The Light of Christmas

Some people say that Christmas is only for children. They are the happiest creatures during this time of the year. They always look forward to this day. 


Another fact about this season is that people are kinder and more generous. Everyone seems to be in a festive mood and are  highly-spirited in their activities.


Christmas gives life to everyone. God is present in the generosity of people who show their love and concern to others especially to the less fortunate. Everyone feels inspired to respond to the call of God to love by sharing the way He did when he gave His only begotten son.


Christmas gives us a special feeling that is hard to explain. We get excited but where does this feeling really come from? Is it because of Jesus who is celebrating His birthday or is it because of the gifts we will receive? Does Jesus have a place in our heart especially on this day?


Christmas is a time of rejoicing and giving thanks to God who gave us Jesus, the Light of the world. His coming made a difference in the lives of the people who believed and accepted Him.


When Jesus was born, the world was never the same again. He had enlightened us and saved us from sin. Jesus is the true light of Christmas. He is our model. He is the one that reminds us to be like the glittering lights we enjoy during the season of Christmas... to give joy... light... peace... and happiness to all those who see us.


May each day always be a Christmas. May we learn to be generous in our acts towards everyone and like Jesus, may we let our love shine on people... may we show our love in every way.

"Do not be afraid: for behold, I proclaim to 

you good news of great joy that will be for 

all the people. For today in the City of 

David a Savior has been born for you 

who is Messiah and the Lord."

- Luke 2:10-11

The Light of Christmas by Lady Shaira 'Shai' M. Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

Heaven Sent

"Angel"


When you hear this word, what comes first in your mind?


A person with a beautiful face and wings... suited with white and dazzling gown isn't it? Angels are messengers of God. They are believed to be with us wherever we go... protecting us in our everyday lives, guiding us to do what is right and to avoid anything that is evil. They help us to more Christ-like.


Did you ever wonder if angels are real? If they really exist? or do they only live in fairy tales?


I believe that they do really exist... that they are really real and they're just beside us, taking care of us, protecting us from harm, guiding us in what we do, helping us make right decisions...  


Maybe angels can't sometimes be seen, but they're always with us... or maybe they can be seen in the form of the people around us... in a form of a friend... a classmate... or even a stranger.


On the other hand, for some people, angels only live in fairly tales. There are no such things as angels. They are only myths or legends. They are only imaginations.


There are many beliefs about angels... about their existence. I may believe in them and others may don't, I may see them in other people but other's wont. Although we cannot really tell whether they exist or not, we must always put in our hearts and mind that a we journey in our lives, we are always guided by the strong faith we have in God. 

"Hebrews 13:2 - Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for

thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Advent : A Time to Prepare

It is said that "time" is something that humans cannot hold or control. Time is inescapable. Humans cannot stop the passage of time. They can do many things with the given time but they do not have power over it. Neither they can stop time. 


The word advent comes from the Latin word "adventus," which means coming. Advent covers four weeks before Christmas day. This is not something for the past alone. We know and believe that today, Jesus continues to come to us and make His kingdom grow. 


Advent then is a time to prepare... not on the gifts that we are excited to give and to receive but more on the preparation of one's heart for the coming of our Savior. It is, therefore, necessary that we keep our hearts clean and free from stains of sins we commit.


To make Advent season meaningful, we offer prayers and intentions encouraging us to prepare our hearts and leave room for Savior to be born in our hearts through the presence of the Advent wreath. 


This Advent wreath is circular and is usually wrapped with green leaves to symbolize the eternity of God and the hope for eternal life. There are also four candles which symbolize the four weeks preparation and each candle is lighted every week. The three candles are colored violet to symbolize prayer, repentance, and sacrifice while the fourth candle is colored pink to symbolize joy for the nearness of His coming.


Advent, therefore, gives us the chance to re-direct our lives and change for the better, starting from "within." It is now up to us to make the most out of this opportunity.


Jesus is our Savior, the promised Messiah. He is to be born in our hearts. We must appreciate God's love and goodness as we spend longer time to be with the Lord especially this season of Advent.

"Prepare the way of the Lord,

Make straight His paths:

All humankind shall see the

salvation of God."

- Luke 3:4,6

Advent : A Time to Prepare by Lady Shaira 'Shai' M. Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

My Treasures

In times of happiness... in times of loneliness... they are the ones who stand by my side and comfort me... they are the ones who cheer me up and utter every kind word just to make me smile... 


Friends... they are treasures to me. They make me smile. They make me feel comfortable. They make me feel cherished. They are the ones whom I share my happiness with. 


Friendship is a gift... a precious gift from God. I can proudly say that I had found true friends.  Friends that I can trust. Friends that I can run to whenever I have problems. Friends that will love me whenever I feel alone. Friends that will wipe off my tears when the pain, i can't control. Friends that will listen to my crazy little talks. Friends that will say mean things in front of me and make me realize that I did wrong things but will never say these behind my back. Friends that will help me choose right decisions. Friends that will support me. Friends that will tell me, "I'll be your smile for now" whenever I feel sad. Friends that will always wish for my happiness. And mostly, friends that will accept me for who I am.

Just imagine a life without friends.To whom will you run to when you have burdens? To whom will you share your secrets?

I had experienced a lot of trials involving my friendship with other people. One experience is that I had accidentally shouted at my friend because she was insisting a thing that my other friend can't do. She was often telling that promises are meant to be broken and that my other friend can't do what he had promised to do. At first I was just letting her tell what she had to tell but after a while she was repeating and repeating what she had told him and I got a bit irritated so I had accidentally shouted at her. She stopped and walked away. I felt so guilty that I had shouted at her; I went after her, I was apologizing but she kept on saying, " Oo na! Sorry! Bobo kasi ako! Tanga ako!" I didn't mean to hurt her feelings nor do I want her to  feel dumb. I tried to ask for forgiveness but she won't listen, then that's it... I cried. After a while she approached me and apologized too. Still friendship won. :)


With this experience, I realized that true friendship involves understanding. It involves humility, love  and acceptance. True friendship can't be easily broken. Yes, trials may come... challenges may arise...  and it is up to us to decide whether to fight for the friendship or to let these circumstances break that friendship.  God gave us these challenges to prove the meaning of true friendship; He gave us these challenges to realize His gift of friends. So cherish your friends because once you lose them, they'll be hard to find. It's like finding a diamond on the rest of the floor glass.


My Treasures by Lady Shaira 'Shai' M. Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

She Almost Hated You

Once... twice... thrice.... how many times should she forgive you?

She loved you with all her heart, gave you everything but you just broke her apart. Her time, she wasted all for you. You told her you love her but it wasn't true. You turned around and with no words to say, you left her alone... honey, you walked away. She cried for you all day long and at night she couldn't sleep, she wondered what went wrong. The lies you've said... the promises you've made... the tears she'd shed... the pain can't fade. 

One day you told her, "If you really love me, let me go... be happy for me... I'm sorry... I love you but I do love her more than you." Upon hearing those words, tears fell down from her eyes, she couldn't let go but she had no choice. 

After a while, you came back. You said you were sorry, "Please welcome me back."  She forgave you because she loves you so dearly. You told her you'll change, it sounded so clearly. Everyday you'll tell her, "I'll be with you forever." She didn't noticed that forever means never. The lies you've said... the promises you've made... the tears she'd shed... the pain can't fade. 

A tingling feeling in her she feels inside, whenever you're around... right there by her side. Your warm embrace had given a smile on her face. And a love so tender she wanted you to render. Your sweet voice...  your radiant smile... your gorgeous face... it all completed her day.

She thought she'll never wake up from that dream again but one day, she asked you to leave the other girl. You said, "I'm sorry, I can't... she had helped me and all I can give her is a longer relationship". She insisted but you just answered, "If you really love me, wait for me." She waited for you, again and again she forgave you, again and again you hurt her, again and again you broke her apart. The lies you've said... the promises you've made... the tears she'd shed... the pain can't fade. 

After sometime she wondered, "Do I really love him that's why I'm waiting for him? Or do I just need him? Or I'm just that stupid to believe in him?" This question wasn't answered and she continued waiting. All day.. all night... she waited... waited for the answers... waited for you... 


Until one day... you said, "I won't be coming back... I'm sorry..." Again you had hurt her... never did you noticed that she loved you so much. The lies you've said... the promises you've made... the tears she'd shed... I think the pain WON'T fade.

Before she leaves, she wants you to know... she's happy for you; she's happy for you two. Just one wish from her: "Please... please don't ever come back... 'coz if ever you would... if ever you have plans to... I don't know what to do. I'm not even sure if I'll welcome you back. 'Coz for all those times, it was just now that I had realized... I had wasted my time on you." 

It was surely a challenge for her to be in loved with that guy (if she was really in loved with him) ...

"No one said love would be easy they just said it would be worth it in the end"

She Almost Hated You by Lady Shaira 'Shai' M. Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

It's Life's Twists and Turns

Somewhere in your life, you find yourself wondering why you had made the wrong decision... why you had committed a mistake... why you had chosen to do this instead of doing that...


Life can be so tricky. It can offer you dilemmas... problems... and many other confusing events. And as human beings, it is really hard for us to be in such situations. It is hard for us to make decisions at once. We need  more time... more space...


I once experienced myself in a situation where I chose what I thought was right even if most people say that it was a wrong choice and I should have chosen the other one. At first, my decision turned out to be right. Everything was fine.. everything seemed to be perfect. Yes, there were lots of challenges but I had passed it all for I thought it was worth fighting for. But after a while, something went wrong.. it was just a like a storm that passed by, and everything... everything was ruined. Now, everything's gone and I have lots of regrets. Yes, I admit, there's so many things I wish I didn't do.


If only I could bring back time... if only I can go back to where it all had started...  I should have chosen the other one; I should have listened to everybody's advice. But it was far too late for that realization; no one could bring back time.  There's nothing else I could ever do to bring it back.


Now, what I can do is that to make things right. I must correct my mistakes. It's true that I can't bring back time... but I can surely be careful and make correct decisions the next time around. I should start all over again. That decision sure did a lot of changes in me. I admit I hadn't notice that it was already making my life miserable.. miserable than before. It was again too late when I had noticed that. 


I was still thankful besides these circumstances. Why?... It is because I learned a lot of things through them.I learned that I must first think twice or even thrice before making my decision because it was not that easy to choose especially when both choices seem right. I had also learned that sometimes... i mean most of the times... the people around you could help in your decision making because they also know what's best for you and that they want you to have the best of everything. 


Yes, I tell you... regrets are most likely to happen when it's already to late and they come when you least expected them... 


So make up your mind; be sure of your decisions so that in the end... there will be no regrets... only successes... no sorrows... only laughters.... :)


It's Life's Twists and Turns by Lady Shaira 'Shai' M. Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

I'm Missing Her :'(

Have you ever tried missing a person? 


Me? Yes... the worst thing is that I know that the person I miss wouldn't come back She's gone... gone forever... the only thing that would make her live is her memories... the memories that I shared with her... the memories that we shared together.


She was one of the most important persons in my life. She was the one who took care of me during my growing years... She accompanied me during my first steps. She was always there at my back, ready to catch me if ever I fall. She was the one who'd crack a joke and make me smile. I admit she had spoiled me.  Yes... she did correct my mistakes but she had corrected it in a unique way... she had corrected it in a very gentle way. Oh... I really miss her so much! :'(


I remember a time when my mom called me to sleep. We were in our province that time. I was playing with my cousins and I don't want to sleep yet. My mom got mad and ran after me.. scolded me and was about to slap me. She ran towards us, told my mom, "Hayaan mo sila maglaro. Bata nga e."  and told me, "Sige, laro lang kayo. Mamaya pag tinawag ko kayo para matulog, tulog na ha?" 


I think that's one of the reasons why I often listen to her more than my mom; she explains things in a mild and loving manner. She was so unique... she was a one of a kind grandmother. 


I remembered the time when she was still with us. She was already weak. She was not okay. She was in pain. You can see it in her. You can feel it but you know what... every time you ask her, "Nanay, ayos lang po ba kayo?" She would answer, "Oo naman" 


There was a time that she couldn't almost stand up. I asked her again, "Nanay, ayos lang po ba kayo?" she answered, "Oo naman, matulog ka na. Gabi na." As I turn around to check if she was really okay, I saw her in pain. She was walking so slowly. She was holding my grandfather's medicine and was about to give it to him. I felt how caring she was. I felt how loving she was. You could see in her the pain but still she tried to hide it from us. She don't want us to worry about her. 


One night I heard that she was in the hospital. They said that she was already weak and they had no choice but to admit her. Even in those times, she would always say, "Uwi na tayo. Ayos lang ako." She was still weak so they still let her stay in the hospital. 


She called and I had talked to her on the phone, i didn't know that would be the last time that I will hear her voice. I didn't know that would be our last conversation.  She told me, "Anak, magpakabait ka ha? Galingan mo pagaaral mo. Wag kayo magaaway ng kapatid mo ha?" Those were her last words. I didn't know that those words meant goodbye. 


The next day, my aunt called. She told us that my grandmother is in a life and death situation.  Afterwards, she told us that they were already reviving her.  I asked, "Tita, di po tayo iiwan ni Nanay di ba? Di ba po?" She answered, "Hindi. Hindi niya tayo iiwan." I was crying and crying... tears won't stop. Until the evening, I waited for the news. Inside me, there's a voice saying... "Let go.." I didn't know what the voice meant before and i just thought, "I will but why?" After a while, my two other aunts came and said, "Shaira, anak, wala na si Nanay." I can't hide the pain I felt, tears went down and I can't stop. I embraced my aunt so tightly. It was like I wouldn't let go. 


All of our memories went back. From the very start she was there and until the very end she was by my side; telling me to be good and reminding me that I was loved. You know... I couldn't remember any bad memory from her. I think all of my memories with her are worth remembering for.


I miss her so much. I really do. If only she was still here. I would let her know that I love her with all my heart. I really do. I would let her know that her memories will always be mine. I treasured her... and I will treasure her for the rest of my life.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH NANAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I MISS YOU!

I'm Missing Her by Lady Shaira 'Shai' M. Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

My Gift to SLU on Its Centennial

The Saint Louis University's Centennial celebration aims to increase the people's awareness of CICM past and present engagements as well as to express gratitude to people and communities for the opportunity to do its mission. As to revitalization, the centennial is a time to revitalize missionary spirituality among mission partners to intensify and renew mission and vocation animation and to shape dynamic future direction of CICM in the Philippines.

"A Louisian: An Empowered Steward of the World"


The theme itself shows that SLU is a Catholic school. As its students, we must do our duty to spread God's words. As its student, it is just right to show a bit of appreciation for its full effort on broadening the knowledge of its students especially now that it's celebrating its centennial.

One of the simplest form of appreciation for SLU is to be proud that you are a Louisian. Every student should be proud of his own school. He should be proud to say that he is studying in an excellent and exceptional school. Another form of appreciation that we could give is to protect the name of Saint Louis University. We must not do anything that could destroy its name. We should always be aware in everything that we do. We must know our limitations as a student and we must always put in our minds  that a Louisian is a model and inspiration for all; a Louisian is a good example for all.

We can also show our appreciation by bringing out the best in each one of us, we must know how to share our God-given talents and we must be determined to do well in our studies. Saint Louis University is a school that enhances our skills and helps bring out the best in each one of us. It helps us share the blessings that God had given us. As students, we must not only depend on SLU alone, we must also help ourselves to bring out the hidden talents that we have. We must think that all of these we do not only for our parents but also for ourselves.

Being a Louisian, a student if Saint Louis University is really a great plesure. For me, SLU is one of the best school here in Baguio. Why? ..because it enhances not only our skills, it also focuses on four core values - competence, Christian spirited, creativity, and social involvement. I also can see that SLU has an aim. Aim is to make every student graduate. I can also see its aim to renew students who had lost their path at first but are now willing to change their path into right ones. I can see SLU's perseverance to make students realize the importance of learning and studying and  in their life.

Now, as we  celebrate SLU's Centennial, I offer a gift of prayer. A prayer that asks for guidance so that SLU could  continue its mission to serve people and to make them realize the importance of many things in their lives. A prayer for guidance to help SLU renew students who had lost their path and is now willing to change. 

The gift of Love, I also give... promising that SLU would always be with me; the knowledge I had learned and the knowledge that I'm about to learn will always be my guiding light. It will always be my key to success, my key to a better future. Even though in the near future, I am to graduate, a part of SLU would always be with me.

SLU had touched my life. It had left me with great memories and it will be leaving me with more. SLU: you'll be my school forever; Nothing could ever replace you. :). I started as a Louisian and that mark will be mine forever.

I wish that SLU could touch more lives and that it can give students a deep realization of how important education is in their lives.

My Gift to SLU on Its Centennial by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

SLU, You're One of A Kind

Saint Louis University is a Catholic school founded by Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) in 1911.

CICM was founded on November 28, 1862. It was born not knowing exactly what lies ahead. In 1862, Fr. Theophile Verbist led a group of Belgian priest. He had the desire to help the orphans as well as those who lived in ignorance and poverty in China. The fathers never imagined that many would follow their footsteps.

On November 2, 1907 the first batch of nine pioneer CICM missionaries composed of priests and a brother arrived in the Philippines.CICM has grown into an international religious missionary congregation.

The CICM works have challenged and inspired many Filipinos to serve the missions nationwide. CICM missionaries live and work together as brothers in order to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever it is most needed.

Here is a CICM-Philippines Timeline:

1898 - After the Philippine Revolution against Spain in 1898 with the help of the United States, all Spanish missionaries were expelled. Thus, the Philippines became an American territory and American bishops were appointed, among them Bishop Dennis Dougherty who was assigned to the diocese of Nueva Segovia in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

1906 - Msgr. Ambrosius Agius, Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines, appealed to CICM in Scheut, Brussels to send priests to replace the ousted Spanish frailes.

- Bishop Dougherty offered the northern Luzon missions populated by many pagans as the areas to be served by the arriving CICM missionaries.

November 02, 1907- Msgr. Agius welcomed the first nine CICM missionaries composed of eight priests and one brother along Manila Bay. They were Superior Pieter Dierickx, Florimond Carlu, Albert Dereume, Seraphin Devesse, Constant Jurgens, Jules Sepulchre, Oktaaf Vandewalle, Henre Verbeeck and Christiaan Hulsbosch (brother). Weeks later Herman Ramaekers and Albert Botty also arrived. They set up initial mission  stations in Baguio; Bauko, Mountain Province; and Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.

1908- A group of 10 more missionaries arrived in 1908 and 13 more in 1909. By 1912, there were 40 CICM missionaries in the Philippines. 

April 1909- The Philippine mission was established as a religious province and the provincial house 'Home Sweet Home' was set up in Baguio City. It was opened as a central house where the Belgian spend a 10-day retreat annually.

1911- Fr. Seraphin Devesse founded a one-room school in the sacristy of the church along Session Road for 10 local boys. From this humble origin, the Saint Louis School began. He also founded a school in Campo Filipino.

1912- The missionaries built two churches: the Baguio Cathedral in the center of Baguio along Session Road, and another in Campo Filipino along Naguilian Road.

1924- Fr. Francis H. Lambrecht (1895-1978) arrived in the Philippines after being ordained in 1923. For 17 years, he evangelized the Ifugao people, mastering their language and tradition. He became one of the most energetic CICM missionaries in the mountains of Luzon.

1941- Fr. Lambrecht became the secretary and procurator of the Apostolic Prefecture, later the Vicariate of the Mountain Province; he founded the Saint Francis Xavier Seminary in Baguio City and for 30 years, he was involved in the training of the native priests for the Mountain Province. At the same time, he taught anthropology at Maryhurst Seminary, Saint Louis University and Baguio Colleges Foundation (now University of the Cordilleras)

June 1928- Establishment of the St. Mary's Elementary School in Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya which later grew into the St. Mary's University.

1931- Arrival of Fr. William Brasseur who worked in several missions among the Benguet tribes.

June 1948- Appointment of Fr. Brasseur as Vicar Apostiolicof the Mountain Province. Two months later, he was ordained a bishop at the Baguio Cathedral.

1951- Candidates for the priesthood were accepted temporarily in Home Sweet Home, the provincial house.

1954- The property where Maryhurst Seminary was to be built has been purchased in Lucnab, a barangay in Baguio City.

1955- A juniorate for possible candidates for foreign missions was initiated. Thus, the CICM General Government started constructing Maryhurst Seminar, the CICM novitiate in Baguio City which opened in May of the same year with eight novices.

From the early days, Scheut Missions-CICM in the Philippines accepted challenges outside the Mountain Province in many lowland parishes taht had no priests for years. From that concerted effort towards the evangelization of the Igorots and the revitalization of whole Christian areas, the greatest achievement CICM is proud of are the native Philippine CICM members.

June 1965- Saint Louis School in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan opened its portals to 138 boys accommodated in two sections of the First Year and one section of the Second Year. Later in May 2002, the college became the University of Saint Louis.

-Establishment of Saint Louis College in San Fernando City, La Union

-Establisment of Saint Louis High School in Mandaue City, Cebu

November 28, 2007- Centennial commemoration of the day when CICM pioneer missionaries first set foot on the Philippines.

As we celebrate SLU's Centennial... may we appreciate the efforts of SLU so as to make students more knowledgeable. May we also realize that SLU is not only a school; it is more than a school... it is a home and a teacher for all.

SLU, You're One of A Kind by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

Can't Live Without You SLU

SLU - my second home, my second family, my teacher, my friend, my comforter, my inspiration.

For almost 10 years, I am a student of Saint Louis University. From my elementary years... until now, my high school years. Saint Louis is a witness of my successes, my failures, my struggles as a student, as well as my growing and maturing years.

Saint Louis University as my second home and family...

As a student, I spend most of my time in school. I only spend 3 to 5 hours of my day for my family and the remaining hours, for school and other school works like assignments, home works, and activities. In a week, I spend 5 to 6 days for school and only 1 day for my family. Still, sometimes, I spend 5 to 7 days for school, especially when there are group projects or activities. This is the reason why I  consider Saint Louis as my second home as well as my second family.

Saint Louis serves as my teacher...

Each school year is a challenge for me to learn more and grab the opportunities that SLU gives. Each day is a chance for me to do my best so that I could make my parents proud. Every minute is a chance for me to listen well to what my teachers say and every second is a chance for me to finish my assignments and other works so that I may pass all my subjects. Every day is chance for me to remember that if I'll do well today... rest assured because tomorrow will surely be great.

Saint Louis as my friend and my comforter...

Crushes... Infatuations... Admirations...

Yes, things related to the so called, "love". These are all normal especially for us - young people, high school students. In today's concept, it's not normal for a boy or a girl not to have a "crush". Most believe that every person has a thing to admire in another person (usually of different sex).

Honestly... SLU is one of the witnesses of how I had crushes, how I got infatuated, how I admired somebody, and how i experienced the feeling of "love". Yes, love...

Saint Louis as my inspiration...

Grades... This is usually one of my problems. I don't mean that I get failing grades, I just don't want my grades to be exactly passing or usually termed as "pasang awa". I'm not even contented with an eighty-five grade. I aim to get higher grades and if possible, I want eighty-six to be the lowest grade that I would have. Maybe it's because my parents are too strict about my grades that's why I'm also striving for a higher grade. 

My parents always scold me whenever I get a grade of eighty-six and below. At first, I thought that they were too strict. I thought that they were too over reacting. But afterwards, I realized that they're just right. It's a good thing for them to get mad whenever I get low grades. It's a good thing that they care.  I realized that they're just scolding me because that's what's best for me.

SLU gives me the reason to strive harder. It gives me a thought that one day, all of my hardships... my struggles as a student... will lead me to the right way. It gives me the thought that after all of these, I'll have a better future, and that I will also be the one to benefit all of my hard works.

Yes, it's true that it's not easy to be a student. It will never be easy to become a student. Sometimes you have to sacrifice some of your works, chores, and other businesses just to participate in your school works. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice your time just to finish your home works.

Now, as we celebrateSLU's Centennial, I hope that more people - especially the Lousians - could see the importance of SLU in their lives. I hope that people could realize how SLU had helped them achieve what they had achived right now 'coz it is surely a great pleasure to be a Louisian.

Can't Live Without You SLU by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

A Search of Meaning: Live Life to the Fullest

"Why to believe in others"

A striking... a catchy title; the title itself gave a great impact on introducing the talk. As an overview, the talk was about correcting man's mistakes.

When a person commits mistakes, we often hear them say: "Nobody's Perfect". Yes, it's true that nobody is perfect; there's no one in this world who never committed a mistake but it doesn't mean that we can't avoid mistakes; in fact there are many ways to avoid these mistakes. Some of these include making moral decisions. It means that we must first think a million times before doing something. Think twice or even thrice before deciding. We must always include the welfare of other people before coming up with a decision. It is not only ourselves that we must think of we must also think of others because besides the fact that we are relational beings, they affect the person who we are right now.

In the talk the speaker often mentioned these words: "If you take man as he really is, you make him worst; but if you take man as he should be, you make him capable of becoming what he can be."

In this statement, it clearly tells us that we should not let a person continue doing his mistake. It's like teaching a child about good manners and the like. Parents should correct them if they do wrong things. They should scold their child if he don't obey them, if he don't respect them, and if he do not listen to them. The parents should not tolerate their child's wrong acts because if they do, the child would be spoiled; he might carry those bad attitudes while growing up and once he had started carrying those attitudes, it will be hard for him to be corrected. As a result, the child could not have a better future.. a bright future. 

As we know parents knows best; adults know best. As children, as youngsters, we must take time to listen to them because they were the ones who had most of the experiences. They are the ones who knows best what's good from bad. They are the ones who can guide us through so that we may reach our goal, achieve our ambitions, and search for a better future.  

If we know that what what the person's act was wrong, we must have an initiative to correct him because if we don't, he might think that he is doing the right thing... he might think that it's okay. If we don't correct him or at least give him advices for his improvement, there would be a great possibility for him to repeat his mistake knowing that no one cares... and so, no one would react even if he is doing the wrong thing, the wrong act, or the wrong deed. If we don't recognize a young man's way to meaning, man's search for meaning, we make him dull, we make him frustrated, we still add and contribute to his frustration. 

There should always be a spark of search for meaning.  

A Search of Meaning: Live Life to the Fullest by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

Yummilicious Delicious

Dish made of pasta, mixed with cream of  mushroom and chicken... often served with ham, cheese, eggs, or bacon... Yes, Carbonara it is! I chose this as my favorite food because it is yummy, delicious and nutritious.

 http://www.steffensdinners.com/files/images/spaghetti-carbonara.jpg 

Greenwich... Is it love at first taste? I can still remember those first bites... that fascinating taste...

An aroma tickled my nostrils. It was a Sunday night when my family and I decided to drop by Greenwich. I was staring at the menu when the word, "carbonara" caught my eyes. I usually ignore that dish before but I wanted to try a new food instead of eating chicken meals as always. The order was there... in front me... as I ate my first bite... a savouring feeling, i felt! Wooaahhh... It tastes great! Very first dish that fascinated me at once! Oh, yes! It was love at first taste!  Nutritious, yummilicious, delicious!
 

Asking me why it is nutritious?

Pasta is the main ingredient of this dish is rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are generally considered as substances made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Carbohydrates supply the largest part of the energy needed by the living cell. The pasta is made up of starch. When starch is digested, it is converted into glucose and using different enzymes, it is converted into ATP: the source of our energy.

Ham, bacon, egg, and cheese... proteins in nature. Proteins are organic compounds made up of amino acids. Proteins supply the body not only with heat and energy, but also provide materials for building and repair. Protein molecule is known to contain the elements, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus together with traces of iron, copper, iodine, manganese and zinc. Protein forms the primary constituent not only of the cell but also of such regulatory agents as hormones and enzymes. It also helps to distribute body fluids and forms antibodies which combat diseases. Hydrolysis of proteins yields amino acids and could be also be a source of ATPs.

Carbonara, being nutritious can be classified as a complete food. because it is composed of go, grow, and glow foods.

Recipe:

500 grams spaghetti
6 quarts salted boiling water
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Add spaghetti noodles to salted boiling water, bring water back to a boil.
2. Cook spaghetti until Al Dent (barely tender) about 6-8 minutes (Tasting is the only way to test doneness. Never overcook pasta)
3. Add oil during the last 2 minutes. To keep spaghetti from sticking together wen it is drained.
4. Drain but leave hot, ready to use.

Sauce

6-8 slices lean bacon, cut into large pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2- 3 small pieces garlic, minced (I prefer more garlic)
4 egg whites
2-3 tablespoons Coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly grated black pepper to taste.

1. Cook bacon in olive oil crisp in moderate heat. If bacon is excessively fatty, pour off some of the bacon fat.

2.Add garlic during the last minute of cooking.

3. Working quickly, blend hot bacon-garlic sauce into hot spaghetti noodles in heated serving bowl.

4. Work in eggs quickly with grated cheese, tossing spaghetti.

5. Add pepper to taste.

6. Eggs will harden from the heat of the fat and spaghetti.

7. Serve at once. Delicious with Tossed green Salad and your favorite wine.

Read more: http://pinoyfoodblog.com/recipes/spaghetti-carbonara/#ixzz3HqxsczBW

Yummilicious Delicious by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

Sex in the Stance of Youngsters

Teenage pregnancies... abortions...

... things related to "human sexuality".

Many people are misguided by the term, "human sexuality". Most say that it is just about the intercourse between a man and a woman. Some say that it is just for pleasure... and some, just for intimacy. They do not look at a broader view of what human sexuality really means. They just focus on one type of human sexuality which is: gender sexuality.

There are three types of human sexuality as mentioned in the talk; they are as follows:

1. Primary- this is refers to two sexes: man and woman

2. Affective- this refers to the feelings that we have for a person. It is associated with emotions.

3. Gender- as mentioned earlier, this is the type of human sexuality which people often focused at. 

Human sexuality is a gift from God; therefore, it is sacred. We must not only focus on gender sexuality; we must also take into consideration the other types of sexuality, the primary and affective human sexuality.

Generally, the talk was educational. It gave us a broader knowledge about human sexuality and things related to it.  There were lots of discussions about premarital sex, teenage pregnancies, abortions, and the like. There was a  film that shocked us, and this was the film about a woman giving birth. This showed us that it is not easy for a woman to give birth; thus, it is never easy for a woman to become a mother.The talk also dealt with dilemmas that teenagers usually encounter. Some teenagers in their early age, enter into intimate relationships that often cause them to engage in sexual activities such as premarital sex. They  believe that engaging in such activities will make them go with the "society's trend". They think that doing such things will satisfy their need for intimacy, belongingness, and curiosity. They do not consider the disadvantages of their irresponsible behavior. These teenagers don't realize that  premarital sex will make their life miserable, it leads to more negative habits to unlearn, and it may lead to teenage pregnancy.

The following are some reasons why teenagers are involved in premarital sex:

1. An adolescent is afraid that s/he might lose the relationship.

Teenagers think that if s/he will refuse to do the "thing" with his/her partner s/he would be left alone. They think that once they are left by their partner, no one would love and care for them anymore.

2. An adolescent imagines that sex is part of the society's trend.

Teenagers are being influenced by the society by making them think that "everybody's doing it". They do not want to appear old fashion or "square".

 

3. An adolescent wants to prove that he is a real man or that she is a real woman.

Popularity is one of the reasons why teenagers engage in such things. They thinks that if s/he had tried to have sex with his/her partner, s/he would be praised by his/her peer group. S/he thinks that they will be proud of him/her.

4. An adolescent thinks that s/he "owes" it to the other person.

Teenagers think that sex is a form of returning or giving back the "love" that they gain from their partner . They believe that it is the best "gift" that they can give for their partner.

5. An adolescent feels pressured or intimidated.

Teenagers seek to gain affection and warmth. They may think that engaging in premarital sex is a way to cope with stress. Some of them think that with it, they could get over with their problem. Rebellion is also one reason why they try to do the "thing".

6. An adolescent is curious.

I think that this is the main reason why teenagers engage themselves in premarital sex. They try to imitate what they have seen, read, or watched. They try to experiment and explore the things that they merely know.

   

7. An adolescent thinks that it is the next step in a relationship.

Teenage couples think that sex is a way of proving their love for one another. They think that it is just right for them to do it because they "love" each other very much. They do not think of the effects of their wrong actions; what is important for them, is that they had expressed their love for each other.

8. An adolescent can't help himself/herself.

Teenagers can't resist the call of temptation, the call of pleasure. They just do it for fun. 

We must always make right decisions. We must be aware that engaging in such immoral things will make our life miserable; it could ruin our life, our ambitions, our future. We should think a million times before doing an act so that in the end there will be no regrets. 

As they say: "Nasa huli ang pagsisisi"...

Sex in the Stance of Youngsters by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.

Do You Agree?

Do you, as citizens of our country - the Philippines - agree with President Nonoy Aquino's K-12 program? Do you think our country is ready for the said changes? Do you think we can go with that educational trend?

On the first place, what is K-12? K-12 is used for describing the sum of the primary and secondary curriculum. It is the curriculum used by most of the countries nationwide. As we know, the Philippines is still in the K-10 curriculum where the primary academics is composed of six levels and the secondary is composed of four levels. This is why President Aquino is planning to change our K-10 curriculum to a K-12 curriculum. 

Having this kind of curriculum have advantages...


With this curriculum, the students will have longer years to study; thus, they can have more time to learn, they can have more knowledge, and they can have higher potentials. With this, our country can also go with the world's trend on having this kind of curriculum. 

K-12 offers outstanding, highly effective curriculum that enables mastery of core concepts and skills for all kinds of minds. It enables students to achieve mastery through a combination of individualized learning approaches, passionate teacher engagement, and adherence to the best educational research about how young minds really work, and rich, engaging content.

Yes, K-12 has advantages but with it are certain disadvantages, problems, and intrigues. We are aware that the plan would be implemented for the next school year and we are not yet ready for the said changes. We cannot right away change our educational level because we had started with the K-10 curriculum; besides, not all agree with this academical change. 

One year is not enough for us to decide whether or not these plan would be implemented. It would never be easy for us to go with the changes because this kind of academics has many improvements and these improvements change per year. Thus, if these plan would pursue then there would be lots and lots of changes per year.

It would also be unfair for the students who had already started with the K-10 curriculum if they had to go with the new curriculum. It would be a disadvantage for the families that have financial problems; it would just be an extra cost for them. Some students might also loose their interest because of the added years before graduating.

I think that if they really want K-12 to be applied, then it must start after six years. It must be applied for the incoming students for it to be fair for the students that had already started with the K-10 curriculum. If in case by the sixth year, President Aquino is no longer our president then he could ask for the implementation of the K-12 from the new president. In this way, we can have a time to be ready for the changes. Also, within that six years, we can think of many ways on how to improve the curriculum and make it better.   

Applying K-12 curriculum really has lots of conflicts. I just hope, these conflicts can be solved as early as possible so that we would be able to agree on the implementation of K-12.

Do You Agree? by Lady Shaira 'Shai' Abuan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at shaimemylifeandyou.blogspot.com.