It was before Christmas vacation when we are given a group task in one of our subject in school, to be presented the next year when class resumed.  We all procrastinated, we really didn’t do preparation until the day it has to be presented. The task is we have to create acronyms for the word “Great Teacher” and do a presentation about it. We already have rough draft on what to do we decided to do a talk show, but less than two hours before our class we revised the content of our talk show.

A talk show will not be a talk show without a host, and as expected I was appointed to be the host.  It was my first time doing it, our talk show runs about inviting my elementary teacher whom also celebrating her 80th birthday (play by an older classmate) who made a great impact in my life during my elementary days, and I have also invited some of her former pupils (other group mates) to wish her happy birthday and leave messages, tell stories based on the acronym we made with the word “Great Teacher”.

Our presentation started by someone creating an intro, and when it is my turn I was mental blocked at first, not knowing what to say next. It was an impromptu acting which mean it is unscripted, when I started speaking and moving I lost all my pretensions and I ate not just the floor, but almost the whole time of our class leaving a little time to the next presenter (lol), our teacher even complained that we almost eat up all the memory of his phone and it literally heated up, he recorded a video of every presentation eh. I was told by a group mate to avoid speaking English all the time, because our other group mates were feeling nervous, but I know I can’t do it, if I started speaking Tagalog, I will forgetting my act and what to say.

Anyway, our group presented these acronyms for Great Teacher;  Giving, Reinforcer, Encourager, Advance Thinker, Tenacious, Trustworthy, Engaging, Appreciative, Committed, Humble, Endearing and Respectful.

It is the new year, I have told my sister that I will start losing weight this year. She chuckled and said, you will gain more weight, it is year of the pig! (lol).

The class has resumed yesterday, I have been busy these past few days making  assignments and between making an assignment, I am tweaking my WordPress Themes in this blog, as you can notice my theme is now a bit smaller, I have removed the other sidebar to make my blog mobile-friendly.  The first assignment was given before the holiday vacation, but I just work with it. Blame it to my mañana habit or to my procrastinating self, I have enjoyed the holiday slacking off at home, sleeping and reading lots of things, well I think even my friends at school did the same.

[Photo courtesy of StartupStockPhotos/pixabay.com]

It was a good thing we had no class yesterday, we are just told to submit our assignment and we can go home and that’s where a friend had asked me if I have already heard what had happened to one of our friends, it turns out a scandal broke online which I am not aware because I abstained from using social media these past few days.  I was shocked, in-disbelief, sad on what I have heard. I can’t imagine my friend’s pain and depression, I have sent her messages and told her to be strong, not to overthink and I am just around if she needs someone to talk with, but she remained silent, send short responses and sorry, she might not be ready yet to face the world. It was also this time of the year when I deactivated my Facebook years ago and it was also time of the year when her world turn gray and dull, that shocked all of us, it is ironic that when I am not around online in social media something depressing happened to her.

I was sad because I have told her many times to find a nice guy, and not to pick someone like picking a hammer that she will use to hit her own head at the end, to find a guy that will be able to accept her and her kids, someone free and no attachment, but I guess she didn’t listen. I hope she will remain strong for her kids and family and I hope she will be able to talk to us freely one day and be able to smile and laugh again.

The clan held a year end party in the new year, this is my second time to attend it and I think it is the 3rd or 4th time it was done, it was rushed decision actually. It was just decided on Christmas day and a family meeting was made in the 27th to finalize it, after the practiced of the wedding entourage for my aunt’s golden wedding celebration.

The year end program didn’t start early because there was  a New Year’s service at church which I have attended, but even if the service was finished the program didn’t start right away since most of the members of the clans are not around yet, they are still taking their time off at their homes.

[Photo courtesy of readersfusion.com]

As expected, the program started late and it was not properly prepared. The kids have an intermission number, literally they were just asked to dance by following what’s on the screen and the adults were requested to have one as well, an aunt and two cousins did it to everyone’s laughter, afterwards there was nothing else to do so games followed, I hosted three games after an older cousin hosted one, I have to encourage them big time to participate, then exchange gifts and then dinner follows.

Everyone was almost finished eating when 12 o’clock strikes, my young cousins had fun playing with fire crackers, sky rockets and fireworks, then someone in the village had a firework display to everyone’s excitement. Then everyone started to go home when one o’clock in the morning came, there are few who are left who sing videoke and karaoke.  My sister, few of my cousins and I were left, my sister and I cannot sleep yet because our sound system were outside, they were the one used for the clan’s year end party.

It was almost four o’clock in the morning when I finally able to sleep, and after 2 hours and half, I am already awake to start my first day of 2019.