THE NATURAL POWERS OF MEN

An Inspirational Message

Last Monday and Tuesday, I went from one room to another bidding the students good luck on their final examination. In those two days I was also able to share some insights about success, failures and foolishness. The latter, foolishness, is to encourage those with failing grades to study harder and pass the exam.

I came across one good definition of a fool. A foolish person keeps on doing the same thing everyday and expects a different result. In a contemporary fable by Robin Sharma, failure is simply a bad decision done each day which grows to be a disaster later on. On the contrary, success is a good decision put into action daily which later becomes a tsunami of victories.

This afternoon you, our dear students, are recognized for the outstanding work you have accomplished. You were no fool and you made every failure a stepping stone towards success. You turned out to be the best among your classmates. However, you should more than know right now that with the honor you receive today comes more responsibilities. These responsibilities are the true measures of your being human. It is not the medal that will be hanged around your neck that makes you human. All of us were endowed with natural powers to be the best. I am now going to tell you the four natural powers we were all given:

1. Being alive and human, you have the power to work each day and express the absolute best within you. All of you here this afternoon have fully harnessed this power. You came to school everyday and worked hard to better your best self next day.

2. Being alive and human, you have the power to inspire, influence and elevate each classmate you have by the gift of great example. Now, this may be your problem. Have you inspired your friends to study as hard as you did? Did they succeed in all the subjects just like you did? Have you influenced your classmates to perform the assigned tasks to the best of what they could? Have you been a good example to your classmates?

3. Being alive and human, you have the power to create positive changes in the face of negative conditions. And this, my dear students, does not need a medal around your neck. Have you been a positive driving force in your class? Have you made a positive change in the family? Kahit wala kang medal na nakasabit sa leeg, kaya mong gumawa ng mga kanais-nais na bagay galing sa wala o’ kaya’y galing sa isang napakapangit na sitwasyon.

4. Being alive and human, you have the power to treat others with respect, appreciation and kindness. This last power sets us apart from other animals. We do not just have the intellect. We also have souls and the heart to love others just like what Jesus Christ did to the last, the least and the lost.

Because of the medals that will soon be hanging around your necks, the challenge to prove among yourselves these powers becomes greater. Yes, you have worked so hard each day. Yes, you have inspired others to achieve more. Yes, you have created a positive change. Yes, you have the heart for the unloved and the unfortunate. Pero itong lahat kayang gawin ng maski sinumang tao, may medal man na nakasabit sa kanyang leeg o’ wala. But because you are recognized to be more than your classmates, you are honored this afternoon, then you share the same dilemma with Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman: with great power comes greater responsibilities. Yours beginning this afternoon is, “With great honor, comes greater tasks…and what are these tasks?

Work harder each day and be the best always.

Set a good example to inspire others.

Create a positive change whenever opportunity presents.

Manifest God's love to others.

KAYA BA?

WHEN YOU BELIEVED IN ME

Nazia, thank you...

There is always this one teacher who would make such a great positive impact in our lives and in my case it was he - Mr. Carlo Bejarasco, our school principal and English teacher, a simple introduction for a great man like him. Students may have labeled him ''Hitler" or "Attila the Hun" but I was one of the few who looked at him in a very different angle. I secretly looked up to him as an inspiration, a role model and a father. Here is something I made for him, a poem to show how much I appreciate him and how great a person he is. Happy Father's Day Sir !

WHEN YOU BELIEVED IN ME

When you believed in me and talked, I listened
When you believed in me and smiled, I enjoyed
When you believed in me and walked, I followed
When you believed in me and inspired, I engrossed

When you believed in me, you unconsciously became a father
When you believed in me, you made me adore life
When you believed in me, you made me trust myself
When you believed in me, you made a mansion in my heart

When you believed in me, you cleared my road
When you believed in me, you erased my wavering
When you believed in me, you made me care about what I have
When you believed in me, you molded me to be special

When you believed in me, I wanted to be everything I could be
When you believed in me, I could not thank you more
When you believed in me, I secretly became your daughter
When you believed in me, I believed in you

FOR DESIRE OF ORDER

Formulating Classroom Procedures

I know I have not been so regular in posting entries. I still love to put into writing my thoughts - mostly my pain. It's just that this year has not been as bad as before. There were still rough roads along the way but not as bad as before. My work as HS principal has even become more difficult, more demanding. However, I am more focused now and do not dwell on the negative vibes. Today, we were done revisiting our classroom procedures. For the desire of order, we have to be very clear of our classroom SOPs. We have to make these clear to the students on the first day of class because we mean business - really!

The HS and GS faculty members joined together today and met for this noble endeavour. We were able to rewrite 15 very important classroom routine procedures that need to be understood by heart among our students. Here are some of them:

ROUTINE PROCEDURE FOR STARTING THE CLASS
1. Stand for the prayer.
2. Greet the teacher; wait for the response.
3. Align the chairs and pick up pieces of trash and then sit down quietly.
4. The class beadle reports the attendance of the day. The teacher acknowledges the report.
5. Listen and participate well in the discussion.
6. Once the discussion has ended, keep all things away and be ready for the prayer.
7. Remain seated and silently wait for the next subject teacher.

PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING THE ROOM AFTER CLASS
1. Once your classmates are out, the RT prepares to clean the room.
2. Erase the writings on the board, wipe the chalk ledge and get rid the back of the board of unnecessary things (books, notebooks, etc).
3. The girls start sweeping from front to back; the boys alternately move the chairs by row.
4. The girls continue sweeping outside as the boys arrange back the chairs.
5. Prepare the board for the next day by wiping it with damp cloth.
6. Empty the garbage bins, clean it, and place it back in the classroom.

PROCEDURE FOR LEAVING THE ROOM TO GO HOME
1. Stand and prepare for the dismissal prayer.
2. The person closest to the door will go out first by row. The first three rows will go out first by the front door; the remaining rows will go out next at the back door.

PROCEDURE FOR FORMATION FOR THE FLAG CEREMONY
1. Once the bell rings, proceed right away to the assigned place for the section.
2. With the cue from the Sgt. at Arms, arrange yourselves alternately into four columns, two for ladies, two for boys.
3. Listen to announcements and wait for the prayer leader to begin.
4. Join the community in praying and then...
5. Sing the National Anthem well. Stand on both feet, and place your right hand over your left chest.
6. During the oath, raise your right hand forming right angle with the body.
7. Refrain from making unnecessary movements and listen to the Gospel of the day.
8. Keep quiet and reflect on the Gospel, placing your hands clasped together in front of your chest.

PROCEDURE FOR GETTING BACK INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
1. After the Gospel reflection, listen to the cue of the teacher manager to go back to the classroom.
2. In single file and with your hands clasped over the epigastrium, bow your heads and start moving back silently to the classroom.
3. Once inside the classroom, remain standing by your seat, wait for the teacher to cue for the prayer.
4. Take your seat quietly after the prayer and the greeting, and prepare yourself for the class.

HOPE. RECONCILIATION. PEACE

More Than What My Teachers Taught Me...

Last December I read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Mortenson is an American mountain climber who failed to scale K2 but succeeded in bringing hope to thousands of Afghan girls by building schools. He believes that educating children (not indoctrinating) is the elusive solution the world has been grappling ever since the US led invasion against the Talibans. This wisdom coming from a non-educator humbles me. Four years ago in the 2006 souvenir program I pessimistically ended my first paragraph with a note that the power education has is spiraling down the drain. After reading Mortenson, I acknowledge my mistake. I failed to see the values of hope, reconciliation and peace my teachers have taught me. I was blinded by the myth that education is the cure-all to poverty. Education gives hope. It is this belief in the unseen that will make us rich, not materially but in love, in reconciliation and in peace. Progress and development can only be achieved where peace and harmony abound.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
- Dale Carnegie

Hope I have once read is the belief in the unseen, the waiting for things longed for. It survives us in our daily struggles in life. Mortenson believes that education gives hope. Rizal believes that the youth is the hope of the nation. An educated youth therefore is hope twice as much. Thirty two years ago, I first learned hope from Ma’am Joven Buenconsejo. She made me memorize Away in the Manger and told me its message – hope – the coming of Jesus. Four years after, Ma’am Elena Osorio nurtured this seed of hope in my heart and a year after, Ma’am Susie Zambrano inspired me how hope made her who she is now. Most of my classmates today survive life because of what these three teachers have sown, nurtured and seen to fruition. We were made to hope, continue hoping. This one great lesson I have passed on my students. I believe that survivors live because they continue to hope.

Forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.
- Alexa Young

Being baptized Christians, we share in Jesus’ kingly nature. A king does not rule his people but serve them. One cannot however serve if he does not forgive; hence, a king forgives and serves. Jesus is both. I was placed in the second section when I was in Grade III. Ma’am Sincera Dueñas told me not to be angry but see the reason why (which became clearer as I aged). Unbeknownst to me, she was teaching me forgiveness. The next year, I learned more to forgive from Ma’am Carmen Legaspi. It was not from her three-days-of-darkness story but in the way she cared us her pupils. It was in high school with Ma’am Vangie Cisneros that I saw forgiveness. Being a young teacher, her ideas were not always considered. In silence, she bared her soul to us and forgave them who had hurt her. I have learned from these teachers not to harbor ill intent in my heart but see the motivation of others’ actions. They lived Jesus’ example and in their living out forgiveness, I learned reconciliation.

Women who have an education are not likely to condone their son getting into violence.
- Greg Mortenson

Violence is characteristic of a cultureless uncivilized society. When violence erupts somewhere, we conclude that people there are uneducated. This is true, sadly. Situations dictate violence. However, when one is schooled, a student learns that situations never control. A human being controls the situation and so he does with emotion. Peace because of non-violent thoughts and actions I learned very well from Ma’am Inday Legaspi. She instilled in my mind what order is and what one deserves if order is disturbed. Ma’am Dolores Almagro is an epitome of peace. I learned from her, graciousness of words. From both Ma’am Pompeia Carin and Ma’am Rosal Saniel I learned how to temper violence with humility, charm and wit. War can only be won if children are educated that the world is supposed to exist in peace and the people, in peaceful co-existence. For sure, I am not the only one who has realized this after going through years in school.

We are in our penultimate year as Catholics emulating for almost three centuries the Christian values of peace and reconciliation lived by Sr. San Guillermo de Aquitania. Besides the Church and our families, we have also the school to thank for where we are now as people of God and what we have accomplished so far. Education has always played a pivotal role in any civilized society. Sadly though, education and our accomplishments have seemed to reach a nadir. Why are families disintegrating? Why are the Church and her members divided? Why is the government struggling? Why has peace continued to elude us? Why has the country lagged behind among ASEAN nations? I am an educator and I am shamed. We, teachers, have our share of blame. Only a few of my teachers before are regrettably living to witness how the hope of the fatherland has become hopeless. My great teachers before have never failed. They have lived up beyond the education myth…but what about us, the newer generation of pedagogues? Do we share with the greatest Teacher the passion to change the lives of our countless students? Please keep the hope alive!

HONOR AND THE WISDOM IN FAILURE

When the Sound of Claps Subsides

Honor is given to somebody who has done something extraordinarily heroic. Honor is such an expensive commodity, it cannot be bought. It can only be earned with time and sacrifice. Many have tried winning honor only to gain one after being six feet buried underground. A few good men risked not only their lives but that of their love ones gaining honor for the family name to outlive history. Some young people won theirs through hard work, positive mind set, and sheer dedication. Such a simple word can only be realized through sweat, tears and blood. Whoever gains one becomes honorable and is always worthy of such an accolade.

Today we bestow honor to exactly 40 high school students who excelled in academics. The honorees are young ladies and gentlemen who have done extraordinary deeds. They are our students who went beyond what others expected of them. They are our students who lived with excellence in mind. They will be our future leaders who are willing to sacrifice, willing to suffer and work hard for the common good of us all. They are the sons and daughters of proud parents. They are our honorees who lived up to the values of unquestionable integrity, strict discipline, cunning resourcefulness and utmost competence. In one word, excellence.

However, a greater and harder challenge comes along with the honor that our students gained today. A trust that this honor bestows upon the student should be upheld. This calls for even more sacrifice - choosing the pain of one's continued pursuit for excellence over the luxury of senseless comfort. These students have to forgo painting the town red on weekends. They have to study to learn more and deserve another honor the second time around. Burning midnight candles becomes campfires should they decide to gobble books by the dozens. This does not mean though that failing and failures will demean the honor they have earned so well. The most honorable act to do sometimes is the most painful - failing for once and rise up to excel to honorable heights again.

A CHAT WITH MY FORMER STUDENT

A Little Bit of Inspiration

Cyke_09: btaw dok, salamat sad kaayo sa mga advice nimo sa una
carlo_bejarasco: wa na sapayan

I pride myself as somebody who can see who among my students will someday succeed in life. Seven years ago, I happened to be the class adviser of 32 men and 19 ladies. One can just imagine how noisy we were then. No! we were not because we understood each other. My students then clearly knew where they stood with me. I had no behavior problem with these 32 burly men in the company of 19 fragile ladies. I was their teacher and they knew that by heart. I gave them advice on how to make it big in life. They listened.

carlo_bejarasco: lipay lang ko ba kay imo na hinayhinay nakuha imo gusto
cyke_09: daghan jud kaayo mga students dha dok nga ikaw ang nahimong inspiration

Seven years ago I was then a teacher and I am still today. Part of my work as a teacher is to act like a second parent to my students. Cyke was one of my good students and I always look at him as my son I want to have. He is every inch an educated lad - good mannered, pleasing personality and best of all, a survivor. I was just doing my work then, but he always considered what I had done extraordinary. I was so flattered. What I like about him though was that he listened very well to whatever I told him to do. I asked him to join Men Entice, and he won 1st runner up. I told him not to date somebody from Dalaguete, which he did. He was thankful that he listened because he is now with her girlfriend in New Zealand. I knew that Cyke would go places someday. He dreamed of it.

carlo_bejarasco: salamat, but if not for your own hard work and theirs, di man pod jud nato maabot ato gusto
cyke_09: mao lagi dok
Because his family does not want him to work abroad, Cyke has to finance himself in order to go to New Zealand. Long before I have also known that this young man from Cawayan would not allow anybody or anything gets in his way. One could very well see this when he played basketball, which he was so good at. He had lofty dreams too. He wanted to lead, and won as the SK Chairman. He loved to dress himself up and kept himself in good shape. He was asked to model men's apparel when at the same time studying in college. I knew nothing can stop this guy. True enough and little by little he now enjoys the fruit of his hard labor and sacrifies.

carlo_bejarasco: mao lang jud na ako gusto nimo. wala ka pailad diri sa dalaguet
cyke_09: pro ang imong guidance dok importante sad gyud kaayo
I was humbled so much that despite what Cyke has achieved now, he still credited eveything to what SMA and the teachers have taught him. I made it clear to him that we were just doing our work. A lot has heard the same advice I gave him, but not all his classmates are as successful as he is now. The same humility that has humbled us has brought Cyke to where he is now. He still continued to ask advice from me and this has so inspired me to keep going on with life. This despite all the problems I have both in school and outside. Here is a man who knows how to look back where he has been once. Here is a man who knows so well whom he has indebted much. Here is a man who SMA can be so proud to call one of her own...one of a kind!

A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FROM TWO GENTLEMEN

Klaus and Scottie: My Apology

When push comes to shove and jostles man against the wall, expect him to push back. This is not to prove that the Newtonian dynamics of action-reaction is correct. It is just man's basic instinct to prove his worth. Two of my students - gentlemen at that - showed me this reality and proved once and for all that indeed they can write. I always believe that men do not like to write. If they do, whatever they write is surely something very good. I also believe that men who can write very well are intelligent and very mature with life. Because men mature later than women, any 16-year old guy who croons his heart out to paper, surely is mature, a good shoulder to cry on and a perfect friend to have around.

When Klaus sat down with me this afternoon to have his work checked, I was very happy. He shattered what I have long dreaded. (He knows this one already.) Because all the essays he submitted were good in terms of content, organization and mechanics, I thought he did not write them. Looking at this fine German lad, I cannot imagine that he is so deep emotionally. His face always betrays both his thoughts and feelings; I was not just sure whether the essays I have read were his. I have apologized to Klaus this afternoon. Indeed this young man can write very well given the right opportunity and the hard push.

The other gentleman is Scottie. Pipen also impressed me with his first quarter project. It is one of the best from the gentlemen. Forgive me of the bias, but I also did not think of Scottie when I was reading his essay. It was just to good, too mature from a gentleman. However, when he asked me to go through his personal philosophy this afternoon, I was blown away. Here is a guy who does not only know his grammar but also what he is talking about, and he talks about it suavely that his thoughts flowed smoothly, effortlessly like cold knife in a butter. Nice...so nice that I was so inspired to strive more in teaching these men and all my students. I owed so much from both gentlemen.

As I confronted Klaus and asked him to tell me the truth, his soulful eyes spoke of so much sincerity and honesty. I was so ashamed with myself for underestimating the talent of this guy. What was unbelievable at first was the intensity of emotion he puts in his words that putting them together is an explosion of myriad of feelings. How can a seemingly innocent nonchalant boy can be so profound with his thoughts and emotions? His soft voice betrays his passion for words. Scottie, on the other hand, humbled me with his admission that he was just following what I told him to do that is why he is able to weave ordinary words smoothly into magical paragraphs. When one reads his work, what is very clear is the very smooth flow of thoughts. There seems to be no sentence that is out of place. Every word seems to be in the right place to breath life to paper of what is in his mind. If he was just following what I told him to do, then he is already a leader to me.

I always consider men who can write intelligent. I do not know what to call of Klaus and Scottie. They are more than intelligent. What really struck me is the depth of emotion both their written works elicited from the reader. Their words and how they put them together into sentences to build paragraphs are poetry in motion. The graceful flow of thoughts reminds the reader that deep within the hearts of these two lads are mature men all ready to face the real world - men who already have realized what life is to be for them and how they have to live it. If a boy can write like a man, he should have been through so many of life's happy and sad experiences. These experiences are what Klaus and Scottie have been through, and when they open their hearts and start writing what they truly feel of life, I cannot help but be inspired of how much about life these two men know. At 16 years old, my deep appreciation of how so good a gentleman the two of you have become. Sitting with you two this afternoon has really made my day! Again...my apology.

SING HOPEFULLY NOT TO OBLIVION

The National Anthem Brouhaha

The country has a number of national symbols. These symbols represent the Philippines, the Filipinos and their aspirations. That is why these symbols are held in very high regard. One national symbol, however, has always been in controversial light. Because of its very nature, the national anthem – Lupang Hinirang – has been the cause of confusion, object of bewilderment and sadly, butt of a joke. When all of us were once young, we were taught in schools how to sing the national anthem. Unfortunately, only a few schools taught us how to sing it not just well but correctly. The national anthem was written with a marching tempo in the mind of Julian Felipe. Its time signature is 4/4. Through time, however, we have forgotten really how to sing the Lupang Hinirang correctly, and the newer generation does the same too.

During a boxing bout before, one celebrity singer forgot some lines when singing the Philippine national anthem. Obviously, this has caused so much stir not just in the reel world but even in schools. From then on we asked our students to sing the national anthem without accompaniment every morning during the flag ceremony. This may be less apropos but we gave it a shot though. We even asked students to give the beat and lead the singing. We have noticed that whenever students were left alone, they had the tendency to sing the anthem in a much slower tempo, not marching. What we did was to ask the one beating to do it in 2/2 time and much faster because it is supposed to be a march. Most of them said, however, that they were taught to sing it that way – incorrectly.

The most recent brouhaha regarding the singing of the national anthem was during the Pacquiao – Hatton boxing fight. Although Martin Nievera was told earlier that he must sing the national anthem the right way, he made his own arrangement and sang it the way he wanted it sung. He started slowly with the first four lines (first stanza). The rest of the song was, however, sung in a marching tempo. Not so much a problem until he reached the last stanza. He was so theatrical with crooning to his heart’s content the final lines, my mouth was left agape. When everything sank in my mind, I let out a very loud laugh. What was he trying to do? The national anthem is sung at the beginning of programs for everyone to accompany. How then would people sing with Martin when suddenly he changed the tune? Some people might have appreciated what he did, but the Philippine Historical Commission was not happy about it and even demanded for Martin to apologize.

Martin was not the first to sing the national anthem in either wrong tempo or tune. However, because he is famous, he is now asked to apologize. I think Martin need not apologize. Of all those I have heard sang the Lupang Hinirang, Martin’s version was the most correct. I don’t want Martin to apologize too. There are even more government officials out there who cannot sing the national anthem alone from start to finish. What is important is neither the tempo nor the tune. How many of us live by what the national anthem wants us to be? We are so strict of how it should be sung, but we forget what is it meant to be for us Filipinos. The song embodies the ideals of our forefathers which we are supposed to uphold today. I think what is more important is the meaning of the song to us Filipinos, not how it should be sung. However, I will appreciate more if it be sung next time correctly.

BRILLIANT PACQUIAO CEMENTS LEGACY WITH WIN

Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports
(I am still stunned with the fight that I cannot think straight and write. This is from an article by Mr. Rogers several minutes after the impressive win by Pacman.)

It took just 359 seconds to add the latest devastating chapter to a legacy that will last for decades. Manny Pacquiao’s flurried fists made short work of Ricky Hatton on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and delivered the most emphatic proof yet that boxing has a superstar for the ages operating at his peak. Pacquiao sent the Englishman crashing to the canvas twice in a frenetic first round, then sealed the contest with a brutal left hook that had Hatton out cold on his back with one tick remaining in the second round. Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have announced his comeback from a brief and scarcely-believable retirement on Saturday morning. But there can be no doubt that Pacquiao is boxing’s undisputed king as he continues to ride a remarkable wave of momentum.

“Our strategy was the one punch,” Pacquiao said. “Left hook. Right hook. That was going to be the key to this fight.” The Filipino fighter is a quiet and reserved man out of the ring, but between the ropes he morphs into an electrifying machine – and Hatton felt his full force. The Hatton camp had hoped their man’s power would be telling, yet he simply had no response to Pacquiao’s pace and precision. A right hook put Hatton down with 54 seconds remaining in round one and proved to be the beginning of the end. “I knew it was over,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer. “Ricky fights the same way over and over. He doesn’t have the ability to adjust.”

As Pacquiao moved in for the finish in the second round, Hatton tried to cling on only to be sent down again with a fierce straight left. Doctors immediately rushed to the aid of Hatton, who eventually and thankfully was able to walk from the ring under his own steam. “I am surprised this fight was so easy,” said Pacquiao. “I did work hard in my training camp and it paid off. This is as big a victory for me as when I beat Oscar De La Hoya.”

That December triumph over De La Hoya did not convince the entire boxing fraternity of Pacquiao’s ability, primarily as the Golden Boy’s powers had so clearly dimmed from his prime. Now there is no speculation. Pacquiao is the top dog, until someone proves otherwise in the ring. Floyd Mayweather Sr. was a no-show at the postfight news conference, leaving Hatton’s co-trainer, Lee Beard, to explain the mauling by Pacquiao. “We knew about Manny’s speed and that it could play a factor in the fight,” Beard said. “What you saw was two rounds of action and Ricky got caught.”

Roach’s status as a trainer grows in line with each victory his top fighter posts and it became clear his game plan was perfect. Hatton could not avoid Pacquiao, who landed with 73 of his 127 punches. The Brit could only land 18 of 78. “This is no shock at all,“ Roach said. “Hatton pumps his hands before he throws a punch, and it makes him a sucker for the right hook. Manny is a monster. He is the best fighter ever. There is no surprise here.”

Defeat was a bitter blow to the thousands of Hatton fans among the 16,262 in attendance who had journeyed across the Atlantic but saw their dreams dashed within a few brutal minutes. The typical symphony of chanting carried on even after their man had been sparked out, but it may not strike up again. Hatton, who was alert in his locker room before being taken to the hospital, is one of the most popular boxers ever with an incredible fan base, but his fighting future is now in serious doubt. For Pacquiao, the future is brighter than ever, and his legend continues to grow.

Said Pacquiao: “I can fight anybody.”

ORAL INTERCOURSE WITH JP

Conversation with My Student

After we had the talk in Talisay, you changed and I was not quite prepared for the change. I knew before that something was not right, but after Talisay I thought you have retreated back instead of moving on. Have I put you in an embarrassing position? I hope I have not because that was not my intention. Were you sorely affected by what I told you, or did my note come in bad taste? I did both not to put you in a very compromising situation. I did both to help you. I am sorry but it was not my intention to further hurt you. After Talisay, you became more withdrawn. You became more to yourself which was very much unlike you. Have I made you sadder than before? I want to apologize because this is not what I intend to happen. I think there was something wrong with how I approached things and the situation. Maybe I came too strong and you felt both threatened and helpless.

If indeed my observations before Talisay were valid and you now want to change because you heard from me, do not ever think that mine was an imposition upon you. I never meant it to be that way. Do not drastically change yourself. You cannot do it overnight. You are today conducting yourself in a manner not quite normal for a guy your age. It is as if you have grown old suddenly. You’ve lost the fun in your life now. I don’t want it that way. I don't think we understand each other. I was not very clear to you. Do not think that we thought of you as somebody bad because you have done this or that. No! In fact you are still one of the best students I ever had!

How you have been acting lately was something new to us all. It seemed as if you were no longer the student I knew before. I appreciated your effort to shy away from alcohol and too much X-rated movies. Both will bring you nowhere. I salute and respect you on this aspect. It needs a lot of control, patience and sacrifice. I support you in this pursuit and I am very sorry now to have introduced you to Mia. I am sure though I have not introduced you to alcohol. Although I drink socially, I am not into killing myself with too much booze. It burns the liver. I find it funny, therefore, when you have the impression that I do consume alcohol a lot. No, I do not. It all depends on the crowd, as I have told you through the text message.

Have you been all in grand charade before? Maybe you are actually trying to be just the real you this time. Maybe you have not actually changed for the better because what you have been from first year to third year has been one big pretense - a sham. You did things before to please the people around you, your classmates maybe, just to be with the in crowd. If in fact this is what was before, then you are indeed a very cunning guy. You have fooled me into believing that you are one strong and cold bad boy. This speaks so much of how smart you are. Only a few people can pull successfully such a grand charade.

Do not ever think that I doubted your goodness. I have always believed that you were and still now a good person. I am choosy when it comes to people I associate with. I only go with smart, well-mannered and good-looking people. You are all three. You are more than intelligent in fact. You are to me, educated. You’ve got the manners and you look good too! You even dress better than I did when I was your age. All three things make you the "man". You are in the class of JR and CJ. Remember that you are one of the Men Entice and you will forever be remembered as one.

So then younger bro, cheer up and be happy. You have been so serious with life lately. I don't like the drastic change, although I appreciate your effort to change. It's just so sudden; I am not prepared for it. I'm sorry, but you come as fake to me because I have always known you as the JP that I knew before – hard, hot and always in heat.

BRUTE, BRAIN AND BRAWN

Nonito Donaire & Brian Viloria

Before, intelligence was simply measured by how well one calculated his math, how articulate one spoke and how analytical one approached problems. Intelligence before was gauged by how much one acquired knowledge and skills in language, in mathematics and in science. During the early 90's there was a paradigm shift and people started adopting Gardner's multiple intelligence theory. According to Howard Gardner there are several intelligences. He proposed eight but to date there are already nine intelligences: verbal-linguistic, mathematical-logic, musical, visual-spatial, bodily kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalistic and existential. The theory gained much respect because it proved to be true at all. A person is intelligent not only because he knows his math and science and can speak well the language. A person is also intelligent if he can sing extraordinarily well. He is also intelligent if he excels in any sporting event. Even a person who can rally people to move is intelligent. If he prays a lot and knows well his God, he is also considered intelligent. Intelligence is always objective, but definitely it is not limited only to math, science and language.

Sadly before, being athletic and excelling in sports are equated to poor intelligence. This is because most athletes fare poorly inside the classroom. This was then; however, to these people the classroom is outside - the basketball court, the diamond, the oval, the boxing ring or even the open sea. Unfortunately, before, athletes were never thought of intelligent. But imagining that there are only a few who excel out of so many thousands of sportsmen, definitely excellence in sports demands some form of intelligence and only intelligent athletes do excel. Gardner called this the bodily kinesthetic intelligence. In any sporting contest, for one to win, he has to strategize. A simple game of billiards requires application of physics and trigonometry. Swimming has now become a science that a swimmer must also be a scientist besides just sheer grace and brawn. Boxing cannot be won without being analytical to the last second when a pugilist has to react to his opponent's cut or jab. Quite simply today, athletes and sportsmen are held in high respect because of the unique intelligence their discipline demands.

Last Sunday, I watched two Filipino boxers fought against foreign prizefighters. Although I do not know so much the ins and outs of boxing, I still can say that both Filipino boxers are intelligent pugilists. Nonito Donaire Jr. was at his Sunday best as he electrified the hometown crowd that watched him demolish the previously undefeated Raul Martinez in just four rounds at the Araneta Coliseum. Brian Viloria won the IBF light-flyweight crown being defended by Solis for the eighth time, and proved that he is still the same fighter that won the World Boxing Council 108-lb crown in 2005. Donaire retained his International Boxing Federation crown for the third time even as he mentioned previously and later on after the fight that he’s planning to move up in weight for his next fight. Viloria was just as furious in stopping “Filipino executioner” Ulises Solis of Mexico in the 11th round, giving Filipino boxing two big reasons to celebrate like they do each time Manny Pacquiao fights. I was one with the rest of the nation celebrating both their victory. These two boxers may not be intelligent inside the classroom, but definitely they are geniuses inside the ring. However, they are not only brain and brawn. They are also models of discipline, hard work and perseverance.

Athletes cannot just excel without discipline, hard work and persever-ance. Before, these modern day gladiators were highly regarded because of these extraordinary traits. These characteristics were believed to be possessed only by elite men and women; however, athletes were not seen before as intellects. They were not intelligent in the same level as Plato, Newton and Einstein. It was only lately that they were given the honor they rightly deserved. Today, they are considered as intelligent as any Plato, Newton and Einstein. It is good to remember that the latter three great minds have never exceled in any sporting event. They may be eloquent, analytical and systematic, however, they never played well and excel in any contest of sheer strength, speed and agility. The theory proposed by Howard Gardner not only is correct, but gives the honor and respect the athletes and all sportsmen so deserved. Donaire and Viloria may not be both good in mathematics, science and language; however, this does not matter so much since they do not belong inside the classroom. They belong up inside the boxing ring. They may not have been honored in school in their student days, but today the whole nation pays tribute to these two equally intelligent brute, brain and brawn.

FEED THE MANIAC IN ME

A Blind Leading the Blinds Not Astray

I am a self-proclaimed egomaniac. The reasons will now be a lot easier to understand because I am no longer angry writing. I have written before that I am one; however, I was so angry then that maybe I might have been really rambling. I hope that after I will have explained my reasons why, I am vindicated. It sound so bad calling oneself an egomaniac. I may not fit in the mold of one, but I feel that way and I am proud of it. I worked hard to become a good teacher. I am always known to be a good English teacher. I am not an English major; I am a Science major, so I teach English the way I learn English as a non-native speaker of the language. Today, again I have been affirmed to be really good in what I do, that is teaching English.

As what I have said, I am not a language teacher. I am a biologist and a medical doctor. I read a lot, and we speak English at home more often than most families. Before I became a full time HS teacher, I have always been invited to talk among teenagers, to host programs and to judge extemporaneous speech contests. I also write articles in our monthly local paper and speeches for different occasions for politicians. Thus, I have been known to be better in English than the others. During my second year as a full time teacher, our senior English teacher (Rhetoric and Research) resigned. The remaining language teachers did not want to take the subject, so the principal offered it to me. I fully well knew both rhetoric and research are difficult, much more to teach students both. Still I gamely accepted the assignment. I like challenges.

Obviously, in my first year of teaching it was all an uphill climb for both my students and me. After three more years of teaching and after my Master's degree, I was able to write the English IV book based on the prescribed curriculum but contextualized. The book went on to four revisions (that is yearly), so we have an improved edition every year. I taught English for seven years and within these years I became the regional coordinator for English for special purposes. I co-authored our national English curriculum. I prepared the grade I and fourth year English syllabi, and I also gave seminar-lectures on how to teach English the rogue way including English portfolios by students. It was only last year that I stopped teaching English IV.

I have been hearing positive comments and feedbacks regarding our school's English program, from grade school to high school. I was very happy about it most specially when our graduates also were very fulfilled with their individual portfolios and their respective performances in college. Four of our alumni graduated last March with high honors, all of them finishing degrees that are related to the English language. When they (alumni) heard that I was no longer teaching English IV, they were perturbed by the idea why I gave up teaching senior English. I told them I have some reservations with the current seniors (who have just graduated last March). I though help them prepare their term papers, but I failed to motivate them well to work harder for their individual research.

I was so happy today. One parent asked me to teach English IV again next year. She told me her daughters are very good in research because of what I taught them. I was so flattered because the mother herself is an English teacher, a grade school English teacher. She's good and I know it takes one to know one. I scored one point for this. Before lunch, I scored another point. An alumnus arrived to get his younger brother's report card. He told me he was a little bit frustrated with the English program of the university where he is currently enrolled at. Besides his professor not so dedicated to the course, he felt he knew writing more than his teacher. When he asked about which citation guide to use in their research, the professor answered that he could use anything. He was sure that the teacher did not think about his answer. What he feared worse was the professor might not have any idea what he was asking for. Third strike - before I left for home this afternoon, I received a gift, a coffee mug. It was from our best extemporaneous speaker haded to me by her mother. She told me her daughter is taking up language studies in Pakistan and hopefully her master's degree in the United States. What can I say more?

With so many good praises I heard about my teaching English IV, I could die anytime soon feeling so fulfilled as a teacher. I am not blinded by the adulations though. I knew that along the way I may have hurt others' feelings - my colleagues, students and even parents. I do not care though, because what I am after is the end result. The end does not always justify the means, I know. However, I would like to justify the morality of my decisions and actions using the principle of double effect. This is what I am so proud of as an English teacher. This has bloated too much my ego, the feeling was so maniacal. Call me an egotist. I know I am, so why the heck. However, I would like to make it clear that before I am now basking under the oblivious warmth of too much admiration, respect and even hero worship, I have gone through all the pains. I have been badly sick once, I needed to be hospitalized. Everything good that I now reap comes with so many sacrifices. Call me a narcissist, I don't care. I am proud of myself because I have been passionate with my dreams and dedicated to my purpose of being. Am I not entitled to be obsessively proud of myself then?

WHAT IS A MAN?

Five Essential Characteristics Defining a Real Man

A man carries cash. A man looks out for those around him -- woman, friend, and stranger. A man can cook eggs. A man can always find something good to watch on television. A man makes things -- a rock wall, a table, the tuition money. Or he rebuilds -- engines, watches, fortunes. He passes along expertise, one man to the next. Know-how survives him. A man fantasizes that kung fu lives deep inside him somewhere. A man is good at his job. Not his work, not his avocation, not his hobby. Not his career. His job. It doesn't matter what his job is, because if a man doesn't like his job, he gets a new one.

The Communication Style of Man
A man can speak to dogs. A man listens, and that's how he argues. He crafts opinions. He can pound the table, take the floor. It's not that he must. It's that he can. A man can look you up and down and figure some things out. Before you say a word, he makes you -- from your suitcase, from your watch, from your posture. A man infers.

Man's Ability to Handle Mistakes
A man owns up. That's why Mark McGwire is not a man. A man grasps his mistakes. He lays claim to who he is, and what he was, whether he likes them or not. Some mistakes, though, he lets pass if no one notices like dropping the steak in the dirt. A man can tell you he was wrong. That he did wrong. That he planned to. He can tell you when he is lost. He can apologize, even if sometimes it's just to put an end to the bickering.

Man's Basic Instincts
A man does not wither at the thought of dancing. But it is generally to be avoided. Style -- a man has that. No matter how eccentric that style is, it is uncontrived. It's a set of rules. A man loves the human body, the revelation of nakedness. He loves the sight of the pale bosom, the physics of the human skeleton, and the alternating current of the flesh. He is thrilled by the wrist and the sight of a bare shoulder. He likes the crease of a bent knee. Maybe he never has, and maybe he never will, but a man figures he can knock someone, somewhere, on his bottom. A man doesn't point out that he did the dishes. A man knows how to ridicule. A man gets the door without thinking. He stops traffic when he must. A man knows how to lose an afternoon -- playing Grand Theft Auto, driving aimlessly, shooting pool. He knows how to lose a month, also.

A man welcomes the coming of age. It frees him. It allows him to assume the upper hand and teaches him when to step aside. He understands the basic mechanics of the planet. Or he can close one eye, look up at the sun, and tell you what time of day it is. Or where north is. He can tell you where you might find something to eat or where the fish run. He understands electricity or the internal-combustion engine, the mechanics of flight or how to figure a pitcher's ERA. A man does not know everything. He doesn't try. He likes what other men know. A man knows his tools and how to use them -- just the ones he needs. Knows which saw is for what, how to find the stud, when to use galvanized nails. A miter saw, incidentally, is the kind that sits on a table, has a circular blade, and is used for cutting at precise angles. Very satisfying saw.

The Paradox of Man
He does not rely on rationalizations or explanations. He doesn't winnow, winnow, winnow until truths can be humbly categorized, or intellectualized, until behavior can be written off with an explanation. He doesn't see himself lost in some great maw of humanity, some grand sweep. That's the liberal thread; it's why men won't line up as liberals. A man resists formulations, questions belief, and embraces ambiguity without making a fetish out of it. A man revisits his beliefs continually. That's why men won't forever line up with conservatives, either.

This article is from Esquire's columnist Tom Chiarella.

MENAGE A TROIS, BUT NOT WHAT YOU THINK

When Boys Simply are Boys

In a BBC news report yesterday, I was not at all surprised of the percentage of school children behaving badly, 54%. The report continued that there was also increased incidences of violence against teachers by both the parents and the students. I don't have to look very far. In our school too there is a significant number of student behaving badly enough to cause us teachers more problems. There is no single factor that can explain this behavior changes. It could be genetic, parental, social, economic, instructional - almost everything that touches children's lives has been considered a culprit. I can attest to the veracity of this assumption. When I went to school today, along the way and in school I met three students that proved this assumption correct.

This school year, our sophomore students have been a problem. Two sections have new teacher-advisers and these are the groups that have been causing me a lot of trouble. I even hurt myself in one occasion of class confrontation. The three students I met belonged to these classes. I have observed after 10 years in school that new teachers were always tested by students. They would not only like to know how good you are in instruction and class management. They would also like to test how patient you are. In my case, they got me figured out all wrongly. They tested me on how violently angry I could be. Because I would like to believe that the new teachers we have hired are competent enough in instruction, I have an inkling now that both teachers may have been so lenient with class management, and that both their patience have been tested to their wits' end.

It has long been studied and proven true that children growing in a dysfunctional family tend to have behavior problems later on in their lives. Children living away from both their parents live in a dysfunctional family. The first student I met today lives with his grandmother. He was transferred from the city to the province because of financial reasons. Both parents would like to save significant amounts of what they earned monthly. Deceptively, the child does not seem to have any behavior problem. He is more emotionally disturbed which he translates into age inappropriate actions and projects them to his classmates. He annoyingly commits minor infractions that have sexual connotations - sending nude pictures to classmates' phones and cracking innocent jokes with sex undertones. To a 14 year old pubertal boy, this could be the start of sexual deviancy, not to mention that he could physically hurt his classmates whenever he was angered - Hulk style.

The second boy I met also shares the same background as the Hulk - lives only with a mother. We do not have a clear reason of why he is relocated from the city to the province, and also where his father is. We just do not have the nerve to ask the boy where his father is thinking it might be offensive and intrusive on his self. This boy cannot just handle questions of this nature. His being a social outcast bordering in deviancy is his greatest problem. He may also have attention problems. He talks back to teachers, irritating them. He loves reprimands and welcomes them nonchalantly. He appreciates if the whole class suffers because of his misbehavior. He is always absent without valid reasons, and comes to school late everyday for 173 days. In as much as the school wants to help him, unfortunately we cannot get the mother to cooperate with us.

While I was signing papers, our school registrar got inside the office and told me that a mother was waiting outside. She wanted to talk to me about the third boy I met today. I want to understand this poor guy; however, he just rubs my elbow the opposite way. This repeater is every teacher's ultimate nightmare. With my height and built, I can very well bully students if I want, both being in authority and because of my size. Never have any students talked back to me disrespectfully not until this boy, who unfortunately has been well-provided by the mother. Again, his father is away, working abroad - another member of a dysfunctional family. He does not come back in the afternoon. He does not bring books, papers and notebooks, not even a pen to school. He talks back to me which irritates me so much. Not that I demand respect, but I think I deserve one. I gave his mother today a permit for him to take summer classes for subjects he failed last year and this year. He failed in one last year. He failed in two this year. We will not accept him back next year.

It cannot be denied that behavior problems may be school related. They may even be teacher-induced. Discounting the fact that these three students may have misbehaved because of the school and their respective teachers, the one common factor all three shared is being a part (or actually non-part) of a dysfunctional family. The family forms the first immediate environment of the child. Because behavior is predominantly influenced by the surrounding of the child, whenever, therefore, a family does not serve its nurturing, supporting and caring functions to all its members, then a misbehaved child is in order. However organized societal structures like to modify this child's behavior, he sees the world dichotomously because his very own small world, his family, does not seem to conform with what societal norms, mores and culture expect from him.

Before, teaching has been so fulfilling for me. Today, it does not hold any wonder for me at all. Our sole purpose as an educational institution is concretely etched in our vision and mission as a school. I measure my accomplishment as a teacher whenever I can bring my students closer to the vision the school and the community have for them. This school year was very frustrating. I would like to believe that we have done our best, our all, to convey this students closer to what we want them to be; however, we failed dismally. Minor infractions and misbehavior haunt us. Again this could be school in origin, but this could also have parental, societal and even economic reasons. Because the school is just another part of a student's total self, definitely, the solution to this misbehavior among students is not of the school alone. It is of the parents and of society too, but please, let us not blame economic recession.

BRAVE IN DEED, IN MIND AND IN SPIRIT

What Has Become of Araw ng Kagitingan?

We may be a small nation but we are a country of great and brave men and women. Throughout our nation's 500 year history, there are a lot of people who rose as heroes that serve as inspiration to the later, much younger generation. These are the brave men who fought hard against foreign aggressors. They are the intelligent men and women who work for our independence from the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese. They are the Filipinos that brought honor to our country and great pride to their countrymen. On April 9, we will honor these great people. Most of them are long dead. Some of them we can barely remember their lives. Others, however, are still alive. They are the legacy of our country that has gone through tumultuous and trying times. They are the heroes long gone but not forgotten. Those still alive are living inspiration of how resilient the Filipino spirit is.

Three of these great and brave men deserve special mention. The first one is a loincloth clad brave native that fought against the Spaniards who he thought arrived in the islands to conquer them all. He may have been mistaken, but what he did brought him honor as the first Filipino ever to ward off western invasion. The second one is a small guy with big ideas. He was fighting and all out war against the unjust governance of the the Spaniards, some of whom were priests he sorely denounced. The third one is still alive and kicking (actually boxing). He is currently making waves in international scene because of his brave spirit. All these men, one way or the other, are brave. The loincloth clad native is brave in deed. The small guy has a brave mind and the third one remains undefeated because of his brave spirit. These are men whose lives are worth emulating. These are Filipino men all Filipinos should be proud of.

When Ferdinand Magellan sailed off the port in Spain going east in search of the elusive Spice Island, he did not think of being slain dead by a Filipino native in the Visayas Islands. Lapulapu, who is a Cebuano native, did not believe in Magellan's honest intentions. This ended tragically in a seashore battle at dawn between the Spaniards and the Cebuano natives. Magellan was killed and Lapulapu was hailed as a local hero. This great encounter is known today as the Great Battle of Mactan. Magellan's death ushered in new chapters of the nation's history. It started the 300 year Spanish occupation in the Philippines. Though it was predominantly a sad past with Spain, the Spanish occupation, however, elevated the country's cultural awareness and heightened each and every one's patriotic heart to ward off any more foreign invasion. Lapulapu may not have realized the implications of his actions, but he placed the Philippines in the map just because he defended what he believed to be rightfully his.

Jose Protacio Rizal is our national hero. He is small in stature but he is a very intelligent guy. He is the youngest in a brood of nine. When he was still a child, he already saw the injustices committed by the Spanish authorities - both in the government and in the church - against his countrymen. He himself and his family were victims of the wrath of the Spanish friars who considered the Filipinos then as second class citizens of their own country. Rizal went on to study in Spain where he launched La Liga Filipina, a propaganda movement against the Spanish authorities in the country. He is, however, working for a peaceful transition, handover. Rizal's battle was never violent. He always believed that the pen is mightier than the sword. He advocated for peaceful means of revolution, in contrary to the very meaning of the word. He died in a firing squad facing the early morning sun in what is now known as the Luneta Park.

Not all heroes, however, are long dead. Manny Pacquiao, who everyone in the country knows very well, is very much alive and boxing. He is not just kicking but he has elevated the art of pugilism into a science. He was before a lowly boxer from the province who was not even able to finish high school. He knew then that he can fight as a boxer. Through hard work and dedication he slowly rose from the ranks to emerge as the world's greatest pound per pound boxer. Seeing him fight makes one think that boxing can be so graceful, not just bloody violent. He has carved his own style of fighting which made him the best. Coming from a poor background has also kept him grounded. He has not grown proud of his accomplishments. He always says that he is fighting first for his country. Every win he makes is dedicated to his country and the people that inspire him to box his best every time he gets up in the ring. His triumph inside the ring, therefore, is always the victory of our nation and its people.

In the face of great adversity, unlikely heroes surface. Lapulapu was an accidental hero. He was destined to be one, but he did not know it. His bravery in deed trying to defend what he believed to be rightly his sealed his destiny as the country's first to fight against foreign aggressors. Jose Rizal is brave in mind. He believed and died believing that independence is sweeter if fought not with aggression but with reasons. Unlike Lapulapu, however, Rizal did not become famous overnight. He worked for what he rightly deserves today as our national hero. When Pacquiao fights, the Filipinos unite as one in rallying for the Pambansang Kamao. No single living Filipino today can command what Pacquiao can, though unintentionally. Manny's bravery in spirit has made him overcome the worsts in his life. His persistence and because he did not give up, made him the local sport champ of the country and the best pound per pound pugilist of the world. Three men in different times, of different backgrounds. Three brave Filipinos, three heroes.

Unfortunately, these great and brave Filipinos will no longer be revered as deeply as we did before. Children today are not so aware of them. Could it be that the schools today are partly to blame? Or should the blame be on the the President who keeps on moving holiday dates to accommodate economic demands of the purportedly few rich Filipinos. Araw ng Kagitingan which honors brave and great Filipino men and women is still supposed to be celebrated on April 9, so why declare April 7, today, a national holiday? If only Lapulapu could swirl his bolo and hacked our necks flying off the air, if only Rizal could resurrect himself from his peaceful sleep, and if only Pacquiao has won a congressional seat, we could have celebrated with much pomp, pageantry and deep appreciation Araw ng Kagitingan as it should be this coming Thursday. Monday or Thursday, 7 or 9, the fact still remains though that we are the descendants of a brave race of men and women. We were not only once great because until today we are still great.

FOOLISH PEOPLE ON APRIL FOOLS' DAY

Everything Was Right Until...

I hate big parties. I do sometimes entertain relatives and close friends to an intimate party, usually a small one. I treasure my time so much, so I understand that busy people do too. Most of my close friends are busy people. Whenever I throw a small get together, usually it is to unwind, talk about things around that have affected each other's lives. Usually it will be a sit down dinner, small in number and my guests seated in a way that maximizes interaction among new acquaintances. Throwing a small party to me is always an opportunity to meet new people, expanding my network of acquaintances. It is also an opportunity to learn new things from others, share experiences that make life easier to bear.

Yesterday was my nephew's one year old birthday party. Being a birthday party, throngs of children were expectedly normal. Indeed my expectations were all correct. There were so many children, the number went beyond what was prepared; however, there were plenty of food to satisfy every young child's appetite. Party goodies were a hit. The drag clown was uniquely new, courtesy of my sister's long lost high school classmate. The lively music complemented the games prepared for the occasion. Everyone was happy. Everything was going on smoothly until the cake candles were blown by the young playful guests. No problem. Children are children wherever they be.

But adults are not children, and this is why I hate big parties so much. After the children's party in the afternoon, adult guests (mostly my father's) started arriving for the night party. It was for a thanksgiving of some sort. The details escaped me. My brother-in-law's sisters gamely helped in accommodating the guests. They knew better than I did because party catering is their business. The party, however, had no clear guest list, but invitations were sent though. At around 6 pm, however, we cannot seem to control the deluge of people getting in that we ran out of clean plates. It was too late for us to stop some of our relatives who unfortunately invited their own set of guests. What a problem! Some adults tend to behave like children indeed.

Big parties with guests that are not my close acquaintances are not my cup of tea. I got lost in the sea of funny faces yesterday that I opted to stay inside the bedroom where the birthday celebrant was very sound asleep. My niece with me inside the room was peeking through the French window and commented to her delight that a lot of people still were coming in. I was sad because the celebration was ruined by gate crashers. My father was able to invite his close friends, and I was embarrassed for him. My sister told me to invite my colleagues. I was so thankful I did not. We just came down from a mountain trek, and most of my friends were so tired to even blink an eye. After a while, my brother-in-law got inside the room with the same complaint I had.

I did not get out of the room until the party was over. I was not aware though of what really took place, how terribly a nuisance were most of the uninvited people. I fell soundly asleep as my nephew. I have other reasons for sleeping though besides the unruly gate crashers. My blood pressure, I was sure, shoot up. I ate a lot of chicharon during lunch. I do not want to believe that blood pressure can shoot up that fast in relation to what I have eaten earlier in the day. I was, however, sure that my BP was not anymore near normal yesterday night. I felt light-headed accompanied by headband headache. There was tingly sensation in both my arms. These were my usual symptoms when my blood pressure shoots up beyond 140/90.

Because it was April Fools' Day yesterday was not good reason enough to be acting so insanely foolish. In fact nothing could justify the way people behaved last night in my nephew's birthday party. It was plain and simple stupidity coupled with much insensitivity. A party goes beyond the food served. It goes beyond the music that drowns the laughter of party goers. It is supposed to be very special to the host for whatever purpose he has in mind. It is also as equally important to the celebrant being honored on the day. But if people start acting silly, if people commence to become the irrational animal they were not born to be, these would be too embarrassing on the party host and too unfair to the party honoree. I hate big parties for this sole reason that most people not my acquaintances cannot just simply and plainly behave like the uninvited guests that they are. Sadly yesterday, everything was too late, but happily my small nephew was too young to understand man's folly, may it be April Fools' Day or any ordinary day.

A FEW GOOD MEN

My Students...Soon to be Teachers

The noblest profession, they say, is teaching. The most challenging profession also is teaching. One of the least paid also is teaching. I know better because I, for one, is a teacher. Yeah, it is a noble profession. People have high regard of teachers. If not for teachers, no other professionals exist today. Sounds trite but true. Teachers always have seats reserved for them. They are always respected, honored. Teaching is also very challenging. It is a creative balance of parenting, managing and instructing students. It demands so much patience. Unfortunately, mine is fast dwindling...and I'm not paid as much as other less challenging jobs there are in the market. I'm sad!

I am also a part time faculty member of a community college-actually a university extension. I teach Education courses for students desiring to become teachers like me. Of the almost 50 students I have, only eight are gentlemen. Only eight are gentlemen, but they are extraordinary men. Intellectually, they are all above average. However, what I admire so much of these men is their sense of respect to education, to me, their mentor and to themselves as future teachers. In them, I found the satisfaction of working hard, teaching. In these few but elite group of men, I found the appreciation which I sorely missed from my high school students.

It must be the maturity that comes with age and the many experiences in life that these gentlemen have, which made them what they are today. Most of them are beyond 20 years old. Many of them have worked hard to be able to study in college. Most of them are street smart-made to understand life earlier than others, made to experience life harder than others and made to see life beyond life itself. I admire these men. They come from different places, of different backgrounds, yet they are one with me in regarding highly education and pedagogy.

In high school, the culture of appreciating teachers is not so much understood by the students. I don't want to believe age is the culprit. Even 16 year old seniors cannot seem to appreciate the hard work their teachers have done. At the end of the day, I am so physically tired and mentally drained dealing with immature, disrespectful and stubborn students. I always look forward to meeting my college students. Together with the ladies, these gentlemen appreciate so much my effort to teach them the rudiments of becoming a good teacher someday. It is so heart-warming.

My college students are aged with so many life experiences-happy and sad. Because of these, they grow to learn how to appreciate the efforts of others for they themselves have experienced that earning others' approval is so hard. It is very hard to please others. I may not have been a good teacher everyday to my college students, but at least, they are sensitive enough not to show their disdain. They even inspired me more to teach better because I always feel appreciated among these men. This I failed to experience among my high school students...and I'm sad.