still managed to have the best time of their life, be so happy and full of wonder.

As a kid, we knew they love games. They love to play. They love to exert effort. So we came up with something that will boost their confidence, teach them how to be competitive and of course have fun. To watch them wanting to learn new things and receiving our love was so priceless. This made a lasting impact on my life. And to know that I was part of this filled me with contentment and happiness. To see them smile from receiving something as simple as a hug really touched me. These children are so uniquely beautiful and a great gift from God.

The one-to-one session I had with one of the kids there was totally heartbreaking. It indeed made me cry. What these children endure everyday is more than most we could ever imagine. So sad there are real stories like this. So unfortunate this exists in real life. I tried to be careful in asking questions with them for I know they can be too sensitive especially when the topic is about their family. I don't want to see them shed tears. I don't want to see them sad. As much as possible, I tried to crack jokes to lighten the situation. But behind my back, what I've heard deeply tore my soul. These children deserve every good thing in this world but they were deprived of the chances at an early age. I know God is good and that He will protect and guide them as they grow up. They will soon be with their family and have a wonderful life. They will finish their studies and will be successful in the future. God has a plan for each one of them. This maybe just a test for them now but God will not give us something we cannot surpass, sooner or later the challenges and trials will be over and they will have a fruitful beginning and a happy ending.

And as I leave, I know that I will return as much as possible. I fell in love with all the children there. It was a happy feeling to touch so many lives in a short time but even so great to be inspired by this kids. The feeling is rewarding. This truly changed the way I view life. I now realize how the smallest deeds can make a world of difference in the lives of others. An awesome experience I’ll never forget.

"The Fantasticks" is so Fantastic!

I've already heard a lot of good feedbacks from this musical play. Luckily, while I was browsing the TicketWorld homepage I saw that "The Fantasticks" musical play will going to have a repeat Monday which is November 16 at Repertory Philippines in Greenbelt. I made a reservation right away even though I am not fully sure if I could I attend to it cause I got work that time. Schedule conflict again.

As the day itself goes on and it's Monday, I was totally excited to watch. Yeah, I'm going to watch it all alone. Weird?! My friends got work this day and I know everyone will be busy cause it is the start of the week. I went there 30 minutes earlier. Students were lined-up. They came from St. Paul College and St. Scholastica. I went there wearing a blue green dress. Cool! I don't usually wear dress but I've tried it. So far I love it. The entire auditorium was jam packed with students. I sat at I/8. The seat I chose was perfect. I could see the entire stage. It was also a bit cold inside. Then the play started. It was PJ Valerio who was the lead actor and the girl, she's very unknown to me but she's definitely good and her voice was marvelous. It was Julia Abueva who played the original role but she's in Singapore that time for the APEC Summit. Well, the other girl who replaced her role also performed well. The story was good. The actors were great. It was indeed a lovestory filled with fun and intimate moments. I truly enjoyed it. Fantastic!

Here are additional information about the play. It is pretty interesting.

The Fantasticks, the world's longest-running musical, is a captivating and simple romantic comedy about a boy, a girl, two fathers and a wall. The audience uses its imagination to follow El Gallo as he creates a world of moonlight and magic, and then pain and disillusionment, until the boy and girl find their way back to one other. In a clever reverse of the Romeo and Juliet story, two fathers put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love, because they know that children always do what their parents forbid. After the children do fall in love, they discover their fathers' plot and they each go off and experience things in the world. They return to each other and the love they had, having learned from the world, bringing to life a funny and quite touching story of innocence, and of knowledge.

Repertory Philippines’ The Fantasticks stars teenage sensation Julia Abueva as Louisa, and teen heartthrob PJ Valerio as Matt. Completing the cast is a respectable list of theater veterans. Jake Macapagal stars as El Gallo. The Fathers, Bellomy and Hucklebee are played by Dido de la Paz and Jaime del Mundo. Miguel Faustman reprises his role as Henry, the old actor and relative newcomer to the stage but already making waves is Red Concepcion as Mortimer.

Facts That Every Girl Must Know About Boys

Girls can be very judgmental most of the time and boys can be pretty insensitive too. But believe it or not, we both can't live without the other. Boys are tend to be misunderstood all the time. Poor guys. So I come up with a list that every girl like me should know about boys. After all, we are not just after their looks, we also count the most their attitude. Check this out:

-A guy won't kiss a girl on her forehead unless he's really serious about her.
-Boys love it when we notice their new haircut and compliment about it.
-They get embarassed by too much attention.
-Boys like girls who can make funny faces for the camera without worrying about looking silly.
-When they're upset, they also find comfort in chocolates and ice cream.
-Boys watch chessy soap operas too!
-They also always check their Facebook page to see if other guys are leaving flirty comments on his girl's Wall.
-Boys also believe in fairytales.
-When a guy was force to watch chick flicks, they pretend not to like it, but they get butterflies, too.
-Horror movies also freak them out big time!

-Rain also makes them feel emo and sentimental too.
-They love girls who are very upfront with their feelings.
-Guys are big chatterboxes too.
-Guys thInk that girls in messy ponytails are cuter than girls with salon-perfect hair.
-They get anxious when girls go in the bathroom in groups because they are worried that we might be gossiping about them.
-They were huge fans of Gossip Girls as well. They were also touched when Chuck Bass finally said those three words, eight letters to Blair Waldorf.
-Guys find it cool when a girl has a big appetite.
-They also get "kilig" when they see us viewed their Friendster account.
-Guys put up a strong front but they also get hurt easily.
-Guys also care about clothes and shopping.
-Guys were in love when the name of the girl they adore always come up in their conversations with other people.
-They also get jealous when girls swoon over Edward Cullen even if he's fictional.

So girls, let us be more patient with them. They may be shy to come out of their shell. But at the end of the day, we all know that it takes a lot of gutts to finally know them. (source: candymag)

...Boys of God...

(Glemar, Joshua, Manuel, Csar, Ferdie, Eric and Leo)

As we define boys, they are always known to be as the adventurous and very sporty type of person. They are considered to be strong physically and emotionally. They are born to be leaders. They are very competitive. That is how everybody perceive the male species until I've met this group of guys which totally change my impression about them positively. I defined boys as complicated, sensitive and unpredictable. Do I sounds unfair here? Not now when I became friends with this guys. One Sunday morning after my teaching session at the Kids Church in Victory, my close friend invited me to join their small group. Without my knowledge, they were all composed of boys. Yeah, they were all boys with Adam's apple and muscles. In Biblical term, "small group" are well-explained as sets of people with the same gender whose very much willing to study and learn about God's life. They love to preach the word of God and they will help you to become a good disciple of Christ. I was a bit nervous when I met them. But honestly, they don't look scary at all. In fact, they all look very cool. Whew! At first, I was very quiet. I was listening to their conversation and I merely observe. They were talking about the outreach program we will organize at Precious Heritage Orphanage at Cupang Antipolo. I was part of it and I was very happy cause I love this kind of activities. Anything that involve helping kids I truly make time for it. After all, I've been a kid once and I miss being one. Few minutes passed, I began talking. I also started sharing my ideas. They were all soft-spoken and somewhat serious. Most of all, they were all nice. And I felt like the only rose among the thorns.

It is fascinating to meet guys whose very devoted to God. I wish all guys are like that. The way they speak makes me want to listen cause I know I will learn a lot from them. I'm not good in Bible verses but with them you'll get used to it. They have bright and smart ideas which I would like to absorb for I know in one way or another this will help me. Maybe not now but in the future. They talk well. Every words they mention is filled with sense and humor. They were also funny and candid. It's like they know how to balance their life between their chosen craft. They can be very cheesy sometimes. Well, they were still normal guys. What makes them stand above every other guy that I've met is their great faith and belief with God. I can count in my hands now if how many guys I've met like them and I'm sure with myself its not even less than ten that is why I am very much thankful to spend a little time with them. I maybe just sitting around, cracking jokes and making happy faces but deep in my soul they inspire me. They were like big brothers to me. I was lucky to have them as my brothers, for sure I'm in good hands. I just hope they can tolerate my "wacky" side. Ahahaha..

I know you may not know them but I'll bet you'll like them once you get the chance to sit with them during their small group session. I called them as "Boys of God" because I respect them when it comes to loving God. They were different from boy bands out there or Korean actors. They're very much real and open-minded. I enjoyed their company and I really appreciate the fact that they welcome me with smiling faces. It maybe awkward meeting them from the beginning but all ends well. Wow. I was amazed with their group. It was overwhelming. No kiddding! The feeling is rewarding. Oprah Winfrey once quoted, "Surround yourself only with people who will lift you higher". And that is basically true once you get along with them. You will never feel down. Even for hours I talked with the group I did learn a lot and I come up with good realizations about life. I love the way they treat you like they know you for so long. Fair and just. I am so proud of you guys! Keep it up. And thank you for the caramel frappe from Chaikopi! Till our next meeting...Thanks Csar, Glemar, Ferdie, Eric, Robert and Leo!

Missin' My Good Friend Jeric

I really don’t know how to start this things up. Wala lang. I feel so sad that I as long as the rest of the Thomasians missed the companion of our great friend, Jeric. Madaya man isipin kasi he left us unexpectedly. Ganunpaman, he has been part of our life for a long time. Who could ever forget him? We had been friends and classmates way back in highschool so daming memories talaga nun. Hindi man kami madalas magkasama, meron pa ding mga times na maaalala mo talaga sya. Bukod sa sobrang dedicated sya sa studies nya, he is very friendly to everyone. Kaya panalo sa kahit anung botohan yan, mapa-CSG or barangay elections. Bow kami jan. I remember Jeric as a friend na lagi andyan, financially or emotionally. I remember nung 2nd year kami there was a task na you will be writing a letter to one of your closest friend, I received one from him. I was surprised, ang saya kaya ng pakiramdam na naalala ka pa niya. Nakasulat pa sa letter na once I get married daw kunin ko daw sya ninong sa kasal, masyadong advance db? Pero sayang Jeric hindi mo na tinupad yung sinabi mo dun. Tapos leader pa yan sa paggawa ng projects namin sa Filipino. One of Thomas’ unforgettable moment is nung ginagawa namin ung Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Full force kami lahat jan. Pati yung "mumu" scene na si Edel atah ung napagdiskitahan sa kampanaryo ng simbahan sa Sta. Monica, dedma pa din kami tinuloy pa rin namin yung project. It is all worth the effort naman. Pati yung retreat sa Baguio wherein that time our family is having financial problem, supposedly dapat hindi na ko makakasama pero he made a way para ma-experience ko yung moment na un. I really thanked you for that kahit pagbalik natin from Baguio sinabon tayo ni Monsignor at Father Nap because of vandalism.

Jeric was also one of my good mentor pagdating sa pagiging commentator at lector ko every first Friday mass. He was always there to help and guide me out. Naalala ko pa nung puro mali-mali instruction ko nun sa isang misa na pinag-upo at tayo ko yung mga tao, sa halip na tumawa sya, he tapped my shoulder at sabi nya, "okay lang yan." At eto pa, ako pa ang taga-abot ng mga goodluck letters ni Jessa sa kanya kapag magco-compete kami sa Bulprisa. (Peace out Jessa!) At ang pagtukso-tukso ng klase sken kay Andrew sya rin ang promotor. Kakaiba ka talaga Jeric.

Hindi ba nakaka-miss ang ganitong klase ng kaibigan? I knew after the graduation we we totally lose communication na. Sobrang sorry Jeric if kung hindi mo na-feel ang presence ko during your campaign period. Puro text lang ako. I admit I was busy that time pero until now sobrang may regret din dahil I never thought na maikling time nalang pala ang mai-spend mo kasama kaming mga classmates mo. The last time I saw you pa nga sakay ka din ng motorsiklo na angkas mo yung brother mo, I never thought din na yun na pala ang huli. Nakakalungkot talaga. When I heard about your death, sobrang nanlambot ako to the point na hindi ako makapaniwala, until now I still can’t believe na you are not here with us anymore. Mag-tatlong taon na din un. Parang ang bilis ng panahon pero kaming mga kaibigan mo andito pa din umaasa na isang araw baka bumalik ka pa para makita uli namin ang pagngiti mo kasabay ng paglitaw ng dalawa mong "dimples" at mga singkit na mata. But I know God has a reason for everything and I know you are happy because you are with God right now. Madami man kaming friends mo na till now is still mourning for your loss but I know you are just around watching us. Hindi ko din masabi na ang daya mo kasi ang dami ko din pagkukulang sayo as a friend and a classmate. Nakaka-miss ang pagtawag mo sken ng "Aprilynnn" na sobrang pronounced na pronounced, kaw lang ang tumawag sken ng buo kong pangalan tapos ngayon wala na. Basta, we are still here for you, kahit minsan sobrang busy, hindi ka namin nakakalimutan. That’s a promise and we will never broke that. Your memories and our experiences together as Thomasians will remain forever.
Pouvez vous se reposer dans la paix. Merci de tout Jeric.

"Flashback"

(Ms. Lan, Kuya Raul, Ate Donna and Matteo)

Unexpectedly, after my teaching session with the kids at Victory I passed by the foodcourt of Robinson's Galleria. I am on my way to the washroom to freshen up cause I feel very exhausted. Suddenly, someone caught my attention. It was Ms. Lan, Matteo's road manager. I was a bit shy and excited when I saw her. After all, Ms. Lan was one of the good reason how I met my celebrity idol and now my friend Matteo. I immediately approached her. She was with her Mom. They attended a mass in Pasig and just decided to have a breakfast at Robinson's foodcourt.

I was overwhelmed with the fact that she still remembered me. She recalled that I was the one who toured and shoot a scene inside Matteo's house. I love to see her smile while remembering each scenes that we did that time. It is like I am going through again with one of the best episode of my life, spending one whole day with car racer and theater actor Matteo Guidicelli. It was like a big flashback. This is something I will never forget throughout my life. Ms. Lan even introduced me to her Mom and even told to her the dares me and Matteo did last July. Honestly, the moment I saw Ms. Lan I somehow realized that one of my biggest dream has already been fulfilled. It may sound impossible from the beginning but I made things happen because of my never-ending faith and prayers to God.

I've also had friendly conversation with her about Matteo. She told me that Matteo will be here this coming December and will stay here for good. He will continue his studies here and will not go back to Chicago. I know this decision would be very hard for Matteo but maybe he needs to give up something good for something better. Ms. Lan also mentioned that Matteo missed his family so much. This makes me sad. Don't worry Matteo, times flies past. It's like how many days and you'll be back here.

It was a happy feeling to see Ms. Lan again after my Dare Duo episode. Gosh! I miss Dare Duo a lot. I miss everything me and Matteo did that time. From visiting his house, eating "dinuguan" and pickles, playing Airsoft and doing some theater workshop, I so miss the entire experience. The feeling is unexplainable. So full of wonder and joy. This has been one of the best things that happen in my life. And I would like to thank all the people who work hard for this to make my dream come true. I owe everything to you guys. I like going back with every scenes. It makes me go gaga. It makes me smile. It drives me crazy. And because of everything, I felt very lucky.

Teacher April and Her Little Angels

My Mom was my very first teacher. Alam ko how much time ang binuhos nya sa akin when I was young para lang matutuhan ko ang bawat bagay at malaman ko ang tama sa mali. I'd still remember way back in Kindergarten when I'm about to deliver a speech as a valedictorian, sobrang haba ng ime-memorize ko. And during the graduation, she was right in front of the stage holding a copy of my speech, guiding me para lang hindi ko makalimutan yung lines. Alam ko sobrang kabado sya that time. I thanked you for that Mom. Because of my Mom's hardwork and determination sa pagtuturo sa akin ng mga values na dapat kong malaman about life, whenever they asked me if ano daw gusto ko when I grow up I always tell them, "I want to be a teacher". That has been the profession I've dreamed about nung bata pa ko. Ewan ko ba kung bakit nung nag-college ako my interest changed. But in one way or another, magbago man yung interest mo darating yung time na babalik at babalik ka pa din sa unang bagay na natutuhan mong mahalin at minsan mo pinangarap. I admit now, that was what I am feeling. And I am so glad I am making it real now, unti-unti ko na sya tinutupad.

I was very thankful to my friend Leo who gave me the chance to fulfill one of my biggest dreams, to be a teacher for kids. Nung una I was very nervous pa kasi I don't know what will be the kids reaction once they meet me but at the end of the day they welcomed me with happy faces. Sobrang overwhelming ng feeling. Kahit sobrang pagod ako pakiramdam ko nawala lahat yun when I saw them. They such a relief to me. Usually, we started the day with the kids doing some paperworks like yung nag-cocolor sila. We handed them a paper na may drawing about God and they began to put colors on it. Ang saya kasi you need to assist them one by one kasi hindi naman sila lahat marunong magsulat ng names nila. Kids were in the age of 4-7 years old. They were a mixed of boys and girls. They were all adorable. Most of them are playful and sobrang energetic. Patience is a virtue talaga. Then after that "praise and worship" na. We teach them prayer songs. We dance. We act. We jump. We shout. Nakakatanggal sya ng stress knowing na your doing this to help kids get close to God. Rewarding talaga sya sa pakiramdam. Sometimes kailangan mo din maki-jive sa mga moods ng mga kids kasi yung iba bigla nalang magta-tantrums or iiyak. I had this great experience yesterday when Tiffany, isa sa mga "fashionistang kid" bigla nalang umiyak. I was like I don't know what I'm going to do. Medyo nataranta ako. I tried to console her pero she still continued crying. I was asking naman the reason pero ayaw nya sabihin. Then I began to think. Naisip ko weakness ng mga kids yung books especially pag about family. So I grabbed a book and I started telling her the story. It's like a one-on-one storytelling. At first mahirap cause I was afraid baka hindi sya makinig pero nung nag-start na ko magbasa and I saw her wiping her tears and began listening to me, I can't describe what I feel that time. Nag-focus sya sa sinasabi ko and she's even giving her own opinion about the story and that made me smile. Magkakaiba talaga lahat ng bata, sometimes you need to adjust your emotions para maintindihan ka nila. It makes me happy din na ang bilis nila makuntento even in the smallest things. Yung tipong i-compliment mo lang sila parang kahit bad mood sila sandali lang magiging okay na ang lahat. May mga times din na mag-struggle ka talaga dahil hindi maiiwasan na may masasalit na "pasaway" na kahit anung gawin mo hinding-hindi makikinig sayo. Ang part na yun ang challenging talaga. Luckily, nasu-surpass naman namin yung mga ganung situation. I also observed na sobrang advanced na talaga ang mga kids din ngayon. They talk English well, minsan mahihiya ka pa kasi mas may accent pa sila sayo. Open na din sila sa mga modern gadgets and updated sila pagdating sa news. There's one kid pa nga dun who asked me to invite him on Facebook. Ang cool di ba? And one more, there's another kid din kahapon who cried because he was raising his hands kasi gusto nya sumagot sa question during "storytelling time". When the other teacher failed to call his name, he began to cry. His name was Joshua and he was a special child. He cried. He threw his stuff. Nung tinanung ko ba't sya umiiyak he told me he wanted to get the prize. After storytelling kasi may mga lined-up questions and once nasagot nila they'll get a toy or a prize. Sobrang nahirapan ako patahanin sya pero nung huli napatigil ko din. I gave him a green frog toy. Nung una ayaw pa nya tanggapin kaya sabi ko nalang na bigay nya sa brother nya and he was happy to hear that. Sometimes ang mga kids talaga sensitive din. But I like the fact they don't lie on what they feel. That's something I need to learn from them. Tinuturuan din namin sila gumawa ng mga crafts using recycled materials. Gumagawa sila ng bracelets, balloons at mga different accesories na iuuwi nila after ng day na yun to show to their parents. Sa mga ganung time talaga kailangan mo sila i-guide at tutukan na mabuti. You need to explain to them well the instructions. At yun din ang mga oras na sobrang maingay sila, panay tawag ng "teacher" na hindi mo alam kung sino uunahin mo. Nakakatawa pero minsan ako nalang gumagawa ng craft nila para matapos. Kasi pag nakita nila yung iba na tapos na and sila wala pang nasisimulan, they tend to panic so kailangan tulungan mo na talaga sila. Okay lang, kasi isang "smile" at "hug" lang nila sayo parang kumpleto na araw mo. Yung last part is what we called the "merienda time". We gave them some chips, chocolates and ang walang kamatayang Zest-O. We teach them din naman how to be organize. Alam nila na bawal magkalat, bawal magsalita when their mouth is full and mag-pray before they eat. I love doing this. I love being a teacher kasi hindi lang ako napapalapit sa mga kids pati kay God na din. I am starting to accept and know God through those kids. They help me to have faith in God and to do good things for God. Mas maganda na habang bata pa sila nakikilala na nila si God para paglaki nila sila na mismo ang tutulong para mas madaming tao pa ang makakilala kay God.

Finally, I am so proud to people who voluntarily give time to teach kids the value of life. Two-thumbs up for you guys! Lahat naman tayo alam kong busy at may iba't-ibang plans every Sunday but we still manage the time to be with the kids kahit sandali lang. I know the kids feel the same way for us! They're like our brothers and sisters na din. For me, sobrang fulfilling na work ito. The feeling is priceless. The experience is totally wonderful. And this is something I wanna do forever. I love being called "Teacher April" not because I feel like I'm gaining so much respect from them, but because the mere fact na you're teaching them, you're also learning from them. I will never get tired being called "Teacher April" and I will never give-up teaching and loving the kids. They're like my angels.