emul

‘Tis the season for what? It’s beyond gift-giving, shopping, dinners, drinks, decorations & fun times…Christmas is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ and to give glory to Him. I admit that I also get caught up in our society’s material version of the holiday. I’ve always believed that to give is better than to receive so when this time of the year comes, I go crazy with shopping! However being at church today reminded me of what Christmas is really about. The joy I felt as we all sang “Holy Night” was so intense that it has brought me to tears without even me realizing it. With the way I drink and party, you would have never guessed that I’m the church type of girl. When people talk about religion, I’m probably the last person to share my thoughts. It’s not that I’m ashamed of my faith, I just don’t believe in making other people feel that I’m on a mission to convince them. My journey of becoming a Christian was somewhat forced but I consider it to be the best thing that ever happened to me. My view in life, my demeanor, my trust in Him and my appreciation of life all fell in the right place when I finally accepted God.

I’ve been asked before, “How do you know that there is God?” or been told that going to church isn’t necessary to have a relationship with Him. I’ve even heard someone ask how I’m certain that this is the right religion when there are so many to choose from. My response is simple – it’s just like LOVE. For those of us who have fallen in love and been in relationships (or perhaps is still hoping and searching for it), I’m thinking you could relate to this. When you love someone, you put your faith in them. You blindly trust in their words of promises, believe in their potential and appreciate things that they have done. You do things for your lover because of this strong emotion you have for them. When you feel “that feeling”, you stay with the person and embrace their entirety. How do you know that it’s love? It’s because you believe it to be. That’s why we say “let’s have faith in each other”. When you’re in love, can you justify the concept of NOT showing or sharing this with your partner? Would you like to just keep it to yourself or does the feeling ever get so strong that you would like to profess it to your lover, to your family, to your friends and even the whole world. That’s why I go to church. I don’t just talk the talk, I try to walk the walk and nurture my relationship with Him. Finally, when I find that person I will fall in-love with – there will be no second thoughts. I will not wonder if other people are worth my time and if I’ve made the right choice. Just like religion, I will trust my feelings and my faith. No, I’m not asking you to convert upon reading this. I just realized that I’ve bought many gifts for others but never bothered to sit and think about my gift to God for everything that He has done for me. It dawned upon me that letting my faith be known to others could be my way of showing Him gratitude and love. Merry Christmas everyone! Happy birthday Jesus Christ! 

Me me me me. A lot of people of this generation practices this motto. Do not get me wrong as I am guilty of such myself. However when I am not rockin to Christina Aguilera’s Vanity - “I’m not cocky. I just love myself,” I find myself worrying about how I could help out more. I am not involved with any huge organizations nor make monthly donations. I know a bit about recycling and stick to the basics. I do the regular segregating trash from recyclables at home and then find random odd ways to help with natural resource conservation. If all you care about right now is yourself, your friends, your dance crew, making money, having fun, blogging, facebooking, twittering, texting, video games and the likes…that’s fine. I am not really asking you to make a huge change. If you don’t want to make much effort, that is fine as well. However if you start doing some simple actions and make it into a habit, I guarantee that you make an impact in your own little way. Then if you pass these tips along to your friends, buddies, boyfriends, girlfriends, dance crew…collectively, it will be a huge effort that transforms the “me” generation to an “us” society.

There is no specific order. Just start doing whatever your precious self can:

1. Turn off water when brushing your teeth. Run it only when you wet your toothbrush and when you’re rinsing.
2. Pump the soap first before you wash your hands. This way, you only run the faucet once.
3. Wash cars early in the morning or late in the afternoon. You save more water because there’s less of it evaporating.
4. Sort through your papers and use anything that has one side available. Use them to print items - directions, coupons, trip itineraries, drafts, etc. I have been printing e-tickets on scratch papers and none of the airport staff has halted me from boarding my flight yet. Besides if it doesn’t work, the worst you’d have to do is have the counter print it right?
5. Cut some of these scratch papers into quarters for writing notes. Just cut them into smaller pieces & stack them by the kitchen or phone. Then you wouldn’t have to buy any post-its.
6. Buy groceries for a maximum of 2 weeks only. This will force you to use up what you bought and refrain from throwing out anything.
7. Keep a kitchen towel available so you won’t have to go through paper towels like a crazy person.
8. You know how the dryer steals some of your socks? Don’t throw away away the other half. You can use it for dusting instead of buying those disposable ones.
9. If you have dogs, just know that they cannot identify the difference between a brand new chew toy from a knotted old shirt! Just grab those that already shrunk and make it useful.
10. Do something…anything that doesn’t just benefit you. =)

Have you ever had the pleasure to line up for DMV, the superior court, Social Security Administration office or even for lunch at a highschool cafeteria? If so then you are with me when I ask, “What is up with these security guards?”. I know I know. They are just doing their jobs but do they really have to be so anal about every single thing? Not only are they talking way too loud but they also act like hawks in search of their first meal for days! I love the part where there is that stop sign or red line that we all are supposed to be behind. God forbid that the tip of your flip-flops pass it or perhaps shift to your left because you are fixing your hair and accidentally bump the sign, you will get yelled at like you just got caught stealing from your momma’s purse! I also do not understand how they do not let you finish a question you may have and instead keep repeating what they have already been yelling to everyone. I was in court today and my friend was just about to ask for a restroom around the building and the security guard kept yelling at her to stay behind the red tape because they are only taking one person at a time. My friend tried to clarify.

“No…”

“I just…”

“Where is the…”

Finally she just gave up and exited the line and decided to wait for me at the parking lot! I could kinda see how they try to overcompensate for their positions. After all, they cannot really do much since they do not have a gun nor can they arrest anyone. And really, with the type of guards you see, I do not know if I should take them seriously. The security guards I have encountered are not even close to what I imagine  to be guardians of security - Most of them are old, unfit for physical encounters (in case they need to chase someone who cut in line!) and not quite there intellectually when spoken to. That movie Mall Cop may not be an exaggeration after all. :)

I have traveled a lot in the past but my recent trip to Australia inspired me to share what I have seen. I am not an expert in blogging or providing travel trips. All I know is that when I visit other places, I try to ask my friends for suggestions and what they know about the area. So I have concluded that other people out there may want the same thing.

V AUSTRALIA.

Flying via V Australia (subsidiary airline of Virgin Airlines) was such a pleasant experience. Aside from the fact that I am able to sleep on whatever position and any condition especially with the sufficient leg room an empty seat next to me, my awake moments were spent deciding which movie to watch on the personal screen available to coach passengers. I rewatched New Moon & Avatar then checked out sections of Paranormal Activity, Up in the Air, Alvin & the Chipmunks and Planet 51. I was also able to catch up on my TV shows likes Bones, Lie to Me, Family Guy and even finally see what Modern Family is all about (another addition to my DVR recordings). I also attempted to play Pac-man, Invasion and Solitaire on the screen but got a little sleepy that I then decided to browse their music compilation. I skipped out on Neyo, Rihanna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga because I know their songs will simply inspire me to start my own club on the plane (since the airline already has it’s own red, blue & purple mood lightings).   Instead I opted for the chill sections that contained nature sounds and spa-inspired songs. My friend and I tried the chat feature where you are able to message people on the plane. They would have to approve you first of course. We gave up on it eventually though because there was not much cutie to chat with. ;) Finally I must say the food was excellent and the crewmembers were all lovely. The 14 hours flew by fast and now that I got so spoiled, I am not sure how I will fly with another airline again.

EXPENSES.

If you are concerned about how much money to bring, it is best to check first for the currency rate. Go to your bank, withdraw and get an exchange there if possible . I did not really know how much to bring so I put it  for a $100 per day and ended up spending a little more than that. If you are getting a hotel, there are many nice ones with decent prices. There is a Holiday Inn Express close to the Federation Square. Stay in the city and the traveling will be a breeze. Food is a little pricey and  even though they do not tax their items, it seems like it has already been added to their price tags. I suggest for you to get a room that has a microwave and a small fridge. Go to the groceries and grab a variety of food you can eat for breakfast and late dinner. This will save you a lot of money. Chinatown offers a plethora of awesome dishes at good prices. Find a deal and do not just settle for the nearest restaurant. You have a lot of options. As for souvenirs, please do not buy anything at the mall. Go to the Queen Victoria Market and splurge! Just make sure you verify the days and time the stores are open. Australian currency does not have pennies so if a can of soda is $1.94, pay $2 and do not expect any change. J 

AUSTRALIAN BEAUTY.

Australia is a beauty with its skyscrapers, awesome shopping centers & busy streets balanced out with its calm beaches & wildlife. You can access all these without leaving the main city. However, I strongly recommend that you hop on a tourist bus (after searching for a good deal of course) and head to the Twelve Apostles. This scenery is a must see. (see photo)  Other local places to visit are - Shrine of Remembrance, St Kilda Beach, Royal Botanical Garden, Federation Square, Crowne Casino, Queens Victoria Market, Eureka Skydeck, Burke St Mall and Royal Exhibition Museum. The people are really nice and the nightlife is great. Melbournians know how to party! We went to Amber Lounger that was mainly Asians and then to CQ the next time which offered a more variety of cuties. When I asked them for my favorite mixed drink, the bartended were unsure of what I meant. I could not figure out if it was just a busy night or what but after many nights of clubbing and trying to order drinks, I concluded that the bars there are not about mixing! You either get a beer, a glass of wine or champagne or take a shot. The men of Australia are very metro sexual. This is something that we do not enjoy much in the States because most of our men are very concerned about being called gay. Australian men are open to dressing nice and having really cute haircut and at times with highlights. The fashion is impressive as well for both men and women.  I do not know if it’s just the accent but they also sound very polite and respectful. The only time I was a bit offended is when I first requested for a packet of ketchup and the lady asked me for $.30! I am used to the availability of ketchup and sauces available at out KFC, Taco Bell, McDonalds, In & Out etc. I looked at her very confused…as it turns out, condiments are not free of charge!  So if you are into your sauces, you may want to bring your own.  Oh and by the way, it is not called ketchup but tomato sauce. J 

EFFICIENCY.

An important part of Melbourne is their attention to small efficient details. All bathroom, actually they call it toilets, have dual flushes! This is a great effort for its government to promote water conservation. I have been aware of this type of technology for quite some time now although it is not much of a practice in the States. It is so scarce that it becomes a novelty, thus the technology being a bit pricier. Public transportation is also a common practice for everyone. People both with and without cars rely on it more than their vehicles. It is heavily encouraged so the country relies less on usage of gasoline. The pedestrian crossing buttons are also slightly different from ours. It has the typical “walk/green” sign but it also has an audio signal that comes on as well. At one during the trip, I asked my cousin why it also makes the beeping sound. She looked at me surprised then asked, “if you guys don’t have that then how would your blind people know when to cross?” I explained that they usually have a dog with them or someone assists them. She accepted my response but was still confused with our reason.  She said that if a blind person does not have an aid and would like to go out, American system is depraving them of this opportunity. All the sockets I have seen had their own on/off buttons. In the US, it is advisable to buy what we call a power cord. This allows you to shut off all equipment plugged to the cord. However this gets inconvenient when you only need to turn off one appliance. Not in Australia! My cousin even leaves her flat iron plugged and simply turns off the switch. One plug, one switch. Easy, convenient and practical. Make sense right?

Wait…did I also mention that they have a better healthcare system that the USA? It is estimated that about seventy percent (70%) of Australia’s health expenditure is funded by the government. Now who wouldn’t want to visit this awesome place? 

Stop complaining about how your boyfriend leaves the toilet up in the bathroom. You always nag about how rude and impolite he is for doing this when he knows you use the bathroom too. Is it “eeeew” or “yuck?” Perhaps lacking proper manners? If you are nodding, you need to slap yourself and get over it. Is it really always about you? Imagine your boyfriend unzipping his pants and getting ready to pee… then as soon as he is about to release, he realizes that you left the toilet seat DOWN. Do you know how it is hard for them to aim? There he is wondering why you did not have the nerve to put the toilet seat up not to mention how rude and impolite you are. On second thought, has your boyfriend ever nagged you about this? If I may guess whenever this happens, your boyfriend simply pulls that seat up and releases the same way he has always planned. No nagging. No comments. After all, it’s just a toilet seat! Next time you’re in your boyfriend’s house, leave the seat up for him after you use it. Then perhaps leave a note saying “I understand. You like it this way.” Who knows - maybe next time he uses it, he will remember to return the favor and consider you as well.

As I read my old college friend Mong Palatino’s political blog about education, I squirmed because it has reminded me how backwards education system is in the Philippines. The lack of appropriate equipment, unavailability of updated books, deteriorating buildings and the declining status of the country’s supposedly top-notch schools bring sorrow to my heart. Yet I look at my years of experience as a teacher in a public school system in United States and recall American students’ behavior towards this “free public education”… my crestfallen emotion slowly turns into slight anger because of the imbalance of opportunities.
The US government provides students from K-12 an overwhelming access to credentialed teachers, state and board-adopted curriculum, brand new textbooks, ELMO projectors, Smart Boards, DVD & televisions in each classroom, free lunch for students who qualify, resourceful libraries, multimedia centers equipped with computers and printers, custodian-maintained facilities, running water, proper ventilation (heater during Winter and aircondition during Summer) & decent sized classrooms FOR FREE. I am certain that if you have been living in the USA, you are then used to this and it’s nothing uncommon. However I have gone to a public elementary school in the Philippines and witnessed the struggles of my classmates who actually had to walk miles and miles without shoes or slippers on because they could not afford to buy any. Textbooks were sold to the students in the beginning of the school year (along with an enrollment fee). Those who cannot afford them would then have to continue with their education with very minimal resources. Some of the facilities that I have seen are not even being close to average (see photo). Now do not take this out of context and assume that I am speaking for all the schools in the Philippines because just like here with us, some areas seem to be well-off and some are just way behind. Yet the conditions I have seen are unacceptable no matter which part of the country you are from.
American parents have the option of sending their children to a private school or public school without sacrificing the quality of education. Some people may argue that private schools are better but in my opinion, it’s about what the school and its staff stand for. For example, our school goes through accreditation and is held responsible to “fix” any concerns brought up by the committee within a given amount of time. In this country, we find solutions to identified problems. Resources are available and funding is within reach. As a result, schools are certain to meet appropriate standards to continuously operate. If you do not have a preference and would not mind spending some cash on your child’s education then you could send them to a private school of your choice. However if you trust the public school system and would like to save some money, then you could go the other route. An American student’s future is not blighted with the choice of school made by the family. Both sectors provide adequate instruction and support that the graduates start on equal footing before entering any university with the acceptance relying solely on the grades, extra curricular activities, test scores, entrance letters and interview results. Therefore, a student coming from any type of socioeconomic background is granted a chance to succeed. Those who cannot afford to pay for school have the option of enrolling in a public school system.

You would be astonished to know how many American students take for granted all this amazing opportunities. At least once a week, I encounter a student who complains how much school sucks and wishes to never been “required by parents and by law” to attend. How about those tardy students who blame their parents for not dropping them off on time when they have free bus passes that they could use? It amazes me how many come to school unprepared without a pencil or paper while they sport the newest MJ’s (Michael Jordan shoes), South Pole shirts and Dickie’s pants. They get mad for getting detention because they are not wearing their IDs. As if a simple “I forgot” excuses them from being irresponsible while they religiously grab their iPod Nanos daily before going to school. If not the teacher, then it’s the book that bores them to death because it requires so much reading and too much work. Giving homework over the weekend seems to be the most “inconsiderate” thing a teacher could do because it takes so much of their busy schedule (aka hanging out with friends, playing videos or logging on to MySpace). When there is a 3-day weekend, most students complain about the time off being too short! Then after December breaks and Spring breaks, most students are too exhausted to get back on track because their vacations were not long enough. It takes a lot to appall me but whenever I hear about these complaints, I cannot help but be furious. I remember those former classmates of mine who would die to be here, to be educated and become future asset to the society. Whenever a student repeatedly complains, I joke with my colleagues about asking for the president’s permission to trade this American student with another youth from the Philippines. I would rather have a student who would appreciate free education. Is our way of living too pleasant and convenient that our youth do not see the relevance of education to their future? Are Americans spoiled and not appreciative of the blessing we have?
Perhaps it is true that the Philippine’s educational system needs revamping. With the widespread poverty in the country, I am certain that everyone understands that acquiring education may be their only chance to improve their lives. I hope the system changes and more youth can be provided free and appropriate education. Despite the lack of sophistication of the Philippine educational system, I continue to be appreciative of the determination and will Filipino students show. I know many who juggle being a full-time employee and a full-time student - I raise my glass to you. Those of you who keep walking to school despite the heat, the smell of jeepneys’ (a public form of transportation in the Philippines) exhaust and the distance - I salute you. Maybe your country will support the education reform you have been needing pretty soon. Stick together and support one another. You may not have it all but you have your WILL… Something that I hope for our American students to have. It bothers me and I hate to ask you this young American but - Why is it that you wish to not be educated? Is stupidity the new fad?

(Disclaimer: This does not pertain to all American students. The blog is based on personal encounters.)