Hell-O 2009!?

HAPPY 2009!

yellow is s'posed to be the year's LUCKY color.
luckily i LOVE yellow. :))

12.31.08

It's the LAST day of 2008.

2008 for me has soooo many ups && downs.
I enjoyed it, srsly... :)

Goodbye 2008
&& thank you for all the sh*t you've
put me through, it'll make me stronger.
Thank you for all the new friends I made && all the old ones that you let me keep.
Thank you 2008.

Oh, and before I forget,
HELL-o 2009!
HELL-o to new conquests && adventures.
HELL-o to more nursing procedures && more comparisons from professors.
HELL-o to the endless homework.
HELL-o to all the ups && downs of the new year.
HELL-o to my upcoming 18th birthday. (MAY12 - I accept cash... *wink*...)
HELL-o to my old buddies, my KIDDS && to new friends!

May we ALL have a pretty awesome 2009!

* according to Chinese horoscope it'll be a so-so year for me with a lot of
"unfavorable" months... oh well, that's life... *

10 Most Crippling Phobias

Was thinking of my fear of spiders when I decided to look up the ten most crippling fears/phobias. *credits to: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-crippling-phobias.php

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10. Chronophobia

The fear of clocks might easily be overcome; however, the alternate definition of chronophobia is the fear of time. Time surrounds us, it binds us – sorry, Star Wars moment there. If a person were to rid herself of all reminders of time such as clocks that would be one thing. But fear has a way of creeping up on someone. As soon as she thought about the fact that time is slipping away, perhaps their sanity might as well. Photo by Perpetually.

9. Stasibasiphobia

Most people might think that couch potatoes have this fear of standing up and walking. It’s not true; most couch potatoes are just averse to the idea. However, a person with stasibasiphobia could very well never get anything done in life, unless he was confined to a wheelchair. But what happens if that person is afraid of someone else standing up and walking? Does that mean the phobic must live in isolation in a sitting position for the rest of his life? What a drag!

8. Domatophobia

Most Americans want four walls, three meals a day and a bed to sleep on. Unfortunately, most of those things are on this list as crippling phobias including domatophobia, fear of houses or being in a house. The only logical cure to this phobia would be to live in a cave or some other natural enclosure unless the fear doesn’t extend to apartments or condos. Either way, that’s a portion of the American Dream dashed. Photo by elliterate

7. Decidophobia

You just did it! You just made the decision to continue reading this list, which includes the phobia of making decisions, decidophobia. A person who cannot make a decision is likely to be eternally stuck in a rut. Unless something becomes second nature such as everyday routines, a person could be crippled by the simple decision of what to eat for breakfast. Photo by Garretc.

6. Nyctophobia and Photophobia

For these two fears, they are sides of the same coins like a Yin-Yang symbol – literally. Nyctophobia is the fear of night or darkness, while photophobia is the fear of light. Perhaps the only way to handle these fears is sleeping through the night or through the day, then again turning on all your lights might help a phobic handle the fear of darkness, not necessarily the electricity bill. On the flip side, a photophobic would have to live in the dark for the rest of his life – talk about being white as a sheet. Photo by carbonblack

5. Anthropophobia and Lalophobia

Like No. 6 on our list, these fears could potentially isolate the phobic for life. Anthropophobia is a fear of people while lalophobia is the fear of speaking. Maybe the hermit with domatophobia should get together with the anthropophobic. Nope, that wouldn’t work, because the hermit is still a person. And don’t forget that never being able to speak or be around another person certainly wouldn’t do well for social skills. Photo by SaraMcL.

4. Urophobia

From here on out, this list becomes phobias of functions that humans must do to survive. And that means that the phobias, such as urophobia or the fear of urination, would put a cramp on anyone’s life style. A catheter might be a stop gap measure as long as someone else would agree to change the phobic’s bag. Either way, everyone has to release bodily waste and this fear could make bathrooms a very unpleasant experience no matter where the phobic is. Photo by Phil Dokas.

3. Somniphobia and Clinophobia

While you don’t necessarily have to be clinophobic to be somniphobic, it doesn’t really matter once you realize that going to sleep is never an option anymore! A person with somniphobia fears sleep while a person suffering from clinophobia fears beds. I’m sure a clinophobic could just sleep standing up. However, humans need the REM cycles of sleep to help digest their everyday thoughts and activities. Without sleep, a person could, potentially, slowly go insane due to fatigue and too many screws loose in the noggin. We all have nightmares, but can you imagine having a waking nightmare about going to sleep? Photo by rbatina

2. Phagophobia

And the final piece of our American Dream is having three square meals a day. But what if you had phagophobia, the fear of eating? There are people – in hospitals – who live on liquid diets. But to go without food must be torturous on a daily basis, unless of course, you’re a phagophobic. It must be hard for a phobic like this to go out on a date since he would obviously not ask his date out for dinner. And the holidays must also get awful lonely without the company and great food! Photo by Laura Mary.

1. Anemophobia

Catch your breath, especially if you have anemophobia, the fear of air. A person could be scared every moment of her life. Sure eating, sleeping and all the other fears on this list could cripple people on a daily basis, but not potentially for every moment of your waking life. There are a number of methods to counter phobias, all of which seem like they would fail miserably contingent on how paralyzed a phobic is of air. Outside of living in a bubble with a controlled atmosphere, nothing comes to mind to counter such a phobia. Even a little fresh air to help cleanse the mind wouldn’t help in this case.

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So, What are YOU afraid of? :))

Merry Christmas ~ after all

Dearest Santa,

Hey I know I'm way old to be writing letters to you. I mean most of the people I know think you're overrated && just a made up character to encourage little kidds to behave, at least for the Christmas season. Anyway, I'm writing you not to ask for something. I'm past the materialistic side to Christmas. I'm writing you to thank you for this year's Christmas.

I know I haven't been showing much of the season's spirit. I've just been really bummed && sad most of the time. You know that my daddy has spent only 3 Christmases with us. So we're usually incomplete on Christmas. But then last night's Noche Buena was spent with my cousins && my uncle that came home. I realized that even if daddy wasn't with us, I still was happy && lucky to be with family.

Thank you for making me realize that Santa.


Love,
Kidd at heart.










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Merry Christmas Kiddos.
It's not the tinsel nor the pretty lights.
Not the lechon nor th leche flan.
Not the candy canes nor the mistletoes.
It's about family.

Merry Christmas again && A Prosperous New Year!

Okay.

Things To Do Tomorrow:
1. Get Up.
2. Survive.
3. Go To Sleep.


~ go figure. :"<

Kapitan Juan.

Kapitan Juan.
Captain John.

My dad is AMAZING.
He actually looked for a way for his international ship to pass by Zamboanga waters. When I heard the news the first thing that came out of my mouth was : OMG! WTH! That it totally COOL!

So, imma be outta here at 3pm to go see him by the shore.

Incomplete :"<!-- < -->

Something's missing.
I feel so incomplete.
Or maybe that's just my head messing with me again.

I see them there for me.
My so called friends.
And yet I still feel so totally alone.

It's this season.
It does things to me.
It makes me sad.

It hurts to know that I'm missing a part of me.
Is it family or is it a friend?
Either way, I wish they'd complete me again.




~ a poem does not necessarily have to rhyme.

5 Months

Today is December 12, 2008.
Today is exactly 5 months before I turn18.
5 months... Maaaaan. I'm old yo!
Tisssssssssssss.

~ Everybody's expecting me to grow up already && take responsibility for ALL my actions. So yeah, I wanna dissolve. HAHA. Plus everything && nothing is going well. Everybody && nobody cares about how I really feel right now. I'm confused. I am. :[

NATIONAL PRIDE? --- ♥

Today at around 08:05 am
iRonnie asked:


"Bukod kay Manny Pacquiao, ano pa ang iyong source (personal question) ng national pride?"



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This is a question that cuts close to my heart. I've always been writing poems && letters about my mum. I've always acknowledge her presence in public. I grew up with her usually always by my side. But this post, this very special post, is not about my mother. This post is about her partner in crime whose sperm, scientifically && biologically speaking, is the reason why I am here as well.



I'm not going to compare him to PACMAN nor am I going to really explain in detail why he is a NATIONAL HERO. Read, and you will truly understand what this post wants to impart.






Now, I must first warn you that this will be a very long post. [or not.] So if you don't plan on reading the WHOLE thing then saying something about it, then I advise you to click that little square box with the "X" mark on the tab. Mkayyysothanksbye.


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--- So, you're still here? ---

ENJOY.



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If you personally know me, I will not have to tell you what my father's job is. But for the sake of those who don't really know all the fast facts about me, my father is a seaman. He's been promoted to Captain status thus out of respect you write his name as:


Capt. Robert John L. Parel, M.M.

* if you don't imma hunt you down & slap the living lights out of you*


My father went to the academy for his training. He is a PMMA-er. He went to the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy. And I'm damn proud of him. You see, my father, when his time came to go to College, he really wanted to take up Nursing. He felt deep in his heart that taking up Nursing would be good for him. It would take him to the "green land, the land of milk & honey"...
He knew in his blood that he could get out of little old Zamboanga. But that was where he was cut short of support.

His parents DECIDED that it would be better and more practical for him to become a seaman. You see, the tuition fee was cheap and as my father put it :
"Anak, libre ang lodging kaso libre rin ang bugbog."

My father was convinced by his parents, especially his father, that being a seaman would also take him places. He could travel the world. And he did, he is travelling the world now but I don't think my paternal grand parents were ever aware of th conditions my father was put through in the academy. And what for? So that his sibling could be better off back here in Zamboanga.

My father, he went through shit at the academy. Rules were rigid. He was trained and molded not only to be a great seaman but to be disciplnied and ordely like a soldier. Yes, my father is not only a seaman, he is like a soldier. It was ingrained into him not to CHEAT, STEAL or LIE. That was their golden rule. NEVER EVER CHEAT, STEAL or LIE.

I recall my father and mother sharing stories bout life back then. I pitied daddy's conditions. You see, there was a Christmas time that he wasn't able to go home because his parents couldn't afford his fare trip, he came home for New Year's (that year) only. But when it came to other children, they were well accomodated.

My father lived on Maggi & pandesal and other "cheap" foods at the academy. He put up with that treatment because he knew that it was for the benefit of his 4 younger sibling back home. They were able to eat fried chicken, porkchop, dinguan and whatever while my father, being the eldest, put up with poor food quality.

But daddy, he never complained. He never ever complained.
He fulfilled his duty as son and brother.
That was one of the primary heroic things my dad did for his family. He suffered for his siblings so that they could take the courses that they wanted.

And what did they repay him with? They repayed my father by:

Disrespecting him.
Not keeping in touch.
Acting like they are all big shots since they've all migrated to the states.
Answering back.
Not updating my father about how the hell they are.

... and so much more.
But on my part, what hurts the most, is the fact that my paternal grandmother, it seems as if she's also forgotten her eldest child. She's forgotten my daddy. And that hurts me. As his eldest daughter, that pains me. Having to think about my father having this kind of familial relationship. It's a sad and cruel situation.

Thinking about it sometimes make me sick. Especially now with the debut preparations and everything. I'm sure people will be talking about USAid. There is no such thing as any financial help from my father's siblings. PERIOD. Let's get that straight.

Anyway, going back... My father is a national hero in a sense that he is an OFW.
Dollar earner.

To most, his being a NH stops there but for me, his daughter, the dollars he earns are only the tip of the iceberg. My father is a national hero, not only because he adds to the dollars sent into the Philippines but because of the fact that even if he could stop working abroad, he still keeps on going.

He suffers the heat, the cold, the homesickness and all the other shit that seamen encounter.
That is more than enough reason on why he's a hero.
Okayy, so maybe he isn't a NATIONAL hero for you,
but he's my dad.



He's my HERO.
He is.

Taurean. XD

TAURUS - The Tramp

Aggressive.
Loves being in long relationships.
Likes to give a good fight.
Fight for what they want.
Can be annoying at times, but for the love of attention.
Extremely outgoing.
Loves to help people in times of need.
Good kisser.
Good personality.
Stubborn.
A caring person.
They can be self centered and if they want something they will do anything to get it.
They love to sleep and can be lazy.
One of a kind.
Not one to mess with.
Are the most attractive people on earth!

Kidnapped.

Time's have changed. I feel it coursing through my body. There is a certain tension. So even as I plan my debut, even as I plan for school & the Christmas season, I feel it. It's lurking in the shadows. An unspoken conversation between my mother and I. I know she's been worried. Especially since this horrible thing, it happens even in broad daylight. It scares her. I know it does. It scares me as well. To think that it could happen. Anything can happen. Fate is like getting raped, you do not know when it can happen.

This afternoon, we had the unspoken conversation. Wrapped around an amount of mutual understanding. I love her. I know my words scared her. But I meant every word.

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Mom: You are no longer a child. I know you are very well aware of what's been happening in Zamboanga. You know what kind of people they are eying... I just want you to be extra careful. Be safe and don't go blabbing around about your back ground.

Me: Mum, let's get one thing straight. If anything happens to me, remember that you still have Monsie. The loss of one child doesn't mean the loss of another one as well, oh and mum, I don't want you to pay the ransom.











~~ Be safe my friends, they are watching.

Dec01 - Plano.

What a way to start December. I have a sore throat, overly sensitive teeth & a three week old cough that's gotten worst as of today. But hey, I'm trying to looks on the bright side, it's only a few more days till Christmas!

Since I was sick I couldn't stick to my plan of doing something good with my supposedly remaining days, "[refer to DEAD ON CHRISTMAS]", I'll start on the second of December.

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December 2, 2008.
- Text everybody in my phone book and thank them for all the little things that they have contributed when it comes to me... might sound like a wacko, but then again it's a start. Also, attend WMSU's parade no matter how much I want to skip it. Imma show some school spirit. XD

Dead On Christmas.

Today's the first Sunday of Advent. Earlier at mass the priest explained that since it was still Advent, the use of the organ and singing of songs would be minimized and the Christmas decors should not have been placed onto the altar yet. He kept complaining about absolutely every minute detail that I totally lost interest in his actual Homily. *sigh* But then h said something and it rally hit me. It was a very simple question really and yet I have been thinking about it for the past few hours.

The priest asked the people, "How would you spend your remaining days if you knew you'd be dead on Christmas day?"... His question hit me pretty hard mainly because This past few Christmas times that I've had have been pretty bleak. I seem to have been growing up very materialistic in a sense that I've basically expected material gifts during Christmas.

Now the question is how do I spend my remaining days? The next posts will be about the different plans I'll be having [assuming I'm dead on Christmas]...

Watch out for my next post entitled :
Dec01'08 - Plano.

165 days♥

165 days and counting.

165 days till I turn eighteen and will no longer be considered child. It will be my transition from girl to lady. My time to really start growing up. I shall be held responsible for all my actions after my eighteenth birthday. I no longer will be a child that can keep relying endlessly on her elders to bail her out or come to her rescue every time I am in trouble. I will finally have what I wanted. Freedom. Or not.

Is it really freedom? To be of legal age? To be able to get your driver's license? To be able to get married? To vote? These questions they haunt me. But preparations for my debut haunt me even more.

I'm going to stop here. I don't have much more to say.

la fin d'amour - the end of love.

*ang matamaan,wag magalit! *

Today I was hit by all this intense emotions as I listened to a really close friend of mine.
Her heartache seemed to resonate within my very heart. I felt for her, I shared her pain and anguish. I hated "that" boy, that dumbass jerk, than one m*therfvckin assh*le. Naturally I equally was angry at the girl, the very same girl that used to be such a close friend of my friend.

Ohgod. What a disaster. Being lied to by your ex and close friend. Having to deal with the knowledge that they were already dating while you guys were still together. I feel for my friend. I feel all the pain. I hate that this is happening to her.

Betrayal. The only word I can muster. No, wait, it's betrayal & being betrayed.

Instead of really listening to Ma'am A. during NCM100A class, I started writing something for my friend. I actually almost cried. I felt so bad for hr. So angry. So disappointed.



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POEM STARTS HERE:


Hatred and anger race through my veins
My poor heart is entrapped in a million chains
It hurts to breathe, it hurts to think
I feel my sanity's on the brink

I ate off his palm while he fed me sweet lies
But after 2years 7 months & 19 days I cut off our ties
I should have followed my instincts when I was in doubt
Now all I want to do is hit him and shout

Shout out how could he have dated my friend?
How could he say it was us till the end?
Tell me, oh liar, what was it that I lacked?
That you had to, just had to, date her behind my back?

Don't ask me if I'm angry, because it's obvious that I am
But I still wonder if you'll treat her like a gem
Movies and foodtrips, shopping and park trips galore
I bet you'll give her everything, everything and more!

Was I that of a meanie to deserve this pain
I lost you, I lost love, but wait I had some things to gain
I'll show you I'm stronger and better off now
I'll manage, I'll strive at it, someday, somehow.

So goodluck with your girl, remember karma's a bitch
Yes karma, sweet karma's a very big bitch
I'll soon be over all this hurt and pain
And I'll forget you because I have loads more to gain.




fin.

i amour et de haine son.

I hate her
I love her
I secretly despise her
But I long for her.

She meddles into my private life
She knows every detail
She makes it her business
To know about my business.

I have given her nothing
Nothing but buckets full of heartache
Of sorrow, suffering and tears
And yet she still wipes away my fears.

I remember all those dark nights
The times that people broke my heart
The times that people broke my spirit
And she'd be there to tell me to not quit.

I also remember that day I broke her heart
And still unconditionally
She loves, she forgave, she listened to me
She cared when everyone refused to see.

Je dis rarement que je l'aime mais je l'aime plus que moi mon amour propre vie. Cette femme qui m'a donné la vie, je dois toute ma son être. Je l'aime. J'ai vraiment faire.

Ich selten sagen, dass ich liebe sie, aber ich liebe sie mehr als ich liebe mein eigenes Leben. Diese Frau, die hat mir das Leben, ich verdanke ihr mein ganzes Wesen. Ich liebe sie. Ich wirklich tun.

I dire che raramente ho il suo amore, ma io l'amo più di quanto amore mia vita. Questa donna che mi ha dato la vita, devo tutta la mia suo essere. Io amo lei. Sono veramente fare.

Translation:

I rarely say that I love her but I love her more than I love my own life. This woman who gave me life, I owe her my whole being. I love her. I really do.

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

*Sorry for typos, redundant ideas and/or grammatical errors, this was done in a rush. As usual. I'm such a Procrastinator. HAHA *

In society today, health is a top priority. As the saying goes, health is wealth.

And yet, though very idealistic, health is considerably difficult to attain e

specially with an increasing number of factors involved – poverty,

political corruption, environmental sanitation, poor nutrition and the like.

Yet of all the factors it seems that the utmost reason is actually the root of all problems –

poverty, extreme poverty at that. Poverty is by far the main reason for problems w

hich are health related and even those problems that pertain directly to health.

Why poverty, you may ask? How can we expect impoverished

ill individuals to pay for different types of medications when they c

an barely afford food for three meals a day? How can we expect

these same individuals to afford the high hospital rates when they do not have stable jobs?

How can you we expect them to avail of necessary medications when

they are turned down at community health centers because apparently

there aren’t enough funds allocated for medications? How can you expect

them to be able to provide quality and nutritious foods for their family

members when prices are sky high?

You can’t. You can’t expect them to practice these measures to ensure

their good health. So when we trace back all these problems, t

hey all boil down to one root cause, extreme poverty. This leads us to the MDG’s.

Millennium Development Goals or MDG’s were declared and unanimously

agreed upon by United Nations Member States. These are goals that pertain

to health related problems. One of the eight goals is to eradicate extreme poverty

and hunger. Poverty and hunger, ironically, are two big issues that are interrelated.

To overcome hunger, one must have to overcome poverty and when one overcomes

poverty they need not suffer from hunger. Extreme poverty seems to be a prevalent i

ssue in countries of Asia and the Pacific where people are struggling to overcome it.

Accordingly, a number of countries in the region have already reached the annual

rate of reduction that is needed to half the rates of people suffering from hunger and

yet this progress has not been attained by the more low-income countries. They

are obviously having difficulty reaching it. One has to ask why? These fluctuations

in progress rates are certainly worrying. You see to eradicate hunger means a 0% malnutrition

rate. Why are they having problems reaching this MDG goal when there are, according to

resource material, higher levels of growth, agricultural production, infrastructure and public

service? There are a lot of countries that fall under Asia and the Pacific like China and I

ndia who appear to be very progressive and yet when you take a look at all the tiny

details you will find that that they have constituents that suffer from poverty and

hunger. Another Asian country that suffers this kind of blow is the Philippines.

Now again we ask, all those stories of improvement and progress t

hen faced with stories of extreme poverty and hunger, how does it all add up?

The most pitiful thing is that it’s really the children who suffer the hard blows of

poverty and hunger. The source material states that the prevalence of underweight

children below the age of 5 in countries of Asia and the Pacific are up to 47%

compared to the 31% of children who live in sub-Saharan Africa. Though a severe

lack of food and services affect every human, it is more threatening to children –

their rights, survival, health and overall well being. Each deprivations heightens

the other, hunger heightens other factors brought about by poverty. So where do we even start?

We believe that to be able to destroy hunger we must first tackle the issue

on poverty. This instant connection of being impoverished or poor to being

hungry, demonstrates the inequalities in health status as compared to the “well-off”

or rich. So how do we tackle poverty? The resource material states that “progress

will depend on increasing the availability of resources and improving the effectiveness

of aid and on local actions buttressed by national, regional, and global support”.

You see, improving health is not a one-man journey. It is a struggle to be battled

with the help of at the most our local government.

Everyday more and more people lose their privilege of sustaining food because t

hey are poor. Tracing back to the root, they are poor because they do not

have proper jobs to provide a stable income for them to use. This is so because

most of these people have not attained quality education due to the fact they

did not have enough money for an education. So it still all boils down to

being poor. Now how can the government alleviate this?

In our opinion the most effective way our government could do to provide

relief to this problem is for them to provide education programs that the

impoverished can access. If they receive better education a chain reaction

will happen and lead to a better outcome. You see, educated people have

higher chances of landing a job. Educated people are also more likely to

practice family planning. It has been observed that indigent people are

more likely to bear numerous children because they are not properly

informed of the adverse effects of this situation. In turn these children

are more likely to belong to the malnourished sector of society and the

cycle continues unceasingly. These people are more likely to have problems

in child rearing and providing basic needs, a top priority which is food.

They are just added numbers in the statistics of malnourished children

that live in countries of Asia and the Pacific.

If education programs are not a viable idea then how about livelihood

programs for their constituents regardless of educational attainment?

It is indeed a harsh reality that more people that have a lower educational

background are impoverished, thus they are often the ones who suffer from

hunger and malnutrition. They are also the constituents that more often than

not end up working only odd jobs that really doesn’t provide a stable source of income.

In the end, in order to eliminate poverty and hunger, we don’t only need

policies or programs. We don’t only need free meal stubs, love drives,

relief goods from outreach programs and the like. These are only

temporary solutions that will not completely satisfy hungry mouths.

What we need is a long term solution to solve the problem on poverty and hunger.

People should come to realize that it is not solely the responsibility

of the government to provide for education and livelihood programs.

It is also the people’s responsibility to cooperate with the government

in order for these programs to succeed. Otherwise, it will just be one failure

after the other and the cycles never ceases. This is global problem which

will only be fully solved if we work hand in hand.

Society Can Be A Bitch.

CATEGORY ONE : ABORTION

1. Do you want abortion to stay legal or be illegal?
- Honestly I am Pro-Choice.So that should answer your question.

2. Would you ever get an abortion yourself (not counting rape or if it risked your life)?
- No I would not. *we are not counting on rape/risks involved.

3. Do you think abortion should be legal for everyone, or just in the case of rape or something life-threatening?
- As a Pro-Choicer I believe that abortions should be made available for everyone, parents' and children's lives are better when the government allows women to have legal abortions. Especially when the woman feels that she is unfit to rear a child along with several other reasons.

4. Why do you have the views on abortion that you do(ex. religion, someone explained stuff to you, etc.)?
- Different research papers, articles, write ups about the subject plus lengthy conversations with fellow writers, debaters and even nursing students with the same views.

5. If your best friend got an abortion, would you still talk to her?
- Yes I would. As a friend and a student nurse, I believe in therapeutic measures which promotes to healing. *emotional as well as physical. Abortions are not pretty*

6. Should an age limit be put on abortions (ex. only girls under 18 can get abortions or some other age)? Why?
- As a Pro-Choicer I believe that abortions should not be restricted to only a certain age bracket. Women of all ages have the right to be able to make this decision *child rearing etc...* at any age they are in. *assuming they are of conscious of the issue at hand*

7. What do your parents think about abortion?
- My parent's are Catholic and pro-lifers. *unless it is health related or raped, they are pro planned pregnancy.* So that makes them partly pro-choice.

8. If you want abortion illegal, aren't you worried about more babies being left in dumpsters and women performing abortions with clothes hangers, killing themselves and the unborn fetus?
- These are scenarios that have made me PRO-CHOICE in the first place.

9. Do you know anyone who had an abortion and regretted it?
- Fortunately, no one I know has had an abortion.

10. Do you think abortion is a responsible or irresponsible way to deal with pregnancy?
- It really depends upon the situation on which the girl is pregnant.

CATEGORY TWO : GAY RIGHTS

1. Should gays have the right to marry? Why or why not?
- They are people nonetheless, they should.

2. Gays should be treated like normal people, yes or no?
- YES.

3. Why do you think society acts so strangely about gay people?
- Because secretly everybody is afraid of the "different".

4. Do you use "gay" as an insult?
- NEVER.

5. Can you be born gay, or is it a choice?
- As a student nurse, I'd have to say that the possibility of being a "born" gay is present. But I also know of some guys who have chosen the "gay" lifestyle.

6. Is any older person in your family strongly against gays?
- Yes.

7. If you have any gay/bisexual friends, do you support them?
- As a matter of fact, I do.

8. Some people don't think we're born with any sexuality and that we just "decide" later on. Do you agree or disagree?
- I disagree. But even if i disagree, it doesn't mean I do not respect the rights of those who "choose" later on.

9. Obama is against gay marriage, but is for civil unions. Do you think the same way?
- Through research,there are some jurisdictions, such as in New Zealand and Uruguay, civil unions are also open to opposite-sex couples. SO WTH IS THE DIFFERENCE?
10. Should gays be allowed in the military?
- I don't think they'd like to be in the military. At least the gays I know. HAHA.

CATEGORY THREE : DRUG LEGALIZATION

1. Should marijuana be legal or illegal?
- Illegal.

2. Some people think ALL drugs (cocaine, heroin, etc.) should be legal. Do you?
- No.

3. If marijuana became legal, do you think it would be less "taboo" and less kids would do it just to be cool?
- It depends on what type of kids we are talking about and what dosage/amount of the drug be legalized.

4. If marijuana became legal, would you be more tempted to try it?
- No.

5. Should things like cigarettes and alcohol be illegal?
- I believe that it should because it really is a hazardous habit. Not only to the one directly involved, but as well as to the people he/she deals with.

6. What are some negative aspects to marijuana becoming illegal?
- Do I even have to elaborate on this? One effect of marijuana is that it is a hallucinogen. I wouldn't want to be walking around in a world of people who couldn't snap into reality. Would you?

7. And what about some positive aspects?
- It was actually used to be a "truth serum" used during the WW2 but other than that, arrrrgh!

8. Have you ever tried marijuana yourself?
- No. I'd like to remain as healthy as possible.

9. If marijuana became legal, what should be the minimum age you're allowed to purchase it at?
- 100 years old. Seriously.

10. Is marijuana even a big deal to you?
- It is. I have friends who use marijuana. To supposedly "forget their problems" and it has done nothing for them really except to get them HIGH.

CATEGORY FOUR : EDUCATION

1. Teachers technically aren't allowed to fail you the first marking period because they don't want you to get yourself "into a hole you can't dig out of" and fail for the year. Is this a good method?
- Not really. Especially when you'r dealing with kids who take their education for granted.

2. Do you believe that grades reflect intelligence?
- No, you may be intelligent and yet refuse to put effort on studying thus get sucky grades. I personally know of a LOT of kids who fall under this category.

3. I heard on the news that children that do their homework regularly are 35% more likely to get paid more than the people who don't do it regularly. What do you think of that?
- HAHA. I'm part of that 35% so I sure as hell wish that this "fact" were true.

4. There's a black history month and it's usually recognized in schools. There's also a women's history month, Native American culture month, etc. but they're not recognized in school or any other place really. Why is that?
- Rascism?

5. Should teachers be allowed to hit their kids like old times?
- HELL NO!

6. Should teachers be allowed to talk about religion in a public school?
- I used to go to a Catholic school, so this isn't an issue for me.

7. Should teachers be allowed to talk about their personal lives to students?
- It shouldn't be allowed. That's exactly why it's called PERSONAL life.

8. Do you think that teachers should be stricter about spelling and grammar (especially since most people still mess up its and it's, you're and your, etc.)?
- DUH. *if meryl were reading this, I bet she'd know why.*

9. You have to take four years of English and Gym in high school, but not four years of any other subject. Why do you think English and Gym were chosen?
- HAHA. Because English rocks and Gym s'posed to keep you fit? ERRRR. Whatever.

10. Is gym class really necessary?
- *sigh* I don't even know why I have to take gym. Which, here in the Philippines, is referred to as PE [physical ed.]

CATEGORY FIVE : WAR

1. "Fighting for peace is like f-cking for virginity." True or false?
- True.

2. Do you agree with the war in Iraq?
- Not really.

3. Obama thinks that the real war is in Afghanistan. Do you agree?
- Yes.

4. Will withdrawing our troops from Iraq be a good or bad thing?
- Both. Actually, both.

5. Do you think it's right for the government to draft men into the war, whether they're willing or not?
- It's called "service to your country".

6. Even if you don't agree with the draft, do you think women should be drafted as well (as long as they're not pregnant and such)?
- It still would be "service to your country".

7. Do you think the war in Iraq was really necessary, even after Bush admitted there was no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
- Though I'm not American, I believe that the bloodshed is horrible and that it is unecessary for the war to continue.

8. Does war really solve anything?
- Not really. But a lot would like to think so.

9. Do you believe that world peace is possible?
- It is if we all worked together. *idealistic much?*

10. "Most wars start because of religion." True or false?
- TRUE.



CATEGORY SIX : MORALS & VALUES
1. Do you believe in sex before marriage?
2. What about bringing your kids up to be good Christian kids?
3. Should the woman take the man's last name?
4. Do you have to be married to have kids?
5. Are getting piercings and tattoos "ruining" your body?
6. Would you have sex with someone you didn't love?
7. Would you cheat on someone?
8. Would you date someone of a different race/religion/etc.?
9. Is religion the number one thing in your life?
10. Do you personally believe you have good morals/values?



CATEGORY SEVEN : FEMINISM
1. Women and men should be viewed as equals, right?
2. Do you believe in stereotypes like "all women should shave their legs" or "all women should wear tight pants"?
3. Do you think pornography is degrading to women?
4. Even if you don't like Hillary Clinton, aren't you glad that a women has gotten THIS CLOSE to becoming president?
5. Do you think women that wear skimpy clothing are degrading themselves?
6. What do you think about how women are portrayed in the media?
7. Is anyone in your family sexist towards women?
8. Do you cringe when someone says "feminism is stupid" when it's the idea of women and men being equal?
9. People who are feminists are usually liberals. Are you a feminist and liberal?
10. Is it possible to be for legalization of abortion but still a feminist?

CATEGORY EIGHT : SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

1] Do you think schools should teach real sex ed or just abstinence only?
- REAL SEX ED.

2] Should students be able to obtain free condoms in school from their nurse?
- YES.

3] Or should condoms be distributed to each student in health class?
- Refer to above question.

4] Do you think your school is being realistic about sex in health class?
- I'm a nursing student so go figure.

5] Should students learn about just condoms and the pill or all types of birth control?
- I've learned about ALL types. It's part of Anatomy class.

6] Should parents be able to decide whether their child should learn about sex or should the school just automatically teach it?
- I believe that it should be automatically taught.

7] Should ALL schools, even religious ones, teach the truth about sex and not just abstinence only education?
- YES YES YES!!!

8] Do you think schools are being realistic about teenagers and sex or do they just think they can scare them out of it?
- Most schools aren't realistic about their approach, but in Nursing schools, this is handled severely without holding back. We should be able to know exactly how our body functions.

9] Have you ever been taught wrong facts in health class?
- Never.
10] Would you say your school has a pretty good sex ed system?
- HAHA. I won't comment on this one.

CATEGORY NINE : POLITICS

1] Republican or Democrat (or perhaps Independent or another party)?
- The Philippines is supposedly a DEMOCRATIC country and yet... *sigh*

2] If the election came down between only McCain and Obama, who would you want to win?
- OBAMA already won. HAHA

3] Obama or Clinton (must choose one)?
- Obama's too new. Clinton wasn't that bad. *remember I'm FILIPINO, so i don't think this counts*

4] Huckabee or McCain (must choose one even though Huckabee's out)?
- again I'm FILIPINO.

5] Do you think Obama is a terrorist just because he is Muslim?
- NO.

6] Do you think Clinton can't handle presidency because she is a woman?
- HELL NO!!!

7] Do you think McCain is too conservative to be a president?
- Not really.

8] Or do you hate all the candidates and wish there was someone better running?
- HAHA.

9] What qualities would the perfect president have?
- There can never be a perfect President. And yet i'd have to say HONESTY.

10] Are you more of a radical, liberal, or conservative? Or do you just not care?
- I'm a LIBERAL.

CATEGORY TEN : RANDOM

1] Some say 9/11 was planned by Bush. Agree or disagree?
- Agree. HAHA.

2] Some people believe Obama is a terrorist and that he was/is Muslim. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree. Again with the MUSLIM issue!

3] Dick Cheney is against gay marriage but has a lesbian daughter. What do you think of that?
- Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

4] Do you think we really need channels like BET, WE (Women's Entertainment), etc. for each gender/race or do you think it just stereotypes genders/races?
- Channels like that are seriouly a waste of time.

5] Should the government be honest with us and tell its people EVERYTHING (ex. some people say that the government hides information about contact with aliens)?
- If only it were that simple.

6] Do you think prostitution should be legal?: its your body, do what you want with it.
- Only if you think that STD is the new "it" thing to have.

7] What do you think schools should do to prevent school shootings from occurring?
- Stricter security measures. *& don't even get me started about the university I'm attending*

8] Should the school system be allowed to teach you wrong info and/or exaggerate things?
- NO.

9] Do you believe in the stereotype that all Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid?
- Believe me, there a loads of Filipinos that fall under that category. It isn't only in the States, I mean its a world wide phenomenon.

10] Do you think religion causes most of the world's major problems?
- Yes.