A Summer Worthwhile

CEBU, Philippines - Hello kids! Yes summer is here, and you have a good two months of fun and excitement. However, two months is quite a long time if you've got little things to do. Planning to spend your time in cyberspace may be good, but too much time in there might be a bad idea. Clueless as to what other things you can do? Don't worry, we got you covered!

Here's a list of things to make your summer worthwhile.

Create

Who says scientists are the only ones who can invent? With your skills and talents, you can create something wonderful depending on what line of creativity you are inclined to. It doesn't need to be a gigantic invention that will change the world or some magical formula that will explain cosmic activity. It should be a thing that you would enjoy doing and pour out your creative instincts.

If you are musically inclined, why not grab that guitar and try to strum a few random chords that will lead to a certain melody? If you feel that you like it, hum the melody you've created and repeat it over and over until there are words that pop in your mind. You can start by thinking of a message you want to convey. Do you want to sing about how friends are treasures in life? Or perhaps you want to tell how someone's day can be lightened up by a smile? Start by writing a line (you can do it in a poem if you want) and classify them into stanzas. You may also identify the chorus part, perhaps a stanza you want to repeat because it somehow defines the core of the message. Then if you complete the lines or poem, give it the melody you strummed on the guitar and sing it. You never know, you'll be your favourite music icon's future protégé!

If you're the bookish or literary type, you may want to try writing your own short stories. Admit it, at some point while reading your favorite book, you had an idea of a different ending or a different twist in the plot. Well, why limit yourself to what the author of that book gave you? You can be your own author! All you need is your imagination and you're ready to write! It would be smart to create your characters and setting first, as well as identify your genre. Do you like it to be a horror story? Then you put a group of four friends inside a haunted house in the neighborhood, looking for an adventure. You want it to be sci-fi? Then you can create your own planet out of our solar system and name its inhabitants yourself. Planetarians, perhaps? You can start your story then by one Planetarian suspecting of life on other planets so he embarks on a journey that will lead him to Earth! (I know it's bad, but you get the picture. You can do it way better.)

On the other hand, if you are your family's Junior Master Chef, then you can create your own dish as your masterpiece! It doesn't need to be main course; you can try with desserts! (You were thinking just that, weren't you?) Experiment on what you already have in the kitchen. Did you have ice cream for merienda? Try putting a fruit of your choice on the sides and pour either honey or chocolate syrup over them. Taste whether the mix of the fruit and syrup suits you, and then arrange it to a presentation you desire. Voila! You have your own dessert. You can actually name it after you, and let your sibs try it. You can also try with other ingredients such as bread and jelly, or even the marshmallows in your fridge. Yummy! Don't forget to share.

What you need to remember is it doesn't need to be extravagant, and most importantly, you need not spend for it. Your creativity is your material and imagination is your asset.

Learn

After your super awesome creation project, you might want to try something else. The next worthwhile thing to do with your summer time is learn. Yes, school is over but learning never ends! What's changed is that it would be less academic this time and you can choose what you want to learn.

If you're a big fan of anime or you look up to your K-pop icons, then you might want to try enrolling in a foreign language class. It would be fun not to rely on subtitles when watching Naruto because you've taken up Nihonggo and so you understand what the characters are saying. You can also surprise your friends by telling them what each line of their favourite K-pop song means because you've learned it in Korean language class.

Or, if you're a little insecure about what talents you have, or in the stage where you are discovering what you really want, you can try enrolling in either voice or dance lessons for a head start. Most schools offering these aren't only there to train you for that talent, they're also avenues to build up your self-confidence on stage or in front of a crowd by means of practicums and recitals. It's your time to shine!

On the other hand, if you're the sporty type with a competitive streak, you can join trainings for team sports such as soccer or basketball and even swimming and taekwondo. You don't only spend your time doing what you want to do; you also get to meet new friends who share the same interest. Also, sports like karate, judo and taekwondo are advantageous for self-defense, very practical in daily life.

Just remember that when engaging in these trainings, follow and listen to instructions. It's for your own good. The best thing is to put safety first.

Indulge

Yes, we know — during the hectic school year, you've sacrificed quite a few things for the sake of school work and studying. Now after all the industry you've poured out, it's time for you to indulge on those few things.

Number one is catch up on your sleep! Every school night then was a busy night, what with doing homework and stuff. Now it's time for you to reset your body clock and get enough a good eight hours of good sleep daily. It's also best to sleep early, as well as wake up early for you to start your routine activities and cover your chores. Also with school out, you can get that siesta every afternoon! Sweet dreams.

Also, if you were exposed to cafeteria food for most of the school year, it is time to indulge in your mom's luto and your grandma's mga kakanin for snack time. Nothing beats the hearty meal if it's lutong bahay. It's not only a sumptuous experience for you but every meal is also time well-spent catching up with family and sharing a good laugh.

Overcome

This summer, it's also time to be bold and overcome negative traits and fears. It could be a fear (such as heights, snake, the water and the like) or it could also be some of those, er, negative habits you really want to get rid of.

Phobias are a different thing, it's a different level of fear that can affect your daily life entirely, but those small fears of yours can cause disadvantages in your daily life. It's good to try to overcome these fears by simply setting your mind to understand that you are a stronger being than your fear. You fear heights because you think of the bad things that can happen if you fall. How about you try to forget those thoughts and instead think of the good things that you see at heights? For instance, when you're on higher ground, you get a better view of the world below and thus, a much better perspective. Things like that.

On the other hand, you can also overcome negative habits you usually do. This may be small things such as switching off lights when not in use, and even brushing your teeth using a glass of water than just water flowing from the faucet. These are small things, but it will teach you how to act mature and realize how damaging those negative habits are overall.

Re-Connect

Lastly, the best thing to do this summer is to re-connect with the people (and even animals) most important and that matters to you!

Missed your cousins? Let them come over to your place and catch up with what's going on with their lives. You can also convince your mom and dad, as well as your titos and titas to have that family outing in the beach.

On the other hand, if your best friend is living far away from your place, you can set up a ritual to connect with him or her on certain days of the week. You can perhaps talk over the phone for a particular given time and catch up on some chikka. Or you can agree on a time to play that multi-player game online and spend time battling foes through each other. You may be a thousand miles apart, but at a time, you're connected as if you're together.

Then of course you're little balls of furry friends miss you too! After they've been well-behaved in those times you were doing your homework, it's time for them to get the treats they deserve! Give them that belly rub they've been waiting for or take them out for a walk. They love and miss you, too, so pamper them with utmost care.

Now you're covered. Plan those little things and it won't be just two months of summer--- it will also be a good two months of time worthwhile spent; time that matters.