Things That Make Me Excited

Now that I am already a grown man and is on my way of collecting triumphs and overcoming obstacles, there are still plenty of things that make me excited. These are random things; sometimes these are events, games, gatherings, or sometimes just whatever. The only thing that makes it different is that these are no longer those things that make me happy when I was still a small kid.

Here is a short list of those things, as far as the date today is concerned. I will mention all that I can think of.

       1. APMI-Pasacao’s Pista at Literatura. When I visited my former working place last July 25, 2012, the TIC asked me if I can render my time in becoming one of the judges in their celebration of Buwan ng Wika. If you’re in my place, you will never decline. It will be held on the 24th day of August, 2012. I am excited because some of the teachers I worked with last year will also becoming. It will be a great day for stories and laughter.

      2. Dragon City. This makes me act as a small kid again. It is a game app in Facebook wherein the player will hatch eggs of dragons; he will also breed the available dragons to acquire new ones. I am excited to go home every weekend because of this game.

    3. MNHS 3-in-1 Activity. This will be held on August 31, 2012. The events will be Buwan ng Wika, Awarding of winners in events during the Intramurals 2012, and Induction of GPTA Officers. I am excited for the second event.

    4. First Salary. Goodness gracious, I have been waiting for this. I am so broke. I can’t ask for more money from mama, haha. I also want to experience receiving high salary for the works I have done.

       5. Naruto Shippuden Episode 276 and onwards. I am so addicted to this anime series I always check the website every time have an internet connection.

    6. Naruto Movie: Road To Ninja. This was already released in theaters in Japan but not yet available online. I want to watch the movie now.

LASTLY…

     7. SCHOOL VACATION. Seriously! I wanted this that much. I want long rest but not yet to the extent of dying. I’m longing for the moments when all I did were to eat, sleep, watch TV, surf the net – a cycle of those. I’m too lazy to talk all day.

Intramurals 2012

According to the approved school calendar of Malansad Nuevo High School, August 10 and 11, 2012 are the dates we (teachers) are permitted to hold the games/events in outdoor games, indoor games and literary competitions. To break the status quo of year-by-year triumphs of seniors and the ever expected freshmen for being the underdogs, we are united in the idea that students will be grouped into four teams; each team shall have equal number of students from Grade 7 to Fourth Year.

To cut the story short, I and Ma’am Helen are the moderators of Team A, we named our team RED KNIGHTS. The other teams are B (Black Assassins), C (Green Tycoons), and D (Yellow Cab). Looking at the rosters of each team, we speculated that this year’s intramurals will be a match between the KNIGHTS and ASSASSINS. But hey, when I called for our team’s meeting I was beyond surprised with my team members. Most of them are small to play against other teams’ tall players in basketball and volleyball. There is no way we will win in outdoor games for I know the players of other teams.

Forgetting the idea that my team is the smallest, we continued with our planning. It was announced that the moderators will not help in the students’ practice in modern dance, folk dance and cheer dance but I can’t help it. I need to give my time to look for music, dance steps and even render my body in teaching the dance moves. I don’t want my team to end 3rd runner up.

There are many events but there are few players so the two-day activity was not followed, three days are needed. On the first day, outdoor games started, lo and behold, my team is 50-50 in all events. Some were defeated but some were able to win and advanced to the championship match.

Second day was my team’s day. I have in my team the top student in school and I have high hopes that he will win in board games. I am right! Indoor games belong to red knights. Billiards is the only game we came in fourth place in both men and women categories.

On the third day, it was announced that literary competitions will be held on the 18th of August due to lack of time. Good for our team because we can still practice and master all the moves in the dance events. In the afternoon, ranking of teams in the indoor and outdoor games was conducted.

Red Knights manage to rank 3rd in the outdoor games. Black Assassins, Yellow Cab and Green Tycoons ranked 1st, 2nd and 4th respectively. However, in the indoor games, Red Knights are so proud to grab the 1st place. Black Assassins, Yellow Cab and Green Tycoons ranked 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.

Looking at the ranking, if it turns out well for us in the literary competition we can rank as high as the overall champion but if not we might receive the 2nd runner up trophy. But at least we are sure that Red Knights won’t be the 3rd runner up, AT LEAST!

We want high rank, I mean I WANT MY TEAM TO BE THE OVERALL CHAMPION that’s why we will utilize the remaining week available for us to master whatever skills are there needed to improve. If we rank 1st in literary competition, it will be the RED KNIGHTS who will brag for being the overall champion. Yeah, we mean CHAMPIONS!

Snake Hunting

Even before the release of my assignment order, the document that would suggest I am already a regular permanent teacher; I was already designated as YES-O Coordinator being a Science teacher. As part of it, I was assigned to take care and to improve the Science Laboratory where Chemistry and Physics classes conduct their experiments. Both subjects are handled by me.

The laboratory was previously maintained by the school’s former Officer-in-Charge who is now deployed in another school. When she turns over the laboratory to me, she guided me with the things I need to do and informed me of some of the materials which are not familiar to me. She also suggests that I take extra care in cleaning the laboratory for it was used as a place to collect materials to be repaired and some that are condemnable already.

The laboratory has survived many calamities already; it stands for more than 25 years now. But lo and behold, the apparatuses and chemicals share the same years. It is because of the location of the school that made it difficult to bring laboratory materials. There are a number of tables, chairs, cabinets and it’s actually wide so it is a good venue for experiments to note that there are also many students who will be moving and working.

I was instructed by the new TIC to clean and to fix the room but I have reasons not to make immediate actions since the comfort rooms inside the room was used to place junk materials. I am afraid there are snakes hibernating inside the comfort rooms. I don’t want to risk students’ safety in cleaning so I look for a snake hunter. Whether a snake will be found or none, I will pay for his service. I know that it is right to take cautions.

The hunting and cleaning of room took place on the first Sunday of August, 8 weeks after the start of regular classes. It took me too long to the order, right?

There are plenty of junks inside the room but I cannot command the students to throw them away or burn them inasmuch as there was no order yet from the property custodian. So I let the topsy-turvy state of the laboratory as it is until the order of the custodian was given. Anyhow, there was no snake found; now I can relax for the safety of students. I am also secured.

After the hunting, since there are third year students around, I asked them to start designing the bulletin board of the Youth for Environment in Schools Organization (YES-O). Alongside with working is music serenading us to remove the boredom and laziness, ha-ha.

It was a fine Sunday, a PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY for me.

Am I Really In A Safe Place?

Peaceful community... Clean surroundings... People are responsible, caring, honest, industrious, and have no vices... The youth knows how education is important in their lives... The parents support their children's aspirations and dreams by sending them to school regularly... The teachers are religiously performing their works as they have promised and vowed to do from the start...

Wow. I was shocked in my new environment for I was thinking of the above scenarios but it turns out it is the other way around. I actually experienced a culture shock with how these people, whom I am currently living with in a particular community, are behaving as if they are not concerned with the ever changing world. They are not moving for the better but instead living and following the status quo.

There are also those who are tired of having or acquiring nothing for they work to at least have a comfortable status in life. There are students who have high hopes that one day they will be successful in whatever profession they will pursue when they reach college. Some of the parents are so supportive with their child's education that they are doing whatever means just to provide their son's/daughter's needs in school.

It is true, I cannot generalize that all I'm thinking of a particular community will be the same in all. I cannot conclude that since the community I've been living my entire life is very adapting to change and the people are aiming for their lives a better status, it is the same as the community I will be sent to perform my job.

I am currently renting a room so that I can go to school early. My landlady is a retired teacher. She's living with her husband and four of her grandsons. We always have first impressions, right? She's nice and she's making my life easy for she is the one who is cooking my rice every morning. When I first saw her grandsons, I thought they are all very smart and they love each other. But I was very wide of the mark, if their grandmother can't give them a money as allowance for a particular day, they would not go to school instead. For me, even without a money if you are really concerned about your future and education, whatever it takes, you need to attend your classes.

Another thing, I cannot sleep properly at nights. These kids are so imaginative and creative to think of something that will cause one of them to cry or to shout as if there is no more tomorrow. My goodness, it's making me want to move to another place in the morning. The only problem is that there is no more boarding house in that particular place.

One more thing, when this grandmother is making a short sermon because of these sons' wrongdoings, they always have their alibis and they would make sure it is in a shouting or yelling way.

My co-teachers are thinking that I am in a safe place for it was a concrete house and there's always someone in the house to monitor my things. Yes, physically I am safe but not in other aspects. If they only knew.

In the first week of my stay in that house I was also thinking that I'm in a good hands, but what will happen in the future? I don't know, nobody knows actually. So this makes me ask, "Am I really in a safe place?"

Hopefully, YES! I'm convincing my self, I AM SAFE.

Is it INSECURITY?

I have a student who always wears a smile in her face whenever I see her. She possesses beauty and brain; she actually joins in competitions that highlight both brain and body. She belongs to the class assigned to my guidance. Together with her classmates, I can perform well since they carry with them their uniqueness and are all willing to share their talents whenever time calls. Although, I cannot say that I completely know her fully within a mere ten months linked by our teacher-student relationship but in that range, I learned what she is capable of doing.

Inside the classroom, there is always a barrier between the students and us teachers but outside the room, we are all friends and always throw jokes whenever there is a chance. Now that I can no longer enter their class, there are moments when I am wishing that time would permit me to at least, see them.

Anyhow, one day when I opened my Facebook to check if someone added me or if there are notifications, a name that is familiar to me sends me a friend request. The name is actually the name of the girl I was talking earlier. This girl is already a friend so in my mind are questions needing answers. My initial action was not to approve the request but instead send a message to her via FB message, asking if she created a new account.

While waiting for her reply, I viewed the profile of this account and I was actually shocked with all her posts, if she were a stranger, I would think that she is too vulgar to post pornographic materials in her wall. The same is true with the information provided about herself, it is as if she is selling her body for others satisfaction.

After few seconds I received her response telling me she has not created a dummy account. Actually, even without her reply yet I knew already that it was not her. She respects herself to post those scandalous photos. I reported the account to be copying a friend and blocked it finally.

A conclusion sinks and that incident simply suggests that there are those people living full of insecurities in their lives. I was thinking of reasons why someone would want to leave scratches in the life of this good student of mine. In addition, it is via Facebook, a very powerful tool to mislead other people. What was intriguing is that the copycat knows many important and trivial things about her. It goes to show that she knows this copycat of her and is just envious of her qualities.

Truly, in this world there are those who think badly that will do evil things behind the back of someone who cannot even defend and fight fair. There are those who acts friendly yet only wants somebody to fall in wasteland. Some performs foul without thinking of the effects their actions may offer.

I was furious since she is a dear friend. I do not want my treasured comrades to be treated that way. It is a fact that in this world there is always a battle we need to face. However, no one can win a battle when he/she is unaware of the fight. No one wants to lose, and I cling to that. After all, we are all FIGHTERS. Am I right?

English 101

June 11, 2012 – Makalipas ang isang linggo simula ng mag-umpisa ang pasukan sa taong 2012-2013, ibinigay na ang mga asignaturang ituturo ng bawat guro sa aming paaralan. Bilang isang Physical Science major, alam ko na ibibigay sa akin ang Chemistry at Physics. Nakakatawa sapagkat ibinigay rin sa akin ang English 3 at English 4.

Being a teacher, I cannot refuse. What I can do is to study the lessons and try my best in relaying the topic convincingly and correctly. That same day, I entered the third year classroom as an English teacher and discussed the first topic in the reference book used by the students. I was able to survive that one hour which was like forever. I can speak English, yes, but there are terms used by English teachers that I do not know. Terms like objective case, nominative case, referent, and the like.

You might laugh at me but I will not stop you because in the first place I am also doing the same way. During my high school and college life, I was listening to my English teachers intently. But then again, many of my teachers would usually say, “You cannot give what you do not have.” What I have in my mind are force, power, motion, vector, velocity, work, waves, sound, light, heat, circuits, magnets, relativity, elements, and the like.

In front of my students, I am acting as if I know everything I am saying (this is necessary). However, they do not know that in my mind I am thinking of terms I am going to say. Likewise, I am thinking if I am making the topic clear to them. Pero kagaya ng nasabi ko na, ang maaari ko nalang gawin ay pag-aralan ang bawat lesson. Maaari rin akong magtanong sa iba pang guro. Ika nga, make use of your resources, ha-ha.

In like manner and without a doubt, I am confident that I am giving all the necessary information my students needed in subjects Chemistry and Physics inasmuch as that is my expertise. Anyway, this is just my first year of service in a public school; I still have a very long road waiting for me to lead through. There are plenty of rooms for improvement.

In this progression of time, while I am a teacher inside the classroom I am also a student every night I study the lessons. Moreover, just like my students, I will give grades to myself at the end of every quarter.

What is that subject? You got it right, English 101.

Write Something, Create Life

Simula high school, madalas na akong nagsusulat ng kung ano-ano. Mga sulatin na ang iba ay nakatago pa hanggang ngayon, ang iba naman ay hindi ko na alam kung nasaan, at ang iba ay nailathala ko na sa blog na ito. Marami na kung tutuusin ngunit hindi pa rin ako nagsasawa na magsulat ng mga ideyang minsan ay pumasok sa aking isipan. Ang iba sa mga ito ay pawing walang katuturan ngunit sadyang wala akong pakialam, ako ay nagsusulat, tuldok.

Ngunit bakit nagsusulat ang karamihan sa mga tao? Ano ang pwedeng mga maging dahilan? Para saakin, nagagamit koi to para makipag-komunikasyon sa iba.  Nagiging daan ito para masabi ko ang mga bagay na mahirap sabihin para sa isang partikular na tao. Maaari ring para mailabas ko lang ang aking mga nararamdaman, maging ito man ay kasiyahan, kalungkutan, hinagpis, katagumpayan,kasawian,  pagmamahal, o kung ano pamang kadahilanan. May mga pagkakataon ring isinusulat ko ang mga pangyayaring nagaganap sa aking buhay, ito ay paraan ko upang malaman ng aking mga kaibigan kung ano na ang aking kalagayan. Malayo man ako sa kanila, alam nila kung ano ang aking mga nararamdaman.

Isa itong epektibong paraan diba? Napansin ko din na dahil sa aking mga sulat nababalikan ko kung ano man iyong mga bagay na naganap sa aking buhay sa mga nagdaang panahon. Nababalikan ko ang mga sandaling ako ay punong puno ng kasiyahan o iyong mga panahong galit ako sa mundo. Nakakatawa man pero totoo ang mga iyon. Naalala ko na sa nakaraang taon, nailathala ko dito ang aking sama ng loob sa isang tao. Natatawa nalang ako kapag iyon ay aking nababasa, puno ng drama talaga ang buhay ng tao, haha.

May positibong naibibigay din sa akin ang pagsusulat. Nabibigyan nito ako ng paraan para makapag-isip at mag-reflect sa mga bagay-bagay na nagaganap sa aking buhay. Inilalabas nito ang iba pang dimension ng aking pagkatao. Nagagawa nitong harapin ko ang aking mga takot, maramdaman ang pagmamahal, at matawa sa mga biro.

Ang mga sandaling nagagamit ko sa pagsusulat ay mas mahalaga kaysa sa mga panahon nakaupo lang ako at nanonood ng mga walang kabuluhang palabas o mga panahong ako ay walang ginagawa at natutulog lang. Sa pagsusulat ko, naitutuwid ko ang mga pagkakamaling nagawa o nalalaman ko ang mga bagay na dapat ko pang gawin. Iyon ay dahil sa nabanggit ko na, REFLECTION.

Hindi man ako magaling magsulat ngunit ipagpapatuloy ko ito. Ang importante, wala akong natatapakang ibang tao. Kung ako man ay galit sa ibang tao, isulat ko man ang kanilang mga ginawa ay hindi naman nila malalaman ang pangalan. Alam ko rin kasi na hindi lahat kailangang isulat. Ika nga, “may limitasyon.”

Isusulat ko ang aking buhay, maglalathala ako ng mga istorya, mga tula, at kung ano-ano pa. Wala namang masama, hindi po ba?