sighing...

i will miss you... til we meet again... i had you since 2009... bye my ever loyal and very functional phone... be nice to you're new fucking, selfish owner who got you...

Lost Something but not Everything...

August 26...

We had our Univ of Antique general assembly. It rained the whole afternoon until it flooded the whole UA gymnasium. I decided to go home after it had stopped for a while. As i walked in front of the CAS building, i could not pass because it was flooded. i had no choice but to cross eventhough i will get my white fila shoes wet, soaking wet. I arrived at our house after a 20 minute-jeepney ride. I want to sleep but i forced myself to get up so that i could be ready for Iloilo. I still have my masteral class in the morning.

i arrived at the susie stars terminal around 5. then off we go after 20 minutes and after my excitement upon seeing lola, Ms. Hazel Villa on the same bus. when we arrived at guinsang-an, the dispatcher informed us that we will have to transfer bus when we arrive at Maalan because of the landslide. So i prepared myself for another adventure since that was my first time to walk through and on a landslide. arriving at the site, it was not just a landslide but there were also coconut trees that came along the landslide as if it was placed like a barricade. so no chance of the bus to pass. we went out of the bus upon knowing that another bus waited for us at the other side. i was the only one who has an umbrella so everybody became my best friend. my legs and feet were all wet. as i sat on the bus, i felt my fingers in my feet and even my feet numb. i could barely move it. but i said, maybe, this is because of the fatigue and i sat back but i couldn't sleep. i was all smiles when i saw my umbrella's brace, one of the brace was broken. i smiled and thought of the heroic deed my umbrella has done.

We arrived at iloilo city around 9 PM. i was in a hurry to ride the first ever taxi that came. i don't have a change so i decided to pay 1000 but the driver told me that he does not have a change. so i paid my new 50peso bill and i went out. i realized that i have not closed the taxi's door very well but just as i thought of closing it again, the taxi zoomed. i noticed that i miss something. my samsung star wifi phone is not with me. instantly, all i could remember was the taxi because before i stepped down, i was texting. but no chance of getting back my cellphone after numerous attempts of calling and texting. well, i can't do anything since that was the only time that i have not read the taxi's name and memorized the plate number. i said to myself, maybe it was my phone's destiny to be lost. i have no sentiments of losing my phone but the only thing that bothers me was my contacts.

i attended my class august 27. it was also my dad's bday. i told my adventures and misadventures to my classmates. after my first period class, i asked permission from my professor not to attend my 1:30-4:30 class because it would be dangerous for me to go home late because of the landslides. i was shocked upon reaching Oton and saw the flooded houses, farms and the whole oton plaza. i reflected. i told myself that i was even luckier losing my phone than losing my house, my faith and my own life.

i reached home very happy since it was dad's bday and i'm home for my mom's bday the day after.

anyway, thanks to globe that after disconnecting my lost phone which has my globe plan number in it, they reconnected me again using the same globe number which i had lost. at least, people who do not know i lost my phone could still text me and i will just ask who they are and save again their number for my contacts.

so much for not trusting my instincts. form that time on, i promised myself to trust my instincts because if only i had trusted my instincts, i should have not experienced the things mentioned above. but at least, i gained another life changing lesson and experience.

The Dish...

(Deep breathing)...

(Sighing)...

Oh my God!

I just read a post on FB. Someone's someone today. And i really don't believe it. I mean, there are still people worthy to be chosen as what you are today. I'm not saying that that should have been me. But hell no! Are there no more options to choose from? Why you? What are the criteria for you to be chosen? Ah... I know. Influence...

No, there are many deserving people that would fall and would fit in the list of options to be that someone you are today. I guess they are not searching hard and they only made use of who's available and the background that you have but not on your scholastic records and academic performance i might say.

I can't believe it's you. You have not proven yourself yet to anybody. Well, aside from your parents. You are nothing. You are not worthy of that. You are a trash! I don't believe you! I don't believe that this happened!

I know, i'm rude. But hey, this is the truth!

Is Gluttony a Sin?...

I don't think so...

If it's so, then I'll be guilty of eating five time a day. But minimum is five. Let me enumerate.

First meal: a heavy breakfast...

Second meal: A very heavy lunch...

Snack (part 1): around 3pm; either heavy rice again or heavy carb... chocolates is my add-up...

Snack (part 2): around 6pm... consists mainly of any food that my hand can pick out right from the fridge... 6 pcs. pandasal or pan de leche will do...

Third meal: 9pm and that's the heaviest dinner...

i don't know why my eating habits are as mentioned. it;s just i love eating and i don't want to starve even for a while...

When i bought the book entitled KOKOLOGY, i amazed with my answer to these question: "What is the thing that you can't live without when travelling?" The choices are; money, gum, cellular phone; and i can't recall the last one.

My answer was, a gum.

The interpretation: You are someone who is afraid of starving especially when you are out of your house. even with just a gum or candy, you are contented with the flavor of it in your mouth.

See?

Even a psychological book agrees with me.

If you ask me what are my top three fave things to do at home, it would be: eating, eating and sleeping....

Now are you with me on this?

Dishing Disaster

Hey. hey? Hey!

I'm back... hahaha... it's been a while that i've been here... again... but i'm happy that i'm here. Panic texters are that fucking stressful... after what happened to Japan's nuclear plant, someone texted me that someone texted her that the radiation wave will hit the Philippines by 4pm and everyone is advised to stay indoors and apply betadine on the thyroid area because radiation damages the thyroid first.

i mean, come on!

As soon as i went home yesterday, i turned on the tv and heard d news that none of the text messages were true. whew! thanks to that!

Going back to Japan, that was a shocker! The earthquake and the tsunami just drove me crazy just watching the TV. it's like liters of water were poured on the house models sold and displayed in malls.

what really bothered me was my brother. he's a seaman and his route is Japan-China and vice versa. lucky thing! they weer in china Thursday night. safe!

Let's pray and hope that Japan can pull through this.

Amen!

My speech that could change them... or NOT!

To my Antique Christian Center family, teachers, parents, our beloved graduates, friends, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

Finally, I’m home.

It’s just like a couple of days ago when I was in that small chair – wearing my white polo with bowtie and black pants. I can’t wait for the celebration to end because I’m already excited to be in grade school and most of all, a happy trip at Cindy’s or Regina’s. I can’t even remember who our guest speaker was because I admit, as a child, I have a short attention span.

I remember, I went straight from home-study with my nanay to Prep. I was in Prep D under Teacher Cabrejas. My two older brothers were with Teacher Cabrejas, too. I was this cute and nice little boy who is fond of eating – well, even up to now – grabbing others’ snacks and toys if they won’t share those with me. I have this egocentric attitude that “if others have something, I must also have that”. See, I told you I’m nice; not naughty and teacher Cabrejas can guarantee it.

Enough about me. So why are we here?

We are here simply because we are celebrating – celebrating the growing, coming of age and enlightenment of our sons and daughters. To the graduates of batch 2010-2011, my deepest congratulations to you. Today, you have made nanay and tatay, mommy and daddy, mama and papa proud of your achievements. But this graduation is not the end yet. This is just one of the so many beginnings that you children will have to face, experience, conquer, and victor on. Because of that, you deserve our applause.

Be proud that you are a graduate of the best preparatory school in the province, the Antique Christian Center. This school has given and provided you with knowledge and skills necessary for your elementary education in whatever school you choose to enroll.

The theme for this year’s ACC graduation is ‘kung bright child ang gusto mo, i-develop mo’. Without second guessing, I believe that this is for our parents whose molding hands will pave the way to their children’s success.

I’m not a parent yet but I’ll speak from experience on how to develop a bright child. I’ll talk about how my parents raised us. Before that, to give you a background, I’m the youngest among three boys who all graduated from this institution. My eldest brother is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Commerce; my middle brother is a graduate of John B. Lacson Maritime University, cum laude, and a second mate at the age of 24; and I don’t have to repeat what is about me because I might sound conceited.

Going to West Visayas State University and be a teacher opened my mind to reality. It taught me how to become a teacher and understand people of different personality and apply the principles on understanding people’s emotions given a specific age. Because of that, I was able to analyze and scrutinize the methods my parents used in educating and raising us. To sum up, these were the methods used by my parents: the Importance of Play, The Law of Readiness by Thorndike, a stress and pressure-free environment and multiple intelligences by Gardner.

According to psychologists, play plays an integral role in a child’s development. As what I’ve said, I went straight to prep at age six. My parents allowed me to tire myself in playing, even hurt myself just to let me learn things my way. Let your children play for that will expose them on life’s realities. They will learn to explore things and moral values through playing with their peers. But of course, they need guidance to tell them what they’re doing is right or wrong. Let your child learn through playing and you will learn what kind of a child you are raising, if the values you are teaching them are absorbed and being exercised. Also through playing, this will give you ideas on what your child is capable of doing in the future. If your child at play is restless and enthusiastic, then your child may be an athlete and will have this positive disposition. After play, I would cough my lungs out because of asthma and because of running and it turned me into a badminton player.

According to Thorndike’s Law of readiness, it posits that satisfaction or frustration depends on the individual’s state of readiness. To make the story long, never force your child to do something he is not ready to do. It is innate for any individual to learn as he progresses in life. Forcing your child to be this and that would not bring your child any good. Let your child discover his own potential and gifts at his own preferred pace. Your child will give you cues if they’re ready to do things because they are curious and interested to learn. Set your standards low for your child to reach fully, understand correctly and embrace perfectly so as to personify your teachings whole heartedly. I am lucky that my parents did not force me to read at the age of four. What happened was I unconsciously forced myself to read because of my envy for my brothers reading funny comics. That was such a pop culture during my time.

A stress-free and pressure-free environment is also necessary. As teachers, we were taught to have a classroom with a positive vibration. I am talking about teachers because parents are children’s first teachers. Socrates, Aristotle and Plato believe that individuals should feel that they are valued, loved and that they belong with the environment they’re in. Your child is not a robot that once you pushed a button, immediately follows. Adults even can’t handle stress and pressure very well. How about our children? They need your reinforcement and motivation; not your expectation. Surveys prove that suicide in Japan is due to pressure of oneself and their parents to have a degree and the reason why students cheat during exam is because they fear what might their parents say and do – pressure leading to stress leading to anxiety leading to insanity. My parents did not pressure me to do well in school. They’re not even concerned with their names I’m bearing because they’re both teachers. My achievements are my gifts for my parents because I feel that those are the only way to show them how good they are as parents in raising us and not because they need me to.

We are all intelligent by nature and our intelligences vary. Do not be caged on the usual measure of intelligence which are grades, medals, certificates, awards and others. It is only but one aspect of human intelligence. If your child is not good at mathematics, do not conclude that he is not smart. Why don’t you look at his other grades and develop the subject and the skill within the subject where he shows potential. So what if he is not good in math or in science. Maybe he is good at physical stuff; not everybody is born an athlete. Maybe he likes rhythm and music and can dance along with it, not everybody is good at singing and dancing. Maybe he is good at drawing, painting and molding and be a visual artist. Maybe he finds it easy to talk to people and make them agree with his own statements; a politician or a businessman. That’s gift. Open your mind. Others weaknesses are maybe your child’s strengths. So never compare your child with your amiga or amigo’s child because they are initially and forever will be different. Don’t make your child regret the day he was born and blame you for what you have done to them. I was never compared by my parents to anybody. They made me feel that I am special with my own ways. That made me think that I am in no competition with others but only with myself. As long as I don’t trust myself, I will never get places.

In order to have a bright child, always remember that it’s not with the most expensive milk your child is drinking; it’s not about the school; it’s not about having tutors to teach your child every night; it’s not about giving your child everything; it’s about understanding your own child’s potentials, capabilities and gifts and developing it, supporting it, and be proud of it. Never set a standard. Have your own child set a standard for themselves.

As the famous lines in my favorite movie, the three idiots, and I quote and I recommend you to watch it, “Make your passion your profession. Study to be accomplished not to be affluent. Follow your own excellence and success will chase you.” You can use these lines to teach and educate your children to bring out the best in them.

Thank you very much and a pleasant morning to each and every one.