…MuSiC

As I watched the ants crawled upon the wall, I noticed that no matter how busy they are, they still have time to stop and communicate to one another. But oftentimes, people don’t. Strange, right? Does that mean ants are better than humans as a whole?

With my busy schedule every week, my constant way of communicating is through music, listening to songs because with my situation, I still have to travel two and a half hours to see some of my foreign friends. It’s been my partner eversince I was a kid. I am well motivated to do my work better if there’s music. In fact, I often forgot the time as well as eating. As if it gives me an eternal vigor to go on with my work. It’s my life. Music is life for me and I could do the best when listening to it. It rocks my world. It makes my job lighter, easier and happier while on the go. It has a touching effect. It makes everything a piece of cake for me.

Many people also have several concepts regarding music. For some, it’s a loud noise. They can’t concentrate on whatever they are doing if there’s music. They prefer to work silently. Others find it annoying, loud and even disturbance. They don’t feel the vibrations when music is played. No feelings at all. Do you have the same opinions with these people? By the way, what do you think of music? Does it have an effect in your state of life? Well, what I can say is, it depends on the kind of music you are listening to.

Psychologically speaking, music has a healing power, that even scientists can’t explain until now. Intimately, there was this dying patient in a coma situation for several weeks, upon hearing a mellow ringtone of a cell phone from one of his visitor, the toes responded. It produced a little movement. Meaning, there’s a vivid sign of hope. Then that time on, the wife let him listen to similar music from time to time. Doctors couldn’t believe that there’s an enormous progress in his condition, until he was completely cured and lives happily now.

Another clear example, if you are familiar with the movie entitled, “Mars Attacks,” where people in that movie had done their best to negotiate with the aliens from Planet Mars. But everything turned out to be destruction and war. They fought with these aliens bravely but still they were defeated. Do you know what was the solution that devastated all aliens? It was the music listened by an aged woman that led to the death of all aliens. So, how is that explained? There is really something in music that noone can explicate.

Friends, whatever you conceive music to be, well it’s your choice. But I tell you, there’s an inner power in it. It can unite different races and even the world, for it is itself the language of the world, I believe.

…wInTeR

Many of my Chinese students kept asking me why is my favorite season winter, where in fact, it’s not experienced in the Philippines. They couldn’t apprehend my thoughts why I do like it ‘coz many of them don’t like it for it’s definitely cold. Not yet satisfied, they asked follow up questions like, “Have you experienced snow before? Have you seen a real snow? And many more.

It is indeed resplendent, I told them. Mountains are capped by snow, the lake’s water is frozen, the trees, flowers and grasses seem dead and everything is white. What a stunning scene!, I added. I only saw all these on movies but lately I personally experienced it, play with it, such a wondrous moment.

Though it’s bloody cold, but it’s my pleasure to first experience it. As long as you completely covered yourself with hat, scarf, tights or thermal wear, around two to three sweaters, a pair of gloves and a coat, you won’t feel such a cold. I could hardly imagine I had such an experience. I thought it’s impossible for me to see a real snow.

Frankly speaking, when I was a kid, I thought snow wasn’t real, that it was just on movies, a mere camera trick, that it’s just a product of imagination. But recently I realized I was wrong. Snow is perfectly real. Sounds funny but true.

A lot of students told me I am a little lucky because the snow here in our place lasted for more than a month this year. They added, it used to last for only two or three days for many years because we are a little south. According to the news, there was a snow storm around China and it happened half a century ago. I just gladly replied, nature wants me to have a superb experience with it. But I was also kinda worried because the prices of basic commodities dramatically grew up due to the difficulty to transport them. Many of the travelers even were stranded at various bus and trains stations because of the said phenomenon.

I myself had a terrible moment during the snow storm. From my place to the capital of the province, it only takes two and a half hours by bus. But that time, it took us almost twelve (12) hours. We left 9:40 am (the first trip because they said, they are still clearing the road from the snow) and we arrived there at 9:30 pm. I was extremely hungry. I had no lunch and dinner, and I took my breakfast at around 6:20 am, hoping to catch the first bus at 6:40. T’was indeed an awful journey ever in my entire life, sitting down for almost 12 hours on the bus. T’was also a peak season for the travelers because the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year at that time was approaching. On the other hand, we were just lucky to arrive there safely which is the most important, no matter what.

But as for me, winter is still the best season. What about you, what is your favorite season? Why?

…YoU aRe NoT wOrTh CrYiNg

Thinking of the days off ahead, everyone excitedly prepared to go home despite the weariness they felt from their respective stations. We joyously came out from work and bid goodbye to each other and parted ways. I could see the happiness in their eyes as they drove their scooter and bicycles and even humming songs. Evrybody was indeed happy.

As I was walking along the road to my flat (that’s what I used to do because it’s just pretty near from my workplace), I saw at a distant a huge crowd of people gathered at the other side of the road. I was hesitant to come closer for I thought somebody was stabbed and died or an accident and someone died. I was afraid to lose my appetite for dinner. Brought by my curiosity, I drew closer to the crowd. I could hear their noise somewhat blaming someone but I just couldn’t grasp their conversation because they were speaking Chinese. More and more people came closer and it created a long traffic jam.

When I peeped on the crowd to see what was really going on, I saw a bloody dog, a sheepdog, lying on the ground, hit by a private car. Without further indispositions, I went away having in mind, it’s not worth crying. There was a serious argument but I didn’t stay long because I couldn’t understand.

The case for me wasn’t solved yet, I don’t know whether it was accidental or what. All I knew was, it’s not worth quarreling or weeping. Do you think so? Would you act like somebody died for that? What do you think?

…fRaNkLy, I dIdN’t LiKe It

Towards the end of my restful sleep, I was a little dismayed. I was awaken by the loud beep of my cell phone. I thought t’was my alarm but still so early. I detected it’s not my alarm tone. It’s a call, I believed. I picked it up wondering it might be an emergency. It’s a friend who has just arrived to his flat from a bar in Nanjing, a former capital of China. I was a little disappointed. From then on, I wasn’t able to go back to sleep. I started my day very early, 4:40 am and I am going to finish it at 8:30 pm from work. Isn’t it long?

I just wish that it wouldn’t happen again. I just did the things I used to do early and went to school pretty earlier. Have a nice day everyone!

…SpRiNg FeStIvAl

What did you do last Spring Festival or Chinese New Year? Did you celebrate? Did you travel? Or just stay at home. Or where did you go? Who do you celebrate with? Was it great? What did you prepare?

Spring Festival is Chinese’s most important festival as Christmas for most of the western countries. On this day, they prepared a great dinner with all members of the family together. They usually eat dumplings. Children receive money from their folks and parents. They prepared for this event for several days. They usually clean their houses and wash all their dirty clothes, that they are clean to meet the new year. It’s one of their practices on this marvelous event.

It was really great for me ‘coz we had more than a month vacation. So I traveled around to meet some of my friends. My first stop was in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province where I stayed for a night. Then I moved to Chuzhou the next day, still a city of Anhui, where my colleague in another branch is residing, a Filipino. I stayed there most of my time. We supposed to go to Guangzhou, but because of the snow storm, we decided to stay. Days after, we went to Nanjing in another province, Jiangsu Province. It used to be the capital of China. We roamed around there by subway for the entire day. Then we went back to Chuzhou in the evening by train. My friend toured me around the city. I also met a lot of friends there. I even plan to go back there soon.

My first Spring Festival in China was really great. We also had a big dinner. Our fellow Filipinos prepared a big banquet. There were 8 Filipinos that time, all teachers and a Chinese, my friend’s colleague. I ate a lot for they served Filipino dishes which I missed for so long. We perfectly had a fantastic dinner together.

Then one day, we went boating in Chuzhou’s South Lake. We had a lot of fun. We preferred to rent a manual one that we could have a race. Everybody enjoyed the activity. Then we went to sauna, massage parlor and shopping. T’was really a perfect moment.

I somehow forgot my problems that time. Completely funny. I stayed there for almost three (3) weeks. Then I went back to Hefei again. We also had different celebration with some Filipino friends there. I could really say, Spring Festival is one of my best memories in China. What about you, do you have one?

…I wAs PaRt Of It

One time, I was astonished because I was called to the office and was told I am going to have classes in a middle school in a county of my city. It was so because my colleague, an American guy, is going to Hongkong to process his working visa. I had no choice. I had to take all his 14 classes there, in addition to my own classes. Pretty tough, huh!

Upon reaching the school’s vicinity, I was amused by its grand beauty. Its location is perfect, away from the noise of the city. It’s surrounded by nature. Right across the school is a big lake which I can compare to a sea in the Philippines. At its back is a huge mountain. It’s also bordered by fruit trees. It’s indeed a perfect location.

The school caters students living from far-flung places. So they have to live in the school’s dormitories. They can only come home once a month for four (4) days, meaning, their weekends are accumulated and taken as one. Teachers are also living in the teacher’s dormitory for it’s really quite far from the city. Its population also is quite huge. There are more than 1000 students, purely senior high school students.

As for me, I didn’t stay there. I kept going home everyday ‘coz I have also a class at night, which made me much tired. I slept in the teacher’s dorm, though during lunch break before my class for it usually starts at 2:50. I was completely overwhelmed by the students’s pleasing character as well as that of the teachers’s. They are very friendly, kind and hospitable that made my stay unforgetable. They were hoping that I would stay longer but it’s out of my jurisdiction.

My short stay there was absolutely a memorable one. I just wish them success in their endeavor, the students, the teachers and the school as a whole. “Do you best and God will take care of the rest,” I powerfully believe.

… A gReAt DiEt

Why do people go on a diet? Have you tried dieting? If so, what did you eat? What was your purpose? Is there a need to be on a diet? Why? Does it something to do with figure, physical appearance? Does that mean you are not satisfied with what you have and who you are?

Food plays a vital role in our bodies. It’s from where we get our energy. But it should be balanced, ‘coz I strongly believe, “everything in excess is not good.” So we have to make our food intake equal and balance.

This morning, for my breakfast, I had an apple, a banana, three (3) slices of pineapple and a glass of milk. Now tell me, am I on a diet? Is it already considered diet? What do you think?