Filipino Christmas and New Year: a truly unique celebration

      As early as September, Christmas season in the Philippine starts. As I remember, big stereos played music which make the environment feel the presence of the coming holiday.
     What makes the Christmas uniquely Filipino was not only the long seasons but the traditions which was cultivated through times since the Spanish regime,.... there's the Dawn Mass or Simbang Gabi which begins on  the 16th of December till the eve of Christmas, which most of the Catholic Filipino tried to attend and complete the 9 days novena, believing that if completed they will be granted the wish they want, well I don't have that idea before, I just enjoy attending it.
     Last Christmas was fun and memorable, not because I receive lots of gifts but we just have a simple noche buena (dunno whats the English term for that) after attending the midnight mass. A bread, cookies and hot chocolate made the traditional Tagalog noche buena memorable then the following day was the gift giving, the Christmas day.
     After Christmas, people looked forward to the New Year celebration. I celebrated it with my families and relatives,... having lots of dishes but less fire crackers. It was fun! after the countdown, people i barely knew came to shake hands, kiss and hug you, they were dancing and smiling,... watching the paputok everywhere.

LRT 1- ang nakakainis na serbisyo publiko

Una sa lahat, ito ay pananaw ko lang, sa mga magrereact against this post ngayon palang sinasabi ko na, pasensya po.

Ang klase ko ay di regular ang time, minsan 7 ng umaga, sa susunod naman 8:30 am.
Madalas akong malate sa klase ko dala ng kakuparan kong kumilis at aminado naman ako doon, pero hindi ibig sabihin nito na dahil panay akong late ay isisisi ko sa LRT ang aking kagagawan, sadyang may mga araw lang talaga na kahit ang aga mo na sa istasyon, malalate ka parin.
Hindi ako sumasakay ng jeep o FX at lalo naman ng taxi dahil sa traffic kaya't araw-araw yan may stored value card ako para makatipid na din, well anyway, may mga pagkakataon talaga sa LRT kahit na sobrang aga ka pupunta sa istasyon ay malilate ka padin dahil sa medyo problemadong pamamahala nila sa mga pasahero.

Isang beses, just this month (December), ang aga kong dumating para naman maaga ako makarating sa klase ko, kaso ang problema iisa lang ang tren na nakastandby at ng may dumating pa na isa ay umalis na ang nakatigil pero sa kasamaang palad kahit kakaunti lang kami na nandun na pasahero ay di parin kami pinasakay kasi skip train daw at para sa EDSA yun,.... siyempre relax lang ako kasi mahaba pa yung oras, inagahan ko nga eh, ng dumating yung isang tren nag skip ulit ito, hanggang sa dumami yung pasahero na nag-aantay, then next train ulit, ayun nagpasakay pero almost 10 mins ata bago dumating yung 3rd train, pagkasakay ko, sobrang tagal naman ng pagkakahinto. Nakakainis na part dun,... yung mga nagddrive ng tren parang wala lang sa kanila, at di nila inaalala na yung mga sumasakay ay may hinahabol na oras, magkukuwentuhan, magkakape, magpapaskip ng tren, eh mga pasahero naman kami, pare-pareho lang kami ng bayad mapupuno't-mapupuno din naman yun sa EDSA. Ito pa, minsan pag pauwi ako, inaabot ng almost 15 mins. ang interval ng bawat darating na tren, diba nakakainis? pagkatapos yung darating punong-puno,.. di ka na makasiksik tas mabagal,....

Ito ba yung klase ng serbisyo na ibinibigay sa publiko? yung magtataas ng pamasahe eh hindi nga maayos ang pamamalakad.

RH bill,.... bakit hindi ako pabor

     Hindi dahil ako ay masunuring katoliko o pro-life, kundi naisip ko lang, bakit kailangan natin ng ganitong programa sa bansa kung ito naman ay tungkol sa personal na pagpapasya ng pamilya. Madami sa kanila ang payag sa ganitong pamamaraan upang makontrol ang paglobo ng populasyon sa bansa, ngunit ito nga ba ang mainam na pamamaraan?

Di ko alam kung sino gumawa nito, but thanks,... ganda ng drawing

     Ang problema ng ating bansa ay hindi masusulusyunan ng isang programa kung mismong ang mga mamamayan nito ay hindi lahat makaunawa at walang kaukulang kaalaman kung paano susundin. Isa pa, karapatan ng mamamayan kung ilan ang nais nilang anak. Bagama't talamak nga ang kahirapan sa bansa, hindi ito ang problema, nasa tao na hindi halos mabigyan ng kaukulang impormasyon dahil pinili na lamang na ilabas ito sa mga media na minsan pa ay nabibigyan ng drama, ika nga, na nagbubunsod sa mga tao na mabaling ang atensyon sa emosyong hatid ng balita (gets?).
     Ang kahirapan ay may kinalaman din naman na malaking populasyon, kung malaki ito, mataas ang bilang ng konsumo at madaling nauubos ang pinagkukunang yaman. Mataas ang populasyon, maraming  bata, maraming umaasa kesa sa inaasahan, ang labas kahirapan. Pero sa palagay ko, tao parin ang sentro ng ganitong problema. Kung ang tao ay binigyan ng sapat na kaalaman buhat sa mga programa ng pamahalaan, maliliwanagan sila upang magkontrol sa pagpapamilya. Sabi ng isa kong guro, moderno na tayo, di na dapat pinakikialaman ng bibliya ang tiyan ng kababaihan,.... pero ang sabi ko naman, kahit hindi naman makialam ang bibliya dyan eh tuloy-tuloy padin naman yang lolobo.
     Kung ang pamahalaan ay magsusumikap na makontrol ang lumalaking populasyon, hindi kailangan ng RH bill, bakit? naglipana ang contraceptives sa mga drugstore at mga health center, ang iba nag-eexpire, itinatapon, minsan pinagkakamalan pang lobo ng mga bata at ginagawang laruan. Naalala ko ng nasa probinsya ako, nakapulot yung mga pinsan ko ng ganito, ang akala lobo, pinaglaruan, ayun takbo sa kalsada ng makita ng tita ko, ayun nagulat,... mga expired na contraceptives. Matagal ng ipinapamahagi ito sa mga probinsya at mga siyudad, sa mga drugstore, nasa counter lang, pwede pang mamili kung TRUST o FRENZIE diba? may kasama pang flavor, ang problema lang dito ay hindi naipaliwanag ng maayos sa kabataan na madalas masangkot sa pre-marital sex ang kahalagahan sa paggamit nito at kung paano ito gagamitin, kaya't nahihiya bumili at hayun, maagang nabubuntis. Isa pa ay ang pagpapatupad ng batas na may kasamang pondo, siyempre, hindi pwedeng walang pondo diyan kung ito ay ipapatupad, kaya't prone siya sa corruption o di naman kaya, sabihin na natin walang corrupt, masasayang lang ang pera sa mga programa gaya ng seminar na yung ibang nanay ay kakatulugan lang naman ito, yung mga ipangbibili ng mga contraceptives na ipapamahagi na hindi naman maibibigay lahat dahil yung iba dya tatamarin ibigay.
    Madami pang maaaring maging dahilan kung bakit tutol ako sa ganitong programa. Sinasabi ko lang ang aking pananaw hinggil dito, di ko naman sinasabi na sumunod ka sa akin o awayi mo ako dahil meron tayong kanya-kanyang pananaw dito.

Picture-picture

Sa hilig ko sa kakakuha ng kung anu-anong picture,.... dumami na sila, but I enjoy doing this. Here are some of the picture i like to share:

A TEACHER'S STORY

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade  class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticedthat he didn't play well with the other children, that hisclothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath.And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point whereMrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking hispapers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then puttinga big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught,  she was required to review each child's past records  and she put Teddy's off until last.  However, when she reviewed his file,  she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote,  "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh.  He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote,  "Teddy is an excellent student,  well-liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life  at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote,  "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she wasashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her studentsbrought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbonsand bright paper, except for Teddy's.His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middleof the other presents. Some of the children started tolaugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of thestones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimedhow pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing someof the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you  smelled just like my Mom used to."After the children left she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic.Instead, she began to teach children.

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive.The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy,telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, second in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that whilethings had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college  with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she  was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stollard, M.D.

The story doesn't end there.  You see, there was yet another letter that spring.  Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married.  He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson, did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing.  And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Teddy whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear,"Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong.You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

A MOTHER AND SON STORY

I read this somewhere,... i just want to share with you

Touching story of a Mother & Son

My mom only had one eye. I hated her, she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market.She collected little weeds and such to sell, anything for the money we needed she was such an embarrassment.There was this one day during elementary school. I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they taunted me.

I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?! You're only going to make me a laughingstock. Why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say all this time.

Maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly.

That night...I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty.

Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it's a place that doesn't remind me of my mom.

This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone unexpected came to see me "What?! Who's this?!"... It was my mother...Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom's eye.

And I asked her, "Who are you? I don't know you!!!" as if I tried to make that real. I screamed at her "How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! Get out here now!" And to this, my mother quietly answered, "oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared. Thank good ness... she doesn't recognize me. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life.

Then a wave of relief came upon me... one day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house...just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand.... it was a letter to me.

She wrote...

My Son,

I think my life has been long enough now. And... I won't visit Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school.... For you... I'm sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.

You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye... so I gave you mine... I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. The couple times that you were angry with me. I thought to myself, 'it's because he loves me.' I miss the times when you were still young around me.

I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me.

My world shattered! Then I cried for the person who lived for me. My Mother.

maybe to others your nothing but to your mom!,..u mean everything!

Who Wants to be a Millionaire Experience

Last Wednesday(December 7, 2011), we went to Marikina (KB) studio to watch Vic Sotto's show,.... Masaya naman ang experience kahit madaling araw na kami nakauwi from the taping.

6:30 kami sinundo ng Van kasama yung ibang majors, unfortunately para sa mga classmates ko, di sila nakasama lahat dahil sa busy schedules. While on our way to the studio, na sobrang traffic, we had a chitchat with the fellow majors,... kwento dito kwento dun, ang sarap makipagtawanan. pagkadating namin sa place, sinalubong naman kami ng kainan, sabi pa ng kaklase ko,... (joking) kaya pala tinawag 'tong KB studio-meaning Kainang Bayan (laughing). 

Pagkapasok namin sa room, Picture-picture then a simple briefing of what to do then proceed sa show. First time kong makita si Vic at Aiza nun. Sa kalagitnaan, nagkaroon ng People's pick (ask the audience), thoough i know the answer, di ako tumayo, di naman kasi ako sure,... LOL. Anyway, safe naman ang aming pabalik,... almost 2am na rin ako nakarating ng bahay, at nalate sa first class ko kinabukasan.

An Argument about Development vs. Modern (random thoughts)

      Development, is a broad term referring to a long term process of change in any aspects of the society. Often than not, it is equate to growth which is measurable and is the indication that there is an improvement. Defining it's technicality will only lead to the views on economic aspects but as other experts argue, this should not only focus on a particular area because it transcends on all aspects such as political and socio-cultural.
      I have this thoughts on development that it varies in a different context depending on how a person view this contradicting to my professor's statement.
     As a future educator and a student of History, the idea of modern does not rely on science alone but on what is new relative to the period of time, for example, the the development of tools during the neolithic era, that time, smooth rocks considered to be modern since MODERN is anything that is present and that kind of tools is equivalent to the new gadget of the time.
     Anyway, development should be sustainable, this is what I believe,.... since the term is a process not just a result, it should be sustain for a long time. In history, development is evident from the so called pre-modern, where people tried to believe in the spirits to the modern period or the age of science, but science does not answer the definition of modern, what i mean, science already exist before the period of modern era but people tend to consult spirits for guidance of what they were doing,... science is the answer to for those who doubt the existence of the powerful being and if modern is the scientific age, when will the time come when we are fully modern, which we're not consulting or believing on the guidance of the powerful spirits?
     inshort, magulo ang konsepto ng modernismo,..... at ang pag-unlad ay patuloy kahit hindi ito sukatin ng siyensya.

Believe or not to Believe

i read this post somewhere, it's funny,.... but with sense

An atheist at sea is thrown overboard into shark-infested waters. He struggles to swim back to his boat but a very hungry shark is already hurtling toward him. He’s scared to death, and as he turns to see the jaws of the Great White open, revealing its teeth in horrific splendor, the atheist screams: “Oh God! Save me!” In an instant, time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The voice of God booms as the man lays motionless in the water. “Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?” Confused and panicked, the atheist replies: “Well, that’s true I don’t believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?” “As you wish,” the Lord replies. The beam of light disappears and the man find himself about to be attacked by the shark again. As the atheist stares in horror at his imminent death, the shark suddenly stops and pulls back. The Great White closes its eyes, bows its head, and says: “Thank you Lord for this food which I am about to receive…”

hahaha,....

Bakit si Rizal pinag-aaralan padin?

      Nitong November 30 ay ipanagdiwang ang kaarawan ni Bonifacio,... at syempre holiday kaya masaya, kaso ang problema wala talaga kaming pasok nun. Ang nakakatuwang balita sa araw na yun ay ang pagsusulong ng ilang grupo ng kabataan ng kursong Bonifacio sa college para naman mabigyan ng importansiya ang isa sa mga magiting na tao, kaso nga ay nalaluan siya ng higit ni Rizal sa katanyagan at kadakilaan buhat sa kaniyang adhikain para sa bansa. Siyempre madaming tutol sa isinusulong na dagdag na subject, kasi naman sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, dagdag bayarin na naman ito dahil sa dagdag units ito sa courses kaya ang iba hiniling nalang na baguhin na ang Rizal course na di pwede para sa mga naniniwalang kailangan ito ng bagong henerasyon.
   
Bakit si Rizal pinag-aaralan parin hanggang ngayon?
     Mula siguro grade 1 haggang college, sa piso, sa pusporo, sa mga naglipanang statuwa, poster, ang daming mukha ni Rizal. Madami ng pantas ang nag-aral at patuloy na inaaral siya at ang kaniyang mga gawa, lagi siyang sento ng mga debate at pilit siyang ginagawang tao mula sa kanyang mala-diyos na katangian, pero bakit kailangan siyang pag-aralan pa? Simple lang sa tingin ko, di pa kasi natatamo ng bansa ang tunay na kasarinlan. Mahigit isangdaan na tayong malaya, pero hindi parin nakakalaya ang ating mga isipan sa pagkakatali sa mga painiwala at pananaw ng kanluran.
    Isa pang dahilan sa tingin ko ay ang matindi nating paghanga sa ibang bansa na hanggang doon lang sapagkat para bang namamangha lang tayo pero di naman natin ginagawan ng sariling pag-iibayo ang sariling atin.

     Kunti lang yung masasabi mong merong kaalamang pangkasaysayan, meron man, di naman kritikal kaya paulit-ulit na nagkakamali. Si Rizal, kaya hanggang ngayon ay buhay dahil nangangailangan parin ang kabataan ng isang tao na bibigyan sila ng inspirasyon upang paunlarin ang bansa. kaya ituro ang Rizal ng may sense, hindi yung kung sino ang kanyang mga naging babae sa buhay, sino ang aso o isa-isahin ang kaniyang  mga kapatid di kaya alamin ang kaniyang buong pangalan.

Future History/social studies teacher

     Few months from now (hope so), i will leave the corners of my alma matter to face the real world, well I am excited for that time to come. I am going to share what i have been studying for that past four years in the university, but that's not easy,....
     History is a boring subject, full of memorizing dates, names and places which is not that relevant to our life. My former teachers thought me well about the History of my country and of the world, but only few of them leave the trail which ignited my desire to take up this subject as my major in college.
     I often encounter teachers who focus on rote memorizaton and later give exams which of course I tend to score high or even perfect,... but the problem with that is the desire of the kid to know more (except if he/she is curious enough to know more)., it did not encourage me at all to know more and ask since it was boring,... the essence wasn't there before.
     So the challenge for me and my gang (history classmate) is to change that perspective,.... there were already many of them who tried to break this view on the subject,... but as time pass, only few of them succeeded and the rest were eaten by the system due to the conflicts of their ideas and the curriculum.

       As for me, I'll try to break that perception,... and if i don't succeed in teaching, i'll try it in another way,.... hmmmmm! that's what i don't know how! LOL

Web Blogging

actually, i had a blog before with the same title but unfortunately i forgot its password (sad) since i don't have much time updating it, aside from that, i'm not a good writer and i easily get bored with this kind of stuff.

Web blogging is a modern way of expressing ideas, feelings, and a day to day experiences through the internet, i hope i will not get tired of updating my new blog. This is a trend already in our modern world. somehow in the near future, this stuff might be the basis of some qualifications in finding a good job.