THE BEST NEW YEAR I COULD EVER WISH FOR

THE BEST NEW YEAR I COULD WISH FOR

So Christmas is fast approaching along with the big 2-0-0-8. Although it seemed like only yesterday when we celebrated the coming of 2007, we just can’t deny the fact that another year has passed. You may be saying “Great, the New Year’s is just another reminder I’m getting older,” but as I always say, do not count the age but count your blessings! Looking back, God has blessed me tremendously through out the whole year and I really am very thankful.
Since New Year’s is almost here, this also means one thing: PAR-TY! I love celebrating Christmas and New Year with friends and family. I love eating at midnight and talking and chatting with friends. And I most certainly love going to bed at almost three in the morning. But sadly enough, the thing I cherish to do the most on New Year’s, I can’t do this year (and I haven’t for the past five years): and that is to be in my hometown with my family and relatives to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
And so I come to the topic of the best New Year I could ever wish for and this is the first one: to celebrate the New Year with family and relatives. The second would be to be in the Philippines. I gotta tell you, the Christmas and New Year here in Thailand is “Pffffffftttt!” *makes boo sign*. It’s plain boring and you just can’t feel the spirit of Christmas or New Year. In the Philippines, we go crazy! Fireworks explode in every (and I mean EVERY) corner of the country. The table of each house is filled with food! Children go outside the house and play with cotton balls in their ears to keep the noise out. Friends and family laugh and sing and light fireworks in the street! *Tear rolls down my eye* Oh man, I miss it! Anyways, another thing I would like for my really perfect New Year ’s Eve is the hamonado and Queso de Bola. Okay, these things are eaten in Christmas, but what the heck? How many days are CHhristmas and New Year apart anyway? So what are these things? Well, hamonado is, as you may have already guessed, ham. It’s sweet, juicy, and each family has one during the end of the year. Queso de Bola is this big humongous piece of cheese that is in the shape of a big humongous ball. Those are the food I want on New Year’s. *Thinking* What other things could make up my perfect New Year? Aha! Though it may be impossible, I want this most precious teeniest tiniest thing that I’ve wanted since I was a kid: snow. Yes, snow. I want to ski on it, ride a sleigh on it, wrestle in it, dance on it, walk on it, run on it, lie on it, slide on it naked (okay, maybe not the last one). It’s been my dream since I was a kid and I really really REALLY want to experience it. Oh yeah, there’s one last thing that would make up a perfect new year’s celebration: A LAPTOP AS A GIFT! Mwahahaha! I hope my mom buys it for me.
Well, that’s the New Year I could wish for, but I can’t have. There is a choice for me to go home during Christmas but I prefer to go home during summer vacation because it’s longer. Anyways, gotta go. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

THE DISCOURAGER OF HESITANCY ~ By Frank Stockton

So this is the sequel of "The Lady of the Tiger" and all I could say is... Wow.
I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING! I'M NO SQUEALER!
Anyways, here is the whole story:

THE DISCOURAGER OF HESITANCY
written by Frank R. Stockton

It was nearly a year after the occurrence of that event in the arena of the semi-barbaric king known as the incident of the lady or the tiger, that there came to the palace of this monarch a deputation of five strangers from a far country. These men, of venerable and dignified aspect and demeanour, were received by a high officer of the court, and to him they made known their errand.

"Most noble officer," said the speaker of the deputation, "it so happened that one of our countrymen was present here, in your capital city, on that momentous occasion when a young man who had dared to aspire to the hand of your king's daughter had been placed in the arena, in the midst of the assembled multitude, and ordered to open one of two doors, not knowing whether a ferocious tiger would spring out upon him, or a beauteous lady would advance, ready to become his bride. Our fellow citizen who was then present was a man of supersensitive feelings, and at the moment when the youth was about to open the door he was so fearful lest he should behold a horrible spectacle that his nerves failed him, and he fled precipitately from the arena, and, mounting his camel, rode homeward as fast as he could go."

"We were all very much interested in the story which our countrymen told us, and we were extremely sorry that he did not wait to see the end of the affair. We hoped, however, that in a few weeks some traveller from your city would come among us and bring us further news, but up to that day when we left our country no such traveller had arrived. As last it was determined that the only thing to be done was to send a deputation to this country, and to ask the question: 'Which came out of the open door, the lady or the tiger?'"

When the high officer had heard the mission of this most respectable deputation, he led the five strangers into an inner room, where they were seated upon soft cushions, and where he ordered coffee, pipes, sherbet, and other semibarbaric refreshments to be served to them. Then, taking his seat before them, he thus addressed the visitors.

"Most noble strangers, before answering the question you have come so far to ask, I will relate to you an incident which occurred not very long after that to which you have referred. It is well known in all regions hereabout that our great king is very fond of the presence of beautiful women about his court. All the ladies in waiting upon the queen and royal family are most lovely maidens, brought here from every part of the kingdom. The fame of this concourse of beauty, unequalled in any other royal court, has spread far and wide, and had it not been for the equally wide spread fame of the systems of impetuous justice adopted by our king, many foreigners would doubtless have visited our court."

"But not very long ago there arrived here from a distant land a prince of distinguished appearance and undoubted rank. To such a one, of course, a royal audience was granted, and our king met him very graciously, and begged him to make known the object of his visit. Thereupon the prince informed his Royal Highness that, having heard of the superior beauty of the ladies of his court, he had come to ask permission to make one of them his wife."

"When our king heard this bold announcement, his face reddened, he turned uneasily on his throne, and we were all in dread lest some quick words of furious condemnation should leap from out his quivering lips. But by a mighty effort he controlled himself, and after a moment's silence he turned to the prince and said: 'Your request is granted. Tomorrow at noon you shall wed one of the fairest damsels of our court.' Then turning to his officers he said: 'Give orders that everything be prepared for a wedding in the palace at high noon tomorrow. Convey this royal prince to suitable apartments. Send to him tailors, bootmakers, hatters, jewellers, armorers, men of every craft whose services he may need. Whatever he asks, provide. And let all be ready for the ceremony tomorrow.'"

" 'But, your Majesty,' exclaimed the prince, 'before we make these preparations, I would like -'

" 'Say no more!' roared the king. 'My royal orders have been given, and nothing more is needed to be said. You asked a boon. I granted it, and I will hear no more on the subject. Farewell, my prince, until tomorrow noon.'"

"At this the king arose and left the audience chamber, while the prince was hurried away to the apartments selected for him. Here came to him tailors, hatters, jewellers, and every one who was needed to fit him out in grand attire for the wedding. But the mind of the prince was much troubled and perplexed."

" 'I do nut understand,' he said to his attendants, 'this precipitancy of action. When am I to see the ladies, that I may choose among them? I wish opportunity, not only to gaze upon their forms and faces, but to become acquainted with their relative intellectual development.'"

" 'We can tell you nothing,' was the answer. 'What our king thinks right, that will he do. More than this we know not.'"

" 'His Majesty's notions seem to be very peculiar,' said the prince, 'and, so far as I can see, they do not at all agree with mine.'"

"At that moment an attendant whom the prince had not noticed came and stood beside him. This was a broad shouldered man of cheery aspect, who carried, its hilt in his right hand, and its broad back resting on his broad arm, an enormous cimeter, the upturned edge of which was keen and bright as any razor. Holding this formidable weapon as tenderly as though it had been a sleeping infant, this man drew closer to the prince and bowed."

" 'Who are you?' exclaimed his Highness, starting back at the sight of the frightful weapon.'"

" 'I,' said the other, with a courteous smile, 'am the Discourager of Hesitancy. When the king makes known his wishes to any one, a subject or visitor, whose disposition in some little points may be supposed not wholly to coincide with that of his Majesty, I am appointed to attend him closely, that, should he think of pausing in the path of obedience to the royal will, he may look at me, and proceed.'"

"The prince looked at him, and proceeded to be measured for a coat."

"The tailors and shoemakers and hatters worked all night, and the next morning, when everything was ready, and the hour of noon was drawing nigh, the prince again anxiously inquired of his attendants when he might expect to be introduced to the ladies."

" 'The king will attend to that,' they said. 'We know nothing of the matter.'"

" 'Your Highness,' aid the Discourager of Hesitancy, approaching with a courtly bow, 'will observe the excellent quality of this edge.' And drawing a hair from his head, he dropped it upon the upturned edge of his cimeter, upon which it was cut in two at the moment of touching."

"The prince glanced, and turned upon his heel."

"Now came officers to conduct him to the grand hall of the palace, in which the ceremony was to be performed. Here the prince found the king seated upon his throne, with his nobles, his courtiers, and his officers standing about him in magnificent array. The prince was led to a position in front of the king, to whom he made obeisance, and then said:

" 'Your majesty, before I proceed further -'

"At this moment an attendant, who had approached with a long scarf of delicate silk, wound it about the lower part of the prince's face so quickly and adroitly that he was obliged to cease speaking. Then, with wonderful dexterity, the rest of the scarf was wound around the prince's head, so that he was completely blindfolded. Thereupon the attendant quickly made openings in the scarf over the mouth and ears, so that the prince might breathe and hear, and fastening the ends of the scarf securely, he retired."

"The first impulse of the prince was to snatch the silken folds from his head and face, but, as he raised his hands to do so, he heard beside him the voice of the Discourager of Hesitancy, who gently whispered: 'I am here your Highness.' And, with a shudder, the arms of the prince fell down by his side."

"Now before him he heard the voice of a priest, who had begun the marriage service in use in that semi-barbaric country. At his side he could hear a delicate rustle, which seemed to proceed from fabrics of soft silk. Gently putting forth his hand, he felt folds of such silk close behind him. Then came the voice of the priest requesting him to take the hand of the lady by his side; and reaching forth his right hand, the prince received within it another hand, so small, so soft, so delicately fashioned, and so delightful to the touch, that a thrill went through his being. Then, as was the custom of the country, the priest first asked the lady would she have this man to be her husband; to which the answer gently came, in the sweetest voice he had ever heard: 'I will."'

"Then ran raptures rampant through the prince's blood. The touch, the tone, enchanted him. All the ladies of that court were beautiful, the Discourager was behind him, and through his parted scarf he boldly answered: 'Yes, I will.'"

"Whereupon the priest pronounced them man and wife."

"Now the prince heard a little bustle about him, the long scarf was rapidly unrolled from his head, and he turned, with a start, to gaze upon his bride. To his utter amazement, there was no one there. He stood alone. Unable on the instant to ask a question or say a word, he gazed blankly about him."

"Then the king arose from his throne, and came down, and took him by the hand."

" 'Where is my wife gasped the prince.'"

" 'She is here,' said the king, leading him to a curtained doorway at the side of the hall."

" 'The curtains were drawn aside, and the prince, entering, found himself in a long apartment, near the opposite wall of which stood a line of forty ladies, all dressed in rich attire, and each one apparently more beautiful than the rest.'"

"Waving his hand toward the line, the king said to the prince: "There is your bride! Approach, and lead her forth! But, remember this: that if you attempt to take away one of the unmarried damsels of our court, your execution will be instantaneous. Now, delay no longer. Step up and take your bride.'"

"The prince, as in a dream, walked slowly along the line of ladies, and then walked slowly back again. Nothing could he see about any one of them to indicate that she was more of a bride than the others. Their dresses were all similar, they all blushed, they all looked up and then looked down. They all had charming little hands. Not one spoke a word. Not one lifted a finger to make a sign. It was evident that the orders given them had been very strict."

" 'Why this delay?' roared the king. 'If I had been married this day to one so fair as the lady who wedded you, I should not wait one second to claim her.'"

"The bewildered prince walked again up and down the line. And this time there was a slight change in the countenances of two of the ladies. One of the fairest gently smiled as he passed her. Another, just as beautiful, slightly frowned."

" 'Now,' said the prince to himself, 'I am sure that it is one of those two ladies whom I have married. But which? One smiled. And would not any woman smile when she saw in such a case, her husband coming toward her? Then again, on the other hand, would not any woman from when she saw her husband come toward her and fail to claim her? Would she not knit her lovely brows? Would she not inwardly say 'It is I! Don't you know it? Don't you feel it? Come!' But if this woman had not been married, would she not frown when she saw the man looking at her? Would she not say inwardly, "Don't stop at me! It is the next but one It is two ladies above. Go on!" Then again, the one who married me did not see my face. Would she not now smile if she thought me comely? But if I wedded the one who frowned, she could restrain her disapprobation if she did not like me? Smiles invite the approach of true love. A frown is a reproach to a tardy advance. A smile -"

" 'Now, hear me!' loudly cried the king. 'In ten seconds, if you do not take the lady we have given you, she who has just been made your bride shall be made your widow.'"

"And, as the last word was uttered, the Discourager of? Hesitancy stepped close behind the prince and whispered: 'I am here!'"

"Now the prince could not hesitate an instant; he stepped forward and took one of the two ladies by the hand."

"Loud rang the bells, loud cheered the people, and the king came forward to congratulate the prince. He had taken his lawful bride."

" 'Now, then," said the officer to the deputation of five strangers from a far country, "when you can decide among yourselves which lady the prince chose, the one who smiled or the one who frowned, then I will tell you which came out of the open door, the lady or the tiger!"

At the latest accounts the five strangers had not yet decided.

Cool ain't it??? Hahaha!!!!

THE LADY OR THE TIGER? ~ By Frank Stockton

So we read another story today entitled "The Lady, or the Tiger?". It's a very wordy story and it's pretty obvious that the author's vocabulary is really good. Anyways, don't know the story? Here's the low-down...

In olden days, there lived a "semi-barbaric king" who was just so full of himself. He liked things done his way, and if they weren't... use your imagination. Anyway, the king had a special way of judging someone who committed a crime in his kingdom. That person would have a trial before the citizens of the land and before the king and his officials in an amphitheater. When the accused was there, his life is not in the king's, the people's, or the officials' hands, but in his hands. Why? Well, in the amphitheater there were two doors. Behind one door is a ferocious tiger waiting to devour the accused, guilty or not. Behind the other is a fair and beautiful maiden. If the accused chose the door of the maiden, they will immediately marry on the spot, regardless of the accused feelings or if he has twelve kids and a loving wife. So either way, the king pretty much affects the accused guy's life.
But something special came up: the king found out his daughter was in love with a boy, a servant. The king quickly put this man into prison and set up a date for his trial. The officials searched for the most beautiful maiden and the most ferocious tiger in the land. Finally, the man's day of trial came.
But before all this, the princess herself was busy. She had found out the secret of the doors and at the day of the trial she knew what lay behind the doors. In the days before the trial, she also pondered what door she would give her beloved, for she was sure he would ask. She couldn't bear see him get eaten by a tiger, nor could she bear her loved one get married with another girl. Plus, the princess loathed this girl because she had spotted her beloved and this girl talking and exchanging looks. So she was filled with pity which had toppings of fresh hot jealousy on it.
So on the day of the trial, the man quickly met the eyes of the princess and said one word: "Which?"
The princess knew that he would ask, and in a flash she pointed to the right.
And so the guy opened the door and....
THE END.
No seriously, the end...
Yes, I am not joking, that is THE END.

Cool story huh? You read it you want to know what's gonna happen, then suddenly the author leaves you there to ponder what came out, a girl or a tiger? It's as if you went mountain climbing with a good friend and he left you hanging a thousand feet above the ground.
Anyways, this is about what I think came out. It's a pretty hard decision.
The princess is described also like her father, semi-barbaric. She may be a brat, which means she wants everything for herself. Okay, I'm not implying that she chose the door of the tiger. First of, she's jealous. She loathes the girl behind one door and she just can't stand seeing her man married with a girl she hates right in front of her eyes. On the other hand, she also can't stand seeing her man get eaten by a ferocious tiger, get ripped to shreds, and she finally hears the tiger go *BURP*.
So in my opinion, I think that the princess chose... *DRUMROLL*
*TA-DA!* The Tiger's door.
Why? Well, a thought crossed her mind and she said that "What if he dies and he just waits for me in the afterlife?" As I said, this princess might be a brat, but she knows there is no escaping the clutches of her semi-barbaric father. So how does he get the guy for herself? Kill him, and as she said, they'll be together in the afterlife.
Now, you might say that she could've let the guy marry the girl but the guy will leave the girl for the princess. But I'm pretty sure the king would've found this out and probably killed the guy.

Anyways, that's just my opinion.
But guess what?

I JUST FOUND THE REAL FINISH OF THE STORY!!!!
Yes, I AM NOT LYING. The author wrote a sequel which reveals the ending.
Don't worry, Ms. Lauren, I wrote this without reading the end yet.
I'll post the sequel after I'm done reading it!

Almost feels like home...

On Saturday, me and my mom went to the market to buy supplies for our home. I didn't know my mom rode the tuk-tuk (if you don't know what that is, go and search it on Google Images) since it was my first time accompanying her to this certain market (I've been with her to a different market). So while I was on the tuk-tuk, I stared down the street and just saw the houses flying by and suddenly, I thought I was in a tricycle (don't know what that is, Google Image search it, but add Philippines) and I was riding it to my home. I felt that I was in a street in the Philippines. Everything looked the same! The streets looked exactly the same as they did at home! However, the feeling went away once we left the streets and got back to the main road. Here the main roads are clean and quiet. In the Phils., it's noisy, polluted, and congested with traffic.
Anyways, I just felt that I should share.

THE TELL TALE HEART ~ By Edgar Allan Poe

So me and my friends read this story by Edgar Allan Poe called the Tell Tale Heart. It's basically about this guy who is bragging to the reader about how he killed an old guy because of the old guy's vulture-like eye. Occasionally, he would tell the reader that he is NOT a madman because of how he executed his plan so well with patience. Anyways, after many nights of waiting, the guy finally has the chance to kill the old dude by suffocating him with a mattress (that was before he got irritated with the old dude's heart beating like a drum). To hide the body, the guy hacks the old dude's limbs (simply GROSS) and hides them in the floorboards. Then out of nowhere, the police comes and says the neighbors heard a scream. The guy welcomes the police in to investigate, knowing that they won't be able to find the body (the blood was caught in a tub while he hacked the guy up). However, this guy still hears the beating of the old dude's heart. He couldn't take it anymore, so he admits the murder he committed and pointed to the policemen where the pieces of the old dude's body was in the floorboards.

Describing this whole thing in one sentence is easy: CREEPY. ABSOLUTELY, HORRIFYINGLY, CREEPY. Especially the cartoon short we watched... yes, it's a cartoon, but trust me, it's creepy. It'll make the hair on the back of your neck stand. There are some differences from the original manuscript (I normally would've said book, but manuscript sound cooler) and the cartoon. For example: the guy always lights a lantern and points it at the eye of the old dude in the book but not in the cartoon. The cartoon also doesn't show the guy hacking up the old dude (probably too graphic to be shown). Plus, this cartoon adds a scene of the guy in prison. In the book, it only ends with the guy confessing to the policemen in the house what he's done. However, both the book and the cartoon are really creepy and really scary. Edgar Allan Poe is a great writer, though I'm a bit convinced he's also a bit "cuckoo" after reading the Raven (another hair raiser).

The Tell Tale Heart is just a one creepy-kind-of-a story. You should read it... IF YOU DARE...

P.S I suggest you read "The Raven" too.... And go to YouTube and search it and choose the one which says Christopher Walken is reading it (DO NOT READ AT MIDNIGHT!)

THANKFUL... (For what, exactly???)

So Thanksgiving's nearing with each day the passes... To tell you the truth, we don't exactly celebrate Thanksgiving in this part of Asia, but hey, there are a lots of things to be thankful for, right? However, I'm pretty bummed that we aren't eating turkey here. Man, why does America get all the good stuff?

So what should I be thankful for anyway? I figure this is going to be quite long, so here I go. I'm thankful for: a roof above my head, food on the table, a bed to sleep in, a PS2 to entertain me, tons of games that go along with that PS2 (half of which don't work anymore), a TV to watch movies in, a DVD player to play DVDs in (wait a sec, my DVD player is broken!), and tons of appliances that cook my food and make my chores easier. I'm thankful for my lil' bro who i waited and prayed for for ten years. I'm thankful for my parents who teach me, guide me, and bug me. I'm thankful for my relatives, who love me each and everyday because apparently they don't suffer me like my parents suffer me. I'm thankful for my two best friends, John Paul my cousin and Nikka my neighbor, who are always there for me when I need them and are really fun to be with. Let's see, what else? I'm thankful for friends at school, who constantly bug me (Hye Min) annoy me (probably John and Minha) and buy me ice cream (Win). No, really, they're just fun to be around with. I'm also thankful for my teachers, who even though they don't want to, got to school and teach me. I'm thankful also for the people who guide me at my church. they're a great help in my spiritual growth. I'm also thankful for my shepherd, Tito Del, who is fun to be with, really kind, and offers great guidance to me. I'm also thankful for my pastors at church: Pastor David, Isaac, and Chris. They're great men of God and they're so great at preaching.

And last, but not the least, I am thankful for a Savior who paid my debt and loved me no matter what, and I am thankful that I believe in a God who hears my prayers and loves me everyday, provides for me, and blesses me even if I don't deserve it.

Don't tell yourself "Life sucks" and you've got nothing to be thankful for. even the simplest things are a blessing.

God bless everyone and happy Thanksgiving!


~ Eric E.

MY FIRST ENTRY!!!

Hey wazzup!!

Okay, so this is my blog for English class and Ms. Lauren's gonna check it every week and she says we're supposed to have one entry per week....

But what the heck, I'm gonna write as many as I want cuz I luv BLOGGING!!!

Oh yeah, by the way, I'm Eric. Eric Emmanuel S. Surbano. I'm 14, in Grade 8, and I'm currently studying in BGIS. Ms. Lauren Campbell is my English teacher (Okay, I think that Ms. Lauren is gonna let her friends look at this so the people reading this would probably know who Ms. Lauren is), with Mr. Michael Hoyt being my Social Studies and homeroom teacher (Okay, you may not know him), Mr. Brian Burkey being my Science teacher (you probably DON'T know him) and Dr. Steve McKee being my Math teacher and principal (okay, I am positively sure you DON'T him, but in a few months you may).

Anyways, yes, I love blogging. I love writing. I love surfing the net. I love RPG games (currently playing Star Wars on Facebook) and I love games on PS2 (currently finished Hitman: Blood Money). I love watching movies (looking forward to watchin National Treasure 2 and Hitman), and I love having lots of friends (currently having around 150 including online friends).

So... I think I've written enough for today... So I'm gonna stop here... I may write another one when I get home... Peace out dudes! ~ Eric E.