Confronting Identity

The memories of job application still haunt me and whenever the interviewer asks me to share some things about myself which do not appear on my résumé, I usually find myself grappling with words to tell. The question seems to be one of the most difficult queries thrown to me. Whew!

I realized I have so much to share. Below are the names which I can easily identify myself with. These names will somehow reveal a part of my identity.

1. Juan dela Cruz
According to Wikipedia, this term was coined by Robert McCulloch Dick after he discovered that this name often appeared in blotters. This name symbolically represents the Filipinos and is also used to refer to the collective Filipino psyche.

First and foremost, I can easily identify with this name primarily because I am a Filipino. Second, I stayed for almost four years with my landlord whose name is Juan dela Cruz who happened to be a real fine catch. ;-)

2. Talpolano
This term is a local version of Juan dela Cruz in our place. This name represents the Bantoanons. Well, I am a Bantoanon.

Talpolanos (Bantoanons) are known for putting premium on education. Bantoanons are remarkable for their unparalleled ability to prepare delectable dishes using the coconut milk. Now, I realized how Bantoanon I am. Bantoanons speak the local dialect known as Asi and most of their last names begin with letter “F”

3. Mario Puzo
I am a Mario Puzo fan. I’ve read eight (8) books out of his nine (9) novels. I do not know him; I just know his works. His novels partly influenced my perspectives in life and showed me the real world of Mafia.

4. Don Carlos Palanca
Palanca Award is the most prestigious and most literary award giving body. I’m lucky that I was trained as a student by few Palanca Awardees namely: Carlos Ojeda Aureus, Vim Nadera, and Nilo Ocampo.

5. Junior
Well, being a Junior, I carry my father’s first name. My father really wanted that my brother be the junior but my mother did not succumb. No, they did not run out of names but my father simply wanted that he has a junior.


Picture grabbed from: www.jmorganmarketing.com

NEVER TO BEGIN

Promises and commitments are sometimes difficult to keep. Humans love making promises and easily break them owing to the fact that we have faulty memories; we easily forget. Conversely, the attitude of many people towards commitment is different; as much as possible, they keep a distance by sailing away from it.

Commitment is something which I fully understand. As a grown up, I realized that to commit myself not to engage into something which will break my heart in the long run and will sorely ache the hearts of those who love me most is NEVER TO BEGIN it.

I’m having a hard time keeping my promises and commitments but I am exerting efforts to keep them. ;-)

Picture from: http://www.pandgchurch.org.uk/what-sunday.html

Philippine Independence Day

The celebration of Philippine Independece Day every 12th of July follows American tradition.

Though America was declared independent by England, such day of declaration is not the recognized date of America's Independence Day. The people of America celebrate its independece every July 4th - the day the Americans declared their independence from England.

Besides, celebrating Philippine Independence Day on July 4 is overshadowed by American Independece Day. As such, July 4 is the Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines for the good deed done by the Americans.

Thinking Out of the Box

Asking questions about anything is something which I’m comfortable with. I find it undemanding as opposed to those moments wherein I have to provide answers. It doesn’t mean however that I hate answering certain questions. I actually have a quiz-a-day book from MENSA which literally pushes my mind to think everyday. Many think that I’m different. *sigh* I want to be normal just as they are but this is me.

I would say that I’m a collection of a lot of thoughts. I ask questions a lot and I perform certain experiments on my own just to satisfy my curiosity. At one point, I intently observed the dissolution of a powder energy drink in a glass of water. The changing of color of the water and the popping of bubbles as they rise to the water surface was such an arresting visual for me. And so I was hooked. I must confess that I couldn't believe it when I saw a white light which seemed to be the energy content of the drink which jumped out of the glass and leaped directly out of the window. It made me crazy but it left me asking whether or not energy is something which can be perceived by the human eyes. I have seen the mother ball touching other billiards ball and then the other ball rolls many times but never had the chance when I saw the energy exerted so as to move the ball. I just saw the ball kissed each other and then the movement followed.

Last night, while on the dining table, I saw little red creatures parading on their birthday suits. I didn’t mind them since they are known to be courageous in such performance all over the house. I’m pretty sure that the procession will last until the next day. Suddenly, curiosity kicked in and the burning question came out of my big mouth: “How far can ants smell?” without demanding any answer from anybody.

Janes, a friend who was there, commented that my thoughts are out-of-this-world.

Out-of-this-world?! I reacted with such a clever idea in my mind. So, I askd the most obvious: “Can you tell me something which is out of this world?” He looked at me with a grin on his face and mentioned the stars and the moon. It drove me crazy! Man, ants are in this world, they are part of our world. Though stars and moon are far, they are still part of this world, part of this universe. Nothing is out of this world. Everything we can think of has a root from our world; hence, always part of this world. Whatever figment of imagination we have, such imagination is just a fragment of our world. No new thing is entirely out of this world because what is out of this world is something which is unimaginable and indescribable.

My thoughts are not out-of-this-world. They are out-of-the-box.

Do you have an idea which is out of this world? Show it to our world.

Flipside Story: Maternal Struggle

The poor lighting did not hamper the proliferation of the artwork. The public even loved it and the work became a blockbuster hit. Nobody attempted to craft such film. The director himself did not intentionally create it to appeal the mind of the vast viewing public. The movie characters have great faces. The dialogues were so real despite the absence of a creative writer. The plot was very simple. The film does not have a twist but it has its distinct climax which was immediately followed by a sudden fall. It did not require a numerous production staff to execute complicated instructions of the director. Though it did not require any budget, rumors had it that the acquisition of the film required a hefty price. The film involved a costly treachery and someone has to pay. Many, if not all, believed that it was not a work of art. But even so, it hit majority media platforms except the theaters. The movie, based from few people who shared their stories, in one way or another revolutionized the way couples perform their private ceremonial expression of their emotions. Initially, many watched the movie at the privacy of their own until the attitude shifted to public viewing of all those who have perverse fondness of its content.

The film is a documentation of two souls who are in love. Two perfect bodies which came like magnets. One of the two souls has a truly adorable physical beauty and is innocent (Or is she?) and the partner, though physically appears like an angel keeps to himself something which he does not understand: the seduction of women and the recording of romance for personal satisfaction.

Beyond the film are multiple stories of betrayal, commitment, family values, and romance which involve innocent and guilty souls. When the film hit the shaking hands of fans, they shared their unsolicited sentiments. They were eager to see it but judged it as distasteful. Many opined that it violated certain long-held moral standards. The public hated the confused soul of the man. The public, on the other hand, sympathized with the perfectly shaped soul living in the woman’s temporal body.

While the world disliked the man, his mother sobbed in fear and shame. The man ran home for safety. He has no one to run to. Like a child, he expected that her mother is the only person who can extend a hand to make him feel secure and make everything better.

The pain of a mother over his child is incalculable. If the legal system affords every respondent the right to have a lawyer to provide him/her the legal counsel he/she needs, does it also recognize the right of the mother to provide comfort to his son? I would like to think that it does. Our law is reasonable because it does not punish the parents of crime perpetrators. In the same way, our law does not give the right to punish the parents of the victim. The sad fact is, many people not only hate the guy with angelic face but with rough interior but also, they hate his mother. Had she known that the kid will grow up such a man, she could not have provided milk and all the necessities for him to grow up. The truth is – she hoped a good future for him. The son should suffer the consequences but not his mother. Her overt actions are intended to save the life of her son – I call it maternal instincts. Her struggle is also a struggle of all mothers who have children guilty with crimes.

I feel sorry for the innocent soul and for the parents of both the victim and the perpetrator.

What do you think?

Matter of Life and Death

It is a common knowledge that some areas in Manila are not safe. For almost twelve years stay in Manila, nothing really bad happened to me until I experienced a traumatic life event which made me realize that the Murphy’s Law is haunting me, this time on a Tuesday evening.

Comfort is one of the reasons why I prefer to sit on the passenger seat beside the driver’s seat, at least in a public utility jeepney. Sitting beside the driver minimizes the disruption brought about by incoming and alighting passengers.

Happy Moments before the Encounter with Thieves
After much prodding and encouragement that we both meet Chef Lawrence in San Juan, Sheila finally yielded to have dinner at Café Ysabel in San Juan. Seeing Chef Lawrence Zafra and Sheila Mendoza-Ampongan over a sumptuous dinner at Café Ysabel (where Chef Lawrence works as Chef/Educator), was such a refreshing experience. After almost five years without any communication with Lawrence, I was able to track him through Tonton Manong , a student of Chef Lawrence and Jay’s brother. Immediately after exchanging few text messages and taking advantage of my short stay in Manila, we decided to meet over dinner to update ourselves about our personal and professional lives. Having bonded sometime during our New York Life days, we felt that we need to find time to discuss latest events after a protracted hiatus.

When I learned that Lawrence is a Chef/Educator, the movie Ratatouille came to my mind immediately. I anticipated seeing Lawrence wearing his Chef hat. Surprisingly, Lawrence showed-up with his Chef attire (minus the hat) with his name printed on the left side of his upper garment. Chef Lawrence looked like a growing young teenager who has an earring on his left ear lobe. He showed up wearing a smile. Lawrence still looked the same the last time we bonded together except that he lost his kinda bulging belly. He looked like a young kid in school. Lawrence has changed though. He is now married to a beautiful lady and seems to possess positive outlook in life. I would like to think that he has this unswerving faith after battling a serious attack. His experience in the hospital and his struggle refreshed my thoughts that indeed there are things in life which we do not know the recipe or the blueprint no matter how hard we try. We truly are not in control of everything.

Lawrence packed enseymada and the shy slices of thin crust pizza for me. Such gesture of Lawrence, whom we know as frugal, made him even more admirable (Sheils, you have to agree). ;-)

Impending Disaster
On my way home, I decided to drop by on my cousin’s house and proceeded back home. After sitting comfortable on the passenger seat, the driver halted the jeepney to accommodate a passenger which decided to sit beside me. Few seconds after, he pointed a six-inch long narrow but sharp knife on my knee and asked me to bring-out my phone. It was a real disaster. I can’t jump out of the jeepney because I’m sandwiched by him and the driver. The music kept on playing and the few passengers who were sitting near the rear entrance of the jeepney seemed unaware to what is exactly happening to me. Trying to play safe, I said “I don’t have a cellphone.” With my camera bulging on the right pocket of my denim jeans, the young man pointed to it using the knife and said, “Here.” Instantly, I complained “It’s not a cellphone, it’s a calculator.” He is about to believe me because the camera bulges a square figure and not a figure of a common cellphone unit but somebody right at the back sitting next to me pulled my collar and whispered “Bring it out!” I tried to negotiate and asked if they will accept money, but the guy sitting behind me pulled my collar even tighter and the other guy positioned the knife as if he is about to stab me. Realizing that I only have P250 inside my wallet, I surrendered and take my precious N70, codenamed Spencer, from the right pocket of my polo and handed it to the thief who sat beside me. That was the last time I embraced Spencer. After accepting it, he warned me not to alight which I respectfully accepted by saying "Opo" to save my life, soul, my camera, and all the contents of my wallet. Had I known that such thing will happen, I could have proceeded home without the stop over.

Expecting a New Friend
It was painful losing the mobile phone but there was no remorse. Bad things truly happen in an expected time and place. Mom cried so hard upon learning what happened. Good thing, I still have all the pictures and the camera is safe. I still use the same mobile phone number since I’m using a post paid line. The only difference is that I’m using a new handset which will not interest thieves, not at all. Globe Telecom is about to deliver my free unit. Hopefully, it will have a longer lifeline on my custody. Pray for me.

Wolfram Alpha versus Google Squared

The newest search engine Wolfram Alpha is pretty much limited yet provides well-researched entries compared with Google (co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin) which happens to be truly comprehensive in terms of its search results. Wolfram Alpha aims to provide reliable and technically exact data needed by conscious data consumers; hence, it carries itself as a computational knowledge engine as opposed to an ordinary search engine. Wolfram Alpha is a brainchild of Stephen Wolfram.

Wolfram Alpha being a computational knowledge search engine provides answers to whatever query you input beginning from A to Z and all letters in between. I tried to key in 1+1=0 on the search box under the impression that it will give me a case where it is possible to arrive at zero and show me the fallacy it committed along the way. But the only result it showed me is a very concise answer: FALSE. Still trying my luck, I hit the same formula on Google and Google impressively gave me as its first entry: Two “proofs” that 1+1=0. Well, the Google result is truly more interesting.

Wolfram Alpha was initially made known to the public during its soft launch Alpha mode on 15 May 2009. Wolfram Alpha aims to provide logical answers to queries and does not provide websites which contain the actual query entry on the search box. Further, it provides highly analyzed data which have appropriate and applicable sources.

On May 12, 2009, Michael Arrington described Google Squared as an advanced search engine which provides results on a spreadsheet with specific data on each square box. Yes, Google Squared is yet to hit the cyber space on the latter part of this month on labs but the rivalry between the two advanced engines are now hitting newspapers, newscast, and podcasts as well. The rivalry is grounded on the desire to provide well-structured search results to satisfy consumers because search engines are all now finding ways to provide well-structured, concise, and reliable data which is honestly the direction of all search engines. Yes, we all need reliable and valid data, not just buzzes and opinions. The latest buzz expects Microsoft to launch its newest Live Search codenamed Kumo, which means "cloud" or "spider" in Japanese relative to the Kanji used, on June 2nd. In Asi, a language widely spoken by many Bantoanons from the Philippines, Kumo means to mix the rice and the toppings/dish/viand by the hand. Hence, asking "Will you "Kumo" it?" literally means "Will you mix the rice and the toppings/dish/viand using your hand?" Searching Kumo will surely require a hand and whatever combination of results it shows, it will definitely give the person a distinct and unique interest compared if the results appear individually.

For now, let’s patiently wait for the Google Squared and Kumo and personally see which advanced search engine tickles our fancy. Till next searchology!

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Photos were taken from separate websites:
Wolfram Alpha: http://www.webpronews.com/
Google Squared: http://www.techcrunch.com/

Listen More

From telenovelas to real life situations, relationships always play a big role. Those heart breaking events during our teenage days are our testaments to the undeniable fact that relationships are part of our existance. Yes, you have your own love story, your father has his own story to tell, you know the love story of your grandfather, and up to the theater we have the story of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Yeah, ask Angelina Jolie she knows it too well. However, one must note that relatioships are not only romantic, we too have parental, filial, platonic, etc. Life involves relationships and indeed, relationships make us truly human.

To engage in a relationship is to listen more than the music and words that the ears can hear. Relationships require us to be sensitive to the environment beyond what the skin can feel. To connect with another human being is to gasp for air during difficult times and endure the pains in life. To bond with another person is to exercise the ability to flashback and use the faculty of imagination and think beyond what can be seen in the horizon.

I’ve seen people wearing smiles and filled with joy but on the other end, I’ve seen people sobbing because of fear and loneliness. I’m concerned with the latter. Can we truly comfort our loved ones or even strangers by giving them sound pieces of advice when they’re hurt? Perhaps. Some people probably need a hug to alleviate the pain that envelopes them and somehow feel the warmth of another human being and feel the security that the other person can offer. But probably the best thing that we can do is simply listen patiently to those people who are hurt inside and let their stories be heard. Sometimes, we are too impatient to listen. The reason why we have two ears and one mouth is probably for us to LISTEN MORE and talk less.

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This was first published in my Friendster Blog on May 8, 2005.

The Limits of PERFEKTION

I have a student who loves the famous line: Practice makes perfect. The funny thing about it is the fact that he added something into it … but nobody is perfect; so, why practice? For him, since perfection is unattainable, there is no point in struggling to achieve perfection owing to the fact that even constant practice still guarantees imperfection. I sort of quizzed myself as to whether or not perfection is achievable/attainable.

When we try to imagine a perfect circle for example, we immediately picture a circular object whose circularity is flawless (no irregularities) ; otherwise, the object is imperfect. A perfect examination means a perfect score. The latter is easy to imagine but to objectively identify the criteria of a perfect circle is obviously a tedious task. One has to be aware of the fact that the human eye does commit error. What may seem to be a perfect circle viewed by a naked eye may not be perfect at all when viewed 100 times larger by a microscope. A perfect line may look like a broken line whenever viewed by a microscopic eye, say of an eagle. (I haven’t been an eagle. At least as far as I know.)

Thus said, is it still possible for us to talk about perfection? The Online Dictionary defines the word perfect as something which is entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings. But is there such a thing as perfect in a world where everything seems to possess flaws and shortcomings? Try to share the qualities of your perfect girl and everybody would say… in your dreams man.

Amidst the elusive objective existence of something which is perfect, does perfection exist? If a circle is perfectly circular and it does not exist, is it really perfect or simply near-perfect?

Existence here means spatio-temporal existence. Whew.

There are perfect ideas and there are imperfect presentations of ideas. The former refers to a mere existence in one’s mind and the latter refers to spatio-temporal existence.

Is it more logical or acceptable to say that spatio-temporal existence evidently shows the imperfection of something which used to be perfect? Perfect girlfriends are all perfect in mind but not until one lives with that ideal-perfect girl.

Watchatink? Ahhhh! Nosebleed. How about when we try to imagine a perfect fiasco, perfect poor, or perfect ugly?

Let me save myself now because no matter how I try to swim, I feel like I’m about to drown. It seems that the concept of perfection which is a product of the limited brain of a limited human being is not at all perfect. Every effort to assert the concept of a perfect something failed since it possesses a limited quality which is within the bounds of a limited human brain.

The concept of perfection by which many people are exposed seems to be beyond comprehension and beyond description. The moment we define the word perfect, the definition by itself limits the concept of perfection. Or should I say that whenever we say that something is perfect, what we actually mean is that it is perfect according to the point of view of an imperfect human being.

Who decides whether something is perfect or not?

Dogs see the world the way they see it simply because they are constructed the way they are. With their anatomical make-up, it is but logical to think that they see the world in a wholly different manner the way we (humans) see the world. Of course, gold fishes see the world in an extremely different manner. Bats see the world upside down and I would like to believe that their inverted position of viewing the world simply shows a different reality. Who decides what constitutes perfection?

Please wake me up and tell me. If you are having a hard time waking me up, please hit me using my pillows but please don’t ask me whether or not I’m asleep because I am. ;-)

Murphy’s Law on a Tuesday

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, PHILIPPINES – Immediately after the day I changed my mobile number into a vanity number, an error message kept on flashing on my phone screen informing me that I have to delete some data on my phone due to full memory. Gradually, the phone restricted my access to the messages and phonebook which are all saved in my phone memory until the phone did not launch the main menu giving me exclusive access to Gallery and Music Player. I can neither send text messages nor access my phonebook. My poor Nokia Phone.

I do not delete messages in my inbox and as far as I can remember my inbox contains messages since 2005 occupying almost 90% of my phone memory. Believing that deleting all the calendar entries would free up some space and allow the phone to execute the commanded operations, I decided to delete all of the entries (birthday reminders, meetings, anniversary, etc). After kissing goodbye to all of the entries, I was under the impression that the phone will work and will allow me to delete unimportant messages. Unfortunately, it did not work. ;-( Poor me.

I tried importing messages and phonebook entries to the laptop via Nokia PC Suite but my efforts were proven futile. I prayed. I have more than one thousand entries on my phone book and more than three thousand messages on my inbox. I was left with my last option: to press *#7370# and restore my phone to its original settings.

Pressing *#7370# deleted all phone book entries and messages. I was literally disconnected to the world. Gone were the years when phone numbers were safely kept in my long term memory. I tried my luck calling a friend’s vanity number. Lucky me, I got it right. When I told him what happened, he told me I’m in deep trouble. Only text messages hitting my inbox put me on track. The usual “Who are you?” and “Sorry, yada… yada… yada…” became my usual outgoing text. Man, losing all the numbers is crazy and costly at the same time.

Just in case you have my NEW number (TEXT-U-ME), please do forward your contact number. This time, I’ll SYNC it!

* Picture from www.f-secure.com

Celebrating Gmail’s 5ifth Season

Official Gmail Blog: Gmail turns 5

’Twas on January 26, 2006 when I joined Gmail (Gmail was about to celebrate its 2econd season that time). I opened my Gmail account via an invitation. The invitation gave me a sense of belonging to a wholly different email experience. I received an email from Gmail Team on the same day (January 26). I was elated when I read the message title: Gmail is different. I sent a message to the person who invited me thanking her for the invite and predicting the difference Gmail is about to make to my life.

Indeed, Gmail’s approach to email is absolutely different! From my laptop to my cellular phone, Gmail is there to make communication easy. Lots of space! The world will never forget the Google G, white Mvelope (as opposed to an ordinary envelope) with red letter M on the flip side, and the sans-serif letters “ail.”

Keep on achieving Gmail Team! Happy Birthday!

Open a Gmail account today and be different!

To know more about Gmail's 5th year celebration, visit the Official Gmail Blog!

Where did the fireflies go?

Watching the mango tree in the elementary school campus during night time with fireflies hovering around the tree is such a wonderful experience. With all the fireflies blinking and gliding through the air, the mango tree looked like a natural Christmas tree adorned with bright christmas lights. It brightened the mood of those who had melancholy hearts.

As little kids without any responsibilities at home yet, we sat side by side right in front of the mango tree and kept dazzling ourselves with the amazing firefly show. Though the mango tree dwarfed us during the night, the fascinating view allowed us to dream beyond borders. Our appreciation of the thousands of sparkling fireflies made us high spirited and allowed us to dream of a brighter future. We did catch few fireflies and brought it home for our own version of a firefly show. It was a beautiful experience.

It’s nice to know that fireflies have big eyes which allow them to see in many different directions. They also have two feelers which allow them to feel, smell, and hear.

My brief stay in the province during school breaks allowed me to check the presence of the fireflies but it seemed that they felt our plans of leaving them behind. When I looked up, I saw the mango tree impressed its dark shadow on the bright evening sky. The mango tree which used to blink like a Christmas tree turned into a lonely display. Where did the fireflies go?

Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand says that fireflies are indicators of non-disturbed ecological systems. I sort of quizzed myself. Who pushed them away? Did I participate in driving them away? Did they say goodbye due to ecological imbalance brought by air pollution? The questions hit my mind like fireflies flying without lights. Even if I had the answers, I knew I cannot bring them back with my sole efforts.

Please help me find them. Let’s bring their habitat back and see them glow on the mango tree for the next generations to see.

Four Nurses from Banton participate in (NARS) Project

The NARS (Nurses Assigned in Rural Services) Project of the Philippine government is one of the strategies of the government to tone down the impact of Global Crisis. The launching of NARS Project happened on February 9, 2009. NARS Project is a Training-cum Employment Program of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Health (DOH), and Board of Nursing – Professional Regulation Commission (BON-PRC). This project endeavors to accommodate nurses and appoint them to the poorest communities of the country with the end in mind of improving the delivery of health care services. In return, the participating nurses will acquire new skills which will help them increase their employability.

Sixteen (16) towns from Romblon, identified to be poorest municipalities, are all covered by the NARS Project except Odiongan, Romblon. Though Romblon is short of 22 nurses for the first batch, the two-day orientation and seminar pushed through at Odiongan, Romblon. Deployment for the first batch is from April 1 to September 31, 2009. Application for the second batch will start from August 15 to September 16, 2009. Second batch will be deployed from October 1 to March 31, 2009.

NARS Project has both clinical and public components. Successful applicants will serve three months in a hospital and three months in a community setting, preferably the hometown of the applicant. On the average, five (5) nurses are allotted to each town. Through-out the training, nurses will receive monthly stipend.

The Philippine government has identified four (4) participating hospitals in Romblon province (Romblon Provincial Hospital, Sibuyan District Hospital, Tablas Island District Hospital, and Don Modesto Formalleza Sr. Memorial Hospital) which will house the nurses for the six-month period.

Four nurses from Banton, Romblon were accepted to the NARS Project. As of this writing, they are on the second leg of the orientation and seminar in Odiongan, Romblon. The four nurses are: Gretchelle Joy Fofue Fonte, Ariane Kristil Ferrera Orillos, Hariette Shielle Fetalvero Fabonan, and Nisan Ionie Fallurin Fabon. Initially, Gretchen and Ariane will serve in Banton Health Center starting April 7, 2009 while Hariette and Nisan will work at Romblon Provincial Hospital beginning April 6, 2009 (Monday). The two couples will swap area of appointment after three (3) months.

If you are a registered nurse and want to give back to the community, this opportunity is something you should not miss. However, if you think that this is your ticket to work abroad immediately after the training, I don’t think this is the kind of employment your employer wants. Besides, this project assignment is tantamount to OJT and not a regular employment.

If you want to know more about the NARS Project, just point your browser to http://www.nars.dole.gov.ph/

Let us all give back something to the community. This way, we will be able to build a better nation.

New Version of "Excuse me, please."

Working in Manila’s center of commerce and trade (Divisoria) for more than a year as an HR Practitioner and Marketing Support exposed me to many realities in the area. After all, Divisoria is not a dreadful place. At one point, I considered my office in Divisoria as my paradise.

On one hand, Divisoria is known for its unprecedented traffic of shoppers especially during the yuletide season primarily because of the value for money that many traders offer. On the other hand, Divisoria is known for the notorious incidents within the vicinity. Name it and most probably it happened in the past. But amidst the clutter of the merchandise and the disorder of the shoppers moving to and fro, there exist familiar voice signals which command you to give way. It sounds strange at first because the spiel sounds like the person is selling three products, but in practice, he is selling neither of the products he is screaming. Hmmm… the story line sounds like typical Divisoria.

When one gets accustomed to the slang, the shtick does not sound strange anymore. The context is truly Filipino and characteristic of a third world country. You will never hear this in a comfy place like Greenbelt or Podium.

At the start, the spiel is HOP! If the expected reaction from the receiver of the message is negative, the person carrying large boxes/baggage will deliver the complete spiel: HOPIA, MANI, POPCORN! (screaming on top of his voice). Consistent with human nature, every one turns his head from the source of the sound, out of curiosity perhaps. After realizing that there is a person who is apparently burdened by the carriage, everybody gives way, but not if the space will not allow the shoppers to move.

One time, a delivery boy driving behind me was about to cut my way. He yelled: HOPIA, MANI, POPCORN! Well, I gave way but when he passed me by, I jokingly whispered: PABILI (Can I have one?). He didn’t say anything but looked at me with a grin on his face. I smirked and gave him a pat on his back.

HOPIA, MANI, POPCORN! Will this lingo work in blogs? Hardly. ;-) Can somebody tell me the etymology of this three-item excuse me version?

Notes: Hopia is a Filipino bean filled pastry originally introduced by Fujianese immigrants. Mani is the local translation of peanuts. Popcorn is a type of corn which pops from the kernel and puffs up when heated.

NurseStruck

Passion. Determination. Discipline.

(Philosophy as a way of life.)

Keeping pace with the nursing students with different backgrounds, upbringings, beliefs, and lifestyles within the four-walled room for almost five months seems to me the most challenging experience I ever had. In a society where everyone dreams to earn large amount of money and where fame is a prime motivation, nursing as a career will always be a highlight for many Filipinos. The ambition to live a luxurious lifestyle amidst the fluctuating economy is one of the reasons why majority of high school graduates flock to various universities which offer nursing and why the young generation also try their luck in show business not to mention the StarStruck sensation which hit the Philippine television.

While the search for the second batch of StarStruck begins and the first batch retell their unforgettable memories and bloopers to the viewing public, I want to backtrack with my first seven days in the University and also narrate my journey in the academe with my colleagues and students in tying to find the meaning of “MY” life.

Backgrounder
“I was made to believe that you're a teacher!” This is my famous line at home whenever my parents could not answer the questions that I throw to them. My parents are both educators in the elementary grades and it really frustrates me whenever they shut their mouth to inquiries that need their immediate attention.

Papa and Mama were my first teachers. During my toddler years, Papa would stay late at night reading the story of Peter Pan beside me. As a baseball coach, Papa told us about fair play and our search for excellence in whatever we do. He was my coach in driving and my coach in life (if there is such thing). Indirectly, my father taught me not to smoke because he is a chain smoker and I promised to myself not be addicted with the same vice. It was he who showed me what generosity is. Mama, on the other hand, was my guide during my early years. I learned the right way of breaking the shell of a hard-boiled egg from my mother. Indeed, Mama is my source of strength and my nurse who keeps on reminding me to do things always a hundred percent.

Monday
First day of classes. “Hi, good morning! I’m Al and I’ll be your teacher for the next five months. I want you to enjoy this subject…” This is all that I can utter in front of forty innocent faces while trying to keep my cool hoping that my students will not notice that I’m actually nervous that time. I asked the students to introduce themselves. It was fun listening to them. From time to time, I threw questions to them and with all the courage they can muster, they tried their best to answer the questions. Shortly after everyone shared his piece, I locked the introduction part by telling few things about me. Whew! It was fun and I did enjoy it.

I sort of quizzed myself why everyone gave the same answers that they took up nursing because their parents wanted them to take it. Do Filipinos really dream of White Christmas or many students are trapped in fulfilling the dreams of other people?

Tuesday
The same stuff I have to deliver, the same questions I have to throw but different room this time and different faces. “So, why did you get here?”, I asked most of them. With the same tone, they told me that they want to go abroad and earn money. Some students confessed that their Tito’s and Tita’s who support them want them to take up nursing, but it’s not actually their first choice neither their dream. It struck me to know, the number of Filipinos who are trapped trying to live a life they never really wanted. The voices of my students were just my only answer.

When I got home, I slammed the door in my room and opened the book “Tuesdays with Moorie.” I wish my students were on the right track. I want to toss back the questions to them next meeting hoping to get new answers. I planned how to start it all over again next meeting while on my bed.

Wednesday
I felt that this day is a different one. Yes, because I was late. My advisory class was waiting for me. I entered the room and did the usual stuff. The faces seemed to be so innocent and looked like half empty glasses waiting to be filled. I asked them, “Is lying always wrong?” Everyone was trying to dig the question. We ended with all possible situations where lying may be permitted but we were not able to provide a clear-cut answer to the question. During the discussion, I felt the rush that kept me going. Aha, this is it! This is the career that I want.

After school, I headed to Makati to unwind and pray. I ended the day right and the feeling was so light.

Thursday
Late enrollees poured this day and I reminded them that the number of days that they have missed due to late enrolment would be counted against their attendance. I had to remind them of their responsibility as a student. Some were annoyed while others took it lightly. As a new instructor, I’m still trying to adapt to the system and trying to fit myself to the usual image of an educator. This was a hard job on my part because I had to go back to the basic.

“Class, enjoy your stay in the university. Be active in co-curricular activities and make it on top” I told them. I even tried to mention to them the phrases like “during my time” trying to act like a mature person counseling the young.

Friday
After releasing the 2:30-4 class, I felt like the world shuttered in front of me. I’m going to miss this boisterous class for four days. Then, all of a sudden, I thought of going home and see my parents. I wanted to share with them my first five days in the university. Too bad, I couldn’t. I asked myself, “Did Papa and Mama feel the same way as I did during their first five days as teachers in school?” As usual, I did not get the answer.


Saturday
I met my cousin for a talk. I shared so much about my first five days. We talked a lot about it. We talked about the desire of every Filipino to go abroad. All the while, the question popped in: “Al, didn’t you ever think of studying Nursing and go abroad?” Whew! Honestly, I did but I know I will not do it. If being a nurse is the easiest way to go abroad, I will not go with the trend. The best thing that I can do is to perfect my craft here in the Philippines and make it big abroad. Not that nursing is for those who are in dire need of money but simply because nursing is not my passion. Towards the end, we talked about politics and Filipino values trying to compare it with others like that of the Japanese and the Chinese. We ended frustrated reminding ourselves that the Philippines has a long way to go before we move towards the direction of perfection.

Sunday
During the Sunday worship, the pastor said that if we want to take up the course that we really wanted and our parents don’t prefer it, he advised to leave our parents and live a life of our own and fulfill our dreams. This reminds me on how parents can truly determine our future. Parents may want us to live a life totally different from what we want but at this point, it is well to remind ourselves that there’s always a way to reach our dreams after fulfilling their dreams for us. We may be wasting our time trying to fulfill their dream but one way to get away with this kind of thinking is to think proactively. The pastor may be wrong for some, but I believe his idea is partly reasonable.

Five months of unlearning, relearning, and learning with the nursing students is often exciting and frustrating at times but still fulfilling most of the time. I realized how important it is to be committed. Often I hear, “Al, you’re a new comer and you need to learn many things, you need to learn from us.” My eyes were wide open during the five months of exhausting days in the classroom but I tried my best to do things the best way possible.

We all have temptations, challenges, sacrifices, and struggles in life but we must remind ourselves with the only thing that will keep us going. Let us not fall in love with amassing so much knowledge but not accumulating the know-how in using such knwoledge. After all, life is not about knowledge. It’s about how we make use of our talents for the greater glory of God. Let us remind ourselves of Michael Phelps, the 19 year-old 2004 Olympic Games Swimming Champion who after losing the 2000 Sydney Olympics kept on practicing 365 days year after year without missing a single day focusing on his goal, which is Athens and be the champion. He kept on reminding himself… Athens, Athens, Athens! Indeed, Michael made it!

As the StarStuck program banner proudly waves, one has to dream, believe, and survive. The same goes with the nursing students of this institute, they have to dream, believe, and survive their four-year stay in the university to call themselves survivors. More than that, they have to discover their passion, give focus, and develop discipline among themselves to be where they want to be and be the ultimate survivors of the battle and be one of the Registered Nurses.

My story ends here but the chronicle does not. Discover yourself because as Socrates says, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” The only question is: “What is your Athens in life?”

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*This article was submitted as part of our final requirements at the end of Academic Year 2004-2005. I was a College Instructor back then. Since Yahoo Briefcase is about to close on March 30, 2009, downloading of all my files became necessary. I'm glad I found this article. I did not introduce major changes so as to keep the true intention of this article which is to inspire more Filipinos. This article has never been published until this entry. Enjoy reading! ;-)

Life Buddy

NEW YORK. Friendship has to be established in a certain place, at a very precise time, and on a specific date. The problem with human nature is the fact that its memory has certain limitations. Yep, I remember that I met my life buddy Sheila when I joined New York Life but I cannot remember the exact time and date.

Sorry for the misleading intro. I did it with the intention to deceive. If indeed you were deceived, blame your faulty brain structure for telling you that the intro refers to New York City.

Sheils is one of the snob ladies in our group who sits in front not because she prefers ist but because she loves coming late from time to time. Training, after all, is all about being on time and still coming on time (we are always on time to be late) but late (at least with reference to the agreed time a trainee should be inside the training room). Sheils is a kind of person who doesn’t talk much. Not when she’s not interested. Well, I guess everybody has the same attitude but her stillness is apparent. The twist is, whenever she smiles and laughs, man, you’ll feel it that it’s genuine.

I’m a person who prefers the back seat. At the back, I can see what’s happening in front, chat with my seatmates, make some silly comments, laugh, and do everything I want to do without being noticed. There are certain characteristics of other trainees which are simply contagious. In our case, the characters of the trainees at the back row are undeniably infectious. Towards the end of the training, Sheila became a familiar face at the back row enjoying the company of men who have a lot of experiences to share. The back row personalities include Sir Mon (who happened to be the nephew of Dean Jara of San Beda College of Law), Lawrence (a stock exchange broker and a chick magnet – his gf is a member of Hotlegs Dancers), Sir Tony (a seasoned medical representative and a basketball prayer), Erik (an elite new graduate from Benilde), and Jeffrey (who invited us for coffee but actually it was a buy-your-own-coffee-cum-recruitment to a networking company). This bunch is the most boisterous company during the training and Sheila is one of the boys. Yes, she’s one of the boys but she’s not boyish at all to be despised. The company of the boys brought out the girl in her. Sheila was with us when the Trainer walked out of the training room because we were too educated to be controlled. It happened twice. On the second instance, we didn’t ask for any apology. Not anymore.

Amidst the violations of the house-rules during the training, the back row team managed to finish the training course. After graduation, we went on our own. I’d say that my first month was painful and discouraging but on the third month, I topped and assumed the 25th rank (Company wide ranking) based on my monthly production. The next month, my performance plummeted. During the last few months of my stay with the company before I finally decided to call it quits, seldom do I find the back seat team in the office. I knew they went somewhere else.

Though we parted ways, the back seat team made sure to get in touch. We started from a big group until finally it was reduced to two: me and Sheila. We have many things in common like how we look at things, our level of appreciation of life events, and certain beliefs as well. We both put premium on keeping relationships. Sharing certain sentiments and preferences doesn’t mean that we don’t have differences. We belong to different religious groups but our religious affiliation never became an issue. She has a degree in Marketing; I am a Philosophy graduate.

Sheila is like Nokia, she connects people. I remember one time when she asked me to join her in meeting her highly intelligent boss who did not treat her like an employee but a trusted friend. I admire her on how she keeps relationships. We would see each other and simply enjoy our never-ending stories about crazy stuff. We did laugh at ourselves and find ourselves crazy.

When the Supreme Editor-in-Chief transferred me to the Marketing Department, Sheila became my crutches. She introduced me to BIG people in Marketing. Funny but with zero background on Marketing, I had to learn the basic design development process and insisted that she had to discuss it even while she’s inside the elevator. She always finds time to answer questions and extends help whenever I needed them most. She never said no. Thank you Sheila, I am forever indebted to you.

There were moments when life brought us to certain unfamiliar zones but we never stopped communicating. Proximity to people who are willing to listen whenever there are challenges is always an advantage.

I’m lucky I have Sheila as a friend. Earlier today, I asked her to read my blog entries. She asked me why I chose Coach Spike as my site name. Why not AL she inquired. Below is the conversation which transpired during the afternoon chat and the explanation why I chose Coach Spike as my blog site.

Sheila is more than a TAMBAY (STANDBY) BUDDY! She is a real-life buddy!

Yes Sheila, you may call me Spike.