so i watched "Wanted" (angelina jolie et al)... and thought of doing the same thing that the main character did when he was trying to find the answer to the question: "Who am I?" (more significantly--"do i exist?")
interestingly enough, i got quite a few correct hits when i googled for "michelle avelino"
the first hit was my faceook account, the second was my linked in profile and the last item on the first page of the search results was the article i wrote for a certain magazine which was published last June.
Waay cool!
i tried this too with google images and guess what???
(wala lang... *wink wink*)
EKsisting,
Ek
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
EK's day!
wow! in fairness ang dami kong greetings na na-receive today ah!
i feel so loved... and remembered (naks!)
salamat sa lahat ng nagpaabot ng pagbati, mapa-text, personal email at pagbati sa mga egroup.
happy ekDay to me!
hahah!
i feel so loved... and remembered (naks!)
salamat sa lahat ng nagpaabot ng pagbati, mapa-text, personal email at pagbati sa mga egroup.
happy ekDay to me!
hahah!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
We, The Poor
natawa ako when i realized this...
a lot of the forums i attend to discuss problems of "the poor." even the everyday conversations i have with colleagues and friends elevate to discussions about the issues confronting "the poor."
napaisip lang ako bigla nung nakatanggap ako ng isang medyo senti na email from one friend. he said that he "sometimes" rides ordinary busses to be able to mingle with "the poor." hindi ko naman dina-doubt ang goodness ng friends ko na ito, what struck me in his statement was how it markedly placed the poor in the third person. Tapos naisip ko na for the most part, ganito ko rin kine-carry out ang language ng discourse ko, with "the poor" in third person form.
The "othering" move, while (to me) it appears understandable para sa kaibigan ko (considering mayaman naman talaga sila. haha!), to me it sounded odd to refer to this economic bracket in the third person kase i belong to this group.
dapat ang sinasabi ko "We, the poor."
May isa pa akong kaibigan who told me that one of the most moving moments of his life was when he saw a squatters area in Manila. Sabi nya dun daw yung point where he was "politicized." I immediately retorted, "pumunta ka pa sa Maynila, eh dito lag sa amin eh squatters area na" (and we live inside campus ha)... he just said, "at least hindi ka kawawa!"
sure, hindi naman kami sumasala sa three meals a day, but as far as demographics go, i think i belong to the poor, in general. ang naging kaibahan ko nga lang ay nakapag-aral ako at ngayon ay nakahanap ng trabaho na, sabihin na nating allows me to live a relatively secure life. if it wasnt for my education and my networks, i would be nothing now.
The universe has been good to me... Sana pati rin sa co-poor ko. :) hmmmm...
a lot of the forums i attend to discuss problems of "the poor." even the everyday conversations i have with colleagues and friends elevate to discussions about the issues confronting "the poor."
napaisip lang ako bigla nung nakatanggap ako ng isang medyo senti na email from one friend. he said that he "sometimes" rides ordinary busses to be able to mingle with "the poor." hindi ko naman dina-doubt ang goodness ng friends ko na ito, what struck me in his statement was how it markedly placed the poor in the third person. Tapos naisip ko na for the most part, ganito ko rin kine-carry out ang language ng discourse ko, with "the poor" in third person form.
The "othering" move, while (to me) it appears understandable para sa kaibigan ko (considering mayaman naman talaga sila. haha!), to me it sounded odd to refer to this economic bracket in the third person kase i belong to this group.
dapat ang sinasabi ko "We, the poor."
May isa pa akong kaibigan who told me that one of the most moving moments of his life was when he saw a squatters area in Manila. Sabi nya dun daw yung point where he was "politicized." I immediately retorted, "pumunta ka pa sa Maynila, eh dito lag sa amin eh squatters area na" (and we live inside campus ha)... he just said, "at least hindi ka kawawa!"
sure, hindi naman kami sumasala sa three meals a day, but as far as demographics go, i think i belong to the poor, in general. ang naging kaibahan ko nga lang ay nakapag-aral ako at ngayon ay nakahanap ng trabaho na, sabihin na nating allows me to live a relatively secure life. if it wasnt for my education and my networks, i would be nothing now.
The universe has been good to me... Sana pati rin sa co-poor ko. :) hmmmm...
Friday, April 25, 2008
Who gets to use the bathroom first?
he arrived early morning of the 23rd. his footsteps at the staircase, unlike his little brother's, did not wake me.
When I got up at 6:am, we hardly had the time to do our kamustahans as he was busy attending to his call center employees. all he was able to ask me was how i was doing in my 'new' job. "NATCCO Cubao" was how he called it (as opposed to NATCCO Congress). He was also keen on asking what the 'facts' were in the rice crisis. He said he was pretty skeptical about the news they receive there at Chicago, "there are always distortions in the headlines." he said.
All I said was that things haven't changed that much since he left two months ago. People still blame pretty much everything on Gloria. For example, in a forum I attended on the rice crisis the Friday before he arrived, a reactor said that since "this administration" could not do anything to arrest the rising prices of prime commodities (rice, in particular), then it has no business staying in its "puder." The truth in the syllogism eluded me... (it does still)
"Right!" I said, "Off with her head and goodbye to institutions and structures of governance." Back to the good old days when life was nasty, solitary, brutish and short. "Rar! Rar! Rar!"
He laughed. Obviously amused by my sarcasm.
That was the time when I picked up my coffee mug and brought it with me straight to the bathroom. Thirty minutes after I was out the door and off to work. His last remarks were of his observations on how the apartment has been "girlified." I said, "I haven't even done my thing yet." The place just smells nicer, I thought to myself. haha! :)
Evening arrived and I came home to an empty apartment. "He must be in a meeting." I thought. As I went through my evening chores, tidying up the office, cooking dinner and washing the plates, I thought about my stay in their place. His arrival signaled the nearing of my departure from that place. Hmmm... "What's next for me kaya?" I thought. Then...
"Open up!" he shouted by the window. That was the end of my mini muni-muni session.
"Dinner ka na?" I asked while walking towards the door. "Yeah." he answered. "I'm going to fix the wires here. The connections are getting too cluttered." I just smiled, "Good luck!" I said.
While he was at it, he told me more about his stay abroad-how wonderful seeing the turning of the seasons were... from winter to spring, "You could really hear the birds chirping and see patches of grass on the ground. Wow!" I just listened to his story.
I like listening to this fellow. Conversations with him always carry a thrill because of the ideas he has and the manner that he relates them. I always look forward to our talks.
When his call center agents arrived, he turned his attention to them. And I was left to tinker with his lime green Asus Eee PC. "I'll text Eric to get you one." he promised.
Morning of the 24th started out pretty much like the day before... save for the fact that we had more time to talk. He sat at across the table as he had his coffee... "Oh, ano na?" That was how the two-hour long talk began. We were able to cover subjects such as blue ocean strategies and how it may apply to the growing BPO industry in the country, delivering information on health micro finance (contents for which are already uploaded in youtube) to sectors such as cooperatives with the Internet and mobile communications (cellphones) as the primary vehicle.
Our not-so small talk revolved around addressing the question of how to make people believe that sharing information and learning could be coursed through these channels effectively. "If people can connect on a 'feeling level' and carry out conversations, even ligawans and full length fights with their spouses over their cellphones, then how come the prospect of using the devise as a tool for learning seem unnatural to most?" he said. To my mind, even if the possibility of this being deployed was not removed from reality, the receptiveness of people to such methods might affect its efficacy as a tool to manage knowledge delivery.
Of course we were lost in all the talk... when we glanced upon our cellphones we both smirked. He turned to me and then said, "of course the real issue is... who gets to use the bathroom first?"
:)
When I got up at 6:am, we hardly had the time to do our kamustahans as he was busy attending to his call center employees. all he was able to ask me was how i was doing in my 'new' job. "NATCCO Cubao" was how he called it (as opposed to NATCCO Congress). He was also keen on asking what the 'facts' were in the rice crisis. He said he was pretty skeptical about the news they receive there at Chicago, "there are always distortions in the headlines." he said.
All I said was that things haven't changed that much since he left two months ago. People still blame pretty much everything on Gloria. For example, in a forum I attended on the rice crisis the Friday before he arrived, a reactor said that since "this administration" could not do anything to arrest the rising prices of prime commodities (rice, in particular), then it has no business staying in its "puder." The truth in the syllogism eluded me... (it does still)
"Right!" I said, "Off with her head and goodbye to institutions and structures of governance." Back to the good old days when life was nasty, solitary, brutish and short. "Rar! Rar! Rar!"
He laughed. Obviously amused by my sarcasm.
That was the time when I picked up my coffee mug and brought it with me straight to the bathroom. Thirty minutes after I was out the door and off to work. His last remarks were of his observations on how the apartment has been "girlified." I said, "I haven't even done my thing yet." The place just smells nicer, I thought to myself. haha! :)
Evening arrived and I came home to an empty apartment. "He must be in a meeting." I thought. As I went through my evening chores, tidying up the office, cooking dinner and washing the plates, I thought about my stay in their place. His arrival signaled the nearing of my departure from that place. Hmmm... "What's next for me kaya?" I thought. Then...
"Open up!" he shouted by the window. That was the end of my mini muni-muni session.
"Dinner ka na?" I asked while walking towards the door. "Yeah." he answered. "I'm going to fix the wires here. The connections are getting too cluttered." I just smiled, "Good luck!" I said.
While he was at it, he told me more about his stay abroad-how wonderful seeing the turning of the seasons were... from winter to spring, "You could really hear the birds chirping and see patches of grass on the ground. Wow!" I just listened to his story.
I like listening to this fellow. Conversations with him always carry a thrill because of the ideas he has and the manner that he relates them. I always look forward to our talks.
When his call center agents arrived, he turned his attention to them. And I was left to tinker with his lime green Asus Eee PC. "I'll text Eric to get you one." he promised.
Morning of the 24th started out pretty much like the day before... save for the fact that we had more time to talk. He sat at across the table as he had his coffee... "Oh, ano na?" That was how the two-hour long talk began. We were able to cover subjects such as blue ocean strategies and how it may apply to the growing BPO industry in the country, delivering information on health micro finance (contents for which are already uploaded in youtube) to sectors such as cooperatives with the Internet and mobile communications (cellphones) as the primary vehicle.
Our not-so small talk revolved around addressing the question of how to make people believe that sharing information and learning could be coursed through these channels effectively. "If people can connect on a 'feeling level' and carry out conversations, even ligawans and full length fights with their spouses over their cellphones, then how come the prospect of using the devise as a tool for learning seem unnatural to most?" he said. To my mind, even if the possibility of this being deployed was not removed from reality, the receptiveness of people to such methods might affect its efficacy as a tool to manage knowledge delivery.
Of course we were lost in all the talk... when we glanced upon our cellphones we both smirked. He turned to me and then said, "of course the real issue is... who gets to use the bathroom first?"
:)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
thrown off
if you were asked to recall a certain phone call you received in your entire life... what what would your story be?
for me this may probably be it...
... 6:10 in the am and i'm still resisting the thought that its the beginning of another work week as i put my phone into another 10-minute-tawad snooze mode.
so the phone went silent for a good two seconds when Edwin's call came. As i saw the picture of a penguin flash in my screen, I said to myself, "Figures." Maybe he went off to Cavite early morning. .
"Good morning Michelle. Sorry. Did I wake you?" the calm voice on the other line said.
"It's okay. Kamusta?" I said.
"Um, do you have the PAC hotline number?"
PAC (Philippine Auto Club) is the Emergency Roadside Assistance Provider for all of the Soriano's vehicles.
"I met an accident."
okay... this was when i went on my nanay-panikera mode, "WHAT?!? WHAT HAPPENED?!? ARE YOU OKAY?!?" And I was running scenarios in my head as he was trying to say that he was okay.
"I'm okay. I just need the towing assistance right now. Do you have their number?"
"No. I don't." And i was actually about to run to the PC to boot it so i can google the number. Classic Michelle. Classic.
Cutting the long story short, I ended up giving him the number of PAC's Operations Manager, Roger. I'm sure he could assist him better.
As i went down the staircase--no suklay and all, I went on suspended animation as i read the note that Edwin left for me at the dining table. "Thanks so much, Michelle."
I was thinking, 'damn, he was in an accident. Anong nangyari?
What if it went terribly wrong and writing that note was one of his last acts on earth?'
I was thinking pa why the note only said "thank you" and did not contain the customary, "see you."
SHUCKS!!! I had to consciously force myself to snap out of it. he's okay and promised to give me updates later. so, just wait. and... be thankful of that 6:10 shocking yet reassuring wake up call.
for me this may probably be it...
... 6:10 in the am and i'm still resisting the thought that its the beginning of another work week as i put my phone into another 10-minute-tawad snooze mode.
so the phone went silent for a good two seconds when Edwin's call came. As i saw the picture of a penguin flash in my screen, I said to myself, "Figures." Maybe he went off to Cavite early morning. .
"Good morning Michelle. Sorry. Did I wake you?" the calm voice on the other line said.
"It's okay. Kamusta?" I said.
"Um, do you have the PAC hotline number?"
PAC (Philippine Auto Club) is the Emergency Roadside Assistance Provider for all of the Soriano's vehicles.
"I met an accident."
okay... this was when i went on my nanay-panikera mode, "WHAT?!? WHAT HAPPENED?!? ARE YOU OKAY?!?" And I was running scenarios in my head as he was trying to say that he was okay.
"I'm okay. I just need the towing assistance right now. Do you have their number?"
"No. I don't." And i was actually about to run to the PC to boot it so i can google the number. Classic Michelle. Classic.
Cutting the long story short, I ended up giving him the number of PAC's Operations Manager, Roger. I'm sure he could assist him better.
As i went down the staircase--no suklay and all, I went on suspended animation as i read the note that Edwin left for me at the dining table. "Thanks so much, Michelle."
I was thinking, 'damn, he was in an accident. Anong nangyari?
What if it went terribly wrong and writing that note was one of his last acts on earth?'
I was thinking pa why the note only said "thank you" and did not contain the customary, "see you."
SHUCKS!!! I had to consciously force myself to snap out of it. he's okay and promised to give me updates later. so, just wait. and... be thankful of that 6:10 shocking yet reassuring wake up call.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
discoveries
sequel ng monthsary entry ko. here are things i've learned to do or "just" learned now that i've moved out.
1. i learned how pc networking works!
oh ah! bet'ya didnt expect that! yeps. there are nights when the internet and the voip thingamajigs fail. i help fix the connections but really, kay bibe lang naman yata naghi-heed ang mga gadgets ni elmer. so what i do is just make ayos the connections.
2. i discovered magic sarap!as in i couldnt cook without it! :)
3. hindi nauubusan ng gagawin kapag nasa bahay! and i find this really fun :)
1. i learned how pc networking works!
oh ah! bet'ya didnt expect that! yeps. there are nights when the internet and the voip thingamajigs fail. i help fix the connections but really, kay bibe lang naman yata naghi-heed ang mga gadgets ni elmer. so what i do is just make ayos the connections.
2. i discovered magic sarap!as in i couldnt cook without it! :)
3. hindi nauubusan ng gagawin kapag nasa bahay! and i find this really fun :)
4. 30-minute baths are glorious!
5. i can do more when i have more elbow room.
6. cooking for one is tricky!
im more used to cooking for two than just for one. so, when my bestfriend went out of town and i had to cook for myself lang i ended up with a lot of leftovers. good thing hindi na-spoil yung food.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Monthsary!
its 13Mar. officially, its been one month since i moved out of the house to live (temporarily) in a certain apartment. take note--not just "an" apartment, but "a certain" apartment.
in this certain apartment, i dont pay for rent, i dont pay for my elEKtricity, i dont pay for my 24-hour internet and i dont pay for utiities... its part of the deal... that's why its not just "an" apartment!
i've been wanting to move out for a long time. my need for space has been growing steadily over the years. so, when i was offered the "deal" i took it. and here i am--feeling independent!
there are a lot of things i discovered about myself when i moved out of the house. these are only some of them:
1. i want to live on my own... but i dont like the idea of paying rent!
to be blunt, i dont like the idea of giving my hard earned money (yeah right!) to some "panginoong may paupahan." i'm a very very thrifty girl and since i dont spend much, ive been able to build a decent amount of savings. kaya ko namang mag-rent. SO, why didnt i move out nuon pa??? i thought about it for a while and i came nga to the conclusion that i didnt like the idea of paying rent.
so... i formulated this goal. in two years time, i should be earning enough passive income to be able to afford paying rent. make my money work to pay rent. paano? well... that's for another story. pag-iisipan ko pa rin.
2. hindi pala ako carnivorous! (herbivorous ako!)
puro gulay ang niluluto ko for some reason. and the occassional fishda courtesy of edwin and of course the tokwa! tsalap!
3. i enjoy doing things myself.
i like coming home from work and preparing my dinner for me and my best friend who works here sa apartment. washing my clothes, cleaning my room, washing the dishes... the works!
if my mother would be able to read this, she would probably laugh her lungs out!
like i said, these are just some of the things i learned about myself. yung iba siguro in another article ko na lang ishe-share. ;) 'ja ne.
in this certain apartment, i dont pay for rent, i dont pay for my elEKtricity, i dont pay for my 24-hour internet and i dont pay for utiities... its part of the deal... that's why its not just "an" apartment!
i've been wanting to move out for a long time. my need for space has been growing steadily over the years. so, when i was offered the "deal" i took it. and here i am--feeling independent!
there are a lot of things i discovered about myself when i moved out of the house. these are only some of them:
1. i want to live on my own... but i dont like the idea of paying rent!
to be blunt, i dont like the idea of giving my hard earned money (yeah right!) to some "panginoong may paupahan." i'm a very very thrifty girl and since i dont spend much, ive been able to build a decent amount of savings. kaya ko namang mag-rent. SO, why didnt i move out nuon pa??? i thought about it for a while and i came nga to the conclusion that i didnt like the idea of paying rent.
so... i formulated this goal. in two years time, i should be earning enough passive income to be able to afford paying rent. make my money work to pay rent. paano? well... that's for another story. pag-iisipan ko pa rin.
2. hindi pala ako carnivorous! (herbivorous ako!)
puro gulay ang niluluto ko for some reason. and the occassional fishda courtesy of edwin and of course the tokwa! tsalap!
3. i enjoy doing things myself.
i like coming home from work and preparing my dinner for me and my best friend who works here sa apartment. washing my clothes, cleaning my room, washing the dishes... the works!
if my mother would be able to read this, she would probably laugh her lungs out!
like i said, these are just some of the things i learned about myself. yung iba siguro in another article ko na lang ishe-share. ;) 'ja ne.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Cut my f***'n finger! na naman!
tinanong ako ni jowelcool dati... "michelle, alam mo ba ibig sabihin ng dejavu?" to which i replied, "oo." he asked another question, "michelle, alam mo ba ibig sabihin ng dejavu?" to which i replied, "oo." ito yung proof: 
Monday, March 10, 2008
too good to keep to myself.
Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management
is discipline, carrying it out.
Stephen Covey
is discipline, carrying it out.
Stephen Covey
Dumbidumdidumdeedum
Goodnight, my someone,
Goodnight, my love,
Sleep tight, my someone,
Sleep tight, my love,
Our star is shining it's brightest light
For goodnight, my love, for goodnight.
Sweet dreams be yours, dear,
If dreams there be
Sweet dreams to carry you close to me.
I wish they may and I wish they might
Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight
True love can be whispered from heart to heart
When lovers are parted they say
But I must depend on a wish and a star
As long as my heart doesn't know who you are.
Sweet dreams be yours dear,
If dreams there be
Sweet dreams to carry you close to me.
I wish they may and I wish they might
Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight.
Goodnight,
Goodnight.
Goodnight, my love,
Sleep tight, my someone,
Sleep tight, my love,
Our star is shining it's brightest light
For goodnight, my love, for goodnight.
Sweet dreams be yours, dear,
If dreams there be
Sweet dreams to carry you close to me.
I wish they may and I wish they might
Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight
True love can be whispered from heart to heart
When lovers are parted they say
But I must depend on a wish and a star
As long as my heart doesn't know who you are.
Sweet dreams be yours dear,
If dreams there be
Sweet dreams to carry you close to me.
I wish they may and I wish they might
Now goodnight, my someone, goodnight.
Goodnight,
Goodnight.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
What's Missing in the pEKture?
this was how the south wing entrance of the House of Representatives looked like yesterday (Monday) when i went to work... No, i am not attempting to showcase the facelift that Congress made after the bombing incident last year. What struck me aboout the scene is the absence of the makeshift room which stored the ballot boxes from the widely (and wildly) contested 2004 elections. i think it was placed there after the inquiry made by the House on the election returns (remember the Committee hearings where Kiko Pangilinan got the nickname "Mr. Noted"?). [ek still needs to do research on this pa].i asked the security personnel who was detailed at the entry point what happened to the ballot boxes, he said that it was transferred to the 'property.'kung saan man yung 'property' na yun, hindi ko pa natutunton... Of course one has to wonder why they moved the ballot boxes. i think its pretty obvious that more times these ballots change hands or move locations, the more vulnerable they are to tampering. the timing of course is also questionable... they moved the ballot boxes days after the inter-faith rally at Makati where CSOs (civil society organizations) were already convinced that GMA's administration is going down. hmmm... but these are all just suspicions. we need to dig deeper into this.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Cut my f***'n finger!
last sunday, the domestic diva that is the ek insisted to cook lunch kahit na pwede namang mag-eat out na lang. (hellooo! nakapaligid kaya sa vicinity [redundant] ang mga carienderia, fastfood at restaurants!... But no! May i cook lunch parin ang Ek!)
So, after maglaba at maglinis ng bahay (mga kalat ng Thinklabers... ahem! ahem!). hilo na ako sa gutom. pero wala pa ring luto. so! go na si Ek sa kitchen para mag-prepare ng lunch.
the inevitable happened. i cut my left index finger habang naghihiwa ng sibuyas tagalog (yes, dili bisaya. waray man ibidinsya.
weird! first thing i thought of was buti na lang tapos na ko maglaba, else, mahapdi siguro magkusot nang may cut ang index finger. funny!!! :D
[title for this post was inspired by a friend of mine from Singapore who broke his arm a couple of years back and declared sa kanyang online status sa gmail that he "broke his f*n arm in one of his soccer (or was it football) game]
So, after maglaba at maglinis ng bahay (mga kalat ng Thinklabers... ahem! ahem!). hilo na ako sa gutom. pero wala pa ring luto. so! go na si Ek sa kitchen para mag-prepare ng lunch.
the inevitable happened. i cut my left index finger habang naghihiwa ng sibuyas tagalog (yes, dili bisaya. waray man ibidinsya.
weird! first thing i thought of was buti na lang tapos na ko maglaba, else, mahapdi siguro magkusot nang may cut ang index finger. funny!!! :D
[title for this post was inspired by a friend of mine from Singapore who broke his arm a couple of years back and declared sa kanyang online status sa gmail that he "broke his f*n arm in one of his soccer (or was it football) game]
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Ek at Mary Grace: Food and Tripping
My bestfriend and i had dinner at mary grace (trinoma) a couple of weeks ago. i think we had to buy some things tapos kumain na rin kame. she brought her new nikon camera with her... the newest addition to our portfolio of gadgets.hindi pa sya ganun ka-sanay mag-tweak ng mga settings ng camera... so, being the helpful bestfriend that i am, i volunteered to be her test dummy. in short, the dinner became a mini photo shoot. at 'que-ber' sa mga people who were staring at us! inggit lang sila sa camera ni tots!
[want to view the pictures this pro photographer shot? click here.]
desssert time! i had the usual slice of sanssssrival with hot choco... talap!
mental note: will do a series on the sansrival cakes that i've sampled... ;)
Blooming?!?!? ngyEK!!! ;p
i was supposed to write something about SAPUL's 78th anniversary, the Friday inter-ek rally and the magical disappearance of the ballot boxes of the 2004 elections from the South Wing of the Batasan Complex... but this seemed to be of greater consequence...
... three weeks na akong inaalaska ng mga offiicemate ko dito sa congress... kasama si manang na nagwa-wash ng dishes namin... 'BLOOMING' DAW AKO!
super dyahe! as in! i wish they'd stop!
eh ano ngayon if i wear blush on, may faint eye shadow at nag-a-eyeliner na ako! at ano naman ngayon if i got my nails done at nagpa-hair spa ako last saturday?
"no! walang kinalaman si anthro guy from next door", i declared! but no one's buying it! durrrr!!! walang kinalaman ang romance dito!
feeling ko, moving out sort of gave me the space to center myself... ii read more, i write (somehow), and opportunities (lots!) are beginning to open for me (in fairness, march pa lang, ha? usually bumubuhos ang mga blessings sa akin pag last quarter na ng taon!)... ergo, the blooming effEK!
iba talaga yung freshness and perspective on life na nabibigay ng living independently (in my case, kahit temporary lang.)
so there, i just want to clear that one out...
walang kinalaman the anthro guy from next door... baka yung CEO ng Home Development Fund, meron pa! hahah :D
... three weeks na akong inaalaska ng mga offiicemate ko dito sa congress... kasama si manang na nagwa-wash ng dishes namin... 'BLOOMING' DAW AKO!
super dyahe! as in! i wish they'd stop!
eh ano ngayon if i wear blush on, may faint eye shadow at nag-a-eyeliner na ako! at ano naman ngayon if i got my nails done at nagpa-hair spa ako last saturday?
"no! walang kinalaman si anthro guy from next door", i declared! but no one's buying it! durrrr!!! walang kinalaman ang romance dito!
feeling ko, moving out sort of gave me the space to center myself... ii read more, i write (somehow), and opportunities (lots!) are beginning to open for me (in fairness, march pa lang, ha? usually bumubuhos ang mga blessings sa akin pag last quarter na ng taon!)... ergo, the blooming effEK!
iba talaga yung freshness and perspective on life na nabibigay ng living independently (in my case, kahit temporary lang.)
so there, i just want to clear that one out...
walang kinalaman the anthro guy from next door... baka yung CEO ng Home Development Fund, meron pa! hahah :D
Monday, February 25, 2008
Rally! Sige lang! Rally lang!
edsa revolution...
and like the others... i say...
'tis the season.
kaya naman... sige lang. rally lang. keri lang yan.
:P
and like the others... i say...
'tis the season.
kaya naman... sige lang. rally lang. keri lang yan.
:P
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Learned Helplessness
Naalala ko yung isang report ko nung undergrad pa ako. Intro to Public Administration class. I was one of those Political Science students who did not really take an interest in the bureaucracy. Why? Because it was, to me (back then), “unstudyable.”
I mean, on the one hand, you think of it as something which could be subjected to scholastic scrutiny. Stated crudely, it is the structure which directs the processes of governance (ayos ba?). Pero to me (again, back then) the things which are of real consequence to the bureaucracy’s functions cannot be studied “systematically”--the way Political “Scientists” would attempt to study them.
Back to the story… Eh di report na namin nung partner ko. Hindi ako prepared (which is unusual). To comfort me, my partner said, “madali lang yan. LEARNED HELPLESSNESS” lang yan.” “Okay.” I said. I used the expression to explain every concept in the report. Yun nga lang yun. It worked.
Maraming applications yung “learned helplessness”. I’ve known that before, mas pronounced lang ang expressions nya right now that I’m working in government and have friends who are engaged in Research, NGO and Development work. For example, a friend of mine wrote about a conversation he had with a friend of his. He told him about this consortium of civil society organizations (to which his organization was a part) who were crafting an “Alternative Budget” for health, education, environment and agriculture. The initiative’s goal is to make proposals to legislators so that the budget—General Appropriations Act, they would craft would course national government funds towards the attainment of Millennium Development Goals pertinent to these sectors.
Way cool, diba?
But no! His friend said, “Futile!”
One of the nastiest byproducts of learned helplessness is crippling pessimism. “The bureaucracy’s bulok!” “It’s ailing with corruption!” “We can’t do anything about it!” (EKcetera). The pessimism, I could tolerate. But it’s the crippling side of it that I could not pardon. It’s human to get frustrated with the “system” (in this case the bureaucracy, or the government in general). It does fail us. The people we elect in office betray our trust and drag us to the ground. Sure. But when we allow this pessimism to defer (worse, deter) corrective action and have us frown upon initiatives which look at societal ills and propose solutions to it--that’s more disappointing.
I hope we could render the term learned helplessness obsolete in our vocabulary.
I mean, on the one hand, you think of it as something which could be subjected to scholastic scrutiny. Stated crudely, it is the structure which directs the processes of governance (ayos ba?). Pero to me (again, back then) the things which are of real consequence to the bureaucracy’s functions cannot be studied “systematically”--the way Political “Scientists” would attempt to study them.
Back to the story… Eh di report na namin nung partner ko. Hindi ako prepared (which is unusual). To comfort me, my partner said, “madali lang yan. LEARNED HELPLESSNESS” lang yan.” “Okay.” I said. I used the expression to explain every concept in the report. Yun nga lang yun. It worked.
Maraming applications yung “learned helplessness”. I’ve known that before, mas pronounced lang ang expressions nya right now that I’m working in government and have friends who are engaged in Research, NGO and Development work. For example, a friend of mine wrote about a conversation he had with a friend of his. He told him about this consortium of civil society organizations (to which his organization was a part) who were crafting an “Alternative Budget” for health, education, environment and agriculture. The initiative’s goal is to make proposals to legislators so that the budget—General Appropriations Act, they would craft would course national government funds towards the attainment of Millennium Development Goals pertinent to these sectors.
Way cool, diba?
But no! His friend said, “Futile!”
One of the nastiest byproducts of learned helplessness is crippling pessimism. “The bureaucracy’s bulok!” “It’s ailing with corruption!” “We can’t do anything about it!” (EKcetera). The pessimism, I could tolerate. But it’s the crippling side of it that I could not pardon. It’s human to get frustrated with the “system” (in this case the bureaucracy, or the government in general). It does fail us. The people we elect in office betray our trust and drag us to the ground. Sure. But when we allow this pessimism to defer (worse, deter) corrective action and have us frown upon initiatives which look at societal ills and propose solutions to it--that’s more disappointing.
I hope we could render the term learned helplessness obsolete in our vocabulary.
Adjourned!
Stories about pythons (as in yung “SAWA”) lurking some populated residential area make it to primetime news. We hear about them all the time. But this story I’m going to tell you about will never catch the fancy of the big networks. It would not get the 30 seconds it so deserves on primetime news. (And right now I’m actually praying that someone would prove me wrong!)…Kung bakit? Hindi ko alam.
Yesterday was actually like any other day here in congress. I was of course at my cubicle eavesdropping on what our “Honorables” were deliberating. A couple of them rose “on a matter of personal and collective privilege” regarding the flooding down south. They were asking for help—food, medicine etc.
Valid. But what followed was surreal.
Another congressman spoke. In summary, his message was… the reason why these calamities are happening to us is because of the things that are happening at the Senate. He was of course referring to the Senate inquiry on the cancelled ZTE Contract and the personalities involved.
I froze. Okay, so maybe it is cold in our office, pero ibang chill ang na-feel ko. I was asking myself… Did I hear what I just heard? Because something as absurd as that could only be conjured by my morbid EKmagination. When the next congressman spoke, it was confirmed. I was not imagining things. He tried to bring in some sanity to the august chambers of congress. He said that it was not fair to blame the Senate or any other institution for the calamities that we, as a country were experiencing.
In his rage, the first congressman did the unthinkable. He exceeded the foolishness of his first statement. He stood, and with contempt he said, “I move that the session be adjourned!”
You might ask, on account of what? Wala lang. He just really believed that we were being punished for all the wrong that we have done. And if others won’t take his word… well… the session should be adjourned. As if to say, “AYAWAN NA!”
Gusto kong maiyak. To me having this person belong to the roster of legislators who would (supposedly) craft our country’s laws was a bigger tragedy than the floods. The human spirit can endure calamities because of its resilience. But how can we as a nation endure having leaders such as this one?
But we don’t hear about this in the news. I mean, I’m still frozen while I write this entry and I’m not sure if I’m constructing my thoughts properly. But I think that people should know about these events. If only to make them think twice before they cast their votes. Am I helping to elect the right people in the legislature/executive (or wherever)?
Yesterday was actually like any other day here in congress. I was of course at my cubicle eavesdropping on what our “Honorables” were deliberating. A couple of them rose “on a matter of personal and collective privilege” regarding the flooding down south. They were asking for help—food, medicine etc.
Valid. But what followed was surreal.
Another congressman spoke. In summary, his message was… the reason why these calamities are happening to us is because of the things that are happening at the Senate. He was of course referring to the Senate inquiry on the cancelled ZTE Contract and the personalities involved.
I froze. Okay, so maybe it is cold in our office, pero ibang chill ang na-feel ko. I was asking myself… Did I hear what I just heard? Because something as absurd as that could only be conjured by my morbid EKmagination. When the next congressman spoke, it was confirmed. I was not imagining things. He tried to bring in some sanity to the august chambers of congress. He said that it was not fair to blame the Senate or any other institution for the calamities that we, as a country were experiencing.
In his rage, the first congressman did the unthinkable. He exceeded the foolishness of his first statement. He stood, and with contempt he said, “I move that the session be adjourned!”
You might ask, on account of what? Wala lang. He just really believed that we were being punished for all the wrong that we have done. And if others won’t take his word… well… the session should be adjourned. As if to say, “AYAWAN NA!”
Gusto kong maiyak. To me having this person belong to the roster of legislators who would (supposedly) craft our country’s laws was a bigger tragedy than the floods. The human spirit can endure calamities because of its resilience. But how can we as a nation endure having leaders such as this one?
But we don’t hear about this in the news. I mean, I’m still frozen while I write this entry and I’m not sure if I’m constructing my thoughts properly. But I think that people should know about these events. If only to make them think twice before they cast their votes. Am I helping to elect the right people in the legislature/executive (or wherever)?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
initial ek
great! so here i am!
one of my goals for this year is to get back into writing again. writing not just the usual emails,reports, researches and speeches, but writing about matters which have somehow captured my interest–whether it be tech stuff, some political issue or a mundane conversation i had with a friend… and somehow, attempt to explain to myself what they can contribute to understanding a certain condition or arrive at conclusions about certain human tendencies we all share.
ang gusto ko lang naman sabihin… gusto ko ulit magsulat. yun lang. ang dami pang ekek no?
one of my goals for this year is to get back into writing again. writing not just the usual emails,reports, researches and speeches, but writing about matters which have somehow captured my interest–whether it be tech stuff, some political issue or a mundane conversation i had with a friend… and somehow, attempt to explain to myself what they can contribute to understanding a certain condition or arrive at conclusions about certain human tendencies we all share.
ang gusto ko lang naman sabihin… gusto ko ulit magsulat. yun lang. ang dami pang ekek no?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)