Summer is kicking in and I just can't contain my excitement. Since this year I didn't intend to enroll for my Master's Summer Class, a lot of the time will be spent....jaraaaan.... bumming and sleeping. And therefore, I have to combat my laziness and do something very very productive, or else that would mean pounds to gain (ehehehe, vanity quite obvious eh?).
So here's my list of things to keep me busy this summer. And hopefully, I will stick to this list! (keepin' my fingers crossed!)
*Cook: I don't want to gain weight, but this is what I plan to do? Oh well, I promised my self that I'll learn more dishes so I have to take it seriously. Next up on my list: cream dory meals! Nyum!
*Exercise: A 40 minute to an hour jogging atleast 3-5 days a week shall be a part of my daily routine. I will still do my zumba work dance workouts 3 days a week. Hopefully all this will make me slim, fit, and healthy. :D Amen to that. (Maybe to further support my goal, I need to buy a weighing scale. Hmmmm)
* Attend other Feasts: I miss attending The Feast. So since it's summer, it's time to attend to The Feast Salcedo, Alabang, BGC, and PICC!
*Pray more: Sometimes I forgot to do this before I sleep. More of this Lord. Promise!
* Travel!: For the school outing, I'm bound to Bataan, and for our family trip, Ilocos! More fun in Pinas indeed. Will update you folks bout my trips!
*Read and Read: More books are piling up, and to lessen the heaps of books, I need to read em or else they will just get dusty. Oh Lord, give me the energy to readddddd all those!
* Blog, write a poem: I'm doing this less. I need a motivation. Ink thy pen!!!!!
* Clean my closet: Seriously. There are boxes of shoes I have to throw and my closet needs a lil bit of cleaning up. Time to give away clothes I don't need anymore.
*Throw away the papers I don't need: There are handouts which I am still hoarding up to now, and seriously I can give them to the manong so he can earn some cash out of it. Charity all theee waaaaay!
*Meet friends: Summer is the ultimate time to be reunited with friends, especially my college buddies. Aw, I so miss you guys! Just so you know!
*Do some cross stitching: Since my noses will be hooked on the books, I might have lesser time to do this. But I'll try nonetheless.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
updates from a busy pal :P
It's been a while since I last wrote a blog entry here in Blogger, and indeed I know I have been missing so much. Everything has been busy at work: papers to check, grades to compute, meetings to attend to, deadlines to beat, batch seminars to facilitate, clearance to be completed, school requirements to submit, so forth and so on. My life has been pretty much a school, work, tutorial and the wake up, and go home, sleep routine. I just feel so exhausted though. In fact, I can feel my body exhibiting signs of fatigue, I would have stomach pains which I haven't had for the last two years, dimming vision, and I would always sleep while commuting on my way home. I didn't like how this feels. But luckily, sometimes I would have some breaks in between.
Meeting and talking to a friend in person always helps. There are so many things to rant about. Good thing though, there are still good things coming my way. I'm still blessed to have good friends who are there to back me up. I have a fairly good income enough to support my caprices and whims (travels, malling and shopping, books, and movies). I have a community and a group who shares the same passion as I do, and will always be there for me through thick and thin. There is always something to look forward to. So even if things do not happen the way I want them to be, I am keeping still and knowing that if there is pain- it comes with a purpose.
So recently, I am still trying my best to love my workplace. I could not say a hundred percent that it was a failed attempt. However, I still see myself in another place where I know I will be fulfilled and happy. Though happiness is a choice, I still don't see myself staying here for the rest of my life. Hence, even if I said YES in my letter of intent, I'm having this change of heart. I submitted my resume at Don Bosco Makati and already took the exam and had the initial interview. They said they would call me last Wednesday, but no phone call came. I felt sad, honestly, because I have to make a choice before mid April. And by that time, I have to be sure that they will hire me, or else I will have to stay again for another year. :(((( Cry cry cry cry cry :((((((((
Seriously though, I don't want to be stuck here. It's not because the school is not good. The pay is enough for a single person like me. But it's more than that. As you gain years of experience, improved your skills and credentials, you sometimes have that feeling that "it's time to move forward and on and on and on." But fate can be tricky, I just hope it will give me clues if it's in my favor this time. So yes, I'm still waiting for the signs.
Lovelife. I still don't have one, but I don't feel frustrated anymore. After my date last December, I met three guys, dated one of them, who turns out to be quite demanding when he asked a favor from me. And since I just met him and we are still on the process of "dating each other," I was quite turned off and decided not to text him then. Sighhhhhhhhh. Then here's another guy who would call me, and would make demands that if I have no plans of staying, I better leave as early as now. Thank goodness I have the patience, courage, and fortitude to deal with those kinds of guys, for if not, I have long been six feet under the ground.
Maybe life is a test of patience after all. A week ago, much to my surprise, I saw my ex on the jeep where I am riding at. He waved and smiled at me. I am shocked but I knew and smiled, and didn't look at him since then. Before I knew it, he already alighted the jeep. I cried at home. STUPID. I am still darn affected. Oh come on. The next day, he added me on facebook. Add up to that stupidity, I confirmed his request. He said he wanted to talk to me and asked for my number, but I said we can talk/chat in FB, but I would NOT give my number. No message from him since then. END OF STORY.
My life has a lot of ups and downs. And recently, I had a movie day with my all time crush/ friend. It was a pleasant feeling to be with him- that homey feeling, even if he really criticizes me a lot. He can be so rash and cynical, but I guess I've grown a lot and learned to handle his difficult and erratic behavior. After all, we've been friends since HS. Sometimes I wish that it's just him, that I might be looking from afar when he's just there all along. But he does not manifest the signs that he likes me. Admittedly, he said he's emotionless and introvert. Dating is not even his game and as of the moment, he does not like to have a girlfriend. He likes pretty girls and set high standards, because lowering it down might give him a headache. So if I would read between his lines, maybe it's not really me. I miss the feeling of being his close friend. It happened though, again, as we updated each other on the what's up of our lives. I just can't control my liking for him that I teared up the next day. Rawr. But then again, I don't like to be the lady in waiting. So I'm still praying for the right person to come along, and I am never giving up, ever. :D
I'm still waiting and praying and working on a lot of things. I don't mind exerting effort because I know if I work hard for it, it will be given to me in the right time. Even if things do not happen as expected, I know someday, things will fall into place. After all, life is fair and God is forever the epitome of goodness and mercy. I've grown wiser after all my falls and bruises. Things may fail, but I"ll just sigh, and still I will try and try and try.
Never give up is my life's motto. I just have to do my best. My God will do the rest.
Till next update time.
XOXO,
Lenlen :D
Meeting and talking to a friend in person always helps. There are so many things to rant about. Good thing though, there are still good things coming my way. I'm still blessed to have good friends who are there to back me up. I have a fairly good income enough to support my caprices and whims (travels, malling and shopping, books, and movies). I have a community and a group who shares the same passion as I do, and will always be there for me through thick and thin. There is always something to look forward to. So even if things do not happen the way I want them to be, I am keeping still and knowing that if there is pain- it comes with a purpose.
So recently, I am still trying my best to love my workplace. I could not say a hundred percent that it was a failed attempt. However, I still see myself in another place where I know I will be fulfilled and happy. Though happiness is a choice, I still don't see myself staying here for the rest of my life. Hence, even if I said YES in my letter of intent, I'm having this change of heart. I submitted my resume at Don Bosco Makati and already took the exam and had the initial interview. They said they would call me last Wednesday, but no phone call came. I felt sad, honestly, because I have to make a choice before mid April. And by that time, I have to be sure that they will hire me, or else I will have to stay again for another year. :(((( Cry cry cry cry cry :((((((((
Seriously though, I don't want to be stuck here. It's not because the school is not good. The pay is enough for a single person like me. But it's more than that. As you gain years of experience, improved your skills and credentials, you sometimes have that feeling that "it's time to move forward and on and on and on." But fate can be tricky, I just hope it will give me clues if it's in my favor this time. So yes, I'm still waiting for the signs.
Lovelife. I still don't have one, but I don't feel frustrated anymore. After my date last December, I met three guys, dated one of them, who turns out to be quite demanding when he asked a favor from me. And since I just met him and we are still on the process of "dating each other," I was quite turned off and decided not to text him then. Sighhhhhhhhh. Then here's another guy who would call me, and would make demands that if I have no plans of staying, I better leave as early as now. Thank goodness I have the patience, courage, and fortitude to deal with those kinds of guys, for if not, I have long been six feet under the ground.
Maybe life is a test of patience after all. A week ago, much to my surprise, I saw my ex on the jeep where I am riding at. He waved and smiled at me. I am shocked but I knew and smiled, and didn't look at him since then. Before I knew it, he already alighted the jeep. I cried at home. STUPID. I am still darn affected. Oh come on. The next day, he added me on facebook. Add up to that stupidity, I confirmed his request. He said he wanted to talk to me and asked for my number, but I said we can talk/chat in FB, but I would NOT give my number. No message from him since then. END OF STORY.
My life has a lot of ups and downs. And recently, I had a movie day with my all time crush/ friend. It was a pleasant feeling to be with him- that homey feeling, even if he really criticizes me a lot. He can be so rash and cynical, but I guess I've grown a lot and learned to handle his difficult and erratic behavior. After all, we've been friends since HS. Sometimes I wish that it's just him, that I might be looking from afar when he's just there all along. But he does not manifest the signs that he likes me. Admittedly, he said he's emotionless and introvert. Dating is not even his game and as of the moment, he does not like to have a girlfriend. He likes pretty girls and set high standards, because lowering it down might give him a headache. So if I would read between his lines, maybe it's not really me. I miss the feeling of being his close friend. It happened though, again, as we updated each other on the what's up of our lives. I just can't control my liking for him that I teared up the next day. Rawr. But then again, I don't like to be the lady in waiting. So I'm still praying for the right person to come along, and I am never giving up, ever. :D
I'm still waiting and praying and working on a lot of things. I don't mind exerting effort because I know if I work hard for it, it will be given to me in the right time. Even if things do not happen as expected, I know someday, things will fall into place. After all, life is fair and God is forever the epitome of goodness and mercy. I've grown wiser after all my falls and bruises. Things may fail, but I"ll just sigh, and still I will try and try and try.
Never give up is my life's motto. I just have to do my best. My God will do the rest.
Till next update time.
XOXO,
Lenlen :D
Thursday, March 7, 2013
to read or not to read?
I am a Reading Teacher. I graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education- Major in English. but seriously, this blog is not about me. I am writing to express my views on reading and "censorship," so to speak.
As a BSE English graduate, we are expected to be exposed to a genres of reading. And when we say genres, we should really open our eyes to the vast readings available at hand. We read for different purposes, but at the end, our main objective is to really both enjoy and learn something from the book or story. We analyze and criticize in a scholarly manner, and we don't simply give labels or over-react to something. Literature, as we believe, is a mimesis and a copy of life. And at the end of the day, we can always look at literary pieces in different perspectives, using the literary theories at hand.
Children, I believe, have the freedom to read books which are of interest to them. Unless we give them to opportunity to choose, they won't develop their own reading taste. Young as they are, we should not undermine their capability to think critically and evaluate their own readings. That is precisely the reason why parents and teachers are here: to guide and to explain things which are difficult for them to grasp. At the end of the day, I think it is still better that our children are aware of life's realities, than to shelter them and to make them so naive as compared to their peers. It's always a matter of how we explain things to them. Because no matter how we censor these materials to our children, in this highly advanced and technological age, these materials will find a way to land in our children's hands.
Our job as teachers is to be in one with parents in making children be critical of the things they should and should not read given their age. This does not entail; however, censoring all the books, but rather helping them to evaluate the materials they will read. It's akin to helping them develop a sense of morality, differentiating what is right from wrong, so at the end, they are able to make sound and logical decisions on their own. As a famous children's book author puts it, "we may be too worried, thinking so much that there are topics which are too much for our children to handle- such as discrimination, domestic violence, homosexuality, and divorce/ separation. However, we should never underestimate the ability of the kids to understand. At the end of the day, it's a matter of explaining in a manner and language they will easily comprehend. When we do this, we are not only helping our kids be more aware of what's going around them, we are also making them feel that they are being trusted. If a child feels that the significant adults believe they have the ability to understand and to make sound decisions at a young age, they are more likely to do what is morally and acceptable.
Let us just be minded that nowadays, children are getting more curious than ever. They have questions which will leave us aghast and questioning "how did they ever get that idea?" The more we hide things from kids, the more they will strive to know, on their own devious and sly means. We would rather that children hear the reality from us, than discover it in a not so pleasing way. It's always better to learn from someone who is mature enough to handle an issue, than from someone who is just as inquisitive and emotionally unstable peer. With an adult supervising, children will think that what they are getting credible and reliable facts, plus the guidance and values they will need as they face and soar life's daily battles. Ultimately, these little nuggets of wisdom and values learned from adults will be their guiding force when confronted with difficult situations.
The more they read, the more they will learn. It will always be wise if we tell them upfront what makes a good book, and we help them qualify the things they can and cannot read at this point in time, rather than simply commanding them not to. Our kids are wise. Maybe even smarter. They may pretend to simply accept our prohibitions, but they maybe cooking and thinking something at the back of their minds. Teach them well and let them lead the way. With the pieces of advice they get from significant adults in their lives, they won't feel lost or unstable. That is the power of information and mutual consent, which parents and teachers must never neglect.
As a BSE English graduate, we are expected to be exposed to a genres of reading. And when we say genres, we should really open our eyes to the vast readings available at hand. We read for different purposes, but at the end, our main objective is to really both enjoy and learn something from the book or story. We analyze and criticize in a scholarly manner, and we don't simply give labels or over-react to something. Literature, as we believe, is a mimesis and a copy of life. And at the end of the day, we can always look at literary pieces in different perspectives, using the literary theories at hand.
*******************
Up to what extent should we disapprove of what our kids are reading? At a young age, I suppose that children are not allowed to read books which are really "beyond what their age can take," or the so called R-18 books, labeled as SPG. But will we still censor books which are already labeled as easy-reading and for primary or intermediate levels? If it is age appropriate, why censor?
Children, I believe, have the freedom to read books which are of interest to them. Unless we give them to opportunity to choose, they won't develop their own reading taste. Young as they are, we should not undermine their capability to think critically and evaluate their own readings. That is precisely the reason why parents and teachers are here: to guide and to explain things which are difficult for them to grasp. At the end of the day, I think it is still better that our children are aware of life's realities, than to shelter them and to make them so naive as compared to their peers. It's always a matter of how we explain things to them. Because no matter how we censor these materials to our children, in this highly advanced and technological age, these materials will find a way to land in our children's hands.
Our job as teachers is to be in one with parents in making children be critical of the things they should and should not read given their age. This does not entail; however, censoring all the books, but rather helping them to evaluate the materials they will read. It's akin to helping them develop a sense of morality, differentiating what is right from wrong, so at the end, they are able to make sound and logical decisions on their own. As a famous children's book author puts it, "we may be too worried, thinking so much that there are topics which are too much for our children to handle- such as discrimination, domestic violence, homosexuality, and divorce/ separation. However, we should never underestimate the ability of the kids to understand. At the end of the day, it's a matter of explaining in a manner and language they will easily comprehend. When we do this, we are not only helping our kids be more aware of what's going around them, we are also making them feel that they are being trusted. If a child feels that the significant adults believe they have the ability to understand and to make sound decisions at a young age, they are more likely to do what is morally and acceptable.
Let us just be minded that nowadays, children are getting more curious than ever. They have questions which will leave us aghast and questioning "how did they ever get that idea?" The more we hide things from kids, the more they will strive to know, on their own devious and sly means. We would rather that children hear the reality from us, than discover it in a not so pleasing way. It's always better to learn from someone who is mature enough to handle an issue, than from someone who is just as inquisitive and emotionally unstable peer. With an adult supervising, children will think that what they are getting credible and reliable facts, plus the guidance and values they will need as they face and soar life's daily battles. Ultimately, these little nuggets of wisdom and values learned from adults will be their guiding force when confronted with difficult situations.
The more they read, the more they will learn. It will always be wise if we tell them upfront what makes a good book, and we help them qualify the things they can and cannot read at this point in time, rather than simply commanding them not to. Our kids are wise. Maybe even smarter. They may pretend to simply accept our prohibitions, but they maybe cooking and thinking something at the back of their minds. Teach them well and let them lead the way. With the pieces of advice they get from significant adults in their lives, they won't feel lost or unstable. That is the power of information and mutual consent, which parents and teachers must never neglect.
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