Dear Mom

Epic face with epic mom

Dear Mom,

Happy Mothers' Day!

Thank you mom, for everything. The dedication, the will, the perseverance to raise me and my 3 other siblings. It takes a lot of blood and sweat to raise a litter that big. And for that I salute you.

The Fave four, the guys that piss mom off 

Mom, I do try to not say how much I love you, but rather show it. I do love you mom, I idolize you, and you can't tell how proud I am to be your son!

(ehem) (cough) (cough)  You don't know how lucky I feel that I have a mom that is beautiful like you. (cough)

-_-

But, I'll stop the flattering now. On to business.

Mom a few months ago, I aspired to become an honor student, (I am who I am) and now? Finally I have reached my goals. And I couldn't have done it without you.

@Grad

when I brought home my first trophy

Because of you, I kept on going. No matter how hard seems got, I always had you by my back, offering not help with my homework but with something far far more greater, you helped me with morale support.

During Recognition day

You inspire me to be the best  I could be. And that inspiration has gone a long way.

at a national quiz bee

I've always see to it mama, that you are proud of me. And I keep this in mind, every time I have a contest. You have always been my lucky charm. When I think about it, if you weren't by my side, I might not have won a single trophy.

Add caption

crowned as Eco King

Mom, I hope that I did make you proud, because all of my achievements, everything I have done, every single minute I have invested for education, --guess what?--- is for you.

I do feel awfully sorry if I tend to get to your nerves sometimes, I'm a teen, and you know that. But I do all I can to make you happy. I thank you, because you don't treat me only as your son, but also a bestfriend, whom you confide with. I'm happy that when we have problems, I have a say to suggest solutions (even if I am the problem sometimes.)

Just remember mom, that that sooner or later that it's not just trophies or medals, that I will give you, there is more than that, what I really want to give you someday, is success. I want to share my success with you.

Epic mom, makes, epic children

I will always be here mom, no matter what happens, no matter how pissed off you are at me, no matter how much i let you feel like you wished I was never born, I will still be there.



Through good and bad, thick and thin, I will always be there, thank you mom, for everything.

I love you.


Your Pabidang Anak
(Your Superstar Son),

Adrian James
(Jay)

Just do it (tomorrow)

Deadlines at the end of the day, stacks of homework, coupled with projects and your teacher hounding you to finish! What did you do to deserve these torments? It's driving you nuts!

Well, you saw it coming. The reason your schoolwork is such a wreck is because you did them at the last minute. You probably told yourself that you've got plenty of time, quoting Nike's slogan,

"Just do it.......Tomorrow."

It seems procrastinating is a quick escape, much like drugs, to our problems. Yet, after we procrastinate, we find ourselves  with even more problems. Though they seem like an solution, they really aren't.

Clear out all distractions

from www.smh.com.au 

Even before you get started you are aced with a lot of distractions, preventing you from doing work. 

What you do is, log-out of Facebook, turn off your PC, focus. Remove all distractions. Plug off the TV, turn down the stereo, and stop playing the Xbox. 

Go to a place that is quite, cool with proper lighting to make you comfortable.

Because being uncomfortable leads to finding distractions. Distractions often ends up as procrastination. And, procrastination results to no work done at all. And no work done, in a few more days, equals even more work! 

So clear out all distractions to get started. 

Get motivated

from pavementrunner.com 

Probably the hardest part of doing schoolwork, or any work for that matter, is starting it.  You have to admit, mountains of paperwork to go through can be quite discouraging.

You need motivation, something to give you that 'jump start.' 

Instead of rambling over how much work there is to do, you should just do it, now. 

Utilizing the "need-want" strategy

A strategy I use to get a job done is the 'need-want' strategy. Creating a reson to do something to serve as a motivation. 

"I need to finish this report early, because I want to watch a movie later with my friends." 

"I need to do my homework tonight, because I  want  to have nothing to do for the rest of the weekend." 

"I need  to ace this test because I want  to get exempted from the subject's project." 

The reward system can definitely spur you to finish the job. Just be careful in getting to psyched for the reward, to the point that you're in such a rush to get things done, that you end up, sacrificing the quality of your work. 

Using the 'positive' strategy

Another motivational strategy is the positive strategy. You need to think of something, an idea, a person, anything, that makes the effort in doing work worth it. 

The next time you do a book report, think about your nice teacher how great he/she lectures and how interested you are about her subject. That can get you pumped up, Think of her commending on your excellent work. 

Or, when you're reviewing for a big exam, why not bet with a good friend, the person who gets a higher score gets treated to lunch. Just the thought of you winning and rubbing it in ought to inspire you. 

Peerwork: Just do it, together 

Doing homework with your friends is the oldest trick in the book and probably the most effective. 

from tealgeezus.deviantart.com 

Having someone to do homework with definitely takes out the boredom. And who knows,  you might actually enjoy it! 

Peerwork also makes the team, efficient. Try cross-examining your work and you'll be surprised  to see how helpful you can be in cleaning up errors, in a report or an assignment. 

Peerwork also opens doors to discussions, in the end, you will end up learning even more than you bargained for. 

Also, if you think you might suck at math but you happen to have a friend who is good at it, why not invite him over to tutor you?  Who knows, you might be good at something that he is not. 

So you can just set up a study date, and go from there. 

Just do it, NOW 

there you have it, these are my study techniques to avoid procrastination. hope you learned a thing or two. 

Are you the World's Mockingjay?

"Fire is catching! And if we burn, you  burn with us."

Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, in Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" series, ignites the world of Panem to revolt against an oppressive Capitol, serving as the face of an ever growing rebellion. She is Panem's hope, she is the Mockingjay.



Panem and our world are not different, both share a war, a war fought on many fronts, battles against, poverty, oppression, terrorism, drugs, and bullying

Most of us idolize Katniss, having the ability to lead a rebellion into victory, yet unknown to most of us, is that everyone can be a Katniss, everyone can be a Mockingjay.

Letting the seeds of rebellion grow 

Everyone has the seed of rebellion in them. it's just that it hasn't grown yet. As a Mockingjay, your job is to let these seeds grow, with awareness and the urget to take action. It's one thing to be ignorant of a problem, another to be aware of it, and a totally different thing if you decide to do something about it. 

It is the Mockingjay that convince people that, yes, they can do something. It is the Mockingjay that tears off the shrouds of ignorance and deceit  letting people see out of the dark, into the light, grasping the truth.  

The Mockingjay is the catalyst to an uprising that has been long overdue.

Lighting a united flame

http://nottsbedroomtax.files.wordpress.com
/2013/03/the-people-united-
will-never-be-defeated-anon-art-of-revolution.jpg?w=590

A Mockingjay rouses several uprisings in different areas, but unifying theses little uprisings into one, is a different story, it's what we call, a full-scale revolution.

When people unite for a cause, they are invincible. People who fight alongside each other, achieve the impossible. 

The Mockingjay, rallies the people to one global and united cause. Urging others to work together against a common enemy. 

Are you the Mockingjay? 

Look around, our world is filled with Mockingjays, all 1,809,000,000 of them, in fact, 1/4 of the world population are Mockingjays, the World's Mockingjays are what we call the Youth. 

from www.un.org

They youth despite their young age, have proven time and time again that they can make a difference. 

therealnews.com

The youth utilizing social media, has managed to topple an oppressive regime, proven by the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, when videos of protests uploaded to YouTube, piqued world interest. With the world behind the protesters back, supporting their cause, it was only a matter of time before Mubarak fell out of power. 

 from www.bgc-gv.bc.ca

The youth in being part of campaigns against bullying, during a large movement every February 27, where London Drugs, encourage everyone to wear a pink t-shirt to send a message against bullying.

Drugs have been a long issue, the world actively participates every June 26, as the International Day Against Drug Abuse. 

And finally the youth through education, has brought up a nation out of the clutches of poverty, building a productive economy, and a better country. 

According to Filipino Hero Dr. Jose Rizal:

"The youth is the hope of the motherland." 

The Mockingjays are the epitome of hope, the hope of humanity, the hope of the world. 

from www.docspopuli.org

Billions of Mockingjays 1.809 Billlion strong, as a flock, united for one cause, cannot be stopped. 

So let me ask you one last time,

Are you the  World's Mockingjay? 

from thehungergames.wikia.com

a big thank you to Rod for exposing me to the World of Panem, and to +Hannah Cianciolo for discussing with me the Hunger Games Series. 

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I am (finally) a GRADUATE!

I am (finally) a GRADUATE!

Four years of hardwork and perseverance finally pay off as I come up the stage and receive my much coveted diploma.

posing beside me is my mom and my aunt who has helped me a lot to get where I am today. 

A journey four years in the making

Ten, te, te, te, ten, ten, ten, te, te, te, tennnn,nenen, ten ten ten ten ten, ten  tenennen tenenen tenenenennnnnnn!!!

The music is solemn and loud as 870 seniors walk up the aisle not to get married, but to graduate.  

I celebrate graduation with mixed emotions. I am extremely delighted to have graduated as an honor student, yet also saddened by the fact that me and my beloved batchmates, have to part ways. Each and every one of us will pursue our dreams and sadly, we won’t be seeing each other for a long, long time.

Four years seemed to have come so soon. Wasn’t it only yesterday that I entered the doors of F. Torres High School as a freshie? And now, as I bow at the stage, after I have received my diploma, I glance at the oval, staring  at all my classmates, my family, and my teachers, and say to myself:

“This is it.”

That moment when you receive that diploma, is the culmination of all those
sleepless nights, days of empty wallets, and hours of effort. You have to admit, its one helluva feeling.

Four years, so long, yet so short. Up until now, I still wake up early get my towel and my uniform for my shower, and as I go out the shower, I pick up my uniform  then stop short in my tracks, and I do a facepalm:

“Wait a minute, there is no more school.”

I reap the rewards of my effort

My name is spoken, “Adrian James Astorga” I go up the stage once more, not to receive my diploma, but to receive my medals, “First Honorable Mention.” I carry in my left arm, my mom, through hardships and problems have always been there for me. 

the Faculty of FTHS, bestow upon me numerous medals. 

It is a great honor indeed to be an honor student of the 100^th batch of Excellence of Torres High School, yes you read it right, Torres celebrates it’s 100^th commencement exercise.  Also another honor it is, to introduce the guest speaker, none other than, Manila City Mayor Alfredo Lim. 

I introduce the guest speaker, Mayor Alfredo Lim

Hands clap, and my medals are put over my neck. This is a great achievement for me indeed. I am thankful, very very thankful. I would have never gotten this far on my own, there were a lot of people that helped me, my mom, my aunt, teachers, and a lot of friends. 

presenting the honor graduates of the 100th batch of Excellence 

The end of a journey and the beginning of another

my mom and I solemnly sing the Torres March

As we sing the Torres March, together with my mom, who was also a graduate of THS, that feeling of sadness sets in, knowing that this would be the last time you'll sing the Torres March as a student. I try all my might to sing it with fervor, with solemnity, and with dignity.



And now, marching out of the oval, after a few pictures with my friends, I look back. The empty oval, my home for the last 4 years, but, the bird has to leave the nest right?

This journey was an adventure I wished, would've never stop, but it has too. I know the next journey would be even more difficult than the last-- College.

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One last Prom

A Prom Like No Other
JS Prom 2013: ONE LAST TIME

The JS Prom Cotillion

Three words to describe the Juniors’ and Seniors’ Promenade of Florentino Torres High School:
Magic. Elegance. Memories.

After two weeks of delay due to bad weather, finally, we celebrate prom.

Prom, the most awaited and most romantic event of the year, where couples dance the night away, and when kings and queens are crowned. Where love is in the air, and friendships are made even stronger.

 This is my last prom. I’ll miss my friends, everyone I hold so dear. My classmates all looked forward to this event. Our last hurrah. Being the emcee of this event was hard work, but being part of the magic that happened that night makes it even more worth it. So this is it, our last prom.

JS Prom Magic

---

Yes, there was magic when hundreds of Juniors and Seniors of F. Torres High School entered the oval to celebrate Prom. Magic indeed.

You might ask what kind of magic there was that night. It was LOVE. And guess what? The theme for the JS was: When Young Hearts Beat as One.

Shin Maca with his girlfriend Bie Duenas
as they hold each others' hearts.

I can bet that a lot of hearts came in sync and all came together to one slow rhythm.

Nothing beats two people, slow dancing to that oldies love song. It was sweet and romantic.

In the midst of the chaos, the noise, and the glaring lights, there were worlds that were created. Lots of them. I saw a lot of couples, dancing with each other, simply enjoying themselves. Time seemed to slow down between them, this was their moment, just the two of them, not minding anyone else. I felt so happy for those people.

People watched out for the famous couples, some even screamed out of pure delight as they watched.

My very close friend Vin with
Kio Ozawa.
JS magic <3 p="">

And me? Well, my tradition during prom? It was confessing to every crush I had that I like them, making up with old enemies, and dancing the night away with my special friends.

And one more thing, I didn't had a date. I'm not ashamed of it though, since I danced with a lot of women ;) In fact, I cant count how many I danced that night.

Have you heard of JS Prom Magic? Its when you fall in love with someone you dance with during prom, and that person ends up as your boyfriend or girlfriend.

That happened to me last year it became a summer romance, and I saw a lot of people going through the same thing that night. JS Magic, a great thing to see unfolding in front of you.

Elegance

---

Everyone went to prom in their best suits and dresses. Even if the outfits were simple, everyone  looked amazing.

Who knew that the wallflowers of the class ended up to be a stunning vixen. Or maybe that nerd came out as the guy of your dreams.
As for me? Well, see for yourself. ;)


A quick sidenote, our prom was postponed for days and because of this delay, the people who rented clothes ended up spending even more T_T but nonetheless it was worth it. Everyone looked great.

The Prom King And Queen

Of course, the main event of the night was crowning the Prom King and Prom Queen. After weeks of screening and intense deliberation, we were left with ten, yes TEN candidates. (A quick FYI, my mom used to be prom queen, during her JS prom, and one more thing? My mom also graduated from Torres HS.) These ten are the epitome of people with not just irresistible looks, and appeal, but also talent. You have to admit, entering a pageant is hard, I've been there and I've donethat, and I will tell you, that it is HARD.  So congrats to our Prom King and Queen. They really deserved it.    

Kate Naomi Doroja, Prom Queen '13
Photo credited to Mr. Anjoy Galope
of Anjoy Galope Photography

Memories

---

In the end, even if you had a date, even if you danced with a lot of people, even if you received that coveted crown, all of that would be in vain if you didn't make memories .

Seniors from Rizal and Bonifacio
photo credited to Mr. Anjoy Galope

With my bestfriend Rod Malaca

with my Partner Vee Velasco

And to make good memories, you need to have great people, people that made high school the best four years of your life. I'm so happy to spend prom with guys that really became a part of my life, no matter how long, or how short, our times were. Making prom possible was a journey indeed, and working with the people that made it happened was an honor. One of the memories I will cherish was being the Emcee of the event. The work was tiring, but definitely worth it. Prom is about having a good time, making memories, memories that will last a lifetime. 

Dancing the night away with my classmates made this JS prom, special. 
Thank you Por-Wan Rizal for that. 

IV-Rizal

As the night ends, so does the JS Prom end, (and this blog post too!) 

IV-Rizal

The JS prom was a truly memorable experience.
It was a night where everyone was beautiful, 

a night when love was in the air

a night when YOUNG HEARTS BEAT AS ONE. 



A big thank you to Anjoy Galope Photography for his very impressive shots during the JS Prom.

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How to enjoy High School

How to enjoy high school

 Welcome to high school. Welcome to one of the most important chapters in our lives.

People tell us that high school is the greatest thing that ever happened to them. 

New friends, first BF/GF, newly-found independence and that feeling of starting anew, a new life, a new beginning.

And some tell us that it is the most miserable part of their lives.  No friends, left out, bullied and a feeling of pure desperation to graduate and forget about high school as soon as possible.

I am about to graduate high school and it has  been one heck of a ride. And there were five things I l earned to a very happy and memorable high school life.

BE YOURSELF

People are unique. We all have something that is all our won. Whether we are singers, dancers, nerds, jocks or even cheerleaders, we are who we are.

embrace yourself. accept who you are.

We must not be PRETENTIOUS, and it would do no good if we pretend to be someone we are not. Actually, it will be doing more harm than good. 

Wouldn’t it be bad if people knew that we were lying, lying about our so-called relationships, lying about how we diet, lying about all the chics we banged. Lying about how rich our parents are. Lies, lies, lies.

In the end people would be avoiding us. That’s  a bad thing right?

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE, don’t BE AFRAID

We must all be content with who we are. If you’re a nerd? Then be the best one, join contests, win for the school. If you’re a bookworm? Be the best one. Write for the campus paper, write a blog and show people your abilities.

To be honest, I am a nerd. I was bullied when I was a Freshie and Sophie, I was shunned away because I was articulate in English. But that didn’t stop me. It never did. I strived hard. I worked hard.

me and my partner hosting the Juniors' and Seniors' Prom

Luckily, I won a lot of contests; I became a frequent Emcee of events.

Then I found myself being respected, I found myself appreciated. And guess what? I’m still a nerd. Who knew being a nerd could turn out to be a good thing.  And a bonus? I have girls all over me. =) Charm and intelligence. Looks aren’t all that matters you know. XD

People often bully others simply people for being who they are. Is it a bad thing to be black? Is it a bad thing to be smart? Is it bad to be ME?

People bully others because they are insecure, they are envious, and they see you as threats. They know you are better. They know this. They know that blacks are better than sports, they know that nerds will graduate and get jobs, they know this.

Stand up  for yourself, don’t be afraid to be who you are. People will accept you. People will like you. That I am sure.

FRIENDS

Undoubtedly, if we are not afraid to be who we are, then people will like us for that. And who are those people who accept us as whoa we are?

friends

me with my bestfriends

High school is more than just cramming for assignments, more than just sleeping in class, and definitely more than just getting detention.

High school is doing all of those things not by yourself but with FRIENDS. 

Through good moments and through bad ones too!

Friends make high school life more enjoyable. They make each boring moment more exciting. They make us look forward going to school as we wake up each morning.

ROMANCE

If we have friends, then we have girlfriends, and boyfriends. If we don’t, we have crushes

me holding hands with someone

With a lot of teens and their regain hormones, you cant help but stare at the many handsome and beautiful faces in school. We even paste pictures of them inside our lockers to get a little inspiration for the day ahead each morning. ;-)

Personally, my girlfriend is my inspiration. She is beautiful and smart too. I learn a lot from her. Our relationship is not based on making up in the backseat of a car, nor is it based on escapades on the beaches. Our relationship is based on helping each other get through high school. Sure we get intimate sometimes, we hold hands, but we don’t lose sight of what really is important.

something someone made for me 

Romance can also ruin high school. And it more often than not does.  We have heard so much about teen pregnancies, so many bright and hopeful futures crushed, ending in a teen marriage.

High school romances can break or make your life. That said, we need to be responsible not to get carried away. Use romance as an inspiration, not a path to your own destruction.

ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL, ENJOY LEARNING, JOIN YOUTH ORGs

Teens nowadays are lazy. Me too! =) Academics can be so boring. Admit it, its true. World History, wouldn’t you rather sleep than to know what happened to the Neanderthals? And don’t get me started about trigonometry. Sine blah blah blah of cosine bah bah, arc tangent to angle blah blah.

I know its hard. But rather than cursing you taking trigo, or history. Why not find a reason to enjoy them. Maybe you can find interest in your subject teacher or maybe go for a study date with your classmates for a test. You are not just learning but also you are enjoying, and socializing.

I am a Zero Waste Youth Advocate.
A member of the Mother Earth Foundation

And high school isn’t always about a 7am-3pm job. Organizations are places we can socialize and learn. Enviromental organizations foucs on clean-up drives, green projects, and youth advocacies. Clubs like book blub, debate club and science club all have a special interest. We learn, we grown and we do something wholesome.

School organizations are great places to do something wholesome and worthwhile, They are also places we can meet new people.

Sometimes the school has an annual field trip. Things like these are great times to bond with close classmates and make new memories, memories that will be synonymous with high school.

SUMMMING IT UP

To enjoy high school:

1.       Be yourself- accept yourself and embrace it.

2.       Be the best you can be- no matter who we are, we must be content. Maximize your talents and people will appreciate you for it.

3.       Friends- these bunch of guys will make each boring day of high school a laugh trip. Through good and bad, thick and thin, they will be there.

4.       Romance- they are our inspiration. Use them wisely.

5.       Enjoy learning- join youth orgs to meet new people and do something wholesome.

Please do follow me on twitter  @adrianastorga26

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I am a Honor Student, Cosplayer, Blogger, Lover, Friend, Councillor of the Second District of the City of Manila, Eco King of Manila

Hi! I am Adrian Astorga. And this is who I am. 

I was once a City Councillor of the Second District Of  Manila in the Annual Boys and Girls Week where High School students were given a chance to become public city officials.

Adrian Astorga aa Councillor

 I am so blessed to have great friends in high school. Here I am with a fellow Zero   Waste Youth Advocate.

In my spare time (which often never comes) I play the piano. 

I am a frequent contestant in several competitions. Here I participated in a quiz bee against the brightest students in the city of Manila

Here I won in a Science Investigatory Project Oral Defense. 

My Science Investigatory Project was about the use of corn cobs as an insulator. 

One of the Highlights of my high school life was entering my very first (and hopefully the last) pageant.

The pageant was about wearing recycled materials as clothes, and becoming a role model for saving the environment. The contest was called :

The Search for the Eco King and Queen

I was so happy to be crowned as the ECO KING OF MANILA

This was my partner during the contest.

My classmates go to outings sometimes. =) 

SWIMMING!

I also do some cosplaying =) 

So this is me. Adrian Astorga

Honor Student, Cosplayer, Blogger, Lover, Friend, Councillor of the Second District of the City of Manila and Eco King of Manila

Please do follow me on twitter  @adrianastorga26

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