Erielle: Not The Mermaid

Strength. A person can be physically, emotionally or spiritually strong.  Sometimes it can be all three.  But what makes a person strong? For me, it's being able to push through even when faced with so many obstacles in life.  One person in my life that taught me that there's more to live for is my aunt.  Since she didn't want me using her real name, let's name her Marichelle.  So from the beginning my Aunt Marichelle had her struggles. I didn't know about them because she lived her life with a smile on her face.  She finished school then worked.  She traveled and hung out with her friends.   She was living the life. But not every thing we see looks like sunshine or rainbows.  I didn't know that she was going through a lot of pain emotionally and mentally. I was in high school when I learned about her depression. Before I learned what depression actually was, I just thought it was when someone is "really sad."  I didn't know t...

  Santa Monica, California It’s not every day that we are all together with all of us living in different cities and countries. So my cousins and I planned to have an early breakfast at a local diner on a Friday morning.   The problem with that plan was only one of the three was awake and ready to go.   But according to my second cousin, Bubbs, the best way to wake a person up was to play obnoxiously loud music from his bedroom.    But Bones and I were sleeping in the living room, and we slept through his idea of an alarm.   So our plan of having an early breakfast did not go through; instead we had brunch.   To be fair, that’s more realistic for us than waking up early in the morning.             Brunch at Manhattan Beach was a moment that can easily be remembered.   We arrived at a restaurant called Hennessey’s Tavern, an Irish pub just located on Manhattan Beach Boulevard. ...

Guess who's back in school?? Obviously me. I'm back in my classes for the summer semester, and for the past few weeks I've been going to school from Monday through Friday.  With the sun coming up it is a lot easier to get up in the morning, and get ready for the day ahead.  This semester I decided to take an Intro to Acting class, Studies in Children's Literature, Personal Narrative and Bio Psychology.  In my classes, especially my Intro to Acting, I've made really good friends.  I don't usually talk to anyone in my classes but I connected with everyone in that class.  We have shared a high level of intimacy because we have to be barefoot in class LOL.  Seriously though, we have hung out after class and sometimes even before.  I feel like they will make the summer semester bearable, but unfortunately acting class is only till June.  So I'll try to make the most of it with these guys.  But then again, who said we can't stop hanging out onc...

Family ( noun) : 1. A basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not. 2. A group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals. Family is everything for me.  It's with this group of people do I feel the safest. I get protective of those I care about especially my family.  They might not be the greatest at times but they are definitely the ones who stick by you no matter what.  Each side of my families, I have a certain relationships with.  Since I basically grew up with my mom's side of the family, I'm the closest with them.  Even though they live in the Philippines, whenever we visit them, it's like no time has past since the last time we saw each other.  My mom's family is from Sampaloc, so that means every single member of the family is fairly loud.  We are built to be loud, because not only will there be the sound o...

I've always been the type of person who does not get offended easily or what some people consider, sensitive.  I learned to just ignore what people say about me and hold my head up high.  But, a person can only handle so much. Growing up, I was a chubby kid (still am). I always here people saying and calling me fat.  Even my own family says it but again, we tease each other in the family a lot.  So as I got older, I’ve learned to ignore people when they tease me.  I guess growing up with my family, it helps you build a tough shell.  It teaches you how to ignore those who will put you down and don’t take their insults to heart.  Because isn't that what bullies want, to see your reaction?   As I got older I had no problems with bullies.  I try to make sure I was getting along with everyone who was around me.  I live by the motto of "treat others the way you want to be treated".  So my whole life, I try to show kindnes...

I am 24 years old and my most asked question, especially from the Titas/Aunts, is "Do you have a boyfriend?"  And until now, the answer is still no. I'm what some Filipinos call "NBSB" in other words; No Boyfriend Since Birth.  It's not that I've never liked anyone, trust me I have, but I guess it's because I don't feel ready.  Growing up, I've only really liked two guys (obviously, both guys didn't know about it).  I've had crushes here and there, but I don't see myself in a relationship with any of them (also because half of them are celebrities LOL).  Throughout middle school and high school, I always try to look for the "potential" boyfriend in every single guy that I come across.  Truthfully, that's not the right way to go.  My younger self just thought that being in a relationship is just liking one another and being together.  Boy was I wrong. Being in a relationship is a lot of work.  You have to invest t...

Have you ever had those moments you feel like you're not good enough? I have. One of my flaws is that whenever I see someone doing better than me, I don't even bother continuing because what's the point if someone is already good at it.  It's those moments that I don't even follow through and see my potential.  I don't let myself grow and enhance my skills to be better and excel in whatever I want to do.  Instead of telling myself that I can do it and I can be as good as others, I feel like it is a lot easier to accept defeat and not do it at all.  There's a lot of whys and not a lot of hows.  No matter how many times someone tells me that "practice makes perfect," I still don't listen.  I want quick results and if I don't get it, I move on. Because of me wanting quick results, I end up being disappointed at myself.  It made me feel like a failure.  Not only did I let myself down but also those around me.  My family and friends see so m...