Onrine Engurishee (Online English)

I’m back! It’s been months since I wrote anything here. I didn’t have the liberty to do so because of my ‘hecticules’ schedule.
Being a full time Online English Teacher, engulfed with a number of students…nah, I won’t talk about my daily tasks…is a blast. I’ve started to accept students for my home-based teaching program and so far is a very rewarding experience. Though, I never saw myself becoming a teacher (the fact that I hate going to school…or to be exact, I hate schoolwork. But I like the social life and the relationships you can have in school) but somehow it turns out to be very enjoyable ( I always had this funny concept that teachers hate their job because its soooo boring, but I prove me wrong ^^). The fact that my students expressing their gratitude because they’re benefiting from my lectures, melts my heart.
In doing online classes, you need online tools and thank goodness there are smart people who invented these – 1. Skype.

Although, I’m a Vista user, the newest version has bugs (not the bunny) and I have to use the older version. but its doing great.
Imagine doing a transcontinental phone call via VOIP, PC to PC, without a fee, not even a penny, and you get a quality sound as if you’re having a face to face conversation with that person on the other line. It is simply great!

2. To the brains of this site:

Dimdim let’s you host or join an online conference without a fee. But you can also get their premium services (of course with a fee) but the free stuff is working like an oiled Hayabusa ripping the highway.
File sharing is awesome and it is convenient. Its user friendly and even the dumbest person can look like Einstein when he gets his hands over this.
So, to the people behind Skype and Dimdim, Way to go!

The Pursuit of Happyness

Since father hood came to my being and now, I’m expecting my second child sometime April of next year, I can’t evade this fact that I’m adding in gravity to my already existing responsibility. I keep on thinking of better means to improve my family’s condition. I’m supposed to be leaving for Canada to work there, hoping that the grass is greener and the pasture fatter to make us more financially capable. Unexpectedly, some technicalities had risen that sort of prevented me from going there, yet.

I was psyching up for these past days and I’m trying to search inside me, assessing my capabilities, going on some options and determining the possible scenarios that might happen within this intense period of family life. I’ve exhausted my mind and I thank God I came up with some plans that might work…should work. I’d like to share these plans but I’d rather not. It’s hard to count the chicks when the eggs haven’t been laid yet. But maybe I may be of help to give you an extra boost of inspiration.

This is the story of Chris Gardner. A salesman turned stock broker to being a founder of a million-dollar brokerage firm in San Francisco, California. Surpassed hardship, gained financial success – a prime example of determination and faith. As portrayed by the great Will Smith, this story will blow your mind. I guess things might change a bit if you see this film, and a better perspective might open up for you as well, in terms of finding the right attitude in our pursuit of making our dreams reality, for our loved ones to have a better life.

After seeing this film, my love for my wife and for my Son grew more. One of the lines that struck me in this movie is: “…don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it…if you have a dream, you have to defend it… “

Top 10 List courtesy of my buddies: Dave and Masi San

Alrighty! It’s been a long blogging vacation for me and as always, hopeful that you enjoy this post. i give credit to my buddy Dave and my buddy Masi Oka San for helping me on this fine craft and I wish the authorities here in the Philippine can view this. Enjoy folkshref=”http://ihatecommuting.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/dave.jpg”></a

Naruto!!!

a href=”http://ihatecommuting.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/naruto-shippuden.jpg”>
I remember, during the first pregnancy of my wife, she had a craving for watching Japanese anime especially One Piece & Naruto. Now in her second, she again has this hunger to have Uzumaki Naruto on her viewing schedule. She woke me up early today, asking if I could go out and buy her vitamins, some toiletries and a Naruto DVD.

So I did. We haven’t seen yet the ending of the ‘Rescue Gaara’ saga when the Konoha and Suna shinobis were tracking down the location of two Akatsuki members – Sasori and Deidara, who kidnapped the Sand’s Kazekage (which is Gaara), a jinchuriki like Naruto, who possesses inside him a biju. Which along the mid-part of the saga, Akatsuki has extracted Shukaku (one tailed tanuki) from Gaara, causing his death. Naruto, (also a jinchuriki, has kyuubi (nine-tailed fox) inside him) even though one of Akatsuki’s targets, Tsunade, makes a daring move by including Naruto as one of the members of the retrieval team headed by the former ANBU captain Kakashi Hatake in rescuing the Sands beloved leader.<

So again, we’re about to continue the drama and enjoy the humor of this masterpiece. I hope I could make posts on our Naruto escapades. I hope you could share yours too.

wall-E,Eve,books and it’s a Friday

a href=”http://ihatecommuting.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/wall-e-and-eve1.jpg”>Wall-e
Last Friday was a company holiday so we seized the day with some team building activities. And we watched Wall-E. This movie made a very good impression on me. A romantic story of two micro-chip driven bots and a story line with the sapidity of the green revolution packed with humor and very child friendly. Indeed, a wake-up call for us to look beyond the financial success of Globalization versus the environment; a time for us to re-think the ‘inconvenient truth’.

I arrived 3pm at the Alabang Town Center and had an hour reading books inside Powerbooks. I was anxious to take a peek inside the book our boss recommended us to read – First, break all the rules. They were all sold out so I read some John C. Maxwell materials. I’m really hungry for some literature since it was a long one since I had time reading a book. I like books that open your senses; books that dilates your views and tickle your interest; books that frenzies your self to think and to think more. Sadly, an hour is not enough to satisfy my reading cravings but I have to go to the cinemas, 4pm was our call time. And I didn’t have enough money with me either so I can buy the book that I was reading – the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Why can’t they sell these good books cheap?<

Among the many woes among Filipinos is education. In this time of commercialization, it’s hard to find a beneficial item that we can use for self development that is free. Tuition is high and the cost of living’s just isn’t pocket friendly. With the 12%+ inflation rate, where can you get the money to sustain your needed education? The necessities that you buy now may cost more the next day. Books for an example are very high priced commodities. You can find cheap ones from book sales and tiny book shops that sell previously owned books. But a few can only avail on these. These books sell like hot pancakes in the book stalls of C.M.Recto, Booksale and the other small book shops. The leftovers are just novels and magazines.

I wish there’s someone in the government that can make a difference and make positive outputs like putting up of libraries accessible for the general reading public. If books can get you anywhere, books can put a nation in a good place in the global scene. How about some allocation to establish these mind-enhancement facilities? How about some sense?

Math is an ‘Exact’ Science

I was on my way home last night and a terrible thing happened; I ran out of gas! 17 kilometers away from home, in a precarious area notorious for robberies and bad stuff, I was preparing for hand to hand combat. Thank God nothing bad happened. I made a terrible mistake of not filling in gas when I left work because I felt I still have enough to get back home. “You can’t always rely on gut feelings boy” my father says all the time.

I texted a brother and he came to the rescue with a gallon of premium gasoline. And he was on his bicycle albeit at 12:00 midnight. Indeed “a brother loveth at all times…” -King Solomon, Proverbs 17:17

I poured in the gasoline into the fuel reservoir, reddish and odious (it’s been a long time since I smelt premium gasoline because ever since my heart belonged to the unleaded) and after a few seconds, my iron horse neighed with might. I left the place with a skid mark to serve as a shout out – Karl was apprehensively here!

I arrive home safe and sound, my wife in wait, sitting in solemnity by the table that we eat our daily bread. It’s such a relief that I always get home in one piece. In the chaos of the day, the dangers a’ lurk, I can depend on the strongest but the most gentle and caring hands – the One you can seek refuge – the hands of the Creator.

Verse of the Week

He sent redemption unto His people; He hath commanded His covenant forever: holy and reverend is His name.

- Psalms 111:9

Me Oh My!

My Eli will be a year and 7 month old happy toddler tomorrow. Adding more quality mileage for my son’s human odometer, he’s learning many things and still learning more. And oh boy, they really grow fast!

I made a realization and reminisced my wonder years. I was a talkative kid that had endless questions and never gets satisfied with the grown-up’s responses. And that is what exactly my kid is doing right now. In the 80’s, Sesame Street is the only show that anyone can see on our home TV. Now, in the new Millennium, a new king arises and dethrones me. He now owns the TV set, and the only show on it is Barney and friends. (You’ll have to wait until he sleeps, then you can have the TV). As a fact in history, no human being led an empire that hasn’t been dethroned. No earthly empire has lasted the conquest of time. A beginning of a new kingdom marked the end of another. And this vicious cycle goes on. No amount of fortification can do.

Last Sunday’s Surprises

My wife and I were looking for an investment in real estates, a descent piece of land and a sturdy house on it that we’ll call home. We thought of budgeting everything out, set the plans, qualified our needs and calculated the monthly utilities. It was a good plan since we don’t need a mortgage or a loan to set sail this one. (Eat your hearts out loan sharks!) Just as when this boat of calculations, figures, hopes and dreams is set to sail, a new shape emerges. We were absolutely bewildered by the sheer fact that we are in dire need to reckon this very wonderful and majestic creation of the Maker of the Heavens and Earth – my wife is bearing our second child. Her period’s a month late. No wonder she’s been acting weird this couple of days. Me Oh My! Eli’s going to be a big brother; we’ll be having another source of joy and our parents for sure are going to be surprised when we herald them the news.

So again, we face another big challenge – a noble obligation granted to us of rearing a person’s life here on Earth. My wife’s hoping it’ll be a baby girl this time. We had reserved a Japanese name for a future daughter – Aoi Sakura, just by saying it makes you feel good. But then, we still don’t know if the life in her bosom is indeed estrogen or androgen driven. Of course, we’ll have to go through the initials again – morning sickness, food cravings and the many weird stuff pregnant women go into in their first three months of pregnancy – a very crucial time for both mother and baby.

So to all the Mom’s to be out there, have a folate rich diet, it’s for baby’s brain development; iron for enriching the oxygen supply for both mom and baby; calcium for bone development, and more…(I wish I was a nutritionist). Dads out there, our wives and our babies need us most. Don’t be hard-headed, our wives ‘mood swings are perfectly normal. Let’s buy them vitamin and mineral rich fruits and greens and stay out of pollution. Only a stupid-imbecile-dullard-dumb-idiot would smoke tobacco while pregnant or with a pregnant or is within an area with pregnant women. So smokers – use your heads. Comprende?

To my Son

To my Eli Boy,

My son, you are everything to me. You are one of the the best gifts I have received from the Almighty.
These eyes will never forget the first time it laid eyes on your beautiful face, so fragile, divine, and innocent. This man was made gentle the first time these arms held you. Your many firsts are etched deep in this mind.

How exuberant this heart was when it marveled your first steps and heard your first words. These eyes shed tears of joy when these ears heard you call out Papa. This loving father is very excited to see you tie your own shoe laces. He prays for your health and success. You don’t know but you taught this coward about true courage, temperance, and meekness. This man promises you that he will do everything in his power to provide you with everything you need, with God’s help. If this man could only stop the elements from doing you any harm neither any being to lay a scratch on your skin, this man will consume all his strength up to the last drop of blood to put you miles away from harm.

But he is also bounded by his own weaknesses. That is why he fervently prays to the Lord. So the father will always grant his divine mercy to you and this family in his auspices. In tears this man always begs to the Most High for your well-being. Because he looks forward to watching you grow-up into a fine man, far better than he is. Even though this lowly man may not endure until you reach my age, but the happiness you brought into his life is enough to last into everlasting.

He loves you very much. You will forever remain as one of the most endeared, most treasured and one of the most important dwellers in side this heart. I love you very much my Son. May the Lord be with you, always?

Love,
Tatay

melodies

a href=”http://ihatecommuting.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/aliveatredrocks1.jpg”>I watched a DVD concert of Incubus: Live at Red Rocks. It was a good one.

I remembered when I was still a kid; we formed a band in our college. Oh I tell you, we did a lot of covers from rage against the machine and other popular rock bands, and we were miserable! Big time! But it was fun! It’s such a shame when you can’t find an able man to do the vocals for the materials and the money to fund the group. I myself, being the guitarist, don’t have my own electric guitar and effects. We don’t have a drum set or amps even. We survived by borrowing from our friends who have the equipment but don’t have a band. Odd, if you think about it.

As I clearly remember, just hearing the “wah-wah-chucka-wah-wah-chucka-chucka-chucka…” Tom Morello’s guitar (using a wah pedal) riff for the intro on Bulls on Parade, I can’t help but dance while doing the riff and jump high when I hear: “Quit it now!” –Zack dela Rocha’s powerful entry in the song.

I still haven’t discovered my music back then. I just simply enjoyed other’s music.

An Essay

Music really is a driving force in one’s life. Music is the language of the soul. One may communicate his or her emotions more effectively through the charisma of notes. By the melodies that are driven by our never ending passion for love, happiness, contentment, freedom or independence, kinship and the many things that spoken or written words cannot express any more.

Music inspires. Music brings out the best praises we can offer to our Maker. His benevolence gave us the talent to create, appreciate and the happiness when our heart hears someone else’s sings. A baby’s tender cooing is music to a loving parent’s ear. Like my child’s laughter washes away stress built up by the day’s torments. The warm caress from the hands of the one you love brings about a symphony that engulfs your senses, powerful tides crashing against the granite walls of your being, penetrating deep within.

Nature brings out the best symphonies no human orchestra can emulate. It’s sad our road to modernization lead to wild-life and human destruction. The world resources are enough to feed all its inhabitants, but sad to know, not enough for man’s greed. Human vices had led many to perdition and still are enticing more with its death sonata. While the devil plays his requiem for mass destruction, how about we play a different tune?

Requiem by. W.A.Mozart
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