The Digital Journalist

When breaking up is hard to do

7/25/2015

Our present society makes everything easy including finding a love life, or losing one.

Friend today, boyfriend tomorrow; or boyfriend today, friend tomorrow. Sometimes your boyfriend, is the ex of your friend, and that of your other friend.

Sometimes one can find a partner online or in a party and lose him or her, after a week. And many other roller coaster changes in relationships. I am not saying that this is an absolute thing but these things do happen.

About 20 years ago, it is so damn difficult for a boy to court a girl. At the same time it is not easy for a girl to say “yes”. That was my teenage years, and the time when breaking up is hard to do.

I remember during those years…

We do not have emails, but we were happy reading love letters.

We do not have skype or viber, but we felt really great with flying kissess.

We do not have text messages, but we receive love notes written on paper airplane.

We do not have #kiligpamore, but we are surely “kilig” seeing our crush across the street.

We do not have instagram, but we keep a small picture of him in our wallet (and make sure our parents do not see it)

We do not have malls to hang out, but a glimpse of our crush during Sunday mass made a goodnight sleep.

We do not have flashing clothes, fashionable accessories, imported make-up, but we were happy once our crush notice our natural hair.

Watching movies together is a difficult (or totally impossible) thing, but our heart beats fast seeing our crush in a crowded plaza during fiesta jamboree.

Being with our special someone overnight for swimming or party is difficult (or totally impossible), but we almost jump to heaven for few moments of holding hands.

We do not have android to see our special someone on cameras, so we missed them dearly.

During those times, there seems to be too many walls between two people who are in love. These same walls taught us to value relationships. Literally, these same walls made breaking up difficult. Emotionally, these walls made breaking up a hard thing, because relationships are built slowly, firmly, differently.

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Successful married life is the main prize, a great wedding is just a bonus

11/18/2014

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A wedding can be the happiest and the most expensive event in your life, or it can be a one-day event which can be your happiest without creating huge financial obligations, because at the end of the day, we all hope for a successful married life, not a fabulous wedding day. For those who have achieved both congratulations.

A friend who is getting married this December asks me about budgeting for his wedding. As they plan for a fabulous wedding day, she thinks their savings are not enough.

While the fad is to have extravagant wedding, I told her she doesn’t have to spend too much money for a one day event, instead invest for a “together forever” as a couple for life. For couples with plenty of money, a celebrity-like wedding is not a problem. But for others, a wedding day usually brings financial burden to the couple and their families.

Simple and solemn wedding celebration is a great option for couples who are getting married. I believe the couple should spend their few months before the wedding planning for the first six months of their life together, and the coming days thereafter; and not only focus their time and money on that one big day.

A colleague from overseas shared me his story about how extravagant his wedding was. He really spent so much time preparing for his wedding. He used all of his savings, applied for a loan, and sold some properties for a special wedding day. A couple of years after, he spent only a few hours signing a divorce paper and pay only about a hundred dirhams (about Php1200). He is left with no money and no wife.

We’ll that story is not far from what is happening in the Philippines. The current trend in the country is to spend too much for wedding events, hire the best coordinators, photographers and videographers, catering services, popular venues, etc. It all boil down to spending your savings, some up to the extent of mortgaging or selling properties just to meet what the current society calls like a “celebrity” wedding, the one’s like that of the showbiz people, not to mention the celebrity-like wedding proposals.

While my friend’s story ended with a fast and less expensive divorce procedure, married couple in the Philippines has to experience a long process, court proceedings, and spend huge amount of money for annulment to finally say “yes I am free”.

Well, everybody wants a great wedding and a successful married life that doesn’t end with a divorce or annulment. I think a successful married life is the main prize and a great wedding is just a bonus. It’s not the other way around.

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Helping hands

7/18/2014

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Compared to other provinces in the Philippines, Batangas is luckier to be geographically situated in a less typhoon prone area.

But a few days ago, Batanguenos were surprised of their first taste of a "bad weather" ever.

Yes, when you look around it was not very pleasing to the eyes. But wait, some of us captured "the good in the bad" ---the faith, values and spirit of Batanguenos.

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Some thoughts on Valentines Day

2/13/2014

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A valentines day article originally published on February 12,2012 at www,elsiemaya.wordpress.com :

The “heart” or “hurt” day

Gosh ! it’s almost half of February 2012. And on Tuesday, its Valentines Day. Not that i don’t believe in such celebration, but due to time constraints i never usually notice this day on my annual calendar. Oh, what a great excuse to justify a lonely Valentines day. Kidding aside, this day it is either a “heart day” or “hurt day ” for some.

Why heart day? Very obvious, if you are happily committed with someone and the other party is happily committed with you, then it’s a heart day for you. Expect for single or bunch of roses, love notes, cards, chocolates, gifts, a date, candle light dinner, kisses and more….

Why hurt day? Now, it’s a long discussion but id rather present the prominent scenarios:

1.You expect to receive a Valentines Day surprise from someone special and he or she totally forgot (intentional or otherwise) that it’s Valentines day.

2. The love of your life is away or overseas on Valentines day and nothing material can offset your distance. And even technology presents alternatives like call, sms, text, skype, facebook or any other form of communication, it cannot replace his or her physical presence.

3. You recently broke up with someone and this is your first time to celebrate Valentines day without him or her. Let us just say the wound is still fresh, and drinking or a trip cannot make you forget him on Valentines day.

4. Your partner notwithstanding availability on such day, rather choose to do something else (usually work or career related) instead of you two celebrating Valentines together.

5. You’ve been spending Valentines Day alone since time immemorial (just giving you a laugh), and you realized that “Single and Happy” doesn’t work all the time specially on Valentines Day, and sometimes being single on this day can make you sad.

6. Well, im running out of idea, but the worst thing that could probably spoil your Valentines is to find out that your boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, wife or husband is spending Valentines Day…not with you but with somebody else.

Enough of the “hurt day” , the whole idea of Valentines Day is not confined with erotic love or romance between two persons. You can always celebrate Valentines Day as a “heart” day. Celebrate love between friends (Phileo), and family (Storge), or do something charitable (Agape-unconditional love).

Believe me Valentines Day can be a year round celebration of a “heart” day, big time ,

photo is courtesy of Treats by Myla. I love their cupcakes.

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The 266th Roman Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis I

3/13/2013

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Jorge Mario Bergoglio,76, of Argentina is now the new pope to lead 1.2 billion Roman Catholics around the world after being elected by 115 cardinals in The Vatican on Wednesday, March 13.

Pope Francis I, as he is now named, is the first non- European pope in more than 1,200 years and becomes the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. He had been chosen to take the place of Pope Benedict XVI who decided to end his rough eight years of papacy last month announcing he was no longer up to the rigors of his job. Pope Francis who was born to Italian immigrant parents and raised in the Argentinian capital, is known as a humble man who spoke out for the poor back in Buenos Aires as the archbishop. In an article, Rev. Thomas Rosica of Canada recalls his meeting with Cardinal Bergoglio a decade ago “He cooks for himself and took great pride in telling us that, and that he took the bus to work rather than riding in a car”, Rev. Thomas Rosica of Canada said recalling a meeting with Cardinal Bergoglio a decade ago.

A conservative by doctrine, the pope has strong opposition to liberation theology, abortion, gay marriage and the ordination of women. As well, he has deep concern about social inequalities in Argentina and Latin America. Pope Francis I who had chosen the name of St. Francis of Assisi who lived a life of poverty and simplicity until 1226, is then expected to bring essential change in the leadership of the Church.

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LTN unveils new site

3/13/2013

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Following a long list of successful events and partnership projects, LTN Event Services and Productions expands its online presence with the launch of its website www.ltnevents.com . Started out as freelance coordinators for weddings and birthdays, the company has now grown as an events company with array of services on everything and anything an event can be imagined. The company is behind major events in Lipa City servicing to significant number of performing arts companies, educational institutions, non-government organizations, business organizations and multi-national companies. LTN website is designed by OSP Virtual Arts & Media,

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Digital Journalism, creating new media landscape in Batangas

2/25/2013

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Digital or Online Journalism changes the way how information and news reach the society. With a technical component, the journalist of this generation creates not just a new style of storytelling such as blogs, but offers a variety of media like video, digital photography, and audio components. Aside from speed, the interaction between writers and readers are enriched by a digital media. Batangas Hub, is a humble attempt to provide a regional site, which uses online media technology to present helpful information, positive news, community and social advocacy in Batangas.

Batangas Hub is open for young, innovative and creative writers who can voluntarily share their passion for writing and advocacy for responsible journalism in the region. Contact Batangas Hub and be one of our Digital Journalists.

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When breaking up is hard to do

Successful married life is the main prize, a great wedding is just a bonus

Helping hands

Some thoughts on Valentines Day

The 266th Roman Catholic pontiff, Pope Francis I

LTN unveils new site

Digital Journalism, creating new media landscape in Batangas

The Digital Journalist

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