God is a supernatural being, powerful, creator, omnipotent and immortal. Many of us we don’t see him as if God revealed Himself in our dreams. I want to see God on How He looks like or identified. I seek the origins of the world in his creations that I tend to look at the image of God as I sleep. If I see God, what will I do? I scream and fear loudly as I’m ashamed that I did something wrong. If I ever tell my sins, I will be more to blame.

            If God is compassionate then I”ll say that: God tells us that He is a compassionate and Gracious God. God reveals himself and grabs my hand that He is bright and beautiful through his image. If I ask God or myself: What’s the picture of God? As God describes Himself as one with the many faces have. Too much to find God’s identity therefore with all of His faces, I find or tend to not concerned of His face or His personality. I’ll just say that “Behold, thou my last sights of God, and my lifetime as nothing in thy sight, surely every one of us our own beliefs, surely man goes about God’s image”, and I don’t concerned everything about people’s beliefs and they have their own beliefs.

            In my own belief that God who loves us and not to find his identity. Never to say in his image and never describe Himself as a whole. Afterall with all God’s love and with all my love. I shall be one of God’s children who keeps the secret.

 

TRAVELOGUE

 

            There are lots of beautiful places, views, beaches and other tourist attraction that are possible to go to. But there are things that we can consider as beautiful but on our generation these things are usually didn’t receive attention and that is our Ancestral houses. One of the place that is famous for ancestral houses is Sariaya. Sariaya is located on the province of Quezon between the town of Candelaria and City of Lucena. Four to five hours journey from Metro Manila and the municipality of Sariaya will arrive. Sariaya has many beaches and resort that can be found but there is more to it, Sariaya has many ancestral houses that they can be proud of. You can take a tour and see how beautiful these houses are. We just need to appreciate the creativity and the artistic designs of these houses to see the beauty within it. Here are some of the Ancestral house in the town proper of Sariaya:

 

Gala-Rodriguez Ancestral House

            The house was built in the 1930s and was a gift of Dr. Isidro Rodriguez to his ailing wife Doña Gregoria Gala. It was a huge stone house with opulent furniture.The Gala-Rodriguez ancestral house was witness to events during the Japanese invasion that created stories fit to be told in a movie, like that story of a Japanese General Ashima’s wooing of Doña Carmen, the eldest daughter of the Rodriguez couple, and the bombing attack of the house planned by American troops when the guerillas found out that some Japanese officers lived in the Rodriguez house.

Enriquez-Gala Ancestral House

            The house is owned by Atty. Librado Enriquez and his wife Josefina Gala. It has Corinthian columns and the stairs and veranda were mostly curved.

Catalino and Luisa Rodriguez Ancestral House

            It was owned by Don Catalino Rodriguez, Sariaya’s town Presidente, the Mayor during the American occupation period from 1908 to 1909.When Don Catalino became Sariaya’spresidente or the mayor during the American invasion in 1908-1909, their house was the venue of some huge political events. The prominent features of the house include high ceilings, stained glass windows, wall paintings, and carved lattices.

Gov. Natalio Enriquez Ancestral House

            The brick-roofed art deco house was designed by Andres Luna, son of artist Juan Luna. This is one of the most prominent landmarks in Sariaya and was where former provincial leader, Gov. Natalio Enriquez lived.

            Those are the most famous and beautiful ancestral house here in Sariaya. We can see how rich some of the owners of these houses before. Those are just some of Ancestral houses in Sariaya but there are more but not beautiful as these houses because they are neglected by the caretaker or by the owner. But still you can see the beauty if you just appreciate it. If you are done in a tour to the ancestral houses and feels hungry, there are restaurants nearby to these houses like the Plaza de Shalom and Don Lauro’s Restaurant and Casa Plaza where they offer delicious Filipino dishes and some dishes of Quezon. You can also buy some delicious snacks from Villamater’s Bakery and Cadiz Bakery  that offers pastries, bread and sweeties. Before you leave the beautiful and historical town of Sariaya, you can go to our beautiful church and ask for guidance and you can also buy the famous Pinagong bread and leche –puto of Sariaya. You can also try the new famous bread of Sariaya called the pan de yema and it is very affordable. On the present generation these things didn’t receive too much attention but if we appreciate it we can see how beautiful these Ancestral houses are.

Duterte tells China to ‘temper behavior’ after S. China Sea incident

            President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said China should “temper” its behavior after another Philippine military aircraft flying over the disputed South China Sea was shooed away by the Chinese.

            Duterte said no one can create artificial islands in international waters like the South China Sea and claim its airspace. Duterte made this statement after a BBC report showed the Chinese shooing away a Philippine plane flying over the Spratlys archipelago.

            The CNN and BBC, which were given last Friday a rare chance to board a US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane and fly over the Spratlys, also witnessed how the Chinese told the US plane to leave the area, albeit in a calmer manner.

            Since assuming presidency, Duterte has sought to downplay Manila’s maritime dispute with Beijing in exchange for improved ties with the world’s second largest economy.

            His predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, initiated the case against China but the ruling was handed down less than a month after the incumbent assumed power. Duterte and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano have drawn criticism for Manila’s policy towards China.

            But the President defended his approach, saying Manila cannot yet stand up to Beijing, whose military and economy are far superior.

“Language is not about learning something new, it is the soul that brings you to the new world“

– Joshue de Leon

The Traveler

           In the morning of March 14, 2015, I was an immature person that day in school. I was reckless at grades in all subjects of Grade 9 performance. And the day when my parents get disappointed at me because of my performance and behavior. My brother called me a “lazy sibling” in our family, He wanted to see me in Japan for a vacation and he wanted me to talk to him for my grades in school. In the early morning at March 15, Me and my family went to Japan to see my brother Jerome and also for vacation. I realized the Japanese people are very different from our people in the Philippines. My brother explained to me about the rules and regulations in Japan but I ended up showing a bad behavior in Japan. I realized Japanese people were so kind and nice to each other and I thought myself to be like one of them. The cold and breezy wind of air that calms myself on my anger. My brother taught me to speak Japanese nicely on the people who want to help me and I realized this language wasn’t very hard at all that I just keep practicing everyday. When we were learning in Japan, I cried silently that I miss that country were my change in life was inside my heart. When we arrived home, I started thinking about my experience in Japan about their society and behavior. I started to write my journal in Japanese language. I had changed dramatically that my reckless previous behavior is now extinct and now I started to study everyday and my behavior in violent were few. Mostly, I want to study college in Japan if I have excellent skills after graduate in senior high school.

“Come to me, and Follow me

As I walk along with you

Do you feel me? Do you know me?

I care about you for so long

That I cannot let go way from you

Take my hand as I climb with you

 

If you ever fall, I’ll reach out for you

To do your best and me cheering for you

There are times that we agree or don’t get along

We have each other’s back and keep moving on

May we be apart when the day has passed

But the bonds between us will keep moving on”

 

-Joshue de Leon & Reign Villanueva

The Polyglot Boy

            When my mother decided to have a third child and father accepted her gratitude. I’ve been waited for 8 months to get out and see the world. My mother were distressed because she gave birth to a big fat baby weighing 4.3 kilos. My mother left me in Lucena United Doctors Hospital for 2 weeks because she wanted to decide to take me home peacefully. When my family visited my grandparents’ house to see me, grandpa saw me as a big chubby baby that he called me “Dag-iman” and he laughed at me out loud. After 3 months, grandpa was terminally ill due to diabetes and he passed away and I haven’t seen him for a long time. When I was 2 years old, my younger sister was born and she is always sleeps beside me. We were playful that time and we were very close as we play, eat, sleep and watch TV. When I was 4-5 years old, my first language was not speaking in Filipino instead I speak in pure English and that’s the only reason why I can’t speak straight Filipino from now. My yaya named Ate Alona who cared me for so long that she thinks that she carried me like a sack of rice and she doesn’t understand my pure English. My parents brought me to Child Communication Development in Lucena City. My teacher who is also a psychiatrist who taught me Filipino words but I was really difficult to master my mother tongue. My mother bought 13 books of Encyclopedia of Knowledge that all of us learn about History but no one used these books except me because I always visualize only the pictures but I still can’t read that time. I’ve torn all the plastic covers of Encyclopedia books because I wasn’t satisfied of these books with plastic things. When I got bored, always climbed on the stairway fence all the time and my family said there is a monkey in the house.
I was enrolled in St. Thomas School as a Prep but the principal can’t enroll me as Prep due to my problem in reading skills so she enrolled me as kinder at age 6. I was very playful with my classmates and they thought I’m an autistic child because of my behavior and language. After a year, I was finally enrolled as Prep and I had my very best friend who is always with me in school and I ranked as 1st honor of the class. After that, I enrolled as Grade 1 and my former best friend was transferred to another schools, I always make of fun of my classmates that I’m acted as Mr. Bean. After that, I enrolled as Grade 2 with my fellow classmates haven’t transferred this time and there were a lot of transferees in our school. I had a crush on a most beautiful girl in our class and I was afraid of talking to girls and I was also afraid of them whenever they touch me. Meanwhile, my mother gave birth to our youngest sibling who is a boy with perfect body and a handsome face. I was really excited that I have a little brother to play with when I get bored in home. My other former classmates were transferred to other schools included my crush and we were gone few of the class in Grade 3 and this is my time I gave up on speaking English and started to learn a lot of Filipino language at age 9. After that, I were enrolled in Grade 4 that my crush came back after a year transfer and I were very happy to see her again. In this time, I were taught by my classmate to do such bad things like bullying, teasing, and stealing our fellow classmates. At home, I accidently fall on the rope swing then hit the ground and broke my tailbone. It’s been 4 weeks to relieve my pain in the buttocks that I can’t lie down or sit properly. When I enrolled in Grade 5, I started to behave myself because all of the boys in class have transferred to the other schools that I wasn’t to talk for. There was a new classmate, a boy who had crippled because he had an accident on jumping on a moving vehicle. I realized he was also a stubborn kid like me nowadays. Then I enrolled as Grade 6 and this is my last year in elementary life. I was really obsessed on a new technology called a smartphone that I really beggged my parents many times but I’m still young to have it. I started to learn about History in A.P. subject because I were really interested on facts of the world. My older brother became my idol because he was a scholar and graduated as a Bachelor of Science and Applied Physics and I started to pretend like him as a physicist.
When I graduated in elementary, I really miss my former classmates for a long time including my crush and my parents decided to enroll me at St. Joseph Academy of Sariaya, Quezon Junior High. I was very quiet when I transferred to a new school with so many unfamiliar classmates but I met former classmates who are in a same year since 6 years. We were in a section Joy and our teacher and advisor Ma’am Malou Magboo and I felt that I have a change in heart in this school and then I’m not an achiever of this year. I joined the Science Club and I met Mathew Malapitan that we were close during club activities. I realized this school have many celebrations like General Aquaintance, Socialization, Buwan ng Wika, Nutrition month and more. In summer, I joined the Taekwondo Sportsmanship to develop my self-confidence through my proper posture, disciplines, and to know how to defend myself. After that, I decided that I don’t wanted to transfer other school because this school were most fun than my old school and I enrolled as Grade 8 Kindness with our advisor Ma’am Fiona Alea Labios. I had many friends like Delvin who were my best friend that we always hang out with each other in school even outside the school. We were called by the guidance counselor that we were fighting because of jealousy because of me who hangs to the other friends but we were okay as we apologized to each other. I joined the Wise Club to learn math anytime and it was fun that this club were so many members. At home, I was searching a lot songs of Owl City and played the music over and over until I had to finish in a single playlist. I got addicted on video games or computer games because this is my hobby for eternity then my parents were so angry at me when I’m playing it. I was enrolled as Grade 9 Wisdom with our advisor Ma’am Gigi Ronquillo and this section got me a pain in a butt because the math were so confusing and complicated to solve. I had a new crush who is smart and a leader of the class and she called me “My Luvs” but I’m still afraid of girls. I started to learn Japanese language at age 15 because I were an idol of my brother who studied in Japanese scholarship program called Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. I had a lot of difficulties regarding to read the writings of the Japanese like Kanji and I felt like a Chinese because I were reading a Chinese-like characters. I joined as an aspirant to become a CAT Officer but they rejected me due to my lack of self-confidence.
When I finished all of my clearance early because my family and I were on a trip to Japan to visit my older brother Jerome. My little brother was very excited and I’m also excited to see the “New World”, and we arrived there so early then we rode the train to our boarding house. At the boarding house, I felt comfortable of things like the balcony had a beautiful view of the city lights and I felt the coldness of the air that made my lips dry. We went to the Tokyo Sea Life Park to see the largest aquarium and all the marine life. I almost stung by a sting ray because I didn’t want to touch its tail so I thought I nearly died. After that, we returned home and I took a bath every day at night and I still felt the coldness that my body never stopped shivering. On the next day, Jerome wanted to buy a bread and he wanted me to go outside, my lips were dry so my brother lend me some lip balm but he gave me a lipstick and he got me pranked. When I gone out, I rode his bike, I travelled down on a slippery road then I fell out and injured my right knee but someone help me stood up and the Japanese student said nice to me “Daijoubu desu ka? (Are you alright?)” and then I said politely “Daijoubu desu. Ano, tasukete kurete arigatou (I’m fine. Um, thank you for helping me)”. After that, I bought 4 packs of melon bread that everyone’s favorite and then me and my little brother consumed almost 3 packs. We have a lot of fun travelling all around Tokyo and by the end of our trip, I totally miss Japan because that country and the people were very different on us and their culture were the best of all.
I enrolled as Grade 10 Compassion and our advisor Ma’am Tess Punio and she was our Math teacher. I have improved my performance through the challenges even the most difficult subject Math. I joined as a CAT under the Bravo team of Platoon 2, I were a second-in-command of the group alongside Gabriel Escarza but I was whom terribly command randomly messed commands. Finally I’ve passed above 85 of my general average and finally I became an achiever for the first time. I graduated as an achiever because I still need to push my performance until I enrolled senior high school. I stopped training on Taekwondo because I need so much time doing my school works and preparing for college. I enrolled as Grade 11 Zeal and my advisor Sir David Jonathan Manalo and this was my worst year because my classmates were dominated by the boys who are annoying, noisy, destructible, and stubborn. I also reached the Academic Excellence rank that made me a successful sibling and my brother was very proud of me. It’s been for so long that I’ve waited my favorite to learn which is the branch of Social Science called History and is the part of the subject Disciplines and Ideas in Social Sciences by Ms. Bridgette Jumawan. I’m also interested in Earth and Life Science and Physical Science by Sir Jhomar Flor because I was very active to learn this subject and I got the general average of 98. On April 2018, I was included to the honors who stepped up the stage and received the bronze medal. In summer, I love the computer program called the Vocaloid and its main character named Hatsune Miku who is popular in Japan because I love her songs and I also had a crush on her even she is not real. I watched youtube videos which is about in Russian language and I were interested to learn Russian language but not just a Russian, I learned many languages like Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, German, Arabic, Polish, Latin, Spanish, French and many more. Now, with all my desires and with all my love, I enjoy myself learning any language and I can understand what they are saying in other countries and in my future maybe I wanna be a Translator so I can learn at any time I want. And this is my story and I am the one with several languages I, Joshue de Leon, a.k.a. “The Polyglot Boy”.