New Year, New Me!

          

        The year 2013 is just around the corner - safely tucked. In a matter of hours, the sky will be ablaze with fireworks welcoming the new year. Alongside the celebration is a deep reflection of what and who we want to be in the coming year. As a farewell post to the year 2012, I have thought of asking people as to what they will change in themselves this 2013. I will just keep this introduction short, and let their responses do the talking. A "new me" this new year? Read on!

GOD DOES NOT MEDDLE IN PACQUIAO'S LIFE

The entire Philippinedom was silenced by Manny Pacquiao’s unceremonious and crushing defeat last Sunday. It came all too suddenly, like a stone being thrown at us from nowhere. His defeat in the hands of a perennial nemesis has spawned many a discussion in the tri-media and social networking channels. What I find very disturbing about this whole thing is that Manny’s new faith is being dragged into the picture. Manny’s religious conversion now figures quite prominently in any discussion or debate about his infamous fall from grace.

The Key To Contentment

half empty or half full.......

        

       A shade of man’s imperfection is his inclination to dwell on things that he does not possess. Our imperfect nature propels us to look at the other side of the fence and be bowled over by the material things that our neighbors and other people in general have. As a consequence, we cultivate the attitude of envy, which develops into discontentment in due course.

People Come and Go.......

              In our life, people come and go. Those who stay, are those with whom we have cultivated a wonderful relationship with, while those who didn’t, are simply mere acquaintances who did not make much of an impact on our lives. No man is an island as they say. We need each other in order to survive. Our relationship with others helps us in keeping ourselves alive and inspired.

        There are people that are worth keeping, while there those that we are better off without. But the latter did not come into our lives without a reason. The tides of life sent them to us in order to learn a thing or two. And for sure, they have learned something from us too.

Let's All Go to Shakey's

Let’s all go to Shakey’s…….

        Shakey’s’ commercial jingle for its latest TVC, I must say, is very catchy and palatable to the ears. The more that I hear it on the radio and see the ad on TV, the more that I like and appreciate it. The song or jingle has a nice beat to it, which makes me melodiously suffer from what we call as “LSS” or last song syndrome. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Listening to the song triggers my brain to make that proverbial trip down memory lane.

The ASWANG, Revealed.......

        Halloween provides the perfect backdrop to extend our imagination to reach the realm of the supernatural. Somehow, this occasion justifies any eager talk about ghosts, dwende, tikbalang, kapre, aswang and all other supernatural creatures. Admit it or not, we marvel at stories about the extraordinary. The Twilight mania that has reached our shores has spawned our own versions, with the aswang taking center stage. If the West has vampires, then the Philippines has the aswang.  

Unhappy Dogs.......

        I have thought of writing about this one before, but simply did not have enough motivation to do so. But what pulled the trigger so to speak, was when I saw this morning a front page picture of dogs wearing Halloween costumes on a daily broadsheet we subscribe to. Honestly, I did not find it cute. I have come across a myriad of pictures of dogs in the past wearing outlandish costumes and did not find them cute either. If I were a dog, I would bite my owner if he or she will try to put a costume on me.

A Timely Prayer.......

Have we been including Mother Nature in our prayer intentions?

         Mother Nature has been providing us with all our basic needs – such as air, water, and sunshine among many other things. But Man has become so ungrateful to her, through the omission of acts that will care for her, and through the commission of acts that continuously destroy her. The recent years saw us in the middle of Mother Nature’s fury. And in the middle of such, we prayed hard to God for our dear lives and possessions - the only thing that we can do that time. 

CLASSROOM CHRONICLES PART II : Patience

        Even the most impatient person on earth will agree that patience is a virtue. I define patience as the ability to endure the passage of time, coupled with the determination to face all trials in the pursuit of a desirable end or goal. To put it simply, it is our capacity to wait and endure. One will not be able to appreciate this virtue if that person will not figure in a situation where his or her patience will be put to an extreme test.

CLASSROOM CHRONICLES PART I : Respect

         

      Once a teacher enters the classroom, it is already a given that he or she should be accorded the respect due him or her, by virtue of being in a position of authority. Respect, however, is not gained instantly, though we have the universal prescription that every person must be respected outright, since the former is a human being and a creation of God. Respect is not given to us on a silver platter, for it is something that we have to earn and work hard for. But what is the easiest way to get respect? The shortest path to it is to respect others, so that we will be respected in return.

Some Thoughts About Jessica Sanchez

        Almost every Filipino is all agog with Jessica Sanchez since the first time she performed on the AI stage and received glowing reviews from the judges. More so now that she is in the Philippines (with other AI finalists), the country that she knew of just recently. If memory serves me right, she mentioned in an interview that she has never been to our islands. Judging from her looks, there is no doubt that she is a Filipino, except that her passport claims otherwise.

The K to 12 Program in Simple Terms

         

        A lot of educators and administrators, and other members of the academic community are talking about the so called K to 12 Program in various fora. Though already in effect, many people are still questioning its viability. In simple terms, the aforesaid program is the addition of two more years to the secondary education of a student. This translates to six years of high school education. The aforesaid program “interfaces” with three government agencies, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DEPED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). I was given the privilege by my school to attend two conventions this year (TEVSAPHIL and AASHPI), wherein one of the topics discussed was the K to 12 Program. Through this blog, allow me to share with you what I have learned as well as my personal insights. 

MY COMPANION

        My companion everyday is not necessarily a human being. It is something that keeps me company 24 hours a day, when I wake up in the morning, in the car, in my office, when I go to bed, and while I am asleep. It is something that has seen me in both my worst and best times. And this companion I am talking about, is none other than music. I am clear in mind that there is no individual who doesn’t like music. We all love listening to songs don’t we? In fact, each of us has our own list of banner songs, and this list grows longer as more years are added to our timeline.

Why do people smile when no one's smiling?
It's cause their thinking of someone they're loving.......

- Sweetest love by Robin Thicke (2008)

Forever, all I want is forever,
Am I asking too much,

Asking for all your love forever.......

- Regina Belle and James Taylor (1989)

        What I appreciate about songs, is that they either soothe or excite you, depending on the type of song you are listening to. However, there are also songs that can make you sad, most especially when you identify such songs with unfortunate events that happened in your life. But over all, music has that ability to uplift us, and cheer us up. Personally, I get pumped up whenever I hear my favorite songs. It agitates my soul, and makes me feel inspired even for only a short while. A nice song should have the ability to provide your mood with the necessary lift, and your heart with the much needed glow.

I’ll spread my wings and fly like an angel to you,

I’ll spread my wings like an eagle,

And fly straight to you.......

- Fly Away by Shanice (1999)

   Caught up in the rapture of love,
Nothing else can compare,
When I feel the magic of you.......

- Rapture by Anita Baker (1986)

  

        What draws me to a song is its melody or tune. It doesn’t matter whether it is fast, pop, jazz, hip-hop, or any other type of song as long it is palatable to my ears. But what I like particularly about a song, is that it puts into words our sentiments and feelings. It articulates our thoughts and what we feel inside. Songs provide the right words to describe our emotions through its lyrics. In other words, songs are ambassadors of our souls, for a song can fully capture the state of our being…….

Cause my heart starts beating triple time,
With thoughts of loving you on my mind,
I can't figure out just what to do,
When the cause and cure is you.......

- Weak by SWV (1993)

 

I love you just because,

I love you just because,

Just because I do.......

- Just Because by Anita Baker (1988)

        Our list of songs could very well be our album of memories. Listening to music triggers our soul to make that proverbial trip down memory lane, for there are songs that we associate with past events in our lives, both the good and bad. Listening to such songs make us reminisce about them, and could bring to us either a tear or a smile.

The first time I fell in love was long ago,
I didn't know how to give my love at all…

- The last time by Eric Benet (2005)

But have one last cry,
One last cry,
Before I leave it all behind,
I've gotta put you out of my mind this time,
Stop living a lie,
I guess I'm down to one last cry.......

- One Last Cry by Brian McKnight (1993)

Songs are able to impart to the world and the far ends of the universe what we cannot say – too shy to say such.

I only think of you on two occasions,
That's day and night…….

- Two Occasions by Babyface (1987)

Why can’t it be,

Why can’t it be the two of us,

Why can’t we be lovers,

Only friends,

You came along,

At a wrong place,

At a wrong time,

Or was it me…….

- Why Can’t It Be by Rannie Raymundo (1993)

Not enough hours in the night to hold you,

Not enough hours in your arms,

To show you,

The love I feel inside,

There’s just not enough time…….

- Not Enough Hours in the Night by After 7 (1994)

Moreover, songs serve as a mirror which reflects our hopes and desires.

I've wished on a thousand stars,
Just for a sparkle to shine through,
And lead me to you…….

- Heaven and Earth by Al Jarreau (1992)

I wish that you could be,

Dream walking,

Along with me…….

- Dreamwalking by Lee Ritenour (1982)

Oh how I wish,
That you were here,
Oh how I wish,
That you were near,
Holding me tight,
Spending some time,
Wish you were mine.......

- I Wish by Gabrielle (1993)

        I know that my companion will continue to be by my side, as I trek this journey we call life. Music will continue to make a collage of events in my life in melodious strings. Songs that I have listed in my heart and soul will continue to inspire me, and remind me of lessons that I have learned. Whoever invented music, must have had a very good and well accompanied life.......  :)

So I say,
Thank you for the music,

The songs I'm singing,
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing,
Who can live without it, 

I ask in all honesty,
What would life be?,
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music,
For giving it to me…….

- Thank You For The Music by Abba (1977)