PANAGPAKADA... PANAGPALUBUS...

Ti kuna dagiti mamanakem, "adda panagpatingga ti amin." Kuna met daydi amak, "Awan ti tao a bimmato!"

Dagitoy a sasao ket isu da ti mangipasimudaag nga ti amin nga adda ket dumteng dan to iti pangpatengga... Nairamanen dita ti biag ti tao.

Idi napan a Sabado (16 ti mabilang iti daytoy a bulan ti Uktubre 2009), napanak dimmanggay a nanglinglingay ken nakipagladingit iti pamilya ti maysa a gayyem ko gapwen ta ti ingunguten da nga ina ket isu ti pimmusay. Ti karabiiyan daytoy nga aldaw ket isu met laengen ti kunada nga maudin a rabii ti pannakaimassayag ti bangkay nga banbantayan da gapu ta maitanemen daytoy iti sumarunu nga agsapa.

Nagbiyahe ak ngarud nga napan idiay Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya iti agarup alas once y media iti bigat; nagluganak iti maysa nga van idiay Dangwa terminal iti likod ti Center Mall. Nagluwas kami iti tingnga ti aldaw ket adda nga inkam tinurng ti Magsaysay Road sa kami nagpakannigid nga nagpa-Bokawkan Road idi makadanun kamin idiay Magsaysay flyover.

Iti apagdarikmat addan nga sursursuren mi ti Marcos Highway. Napintas ti mulagat ti init iti agkukuterter pay laeng nga siyudad maigapu iti kapalpalabas nga didigra nga isangpet ni Pepeng. Numanpay kasta, ti pudot nga itintinnag ti law-ang ket umanayen nga mangited iti namnama ken tured ti pakinakem para kadagiti nadangranan ken naawanan..

Ngem ti kinaranyag ti silnag ti init ket saan nga umanay tapno puraren na dagiti mata nga siririing iti kinapudno nga ti daga ket sugat sugat ket adda nga umar-arungaing iti sangkata'wan.

Riggaay ti daga iti ngatuen ti sementado nga kalsada to kumablaaw kenka apaman a sumrek ka iti sungadan ti Marcos Highway nga bumaba iti prubinsiya ti La Union. Bassit laeng ti napisang nga bakras iti umuna... ngen bayat nga pumarpartak ti taray ti lugan nga mangitunda kenka iti mapanam, ad-adda met nga mangngeg mo ti ikkis ti aglawlaw babaen kadagiti pitak ken bato nga naipenpen iti igid ti kalsada. Nakaal-alinggaget nga panunuten nu anya ken kasanu ti namsaakan ti napigsa nga sangit ti langit kadagiti napalabas nga al-aldaw.

Saan met nga mailisi iti panunot ti kasasaad ti maysa nga gayyem nga adda nga naulilan iti ipapanaw ti dungdungwen na nga ina. Kabayatan na nga innak matmatmatan dagiti bakras ti bantay a nasugatan, diak maikkat iti panunot ko nu kasanu na nga sarsarangeten iti agdama ti nasaem unay a pasamak iti biag na.

Ti dalan ket nawatiwat... Adda nga agikkis ti ubet iti napudut nga tugawan.. Ahehehehe! Ngem uray nu kasta, masapul nga anduran. Di tay dumteng iti pagturungan nu di tay sangwen ti karit ti ipapan.

Dimteng ti malem, dimteng ti rabii... Di napupuutan, dimteng kamin idiay Solano. Bimmabaak ngarud iti sangu ti McDonald's ta kunak nga mapanak agbiruk iti mabalin nga pangalaan iti pamedped iti nabisinan a tiyan.

Padaanan tayo ti tuloy na...

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...

JAPANESE CULTURE

MOUNTAIN PAINTING - Sansui Tradition. (Source:http://www.theartofcalligraphy.com/mountain-paintings.html)

Mountain paintings are the soul of Chinese and Japanese landscape painting. It is called sansui in Japanese, which means: Paintings of mountain and water.

Sansui are much more than simple landscape paintings, they represent the principle of universal transformation. During a longer stay at the foot of the mountain Galatzó on the island of Mallorca, the artist followed the Chinese and Japanese sansui tradition and painted the different moods of the mountain —nostalgic, joyful and cooling.

The painting is done on Japanese rice paper, with luminous indigo blue pigment and Japanese ink. The artist has achieved an almost transparent expression, as if water and mountain had fused.

(http://www.theartofcalligraphy.com/mountain-paintings.html)


Map sourced from http://hhh.gavilan.edu/mturetzky/Pols3/images/Map_of_Japan-Japan.gif

Currently, i am engrossed with this book entitled "Japanese Culture" by H. Paul Varley.
Read and be informed!

SUSAN BOYLE (Britain's Got Talent 2009)

Photo from http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090416/capt.e87b1aeb61ad4796b55dff3bd10f3f4d.eu_britain_singing_sensation_lon805.jpg

So far the biggest surprise on British television talent search! With a Broadway/West End quality rendition of a Les Miserables track, Susan Boyle heats the seats of the initially discriminatory audience whose disapproval of her appearance on the show was far too obvious that it could pierce one's heart to pieces. Their feet sprang to an overwhelming ovation as Susan's heartwarming voice filled the auditorium.

What's more enthralling? The panel went wild in extreme astonishment as they had a swift change of mind from being cynical to appreciative. The foregoing lyrics & Susan's awesome performance may be seen in this URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY


Photo from http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20090416/capt.1be572098ffd4621ab232344bf68f261.eu_britain_singing_sensation_lon111.jpg

FACTS:
Native of Scotland.
47 years old. Unemployed.
Cared for her mother for the most part of her rural life.
Garners the gargantuan and unexpected 3 yeses from a cynical panel.
Sang a track from the stage production Les Miserables.

I DREAMED A DREAM LYRICS:
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
When dreams were made and used,
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung,
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dreams to shame.

And still I dream he'll come to me
And we will live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seems
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.
_____________________________

THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS (Korean Drama Series)

Photo taken from
http://www.korean-drama-guide.com/kingdom-of-the-winds-korean-drama.html

SYNOPSIS:
The drama about the life of Jumong's grandson, Moo Hyul. The object of his love is Princess Yeon.

MAIN CAST:
Song Il Gook as Prince Moo Hyul / Daemusin , Choi Jung Won as Princess Yeon , Park Gun Hyung as Prince Do Jin , Jung Jin Young as King Yuri, Kim Hye Ri as Lady Mi Yoo (Yeo Jin's mother) , Lee Jong Won as Prince Hae Myeong (Moo Hyul's brother) , Kim Hye Sung as Prince Yeo Jin , Oh Yoon Ah as Hye Ap , Kim Jae Wook as Chu Bal So , Jang Tae Sung as Ma Ro (Moo Hyul's friend) , Kim Sang Ho as Ma Hwang , Park Sang Wook as Gwi Yoo , Han Jin Hee as King Daeso , Park Jung Hak as Sa Goo , Im Jung Eun as Princess Se Ryu.

The Kingdom of the Winds Theme Song

This is the Korean singer WHEESUNG. (Photo from http://wheesung.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/wheesung-flawless.jpg)

IN LIFE OR DEATH (By: Wheesung)
Taken from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k6uPydlmtg

saranghaeseon an doel saramirago, ije geuman eoseo doraseorago
miryeonjocha naui deungeul tteomineun gabwa
jiwonaedo jiwojijiga anha, miwohaedo miwojijiga anha..
geuriumman deohaeganeun geol

my last feeling push me to go away
because you are not a person who can fall in love with me
I try to forget you, I try to hate you... but I can't
the more I try, the more I miss you

neoreul saranghagiga nan neomuna apa
sumdo mot swil mankeum hime gyeopjiman

loving you is a heartache
I can't even breathe, but

cheonbeon manbeon taeeonado... todasi neol saranghae
geujeo neo eobsineun andwae... nan andwae... wo~ nae sarang
neul meolli itda haedo... neo oerowo ma~
sarado jugeodo... nae mameun
hangsang ni gyeote nama isseul tenikka

even if I was born thousand and ten thousand time, I'll love you
I can't live without you, just you... I can't... my love
even if we are far away, our love will grow... so don't be lonely
in life or death, my heart will stay with you

hoksi nunmurirado tto sae naolkkabwa
chama saranghandan mal motaetjiman

I couldn't say I love you
because I'm afraid a new tear will come again, but,

cheonbeon manbeon taeeonado...ttodasi neol saranghae
geujeo neo eobsineun andwae... nan andwae... wo~ nae sarang
neul meolli itda haedo... neo oerowo ma~
sarado jugeodo... nae mameun
hangsang ni gyeote nama isseul tenikka

even if I was born thousand and ten thousand time, I'll love you
I can't live without you, just you... I can't... my love
even if we are far away, our love will grow... so don't be lonely
in life or death, my heart will stay with you

nan eonjedeun jigeum gateun
maeumilgeoya, illyeonhuna
simnyeonhuna... baengnyeonhuna~
byeonhaji anheul i sarang idaero,
yeongwonboda deo orae jikyeogalge~

after one, ten, hundred years, my love will still be same
I'll love you longer than forever

cheonnyeon mannyeon heulleogado... nae sarangeun neoppunya
naega eotteoke neol ijeo... mot ijeo wo~ nae sarang
neul eogeutnanda haedo... neo uljineun ma~,
ibyeoldo sewoldo jugeumdo
gareul su eomneun uri saranginikka

you are my only love even after thousand and ten thousand years
how can I forget you? I can't .... my love
don't cry even if we can't meet anytime we want
separation, time, death.... nothing can separate us, my love.


Photo from http://www.koreandrama.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/the-kingdom-of-the-winds.jpg

Rising up... On Easter Sunday..

12th of April, 2009! A little past 7 o'clock in the morning. The majestic rays of the approaching sun cast much-needed light on a world that slowly creeps away from a seemingly evil power possessed night. Spring arrives as winter ends... Hope comes in as gloom retreats... Life comes back anew as hibernation is halted. Faith conquers again as unbelief and doubts fade. God is here; he is risen! He is alive!

The exchange students from Nagasaki, Japan...

Map sourced from http://www.world-guides.com/images/japan/japan_country_map.jpg

The Japanese exchange students from Nagasaki Wesleyan University were the most emotional of all the international students i had... Hmmm, their looks were really heavy for the heart. The two gentlemen were smiling but it is obvious that they feel saddened by their return to the Land of the Rising Sun. The two ladies were more expressive enough - they let their tears flow like spring water running down Mount Fuji when we bade each other goodbye. Well, what can we say... SAYONARA!

Their text messages are cool... Read on!

From Daichi:
"Good evening Sir! This is Daichi who is ur one of d student & japanese. Thank u very much all abt ur treat here in philippines. I had a good experience w/ u sir. C u again wen we come back here in philippines sir! Good nyt & God bless u." Received: March 24, 2009 8:48 PM.

"We always said we miss ur class & our class mates in socio1 dat was we shared d tym. Exactly we will send e-mail 2 u sir! I dnt know how 2 show my feeling 2 u. Its not enough to say thank u very much 2 u. Im really appreciate ur kindness sir. We r really going 2 miss u. Bt i believe dat we will meet again sir! Bcz our hurt & hurt r always 2gether 5 of us." Received March 25, 2009 9:08 PM.


From Asami:
"Sir good evening po this is asami! Thank u so much yr every kindness! Im shy to say to u something. But Id like to be a teacher like u! If I can hahaha then u call me magin boo right? I minded so much caz i cannot do enything its effect of medicin..... But now no more thats why dont care about that sir. Ur my teacher also brother i dont know what i can say to u. its very hard to say good bey Ill miss u so much ur always makes me lonely ill promise u ill treasure my family my mother thank u to tell me many important things in my life im very fortunete person malami salmat po Sir i cannot promise u to meet again exactly but im sure ill invite u my wedding if i can marriage ^^ I dont like to say to u but its time to say sayonara ><" Received: March 26, 2009 10:23 PM.

From Akane:
"Sir..thats glad to cros w/t u in my lif. i realy lov our sociology class..i gona mis. sir, thx so much to teach us. i learned many things from u. i never forget u & experiences w/t u. aft i go back to japan, ill tell my friend and family about u. i realy respect u. sir, realy tnx u so much. c u in japan. ill invite u 2 japan!! also ill visit to her again.. its realy promise. sir, sayonara mata auhimade.. :)" Received: March 26, 2009 10:52 PM.


When they were on their way to the airport (March 29, 2009), they sent these...

Akane: "morning, sir..we r on our way 2 go airport. realy tnx for sir. always tak car.. u r my teacher forever..ill com back. :) ill send e-mail aft ariv 2 japan. i never forget all of philippin. sir, ill invit u 2 japan. thx so much.." Received: 6:49 AM.

Akane: "aft graduat at my schol, we wil get a god job & hard 2 work..then, we wil invit u by my money. we wan u com 2 japan so much. lov u..always w/t u." Received: 7:13 AM.

Daichi: "Thank u a lot sir. I will miss u. C u l8er again sir! Hahaha." Received 7:12 AM.

Asami: "Sir ill be mas maganda! my brother! Ull miss me so much di ba? ^^ ill study very hard! Its like u ><> Received: 7:24 AM.


They were all enrolled in my Sociology class, 11:30-12:30 MWF, 2nd Sem 08-09. Hmmmm, i think i will watch anime again! Hahahahahaha!