Hometown Locals

                Plaridel, Bulacan is where I grew up, so I can say that I’m very familiar with the people around me. I can tell what they feel; if they have any problems.  People in my hometown are hospitable, generous and sociable.

                Every morning, I wake up and I always see people drinking beer and playing cards or, if I may say, gambling. They start in the morning and end at midnight. But these people are my neighbors, although they are always drinking too much, they are still very generous. They can even talk straight despite the huge amount of liquor in their systems. They don’t get mad at whoever they are talking to, not like those shown in TV programs.

                Early in the morning I also see gossipers. Every morning they have the latest news to talk about. It may be good or bad.  They don’t care if anyone overhears them, that is actually what they want to do, to let everyone hear what they are talking about.

                But still some people in my hometown are good, industrious and hardworking; when I wake up in the morning I always see some of my neighbors sweeping the trash out of their backyards and gardens. It also gives me delight when they greet me good morning every time I walk past.      

With this, I can say that although some of them are drunkards and gossipers, they still find the time to help and to communicate with others. I know that they are the ones I can trust because I have lived there for 13 years and I have never regretted anything.

                

Good Ol' Bulacan

 Bulacan is my hometown. This is where I was born, where I learned to read, write, love and stand on my own feet.  Bulacan is a very nice province  because of the exquisite ambiance it has. You can relax here because there are lots of trees, inhabited by chirping birds, that help make the air clean and fresh.  You can even be awakened by  the rooster’s cock-a-doodle-doo.

There are many beautiful tourist attractions here in my hometown. One of them is the Plaridel Catholic Church, which is a 400-year old Parish Church. I used to always attend mass here when I was a child but today I can only attend mass on weekends. Another is the Simborio Chapel. This Chapel is a major attraction here in Bulacan because it  is one of the oldest existing structures from the Spanish era, believed to have been constructed in the 1800s. There is also a festival on the 29^th and 30^th of December ,where in there is a herd of horses with colorful tiburins parading  the street of Plaridel, Bulacan in reverence to St. James the Apostle.

Also there are many restaurants that you can only find here in Bulacan like La Familia which became popular in Baliuag, Bulacan because of Mrs. Alejo’s cooking. It is located in a 2,000- square meter sprawl with four function areas that include two air-conditioned rooms and two al fresco venues that could accommodate from 50 to 500 guests.

I really want to go back there and stay for a month because of the great food. The food I eat there, like the leaf bread, is very pleasing to my tastebuds. The Leaf bread is a leaf-shaped bread and it is green in color. Another thing that makes me want to go back to good ol’ Bulacan is the feeling of fresh air and the simple life where you can relax. I miss being there because some of my friends live there. Unfortunately, I can’t go back and stay there because we permanently live here in Laguna because of my dad’s work and our studies.

Not Merely the Sense of Hearing

"Listen to the sound from deep within
It's only beginning to find release"


This is an excerpt from the song Listen by Beyonce. The things we want to say are inside of us and those who want to hear it release itself from the depths of my soul need to listen- closely, carefully.


It is easier said than done though because there are a lot of things that hinder one's self from listening. For me it is boredom. When I'm bored I find it hard to listen to the people trying to converse with me. In class when the topic isn't interesting for me I find everything to be dull that I don't try listening at all. I just  put out my phone and start texting friends or think of the things I plan on doing after. Another thing that stops me from listening effectively is when I don't like the subject in class or simply the matter being discussed. I feel like my ears just close and my brain no longer wants to process whatever the speaker is saying.


To solve these listening dilemmas of mine I take down notes. This method forces me to make my ears and mind work and in effect I listen. 


To listen is to make an effort to understand what the speaker is trying to tell you. It isn't merely using your sense of hearing, instead, it is a joint effort by your ears and your brain to be able to decode the message being given to you by whoever you are conversing with.

The Legacy is Me

On February 9, 1994 a very significant historical event occurred- my birth. I don’t want to put you off by sounding too cocky but let me just tell you my story. My name is Ed Lorence Rogero de Guzman and I love sports. At first, I was very much engrossed with basketball. It was a family sport after all. The guys in my family were able to bond because of this game. Basketball took up my free time until 4^th year high school. As I got into college I was introduced to the game of Ultimate by my brother Luis. I didn’t fall for it that fast simply because I didn’t want to get dark but when I got on that field I forgot about the heat that the sun was giving off and the fact that I would get darker after playing. I have fallen in love with the game of Ultimate and I don’t think I would depart from this beautiful sport.

 I was born in Plaridel, Bulacan but am now at Sta. Rosa, Laguna. I transferred here during my first year of high school. By the time we got here I wanted to go back to Bulacan badly. I didn't think that I would gain friends like those I had in my hometown: kind, simple and not arrogant. But after a month I adapted to my new surroundings. I started liking Sta. Rosa, Laguna and I started liking someone. I didn't want to go back to Bulacan anymore. I found home here. What is my definition of home? Home is a place of love, joy and security. And, amazingly, I found that piece of life just after a month. I love it here. Today, I find this place relaxing and enjoyable. I like that there are new infrastructures such as Paseo and Nuvali that cater to the social needs of teenagers such as myself.

I am now 17 and in college. I'm currently studying Electronics and Communications Engineering at De La Salle Canlubang. Why did I get into this, you may ask. The truth is that I really wanted to take up Accounting because of it being math- based and the high salary it would give off in the future. But since my parents had their eyes set on DLSC I basically had no choice and since there were no Accounting courses I decided to take on another family thing. My dad and brother both got Engineering degrees and so did I!

There are a lot of things I wish to do and aspire to be. Everything I do is written down on my history and the product of which is what I become. I am the legacy of what I did and will do. The legacy is Me.