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?
Monday, April 13, 2009
FEED THE MANIAC IN ME
A Blind Leading the Blinds Not Astray
Saturday, April 11, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, April 10, 2009
IF YOU CANNOT BE A PUSSY, THEN AT LEAST BE A CAT
Lessons about Life as Taught by a Cat
Though the world fascinates me (and sometimes makes me sad), nothing more intrigues me than human behavior. The complexity of human behavior is reflected in the many theories that are supposed to explain and understand these behaviors. Our behavior and way of life become so complex because we interact with each other. Basically, we are social animals, very similar to dogs. Can life be a little simpler and less complicated if we are less socially interactive (or worse, reactive)? Problems arise whenever people start to interact. The more interaction a person has, the more concerned and insecure he becomes. We have a family cat. Cats are known to be solitary, yet they appear to be contented with life. I know we are not cats. But we should learn from the cats in terms of social interaction.
Our family cat is actually not ours. It just arrived in the house. At first, it is very shy, it seldom feeds when someone is looking. It shies itself away from people and from other cats. It was then a kitten only. Its behavior bothers us, but we continued giving it food. Our own two dogs became curious of it. We started acquainting both dogs, Frodo and Dora, to the small kitten we aptly christened Ingkay. After a time, the kitten, now a small cat, could be seen playing with Frodo and Dora. Frodo, our Doberman, had special bond with Ingkay. He kept on snatching Ingkay through his mouth, which the small cat was so game about. The small cat now has two friends and we have us as its unofficial supporters.
Through time, the small kitten has now grown into a young male cat. Ingkay, as he is known to be, has become so inappropriate a name for him. He has now broaden his circle of friends to include us. Because he feels accepted by the family, he takes the freedom of getting inside the house, well, freely. He has a penchant to sit and sleep by the dining table chairs. He also likes to stay on my bed. What we like about this cat is he never gets his way on food. He knows that he will be feed, so he waits for feeding time. In so many ways, I would like us people to be like cats. Afar, they look so fragile yet so strong when you get to fight with one. They are solitary. They like life to be less complicated. Alike dogs, they can also be man's best friend.
What bothers me with people is that most of them appear to be strong when they are actually not. Most people have brute force but very unwilling spirit. Because we are presented with so many options about life, we don't persevere in one endeavour, but keep on jumping from one choice to another. We are unlike cats. Cats persevere because they feel they are only presented with less opportunities in life. Domesticated cats are the smaller creatures in the whole animal kingdom. They do not occupy a very good position in the animal food chain; however, this has not hampered them to become so cunning about life. They are one of the more intelligent animals(more than humans). They have survived time because they are cunning and persevering. People should be like cats, at least, in spirit.
Cats like to be alone; people like to be with company. Man hates silence. He cannot just take the sound of a deafening silence. He likes to be in a noisy company because he wants to rid himself of his problems. Undoubtedly though and ironically, his problems are caused by his frequent association with supposed to be close acquaintances. We have so many problems, life to us seem so complicated because we lead a life with so many social interactions. We go up and down the social ladder without preparing ourselves for the adventure. We cannot flock with our own feathered friends. We have to flutter outside our comfort circle hoping to flatter others and get flattered in returned. But obviously, this is not correct and all together wrong.
If we only have live our lives like cats in some ways, ours would have been simpler and less discomforting. We could have been more true to oursleves and our capabilities. Let us not pretend who we really are not. Just like a cat, it is better to look so fragile afar yet so ferocious nearby. We only have one life to live; cats have nine, so we better have to clean our act now. In terms of relationship, we could have been more discriminating in our choice of people to associate with. Remember that conflicts arise only with people with whom we have been linked to, one way or another however remotely. Cats are solitary animals, and because they have less contact with other cats, we seldom hear them quarreling (not unless they are in heat and pussies start acting like brute cats again). It would be very hard to be like a cute cuddly pussy. However, if we cannot be one...
Though the world fascinates me (and sometimes makes me sad), nothing more intrigues me than human behavior. The complexity of human behavior is reflected in the many theories that are supposed to explain and understand these behaviors. Our behavior and way of life become so complex because we interact with each other. Basically, we are social animals, very similar to dogs. Can life be a little simpler and less complicated if we are less socially interactive (or worse, reactive)? Problems arise whenever people start to interact. The more interaction a person has, the more concerned and insecure he becomes. We have a family cat. Cats are known to be solitary, yet they appear to be contented with life. I know we are not cats. But we should learn from the cats in terms of social interaction.
Our family cat is actually not ours. It just arrived in the house. At first, it is very shy, it seldom feeds when someone is looking. It shies itself away from people and from other cats. It was then a kitten only. Its behavior bothers us, but we continued giving it food. Our own two dogs became curious of it. We started acquainting both dogs, Frodo and Dora, to the small kitten we aptly christened Ingkay. After a time, the kitten, now a small cat, could be seen playing with Frodo and Dora. Frodo, our Doberman, had special bond with Ingkay. He kept on snatching Ingkay through his mouth, which the small cat was so game about. The small cat now has two friends and we have us as its unofficial supporters.
Through time, the small kitten has now grown into a young male cat. Ingkay, as he is known to be, has become so inappropriate a name for him. He has now broaden his circle of friends to include us. Because he feels accepted by the family, he takes the freedom of getting inside the house, well, freely. He has a penchant to sit and sleep by the dining table chairs. He also likes to stay on my bed. What we like about this cat is he never gets his way on food. He knows that he will be feed, so he waits for feeding time. In so many ways, I would like us people to be like cats. Afar, they look so fragile yet so strong when you get to fight with one. They are solitary. They like life to be less complicated. Alike dogs, they can also be man's best friend.
What bothers me with people is that most of them appear to be strong when they are actually not. Most people have brute force but very unwilling spirit. Because we are presented with so many options about life, we don't persevere in one endeavour, but keep on jumping from one choice to another. We are unlike cats. Cats persevere because they feel they are only presented with less opportunities in life. Domesticated cats are the smaller creatures in the whole animal kingdom. They do not occupy a very good position in the animal food chain; however, this has not hampered them to become so cunning about life. They are one of the more intelligent animals(more than humans). They have survived time because they are cunning and persevering. People should be like cats, at least, in spirit.
Cats like to be alone; people like to be with company. Man hates silence. He cannot just take the sound of a deafening silence. He likes to be in a noisy company because he wants to rid himself of his problems. Undoubtedly though and ironically, his problems are caused by his frequent association with supposed to be close acquaintances. We have so many problems, life to us seem so complicated because we lead a life with so many social interactions. We go up and down the social ladder without preparing ourselves for the adventure. We cannot flock with our own feathered friends. We have to flutter outside our comfort circle hoping to flatter others and get flattered in returned. But obviously, this is not correct and all together wrong.
If we only have live our lives like cats in some ways, ours would have been simpler and less discomforting. We could have been more true to oursleves and our capabilities. Let us not pretend who we really are not. Just like a cat, it is better to look so fragile afar yet so ferocious nearby. We only have one life to live; cats have nine, so we better have to clean our act now. In terms of relationship, we could have been more discriminating in our choice of people to associate with. Remember that conflicts arise only with people with whom we have been linked to, one way or another however remotely. Cats are solitary animals, and because they have less contact with other cats, we seldom hear them quarreling (not unless they are in heat and pussies start acting like brute cats again). It would be very hard to be like a cute cuddly pussy. However, if we cannot be one...
Thursday, April 9, 2009
WHEN CAN WE REALLY BE HAPPY?
Lenten Retreat: A Reflection
Retreat is just simply rest from the worldly concerns. Resting in a retreat does not, however, mean doing nothing and just relaxing from the worldly cares. While on a retreat, we focus ourselves on our past experiences. Since it deals with the past, we should take a break in our busy lives and look back in the past. For a successful retreat, we must have a deeper philosophy about true happiness, eternal love, and great faith to help us assess our lives.
When can we tell we are happy? Is it when we are with our friends, families, and our special someone? Does the fulfillment of our dreams bring us happiness? Is having fame, glory, and power a happy life? There are multitude of ways of measuring, quantifying happiness. Since happiness is abstract and appeals ony to the emotion, such measures always fail though. Happiness is very subject. It is fleeting to others but eternal and forever to some. It may just simply be joy or it may be catharsis.
I tell you, happiness depends not outside but inside of us. If we truly desire happiness, we should not want it but we should be willing to lose everything for the Supreme Master. However, we must lose all attachments to our wants not instantly but gradually. These attachments with things or other people whom we would not want to lose are our own demise. For us not to be unhappy, we should surrender everything and everyone to Him, even our lives.
Love is a mystery in itself. It comes unexpected in our lives. It leads us to do things we never know we could. The same is true with loving a person like your parents, siblings, friends or a more special friend. But once you love a person and never let go, then I tell you that what you feel is not love but a selfish fruit of your self-love. As humans, we are lovers and we think that if we do not love ourselves then we also do not love others. On the contrary, it is when we love Him that we will follow Him and we will be able to love like Him — a selfless kind of love.
Above all, my fellow Christians, it is with great faith that we will be able to fill the spiritual void in us. With faith, we can strengthen our love and attain a happier life. If we are happy, we are also contented more than mere satisfaction can bring. If we love, we are also concerned with others that we are willing to lose them for the better good. Finally, if we have faith in God we will be truly happy and eternally in love with Him through ourselves, through others, and through everything else. Amen…
Retreat is just simply rest from the worldly concerns. Resting in a retreat does not, however, mean doing nothing and just relaxing from the worldly cares. While on a retreat, we focus ourselves on our past experiences. Since it deals with the past, we should take a break in our busy lives and look back in the past. For a successful retreat, we must have a deeper philosophy about true happiness, eternal love, and great faith to help us assess our lives.
When can we tell we are happy? Is it when we are with our friends, families, and our special someone? Does the fulfillment of our dreams bring us happiness? Is having fame, glory, and power a happy life? There are multitude of ways of measuring, quantifying happiness. Since happiness is abstract and appeals ony to the emotion, such measures always fail though. Happiness is very subject. It is fleeting to others but eternal and forever to some. It may just simply be joy or it may be catharsis.
I tell you, happiness depends not outside but inside of us. If we truly desire happiness, we should not want it but we should be willing to lose everything for the Supreme Master. However, we must lose all attachments to our wants not instantly but gradually. These attachments with things or other people whom we would not want to lose are our own demise. For us not to be unhappy, we should surrender everything and everyone to Him, even our lives.
Love is a mystery in itself. It comes unexpected in our lives. It leads us to do things we never know we could. The same is true with loving a person like your parents, siblings, friends or a more special friend. But once you love a person and never let go, then I tell you that what you feel is not love but a selfish fruit of your self-love. As humans, we are lovers and we think that if we do not love ourselves then we also do not love others. On the contrary, it is when we love Him that we will follow Him and we will be able to love like Him — a selfless kind of love.
Above all, my fellow Christians, it is with great faith that we will be able to fill the spiritual void in us. With faith, we can strengthen our love and attain a happier life. If we are happy, we are also contented more than mere satisfaction can bring. If we love, we are also concerned with others that we are willing to lose them for the better good. Finally, if we have faith in God we will be truly happy and eternally in love with Him through ourselves, through others, and through everything else. Amen…
(With loving thanks to my former student, Biboy.)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
MATH AND THAT RIDICULOUS GOLF SHIRT
Why Hate Math, It's Not Even Golf?
I went to school yesterday though it was already Holy Wednesday. I have to sign some report cards of one junior section. This section is under me in computer programming. The group is a heterogeneous bunch of students - from the most intelligent of the batch to the least. The students, however, are jovial, easier to deal with and quite respectful. As I was going through their final average grades, I found out that Computer III (my subject), Chemistry and Geometry grades are not as high as the other non-number subjects. Computer programming, Chemistry and Geometry are subjects that demand highly of the students' mathematical and logical reasoning skills. Sadly, students today are not able to develop well their higher order thinking skills which include analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
If a rough survey will be done, majority of high school students do not love Mathematics as they do for English and Science. When has this seeming abhorrence for numbers started? It must have started very early in one's life. When we were born, our brains contain only minimal traces of learning. Since knowledge acquisition is mostly experiential, learning therefore is much dictated by what life experiences one has - realistic, contrived and dramatized. Solving problems early in life, even while still a toddler, helps in developing math/logic skills. Our greatest problem, however, is we tend to pamper so much our children when they were still young. We gave them almost anything without the children doing any in return to compensate the favor. Children as early as one year old should be given simple tasks to do and simple commands to follow. These two are just some of the ways of jump-starting their eagerness to embrace numbers later on in life.
Mathematics is reflected in nature. Wherever one looks, the laws governing numbers-their position in space-are very apparent. Everything beautiful around us in fact is governed by geometric symmetry. Flower blooms, sea shells, bee hives and even ridiculous shirt designs follow patterns that are obviously mathematics in origin. Decisions to be made in life are governed by logic and logical reasoning. Logical reasoning has its basis in mathematics. Everything around us, therefore, is governed by the laws of numbers. When a child has been pervertedly and unconsciously taught to loath numbers, this poor creature is doomed to extinction. To survive life, one needs intelligence for both numbers and logical reasoning. This is obviously because everything around is touched by numbers.
The poor showing of students in high school subjects related to Mathematics is complex in origin, hence, demands a complex solution. There is just no simple solution to it. However, anybody's first concern is to undo the damage that has been done long before the child enters the school. It is imperative that students should be motivated back to love numbers and embrace solving problems with numbers. They should made to realize that there is nothing difficult with numbers, but it takes time to deal with numbers and with problems involving numbers. When the students were still young, they were made to understand that everything in life is easy. Thus today students don't like to spend so much time thinking and doing things such as solving mathematical problems. Analysis needs time to concentrate. This is what teenagers today do not have. They were not taught patience and perseverance, both of which are attitudes needed not only in solving math but real life problems.
Because Chemistry, Geometry and Computer programming all demand precious time and perseverance, students do not like these subjects. Obviously, though, they do not have any option but to take them in third year. The role both teachers and parents should play alike is to support these students. Make them understand that numbers are not the problem but their attitude about hard work. Though education is needed in life, it is not however needed to get rich. Mathematics is badly needed to get rich. Top US billionaires have parents who have high math IQ. Most of them have not gone to college, but most of them have one way or the other work with numbers. Successful people in sports know their mathematics. Efren the Magician knows very well his Trigonometry and Physics. Manny the Pacman thinks logically. Even Chris Tiu must have been good with math; however, according to him it was discipline and perseverance that made him succeed in basketball. Tiger Woods should be good in Physics, or how else is he able to sink those tiny balls in their holes - even if how ridiculous golf attire may be?
I went to school yesterday though it was already Holy Wednesday. I have to sign some report cards of one junior section. This section is under me in computer programming. The group is a heterogeneous bunch of students - from the most intelligent of the batch to the least. The students, however, are jovial, easier to deal with and quite respectful. As I was going through their final average grades, I found out that Computer III (my subject), Chemistry and Geometry grades are not as high as the other non-number subjects. Computer programming, Chemistry and Geometry are subjects that demand highly of the students' mathematical and logical reasoning skills. Sadly, students today are not able to develop well their higher order thinking skills which include analysis, synthesis and evaluation.
If a rough survey will be done, majority of high school students do not love Mathematics as they do for English and Science. When has this seeming abhorrence for numbers started? It must have started very early in one's life. When we were born, our brains contain only minimal traces of learning. Since knowledge acquisition is mostly experiential, learning therefore is much dictated by what life experiences one has - realistic, contrived and dramatized. Solving problems early in life, even while still a toddler, helps in developing math/logic skills. Our greatest problem, however, is we tend to pamper so much our children when they were still young. We gave them almost anything without the children doing any in return to compensate the favor. Children as early as one year old should be given simple tasks to do and simple commands to follow. These two are just some of the ways of jump-starting their eagerness to embrace numbers later on in life.
Mathematics is reflected in nature. Wherever one looks, the laws governing numbers-their position in space-are very apparent. Everything beautiful around us in fact is governed by geometric symmetry. Flower blooms, sea shells, bee hives and even ridiculous shirt designs follow patterns that are obviously mathematics in origin. Decisions to be made in life are governed by logic and logical reasoning. Logical reasoning has its basis in mathematics. Everything around us, therefore, is governed by the laws of numbers. When a child has been pervertedly and unconsciously taught to loath numbers, this poor creature is doomed to extinction. To survive life, one needs intelligence for both numbers and logical reasoning. This is obviously because everything around is touched by numbers.
The poor showing of students in high school subjects related to Mathematics is complex in origin, hence, demands a complex solution. There is just no simple solution to it. However, anybody's first concern is to undo the damage that has been done long before the child enters the school. It is imperative that students should be motivated back to love numbers and embrace solving problems with numbers. They should made to realize that there is nothing difficult with numbers, but it takes time to deal with numbers and with problems involving numbers. When the students were still young, they were made to understand that everything in life is easy. Thus today students don't like to spend so much time thinking and doing things such as solving mathematical problems. Analysis needs time to concentrate. This is what teenagers today do not have. They were not taught patience and perseverance, both of which are attitudes needed not only in solving math but real life problems.
Because Chemistry, Geometry and Computer programming all demand precious time and perseverance, students do not like these subjects. Obviously, though, they do not have any option but to take them in third year. The role both teachers and parents should play alike is to support these students. Make them understand that numbers are not the problem but their attitude about hard work. Though education is needed in life, it is not however needed to get rich. Mathematics is badly needed to get rich. Top US billionaires have parents who have high math IQ. Most of them have not gone to college, but most of them have one way or the other work with numbers. Successful people in sports know their mathematics. Efren the Magician knows very well his Trigonometry and Physics. Manny the Pacman thinks logically. Even Chris Tiu must have been good with math; however, according to him it was discipline and perseverance that made him succeed in basketball. Tiger Woods should be good in Physics, or how else is he able to sink those tiny balls in their holes - even if how ridiculous golf attire may be?
Monday, April 6, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
WHICH WAY IS TO A MAN'S HEART?
Cooking for Food & Cooking for Pleasure
Though I am a people person, I also treasure moments of being all alone. Whenever I am all by myself, I think more clearly and maintain more my focus. Whenever I am alone, I start to see things in different perspective, very unlike what other people think about them. I become more creative. I become more imaginative. I explore, innovate then recreate - fashion out things from scratch. This is how I started my creative passion for cooking. I love cooking, preparing gourmet dishes out of ordinary ingredients. I cook for myself, but I definitely enjoy more cooking for the family and close friends. I just love the high that comes after cooking for others, creating something that satisfies discriminating palates of relatives and close acquaintances. The feeling is addictive.
I spent my childhood years with my paternal grandmother. She can cook very well. She was I think my first teacher in cooking. I always looked at her before whenever she was cooking. But because I was small then, I never got to handle anything yet and really cooked. She was a great influence though. I don't bake but I was also very fascinated before looking at my aunt prepare some holiday pastries. She has a special recipe for a short cake which is until today a hit to everyone. Unfortunately, she has grown old and nobody learned from her. I would like to believe that I do, but I don't bake. The preparation is more meticulous and time consuming, thus tiring. I salute, therefore, my great aunt. Great cooking, hence, is in my blood so to say. I have a Lola that cooks well. I have an Auntie that does equally as well. They are my first cooking mentors.
Another of my great influences is our house help before. She was young when she came to live with us. She served the family for 23 long years. She was very diligent and respectful that we adopted her as really part of the family. She can also cook very well. Her expertise ranges from native home-style delicacies, meat dishes, cakes and pastries to desserts. It was a delight watching her do what she did best in the kitchen. In her own humble way of cooking, she cooked her way to every family member's heart...and stomach. I learned from her the finer points of cutting, preparing and maintaining the freshness of vegetables. It was also from her where I learned how to concoct meat soups usually with Spanish flare. She can baked pineapple sunny side up and butter cake to a tee just only for afternoon merienda. I miss both today whenever I have my afternoon coffee.
When I started cooking for the family and some close friends and reaped afterwards the accolades that came after every hearty meal, I decided that I have to be serious with my cooking hobby. I still consider cooking as one of my productive hobbies. I meant no offense, when cooking is supposed to be a science and must be given the importance it deserves being one. I bought a number cookery books and started reading. I learned a lot through reading and then practicing what I have understood. There were burnt eggs along the way, soggy veggies here and there but through dedication and constant cooking, I learned, notwithstanding all the complaints from the family. I still have with me some of the cooking books. Some of them though were with my friends now who also wanted to cook.
With the proliferation of so many TV channels devoted solely to instructional cooking, my passion for cooking today is at its greatest. I dig for Curtis Stone in Take Home Chef and Bobby Chin for World Cafe Asia. I love Curtis's simple take on complicated gourmet dishes. His style of presenting is simple yet the dishes created are superb. Bobby's theatrical flare with a dash of kitchen joke entertains me. I also go for Asian cuisine - its varied texture and rich spices remind me of my roots. Besides these two, there are other TV shows that deal with cooking. All these have helped me become much better in the kitchen. Not to mention that these shows also have greatly raised my respect to all people inside the kitchen who prepare us our food, from the most lowly kitchen orderly to the master chef.
I am sure it is not only true to me that being alone brings out the creative best in a person. A lot of us dread being all alone. I think it is because there is too much silence when one is alone. However, it is in silence only that you get to listen very well - silence of the mind, silence of the lips and silence of the heart. Although I am a people person, I embrace silence. I love being all alone, being silent for once. It is total silence that allows me to think more about myself, make an inventory of my strengths and work on my weaknesses. I have discovered so many things about myself only in silence. I think it was when I was all alone in the house and I felt hungry that I discovered that I can cook. I may have been pushed by the occasion, but if I have not been left alone in silence, I would not have picked the pan and started cooking. After all, one of man's most basic need he can't live without is food.
I spent my childhood years with my paternal grandmother. She can cook very well. She was I think my first teacher in cooking. I always looked at her before whenever she was cooking. But because I was small then, I never got to handle anything yet and really cooked. She was a great influence though. I don't bake but I was also very fascinated before looking at my aunt prepare some holiday pastries. She has a special recipe for a short cake which is until today a hit to everyone. Unfortunately, she has grown old and nobody learned from her. I would like to believe that I do, but I don't bake. The preparation is more meticulous and time consuming, thus tiring. I salute, therefore, my great aunt. Great cooking, hence, is in my blood so to say. I have a Lola that cooks well. I have an Auntie that does equally as well. They are my first cooking mentors.
Another of my great influences is our house help before. She was young when she came to live with us. She served the family for 23 long years. She was very diligent and respectful that we adopted her as really part of the family. She can also cook very well. Her expertise ranges from native home-style delicacies, meat dishes, cakes and pastries to desserts. It was a delight watching her do what she did best in the kitchen. In her own humble way of cooking, she cooked her way to every family member's heart...and stomach. I learned from her the finer points of cutting, preparing and maintaining the freshness of vegetables. It was also from her where I learned how to concoct meat soups usually with Spanish flare. She can baked pineapple sunny side up and butter cake to a tee just only for afternoon merienda. I miss both today whenever I have my afternoon coffee.
When I started cooking for the family and some close friends and reaped afterwards the accolades that came after every hearty meal, I decided that I have to be serious with my cooking hobby. I still consider cooking as one of my productive hobbies. I meant no offense, when cooking is supposed to be a science and must be given the importance it deserves being one. I bought a number cookery books and started reading. I learned a lot through reading and then practicing what I have understood. There were burnt eggs along the way, soggy veggies here and there but through dedication and constant cooking, I learned, notwithstanding all the complaints from the family. I still have with me some of the cooking books. Some of them though were with my friends now who also wanted to cook.
With the proliferation of so many TV channels devoted solely to instructional cooking, my passion for cooking today is at its greatest. I dig for Curtis Stone in Take Home Chef and Bobby Chin for World Cafe Asia. I love Curtis's simple take on complicated gourmet dishes. His style of presenting is simple yet the dishes created are superb. Bobby's theatrical flare with a dash of kitchen joke entertains me. I also go for Asian cuisine - its varied texture and rich spices remind me of my roots. Besides these two, there are other TV shows that deal with cooking. All these have helped me become much better in the kitchen. Not to mention that these shows also have greatly raised my respect to all people inside the kitchen who prepare us our food, from the most lowly kitchen orderly to the master chef.
I am sure it is not only true to me that being alone brings out the creative best in a person. A lot of us dread being all alone. I think it is because there is too much silence when one is alone. However, it is in silence only that you get to listen very well - silence of the mind, silence of the lips and silence of the heart. Although I am a people person, I embrace silence. I love being all alone, being silent for once. It is total silence that allows me to think more about myself, make an inventory of my strengths and work on my weaknesses. I have discovered so many things about myself only in silence. I think it was when I was all alone in the house and I felt hungry that I discovered that I can cook. I may have been pushed by the occasion, but if I have not been left alone in silence, I would not have picked the pan and started cooking. After all, one of man's most basic need he can't live without is food.
ALL BY MYSELF THIS HOT LENTEN SEASON
The Luxury of Being All Alone
Tomorrow, Sunday, ushers the start of the Holy Week. To the Christian world, this is the most important celebration and the holiest of all. The entire week is devoted to prayer, fasting and penance. This also commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Unfortunately, because it is a long holiday, most people rather see it as one long summer vacation, devoid of any religious meaning. Families usually go out of town, visit relatives in the province and hopefully celebrate Lent there. Friends and workmates usually get together in an outdoor fun and frolic. They
either go to beaches or climb mountains. Because it would also be too hot, most people really decide to spend Holy Week where the beach is or where there is much cooler weather. I will spend mine just at home.
I have nothing especial planned for the Holy Week. There is nothing so extraordinary with the way I observe Lent. I do go to church, but I seldom join religious activities prepared for the occasion. I am not a very religious person, but I do have a very strong faith in my God. I usually just stay inside the house, read a lot of books and maybe blog a lot this time. I stayed with my Mom in the house. She often observes piously the Holy Week. I am usually left in the house all alone whenever she attends masses intended for the season. We do fast and because of this I have all my time in the kitchen
concocting whatever meat-free dish I can manage from what is inside the ref. This may be boring to some, but because I love being alone, I find the Holy Week the most opportune time to reflect all about myself.
I love to be alone. I treasure my time so much whenever I am all alone. It is only when I am far from people when I get to refocus myself, think clearly of the future. It is only when I am all alone when I can reminisce the past and reflect on what has happened so far in life. Being alone is different from being isolated though. I don't want to be isolated and I don't want to live in isolation - out of contact with any living being. I am basically a people person. I thrive well when in group. I can lead well too and I can always be the life of any party. However, just like any person, I get tired too
with people. I just need to be alone and the Holy week to me is the best time for this. I got to be in touch with my faith. I got to be in touch with myself. I tend to forget the people around. I am just free, all alone by myself.
There are just so many things that have happened to me. Some in the remote past, I still cannot forget. A few memorable events have just happened more recently which were all still very clear to my mind. These memories maybe happy or sad. They may have been triumphs of spirit or cries of defeat. Whenever I am all alone, I think about all these memories, reflect on their meanings, their implications to my life and what I have to do for the future. I have to learn from the lessons of these memories. They may be figments of the past
today; however, they can be the best lessons to be learned for the future. I don't have the luxury to reminisce, to learn from the mistakes of the past unless I am all alone, not lonely nor isolated - just plainly all alone.
Because I am not into ritualistic tedium of my religion, I can never be seen outside as pious as I am in spirit. During the Lenten season, I do go to church but I don't indulge myself into so many sacrificial work of penance. I do fast but I don't have to show it to others. In fact during the Holy Week I appear as I am like any ordinary day. I do not do so much. I just usually stay home. Go to the beach and maybe explore the sands. Read a lot and reflect on life. I treasure my being all alone. It would be a luxury today to be all alone with yourself and to yourself. Seldom will one find time and place which allow one to bask in glorious aloneness. To a few people the Holy Week is, sadly, fun and frolic. To the religious and pious, a time for penance and sacrifice. To me, it is to be alone, to be with myself - thinking of the past, charting the future.
Tomorrow, Sunday, ushers the start of the Holy Week. To the Christian world, this is the most important celebration and the holiest of all. The entire week is devoted to prayer, fasting and penance. This also commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Unfortunately, because it is a long holiday, most people rather see it as one long summer vacation, devoid of any religious meaning. Families usually go out of town, visit relatives in the province and hopefully celebrate Lent there. Friends and workmates usually get together in an outdoor fun and frolic. They
either go to beaches or climb mountains. Because it would also be too hot, most people really decide to spend Holy Week where the beach is or where there is much cooler weather. I will spend mine just at home.I have nothing especial planned for the Holy Week. There is nothing so extraordinary with the way I observe Lent. I do go to church, but I seldom join religious activities prepared for the occasion. I am not a very religious person, but I do have a very strong faith in my God. I usually just stay inside the house, read a lot of books and maybe blog a lot this time. I stayed with my Mom in the house. She often observes piously the Holy Week. I am usually left in the house all alone whenever she attends masses intended for the season. We do fast and because of this I have all my time in the kitchen
concocting whatever meat-free dish I can manage from what is inside the ref. This may be boring to some, but because I love being alone, I find the Holy Week the most opportune time to reflect all about myself.I love to be alone. I treasure my time so much whenever I am all alone. It is only when I am far from people when I get to refocus myself, think clearly of the future. It is only when I am all alone when I can reminisce the past and reflect on what has happened so far in life. Being alone is different from being isolated though. I don't want to be isolated and I don't want to live in isolation - out of contact with any living being. I am basically a people person. I thrive well when in group. I can lead well too and I can always be the life of any party. However, just like any person, I get tired too
with people. I just need to be alone and the Holy week to me is the best time for this. I got to be in touch with my faith. I got to be in touch with myself. I tend to forget the people around. I am just free, all alone by myself.There are just so many things that have happened to me. Some in the remote past, I still cannot forget. A few memorable events have just happened more recently which were all still very clear to my mind. These memories maybe happy or sad. They may have been triumphs of spirit or cries of defeat. Whenever I am all alone, I think about all these memories, reflect on their meanings, their implications to my life and what I have to do for the future. I have to learn from the lessons of these memories. They may be figments of the past
today; however, they can be the best lessons to be learned for the future. I don't have the luxury to reminisce, to learn from the mistakes of the past unless I am all alone, not lonely nor isolated - just plainly all alone.Because I am not into ritualistic tedium of my religion, I can never be seen outside as pious as I am in spirit. During the Lenten season, I do go to church but I don't indulge myself into so many sacrificial work of penance. I do fast but I don't have to show it to others. In fact during the Holy Week I appear as I am like any ordinary day. I do not do so much. I just usually stay home. Go to the beach and maybe explore the sands. Read a lot and reflect on life. I treasure my being all alone. It would be a luxury today to be all alone with yourself and to yourself. Seldom will one find time and place which allow one to bask in glorious aloneness. To a few people the Holy Week is, sadly, fun and frolic. To the religious and pious, a time for penance and sacrifice. To me, it is to be alone, to be with myself - thinking of the past, charting the future.
Friday, April 3, 2009
SEX, SECURITY, INTIMACY, ESTEEM
Ambling Myself to Self-Actualization
I woke up late today and on the right side of the bed. I just took my morning coffee and some chocolate cookies. I would have liked to take a full breakfast; however, I hated to prepare it. I was just too famished. After, to kill the time, I cut my fingernails. I would have liked my nails done professionally. I just don't have the time to tarry along with the manicurist. She's too loud, I hate her whenever she opens her mouth. I have to look for another one to do my nails next time. My sister arrived to chat with my brother who was planning to purchase a prime property consisting of a house and lot. I knew my brother, and I just could not imagine him buying such. He once told me that a house (but not a lot) is a bad investment, and I agree with him.
I live in our ancestral house. I pride myself as the heir apparent to it, although I have to relinquish it someday to whomever can be trusted to take good care of it. I had, therefore, no other obligation but to keep the house in good condition today while I stay there. Maintaining the house in pristine condition and always spic and span though cost a sizable amount of money. Through time, obviously, a house deteriorates. Not unless one rents it or accept boarders and lodgers will one earn from a house. A house is simply not meant for one to earn an income, rather it is an investment that depreciates with time and demands a significant amount of money to maintain in good condition. My brother was right, and I was right too. If there be any consolation, at least I was made the caretaker of the ancestral house.
Ours is a small family but I am quite appalled by the idea that we own quite a number of cars. I never drive too much and everywhere I go is accessible by walking. Even my place of work is just a 30 minute walk. I do not own these cars. These are my father's. At home, we have the Prado and the Sportiva. In my sister's, they have the Estrada, the HiAce and the multipurpose cab. Our youngest sister has the Corolla and the Pajero. This is not to mention that my other brother drives his own Pajero. My father and my brother-in-law love cars. I don't. I have lived in the city for quite a number of years. Walking to me then was a luxury. Now, that I live in this laid back southern town, I can always indulge in one
of man's most neglected pleasures - walking. Whenever I walk home from work in the afternoon, it is such a bliss.
I am not on houses nor on cars. I also do not dig in to high tech gadgets. I only have my laptop, a bedroom computer and another one in the living room. The laptop for work, the bedroom for personal use, and the living room for games. I have never bought myself a cellular phone. I have only three ever since the craze started. All were gratis et amore. The first unit I have, a Nokia 6210, was from our youngest sister. She loved the size but later on opted for a unit with a built-in camera. I have a new phone now, a Nokia 2630, which was also given to me by my other younger sister. No fancy TV at home. I own a portable DVD player though and a simple CD player. The latter cost me only $20, and still it is crooning nice music for me. I take good care of anything I own, especially those that were just given to me.
I am just happy that I have transcended the first four human needs according to Maslow. I consider myself still young, but I am proud to say that what I need today go beyond safety, love and esteem. I do not hold on to material possessions because these are no longer the things that make me happy. Any kind of house will do for me, but cars, I don't need them. The latter just get into too many troubles in a country like ours where even blinds can get a driver's license. The phone was a welcomed gift; however, I can very well live without them. In fact, I seldom open my phone. It's always close. I maintain contact though with some close acquaintances, and all my appointments are usually scheduled and well-finalized. Should something go awry with them and my other engagements, people can send me an e-mail or better chat with me in real time.
I have found it that the less I am connected with material possessions, the less complicated becomes my life. I have more important concerns than a clogged drain or a sagging ceiling. I hate renewing car registrations in an office besieged with so much corruption. It's too suffocating talking with public officers who think more of the bribe rather than the engine number of my car. If I like my vehicle registration processed on time, then I have to bribe my way a lot faster and more than my car consumes gas. With my cellular phone, only the service providers get richer faster because of the too many advertising promos any sane person can handle in one day. My mother even thought cellular phone companies steal phone loads. I find this funny, but may be true. Because today I am no longer so attached with these material frills in life, my life has just gotten much better. My problem with my students though is another story!
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