#75 Practices

Asian countries like the Philippines, practices something I really hate and feel disgusted about; eating dogs, cats, and other exotic cuisines. I grew up in a place that you should never leave your dog or else the next morning you will never see it anymore. For me it is ridiculous!
I agree to the facts that pets are man’s best friends, they are there for our happiness, and sorrows, so I believe these animals should be treated like a family member.
I have experienced it from my pet, a nice black and white spotted, hairy dog. This dog lived like a human in our house. I used to care for him and daily feed him a proper diet. He was part of my family; my mother cooks his food, and we provided him shelter/ proper medication, and other necessities. Warmth, and affection from us, and in return he gives us security, companionship, and love; like a real family who share their feelings and enjoy a fruitful life. One day, we lost our dog from our house, and since then my dog never came back. A horrifying moment of my life; I cant express my emotion I felt the feelings of sadness and anger during that time. I felt horrified!
You cannot complain to the authority because it’s useless. The biggest problem of our country doesn’t have a law to regulate how to love and respect animals. These animals deserve to live like a human being.

#48 My Best Friend Shobie

I didn’t like Shobie the first time I met her during the first day of school in the Philippines. Her hair perfectly highlighted; a designer hand bag slung over her shoulder. Her long colored fingernails made her look like a witch. She introduced her self laughing loudly; she was flashy I thought the complete opposite of me, so I figured we’d never have anything to talk about.
Then few months later I found myself sitting next to Shobie at lunch. She seemed less lively that time than the first time I met her. “Is everything okay?” I asked her. “My husband died last month” she said, “we’ve been married for 7 years” I really miss him.
“ I’m so sorry, I know how you feel” I said. Soon we were in a deep conversation about our children. We are talked for 2 hours. At the end of our conversation Shobie gave me a hug.
Now, 11 years later, Shobie and I are best friends. She doesn’t hold back- before I left we made a commitment, that we will live close to each other. She did her best keep her promise, so she made it to America with her children, and now she lives in Connecticut. Every holiday we never forget to send cards to each other and for our children. We talk almost everyday over the phone, talking about our week in work and about our families. I have never met anyone else like her, and that’s what I love about her.

# 41 Mission Trip

The 10-day mission trip to South Africa last year; called “Nurses For Africa” Their mission is to provide medical care and HIV/AIDS education to patient and the surrounding population; It needed applicants for a mission trip.
Adrian Warner is our Nurse care plan coordinator in Rosewood; she’s one of my good friends at work. She said, “As soon as I read it, she knew, she wanted to go.” And right away, she turned her application and received an acceptance, and been a member since of the 16 special trained nurses sent to the Republic of Zambia in Africa. I am so proud of her to hear that there are people like Adrian that go to other countries not for a vacation but to serve other people who are poor, like Africa without pay. She said it’s very scary but her heart tells her to go and served.
Adrian said, it was a very shocking sight for her when she visited one of the schools. The school did not even have any chairs or desks for the kids to sit at during lessons. “They would sit on bricks or in the cold dusty floors. She also said, everybody was amazed of how these people survive; family member dying of sickness and hunger, and they never complain about anything. In fact they have so much faith in God and they never feel like he has forsaken them,” Adrian said, In fact they have a motto “ God is good all the time” and she can see that the love they have in their heart.
Adrian said, she couldn’t express how this mission trip changes a nurse’s heart; her parents, husband, and three children have all expressed interest and support in going on a mission trip with her. Adrian, inspired many nurses at work and now She's getting ready again for her next trip in Africa this coming July.

40 English

When I was in the Philippines, I was remembered my English teacher, I was fortunate a teacher who was very compassionate and caring towards my stuttering. She did everything in her power to make me feel comfortable when I had to recite in front of the class. I can remember giving an oral presentation and she told me that when I got stuck on a word, I could write on the blackboard. The first few times that I did this, it was kind of funny and I joked about it. The further into my presentation I got, the more blackboards filled up with words, which I was unable to say. The more I wrote, the more embarrassed I became and the worse my stuttering became. What had become an attempt by this caring teacher to help me in the best way she knew how had become a complete disaster. After class we had a little talk about what happened and what she and I could do next time I had to speak in the class.
My school experiences…. I know times have really changed for the better.I will be a better speaker one day.

# 35 The Ugly House

When I was a little girl, I remembered one morning my mother was packing our belongings. I don’t know why, I was young to understand the whole situation then I heard my father was screaming, “hurry up! hurry up! We need to catch the train.”
At the train station I wanted to ask my mother where we’re going and why, but I was caught up with a lot of emotion. Because I knew something was wrong. I felt there will be a big change in my life, in our life. Finally I heard the train coming, and I watched my dad putting our luggage in the compartment, while my mother are taking all her children one by one inside the train. It was an eighteen hour trip from the big city of Manila to a small town of Sipocot , and from the town of Sipocot we took a bus. The bus was crowded, loaded with people (smelly people), animals like chicken, pigs, and monkeys. I can hear the pigs making noises at the back, and every time I looked behind me these different kinds of creatures stares at me as if to eat me. I can’t recognize which are the animals and which one are the human beings. At a very young age I remembered saying to myself “my gosh’, My mother is too pretty to ride in this stinky bus.
Watching the bus from the outside you will never think the bus will able to make it to our destination. The road was rough and dusty, It was a bumpy ride, but for a child it was fun. Finally we arrived to a small village, and then I saw a very ugly house.
The house was very small, ugly and scary. It was made from old salvaged wood and the roof was webbed from coconut leaves. There is no electricity, or running water, no bedroom, or a living room, but there was a four-legged piece of wood and I’m not sure if it was a table or a bed.
It was a very exhausting day for all of us. We all went to bed early, Oh’ I forgot we didn’t have any bed so we all went to floor early. And I remember all my sisters and I were very scared, we can hear the animals crying from the woods and we also realized we barely have any roof, We can see the bright stars from the skies....

My First Flight

My first flight to Hong Kong was one of the most memorable things that has happened in my life. I remember going to the airport and just looking at the huge airplane with red stripes on the surface of the wings. Once I got inside of the plane and sat down, I started to look at everything around me. I noticed the small white air vents above my head, and with little lights next to the vent. It was so comfortable because the control was on my armrest. There were small monitors hanging in every seat, where I could watch my favorite movie. After everyone got settled the stewardess page over the intercom and explained the safety procedures. They also showed us how to properly use the seat belt and how to use the oxygen mask in case of an emergency. Other stewardess gave us some food to eat; their food is so fantastic and delicious.
As the airplane approach the runway, I felt really excited. My stomach felt odd, going up in the air for the first time. It was a very exciting feeling when I looked out of the small window and watched everything getting smaller and smaller.
And when I finally reached my destination. I heard a weird noise it was the landing gears coming down. After the plane touched down, I heard the tires screeching and I couldn’t believe that I was finally in Hong Kong. Everybody was rushing to getting their luggage; excited to be getting off the airplane. The amazingly, heavy airplane that brought us safely to reach our destination.

#25 A Young Girl With a Pigtail

While I was driving going to East Peoria ICC campus, I saw a young Asian girl standing at the stoplight before I turn left toward ICC. What was weird is that I don’t just see her once, but I see her everyday on the way to school. She waits for the stoplight, obviously so she could cross the road. She has a backpack, books on her hands, and she has two pigtails on her hair. She is wearing a white jacket, and a pink scarf on her neck. She was so cute and adorable that it kind of remind me of my self when I was young. So I decided that I want to meet this young girl, and I was so excited. So I hurried up to park my car, and waited for the young girl to cross the street. When I saw her coming I started to get ready and I opened my door and I walked with her. I started a conversation with her, I asked her about the weather and how terrible it was hoping to get a conversation going. I introduced myself to her, and she told me her name was Cecelia. She said it was cold, and I noticed she wasn’t wearing a heavy coat, and it was very windy and dry, that you have to face the direction of the wind just to keep yourself breathing. While we were walking to ICC from the parking lot she told me a brief story of her life. She said she didn’t have a car to drive, so she has to walk to school everyday. She lives with her brother renting a house at Armstrong Street across ICC. She doesn’t have parents, she said. So I asked her why? I don’t know, she told me. I can see the sadness from her face. My brother and I escaped from our parents, and we just moved here in Illinois six months ago. I felt sorry for her and her brother, and I don’t want to end our conversation, I want to spend more time with her and listen to her story. Our time is over, and we have to say goodbye to each other, but I don’t know if I will ever see her again. I reached my classroom; I am still thinking of that young girl with a pigtail, wishing if I could see her again.

#14 My Mother

My mother, who has had a big influence in my life, is my greatest love and the one that I am always proud of.
My mother is the most beautiful woman for me. Her asset is her wonderful smile in her face. Even though she dress very simple but she owned a nice figure body. She has a soft caramel tone skin. My mother is very compassionate, caring, loving and very charming person.
My mother is very extraordinary person. Life has not been easy for her because at the age of nine, her father left and never came back. They never know what happened. She started to do all the job duties in the house, like cooking, cleaning, washing the clothes, when she was nine years old. As a teenager, she would love to go to school and socialize with her friends but could not. Her mother was sick because she fell and broke her hips
not able to work. So she started finding a job, and works as a sales lady in the department store, from dusk to dawn to support her family and helped her brother paying his school bills.She got married when she was twenty-five years old; I was born two years after that. I still remember how she struggled taking care of her children and at the same time her mother.
Despite the burdens she faced, my mother manages to keep a positive disposition. And she taught me to value life and to love and cares for others…. That’s my Mother and She’s my hero.

# 16 My buddy

My favorite machine is sitting in my bedroom next to my bed. Just perfectly fit inside of my bedroom. In front of the machine, it has a huge mirror, something that gives me a faithful representation. This machine is a black colored with a silver lining at both sides that show the beauty of it. A very light machine and a pulse ready out. There’s an oversize foot pedal for a comfortable work out provided by a whisper quiet drive system with forward and reverse motion. The ramp angle is fully adjustable from 15 to 30 degrees, allowing to target all my major body muscles. Also, I like the stationary handle bars; it helps tone my upper body part. The built in pulse sensors for monitoring my heart rate gives me a signal how fast my heart beat while I’m working out. The foot pedals are also adjustable, allowing my feet to maneuver easily. There’s a water holder that gives me a thirsty feeling every time I seen it. When I feel hot and sweaty I have the built- in cooling fan to cool me off. Where the console also has built in speakers that allow me to hook up any MP3 player for easy listening and also the music gives me more energy to stay working out.
This machine is already part of my daily routine. Everyday, when I get up in the morning, I jump over the top of it, for fifteen minutes. My real purpose is not to have a perfect body shape, but to make me feel fit, mentally and physically healthy. That's why I call it “ My Buddy”, the Elliptical Machine.

#36 One life.

I have learned some important lessons about choosing to enjoy life through the way I Raised my children. I love them; I am not a perfect mother. But I can say I am a responsible parent with them .I can say I enjoy my children so much. Giving a quality time to them and teaching them correct manners is one of my major tasks as a mother. I can remember many times when my children wanted me to stop working and they said “Come and play with me mommy,” my immediate response is I’ll be there, but sometimes I always have work to do. If I can’t do it right away I make sure I make up the time I missed with them. I am a workaholic mother even when I was so busy at work and at the same time at school. I run my own business, as caterer. I had plenty of time with them. I didn’t give any excuse for my self, or either to complain because of my busy schedule, because spending time with them is part of my job. My children are my priority; anytime they need something I’m always there for them. You know why, because I know that I cannot reset time. The time that they need me I need to be there, or it will gives me a feeling of guilt one day. I only have one life, so I will give my best time that I could. My mother taught me to be a better mom. I remember when she told me she doesn’t have any material things she can give to her children, but she has plenty of love
and care being a mother that she can give to us. The only way I can avoid having regrets for tomorrow is to make a better choice today; that choice is to enjoy life with my children.

# 14 my purpose of writing

My purpose of writing a paper is to express my feelings and thoughts. It is challenging for me to write a paper especially because English is not my natural language. My first problem is how to write a good strong thesis, sometimes I get mental blocked, therefore, writing my first words are the hardest part for me. I resolve this problem by reading other peoples essays and blogs, I use this information to help me think of ideas of my own. In my first sentences I describe my subjects physical appearance. Secondly, I describe my personal feelings about the subject. And last, I describe my observation of the things that my subject affects, or the things that affects my subject.
I used several sources for the revision of my paper. Initially, I had my papers reviewed by my son. I read out loud to my fellow workers, if they like my ideas, or I would go online to see more examples and details. By this time, all my grammatical errors and structural problems that I see are mostly corrected, and more of my ideas are added to my paper. I then revise my paragraphs and show it again to my son. My son would notice some mistakes I made during my revision. So in the third time, I would revise it again. If there are more errors that my son or me see, then I revise it again and again. Sometimes we add and add on to the paper that we lose our focus. So many thoughts that comes in my head, but I don’t know how to put in words. So to fix this problem; as I revise my paper I would then only stick to the guidelines that are given to me and try to use at the least most words that I can. I would spend many hours just to make my statements clear. But I do enjoy writing papers, especially with subjects that I can relate to.
My paper is based on fact, but most are my own thoughts and opinions, were I openly expressed my feelings about the subject matter.

Smile at life in the Philippines # 7

My dream 10 years from now is to retire with my husband in the Philippines. Why the Philippines? Because of its vibrant culture, the people’s hospitality, friendliness, and most of them can speak English. The Philippines also have very beautiful natural attractions, and a nice relaxing climate. Our national language is Tagalog. Although English is our second language we never use it in our daily conversations. We have eight major dialects; Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Ilongo, Pampango, and Panganise are some of them. When it comes to our climate, March and May is very hot and dry, June to October is very rainy, and November to February is cool. The average temperature is 78 degrees Fahrenheit/ 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This nice climate is one of the reasons why I want to go back to the Philippines and retire. Another reason why I want to retire there is because of the cheap cost of living. The housing, food, and labor are very cheap. You can almost live like a King or a Queen. For example, in average a family can have a nanny or maid in their house for thirty dollars per month. Not only that, we also have a highly trained medical and nurses and doctors. In fact, there is a demand all over the world for Filipino medical workers, because of their friendly nature. But most of all, the Filipino people are naturally warm, friendly and very hospitable. We have a ready smile for everybody and the place that can provide the retirees endless choices of world class destinations that will bring them closer to mother nature with clean air and beautiful sceneries.

My proudest Moment

The proudest moment of my life has been occurring for the past seventeen years, since the birth of my son. And then, seven years later, I had my beautiful daughter. Being a mother to my children has made me not only proud, but has turned me into a stronger person. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was very excited and happy, But at the same time, I was also scared and anxious because of my lack of experience for parenting. My excitement grew as I awaited the birth of my son. It was June 2, 1992 when he finally arrived. I will never forget when the doctor came to me tell me that my son was sick, and not the healthy baby I longed for. All the excitement turned to fear and sadness. But, he recovered from his illness and became a healthy boy. Seven years later, when I found out I was expecting my second child. I was excited, but yet anxious and nervous again this time for different reasons. By that time, my son was six years old, so I had plenty of experience with my parenting skills. I was worried that my daughter would be born with the same health problems as my son. I praised the Lord; I ended up worrying for nothing. On May 25, 1999 my active and healthy baby was born. Despite of my son's health problems, I never lost hope for him. I spent a lot of time caring for him, and he grew into a fine young man. I sent him to a different exclusive schools where he was an honor roll student. My son is now a talented artist and a member of the Peoria art Guilt Club. As for his sister, she is ten years old now, a fourth grade student and taking piano lessons and Karate class at Bradley University. Being a mother of two adorable kids has been one of the ongoing proudest moments of my life. Although, I learned being a parent involves trial and error, at the results are worth it. Any sacrifices I have made for my children are truly rewarding. They make so proud to be their mom.

Unforgettable

One of the most unforgettable moments of my life happened last summer at the ICC campus in East Peoria. The day was a beautiful Monday morning at 8:00 o'clock. And things started in the parking lot; my first day in class, I was lost. I couldn't find my first hour room. I saw a guy, that I later known as Ronnie. I asked Ronnie If he could find my room for me, so I handed him my class schedule, and he told me that we have the same class together, so I said that's great! He asked me to follow him because we were going in the same class together. I followed him around, but I wasn't paying attention to where we were going. Then he started walking real fast, so I started to walk a little faster trying to catch up, but I was trying to remember where we are going, looking for landmarks so I could find it again later. Next thing I knew, he was gone out of my sight. I saw a door open, so I followed him. That I was still not paying attention. So, I went inside the room and I saw him unzipping his pants! I quickly “ I had walked in the men's room”. I was so shocked and embarrassed. I tried to apologize to him, but my face was so red, and I can't even look straight to him. But what's even funnier, is that he was also so embarrassed, his face was a red as mine. Finally, we found our class and I apologized to him, and learned to pay attention where I'm going.

Being a Mom

First, I had to deal with all my responsibilities as a wife and mother. Though, I have a lot of homework to do; me and my family still spend several hours attending church every Sunday. Every Saturday we used to eat with my friends in our favorite restaurant, the Chinese Restaurant. My family and I are members of the Filipino American Organization; every third week of the month, we have pot luck; bringing different varieties of foods is the most exciting part for me. Since I started college, I don't have much time to join them because of my busy schedule. Previously, I mentioned that I am a mother of two and wife. Eating out, watching movies, and visiting some parks are some activities we do during weekends especially during the summer time.

Next, I have to deal with all of the stress that I encounter. Finding time to study is very hard for me. At this point, because of the effect of the bad economy, I am forced to work full time as a Medical Clerk at Rosewood, and study at the same time. Even though, my financial assistance was approved; looking for the right classes that could fit in my schedule is very stressful for me, I can feel the pressure affecting my health.

Our first day in Snow

In the night of February 24, 2008, when the most exciting thing in my life happened. As I see myself here in America, with my two kids, only to make my dream into reality. I saw my children filled with laughter and joy, it was cold outside the airport, I knew that. I kept telling my kids to get ready, “put your coats on, you kids are gonna get cold I'm telling you.” they didn't listen, so I let them, I want them to experience what I really mean is when. As we passed the check points, and baggage claim area, the expression of my kid's face gets more exciting. My husband met us by the doors, and quickly took our luggage, the kids gave him a warm greeting of hugs and kisses. We saw the snow piles outside the airport, just a window away from us. I hated the snow, because I grow up in a warmer climate with a beautiful sunshine most of the time. but my kids seem to like it, although they haven't fully experience it,I know their going to feel the same way, but I was wrong. We are now outside the building while walking into the parking lot, It was cold and breezy I felt the snow all around us, both my children quickly put on their scarfs, and jackets. I told the kids it was cold out side, and both of them quickly nodded. My youngest daughter, Unica, tried to pick up the snow to make a snow ball, she have only seen snow in movies, and we never had a real feel for snow. So we thought it would be light and fluffy. Nope! As quickly as she touched it, so quickly did she yelled “COLD!”. We all had a good laugh, and so tired. We hop inside the car, heaters up, and seats warmers on full. all set for another four hours on the road to go home.