True Love Waits

this photo is added just to capture readers. It doesn't mean what it shows. :D HAHA!

One bright morning, you were sitting at a bench at your school. Whistling, staring somewhere your eye-lenses are bringing you, or maybe, waiting for something to make you stand and walk away for the next second.  Suddenly, she passed. You’re eyes spark as you stared. She noticed you. You blushed. She smiled. You smiled back. With that magical feeling that makes you think a pink cloud is raising your butt from your seat, suddenly, you felt it is LOVE.

You feel like flying when she’s holding your hand! You feel like heaven when she kisses you! You keep on denying that you are out of your mind and that she’s the reason why you look insane now that you are ‘in love’, yet you are proud to say that this girl is driving you crazy! You can’t get her out of your mind; you keep on wondering what she must be doing this certain moment. Top of all, she’s the last thing you speak on your prayers right before the word Amen.

Man, yeah, you are in love… Well that’s what you want me to say! But I tell you, as long as you build your relationship on buying roses to her every time she finds out that you’ve lied to her, or giving her promises and in return, you expect her to satisfy your sexual desires, or saying I love you to her while texting I love you more to someone in your phone, or giving her all you can give to prove her that you love her but what you really want is for her to say ‘I love you too’ without waiting too long, that is not love. That is just infatuation. Or worst, it might just be that confusing quasi-love feeling called lust.

 Individuals who have their first sexual experience later than average may have more satisfying romantic relationships in adulthood, according to a new study from The University of Texas at Austin. This means that people who waited longer, who picked better in the later age, and who delayed his sexual gratifications, has a happier life as a married man. Among the participants who were married or living with a partner, people with later sexual initiation were more likely to say that they were happy with the way they and their partners handled conflict, how their partners showed them love and affection, and how they enjoyed doing day-to-day things with their partners. The association held up even after taking genetic and environmental factors into account and could not be explained by differences in adult educational attainment, income, or religiousness, or by adolescent differences in dating involvement, body mass index, or attractiveness (http://www.utexas.edu).

True love is, of course, a feeling, but it is so much more. True love can be faked; but real true love is defined by trust, sacrifice, loyalty and patience. Now you might want to know if ‘SHOULD true love wait?’ Unquestionably!

Being a teen by the moment, I’ve been experimental. I thought true love comes with magic. I learned that it doesn’t. I then thought true love comes with giving up all you got just earn love back. I learned that it doesn’t too. I lastly thought that true love is earned by choosing a perfect one and trying to love by following a perfect prospective. But again, I learned that it doesn’t. By reading, comprehending, and analysing, and purely not by experiencing, I learned that true love is built on foundation of trust, sacrifice, loyalty, and patience.

Trust. This is something that is earned, not learned.  It is THAT something that you earn from a person when you say a simple promise and you duly fulfils it. It’s the reason why you feel confident when your partner is working afar, but when she comes back, you know that you were still her last kiss, her last dream, and last person she spoke ‘I love you’. We might love people that we don’t wholly trust. Love is easy to give, easy to show, easy to grow, but not trust. To trust must be the highest form of loving and to be trusted is for sure the greatest assurance of being loved. It comes with time, so true love truly waits!

Sacrifice. You can only love to the level of your sacrifice for sacrifice measures love. How much you do for someone reflects how much you love. True love is not just a feeling; true love is a sacrifice that summons a feeling. It is built on giving, not on receiving. You cannot say that you fell in love because you receive this and that. Love is maintained on giving. You find true love when you learn to give a part of yourself, when you learn to give forgiveness, when you learn to give compassion, all without assuming that you should gain back too. Sacrifice is the fuel that lets you manifest how you love unselfishly and selflessly.

Loyalty. It is when you say ‘I do’, and you mean that you will ‘til the end of all time. It’s when you say ‘I’ll never leave you, I’m always here for you, and I will walk beside you’ and you really mean it. Loyalty is saying I love you to someone but what you really mean is ‘trust me that you are and you will be the only one that I’ll love as much as forever allows us’. True love is loyal.

Patience. If what you really want is to express is true love, you will be willing to wait. Love shouldn’t be built on experiments. It should not be forced. True love stands the test of time, a test that only a patient man who’s truly in love surpasses. True love waits!

These facts are not new to me. I was told of these a long time ago by people who found true love. But I didn’t take it seriously. I entered relationships by following too much heart without mind and sometimes, with too much mind without heart. After passing few break-ups, there is one thing I learned. TRUE LOVE WAITS. I must not hurry love, for if I will; it is not love that I’ll find but another nail in the head.

I know in time, there will be that one person who will find true love with me. And I know in that time, there will be that magic which gonna make me love with trust, sacrifice, loyalty, and patience, and that magic is for sure the magic of TRUE LOVE.

What We Used to Be

Misunderstandings untangled kill like bandits:

You might stay silent until you know it’s too late.

Puzzles unsolved raze like speckled grenades:

In time they’ll become the reason for distance forever.

Sometimes I break down, I fall apart.

I think I miss you but I’m locked with no choice.

Sometimes I fall asleep wondering where did I fell short?

And wake up limp with your absence beside me.

I believed in destiny like how I trusted love,

 (Felt safe merely by the stares of your eyes)

But then now I just feel imperfect; unworthy.

I must have missed the boat that just sailed away.

I never promised to give you the stars and the skies,

Yet I did swear to live beneath them with you forever.

That’s why it’s hard for me seeing us changing,

But the worst is remembering how happy we used to be.

Tired Under That Mask

I never thought I'd be tired,

Tired of looking at the same man in the mirror

That delicately scented man

Who followed rules within his harbor

I never thought I'd be tired,

Tired of being submissive to my past:

Respecting, cherishing lessons learned

Now that I know nothing is to last

Been so long I stayed as someone,

Who'd love to make them smile.

But I never thought I'd be tired,

Now I claim that someone just died.

I would spend much; I would lie!

I would keep cursing; in sinning I would dive!

Hell, you're angry? Think I'm mad?

You never cared when I had that mask!

I'd be fat as much as I can,

I'd love to be a disappointment as long as I want!

I would kiss, I would touch whoever I like,

Dirty under my strong sweet unfading perfume!

Hate me more and more each day!

I'd trim and dye my hair in way that displeasures you.

Being disgusting disgusts me too,

But being too nice for you disgusts me more.

I never thought I'd be tired,

Tired of being one that pleases you.

Tired of making you appreciate me.

Tired of being in the cage that you built for me.

All I wanted is to hear you speak

Words that define my worth; but now-

I'd rather love to see you hate me for who I'am,

Than to see you love me for being who you want.

I Hope For

Every person has his own wishes he hopes to come true. This article won't be long enough; this would simply put into writing the things that I hope for. In this very day, I will pen down the things I want to achieve, I wish to have, and I long to happen-- both about life and love.

For the coming years, these are the things I hope to happen in my life (as of the moment):

• To graduate and become a doctor, yet I hope to live a simple country living.
• To be able to work in Australia or New Zealand as a farm veterinarian.
• I really want to watch George Strait in the Grand Ole Opry, LIVE!
• I'm dreaming for a house built near a cliff, and put an infinity pool just atop the cliff.
• To tour my mom and dad abroad, so that mom will finally be able to fly with a plane.
• To have a happy home. :)

Love? I'm too afraid for it. I had enough. And if I'll ever find again my strength to love once again, I wish we'll be happier than sad, more loved than pained. Someday I know I'll met someone who's going to me learn how to trust again, but this time I hope:

• To fall into someone who's going to value my trust.
• To love someone who would value my tears.
• And to live with someone who's going to value my happiness.

It might be inevitable, but I wish that if I fall again, its for forever. For I don't know how will I ever pick myself up again if I'd ever be ending up hurt once more. I don't wish for a perfect lover, I just hope to love someone who's gonna love me back truthfully, someone whose gonna stay through thick and thin, someone who understands and seeks for forgiveness once mistaken, someone who won't fool me for nothing, and someone who sees forever with me.

I maybe hoping for things too far to achieve, but it's always better to aim for the stars, so if I'll fall short I'll still be among the clouds. Through faith in God I know he may not grant me my human desires, but I know He will give what's right for me. :) Thank you for reading.

Sacri 2.0: Yanie, the Sacrificial Dog

Do you know the feeling when someone is dying helplessly infront of you? Someone who can’t say “no”, can’t say “please not me”; someone who can’t even beg you to save her life. Do you know how it feels like seeing someone who’s blankly wondering what’s gonna happen? Scared but can’t run, can’t even scream? I’ve been in that situation. My eyes are staring at the procedure that I must learn, but my heart is crying in pity as I see right infront of me another Sacri, the sacrificial dog.

That was Wednesday morning, when the sun was shining bright, but my body seemed like it has a frozen core. I woke up late, so I needed to move fast. I knew what’s going to happen later that morning, so I packed what I need: face mask, surgical gloves, scalpel holder and blades, and different forceps. I came late at my Zootechnics 52 class, and surprised by a quiz. Happy that I answered all satisfactorily, but my smile faded immediately when I saw the dog that we’re gonna use for our Gross Anatomy Laboratory.

Yanie, that’s her name. She’s a mongrel, ASKAL as we call her kind, but her gloomy eyes are filled with life. She has a brown and white coat infected with fleas. She’s so thin, and her ribs are all bulging. Some of who saw her say it’s ok if she dies, because she’s not lovely at all. But for me, life is life, and it has same definition between a cared and loved dog to a thin and ugly dog; same as between a human and a mere askal. But even if I felt apologetic towards the poor Yanie, she still needs to face her fate, so that I will be able to learn.

Time came that Yanie has to be euthanized. I wore my Laboratory gown at same time that Yanie was lifted at the table. That time, her eyes are scanning our faces, same as the other group’s black dog at the other table. I know she wanted to jump down, or to bark at us, but she just couldn’t, for her schnozzle was muzzled and her thin body was restrained by several hands. When our teacher placed the basin beside the table, she said we must make sure that the blood will drain down there. That certain moment I know I’m not dreaming at all, and that was really happening.

One of my classmates went out and cried. I know she felt sorry, I know we felt the same and perhaps the whole class too. But I just told myself repeatedly that I have to be insensitive for the moment for this is part of learning.

A clinician student did the euthanasia for us. When he injected the Zolitol to Yanie, she felt down immediately. Before he incised her throat, he first taught us how to get blood from her vein. She was under the influence of the drug, so she was unresponsive to pain. But when he started to open her throat, I can see that Yanie is feeling the pain. I felt so uncomfortable when he cut her jugular vein. Blood was flowing out of her body, and she was just so helpless. As blood flows out of her, many of my classmates can’t afford to stay numb. “Kaluoy niya”, “Ouch, sakita pud ana ui”, “Wala na si Yanie”.

I did my best to stay insensitive, to always think that this is for the sake of learning. But all of my walls bagged down to pieces when we started to inject formalin and let it circulate in her body. For a moment, her body shook intensely. “Look at her taking her last breath,” said Kent, the clinician.

Just think of this, few hours ago Yanie was alive, and few hours later, Yanie was all cold and stiff body wrapped in cloth, placed in the fridge. When I went out of the room, an article about a Vet student who’s been in same situation as mine 2 years ago constantly bangs my mind. Santi. That’s his dog, which he took care for days before they dissected him. That achy feeling that wrapped my body as my eyes read the painful experience of that Vet student few years ago came back to me like 10x more. It is really painful to see someone dying infront of me. And you know what’s more painful? It is when you know that the one dying can’t even speak for herself; can’t even ask us ‘why?”.

But facing the reality, Carl Ace is a Vet Med student, and that simply means there will be more and more of like this as I go further. There will be more Yanie needed to be sacrifice for the sake of learning. And if God allows, thinking of Veterinary Medicine as my profession, all of the sacrificed animals starting from the frogs to the ascaris, to the starfishes and different arthropods, up to Yanie, the sacrificial dog, and including the animals that will be used in the future, their lives won’t be wasted, their pain wont be left overdue, for they are part of my foundation, all I learned and gonna learned out of them would make me a better veterinarian to be efficient in saving lives.

The Wednesday sun came to set at the horizon, and before the sky totally turned blue and gray, one realization cracked out of the experience I gone through that day. Not because they can’t speak, nor they can’t reason, nor simply because they think less comprehensively than humans, they feel less pain. Their inferiority towards human doesn’t allow us though to inflict them pain. But SCIENCE NEED SACRIFICE, and learning needs something like Yanie’s fate. I’m so thankful for Yanie for giving up her life for me, and for my batchmates. And as a promise, your life won’t be wasted. We won’t allow letting ourselves, myself, to fail this subject, Gross Anatomy and sacrifice another dog just to try to pass again. 

For me to learn Gross Anatomy, one life is enough; one corpse is already sufficient to learn what must be learned. This is a sad truth, but someone has to be sacrificed for my education. But I don’t think that was depressing, because I believe that was actually motivating! Life for lives; Yanie for the future animals who need me. 

To Yanie, I promise, we promise, your life won’t be wasted, and we won’t let ourselves to repeat your fate to another Yanie, another sacrificial dog.

Harder Than Any Bones

Its like I'm traversing a great mountain where there are only 3 kinds of climbers: the one who reaches the top, the one who loses his hope and quits, and the one who is forced to quit. For the mean time, I'am looking at the far peak, which is still a long way to go, and my feet are standing right at the dangerous part of the mountain called the Great Cliff, shaking. Although I'm anxious for the tough trek I'm gonna go through, I still can't afford to quit for I've already gone too far. But within this worried body, is a soul of a mere climber, who is dreaming nothing but to reach the top, no matter how hard.

Being in this uniform of the college I'm attending, College of Veterinary Medicine, is such a delightful thing. For two years, never came a day that I didn't feel jealous to any Vet Med students who are already in uniform. In those years, I did my very best to fail none of my subjects, so that I can say to myself when the time comes that I'll have my own, I deserve wearing this. For me, having this uniform sewed with my body measurements is a dream come true.

I always make sure that my shoes are shined and my uniform is ironed. When I move, I move with gentleness and care. Certainly, I don't want to put any stain on my uniform. And you know what's funny, all of my batchmates do the same things too! But as days go by, I, myself (and i know my batchmates too) is starting to feel displeasure having these sewed cloth on.

I can still remember how do I study during my preparatory years. I do study whenever I have exams, and when I don't have any, NO PRESSURE. Most of my nightly hours go for sleep, and when I woke up, I have nothing to worry. Those years aren't that easy, but there is a wide difference between studying hard subjects vigorously and studying hard subjects calmly.

Now, I just can't do same things as before. Main reasons are: (a) we must earn atleast 75% out of 100% of the total requirement in able to pass our subjects, unlike before that we only need to satisfy atleast 50%;  (b) we are taking pre-clinical sciences now, which are all totally different from our high school subjects and general education subjects; and (c) we are now being taught and handled in a no terror way, but in a horrifying way. At this point of learning, you'll know that college isn't really made as a place for learning, it is actually made as a pressure cooker. Heavy loads, heavy subjects, heavy passing rates, heavy expenses, and even heavier expectations from our heavy parents, how can one disagree that this is not a pressure cooker?

Let me share you something. In every time that our profs tell us that were gonna have our exams in few days by now, my heart always wobble in fear.There is always an apprehension that disturbs my innocence: with the wide extent of our coverage, and with the narrowness of my allowable mistakes, would I pass? and if I do, would I really pass with flying colors? And if I fail, how am I gonna tell it to my mom? And the worst? It is when after those questions disturb my mind, a bit of memory then haunts me. In the back of my mind I can see the face of my tired mom saying: Doi, you study hard. Its OK if you get 3.0, but never let any of your subjects to fail. Me and your dad are striving hard, doing all things possible, just to sustain your expenses in school. We are not doing this for our own good, but were doing it for you, so you help yourself reach your goal. Understood son? And that freaks me out.

What I do next is I go to the market and eat my dinner early, and go straight to my room and study, study, study, study, until I drop my book from my hand. In few minutes, unconsciously I'am realizing that I am actually sleeping, so what I do next is I do my best to open my eyes, and the hardest thing to do next is to keep it open. Right after I finish reading the first book, I move to the next book; performing the art of cross-referencing. Until I find something that opposes a fact given by the first book, and I just can't help myself but spend a long time wondering who's telling right! And as I go further, I see another flaw, and another flaw again, and more and more flaws until I see the clock that tells its already pass midnight, and I badly need to have my sleep now. When I wake up, its already 6 AM, and that simply tells me that I gotta be quick in preparing myself for school in the next hour! Just imagine that, Carl Ace as born not genius and brainy enough to engulf and retain all the knowledge that I must learn is doing his best to cope up with this stressing situation. And again, I believe I'm not alone, for many of my batchmates with the same level of intellectual capacity as me are on the same struggle too.

Its a triumph if I pass the exam, but its a major downfall if after all that I have done, I failed. This situation that me and my batchmates that are still adapting now is quite different from before. This is a risky game for victory, and just like Super Mario, a wrong step would cost him a life. That's why all of us do all the ways possible to endure, to adapt, and to pass these primary challenges that we are facing for the mean time. And hey, all the ways possible is like studying with no more sleep, studying with heavy prayers, or studying and then reviewing at the 11th hour an old test paper of the previous people who finished the subjects that we are facing. I am no innocent, and I am honest to tell you that I did certainly all the ways possible. I, myself and my parents too has invested already a lot for this, and I just can't let myself fail just because the amount of effort I've exerted is still less.

I guess what makes this situation hard is the fact that I AM STILL ADJUSTING. I'm still learning how do my profs deliver their lessons and give exams. I'm still observing my batchmates in this new environment--who's gonna stay as a friend who will help me likewisely, who's gonna be a friend who will cling to me parasitically, who's gonna be a friend that will share to me delightful and uplifting words of wisdom but  absent when needed, and who's gonna be a friend who will be selfish enough to forget our friendship just to excel in the competition that only exist in his or her mind. I'm at a situation which is really hard to endure, harder than any bones in our Anatomy class. But in this tough fight between me and this uncertainty, I know I have to win. Not because I've already come too far, not because I'm pressured by my parents, not because I'm afraid of the shame of failing, but because this is what I want.

Its like I'm traversing a great mountain where there are only 3 kinds of climbers: the one who reaches the top, the one who loses his hope and quits, and the one who is forced to quit. My eyes are looking at the far peak, and my feet are carefully taking short steps while walking on this dangerous cliff. I don't wanna be the second type of climber, nor the third one. I know this would be hard, but at the end of this trail is the peak--where every one who dared to pursue, every one who suffered but didn't quit, and everyone who did continued amidst all the hardships, sweats, and tears-- has reached. This challenge is harder than any bones, but the word success is at the end. So no one must dare to take a step behind.

Truth Behind the Indolence

--Carl Ace R. Parilla

When God decided where to bestow the bounty, their ancestors were so lucky being one of the chosen. For centuries, the rightful receivers proved their worth. They calloused their hands by toiling at day and steeled their heels dancing at nights. But when the white conquerors came, and shifted their fidelity to another God, it seemed that they also change their identity: from LANDLORDS to TENANTS.

Finally, the once green leaves of our little cornfield turned brown and dry, thus, its harvest time! This morning, I went with my grandpa to the farm and I enjoyed seeing people harvesting our crop. I can’t stop on thinking that a part of this would be spent for my books, a part for my shoes, and a part for my dream laptop. How silly, as if I even own a part of it! Later, sun rays oozed sweat down my face, and my eyebrows nearly met due to high heat. But in this certain moment when I can’t think of anything lovely to ease my distress, as my eyes continually stare the harvesters who seemed to be long affable with the heat, one realization stirred my senses: they actually own this land, as in legally own this land, yet, their harvesting our yield! What an irony.

I remembered in our history class, it was discussed that Rizal once wrote a series of essays entitled The Indolence of the Filipinos. Rizal has noticed that Filipinos of his time are indolent, or lazy. But he believes that the indolence is the effect of the backwardness and troubles experienced by the Philippines at that time. But as an observant citizen, no one can deny that even if this honored country at present is as free as its conquerors, indolence among Filipino masses is as apparent as skies about to rain.

Rizal and even the grade 6 students know that ancient Filipinos are seafaring people, and long before westerners knew that Earth is spherical, our forefathers were already carrying out trades, and they’re much into agriculture and mining. Its true to say that they aren’t indolent but actually, hardworking people. However, when Spaniards came and ruled, they eventually changed the dated culture of the Filipino people.

When the whole world was anticipating for liberty, the sole oriental Spanish colony stuck on the medieval way of living. Spaniard-owned haciendas were plowed by the indios. Sadly, these indios are actually the descendants of the real landlords. Well, that’s not indolence, for the Spaniards stole their right to toil their own soil.

However, I guess Rizal hadn’t viewed it wrong. I must be too wrong if I say that these people who are harvesting our crops planted in their lot are all indolent, for they’re showing much hardship just to earn by their labor. But if you view it logically, and as a standing witness, I must be correct in my own reasoning.

First, they lend their piece of soil to us in a reasonable price, but did they use it for reasonable expenses? Just like most of our neighbors, when they gain money, might be from work or what, they would celebrate and buy Tanduay every after a Tanduay, a pack of cigars every after a pack of cigars. They’d drink and spend money over the night, and the next morning, they’d buy sardines for breakfast, at noon, dried fish, and at end of the day, noodles for supper. Now you ask me, what’s so wrong with it? They’re just having fun like any other earning people! I tell you, I might have a young mind and experienced nothing about adults’ reality, but at least I know something about right and wrong. They drink to death like they got a lot of bucks, but they can’t even buy their kids a good pair of slippers. Well, that’s the least case of scenario, because everything worst follows. They spend for fun and kids will have nothing to eat at school. Then eventually, they would stop learning, and more eventually, if he’s a boy, he’ll end up drunkard and sabongero. In other hand, if the kid is a girl, she’ll also end up drunkard, disco girl, and at the end of the parade, a pregnant youngster.

Rizal was right as saying, we are not lazy, were just contented with our way of living. And that makes me sad. That severe contentment kills every child’s dream. Some of them claim “we people don’t have the right to education. We are poor. We can’t afford our dreams”. With all due respect, let me say this: THAT’S INSANE! Education in our country is served cheap. Who says they can’t afford? Money? If they just dream, they would look onto handfuls of opportunities provided for them; they just need to stand for it. In the case of our harvesters, if they would just want to prosper, they should have invested to their land with the aid of Agricultural Loans of some rural banks. There is also a monthly aid given by the Local Government Unit to the indigenous people, and instead of using the money for things unnecessary, they always have the option to use it to start a small business.

For real, I envy these people. They were born infants meant to grow into men best fit to toil the land. They were the people who don’t need to be a millionaire first before they can own hectares of land because long before they were born, a piece of Earth already belongs to them. They got the assistance of government where the taxes of big earners go. And most of all, it’s a lot easier for them to get rich (just like my native neighbors who used their land well) because of the fact that our country’s economy is basically agricultural. They just have to work not for partial happiness but for a long term happiness earned by dreaming for the best.

As a common saying goes, “Future belongs to the people who prepares for it today”. I believe that these people, who worked for us, and even the whole Filipino race, are not indolent. They just lack the determination, the push, the urge, to dream further. I know, it’s hard to dream, actually, no one gets success overnight. It takes courage, passion, determination, and will. But most of all, dreaming requires no indolence. So strive hard, and dreams will come true!

Decision Worth Pursuing For

If I base my identity on the Canadian psychologist James Marcia’s Identity Status Theory, I must belong to what he classified as Identity Foreclosure. That’s because I let my parents determine my own career direction. However, after I enjoyed this week and just before I close my eyes to sleep, there is one realization that came into my mind: there are decisions worth pursuing for.

Just last week, Central Mindanao University College of Veterinary Medicine hosted the 8th National Congress of Veterinary Medicine Students. With this year’s theme: Building Bridges for Excellence in Veterinary Profession Across the Archipelago, once again numerous aspiring vets from both private and state universities gathered. Representatives from 11 Veterinary Medicine schools across the country came and exposed their selves to new learnings, explored wider opportunities, and shared same fun experiences. The 4-day event was packed with talks from numerous respected veterinarians in various subfields of veterinary profession, tours to different vet facilities within and outside the campus, and fun moments at nights meant for students to socialize.

Even though I’m still in my last preparatory semester in this course, we sophomores were still allowed to participate in the said event. Honestly, being a ‘know-nothing’ yet in veterinary matters, I really hadn’t enjoyed the talk too much, but actually the whole thing stirred a question in my mind: is that really how big the opportunities that awaits for me?

When you come to think of it, there are only more or less 21 Veterinary Medicine Schools in our country, yet, the manpower demands for animal health care, for livestock, swine, equine and poultry production and sales, and for the academia are consistently high. Even the demand for veterinarians for abroad is always high too. These demands are always in need for a veterinarian’s skill. That’s the reason why even if a veterinary medicine graduate is not licensed yet, there are handfuls of companies which are reserving or even hiring him already. And I’ am even lucky enough to be enrolled in one of CHED’s only 3 Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) recognized as Center as of Excellence in Veterinary Education.

How about in Bukidnon, is there really a need for veterinarians? The answer is a big YES. Actually, just last month, when I and my dad went to Onda’s Farm (just along the national highway situated in Dalwangan, Malaybalay) to buy some trays of fresh eggs, we had a short talk with its owner. We my dad told Mrs. Onda that I am studying Veterinary Medicine, she immediately told me that I will apply to her when I graduate for she doesn’t have one yet. We were just laughing after that for I still need to conquer 4 more years before I graduate. But that alone proves that there is really a great need for veterinarians in our province alone.

Studying this course isn’t easy at all. It’s even almost a miracle to see someone finishing it in CMU within 6 years! Imagine, just mastering several animal anatomies, studying wide range and differences of diseases among animals, and just the fact that animals as patients don’t even talk where the pain is (vets just got to know), aiming to be a great doctor is a tough fight. Yet seeing those aspiring vets like me inspires me a lot. They don’t strive just to earn money; they don’t strive just to get a stable job. They strive primarily because there is an urge within them that they want to help these helpless creatures, and that they don’t want to see any sad pet-loving kid. Though before, I didn’t wanted to be a veterinarian, I believe within me that animals are my comfort zone, and living in a ranch is my dream. This is not just a dream actually, IT’S MY PASSION. And now I know, this decision is really worth pursuing for.

Dance When Summer Rains

Dance When Summer Rains
Carl Ace R. Parilla

Can I ask you to dance when summer rains?
(When rains come rare like wolves at noon)
It could be tough but if your smile ordains,
My dear I'll hold your hands and I shall croon.

I'll hold you tight near me so you won't fall,
Your sweetest laugh will be our melody;
As I profess to you my pleasant call,
Hope you'll not turn me down so heartlessly.

But if you won't come and there's no more rain,
Maybe next summer you'll might give me chance;
My eyes for long would stare the window pane,
For long I'll wait until you come and dance.


Yes both the summer rains and you are rare
Yet still I'll wait for you for prize is fair.

*A Shakespearean(English) Sonnet written in Iambic Pentameter.

This is my first time to write a sonnet and observed the proper way of writing it. I'm just happy because even though I wrote way too far from Shakespeare did, I still made it in one sitting only. I studied how its done by reading some how to's in Google earlier. I find it funny because primarily, I planned to write a poem of same title in a freewriting manner, but I just don't know when it came into my mind to write a sonnet. I simply found myself searching in Google for instructions on how to write it.

Yes its not so flowered with beautiful metaphors and figure of speech, but I believe the poem would still stir some argument to a reader's mind. Why would he ask her to dance at summer rains when infact its rare? Why would he thinks it would be hard for him to persuade her to dance with him? The answers depends on you. :)

I hope you enjoyed this sweet piece of my literature. Feel free to comment and your advices, reactions, suggestions, especially your adorations are openly welcomed. Thank you!