Tomorrow we head again to our respective electoral precincts. People will once again flood local schools to elect the leaders for their communities. The Barangay is the smallest administrative division and political unit next to the family. So, imagine your barangay as a family of families. We know that it is with the family where people get strength, support and care. In a family, you cannot chose who will head it. But in the Barangay, it is up to you to choose the leaders that will guide the family of families into becoming a better societal unit.
Choose your leaders well, you are entrusting them with your community lives as it is part of their responsibility to ensure the safety of your community and its members. You are also placing leaders who will help the community reach its potential and let the community members grow and develop into more responsible citizens.
Cast your votes wisely. Do not be fooled by the friendly neighbour who only became a friend when it was election time.
If on national elections, there is the saying "walang kaibi-kaibigan o kama-kamag-anak", I suppose, there should also be, "Walang kapi-kapitbahay..."
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Another Thing to do during sembreak
8. BE A BETTER CYBERSPACE JUNKIE. I forgot that most of us youngsters are into the amazing world of cyberspace. We spend hours in front of our computers doing nothing but surf, click, read, type and click. For internet fanatics, this is the time to update your websites. Those of you who have not updated your profiles on various social networking sites, this is the time because your pictures and templates may have been so last year. You have more time now to reinvent your websites with new software programs that offer more sophisticated and exciting applications. Bloggers may have lagged in their blogs because of their research papers, the break will give you some time to make new experiences and blog it on your site. For those who have not yet blogged, this is also the perfect time to start. Facebook has provided us with games and applications that made friendster lose its place in the market, this sembreak, please check your poker accounts, your sisters in sorority life or your plants on farmville. They are dying to get a glimpse of you for the past months. You may also try updating your multiply account by uploading newer and better pictures. But don't overdo it, cyberspace can be a pain in the ass if you don't know how to manage your internet accounts right.
Things To Do During sem-BREAK
... if you can call it a break, since nowadays, semester breaks last only for a few days. It is best that we make the most of out our break from the world of papers, reports, grades and exams. It's time to take a break from sleepless nights of reading, finishing projects and meeting deadlines. We have crammed our way to meet our deadlines so I bet it would be easier to cram our way to making our few days off more meaningful and memorable.
Here are some things to do to break the boredom spell during the sembreak:
1. SLEEP. First things first. We spent sleepless nights during the finals and had gulped more than a bucket of coffee just to keep us awake for the exams. This is the time to make up for the lost time with your bed and get that sleep you have been dreaming for. For the ladies, this is the time to get that "beauty sleep" which has been very elusive due to deadlines. You may have caught yourself singing, "mahal kita... pero miss na miss na miss ko na ang aking kama at ang malupit kong unan"
But don't sleep for the rest of the break, you have plenty of time to do that in the afterlife.
2. DO VOLUNTEER WORK. Because of the typhoon Juan, many families were left homeless and are in need of your help. There are agencies like the Red Cross that are in need of extra hands to help pack the relief goods to be sent to the affected areas. If you're lucky, you might be sent to join in the distribution of these packages, thus allowing you to travel. It is also a good way to meet new people and have new friends or at least have new facebook friends.
Aside from these perks, it is also good to give a hand to our fellow Filipinos. Not only have you become a good citizen, you have also shown that you are more than your good grades and complete attendance in school. Studies have shown that when doing charity work, the brain releases endorphins that make you feel good.
3. CLEAN UP. I'm sure dust and tons of papers have accumulated on your room over the course of your "I-don't-have-time-to-clean-up" days. This is the time pick up the broom and pick up the pieces of papers that are nothing but memories of your algebra homework or your case presentation. Go through your drawers and clean up the mess brought about by the previous semester. You can sort through your hand-outs and notes ,pile them up and choose which stays and which goes to the trash bin. Or better yet, give them to a lower-batch student who might need those for reference. Not only were you able to help him'her get better grades, you also have de-cluttered your room.
It is also best to have your room cleaned, for a clean room can help you sleep better.
4. CATCH UP ON YOUR FAVOURITE TV-SERIES. DVD-Marathon time or for those who are torrent-lovers, it is time to download all that you can download. Catch up on the episodes that you have missed because of the finals. You can be a couch potato for a day or two without worrying about homework and presentations. You can do this with your friends or family. Not only were you able to finish one season, you also get to bond with the people you care about and missed. Just don't forget to share the chips.
5. TRAVEL. Or do some road-tripping/joyride with your friends without worrying about hurrying home to finish a paper. Again, it's another way to bond with your friends. It does not need to be a long drive out of town. Getting around town or nearby places can be a good way to get over your just-enough-to-pass grade given by your terror prof. You can take a dip at the pool resorts or go to entertainment parks and scream your way up in the air. You can release your angst against your group mates from hell when you take the space shuttle at EK. You can even go to the province and be with your relatives and maybe meet a new friend there.
6. READ. Not the textbooks from school! For crying out loud, please read that fiction book you bought last summer but has not read it yet. Something to enjoy and be entertained with. Not something you have to analyze and make a moral of the story essay. You may hit the nearest bookstore and check the latest bestsellers.
7. REINVENT YOURSELF. Get a makeover. Give yourself some pampering by hitting the spa or your favorite salon. Change your hairstyle, get a massage, a foot spa or have a hair treatment. Some spas and salons offer discounts to students during the break so take advantage of this. It is time to get rid of that pimple brought about by your case presentation by having a facial. When it is time for the next semester, people will be surprised by the fresh new you.
You may have been called "stresstabs model" by your happy-go-lucky friends and this is the time for vengeance and look your best.
I hope our sembreak plans will not be ruined by the forecast rainshowers over the north. There are 365 days in a year, I'm sure the rains can find other days to shower us with blessings.
**Inspired by the article, "Top Ten things to do on your sem break", MB 10/20/2010 issue
Here are some things to do to break the boredom spell during the sembreak:
1. SLEEP. First things first. We spent sleepless nights during the finals and had gulped more than a bucket of coffee just to keep us awake for the exams. This is the time to make up for the lost time with your bed and get that sleep you have been dreaming for. For the ladies, this is the time to get that "beauty sleep" which has been very elusive due to deadlines. You may have caught yourself singing, "mahal kita... pero miss na miss na miss ko na ang aking kama at ang malupit kong unan"
But don't sleep for the rest of the break, you have plenty of time to do that in the afterlife.
2. DO VOLUNTEER WORK. Because of the typhoon Juan, many families were left homeless and are in need of your help. There are agencies like the Red Cross that are in need of extra hands to help pack the relief goods to be sent to the affected areas. If you're lucky, you might be sent to join in the distribution of these packages, thus allowing you to travel. It is also a good way to meet new people and have new friends or at least have new facebook friends.
Aside from these perks, it is also good to give a hand to our fellow Filipinos. Not only have you become a good citizen, you have also shown that you are more than your good grades and complete attendance in school. Studies have shown that when doing charity work, the brain releases endorphins that make you feel good.
3. CLEAN UP. I'm sure dust and tons of papers have accumulated on your room over the course of your "I-don't-have-time-to-clean-up" days. This is the time pick up the broom and pick up the pieces of papers that are nothing but memories of your algebra homework or your case presentation. Go through your drawers and clean up the mess brought about by the previous semester. You can sort through your hand-outs and notes ,pile them up and choose which stays and which goes to the trash bin. Or better yet, give them to a lower-batch student who might need those for reference. Not only were you able to help him'her get better grades, you also have de-cluttered your room.
It is also best to have your room cleaned, for a clean room can help you sleep better.
4. CATCH UP ON YOUR FAVOURITE TV-SERIES. DVD-Marathon time or for those who are torrent-lovers, it is time to download all that you can download. Catch up on the episodes that you have missed because of the finals. You can be a couch potato for a day or two without worrying about homework and presentations. You can do this with your friends or family. Not only were you able to finish one season, you also get to bond with the people you care about and missed. Just don't forget to share the chips.
5. TRAVEL. Or do some road-tripping/joyride with your friends without worrying about hurrying home to finish a paper. Again, it's another way to bond with your friends. It does not need to be a long drive out of town. Getting around town or nearby places can be a good way to get over your just-enough-to-pass grade given by your terror prof. You can take a dip at the pool resorts or go to entertainment parks and scream your way up in the air. You can release your angst against your group mates from hell when you take the space shuttle at EK. You can even go to the province and be with your relatives and maybe meet a new friend there.
6. READ. Not the textbooks from school! For crying out loud, please read that fiction book you bought last summer but has not read it yet. Something to enjoy and be entertained with. Not something you have to analyze and make a moral of the story essay. You may hit the nearest bookstore and check the latest bestsellers.
7. REINVENT YOURSELF. Get a makeover. Give yourself some pampering by hitting the spa or your favorite salon. Change your hairstyle, get a massage, a foot spa or have a hair treatment. Some spas and salons offer discounts to students during the break so take advantage of this. It is time to get rid of that pimple brought about by your case presentation by having a facial. When it is time for the next semester, people will be surprised by the fresh new you.
You may have been called "stresstabs model" by your happy-go-lucky friends and this is the time for vengeance and look your best.
I hope our sembreak plans will not be ruined by the forecast rainshowers over the north. There are 365 days in a year, I'm sure the rains can find other days to shower us with blessings.
**Inspired by the article, "Top Ten things to do on your sem break", MB 10/20/2010 issue
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Eat. Pray. Love.
...and laugh.
It's a good movie especially to those who find themselves strangers to the life they are living.
After watching it, it somehow made me desire and dream to go out see the world, be transformed and discover myself in the process. But I wish that I don't have to break relationships, go halfway around the globe, be away from my family just to find out who I really am and what I really want.
Why do we have to cry, make others cry or ruin relationships just so we can learn? we have given others everything but none for ourselves and it is already to late to realize that we exhausted every bit of ourselves for others?
I hope I don't have to ask these questions myself one day, while traveling through the ruins of the roman empire or while riding an elephant in Thailand. I pray we all have our answers right here, right now.
It's a good movie especially to those who find themselves strangers to the life they are living.
After watching it, it somehow made me desire and dream to go out see the world, be transformed and discover myself in the process. But I wish that I don't have to break relationships, go halfway around the globe, be away from my family just to find out who I really am and what I really want.
Why do we have to cry, make others cry or ruin relationships just so we can learn? we have given others everything but none for ourselves and it is already to late to realize that we exhausted every bit of ourselves for others?
I hope I don't have to ask these questions myself one day, while traveling through the ruins of the roman empire or while riding an elephant in Thailand. I pray we all have our answers right here, right now.
Monday, August 2, 2010
rxn to inception
I have realized lately that Hollywood is changing and has become less capitalistic than it was a few years back. It is now starting to produce films that deviate from the casual themes of love, life and hate. It is amazing how filmmakers now are beginning to create movies that pose truths and concepts that make us question the essence and existence of the human race and of the realities the human race is in.
Movies such as avatar and inception provide us with a glimpse of literally entering a reality different from our own. A reality that we all want to have because we find our own very boring, uninteresting and complex. It's good to know that the capitalism-serving art group of people, who before have set aside their creativity and gift, are now coming out to tell us to get out of the box, think beyond and under. If one has really understood it, he would ask, "what if?". But since we are too busy surviving life rather than question life itself -its essence and existence, the film just became a narrative of man who crossed realities for the sake of love.
All that we know are just thoughts and ideas presented to us by the people before us. Every knowledge we replaced on our heads by people who believe that these are the things we ought to know and live by. How we perceive and live by these thoughts all depends on our intellectual capacity to digest the thoughts fed to us, whether they are real or perceived real. The facts we received from books may not be facts after all, maybe they are just the facts that authorities and the superpowers want us to believe us facts. Placing an idea or thought on one's head do happen in real life and in so many ways.
The film just asserted my ever standing belief that the human brain is the most powerful tool created. It can create and destroy worlds simply by creating a thought. Any changes in the chemistry of the brain cells is enough to destroy itself or lead it to a better state. How we respond to perceived stimuli will determine our capability to decipher whether what we perceived is real or not. That is why the a man's worst enemy definitely would be his own brain. For every process taking place that go into haywire, can lead to altered state of mind or worse death.
I salute the capitalists-serving art for making efforts in going beyond the borders of money and producing films that make us use our brains and let us realize that we are indeed complex beings.
Movies such as avatar and inception provide us with a glimpse of literally entering a reality different from our own. A reality that we all want to have because we find our own very boring, uninteresting and complex. It's good to know that the capitalism-serving art group of people, who before have set aside their creativity and gift, are now coming out to tell us to get out of the box, think beyond and under. If one has really understood it, he would ask, "what if?". But since we are too busy surviving life rather than question life itself -its essence and existence, the film just became a narrative of man who crossed realities for the sake of love.
All that we know are just thoughts and ideas presented to us by the people before us. Every knowledge we replaced on our heads by people who believe that these are the things we ought to know and live by. How we perceive and live by these thoughts all depends on our intellectual capacity to digest the thoughts fed to us, whether they are real or perceived real. The facts we received from books may not be facts after all, maybe they are just the facts that authorities and the superpowers want us to believe us facts. Placing an idea or thought on one's head do happen in real life and in so many ways.
The film just asserted my ever standing belief that the human brain is the most powerful tool created. It can create and destroy worlds simply by creating a thought. Any changes in the chemistry of the brain cells is enough to destroy itself or lead it to a better state. How we respond to perceived stimuli will determine our capability to decipher whether what we perceived is real or not. That is why the a man's worst enemy definitely would be his own brain. For every process taking place that go into haywire, can lead to altered state of mind or worse death.
I salute the capitalists-serving art for making efforts in going beyond the borders of money and producing films that make us use our brains and let us realize that we are indeed complex beings.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Teks/Text
TEKS
Noong bata pa tayo, naging laman tayo ng kalsada. Tuwing summer vacation, suki tayo ng mga tindahan sa pagbili natin ng chichirya, kendi at teks. Yung maliit na piraso ng papel na naglalaman ng kung sinu-sinong anime or japanese series character. Matapos matulog o piliting matulog sa hapon, magmeryenda tatakbo na tayo sa labas ng bahay at hahanapin ang tropa. Bitbit ang isang dangkal ng teks, naghamon tayo ng away sa kapitbahay. Hawak mo ang isang pirasong papel na tinawag mong "panira" na minahal mo ng higit sa iba. Maingay ang kalsada sa tawa at sigawan ng iba't ibang klase ng bata. May batang hindi ininda ang sipon para lang makapaglaro sa labas, may batang nanlilimahid na, may batang siga na hindi pa naliligo, may batang tahimik pero malupit sa paghagis ng teks sa ere.
Sa bawat pag chub o cha ng mga papel, nabuo ang ilang samahan. Mga pagkakaibigang di mapapalitan, mga alaalang hindi mabubura at mga relasyong hindi mabubuwag ilang beses man mag-amok ng suntukan ang batang uhugin sa kanto.
Nagkakaroon ng samu-t saring sakit matapos magbilad ng isang araw sa kalsada. Nagkasore eyes, kuto, galis, sipon, ubo, lagnat kapalit ng isang masayang hapon sa kalsada.
Naranasan din natin ang manalo, matalo at madaya sa paglalaro ng teks. Dito tayo natutong sumugal, mandaya at magsinungaling sa kapwa at ating mga sarili. Dito nasubukan ang lakas ng loob natin na lumaban kahit garampot lang ang teksat ang sa kalaban ay dalawang dangkal. Dito nasubukan ang kakayahan nating tumakas sa ating mga magulang, magsinungaling na natulog na tayo pero ang totoo pumikit lng tayo. Dito nasubok ng pasensya natin sa tila mabagal na usad ng mga kamay ng relo. Natuto tayong maiinggit sa kapitbahay na kanina pa naglalaro sa labas, at kating-kati na tayo tumakbo at magtatalon sa labas.
Matapos ang paglalaro ng teks sa labas, sumugal at manalo uuwi na tayo dahil hapunan na. May ilang batang umuuwing masaya, may iba luhaan at may iba masaya nang dumating sa bahay pero luhaan na matapos ang ilang minuto.
Ang batang umuuwi ng masaya at maya-maya'y iiyak ang pinakamalungkot sa lahat. Yakap ang ilang dangkal ng teks, pumasok sa bahay at makakasalubong si Inay na hawak ang tsinelas. Magtatanong ng "SAN KA NA NAMAN GALING?" Pagagalitan at papaluin tapos tapos na.
Pero may batang pinalo, tinanong nang "SAN KA NA NAMAN GALING? ANG BATA BATA MO PA SUGAROL KA NA! AKIN NA YANG TEKS MO!" At sa harap ng bata susunugin ang isang dngkalng teks na isang araw niyang pinaghirapang ipanalo. Ang teks na sumubok ng kanyang tapang at galing. Ang piraso ng mga papel na nagpatibay ng samahan at bumuo ng mga pagkakaibigan ang mauuwi lang sa abo dahil minalas siyang galit na galit ng nanay niya dahil nalukangan sa romansa ni Itay.
Noong bata pa tayo, naging laman tayo ng kalsada. Tuwing summer vacation, suki tayo ng mga tindahan sa pagbili natin ng chichirya, kendi at teks. Yung maliit na piraso ng papel na naglalaman ng kung sinu-sinong anime or japanese series character. Matapos matulog o piliting matulog sa hapon, magmeryenda tatakbo na tayo sa labas ng bahay at hahanapin ang tropa. Bitbit ang isang dangkal ng teks, naghamon tayo ng away sa kapitbahay. Hawak mo ang isang pirasong papel na tinawag mong "panira" na minahal mo ng higit sa iba. Maingay ang kalsada sa tawa at sigawan ng iba't ibang klase ng bata. May batang hindi ininda ang sipon para lang makapaglaro sa labas, may batang nanlilimahid na, may batang siga na hindi pa naliligo, may batang tahimik pero malupit sa paghagis ng teks sa ere.
Sa bawat pag chub o cha ng mga papel, nabuo ang ilang samahan. Mga pagkakaibigang di mapapalitan, mga alaalang hindi mabubura at mga relasyong hindi mabubuwag ilang beses man mag-amok ng suntukan ang batang uhugin sa kanto.
Nagkakaroon ng samu-t saring sakit matapos magbilad ng isang araw sa kalsada. Nagkasore eyes, kuto, galis, sipon, ubo, lagnat kapalit ng isang masayang hapon sa kalsada.
Naranasan din natin ang manalo, matalo at madaya sa paglalaro ng teks. Dito tayo natutong sumugal, mandaya at magsinungaling sa kapwa at ating mga sarili. Dito nasubukan ang lakas ng loob natin na lumaban kahit garampot lang ang teksat ang sa kalaban ay dalawang dangkal. Dito nasubukan ang kakayahan nating tumakas sa ating mga magulang, magsinungaling na natulog na tayo pero ang totoo pumikit lng tayo. Dito nasubok ng pasensya natin sa tila mabagal na usad ng mga kamay ng relo. Natuto tayong maiinggit sa kapitbahay na kanina pa naglalaro sa labas, at kating-kati na tayo tumakbo at magtatalon sa labas.
Matapos ang paglalaro ng teks sa labas, sumugal at manalo uuwi na tayo dahil hapunan na. May ilang batang umuuwing masaya, may iba luhaan at may iba masaya nang dumating sa bahay pero luhaan na matapos ang ilang minuto.
Ang batang umuuwi ng masaya at maya-maya'y iiyak ang pinakamalungkot sa lahat. Yakap ang ilang dangkal ng teks, pumasok sa bahay at makakasalubong si Inay na hawak ang tsinelas. Magtatanong ng "SAN KA NA NAMAN GALING?" Pagagalitan at papaluin tapos tapos na.
Pero may batang pinalo, tinanong nang "SAN KA NA NAMAN GALING? ANG BATA BATA MO PA SUGAROL KA NA! AKIN NA YANG TEKS MO!" At sa harap ng bata susunugin ang isang dngkalng teks na isang araw niyang pinaghirapang ipanalo. Ang teks na sumubok ng kanyang tapang at galing. Ang piraso ng mga papel na nagpatibay ng samahan at bumuo ng mga pagkakaibigan ang mauuwi lang sa abo dahil minalas siyang galit na galit ng nanay niya dahil nalukangan sa romansa ni Itay.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
writing blogs
I am not a good writer but I do love to write. Whenever I felt like doing so, I write whatever is on my mind. I have so many thoughts to share but time has been elusive as it always has.
I did not attend any formal classes on writing except for the communication subjects I had in High School and College but they were all academic-based. I hated writing essays in class because the pen, the paper and the time hinders me from expressing myself completely. If I had to write, I do it on my computer in my own little space at my own time.
Good writers have these so-called rituals before they get to start writing. They even develop habits that without them, they can never produce a good article. There are those who are can only write in the silence of their room, some can write out in the open, noisy street and there are those who write only at more specific and unbelievable places.
People get inspiration from nature, from emotional turmoil or just out of the blue. Even philosophers, statesmen and scientists get inspiration from somewhere one way or another. Famous thinkers have mysterious rituals before they can start working. Writers are no different. Bloggers,on the other hand only need a computer and an internet connection just to get started.
Blogging has been the trend nowadays especially among the younger crowd, with the majority of those who write and maintain blogs did not get formal training on writing. Blogging as they say is the future of writing. One does not need a proofreader or an editor so that he can publish his thoughts to a number of people. Publishing on the World Wide Web has become easier because of the networking sites and blog sites that encourage people to express themselves freely. The aesthetics of writing are now confined on school or academic papers, journals and newspapers.
It is good to know that people can now express themselves to the billions of people around the world through the internet. Although I must admit sometimes it has gone too far. People are now encouraged to write and share their thoughts to the rest of the world, luckily I belong to that crowd.
Because of the invention of blogs, I can now call myself a writer and so are you.
I did not attend any formal classes on writing except for the communication subjects I had in High School and College but they were all academic-based. I hated writing essays in class because the pen, the paper and the time hinders me from expressing myself completely. If I had to write, I do it on my computer in my own little space at my own time.
Good writers have these so-called rituals before they get to start writing. They even develop habits that without them, they can never produce a good article. There are those who are can only write in the silence of their room, some can write out in the open, noisy street and there are those who write only at more specific and unbelievable places.
People get inspiration from nature, from emotional turmoil or just out of the blue. Even philosophers, statesmen and scientists get inspiration from somewhere one way or another. Famous thinkers have mysterious rituals before they can start working. Writers are no different. Bloggers,on the other hand only need a computer and an internet connection just to get started.
Blogging has been the trend nowadays especially among the younger crowd, with the majority of those who write and maintain blogs did not get formal training on writing. Blogging as they say is the future of writing. One does not need a proofreader or an editor so that he can publish his thoughts to a number of people. Publishing on the World Wide Web has become easier because of the networking sites and blog sites that encourage people to express themselves freely. The aesthetics of writing are now confined on school or academic papers, journals and newspapers.
It is good to know that people can now express themselves to the billions of people around the world through the internet. Although I must admit sometimes it has gone too far. People are now encouraged to write and share their thoughts to the rest of the world, luckily I belong to that crowd.
Because of the invention of blogs, I can now call myself a writer and so are you.
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