The Story Teller

Archive for June, 2011

I have TONS! And someday, I’ll write them down, compile them and turn them into a book (keep on dreaming, lol!)

“1987. I was the 1st from the left.”

My HS memories include YDT (which was changed into PEHM), school choir practice, Intramural, Student Council campaigns, Division Secondary Schools Press Conference, JS Prom, Educational Trips, Acquaintance Parties, Victory Parties, house parties, picnics, and the most memorable and enjoyable of all “High School GALA.”

“1988. I was the 3rd from the left.”

I don’t know. Why we enjoyed going places without good reasons escaped me. We just.. enjoyed it. I can still remember how we used to walk 2-3 kilometers from the poblacion where we lived to another barrio just to ask for some unripe mangoes and unripe guavas or for a glass of artificially flavored juice. We were young then, and everything was wonderful and promising, the algae-covered stones, the wind that smelled of mud and carabao manure, the earth strewn of onions leftover from the recent harvest, the trees teeming with fruits and people’s yards decorated with gumamela (hibiscus) of various colors. It’s as if everything was created beautifully just for us.

“1989. Again, I was the 1st from the left.”

In addition, it was during high school when I met the person that made me feel special for the first time. Young and impressionable, I was introduced to the bitter-sweet potion old people called love (?) And some very important lessons that I learned.. love knows no age, no boundaries, no season, no reason, no religion, no end, and the happiest people are those who loved..

Happy GT!

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I know it’s no big deal for others, but one way or another.. IT IS for me. This blog, The Story Teller, finally got its page rank from Google. After a year of existence and 139 followers, ST, finally got this…

I know I’m being overly dramatic about this, but, maybe I’m just proud and happy that my patience and dedication paid of. I work hard on this blog. I research and rewrite and try to make my featured stories as interesting as possible and this page rank signifies that it reaches a lot of readers..

I just hope I maintain this page rank…

My oldest daughter, Candid, used to be apathetic about my blogging. I have every reason to believe that she finds it futile. In addition to the fact that we only take turns using the only laptop in the house. So, every time I do my blogging, I always expect to see some ‘eye rolling’ episodes. I understand of course that she was doing some research and school projects that require the internet. So, I let the ‘eye rolling’ pass.

That was before. Because since I started earning in my blogs by doing paid posts, I could feel that she became more accomodating and understanding with my long use of the laptop. But when she put up her Twitter account, I think that’s when she started to appreciate the beauty and the real importance of my having a blog. Since then, I started posting links of my selected blog entries on her Facebook Wall. Those are the stories that I wanted her to read, stories that I believe she could learn something from. And I think she likes them.

Then some time last week,  she asked me if I could feature her PAGE on my blog. That was the first time she regarded my blog as something useful. And for me, that really is something. Her PAGE is titled THE GREAT PLEBEIAN which is about our very own, ANDRES BONIFACIO. It is actually her project in school.  They are supposed to create a page about the hero of their choice and invite their friends to LIKE it.

Last night, I checked out the page and I was so impressed by how she put it up. She apparently spent much time and effort on it. I can imagine how hard she worked to make it informative and worth visiting.  But since it is still very new, there is still not much to see, but I know in time, she will be able to post more valuable information about  Andres Bonifacio.

But I think that will wait as she is sick right now and stays in bed most of the time. The stormy weather doesn’t help her condition, but with prescribed antibiotic and rest, I believe she’ll be up in no time.

So, I would really appreciate it if you would LIKE my daughter, Candid’s PAGE on Facebook, constructive comments are welcome. Thank you so much! I hope you have a nice week..

This is your..

STORY TELLER

Last night, I drafted a long article about my photographer friend. I intend to post it on my other blog as a birthday gift in the form of a tribute. Since I wasn’t able to finish the article, I looked for my USB so I can save and edit it somewhere else. I couldn’t find the USB anywhere. Then, I remember giving it to my office mate because she volunteered to give me copies of old movies she downloaded from the internet. When she asked me what kind of movies I want, I said it’s up to her. So, she asked me if I’m into sci-fi like Avatar, paranormal like Sixth sense.. ‘I see dead people..’ romance like Jerry Maguire.. ‘You complete me..’ or hard core action such as Black Hawk Down with snipers using holographic sight like eotech 512?

Wow, that’s a long list. So, I said give me one of each. I’m not much into paranormal and hard core action, but somebody in the house might be, lol!

Out of all the class pictures that I was able to save, these are the only ones that I was able to find. Where are the rest? I have no idea, lol!

“First year, Section A, St. Stephen’s Academy, Laur, Nueva Ecija”

“Third Year, Section A, Christmas Party 1989″

“Fourth Year, Section A, Christmas Party 1990″

Well, no matter how awful I looked in these pictures, I still won’t get tired of looking at them. Most of the people in the photos above are abroad now. Most are nurses, some are engineers, some more are employed in the private sectors, a few of us are teachers, even fewer stayed in the province to work on agricultural land and those of the fewest number were either unable to finish college or unable to go to college at all.

We never lost communication with each other. We always find a way to get in touch even before the Facebook phenomenon. In fact, we have an annual get together usually held during the summer..

“April 18, 2010″

“April 27, 2011″

We may decrease in number every year, but regardless, we are still happy and we hope to keep on seeing one another year after year for many years to come…

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Mela is the only daughter of a poor couple. Being poor since birth, Mela was not able to go to college, instead, she just gets herself hired in a garment factory. Hardworking by nature, Mela was greatly liked by her employers, so it was not surprising at all when they left Mela the management of the factory when they decided to go abroad and spend their remaining years in happy retirement.

Mela was so happy. She worked even harder to prove to her former employers that she deserved their trust. The factory thrived under her management and Mela became wealthy that she talked to her former employers about buying out the business. Her former employers, having so much fun going places and trying new things, simply consented and sold the factory to Mela.

Happy with her acquisition, Mela worked harder that in a few years, the factory grew about 5 times bigger than it used to be. But Mela didn’t stop there, she bought another factory and another, and another. She grew very wealthy that there was no way she could spend all her money in another 50 years.

But Mela couldn’t stop. She doesn’t know how. She would wake up in the morning itching to go to work. She went out of town one time to have some fun but all she could think of was work that she went home the next day. Before she goes to sleep at night, she thinks about what happened at work the whole day and what will happen the next day.

Several years passed. Mela’s former employers already died of old age in a nice cottage by the beach. Mela, richer than she could think possible is an old woman by now. Without a family of her own, Mela lives in a big house attended by helpers. One day as she was about to go to work, she fainted and was taken to the hospital. She was so sick that the doctors advised her not to work anymore and retire to a quiet house by the lake and happily reminisce about the ‘good old times.’

The first two orders were easily followed. But the third one proved to be impossible, because everytime Mela reminisce about the old times, there was nothing ‘good’ about it as all she could see was a younger version of Mela killing herself to work..

*Image is an edited photo owned by Charles Fredeluces Mundo

*Original story by the blog author. Any similarity with other articles, fiction or otherwise, is purely coincidental.

Photo taken and owned by Charles Fredeluces Mundo

“People often belittle the place where they were born.”

~Mitch Albom (The Five People You Meet in Heaven-Meniti Bianglala)

I was at the bookstore yesterday to buy a file case for my eldest daughter. When I was about to pay for my purchase, I happened to stand next to the shelves on Classic novels. I saw the book Black Beauty and smiled as I remembered the time I read it in high school. That was the time I began to appreciate horses. In college, I started to read Dick Francis novels which were mostly about horse racing particularly in England. That’s how I got to appreciate the beauty of racehorses especially when they are on the track with high quality english horse tack and ridden by agile jockeys. They are marvelously described that I almost wanted to ride a horse myself, lol!

It took me a few more minutes before I reached the counter and paid for my bill. I looked at the book one more time and went away..

If there is one subject that I really really NOT LIKE, well, that would be MATHEMATICS. I’m not really that bad in it, but of all the subjects that I had since grade school, this is the one that I exert the best of efforts and still get (not the highest score in class but) an average score. Let’s say, this is the subject that I find the most difficult.

I remember when I was in high school and our Math teacher gave us a problem to solve, while I was still writing the ‘given’ and was laboring with the formula, some of my classmates, mostly boys, were raising up their hands and giving the answer. When that happens, I usually stop doing the math thing and just listen, what’s the point? I’ll know the answer in a few sec, lol! But that wasn’t right, of course.. But I think that began my (extreme) dislike to all Math subjects. But I will be given a chance (in the future, maybe) I will study Mathematics and face my fear, lol!

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Photo taken and owned by Charles Fredeluces Mundo

“It is better to be a lion for a day, than a sheep all your life..”

~”Sister” Elizabeth Kenny