What’s your impression of Taiwan? Have you been to Taiwan and do you know anything about Taiwan? This is not a travel blog but about a Philippine girl performing her song in a human rights concert in Taiwan! Read on!
Paula Alcasid, winner of “Best Creativity Award” of Voice for Freedom Songwriting Competition of our friend’s Amnesty International Taiwan. She is going to Taipei to record and perform her song in Voice for Freedom music concert on 18 June. Her winning song was called “A Whisper”, listen to her song here.
There is also a concert for “A Free Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi”, organized by our friends – Amnesty International Taiwan and Taiwan Free Burma Network (TFBN). Paula wanted to share her experience with APYN of her daily adventure during her visit in Taiwan from 14/6 to 19/6 through daily blog posts!
It’s also her first visit ever to Taiwan. Please meet her now!
My name is Paula Rose M. Alcasid,18, 3rd year college nursing student, from Philippines. Studying at the University of the City of Manila. I like anime/manga, music, theater plays, musicals (movie/stage plays), literary works, independent films, beautiful landscapes and scenery–which inspires me to compose songs and other literary works. I want to be a successful Broadway performer someday  I want to learn different languages, interior designing, fashion designing (also tailoring) and film making. So as it appears…I’m a dreamer.
Despite my fight for my Family’s freedom—which is the freedom from poverty Well, I’ve been joining song writing contests to really know my capability as a songwriter. When I saw the announcement for the “Voice for Freedom” contest, I was really challenged, so I joined. I’m truly blessed that I am able to share my thoughts about freedom, particularly about freedom of speech, relating to how youth or any innocent individual comprehend or react to this, through my simple song. Just like how expressive Filipino youth are, in our country. We support movements in forms of signing papers (petitions) & other gatherings, in simple ways we convey our support. Despite increasing frequency of news broadcasting about media men being held captive, sometimes killed. If you hear, ” Makiba! Huwag matakot! (Join us! Fear not!) ” it means fight for freedom is ongoing. Actually, one of the common meeting place is near our home, at “Welcome Rotonda” Quezon City. Most of the time, it is televised, with lots of cops guarding the area. It’s really funny though, the Leader of the activists is my Uncle’s friend, and my uncle is a cop, one of the cops assigned to guard the area every time there’s rally there. That’s the time I realized, it’s nothing personal, my Uncle’s friend has his principles, and my Uncle has to do his job as a cop. That happened when I was in high school, it was televised internationally. Well, that’s how expressive they are. And I am excited to explore how is it in Taiwan. |
Do you have any comments or suggestions for her? Guess what she will do in the next few days? Visit apyouth.net and facebook.com/apyouth. Follow her adventure from 14 June to 19 June here.
