Is This Really Necessary? (Whatchathink Wednesdays)

A former participant who prefers to remain anonymous asked for advice regarding her current predicament in school.

She said that she finds her tests this semester much more difficult compared to the previous ones. She attributes the difficulty to her professor’s outrageous test types, her lack of a definite place and time to study and her bout with the expectations of her peers.

What should she do? Here’s a more cohesive version of my advice.

In Short, Affected. (Turnback Tuesdays)

Dahil nga nilulubos ko na ang paggamit ng wikang Filipino rito, isang talang isinulat sa sarili nating wika ang ating babalikan ngayon. Opo, nakasulat po ito sa Filipino bagama't Inggles ang pamagat. Inilathala ito sa pahina ko sa Multiply noong Setyembre 2008. Kung personal ninyo akong kilala, alam ninyong totoo ang talinhagang ginamit ko rito. Hala basa na!

Huwag ka lang sanang mabulunan.

Minsan, mayroon lang talagang mga taong inuunahan ng damdamin ang isip sa kanilang reaksyon. Sa gayon, nakasasalita o nakasusulat sila ng mga reaksyong walang naidaragdag na mabuti sa sitwasyon.

Ilabas na ang mga Kaliskis

Aaminin ko, noong una kong basahin ang isinulat ni James Soriano para sa Manila Bulletin, gusto kong kaliskisan siya ng buhay dahil taliwas sa kanyang karanasan ang naging karanasan ko sa wikang Filipino. Sa unang tingin, nakaiinsulto para sa isang tulad kong aminadong higit na gamay ang pag-isip, pagsulat at pagsalita sa wikang Filipino ang sabihing hindi ito language of the learned.

Innocence is Super Bass Bliss

I’ve recently been crazy listening to Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass. Who wouldn’t? The catchy melody and playful lyrics invite you to lose yourself in four minutes of sugary sweet bliss.

Personally, the song resonates childplay for me. It whirls me into the carefree eight year old that I was a decade and a half ago who delighted in afternoon street games with the neighbors, cheated summer afternoon naps, indulged in chocolate and candies, threw tantrums to avoid eating vegetables and bullied my toddler brother. Who doesn’t want to be that carefree again, right? To think, we wanted to hurry into adolescence back then.

The Need to Dream (Whatchathink Wednesdays)

To celebrate the 100th entry for 2011, we begin Whatchathink Wednesdays. (WTHW)

What is WTHW?

Well, I’ve always wanted this site to be a haven where readers can send in their own issues, stories or musings either for a piece of advice or insight or the simple pleasure of sharing it with the world.

You can send in your thoughts through the following:

Tweet/DM via twitter: koreokei

Ask via tumblr: koreoke

Message via FB: Personal FB page

E-mail via kangelesiv@gmail.com

Our first WTHW comes from Bernadee Uy who sent in her question via Facebook two weeks ago. It read:

Accdg to the businessman in the Little Prince: "As for me, I am concerned with matters of consequence. There is no time for idle dreaming in my life."

What do you think of this statement? joke, parang thesis =))) actually gusto ko lang malaman, what do you think are matters of consequence. and siguro yun nga, what does it mean to "idly dream"?

III. Pananatili

This is a copy of the farewell speech I gave for my Pathways participants at my final general assembly today. It's written in a loose mix of primarily Filipino with English. You might find some errors though since I didn't really edit this before I post in the fear that I might get emotional yet again. Warning: it's quite long and gets emotional at some points! Anyway, here's my tribute to Pathways, my home for the last five years.

Against the Prayer against the RH Bill

I haven’t really religiously attended mass the last few years. I know that I should attend mass every Sunday and all holidays of obligations. I’ve confessed it to a priest years ago. However, I’d like to reach that point wherein I’ll attend mass because I’ve prepared myself well enough to listen to God’s word. And not just to either sit in the pews and let my mind wander or succumb to the distractions. Both of which I’m often guilty of.

Last Sunday mass, I was unfortunately reminded why I have consciously decided to miss mass at our parish in the recent months.

Commuter personality (Turnback Tuesdays)

If you know me personally, you're probably aware that I don't drive even if I have the license. Here's a little entry from January 2007 providing some insight as to why I prefer to commute. Toodles!

One Time Only

Just one night

With the American Idol Live Tour coming in September and Adele’s songs getting more airtime here in the country, I have my hopes up that Adele will hold a concert here in Manila sometime soon. Of course, you can dismiss it as merely an illusory correlation resulting in delusion. However, I’d really do anything just to watch her live here since it’s probably going to be a rare or even a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Just this time. This will only happen once. One time only. This will never happen again. *Insert other permutations of such thought*

Don’t we always use such reason to explain ourselves for doing deviant deeds? By deviant, I’m referring to both positive and negative experiences.

Ang Palayok ni Magneto

After contemplating on my entry yesterday, I realized that there is a kind of problem that may be the most difficult to solve. A kind of palayok seemingly impossible to shatter.

The Metaphor of the Pukpok Palayok

Source: inutiles.wordpress.com

Pukpok Palayok is a popular Filipino children’s game. Blindfolded participants are to hit the goodie-filled palayok (clay pot) using a wooden rod. The task is made difficult by the fact that the participants are made to turn in place to get them dizzy and the audience distracts them by yelling all kinds of directions. The participant who hits the pot despite all of these wins.

It was one of the children’s games I never really got to enjoy. An effect probably of my ineptitude to hit the palayok because my aim has never really been my best asset. Of the few times I tried, I think I only grazed the side of the palayok and rarely hit the palayok hard enough to shatter it to pieces. It was always a challenge of mine I suppose.

Speaking of challenges and problems, my recent musings had me tinker with the metaphor of Pukpok Palayok and relate it to dealing with the aforementioned.

A Struggle in Context

I recently surprised myself with my GMAT preparation by having the highest scores in Reading Comprehension. Since Reading as a subject has been my waterloo since elementary, I’ve come to accept the fact that it will be one of the biggest challenges I’ll have for the upcoming test. Thus, the recent revelation was a very pleasant surprise. I can comprehend fairly well after all!

Anyway, I remember that one of the test types I had most difficulty with as an elementary student was dealing with context clues. Maybe it was because of my limited vocabulary or of the fact that I’ve handicapped myself when it comes to anything related to the subject. Whatever the cause was, it instigated a struggle.

Speaking of struggles, I recently found myself struggling with the freshness of the entries I churn out. 

Almost Accident (Turnback Tuesdays)

Though this entry was written back in January 2007, it echoes something I've tried to recently emphasize in my life. What is it? You just have to read through it though you can skip the second paragraph since it just expounds on the first paragraph. Toodles!

My California King

Since I still cannot get California King Bed out of my head, I’d like to focus on Rihanna’s “so near yet so far” troubles with her California King Bed King for today’s entry. Again, a frustrating situation we may have encountered a lot of times. What have you done during such testing times, my dear reader? What will you do?