There’s something I have to admit… I’m also one of many people who disliked reading. Yet there’s a fine difference between people who just dislike it and those who criticize (re: bully) those who are very much into it. I thought reading is just not my thing, but I was totally wrong. I’m not saying that I don’t read at all, I used to be a tad less than the occasional reader though, having very infrequent reading habits; that has changed since the last couple of weeks when I realized how fun reading can be.

But back to the important point.

It pains me when I hear fellow teenagers of my age and a bit younger, stereotyping those who love to read. At first I thought I was the only one who noticed it and believed it to be an issue too small to be discussed, but when I jumped on a video created by one of my fellow Facebook users I realized how serious the matter has become.

Read before you judge.

Sounds odd, but it’s true. Those who judge readers tend to be those who haven’t tried it out yet. I can’t blame them for not reading, but it’s a total different issue when they start stereotyping and labeling those who do. Well, reading may not be for everyone, that’s a given, but I find it very cruel when those who judge others are those who ain’t had a firsthand experience with reading.

Let’s all campaign against stereotyping readers. Let’s all agree to read more this year and prove ‘em wrong; prove to them that reading isn’t just for the wealthy and the geeks, heck, nor is reading just for the females.

I personally think that females who love to read are more interesting and attractive. I figured that “those who read seemed to be more educated and better equipped in the academic field” was true in most females I had encountered. I wonder how well the country would do if more and more people would start to read, read and read.

A lot has changed since the post Filipinos Are Not Book Lovers has been written. It dates back decades ago, but it assumes to painstakingly truthful than ever. Why? Because we have reached the point at which readers are getting criticized for enjoying reading may that be the printed or digitalized word.

Sure, lot of the commenters on the post we published here proved that Philippines is far from an anti-Reading community… Yet there are still a lot of people out there who will tell you otherwise in both words and actions… and that, that needs to stop.

Be The Change. Read. And let those bullies go to hell.

“Stop Stereotyping Readers”, start reading instead! is a post from: Pinoy Teens

Present at the scene will be Philippines premier Youth Bloggers Community, the Pinoy Teens New Media.

The Conference seems to be one of the most promising I.T related events in the region. Member schools of PSITS Region 9 include the following:

• Zamboanga del Sur Maritime Institute of Technology
• Southern Mindanao Colleges – Pagadian City
• Happy Hearts Colleges, Inc
• Eastern Mindanao College of Technology – Pagadian City
• Pagadian Capitol Colleges
• and a few more.

It’s a good guess to make that most attendees will coming from member schools of the regions’ Philippine Society of Information Technology Students (PSITS)

Pinoy Teens New Media to tackle: Blogging (etiquette), WordPress and Search Engine Optimization

One special role that the Pinoy Teens New Media plays during the 2nd PSITS Conference will be in the form of Kevin Paquet (which happens to be me) taking on the topics enlisted above.

I’m very excited about this because it’s going to be my very firs time outside of Davao City and Region 9 will be the first of many checkpoints of the Pinoy Teens New Media this year at which we want to encourage our audience to start blogging and be more responsible online whatever they might be doing.

Innovating with WordPress and Blogging

We at Pinoy Teens believe that WordPress is going to play a huge role in helping bloggers innovate. It’s just such a reliable, flexible and scalable platform that both bloggers and developers alike prefer most. No wonder it’s considered as the #1 Open Source CMS for some time now.

Everyone should start a blog where they can post their opinions and experiences where other people can take a lesson from or be informed.

PSITS Conference Round 3

Not to undermine the maiden conference that PSITS XI has hosted nor the second… but there’s no doubt that the third run of the PSITS Conference will be even better and brighter. So… Just in case you’re around on the 13th and 14th of January, come and join us as we aim to turn visions to actions… through innovation!

3rd PSITS Conference 2012 – Region IX is a post from: Pinoy Teens

Tapos na naman ang isang taon. Para sa mga masasaya, ang bilis ng panahon, pero para sa mga matagal ng naghihintay ng pag-asa, ang tagal-tagal. Hindi ko masasabing marami akong katulad sa mundo. Hindi ko rin masabing ibang-iba ako sa lahat. Sa tuwing matatapos ang taon, lagi tayong nag-iisip tungkol sa ating buhay. Mapamababaw man o mapakasing lalim ng pinaghuhugutan ng isang makata. Iniisip mo kung naging masaya ba ang taon mo, kung may gusto kang baguhin o kung sasabog na ba ang mundo ngayong 2012.

Enero nitong huling taon. Namomroblema ka na naman kasi hindi mo nasulit ang bakasyon mo ngayong pasko. Hindi mo rin alam kung saan mo gagastusin ang napamaskuhan mo ng hindi ka manghihinayang. Iniisip mo na ang magiging horoscope mo ngayong taon at kung bahagya kang maniniwala sa kung anumang prediksyon na kumakalat sa buong mundo. Swerte raw ang ganitong kulay, ang ganitong alagang isda at huwag kang makipaghahalubilo sa isang taong pinanganak sa gantong petsa. Ang labo. Pero naniniwala tayo, sinasakyan natin at natutuwa pa tayo, dahil Pinoy tayo. Ilang taon na rin tayong sinasabihang wag magpaputok pero najojologsan ka sa torotot. Masaya pa rin ang may sarili kang mga armas at bala kaysa sa makikinood ka na lang sa mga kapitbahay na may sinturon ni hudas.

Pebrero. Ang pinakamabilis na buwan sa buong taon at ang pinakamatagal sa mga sawi sa pag-ibig. Lahat ng gimik ng media iinggitin ka, lahat ng mga katulad mo dadamayan ka. Haha! Sige, siguro sapat na tong eksplanasyon na to para ipaliwanag ang punto KO. Marso, nangangatal ka na gutom, ubos na ang pera mo, kating-kati ka na sa bakasyon at tambak ka pa rin ng trabaho pero may Finals ka pa at hindi ka pa makahinga ng maluwag. Sinusubukan mo ng makaipon para sa bakasyon ay may pera ka pero heto pa rin ang makulit mong mga prof para katasin ka at pigain. Kung wala ka mang gagastusang project, mauubos rin ang pera mo sa pagkain dahil depressed ka, gutom ka at hindi mo alam kung may ilalim pa ba ang tyan mo.

Abril. Sabi mo sa sarili mo, magpapakasaya ka ngayong bakasyon. Pero unang gabi pa lang ng bakasyon malakas na ang hatak ng gravity ng kama. Sabi mo rin, babawiin mo lahat ng pinuyat mo sa finals, pero inabot ka na ng alas tres sa kompyuter. Gigising ka ng tanghalian na. Ubos na ang pagkain, magluluto ka pa ng sarili mo. Papagalitan ka ng mga magulang mo kasi tatamad-tamad ka. Hindi mo raw sinusulit ang bakasyon mo. Sabi mo sa sarili mo, gagala ka ngayong bakasyon, mag-aaral kang magluto, magpiano, sumayaw o magkarate. Pero nakadikit ka pa rin sa laptop, naiinip dahil walang nangyayari sa facebook. Iniisip mo, siguro masaya ang bakasyon ng mga kaibigan ko. Pero pare-pareho rin lang pala kayong nakatambay sa bahay at nagbibilang ng butiki kapag naiinip ng huminga.

Mayo. Dito sa amin maraming pyesta. Ang mga tao kung maghanda akala mo walang problema sa buhay. Iniisip mong nangalahati na ang bakasyon kaya’t susulitin mo na. Sapat na yung isang buwan ng Abril na hindi ka na nakatulong sa sarili mo. Ubos na ang katamaran mo dapat sa pagtulog. Pakonti-konti ka pang sumisilip sa facebook. Pinipilit mo ng mabuhay! Pinipilit mo ng sulitin ang huling araw ng kasayahan! Bago magpasukan. Pero sa isang banda, naisip mong namimiss mo na ang mga tropa mo. Wala ka ng kausap kundi ang kapatid mong makulit at ang mga magulang mong utos ng utos sayo. Nababagot ka na. Pero wala kang maggawa dahil wala kang pera. O, sige. Ang sabi mo sa sarili mo. Gusto ko ng magpasukan para may baon na ko.

Pasukan na. Sabay buhos ng ulan. Sabay biglang init. Sabay pasok sa aircon. Hindi mo alam kung tama bang nag-enroll ka ngayong sem dahil sa kung anu-ano na namang trip sayo ng panahon. Kung kailan ka lumabas ng lungga mo, tsaka ka naman pinipilit na manatili sa bahay dahil sa sakit. Sinwerte ka sa ibang prof at minalas naman sa karamihan. Ang sabi ng iba, mabangis daw mag-grado tong prof na to. May mga kaklase kang bago. Minsan mukhang interisado ko, minsan naman dedma lang. Bahala na. Ang sabi mo sa sarili mo. Kakausapin ko na lang siya pag may itatanong ako.

Lumipas ang panahon. Hindi na mabilang kung ilang beses mong sinasabing “SANA MASUSPEND ANG KLASE”. Naghihintay sa twitter, nag-aabang ng text, nagbabakasakali sa isang suntok sa buwan na pagkakataon. Ilang beses kang nagpupumilit na magpapostponed ng isang paper. At nasa kalagitnaan ka ng taon na hindi mo na namamalayang aba, tatlong buwan na naman pala ang nakalipas. At magpapasko na naman.

Sembreak na. Natutuwa ka dahil may sembreak ka. Yung iba wala. Yung iba isang linggo lang. Samantalang ikaw isang buwan. Ilang beses na ngang nasuspend ang klase mo dahil sa malakas na ulan at baha, isang buwan pa ang bakasyon mo. Atat ka ng kumalas at magpakasarap sa buhay. Panahon na naman ng mga gimik, reunion at party-party. Uwian sa probinsya. Dumadaan ang Halloween at Undas. Nagbibilang ka na kung ilang araw na lang bago magpasko. Sabi nga nila, tayo ang may pinakamahabang pasko.

Matatapos na naman ang taon. Iniisip mo kalahati masaya, kahalati malas ang taon mo. Magpapasko na naman at namomroblema ka na sa mga dumaraming bilang ng iyong inaanak pero hindi naman dumarami ang iyong mga ninong at ninang. Maraming ilaw na ang nasa paligid. Nagkakantahan na ang mga Pilipino na parehong nagdidiwang sa panibagong taon at sa lumipas na buhay. Maraming madaling magsawa. Maraming gusto ng magbago. Hindi naman tayo iba sa mundo kung hinihiniling nating sana.. magkapera tayo. Sana yumaman ako ngayong taon, sana makabawi ako sa grades, at sana maging masaya kaming pamilya.

Bata pa lang ako, sinasabi ko na sarili ko na may pangarap ako. Pero habang tumatanda ako, nagbabago ang pananaw ko sa buhay, ayoko ng maging doktor. Bata pa lang ako, alam kong may tinatago sa akin ang mga matatanda na ayaw nilang matuklasan ko. Sinasabi nila sa akin na pag matanda ka na lang. Tsaka mo malalaman ang lahat. Bata pa rin naman ako ngayon. Katiting pa lang sa dinanas ng mga magulang at mga lolo’t-lola ko. Hindi na ko umaasang hindi ako magugulat kung sakaling may bigla na lang mawala sa akin. Ang sabi nila, mag-aaral ako ng mabuti. Lahat sila sinasabi wag muna magboboypren. Pagsisikapan ko raw ang sarili ko dahil kailangang malayo ang marating ko. May pag-asa raw ako sa mundo, dahil bata pa ako.

Pero 2012 na! Ito na yung taon na napanood ko sa pelikula na magugunaw, iikot, magpapalit-palit ang mga kontinente. Magsasalpukan ang mga bato, sasabog ang mga bulkan, matutunaw ang mga yelo at may isang magliligtas sa lahat. Kalahati ng nasa isip ko sana hindi na lang muna mag 2012. Pero ang sabi nila talaga may pag-asa pa raw ako sa mundo at minsan kahit may mga bagay na di maiiwasang mangyari, sasabihin nila…

BATA KA PA. Marami ka pang taon at may pag-asa ka pa. Huwag mong sayangin ang oras mo… at ang oras namin para sayo…

Isang Taon akong Bata is a post from: Pinoy Teens

It has been 115 years since your death by firing squad in Bagumbayan. It is the 30th Day of December and the social networking sites are supposed to have a “Rizal Fever” for you today. Well, at least that is what I expect. It’s really funny because some people on Twitter even gave you birthday greetings. When I saw them, though, I found it hard to stop myself from thinking about the thought of choking each of your jolly birthday greeters.

What a morbid remark, I know. I bet that if God would give you a chance to come down here on Earth, you would definitely be surprised of what has become of your pag-asa ng bayan. A lot has changed since you left this world. When the revolution that you sparked ceased, our society’s cancer indeed has become a lot worse. The Spaniards vanished only to leave the country into the hands of new conquerors. At present, we find it hard to stand on our own. I really wish that we could, in a way root ourselves into the culture that we can truly call our own like you did. Sometimes I really put a lot of faith in the thought that if great people like you believe so much in what we can do, then we really can do something for our Inang Bayan. Clearly, my act is not enough. It is also heartbreaking to realize that a lot of us know and care more about Justin Bieber than our genuine cultures and traditions.

What are we ought to do, Kuya Pepe? What do you think keeps us from moving forward? You are needed by your people because it seems that we are confused with our own identity. You are needed to help us solve the dilemma of our true position. We are greatly confused between being parts of the problem or the solution. Again, I would like to wish that we could acquire another one of your admirable skills. I wish that like you, we could dedicate all our actions for the love of our Inang Bayan. You spent so much time away from our shores only to come back here with a better view of the archipelago and with that better view came something that seemed to act like friction that lit up the match of enlightenment, reform, and revolution. Although we know that the key to change lies within ourselves, we still need you to inspire us with your ways and with that, we are more than thankful.

Finally, I would just like to express how grateful we are for all the inspiration that you left for all of us. Although, I expressed all those petty wishes that reflect all the bad things about who we are today, I must say that there is still enough confidence for me to promise you that my generation won’t let you down. I’m not sure if a lot would agree but I believe that for all that our country is worth, we still put efforts to continue what you have ignited and we have your awesomeness to thank you for that.
I wish you a happy death anniversary.

Sincerely,
21st Century Young Pinoy

Dear Kuya Pepe – A Rizal Day Special is a post from: Pinoy Teens

A bit of a surprise that the day has started early for me today… I’d usually just stay asleep ‘til around past nine, yet it’s just 7:20 in the morning and I’ve already taken my breakfast. Here we go with my unique write up of a day at Pinoy Teens HQ!

Breakfast time at Pinoy Teens HQ

I have to admit that I forgot about this post and just recalled it after we had breakfast. Don’t wonder why the table is empty! Haha!

Princess and my dad are the two people pictured above. Aside from those two, there’s of course my mother who joins us at breakfast. All in all, there are four of us. It should’ve been five, but our maid went home for her Christmas/New Year vacation.

Breakfast at PT HQ starts usually a bit early, sometimes too early for my taste. I so badly wanted to stay asleep, but here I am, writing this post now! Zzzzz!

Like I said, it’s still a bit early for me right now, but anyways…

8AM – 10AM: The day Starts at Pinoy Teens

It’s around 8-10 when I can convince myself out of bed. I’d end up lying there for another hour or so, after which I’m going to take a bath and then head to my Mac not to blog, but to Plurk!

Just my usual morning routine on Plurk, searching for “morning” and responding to as many Plurkers as possible with “Good Morning (wave)”

It can be a bit tedious, but it can also be a lot of fun because I usually make at least 1 new friend each day through it. It’s a really cool way to get connected with fellow people across the web. Imaging how spammy I would look if I’d tweet each and everyone out there that I could find with “Good Morning.” XD

Some Good Time, Before Crunch Time

After my 30 minutes to 1 hour escapade on Plurk, I usually end up texting for a while. Nokia 1280 for my Smart friends, and my precious christmas gift to myself, the Galaxy Y for my friends from the Globe side of things. It’s around past eleven now, and still no “blogging” in sight!

So, when does blogging come into play?

The art of blogging has become more of a tedious task, to be honest. I’ve really lost touch with blogging, just like I noted in multiple occasions by now.

It hasn’t totally gone out of my workflow though. It’s still a solid part of my day to day activities, or should I say weekly, rather, since I’m writing about 2-3 posts per week only. Back then, I used to get around 15 per week out, some of them of decent quality, others just plain generic content. The difference now? Even though I’m writing less and less, the quality hasn’t improved much either. Boo!

(Sometimes) Blogging On

Lunch happens at around 12:15PM here at Pinoy Teens. After which I usually manage to write a lot of drafts… literally hundreds of them have never seen the light of day [made it to the blog] because I feel like their quality is subpar and that the content of them is very uninteresting. Writing is not the problem here, I write a lot, but it’s what I’m writing about that truly nags me!

This is pretty much my workspace. Oh yeah. The only beautiful thing on the desk is my Macbook Pro which I bought in Christmas 2009. Next to it is my old NEO Vivid 2121. Even though that notebook totally sucks, it’s a bit ironic that I’ve earned more money with the ‘ol Neo than with my Macbook Pro.

Lot of temptations are in the air with this one. Whenever I feel being productive I usually end up playing Real Racing 2 or GTA San Andreas, or just watching a movie.

It was a lot worse before, because I used to play FIFA12 and The Sims 3 on it… yet for some odd reasons, it’s just not working anymore. Doh!

Some Technical Goodies

It only seems just to show you my Work Desktop as well.

That’s pretty much everything I need to publish content right now.

• Chrome/Safari
• Mars Edit
• Omnifocus
• and the occasional upbeat music from my iTunes library.

My dock usually sports the following apps:

• Finder
• Mail
• Omnifocus (GTD)
• Omnioutliner Pro
• iTunes
• Safari
• Chrome
• Firefox
• ByWord/IA Writer/Ommwriter (depending on my mood)
• Mars Edit (quick access to post drafts across all blogs)
• VMWare Fusion (for my Programming class)
• Activity Monitor (to check on my RAM usage)
• Coolbook Controller (avoid my Mac to overheat, my fans are broke)
• Transmission (ehem)
• Evernote (to sync notes I make on my Galaxy Y)
• Aperture
• GTA: San Andreas
• Real Racing 2

How I start with a blog post.

Blog posts of mines usually start being an idea that I have on the road or when I’m doing nothing. If I’m not too lazy, those ideas usually turn into decent articles. That’s if I’m able to capture that idea and put them on paper or on Evernote to sync to my Mac for later use. Whenever I have spare time (and I feel to blog) I browse through all those ideas and pick the one that I’m most interested in and which I believe has the most likelihood to be read and commented on.

I’m not really following suit my workflow anymore, but I’ll get there again this 2012!

Another way for me to get started with an article are ideas from the various blogs I am subscribed to in Google Reader, or just something like many bloggers do, going with the trend and writing about what’s going on in society at the moment. I could’ve written about the death of a certain actor right now, but decided to pass on it for now.

There are a lot of other things that I’m doing as well, things that are actually of use. Hehe. I’m hosting several sites aside from my own couple of domains that I have. The most prominent of them is Olan’s The Travel Teller which is hosted on the same server as Pinoy Teens, Student Blogger and my newly acquired BloggersHQ.org. You know, just the typical stuff of updating themes, plugins and WordPress, as well as optimizing the databases across all sites.

How about you? How do you start your day on your blog and what do you do on daily basis with it?

A Moment behind the scene of PT HQ! is a post from: Pinoy Teens

The Pinoy Siri: Vangie

If you’re looking for an alternative to SIRI in the Philippines, look no further ’cause we’ve got it here and it’s Vangie (also known as Ate Vangie on Twitter)

The exclusive Pinoy-tailored features of the Pinoy Siri include the following:

• She understands you – Speak to her in Pinoy English, maybe even Carabao English and of course Tagalog. Pwde pud siguro mag-bisaya sa iyaha!
• The most personal virtual assistant yet – The more you’ll use her, the more personal she gets. Mabibisto ka niyan kung dami kang girlfriend!
• Answers like a real human – If you’re worried that you’ll head into a boring digital VA – Human Being talk, you’re wrong. She’s gonna answer back like you wouldn’t expect it, and sometimes in a way you wouldn’t want her to.

Ask her without an iPhone 4S

You can still keep up with the Pinoy Siri: Ate Vangie even if you don’t have an iPhone 4S yet. You can always tweet your questions to her!

Well of course, it’s all parody at the moment, until we’ll see it live in the Appstore!

Funny thought though!

Introducing the Pinoy Siri: Ate Vangie is a post from: Pinoy Teens

And your mobile phone might just change as well!

The #1 in Postpaid, Globe has launched the Blackberry Christmas Promo, offering 4 of the most craved after Blackberry smartphones for users to enjoy. These include the Bold 9780 for the top of the line plan, and the Curve 8520 for the most affordable Blackberry plan that you can avail.

Bring the internet with you starting at 599

Keep all your Facebook friends, Plurk buddies and Twitter tweeps close to you all day, anytime any where! Avail of the most affordable Blackberry Christmas Promo plan of Globe yet:

BlackBerry Curve 8520
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 599 with unlimited mobile surfing

Don’t just surf, but call and text as well.

No doubt, the internet won’t be enough for most of you. Texting and calling is still an integral part of every Filipino teen. While Social Media is a good way to connect with the world, texting and calling is still the way to go for personal conversations.

That’s why you can avail of the 999 plan that Globe has to offer:

BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 999 with:
• unlimited mobile surfing
• P400 consumable amount
• 1 freebie from A to C, E

Bongga! Upgraded pa ang smartphone mo, ‘diba?

As you can see, the higher you go with the plan, the more extraordinary your Blackberry smartphone becomes. It’s not just that, but the more consumable load is being made available for you.

It’s a win-win situation however you look at it.

The third plan priced at 1799 features the following:

BlackBerry Curve 9360
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 1799 with:
• unlimited mobile surfing
• P1,200 consumable amount
• 3 freebies from A to C, E

While the last Blackberry package will give you:

BlackBerry Bold 9780
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 2499 with:
• unlimited mobile surfing
• P1,900 consumable amount
• 5 freebies from A to C, E

—

The higher you go with your plan, the more freebies you can avail of and the better your handset will be. Tska may freebies pa ‘yan!

Oh? Saan ka pa pupunta? ‘dito ka na sa #1 in Postpaid in the Philippines, Globe! Apply for a Blackberry smartphone today.

Globe’s Special Blackberry Christmas Promo is a post from: Pinoy Teens

PLURK is <3

It’s no secret that many of us resort to Plurk more often, rather than Twitter. For one, it’s because Plurk seems more engaging and accommodating to our [main] target audience, which are teens and tweens ranging from 14-21 years old. Secondly, it’s just that we just don’t get the hang out of Twitter at the moment. We’re working on it though!

Kevin has been hooked on to Plurk like forever, from the moment he started using the Social Network. Evenmore so in 2009 when something life changing happened to him, because of using Plurk.

We take our Plurk audience seriously

Kevin is on a decent (not good :p) start in utilizing Plurk again as one of our resources of incoming traffic. It’s very important that we engage further with the community on various social networks, specially due to the fact that we’ll carry on the name Pinoy Teens New Media this 2012.

We’ll make the said social network as our HQ of all Social Media stuff going on. To ensure our audience on Plurk that we’re taking them serious and that Pinoy Teens is indeed, a legitimate site for information, entertainment and education, we applied for the VERIFIED status on Plurk. I’m happy to tell you, that our Plurk account managed by our founder has indeed become one of the select few Verified accounts on Plurk at the moment.

Tip: We’ll run some contests exclusive for our Plurk Friends and Fans soon!

So don’t forget to sign up for Plurk now!

Pinoy Teens, now “verified” on Plurk is a post from: Pinoy Teens

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.  ~Burton Hillis

image from http://02varvara.wordpress.com

So what are you doing for this Christmas?

Christmas-time is surely coming, and everyone is truly excited.

But as we grow older, Christmas loses its meaning in our hearts. We lose the old mentality of enjoying each other’s company in celebrating this momentous occasion.

Why do I say that, you may ask.

If you take a look around you notice that people are putting up Christmas lights, Christmas trees, decor and the likes. But one thing pops out that takes away the true meaning of Christmas.

No it’s not the presents. I’m no grinch. I love presents. Although I’ve grown too old to receive presents from my parents, I love the fact that people are still giving each other gifts in this day and age.

Celebrating the Birth of Christ

Christmas is when we, together with the entire world celebrate the birth of Christ. Other people of different faiths may have different reasons for celebrating this day, but we as Christians have this as the main reason.

That’s the reason why we put up belens and mangers as Christmas decor.

What’s with the tree?

What’s up with the bearded guy?

I know what they stand for, but because of them we sometimes forget why we’re celebrating Christmas in the first place.

Sometimes we don’t even go to mass on Christmas day anymore. Sometimes we miss out the misa de gallo.

Sometimes we focus on the decor and we forget what we should be doing for Christmas.

Get in touch with your roots

Maybe once a year you can come back to your home town and spend Christmas with your family. If you already have your own, that’s great. Spend it with them. Not at work. Not with coworkers. Not alone.

Spend Christmas with the people in your life that really matter. People who have loved you since the day you were born. Or friends who have been by your side since day one.

You don’t need to have gifts for everyone. The act of coming home to spend this special season is more than enough to show that you love them.

Don’t focus on the material things

Material things would include the presents that you give and receive. It could also include the decor that you put up for Christmas. Instead of spending so much on those Christmas lights, why not buy that amazing piece of ham for everyone to enjoy in the bellies?

Rekindling friendships can also be a great non-material present you could give to someone this Christmas season. Try to let go of old quarrels and grudges. It might be hard at first, but is definitely worth it.

Healing broken relationships in the family is something that should be done ASAP, and Christmas is just another perfect moment for you to do that.

Say sorry to the ones you’ve hurt. Tell your family that you love them. It’s the simple things that really matter in the long run. Not an item that only lasts for a few months.

Make your Christmas a truly special one

• Celebrate this once-a-year event with the people you love, and the ones who love you.
• Heal those old wounds. Rekindle old friendships.
• Christmas time is the perfect time to show how much you care and love someone. Come back home. Show them you care.
• Drop the material things. They’re pure garbage compared to having an awesome time with friends, family and loved ones.
• Christmas shouldn’t be what you get, or what you give. It’s how you spend it, and who you spend it with.
• As early as now, try to file for leaves so you can come home to your family

So what are you plans for this Christmas? Let us know in the comments section below.

Have a wonderful season.

Make Your Christmas A Special One is a post from: Pinoy Teens

Oh how dear can this time of the year be? It’s noted to be the time when people are supposed to become generous and share their blessings with other people… that’s why beggars on the street have become very rampant.

No, I have nothing against them personally. I know a lot of tragic stories ’bout how these people end up on the street… but you know, there’s a particular kind of people that I just hate to see around begging on the street and using Christmas as a lame excuse to get money from others.

Major turn-offs about beggars during Christmas Season:

• The Use of Children when asking money
• Singing… and singing… Until they get the money, or until there’s a clear sign they won’t get any. And if they get a few bucks, they’ll stop singing without finishing the song.
• People who get mad when they’re not given anything for their so-called “effort” in caroling.
• Those who use “Christmas” to get money from others whilst not believing in Christmas

How pitiful people on the street may seem, I see to it that those who receive the few spare bucks that I have are worth it, and not just those who act out being amongst the poorest of poor.

Call me mean, arrogant, naive or whatever… but seriously, not everyone who lives on the street deserves Christmas.

Don’t you agree that it’s annoying?

Photo Credit: Darnok

A “Not So” Merry Christmas Reminder is a post from: Pinoy Teens