Topic 1.

Philippines
Si Mabuti by Genoveva Edroza- Matute
An ordinary public-school teacher who is trying to make her students realized the importance of studying. She
always says “mabuti”and that is the reason why students called her Mabuti. She trying to show her positive
side to her students despite of problems she is encountering.
She wanted to show her students her positive side despite to being emotionally sick because of the suffering
brought my the father of her child. The conflict is person versus to herself because the main character is hiding
her emotions towards to the circumstances. What differs is that, Mabuti knows how to handle it. Problems are
part of everyone’s life.

Tata Selo by Rogelio Sikat

I were to end the story Tata Selo, maybe I’ll show how tata Selo will be punished based on the law. I will also
include details like the findings of the doctor about the sickness of Saling that soon will be cured while living
their best life on the land that their family owns before they used it as collateral. The moral lesson of the story
is that “AS LONG AS THERE IS POWER, THE POOR WILL ALWAYS STRUGGLE” I have thought
of this, because of the scene where tata Selo is being harassed or being hurted by a person who trusts the
killed Kabesa. They thought they got power that’s why they can manipulate them by using those whether it
could hurt a sinful or pure innocent man.

Morning in Nagrebcan by Manuel E. Arguilla

In general, the lesson is not only for the son and daughter in the family but also for the mother and father. It
shows those unpleasant attitudes that we need to change for our good. It is better to gain love and respect
rather than to earn hatred within the family members. The story ended with Nana Elang doing morning chores
inside the house, with Tang Ciaco going to work. and with the two boys finding the dead puppy and giving it a
much-needed burial. This tells a story of a family with a dog and its young puppies living in Katanyaghan Hills.
The family is comprised of Tang Ciaco (father), Nana Elang (mother) and the two sons, Ambo and Baldo.
Ambo persisted to touch the puppy, but he failed.

Topic 2. Vietnam
A Cherished Daughter
It saddens me to think that at age of 43, she still doesn't have a husband and unable to enjoy her life. In the
poem, the daughter sounded so desperate for her mother to just give her away. Based on the poem, the
values of respect and obedience is widely evident wherein the daughter quietly accept the family's tradition and
their culture. In economic and social values, preserving culture is another thing that needs to be cherished. In
our generation today, cultures and traditions were being neglected and near to be forgotten that's why itis
necessary to keep it alive as we preserve our own identity and integrity. If the parents always insist on their
rules and always demand for strict compliance, they take away the child's right to express their opinion by
silencing their voice to reason out. It discourages healthy communication, wherein the child never disagrees to
anything and never has the chance to explain or justify their views, and eventually adapting this behavior when
they get older.

School Boy's Apology

I feel bad that bullying is still prevalent youth violence. With the persona’s situation in class, he is exposed to
bullying just because of not paying attention in lecture for he is currently suffering a trauma. As a student, I
want to make them realize that the situation of the boy is not a joke, not even funny, but a serious one. Also, I
will make them know that it is important to spread kindness towards other people. Bullying is not a way for
them to be strong and enjoy high social status among classmates. The boy deserves to be treated right. We
must be aware of his emotions and thoughts whereas we must be united to help him overcome his situation.
If I were a foreign teacher in Vietnam, I will make sure that my emergency kits are ready, learn first aid basics,
and take whatever measures I can do to enhance my personal safety as well as my students.

Inside the Submarines

Shows that it is very tough to be a crew of a submarine because they are risking and staking their lives in the
deep of the ocean even though they don’t know what lies there and what will happen to them. But still, they
have no choice but to face the danger together. Chasing after secrets line means that you are after something
that you don’t know or without absolute certainty. Like the ocean, we still don’t know everything beneath it.
Topic 3. Brunei
Borneo's Green Heart
It is short, like Brunei, but then it has it all to stand as a wonderful treasure. The Borneo’s Green Heart tells
everything about its country-- its environment, government, and inhabitants. Specifically in the lines “a kingdom
of treasures” and “an environment of treasures”, we can infer that Borneo is a wealthy country that is rich with
natural resources (specifically oil and gas), that they are truly The Land of Unexpected Treasures. In this
modern-day, Brunei is one of the thriving countries with a growing economy. With its very little land, they were
able to achieve such prosperity and high standards of living. Aside from being rich, it is also reflected how
peaceful and tranquil is Brunei in the lines “An abode of peace” and “A haven of tranquility”. Although they are
being colonized by the British and Japan back then, Brunei has never been too much affected by the horrors of
wars unlike its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia like Vietnam and Myanmar. Also, their kind government
which is Constitutional Sultanate has also been reflected in the lines “A neoclassical form of politics” and “An
ancient Sultanate kingdom”.

Travel Brunei Darrussalam by Bandar Seri Begawan

This focuses on the Brunei’s river and how beautiful it is that reflects the beauty of the Sultan’s palace. It is
added in the piece because its one of the attractions in Brunei that tourist needs to see that it even reflects to
the beauty of Sultan’s palace. Brunei is a wealthy country and the culture, they have is different from the
Philippines. There is a village in Brunei that has age-old crafts that flourished Brunei Empire through those
crafts. The persona in the poem values the country through showing us the fascinating nature and culture in
Brunei Darussalam.

The Oilfield Labourers

Yazid is an important character in the story because it is told from his perspective. He is the key character in
the plot. The story revolves only around Yazid and his thoughts about death. He interacted with his friends and
other Oilfield workers. Although it was not stated in the story, it appears that his friends, as well as the old man
who died in a fire the night before they went to the derrick, are significant to him. After his village was burned
and destroyed, his spirits were low. His belongings, as well as his home, were completely consumed by fire.
He was left with nothing but himself, his friends, and his thoughts. He still has his work also, as a derrick
climber. Yazid's character was a little depressing, in my opinion. He is careful and tired. He's obsessed with
death, which is the prominent topic of this story: how he wants to die and isn't terrified of dying. Yazid is afraid
of enduring a long period of suffering before dying. He keeps thinking about how easy it was for his father and
the old man to die. Jamal, on the other hand, desires a quiet death.

Topic 4. Myanmar
The Kindergarten Teacher
Talks about how to be a good teacher. Being a teacher has a big responsibility in society because you will be
the one to change the future of every child. Every teacher becomes a role model for their students. I was
amazed by U Nyan Sein, he was a good kindergarten teacher. We all know that it's hard to teach and facilitate
kindergarten students because they don't want to go to school, and they really want to play instead of studying.
But U Nyan Sein is an excellent and amazing teacher because he can teach kindergarten students very well
and demonstrate different teaching strategies to not get the students bored in class. And also, he can facilitate
students who are naughty and cry babies. He drew a plum as an example so that the students can easily
understand the lesson. Since the Burmese alphabet is based on circles and the letters are deviation of sweet
plums in this sense. Moreover, he didn't only show how to become a good teacher but also showed love for
their students.

The Wedding Reception

It depicts the real scenario in a wedding, the simplicity, the conflicts, the unexpected problems, the thoughts of
the couple, problems about money, etc. This story brings back the characters of Sein Hla and Mar Mar Tin to
reality, that the wedding was not a fairy tale kind of set up at the end of the day. It was similar to the weddings
of the ordinary citizens in the Philippines such as those living in the province. The wedding celebration does
not end in the church because Filipino couples and their visitors often proceed to a wedding reception right
after the wedding which usually takes place inthe house of the wife’s family, just like what happened in the
story.
Because of Just Being Rohingya
We wish to have dignified future.
But we have no better chances to achieve.
The Rohingya have endured decades of discrimination and repression. Effectively denied citizenship under the
1982 Citizenship Law, they face restrictions on marriage, family planning, employment, education, faith
practices, and freedom of movement. Yet the Rohingya refuse to be defined by their circumstances. They
remain a resilient, unbowed, determined people of faith. Their hopes and aspirations are humble: a safe home
for their families, education for their children, a country to call their own.

Close Proximity
A person’s character is highly influenced by what kind of family he/she grows up with. We cannot deny the fact
that it is through having a family that we can define our self-worth and being. They influence us in countless
ways. Among all the people around us, they serve as our constant companion, the greatest source of our
motivation, and the people that are genuinely happy in our success. The upbringing is very crucial in the
development of a child. Some families live with so much love all over each member. With this kind of family,
children often have a positive outlook on life. On the other hand, some families live miserably. For instance,
children from broken families may grow up having anger towards their parents, some become rebellious. The
type of family that every child lives with is the responsibility of their parents. Ma Thaw is a selfless daughter.
The fact that her parents were already in their 70’sand she still lives with them proves how she values and
loves her parents. It must be hard for her to grow up with the situation of her parents, but she chose to
understand both their sides with compassion as a daughter. However, U Po Sein and Daw Pan U were too
proud and selfish, that they did not give their family a chance to be better for their daughter. Daw Pan U
loathed her husband that she was not able to be the mother that Ma Thaw deserves. Same with U Po Sein, he
only thinks of his feeling of hate towards her wife that he failed to make Ma Thaw feel that they are a complete
family. The choice of words is really important in a sad story like this to really catch the attention of its readers
and vividly convey what it wanted the readers to feel. If this story is not written the way it is, it could change the
mood and flow of the story.

Topic 5. Thailand
Boatman's Love Song
Dreaming about a pretty girl while he is on the boat. He describes the girl in his dreams in a detailed manner.
He starts the description from head down to girl’s toes. The description of the boatman to the girl is very
sincere to the point that he is praising her for being beautiful.

Three Line Poem by Uten Mahamid

We were most intrigued by the ones which seemed to distill a whole story in such a small form. This one
evokes a distant rural community so dull that the only pleasure is the destruction of your own pleasure. In the
literal translation it was the most ‘magical’ thing. We thought ‘fantastic’ heightened the deadpan humour, whilst
still maintaining a sense of the fantastical – something outside of normal reality.

Summary Collection of Thai Century Literatures

Smile of the Rice Goddess by Chiranan Pitpreecha
Shows the hard work of women in the domestic agricultural sector and the vital role of farmers and rice
growers in the country. As rice growing is the most important profession in Thailand,the poem successfully
symbolizes the farmers, female rice growers and our nation.

E-san by Nai Pee

Vividly portrays the drought of E-san, or the northeast, during pre-1950’s in arealistic way possible. The poet
employs various figures of speech to successfully create
rich emotions enabling the Thai people to realise how barren E-san was at that time. Havinga represented the
poet’s appeal to the world and humankind, this poem is another piece ofthe Thai classics. The author was a
poet, a prosecutor and a political activist

What is such forging? by Ujjeni

A Poet pledge 1 and A Poet's Pledge 2 by Angkarn Kalayanapong
Mere Movement by Naowarat Pongpaiboon