Passport Requirements

A woman holds her tears as much as she can as she sips the steaming hot, perhaps bitter-tasting coffee--as bitter as her feelings. She was angry more than regretful. But her anger is all the more aggravated by the fact that she can't blame anyone, other than herself.

It was a quiet Wednesday morning. I was reading the newspaper and eating breakfast in a fasfood chain, while waiting for Papa to finish his passport renewal. Suddenly, the stillness of the place was disturbed by a woman (most probably in her early 20s) as she sobs about her "epic fail" attempt to apply for her passport.

The reason? She lacks one requirement (NBI clearance from what I have heard--yeah eaveadropping is my hobby)

As I watch her being comforted by her companion, I cannot help but reflect and think about my students and about that documentary shown in "Bawal ang Pasaway".

According to the research of the People Management Association of the Philippines (2012) , fresh graduates and other applicants fail to land on a job because of basic (but seemingly perennial) problems. "The study showed that 40 percent of fresh graduates do not immediately get hired because of the deficiencies in these soft competencies (i.e. critical thinking, initiative, and effective communication skills) ,” PMAP director for academe-industry linkages Gigi Alcasid.

Everyday of my teaching life, I would reiterate to my students problems 1&2 stated above. But it seems that they are either dazed or in limbo because no matter how much I remind them, no matter how much I bombard them with activities that aim to hone their communication and thinking skills, there are still some who fail to cope.

At times, I would begin to doubt my teaching skills.

At times I would be irked, but at times, I would also feel pity. I can't help but think about their possible "crying scenes" after job interviews or passport applications (much like that crying lady) just because of trivialities that could have been avoided only if they have utilized their common sense.

As I reflect, more than those paper documents that the Department of Foreign Affairs require for passport applications, the most important requirement is common and (supposedly) readily available to all normal human beings: communication & thinking.

Sadly, Voltaire seems right when he said, "Common sense is not common."

After the graduation ceremonies and parties, students must begin to realize and understand that they are not students anymore; that they are not supposed to be supported by their parents anymore; that they are supposed to work and put whatever they have learned to practice. 

Diplomas and Transcripts are only paper documents that employers would require. Graduates must realize that above all these, skills and competencies are paramount.

***

I just hope and pray that when I see my students cry, it would be tears of joy rather than wails of fails.

The ultimate dream of parents is to see their child become successful in life. The ultimate dream of teachers is to see their students learn.

Pasko naman...

It was a long line in a fast food chain in Baclaran yesterday. The place was too crowded that people are literally waiting for others to finish eating to have their seats and eat their meals. I was reminded of the night market in Divisoria and the food court in 168 mall. Everyone seems hungry (judging by the look in their faces), but interestingly, everyone was also quietly and patiently waiting for their turn to place an order, have their seats, and eat.

I was so hungry that time since I just had a 2-hour travel from Cavite. I was in the line and the cashier was too slow and a bit dazed. She told me she’ll just deliver my food because it’s still being “assembled”. I told her I’ll just wait for it to be assembled, but she insists to just deliver (which I personally believe is impossible given the long line). So I looked for a seat and waited.

5 minutes…

10 minutes…

15 minutes…

I’m starting to get pissed off because as an ex-crew, I know that it shouldn’t last that (i.e. assembly and delivery) long. I think the others are also getting impatient as they wait for pending orders. As I was about to stand up to confront the cashier or the manager or anyone, a sudden flash of reminder stopped me…

“Pasko naman…”

So instead of bombarding them with complaints, I patiently waited while thinking about how Christmas changes perspectives; how the “spirit of Christmas” creates “random acts of kindness” patience, love, and all that positivity.

However, we also have a saying in the Philippines “hindi araw-araw, pasko”, which basically means that we cannot get all the “fun, gifts and all that” everyday.

How do we view Christmas? 

How do we understand its message? 

And how does it affect our lives.

Christmas eve and Christmas day are mere traditions that remind us of the Birth of Jesus. Scholars until today are not convinced whether December 25 is the real date of Christ’s birth. To me the date doesn’t really matter; what’s important is the fact the Jesus was born; that He was sent on Earth not just to save us but also to teach us.

The real spirit of Christmas is our ability to understand why in the world Jesus came to save us and give us life..and to understand it NOT YEARLY but on a DAILY BASIS.

I thank God for making me experience anger amid hunger because that situation made me realize a lot of things. If only we would prioritize CHRIST instead of the gifts and revelry, if only we would stop thinking that Christmas is just a yearly event, if only we would say “PASKO naman” everyday, then maybe, just maybe this world would be filled with more love, respect, and all that positivity that Jesus brought and taught.

Christmas begins tonight. Let us continue living by it everyday. 

Pacquiao's Downfall

Sunday seems to be a nightmare to the entire Filipino nation as they watch Pacquiao kiss the ring right in front of their awestruck noses. Mixed reactions immediately spread in various social media: some were in shock, some were disappointed, some were sad, while some were even angry (and I assume these are the gamblers who lost thousands, perhaps millions).

I wasn't able to watch the fight because I was heading back to Cavite from Fairview when this happened. But the moment I received the news from my good friend Luis, I immediately remembered John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease.". As I read the verse from my Bible App (thanks to technology), I started to ask a number of questions. What happened? What is God's purpose for letting this happen? What is Manny's reactions? How will the Filipinos take this?

It wasn't too long when two old men at the back part of the bus were throwing curses down on Manny.

"Hindi yan mangyayari kung hindi sya nagpalit ng relihiyon..." said one (That wouldn't have happened if he didn't change religion)

"Tsaka wala na kasing bisa ang agimat nya..." said the other. (And his amulet will not work anymore...)

As I browse the net for reactions, I read the same from various people. Thankfully, there are still a lot of encouragers amid discouragers.

As the bus rolls, I reflected: Did the "changing of religion" really affect the fight?

First, I don't believe that Manny changed religion. He just re-established his faith. He just got more intimate with his relationship with God. He just got to know Jesus more than before. Something that Catholics, Protestants, Baptists, etc. can do ANYTIME THEY WANT, if they choose to.

Second, I think this precisely happened because Manny is on the process of dying to oneself. This is something very difficult for other people to understand, especially for those enjoying a luxurious life like Manny did. Why in the world will he give up his gold, girls, and guns? But you see, increasing and decreasing is in a continuum. They're binary opposites. One cannot boast that he has "faith in God" if he/she still brags about his achievements, talents, skills, wealth, etc. Manny's downfall is his death from the Manny most of us knew.

I was actually happy to realize that a lot of people saw this change. Now, everyone becomes curious (some skeptical, but that's OK) about what kind of encounter (perhaps "transfiguration??!!") Manny had.

Third, I was also happy to realize that his "agimat" (amulet) (if he really had one) is not working anymore. This means he has surrendered it to God, and nothing and no one else works in him but God alone.

Anthropologically and Psychologically speaking, humans are always in search for something concrete that would represent the abstract. We search for things that would "carry" and "give" us power. Something we can "hold" as if faith can really be held with bare hands without realizing that we can freely get this from God, if we only seek for it through prayers and devotions.

Thus, contrary to the flurry of discouragements and curses, I say "Congratulations Manny!!! As you decrease, Jesus will increase! Keep it up and may the Lord continue to bless you and the people around you."

Pacquiao's defeat and downfall is not a failure. It's victory over oneself.

Robbie's Language Development (Part 1)

I plan to document, as much as I can, my observations (and hypotheses?) regarding my nephew, Robbie's language development. This is my first attempt. Hopefully, it won't be the last.

***

When Robbie was born last year, I had an initial idea of "experimenting" about his Language development. I thought, this is the best way to apply and test whether all those language learning theories I have learned and read are true or not. I tried coming up with a documentation by videotaping him using my cellphone. But I can't capture his antics all the time.

As he grows up (and as I grow busier by the day), I have concluded something at the onset of my attempted longitudinal study: IT IS REALLY TEDIOUS! I have then become more appreciative of Skinner and Chomsky (and their disciples) from carefully doing observations and experimentations on child language development.

I decided not to observe closely, and merely do random observations.

However, there are basic truths that I have realized upon my short-lived observations. One of them is the power of listening (which would later on bring us to the power of spoken words upon children). The first thing I "tested" when Robbie was born was his ears. I tried flicking my fingers near his left and right ears to find out if he would respond. He did, and I realized that his ears are very sensitive to sounds because he would later respond/react to TV ads even if he is inside the room and our TV is in the living room (about 5-8 meters away).

Later, he started to discern the pictures posted on the walls of their room. This is proven to be helpful in developing a child's visual skills. In a matter of 7-9 months, Robbie starts responding to commands such as "Where's the monkey?" Due to constant training, perhaps, he one by one, learned to point out the animals in the poster.

***

However, what prompted me to finally write this blog was his telephone conversation with his mother just a few minutes ago. My ate asked (in Filipino)

"What are you doing baby?"

To which he quickly responded, "TOYS!"

Could Chomsky be correct in his Innatist/Nativist Language Learning theory, which pushes for a Language Acquisition Device that processes Primary Linguistic Data that learners receive?

"Toys" may be interpreted as "playing". But no one told him that Toys=Playing. But indeed, if we do basic Semantic Analysis, aren't toys meant for playing? How in the world did Robbie realize that TOYS is an appropriate, if not acceptable, response to mean PLAYING?!

This very simple scenario that I have observed today really made me more fascinated with the brain's capacity to accommodate language inputs, process them, and later on use them for communication.

Indeed, talk is never cheap. Because at the backroom, there are millions of neurons being used to get information, process them, and transmit them back via responses--verbally or non-verbally.

For now, I shall pause here. I hope to find other free time to write my observations and hypotheses.

James Thurber's Little Red Riding Hood

One afternoon a big wolf waited in a dark forest for a little girl to come along carrying a basket of food to her grandmother. Finally a little girl did come along and she was carrying a basket of food. "Are you carrying that basket to your grandmother?" asked the wolf. The little girl said yes, she was. So the wolf asked her where her grandmother lived and the little girl told him and he disappeared into the wood. When the little girl opened the door of her grandmother's house she
saw that there was somebody in bed with a nightcap and nightgown on. She had approached no nearer than twenty-five feet from the bed when she saw that it was not her grandmother but the wolf, for even in a nightcap a wolf does not look any more like your grandmother than the Metro-Goldwyn lion looks like Calvin Coolidge. So the little girl took an automatic out of her basket and shot the wolf dead.

Moral: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.

Source:

Tatar, M. (ed.) (1999). The Classic Fairy Tales. New York: W.W. Noron & Company, Inc.

SEMPLANG LOCA

I saw the face of death today. That moment of imp... 

BANG! 

A split second of disbelief; a dream within a dream; a reality within a dream; or a reality within reality. I really don't know. I got a little bit confused. 

It was a sharp curve in Biluso. I was running on just 30, but there was a tricycle that caught me by surprise. It was running slow too, but the sudden appearance shook me.

The road was wet because of the morning drizzle. Everything happened too fast. I stumbled down and my head banged on the road. Thank God I have a helmet to protect my not-so-essential skull. It was the bitterest kiss i have tasted. I stood up quickly. The passengers on the tricycle got a little dazed in disbelief. The driver asked "Ayos lang pre?" ("Are you ok, man?") with a chagrin. I replied with a wave. Of course, I didn't remove my helmet. It was my protection: against the impact and against the humiliation.

When I looked back, Battlehopper (the name of my motorcycle) was there lying. He was hurt too. I could tell it from the bruises he attained after the impact and with the dislocated side mirror. Good thing his eyes (headlights) weren't damaged. On the road, my bag, with my laptop inside, was also contemplating. They were dizzy and asking, "What has just happened?" I could tell it when I picked them up. Good thing that my laptop wasn't really hurt that bad (proof is that I'm still typing on it now). 

I gathered myself up and uttered a prayer "Thank you Lord, I'm still alive."  I moved on and reached school safely. 

I saw the face of death today. It was brief though, because God sent an angel to snatch me away from him. 

That moment of impact was His swift rescue.

BANG! It is finished.

How to request for a SMARTBRO REBATE

Smart, which claims to be the "Nationwidest" and "strongest" network, still has a lot of glitches in its system and proof to this is the everyday clamor of subscribers regarding lost of signal particularly in its internet service (SmartBro). (This is evident in Smart's FB and Twitter account)

I'm a Smart Bro subscriber (the one with the canopy on the roof) for about 4 years now and an all fairness to them, I had good internet service in the past years and it is just recently (May of this year to date) that I have experienced "regular" intermittent internet connection.

When I have free time, I would really try to contact them and report about these disconnections. I also took down the Report Numbers that the call center agents would tell me.

However, it was only last August 13 that I learned about the possibility of requesting for REBATE! YEP, folks! You got that right! You can get your money back since we are paying for a certain monthly postpaid fee for "UNLIMITED" internet and we don't really get the service we are paying for. It was just unfotunate that SMART does not exert a lot of effort to inform its subscribers about this option. Aside from that, I find it unfair that the subscribers will still need to report and request when in fact, they should be responsible enough to monitor their connections and automatically issue rebates.

At any rate, WE HAVE AN OPTION to get our money back, and that's positive enough in itself.

If you are a Smart Bro subscriber and you want to request for a REBATE , here's how:

1. REPORT DISCONNECTIONS- Every time you experience loss of internet, be sure to report it to SMART by dialing *1888. It takes a lot of time waiting for connection, so I suggest you "dovetail" e.g. do something else, put your phone on speaker mode so you don't waste time waiting. Once you have connected, inform the call center agent and they will be able to monitor if there really is a disconnection or if there's just a problem in your computer.
2. RECORD REPORT NUMBERS- Upon confirmation that there really is a disconnection, ask for the REPORT NUMBER. All agents are required to submit reports and these reports have reference numbers for easier retrieval in the future. Be sure to take these numbers down and keep them in a notebook, which you can retrieve anytime.
3. REQUEST FOR REBATE WHEN INTERNET CONNECTION RESUMES- When internet resumes, call *1888 again and request for a rebate. I suggest that you do this prior to your Bill Cut off. But if in case you weren't able to do this before, they will issue rebate on the next month's bill. You'll need your notebook in this process to tell them the report numbers and dates when the internet connection was lost.
4. RECORD REPORT (for rebate) NUMBERS- The agent will again issue another set of report number. This time it's for the request for rebate. They will submit this to the accounting department of SMART who will then compute for the necessary amount that will be deducted to your next month's bill. 
5. WAIT WITHIN 48 HOURS FOR CONFIRMATION- They will call for confirmation. That's what the call center agent told me, but they never did. I never stopped bugging them through twitter and FB because I felt it was my right as a consumer. Finally, last October 14, they replied to me and told me that my request was granted. It was a long wait but it was worth it because the total rebate i got is more than 2 months of internet bill. I think I'll enjoy my internet til December for FREE!

Let us be responsible consumers/clients. Let us not let these capitalists benefit from our lack of vigilance and indifference toward the services that we pay for. We work for the money that we pay for these services. It is just necessary that they work for theirs too.


P.S.

Since the rebate request, SMART seems to have been "shaken" because my internet connection is now flawless. I haven't experience disconnection for two months now.