Author Archives: Rizza Mae R.

Slow Down

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When was the last time you stopped doing what you were doing to take a deep breath? Many people can be as busy as a bee, with almost no time to live, as the days seem to fly by quickly. Whether you are a teen tackling the challenges of high school and the future ahead of you, a young adult trying to figure out life as you enter adulthood, or an adult tired of the same constant cycle of sleep, eat, and repeat, many people can agree that life can be so busy sometimes that we forget to stop and slow down. It is often said, “Stop and Smell the Roses,” meaning slow down, enjoy life, and savor the world around you, but I feel like people forget to do this all the time nowadays. People are too focused on getting that promotion, getting those grades, doing well in life, and dreading the future, that they don’t focus on the now. As a high school student nearing the end of my high school life, I also find myself focusing solely on the future too much. The school work has gotten busier tenfold, and I haven’t been able to balance between my school life, my friends, my hobbies, and taking care of myself, so it’s gotten really stressful. I’ve been so focused on good grades, new friends, finding a job, and becoming the best version of myself, and trying to do this and that, that I forget how to slow down sometimes. The song “Slow Down” by Laufey embodies this message, and I recommend listening to it if you ever feel like life is too stressful as a reminder to stop and slow down. The song highlights the narrator’s young adult life and how she’s grown now and is living life independently, and everything happened in the blink of an eye. I found that stopping to breathe in the middle of studying, doing homework, or doing chores, even for a short moment, can help ease the stress. Yes, getting those grades is important. Yes, getting that promotion is important. Yes, doing well in life is important, but your health is also important. It’s okay to put everything aside for a little bit and take a nap, do something you like, hang out with your loved ones, or even do nothing. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so take a moment to stop and take a deep breath.

Why Do Birds Flock Together At Sunset?

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Birds of a feather flock together. Though this phrase might not always apply to people, this applies very well to birds. When you are outside during the evening, as the sun sets, you might notice a swarm of birds chirping and gathering as they migrate in the sky. Adding to the nostalgic atmosphere as the sun sets and the day comes to an end, this swarm of birds, also known as a murmuration, occurs when a large group of birds, such as starlings, crows, and pigeons etc, gather together when the sun sets. The reason for their gathering together in these flocks, especially during the evening when the sun begins to set, is due to various reasons. One reason for this is due to the birds’ ways of living. In comparison to nocturnal animals such as bats, raccoons, beavers, etc, most birds are diurnal, meaning they are active in the day and sleep during the night. In the morning, most birds leave their nests and migrate in order to do their daily living activities, such as hunting, for example, and when the sun sets, the birds migrate back to their nests. When the sun sets, it’s a signal to the birds that it’s about to turn night and there will be no more daylight. For birds, this means the day is coming to an end, so they gather with other birds and flock back to their nests to rest for the day. They often do this in a large swarm, ranging from small groups of about 30 birds to large groups of about 100+ birds.  They gather together due to mainly due to one reason. Predators. When a bird is by itself flying back to its nest, it makes it easier for predators to target them and attack them; however, when birds are together in a swarm, it creates this black shadowed figure in the sunset sky, which makes them appear to be a large predator, deterring predators. In the winter, however, birds gather in flocks due to the cold. In the winter, the cooler temperatures decrease the temperature in birds. In order to stay warm, the birds typically gather in flocks.  In addition to this, the bird calls, which can be heard during sunset time, are the birds communicating with each other, communicating with each other that it’s time to go home. Thus, next time you see a bunch of birds flocking together during the evening, you’ll know the reason why!

Why Is Eating Breakfast Important?

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Life can be busy and chaotic, especially in the mornings, when the alarm goes off and there are so many things to do that it’s overwhelming, it’s really common for people just to skip breakfast. However, this is not a healthy habit. Eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. According to Eric Romm, a professor in the departments of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard, when a person skips breakfast, their calories are evenly spread out throughout the day during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, when a person skips eating breakfast, there’s going to be an uneven distribution of calorie intake throughout the day because when a person skips breakfast, the calories not eaten during breakfast will cause a person to eat more of those calories during lunch and dinner. This causes a spike in glucose and insulin levels, which increases the chances of obesity or type 2 diabetes. According to studies by Harvard, males who skip breakfast have a 20% increased likelihood of having a heart attack, while females who skip breakfast have a 20% increased likelihood of getting Type 2 diabetes. Not skipping breakfast is an example of a healthy habit that can create a healthier lifestyle. 

Not only does eating breakfast lower the risks of health complications in the future, but it also helps with present problems that people face all the time. A study from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, states that when a person consumes breakfast, it improves cognitive performance through improved memory performance and attention, and alertness. This can be very beneficial in many ways. Imagine having to take a school test or having a report to do for work. With an increased cognitive performance, it could make it less difficult to do those tasks. Studies show that students who incorporate breakfast into their daily routine tend to have a higher boost in academics compared to those who skip breakfast. As well, consuming breakfast improves mood and behavior, which may seem small, but has a big difference. If consuming breakfast improves mood behavior, a bad start to your day can change into a less stressful one. 

However, while eating breakfast has many benefits, if done wrong, it could have completely opposite effects. It is important to balance your breakfast composition so that you consume the right amount of nutrients in order to have the positive effects. Not skipping breakfast doesn’t mean eating chocolate every day in the morning. Breakfast should be eaten with fulfilling foods that give you energy, such as a breakfast with a mix of foods that contain protein, fiber, etc.

Tortang Talong

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If there’s one thing I love most about the Philippines other than the joyful and hardworking attributes and their passion for karaoke, is the food. This might be biased coming from a Filipino but there’s nothing that can beat the taste of Filipino dishes. There are various foods out there but here is my favorite! 

This dish is a Filipino dish that translates to “eggplant omelette,” and it only requires eggplants, eggs, salt, and anywhere to fry it. Even if you’re not a big fan of eggplants, this might change your perspective on eggplants. The steps to making it is without a doubt really simple! First of all, you need eggplants, obviously. Any type of eggplants work, but the preferred one is Japanese eggplant! Poke holes on the eggplant so your kitchen doesn’t end up a mess.  Next step: fry it. This is typically done over a grill, but you can use a stove, or an airfyer even. Fry them evenly on both sides and once it is grilled, the skin of the eggplant should come off easily by prying it off with a fork or with your hands! Make sure not to take off the stem!! After the eggplant is skinned, beat 2 eggs and you should use the stem as a handle for the eggplant, and smash the eggplant in the beaten eggs. Once that’s that, fry it in a pan with oil and once it’s fully cooked, you’re done! Personally, it’s tastes best with rice and banana ketchup with it. If you haven’t give this a go you should definitely try it! 

How To Pass Your Permit Test

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Turning 16 years old can be a checkpoint or a milestone in some people’s lives. After all, many changes come along with turning 16. For example, permit life. It’s a time when many teens are working hard to get their license by driving with instructors, parents, etc. If you’re 16-17 years old, it is guaranteed that you have heard people in your grade begin talking about getting their permit/license or practicing for their license. However, before getting a license, it is required to get a permit first by passing a permit test. Some people may be confident in taking the permit test, and some people may not. When I took my permit test, I was extremely anxious and worried that I had waited all that time in line for nothing, but don’t worry. Here are some tips that I can give as a teen who passed the permit test on the first try with 45/47 correct. 

Study the Handbook

This is the most important thing you need to pass your permit test. This is your study guide—your golden ticket. If you just study the handbook, it’s almost certain that you’re going to pass. This is because the handbook is basically what you’re being tested on for the permit test. The handbook covers the basic rules of driving and the things you need to know before driving really well. If you study the handbook well, you don’t need to do anything else, and you can do well. You can find the handbook on the DMV website and download it as a PDF. You can also find audio readings online that you can listen to as you are reading.

Practice Quizzes/Tests

Take as many practice quizzes as you can. When I was studying for my permit test, I did lots of practice quizzes and practice permit tests, and these helped a lot. Before I started studying, I took a practice test to see where I was at and took note of what I got right and wrong. Then each time I studied, I did practice tests and quizzes along with it. There are many of these online. Just search up “DMV Practice Test/Quiz,” and just take as many tests as necessary. You can even download apps from the App Store. For me, I used this app called “DMV Practice Test” with a green logo and a car. The app also had the handbook, which I thought was useful. Then it had a section of practice quizzes and a section of practice tests. These were so helpful, and they helped me pass the permit test. 

Although these tips are useful, it is also crucial to get good sleep and eat well before the permit test, especially if you are really waiting in line. It is hard to focus when you are tired, and it makes it way easier for your brain to work during the test. But remember, even if you fail the permit test, you can always try again, and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. Trust me, don’t stress too much; you’ll be fine. Good luck!

Why Journaling Matters

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You see journals everywhere. People post it all over social media, and your therapist might even recommend it! Even the most historically significant individuals, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein, kept journals. The reason behind this isn’t just because it’s trendy – it’s because journaling is a powerful tool used for improving well-being, self-growth, and creativity. 

  1. Journaling Helps Clear Your Head

Imagine after a long day, you’re feeling all sorts of emotions: anger, sadness, anxiety,  and you have no one to talk to or just don’t have the energy to talk to anyone. Journaling can help with that. Especially at this time in the world right now, things can get very chaotic and overwhelming, and this can take a toll on your health. Life is already full of surprises, and it’s extremely easy to feel all sorts of emotions. Journaling helps you navigate those emotions. When you just want to express your feelings or vent, you can do that in a journal. Bottling your emotions can be harmful  – think of a balloon. A balloon can’t expand forever, and eventually it can’t take too much and it’ll burst. That’s the same case for us. We can’t hold onto things forever. We can’t just store all our emotions in our heads because it’ll end up building up, and eventually, we’ll explode. Journaling helps release stress and anxiety, and it’s fantastic for improving mental health. 

  1. Journals Help You Express Yourself

When you’re journaling, you’re taking your thoughts and feelings and writing them down in your journal.  You’re not doing it to impress anyone or anything, so it shows your true self and a real you. Your journal is your canvas, and you can write anything in your journal. You don’t always have to write about your day if you don’t want to. You can just write a letter to yourself or make a page just about you. A journal is about expression. It can even help you discover yourself. Every time you journal, it encourages you to reflect on your thoughts, which can help you discover things about yourself that you didn’t think about previously. For example, let’s say you journal after you got into an argument with someone dear to you. Journaling encourages reflection, so maybe as you’re journaling, you start to realize, “Was I too harsh?” or “Maybe I overreacted.” This allows you to think differently and helps you navigate your problems because it gives you a new perspective. You can think about how to handle things differently. When you’re journaling, you’re being vulnerable, and this pushes you to learn about parts of yourself that you might not have noticed before. 

  1. Journals Are Like Time Capsules

If you start journaling now and get into this consistent habit of journaling, you’ll have so many journal entries to look back on when you’re older. You can read back on your old journal entries and reflect on how far you’ve come and grown as a person. Your journey might be sad or happy, but it shows how things have changed or stayed the same throughout your life. Maybe you’ll become a completely different person, and your journal is a reflection of that. Your journal is living proof of your growth as you navigate through your life’s triumphs and challenges. 

So, how do you start? Well, it’s simple, really. All you need is somewhere to write on. You can use your notes app on your phone, an app for journaling, a notebook, or pieces of paper, and you can even use Google Docs. Anywhere you want, as long as you can write on it. Next, try to be consistent. Personally, I am not consistent with journaling because I find it difficult to stay consistent. However, if you want to try to stay consistent, it is suggested that you set a schedule for journaling. It can be when you wake up every day or before you sleep, and it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 minutes or 30 minutes, there’s no limit. It’s okay if you’re not consistent with journaling. Just write whenever and whatever to your heart’s content.

Pluto’s Legacy

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Once referred to as the 9th planet of our solar system, Pluto’s atmosphere might completely disappear by 2030. Located in the Kuiper Belt along with debris of icy objects in the outer part of the solar system, Pluto, also known as 143430 Pluto, was discovered by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh in the early 20th century in an attempt to seek out the 9th planet. Tombaugh and another researcher in the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, were able to rule out Pluto after using astronomical techniques to map out the approximate location of the 9th planet.

Excitement scrambled worldwide, and many people sought out potential names for the distant cold planet. So, they received more than 1,000 suggestions for the planet worldwide. However, none could compare to the suggestion of an 11-year-old girl named Venetia Bernie. She suggested that, similar to the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto, the planet was far from the sun, making it dark and mysterious. Also, the first two letters of Pluto correlated with the initials of Percival Lowell, who encouraged the search for Planet X, which we now know as Pluto. 

For the next 76 years after the discovery and naming of Pluto, it was considered to be the 9th planet in our solar system. However, scientists began to speculate if Pluto should have that title. In contrast to the other 8 planets, Pluto was a small planet compared to the other planets. To put it in perspective, Pluto’s size is about two-thirds the size of Earth’s moon. Also, compared to the rest of the planets, Pluto’s orbit seemed unusual since it’s orbit was oval-shaped. Pluto, being so far away from the sun, has an icy composition that is mostly consistency of ice and rock, and it’s atmosphere is thin and made up of methane and carbon monoxide. However, what drove scientists to finally strip Pluto of the title of “planet” was when scientists discovery of a planet by the name of Eris in the Kuiper Belt. Similar to Pluto, Eris was a large body of ice and it was located on the outer part of the solar system. What was different however, was that Eris was much larger than  Pluto, which caused speculations between scientists regarding Pluto’s title. After further discussion between astronomers, Pluto was demoted from its title in August 2006 by the International Astronomical Union and was reclassified as a “dwarf planet.”

Despite its demotion, Pluto’s legacy as a former planet has stayed significant and even helped scientists better understand the variety of celestial objects in the Kuiper Belt. Due to Pluto growing farther and farther from the sun each day, its icy atmosphere will eventually freeze completely, and Pluto will just be frozen and ejected to its orbit. However, some scientists theorize that Pluto’s thin atmosphere could completely disappear by 2030 and collapse. Though the dwarf planet isn’t as highly regarded as it was before, Pluto remains a celestial object of fascination that holds a special place with the public and astronomical science.

How To Tackle FInals Season

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Around this time, every year, students from everywhere drown themselves in stress as the final countdown for the end of the school year begins. This school year period is typically called “finals season”, when classes wrap up their courses for the school year with a major test or project to prove that they have been listening and paying attention to the class. This leads to all sorts of overwhelming, strong feelings, such as stress, anxiety, etc., in students. To tackle this problem, I have a few tips that might prevent you from insanity speaking from personal experience.

First tip: sleep! This might be a cliché, and you might have heard this countless times, but it’s actually worth listening to. During this period, many students pull all-nighters to study for exams they have. Though this might seem effective and useful to have that extra time, it’s actually extremely useless. When you feel sleepy, your brain doesn’t function properly, so obtaining or learning new information while half-asleep won’t help you at all because it won’t even be absorbed completely in your brain, so all that studying was worthless. So, if you pull an all-nighter, you get less sleep, and like I said, no sleep means your brain is unable to function properly. You’d likely perform better on a test if you get a good sleep and study less than studying so much just for your mind to not retain that information, and you’re sleepy. So, at all costs, try to avoid the all-nighter trap because getting enough sleep is as important as studying for your exams. 

Next up, I recommend the “study smarter, not harder” method. Studying hard might benefit you and help with your performance in your exams, but there are actually ways to lessen those study times and still retain and review information, and it might be more effective. Instead of mindlessly going over notes or re-reading your textbook when you have an exam, if you use other methods of studying,  it can help you store that information in your brain faster and more effectively.  This can be using flashcards, flowcharts, mind maps, teaching a friend, forming study groups–you name it. You can find various study methods online, but keep in mind that everyone learns differently, so one study technique can work for others but not for you. 

Another tip I recommend is to take care of yourself. This isn’t talked about enough as much but taking care of yourself is as important as your exams. Take breaks while you’re studying, stay hydrated, and make sure to eat properly. Don’t skip meals just because you need to work on something. Your brain can’t function well with an empty stomach. Taking short walks outside or just going outside in nature can help clear your mind, too. Remember, your well-being comes first, so do some self-care!

This last tip may be difficult for people to understand or retrieve, but trust me, it’s difficult for me too; but your worth isn’t defined by your grades. Just because you didn’t do well in Chemistry class or English class, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. People aren’t perfect—and that’s okay. Whether you got an A or a B or a C, or a D, it’s alright. Struggling at something challenging is actually good for the brain, so praise yourself for trying instead of beating yourself up for a grade that won’t determine your future. 

Disclaimer: Although I have given these tips, please keep in mind that I am not a licensed psychologist or mental health professional—just a fellow student who is on the boat and sharing some things that might help other students in tackling these hard times. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need someone to talk to, please don’t be afraid to reach out for help by texting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. You matter.

Leap Years: Syncing Time With The Earth

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Imagine you ask someone how old they are, and they say they are 8 years old—yet their appearance says otherwise. This person looks like an adult somewhere in their 30s, especially with the presence of tattoos and the lines on their faces that reflect the harsh struggles of life. Believe it or not, this is real and applies to people who are born in Leap Years. A leap year is a year every 4 years when there is an extra day in February, in which rather than having 28 days in February, we have 29 days.

So, why do we even have a leap year? To dive deeper into this, we have to get a little scientific. Mostly everyone in the world knows that the planet Earth takes about 365 days to orbit around the sun. However, this is incorrect. The actual orbit is beyond 365 days—it takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 56 seconds to orbit. This results in a leap year because every year, the calendar humans often use—the Gregorian Calendar—will start to sync out of place and slowly drift. This is why we have leap years. This extra day during the leap year, which is on February 29, actually helps sync our calendar back with our orbit so that we don’t experience winter earlier than usual, like in mid-October rather than December.

In conclusion, leap day is not only an essential part of our calendar system but it’s also extremely fascinating. It keeps our way of keeping time aligned with our Earth’s orbit so that it can be accurate and in sync, preventing significant changes in the world’s seasonal experiences. So the next time someone tells you they are 8 years old but look like they are in their 30s, you can easily assume they were born in a leap year.

This is How Tomorrow Moves Album Review

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Whether it be heartbreak, sorrow, joy, or any other feelings, the music beautifully enchants and expresses people’s emotions through the lyrics, melodies, instrumentals, rhythms, and other factors. Often, after listening to a song, a person is moved by these beautiful aspects of music. One of my favorite albums that invoke this type of feeling is the album This is How Tomorrow Moves by Beabadoobee, a Filipino-British singer. This album is truly beautiful and full of emotion as it expresses Beabadoobee’s feelings about her struggles and her journey to healing.

This is How Tomorrow Moves was originally released as an EP by Beadbadoobe, but it was soon released in August 2024 as an album consisting of 14 tracks: “Take a Bite,” “California,” “One Time,” “Real Man,” “Tie My Shoes,” “Girl Song,” “Coming Home,” “Ever Seen,” “A Cruel Affair,” “Post,” “Beaches,” “Everything I Want,” “The Man Who Left Too Soon,” and the main feature, “This is How it Went.” This album expresses the artist’s experiences post-heartbreak and her journey to self-healing, conveying her struggles with her youth and identity. Each track transmits different meanings, but they all are beautifully made to create a memorable album. 

Personally, I think this album is one of Beabadoobee’s best albums and one of my favorites. Every single song on the album is beautifully created, and despite the contrasts between some songs, I love every single song on the album. Two of my favorite songs on this album are “Beaches” and “Girlsong,” which grabbed my attention from the first listen. “Beaches” by beabadoobee is about the artist’s self-journey to heal, which is strongly expressed in the lyrics “Cause days blend to one when I’m on the right beaches.” To me, this song is extremely enchanting, not just through the melodies but also through the lyrics. My other favorite song on this album is “Girl Song” because of its touching lyrics and the meaning of the song in general. This song contrasts with “Ches” since “Beaches” is about being “at ease” when finally getting on the right path, while Girlsong’s meaning is more about the struggles of a person due to insecurities and self-doubt.

Furthermore, this album provides a variety of types of songs, such as “Coming Home,” which has an upbeat tone and calmer vocals and instrumentals, which is pretty similar to “This is How It Went,” which similarly has an upbeat tone. However, “This is How It Went” has more inflection in the song, as the song has some shifts between soft melodies and louder melodies. Also, other songs stood out to me in the album, such as “Post,” which is a loud song as the instrumental dominates the songs, and “Tie My Shoes,” which has such emotional lyrics.

In conclusion, This is How Tomorrow Moves by beabadoobee is such a great album in many aspects, and it captures her personal experiences and her own journeys with heartfelt emotion. This album is a must-listen for anyone who feels they relate to any of the meanings of the songs or the lyrics, or if you just want to listen to music that speaks to the soul.