Highlights of 2015

It's 2016 in about a couple of hours and I just wanted to take time to reflect on the past year because 2015 was an eventful year for me. A lot of ups and downs, but I praise God because the good still outweighed the bad. I just want to share highlights from my 2015 because 2015 was a great year for me.

~ Highlights of 2015 ~

1) I finished my third year of high school! I miss my section from last year though. Shout out to Thessalonians 2014-2015!!

2) I flew to the US for the Holy Week and got to spend time with relatives there! Hello Vegas and Houston fam!

3) I attended the #ohlife GCF Youth LIVE camp! I definitely had a blast meeting new people and spending time with my friends. I was blessed by the plenaries and the buzz group sessions that we had. It's definitely one I'll remember many years from now.

4) I had review classes for college entrance tests. Those four weeks (?) were long and tiring but I guess they were, to some extent, helpful!

5) My friends and I threw a surprise birthday party for my bestfriend and we all had an amazing time! Aside from that, I attended the birthday party of one of my close friends where I participated and won in the Chubby Bunny Challenge with a total of seventeen marshmallows in my mouth! I can't wait to see what I'll do in my friends' birthday parties next year!

6) I went to the Pentatonix concert here in the Philippines! I saw Scott and Kevin up close and Kirstie waved at me. It was a great way to end the summer vacation to be quite honest.

7) I entered Senior Year and started the school year with O-Week - three days of fellowship, physical activities, and God's Word with the entire high school body. Although my house didn't win the House Cup (Congratulations, Scepters!), we did win the Cheer Dance Competition and I'm happy with that! Without a doubt, the seniors and I definitely had fun spending time with our kids and I think that's the most important part of O-Week.

8) I was placed in Year IV-Romans for this school year, and to be quite honest, I wouldn't want to be in any other section for my last year in high school. I am so blessed and happy with this section. Shout out to Romans 2015-2016!

9) I failed a quiz this year, but I still praise God for that because if I hadn't, then I wouldn't have pushed myself to do well in the exam. Even if I was initially distraught with what I got, I looked to God and saw the blessing that He was giving to me.

10) I took exams at three colleges and got results to two of them already. Praise God for His grace and faithfulness!

11) I had a misunderstanding with one of my really close friends this year. It was without a doubt tough on both of us, but we both got through it and now, we're good. Our friendship has definitely gotten much stronger because of that and I praise God for that and of course, for my friend! You know who you are. Thank you.

12) I did a concept paper on nationalism and my group's final product was a comic book in both Filipino and English! Even though it was stressful especially for my group mates who drew the comics, I can say that it was all worth it in the end!

13) I directed my last ever Dulaan, "Walang Sugat" by Severino Reyes. I'm very proud of it. Also, my role for this play was a general who gets into a conflict with the priest...again. What does this mean?

14) Tyler Oakley noticed me twice this past year! I honestly do not need to explain anymore.

15) I made new friends this year! I am so happy for them. I also got closer to some of my friends and I'm also happy about that! Shout out to my friends who make me smile each day.

16) I turned 16 this year. Woah.

17) I performed my last ever skit for my guild, Theospian. Theospian is my baby and to have performed for it one last time made me quite emotional. The skit I performed I also co-wrote with my great friend, Yumi Paras. That skit is our precious baby. It came from our hearts. I'm happy with it.

18) I was able to serve in church more even if I took a leave from church. In my time off from singing, I was able to serve in other ministries too which I think is great. Yay Creatives Team and Tech Team!

19) I encountered God more this past year. I felt His presence in my life more. I praise Him for that! While I still have a long way to go in my relationship with Him, I thank Him for His unwavering love for me.

~

I know this post is already long, but it's the last one, so I'll fit in all that I want to say now. Moving right along, I wanted to share both the good and the bad events in my life from the past year because both of them have made an impact in my life. Having gone through what I went through this past year has really helped me change into a much better person. I still have a lot to work on, but I'm pleased with the progress that I've made this past year. This past year has truly been reflective for me. In a lot of situations this past year, I found myself in deep thought, reflecting on the things that were happening to me. I praise God for that! Being in a state of reflection has helped me see His blessings and understand even more the plans that He has for me.

I'm definitely looking forward to 2016! I know a lot of people say it, but I really do think that 2016 will be a great year. Greater than 2015? Maybe. We'll see. I have so much planned for 2016 that that alone makes me excited for the coming year. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me in 2016. I hope you enjoyed the past year as much as I did. If you didn't, then I hope that 2016 will be much kinder to you. But that is all that I have for 2015!

Until Next Time!

~ Luis ~

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us"

Romans 8:37

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/12/baking-brownies.html

Baking Brownies

Hello! Ever since I posted about brownies about ten months ago, I have been trying to make the perfect batch of brownies (moist, chewy, and not crumbly). I baked brownies the other day and I wanted to share some photos that I took from that day.

I use the Betty Crocker Brownie Mix for my brownies. It already has instructions on how to make brownies, which makes it so much easier to make especially for those baking brownies for the first time.

When I bake, I use a large clear mixing and a wooden spoon. Sometimes, I use a spatula but then mixing it becomes a bit difficult. I only use a spatula when making cookie dough because it's easier to mix the dough with the spatula. Back to brownies...

1/2 Cup Water is needed for the recipe. A human needs a lot of water even if they're already 70% water. If you haven't already, drink a glass of water right now! It's good for you.

The recipe says 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, but I don't use vegetable oil at home. Instead, I used olive oil because that's what I use for all my cooking and baking needs.

The recipe also calls for 1 egg! I personally use large, free-range, organic eggs for cooking and baking. Free-range means that the chicken isn't caged in the farm and is allowed to roam around the field. Organic, in terms of food, means that there is no chemicals added onto the plants, food of the animals, or fertilizer used for the soil where the crops grow.

My addition to the recipe is 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. The vanilla extract adds a nice touch to the brownie giving it just the right amount of sweetness. Too much of vanilla extract can make your recipe go wrong in an instant, so be careful when adding it to your recipe.

Mix together all the ingredients to make your batter. The consistency should be thick but not too thick that the batter is difficult to mix already. It shouldn't be runny also. That'll make the brownie too fudgey, which will cause the brownie to break apart easily.

Transfer the batter onto a baking tin/pan. The one I used is about 9x11 if I'm not mistaken. This particular tin is not expensive. If I recall correctly, it's about 140 pesos. It's an effective baking tin/pan bought at a really good price!

Place the tin in the oven for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 175 degrees Celsius! If you haven't preheated the oven, do it now and wait for about 15 minutes before putting the brownies in.

After 40 minutes, take the brownies out of the oven and let it cool down for 30-50 minutes.

And because I'm new to photoblogging, I forgot to take photos of the brownies sliced and neatly arranged in a plate. Oh well. I promise to update this post with a picture of the brownies as soon as I can!

I hope you enjoyed reading through this post! This is the first time I'm having photos on my blog, and I really hope it looks great. I'm hoping to have photos in most, if not all, of my blogposts. That is all I have for you guys today!

Until Next Time!

~ Luis ~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/11/never-have-i-ever.html

Brownies: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/02/brownies.html

Never Have I Ever

"Never Have I Ever" has always been an exciting game to play. It's an interesting way to get to know other people and it's easy to play too! I remember playing it with my classmates on my first day of high school, which was also my first day in that school (yes, I was a new student).

Today, I have decided to play "Never Have I Ever" on this blog. I was brainstorming and I thought of playing this game. I know it sounds weird and impossible to do but we're gonna make it work.

RULES OF THE GAME:

1) You, my reader, get 10 lives for this game.

2) For every statement that does not apply to you, you are subtracted one life.

Example:

"I have never seen the movie version of Les Mis"

If you've seen the movie, minus one life.

If you haven't, you keep your life.

3) Count the number of lives you have left at the end and see how well you did!

Here we go!

Never Have I Ever Watched Star Wars

Never Have I Ever Ridden The Space Shuttle At Enchanted Kingdom

Never Have I Ever Been To More Than 3 Concerts

Never Have I Ever Dissected A Frog

Never Have I Ever Been In A Romantic Relationship

Never Have I Ever Been To Universal Studios In Singapore

Never Have I Ever Dyed My Hair

Never Have I Ever Watched Arrow

Never Have I Ever Participated In Free Comic Book Day

Never Have I Ever Bathed In The Rain

------END------

How well did you do? You've done all these things before? That's great! Missed a few? That's alright. Haven't done any of these before? There's nothing wrong with that! You aren't alone. Try checking it again after a few months and see if you've done more of these things.

I hope you enjoyed this quick little game! Comment below how many lives you had at the end of the game! If this goes well, maybe I'll do more "Never Have I Ever" posts in the future. That's it for now.

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-year-of-blogging.html

One Year of Blogging

As I was going through my old posts the other day, I saw that my first post, since relaunching my blog, was published more than a year ago. That means that I have actually been blogging for more than one year already!

Blogging has been an exciting hobby for me to do, and I really enjoy doing it. I've learned a lot since starting this little blog of mine. I initially started this blog because I was inspired by my favourite Youtubers and I wanted to try my hand at writing. I wrote my first blog post "The Year-long Hiatus" and once I finished it, I moved my cursor over the "Publish" button. I suddenly found myself hesitating to click the button. I consulted two of my close friends about it, and after a lot of encouragement, I clicked the "Publish" button.

It was a nerve-wracking feeling to be quite honest. I didn't know how the people would react and how they would find my writing, but soon after I realized that I shouldn't let that get the best of me. I continued to write, and one year later, I find myself very satisfied with the progress that I've made. Imagine if I had let that fear and doubt get the best of me. I probably wouldn't be writing this celebratory blog post for reaching one year of blogging.

This blog has been a huge blessing to me, and I hope it has also been a blessing to you, my reader! If there's one thing that I want you to take from this entire post, it's that I don't regret starting this blog. In fact, it's one the best decisions I've ever made.

To those who want to start their own blog, go ahead and give it a try! You never know. Maybe it's something for you. There's no harm in trying! To you, my readers, thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I appreciate you very much! To Chloe and Mayumi, thank you for encouraging me to press the "Publish" button. To me, thank you for actually pressing the "Publish" button. I'm proud of how far you've come! That was really meta, but I just had to thank myself.

I have so much planned for this blog but that's all I have for you today! I'll see you soon.

Until Next Time!
~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/11/october-favourites.html
First Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-year-long-hiatus_2.html

October Favourites

Hello! October has passed and it is now November which means we only have two months left until 2015 ends. I honestly feel like it was just February or March yesterday. Anyway, today I will be sharing all the things that I have been loving from the whole month of October! Here we go:

~ Disclaimer: I am not paid to advertise any of the things that I mention below. I also am not affiliated with any of the companies that I mention below. ~

"Pentatonix" by Pentatonix

This past month, Pentatonix released their self-titled, full-length album consisting of mostly original songs! Being the Pentatonix fan (or Pentaholic) that I am, I was ecstatic to listen to all the tracks, and although I say this a lot about them, they did not disappoint! Each track has a different theme, genre, and twist to it and that really shows that Pentatonix isn't bound to one musical genre. My personal favourites from the album are: Misbehavin, Cracked, and Rose Gold. 

"Hello" by Adele

I absolutely love Adele! She is one of my musical inspirations and to have her back after three years is such an exciting thing for me. Her newest single Hello is part of her upcoming album, 25, and to say that I am obsessed with the song is an understatement. The lyrics are amazing and it just proves that Adele is one of those artists who can actually write songs. Also, Adele's vocals are just outstanding. The control that she has is incredible! I love this song so much to the point that I've tried to prank call my friends by playing the first few parts of the song when they answer.

"Defying Gravity" by Aaron Tveit + Rachel Tucker

This past month, a cover of Defying Gravity by Aaron Tveit and Rachel Tucker was released, and I am so pleased with this cover! Aaron Tveit's voice is magical. I have never heard of a voice like his before. His range and control over it is amazing! Also, the blending on this cover is just on point. I love the acoustic arrangement of the song too! The piano and guitar gives the song a new feel and it's just amazing.

Suits Season 4

I know I'm late to the party, but I as really busy so I wasn't able to watch season four. When I had free time this past month, I binge watched season four of Suits! I now remember why I love this show so much. The thrill from all the drama plus the humor that the characters have are, in my opinion, such a great combination. It gives the show the right balance between comedy and drama, and I love that! The plot of season four was pretty good in my opinion. The character development of Louis Litt is interesting to be quite honest. I'm excited to see him more in season five.

Flash Season 2

The second season of The Flash premiered this past month, and I am very pleased with the first few episodes! This season picks up six months after the events of the final episode of the first season, and I honestly think that that was a pretty wise move on the creators' end considering that they successfully showed the struggle of Barry's character in just one episode. This season also opened the Flash universe to a whole new universe, and I'm extremely excited to see how the plot will unfold this season.

Working Out

For a long time now, I have been trying to live healthier and a part of that meant working out. Initially, I found working out a hassle and tiring (I mean it is), but this past month, working out has changed for me. It became much more enjoyable and fulfilling for me to work out! Although not much has changed physically, I guess I can say that me working out much more than before is a change that I'm proud of. Working out is something I enjoy and, hopefully, something that I continue to do.

Those are all of my favourites from the month of October! I hope you find something that you might like too, and if you're interested in checking some of my favourites, the links will be at the end of the post! I have so much planned for this blog, and I'll be sharing them with you guys soon! That is all I have today. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I love Adele's new single!

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Links:

Pentatonix: https://itunes.apple.com/ph/album/pentatonix/id1034935690

Hello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHsXMglC9A

Defying Gravity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFbuID1QG0Y

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/10/quick-update.html

Other Favourites: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/search/label/Favourites

Quick Update

Hello everybody! Today, I just wanted to give a quick update about what's been happening in my life lately. 

I haven't posted anything in the past two weeks because of school work. The week after my last post was the week of my exams and that meant hours of studying and memorizing formula, terminologies, and theories. I also had a Physics project due on that same week, which meant more work for me to do. All went well though and praise God for that!

After exam week, the school finally began doing full run-throughs of our musicale "Home Again", which is an adaptation of "The Wiz". It's been months since I was last in a play and two years since I was in a musicale, so doing this production was very refreshing. Even though the rehearsals were long and exhausting, I am very proud of the production and everyone who worked on it. It was only through God's grace that we were able to pull off the production and I praise God for it.

It was also my birthday this past month! I turned sixteen and I was very ecstatic about it. I even did a countdown on my twitter! I didn't get a lot of material things as gifts which I am actually fine with it because my friends and family sent me heart-warming messages instead, and that to me is much more valuable than material things. I do not feel different though, but I've only been sixteen for a few days so let's just see.

The thing I'm most excited to talk about the most is actually me working out! This is not for me to show off but for me to share my progress. I have been struggling with my eating habits for a long time now, and ever since I started working out regularly, my eating habits have also gotten better. Praise God for that!

On top of that, I'm planning to do the 90 Day Challenge. The goal of the challenge is that by the end of the ninety days, you are a completely changed person because of working out regularly, eating healthily, and being positive and active. It's an ambitious challenge but there's no harm in trying it! Okay, there might be harm in trying because of all the physical activity involved, but you know what I mean.

That's all that I can really say for now. I will try my best to post regularly, but that is it for now! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoy writing. I will back with another post soon.

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

P.S.

Since it is the end of the month, my usual blog post would be a monthly favourites. I will still be posting my October Favourites, and I plan to have it up by next week! Stay tuned :)

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/10/15-facts-about-me.html

15 Facts About Me

Hello! Today, I thought that I'd share a few things about me. I share a lot of my thoughts and experiences here on my blog, but there are still a couple of things that you guys might not known about me. Without further ado, here are fifteen facts about me.

1) I stuck 17 marshmallows inside my mouth for a Chubby Bunny Challenge. It was worth it.

2) I have Lepidopterophobia. That means I have a fear of butterflies.

3) I love to collect mugs! I have about 8 or 9 mugs in my house but my absolute favourite is the mug that says: You Have The Same Amount Of Hours As Beyoncé. It was a gift from a close friend. 

4) I have mild lactose intolerance. I can't eat too much of milk, ice cream, or anything with a lot of dairy or else my stomach will turn.

5) I love coffee. I am basically 65% coffee already.

6) My first stage play was Peter Pan, and I played the role of Captain Hook. I was six so I didn't really know what it meant to be Captain Hook.

7) I do not enjoy roller coasters. They make me anxious.

8) I have a trophy from Universal Studios that says "Best Me". It's a daily reminder that I have to be the best possible me each day for Him.

9) Wicked is my favourite musical. Play a track from the Original Broadway Cast Recording and I will gladly sing along.

10) I am a pancake person. Not only do I love to eat pancakes, but I also love to make pancakes. 

11) I have bad eating habits. It's either I eat a lot or I don't eat at all. That's why I'm acidic and heavier than most people.

12) I have been blogging for almost a year now. It's been really fun and I have no plans to stop. I've only just begun to tell my stories!

13) I get anxious quite often, but the sound of rain and words of affirmation calm me down.

14) I love to laugh. I love making people laugh. I love laughing because other people are making me laugh. I love puns. They're puntastic. 

15) I was lost, but now am found in Him who loves me so much.

Those are fifteen facts about me. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you learned something new about me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it. I appreciate it very much!

Until Next Time
~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/10/september-favourites.html

September Favourites

It is finally the month of October and I am very much excited for this month! This month will mark the beginning of the second half of my final year in high school. I am so close to finishing the year that it is actually overwhelming to think about. October also holds one very important day - my birth.

As per usual, a new month means a new favourites post! That is why today, I will be talking about a few things that I loved from the month of September.

~ Disclaimer: I am not paid to advertise any of the things that I mention below. I also am not affiliated with any of the companies that I mention below. ~

"Drunk In Love" by Beyoncé + Ed Sheeran
This collaboration was done as part of Beyoncé's setlist when she performed at the Global Citizen Festival. The acoustic take on the song with Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran's vocals is really amazing. I always amazing when I describe my favourites, but I really cannot think of any other word to describe this collaboration. Also, their blending is on point.

"Where Are Ü Now" by Pentatonix
Pentatonix has been really releasing songs from their latest album, Pentatonix, which comes out on October 16th (another reason why I'm excited for October). One of the songs that they've released in order to promote the album is a cover of Jack U and Justin Bieber's song "Where Are Ü Now". The arrangement has "La La Latch" feels, which I am perfectly fine with. Listening to it with headphones is definitely the way to go.

Heneral Luna
I don't think I have ever been more proud of a Filipino movie before watching Heneral Luna. The movie revolves around the life of General Antonio Luna, the greatest military strategist of the Philippines, during the time of the American occupation. Not only does the movie show the struggle of the Filipinos against the Americans during the American occupation, Heneral Luna also shows the struggle that the Filipinos had with their fellow countrymen. Although set way back in the 1900s, the movie reflects the current situation of the Philippines. There's a problem and instead of working together to address it, we're divided by our own personal agendas.

Aside from that, the technical aspect of the movie is something worth praising. The cinematography, the make-up and design, and score were really good. While it isn't at par with all those other great Hollywood films, Jerrold Tarog, director, writer and composer for the film, has definitely taken a huge step in Filipino cinema. He showed that Filipinos can achieve the same quality of films as internationally acclaimed films. It's definitely a must watch!

Entrance Exam Buster Kit
This past month, I took two college entrance exams. One at the Ateneo de Manila University and another at the University of Santo Tomas. My entrance exam buster kit has been extremely useful because it definitely made taking the test easier. Here's the list of what I had in my bag:

3 Mongol #2 Pencils (That's the standard pencil type for entrance exams)

Eraser

Sharpener with a case (the one that catches the shavings)

Notebook/Book to place my test permit in

Umbrella and Jacket

Snacks

Those are the items in my bag that made entrance exams easier to conquer. I might a detailed post about it soon, but for now that's all I have to say. If you're going to take an entrance exams at colleges, considering bringing these items with you!

My Bed
Numerous academic requirements and college entrance exams were the main "highlight" of September, and it has been extremely exhausting trying to survive this past month. Coming home to multiple requirements has been difficult to cope with, but this past month, my bed has helped with that coping process. After a long and stressful day at school, there is nothing more relieving than lying down on a very comfortable bed. My bed has been very supportive (pun very much intended) and that's why it's part of my favourites for September.


Those are all my favourites from the month of September! The links to some of them will be below so that you can check them out for yourself too. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it very much! I hope you enjoyed reading this and I will back with another post soon!

Until Next Time!
~Luis~


Links:
Drunk In Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u38mh1VlhAY
Where Are Ü Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMrh3wYb1mM
Heneral Luna Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_T1ykhy3Fg

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/09/things-people-need-two.html
Other Favourites: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/search/label/Favourites

Things People Need Two

Hello everyone! After three months of being on hiatus, I am finally returning to blogging! While I have been able to write a couple things from time to time, they have mostly been academic papers and book reports. I have so much planned for this blog, and I am so happy that I can finally start on some of my plans. While I was on my hiatus, I have learned and discovered a lot of things, and I am very much excited to share these all to you!

Today, I will be doing something that I have actually already done before. As you have probably read on the title, I am doing a "Things People Need" post again. I wrote the first one last April and it is honestly one of my favourite posts. Since then, I have found more things to add onto the list of things that people need.

Much like the first post, this post will be answering the question: what do people need? Instead of answering that question with the usual answers such as clothes or food, I will be answering the question with sentences. It's difficult to explain the concept, so I'll just show you!

1) People Need To Understand That Things Change.

Oftentimes, we go through life with a clear idea of what we want to happen. We have everything planned out, and just thinking about life not going according to your plan scares you. When life does not go according to your plan, you get frustrated and angry at everything and anything. It's important that people understand that things change. Your close friend now might not be your close friend anymore. Your plans to migrate to another country might not be your plan anymore in two years time. Your job right now might not be your job in a few months time. Things change, and understanding that prepares us for those changes.

Now, it's also important to note that God does not change. He is constant throughout time. His Word is just as true today as it was yesterday. Through all these changes, He remains the same. God brings changes in our lives and also allows changes to come into our life for several reasons. Some of these reasons are: to refine us, to protect us from danger, and to bless us. All of these reasons come together for the sole purpose of glorifying God. We may not see the good in the change that happens to us, but God is working in our lives and we should remember that He is faithful and merciful.

2) People Need To Learn To Value What They Have.

It is a sad truth that we only find the true value of things once they have already changed or gone. Yes, we can say that we know the value of something right now, but once that something goes away, is that not when we truly discover what that something meant to us? It is important that people learn to value what they have right now. Learning to value what we have right now allows for us to appreciate what God has so graciously given to us. Value the friendships that you have. Value the education that you have. Value the time that you have. Don't wait for these things to go away before you value them.

3) People Need To Be More Careful With Their Jokes.
It concerns me a lot how people can easily make jokes that relates to suicide, mental health, eating disorders, skin colour, and gender. No matter how many times you say that it is just a joke, that will not compare to the amount of hurt that you have caused to a person. Growing up, you might have thought that it was alright to call someone out for having a different skin colour or being fat. Well, I am telling you right now that it is not. I am not exempted from this. I have made hurtful jokes before and I have seen the effects of what I have done. Don't wait until someone gets hurt before you start being conscious of what you say.

4) People Need To Rest.
Not a lot of people get to rest anymore for several reasons. Work. School. Responsibilities. Chores. Whatever the reason may be, people lack rest. While it's important to fulfil our duties, it's also important to rest properly. I am not saying that we should give up our responsibilities because we need to rest. No. All I am saying is that we should not let go of something good just because we want to work on something else that is good. There should be a balance between rest and work. Putting one over the other will not benefit you in any way. Your body needs time to recover from the day's work. You deserve to rest, so rest!


Those are the four things that I thought needed to be added to the list of "Things People Need". I hope that I was able to enlighten you on a few things. I know that these do not necessarily apply to all of you, but I hope that you still took time to reflect and reevaluate yourselves. Writing this was also a time of reflection, and I hope that reading this was also a time of reflection for yourself.

Thank you for taking the time to read through my lengthy post. I appreciate it very much! I hope you enjoyed reading my post as much as I enjoy writing. Links to my previous posts will be below. Feel free to check them out!

Until Next Time!
~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/06/hiatus-again.html
Things People Need: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/04/things-people-need.html

Hiatus Again?

Okay. I haven't really been posting regularly for the past few weeks and it's because I've been extremely busy.

For the whole month of May, I had review classes going so my mind was jammed with a lot of academic information which didn't help the flow of my creative juices. I was also busy preparing for my school's first week of classes. It's called Orientation Week and it's basically a lot of games that test your physical capabilities, emotional capacity and spiritual strength. Aside from that making my body sore, I had to prepare for this past week, which was the first week of learning. That meant adjusting to the new schedule, new set of teachers, and new set of classmates. Aside from that, learning new lessons while recalling old ones was a bit difficult too.

I'm extremely blessed to have teachers who are understanding of the gravity of being a senior student, but the stress is just extremely overwhelming. Aside from the load of responsibilities that senior students get, we also have college entrance exams coming up. That entails a lot of preparation in both the academic and spiritual aspect.

College is an extremely faith-stretching topic. Just thinking about it makes me anxious. It might be the uncertainty that comes when deciding on what course to take up. It might also be the fact that whatever you take up in college will have a huge impact on your life later on.

With that in mind, I need to take time to reevaluate myself and talk to my God about everything that has been going on and will go on in my life. That means that I have to take a break from writing on my free time here on my blog. This is just temporary. I will get back to writing as soon as all these are done. I will try to write from time to time just to give an update on what's happening but don't expect something every single week. I will definitely miss writing for my blog but I need to prioritise what's ahead of me.

I hope you enjoyed reading it even if it was a bit lengthy. While I'm on hiatus, you can check out my other posts! I will put the links to some of them down below. That is all I have for you guys today!

Until Next Time!
~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/06/bucket-list.html
Links to other post:
http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/p/monthly-favourites.html
http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/p/the-creative-project.html
http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/p/favourite-posts.html

Bucket List

bucket list (n)

"a list of things one has not done before but wants to do before dying"

"from the phrase "kick the bucket"

~Merriam-Webster Dictionary~

Everyone has a bucket list. I have one. You probably have one. Your parents might have one. You may not call it a bucket list but if it's a list of things you hope to accomplish before you die, then it's bucket list. 

A few years back, I watched a movie called "The Bucket List" which stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson in lead roles. It's about two men from different walks of life completing each other's bucket list before their time is up. After watching the movie, I started to write my own bucket list. Not because I was dying or anything, but because I thought it was a good idea to think of things that I'd want to do before my time's up. In today's blog post, I will be sharing a few things on my bucket list. Enjoy!

Publish A Book

I don't really know why I wanted to publish a book back then, but thinking about it now, I think I would love to publish my own book. To be quite honest, I never thought I'd develop a thing for writing and the idea of having a physical copy of your words being published just amazes me. Beyond that, a book is a great opportunity to send a message to other people!

Open My Own Coffee Shop

Aside from being inspired by the coffee shop in Club Penguin, I think I've always found coffee shops amazing. Coffee shops are perfect for either relaxing or working. The ambiance plus the great coffee partnered with good pastries just makes me smile. There's something about a coffee shop that makes me happy. Aside from that, I love coffee which is weird because back then, I didn't drink coffee.

Visit Pixar Animation Studios

I grew up watching Pixar movies and a lot of my favourite movies are created by Pixar. Finding Nemo, which is my favourite childhood movie of all time, was created by Pixar. Toy Story was also created by Pixar. Also, Up. To see where these movies came to be would be such an amazing experience. I feel like when I see a Dory statue, I'll just freak out and scream: DORY!!!

Watch Wicked on Broadway

Wicked is my favourite musical of all time. I saw it when the Australian production came to the Philippines and it was incredible. To be able to see the production on Broadway will be the death of me. To watch anything on Broadway is one thing. To watch my favourite musical at The Gershwin Theatre is a whole different level of awesome. It'll be on the same theatre that Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, the original Elphaba and Glinda, performed on. It'll definitely be one I won't forget.

Watch Star Wars

Okay. Okay. Yes, I know. I know I haven't watched one of the best movie series in the whole world. I know I'm missing out. Yes, I know. I have friends who love Star Wars. That's why "Watch Star Wars" is on my bucket list. (While writing this, I could literally hear a thousand Star Wars fans raging)

Feed The Penguins

Penguins are the cutest birds in the world. I don't care about hummingbirds. I don't care about flamingos. No. I want none of them. Penguins are the birds for me. I've seen penguins before but then there was a glass in between us so the penguin and I couldn't have a proper moment together. I feel like feeding a lot of penguins would just be magical. I can't even describe it any other way. It'd be magical.

Those are some of the things on my bucket list! I hope you enjoyed reading this. I also hope you're encouraged to start making your own bucket list! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it so much! That's all I have today.

Until Next Time

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/06/pentatonix-concert.html

Link:

The Bucket List: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc3mkG21ob4

Pentatonix Concert

Today's post is about Pentatonix and their concert here in Manila. There's nothing more to it. It's just about that.

I just watched their concert here in Manila and I cannot even right now. I am a changed person. They are honestly so good. It's not even an exaggeration because they really are good. There are some artists who are really good on their tracks and records, but aren't as good live. Pentatonix is different. They are outstanding on their tracks and are just as amazing or even better live. Again, not an exaggeration.

Oh, might I add also that Pentatonix is an acapella group. That means they use no instruments. All the sounds you hear are produced by their voices and bodies (claps and stomps). They occasionally use a cello or sometimes add a violin depending on their song. An acapella concert that felt so much like a rock concert. It was literally amazing.

I just want to talk about how Kirstie Maldonado smiled and waved at me. She was probably doing that to the whole bunch of us but I really felt her eyes look at me and her smile directed me. I was waving in her direction. I'm a very tall dude wearing a white shirt so the odds that it was me is pretty high. Also, I got a picture of Scott Hoying up close. Honestly, he is so good looking. I was getting my camera ready but then I saw him and I was just starstruck. I literally went o.o because he looks really good. My existence has been slayed to say the least. They all looked really fashionable and flawless. Their outfits were amazing.

The whole concert was amazing. Their setlist was so good. They did all the songs from PTX Vol. III. They did the "Evolution of Beyonce" which was incredible. I sang along. I sang all the lyrics. I danced to it. They also did "Aha!" which I was obviously waiting for. Mitch Grassi slayed that song. His notes were on point. He is honestly singing goals. They also did the "Evolution of Music" which was so good. It was a mashup of a lot of different songs from across musical history. They did an off-mic version of "That's Christmas To Me" which was heaven to the ears. They all sounded amazing. I definitely danced to "Rather Be" which was a solo by my bae, Kirstie. Kevin's cello-boxing was literally amazing. Avi was the sweetest of them all. He didn't talk as much as the others, but his smile said it all. Of course, they performed their Grammy Award-winning song, "Daft Punk", which is a mashup of Daft Punk songs.

I got VIP tickets hoping to meet them (and of course, good seats). Unfortunately, I didn't know the details of the meet and greet, so I probably missed it. I would say it's alright but then again I paid to see them. I did get a picture of Scott and I got myself a t-shirt, which I will totally rock any day of the week.

When they come back next year, I will definitely come again. I will also make sure to go to the meet and greet next year. I will also make sure to be there earlier because I don't want to miss any opportunity to meet them.

To Pentatonix, if you are reading this, I love you guys so much. I cannot even express how much I thank you for coming here and sharing your talent. I can't wait to see you guys again!

Thanks for listening to me blabber about my favourite band/group. I will be linking down below some of my favourite songs and covers from them. I hope you enjoyed reading and that you're interested in Pentatonix! That is all I have for you guys today!

Until Next Time

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/06/more-like-my-dog.html

Links:

La La Latch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsVeQnBmp70

Evolution of Beyoncé: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkR4asPMip4

Rather Be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPWPa-HMpj8

Problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9b2HiW_L8

Silent Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sme8N2pzRx8

Papaoutai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScDIkNcqZjE

Love Again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F80FsZDTgn0

Aha!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxY9qkfZMI8

More Like My Dog?

Hello everybody! It's almost been two weeks since I last posted here on my blog. I've been really busy with review and I just wanted to take a few days off to rest. Today's blog post will be about my dog, specifically her traits. Before I get into that, let me give a background to how my dog and I met.

Two years ago, my mom surprised me for my birthday (specifically the day before my birthday). I got home from band practice because I was going to serve in church the next day. I go to the porch and greet my parents's dog, Kobee, and my sister's dog, Frankie. As I headed for the door, I see this little creature in a small, green cage wagging it's little brown tail. I immediately stop walking and look at the cute little labrador puppy. Seeing the little creature wag its tail at me made me smile.

A few months before that, I had expressed a desire to get my own dog, specifically a labrador, because everyone in the family had one except me. I decided against it thought because I felt that I wouldn't be able to properly take care of the dog and other negative things. Seeing the little creature on the porch on that day made me wonder why my mom got her (yes, my dog's a girl). Apparently, her kennel was destroyed by the recent storm during that time. The veterinarian who owned the kennel offered it my dog and a few of her sisters to people she knew could take care of them. My mom obviously said yes. I probably would've said yes too. Ever since I found out why my mom took her in, my dog got extra special love from me.

You might be wondering why I haven't mentioned my dog's name. Well, it's because two years ago, I took so much time trying to figure out what to call her. I don't even know how I managed that. After a week, I decided to name my little labrador, Yanna!

Now that you have the story of how I met my dog, let's get to the main part of the post. As I said, I'll be discussing my dog's traits, but to be more specific, traits that I wish I had. Let's go!

1) Happy

If my dog had a background music, it would probably be Pharrell Williams's "Happy". My dog is one of the happiest creatures I know in this world. She's probably happier than someone on laughing gas. Even the smallest of things make her day. If you offer her a pebble, she'll be happy to accept it and play with it in her mouth. If you offer her a treat, she's grateful for it. My dog never misses an opportunity to smile and wag her tail to the best of her ability.

2) Giving

My dog loves to offer me things. Whenever I play with her or pass her by when I walk to the car, she always wants to give me something whether it's her chew toy or even her bowl. She'll spill the water  or the dog food just so she can give the bowl to me (of course I give her water again or pick up the dog food). More than that, she gives it with a happy heart. She wags her tail and smiles while holding whatever she's giving.

3) Encouraging

My dog may not know how to talk, but she's a very encouraging dog. By simply being extremely happy when I'm there with her makes me happy so much. My dog is literally amazing. People didn't think Yanna would ever learn how to sit. Guess what? She knows how to sit. She responds to the command before the Rottweiler (Rottweilers are extremely obedient dogs) does or even before I say the command. Isn't that encouraging?

4) Loving

I think the most important trait that my dog, Yanna, has is that she's extremely loving. To her it doesn't matter who you are. She'll be happy to see you and give you some love. Even when I sometimes don't get to play with her, she still loves the same. Sometimes even more than the last time.

I guess what I want to say here is that: we can learn a lot from our dogs and that we should never take them for granted because they love you more than they love themselves and they deserve to be loved the same way. I hope you guys enjoyed reading the post as much as I love my dog. I really do hope to one day be more like my dog in these aspects. That's all I want to say for today. I'll be back soon!

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/05/camp-review-meetings-and-serving.html

Camp, Review, Meetings, and Serving

Hello everybody!

Recently, I haven't been posting as often as I used to. I've been really busy this past few weeks. A lot's been happening and I actually want to talk about that. 

At the start of the month, I was in Rizal attending my church's youth camp, which was entitled #ohlife. It ran from April 30 until May 3. There, I was one of the "veterans", which just meant that compared to the other campers, I've been to a lot more camps and have a very good idea of what's to come during the camp. It was also my last time attending high school camp because I'm already in my last year of high school, which also means college and college entrance exams (yikes).

I had such an amazing time though. I met a lot of new people! I also got to talk to people who I always see in church but don't really interact that much with. I got to spend time with my youth group which is always fun. My discipler and I finally got to catch up after multiple attempts of having one-on-ones on Saturdays. As usual, there were games that helped the campers grasp the main idea of what the plenaries were about. Even though they weren't meant to be a competition, I was very competitive during the games (one of the photographers said that I have a bunch of photos of me…I can't wait).

Of the three camps that I've been to, this one has to be my favourite. I mean each one taught me something but this one was different for me. Even though I already had an idea of what the passage was about, learning and studying them from a different perspective was really helpful. The plenaries each had a different topic but I still learned a lot from each one. I found myself in awe of God and what He was doing in my life and other people's lives. Attending this camp was such a blessing.

The day I came home from camp was a bit hectic. I was very exhausted from the ride home because I had to sit on the small, folding chair located at the aisle of the bus. I'm a very huge person so that was a struggle. Anyway, when I got home, I had to make sure I was ready for the next day because my college review classes were going to start. That really stressed me out. It's not that I didn't know it would start the day after I come back from camp. It's that it would take up the whole month of May.

I am currently in my fourth and final week of review classes, and I am very happy that it is finally ending. To be quite honest, review was an eye-opener for me. I realised that I needed to study a lot of the things that I learned in the past three years. I realised that stock knowledge won't cut it especially because I can barely recall anything academic from at least two years ago. I also realised that we will make mistakes and fail and that what's important is that we learn from them. The number of tests that I failed in review classes is a lot more than the number of tests that I passed. Do I let that get to me? I used to. Well, it still gets to me, but there's always something to learn and each situation is an opportunity for growth.

Aside from review classes, I've been busy with meetings. A bunch of meetings to be quite honest. Meetings that require lots of planning, creativity, decisions and a more elements that make meetings fun and stressful at the same time. It gets overwhelming when I think about it especially because of my anxiety but I try to look at it from a different point of view. I just think to myself that I'm very blessed to have these opportunities to lead and have meetings because other people didn't or don't have the same kind of opportunities.

If you're still reading at this point, then I really appreciate you for taking the time and effort to read this! I mean I still have a few things to talk about but I hope that you've enjoyed so far and that you'll keep reading. Going back…

Because I'm part of the Worship Team of my church's youth ministry, I usually get assigned to serve at least once a month. This month, I was assigned to sing for last Saturday's youth service, which happened to be Praise and Prayer Night. As the name suggests, Praise and Prayer Night is the youth service that focuses on Praise and Worship and Praying. You might be wondering: shouldn't all services have that and why are you taking so long to write this? I'm getting there don't worry. This service has a lot more Praise and Worship songs than the usual lineup which meant more songs to practice and work on. Let's just say that time wasn't working for our band. Add in the fact that eight songs is very tiring, our band was a bit nervous for the night, but praise God because all went well (I personally thought that the service went well)!

Even if that day was exhausting, I found great joy in serving God that day. Serving God has never been something that I obligated myself to do. I've always viewed it as a privilege that I've been blessed with. At this point, it might seem cliche already but I still think it's true. We're all given opportunities that others don't have. It's best that we make good use of these opportunities for the One who gave these opportunities and I guess for those who don't have them too.

To end, I just want to say that God has a reason for everything (cliche I know but that doesn't make it not true). We just have to trust Him and do our part especially on days when we don't know what's happening and why these things are happening. Thanks for taking the time to read my extremely lengthy post. I really do appreciate the time and effort you gave! I don't usually do these kinds of posts but I do hope you enjoyed nonetheless. That is all I have for you guys today!

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/05/potatoes.html

Potatoes

I want you think about how you treat other people. Do you treat others with love? Do you treat others with care? Do you treat others with hate? Do you treat others with contempt? I guess it's time to reevaluate ourselves. For this post, I'm going to be using potatoes and how we treat potatoes.

There are many different kinds of potatoes. Let's try to name some. Baked. Mashed. Sweet. Chips. Wedges. Fries. Balls. Couch. That's all I could think of but I think that's enough for this post. Think of those kinds of potatoes that I just mentioned. Now, let's try to associate them to people.

First of all, there's the Baked Potato. Potatoes are pretty dang hard and in order to get a good baked potato, you have to bake it for a very long time. Fifteen minutes? Twenty minutes? Forty minutes? Nope. According to online recipes, you have to heat a potato in an oven for at least an hour in order to get good results (which is ideally a soft [but not too soft to the point of crumbling] potato). 

When we meet new people, it's hard to interact with them regardless if you're good at making friends or not. A part of the difficulty of meeting new people is that we don't really know them that much. Unfortunately, we make assumptions about them already. More often that not, the assumptions are based on their looks. Adding in the potato concept, these people are baked potatoes. They maybe hard to interact with (eat) at the moment because we don't know them yet but give them some time (preferably an hour or more) and they just might be ready to open up and be friends.

Secondly, we have the Mashed Potato. In order to achieve a great mashed potato, you need a lot of persevering. Generally, it's pretty easy to make mashed potato. Boil the potatoes until they're tender. Mash them. Mix in some butter, herbs and seasoning. That's basically it and we're pretty happy with that. Satisfied to be quite honest.

When life doesn't seem to be on your side and everything's going wrong, how do we respond? Do we look at all the bad things that is happening or has happened or do we look at the good things that have or might come out of the situation? There are many times when we face trials we tend to give up (that's the boiling part). When more situations come in (butter, herbs and seasoning), we feel like it's the end of the world, but we fail to see what God's doing in our lives. He's turning into you into a beautiful mashed potato. Mashed potatoes are good and that's what God wants to happen to you. He wants good things to happen to you.

Thirdly, we have Wedges and Fries. They're both vertically-cut deep fried potatoes with seasoning on them. One is a bit larger than the other one, but they're both vertically-cut deep fried potatoes. Aside from that, what's the difference? Yes, we have preferences but we love both anyway right? What about Potato Balls? They're sort of like the other two but round. We still love them right? What about Potato Chips? We love to eat potato chips regardless of the fact that they're processed in a factory unlike the others. We still love them all right?

Are we the same to other people? Do we let the differences between two different people affect the way you treat them? Do we let it get in the way of loving them genuinely? I understand that you might be closer to another and that's normal, but do we let that closeness hinder us from appreciating the other one? Do we love the larger fry more because it has more potato in it? Do we prefer the french fry because it's more popular? Do we despise the potato chips in our lives just because they were brought up differently from us? Do we ignore potato balls because they're different from the fries. I guess what I'm trying to say here is: love all kinds of people. God calls for us to love our neighbours as much as we love ourselves. The neighbours God is referring to is everyone around you. God didn't give a criteria as to who is considered a neighbour. He did that because He meant for us to love everyone without any conditions (that means regardless of differences and preferences).

I hope we take some time after this to reflect on how we've been treating other people. I think that's something not a lot of people do these days. 

I know this post was lengthy and deep but I do hope you read through everything and still enjoyed reading it. I really had fun writing this one. It's definitely one of my favourites! That is all I have for you guys today. Thank you for taking the time to read it. I appreciate it!

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/05/emoji-tag.html

Emoji Tag

I know I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks and I actually do have a reason why. I've been taking review classes and it's exhausting. I get home tired and lethargic each day and I just couldn't write anything. I have been planning though this past week. I have a bunch of ideas for posts and I'll be writing them soon.

Today's post will be all about emojis…again. There's this tag going around Youtube this past few weeks and it's called the Emoji Tag. You pick five emojis that best describe you and then you explain why you picked those emojis. After the whole thing, you tag three other people to do the same. So, here are the five emojis that best describe me.

*You can click on the name of the emoji to go to a site with a picture of the emoji.*

Lady Crossing Her Arms

You might be wondering why I chose that emoji. Well, it all started with Tyler Oakley, and let's just say I've picked up the habit of occasionally doing that. It's hard to explain when I do it, but if you know me really well then you sort of have an idea when I do it.

Three Eighth Notes

Music is a huge part of me. I love to sing. I serve in the Worship Team in the Youth Ministry of my church. I have a thing for musicals. I was going to pick the earphones emoji or the microphone emoji but then it was too specific when the music present in my life is so much more than just listening to music and singing.

Fork and Knife

I struggled picking an emoji from the food section because I love food so much that I can't just pick one emoji. I can't pick the sushi emoji over the pizza emoji or the coffee emoji over the ice cream emoji. So, I picked this emoji instead. Personally, whenever there are utensils on the table, it means it's eating time, and I love eating. I know I overeat sometimes and that I'm not in my best shape, but that shouldn't stop me from loving myself and food.

Distressed

As some of you might know, I get anxious quite a lot. No, a doctor has not said that I suffer from anxiety or panic disorder, but I don't need a doctor's confirmation to know if I'm anxious or not.  A lot of people deny that they have anxiety and it's partly because of the common idea that a person with anxiety is too sensitive or maarte. Anxiety isn't a joke. Anxiety is hard and difficult in all forms and stages. Why have an emoji represent it as a part of me then? Because I know that I have anxiety and acknowledging that I do have anxiety is a good first step to overcoming it.

Relaxed Blushing

I don't know why but I really like this emoji. I think it's because it's literally me in different situations. That's me whenever I eat good food. That's me whenever I get to rest after a long and tiring day. That's me whenever I give or receive hugs. That's me whenever I'm encouraging others or encouraged by others. That's me after a good conversation with my friends. That's me after getting the lesson in school. That's me whenever things feel right. This emoji is very comforting to look at. I don't know why. It just is.

Those are the five emojis that I think best describe who I am. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed looking for emojis. I know I haven't posted in a really long time but I will start to post consistently again. I have a lot of things planned already so stay tuned! Because it is part of the Emoji Tag to tag other people, I would like to tag my friends Chloe Rodriguez, Jt Valiente and Mayumi Paras to do the tag too. It's a pretty fun tag and it won't use up so much water or compromise your lips so hopefully you guys take part in it. That is all I have for you guys today. I really appreciate the time you spent reading this. I really do.

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Previous Post: http://whatdoesluissay.blogspot.com/2015/05/april-favourites.html

April Favourites

Hello everyone! I am back with another set of favourites all from the month of April. As usual, the links to some of the things I mention will be at the end of the post.

~ Disclaimer: I am not paid to advertise any of the things that I mention below. I also am not affiliated with any of the companies that I mention below. ~

Julie & Julia

I've always wanted to watch this movie because of many things. First of all, it's Meryl Streep. Who doesn't love Meryl Streep? (Probably a lot of people) Second of all, there's food involved. Who doesn't love a movie about food? The movie follows the lives of two different cooks. In the early 1950s or so, Julia Child, portrayed by Meryl Streep, embarks on a culinary journey that eventually leads her to become a well-known chef and author. The timeline of Julie Powell, portrayed by Amy Adams, is set in the early 2000s. She creates a blog where she tells stories about her attempts to create the dishes found in Child's cookbook. Both Streep and Adams were amazing in this movie. It's a wonderful movie that I recommend for people who loves food and blogging.

Freedom Writers

I was with my friends this past month and we remembered this movie during our conversations. I remembered watching it a few years back and absolutely loving it. So, I watched it again this past month and I am very happy. In this film, Hilary Swanks portrays Erin Gruwell, a new teacher, who tries to connect with and help her students who are affected and influenced by racial discrimination, gang wars and political injustice. In spite of the lack of support from the people around her, Gruwell continues to work on her students. It's a very inspiring movie about many things, but I think the most evident theme that I saw was: teachers have a huge influence on their students. It's a movie that's very much worth your time. There is cursing in the movie so if you're bothered by that then I suggest caution. If you're an educator, I really encourage you to watch this movie.

America

This past month, I flew to the States with my family for vacation. It's been a long time since I last visited and it was great to be back there. We stayed with our relatives and had so much fun with them. I ate at Panda Express and In-n-Out, places that you should definitely go to because they are amazing. I will say that I gained a few pounds after that trip, but thankfully, a lot of walking was involved in the whole trip so I probably would've gained more if I didn't walk so much. We also went to Universal Studios and that was like heaven to me (film enthusiast over here). I think I most enjoyed the Studio Tour because it brought us around the actual sets of movies and TV shows. The part of the tour that really got me interested was the airplane crash set from the movie "War of the Worlds". There was an actual Boeing 747 that they destroyed for the movie, and that's just one of the numerous things that they bought and destroyed for the movie. 

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver from "Avengers: Age of Ultron"

Why not the entire movie? For a lot of reasons that I might share in a different blog post. But for this post, the focus is on the Maximoff twins. Don't worry I won't spoil the movie for you which means you can keep reading. Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's portrayal of two well-known superheroes in the Marvel universe is outstanding. With their performance, you can really see and feel the connection between twins, their pain, and their power. Aside from that, both of the characters are amazing. They bring new elements onto the MCU and it's exciting to see the change they're going to bring. They were the highlights of the movie for me. Go watch Avengers now!

Taya Smith of Hillsong UNITED

If you don't know who Taya Smith is, she is a member of Hillsong UNITED and the vocals behind Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) and Wake among other songs. But it's not the songs that she led that brings her to my favourites. It's her passion to worship God and lead others to worship God that brings her here. Whenever she leads worship, people can't help but sing along and praise God with her because of her genuine love for God that compels her to lead with so much passion. Her vocals are always on point too but that's only a bonus. She is worship leading goals to be quite honest.

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United

Speaking of Taya Smith, here's the song that she's most probably known for leading. Oceans is such an amazing song, and I'm not saying that because other people love it or stuff like that. This song is not just a worship song. It's a prayer to God. This past month, I really connected with this song on a very strong level. Listening to it gives me the chills. I don't think I'll ever get tired of listening to it. If you haven't listened to it, there's a link at the end of the post to my favourite version of Oceans.

"Bring Him Home" by Josh Groban

I am tremendously pleased with this rendition of the Broadway song from Les Misérables. Josh Groban gives justice to this song in his version and it is amazing. I mean nothing can beat Alfie Boe's version but this is just heaven to the ears (well to my ears at least). I can't properly express how pleased I am with this song so just listen to it later. Link is below.

My Drunk Kitchen

This past month, I have been hooked onto this web show hosted by the one and only, Hannah Hart. Hannah Hart, who is a New York Times Best Selling author for her book, My Drunk Kitchen, shows the world how to create different cook different kinds of foods while she enjoys a good glass of alcohol. She basically cooks while she's sort of drunk. Not the most ideal thing to do (which she does mention in some of her videos) but tell that to her one million subscribers. She not only brings joy to my heart (hart) by cooking but she inspires me to do what I'm passionate about and inspire others to the the same. I know some of you might be bothered by drinking and even more by drunk cooking, but I hope you see good in the things that Hannah Hart does.

And that is all the things that I have been loving this past month. I hope you enjoyed reading them and that you check them out. Again, links will be below. That is all I have for you guys today!

Until Next Time!

~Luis~

Links:

Julia & Julia Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozRK7VXQl-k

Freedom Writers Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhXMJlm852A

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDAt7ZWeamA

Bring Him Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXnRf3TQcpk

My Drunk Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/user/MyHarto

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