NOT A FAN OF WEDNESDAY

Wait, we can not break bread with you. You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans, and drink highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the road sides, and you will play golf. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They said do not trust the pilgrims. And especially do not trust Sarah Miller. For all these reasons I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground. – Wednesday Addams, Addams Family (1991)

In the movie, Wednesday Addams, a child of 7-9 was enrolled on a summer camp with his brother, Pugsly. In the camp, they had various activities including a role playing that entails a peaceful relationship between the Colonizers of America and the Native American Indians. But the little Ms. Addams altered the script and stated 

the quotation cited, and then, the supposed to be child-friendly play turn into chaos.

This morning, I, together with my colleagues attended office an hour earlier than our usual office time to visit a tree planting location prior to an actual tree planting event days from now. The event is a tie-up with our mother company, local government, and other private sectors which aims to plant fruit-bearing trees to alleviate global warming. Alongside with this project, a known ethnic group in our town will benefit this project by giving them the responsibility to watch over the trees, and in return, they can harvest the fruits that the tree will bear in the future.

When  the team got in the site, I saw several members of the ethnic group clearing the location for the event. I drew closer to one of them and asked “Kuya? Kuya?” (Sir? Sir?) the native just stared at me blankly. Then I urged to ask again “ Ano pong panagalan ninyo Kuya?” (what’s your name Sir?) and She answered “Maya”. Ok, I’ve mistaken the native into a male. 

I got confuse because she was dress like a male with her baggy pants and a t-shirt, plus, her hair was shaved. I’ve asked Maya on why she volunteered in the clearance of the area where in fact they aren’t paid for it. According to her, she was quite convinced that the plants to be planted on the area might help to bring them food and revenue as well.

As I continuously asked questions, the above cited quotation flash-backed. According to history, this ethnic group, if not the first, one of the first people to inhabit our country, but in recent, they were drove to the outskirts of towns selling their backyard grown crops and other wood works downtown to tourists and locals.

In this situation, the members of the group even extended their efforts to clear an area where they can possibly get food, possibly. 

It also came to my mind the teachings of Charles Darwin on adaptation—that it’s not the strongest species who survive, but those who can adapt to change.

 In this fast-paced world, the ethnic group remained on their shells and was resilient to advancement such as technology and education in my observation.

Maybe, just maybe, they are already contented in what they have for now, being deprived of their lands and the like. Or maybe, they don’t have the drive like what Wednesday Addams had in the story, a drive to fight for what’s yours and to drive away those who want to upset the established order.

ANG KALAYAAN: ISANG NAKAKATAKOT NA PELIKULA

"Ipapaalam ko sa mga bida ang tunay na pagkatao o pagkamulto ng pinapalaya nila galing sa balon, para may kalayaan silang pumili kung ililigtas pa ba nila ito o hindi. "

 Papalayain mo ba pa ang isang tao kung alam mong maghahasik lang siya ng kasakitan sa iba?

Sa nakalipas na mga taon, meroon akong napanood na nakakatakot na pelikulang Asiano. Ang pelikulang ito ay pumatok sa takilya dahil sa kakaiba nitong atake kumpara sa mga naungang horror films. Sa kasikatan nito, ito ay rine-make sa Estados Unidos.

 

Ang kwento ay umiikot sa isang video tape, kung saan ang mga nakakapanood nito ay namamatay at sinasabing ginagamabala ng babaing multo na makikita sa video. Dahil dito, ang mga bida ay nagsiyasat at napagalaman ang puno’t dulo kung bakit nanggulo ang multo. Sa kanilang hangarin na matahimik ang multo, pumunta sila sa isang balon kung saan pinatay ang multo. Iniligtas nila ang bangkay ng multo at inaakala ko ito na ang katapusan ng istorya.

 

Nabigla ako ng ipakita sa kwento na kaya pala pinatay ang nagmumultong babae ay dahil ito ay mapanakit ng kapwa at ito ay natural na masama. Sa ginawang pagpapalaya ng mga bida sa spirito ng multo (sa pagligtas sa bangkay nito), mas lalo itong nagkalat ng lagim – ganoon natapos ang kwento.

 

Ngayong araw na ito, ipinagdiriwang ng aking bansa ang kagitingan ng mga bayaning lumaban para sa aming kasarinlan. Sabay dito, ay mayroong isang pagtitipon na ginaganap sa kabisera ng bansa upang tahasang kontrahin ang maanomalyang pondo na ginagawang pagatasan ng mga tiwaling politico, ang Pork Barrel.

 

Nakakatawang isipin na sa dami ng nagbuwis ng buhay at sa dami ng dugong dumanak para sa kalayaan ay ganito pa ang magiging dulot nito. Ang mga gahaman sa kapangyarihan at kayamanan ay patuloy na lumalakas at mas nagiging marangya ang pamumuhay. Samantalang ang mga mahihina naman ay patuloy na nalulugmok sa kumunoy ng kahirapan at ng kamangmangan.

 

Ang kalayaan, para maging epektibo, ay kailangang ibahagi sa mga responsibleng tao lamang. Kapag ito’y ibinigay sa mga mapang-abuso, nakakatakot isipin ang posibleng mangyari dito.

 

Ito nga ba ang kalayaan na mahigit 300 taon na ipinaglaban ng ating mga ninuno sa mga  dayuhan? Kung ganito ang kalayaan na sinasariwa natin kada Araw ng Kalayaan at National Hero’s day, aba’y mas gusto ko na palang maging bihag tayo ng ibang bansa.

 

Ang kalayaan ba ay mahahalintulad sa pelikulang napanood ko? Ang mga bida ba dito ay ang mga bayaning ng nagpalaya sa isang multong di umano’y humihingi ng tulong ngunit sa totoo lang ay naghihintay lamang pala ng kalayaan upang maghasik ng lagim? Tayo ba ang multo sa pelikula ng lumaya ay mas lumala pa ang takbo ng istorya?

 

Kaya ako’y hindi nagpupugay sa mga nasyonalistikong pagdiriwang kagaya ngayon ay dahil sa huwad na kalayaan na dinaranas ng aking bansa. Ang kalayaang mas malala pa pala sa pagkagapos.

 

Yaman din lamang na kalayaan ang paksa ng paskil kong ito, kung bibigyan ako ng pagkakataong palitan ang istorya ng pelikulang napanood ko, ipapaalam ko sa mga bida ang tunay na pagkatao o pagkamulto ng pinapalaya nila galing sa balon, para may kalayaan silang pumili kung ililigtas pa ba nila ito o hindi.

THE EDUCATED AND THE SCHOOLED

Not all who are IN SCHOOL are educated, and not all EDUCATED are in school. There's a big difference between the two: it takes financial capability to be in school, but it takes more than money to be educated. To be schooled is a privilege, but to be educated is a choice.

A FEAST, REALLY

More than just being a death or birth day celebration of saints in my country, feasts are celebrated to acknowledge a bountiful year, may it be for business, harvest or for personal reasons.

After my short stint in the media world last year, a low-cost housing developer hired me to be their Events Officer (someone who handles corporate and community events). I like this job, but honestly, it has also been my escape boat from a burning castle. I need to find a replacement for the job I resigned to.

A feast requires preparation for it to live by its name. The way local folks in my town prepare for such an occasion is by cooking the best kept family recipes with all the finest ingredients and spices.

I thought my 2-year experience as marketing assistant in a company (Events Officer post is part of the Marketing) is a sufficient preparation for the feast I chose to celebrate. But unfortunately, it’s not. The nature of the products I’m trying to market this time are miles different from the product I’ve been trying to sell for more than two years.

 With a different environment and work load, I tried my best to pull out the rabbit on the magic hat. Surprisingly, or better if I say, with lots of effort, I did managed to execute minor and large events.

When the time came my partner, which is the Public Relations Officer, resigned, I have to fill her post and handle two position but getting paid for one. Yes, please take me to Luneta and kill me for this martyrdom.

The preparation for this feast was hell, I may had my hand cut, burned my fingers, or went broke, but will all due fairness to my audience, it was all worth it. Actually I consider this Feast to be my I-learned-a-lot job yet.

The tradition is kept; the finest ingredients were smoked out, and many people are full—so what’s left to do? Call the party off, but this time around, there will no feast for the next year anymore.

Yes, I chose to end my 8-month Marketing career to give way to an old but at the same time new career, yes, I’m so back in the media world.

The feast, including its preparation, actual execution, and its rituals, almost drove me crazy. But nevertheless, it’s still something that when I look back at it, I’ll smile. Because whatever the outcome is, feasts will always be something to celebrate, personally, and in this case, professionally. 

 Memories from the FEAST 

Goofing around with the dancer's costume for an event :) Just my 3rd day, and just got a 30-minute sleep for the whole day :( :)

the POWER TEAM, as many will agree upon :)

TKO SALES RALLY, my first major event :)

Still at TKO SALES RALLY :)

Team Building :)

Team Building :)

Virtual birthday greeting for our ex-officemate that time :)

My frienemy, my twin, my Supervisor :)

with my Supervisor in one of our sister company's major event :)

Birthday surprise for Kuya Nerwin :)

Our themed-saturday, this time, it's TRAVEL SHIRT :)

Best wishes Mr. and Mrs. Lacson :)

still at Mr and Mrs. Lacson's wedding :)

My birthday gift from colleagues, and my first ever birthday cake from office mates :)

IN DEPENDENCE

Independence is a big word, most especially from a former captive that has still a lot to deal with, internally—even after its sovereignty of more than a century. Happy Philippine Independence Day!

Inspiration, Testified!

The failure in education like teachers failing to educate is not on their end. The curriculum is good, the teacher also is, but the memory of a student can only contain particular space like one in a flash drive. The tendency, the knowledge stays deep in the recessive part of the student’s mind.

The point is that the best teachers are those who can’t only teach well, but are those who can hammer the lessons in their students’ minds and lives for possibly a lifetime.

Ms Virginia Bautista, or Ma’am Virgie as we call her, is one example of those teachers who really nailed most, if not all, lessons she taught. I remember reading in her blog that a good teacher need not to be a walking dictionary, but one who teaches the lesson the easiest way a student can get it, and that’s the way she teach.

In our Communication Theory class, every time she let us do advance reading of the theory to be discussed for the next meeting, I instantly refer to my online sources but I only end up being confused about the topic. But when she explains it in her “give example first, before explaining theory” strategy the complicated becomes simple, it makes me, together with my classmates, think at the end of the class “Ah, ganoon pala yun”.

For example, she talked to our classmates Kring ang Rj to sit beside those students whom they are not well-acquainted with before the class starts. The whole class wondered why Kring didn’t sit beside Pam (her best friend and usual seatmate in the class) and the same with Rj not sitting beside Handra. After that, she revealed the lesson for that day which was Expectancy Violation Theory that explains proxemics.

In that sense, up to now, I am still knowledgeable about every theory she taught us back then and the strategies she used for us to understand the lesson better. In fact, I’ve applied the same strategies when I’m still teaching General Sociology a year ago and it was also effective in my class back then.

Ma’am Virgie is also stimulating as a teacher, she presents innovative activities where we learn, and enjoy at the same time. Also, I read in her blog that learning will always be personal, the teacher’s task is to give the students a reason to learn, it’s called motivation.

She cultivated me to be a responsible student leader when I served as the secretary of our course organization. She bravely delegates tasks to me and my co-officers which gave us the opportunity to work as a team and deliver-out the tasks on our own.

My dreams and aspirations as of the moment, to become a teacher that hammers every lesson to my future students, my urge to change lives like what she did to mine—I owe most of it to her.

SO WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE LIKE ME?

Last year, my previous supervisor gave us a link about a cognitive examination that examines my cognitive profile. I got 3 results but I agreed the most in this one:

INFJs -
From Conversations with Foreseer Developers

The quest for more knowledge, the meaning of life, the philosophical questions-my mind is always occupied, and what's exciting is when I get to follow through with an insight and do something. I am an abstract future thinker, looking at things from different perspectives. I'm about the relationships and possibilities and enjoy anything with deeper meaning that leaves me wondering, with more questions to ask and things to untangle. Connecting for me means being able to intuitively ask questions of people to get them to go deeper into the things they are talking about.

Inspiring others, helping them find their purpose or meaning, being a different kind of leader from what's traditional-that's really gratifying. I just do that naturally. The challenge is opening up people's minds to have their own original thoughts. I'm a listener and guide.
I think I am a mystery to people. They never really understand me and part of me enjoys that. More often though, I long to be understood.

I tend to approach my day with a structured way of getting things accomplished. People see me as organized, thorough, and easy to get along with, pulling my own weight and eager to help out when called upon. But I'm not as outgoing or as critical as I may sometimes appear. I need a balance between people contact and working on creative projects and will break away from interactions when I get tired out. If I don't have some long-term goals, then what's the point?

I tend to intuitively read people very quickly, but I have to be cautious not to make assumptions. I'm an observer. I get a feeling when people are interesting, and I watch from a distance, make some assessments about the situation, and then approach them and engage in conversation. I put a little bit out and a little more and see how that goes. Do I trust and like them, are they who they say? I have a few deep friendships. A friendship comes best when it is worked to develop that investment. I quickly pick up on sincerity and withdraw if the person is superficial or obviously doesn't care. When I see people who abuse their power or won't stand behind what they say, that ticks me off. It's about integrity. I feel other people's feelings, and taking on that burden can make me too intense and serious, where I can't be spontaneous and fun loving...

Everything revolves around growth. Caring is about the ability to help others grow. What I bring is caring about people, not things. If we spent more time trying to understand each other's point of view, to communicate more effectively, we would grow. In an honest, open, sincere relationship, I can accomplish anything. My challenge is to create those kinds of relationships. I respect most the person who is willing to come forth and be an individual-to make the world a better place, or make a difference in a person's life, where we reach each other's hearts.

(source: http://www.bestfittype.com)

Now I ask, is it so?