Well, it's time they moved in together and raise a family of their own . . . him and her.

Tomorrow will be exactly a year ago when I attended a very important EB in the blogging world. This is the first time members of pinoyblog assembled to celebrate Christmas and do away with the anonymity of some of the bloggers. It was a very significant for me because I am a very visual person and I have to put a face on somebody I communicate with.

Anyway, I was in for a big treat because one of these bloggers, Mec came with her boyfriend, Jojo, who happens to be one of my students since he was in Grade 5 till Grade 7. Yes, it was that long time ago! Most of the guys in that EB have not only been online friends eversince but became really close to me as we have formed a bonding through a common blog called blogkadahan as an offshoot of Doc Emer's emailing buddies, the berks! Since then, we have been in constant communication, which is practically everyday, turning gmail as a some sort of a venue for chatting. While Jojo is not a blogger, he has been present every meeting the blogkadahan friends had. That makes him an honorary member, I guess.

Last night, would have been the second EB for pinoyblog but unfortunately, I coulnd't attend it for it was last night that Jojo and Mec were joined by relatives and frieds as they tied the knot at St. Pancratius Church (Paco Park). Doc Emer and his soulmate, Jane, and me witnessed the whole event to represent the berks. There, I got to meet once more my former students who are now grown-ups and,I would assume, very successful. Also in attendance were fellow pinoy poet members Ergoe and boyfriend, Nanoy.

So, to Mr. and Mrs. Arevalo, congratulations and may you have a blissful marriage fifty years from now and beyond. Now, go forth and multiply>



the happy couple  



The newly wedded couple with me, Doc Emer's soulmate, Jane and the good doctor himself. 

She doesn't think like me!

Christmas has just gone like a gust of wind. You anticipate it for a long time,celebrate for a day and suddenly you realize it's all over.

I don't enjoy Christmas like I used to. My enjoyment of Christmas can be divided into different stages. First, when I was a kid. I enjoyed it a lot because I believed there was a Santa Claus. I was very gullible. I believed him until I was in grade four when my parents confirmed that it was my father who was giving the gifts. Actually, I had already been told there was no Santa Claus by friends when I was about three years old. It is still very clear to me. It's one of those things you just can't keep out of your mind. I remember that when I confronted my father, he told me that Santa would be very angry with me for not believing in him. And true enough, when Christmas came, there was no Santa gift by the tree! (they always appear inside the tree! (My family used to build a tree made up of thread wound at the top and at the edges, which they decorated with white paper wraps and Christmas balls, tinsels and lights!) My gift came at New Year's Eve when my dad came home. He said since Santa didn't give me a gift that year, he decided to buy me a present instead so that I wouln't envy my friends who had been "good boys" and were rewarded. I was a sucker from that time on. So, every year, I would eagerly await christmas, be a good boy, and wait for my gift from Santa Claus. This I did until I was in grade four. Christmas after that had changed. It was not as exciting as it was anymore.

Then, I got married and had children. I started the same tradition and revealed to them who Santa was until they were in grade four! This year, a few days before Christmas, I was talking with my daughter, Kim. We were kind of reminscing about our past Christmases and yes, Santa Claus. She laughingly revealed to me that she knew it even a lot earlier than when revelation came. I asked how did she know? She narrated to me a funny story. There was a time when she was playing outside the house when a kid demanded from his mother where Santa's gift was and the mother replied, "Nasa palengke pa!" (It's still in the market!) When she saw the mother arrive from the market, she excitedly called her son and shouted, "Eto na, eto na gift sa yo ni santa! ("Here it is, here's Santa's gift" -- Some parents just couldn't contain themselves. haha) Then she told me that She said she had also been comparing Santa's gifts with her friends and wondered how come Santa's gifts would seem to be according to the parents' station in life. The poorer ones would get cheap gifts while the richer ones get more expensive ones. Hmmm, why were my thought processes didn't work like that before, I wonder? I know she's not just pulling my leg for she's just like this. Remember when she was in the lower grades? Read this

Now that the kids are all in their teens, Christmas is at a standstill for me. Yes, it's Christmas, we have a two week respite from work, attend parties here and there, wrap gifts for friends but that's it. The next phase, which I am not so keen on arriving just yet, is when my kids have kids of their own and we would all gang up on them to tell them to be good for Santa's coming to town! I hope that's still a long time coming. I feel I haven't enjoyed my kids enough.

old friend!

I just got reunited with my very first online friend, Chet. Actually, she started it all. Me writing that is. It was in 98 when I had nothing better to do and was just learning how to use the computer. I chanced upon an online university called Writersvillage. No, actually that's the new name. It was called something else before. Anyway, I don't remember what got into me but I tried enrolling in its free fiction writing workshop. Not knowing what to expect, I got a message from her on the message board welcoming me to the group saying we were practically neighbors as she is from Malaysia. I'm glad she did because she didn't really have to as she was the coordinator of another group, not in mine. (we were divided into several groups with a coordinator for each) She made me feel comfortable which made me a little confident in spite of my inability to really write. What do I know, right? I have not written a single word except for those English compositions I did in primary school. And I did not even get very high grades for those. We had been communicating via emails and the message boards since then.

Then suddenly it stopped for some reason or another. Maybe we had both been extremely busy. This Christmas season, I sent her a card hoping she'd remember me. And she did. I'm glad. I hate losing a friend.

She's now a woman!

My eldest daughter, Kraiganne, celebrated her 20th birthday yesterday! I couldn't believe that she's now practically as old as the new teachers in my school. It seems like yesterday when I held her in my arms, putting her to sleep. She's my first angel and I love her dearly.

She had been working very hard lately, going to sleep at three in the morning. There was even a time when she didn't sleep at all because she helped her little sister, Kim, with her assignment. Basically to lay-out several news articles which Kim had to submit to her teacher.

The two girls are very close. When we allowed Kraig to go on a 5 day holiday to Singapore with a friend (really cheap) she felt guilty that she was leaving Kim behind. She asked her mother if it would be alright if she went ahead even if Kim wasn't going. Her mother told her it's alright and that Kim's time would come, too.

She's very independent. Just like Mickey, she would join design contests on her own! We would just be surprised to learn that she would go to this or that place because she wanted to experience joining that contest. Well, we let her and give her all the support she needs.

To my first angel, my darling baby, happy birthday!

Do they still make songs like these?

I know, I have been remiss in updating this blog. Sorry. Anyway, just to make up for lost time, here's a load for you to read. Be patient, read on.

There's a shower going on outside my window as i write this. Rain sometimes makes me feel sad. Everything is wet and cold, one is left to lurk in his/her own private space as there's nowhere to go or a better ting to do. (Unless one is ready to get wet and bathe under the rain - - that can be fun. Not if you're more than 40, i guess.)

I have never known a song that spoke to me of sadness as stronger than Janis Ian's At Seventeen and Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence. Yeah, I know, these songs are old. At Seventeen was released in 1975, while Sound of Silence was during the 60's. So, if you're about twenty years younger than I am or more, you're probably saying, "what the hell are these songs?" or "What is he talking about?" However, indulge with me a bit and see for yourself.

At Seventeen speaks of what it's like to be a plain and ordinary girl in her teens when the world is all about being beautiful. This is the time when pimples get heavy on your face, you feel awkward and confused as to how to react in certain situations. We have all been there and Janis has adroitly captured that moment. Just read the lyrics of the song. You need not be a scholar to figure out what she's talking about. And wait till you hear the song! Her voice will haunt you as you remember feeling the angst in each and every note that she sang.


AT SEVENTEEN
(Janis Ian)

I LEARNED THE TRUTH AT SEVENTEEN
THAT LOVE WAS MEANT FOR BEAUTY QUEENS
AND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WITH CLEAR SKINNED SMILES
WHO MARRIED YOUNG AND THEN RETIRED
THE VALENTINES I NEVER KNEW
THE FRIDAY NIGHT CHARADES OF YOUTH
WERE SPENT ON ONE MORE BEAUTIFUL
AT SEVENTEEN I LEARNED THE TRUTH

AND THOSE OF US WITH RAVAGED FACES
LACKING IN THE SOCIAL GRACES
DESPERATELY REMAINED AT HOME
INVENTING LOVERS ON THE PHONE
WHO CALLED TO SAY - COME DANCE WITH ME
AND MURMURED VAGUE OBSCENITIES
IT ISN'T ALL IT SEEMS AT SEVENTEEN

A BROWN EYED GIRL IN HAND ME DOWNS
WHOSE NAME I NEVER COULD PRONOUNCE
SAID - PITY PLEASE THE ONES WHO SERVE
THEY ONLY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE
THE RICH RELATIONED HOMETOWN QUEEN
MARRIES INTO WHAT SHE NEEDS
WITH A GUARANTEE OF COMPANY
AND HAVEN FOR THE ELDERLY

SO REMEMBER THOSE WHO WIN THE GAME
LOSE THE LOVE THEY SOUGHT TO GAIN
IN DEBENTURES OF QUALITY AND DUBIOUS INTEGRITY
THEIR SMALL-TOWN EYES WILL GAPE AT YOU
IN DULL SURPRISE WHEN PAYMENT DUE
EXCEEDS ACCOUNTS RECEIVED AT SEVENTEEN

(INSTRUMENTAL)

TO THOSE OF US WHO KNEW THE PAIN
OF VALENTINES THAT NEVER CAME
AND THOSE WHOSE NAMES WERE NEVER CALLED
WHEN CHOOSING SIDES FOR BASKETBALL
IT WAS LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY
THE WORLD WAS YOUNGER THAN TODAY
WHEN DREAMS WERE ALL THEY GAVE FOR FREE
TO UGLY DUCKLING GIRLS LIKE ME

WE ALL PLAY THE GAME, AND WHEN WE DARE
WE CHEAT OURSELVES AT SOLITAIRE
INVENTING LOVERS ON THE PHONE
REPENTING OTHER LIVES UNKNOWN
THAT CALL AND SAY - COME ON, DANCE WITH ME
AND MURMUR VAGUE OBSCENITIES
AT UGLY GIRLS LIKE ME, AT SEVENTEEN

lyrics taken from here


Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of silence is a little older. I believe it was released in 1964. The duo split sometime in the 70's but only after having made several hit tunes that are as equally profound. Who haven't heard of the famous "Bridge over troubled water?" Personally, Sound of Silence is very profound. The images of the song are so vivid that one can almost see them. The song is full of metaphors and very paradoxical. Who would've thought of associating sound with silence? And the song does not fail to incorporate more paradoxisms - i.e.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,

What the song tells me is that our sadness is brought about by too much materialism and our penchant for consumerism. This is how I interpret the lines:

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made.

Not that there are those who tried to stop it but to no avail. People would not listen:

Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

Maybe I am wrong. You tell me.




Sound of Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I’ve come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left it’s seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
’neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of
A neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one deared
Disturb the sound of silence.

Fools said i,you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made.
And the sign flashed out it’s warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said, the words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whisper’d in the sounds of silence.


lyrics taken from this site

And since I am at it, allow me to share with you what I consider to be the best protest song of all time. I am talking about I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag by Country Joe McDonald. I first heard this song when I watched the film of that famous three day festival/concert in Yasgur's farm known to the world as Woodstock held in 1969. This was the height of the flower people, or what we call the hippies. If you see that Peace sign which is actually a "no nukes" sign designed by writer Bertrand Russel, this is the era I'm talking about. The song is a protest against the Vietnam war which America lost anyway. The song is lively and with a very catchy tune.

I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag
[Take 1 - 09 65]

Oh this is, this is just a try out. It's not ...
'Fixin'-To-Die-Rag', 'Fixin'-To-Die-Rag', Take 1.
One, two, three, four.
Well, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
Yeah, he's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
Gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Yeah, come on Wall Street, don't be slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on generals, let's move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Now you can go out and get those reds
'Cause the only good commie is the one that's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, and don't hesitate
To send your sons off before it's too late.
You can be the first ones in your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.


lyrics was taken from this site.

Now, if you've gone this far, you would have known what good songs I grew up with. I must admit I do not know what kind of songs are being written these days. Too bad I don't know how to incorporate sound in my blog but if I was able to tickle your fancy, there're a lot of downloadables in cyberspace where you could listen to these songs.

Although I have four teen-aged children who are into music, too, I have not listened closely to the lyrics of the songs they listen to. It would be interesting if we can compare notes. Maybe you'd like to share them with me. Drop me a line in my comment box.

Better yet, why don't I start a tag of some sorts. And who is there better to tag than my good friend, Batjay who is just a music addict as I am. He'll kick this one up a notch, you'll see.

Taking the Bait

20' X 30" oil - taking the bait 


As I promised my commenters in my previous post, here is the product of my ten-day vacation. This painting was commissioned by a friend who is bound to come home this December. I just hope she gets to like it. It's a painting of a fisherman being helped by four other peoople as the swordfish he caught is quite heavy. How do you like the colors? Do you see all the people in it? Please click on the picture to make it bigger.

Will they ever see eye to eye?

Batjay wrote about a news article that appeared in the Washington Post about the state of Kansas bringing back the teaching Intelligent design in schools to clash head on with Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection

One of the interesting questions man has been trying to answer is where and how we started. Not that scholars of both religion and science had not tried to explain our origin. On the contrary, there are more than three hundred ways by which church scholars explain the existence of a Master Creator, viz., God. You'll find more arguments here. And we all know about Darwin's theory of evolution. And of course, you've heard about the "Monkey trial" where John Scopes was tried for teaching the theory of evolution, that brought the clash between the traditionalists and the modernists.

This brings to mind what the role of education is in terms of explaining man's origin. I will have to qualify my response to this question. If a school is nonsectarian, meaning, it does not adhere or is restricted to any one religion, then, the least that it can do is to open the learners to the various explanations and let its students make their own opinion based on the merits of the arguments. After all, this is the taison d'etre of schools. To teach the students how to think.

Now comes the question about a parent deciding to send his/her child to a sectarian school, i.e., a Catholic one, to which I was brought up and to which I am now employed. Should a parent send his/her child/ren to a Catholic school, then, that only goes to show that said parent is ready to embrace the teachings of the Catholic faith presumably because that is what the parent believes in. To send a child to a sectarian school only because it is reputedly a good school for academics but not embracing its faith brings a lot of problems to the child. This can bring about confusion to a child's young mind as what he/she is being taught in school may be in direct conflict with the beliefs of his/her family. What complicates it more is when there are teachers who are not members of the faith.

In fairness to my school, we have non-Catholics and we respect their ways as long as they don't interfere with ours and that they do not proselytize. And we do teach philosophy where the arguments for the existence of God is discussed side by side with the teachings of science and natural selection.

At any rate, religion or the Bible is not a science book and although attempts have been made to reconcile it, the word in operation here is faith. A person's faith, if grounded on a strong foundation, cannot be swayed to denounce it. As for me, I believe in the existence of God and no one can shake away my belief.

Never been busier

I thought I would have a blast last week. We were given more than a week of respite from school work. A term break if you would. No classes from Oct. 27 till Nov. 6. It would have been a week of endless computer time of email, blogging and blog-hopping till the wee hours of the morning. I thought that would have given me ample time to catch-up with online and real time friends I have made since I started blogging and beyond. Au contraire, I hardly touched the computer! What I did not foresee was that my two boys would be on vacation, too. And they took over the computer like there was no tomorrow. Just when one guy was about to finish, the other guy was all set to jump-in.

What's a dad like me to do when something like this happens? The next best thing is to just bum around. Take over the remote of the tv, what else? No, that is not a victory for I have always taken control of that remote ever since. Well, except during prime time when I have to give in to my mother-in-law so she can watch her tele-novela seryes. I have to give in to that or she and my wife will give me hell. My daughters, on the other hand, have taken dominance over the tv upstairs.

However, I have not been idle. I was painting! Yup. I commissioned my brushes to work again. Bought canvass last Saturday, took out my brushes and started on a new project! I have not been using oil for almost eight years so I figured this is the appropriate time to get re-acquainted with it.

My only problem with oil is that it's messier than acrylic. Besides there's that turpentine smell. Not very pleasant at all. And it seemingly permeates all throughout the house. This is the reason why I shifted to acrylic. Besides, working on a project like this occupies too much space. There's always that feeling that someone would trip over and ruin the piece. If only I could have my own studio.

My only consolation was that it piqued my eldest daughter's interest. Just enough for her to try it out. What I would do was mix up the color, tell her which part of the canvass that color was going to and give the brush to her to apply it on. While it took a little longer than when i was doing it alone, there's that bonding feeling we have not had for some time since she got to college. We always did a lot of things together before. Like we would be singing songs, huddle in front of the tv. We don't do that anymore. At least, this time, I felt we were very close again. Besides, she began to see the patterns in my work. And she learned how to clean the palette and my brushes!

So, you see, I have been busy all week. By the time my two sons took off with their cousins for a three-day vacation at Subic, I was already mesmerized by my painting that I couldn't touch the computer anymore. So please, don't feel bad if I have not been writing you, been visiting your blog or answering the comments in my previous entry.

Its almost finished now! Since I'm going back to work in a few hours, the project will have to wait till I come home in the evening. In the meantime, I have to take a bath and go to school with my kids.

Halloween Special

I have always been the odd ball in many groups. For example, I never go to cemeteries on November 1. I have not visited my father's grave on that date. You see, when he died, we were caught by surprise and was not prepared for anything like that. So, we had to come up with the best solution as to where to put him to rest fast. It was his nephews and then surviving brother that rescued us by offering my grandmother's grave where two or three from the clan are also interred. This is in La Loma cemetery. Have you been there during All Soul's day? The place is just teeming with people. You don't even have to walk. You just stand and the multitude will get you to your destination. So, no, I don't go to cemeteries to commemorate the dead. I find it impractical. Besides I have had a lifetime full of cemeteries when I was younger.

My family used to live near the cemetery. It was in a town in Malabon called Tugatog. Actually, we lived beside the border. Separated only by a small stream, to our right was the Caloocan cemetery which extends to Malabon. If my kids have malls to go to during summers, I had the whole cemetery to play in. Morbid as it may sound, that was where I used to chill-out. I was very good at hopping from one tomb to another. There were the single ones, the doubles, triples which I hopped from one place to another. I knew it like the palm of my hand, so to speak. There were also the mausoleums mostly owned by Chinese families and the apartments and the ubiquitious aratiles treee. We flew kites there, hide from our parents, stole kisses from girls (that was rather cute as I was still about ten years old... I wonder if I can do that now). This was also the place where my friends used slingshots to fight war with the boys from neighboring Caloocan notably the gangs at the Sangandaan market. This was the not-so-fun part because Sangandaan was between my house and La Consolacion School where i spent my whole elementary schooling. Believe me, having enemies in a place where you always have to pass is not easy. What made this worse was that this was the middle sixties when having gangs and being a tough guy were hip. So I had been stopped several times by these hoodlooms to check if I was part of the gang they throw stones at every Saturday morning.

Anyway, being halloween and all, I recall my childhood with fondness. Living near two cemeteries, Nov. 1 was always a special treat for a young kid like me. Watching people was always fun. What was so special to me were the boy scouts. Not only did I envy their brown uniforms, the knee high socks, the neckerchief, the carabao that held it in place, the patches sewn on their uniforms but mostly the camaraderie they shared with one another. They had this huge tent where they camped in during the season which began on Oct 30 and ended up to NOv. 2. You see, during those days, the boy scouts assist the visitors. You would see them in pairs, roaming the cemetery waiting to be summoned for help. The most important thing they did was finding lost children which they handed over to camp. To my young mind, that was very productive.

My interest in the Boy scouts was further enhanced when I got to see the graves of the fallen scouts at the entrance of the La Loma cemetery. I was amazed at the huge scout sign that signifies their resting place. I told myself, someday I shall become a boy scout. And i did! NO, I never got to stay in cemeteries but I had experienced lots of camping trips, earned badges that saw me rising to become a Maginoo scout which at the time was the second to the highest rank one can achieve as a scout, under the tutelage of Mr. Guinto, our scoutmaster. A Maginoo scout is second to being a Rizal Scout. It was at this time that I learned how to cook, fend out for myself, pitch a tent, fold my clothes neatly, own a hunting knife and even ride horses in Baguio. Through scouting, I gained other friends, even scouts from another country in one of those jamborees. I was disappointed when my dad didn't allow me to join the international jamboree which was held in Japan but it turned out to be a blessing because the camp was visited by a storm.

At any rate, dreaming about scouting and actually becoming one gave me one realization. That i can be what I want to be if I only worked for it. This have always been my philosophy ever since. I wanted to become a painter and so I enrolled in Fine Arts and am now working on my latest painting. I dreamt of becoming a poet and so I joined several writing groups and am now learning how to write poems. Now, why I haven't dreamt of becoming a millionaire someday is beyond me, but I didn't.

PS.

I attended another EB with the Manila chapter of the Blogkadahan group. Our lone Japan chapter member Sachiko arrived and of course, we had to meet her. So we met her at Dusit where she and husband Michio were billeted, had a sumptuous dinner at Recipes and came back to Dusit for some music and drink at the San Miguel bar where Sabor Latino was playing. It was an awesome night of fun and merriment. And I got to hear samba playing once again. The percussionist-band leader was awesome! I can't wait till the next EB.

Pick up the pieces

It came as a surprise to me that Sassy, who is celebrating her birthday today, should remember an old favorite post of mine entitled not everyone was born to be a rocket scientist and use it as a take-off point for her blog entry, which also saw print simultaneously in the pages of theManila Standard yesterday. While my original post was about the different abilities of each individual, thereby dictating ones chosen career, Sassy takcled the issue in a much different angle, viz., financial capabilities. In her article, she adroitly emphasized that the choices for a career for a lot of individuals have been narrowed down to an even smaller margin, basically because of the inadequacy of the family to send the child to school. This is very unfortunate especially in a country where people place a very high premium on education.

Ideally, worrying about where to get the funding for a good education should not be the case. If only these were good times economically, then all we have to worry about is mental capability. Children should learn how to dream big! It is only in dreaming that we begin to become big. If our ancestors never dreamt of flying, we could not have gone to the moon.

In my comment to Sassy's entry, I lamented that it seems like we have forgotten how to dream. How can a person living in dire straits dream when he/she is worried if he/she could eat each day? Finding food for the table is paramount to a lot of Filipinos. That is a given. And yet, can it be said that this is only true to the poorest of the poor? What about those who can afford three square meals a day? The middle class? Ah, there's the rub. Even most of these people's idea of success has been marred by an even more menacing factor in our lives. i am talking about the ill effects of the tv and print media. Taht element that is spawning mediocrity and false hope for the people.

Everyday, we are bombarded by shows detrimental to our aesthetic ideals and even challenging our very morals the way we want them to be. Just look at the two biggest tv stations in the country today. Go to one and you can easily say what the other is showing at the same time. The same format, the same kind of shows, practically the same game being aired at the same time. And these stations attract the very young to the oldest member of the community. Isn't it a typical site where You'd see the elderly egging a child to dance the latest dance step being shown on tv? Never mind the sexual undertones of the dance. There are parents who would take their children out of school so that the child can audition for a children's contest on tv. I can just assume that there'd be a long queue waiting for their turns. Never mind that they are being baked by the sun and that the child has not had his/her breakfast. Nevermind that the child is clad in her finest clothes and sweating all over. The return of investment might be gigantic.

What about the reality shows? (if its happening abroad, it must be good, so we must have our own counterpart, right?) Is there anything real about them? Would the average Juan or Maria act the same way given that situation? Or are they setting a new wave of thinking?

Nevertheless, I think I have digressed from Sassy's thesis in her article and mine. Given the harder times ahead (what with the advent of evat and all) should we as a people abandon dreaming? I say no, We should not stop to dream. We have to dream and dream big otherwise, we will never go anywhere but down. Even the most broken-hearted can pick-up the pieces and start from there. Let's start picking up the pieces, shall we?

All my own!

What is plagiarism? Ajay, who writes for the Manila Bulletin's Technorama (I couldn't establish the link at this time, sorry) section featured the Blogkadahan members about their take on the issue which appeared on Sept. 25 issue. Here, the blogkadahan members were one in defining the word, albeit said differently, and condemn the practice as it is very unproductive.

Anyway, one of the greatest sins a student can do during his lifetime is to plagiarize. Plagiarizing is the act of passing somebody else's work as your own. This can be in the form of copying actual words or ideas. Merely paraphrasing the sentences is a form of plagiarism. In this day and age of computers, to plagiarise is so tempting. Why not? All you have to do is "copy and paste"! How many high school students have done that? I guess a lot. But that doesn't make it right. Plagiarism is a crime which teachers should be conscious about in checking what the students submit to them.

Sometimes, students miss the point. What is important with research work is not only the substance you learn from the information gathered but more importantly, the learning of the process. Data gathering is an art in itself. One has to gather enough materials so as to be able to form a substantial conclusion. i don't know how teachers give the assignment but if I remember correctly, my teachers used to say, "Okay, make a research on the life of Jose Rizal... Compare and contrast his life with that of Andres Bonifacio... and then those powerful, USE YOUR OWN WORDS."

Honestyly, at the time, I didn't exactly know what that meant. I have heard those words quite often that it kind of lost its meaning. Since there are high school students reading this (I hope) I'll try to do it using a metaphor. In making your research, picture yourself as having seen a film and narrating the entire story to a friend. Now, I'm sure all of us have done that, right? You see a movie that you really liked, you tell your best friend how you liked the film. You are ecstatic. First you tell him/her a summary of what happened in the story. How the protagonist was beaten up at the start and how good triumphs over evil in the end. Then, you realize your friend does not yet share your enthusiasm, so you give comparisons like, "Yes, it's better than Harry Potter I and give reasons why you think so!" Then, if you have more time and you have a good listener, you go on deeper. You analyse the film. you talk about the persuasions of the characers - "IN YOUR OWN WORDS"

Well, in making your research, the books that you read would be the film. You synthesize these, compare the points where the authors agree and take note if there are conflicting accounts, make up your mind and write about what you think it is all about. Should you need to copy a phrase, do not forget to cite the source. You could either use footnoting or incorporate it in the text. ex. George Bernard Shaw (1956:p. 10) said: "I dream of things not here today and wonder why." (note, the year and page is bogus)

Remember, education is not really all about Math or Science or whatever subject there is. More than anything, it is about teaching you how to think! In like manner, research is not only about learning the content, what is more important is learning how to do it. hope that helped.

A cat story

I never had a pet in my life. Not a dog, or a cat or even a little hamster. So, you see, I don't know how to react to animals. At best, I can view them from afar but hold them close? Never.

I never thought any of my kids would have a liking to pets. Sure, they have asked me for some but I told them about the responsibilities of keeping one. Feeding it is the easiest part. Maintaining it, as in cleaning after it, managing its poop, washing it to prevent fleas, etc... That is big work. Besides, putting a dog on a leash or just plain keeping it inside a tiny enclosure is not my idea of having a pet. To me, what's the use of having one if you can't play with it? And how can we afford having a playful dog inside a tiny house with so many breakable things? It;s just impossible. So, we never kept pets!

However, when our present neighbor moved in, more than ten years ago, they introduced cats in the area. They would let their cats loiter around knowing that these cats would survive on their own. One of these cats sneaked into the house one day and I told my mother-in-law and my wife not to feed it so that it would go away. Unbeknownst to me, they did. At least my mother-in-law did. "You;ll never know when this cat can become handy. It is good for catching mice." And so, that cat stayed. And it gave birth, and soon enough, we got to have cats around our little fence. I remained adamant not to let any of these cats inside the house as it might defecate anywhere. And so the story goes. Cats became old and went probably to oblivion.

Until this new liter of white ones. The white cat produced three kittens which were just as white as their mom. Now from among these three, two caught my attention. The first one has blue-eyes while the other has green on one side and blue at the other. Neither their white color or the specialness of their eyes was remarkable to me, though. Remember, I don't like having pets. They're just plain responsibility!
Well, it turns out that these two cats are different after all. I began to notice that these cats would approach me everytime I went outside for a cig. They would go around my legs, purr silently keep on rubbing themselves. Now, I've seen how lions behave when they socialize. This is some form of bonding or so I thought. None of the former cats did that.

Then one day, while I was sitting on a chair outside the house, the two colored eyes cat jumped and stayed on my lap and purred as if pleading for me to pet it. I did. And that started it all. Every night, these two cats would take turns sitting on my lap asking to be petted. It's beginning to recognize my gestures and learning to come and go away on cue. Something happened which I thought would never do. I now call them my own. I even eagerly await my smoking time to spend some time with these cats. Sometimes, I feel like they were the ones who trained me, rather than I training them. Nevertheless, I never thought two innocent cats would soften my heart. At any rate, I plan to have them neutered.

Proud papa don't preach

mickey performing a la andres segovia/earl klugh 

compliments to nica for the picture.


Yesterday, my son (yes, he's blogging now!), Mickey asked permission if he can bring my guitar to school. I was a bit hesitant as that guitar has a very significant meaning for me. (I have blogged about it and if you're interested, just follow this link.) It turned out that he volunteered to play the guitar in an intermission number for an activity of Juniors and Seniors at the main theater. I conceded and gave him my nod. I told him to just leave the guitar in my office and to come and get it from there should he want to practice. He agreed and said it's not yet certain anyway if he could be allowed to perform.

I completely forgot about it and was out of the office during lunchtime. Naturally, he wasn't able to practice.

Showtime came. I think he was told that there would only be one intermission number and that he might not be able to perform. "Performing was already out of my mind," he told me later. What happened was the judging took some time more (it was some sort of a songwriting contest for Juniors and Seniors) and the teacher-in-charge asked him to go up the stage to perform. So, when the announcer called out his name, that started a gruelling experience I've ever encountered.

You see, I've seen him perform playing the violin before. That's supposed to be his instrument. He's had proper training and had been playing the instrument since grade three. But the guitar? He just picked it up this year. One time, my guitar was lying on the sofa, he picked it up, and began asking me questions about where the notes are. "Pa, where is C (do)? Where is D (re)? etc. Then, he asked to see my guitar pieces. I gave him an easy piece to humor him. He struggled and I kept reminding him where the notes where. Soon enough, he was already playing the instrument to my amusement. "Geez, I don't think I taught that boy!" So, playing the guitar was fine, but performing live? Talking about kicking it up a notch! He's not only kicking, he's trying to pull a round house flying kick! I would assume he wouldn't have the guts. But not my Mickey. Somehow, I feel he has set out a goal and that the only thing that is preventing him is stage fright and he knew he has to confront his demons.

So going back to my gruelling experience. Once his name was called, I already start setting my sensors on. How would the audience react? Would they be booing? I hope not because that would hurt big time! Would he suddenly have mental block and stop playing in the middle of the tune? (That happened to me with my friend Redjie, you see) Will he be heard considering that he's not really accustomed to plucking strings as he's always used a bow? Will the students holler and heckle him? What do I do just in case? Will I stand up and show them I was watching.

No, let him be. He will have to face this alone.

During the intro, he missed the third note and he stopped! He strethed his hand and fingers, wiggled his foot, looked at the audience searching for someone, who I later on learned was his sister Kim, signalled her the thumbs up sign which she acknowledged, and start playing again. He played Earl Klugh's rendition of "If you should know by now" and the girls started singing the song once they picked it up. I, on the other hand, was trying to send out mental signals (as if they work) "too slow!" "too soft" "put the guitar closer to the mike" while my heart pounded.

Finally, the song was finished and he gave a bow. He finished it without a fluke. Everybody cheered. And my ordeal was finished. I had to go to the clinic to check my BP. I swear, the next time he performs, I will demand that my wife watch it with me. Nevertheless, I am avery proud papa right now.

School sanctions

This is one post I didn't want to post but I have read somewhere that if one wants to become a writer, one should be honest if one wants to be effective in this field. Just look at the very famous writers. They were sincere with their writings and they shared what was to be shared. Now, I do not have any intentions of becoming a famous writer, but since I am doing this journal of some sorts for my children, and their children's children, I might as well do it right.

I did not want to post this because it involves my youngest son. You see, I had to suspend him for two days for a misdemeanor that he did in school. He was caught by his math teacher talking to a seatmate while a test was going on. Our handbook clearly states that talking during in a test shall be misconstrued as cheating. So, as soon as the violation report was given to me, I signed it and implemented it according to the handbook. I have told my children before I accepted this position that once they have been complained of any ill-doing, there won't be any investigation anymore but has to be addressed and be giving its full sanction. Tough job but I have to do it.

This leads me to another point. A teacher came to me once to say that a student has copied another student's assignment. The teacher was in a dilemma as to what offense has been committed. Should it be cheating? The handbook says cheating is committed during an exam. Should it be plagiarism? No, because it was not a project or a research paper the student was claiming as his own. It was an assignment. You see, assignments are done at home and the child can seek help anywhere it can be had. For me, an assignment's purpose is to aid the understanding of a lesson. Whether it be as a prelude to the lesson so that the following day, the student would have an idea of what is going to be tackled in class or it could be a review of some sorts or an exercise that was supposedly learned in class. At any rate, it is not similar to a test which aims to evaluate one's understanding of a particular lesson.

Sometimes, I do not go for the traditional way of thinking. As eccentric as it may sound, I sometimes go for different ways to handle a specific problem. It is not uncommon for me to get into trouble, mind you. But that's who I am. Anyway, considering the circumstances, I told the teacher that if it was I who was in that predicament, what I would do was to call the parent just to inform that such a thing happened, give the child a zero for the assignment and give him a similar homework (which was not to be graded anymore) if only to make him understand the concept being taught by that particular assignment. Probably a harder one since I would be working on the premise that the lesson to be learned has indeed been learned already. To my mind, this is a better sanction than issuing a violation and following the traditional sanctions prescribed by the handbook. After all, the end product should be a lesson learned from the endeavor.

Unfortunately, the teacher followed a different route. Oh well, it was by the book, so no problem. What would you have done? Was my idea so far-fetched?

All about seminar-workshops

This morning, as usual, before going to my office, I passed by the faculty lounge to have a brief chat with my friends. I chanced upon reading a news article from Philippine Star that says our students did poorly with regard to Science and Math by international standards. Students in Manila did fairly better than their counterparts in the provinces. Once again, this poor showing in these semingly important subjects was attributed to the lack of good teachers as one of the culprits. Several solutions are being thought of to address the issue. I read that one of the solutions is sending these teachers to seminars and workshops to upgrade their skills.

Now, I have just attended a seminar-workshop on drug counseling at a hotel along Taft Avenue several weeks ago. As is always the case, I have been disappointed with some of the participants. Of all the people I can sit with, I was unfortunate to share the table with two middle aged ladies who did not care what was going on during the lecture part. They kept on talking and talking about mundane things. I was so pissed I wanted to shout, SHUT UP will you? These were teachers from public schools who, I am sure had been sent there using tax payers money. I know because that was one of the topics of their discussion. I did not mean to eavesdrop but I can't help hearing what they were talking about. They wouldn't even whisper. This is not the first time I had experienced teachers of this kind. I once attended a seminar on the Liabilities of Teachers and was disappointed to share seats with people who would not give a damn about their seatmates and talk in their natural voices making you lose an entire thought of what the speaker is saying. "What did you eat? The fish was a little undercook, wasn't it?" I wonder how these teachers react to talkative students?

What is my point? The point is, if we would like to upgrade the ability of teachers, we cannot do it via two day seminar-workshops but by a thorough training program, which, of course, would be a little expensive. But who cares, its our children's welfare at stake. It is about time we start spending wisely.

Composition at work

Here's the last entry on my Art lesson posts. If you remember the things I discussed earlier, (formal and informal balance) here are two examples of how these work. I shall be using a poster as the example as the same priciples apply to practically everything else.

So, imagine that we are to do a poster of a product, say a pencil. What are the key elements that we can put on the poster? First we have a "title". Let us use the name of the product for the title. I shall use the name of my daughter, Keshia, as the product name. Then, we have a "sub-title". Usually, this is a slogan or a by-line to call the attention of the viewer. Then, there's the "illustration". Now, this is very important. You have to come up with a very catchy illustration or photograph so that passers-by would be drawn into the poster and stay awhile to look and get him/her to read the information. Next is the text or copy which is the actual information or message you want to get across. This part is usually supplied by the copywriter. When I was in college, we use to represent this with plain lines just so the printer would know where to put the text. Remember not to put very long sentences or paragraphs when the poster. Nobody will read very lengthy advertisements. Lastly, we have the company name or the logo.

Now that we know the parts, here are two examples. I used formal balance for the first example.

formal 


Notice that all elements are justified. Remember that formal balance is having symmetry of all the elements. What you find at the left, you will find at the other side. In computer lingo, it is "justified". This is a very safe ploy. You will never go wrong when you use this. The only thing you have to worry about is proper spacing and proportion. (Okay, I committed a boo boo here. Notice the flap? There is something wrong with it. Can you tell me what it is?) O di ba, may test pa. hehe

Now, compare the same elements using informal balance.

informal balance 


If you were the artistic director, what would you have chosen, if ever? Or would you rather that the artist create another one? Do you have another idea for a layout? Tell me about it.

I hope I was able to help someone out there with these simple tips on how to prepare a visual presentation.

Composition

Layout

Once again, I have been successful in coercing (in a loving way, of course) my son, Mickey to help me create simple drawings based on my instructions to share some tips on another important aspect in creating an art work. Remember, this is very basic as my main goal is to help teachers in making (un)usual tasks like bulletin boards, instructional materials and whatever their principal would care to throw at them to expedite and make the learning experience fun.

Now that I have given tips on how to use color effectively, let us discuss composition and layout. Composition and layout is the arrangement of artistic parts so as to form a unified whole. Hence, composition is the art of putting together all the elements of a piece to make a pleasing whole. Let's take for example a square, a rectangle a circle and a triangle in one art piece. If we just toss these objects to a given space without much thought, it would probably look like this:

Fig. 1 


As you can see, they are unrelated and there is no movement at all. However, if we make a few adjustments, put them together in an artistic manner, then we have a more coherent arrangement. Something that goes like this:

Fig. 2 


Remember, when doing a bulletin board, a poster or anything that calls for a visual presentation, always consider how you are going to put the various parts together. To do this, we must bear in mind the concept of balance. There are two types of balance in art. The first one is called Formal balance. This is when all the elements found at one side of the given space is also found at the other.

Fig. 3 Formal Balance 


This type of balance is very safe for there is already symmetry. However, sometimes, this can be boring to look at. This brings us to the next type of balance which is called Informal balance

How is this done? Just like when two people of different weights ride a see saw, either the heavier one or the lighter person adjusts so that the seesaw will have a good equilibrium and they can enjoy the ride. This is what a good artist does. Find a "feel" for balance. There are some rules which we can follow. I can give you one. Remember, a big white object will balance several dark smaller objects. Hence:

Fig. 4 Informal Balance 


If you see a photograph where all the elements are placed on the right side, don't you feel like they are falling off from the frame? That is because it has poor balance.

Lastly, consider patterns when making a design. you can use three basic patterns. These are, repetition, (aaaaaaaa), alternation (ababababab) and alteration.

Fig. 5 Pattern 


Since my son (feel free to browse through his works) is already sleepy and it being a school day, I had to free him from helping me. Thus, using the same example, imagine that all the shapes are in white, that is repetition. Since I asked him to make it black and white, the pattern is alternation. If say on the space at the left of the picture, I created a red circle, then I would have altered the pattern, hence such will be alteration.

Lastly, one can use the rule of thirds. How this is done is by dividing the drawing or working space into three parts horizontally and vertically like so:

fig. 6 Rule of thirds  


The intersections are the most interesting spots where you can put your subject. Simple, right?

For a much more detailed lesson, you can go here and here

Design 1

I will have to thank my son, Mickey, for patiently doing the images I present in this entry. As you see, it took him only a short while to do what I would have done in ages accompanied by almost bleeding to death, pouncing on my head and throwing the entire computer to the ground out of dismay.

One of the tasks given to teachers is the preparation of the classroom especially during the opening of classes. Not only that, they would be given assignments to display works of students, and occasionally design a bulletin board. What about those visual materials they have to prepare to aid the teaching of the lesson and hype it up a notch? All these require some knowledge in design, at least to a conscientious teacher, that is. Of course, one does not want to make sloppy work. Being an art teacher, I have been requested to do these things not only for myself but co-teachers as well. Since i am maintaining a blog and have not been inside a classroom for quite some time, I decided to share my little knowledge which I think would be most helpful to those facing the task of having to make a design for the school or even for just a class.

Allow me to start this off with color. Color is very important. When making a design, the important thing to remember is that it should be pleasing to the eye. Colors one must use should harmonize with one another. Often, you hear someone quip, "Somehow, the colors don't match!" When you hear this, you know that you failed to harmonize. There are people who have a knack for color. They have a good color sense. But what about those who don't? Don't despair for there are certain standards which we can follow so that we can never go wrong with our color choices.

Hence, I introduce to you the Prang Color Wheel. This is a device designed by Mr. Prang to guide us with color combinations. This is how it looks like:


Fig. 1

So, okay, now that you know that there is a color wheel, so what, you ask? The name of the colors as we know them, ex, red, violet, magenta, are called hues. Allow me to dissect this color wheel a bit. Let's start off with the very basic. We have three primary colors, viz., yellow, red and blue. These are called primary because these are the sources of all colors. We cannot produce these colors by mixing two or more colors. They are what they are. Let's present them in a triangle. Hence:


Fig. 2


Now, what happens if we mix equal parts of two primary colors? Yes, we get secondary colors. These colors are orange (the mixture of red and yellow), violet (blue and red) and green (yellow and blue). Again, we can form a triangle to represent them.


Fig. 3


Now, let's make it even more interesting. What about mixing one primary color with a secondary color? Of course, we get a tertiary color. Some people call them intermediate colors but just for the sake of simplicity, convenience and consistency, let's call it tertiary. Now, the wheel is complete. No, not really. We can still go in-between these colors but I'll let you do the imagining from this point on.



Fig. 4

I can almost hear you saying, "So what? Fine, now I know there exists a cute arrangement of color. But what does it do?" Here comes the important part. There are various ways by which you can use this color wheel. From this, we derive proper color combinations artists call color harmonies. Again, I am going to present to you the very basic of these color harmonies.

First one is called MONOCHROMATIC color harmony. Mono means one, ergo, choose a color and by either adding white or black, lessen or increase the intensity of the color.

Here, I have made five different "shades" or "tones" of one color. So, if you have a drawing of say, a landscape, use these different tones to create a painting. Divide a drawing into several parts. Assign a number to each of the tone. Set aside. Put numbers on the segragated areas making sure no two area of the same number sits side by side. Apply the tone to the numbered area and there you go! YOu have made a monochromatic painting of a landscape.

Next one is called analogous harmony. Analogy means relationship. Thus, these are colors that are related to one another. Take a look at the color wheel again. Notice that colors to the left of yellow and violet viz., YO, O, RO, R, and RV come from one primary color which is red. On the right side, YG, G, BG, B and BV, the common color is blue. See the relationship? The colors to the left of yellow and violet are called "warm colors" while those to the right are called "cool". I shall let you decide which set would be suitable for what design. Just like the monochromatic harmony, what you can do to a drawing is segregate the areas into five to six numbers and assign each area a number. Apply the color and voila, you have a painting that uses analogous harmony. So, you ask, "what are yellow and violet? Cool or warm?" They are neutral colors!


Color Harmonies 
Fig. 5

Lastly, we have complementary colors. These are colors that lie opposite each other. They are called complementary because they somehow complete the color wheel. What do I mean? Remember how the colors are related to one another? Those in left being related because they all have a portion of red. However, they do not have any blue! So, in order to complete it, get the opposite color. Hence, orange and blue are complementary. So are red and green. Can you think of a season where the color harmony is predominantly red and green? In the example, I have made yellow and violet slightly bigger to show you how they lie opposite each other.


Fig. 6

There are other ways by which you can use this wheel. For example, there is one called "split complementary" where you combine yellow with Red Violet and Blue Violet. As you make your works of art using this wheel, you will realize that tt's worth the trouble experimenting with color. i don't want to spoil your fun so this is where I get off and leave you to have your fun.

I've been tagged!

This is my first to do this. I have been tagged before but for one reason or another couldn't oblige. Sorry guys.

Anyway, I've been tagged by Eruannie a co-member of pinoy teachers network. She's a teacher, storyteller, writer who works as a librarian in one of the best schools in Manila. So, what do you think is the meme about? Books, what else!

So, I'm supposed to enumerate 5 books that I love and own. Hmmm... That should be easy as I stopped buying books when prices skyrocketed. I get my reading materials from the school library and borrow from friends. Anyway, the books that I love and actually have are:

1. The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery - So simple and unassuming and yet very powerful.

2. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach - gave me the idea that nothing is impossible.

3. The Covenant by James Michener (I can't find this one anymore as the others, like Hawaii) - tells about the history of South Africa in novel form. I've read Chesapeake, too, but I just borrowed it from the library.

4. Shogun by James Clavell - Bought this from a dollar store in Steveston. I've always been fascinated by Japan and the Japanese culture. Incidentally, I've also read King Rat, Tai Pan and Noble House.

5. Dude, where's my country by Michael Moore - this one's a present from my niece who came for a visit from the States. She also brought me Ron Suskinds's The Price of Loyalty. Interesting how Michael Moore put the pieces together.

Additional:

6. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - this one I have to keep in balance as I might turn out to be greedy. Also had The Virtue of Selfishness and even wrote about it here

So there, that wasn't really hard. Anyway, I am beginning to like Neil Gaiman. i've heard so much about him from bloggers especially from friends in blogkadahan who are big Gaiman fans like Batjay, Doc Emer and Joffin. With people of this caliber saying something, one better listens, right? And they're so right! Neil Gaiman is one hell of a writer. Finished reading Coraline and reading American Gods and loving it.

-------------------------

Btw, can someone explain to me what happened to my site meter? It had 38000 before until I realize I've lost it. The next time I saw it appear, it was back to two hundred and counting again? Weird. Has this happened to anyone yet?

God Bless you Ben Stein

It is with deep regret that I have not been blogging and bloghopping the past couple of days because I had been very busy with work. Much to my regret, I missed this post of my friend The Cat where she featured an article written by Ben Stein, which he claims, would be the last article he would write for his column "Monday Night at Morton's" after seven or eight years of writing it. The column is about a steak house called Morton which is supposedly frequented by movie stars. However, I am still in luck for another blogging friend, actually, idol, Sassy emailed the same article to me.

I have seen Ben Stein in a couple of shows before. There was this trivia quiz I regularly watched in Canada while seated on the couch and trying to answer the questions before the contestants gave out the answer. The idea was whoever won the match would pit it out with Ben Stein and grab his money. I forgot the title of the show. Then, I've seen him at Fox News giving his opinions on economic issues, and lastly, at that talent show hosted by, I think, Arsenio Hall. Yes, Ben Stein might be uninteresting on the surface, with that inanimated voice and sleepy stance on tv but he sure is smart. Now that I've read this article, I came to realize he's even smarter than I thought he is.

Anyway, in this article, we see how Ben Stein got to an enlightened realization that while it is true that society may not have changed looking for heroes, it has changed its criteria through time.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

He talked about how he shifted his ideas of what constitute heroism from these huge money makers to the ordinary soldier in Iraq, the policemen and firemen and women who will put their lives at risk without fear for life and limb just so the citizens of the world can live peacefully and happily.

Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails. They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer.

A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

What do I make out of this article? Why the interest? There are two things I want to point out here. First, the article moved me for I feel the same thing. Why do people look up to these so called "stars" making them ultra rich while thousands of people out there are sacrificing their lives for a measly sum? What kind of values do we have? Then that made me think this may be one of those perks of capitalism. The more money you have, the greater you are. Nevermind how wealth is attained. As long as you have plenty of it, you are worthy of emulation. This makes you realize how parents would make their "talented" child stand long hours in a queue to audition for a role, or a kiddie contest in a noontime show. The "return of investment" should the child succeed is staggering!

Second, can we say that the average Filipino cop worthy of our adulation? What with all the bribery, the corruptness and sometimes, the lack of intelligence that seems to plague policedom in the country today. What about firemen? We have heard how these firefighters would, holding his waterpump, stand guard on the richest guy in the neighborhood simply because he was promised a reward, or the looting that took place during a fire. Do I dare mention politicians? So, who do you think would be our heroes? I am tempted to say teachers but that would be self-serving. I'll let you be the judge.

What I do know is that I envy Stein for he has found his true heroes. Can we say the same thing if ever we wanted to have a paradigm shift in choosing our heroes?


You can read Ben Stein's article here

Our house, is a very very fine house!

I was invited by Teacher Sol to join and be a core member in a recently formed group of teachers who will write, discuss, share with one another, tales and tips about education and teaching per se. How can one deny such a request?

As you may well know by now, I am a Fine Arts graduate and had no teaching experience when I first began teaching. Needless to say that I had to learn things the hard way. I would hear buzzwords in education which sounded Greek to me and although it was really humiliating, I had to ask around for meanings. Ex. I didn't even know what a syllabus looked like. Hence, when I was asked to design my syllabus, I had to ask for a copy of the old one so that I can see what were supposed to be written there and use it as a template.

Now that there is this group of pinoy teachers, hopefully, we would be able to reach out and answer some questions other teachers have, affirm decisions, and correct what's wrong with the loose ends in teaching through a lengthy discussion.

Officially launched last Tuesday, July 12, the pinoy teachers blog has been in cyberspace since July 8 to advertise the group. I had posted my first entry How can a teacher be a happy camper which tackles the duties and responsibilities of teachers and their consequent legal liabilities towards their wards. This is an old post of mine here but I thought many would benefit from it, hence, the reason for its reposting in another venue.


So, if you are a teacher reading this entry, why don't you try and see for yourself what is in store for you. Joining is easy! Just click the button below:



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Click to join pinoyteachersnetwork

Happy Birthday Kim

My little angel, and I mean it literally (you choose if it's the little or the angel part hehe or both) is celebrating her 16th birthday today. I've told a lot of funny stories about her in this blog. You can read about them here, here and here.

My little angel is my third child, and youngest daughter. She is by far the sweetest among the four children that I have. She still hugs me tight and kisses me in public. I dread the day when she no longer wants to do that like her ate. Not that I am complaining but what parent would deny that a child's kisses and hugs are more than enough to take away ones worries. Works everytime, folks. I dread the day when my kids will all be grown-ups and old enough to face this uncertain world we live in. Somehow, I cherish the thought that they depend on me and my wife. I'm not fearful that they might be stepped on for my wife and I try to raise them to be fighters, not arrogant and aggressive but humble and yet assertive. We try to raise them to be independent and I think we are succeeding. Even when they were a lot younger, we would let them go to the counter in a MacDonald or Jollibee outlet, buy whatever they liked and come back with their purchase. We would le them wander in malls while we watched at the sides or sometimes give them instructions where we would meet them. Now that is a luxury rich people will never have. They'd always be worried that their children might be kidnapped. hehe

Anyway, Kim is articulate (maarte na makulit pa), speaks her mind without being rude, and is her own person. I don't doubt that she will go places as she is very determined. I've been pushing her to study hard and when she does, she gets good grades. If only she'd be consistent with her studies. At any rate, I love her very much as she's my guardian angel. Always nagging me about my smoking. Sadly, I have not kicked the habit totally. Not just yet. At any rate, Happy birthday my darling angel. Your family loves you very much.

CBCP has spoken

With the death of Cardinal Jaime Sin who had, on at least two occasions, called for the Filipino people to gather in EDSA to express their anger over the leaders of the government that led to the toppling of strongman, Ferdinand Marcos and President Estrada, the country had been eagerly awaiting what the Catholic church, a dominant religion in the country, has to say. Well, the Roman Catholic Bishops have spoken. In a statement read by outgoing CBCP president Fernando Capalla entitled "Restoring trust: A plea for moral values in Philippine politics" the Bishops have announced their stand on the issues confronting the President and the whole political system in the country today.
They said that the President should not dismiss the allegations against her suggesting that she: "discern deeply to what extent she might have contributed to the erosion of effective governance and whether the erosion is so severe as to be irreversible." By saying this, the Bishops are appealing to the President to use her conscience, what I perceive to be the real "jusrisdiction" of the church.
In the same document, the Bishops expressly said that they are not for resignation. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted the Bishops thus: "We do not demand her resignation," One cannot be much clearer than that. However, in spite of this position taken by the leaders of the Catholic church, Bishop Bacani and the running priest, Father Reyes, have outspokenly stated their dismay over the statements made by the CBCP. Bishop Bacani even went farther by suggesting that some Bishops might have been spoken to by those in Malacañang.
Now this turn of events again puzzles me. I have been raised in a Catholic school from Elementary to a year of high school and is now teaching in one. I have always believed that the Catholic religion espouses obedience. I am sure that this is true within the hierarchy of the Church. The priests, after all, have agreed to a vow of obedience among others. iwonder what the implication of this open criticism of Bishop Bacani and Father Reyes, will have on the very institution they are supposed to belong. Surely, Bishop Bacani is a member of the CBCP and as such have expressed his opinion on the matter, even argued strongly for his beliefs. Clearly, with the statement read by Bishop Capalla, he was outvoted. In a scenario such as this, one should follow the decision of the majority for after all, "vox populi, vox Dei". What right has Bishop Bacani to express a dissenting opinion after his colleagues have taken a stand? What right does an ordinary priest in the hierarchy have to arrogate to himself the power to talk about something that is different from what his leaders are saying?

Lastly, I ahve always been taught that the Christian faith is about love and forgiveness. We are supposedly the only Christian dominated country in Asia, and as such, are the true representatives of what Christianity is all about. Where do we stand after the president's apology for having done something that may have been improper but is not really legal?

Read about the Bishops statement:
Philippine Star
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pandora's box re-opened

I was supposed to blog about the President's apology for her "lapse of judgment" talking with a Comelec official during the elections to "protect her votes". However, I was busy working and had not enough time to gather materials and write a fairly accurate opinion, at least from my layman's point of view, anyway. So, I had to pass on this "bloggable" phenomenon in Philippine politics. Last night, as I was watching the news, I heard that legal experts (that included Fr. Bernas, who was not present but submitted his opinion anyway) have presented their opinion on the matter of whether Congress should hear the tapes containing the conversations Gloria had with said Commissioner. Reading Sassy's entry on the matter gives an excellent opinion on the matter, The media proclaimed 'legal experts' say that the people's right to public information is paramount and, hence, there is no legal impediment to the playing of the tapes in the Congressional inquiry.

In the news last night, a Dean from a certain law school read his opinion in the hearing. (Neither the name nor the school stuck as I was doing something else. Multi tasking, hehe) If I remember correctly, (I couldn't find any copy hence couldn't verify it) his main contentions were that the tapes were no longer private since copies are all over the place, even citing ringtones in particular, and that since Gloria admitted it to be in her own voice, the right to privacy no longer holds. Maybe my interpretation/recollection of what he said was erroneous so I will welcome comments correcting my understanding.

In view of the fact that that was what I heard, and assuming that my interpretation is correct, then I am troubled by this turn of events. I have always believed that the Bill of Rights is sacred. Marvin Aceron another lawyer, puts it succinctly in his entry "Sun Tzu Advice No. 10: Time to use the "P" word" when he said The right to privacy has primacy

What is contained in Sec 3 of the Bill of Rights? It states that:
SEC. 3.
(1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise as prescribed by law.

(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section shall be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding.


If the President of the Philippines could not be protected by this right, what can I, an ordinary individual, have to hold on to?

Obviously, the contentions of these legal experts (I am assuming that they were expressing the same opinion as the news did not say someone had a dissenting opinion) are founded on the seemingly majority perception that Gloria cheated in the last elections and that this can be proven by the tapes. Hence, it is of their opinion that it was imperative for Congress to hear them in making the public's right to information rule over the Bill of Rights in spite of the fact that the taped conversations might not even fall within the purview of what information the public has a right to know. I have forgotten which among the rules of statutory construction should apply but when there are enumerations in the law, other similar items not written may be included. Hmm, probably, noscitur a sociis or "the context rule" (Sassy help!) But even then, the one that can only be included are those within the same context as those enumerated.

Now, going back to the arguments. "The tapes are no longer private because of the proliferation of copies of the same everywhere." Now, that is dangerous. It implies that If I wanted to violate the privacy of, say a philandering husband, all I have to do is put a bug on his phone and innocently distribute hundreds of copies to every Juan and Juana I meet together with an original copy which I put on his wife's door. This will of course be admissible evidence as it is now public property. Oh, maybe that is not a good example as I am not sure if the law works that way. Maybe if I change the word husband to a public official, say a mayor. Maybe that would work within my context. Is this how we shall interpret it? We may be opening another Pandora's box, don't you think?

Gloria may have cheated in the elections one way or another. Thanks to my boss who gave me a copy of Dr. Hans Koechler's report which can also be found here I am reminded that there had been allegations of cheating in Mindanao even right after the elections. Of course, it is now common knowledge that most of these so called leaders cheat one way or another, but I say, let's fight it using legal ways. I would like to believe that we are a country governed by laws. Unfortunately, we are being lured to the easier way of emotionalism, drama and fanfare. What a circus Philippine politics has become.

What values? Cash or in kind?

How much luxury should a parent allow his/her child? I ask this because I've seen students of ours who have very expensive cellphones, sometimes even having two. I don't know why they need to have two but they do. Maybe one for texting, another, (Sun) for calling.

I am not writing this to criticize parents who have the luxury of buying their children the latest cellphone and whatever technological gadget there is. How one raises his/her child(ren) is entirely up to himself/herself. Noone has the right formula in rearing kids. I know I don't. I am writing this because as always, I want to share my thoughts with my children and their children's children on what I think and what guidelines I follow in life.

One of my daughters wanted to buy a new cellphone. (I know she'd hate me for sharing this. She even dreads her coming birthday knowing I'd be writing about her. :-)) She knew I wouldn't give her money so she's using her own. Her godmother arrived from the States and since they haven't seen each other for a long time, decided to give her cash. Now, adding to that amount her own savings, she, indeed, can buy a second-hand phone.

My wife was okay with it. However, when given the chance, since my daughter never mentioned it to me, I told her I have reservations about her purchasing another cellphone. What for? It's not that it's a necessity. More than anything else, it is merely a status symbol. And because it is, you have to flaunt it. Always keep it visible to let everyone know you have an expensive phone. Otherwise, why need one if you just keep it in your pocket, right? Remember, its a status symbol. If yor phone is not visible, ergo, you don't have your status? Now, when did that ever become a virtue? You are just inviting pickpockets and probably endangering your life that way. When everybody else appears to be living in abject poverty, I think, it is a sin to flaunt your material possessions.

One of my apprehensions in having my kids study in a school where there are plenty of rich kids is that my children may get their penchant for material things. My wife and I have always been simple people. My kids know that. They know that while we do not live in dire straits, we only have enough for our needs. Maybe give in to a few luxury here and there but that would be on a very lucky day. i have been using the same cellphone for years. I fear of accidentally leaving it on the restaurant not because it might get stolen, but because the waiter might think its trash and throw it down the toilet in disgust. My wife only had her cellphone just recently because she "inherited" my eldest daughter's. My eldest daughter is now in college and without me knowing it, bought her own brand new cellphone from her own pocket.

Back to having expensive cellphones. Maybe these teen agers think its part of the packaging these days. Mabye that comes with wealth. If you have it, why deprive your child, right? Parents only want the very best for their children. However, I am of the impression that this not need to be so. I shall remain firm that if there's a need for a cellphone, all you need is a phone that works. That especially holds true if you're a student. If it's good for texting and you can use it to call somebody else, that's good enough. Maybe teeners believe that having a "neat" cellphone is part of a good packaging for oneself. But what it is to me is that the packaging of a student is not what he/she has but what is stored in her brain. Do all of the lessons stick to their heards? Do they make their assignments, give their projects in time, maintain a good grade? Do others perceive them to be good kids? Are they respectful? Are they aware of their roots? Are they sensitive to the issues that concern the common man? Are they sympathetic to those in need? Are they independent? For me, these are the ones that comprise the packaging of a good student. If my children can say yes to all these, then I shall be a happy parent.

PS

In fairness to my obedient kid, she's passing on this one. She didn't buy the phone. I love her so much.

pinoy poets plugging!

Pinoypoets’ Anniversary Night at Conspiracy

The pinoy poets, a group of young writers (uhm I am a member,too, you know) will be having its first anniversary. These are young, energetic, creative group of people who share their passion for poetry and seriously working hard to hone their craft. I am such a lucky guy to have been accepted to this group. If you care to join us in our revelry, read on!

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If you’re a writer, a poet, an artist or simply a lover of literature, better block off Tuesday, June 28 on your social calendar. Pinoypoets (PP), an online community of literary enthusiasts, will be holding its first anniversary bash at Conspiracy Bar in Quezon City.

The event, dubbed PP ‘to!(The Pinoypoets’ First Anniversary), promises to be an evening filled with laughter, music, and of course, excellent poetry. Prominent social, academic, and literary figures Makati Rep. Teddy Locsin Jr, Conchitina Cruz, Vin and Kris Dancel, Noel Del Prado, Joyce Burton Titular, Enrico John Torralba, Hannah Romawac, Roli Inocencio, Monica Llamas and Gary Granada, are but a few of our guest readers.

The celebration will also be highlighted by performances from G-Strings, 10kpp, Rubberband, Johnoy Danao of Bridge, Paramita, and Hanna Romawac of Session Road.

Pinoypoets is a community of poets, writers and literary enthusiasts who share their works, thoughts and insights on poetry. Formed by less than 50 members in June 2004, Pinoypoets has grown to 250 members based in different regions of the archipelago--and even abroad.

Its primary objective is to facilitate a creative forum and enrich its members' knowledge and craft. Michael Coroza, Edgar Samar, Santiago Villafania, Louie John Sanchez, Eileen Tabios, Bino Realuyo and Jema Pamintuan, some of the most respected names in Philippine poetry today, are the group’s consultants and critics.

PP ‘to!(The Pinoypoets’ First Anniversary), will start at 8 p.m. Admission is FREE! For more information, please get in touch with Rhodge Fernandez (721 7229, seventhgecko@yahoo.com), Kathline Tolosa (09175777128, kathline_anne@yahoo.com) or Romel Samson (09278470212, risingphoenix101@yahoo.com)

Respect your flag

How much respect do we give to the Philippine National flag? Do we really pay attention to such details? I say, hardly. My attention to this came after reading this article by noted columnist Manuel Quezon III entitled The Long View: Amend the Flag Law. I was a boy scout, a Maginoo Scout, thank you, and I have been trained to respect the flag during those growing up years. I remember how we were taught how to properly raise (briskly) and lower (solemnly and slowly) it, fold it and to burn it in case it has to be put away as a result of wear and tear. I even remember that we would run to the flagpole and lower it at the slightest sign of rain lest it be drenched. This is the reason why I've always wondered why the flag is let alone flying during a rainy day in school. I looked for the flag law and to my amazement, it doesn't say anything to this effect. As a matter of fact, The Sec. 16 (f) of Republic Act 8491 entitled "AN ACT PRESCRIBING THE CODE OF THE NATIONAL FLAG, ANTHEM, MOTTO, COAT-OF-ARMS AND OTHER HERALDIC ITEMS AND DEVICES OF THE PHILIPPINES" says: The flag shall not be raised when the weather is inclement. If already raised, the flag shall not be lowered. I wonder where our scout master got the idea that it should not be drenched in rain. MAybe the 1935 Constitution, huh? But still, it makes more sense to me that the flag should not let stay under the rain out of respect. But who am I, right? Maybe just a romantic teacher whose ideals can be misplaced at times.

Reading the Flag Law, I noticed we also have a Pledge to the Flag in (f) Sec.24. We never recite this. What we recite is the Panatang Makabayan (Patriot's Oath) which the Department of Education changed sometime in 2001 under Sen. Raul Rocco, who was then the Secretary of Education.

I've written about the singing of the National Anthem and it can be found in the first paragraphs here. As Mr Quezon points out the error of the law, how can the government assure that the song is sung with fervor? Who measures it and with what? If I don't sing it within their standards, would I go to jail? I believe that rules are made with the intention of following it through. Hence, the law must include a teeth by which such can be implemented. Otherwise, it is inutile and must be changed.

Also among Mr. Quezon's observations/protestations, which I believe are noteworthy, are:

1. Displaying the flag en masse violate(s) the spirit and letter of the law...The flag is not for decoration; to display it en masse is to use it primarily for decorative effect; (what about all those flaglets the government put on the roads during Independence Day?) and,

2. Standards for the flag, ie. its color both on historical and practical grounds. The shades chosen are not enforced, and this bothers me, considering the fervor that attended the debate and the discussion on the matter among historians, and the bother our legislature, presidents and government, in general went through to make the change. (Why not enact a law prohibiting the manufacture/purchase of the Philippine flag for both public and private sectors confining it to a single company to ensure uniformity, huh?)

In a country besieged by turmoil brought about by graft and corruption, brain drain, downward economic plunge and all that, the flag may be the last thing on our minds. But should it be so? I say it should not for the flag should be there to unite us and make us proud as a people - collective individuals who aim for one goal under one spirit, one blood. Too bad this is lost to us for the common individual still longs for the most basic commodities such as food, shelter and clothing. When will this ever end? No amount of education can top that, will it?