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Illegal Dumping » KC3 Essay (2nd Draft)

Hawaii is known for it’s diverse natural scenery, abundance of public beaches, warm tropical climate, and ocean surroundings make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, and biologists. It may seem like paradise with its tourist attractions and sunsets, but we face the same everyday problems. Pollution. We don’t ever realize or become aware of it, but this “paradise” of ours becomes polluted more and more each day, and the reason for that is because of US. Tourism also plays a big factor in this as well. We cause the many problems in Hawaii, and you should begin to think, is it really paradise? We’re just taking advantage of its resources but we’re really just making it worse for future generations, and illegal dumping is one of the important problems that needs to be perceived through our minds in order for us to realize what is really being caused by us, pollution.

We litter the streets, dump on vacant lots, public or private lands, and unattended locations with our chewed pieces of gum, our food wrappers, our solid wastes, our releases of sewage, oil, and chemicals. Litter isn’t just unsightly, it’s illegal, unhealthy and wasteful. Numerous laws exist to prohibit both littering and illegal dumping. If you don’t have a precise clue of what illegal dumping is, it says it right in the words “illegal dumping”, meaning dumping your trash illegally, as in disposing your waste where you’re not supposed to. And littering is just about the same thing, but just to a lesser value than illegal dumping. So, how are we causing “illegal dump sites”? By doing what you are doing now, not having the slightest urge to stop it. This isn’t targeting to every single person but it sure is quite devastating that according to jbgreenteam.org, "94% of people identify litter as a major environmental problem and yet people still litter." We choose to litter because we are careless in the handling of waste. But I get the fact the litter is smaller, lesser in value and probably won’t impact much as illegal dumping, but it’s still illegal and build up making the problem bigger and become the same value as illegal dumping, because once litter is on the ground, it attracts more litter. Just because a cop isn’t around doesn’t mean you’re allowed to litter because no one will stop you (which is true, no one will have an actual urge to stop you), if there so happens to be a cop around when you drop even the smallest piece of trash, according to articles.sentinel.com, “Most states fine $100 to $200 for litter, while others such as Washington state can charge for the first offense, he said. It could cost a litterbug more than $1,000 for tossing "dangerous" litter, such as a burning cigarette, out the car window in that state.”, because wherever there is people, wherever there’s us, there’s bound to have garbage, and it’s disappointing. 

Why. The reason why do this, the reason why we illegally dump, the reason why we all litter, is for our own benefits. It’s not because we hate the land, or hate the government, or even hate the way to properly dispose our waste, it’s because it costs us. According to dpw.lacounty.gov, “One of the main reasons people illegally dump is to avoid collection and disposal fees, or because they believe proper disposal is just “too much work” and is a “costly mess” that must be cleared up with our money”. We slowly blind ourselves from the environmental damages it could cause to life (including us) because of money. We just simply don’t see the importance of proper disposal or of what good it causes, because saving money plays a much bigger part in our lives and we feel that money is more important than keeping everything that surrounds us healthy. We think to ourselves that illegal dumping and littering won’t be any harm to the land, to animals, or to us, but I think otherwise. 

When I mentioned “environmental damages it could cause to life (including us)”, you were probably thinking, “abandoned furniture is crushing the plants or grass because of it’s size and weight.”, or “it causes harm to us by charging for proper disposal.” Illegal dumps or litter doesn’t just sit harmlessly on the ground (and that was probably all that you thought it did). All of the trash we purposely and accidentally leave on the ground can cause a whole range of problems for everyone in our communities. Illegal landfills poses a threat to our drinking water supplies when the toxins reach out of the trash through rain water and work its way into the our community’s water resource supply that could possibly make that tap water that comes out from your faucet and bathtub, contaminated. According to westmorelandcleanways.org, "Almost half of identical illegal dumpsites are directly within 50 feet of waterway." and from that, aquatic life and wildlife could also be affected. Giving sea creatures unwanted trash, ruining their homes and causing them to accidentally digesting the trash that was once yours are making their lives harder. And it could affect the animals on land, for example, ruining their natural surrounding habitat. Now just imagine someone dumping their trash on your front yard, it's almost the exact way we litter on animal's territories. It gives you a sense of intense hate because you never wanted trash by your home and so do the animals. It could also cause injuries to children playing around the dumps, especially when there's glass involved. There's a high chance of them tripping over large objects, and the impact is usually big. And trash can contain diseases as well, it can be passed between animals that eat it and contaminate children and people by it too. It also becomes a home to rodents, mosquitos, and other noxious insects, thus attracting it more to our houses and ourselves. Either way, it eventually leads back to us, harming the normal system of our ways, just because of our small pieces of litter and huge amounts of trash, you never fully realized what it could cause. 

Let's face the fact that we have all seen litter and we have experienced littering because it's just small pieces of trash laying on the ground and sometimes blown by the wind and if you live in the city, you see it everyday. I mentioned how litter could build up, but many think that there's no way it could've been built up because most people have never seen built up litter before. I haven't either, but built up litter does exist. According to scienceleadership.org, "Did you know that because of this litter, the litter that is just a part of everyday life, there is an island of trash two times the size of Texas floating in the Pacific ocean? Just think about that. You know how big your city is? Now think of your state, Hawaii... no where near the size of Texas. Now think of two of Texas side by side. Now imagine that is made of trash. That is a lot of trash, and the sea life is dying because of it." No one has ever thought that those small pieces of trash and large pieces as well, possibly building up to a size larger than our state. Our litter, our garbage, and our unwanted belongings are in the ocean affecting our water and our sea creatures because of our small pieces of trash.

Carelessly discarded garbage affects every member of society: it causes harm to people and animals, damages our waterways, cost us money and suggests that we do not care for our environment. According to scienceleadership.org "The U.S spends 11.5 billions of money is spent just to clean up the litter that many people have thoughtlessly tossed out on the streets and other public spaces.", and that's not even half of what you could make from avoiding disposal fees. But if each of us try a bit more of discipline and application of basic knowledge about the effects of litter, imagine how much money could be saved and used for other more important services, like for schools, charity, scholarships, ways to improve our land, and solve social problems. Fortunately, we can all do something to help prevent and reduce litter. The solution. Is there really any solution to this? No, no matter what, people will still litter, you can’t stop every single person in the world from littering... but you can decrease the amount of people who litter. The idea is to stop each small dumping event from becoming larger and a potential threat to public health and environment. We should identify strategies that fit best with its local resources. If it were simply a matter of intelligence and commitment, this problem would have been solved years ago by so many who have made the effort. Act as if what you do makes a difference in the world, because it actually does.

Illegal Dumping » KC3 Essay

Hawaii is known for it’s diverse natural scenery, abundance of public beaches, warm tropical climate, and ocean surroundings make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, and biologists. It may seem like paradise with its tourist attractions and sunsets, but we face the same everyday problems. Pollution. We don’t ever realize or become aware of it, but this “paradise” of ours becomes polluted more and more each day, and the reason for that is because of US. Tourism also plays a big factor in this as well. We cause the many problems in Hawaii, and you should begin to think, is it really paradise? We’re just taking advantage of its resources but we’re really just making it worse for future generations, and illegal dumping is one of the important problems that needs to be perceived through our minds in order for us to realize what is really being caused by us, pollution.

We litter the streets, dump on vacant lots, public or private lands, and unattended locations with our chewed pieces of gum, our food wrappers, our solid wastes, our releases of sewage, oil, and chemicals. Litter isn’t just unsightly, it’s illegal, unhealthy and wasteful. Numerous laws exist to prohibit both littering and illegal dumping. If you don’t have a precise clue of what illegal dumping is, it says it right in the words “illegal dumping”, meaning dumping your trash illegally, as in disposing your waste where you’re not supposed to. And littering is just about the same thing, but just to a lesser value than illegal dumping. So, how are we causing “illegal dump sites”? By doing what you are doing now, not having the slightest urge to stop it. This isn’t targeting to every single person but it sure is quite devastating that 94% of people identify litter as a major environmental problem and yet people still litter. We choose to litter because we are careless in the handling of waste. But I get the fact the litter is smaller, lesser in value and probably won’t impact much as illegal dumping, but it’s still illegal and build up making the problem bigger and become the same value as illegal dumping, because once litter is on the ground, it attracts more litter. Just because a cop isn’t around doesn’t mean you’re allowed to litter because no one will stop you (which is true, no one will have an actual urge to stop you), if there so happens to be a cop around when you drop even the smallest piece of trash, according to articles.sentinel.com, “Most states fine $100 to $200 for litter, while others such as Washington state can charge for the first offense, he said. It could cost a litterbug more than $1,000 for tossing "dangerous" litter, such as a burning cigarette, out the car window in that state.”, because wherever there is people, wherever there’s us, there’s bound to have garbage, and it’s disappointing. 

Why. The reason why do this, the reason why we illegally dump, the reason why we all litter, is for our own benefits. It’s not because we hate the land, or hate the government, or even hate the way to properly dispose our waste, it’s because it costs us. According to dpw.lacounty.gov, “One of the main reasons people illegally dump is to avoid collection and disposal fees, or because they believe proper disposal is just “too much work” and is a “costly mess” that must be cleared up with our money”. We slowly blind ourselves from the environmental damages it could cause to life (including us) because of money. We just simply don’t see the importance of proper disposal or of what good it causes, because saving money plays a much bigger part in our lives and we feel that money is more important than keeping everything that surrounds us healthy. We think to ourselves that illegal dumping and littering won’t be any harm to the land, to animals, or to us, but I think otherwise. 

When I mentioned “environmental damages it could cause to life (including us)”, you were probably thinking, “abandoned furniture is crushing the plants or grass because of it’s size and weight.”, or “it causes harm to us by charging for proper disposal.” Illegal dumps or litter doesn’t just sit harmlessly on the ground (and that was probably all that you thought it did). It diminishes the quality life and livability of the surrounding area. Litter can cause a whole range of problems for everyone in our communities. It also threatens the wildlife and our human health while at it. Not only animals and ourselves, but the living plants around it too. Illegal dumping poses a threat to drinking water supplies when the toxins reach out of the trash through rain water and work its way into the community’s source supply, considering almost half of identical illegal dumpsites are directly within 50 feet of waterway. And from that, aquatic life and wildlife could also be affected. It could also cause injuries to children playing around the dumps and become a home to rodents, mosquitos, and other noxious insects. Either way, it eventually leads back to us, harming the normal system of our ways, just because of our small pieces of litter and huge amounts of trash, you never fully realized what it could cause. 

Carelessly discarded garbage affects every member of society: it causes harm to people and animals, damages our waterways, cost us money and suggests that we do not care for our environment. Billions of money is spent just to clean up the litter that many people have thoughtlessly tossed out on the streets and other public spaces. But if each of us try a bit more of discipline and application of basic knowledge about the effects of litter, imagine how much money could be saved and used for other more important services. Fortunately, we can all do something to help prevent and reduce litter. The solution. Is there really any solution to this? No, no matter what, people will still litter, you can’t stop every single person in the world from littering... but you can decrease the amount of people who litter. The idea is to stop each small dumping event from becoming larger and a potential threat to public health and environment. We should identify strategies that fit best with its local resources. If it were simply a matter of intelligence and commitment, this problem would have been solved years ago by so many who have made the effort.

Querencia Graphic Card

« Querencia || 6th Grade Classrroom || Final Draft »

       "A place from which one's strength of character is drawn. A place in which we know exactly who we are. The place from which we speak our deepest beliefs." Querencia is what that place is called and my querencia is the 6th grade classroom at St. John the Baptist Catholic School located in the midst of Kalihi. There are way better places to let go of your stress and difficulties other than a classroom owned by a small school, and a classroom is usually where all of the stress and difficulties develop from. But this classroom holds memories and creates new ones and somehow releases every single form of difficulty until it completely leaves your mind. It's a place where I can talk freely, move as I wish, and be the person who doesn't have the slightest concern of what people think.

       It's the classroom that I was so eager to be in and so disappointed to leave. It had a corner with a rug filled with stuffed animals in various sizes where we would sometimes play games or even sleep, and right next to it was shelves full of books of all genres. There was a wall in the back of the class with a poster of my classroom when we were in 6th grade filled with a recollection of the most reminiscing times. In the front of the class was the teacher's desk consisting of a bucket of expo markers and the white board behind it. The white board wasn't only used by the teacher but used by the students to express their thoughts through dry erase markers. To the left was the teacher's second desk (where they do all their paperwork), where I remember having random and unreasonable conversations with my friends and the most laid back teachers. And in the center of the classroom were the desks. The desks that allowed us to start conversations, to store all of our belongings and to be surrounded by the people we enjoyed having around.

       On the last few days of school, when I had already graduated but all the grades below still had school, I would come to visit, simply because I was so used to going there. I couldn't just leave after graduating, I didn't want my graduation day to be the last time I ever stepped foot in there. If you're really fond of a place, you're not just going to go there once, you would want to come again right? When I'm not in there, I felt so empty and bleak. I can't explain it well in words, but my heart would beat out of my chest and I would long to go inside there and nag my friends to come with me. It was just something essential to my life, something so vital. It makes me completely forget the dreadful things that exists and helps me to think that there is content in this world. I never thought of a place so remarkable to me would be a classroom, but it just so happens that it is and it's never something I'm ashamed of admitting.

       The 6th grade classroom is always the first place I stopped by whenever I visited the school. It's like a medical treatment that is mandatory for me to have daily. Each time I enter this room, my initial thought is I can move around and talk to random people and do what I want (most of the time). It reminds me that I passed middle school, passed the 6th grade, and achieved what I had to know. Not only does it remind me that I was educated for 6th grade, but it reminds me that this is home. A home very close to my actual home. I know that it's difficult to be there now, but it's not impossible to be there again. So, even though I'm older and no longer attending the school, the 6th grade classroom is a place near my heart. It's a place where I recall joyous occasions and humorous events and laugh about it over and over again. A place where I can neglect distress and anxiety. A place where I can simply escape and break free. This place isn't just a 6th grade classroom, this place is my querencia, a querencia that can never be replaced.

Pictures in Paragraph

New Years

We arrive at the beach during the morning sun rise. Jumping out of the car racing towards the shiny water. The beach packed with people, making it difficult to find a spot to set place. With siblings and parents having a good time. The sounds of other families conversing and laughing with each other start to become louder as more people start to come. The smell of steak and ribs cooking on the grill fills the air as we wait to eat it. The day starts off great but gets boring as hours pass by. The sound of the youngest sibling whines wanting to go home.

As the sun goes down, playing with the family by the shore. The water begins to decrease in temperature, and the kids are shivering from the cold water. Parents calling their children to settle down and sit along with their close relatives. Patiently waiting for the clock to strike twelve with people counting down the amount of time left. When the clock strikes twelve everyone yells "Happy New Year!" to each other as they're hugging people around them. Fireworks shooting up to the sky exploding with a big BOOM with a colorful pop. Few more fireworks continue to explode in the air as everyone enjoys each other.

« Querencia || Rough Draft »

"A place from which one's strength of character is drawn. A place in which we know exactly who we are. The place from which we speak our deepest beliefs." Querencia is what that place is called and my querencia is the 6th grade classroom at St. John the Baptist Catholic School located in the midst of Kalihi. There are way better places to let go of your stress and difficulties other than a classroom owned by a small school, and a classroom is usually where all of the stress and difficulties develop from. But this classroom holds memories and creates new ones and somehow releases every single form of difficulty until it completely leaves your mind. It's a place where I can talk freely, move as I wish, and be the person who doesn't have the slightest concern of what people think.

The 6th grade classroom is always the first place I stopped by whenever I visited the school. It's like a medical treatment that is mandatory for me to have daily. Each time I enter this room, my initial thought is I can move around and talk to random people and do what I want (most of the time). It reminds me that I passed middle school, passed the 6th grade, and achieved what I had to know. Not only does it remind me that I was educated for 6th grade, but it reminds me that this is home. A home very close to my actual home. It's a place where I recall joyous occasions and humorous events and laugh about it over and over again. A place where I can neglect distress and anxiety. A place where I can simply escape and break free.

On the last few days of school, when I had already graduated but all the grades below still had school, I would come to visit, simply because I was so used to going there. I couldn't just leave after graduating, I didn't want my graduation day to be the last time I ever stepped foot in there. If you're really fond of a place, you're not just going to go there once, you would want to come again right? When I'm not in there, I felt so empty and bleak. I can't explain it well in words, but my heart would beat out of my chest and I would long to go inside there and nag my friends to come with me. It was just something essential to my life, something so vital. It makes me completely forget the dreadful things that exists and helps me to think that there is content in this world. I never thought of a place so remarkable to me would be a classroom, but it just so happens that it is and it's never something I'm ashamed of admitting.

It's the classroom that I was so eager to be in and so disappointed to leave. It had a corner with a rug filled with stuffed animals in various sizes where we would sometimes play games or even sleep, and right next to it was shelves full of books of all genres. There was a wall in the back of the class with a poster of my class when we were in 6th grade filled with a recollection of the most reminiscing times. In the front of the class was the teacher's desk consisting of a bucket of expo markers and the white board behind it. The white board wasn't only used by the teacher but used by the students to express their thoughts through dry erase markers. To the left was the teacher's second desk (where they do all their paperwork), where I remember having random and unreasonable conversations with my friends and the most laid back teachers. And in the center of the classroom were the desks. The desks that allowed us to start conversations, to store all of our belongings and to be surrounded by the people we enjoyed having around. This isn't just a 6th grade classroom, this is my querencia.

Words From the Heart ~ Graphic Card

Special Place ☄

       64 degrees fahrenheit, strong winds passing through the cold air, humidity at its lowest, cloudless skies and rays coming off the sun. This place, is Washington D.C. An area that borders Maryland and Virginia, east of the U.S, and is considered to be our capital. Who knew a place so surrounded by government would be such a stress relief? The first time I went there was last year (so not too long ago). It's a place that is exactly opposite from where I am now which consists of extremely hot temperatures, not that much wind or a single breeze pass, humidity is extremely high, rains about 3 times a week, and the only thing it has in common is that the sun still shines throughout the day. It's not only the climate and conditions that makes this a "special" place, but what happens there is what makes it special. The scenery is one that I've never seen before. There are trees that are so unfamiliar to me like cherry blossoms, and there were buildings that looked so clean and neat, and the people there were different. I think of this as a "special" place because I just felt so care-free, like as if I had no problems in my life, no stress, no trouble, and nothing that ever made me think of the slightest miserable circumstance. Washington D.C is simply a place for me to live without worries.

Words From The Heart ♡ : Nanaman! (Final Draft)

Again. You already have an idea of what the word “Again” means. Again means “another time”, “once more”, “repeating”, “returning”, “an addition to what already has been done”. I hear this word every single day and there hasn’t been one day that I haven’t heard it. But I don’t hear the word “again”, and you might be thinking... didn’t I just say I hear the word “again” every single day? I do. I hear the word “nanaman”, meaning “again” in Tagalog. This particular word isn’t said by my mom, dad, aunts, uncles, not even myself. No one else in my family says the word “nanaman” except for my grandma.

“You will slip nanaman!” & “Shower nanaman!” are just some phrases I hear being said to my younger sister.  “Nanaman” doesn’t exactly have a ‘special meaning’ but it’s more like a reminder, warning, or command. I’ve only heard my grandma say this word to three people: Sister #1 (Shannel), me, and Sister #3 (Kellsey). I mainly think this is because we’re the only ones making the trouble around the house. I honestly think this word is annoying. It wasn’t annoying at first to be truthful, I didn’t even know what the word meant, but over time I slowly got the idea that the word “again” really fitted in those phrases and I just assumed it meant “again.”

“That’s enough!” there’s plenty of meanings to that word. It all depends on the sentence you use it in. When you do something abnormally frequent, I would say “Britney! Ginagawang Nanaman?”. It’s Also when you do a mistake or something wrong, I would usually say for example, “You dropped it nanaman!” And when you talk back or having a tantrum: “Bastos(rude) nanaman!” I say it because of the action that’s being repeated over and over again.” - Grandma.

To be completely honest... My grandma wasn’t the only person who said this certain word. My great grandma, my grandma’s mother said this phrase very often. I guess it was just said so habitually that it rubbed off on to her. It didn’t seem to rub off on to my mom (mostly because she’s not home most of the time or wasn’t much of a trouble-maker kid either), but my mom doesn’t speak Tagalog to us at all, only to our dad, grandma other relatives who can speak Tagalog as well. I’ve always thought growing up knowing a language other than english was somewhat impressive, but I sadly can barely understand half of the Tagalog conversations going through the house. I guess “Nanaman” will have to be the only word I can fully respond to for now.

I don't find it strange that this word doesn't have much of "DEEP" meaning or has been traced back into my past. To me, this word has a deeper meaning than "again." This word is said by my grandma, that's why it's special/important. It's not a nickname that I was called ever since I was little, not a phrase I always say when I enter my home, not a word that has been passed down for generations... It's simply "nanaman", a word said by grandma everyday to show her custody to not only my sisters, but me as well. Whenever I hear the word "nanaman", my initial thought is my grandma, the person near and dear to my heart. It's a word that clicks in my mind and displays a picture of my grandma. But it's not special just because my grandma pops up in my mind, but it gives me a perception or awareness of what I'm doing and the word itself allows me to realize that. It gives me a feeling of being watched over, that I'm being guided to morally good ways, and helps me to be a model rectitude. It structures me to be not only the person I am today, but to be even better than I am today.

So yes, this word is still being said by my grandma, maybe even as you’re reading this. I always get a feeling of -- NO, not a feeling of ‘warmth’ or ‘love’, but a feeling of stress that just makes you sigh, because most of the the time when “Nanaman” is said, it usually doesn’t mean a good thing, but it's still considered special to me. It is usually put in the phrase “You just did something wrong AGAIN.” Which is pretty normal when I come to think of it. But this word is used in EVERY single circumstance. When I do something right, when I do something wrong, when there’s a misunderstanding, when there’s confusion, when there’s a sense of being proud, like as I said,”EVERY single circumstance.” This is just one of the main reasons why I chose this word to write about. This word represents both concern and disquiet. And also represents an expression of thrill and content, like if I scored A+ on a test for the second time, “You did it nanaman! (You did it again!).” Either way, “Nanaman” is a word that’s been engraved on my brain and a word that not only means “again” but gives a sense that our grandma is always on the look out for bad and good things we do.

CNN News Chunky Paragraph

According to CNN news, there has been a serial robber who has been identified in four other Monday night robberies. Paraphrase: Three good Samaritan’s were captured on video restraining the man after he robbed a woman and tried to escaped. That's when these three men jumped in to help Tempra Mosley. The robber ran to his car in an effort to escape but the men were able to hold him until police arrived. The fact that three complete strangers to the woman actually helped out in a situation like this makes this event even better. And if I were to be in the place of the woman, I would be incredibly thankful to the three men who were able to restrain the robber. Direct Quote: "Graham is suspected of robbing a man of his cell phone at a Nolensville Pike Citgo, a woman’s purse at a Harding Place Mapco, an iPad from a Longdale Drive home while two women were inside and a woman's wallet while shopping at a Harding Place CVS." In the video that the woman took with her phone, she tells the robber that she would’ve helped them, that they ALL would have helped him and that he didn’t have to rob her things as the robber repeatedly says, “Sorry” and, “It will never happen again.” I’m glad that the woman didn’t yell or swear at him like how other people would do when they’re mad or in this situation. She was somewhat calm other than yelling or raging at the robber and even offered that he could be helped without having to rob. Now the woman will always remember to keep the doors locked, and a heroic story of the three good samaritans that she’ll never forget.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/08/20/citizens-arrest-tennessee.wztv/video/playlists/caught-on-camera/

Words From The Heart ♡: Nanaman! (Draft)

Again. You already have an idea of what the word “Again” means. Again means “another time”, “once more”, “repeating”, “returning”, “an addition to what already has been done”. I hear this word every single day and there hasn’t been one day that I haven’t heard it. But I don’t hear the word “again”, and you might be thinking... didn’t I just say I hear the word “again” every single day? I do. I hear the word “nanaman”, meaning “again” in Tagalog. This particular word isn’t said by my mom, dad, aunts, uncles, not even myself. No one else in my family says the word “nanaman” except for my grandma.

“You will slip nanaman!” & “Shower nanaman!” are just some phrases I hear being said to my younger sister.  ““Nanaman” doesn’t exactly have a ‘special meaning’ but it’s more like a reminder, warning, or command. I’ve only heard my grandma say this word to three people: Sister #1 (Shannel), me, and Sister #3 (Kellsey). I mainly think this is because we’re the only ones making the trouble around the house. I honestly think this word is annoying. It wasn’t annoying at first to be completely honest, I didn’t even know what the word meant, but over time I slowly got the idea that the word “again” really fitted in those phrases and I just assumed it meant “again.”

“That’s enough!” there’s plenty of meanings to that word. It all depends on the sentence you use it in. When you do something abnormally frequent, I would say “Britney! Ginagawang Nanaman?”. It’s Also when you do a mistake or something wrong, I would usually say for example, “You dropped it nanaman!” And when you talk back or having a tantrum: “Bastos(rude) nanaman!” I say it because of the action that’s being repeated over and over again.” - Grandma.

To be completely honest... My grandma wasn’t the only person who said this certain word. My great grandma, my grandma’s mother said this phrase very often. I guess it was just said so habitually that it rubbed off on to her. It didn’t seem to rub off on to my mom (mostly because she’s not home most of the time or wasn’t much of a trouble-maker kid either), but my mom doesn’t speak Tagalog to us at all, only to our dad, grandma other relatives who can speak Tagalog as well. I’ve always thought growing up knowing a language other than english was somewhat impressive, but I sadly can barely understand half of the Tagalog conversations going through the house. I guess “Nanaman” will have to be the only word I can fully respond to for now.

So yes, this word is still being said by my grandma, maybe even as you’re reading this. I always get a feeling of -- NO, not a feeling of ‘warmth’ or ‘love’, but a feeling of stress that just makes you sigh, because most of the the time when “Nanaman” is said, it usually doesn’t mean a good thing. It is usually put in the phrase “You just did something wrong AGAIN.” Which is pretty normal when I come to think of it. But this word is used in EVERY single circumstance. When I do something right, when I do something wrong, when there’s a misunderstanding, when there’s confusion, when there’s a sense of being proud, like as I said,”EVERY single circumstance.” This is just one of the main reasons why I chose this word to write about. This word represents both concern and disquiet. And also represents an expression of thrill and content. Like if I scored A+ on a test for the second time, “You did it nanaman! (You did it again!).” Either way, “Nanaman” is a word that’s been engraved on my brain and a word that not only means “again” but gives a sense that our grandma is always on the look out for bad and good things we do.

An Introduction to My Blog ♡

       My name Britney Cabuhat and I made a blog. My blog is called "Write On Track". I named it "Write On Track" because it was said by someone in the classroom loud enough for me to hear and I initially thought, "Wow, that's actually a nice title, I'LL PUT THAT." Also because it seemed like a title that I wouldn't regret having after a few days (even though I can edit the title BUT STILL). Now onto the design... The current design of my blog is the "Travel" pre-set template that is an option on this website and I thought it would suit this blog really well. I changed the fonts to a font that somewhat appeals to me because Arial is basic and changed the background to a Mac desktop background because it's such a NICE photo.

       The world I come from consists of many many many many many things. First of all my family, the people I've relied on ever since I was actually brought into this world. I have one grandma, two grandpas, one mom and one dad (duh), and two sisters named Shannel (older) and Kellsey (younger). Mom and Dads... You already know what they do. They care for you, watch over you, pay for your phone bills, EVERYTHING. My grandpa from my dads side sells shirts and other apparel at swap meet every Sat, Sun & Weds.. My grandpa from my moms side is in the Philippines (and that's all I really know). My grandma (mom's side), lives with us and just does simple chores, watch Filipino and Korean dramas all day, sleeps, eats and yells at us occassionally. My sister Shannel, is six years older than me MEANING she's currently 20. and is the most tempered older sister in the world. My other sister Kellsey, is seven years younger meaning she's 7 years-old, and is the most annoying little sister in the universe.

        Interests? I have tons of interests. For example I really like multiple genres of music at different times. It's almost like it's seasonal. Like at the beginning of the year I was into 1950s music, and it was ALL I listened to. Then it was brought onto Michael Jackson three months after then HE was all I listened to. THEN I was brought to music that wasn't even a language I understood (it's the melody in the song that counts). It's kinda like seasonal changes of music every year.

       I also have a tendency of not doing nothing. I can't stay home for a whole day and watch TV or sleep. I HAVE to do something productive. I automatically think the day is wasted if I do absolutely nothing the whole entire day. And that's when my hobbies come in. I don't like to call it "hobbies", I just like to call it "things I do when I have spare time."

       And lastly, the world I come from has no boundaries. I rely on two quotes:

"Never let anyone tell you what you can and can't do in life." - TBM (Maia Mitchell)

"If I screw up, I screw up. I'm going to screw up, and I'm going to have fun doing it. No regrets, ever." - Amber Liu

       Those two quotes basically mean to take chances, to take opportunities, to take risks and even if you mess things up big time, learn from your mistakes and move on with life. Continue to do new things even if they’re out of your comfort zone. To get involved and to be out there. To do what you want to do because you should be able to choose for yourself not for the sake of others.