CERTAIN IN UNCERTAINTY

MIANO, EDLYN D. | 1 APRIL 2020 | BLOGPOST #3 | 3:00 PM

          I used to love watching movies about zombie apocalypse because of its futuristic view of what we must do in situations like that.  I never imagined that those films will be something I’ll experience, with this worldwide pandemic I felt so certain that I’ll be lost in this uncertainty.  We are halted, overwhelmed, and everything is unbelievable from the rise of new cases in our country up to the different issues exploding in our society that was triggered by this COVID 19 pandemic.  I will be honest, I am scared.  Everything is new to all of us; I don’t know what will happen on the next few days if we won’t stop the spread of the deadly virus.  I feel like I am trapped with all that is happening around us, I am panicking inside because I am uncertain if we can get rid of this crisis as soon as possible.

          Upon writing this blog I am bombarded with so many thoughts that is messing up my whole agenda for this post but I’ll be spontaneous in whatever I want to say, I don’t want to hold back because this situation makes me feel like I am in a zone where I needed to survive and to assure myself that everything will be fine.  For the past days since the quarantine started I’ve been feeling anxious about a lot of things, I’ve been over thinking about the things that I have done in the past and when this feeling got into my nerves I started researching if it is normal to feel this way because I am not used to this kind of behavior that is unpleasant and uncertain. And upon researching about the things I feel I encountered a video by Bianca Gonzales, a Kapamilya talk show host, wherein she interviewed an expert and a resident psychologist in the PBB house and tackled about the situation we are in and how it is similar in being a PBB Housemate.  The resident psychologist said that the only similarities we have with the PBB housemates is that we are isolated and kept from the world and beyond that we experience more difficult things than the housemates because we are on the real world, the uncertainty is on and everything feels so overwhelming.  One of the topics he discussed is about the cabin fever and he said that when someone experience this kind of fever he or she will feel anxious and uncertain about a lot of things, the fever will target your mentality about the things that going on around you and he added that it is normal and at that moment I realized that my feelings are normal, we are all trapped in this situation where we feel so helpless and bored at the same time.  To get rid of this fever I busied myself with the household chores because I can’t surf around the internet due to internet accessibility.  When I started to busied myself I felt a big difference, I started to regain mental stability and I started to regain my focus on the things that matter, my anxiousness lessen and I felt so relieved.  I realized that in this situation we need to calm down and to make things productive as much as possible even when we are inside our house because the more you do nothing, the more darkness filled you with uncertainty.

          When this whole mess was still out of the corner I used to love thinking about the future, what kind of person I can create for the future.  My future matters to me the most because it holds the core of my whole human purpose but when this pandemic happened and we are all caught up in this isolation kind of life I realized that future won’t exist if we remain awful in the present, that making big moves should not be reserved in the future but rather should be done in the present.  We must not create a list of things to do in the future but rather create things we must do in the present to build our future.  There is nothing we can change in the future if our now is not progressing.  That’s why little by little I am creating silent movement for the me now and the me in the future.  We must be certain about our goals even if it is uncertain for now.

House Arrest

Published by: Ferrer, Carl Joseph F. | COMM2B

At first there was really a panic attack on me and my family when President Rodrigo Duterte announced the lockdown in Luzon for a month. For me, I was worried that the lockdown will affect on how my classes and online activities will work in this time of crisis. As for my parents, they are worried for their jobs which is suspended due to the pandemic. They are worried on how we can sustain our foods and how they will budget their money to be spend in groceries. But as far as I can see, the food is not that much a problem for us. The lockdown really suspends some of my personal and family events to go such as birthdays that are already planned. I was supposed to go to my godchild’s 2^nd birthday party and my niece’s 7^th birthday party. It was really a big deal since we only celebrate our birthdays once a year.

In school related, the lockdown made it for us to study and do our schoolwork. At first, it was hard to adjust in online classes and online activities while staying at home. I was adept on working in the school or either in coffee shops. Yes, in this generation e-learning is not possible but working at home is very hard due to many demands in the family and the resources. Some things and activities are not possible to make at home and requires a lot of time and resources. The professors understands and adjusts their load of works and the deadlines for us, so in my spare time eating, sleeping and binge watching in Netflix takes all my time at home which I also needed to relax my self in this pandemic. Yes, it was fun doing it all day but there is still the eagerness on me to go outside, got to different place, eat the foods I crave for and see and bond with my friends again. Sometimes I get really bored from just lying in my bed and eating the same food every day. Because of this routine it makes me feel sick since I’m an outgoing person and I can’t stand this being just at home for a whole month. I also miss to gossip and laugh loud with my friends since we only talk in social media. I also already needed to have my haircut and my nails to be done but still I need to wait until the lockdown is over. Well as far as I can see this lockdown affects me physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually since this is the first time, I’ve experienced this, and it felt like a martial law.

An interpretation of myself while in lockdown.

In this time of pandemic, my priority concern is what the government is doing in this time of crisis. There is many news in the television and social media regarding the plans and the solutions of our government currently. But as far as I can see some of them are doing nothing and some of them are doing it slow. I’m not in my position to criticize these politicians and our own government, but at this time of crisis it is hard not to speak for us to be heard.

This situation really changes a lot, it makes me more afraid in my own life and going outside. The threat of the pandemic is very real and dangerous that makes me more careful on my health and my life outside the house. It makes me more scared of the other threats that may come and much worse on this coronavirus disease. But I am trying to overcome this to help our frontliners by going outside and volunteering. I do this carefully and well protected because I’m really scared to get infected and much worse is to bring the virus at my family.

In this situation, I’ve realized that our government and some politicians are very irrelevant. It makes me to really be careful on the people I trust. It also makes clearer to me how social status in the Philippines is relevant in this kind of pandemic. Some unprivileged people are being neglected of getting their need while some privileged people gets the VIP access at everything.

Life At and During 19

by: Shamira Cruz

As I write this blog, I think there has never been a number which played a very significant role to me as the number nineteen. Yes. As in one-nine. 19. I am a 19 year old girl turning 20 and about to leave her teenage years. Being on the last year of the teenage phase, it is something that I would never get off of my mind as it is the transitioning phase of another chapter that is about to unfold in the life of every human. But just as I am enjoying the last few months 19 has for me, I never thought that it would also bring something that I wouldn’t be grateful for having. It is also with those same digits where another transition was brought into my life. Only this time, it is a destructive one. What is life at 19 during a pandemic called CoVid 19? 

Just as what I have mentioned, the transition the CoVid 19 pandemic brought is a destructive kind of transition. It literally changed everything in every aspect of peoples’ lives. Different people. Different lives. Different people. Different experiences. And this is an account of what its like to live as a 19-year old teenager during CoVid 19 pandemic. 

Stocking Up

The first and initial reaction of the people amidst the CoVid 19? To stock up. Well, this is not something that we should be shocked about. As food is one of the people’s physiological needs as what Abraham Maslow stated in his Hierarchy of Needs. Needs that must be fulfilled in order to live. Hence, the basic needs. Taking from my personal experience, we are also guilty of stocking up. As humans, fear seems to be imprinted in our system especially when things occurred unexpectedly. Days before the lockdown and enhanced community quarantine, we still have no idea that such orders would be implemented as early as what is expected. But being bombarded by news about the pandemic and the toll its taking from different parts of the world, it makes us feel nothing but scared. With a just a little dose of panic in our body at that time, we went to the nearest grocery shop. Of course, we got the basics. Surprisingly, a lot of people were already in the grocery store. Just as we thought it is not yet the time to panic, I am wrong. People are more advanced than what we think they are. But just as what is stated on Maslow’s first layer of the hierarchy, the physiological needs, there is more to the basic needs than food. Warmth and rest are also included. We should also include it in the list of the things that we should stock up. 

Now Home-schooled

I never thought that I would be able to experience a home-based kind of learning. The word “homeschooling” is term for the children of the privileged. Most of us would refer such word to those who are children of the celebrities or big personalities who don’t even need to physically attend school for different reasons such as they can afford to have such kind of education. This is also the case for most celebrities who want to continue their studies while being in the industry for privacy purposes. But who would have thought that the pandemic would let everyone, including the ordinary people including me, experience such concept of home schooling? Since the outbreak of the CoVid 19, students were left with no choice but to continue learning in the safest possible way- through online class or electronic learning (e-learning). For me, it is also technically a homeschooling situation now. Although the original concept of what a homeschooling is different to what I am pointing now, it is technically and geographically the same thought given the situation we are in. We learn from the safest comfort of our homes. At first, I am not for it. I see the good intention of the continuos learning from home or e-learning amidst the global crisis, but I also saw that it is not for everyone in terms of many and different aspects. As for me and as days pass by, I just learned the art of seeing the beauty of it. I finally got to adjust my mind and body to this very new and unusual set up of learning during this difficult time of the pandemic. I finally got the right mindset in dealing with such learning system but when everything goes back to normal, I believe that it would, again, take time for us to adjust just like on how we transitioned from being physically present at school to now being a home-schooled. 

A beautiful disaster

Surely, a lot of things have changed especially for a 19-year old teenager like me. I am just starting to live a life and this pandemic happened. My worry right now is I know that this is a very difficult time for everyone and no one gets the card of exemption, but we are slowly being used to with the situation where we are right now. But I know that this is not the normal and this will eventually end. What I am more afraid is that when the time comes when everything is slowly falling into its proper places, I am afraid that it might not be the normal we are all used to. And I am talking in every aspect of peoples’ lives- personal, relational, political and every other aspect which composes a individual’s life. But I cannot say that this pandemic took away everything from us. Because in between all that is happening now, I can still even sense a slight of glimmering hope trying to find its little way towards us. And with the slightest of hope, I am confident that the biggest lesson this disaster has brought is that the concerns we have now in the palm of our hands are not going to be the same concerns we are going to have tomorrow. Nothing is permanent so does this crisis. And with that, we should place our value on the things that matters most. A beautiful lesson from the disaster I know we can eventually get through. 

Quaranthingz

COMM2B | ETHAN JOSH D. MAXIMO | 4180715

The cases here in our country its increasing slowly instead of decreasing slowly and to think that it’s getting scary and scarier to go out in our houses. while i’m staying in our home we teenager are getting productive. we’re making some responsibilities to kill our boredom. we clean our room or clean the dishes or help your parents doing some things and sometimes we do our online classes you know? we need to still do our online classes is one of the reason too to kill our boredom even if it’s hard and we do all the things that we think its productive or non- productive.

Having E-learn it’s weird because some other people or students won’t easily get the handouts or the lesson,readings that the teacher has given to us and it’s different in school because you just need to think that you need to learn and answer some question so you can learn the lesson or ask you classmate or teacher. and some of us wants to learn verbally not by on our own because sometimes our teachers show us the easy way to learn the lesson or the subject not like in our house the e-learn or the online classes is occupying our plans or responsibility in our house.

Things are getting changed during quarantine because every morning and night i always do workouts because my mind is getting relaxed even your body is dying or having a sores and i do diets now because it’s a responsibility to know what you are eating and making a meal plan. and seeing the progress and your body changes it’s a big accomplishment for me it’s make me think that i do something good in my life.

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What’s new in quaratine break?

GENOVE, PINKY C. | COMM2B | 4180160

The pandemic virus that make us keep stay in or home for so long  even I’m at home I have so much thing to do like online task from school, chores, bonding to the parents but all that the things in my life are responsibility but I have no choice because that the life I have now. Nowadays, the teenagers right now are seems productive to their online tasks because they have no choice but they are  so creative that I can’t believe that they discover themselves through their talents and skills that for what I observed into social media. I cannot blame them because I do the same what they do that maybe this is the life teenagers right now but even we do that I know that we have  still care to our surroundings but sometimes we don’t want to focus to much the crisis happen because it’s very stressful.

First,  one of my concerns about the condition of the whole world because this  crisis happens to us maybe he allowed this that all the people to learn to care to others but seems like they are still people aren’t care  and some people still continue to be pure evil. I concerned about not only myself but the world like that even I’m at my home like how many people aren’t eat, how many people haven’t shelter, how many people stop the corruptions, and everything that makes us terrible that sometimes that where can we experience feel the heaven place that no hate, discrimination, and continue to treat people that I read some articles on the snapchat that there are still people continue to be maddest that to be honest that sometimes you don’t know if you are safe or not. The things the only we do is to pray because the only thing makes works and let God to do it that we never stop praying not only  ourselves but the whole nation.

Second, the e – learning seems very weird not because not reason to be lazy but sometimes much better to go the classroom  than  I’m home but what I observe that when I’m school I haven’t so much things to do but when crisis happen we have so much thing to do that sometimes I worry about my grades on my school stuffs because sometimes I cannot do the laundry, clean my room, bonding to my friends and especially to my parents because the are in abroad. I do time management when I  early do all the works stuff then all of sudden my phones have so many notification from google classroom, moodle and etc that boost another school stuffs well I have no choice.

Lastly, the matter about to myself to the  future because there are so many what doubts and questions in my brains that “what happen if the virus still continue and what happens to our future? “ . I’m worrying about my future self because seems like they have some insecurities and fear  that I encountered and observed last few weeks ago. It’s pretty sad that I want a life in the future that I must excited about but now about what crisis and negative vibes its easily me feel worthless to live. This quarantine, its very challenging for me because I struggle is very real but  that what happens in my life right now but still keep hold on and fight the battle.

DAY #? OF QUARANTINE

JIANNE PATRICE FELIX | COMM2B | MARCH 31, 2020

LIFE UPDATE: It has been weeks since the community quarantine commenced in Metro Manila. And honestly, it’s getting a bit tiring. Everyday, I wake up at the same thing. I wake up, not being able to go outside, I wake up going through the same routine over and over again. I wake up, frustrated that this is happening now in the country – when everyone was unprepared for a pandemic as powerful as this. When the working force was drastically forced to halt everything, and millions of families were being affected because of it. And it is quite alarming to think that up until now, we aren’t seeing any progress on how the country is containing this pandemic. Don’t get me wrong. I am not, in all honesty, blaming any front liner out there. I love them and we will be eternally grateful for their service and compassion. What angers me are the shortcomings of the government in times like these. I am clueless as to why our beloved front liners are struggling to have a consistent supply of gears and equipment as their protection from the virus. I don’t know much about the funds of the government but I know enough that recently, the Department of Health just bought one million personal protective equipment (PPE) worth of 1.8 billion for our healthcare workers. It’s actually good news but as the DOH said, they are still waiting for the PPEs to be delivered, which is going to take some time. My concern about it is that why is it just now that they bought these equipment? It clearly shows the lack of preparation. These healthcare workers are the ones who are most at risk. And as long as their needs are being neglected, they become more and more prone to the virus.

I know that the government is trying its best to address the current matter. But with the news about some senators, (namely Senators Tito Sotto, Pia Cayetano, Panfilo Lacson, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Francis Tolentino) who were tested for COVID-19, despite being asymptomatic, I can’t help but to think if there are enough competent people in the government to handle the situation. That is why my main concern about this pandemic is if there is a possibility that the Office of the President will extend the current total lock down that is in effect for almost a month already.

GMA News

Rants aside, I know this community quarantine made people realize a lot of things. Whether they are inside their own houses or they’re out as front liners, this pandemic really is an eye-opener. I’m merely a student locked up inside with a bunch of online activities but I, too, reflected these past few days on how I acted before the lock down and what were my priorities.

Everyone that, personally, knows me would know that I cannot stay inside the house for more than two days. Even my mom would find it weird if I did manage to stay indoors. But lo and behold, it has been 14 days since I stepped beyond our gate. I didn’t dare to go out because my lungs have always been weak since I was a kid and I was too afraid that I’d contract the virus. I realized that, when people don’t really have much of a choice, they are able to do things they thought they didn’t know they can. And I’m one of those people.

giphy.com

I also noticed that these past two weeks, I didn’t procrastinate with my online activities. It may come as normal for some people but personally, it came as a shock. Ever since college started, I spent most of time cramming and procrastinating when I’m working on an output or requirement. But now, I would always want to sit in front of my laptop, doing whatever that needs to be done. These small things, when put together, can make a big difference in my routine not only as a student but also as a responsible daughter.

giphy.com

Before classes were suspended, it was actually our midterms week. We were so busy finishing and completing our requirements while studying for the exams. Around 3 in the afternoon, someone was speaking on the school’s microphone. I was wearing my earphones so I didn’t bother listening to it. I thought it was just the three o’clock prayer. But it sounded different. And I saw that everyone was cheering and jumping on their seats. I asked my friend what was going on and she said that classes were suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak. And thinking back, I was selfishly happy. Maybe because we all thought that we would have a break from school. Plus, we’ll get to have more time to study for the exams. I thought it was going to be worth it. Little that I know that it was going to end this way. I never thought that I’d say to myself that I’d rather go to school than be stuck here in the house due to unfavorable conditions.

giphy.com

That much needed break isn’t important anymore. I know I took everything for granted. I took for granted all the better things my life offered before this pandemic. And now, here we are, never really having the assurance of a better tomorrow. But we hope for it. And as Filipinos, we’ll get there. Our resiliency and persistence brought us to many beautiful ends. And I’m sure this is going to be one of them.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Until now, the number of patients infected by the virus is continuously growing and has already reached more than 1000 people. There are a lot of things happening in our surroundings and neither of these are expected to happen. Due to the situation, the national government has decided to assign all the municipalities together with the local government units to conduct certain precautions to prevent the risk of infection in the community.  

One of the many things that the local government units is implementing is the “One quarantine pass per family only”, meaning there is only one person in the family who is authorized and allowed to go outside and buy food and medical supplies, if needed. In connection with the “grocery buying”, personally speaking it is totally fine because I am already used to staying at home. However, knowing the situation in every supermarket saddens me because of the long queue everywhere, whether it is in the grocery, wet markets or even at drug stores, due to the standard operating procedures (SOP) which is social distancing. Based on my experience, it is quite hard and tiring to line up, stand for an hour or more to wait for your turn. Nonetheless, I think it is right and just to implement such an order to prevent the risk of infection for the betterment of everyone. 

In addition to that, there are a lot of things that we are not allowed to do like going to school, attending events, hanging out with family and friends and having direct contact with others. For me, it is not a big deal because what matters to me the most in times like this is basically my safety as well as my family’s. It worries me thinking about the situation of the people below the poverty line who cannot afford to buy enough goods, those who live in the streets, those who don’t have access to clean air and water, proper clothing, the children, the elders and the sick are the ones I am concerned about. Obviously, they don’t have the means to provide for their families. I grew up in a family wherein we only get what is necessary, the needs and not our wants. I am really having a hard time thinking of a way on how I can help the needy knowing the fact that we only have enough and that I am still a student. In short, I don’t have the means to help them. However believe it or not, my way of helping people is by Praying for their health and safety because for now that’s all I can give, because I believe that Prayer is the most powerful thing in the World. I know, I may sound hypocritical to you but believe me I am not. All I want is for everyone’s security, because thinking of our own safety is as important as thinking about the others’ most especially those people who are most vulnerable to the situation.

Due to the situation that we are into nowadays, I came up with a lot of realizations in life. I realized that it is important to be aware of what is happening in the world, not only with what is trending or viral but with the societal issues and crisis that we are facing. Also, I became more conscious with my health and  gained knowledge about the dos and don’ts. It is sad to think that there are still people who took advantage of the situation and that is one of the things that I have realized, to take the situation seriously because this disease is really not a joke. A lot of people have been suffering from the disease and I can see that they are really having a hard time. That’s why following certain precautions  to prevent ourselves from having the virus is a must. And most importantly, it serves as an eye-opener not only for me but for everyone to take care of our mother nature. I can say that these realizations helped and changed my view and perception in life a little bit.

With that being said, I think all of the things that are happening to us are mere challenges. It’s just a matter of overcoming these obstacles. I believe that without the struggles, challenges and suffering we are experiencing we wouldn’t be the person we are right now and we wouldn’t be as strong as we are right now. It is important for us to acknowledge and accept all the problems because these problems are definitely the key to success, accomplishment and betterment of all. Let us all remember that life is precious, so love, have faith, be good and do good.

The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive and Godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.

Helen Keller

Quarantine at Bikini Bottom

Collado, Charlotte Trixie | COMM2B | 7: 32PM

Be creative!

March 9, 2020 Monday, The day when everyone is alarmed because of the suspension of classes by the Mayor of Manila due to the increasing number of people who is under investigation that time. It only alarmed when the 14 persons infected coronavirus.

The first concern of my family is the safety of each individual because we were warned by my eldest sister, who is working in Macau in which also infected by the virus. By January, we tried to find an available mask in the market due to lack of supply and what happened in Mt. Taal, we did not get enough supply to provide our family. My mother decided to create an alternative in which to create a personal mask by sewing.

You can do it!

Due to the lockdown which schedule to end by April 14, many planned vacations and school works suddenly need to reformed. We also had a family trip to Bolinao and Hundred Island Pangasinan which is all set in Holy week vacation. But because of lockdown it was cancelled and the agency still finding an alternative. The lockdown causes me to upset in the canceling beach plan, but my mother told me that it was alright, that maybe God’s plan that we need to celebrate the holy week in a peaceful place and by giving our time to him and not for our happiness or contentment.

What I’m concern that affects me, is how can I handle e-learning, since our midterm exam was cancelled and has a large percentage in the grading system and especially some of our group works. The school schedule, especially in the organizations, in cancelling their event like the Letran Community Volunteer, which proposed a charity event. It was hard at first, especially in communicating and learning independently by the use of technology and the internet, which concerning our grade. I had difficulty in passing my works in the use of online platforms and consulting some of the teachers. But sill finding a good side of it, which is more relaxing than having to go to school and I can manage most of my time.

Please come again when I’m not working

Many changes since the lockdown, particularly in our house because most of our family members had a busy schedule, due to work and school and the only one who left in our house, is my grandmother and our pets. We do not have a bonding time because of different qualities as siblings and sometime make me irritated. But even though we help each other by having different responsibilities at home. My older sister is the one who cooks our food and buying our needs for a week, accompanied by my youngest brother, who helps her to go to the market. We manage to buy our needs just for a week and goes to the market once a week because we still manage not to hoard much stuff and priorities only the things needed. Since our barangay only gave as two quarantine pass, I’m not able to go outside so my task was to feed the dogs which is my daily routine since before the lockdown and listing the things that we need.

Due to my online classes, I’m not able to help in cleaning the house with my mother because in priorities in doing my homework in the afternoon or in the middle of the night when all of them are sleeping because I was not able to concentrate due to the noises I heard in the morning till midnight and that change my body clock since the lockdown. In dinner, I tried helping by cleaning the dishes and taking care of our dogs. My mother understands the situation that I have online classes since the school of my younger brother suspends their online school. Which my mother make fun out of it, that it was okay that I’m still having online classes so that my brain will not be stuck at home. But also, we cannot deny those people, especially our siblings in hearing complainants, because siblings are siblings, nothing will change that.

“The Greater the storm, The brighter the rainbow”

Finding peaceful in myself by spending my most of my time in my hobbies like painting and appreciation of nature which even at the time of a crisis, still God had its reason why it was happening to the world because that’s what a world needs, a time to heal.

Now, I’m getting to use it, changing my body clock and dealing with the online classes and to my sibling that makes me realize that the world is easy to changes. That the only thing that we can do is accepting the fact that the world will continue to change, but we can adapt to its changes. After this quarantine, I had many plans together with my family, friend, and also what the future may bring. Our life is not permanent in this world, so make most out of it, and that’s what I’m learning in the time of quarantine.

Messy||Long List||Hope

By: Diximo, Angelica D. || Comm2B

me presenting my list

This week of no going out would have been nice if it was not for the pandemic. Aside from doing schoolwork which I’m almost finished with (Happy Dance), I can do whatever I want. For the first few weeks of the Enhanced Quarantine, I had this 2 long list of “Schoolwork” and “Dixie’s List”. I was planning on balancing the two lists but balance is not in my life. There is no such thing. The example would be if I already ate some junk food why not eat more. I already started it. Or the other way around if I didn’t eat that much this day then “girl, why eat when you can handle the hunger” diet mode it is. Another example would be if I started caring, I would definitely care too much but if I started to not care, I won’t even care about it like to a point that I won’t even remember that it still exists (okay maybe I’m exaggerating about this).  There is no balance in my life and my mindset sucks, I know and I’m trying to change that. So back to the list, my life has a long list of “Dixie’s List” and that list has sub-lists of “Things I listed like months ago that I should have already done” and “Things I wanted to do if I’m in the mood for it and if I do have free time”. 

But again like I said I did not have any balance in my life so for the past 3 weeks? I guess all I did was schoolwork…  just sitting in front of my laptop with my brain, that by the way does not function when I need it the most. My brain has its own way of doing things, it would start to work like crazy after you remind it that “the deadline is tomorrow”.  My brain would miraculously work and be functioning like it was brand new. But for this week I really tried to do my schoolwork in advance and I failed miserably. Now, apart from that, I was also helping with my “normal house routine”. Trying to be somewhat helpful with household chores.

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I would help with the cooking and cleaning. Sometimes I would also take care of my niece which is actually harder now since she started walking already, my eyes needed to be on her for the whole time, but it was fine I love her so much so I need to make sure she doesn’t bump her head anywhere don’t want her having a bruise or something, and if she really did get one then goodbye world. The mother would literally kill me, just kidding or am I? 😶 Well no she won’t but I would definitely get an earful from her and our parents.

So back to what I was talking about my plan for this one-month house quarantine, I’m almost done with the schoolwork. I just need to do one or two more things on it. So now, I can start with my “Things I wanted to do if I’m in the mood for it and if I do have free time” so I’m planning on watching movies and reading books that are psychological, horror or thriller. A lot of people did not expect me to be so into those kinds of things since I looked like a girl that would definitely binge-watch on a rom-com films, but they’re wrong. Don’t judge a book by its cover.  I am also planning on working out, but I don’t know if I can do that since I don’t really have enough willpower right now. I really like staying home and just doing what I am most comfortable with, I do love the idea of going out but just the idea of it, not really doing it.

So for the plans that I was supposed to do before this quarantine, I’m not that disappointed that it is canceled. Don’t get me wrong I love those people who I was about to go out with and the activities that we planned but there are times that something just hits me, and when that happens everything goes down with it. I will just stay at home then eat then sleep. And if I do have a bit of energy I would do something from my list but that rarely happens.

Enough about me, I want to thank all the frontliners who are doing their best to keep everyone safe. And I really do hope that this will end soon. Sometimes, whenever I’m on social media I see different kinds of stories about families who are starving, parents who can’t have close contact with their child, the plane that just crashed this day and more heartbreaking stories. It really saddens me and all I can do is pray for them. And each passing day it distresses me that the cases of corona virus keep piling up, it scares me. A question keeps popping out of my mind “will this ever end?” I really hope it does and I wish it ends soon because each day that passes, hope keeps getting farther and farther for some people.

SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW

by Sales, Katherine Anne P.

• 

Summers before my college life was spent mostly in my room all day, just at home, enjoying my time alone with my hobbies. This quarantine was also spent at home all day, only this time, alone with schoolworks and thoughts. Three weeks into the quarantine and all I have been doing was either sit or lay in the bed all day. I would lay down half of the day and sit for the other half while I’m doing my best to produce papers about this lockdown and whatever activities professors hand to us online. Quarantine is nothing to me. I usually get that a lot from my relatives and I actually believe that as well. I mostly preferred being by myself and staying at home. During summers, they would all play outside, and I would be in my room minding my own business.

But my life then isn’t completely the same as it is now. Usually we do groceries as a family but, because of the lockdown, my parents are the only ones that go outside and get our daily needs. They do still get stocks that would usually last us three days or more. Since, most facilities were closed, including my dad’s working place, we have him at home with us until lockdown is over. They also manage the little business they put up outside our house for our daily income. But we still help as much as we could, but only at home, so that would be cooking the pancakes that we sell outside.

Besides helping with our little business, since they are mostly outside, I take care of my three younger siblings and acts as a housekeeper as well. That and schoolworks take most of my time. So, you could say that it is a bit different than my normal summer before, I have very little time for my hobbies. As a teenager, I am also in stages of my life where there are a lot of questions about a lot of things. Besides all the learning, I realized through this, that online classes are not as simple as it seems. Or maybe it would be, if only the circumstances are different, say I’m not the eldest and don’t have that much responsibilities at home, have an amazing internet connection and have it all organized.

But as a media practitioner with a passion for art, I still try to do art and look for what art really is for me despite all the circumstances. I was glad with all the courses I am taking and the things I am learning and realizing, and I still am, I just wish the pandemic didn’t come and interfered with it all. I love how they taught us of personal branding and the proper way of presenting ourselves online, how important social media is for a communication student like me, passion and what it really is and for, the beauty of research and many more. I felt wonderful having all this courses and the things I have been learning.

Although, there is still one thing I haven’t been getting or understanding, it was actually one of the things I was expecting and would love to learn in this program that I have chosen to take. I love words and how wonderful they could be, but I have always had trouble with talking and interacting with people. I know how important that is for a communication student like me, which is why I expected such thing to be taught, which I now think is something I should be learning myself.

Weeks ago, and even before that, my mind has been battling over the fact if communication, or rather interaction is still a necessity for the path I will choose. I have thought to be an anonymous writer, perhaps to be known in a different name, to choose a path where I won’t have the need to talk to people. To be a faceless and non-interacting artist? But then I would go back to what program I chose, COMMUNICATION ARTS. But is speaking and talking the only way of communication? I love to think of communicating my works and art itself to people in many different ways.

So yeah, maybe yes or maybe not.