TUTORING

July 2009... Rainy season... A text message startled the hibernating screen of my mobile phone which was lying coldly on the desk...

"Sir, do you have tym for tutor?"
Typical Korean way of asking for help in English studies in the Philippines... What the....

With the busy schedule that I have, tutoring a Korean would be next to impossible. I paused for a while.... Thought of the proposal... Made a decision...

"Sorry, I got no time. Find another one." I made it really straightforward because this person was my student during the previous semester.

But the phone kept receiving follow-up messages. Eventually, because of the persistence of the sender, I replied. I asked for info. "Who is the tutee?"

"Not me, one korean professor wants to study with you, she live in our house, even me study sometym with you hehe"

I really took my time to think over this one! Hmmm, "professor"...? "Wants to study with me?" Could this be an opportunity for new learning experiences to take place?

Then another text message came in... "Sir, if you dont want its ok for me, i dont want you and my relationship is not good"

I realized that I've forgotten to reply.. It's already around 20 minutes past the last text I received.. Hmmm, what shall I say?

I eventually agreed to teach the Korean professor. I learned that she is a professor in Busan City, South Korea. She just came to the Philippines to hone her English communication skills.

When the UB suspended classes due to the threats of AH1N1, I took the chance to visit her and talk to her about the details of our tutorial sessions.

Her name is Mrs. Kim Mi Ra. She is a professor of recreational therapy. She is from Daegu City.

Note: The italicized texts are lifted verbatim from the SMS messages received by this blogger.

3:18 AM, August 1, 2009. CORY LEFT.

Early dawn. Snoring time for some, going-home time for others, mourning begins for the Aquino family...

In Baguio City, the sky is gloomy. As the day broke, the sun was never allowed by the persistently gloomy clouds to have even just short sight of the land below..

Cory magic coming to an end? Or it is the start of a sequel that would perpetuate the legacy of Asia's icon of democracy?

Pondering...

Noynoy Aquino... Gunning for the Presidency of the Republic of the Philippines.

Back to Debating

Long have i been absent in the university debating scene after my graduation in the Political Science program of the University of Baguio...

After my graduation though, I saw myself get involved in two National Debate Championships (NDCs): one in San Beda College (as breaking adjudicator) and another in the University of Baguio (as the Programme Director). These exciting milestones have truly enriched my debating record and have greatly increased my interest in and fondness for debating...

Debating is a social-educational exercise that plunges all participants into the world of rhetoric-warfare and academic exchanges. It is a dynamic game of minds that employs witty utterances and humorous statements. It is a combative engagement that necessitates moderation and respect on the part of the debaters, and suppresses biases and pre-conceived notions among adjudicators...


This semester, I am challenged to utilize my knowledge and skills in debating and adjudicating because my College Dean gave me the two argumentation and debate classes in the PolSci, MasCom, and English programs of the College of Liberal Arts, UB.. To my delight, I readily accepted the task and began immersing myself in debating again...

It is almost mid-semester... Also, I am already in the middle of teaching debating and adjudication in my classes...

It's rewarding to see usually naive and indifferent students argue and counter-argue on top of their voices! It's heartwarming to read adjudication essays that are emotion-laden and values-filled.

Hmmm, it's always nice to exchange ideas with students...