“Loosing an amazing ARTIST made me realized I should change my lifestyle.”

“Loosing an ARTIST made me realized I should change my lifestyle.”

Last February 15, 2019 we just received a sad news that our high school classmate Arvin is already in the loving hand of GOD. We were shocked and can’t believe that he is already gone. He’s so young, just a 22-year-old, De La Salle Benilde magna cum laude graduate, a great artist who’s starting to make his name in the world of animation. His great short animated film “Mitatang” won the Best Screen play in the 2016 MMFF, an official selection of the 2016 Take 21 Film Festival, 2016 Benilde Animation Festival, 2016 Animahenasyon, 2016 Los Angeles Philippine International Film Festival, and many of his amazing works are being known internationally. He’s already on the peak of his success as a Kapampangan and Filipino animator.

But on the 15^th day of February 2019, he had his eternal rest. His latest diagnosis before he died are skin cancer and undifferentiated tumor which needs further examination. Actually, he’s doing fine before he died. According to his loving mom, Arvin’s body suddenly break down and on that day, doctors tried to revived him for almost 30 minute but at exactly 11:30 in the evening they declared his death.

Arvin is such a healthy man. He has a happy life with his loving family and his beautiful girlfriend since high school. No one ever thought that this young aspiring artist will be gone too soon. So young…really young…but what happened? Why he suddenly suffered from sickness and left his love ones with their aching hearts?

Loosing Arvin as my classmate made me realized that I should really start changing my lifestyle. This is just an opinion of mine. Maybe Jezzer unintentionally abused his body. Being an animator is not easy. You may have the talent, but you need a strong imagination, a strong and unique ideas for you to make a great work. Sleeping late at night just to present a great amazing work that could satisfied the readers, or the viewers is maybe the life of an animator. Maybe he’s working so hard...so hard ever since that his body broke down. I am using “maybe” it’s because I am not that close to Arvin and I don’t really know what his lifestyle is but only I know he is a hard-working child ever since. A very good son, to his family, a very kind friend and classmate, and a very good leader. He is the salutatorian during high school and magna cum laude during college. He is the designer of our MAPEH uniform during high school that’s still being used by the present generation. He’s really an achiever.

While we are aiming for our success, while we are so eager to reach the very peak of our goal. Aren’t we are forgetting that we are just human having a weak body that might shut down UNEXPECTEDLY and will give you by forced an eternal rest? Are you so busy that you have no proper meal at all? Do you always eat junk foods? Do you love street foods? Don’t you have proper diet? Do you love soda? Do you do things that aren’t good for your body? Don’t you have proper sleep? Don’t you have proper rest? Because you are working so hard you just ignore healthy lifestyle? Well, I will ashamedly answer all the question with a “yes”. I am not proud of it. Those things will shut me down also one day if I will not change my very unhealthy lifestyle.

I made this article because I want to remind myself, all the hard-working people and those having unhealthy life to think of their health first before anything else. If your body will shut down what’s the sense of your success? Of your goal? If you are already lying cold and lifeless? What’s the sense of that success if your family is crying for you...crying because you left your love ones who loves you so much? They will never have the chance to hug you again and you will just be forever a loving memory. Isn’t it we are doing our best to make our family proud? But what’s the sense if NOW you made them proud but the next moment you make them so sad.

Arvin is so young to die. And you are still young to die! Life is really too short so we must enjoy the most out of it. Yeah enjoy enjoy enjoy…but do “it” in a healthy way. Start loving your body. Let it stand and be strong for more more more years.  Let’s all start having a healthy lifestyle.  You don’t know how to start? Hello, we are living in technology. Seek help from google or in youtube on how to start a healthy lifestyle.

It’s ok to work hard, study hard and enjoy life but it’s BEST if you take good care of your health first.

BE HEALTHY ALL THE TIME! NEVER LET THAT BODY OF YOURS GIVE YOU A FORCED ETERNAL REST. ALWAYS REMEMBER HEALTH IS WEALTH.

Please Check Arvin's Amazing works : http://arvinjezergagui30.wixsite.com/portfolio

                                        

What's Inside RIZAL'S SHRINE (Intramuros) at Fort Santiago,Manila Philippines?

ALL ABOUT RIZAL

I am a Kapampangan (from the province of Pampanga, Philippines) who had the chance to visit the place where our National Hero was imprisoned before his execution.

Let me share my experiences and let me start with sharing a little bit of my learning about history that I just recently really appreciated as I visited Rizal's Shrine.

Who is Rizal?

self-portrait of Rizal

               Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado Y Realonda is the Philippine National Hero. He is the youngest son of Francisco Rizal Mercado y Alendro and Donya Teodora Alonso Realonda y Quintos. He has nine sisters and one brother.  He was born in June 19, 1861 at Calamba Laguna. He's the author of the famous "El Filibusterismo” and "Noli Me Tangere." He’s a writer, an ophthalmologist by profession and according to my research he’s a member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement that advocated political reforms for the colony under Spain.

Where did Rizal first learned to read?

Are you thinking of a school name? Well, if that's the case according to my prof your answer is incorrect. My college professor (who's a certified Rizalian) in RIZAL subject logically asked us that question and why we're all busy thinking that all our given answers (all schools we've learned he attended even their house) are correct but she keeps on saying our given answers are incorrect that made us all confused. At the end of that awesome discussions she gave us the right logical simple answer.

Donya Teodora holding Rizal's skull

Simply... IN HIS MOTHER'S LAP. It just made us all nodded, agreed and smiled after hearing that simple answer.

Letter of Donya Teodora to Governor Heneral Camilo de Polavieja
pleading pardon for his son (December 29, 1896)

Did you know that Rizal first learned to read at age of 5 and only 3 years of age when he learned the alphabet? Can you believe that? Yes, that's how smart and genius he is and that's how great his first teacher is and that’s his own mother Donya Teodora.

What and when is Rizal Day? Why we, Filipinos is celebrating this day?

RIZAL DAY is a Philippine national holiday commemorating the life and works of José Rizal, the Pinoy's hero.  We are celebrating it every December 30. It is the anniversary of Rizal's 1896 execution at Bagumbayan (present-day Rizal Park) in Manila.

Why did our hero was executed?

Rizal's execution at Bagumbayan, Manila, December 30,1896

             Jose Rizal was sentenced to execution by a firing squad on December 30, 1896 wherein he was convicted on the grounds of rebellion, sedition and organizing an illicit organization conspiring against the government.

FORT SANTIAGO. What is this historical place?

The Fort

             The fort is one of the most important historical sites in Manila, Philippines. Several lives were lost in its prisons during the Spanish Colonial Period and World War. Also, before Jose Rizal's execution in 1896 he was imprisoned here.  

DUNGEON. What is this famous killer place that is called as the "Hole of Death"?

DUNGEON "Hole of Death"

Dungeon is the most nightmare place here in fort were almost thousands of revolutionists were imprisoned here. They were tortured Inside wherein they died because it was full of rotting water and infested with rats, snakes, and all kinds of vermin. Having but a small hole for air to enter, everyone (revolutionist) packed inside as many as 170 at a time died of asphyxiation overnight.

RIZAL SHRINE. What's inside Rizal Shrine?

Rizal's grave visited by family and friends.

The Rizal Shrine museum displays a lot of memorabilia of our hero in their collection such as his personal letters, poems, sketches, novels, clothes etc. and the fort features, embedded onto the ground in bronze, his footsteps representing his final walk from his cell to the location of the actual execution.

Rizal's Clothes

"Mi Ultimo Adios" 

A piece of Rizal's vertebra where the bullet hit him during execution

Rizal's Fencing Vest and Fencing Foils

HOW'S MY EXPERIENCE IN VISITING RIZAL’S SHRINE (Intramuros)? 

Last December 28, 2018, I was very happy to finally visit and witnessed all the above-mentioned historical places of our hero. When I was in grade school and high school we have history then on college we have a particular subject RIZAL so we are obliged to listen to our teacher's discussions and memorized those historical places, dates and Rizal's poems and also read his famous novels "Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo", honestly speaking I wasn't that interested that time and I was like memorizing those historical places and dates because I just need to have a good grades but now when I had the chance to visit that place where Rizal was executed I was really "amazed" and feeling truly proud of our hero. Every old pictures, every old sketches, every old letters, the clothes he wore when he was executed, his poems for her love ones and for his country, all his memorabilias made me feel how great our hero is and made me truly believe that he was once existed and live like us as a simple person who has a very loving family.

Two Famous Novel:

"Noli Me Tangere"

"El Filibusterismo"

His wax figure gave me goosebumps! It looks real!

Rizal's Wax Figure

Rizal's Sketch

Leonor Rivera

His Sister (Saturnina)

Self-portrait Sketch

How's important to visit THE FORT SANTIAGO and RIZAL'S SHRINE?

I am truly honored to visit this historical place and witnessed some of the historical memorabilias of our hero. I would like then to suggest to those parents and school to better bring their children or students to those historical places so that they will really learn and understand and feel clearly who is our hero. They will surely and clearly better understand and much appreciate history especially our hero. I, myself a proud Filipino is encouraging all Filipinos or other nationality to come and visit FORT SANTIAGO as well and feel Rizal's love towards our country.

Readers, I want to end this Article with the following simple questions that you can answer with your comment if you are interested.

1. Are you a Filipino? By blood? or by heart?

2. Do you live here in the Philippines?

3. Have you visited one of the Historical Places in the Philippines? Where and When? RIZAL SHRINE? FORT SANTIAGO? RIZAL PARK? Can you share your experience/s?

4. How much do you know our Philippine National Hero?

5. Who is your hero in life?

Different Meaning of RED LETTER DAY

Why did I choose READ LETTER DAY25 as my blog name? I got that name from RED LETTER DAY and that No. 25 I got that on my birth day. So to further explain let me give you the meaning of RED LETTER DAY from different references I've researched.

My Top 8 Most Favorite Meaning.

RED LETTER DAY means...

1. A day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable.

                                                                                             - (Reference:https://www.dictionary.cambridge.org)

                     

2. It is a day that you will always remember because something good happens to you then.

-(Reference:https://www.collinsdictionary.com)

3. A memorably important or happy occasion.

-(Reference: https://www.collinsdictionary.com)

4.  For UrbanDictionary.com:

·        In the past, special holidays would be marked with red letter making it a red-letter day.

·        Any day with personal significance.

·        A special occasion.

·        A day that you make someone else’s day wonderful through various ways.

Ex. Oh! It’s our National Hero’s day tomorrow! Better get ready for the red-letter day!

-(Reference: https://www.urbandictionary.com)

      5. A special, happy and important day that you will always remember.

Ex. The day I first set foot in Fort Santiago Philippines was a red-letter day!

-(Reference: https://dictionary.cambridge.com)

6. In earlier times a church festival or saint’s day, more recently, any special day.

-(Reference: https://www.phrases.org.uk)

7. A very important or significant day.

Ex. My college graduation was a real red-letter day for my whole family.

-(Reference: https://idioms.threfreedictionary.com)

8. For the Idioms:

·        A day of significance

·        A day of remembrance

·        A memorable day

·        A happy and important day

Ex. The day that I received my college diploma and have my first job was really a

red- letter day for me!

-(Reference: https://theidioms.com)

Note: Please click those mentioned references if you are looking for more informations.

My Example based on my own experiences:

               Ex. I went to Fort Santiago, the historical place where our National Hero was imprisones before he was executed in Bagumbayan, Manila (Rizal Park now) and it was an honor for me to witnessed that historical in my own country Philippines, the day that our National Hero died for his country fighting for our freedom. It was really a red-letter day for me to visit Rizal Shrine. – Read Letter Day25        

When I visited Rizal Shrine (Intramuros)

    

Ex. It was indeed a red letter day for me when me and my friends went to a certain place in Pampanga wherein we walk around holding the take-out food we bought in a well-known fast-food chain which we wholeheartedly share to our fellows who really melt our hearts especially our little angels and our oldies as we share also the word of encouragements and the word of our Almighty God. It was a red-letter day that we will love to do again. Sharing happiness is the best!

Sharing HAPPINESS is the BEST!

HOW ABOUT YOU WHAT AND WHEN IS YOUR RED LETTER DAY?