MY MEDIA AUTOBIOGRAPHY

UNEDITED SAMPLE FEATURE ARTICLE
By Marian Denise Glipo Basallote
IV-Madame Marie Curie


I have always wanted stories to have happy endings. I have always dreamed of having my own story end the way I want it to, or better yet, the way fairy tales do.

My fairy tale came into existence on February 4, 1993. Fortunately, I do not have a life like Cinderella’s for I belong to a complete family and I am never maltreated in any means by my parents. Unlike her, I do not need a fairy godmother for the pursuit of my ambitious wishes. My strong faith in God is more than enough to help me make it through and succeed.

During my younger years, I was so captivated by the strange magic of fairy tales. I read fairy tales most of the time because of their attractive illustrations and exciting plots, along with the usual children’s books. I also loved watching cartoons in the Cartoon Network Channel. However, as I grew up, my fondness of cartoons eventually vanished. On the other hand, my love for reading deepened, became stronger and gradually developed into a passion. During my elementary years, I usually visited our library at San Beda College Alabang to borrow pocketbooks, such as Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew or sometimes, informational books. In our Reading class, we were well-provided with SRA materials that, I believe, greatly contributed to the enhancement of my reading skills and abilities.

As a child, the television, aside from books, served as my companion during those times when boredom was filling the entire atmosphere at home. However, we followed stringent house rules such that we had only limited time for watching. I understood that it was my parents’ means of instilling discipline into our minds and hearts. I never complained or fought back. Instead, I focused on my studies and worked even harder. I loved watching shows in ABS-CBN. “Rosalinda,” with Thalia starring in the lead role, was one of those programs that left an indelible mark in my memory. One would find it queer if he/she knew that I was a wrestling fanatic back then. Believe it or not, I enjoyed watching that kind of show together with my younger brother. We were amazed by how the wrestlers did all sorts of risky stunts and moves, but little by little, I started losing interest in the world of wrestling.

As a grown-up now, I still spend a lot of my time reading books, but unlike before, the inspirational kind of books greatly sparks my interest. Paulo Coelho’s “By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept,” “The Devil and Miss Prym” and “Like the Flowing River” are my all-time favorite books. I admire Mitch Albom for his heartfelt books, such as “Tuesdays with Morrie” and “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.” “Messenger” by Lois Lowry is also one of the soul-enriching books I enjoyed reading. I feel a different kind of tranquility and fulfillment whenever I finish reading such books.

My weekends are never complete unless I see my father reading a newspaper at a corner. He loves reading “Philippine Daily Inquirer” and I wonder what makes him do so. Apparently, I do not pay much attention to news, but sometimes, I am compelled to. At around 7 o’clock in the evening, we are obliged to tune in the television to ABS-CBN for “TV Patrol World.” Whenever my father brings me to school in the morning and fetches me in the afternoon, I cannot help but listen to the news for the radio in our car is constantly tuned in to DZMM. He really wants to keep himself updated on the happenings around the country every now and then. He has an insatiable appetite for news. It is one of the many reasons why I look up to him as my father.

Watching television is one of my ways to release stress and pressure coming from all the school works we are assigned to. Having a hectic schedule at Makati Science High School, I am blessed enough to be given resting hours. During my spare time, mostly on weekends, I get the chance to watch my favorite shows, such as “America’s Next Top Model” on ETC, “American Idol” on Star World, which recently concluded, “M.I.T. 20” on MYX and “The Playlist” on MTV. I also watch a lot of ABS-CBN shows, especially those aired at night, such as “The Singing Bee” and “Pinoy Dream Academy.” I really enjoy watching reality shows, as well as, korean or taiwanese series. I used to be addicted to the korean drama, “My Girl,” which starred Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae. “Princess Hours” and “It Started With a Kiss” are also both romantic-comedy series that I watched out for.

Watching movies in cinemas is one of our family’s bonding moments, especially during special occasions. We watched the “Harry Potter” series in theaters, as well as, “Spiderman 1-3”, “Narnia” and “Enchanted.” The last movie we saw was “The Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” I found it thrilling and out of the ordinary. “Just Like Heaven,” “Just Friends” and “13 Going on 30” are my favorite Hollywood films ever. They made me laugh, but at the same time, they deeply touched my heart.

Almost everyday, I am able to surf the net. With the tons of assignments we are given, access to the internet is such an advantage. I can search the information that I am looking for in an instant. I can converse and coordinate with my classmates by means of yahoo messenger, in case of a group work. There is so much to be benefited from it. I have my own blogspot account and it serves as the outlet for my suppressed emotions and ideas. Whenever frustrations and doubts bother my mind and I feel like crying out, I resort to blog posting and write down everything I need to say.

I am proud to say that my parents never deprived me of the privileges anyone could enjoy from mass media. They have always supported me in all my endeavors and even encouraged me to maximize my potential through the aid of mass media. They have always wanted me to gain life-changing experiences from it for their only desire is to give my life a happy ending, just like in fairy tales.