Blog 12: "European Delight"

If I were to grab an opportunity to spend my vacation someplace else, I'd choose Europe as my preferrable destination. My first in the list has got to be the Stato della Città del Vaticano (Vatican City). I wanted to go to the Vatican to see what it's like to be in the smallest country in the world and the center of the Catholic faith. Over there I would go to the Vatican Museum to explore and enjoy history. Also, it would be cool to take pictures in St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica. I'd then visit the grand Sistine Chapel where the famous Michelangelo's ceiling painting exists. Having a picture of His Holiness while shaking his hand would be awesome and a "one in a million" experience. After Vatican, next on my list would be Switzerland. The place brags of its geographical sceneries, from its clear green valleys and clear lakes to the prominent white swiss alps. I want to taste the mouth-watering fondue and the chocolate sensation. I would then enjoy the picturesque sceneries in Zurich, the "cultural capital" of Switzerland where it is recognized as the city with the best quality of life in the world and is also the wealthiest in all of Europe. With that recognition, who wouldn't want to spend his vacation in Zurich? For a student seeking enjoyment and a temporary escape from stress worries, and the tropical conditions of the archipelago, Europe would serve as a breather and my ideal vacation.

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Blog 11: "A Promising Life"

Fifteen years towards my future would be what I call a promising life. From then on, I would be living a "financially-free" life. I could see that I'd have my own coffee shop franchise filled with fame, prestige, and skyrocketing profits. I'd have the luxury of experiencing the sweet wonders money can buy. Having possessed a huge estate situated near the yellow, sandy beaches is nothing but living a beautiful life. Along with the gargantuan estate, I'd own a heavily customized red Ferrari with expensive seats, and a well-oiled engine. I could have my private plane like America's Air Force One and a sky-blue yacht to take me to business trips or me and my family to vacation trips. I can have my children enrolled to a prestigious school to ensure them the excellence in quality education. I also won't have to scratch my head thinking on how to pay my debts. I'd be free from any financial difficulties that had once plagued my life in childhood. Besides money, I'd also have my "personal adviser and partner in life" - my wife. Her tantalizing eyes, cheerful personality, and beautiful smile would help me get through the day. She'd be there to encourage me in pursuing my dreams but also discourages me if I crossed the boundaries to the point I could possibly have no time with family. But what distinguishes her with any other woman is that unlike the others, she'd help me with business matters or just simply enjoy each other's company drinking Jamaican coffee in the balcony having a bird's eye view of the romantic sceneries. She'd be one of those women any man could want to have, and I consider myself blessed to have had one with me. Most of all, it's not having the money to improve myself that would make my life promising per se, but rather I can use my money to share it to other people. With the money I'd have, I can finally let my parents have their well-deserved rest after years of hardwork. I can finally afford medical help that my ailing grandmother desperately needs and have my father's goiter finally treated. I would also establish charity foundations to help the needy in my community and beyond like providing the financially insufficient families scholarships for their children or have feeding programs in the barrios. Or I could teach them business techniques and provide them a reasonable sum of capital in order for them to be encouraged in initiating a business and instill to them that everyone, even a struggling person could rise from poverty and other hardships in life. In this, I can help make my life promising not only to myself but to others as well. In other words, it's like my way of giving back the graces I've received from the Almighty. How amazing it is to live a promising life.

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Blog 10: "The Evolution of Communication: Past vs Present" (One Side at a Time)

{One Side at a Time}

Topic Sentence: If we humans did achieve bipedalism through evolution, so did the way we communicate.

I. Communication Before

1. Time it takes for the message to arrive at its destination. (longer)
2. Meeting new people (not that prevalent)
3. How people forge relationships (Face-to-Face)
4. Courting ("challenging" task)
5. The "old" generation's point of view (Past is better than present)

II. Communication Now

1. Time it takes for the message to arrive at its destination. (shorter)
2. Meeting new people (prevalent)
3. How people forge relationships (with the help of technology)
4. Courting (less challenging)
5. The "new" generation's point of view (Present is better than past)

If we humans did achieve bipedalism through evolution, so did the way we communicate. Before the advent of technology, people would wait weeks, months, even years for their message to reach its destination. Of course, they didn't have the luxury of cellphones back then. They rely on letters and telegrams if they want their message to reach the other side. Meeting new people was also an obstacle. In most cases, people only make friends by direct contact with others. It explains why communities of old were much closer and almost all of them knew each other. People of yesterday forge relationships "face-to-face". If they want to apologize, say thanks, or just say hi, they do it by personal contact. Also, courting was considered challenging back then. The man would visit the woman's house to do his courting there. It could be through "harana" or just go there to meet the parents. These are some factors which led to some "old-timers" saying that the past is better than the present. They claim that the meaning of communication has degraded because of the advancements in technology and the younger generation losing values. On the other hand, the present generation is way different in the way they communicate. It would only take a click to get their message through the other side. It is also easier for the people today to meet strangers. All they do is to have a facebook account or other online social networks and they can start "making friends". With the help of technology, forging relationships is much easier. It is all thanks to the cellphone that people could communicate conveniently at long distances. In contrast to communication back then, courting isn't even that much of a challenge anymore. Today, a person can court someone through SMS or with a little help from the email. They even depend on text templates in "strengthening their relationship". In the young generation's defense, they claim that the rise of technology benefited them in their day to day living. It gave them the convenience and even claimed that the meaning isn't lost when using these gadgets. Which is better you may ask? It really depends on the person in my opinion. It is because as time progresses, so does communication. If you ask me, times are changing and we should just live with it.

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Blog 10: "The Evolution of Communication: Past vs. Present" (Point by Point)

{Point by Point}

Outline:

Topic Sentence: If we humans did achieve bipedalism through evolution, so did the way we communicate.


I. Time it takes for the message to arrive at its destination.
1. Past: Communication takes longer for the message to arrive.
2. Present: Communication takes shorter for the message to arrive.

II. Meeting New People
1. Past: Meeting new people is not that prevalent during the past.
2. Present: Meeting new people is easier in modern communication.

III. In Terms of Forging Relationships
1. Past: Face to face
2. Present: Technology (cellular phones, Internet chat, facebook etc.)

IV. Courting
1. Past: Challenging
2. Present: Less Challenging

V. Point of View between the two generations.
1. Most of the "old generation" think the evolution of communication has turned for the worse.
2. Most of the "young generation" think that the advancements of technology actually improved communication.

If we humans did achieve bipedalism through evolution, so did the way we communicate. There are differences between the communication back then and communication today in terms of duration. People in the past would rely on writing letters and telegrams to get their message to the other side. So back then, it would take many weeks or months for the message to be relayed from one person to another. In the present time however, it would only take minutes or just with a single click to send your message even though the destination is miles away from the sender. In the current time frame, it's pretty much goodbye to the traditional snail mail, and hello to email. Also, there are differences between the two generations in terms of the approach in meeting new people. The people of today could easily make contact with strangers due to the emergence of social online networks such as facebook, twitter, and plurk to name a few. What they do is they only type names in the search panel then click the "invite as friend" button. It's as simple as that, and it's all thanks to the ones we call "technology". People back then didn't have that luxury that time. They make friends by direct and personal contact with others. That could explain why in my opinion, friendships back then were more "intimate" than at present. Speaking of how people make contact with others, the two generations have different approaches to it. Most people today rely on the power of the technology such as cellular phones and Internet chat to "strengthen their bonds". In contrast, people back then establish relationships face-to-face. The advantage of this is that relationships are forged personally, meaning there is more intimacy among individuals compared to friendships on the cyberworld. Even the approach of courting back then and now are different. It is safe to say that courting someone back then was, what I say "a challenging task". It is much harder to court a girl considering the fact that beside the girl are the watchful eyes of her parents. Now, couples can text each other to plan on their rendezvous point in order to evade their ever protective parents. With the evolution of communication, there have been disagreements between the two generations. The people from the "old generation" claim that the meaning of communication has degraded because of the advancements in technology and the younger generation losing values. On the other hand, people from the "younger generation" claim that the meaning conveyed in the message is not lost after all and in fact, technology helped make people's lives better and easier. In my personal opinion, society changes over time from the way people dress and even form the way people communicate. I also think that there will come a time when today's younger generation would whine about how "communication" is lost when the next generation comes to revolutionize the concept of communication.

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Blog 9: "How Computers Disrupt Families"

Computers have revolutionized the definition of the word "family". Nowadays, families are just social institutions that lacked the "strong bond" that usually keep themselves together. Families lacked the moral values upon the arrival of computers. With the internet, kids could access porn sites with one hand tied behind their backs without the knowledge of their parents. All they have to do is type the URL, click the links, and enjoy the "erotic" experience. Or, if it's not the children viewing the sites, it could be the parents. Regardless, if computers can be an easy source of knowledge, it could also be an easy source of undesirable content. With the impact of computers, interaction among family members has been significantly reduced. They spend less time on the dining table, eager for a piece of action in using the computer. The mother and father would access the internet to find relief from their exhausting jobs. They would then watch videos in youtube or play Zuma or Dynomite. On the other hand, the children would be indulged to the online gaming experience through the use of the sophisticated gadget. It is as if they treat the computer as family, even closer than their own blood relatives. No longer would there be casual conversations in the living rooms. No longer would parents help their children in their homework. The computer is there to act as a friend, a helper, and a family. It would be no surprise if a family member would spend his Christmas in an internet cafe than at his own home.

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Blog 8: "Family Prior to the Advent of Television"

A family is a group of people that shares a strong bond with each other. Before the "era" of TV trays, a family would hold discussions at the dinner table. There were no gaps in communication among the family. They don't hesitate to have conversations with each other. Whether it'd be an opportunity, an achievement, or a problem, they would still be willing to lend their ears. With it, they would try to be of help when a family member is having problems with school, work, and generally, life. Besides that, they would also be there to spend time with each other. The sons and daughters will have a lot of time hanging out with her parents. The father would then spend time with them to watch baseball games and play catch together. The mother, on the other hand would take them to the movies. They don't have any reason not to spend time with the family. Before television, family ties were stronger. Family does not only mean the nuclear structure, but also included are the extended relatives as well. Family ties were so close that even cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents would be there on special gatherings. There, they would hold get-together events. In these events, the "family" would eat together and play different kinds of recreational activities such as playing football, dodge ball, baseball , and even enjoy some fireworks. Of course, that is what it used to be until the advent of television came along in and changed the concept of families forever.

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Blog 7: "Alienated"

The story tells of an immigrant who felt the alienation not only of his foreign home but of his own as well. The character (Filemon "Fil" Acayan) struggled to cope up with the living conditions in his new adopted home. There, he worked his ass off by taking blue-collar jobs just to stay afloat. Besides having to deal with problems at work, he also has to cope up with an environment where immigrants like Fil are treated as lesser individuals. What brought happiness to the fifty year old Filipino US Citizen however, was upon hearing that a group of Filipino dancers would visit the States. He was so ecstatic of the news that at first, he thought they were coming just for him. Having been in the States most of his life, it was his longing of that "tropical country" that made him interested on the Filipino dancers. He even volunteered on touring his countrymen around the place, invite them to eat adobo in his apartment, and show them the parks and museums around the city he lived in. He also cleaned his house, his car, and even took a day off from his job. All of this just for the Filipino dancers , which hopefully would accept Fil's invitation. Such hospitality was a display of the Filipino trademark. All he ever wanted in return was to record the dancers' conversations, voices, and singing in his recorder, a thing that would dearly remind him of the place where he grew up in. Unfortunately for him, it did not turned the way he hoped it would. Despite his efforts, he was ignored by the Filipino entertainers. He was even avoided by some. Because of this, he felt insecure, disconnected, and rejected. It was not the cold winter that caused Fil's pain, but it was the cold reception of the dancers rather that really broke his heart. Although he was able to record the performance of the dancers when he went to the theatre, he ended up on accidentally erasing the performance on his tape recorder therefore resulting to a tragic ending of the story.

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Blog 6: "The Bright Side of Martial Law"

Despite the negativity surrounding former President Marcos's declaration of Martial Law, there are also bright spots that needs to be considered. First of all, it is because of martial law that the country's agricultural sector improved significantly. Farmers were given new equipment and were taught new farming techniques. As a result, there was a surplus of rice in the country. The Philippines had so much supply of rice that the country started to export it to the neighboring Asian countries. Second, the country's high crime rate was suppressed. With the country being placed under military control, Filipinos were more law-abiding than ever. Also, drug syndicates and other crime organizations were being pinned down. Thus, there was more public order around the archipelago. Finally, the country's economy flourished dramatically during the martial law era. Tourism in the country rose, with foreign investors attracted by business opportunities and incentives given by the government. The remittances of the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and Balikbayans also contributed to the economic boom, thereby strengthening the country's foreign exchange. The GNP (Gross National Product) rose from P55 billion to P193 billion during the martial law's entire span.

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Blog 5: "How to be a Heretic"

*note: I'm being sarcastic in this composition. Please take this topic with a grain of salt.

If you want to be remembered as the devil who went to church, here are some ways to do it. To start off, wear a shirt that is deemed inappropriate as church clothes. Wearing a shirt which has a sign like "God isn't real" or "Evolution is the truth" printed on it can surely raise some eyebrows on the devout worshippers especially the priest and the clergy. If you're a female, wear a miniskirt, it would blow their brains off for sure. Next, you can also bring some snacks with you. Munch your food and slurp your drinks as loud as you can. Burp after finishing your snack to emphasize the satisfaction. Adding fuel to the fire would be to gossip with your friends. Avoid listening to the priest's sermon. Laughing hysterically with your friends and shouting blasphemous expressions like "Oh my God!" or "Jesus Christ" would do as well. Sleeping in church would serve as the final blow. Snore if you really want to further frustrate the church goers. People go to church in order to worship, not engage into a deep slumber. Doing all of this will certainly gain you notoriety among the society as a heretic that deserves to be burned at stake.

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Blog 4: " How to Avoid Mayhem in the Theaters"

There are many ways to behave in the cinema house. One way is to turn your cellphone off or at least switch it to silent mode. Nobody would want to hear your ever annoying ringtone and your noisy conversations. If it's an emergency, go out of the cinema room and do the talking there. In doing so, you won't make life miserable for everyone. It also helps to have good manners when you are in the movie house. Don't dare lean your feet on the other person's seat. Realize that the movie house is not your home where you can simply do whatever you want. Nobody cares if you're the son of God. Don't act like it's your damn living room. The most important of them all is to simply zip your mouth by the time the movie starts rolling. Don't shout at the movies like "Look out!" or "He's going to kill you" assuming that it could change the movie's outcome. If you have already seen it, please be kind enough to not shout out the spoilers especially at the movie's climax. That really pisses people off. Nobody is asking you to act like a saint, just don't act like a nuisance. Unless you want to get beaten up by some stranger for being an asswipe, you should just sit your lazy ass down, shut up, and watch the movie or else, it could possibly be the last movie you'll ever watch.

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Blog 3: "Violent Reality"

Violence is truly prevalent in the movies. And because of this, some "concerned" people are trying to ban or boycott movies that has violence in it. They claim that people especially children imitate the things that they see in the movies. Oh really? When I was a kid, I have watched more violent movies than those G-rated Disney movies and you don't see me killing someone like the "Demon Samurai" in Shogun Assassin. Granted that I imitate those Jackie Chan moves after watching Drunken Master with my brothers but I haven't killed them (or got killed). And don't tell me that the "Passion of the Christ" is not worth watching because of its graphic violence. I say that showing violence in the movies is a good thing. It gives the person watching the 'reality check' of the wicked ways of the world. In my 'arrogant' opinion, it is better for children to learn about reality through movies first rather than experience. If they perceive the world as a perfect place, then they are obviously mislead. Believing a one-dimensional world where everything is a plus won't solve the problem. In fact, it sends the children into denial, which would lead to complications later in their lives. Although I agree that there should be limits in watching violent movies, I disagree that the violent content should be banned. I wouldn't want to watch a chick-flick movie or some faggot purple dinosaur dancing and singing songs that everything is going to be alright. Humans are war-like in nature and these people who want violence to be swept to kingdom come are just hypocrites. Besides providing entertainment, watching movies where someone would get shot in the head help relieve stress and tension. I could still remember the time where I'd get home from school as fast as possible to watch Gundam Wing and Voltes V. They were violent but boy I felt better after that. My point is that people should get a grip and just enjoy watching movies. Sure, violence is widespread in movies but it is not the root of all problems. I'd rather watch Rambo kill a thousand bad guys than watch Paris Hilton's sex scandal.

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Blog 2: "South Park: The Epitome of Satire"

In my opinion, "South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut" has got to be the funniest cartoon that I have ever seen. The movie focuses on four boys named Stan Marsh, Kyle Brovloski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick who live on a "fictional, redneck mountain-town" called South Park. They are "innocent" boys, unaware of the sensitive issues in the society such as racial discrimination, religion, and sex, which adds to the comedic value and which the cartoon is mercilessly targeting for humor. The cartoon parodies the typical, family-oriented Disney musicals such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and many others. We all know that in Disney movies, you see people and creatures alike singing like it's part of their everyday lives. Have you ever seen a person singing with some chirping birds, dwarves, or some chipmunks singing on the background? Or what about some high school students dancing and singing around in a canteen like in the acclaimed High School Musical? South Park pretty much delivered on making a parody out of it for I laughed so hard until tears come falling out of my eyes. "Uncle Fucka" and "Kyle's Mom is a Bitch" are some songs that I considered my personal favorites. It is to note that despite their seemingly friendly and catchy tune, the lyrics are filled with obscenities. The cartoon is also filled with foul language and violence, which adds flavor to the South Park experience. I never imagined someone would have the guts to make a cartoon that has lots of profanity in it. I applauded the cartoon for having done so. It has been notorious on its prevalent usage of dirty language such as the "f" word and the "b" word. While watching the movie, I tried to count how many cusses were but I lost count because I just can't stop laughing. The very reason that I loved the movie was because of its display of satirical humor. One example is the portrayal of Satan and Saddam Hussein as lovers in Hell. I praise it for making my one hour and 20 minutes of my life worth it by bringing a huge smile on my face. Not even the Simpsons movie could surpass the ever hilarious South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. Obviously, the movie isn't recommended for younger audiences for its explicit content and vile humor. So if you're "mature enough" and like satire, I "dare" you to watch it. It's as funny as hell.

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