i love teddy bears. end of conversation.

One of my role models is an illiterate slave woman, Sojourner Truth (you can read about her here), who could not read or write, but she could not stand second-class treatment of women and she hated slavery. My favorite Sojourner story came one day when she was making a speech against slavery, and she got heckled by a man who stood up in the audience and said, "Old slave woman, I don't care any more about your anti slavery talk than for an old fleabite." And she snapped back and said, "That's all right. The Lord willing, I'm going to keep you scratching."

So often we think we have got to make a big difference and be a big dog. Let us try to be little fleas biting. Enough fleas biting strategically can make big dogs very uncomfortable. I am convinced that together fleas for unity, and fleas in schools and political congregartions, and fleas in homes as parents committed to a decent humane society are going to transform a nation and make it "un-post y generation" for any child to be poor or without education in your rich land.

I don't give a fuck how bad the job marjet is. I don't care how hard the challenges seem to be either. Hang in with life. And do not think you have to win or win immediately or even at all to make a difference. Sometimes it is important to lose for things that matter. And do not think you have to make a big difference to make your country different. Be a flea. Be human. Be proud. 

..to be cont'd

Geri Halliwell

I'm an FBB -- Filipino-born British and feel priveledged to be so. Although I spent my 17 years of life in the Philippines, I have been to the UK on and off during summers, hollidays or just mere family trips A LOT. Nine to Eleven hour trips coming back and forth didn't really bothered me as my family has been my sole purpose of traveling, risking the fun time I can personally have during those breaks. 

Now permanently living here, I now know why britons are so oddly proud of this great country; why people love the spice girls; and why people love the royal family. Whenever asked during legal tenders to complete a check-in-form, I write in utter pride: Country - United Kingdom; Nationality - British.

It is very uncool to posess anything with a Union Jack flag on it if you are a resident of the UK and not a punk (in which case it is marginally acceptable) as the Union Jack has become a symbol of xenophobia, pro-monarchy conservatism, stiff-upper-lip anal retention, the spice girls, and general Church of England bloody-mindedness.

Oh, and GOD BLESS THE QUEEN!!!!

Lol. Let's get down to my real post eh?

You're (insert nationality), and I'm British. For some reason, our parents decided to make love and nine months later our mother gave birth to us at the right time and place. In my case, my parents decided to 'make' me in my hometown of Cebu in the Philippines. I came here 17 years later and assumed full citizenship. My other siblings had foreign births -- My sister was born here in her hometown of Portsmouth, whlist my younger brother was born in the United States. 

I’m extremely happy not to be a citizen in one of the many countries on earth, where people struggle to make a living, not knowing if they will be able to feed their family the next day.

But can you really be proud of that?

You want to be proud? Achieve something. Spend some time helping the less fortunate, be great at whatever it is you like to do. Try to live your life being a good person. That’s something to be proud of. But nationality......eh?

If we could all stop belonging to a gang, religion, country or whatever, and lived simply as individuals with whatever abilities we inherited and make the best of it to live a good life and enrich it for ourselves, family and others, then things would only get better. A Country is a geographical and administrative area, not a membership of a club. The world is small enough now to see that our differences are historical accidents because we didn’t know each other. Now we can get together again I hope.

I'm proud to be a citizen of this mankind... 100% proud to be human.

God Bless the World!!

to be cont'd

(To my dearest sibling)

I MISS YOU!

We've been BESTfriends for so long
I can hardly count the years
And now for a little while you're gone
And my heart cannot contain the tears

We've been through so much together
No one knows me as well as you do
For you know me better than I know myself
And that's what I appreciate about you

I love you so much for allowing me
To be the person I am
Never expecting more than I can give
And that's what makes you a special man

Yet circumstances is causing us
To be apart for a while
No more phone calls or e-mails to send
No more with you making me smile

However, I look forward to having you back in life
But you know this is something I have to do
Just know that my heart eagerly awaits the time
When I can stop missing you

Here’s an interesting, but little-known freakish-ness from the world of mathematics. Feel free to try it for yourself and prove that it is true. But, to make sure you get the right answer, be certain to follow each step meticulously. Taking shortcuts will invariably lead you astray.

1. Precisely measure the circumference of a circle-any circle-in thousands of an inch. It may seem counterintuitive, but it doesn’t matter what size circle you use.
    
2. Calculate the cube root of the circumference.
    
3. Precisely measure the radius of the circle, but this time take the measurement in millimeters.
    
4. Calculate the square of the radius.
    
5. Divide the result of step 4 by the result of step 2.
    
6. Draw a square enclosing the circle such that the center points of all four sides of the square just touch the circle.
    
7. Precisely measure one of the diagonals of that square, again in millimeters. (Being a square, it doesn’t matter which diagonal you choose; they will all be equal.)
    
8. Multiple the length of the diagonal by the result of step 5.
    
9. Multiply the result of step 8 by the value of pi to 10 decimal places.
    
10. And finally, divide the result of step 9 by the square root of 1776, the year of America’s independence.

If you complete all of the above steps carefully and correctly, when you are done you will have found that you have completely wasted one hell of a lot of time.

And that's mathematics, folks. Just a waste of time

=)

bitter!

at least I got an A from molecular physics biotch!

They say, “Laugh and the world laughs with you.” Isn’t that great? Isn’t that cool? Isn’t that just dandy?

Laugh and the world will laugh with you. Then what will we have? A world filled with people laughing like idiots, that’s what.

And where will it all end? It sounds like an infinite feedback loop to me. You laugh; the rest of the world laughs; you have to laugh because they laughed - hey, those are the rules, I didn’t make them up; they laugh again because you laughed again; you … well, you get the picture. How the hell will we get anything done with everyone laughing like morons all the time?

=)

Today is filled with anger
fueled with hidden hate
Scared of being an outcast
afraid of common fate

Today is built on tragedies
which no one wants to face                                                              
Nightmares to humanities
and morally disgraced

Tonight is filled with rage                                                 

what if tomorrow never comes?

Tonight i lay my head
but the pressure never stops
Gnawing at my sanity
content when i am dropped

But tomorrow i see change
a chance to build anew
Built on spirit, intent of heart
and ideals based on truth

And tomorrow i wake with second wind
and strong because of pride
To know i fought with all my heart
to keep my dream alive

A filipino; I am a child of the One God who is the Creator of all that is in our world and the universe. I am as perfect and as beautiful as my Creator planned me to be, for God created me in His image, out of His perfect love.

I am a beloved child of God, like everyone else in our world, no less than the stars above or anyone else below. As such, I have equal right and claim to all the beauty and bounty that God provided in my country and in the world.

I am an equal part of the family of humanity. I am therefore a sibling to all the men and women of our world, brethren to all Christians, to all Muslims, to all Jews, to all Buddhists, and all other peoples whose faiths lie somewhere else.

I am Filipino. My Creator planted me on a specific spot on earth, where the sun always shines, in an archipelago of 7,107 wonderful islands, which the whole world calls the “Pearl of the Orient.” Pilipinas is the country God gave to me and my people. It is the birthplace of my race. It is the home of the Filipino.

The beauty and richness of my country lured many mighty powers of the world to invade our shores. So today, my blood is a mixture of the best and the finest of the West and the East. My mind is an heir to all the great thoughts of the West, and the great virtues of the East. My heart beats with the romanticism of the West and the passion of the East.

I am Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Juan Luna, Ninoy Aquino and all those who fought for our land to become a nation of free people. I am the grandeur of Banaue, the enchantment of Boracay, the serenity of Manila Bay, and the depth and breadth of Tubbataha Reef.

I am Filipino. My Creator’s plan is for me to live my life as a Filipino and therefore, in my heart and in my mind, I shall always be a Filipino wherever I may be in the world. God wants me to belong to the Filipino family and as such, I am a “kapatid” [brother] to anyone and everyone who is Filipino, wherever he or she may be on earth.

You will know me by the word “po” in my sentences. You will know my children by their “mano po.” You will know me by the smile on my face and the warmth of my hospitality. Most important of all, you will know me by my loving and caring heart when you are in need of help, even if you are a stranger.

As a child of God, my Creator has a beautiful story for me and my people. And the story we see today is but a fleeting portion of that beautiful story that has yet to fully unfold before the eyes of the world.

I am Filipino. I am who I am today because of the role God wants me to play.

I am born to succeed. God has equipped me, within me and around me, with all the essentials I need to succeed in this world. God truly wants the highest, the best, and the most beautiful for me, because I am His child.

I am destined to be great. God planted seeds of beauty and greatness in me. He truly wants me to be great and beautiful, for God truly wants me to add more beauty and greatest to our world.

I am Filipino. I am born of freedom, in a free country. As such, I dedicate my freedom to ensuring that my people and country shall always remain free. I shall use my freedom to help other peoples, in my country or in other parts of the world, gain their own freedom.

I am born of love, out of God’s immeasurable love, in a country and in a world that can only be made beautiful by love. Love is the reason why God made me. It is what He wants me to bring into this world, so love shall be who I am.

I am born as part of the whole, as part of the answer to the question, as part of the solution to the problem, as part of the hope to our people. I am born to help the Filipino become great not only in the eyes of the world but, more so, in the eyes of our Lord.

I am Filipino. I am a faithful child of God. I shall live my life to do God’s work on earth, to help build a beautiful country for my Filipino family, and a better world for all humanity. And soon the world shall see the full measure of the greatness of Filipino, for truly the world has yet to see what God can do to and through a child, like the Filipino, who is faithful to the Lord.

I am Filipino.

By April next year, I shall be pledging my allegiance to the British Monarchy and will be renouncing my citizenship to the Philippines.

Dual citizenship is not an option for them, as being a UK citizen means that you're also a national of it's several autonomus Kingdoms: Scotland, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and England.

Which basically leaves me no choice.

Geez..Please don't make me do this shit... :(

My parents left the country way back in the late 80's because they see hopelessness in the nation. Many vital talented individuals like engineers, doctors, nurses, and teachers are leaving the country, getting their immigrant statuses, and bringing their whole families out of the country because, according to my parents, "They feel that their talents will never be appreciated once practiced in the Philippines" -- which is true, as evidenced from the severely underpaid and overworked nurses and teachers and skilled workers alike. "Many Filipinos are University and college graduates, however, many of them are jobless. They have no longer have the balls to stand up for what they believe and to make their country great again..Filipinos tend to be very educated and hard working, the problem with them is that they haven't learned to think outside the box."

The way my parents are talking me over this saddens me. Why is this happening?

The perks of being a Christian Nation

RP is by nature an indolent country, Dr. Rizal has already explained this. Being a Christian nation has its falls too. For centuries, people have always kept and rendered what would their fate be to God's will. I'm not saying being faithful to God is a bad thing, but too much is just that bad. I get sick of people attending churches, just to only hope and pray that one day, God would lift them up from their endeavors, yet they fail to realize that God doesn't listen to lazy people. The attitude of "Bahala na lang si Lord, Ikaw lang ang magagabay sa 'kin" (I rest my case unto you my Lord, It is You that would lead me the way) is a common phrase for filipinos. And this attitude prevailed, reinforcing a lazy and hopeful stigma among Filipinos. Hoping someone will get them out of their own misery. People have been accustomed to this lack of self-worth and resiliency. 

And since WHEN should the church mingle with state affairs? Their outcry on the ban of use of contraceptives is uncalled for the nation's today's society. It would only result to high birth rates, and high birth rates is an indication of a third world country.

Crab Mentality and Generalizing 

Amongst all the bad things, I have noticed an underlying jealousy on the part of a lot of people who see others seeming to achieve more. They actually try to pull these people back down to their level, i.e. crab mentality -- which I can say is, the mass disease of the Filipino people. The people who make it, conversely seem to look down on the poorer people as if they are lesser people. 

Filipinos tend to generalize a lot -- comparing University rankings -- among others, is what I can define as stupid and ridiculous. The fact that all big four Universities in the Philippines ranked poorly on that biased THES world University rankings is not at all a cause for contrasting and generalizing students who study at these institutions. As my then high school mentor had said when these rankings came up: "The rankings were supposed to be a tool for these Universities to be motivated upon in attaining improvement in aspects of education and the academe. But rather, college students utilized them for erradicating how overrated the UP system is, to encourage the unending hostilies between La Salle and Ateneo, and to make fun of UST."  

Come college enrollment, I ditched out the popular ones and even though I only spent a semester, I still consider that I came from a 500th ranked (or is it still?) University, and now attending a 90 something... So big f-r-e-a-k-i-n-g deal right? It's only in the Philippines that they make a big fuss about it, on what alma mater you came from.

And the labels that come along attending these institutions are blatantly politically uncorrect. When I was in high school, I was labeled as "conyo" (connotation for spoiled rich kid), "bobong mayaman" (wealthy but stupid), and "mayabang" (arrogant) by other people. And it never stopped as lowerclassmen in my high school, and friends would jokingly start to call me "Jologs" (deragatory word for 'underpriveledged') the moment they knew what University I would enroll to.

Don't get me started with these. The hell do I know where such labels originated from. Well, I have a label for these Universities myself, and I think this is the most politically correct -- Third World Elitists.

And I'm not generalizing. 

Ignorant Government 

The Philippines has been free from foreign occupation for a little over 100 years but they never figured out how to run their country well.

The government is run by corrupt, unqualified people. Even the brainless (pardon me, for the word), uneducated individual becomes a public servant because he or she is popular and admired by the people. But I can't blame them, It is also because that the money goes into the pockets of educated but undeserving, dishonest government officials instead of developing the country for the benefit of the Filipino population.

Ever since the Marcos parliament, the economy has been crippled and had never regained its spot among the best of asia and even the world's before. But there's no use crying over spilled milk. Cry me a river, build a bridge and go over it.

Do I think the Philippines would ever resurge to its once rich, independent and prosperous image before?

Probably, but I don't think in my lifetime.

Realistically, too much needs to be done to at least even straighten the many social ills of my country. Unfortunately, the current social structure of my country does not warrant any glimmer of progress in the near future.

Please don't think that I'm hating on the country nor the people. I am Filipino born and bred and would always be proud of it. Just the fact that now I live in England makes me so critical of the Philippines.

So my plea to my beloved home country: 

No western philosophy or persuasion could alter the status quo, until the populace rise up in a 'People Power' of a different kind; Change the mind-set of the youth & start to think of helping each other as kababayans instead of thinking solely of enlarging & deepening your own pockets! You people count your blessings, but you should also share your blessings.

Stop living in the past; dwelling in the memories of the glory of the country that once was ours to brag about is bullshit. It is time that you, as a people and as a nation, move on. In fact, the country are decades late in doing so. You must do away with old traditions that only pull you down. Stop scapegoating on the corrupt officials because you are totally responsible for it.

Also, stop relying on advanced countries. Be proud of your heritage, not to have adopted a different and flawed one. Keep your morals, stop being white-washed vis-a-vis colonial mentality; it's not cool to drop your standards to the trashy moral levels of the US. I, myself, am gulity of losing my Tagalog luster and vocabulary. I haven't ever and could not even blog a tagalog entry for once. Speaking it even is still and such a struggle for me. Pathetic, I know.  

Be proud, make others change, don't follow them like sheep. Sell your designer gear and don't follow western fads and don't sell out your country and become an American or European clone. You are special because of your individuality, because you're Filipino. The proud malay race that Dr. Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifactio and Lapu-Lapu built rock upon!

I'm embarrased that one day, when I come back to the Philippines, and me being brown and full filipino, will be standing behind the "foreigners lane" instead of the "balikbayans lane" (citizen returnees); speak with an accent and get a "tourist" visa just to enter my own country of origin. My parents and older sister already do so...  

.

In the earliest years if my education, I met the challenge of elementary school with a serious concern for my schoolwork and driving curiosity to learn whatever is offered. I developed these two characteristics through a strong family network. My family was closely involved with my education and had even before kindergarten taught me how to read because I seemed to want to know. In our home I was always welcome to voice an opinion or ask any questions, which my parents in turn strove to answer fairly. I was told that I was a smart child and with this family environment I believe I grew up thinking I had the potential to always do well in school. The confidence I gained from this strong family support added to my receptivity to getting a good education.

Throughout my mandatory school years, I was labeled an "advanced" student and was separated from the "slower" students (can I say such a thing?, pardon me) This was positive to again be labeled "intelligent." In retrospect it seems clear to me that the foundation of my education was the praise and affirmation of my abilities given me by my parents and teachers. Without their support, abilities I might have demonstrated on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT would have probably meant little. This is why I believe that every child, especially at the elementary school level, should be treated as having great potential. I was lucky enough to enjoy this treatment, but it deeply concerns me that others were not.

The next phase of my education began unexpectedly at the end of my secondary school when I moved to the United Kingdom. In the small amount of time, only around three fifths of a year, I experienced an exciting education that far exceeded what I would have gotten at the Universities at home (Best taken with a grain of salt).

The University that I got into was excellent for a variety of reasons. For one, as a private institution, there was plenty of money available for teacher salaries and student resources. The instructors, on the whole, were satisfied and enthusiastic about their jobs, which is one of the keys to an excellent education. The student body was a mix of students from all over the world. With the opportunity to be in the "audirooms" (auditorium-like classrooms) with people of such diverse backgrounds, I gained an international perspective that to this day allows me a vision I could not have developed otherwise. Probably one of the most enriching aspects of this part of my education was living in a country so different from my own. As a result, I developed an objective outlook towards the Philippines. I think there is a problem of blind apathy and indifference in my home country, an attitude of "my self, your life, I don't care" To see the world beyond my country was an education itself, and it helped me question and form my values, ideas, and beliefs.

In the audirooms, discussions and debate were prevalent. I distinctly remember a Democrat History lecturer explaining the events of the Great Depression only to be interrupted by an Indian, an American, and an Ethopian who each had contrasting ideas about this historical event . As students we were given the idea that we had opinions that should be listened to and respected. Add to this the different background of the students and the result was much learning that occurred not only between teacher and student but between the student themselves.

When I was in my first semester of tertiary school, I immediately experienced a culture shock at school. The enthusiasm to learn I had become accustomed to was absent and so were the apathetic and indifferenciated professors who do not care for their students. My education came to standstill for four months. I found it easy to do what was needed to earn a "1.00" (highest in a four weighted scale) grade in a class without doing much of anything. I slacked, measly went to classes, and slept during classes a lot, and still dumbfounded to see high marks in my exams. This was the only time in my school career in which I lost the drive to involve myself in what I was learning. I believe Universities at this level can fall prey to a conflict between the disinterested teenager and the educator who cannot cope with the student's frame of mind. The focus of educational processes becomes the enforcement of discipline rather than learning. At this time, I encountered many of the negatives of my home country's college system and merely passed the time until I left and moved here in UK.

I attended an exclusive, all-male, private high school which was considered to be top par when it comes to secondary education. The disturbing aspect of attending that high school was that it has an intellectually quotiented and financially diverse student body where a disproportionate number of underprivelegded students did not associate much with the "popular" students and they were stereotyped as dumb, lower class or poor. Such an elitist attitude generates prejudice that lasts beyond high school. Developing an awareness of the tension between the "popular" students and the "dumb" students led me to the realization that intellectual segregation is still present in the Philippine society and is perpetuated in schools.

I feel that there are some basic standards that should be met for a good education. As an undergrad freshman in University, I base my criteria on what I have been exposed to up this point.

In my opinion the most important criterion education must meet is the affirmation of every individual's ability and potential. This does not mean separating the "advanced" from the "slow" students based on the results of a standardized test. I got a 2100 in my SAT, 750 in TOEFL and a near perfect score in my SAT II. But does that even matter when it comes to University admissions? Matter of fact,Fuck that, fuck all of that shit. It instead provide means to all students with respect for their intelligence. Not every child will be given the advantages of a supportive family but they should be given equal opportunity to learn at school. The elementary school teacher should use the classroom as a forum for the children to develop self-worth and secondly, it gives them practice with their own thinking process. This is the surest way to avoid the apathy so prevalent among students in later years. The common scenario I experienced while in college in the Philippines was that of a frustrated professor attempting to create a discussion among students who stare blankly at each other. It is a symptom of a college educational system that does not work.

Another criterion that a good education should incorporate is learning not only between the teacher and the class but among the students. Prejudice and stereotypes run rampant in the University that I was in in my home country. The Philippine educational system should have the social responsibility of encouraging students to learn from each other and to work to understand on another. Since every individual experiences life uniquely, the classroom is a special opportunity for the students to learn about one another's values and ideals. Traditionally, the teacher is the subject of the learning process, while the pupils are mere objects.

But this ignores that fact that students themselves are a wealth of information for each other. I feel this is so because of how much I have learned of the world from my fellow undergrads here in the UK. This may have been an unusual situation but i believe it is possible at every school. The total lack of understanding and communication between the students at the high school I attended could have ben remedied if we had been given the chance to interact and learn from each other.

At last, students should be exposed to what I call the "big picture" What I mean by this term is the general idea that the subject being studied should be related to an overall picture. For example, mathematical equations teachers give students to memorize and apply to numbers. This excercise is useless unless the practical application of these computations is explored. The material presented in school should be constantly compared to what the students already know and connected to the more general concepts. If the students are only given fragments of knowledge, they will not be able to apply their educations outside school.

The educational experience is a personal process that can not be duplicated in exactly the same way for any two students. But a good education should include affirmation of the student's abilities, the sharing of ideas among the students and an overall view of material presented in class. The Philippine tertiary educational system is lacking in fulfilling these criteria, and it is time to strive towards improvement.

.