Book Review: The Five People You Meet in Heaven

“All ending are beginnings. We just don't know it at the time..." I’ve just got this from an amazing novel, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”, written by Mitch Albom. Got confused? Okay, this quote generally tells us that all beginnings are considered to start from different endings. How? Well, for example, when a day ends, a new day begins, but in this novel, the quote tells us about the new kind life begins, after a life ends mortally from earth. But before you begin your eternal life in Heaven, you’ll get to encounter five people that will satisfy you that your life on earth is worth-living for. So let’s get fascinated to the novel from the ending.

This is a story about a man named Eddie. Eddie is a former veteran soldier who considers himself stuck in miserable life of maintaining the rides at an Ruby Pier amusement park, which really meant keeping people safe. His days are dull routing of work, loneliness, and regret. Then, on his 83^rd birthday, Eddie dies in a tragic accident, trying to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakens in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people. The first person he met is the Blue Man from the freak show on the Pier, who died when Eddie was eight years old. One by one, Eddie’s five people illuminated the unseen connections of his earthly life. In Heaven, the man tells Eddie his life story and the lesson Eddie is to learn from this first person is that there are no random acts. All lives are interconnected, and fairness does not govern life or death. The second person Eddie met is his captain from the war. Four of his men, including Eddie, were captured with him in the Philippines. The captain was killed by a landmine as they were escaping. He learned from this second encounter in Heaven that no one dies for nothing and that when you sacrifice something precious, such as a leg, you always gain something. He just doesn’t know yet what he has gained. The third person Eddie met is a woman named Ruby, for whom Ruby Pier was named long before Eddie’s time. The lesson he learned from this encounter is taught by Ruby. She told him that anger is self-destructive and that he must forgive. The fourth person Eddie met is his wife, Marguerite. Their relationship was a rewarding and fulfilling one. They had a happy reunion in Heaven, organized against the backdrop of several wedding from different countries. The lesson that he learned from his fourth encounter is that lost love is still love. Although life has to end, love doesn’t. The fifth person Eddie met is a little girl, named Tala, whom he tried to rescue in the burning tent in the Philippines in the war. She told him that he had saved the little girl from the falling cart and that as he died; the hands he felt in his were her own, Tala’s. She was bringing him to Heaven to keep him safe, she told him. At last, Eddie feels peace. Eddie is then transported back to Marguerite to spend eternity with her at home in Heaven.

These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever. As the story builds to its stunning conclusion, Eddie desperately seeks redemption in the still-unknown last act of his life: Was it a heroic success or a devastating failure. The answer which comes from the most unlikely sources is as inspirational as a glimpse of heaven itself. In “The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom gives us an astoundingly original story that will change everything you’ve ever thought about the afterlife and the meaning of our lives here on earth. With a timeless tale, appealing to all, this is a book that readers of fine fiction will treasure 196 pages of this novel.

Top 10 Habits to Prioritize to Make Your College Life Successful

              Do you find studying boring, too? Have you ever thought that learning and enjoying could be possible at the same time? Of course we will think that it’s impossible. Studying can only be fun for the bookworm, the nerd, and the genius. But wait! I think it’s not impossible at all. There could still be pleasure and purpose in what is normally accepted as a wearisome requisite of the society.

            According to Edna S. Leung-Yao, author of “10 Keys to College Success”, it all depends on one’s attitude, the way he or she looks and responds to things, making the best of a given situation. Well, it must be talking about one’s perspective to discover that it is not the load that weighs you down but the way you carry it.

            In general, we are going to talk about right study habits wherein we can even have more time for fun and friends while fulfilling our school requirements. The top 10 habits that I’m going to share to you, based on the book of E.S. Leung-Yao “10 Keys to College Success”, would always require and focus on DISCIPLINE. I can tell that the word “discipline” is the commonly used term when it comes to good study habit. It is not only a simple word but an act of controlling yourself by behaving that shows a willingness which requires goal setting and determination towards excellence. However, here are the top 10 habits for better and more effective learning:

1. Diligence. If we are going to talk about diligence, responsibilities, quality of work and perseverance must come into our mind. Since perseverance is the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult, you have to invest your time and effort wisely in these routine tasks. This will train you to be steady and sturdy until you reach your goal. Instead of being diligent, you have to appreciate, too. It is valuable to earn diligence, but becomes priceless when you gained it.
2. Interest. Without the sustaining base of interest, learning slows down, attention drops, and excitement loses effectiveness. When interest is present, your filters of perceptions are open. If you think you’re not blessed enough to have natural interest on a subject, then cultivate it with wisdom and discipline. How? Just simply read, observe and inquire. As you cultivate new interest, you will realize that the more you seek, the more you will find, and the more you will want to discover. This will make you to be a more interesting person.
3. Scheduling. Obviously, you can tell that scheduling is an effective device for the profitable use of time. Preparing a monthly or semestral calendar can be your “appointment register”. This calendar cues you to look ahead and plan for approaching events or deadlines. Work out also a daily schedule. As you create your own schedule and plans, balance all priorities and turn time-wasters into time-savers. Keeping to a schedule is though. You will have to fight the temptation of putting off tasks. Develop the discipline of saving time by sticking to your schedule.
4. Concentration. It is focusing your mind that determines the quality of your completed work and give you control over yourself and the environment. Definitely, the art of making your mind behave can be practiced such as doing breaks to drive away mental exhaustion, and setting aside a difficult problem for a while. You probably have practiced some of these techniques. Press on. Pursue the discipline of concentration.
5. Involvement.  Some barriers stop the majority of students from getting involved including shyness, laziness, and selfishness. Shyness is caused by brooding too much of what people think and say about you. But actually, it’s not how people see you that matter. What’s really important is how you see and accept yourself. God made us all unique. Develop your strong points and take steps to improve your weaknesses that could turn your flaws into awesomeness. Laziness is a definite lack of effort that marks the work of us, students. The only cure for this is hard work. Choose to be far-thinking ant rather than the short-sighted grasshopper. Selfishness is too much of putting oneself first.  He gets involved in class and school activities primarily to feed his own ego. He is like the foolish servant in the “Parable of the Talents” recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 25:14-30.  At the end of the story, the foolish servant lost all he had because he didn’t make wise use of what was given to him. Involvement is participation, not spectatorship. It is an activity, not passivity. It is more than existing; it is being alive because it is interaction with people. Involvement is the relationship element that keeps you n touch with people which lets you to make a difference where you are.
6. Planning and Preparation. Planning and preparation help you to look ahead, give you direction, forewarn and forearm you of possible snags and consequences. Proper planning and preparation promote greater efficiency in your study performance. These are assured steps in daily planning and preparation which enable you to accomplish more in less time: list down things to do for the day; prioritize and subordinate the things to do; finish what you have set out to do on your day’s list; and draft a list of things to do for tomorrow. Planning and preparation helps you work out a system for every project you undertake. With a system, you can achieve goals, meet deadlines, and complete tasks with a sense of fulfilment. Discipline yourself to plan and prepare as a way of learning and living.
7. Listening. Many can hear and yet are deaf. Have you ever thought of the difference between hearing and listening? In fact, hearing is a faculty while listening is a discipline. Good listening demands concentration and active mental participation. Because of poor listening habits, lessons are not learned, messages are misunderstood, relationships are scarred, and opportunities are wasted. However, you can sharpen and develop your listening habits by: reading the lesson in advance; dealing with distractions; concentrating, taking down notes; and reviewing the lecture points at the end of the lesson. When we truly adjust into what others are trying to communicate to us, we have unlocked another door to deeper learning.
8. Integrity. Well, you often hear, “It is better to cheat rather than to repeat.” According o Edward R. Sims, “There is no way to pull off cheating. You cannot live to life. You may deceive your teacher about what you know, but you cannot deceive life. What you have not learned leaves a hole that nothing but learning can fill, and no amount of covering can disguise.” When you choose the way of dishonesty and deception, you could lose touch with God which is the greatest loss of all. In Leviticus 19:11, we read “Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” Lying and deception are sins that separate man from God. First, it is coming to God. Then be honest and truthful to fulfil what you have to for thee test of integrity.
9. Note-taking. This is one habit that pays off. First note-taking helps you listen. Second, it helps you remember what you have heard. Third, it keeps you from cramming during exams week wherein studying for quizzes and exams becomes easier. Moreover, you have to earn proper note-taking. To take down notes properly you have to: read the lesson in advance; concentrate and listen carefully; use the outline format; and tighten your notes when you feel they are jumbled. Make note-taking a fixed pattern of your study and discipline yourself to jot down key point and significant information while you study for your lesson.
10. Enjoyment. According to Robert Have Schauffler, “Enthusiasm is the thing that makes the world go round. Without its driving power, nothing worth doing has ever been done… Apart from it joy cannot live…” When you are apathetic, you face chores and tasks as challenges. You must make the most of what you do, wisely using up precious time. You are far from boredom or hardship. Enthusiasm over what you do, enjoying it, makes all the difference. You can enjoy the opportunities before you and tackle them with strong energy and enthusiasm. Even according to an author and a film director Gordon Parks, “You act enthusiastic until you make it a habit. Enthusiasm is natural; it is being alive, taking the initiative, seeing the importance of what you do, giving it dignity and making what you do to yourself and to others.”

            As long as you are aiming the best for your studies in college life accompanied with diligence, interest, scheduling, concentration, involvement, planning and preparation, listening, integrity, note-taking, and enjoyment they can develop a right perspective towards studying. Wise attitudes and good habits from DISCIPLINE help you learn more in less time and with pleasure. Now, you can also tell to others that there is pleasure while learning at the same time. 

ENGL101a 
Blog#2: Enumerative Essay

Simply Education

        

         For all of your life, education is the best dynamic weapon that you could carry against ignorance. But how do we really define education? Well, if we are going to consult a dictionary, education is the systematic training of the moral and intellectual faculties. Meanwhile, according to Benjamin Disraeli, “To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.” It can mean that education is the best cure for most curiosity, but if you are not contented enough, you are free to explore more new things and here is where we can now say  that  education will be your  best capital and foundation in life. As long as you have enough knowledge, you can explore and innovate that can help to change the world and will bring you into success at the same time. But don’t worry; no one can get it from you; no one can ever steal it from you. That is what most of teachers or professors tell to their students, one’s property or wealth can be stolen anytime, but one’s knowledge can never be stolen. However, one does not simply gain lots of knowledge about different fields and aspects of life in an instant, of course he must also earn it, maybe, for a year or a decade that’s why we are spending many years of our lives studying.

          And by the way, have you ever asked yourself why you should spend many years of your life studying?  There are three possible explanations for your answer. First, if you answered that society requires it, your parents want it, people just advise it, friends and other people go through it, you may tend not to see and appreciate the role and value of education. Rather, you look at it as a requirement that must be accomplished. Second, if you answered that you will become more knowledgeable, better equipped and trained and greater chances of success, you see education as a stairway to success. Education for you is a tool, a means to an end. And third,  if your answer is that you will cope better with the ups and downs of life, to become a better person, and be able to answer with confidence life’s constant questions (such as true or false, and right or wrong), you believe personhood, not academic excellence, is the first aim of education. For you, real purpose of man’s existence is not to earn a living but to live a life.

          Anyway, I think we must believe to Thomas Alva Edison’s saying, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” In fact, successful men are the men who have worked, read, and thought more than was absolutely necessary. They were not contented enough for what they had since they knew that they have knowledge sufficient for the present need but still sought more knowledge and stored it away for the emergency reserve. Every one of us may have different perspectives about education, but we have to set into our minds that education aims to give children resources that will endure  as long as life endures. Education will always be our greatest wealth from this world that anyone can hope to acquire to be the greatest equalizing instrument in the society. 

ENGL101a
Blog#1: Descriptive Essay

Losing Will Never Be A Failure

For me, this picture symbolizes Hope and Life in Faith

“Winning doesn’t always mean you succeeded, losing doesn’t always mean you failed.” I got this simple quote from my teacher that can be related to the theme of ultimate victory through defeat and terrible loss. For me, this quote means that defeat doesn’t mean a failure. It is, because true progress of success begins in knowing ways/things that won’t work to be very innovative or vice versa. At first, ask yourself what is the worst thing that can happen. Then, accept it. Then, proceed to adjust yourself and to improve on the worst.

This might what Aeneas did to have his ultimate victory. There were lots of characters who died and loss, such as Creusa, Dido, Anchises, etc, that affected him much. He never took these terrible losses negatively; instead, he took it as a great challenges/obstacles that are trying to stop him in his fate.

The more defeat and terrible loss he has, the more force to encourage him to be a better person that guides him to the best achievements. So, like Aeneas, never take negatively the bad lucks for you too much, instead, face them all, and take them as your challenges that try to stop you in following your dreams. Be Aeneas, be positive thinker. J

Blog 4.2

You Can’t Ever Be Sure What Others' Decision Will Be

“It’s time to care, it’s time to take responsibility, it’s time to lead, it’s time for a change, it’s time to be true to our greatest self, it’s time to stop blaming others.” Based on the quote of Steve Maraboli, we can relate this to the point of view of couples from Aeneid, Aeneas and Creusa, and Illiad, Hector and Andromache. This can be related on the scenes in Aeneid when Aeneas again prepares to fight the Greeks on the night of Troy's fall, his wife Creusa begs him to consider her first and her son Ascanius and in Illiad, when Andromache pleads with Hector.

Farewell of Hector and Andromache

From the two mentioned epic stories, Creusa and Andromache were the two characters who showed how much a wife must love and care for her husband. They were both very good models for the wives. At the same time, Aeneas and Hector showed how much a father, husband or warrior should be when his nation and family are in danger, such a being very brave, protective, etc. But, Hector didn’t listen to his wife, Andromache, instead, he still tried to fight against Achilles, while Aeneas followed his wife, Creusa, to be with his family, instead of fighting against the Greeks, Aeneas just escaped from Troy with his family.

The escape of Aeneas, Creusa, Ascanius and Anchises

All of the four mentioned characters were good models. There were characters that showed their true love and care, someone followed his responsibility when it comes to call of duty and someone followed his wife to be with his family. There were two epic stories, Aeneid and Illiad, that differ in some plots, but similar in the particular or mentioned scenes of the two showing which the better decision in a certain request.

Blog 4.3

What I Feel for the Fall of Troy

“Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain.” Based on Aeneas sorrowful story, Trojans suddenly lose their power, position, own city (Troy), king, etc. It might not happen if there was no traitor to Trojans whose name is Sinon, the Greek youth. For me, being traitor to somebody was only a part of his cleverness to defeat you, so I don’t trust anyone much.

Having highly elevated and strong walls for city of Troy was a very good idea but the problems with Trojans are being very kind-hearted and feel pity to the youth from the opponent even though they were at the middle of the war. This became one of the ways of Greeks, Trojans’ opponent, to make their plan successful. As I read the Book II of Aeneid, I felt sympathy for Trojans because they accepted and welcomed Sinon for their side very well. Because of feeling pity for Sinon, they never thought that this youth would be one of the causes why Troy will fall.

One of the problems of Trojans is also accepting the Greeks’ gift, wooden horse, easily. I believe that most of them never thought that it would be used to trick and defeat them. At this time, I wasn’t able to feel sympathy for them, instead, I felt angry to their stupidity because they took the wooden horse to display in their city as their pride without thinking that it might be a trap or something. But, as I imagine how the Troy falls and how Greeks attack the sleeping city of Troy, I really felt sympathy.

The Trojan Horse inside the walls of city of Troy

When I put myself on Aeneas’ point of view, I knew the feeling of relinquishing own native land and through encouraging myself by thinking that gods and goddesses have better plans for me, such as building a new hope by building a Roman Empire, made me to realize why I was forced to do that.

Blog 4.1

They were Wright!

     One pleasant afternoon, I was roaming around at North Carolina until I met Wilbur Wright who came from Smithsonian Institution to send his letter of request for information about flight experiment. I asked him to join them in flight experiments and he accepted my request. I went with him at the park and I met his brother, Orville Wright.

     The Wright Brothers and I spent a great deal of time observing birds in flight.
They noticed that birds soared into the wind and that the air flowing over the curved surface of their wings created lift. Birds change the shape of their wings to turn and maneuver. We believed that they could use this technique to obtain roll control by changing the shape of a portion of the wing.The Wright Brothers started to design series of gliders which would be flown as kites and can be controlled or piloted. I tried my best to help them in assembling the parts of glider until we’re done. We realized that controlling glider would be the most crucial and hardest problem to solve. Testing that biplane glider was successful. They chose Kitty Hawk, North Carolina as their test site and we had a triumph for the successful biplane glider. I tried to ride in it and I enjoyed it while it’s flying.

     I realized that having cool moments with cool inventors will be very fun and unforgettable. With the cool stuff that they invent while they trust each other, they became a very important part of the next generations for good communications. I also learned from them that being observable, hard working, positive thinker, giving your best while working and cooperating with others will bring you to a triumph.