annemariejane

[annemariejane]

WORKS IN CREATIVE NONFICTION

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

New school. New faces. New environment. My first day at Pantaleon Garcia Senior Highschool was indeed full of mixed emotions. First I was excited. I don't know what may awaits me here, or what kind of adventure this school might take me. Second, nervous. I'm afraid that I may not easily adjust wt the new environment that revolves around me. I'm a pure Mindanaoan, and I thought that our dialect and expressions might give me a hard time to deal wt my classmates. Even though I grew up often transferring schools to another, I still feel the creeps on being on another environment where everything seems a stranger for me. But despite all of this, for me one thing is for sure, I'm totally determined to learn in this institution. Studying here is a big milestone for me, as well as a big step towards all of my goals in life.

At a very young age, I already faced and experienced trauma, pain and hardships. Yet, it just made me more stronger and tougher which really reflected my 'strong' personality which not everyone seems to get along. Call me whatever you want, but I am frank-type of person, open and honest, I will say everything I want to say, especially if it is true. Second, I like Wattpad stories or Korean Idols. They are my stress-reliever and endorphins. If you also like those, we will surely get along. I also really value friendship. I am that type of person who wants to make friends if I really want to. That's what I really thought always so I can be comfortable.

Right at the start of the first period of the class, We introduced ourselves one by one. I feel kinda nervous, but for the sake that everyone of the class will know me, I eventually introduce myself in front of the class (which I almost spoke in visayan language). Because of that, I eventually befriended Alliah and Emmie. I did not have a hard time being close to them because both of them are really friendly, and we share some of our favorites. It's like They are so funny and I really feel comfortable when I'm with them the whole day. In the second day of classes, we tackled about communication. To give more emphasis on our lesson, our teacher grouped and instructed us to portray what is communication. The given activity also serves somewhat as a bond for all of us, to get know better of our classmates, and to develop the communication, cooperation and teamwork of our class. This role play also helped me gain more friends and peers that will surely help me to eventually adopt in this new environment. Little by little, as the days pass by, I really hope that I can be more confident on myself to communicate and interact with my classmates so that I can finally cope up with this new backdrop I'm in.

REACTION TO A PERSONAL NARRATIVE

As I read Roselle's personal narrative, it gave me an idea how she deals with her everyday life as a Senior Highschool student. It's like knowing her more as a person, her struggles, experiences and emotions. She doesn't have confidence in herself, she thinks negatively because she thought she has many flaws. Aside from that, I've come up to the idea that we really are different, and we are all an deep oceans waiting for some person to dive in, by means of that we are just waiting for companions in our lives. As for Roselle, in her all throughout experiences in senior high gave her a lot of lessons in life. She was once a silent type of girl turned into a jolly woman as she learns how to survive. She became strong and brave.

REFLECTIVE ESSAY

Everyday, our real-life heroes working outside of our country are facing countless struggles in life in order to survive, just to feed their families left in the country, just like Joy and Ethan and the casts in Hello Love, Goodbye.

After watching this movie, I'm giving it a perfect 10 rating. This kind of movie is kind of rare for me, the combination of drama and romance with that level is what makes this moving worth watching all over again. Hello Love, Goodbye is really worth watching. The movie showed every hardship a OFW has to overcome, yet this also made our heroes feel comfort and close to their homes. Joy and Ethan perfectly portraited the lives of the OFWs working hard to keep their family intact. Kathryn is a great actress, she justifies every line and words she says, and for sure you will love her more in this movie. Alden is a big discovery here. No one thought Alden would act like this good. His charm really captivates viewers. The supporting cast will give you some break of Ethan and Joy, and they are hilarously funny. The trio of Maymay, Kakai and Lovely adds more excitement. And also is the Chemistry. No one expected that this love team would be a great hit. The genuiness in their eyes when they look at each other, it's like this is not the first time that they have been in a movie project. One more thing is I want to applaud Miss Cathy Garcia Molina for another superb machination of the movie. She is really exceptional. She is really capable of bringing out the best of her actors. She is a great director.

In the end, Hello Love, Goodbye is a great success. The Chemistry, actors and actresses, the plot, the director, everything is almost perfect. Indeed it rightfully deserves its blockbuster office success

FACIAL RECOGNITION

Roselle's face is very angelic and pretty. Whenever she puts pink lipstick in her lips, she instantly glow because it compliments her white skin more. My most favorite part of her face is her eyes. There are some times that I tend to stare at her eyes because it is so pretty. It is like reflecting her soul and the mole under her right eye makes it more beautiful. When you see her smiling, her eyes is also sparkling like it is saying that she is genuinely happy. She is like an open book because of her eyes. You can easily figure out what are her emotions. It is very amazing that an eye can reflect a single soul, and how we can see the feelings of every one by looking at their eyes. As for Roselle, it is her asset as a lady. I can easily recognize her by just staring at her eyes.

LITERARY JOURNALISM

The novel coronavirus, which WHO officially named as COVID-19, has gave a ravaging impact on global health. As days and weeks goes by, thousands of confirmed cases are being recorded and death toll is piling up. But aside from the bizarre and rapid spread of the epidemic, another thing has been spreading rapidly - fake news and misinformation.

The effects are felt also here in the Philippines. Excess demand for surgical masks among the general public is a serious concern. Many people rushed to the pharmacy to purchase them, but as demands increases, some stores took advantage by also raising the prices of the commodities which really enrage panic-stricken consumers.

Moreover, rapid spread of fake news led to xenophobia among Chinese tourists and immigrants across the country. Posts amd tweets on Chinese people being discriminated in public places engulfed all social media sites and platforms for weeks. Even the President, took some blows from the netizens, being called as dog of the Chinese government for not immediately giving a travel ban on China. Hatred posts about deportation among Chinese, Chinese being blamed for carrying the virus, ban on Chinese in the country, all of it circulated, and for me it is been ugly to see. Instead of hating the virus, people turned into the people.

Misinformation and fake news also just made the panic escalated. One video of a Chinese person claiming as a nurse telling how deadly the virus are and how the Chinese government is covering and hiding it from world media just created more panic on people. Later, it is been found out to be fake. Other videos also circulating in the internet showing people just lying unconscious in the streets which is said to have been infected are also proven to be fake.

The magnitude of the COVID-19 outbreak remains unclear. As further studies are made, some speculated that the virus can be transmitted without being having the symptoms, which is still not proven to be true. But if it is, it is will be more harder and difficult than it was anticipated.

In my opinion, this crisis also serve as an eyeopener for everyone. Despite of the advent of technology, these tiny little things still can have the power to knock off humans if not eradicated. This outbreak also showed how our country, the Philippines still lack the equipment, technology and power to fight off these diseases. I think the government should give more attention and support to our local scientists and medical professionals which are always unappreciated and underpaid.

The mass media must also take responsibility for providing correct information for the people. They should instill that they play an important role in the society and they should know that sometimes their strong but inaccurate and misleading headlines might cause enrage on the public, cause fear and panic, thus making them ignorant on the outbreak. Effective and well-managed communication between the government, health professionals and the members of the press will lessening the risk of panic and hysteria, and also help diminish fake news and discrimination amongst Chinese tourists and immigrants.

Sometimes, gossips, fake news and misinformations spreads faster than the virus itself. That's why everyone of us should be vigilant and take more extra caution to prevent more panic in times of crisis.

TESTIMONIO

November First Gone Wrong

I am not the type of girl who love to go to the other place without getting any permission from my grandmother but when my friends planned to go in a Live Band that is happening annually in our municipality, I decided to go with them. But they made a lot of convincing before making me go with them and that was the first of me going out to have fun without any "go-signal" from my guardian which is my grandmother. I am really nervous that time, afraid of what will be the outcome, will I get a lot of scolding?

Our outdoor fun is really memorable. Despite pf the consequences we might get, our adrenaline that day really spiked up when the Live Band started, there's a lot of people having fun. It felt as if I had enter a world where people don't have any worries. So I said to myself that it's time to unwind and it's time for a change of scenery. We are all banging our heads up after the beat of some random song. My friends are jumping and screaming the song's lyrics. After 6 songs, we decided to eat at some food hub that is open 24/7 and there's a clock hanged in the corner and I saw that it is already 11pm so I panicked because I will really get my grandmother angry at me. The only available ride there is my friend's father so I waited for them, I waited for the Live Band to be done so we could go home. It was exactly 12pm when they all decided to go home and at exactly 12:53am we already reached our house. The lights are already off, and thanks to God because our backdoor can be easily open so I sneak in without waking my grandmother up, and I fell asleep. Morning after that, I was bombarded with a lot of words coming out from my grandmother's mouth. I didn't fired back because I know that it is my fault in the first place.

Lesson learned. A fun is not always fun when you know that there is a person out there worrying about you especially when they don't have any idea where you are. Always ask for permission from your parents or guardians because they what is the best for you. And we can still have fun with our friends without sneaking out.

JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, ORDINARY

an autobiography

T'was a very cold night, when time seems to stand still. Of course, it's the 25th of July, year 2002 and it is the middle Habagat season; it is really raining hard that time in my hometown in Zillovia, Talacogon when a healthy and sweet-faced baby was born, which turns out to be, me. Anajane Marie, as my parents named me. Ana taken from Antonio Santa Ana, a famous Mexican general whom my mother idolizes when she was taking up Literature classes in her college days; Jane, taken from the name of my father's first love, and the Marie is from my mother's name, Marrissa. Judging from the way I was name, anyone can say that I might have a colourful childhood. I really thought so, too. But unlike other teens today who enjoyed most of their childhood, I on the other hand already experienced struggles and rough times even as a young child which really shaped to who and what I am today.

I was just 4 years old when my mother left us. Being just a little kid back then, I really have no idea what was really happening. My father would just always tell me that my mother is away because of work. I spend my whole childhood without a mother, always wondering where she is, thinking why would she just disappear without telling me. And as I grew up, I began to slowly understand the reasons why she just left us. But I was not even finish healing the pain that my mom has left on me, when another tragedy came to me. I was just 6 years old when my father sent me to my distant relatives in Davao because he needs to find a job. I really felt rejected that time, I felt that my father has also given up on me. I started to think if they really care for me, or do they even love me. I tried to not think of them, and just focus on my new family.

Being a young kid there, I tried to be being polite to my relatives, but instead they just mistreated me in return. Here starts another series of misfortunes. My titas would always physically abuse me to the point where they don't even let me eat meals. Then, being tired of me, they passed me to my other relatives in Negros, and then again to Leyte, but still the same things happens. At the age of 8, they would force me to harsh works, which always made me more prone to being sick. Father always sends monthy allowance for me, but my relatives won't even give it to me. Day after day, I always face the same struggles - until I was sent back to my hometown, to be cared by my grandmother.

My grandmother gave me the love that I've been longing and finding for years. She might be kind of strict, but she is the only person I feel that I'm being cared of. She gave me love of a mother, and the protection of a father. And she made the two roles so easy. She made me very close to her, but also not relying too much on her. She taught me also to understand on other things, and helped me realize that there are people out there that have problems and struggles that might be bigger than mine, so there's no point in giving up in life.

Right now, I'm living back with my father here in Imus, and I'm really missing my grandmother so much. She always reminds me to look after other people, that's why I never hesitates to help others who seeks advices or having deep personal problems. That's why I'm also planning to take (if given the chance) Psychology when I graduate in Senior Highschool.

Every night, I aways think of all that I've done throughout my life. The struggles, challenges, and obstacles I faced which did not break me, but instead gave me more energy to achieve in life. I may not have the happiest and the most colourful childhood experiences, I'm still grateful that I've gone through of those because it really shaped me into what and who I am today.

MR. RESILIENCY

a biography

A guy who despite of all the problems he face, still manages to put on a smile. No matter the adversities he face, he still don't quit. He's probably one of the toughest person I've ever met. He's Ian Christopher Pabi.

Born on November 17, 2000, he is the second child of Hermes B. Pabi, a sales supervisor of an appliance company, and Marivic D. Pabi, a plain housewife and a former accountant. He have an elder sister, Allyssa Hannah Marie, and two younger siblings, namely Bea Hannah Grace and Ian Joseph. The family currently lives in the same town as mine, in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur. We started to get on each other through textmates and chatting through Facebook. He is also very well-known to my friends that's why got along so easily.

He currently studies in Caraga State University, one of the premier State Universities in the country, taking Bachelor in Arts Major in Sociology. Even though he is quite far from me, I know that we have our each other's back when we have problems.

He can be quiet at some times, but almost everyday, you can always see him either laughing and smiling. He would crack up nonsense jokes and even prank you. That's also why he easily come along with other people. He's naturally funny.

From a normal person's perspective, everyone can say that he's just a happy-go-lucky type of guy. He's a bubbly person. But also quite of a genius. Since he's a child, as he would always tell me, he is already fond of reading books and studying. That's why he is also a consistent top student in their class which prompt him being always praise by his teachers and classmates. But behind those praises are what he always say - Pressure. He is always pressured to succeed, to be on top. In their family, it's like their's no room for mistakes. That's why as much as possible, he do always his best to be on top, because he don't want to disappoint his parents. Also, not everyone knew this, but he is also the least favorite in their family. Everything he wants, he always earned it. That's also one of his best qualities. He's such a hardworking guy. He's really such a resilient one. After being tired and empty, you will just see him smiling despite of the problems that happened to him.

That is why I always have my support on him, because I know he always seeks help and advices on me. Everytime I help and comfort him, I feel I made an impact on other people as well. As what would my grandmother would say, I have the power to help other people. And that's wha I'm doing. I have his support and he got mine. Hopefully, in God's perfect time, he will finally reach his dreams.

NO WORDS LEFT TO SPEAK

a travelogue

At a point in our lives we get eager for something different and that is when we take upon that adventure to find something new. Even as I was a little kid back then, I'm always fond of enjoying the thrill of adventure. Wandering outside of our backyard, catching insects and finding other peculiar objects was really the "first step" for me to think and wander what really is outside.

That's why I really didn't complain when they always send me to my distant relatives when I was young because for me, it was another kind of environment to venture. When I was 12, I even travel alone to Manila! I really love travelling, because it gives me the somewhat freedom to enjoy what is it really outside. That's why when I came to Imus, Cavite, I tried to explore what are best place here. Until I got the invitation to Highlands Camp in Iba, Zambales which I really can't resist.

Actually, it was the school's plan to have a retreat for the whole students of the school, but because of some complicated issues, not all sections were able to participate, that's why it was Sir Jason reorganize the plan. It was also a way of unwinding because of busy and tiring first sem, especially for me who is a freshman and a newbie to Imus. It would really help me to gain more friends and build bonds with them.

October 27, after a long and tiring travel, we reached the Highlands Camp. I was very fascinated by the view, it was so very spacious, and even we were still at the lobby, we knew that this will gonna so fun. I feel so thrilled because back in our hometown, there's no such a big and wide activity area like this. First thing we did was a some sort of a preach and lecture by some guests. In the preach, I felt so blessed by words that the speakers shared, as well as some of the students who shared their own stories. There, I can see that everyone of us are connected and united, despite the differences and diversity in our religions. We had a deeper understanding on other people's beliefs and knew we should always respect them. After the program, there was also a live band to entertain us.

The next day, we woke up early for the new sets of activity. There we were group into three, participating in some physical yet fun games. There were tug of war, running, we were also showered by giant hose, where we really got wet. There was still so many activities we did there. My energy for fun and adventure was never put to waste. It was really a wholesome activity. We also took photos around the camp, along with some newly met friends, especially our seniors, the Grade12. They are so welcoming on us and treated us like their younger siblings. The whole retreat for me is such a success to everyone.

Adventures are tiring, yes. But the fun, the memories we shared along with people, the kind of bond we build with them, the sense of camaraderie, are surely all worth it. And this one, our travel to Highlands Camp, is the one I will never forget.