Happy New Year

Happy is such an understatement for this new year. God has already manifested to our family His loving kindness with the bounties on our table. And we are just on the first day of the year. We trust that He will continue to bless our family as all things work for the good of those who believe in the Lord. And yes, we don't fear the shaky economic condition; the God of yesterday, of riches and blessings, of health and happiness and prosperity, is the same God we have today.

Thank you Lord for the Year 2008.
God bless everyone.

Earn Money

Perhaps some of you know that I'm a blogger--who earns. But blogging requires 2 hours or so of my time everyday for maintenance. Sometimes it just fills up my hands too much so I looked for alternative ways of earning online. And trust me, the net is such a goldmine! Last month, I dug a very good website that lets anyone earn just by clicking; .005USD/click. That means 10USD/monthly per 70clicks/day. You just need to visit certain ads (they're actually websites), and voila!

Things to do:
1) Sign up for AlertPay.com. This is where TakeTheGlobe. com will transfer your earned cash.
2) Follow this link and sign up for TakeTheGlobe.

Feel free to ask me if you have questions.

Moon is Smiling

(UP Diliman Information Office)- Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of the Philippines on October 29 in ceremonies held at the Malcolm Hall Auditorium of the College of Law.

Ban received the University’s highest academic distinction in recognition of “his accomplishments in the fields of diplomacy, specifically in his capacity as Secretary General of the United Nations, a prestigious position held by an Asian for only the second time” as well as his “determination to mobilize political will, for the allocation of adequate resources for development aid to benefit the poorest countries in the world.”

At the time of his election to the United Nation’s highest post, Ban was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea. He has long-standing ties with the UN, dating back to 1975 when he worked for the Foreign Ministry’s United Nations Division. He has also been actively involved in issues of peace and economic cooperation on the global stage.

Accompanied by his wife Ban Soon-taek, he is currently in the country for the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development being held in Manila as part of his four-country tour in Asia.

Once in A Lifetime

I really love this song of Shinhwa (신화). We only live a single life. Be sure to do something you really want to before you literally fly to the sky.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Everyday I pray to help me through the day
to make myself stronger... and I pray

Gu oren kumduri jogumsshig dagawa nunaphe pyolchyojinun jigum
nan nunul gamgoso gasum soguro jonhe onun nugungaye gidol dudgo isso
sumanhun byoldulgwa yagsoghetdon modun kumdurul onjengan irwojindago mido
tamgwa i nunmulgwa sojunghan saramman itdamyon urin muoshidun he nelsu isso

Once in a lifetime fly to the star byolduri noui kumul jikhyo julkoya
once in your lifetime uri gu nal wihe
yongwonhi hamke manduro goya hal love for your dreams

Sulphugodo himdun naldurul da jinadorog he
ok open your eyes to the sky
then you can find the way for then better days
ije uri sesangul modu gathi da hamke hal su ikge

Himdulmyon shwiogado ok yo jamkan take a second gu oren kum
sumanhun star I know that you can take it hamkeramyon
jom do nal goya ni kumdurun passion it's all yours there's no question

Sumanhun aphumul gyondyonetdon modun kumdurun onjengan doraondago mido
tamgwa i yoljonggwa sojunghan saramman itdamyon urin muoshidun doelgoya

Once in a lifetime fly to the star byolduri noui kumul jikhyo julkoya
once in your lifetime uri gu nal wihe
yongwonhi hamke manduro goya hal love for your dreams

Teron salme jichyo uljiman (no baby no more cry)
noui himi doejulge (I'll pray for you and me tonight)
norul dalmun byorul bol su itdamyon naui sarangdo marhalgoya

Once in a lifetime fly to the star byolduri noui kumul jikhyo julkoya (jikhyo julkoya)
once in your lifetime uri gu nal wihe
yongwonhi hamke manduro gal everything for your dreams

Once in a lifetime fly to the star (fly to the star)
yongwonhi noui kumul gioghalgoya (gioghalgoya)
once in your lifetime uri gu nal wihe
yongwonhi hamke manduro goya hal love for your dreams

Picture taken from Korea Aeronautics Research Institute

Seeing Christmas with a Different Lens

Christmas is in the air. Last week, I had to shop for gifts. I just received my Christmas bonus so my purse is empowered to splurge for other people. The feeling is much better when you’re giving, and the amount I spent didn’t haunt me in my sleep. I still need to buy a few things for my best friends because I shop separately for them. I plant to buy Eugen fashion eyeglasses since she likes wearing a pair even if her vision is fine. Holiday Glass Frames From Zenni Optical would be a good way to gauge the looks of offline eyeglasses. I browsed the popular online eyeglasses shop and found this pair particularly elegant. And since a pair just costs $ 8 Complete Rx Eyeglasses, Zenni eye wear just fits my budget. I think I’ll be ordering from this site instead.

Frame Color Choices: Silver/Raspberry with pattern temples, or Pink/Purple with pattern temples.
A medium narrow size, fashion full-rim frame with pattern temples.

A Break from Monotony

I just got my new domain! ^^;
I'd appreciate it if you could link A Break from Monotony on your site.

Your Space in Cyberspace

It was just recently that I discovered the net to be a real gold mine. My aunt has been encouraging me to set up an online space—could be a blog or a shop—to help me boost my revenues even when I’m at home. This freely hosted blog did spare me from the monthly wi-fi bills. However, unique .com domains seem to have greater potentials, especially if you want to make your online space more than just a diary. Of course, with your own domain you can also fully customize your page. Web hosting is the way around the limited features of your freely hosted domains. The best pay you to post websites usually require bloggers to have their own unique domains. Their rates are higher than the rest of the lot, and they give easier tasks. I started scouring the net for a good web hosting site and have stumbled on web hosting geeks.com, which is a website that features independent, unbiased, and professional web hosting reviews. The homepage is very easy on the eye; yes, I was scouring, and the pursuit itself could be very tiring, but the layout is very straightforward. You can see top web hosting providers ranked under a single column, their basic features, special and bonus features, and of course, hosting feedback. Reviews featured here are all independent reviews of hosting websites under $10. Cheap doesn’t usually mean bad. We all deserve a stable, feature-packed web hosting blog that can make our blogging lives easier, more fun, and more profitable. Check out Web Hosting Geeks.com and read through web hosting awards: best budget hosting, best blog hosting, best ecommerce hosting, etc. If you want more professional reviews, then scroll down through the page and click on webhosting reviews according to hosting pundits.

When Luck and Hardwork Collides

Nobody really has to start from scratch. These days my mom and dad are thinking of investing our last ace to business; my father is retiring and how the separation pay would be invested would be the make or break of our immediate future. I thought it would be nice if I’d give them biographies of people who have become successful in the realm of entrepreneurship. Jim Piccolo is one of my parents’ contemporaries so I recommend them to take a look at his biography. They have considered opening up an English school here for underprivileged children so Mr. Jim Piccolo’s experiences are really invaluable. Mr. Jim Piccolo is currently the chairperson and CEO of Nouveau Riche University, an institute for higher education that specializes in real estate investment. Mr. Jim Piccolo’s business acuity and twenty years of business experience have made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. Not only has he have stakes in the education market and in the manufacturing sector but he also has prove his ability to create niches that are “outside” of his specialty. He is now a nationally-recognized, after-market, sport-truck accessory maker and designer. Opportunities are bucketful. I’d like my parents to hit the jackpot in the market as well. Who knows, if things go really well, we could really open an English institute. I’ll be the first one to enroll. ^^;

November Sun

I was disappointed when I lost one of my sunglasses because of my carelessness. I slipped it into one of my bag’s zipper-less pockets. I thought nothing would happen to it as the pocket was relatively secure. But yeah, the bus was crowded and I think it was pickpocketed by God knows who. Anyhow, I am definitely going to buy a replacement. Those glasses were not really expensive but are resistant against scratch (vulnerable to pickpockets) and have a durable frame. It was exactly like one of those Zenni Optical glasses. Zenni offers great eyeglasses for less. I wonder why people buy uber expensive, signature glasses when the public wouldn’t bother to know what’s beyond the face value. If you’re looking for great lenses for an affordable price, try out Zenni. Variable dimension frames from Zenni shouldn’t be missed out. Also, if you’ve been recently watching TV, Zenni Optical was on FOX news!

Smokin'

Two faces of Horeb.
Halloween '08 at Starbucks.

Do you really think I smoke?

Free Image Source for Bloggers

Sometimes I forget to include images in my posts. Well, it’s not really that I forget. It’s more of because I’m kinda lazy to scour the net for appropriate images for my posts. Sometimes I use deviant art, but I feel compelled to cite the origin of the drawing. It’s always better to include even a single relevant picture in one’s post because 1) people could be drawn to reading the whole blog post, 2) people can easily understand and crystallize in their minds what your entry was about 3) people would keep on coming back to your site, if only for the interesting pictures. If you are looking for free blog images, you really have to try Acobox service. This website offers free images for bloggers so you wouldn’t have to worry about proper referencing of the sources of you image; they sometimes ruin the whole post for you. What is good about Acobox is that it’s very easy to search for images. There is a search box where you can scavenge relevant photos for your blog post. You can also search using filters: animals, landscape, nature, etc. Take your pic. Sign up on Acobox and start using images worry-free.

Sight of Affluence

A website layout tells more about site than any homepage graphics or introductory remarks. I especially like Nouveau Riche’s innovative web layout where organization, professionalism, vivacity, and success are reflected. More than just being an eye candy to visitors, the real estate university’s website provides a clutter-free presentation of what the institution can offer. Nouveau Riche offers cutting-edge curriculum for students having a penchant for real estate investment. The university ensures that its graduates will have the best brew of real estate astuteness by mixing theory, concepts, hands-on, practicality, and real life experiences in classroom instruction. Nouveau Riche is also offering extensive workshops for people having the same goals and interests. Participants can take part in case studies, classroom discussion and role-plays that can aid better information retention. The learning approach in Nouveau Riche is non dogmatic, far from traditional, and like its website layout, innovative. If you feel that you have a knack for real estate investment, or even if you don’t feel like you have the “it”, you can try to visit the university’s site and explore the things it offers for the wealthy people in the making. Experience professional facilitation from expert instructors in Nouveau Riche.

Behind the Pile of Clothes (is a hidden cam)

I found this old uploaded file in my Multiply page. She's my sister who's a wanna-be singer (but she's got the "it" already, don't you agree?). In this clip she sang a Charlotte Church and a Vanessa Carlton song. She was just 11 here.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Computer

I stumbled upon these two pictures while I was looking for materials for my Impact Values class. I and my 14-year old student talked about the concept of "beauty". Well, in Korea, the state of being beautiful is tacitly accepted. If you're not, then you have to. Thanks to The Face Shop, Etude, Skin Food, et al. ^^;

These two pictures are computer generated pixels that attempt to capture the only uncontested measure of beauty: balance.


What do you think about these faces?

Biting Love

Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Pablo Neruda

When the Going Gets Tough

The future belongs only to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Our efforts might not be giving even marginal returns but let's keep going...The law of nature never fails: those who toil shall be rewarded. 그래서 힘들지만 화이팅!

Debt Consolidation Service

Incurring debts is something that I am really averse to; I don’t borrow money however small the amount would be. I don’t want to get habituated to the act of borrowing because I’ll just be at risk from the debt snowball. I knew someone who is terribly suffering from multiple debts from multiple people, and his attitude towards borrowing money is totally the opposite of mine. Now he’s in a deep pit and needs financial redemption. The best way he could get out of this is through consulting non profit debt consolidation offices where he could get professional and expert advice on debt consolidation. In his situation where he owes a number of lenders, debt consolidation will definitely ease him out from the financial squish. If you want to clear your debt, My Debt Consolidation Advice could throw you a rope and pull you out of the quicksand. Start your plan, get an unsecured loan for a low interest rate, and avail of their free debt consultation. Their service offers benefits like reduced interest rates, removing fees, reduction of aggregate monthly interest, and reduction of balance transfer. My Debt Consolidation Advice is also registered in the Better Business Bureau so you can be rest assured of the quality service that you could get from this lending firm. Visit the website and call toll-free.

Twilight

Who wouldn’t want to bite from a deep, red, scrumptilicious apple? Obviously, it is Bella Swann’s neck that’s on the book’s front cover. I haven’t progressed that far in the book but I think it’s not bad as Amazonians would say. The way it’s written couldn’t be better than Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia but Twilight is a worthy past time nonetheless.
Novels with a bite is not my genre. I guess more women are into it that are men. I often think that vampires symbolize alpha men that women find particularly romantico-sadistic; they have the ability to be both brutally seductive and (in some books) orgasmically fantastic. Wouldn’t I like to become a vampire then? I guess I have to think about it considering that I have to live forever…

Earn Money at Home

Earning money is as easy as having an internet connection, a PC with basic specs, and a speck of creativity. You can earn a minimum of 50U$D monthly, an amount which can pay for your electricity bill and internet connection fee. Plug-In Profit Site gives everyone a chance to turn the Internet into a home business, an asset instead of a liability. To make money online, you just have to sign up in Plug-in Profit site, a complete money making site setup that’s free. Upon entering the site, you will be greeted with optimism that indeed earning money does not entail much sweat and exploitation. On the main page, you will see a number of testimonials from real people who have been helped by Plug-in Profit site. What is great about this automated home-based e-commerce is that it offers training for free. There is no experience necessary. Even if you are not an internet savvy person, you still can hop onto the bandwagon as Plug-in Profit site’s comprehensive free "30 Days to Success" training program will equip you with the necessary skills to jumpstart your business at home. You can also test drive this plug-in site for three days. Try it for yourself.

An Elegant Formula

Cutting Through the Cutting Edge

Finding the latest, hippest, most of the most gadget is a tough browsing job. I remember when I was looking for a network media player. I had to browse a good deal of websites before I could arrive at a decision what brand and model to buy. Wallowing through information could be overloading. Good thing that there are websites like Gadget Advisor that presents the cream of the electronic crop to people who are in search of cutting edge digital goodies. What caught my attention here is the website’s really witty catch phrase: Cutting Through the Cutting Edge. I think this is worth the mention. I like neophrases. Anyhow, Gadget Advisor is a very neat website that displays without clutter the things that you need to know about what’s latest: high-end laptops and desktops, storage devices like solid state hard disks and online backup services, universal remote controls, navigation gadgets, and other neat stuff. The website features a very clean interface where you could surf tech news just by clicking on the links at the top of the page. You could also register and get the benefits like newsletters they send to members. Indeed, websites like this that distills the nice from the niceties are useful hangouts in the web.

I'm Not 911

I guess everyone wants to be useful but not to the extent of being used...

What's with all this emocrap?...*sigh*
I just feel tired from this corporate life.
I'm looking for a new learning curve to master.

photo source

There are Indeed Goodbyes

Tears welled up in my eyes last night when I reminisced how I got through my undergraduate thesis. I thought it was insurmountable, especially after my 10-month hiatus, but she advised me like her real protege...
My dear academic adviser Corazon B.Lamug...It was such an honor to have been guided by her able mind.

Health Care Course

The Philippines has experienced a drastic demand increase for hospital workers, nurses and medical assistants in particular. As a corollary, the country has witnessed the growth of medical schools that offer both real classroom and online learning environments. And as some people find it difficult to attend classes in the conventional sense of the word, they enroll in distance education programs. The Department of Education gives accreditation to medical assistant schools, pharmacy technician programs, dental assistant program, nursing assistant program, and other health-related programs so students enrolled in this kind of learning will be assured of employment opportunities. St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants is an accredited, convenient, and top notch medical assistant school that offers a comprehensive curriculum for their students. Students could get medical assistant certificates in just 6 to 8 weeks. If you are in need of a swift career change, or if you think that there is a good chance to give in to the market pressure (medical assistant jobs are in demand in Canada, New Zealand, and other countries with graying population), then enrolling in this home-based program could be for you. You could still continue working while enrolled, and best of all, you can study at the comfort of your own home.

Farewell to My Mentor

Dear Friends and Colleagues,


Last Sunday, the UPLB College of Arts and Sciences lost an important pillar of knowledge and learning, especially in the field of Social Sciences.

Dr. Corazon Lamug died in Coron when she drowned last Sunday morning.

Her remains will be brought at St. Therese Chapel in UPLB by late PM tomorrow.

Please let’s pray for the peace of her soul.

from the TRIAD
Eugen Bunao, Social Research Methods Student
Beverly Quintos, Social Research Methods Student
Blog owner, Social Research Methods Student and academic advisee

Sentiments of an Online English Teacher

I have been working as an online English teacher to Koreans for almost a year already. Being part of this KPO company was such a turning point in my career as I really never thought of becoming an educator, much less a web-ucator. Now, my career path has been re-carved by Fate, a sui generis entity created by none other but myself.

In the company, things were going well. My team mates were professionals; they do act like teachers who just happen to work in an unconventional classroom setting. My bosses...uhhmm...they were benign. They're quite detached from the tutors probably because of certain stereotypes that perpetuate themselves, whether they be well-grounded or unfounded. I'm not really bothered about this as much as I am with the nature of this job. I asked this question thus:

"Will my Korean bosses be willing to pay $ if I were their English teacher?" I think this online teaching thingamajig is going to be a big fat joke if they they themselves feel dubious about our English and teaching skills. To wit: "Are these Koreans just fooling their fellow countrymen by placing them under Filipinos speaking half-baked English?" And as there is a need to be fair, I also have to ask myself: "Will I pay for the kind of service that I give?"

There is one wish that I could ask from my bosses. I wish that they could be more than just benign towards us and show us the level of respect that teachers, in the original sense of the word, deserve. They should manifest confidence in their teachers, for we are not there to dupe anyone. And to the instructors, I wish that EVERYONE display professional behavior that is befitting of teachers. This reciprocation of attitudes and values between Korean higher-ups and Filipino employees could very well dispel the divisive spirit that has been there for an unwantedly long time.

White Room

It pains me whenever I get disillusioned...but it's kinda liberating

환멸을 느낀다... 하지만 그것은 자유로워지는 것이다

...

..

.

Not a Salaryman Forever

I am seriously saving money for my future entrepreneurial endeavors. Having a job, or being a salary man is only a temporary solution to a long-term problem, which is unemployment. I want to open a restaurant business with my parents. My father is a chief cook in a luxury ship, and with his competence and 22 years of experience, I am quite confident that the foods would be extraordinary. My mom is a cold kitchen specialist. She can make good salads and pastries. If my savings would not be enough to fund the opening of our family business, I think the next best step is to apply for a business loan. These days, a lot of loaning services are made accessible through the internet. Applying for business loans, especially unsecured ones, is quite a pleasant idea considering that my parents know how to effectively manage money; they can always make money work for them. Loans for business purposes is also not a scary prospective. People always think that loans are evils that eventually bury borrowers under humongous debts. Well, if one is borrowing for a business, then this should not be too much of a concern. Learn how to break-even when business is not doing well, know how to diversify and make your items quite stand out from others, and I think you’ll not going to be bankrupt. You’ll be able to pay the debt eventually. Amen. ^^;

A Misnomer for "Plagiarism"

Being a college student means assuming multiple roles. More often that not, your master role as a “student” is challenged and often conflicts with other obligations like love life, social life, family duties, etc. This is particularly true especially if you land on a very reputable university. Sometimes you can’t just juggle all the demands with just your two hands. In real emergency cases, it is permissible by my standards that one asks help from an essay writing service. It is not plagiarism in the strictest sense of the word because all ideas that the original writer (who is not you, just to be clear) has written are properly cited (or should have been; the site boasts of adept essay writers). What one is actually buying here is the service--the output--and it being plagiarized is out of the question. Rights and intellectual property are purchase-able. If you really can’t avoid to beat the deadline, even if you had been diligent and have been all those things you learned in your GMRC and Christian Values class, then asking for an essay help could be a good, temporary escape. Order essay services are there not just because of lazy students. They are there to help out even responsible ones who have just been caught in toxic college moments.

A Date to Remember

pic taken in 2006

"We both have changed--features, weight, style, and so on...I'm just happy that one thing remains as is: our friendship."
Meeting a friend, an intellectual sparring-mate, an 'ate' Meranz, makes this day one of a kind. Next to change, which could be the most unchanging feature of a changing world, is our friendship that is being a not had been. We met after two years in Alabang Town Center, one of the biggest malls in our city.

Today's quotable quotes made over a cup of over-rated GMO coffee bean (kwim?):
1) If you're in a relationshp that doesn't have marriage in sight, then you're just looking for heartache.
2) I don't want to change my physical appearance so that a person could like me. For where could I attribute his feelings after I've changed?
3) Love is the crystallization of the feeling of being wanted, affirmation, economic security, a bit of physical attraction, ergo the difficulty in defining it.
4) Sojourning spares you from the peering eyes of people who know you, exempts you from social sanctions, lets you reinvent yourself to some extent, and makes life more alive.
5) If you're a manager, you really have to be at least two steps ahead from those under you.

Being both single, the topic on Love, for 90% cerebral 10% heart-type people like us, is expected to dominate the conversation. Why am I still single?. As soon as ate Meranz writes about her reasons, I'll link it to my blog. ^^; Someone fish us out!

Ne Ssai Woldeu

The English-speaking world has its own array of social networking sites: Friendster, Multiply, Facebook, and the list goes on. I thought these were the coolest ones that offer free service until I was introduced to Cyworld. It's a Korean-based networking site that offers much more features, photo enhancement tools (embedded in the website), privacy options, and most of the things you thought you could have lived without. One major and obvious downside, however, is that you have to know Korean.

Here are some photos I uploaded in my Cyworld hompi (homepage):
Team Rio
Karl, Sir Matt, Me
In Tom's World, Ayala Town Center.
I like the superimposed "sticker photo" clip arts the most! ^^;

Can You Read This?

I always believe that nothing could top the benefits natural medication can offer. I have proven its efficacy over relatively artificial means when I was trying to rid my face of facial rubies and topazes. Tomatoes plus lemon juice did wonders. Now I am free of pimples and zits but my eyesight is becoming poorer because of my 8-hour-on-the-PC-screen job. My friend, who is a more avid fan of natural means, has sent me an email that could give hope to my ailing eyes. Pinhole glasses, an alternative to prescription glasses , is scientifically hailed to naturally correct the angular entrance of light that comes through the eyes. Honestly, I have never heard about pinhole eyeglasses before but I do believe that the basis of this eye correction product is scientifically sound. The most common visual illness is refractive eye disorder. This category includes myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism, computer vision syndrome or cataracts. Basically, the function of the lens to refract the absorbed light has been distorted, or ill-refracted, resulting to poor eyesight. My vision is not yet as bad as to require the help of prescription glasses. But when bad comes to worse, then I will definitely try pinhole glasses. I think it does look hip and trendy. It does match my fashion sense of being a bit stand-out among the crowd of humdrum clothes wearers. This is not the main reason that I’d try this, though. The engineering principle, the science behind pinhole eyeglasses, its affordability, and its natural ability to correct one’s vision, are the things that convince me to try this product out. Speaking of affordability, I think I would order one for my younger sister come payday. Her myopic condition is congenital and she’s currently wearing prescription glasses. The price is a bit wallet-flattening, and considering that she has to eventually change them punches another financial hole on my pocket. For 14U$D, I could give her the chance to a better vision through this natural and innovative product.

Born after Nine Months

Finally, I got my Cyworld account. I want to thank my Korean friend who really went out of his way in helping me make a homepage in this social networking site. It was my mistake not signing up when I was in Korea since a foreign registration card is needed for the application process. Yeah, this one's unlike Friendster where you could create an account so long as you have a valid email address. Cyworld requires a foreign registration ID number before they could grant you a space in Cyworld. And I already surrendered mine on the day I flew back here. Anyhow, this is what Cyworld looks like:

The Highschool Vine

These people are the reason why I have second-thoughts going abroad.
Even just for today, they made me forget everything that's ugly about life.


Thanks guys for formally inducting me to my twenteen-xth day on Earth. Made me happy that I'm aging with a growing number of friends. ^^;

The Consolation of Aging

September 13 is only the legitimate day when my ego can indulge in overflowing compliments, best wishes, and greetings of all sorts. "Why were you even born?", asked one of my friends. I do thank him; at least that could be a bitter melon in today's sweet salad.

Yeah, today's my birthday. And I was expecting someone to greet me warmly today.
That person didn't.
Honestly, I felt that by birthday won't be that complete without that person's greeting.

But I couldn't care less now.

After my best friend from overseas dropped me a line, when my lawyer-to-be friend went out of her way to greet me, when all my relatives remembered...That person shrank to insignificance that I was able to tell myself:

"You're not a someone to begin with. No, you're not."

These people are the reason why I should be happy today:

Thank you everyone for making my birthday kimchi-esque.

ASEAN in Galilee Street

Volunteerism is the epitome of unselfishness. We gave our time that we could never get back to these kids in Galilee Church. The day was April 21, 2007 when I and my friends participated in a volunteer work in a foreign country. The feeling was awesome.
Digression: And the last line welcomes the philosophical argument that volunteerism and self-sacrifice are essentially acts of selfishness. Whoever agrees shall be silenced with brutal philosophical castigation. We taught them English through picture stories, visual poems, songs, rhymes, dances, and theatrical gestures.


Most of these kids are children of single-parent families and seeing the smiles on these innocent faces were truly priceless.

You're Invited!

Dear all,

Greetings from UPLB!

In the midst of today's issues, the youth seek for solutions and
answers. On September 11, 2008, the UPLB Sociology Society, UPLB
Development Communicators Society and the Theta Epsilon Sorority will
hold a symposium entitled the "DIWA: Alamin, Unawain, Pagtibayin – A symposium on the issues confronting the youth today", from 1:00PM to
4:00PM at the SEARCA Auditorium. The speakers will comprise of
young leaders from various groups and political parties, who aim to
have a conversation with the young people to clarify issues, provide
substance, and arm them with objectivity and hope, instead of apathy
and hopelessness. The speakers are:

Atty. Adel Tamano, President of Pamanatasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
(PLM), United Opposition Spokesperson and UP alumnus
Mr. Gilbert Remulla, former congressman, broadcaster and television
personality; spokesperson of the Nacionalista Party and UP alumnus
Prof. Danton Remoto, Chairman of Ang Ladlad Party List and English
professor at the Ateneo de Manila University


We are really hoping that you can join us in this important
occasion. The University of the Philippines - Los Banos community would like to see and hear from you.
To confirm, please email at this address ekdd14@yahoo. com.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

(Signed)
Ella Kristina D. Coronel
Organizer
(Socio Soc Tribo 95)


for:

Vincent Baracao
President, UPLB Sociology Society 08-09
(Batch Band 06)

A Single's Hallucination?

Last night I dreamt someone sending me a YM ID called "shin-shi-ne-gin; 신시내긴". I know that I like that person in my dream but I wasn't too certain who that person was...everything was blurred except for this one word...A string of Korean words that I haven't heard before, but have dreamt about. I had to struggle to keep this vocabulary from slipping off my memory until I wake up and search it in my dictionary.

Surprisingly...

Those Korean words mean "my faith, fidelity, a modern poem, lifelong"...
I wish I would dream again and find out who gave me that YM ID. Who knows, that might even exist in reality!

Death Defying Existence

I took this picture in Korea National Museum. Walking along its corridor lined with flower wreaths for a thousand faceless names, my spirit saluted these Filipino heroes who fought for a land that's not theirs. I could never have risked my life this way...

The Eventful 4

Contrary to what Koreans and Chinese believe, for me, the number 4 is a vivacious number. It's not anywhere near death and despair. Whenever the calendar hits a date with a 4 in it, I remember these four things:

September 4, 2007

The Start of Our New Semester! Receiving of monthly stipend! Yon yon eh!
Professor Jeon's inauguration as the Head of DJU's International Office.

And last but not the least, Eunjin nuna and Jinhyeung hyeong's birthday!
생일 축하합니다 이은진 누나, 김진형이형

A Prayer for Population

The natural means have no side effect other than pregnancy.

The Catholic Church is on the move for the nth time to block the law on contraception and sterilization. The Philippines, having a population of 90,000,000, is in dire need of population control. This figure could easily reach 125,000,000 in the next 5 years if the State remains to be soft towards the holiness plead of the Church.

I don't want to sound heretic but I am appalled at the Church's stand on population control. Priests should not intervene with demographic discourse. And it should leave the Philippine state alone.

The ~bers Have Come

September (my birth month ^^;), October, November, December--the Four Bers children reckon to be harbingers of Christmas. The have come. The spirit of Christmas is trying to infuse the air around us with light, hope, and joy. But it seem that we are not inhaling the life this Season brings anymore. It's become more difficult as years go by.
How is the concept of Christmas constructed in the minds children? How is the concept deconstructed by bitter social facts? Christmas...are the Bers going to hibernate forever from our consciousness?

Photo: The Philippine Parol is hung at every house during Christmas. The parol, an everlasting symbol of the Filipino's struggle for a better, brighter life.

The Selfishness Test

If your eyes zero on in your face first when you look at photos, then you could be.

I'm a Filipino, First.

This National Language Week, I pledge to speak purely in Filpino: konyotic English is a taboo; English (outside of the office) is a no-no; bastardized half-baked Filipino is ewww...I pledge this starting...
NOW!
Ako ay mageensayo ring gamitin ang Alibata na aking natutunan noong ako ay nasa Araling Pangkasaysayan.
Nakakalungkot nga lang isipin na ang mga Pilipino ngayon ay mababa na ang antas ng kahusayan sa wikang Ingles at Pilipino. Saang wika na lang tayo magiging dalubhasa? Taglish? T__T

Eto ay kaunting paglilinaw lamang sa mga salitang madalas na mali ang paggamit lalo na ng mga dayuhan:
(for the sake of English-speaking bloggers):
Filipino - refers to all citizens of the sovereign land of the Philippines
Philippines - refers to the geopolitical entity that's 300,000sqkm
Tagalog - a dialect in the Philippines

Promenading Aliens

Having photo ops before going to the KONICOF convention on Women and the Science of Nuclear Technology. We were definitely ogled at by Korean students, walking from the dormitory to the meeting place.

My dear colleague, Tanya Quijano, was invited to deliver a speech in front of around 30 other nationalities. She appears here with Mr. Lee of KONICOF (a.k.a. Mr. Superman and ASEAN girls' ultimate crush. Sorry girls but I have to give you all away. ㅋㅋㅋ)

Nuclear Energy Generation in the Philippines

I guess it's hightime to say thank you to the organization that educated us to the importance of international cooperation and changed our perspective on the nature and utility of nuclear energy.


KOREA NUCLEAR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOUNDATION

Establishment of KONICOF
The importance and the role of nuclear energy will be ever increasing, as its characteristics of sustainability and cleanliness are distinguished from those of other energy resources.

However, because of strict international regulations imposed on the nuclear field, it is imperative that the government, instead of civilians, take an active role and provide full support for the expansion of international cooperation in nuclear energy research.

Korea, as one of the advanced counties in the field of nuclear energy, is challenged to shift from being a beneficiary to becoming the renderer and pioneer of nuclear technology.

And at the same time, there is a strong need to set up a firm foundation and strong support systems for the expansion of export in the field of nuclear energy because of the complicated procedures arising from international strictures.

The Board of Directors is composed of the heads of the following research centers: The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences (KIRAM), Director of Atomic Energy Bureau, Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST), and professors of premier universities.

KONICOF has also been in cooperation with Daejeon University and ASEAN University Network. KONICOF aims to rectify the seeming incorrigibility of unwarranted fear of, and misconceptions about, nuclear technology especially in South-east Asian nations.

Despite the "power switch" in EU countries, I still am a supporter of nuclear energy generation in the Philippines. It is a necessary step in the transition to building facilities for renewable energy.

Hampering even more the move towards NE are the stupid senators who say that nuclear energy plants could easily be transformed for WMD manufacturing. Ignorance does bite.