8 - Qualities of a Good Friend

"Describe the qualities of a good friend."

Life is a long, hard, and challenging journey. No man can survive life alone. You'll always need the help of others. That's where friends come along. Friends are our companions in life. They make our lives a lot easier than it was before. Without them, it'll take us longer to accomplish our goals. But what exactly should the qualities of a true friend should be.

In my opinion a true friend should be trustworthy. Trust is the foundation of a good relationship. A good relationship, whether it be romantic or not, needs trust. Imagine if your friendship didn't have any of it. It'll just all fall apart like an old house slowly being eaten bit by bit by termites. Faith in each other will also be lost. Both sides would probably think that they're lying to each other. In result, the relationship is broken.

A good friend accepts you for who you are. Your friend knows how to ride with your punch lines and go with your flow. Whether it be corny or just plain stupid, they do whatever they can to make you feel like a somebody. They may insult you sometimes but they know that what their limitations are. They may not be able to read your minds but they know that you're pissed off, truly happy, or down in the dumps.

Another trait that I think a true, good friend should have is that they stick with you in good times and bad times. They'll try their best to be always by your side during your good times and your bad times. Whenever something bad happens to you, they do whatever it takes to comfort you. They do whatever they need to just to make you feel happy again. Whenever you're in a bad mood, they'll try whatever they can to bring back that joyous smile in your face.

One of the traits that I think a true, good friend should have is that they should help mold your character. They tell when you are wrong, and they try to help you change your attitude. They help in turning you into a better person. A person that when left with strangers, is able to immediately cope and interact with them as if they've already known each other for a very long time. A person that is able to naturally make other people laugh their butts off. A person that when approached to, knows what the next thing he's supposed to say and do. You may not be a perfect friend, but they'll do whatever they can to change you for the better. They will try to bring out the best in you.

The last, but not the least trait that a true friend should have in my opinion is that they do not leave you behind. A true will never make you feel like a nobody. They try to keep you up to date of what's happening. They try to inform you of what is currently "in" and whats not in your circle of friends. When you are in trouble, they help you instead of just letting you solve it on your own. They do their best to help you out in whatever problems you're experiencing. If you've ever hurt their feelings, they still won't leave you. Instead, they would try to correct your ways and change you for the better.

These are the things that I think a true friend should have. If you have a friend who has those traits, don't you ever let go of them. Don't ever leave them behind. Make them feel what they deserve to feel. Make them feel like they are also a somebody. Treat them the way they treat you. In the end, everything will work out nicely.

7 - It Felt Like Hell

"The Accident"

Ever since I was I kid, accidents were always following me. Wherever I go, wherever I walk, wherever I sit, accidents was always sneaking up behind me. It's like they're attracted to me or something. I'm like an accident magnet. I can't hide from it. One way or another, they'll just be around the corner ready to pounce on me like a cat waiting to catch its mouse.

One time, I was riding a motorcycle at Ilocos Norte along with a friend. He was actually teaching me how to ride one. We we're passing a road full of rocks that time. He suddenly put down his feet on the road why'll we were riding the motorcycle. We suddenly went out of balance and we fell off the motorcycle. I tried stopping the wheel from spinning by pulling the break. I ended up turning the gas instead. It revved faster and faster. That actually scared shiznitz out of me. Fortunately, we where far away from the wheel. My thigh ended up touching the exhaust. Good thing it wasn't that hot. My thigh could have been burned just like that time my leg touched the exhaust of motorcycle that was recently parked on the side of the road. I was jogging at that time with my friends. We decided to take a rest for a bit. I saw a motorcycle which was roughly the height of my elbow back when I was a kid. The problem there was, I was at the side where the exhaust was placed. I leaned a bit and then BOOM! Well it didn't explode, but yeah, my leg touched the exhaust which gave me a 1st degree burn. I walked home looking like a crippled man.

I experienced a lot more accidents after. But the most memorable one was the time my cousin burned my thigh. It was the most agonizing pain I've ever experienced and I hope I'd never experience it again.

Trumpilyo in action

It was during new year when it happened. I don't know what year though. It happened like this. It was new year's eve. Me and my family, along with my grandparents and relatives was having a new year party at our house. We where lighting up a lot of fireworks that my parents bought. We had the fountain which was like a fountain (duh) but instead of water coming out of the hole, its fireworks. Hence the name fountain (another duh). We also had lusis, which was a really long stick that when its lit up, it burns colorfully. We also had that thing called the trumpilyo which was hammered into a wall and when you light it up, it spins really fast.

My cousin Enar, whom I mentioned in my previous posts, was scared of the trumpilyo. We never knew at first. My dad hammered the trumpilyo on a wall. I was 15 feet away from it. I was seating down beside a table during that time and my cousin was around 8 feet away from it. My dad lit the trumpilyo. The moment the trumpilyo started spinning, my cousin who was holding a lit up lusis, ran towards the table I was beside at. He hid under it while he was still holding the lit up lusis. The lusis then accidentally touched my thigh and damn! Just damn! It burned my skin and almost made a hole in it. It felt like a thousand needles piercing through a delicate part of my body. The feeling was agonizing. I screamed so loud that its even louder than 10 fireworks exploding simultaneously. I was about to pummel his face, good thing I was able to suppress my anger and my brain told me that it was just an accident and that I should calm down, everything will be fine. So I just asked him to call my mom instead.

The next time my dad lights up a trumpilyo, I'm gonna make sure that Enar is not around.

6 - The Most Amazing Toy EVER!

"Write about something you desperately wanted when you were a kid."

Have you ever wanted a toy back when you were a kid that you'd do anything just to get it? But then your parents never bought it for you because they just don't want to. They keep telling us the same old excuses over and over again. Something like, "you're just wasting money", "you're just gonna break it again." (Even though you haven't broke a single thing for over 3 months already), "you're just wasting your time!", "That toy is just a waste of time and money!". It's annoying how they come up with a lot of excuses just so that they won't be buying that toy you wanted the most anymore. Then a couple of minutes later, they're buying you clothes that makes you look like a clown who's questioning himself as to why he even took the job as an entertainer for kids who would just make fun of him. That actually happened to me. But I'm not gonna show you guys what they bought me. No freaking way.

Sad clown is sad

It started like this. It happened on a Sunday. I was still their only loving, handsome, charming, child. We went to church first to hear the word of the Lord. Everything was still going well at this time. After church, I asked my parents to buy me popcorn. Their was always a popcorn stand beside the church and every after mass, I'd always ask them to buy me one, and they did. After the popcorn galore, we went to the mall for our weekly mall day. Which was always during Sunday every after church. Since the mass ends at around eleven o' clock in the morning we went to the mall for lunch. After eating lunch, we went around the mall, window shopping. Some say window shopping is fun. But to me its just stupid. I mean, seriously? You just go around the mall staring at products and actually doing nothing to them. There's not even a single thought of even buying them. Just pure stare, stare, stare, stare, and stare at it some more. It would have been better if we we're actually canvasing. But no.... we just stare, and do nothing with it. Anyway, moving on to my story. As we were going around the mall, we passed by the toy shop, and damn it felt like I was in paradise. All the toys you want. Robot toys, racing cars, video games, all sorts of fun addictive contraptions made by companies to feed our entertainment needs. In the midst of all the toys and gadgets I saw, one thing caught my attention. The toy that I've always been looking for. The toy that all of my friends had, ZOIDS! The only toy that I wanted back when I was I kid. I'd do anything just to get me one of those. Especially the Blade Liger Zero Mk.II.

Just look at that beast! It's freaking Badass and FEROCIOUS!!!!

I tried asking my parents to buy me one. I tried telling them that I'd do anything for them. I'd clean the house for a whole year. I'll clean the car free of charge. I'll clean the plates every evening. But none of those was enough to get them to say "YES". There mind was set to say just one word. One word that would end the whole conversation. One word that would break my heart into tiny pieces. One word that would turn my whole world upside down. Just one word, "NO"! Everything suddenly went dark. My mind was ready to do its duty. The last thing that its programmed to do. CRY! 

I cried like a "wittle" boy

Unfortunately, crying didn't help. I guess I can't do much anymore since their mind is already set to "NO". I gave up after that. There's no point in crying no more if all they're gonna say is "NO". It sucks. I didn't get what I wanted, I cried like a "wittle" boy, and I wasted my time trying to convince my parents to buy me that toy. Until now, I never got one. *Runs away crying......again.*

5 - Babysitting

"Write about a babysitting experience"

Babysitting, it's harder than you think  it is. Babies poop and cry, and they poop and cry. But most of all they poop and cry. When you feed them they poop even more. That's exactly what happened when my mom asked me to babysit my baby sister. I was 10 and she was 3 years old when it happened.

It was on a Saturday night. My mom had to go to some fancy party. She asked me to babysit my baby sister for the night. If you're wondering where my dad is, he was on duty at his office. So it was just me and my sister who was left at home. Everything was going great. She was just sitting quietly sitting in front of the TV watching Spongebob Squarepants while I on the other hand, was busy playing computer games. Then she got hungry. She politely asked me to cook her food. Since I was still a young whipper snapper, I just gave her milk and cereals instead. After my sister finished eating, I took the bowl, washed it, and then went back to the computer to play again. 10 minutes later, my sister started to cry, I didn't know why. I keep asking her what the problem is but she kept crying like Chewbacca when he saw Han Solo Frozen in carbonite. In other words, she was talking gibberish. And then I smelled something weird. it smelled rotten eggs and vinegar shoved in a sweaty fat man's posterior. I'm just exaggerating. It wasn't shoved into a sweaty fat man's ass. It was shoved into something far worse than that. Just kidding. I peeked into my sisters diapers, lo and behold, a squished poop said hi to me. I didn't know how to change diapers so she started pulling my hair. We ended up crying and shouting in the house for over three hours until my mom came home. After that I went back to playing the computer.

Lesson for that day: Learn to change diapers. It will be a life saver in the future. Especially if you're living with one of those monstrous abomination, the baby.

4 - Once was lost but now is found

"Describe an unforgettable experience"

Almost everybody has experienced losing something important right? It's one of the most heartbreaking experience you'll ever experience, especially if the object you lost has sentimental value with it. Even the manliest of man would break into tears if they lost something that's really really important to them. I also lost something dear not only to me but also to my family. It was a camera, the camera that contains almost all of our most memorable memories.

It happened on the day we went to Mall of Asia for our Graphic Design class. For the whole event I was using our camera. The pictures where to be used for out portfolio. I took a lot of pictures, as in a lot of pictures. The camera that I was using was jam-packed with art pictures. Anyway, so the event was now ending. As it ended, I and my friends rode a taxi back to our school which was Asia Pacific college. We went out of the taxi and went to Jollibee to eat dinner. While we we're talking about our recent trip, one of my friends mentioned the guy who was an expert in manipulating a glass ball. I suddenly remembered that I took a video of his performance. I touched my pockets to feel if my camera was in there, it wasn't. At this moment I was still calm. After touching my pockets, I looked for the camera inside my bag, I couldn't find it! I was sweating like a pig at this moment. I removed all the stuff in my bag, still no sign of the camera. My dad  came to pick me up. I still haven't told him what had happened. When we got home, I gathered up all my strength and told my dad what happened. Good thing my dad was very forgiving. Too cut the long the story short. A blockmate told me that someone who also studies in APC, who fortunately rode the taxi I and my friends rode too, saw my camera. The next day we met up and I thanked him for not keeping it to himself.

After all that had happened, I learned that we should take good care of our treasures. We don't know when and where we are going to loose it. But its better that you not loose it. EVER! We might no even get it back if we do. Fortunately for me, I and my blockmates prayed that I get my camera back. Fortunately again, it was returned to me.

3 - Death of an uncle

"I had to be strong that day"

Death, an event feared by many. Who would want to die? Nobody right? Except for really old people who wants to leave earth already because they're very tired and suicidals I guess. But most of us doesn't want to. WE WANT TO LIVE LONGER! We want to experience all the adventures that can be experienced here on earth. But that's not possible since everyone will die eventually. No one stays permanently here on earth, except for dead bodies. We have to accept that death is just waiting at the end of the road. Just like my uncle who passed away when I was in Grade five. I had to be strong the day he passed away.

My uncle was the best uncle I ever had. Every summer my mom drops me to their house to play with my cousin Enar (my cousin who I mentioned at my first blog post) for the summer. Every time I go their house, my uncle always thinks of awesome adventures. We once went to a farm to catch edible frogs for dinner. Just to clear things up, my uncle cleans the frogs before he cooks them or so I've heard. It taste a bit like chicken by the way.

Anyway, something happened. After I got back from school, my mother told me that something happened to my uncle. He suddenly collapsed while he was jogging. My uncle went to the doctor to find out what was happening  to his body.The doctor said that he had a stage 4 cancer.

To cut the long story short, he stayed at our house until the day he died. When we we're about to bury his body, I cried so hard. I tried my best not to, but I just couldn't stop. The reason why I was crying so hard was because I imagined that my dad was the one lying inside the coffin. From that point on, I felt what my cousin felt. While I was crying, my father saw me. He came close to me and asked "Why are you crying?" I didn't want him to tell why I was really crying because I was to shy, so I just pointed at the coffin.

One thing I learned after all that happened, is that we should always try our best to make every single moment count. We only have one life to live, don't was a single second. Make it productive, make it worth remembering. Don't waste your life on enemies. Forgive and forget, that's what I always say. Remember, ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Make every moment count.

2 - Going Berserk

"A thoughtless Act"

I was in grade three when it happened. It was the day our school had an activity for the grade three students. They called it "Odds Versus Evens". Just to give you an idea on what Odds Versus Evens is, It is an activity where the Odd sections would compete against the Even sections. The games played were basketball, rally race, tug of war, and volleyball.

It was at the middle of the event when it all happened. I was with the odd sections. Everything was going fine until this classmate of who was at the Even sections kept ranting about how much of a loser the Odd teams are. He kept saying, "Odd team sucks", over and over again! He also said that we were nothing but losers trying to lose again. I tried telling him to stop insulting our team. But the moment I tried, he started insulting me. He insulted they way I look. He told me that I'm skinny, puny, and nothing but bones. He even insulted my family. He told me that my mom was nothing but a maid who a married a gay guy. The moment he told me that, my mind went blank and I went berserk at him. I pummeled him to the ground and started punching face like a crazy chimpanzee. Good thing we were still kids back then or else, everything could have gotten worse. After 5 punches to his noggin, the teachers and the other students separated the two of us. Our teacher didn't let us play anymore after what had happened. She even sent the both of us home. The next day, I was sent to the guidance counselor because of him. The worst part of it is that I was the only being punished.

I learned a lot after what had just happened. I learned that no matter what happens, try your best to suppress your anger. Think before you act. Fighting won't solve anything. I will just lead you to your downfall.  It is better to solve the problem in a more diplomatic approach. If it fails, then do you what you must to defend yourself.