02.06.10
Thousands to join Palarong Pambansa in Tarlac
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/02/03/10/thousands-join-palarong-pambansa-tarlac
MANILA, Philippines – More than 6,000 student athletes from elementary and secondary schools nationwide are expected to troop to Tarlac province in April for the 53rd edition of the Palarong Pambansa.
The annual national scholastic sports competition will be conducted by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Tarlac Provincial Government from April 11 to 17.
The students, who are from private and public schools across the country, will compete in 17 sports disciplines: archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and tennis.
Preliminary meets have been held as pre-requisites for athletes to advance from one level of competition to the next.
The process of selection started with the school intramurals early in the school year. Outstanding players and winners were selected to represent their schools in district meets. Such process is repeated at the provincial and regional levels.
The athletes will compete in various venues in the divisions of elementary boys, elementary girls, secondary boys and secondary girls. The principal Games venue is the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jose.
Organizers hope that the Palarong Pambansa 2010 will draw more than 100,000 spectators and visitors from all over Central Luzon, Northern Luzon, South Luzon and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said he hopes to raise the level of the sporting competition to meet international standards as the Palarong Pambansa is considered a breeding ground for the country’s future champions.
Palaro athletes who were identified and recruited for inclusion in the Philippine national team include Olympians Eric Buhain, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Elma Muros, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, Jr., and Tshomlee Go.
(Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/02/03/10/thousands-join-palarong-pambansa-tarlac)
01.17.10
Is There a Room For Me?
What im doing is always unseen
For what he does is more to you it seems
What i do is intended to you
For my mind is stupid,
It knows only you.
What i’ve done have sealed my fate
I have closed my heart for those who wait
The attention you gave me is somehow great
But the fact that he’s with you is what i hate.
When you are with me
I feel so cured
But when you are gone
I feel so cold
For your arms are warm & gentle
And with you i could stay forever.
I am like a land that parts the sea
What i am here is all for thee
They say love is intended for two
Now tell me, is there room for me?
01.13.10
The Man Who Mapped the World
In the early part of 1544, Gerardus Mercator found himself in a cold, dark prison cell. He felt he was facing certain death. Why did this happen to the greatest cartographer of the 16th century? To find out, let us first take a closer look at his life and times.
MERCATOR was born in 1512 in Rupelmonde, a small port near Antwerp, Belgium. He received his education at the university of Louvain. After graduating, he studied the teachings of Aristotle, and before long, he was troubled by his inability to reconcile the views of Aristotle with the teachings of the Bible. Mercator wrote: “When I saw that Moses’ version of the Genesis of the world did not fit sufficiently in many ways with Aristotle and the rest of the philosophers, I began to have doubts about the truth of all philosophers and started to investigate the secrets of nature.”
Since he did not want to become a philosopher, Mercator gave up further university studies. However, his quest to find evidence to uphold the Biblical creation account occupied his mind for the rest of his life.
Turning to Geography
In 1534, Mercator began to study mathematics, astronomy, and geography under the mathematician Gemma Frisius. Furthermore, Mercator may have learned the art of engraving from Gaspar Van der Heyden, an engraver and globemaker. At the beginning of the 16th century, cartographers used heavy Gothic, or black-letter, type, which limited the space available for written information on maps. However, Mercator adopted a new style of cursive writing from Italy called italic, which proved to be beneficial in globemaking.
In 1536, Mercator worked as an engraver with Frisius and Van der Heyden in the production of a terrestrial globe. Mercator’s beautiful cursive handwriting contributed to the success of the project. Nicholas Crane, a modern biographer of Mercator, writes that while another cartographer “had managed to fit fifty American locations onto a wall-map as wide as a man was tall, Mercator reduced sixty onto a sphere whose diameter was two handspans”!
THE MERCATOR PROJECTION
(The Mercator projection can be compared to a cut-open cylinder on which the world is flattened out)
Have you ever tried to flatten the skin of an orange? Of course, it is impossible to do so without distorting it. That example illustrates the problem faced by mapmakers—how to project a globe (the earth) on a flat map. Mercator solved the problem by introducing a system that is now known as the Mercator projection. In this method the lines that form the degrees of latitude from the equator to the poles are spaced proportionally. Although this approach distorts distances and sizes (especially to the north and south), it was a major breakthrough in cartography. Mercator’s wall map of the world of 1569 was a masterpiece that greatly contributed to his fame as a cartographer. Actually, his projection is still used in ocean maps and by the modern Global Positioning System.
A Cartographer Is Born
By 1537, Mercator made his first “solo production”—a map of the Holy Land, which he made to contribute to a “better understanding of both testaments.” In the 16th century, maps of the Holy Land were hopelessly inaccurate, some with fewer than 30 place-names—and many of them in the wrong location. Mercator’s map, however, identified more than 400 places! Further, it showed the route followed by the Israelites on their journey through the desert after the Exodus. Because of its accuracy, the map was much admired by many of Mercator’s contemporaries.
Encouraged by his success, Mercator published a world map in 1538. Before that time, mapmakers knew little about North America, calling it the Unknown Distant Land. Although the geographical name “America” already existed, Mercator was the first to apply that name to both North and South America.
Mercator lived at a time when the world’s oceans were being explored and many new lands were being discovered. Sailors passed on contradictory information, making the task of mapmaking almost impossible, as cartographers had to fill in the gaps. Nevertheless, in 1541, Mercator achieved his goal of making “a more complete globe than [had] been done so far.”
Accused of Heresy
In Louvain, where Mercator lived, there were many Lutherans. By 1536, Mercator sympathized with Lutheranism, and it appears that his wife later became a Lutheran. In February 1544, Mercator was arrested together with 42 other citizens of Louvain on the accusation of writing “suspicious letters.” However, it may also have been because the publication of his map on the Holy Land had aroused the suspicion of Tapper and Latomus, two theologians from the university in Louvain. Both men had presided at the trial of Bible translator William Tyndale, who had been executed in Antwerp in 1536. Perhaps Tapper and Latomus were concerned that Mercator’s map of the Holy Land, like Tyndale’s translation of the Bible, encouraged Bible reading. In any case, Mercator was imprisoned in the castle of Rupelmonde, his hometown.
(Mercator’s map of the Holy Land, 1537, identified more than 400 places)
Antoinette Van Roesmaels, one of the other people on trial, testified that Mercator had never attended private Protestant Bible readings. However, because she herself had attended such readings, Antoinette was buried alive, to die slowly of suffocation. Mercator was released after seven months of imprisonment, but all his belongings were confiscated. In 1552, Mercator moved to Duisburg, Germany, where he found a more tolerant religious climate.
The First Atlas
Mercator continued to defend the Biblical account of creation. He devoted most of his life to making a synthesis, or overview, of the entire creation “of heaven and earth, from the beginning of times to the present,” as he put it. This work contained both chronological and geographical information.
In 1569, Mercator published a list of the most important historical events from the creation onward—the first part of his synthesis, entitled Chronologia. His aim was to help his readers understand their place in time and history. However, because Mercator had included in his book Luther’s protest against indulgences in 1517, Chronologia was put on the Catholic Church’s index of prohibited books.
MERCATOR—A DILIGENT BIBLE STUDENT
Mercator believed that the earth would become a place of righteousness, peace, and prosperity. He wrote an unpublished commentary on Romans chapters 1-11, in which he refuted the Calvinistic idea of predestination. Interestingly, he also disagreed with Martin Luther and stated that in addition to faith, works are necessary for salvation. Mercator wrote in a letter that sin “comes not from the planets [astrology] nor from any inclination of nature created by God, but only from the free will of man.” In his correspondence he rejected the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation, stating that Jesus’ words “this is my body” should not be interpreted literally but, rather, spiritually.
In the years that followed, Mercator devoted much time to drawing and engraving the plates for the maps of his new geography. In 1590, Mercator suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak and paralyzed his left side, making it extremely difficult for him to continue his work. He was, however, determined not to leave his life’s work unfinished, and he continued with it until he died in 1594 at the age of 82. Mercator’s son Rumold completed five unfinished maps. The complete collection of Mercator’s maps was published in 1595. It was the very first collection of maps to bear the name atlas.
Mercator’s Atlas contained a study of the first chapter of Genesis, in which the authenticity of God’s Word was defended in the face of opposition from philosophers. Mercator called this study “the goal of all my labour.”
“The Greatest Geographer of Our Day”
An enlarged edition of the Atlas, published by Jodocus Hondius in 1606, was printed in many languages and became a best seller. Abraham Ortelius, a 16th-century cartographer, praised Mercator as “the greatest geographer of our day.” More recently, writer Nicholas Crane described Mercator as “the man who mapped the planet.”
Mercator’s legacy is still part of our daily lives. For example, whenever we consult an atlas or switch on a Global Positioning System, we are benefiting from the labors of Mercator, a remarkable man who all his life sought to know his time and place in God’s creation.
Mercator’s world map, 1538
Note “AMERI CAE” on both American continents
(Source: Awake! Magazine, April 2009 issue)
01.03.10
What’s Wrong With Premarital Sex?
“I sometimes wonder if premarital sex is really that bad, especially when I feel strange for still being a virgin.”—Jordon.*
“I feel pressure to experiment with sex. I think we all have the natural inclination to,” says Kelly. “Everywhere you turn,” she continues, “it’s all about sex!”
CAN you relate to the way Jordon and Kelly feel? After all, traditional customs and values that once discouraged premarital sex are all but gone. (Hebrews 13:4) A survey in one Asian country revealed that the majority of 15- to 24-year-old males felt that premarital intercourse was not only accepted but expected of them. Little wonder that throughout the world most young people have had sex before they reach 19 years of age.
Then there are youths who refrain from intercourse but who engage in so-called sexual alternatives, such as fondling one another’s sexual organs (sometimes called mutual masturbation). A disturbing report in The New York Times reveals that “oral sex has become a commonplace initiation into sexual activity, widely perceived by many young people as less intimate, and less risky, than intercourse . . . [and] as a means of avoiding pregnancy and of preserving their virginity.”
Just how should a Christian view premarital sex? And what about so-called alternatives to intercourse? Are they acceptable to God? Are they safe? And do they really preserve one’s virginity?
If a youth engaged in any form of fornication, could he or she be considered a virgin in God’s eyes?
What Fornication Includes
An authoritative answer to these questions can come only from our Creator—Jehovah God. And in his Word he tells us to “flee from fornication.” (1 Corinthians 6:18) Just what does that mean? The Greek word translated “fornication” is not restricted to sexual intercourse but includes a variety of lewd acts. So if two unmarried people engage in oral sex or in fondling each others’ reproductive organs, they are guilty of fornication.
But could they still be considered virgins—that is, in God’s eyes? In the Bible the word “virgin” is used as a symbol of moral purity. (2 Corinthians 11:2-6) But it is also used in a physical sense. The Bible tells of a young woman named Rebekah. It says that she was “a virgin, and no man had had sexual intercourse with her.” (Genesis 24:16) Interestingly, in the original Hebrew, the word for “intercourse” evidently included other acts besides normal man/woman intercourse. (Genesis 19:5) So, according to the Bible, if a youth engaged in any form of fornication, he or she could hardly be considered a virgin.
The Bible exhorts Christians to flee not only from fornication itself but also from all forms of unclean conduct that could lead to it.# (Colossians 3:5) Others may ridicule you for taking such a stand. “‘You don’t know what you’re missing!’ is what I heard all through high school,” says a Christian youth named Kelly. However, premarital sex is nothing more than the “temporary enjoyment of sin.” (Hebrews 11:25) It can cause lasting physical, emotional, and spiritual harm.
Serious Threats
The Bible tells us that King Solomon once observed a young man being seduced into premarital sex. Solomon compared the young man to “a bull that comes even to the slaughter.” A bull that is to be butchered seems to have no idea what is about to happen to it. Young ones who engage in premarital sex often behave similarly—they seem to show little or no awareness that there are serious consequences to their actions! Solomon said of that young man: “He has not known that it involves his very soul.” (Proverbs 7:22, 23) Yes, your “soul”—your life—is at stake.
For example, each year millions of youths contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD). “When I found out I had herpes, I wanted to run away,” says Lydia. She laments, “It is a painful disease that will never go away.” Over half of all new HIV infections worldwide (6,000 a day) occur among those who are between 15 and 24 years of age.
Females are particularly vulnerable to a host of problems related to premarital sex. In fact, the threat of STDs (as well as HIV) is higher for females than for males. If a young girl becomes pregnant, she places herself and her unborn child at further risk. Why? Because a young girl’s body may not have developed to the point of being able to handle childbirth safely.
Even if a teen mother escapes severe health consequences, she must still face the serious responsibilities that parenthood brings. Many girls find that fending for themselves and for a newborn infant is far more difficult than they had imagined.
Then there are the spiritual and emotional aftereffects. King David’s sexual sin endangered his friendship with God and nearly led to his spiritual ruin. (Psalm 51) And while David recovered spiritually, he suffered the consequences of his sin for the rest of his life.
Young ones today can suffer similarly. For example, when she was only 17 years old, Cherie became physically intimate with a boy. She thought he loved her. Years later, she still regrets her actions. She laments: “I took Bible truths for granted and suffered the consequences. I lost Jehovah’s favor, and that was devastating.” A youth named Trish similarly admits: “Premarital sex was the biggest mistake of my life. I would do anything just to be a virgin again.” Yes, emotional wounds can linger for years, causing stress and heartache.
Premarital sex can wound the conscience of a God-fearing youth
Learning Self-Control
Young Shanda raises an important question, “Why would God give young people sexual desires, knowing that they should not use them until after marriage?” It is true that sexual desires can be particularly strong during “the bloom of youth.” (1 Corinthians 7:36) In fact, teenagers may experience sudden sexual arousal for no seeming reason. But this is not something wicked. It is a normal part of the development of the reproductive system.%
It is also true that Jehovah designed sexual relations to be pleasurable. This was in harmony with his original purpose for humans to populate the earth. (Genesis 1:28) Nevertheless, God never intended for us to misuse our procreative powers. “Each one of you should know how to get possession of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,” says the Bible. (1 Thessalonians 4:4) To act upon every sexual desire would be, in a sense, as foolish as hitting someone each time you felt anger.
Sexual relations are a gift from God, a gift that is to be enjoyed at the appropriate time—when one is married. How does God feel when we try to enjoy sex outside of marriage? Well, imagine that you have purchased a gift for a friend. Before you can give it to that friend, he or she steals it! Wouldn’t you be upset? Imagine, then, how God feels when a person engages in premarital sex, abusing the gift that God has provided.
What should you do about your sexual feelings? Put simply, learn to control them. Remind yourself that “Jehovah himself will not hold back anything good from those walking in faultlessness.” (Psalm 84:11) “When I find myself thinking that premarital sex would not be so bad,” says a youth named Gordon, “I reflect on the bad spiritual consequences and realize that no sin is worth the loss of my relationship with Jehovah.” Exercising self-control may not be easy. But as young Adrian reminds us, “it leaves you with a clean conscience and a good relationship with Jehovah, free to focus on the more important things, with no guilt or remorse for past actions.”—Psalm 16:11.
There are many good reasons for you to “abstain from fornication” in all its various forms. (1 Thessalonians 4:3) Admittedly, this is not always easy. A future article will address practical ways in which you can “preserve yourself chaste.”—1 Timothy 5:22.
(Source: Awake Magazine! July 22, 2004 issue)
The Challenge of Caregiving
“AT TIMES I wished I could escape from the situation. But he needed me more than ever. At times I felt very alone.”—Jeanny, who nursed her 29-year-old husband for 18 months before he died of a brain tumor.*
“There are times when I feel irritated with Mom, and then I get disgusted with myself. I feel like a failure when I do not cope well.”—Rose, 59, who cared for her frail 90-year-old mother, who had become bedridden.
The news of terminal or chronic illness can be devastating to family and friends. “At the time of diagnosis every family feels alone. They may not know anyone else who has had this problem,” says Jeanne Munn Bracken, in Children With Cancer. They are also often “numb and disbelieving,” as Elsa was when she found out that her 36-year-old close friend Betty had cancer. Sue, whose father was ill, felt “a sick, hollow feeling” in her stomach when she finally realized that her father was dying of cancer.
Family members and friends may suddenly find themselves thrust into the role of caregivers—providing for the physical and emotional needs of the one who is ill. They may have to prepare nourishing meals, supervise medication, arrange transport to the doctor, entertain the patient’s visitors, write letters for the patient, and much, much more. Often such activities are crammed into an already busy schedule.
As the patient’s condition deteriorates, however, the work of caregiving becomes even more demanding. What might this include? “Everything!” exclaims Elsa about her bedridden friend Betty. “Washing and feeding her, helping her when she vomits, emptying her urine bags.” Kathy, despite holding down a full-time job, had to care for her ailing mother. Sue, mentioned earlier, tells of “taking and recording [her father's] temperature every half hour, sponging him down when the temperature was rising, and changing his clothes and bed linen every few hours.”
The quality of the care that the patient receives will depend to a large extent on the well-being of those providing the care. Yet, the feelings and needs of those who look after the sick are often overlooked. If caregiving merely resulted in sore backs and strained shoulders, it would be difficult enough. But, as most caregivers will confirm, the care is provided at enormous emotional cost.
“It Was Very Embarrassing”
“Studies frequently describe the distress resulting from the [patient's] wandering, embarrassing behavior, and verbal outbursts,” reports The Journals of Gerontology. For example, Gillian describes what happened after a friend at a Christian meeting asked to meet her aged mother. “Mother just looked blank and did not respond,” recalls Gillian sadly. “It was very embarrassing and brought tears to my eyes.”
“It is one of the most difficult things to cope with,” says Joan, whose husband has dementia. “It makes him a little insensitive to etiquette,” she explains. “When we are dining out with others, he sometimes goes to other tables in the dining room, tastes the jam, and puts the used spoon back into the jam dish. When we visit neighbors, he may spit on the garden pathway. It’s very difficult to rid myself of the thought that others are probably talking about these habits and perhaps regard him as sadly lacking in manners. I tend to curl up inside.”
“I Was Afraid That If We Were Careless . . .”
Caring for a seriously ill loved one can be a very frightening experience. The caregiver may be afraid of what will happen as the illness advances—perhaps even afraid of the death of his loved one. He may also fear that he will not have the strength or ability to meet the patient’s needs.
Elsa describes the reason for her fear this way: “I was afraid that I might hurt Betty physically, thereby adding to her suffering, or that I would do something that might shorten her life.”
Sometimes the patient’s fears become the caregiver’s fears. “My father had a great fear of choking and would sometimes get panicky,” confided Sue. “I was afraid that if we were careless, he would choke and thus experience his greatest fear.”
“You May Grieve for the Way They Used to Be”
“Grief is a normal experience for people coping with a loved one who has a chronic illness,” states Caring for the Person With Dementia. “As the patient’s illness progresses, you may experience the loss of a companion and a relationship which was important to you. You may grieve for the way they used to be.”
Jennifer describes how her family was affected by her mother’s steadily declining health: “We felt hurt. We missed her vivacious conversation. We were very saddened.” Gillian explains: “I didn’t want my mother to die, and I didn’t want her to suffer. I cried and cried.”
“I Felt Rejected, Angry”
A caregiver may wonder: ‘Why did this have to happen to me? Why don’t others help? Can’t they see I’m not coping well? Can’t the patient be more cooperative?’ At times, the caregiver may feel very angry about what seem to be growing and unfair demands made on him by the patient and by other family members. Rose, mentioned in the introduction, says: “I am more often angry with myself—in my head. But Mom says it shows on my face.”
The one providing the care may bear the brunt of the patient’s own frustrations and anger. In the book Living With Cancer, Dr. Ernest Rosenbaum explains that some patients “may at times experience rage and depression that will seek as their target the nearest available person . . . This anger is usually manifested as irritation over trivial matters that in normal times would not even concern the patient.” Understandably, this can put added strain on the frayed nerves of the loved ones who are doing their best to look after the patient.
Maria, for example, did commendable work nursing her dying friend. On occasion, though, her friend seemed oversensitive and jumped to wrong conclusions. “She would be very cutting and rude, embarrassing loved ones,” Maria explains. How did this affect Maria? “At the time, one seems to ‘understand’ the patient. But on thinking it over later, I felt rejected, angry, unsure—and not inclined to show needed love.”
A study published in The Journals of Gerontology concluded: “Anger has the potential to mount to a high level in caregiving situations [and] sometimes results in actual or contemplated violence.” The researchers found that almost 1 out of every 5 caregivers feared he might become violent. And more than 1 in 20 actually did get violent with his patient.
“I Feel Guilty”
 |
| Caregivers need support in coping with feelings of guilt and anger |
Many caregivers are plagued by feelings of guilt. Sometimes the guilt comes on the heels of anger—that is, they feel guilty because they feel angry at times. Such emotions may drain them to the point that they feel they can’t go on.
In some instances, there is no alternative but to have the patient cared for in an institution or a hospital. This can be a traumatic decision that can wreak havoc with a caregiver’s emotions. “When finally forced to take Mother to a home, I felt I was betraying her, discarding her,” says Jeanne.
Whether the patient is hospitalized or not, his loved ones may feel guilty that they are not doing enough for him. Said Elsa: “I often felt bad that my time was so limited. Sometimes my friend just wouldn’t let me go.” There may also be concern over neglect of other family responsibilities, particularly if the caregiver spends a great deal of time at the hospital or must work longer hours to help pay for mounting bills. “I have to work to help with the expenses,” lamented one mother, “yet I feel guilty because I can’t be at home for my children.”
Obviously, caregivers have a desperate need for support, especially after the death of the one cared for. “My most critical responsibility [after a patient's death] . . . is to alleviate feelings of guilt in the caregiver, which often go unspoken,” says Dr. Fredrick Sherman, of Huntington, New York.
If these feelings remain unspoken, they could be damaging to both the caregiver and the patient. What, then, can those providing care do to cope with these feelings? And what can others—family members and friends—do to help them?
____
Don’t Take Them for Granted!
“WE KNOW that 80% of the caregiving to the elderly that takes place in the home is done by women,” says Myrna I. Lewis, assistant professor in the department of community medicine at Mount Sinai Medical School, New York.
One study of women caregivers, published in The Journals of Gerontology,* showed that 61 percent of the women reported receiving no help from family or friends. And more than half (57.6 percent) said they did not receive enough emotional support from their husbands. In Children With Cancer, Jeanne Munn Bracken points out that while the mother may be bearing much of the caregiving burden, “the father may well be retreating into his work.”
However, there is a significant proportion of caregiving done by men, says Dr. Lewis. For example, husbands with wives who have Alzheimer’s disease are a fairly large group. And they are certainly not immune to the stresses of caring for a sick loved one. “These men are perhaps the most vulnerable of all,” Lewis continues, “because they are usually older than their wives and may be in poor health themselves. . . . Most of them are not trained in the practical aspects of caregiving.”
Families need to guard against the tendency to burden one member who seems to handle the challenge well. “Often it is a particular member of a family who becomes a carer, sometimes several times over,” states the book Care for the Carer. “A high proportion of these are women who are already growing older themselves. . . . Women are also generally seen as the ‘natural’ carers . . . , but families and friends should never take this for granted.”
* Gerontology is defined as “a branch of knowledge dealing with aging and the problems of the aged.”
(Source: Awake Magazine! February 8, 1997 issue)
12.31.09
The Sign Language History
The Filipino Sign Language Alphabet
Jehovah's Witnesses teaching deaf
Also, some religions uses sign language in teaching deaf people about God and its will. One of these are the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They sacrifice their time and own money in teaching deaf people for FREE in able for them to get close to God. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are conducting weekly sign language christian meetings, assemblies and conventions in different places in the Philippines and in different countries around the world.
Kwentong PressCon: Regional na ‘To!
RSPC Vest Logo
Pagkatapos ng matagal na pag-asam, sa wakas, ay akin ring nakamit ang pinakahihintay na tagumpay.
Mula grade 6 hanggang sa ikatlong taon ko sa hayskul ay sinikap ko ng manalo sa patimpalak na tinatawag na Press Conference o “PRESSCON”. Ngunit, sa bawat pagkakataon na sinusubukan kong makamit ang tagumpay, ay siya namang pagkatalo ang sa’kin ay binibigay.
Ngunit, sa taong ito ay nagbago ang lahat. Ang lahat ng pagkabigo na aking naranasan sa pagsali sa patimpalak ng presscon ay napalitan ng galak. Ikasampung puwesto lamang ang napanalunan ko sa Cluster Level noong nakaraang taon sa dalawang kategorya na aking nilahukan (Sports Writing at Photojournalism sa Ingles), ngunit ngayong taon ay nakuha ko at kampeonato sa Sports Writing at Ikaapat na puwesto sa Photojourn. Tunay na nagbabago ang panahon. Marahil noong mga panahon na ako’y natatalo ay nasa ilalim ako ng gulong ng buhay pampaligsahan, ngunit ngayon, ay sa itaas naman.
Matapos manalo sa Cluster Level, ay ipinokus ko ang aking sarili sa pagsasanay para sa susunod na lebel ng kompetisyon ng presscon, ang Division Level na kung saan ang aking makakatunggali ay ang lahat ng mga pinakamahuhusay na manunulat ng Probinsya ng Tarlac sa iba’t ibang kategorya. At hindi naman ako nabigo.
Sumapit ang araw ng kompetisyon. Tila nanliit ako nang aking maaninag ang mukha ng aking mga kalaban, tila sila’y mga propesyonal na sa kategorya na lalabanan nila. Pero hinayaan ko lang ang panliliit na iyon na aking nararamdaman at ibinuhos ko lahat ng aking kakayahan pagkating ng oras ng aking kategorya na lalahukan, ang Sports Writing. Sa sobrang kaba, inabot pa ako ng alas-siete ng gabi sa pagsulat ng artikulo na aking ilalaban. Ako na lamang ang hinihintay ng room facilitator.
Dumating ang araw ng pagkilala sa lahat ng mga nanalo sa iba’t ibang kategorya. At noong mga oras na iyon ay hindi ko lubos mawari kung ano ang aking mararamdaman sapagkat sinasabi ng aking mga kasama, maging ng aking mga tagapagsanay na ako ang inaasahan nilang manalo. Inisip ko na paano na lamang kung matalo ako, ano na lamang ang sasabihin nila.
Nang sinabi na ng emcee ang kategorya ko, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin. Hindi ko narinig ang pangalan kong tinatawag sa mga nanalo sa ikalima hanggang ikatlong puwesto, tila ba’y nawalan na ako ng pag-asa na manalo. Ngunit ng sinabi na ang katagang “The second place winner is..” ng emcee, biglang hinawakan ng aking tagapagsanay ang aking braso at hinila pasulong, at akin nalang narinig na “is Stephen Paraan from Capas High School..”
Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman sapagkat sa kulang-kulang apat na taon na aking inasam na manalo sa Division Level at makapasok sa Regional.
“It feels so heavenly” ika nga na masabi na isa ka sa pinakamagagaling na pinarangalan. Naranasan ko rin ang manalo at mananatili ang gulong ko sa ibabaw. Mula noon ang nagsanay ako ng mahusay para sa Regional Level ng presscon.
Kasama ang aking tagapagsanay, si Gng. Alema Bagain
Hindi ko namalayan ang pagtakbo ng oras, araw na nga ng Regional PressCon. Isang malaking bag at dalawang sleeping bags na gagamitin sa pag-stay namin ng limang araw sa lugar ng kompetisyon ang aking bitbit papunta sa Division Office na nagsilbing tagpuan namin bago pumunta sa paggaganapan ng PressCon, sa Gapan City.
Kulang sa dalawang oras ang aming biyahe at pagdating namin ng bandang alas-onse y media ng umaga ay agad-agad kaming naghanap ng kwarto na aming tutulugan sa loob ng limang araw. Pagkatapos noon ay nagparehistro na kami.
Pagkatapos nagparehistro, sinabihan kami na kumain na at kami ay magpaparada pa sa bayan sa ganap ng ala-una y media. Dali-dali kaming kumain at naghanda na para sa parada.
Tila ba’y nawalan ako ng gana pagdaing sa parada sapagkat puro lakad lang ang ginawa namin. Mahigit 30 minuto kaming naglalakad. Pero biglang naibalik ang aking pagkasabik ng matapos ang parada at tinupon kami sa isang bulwagan kasama ang lahat ng deligasyon mula sa labing-pitong dibisyon ng Gitnang Luzon para sa Opening Program.
Si Gibo Teodoro sa kaniyang pahayag sa Opening Program ng RSPC
Lalo pa akong nasabik ng dumating si Gilbert Teodoro, ang dating National Defense Secretary. Nagsalita siya sumandali at pagkatapos noon ay sumunod ang SANGKATERBANG presentasyon. Bigla kong naramdaman ang pagkaiirita at pagkabagot sapagkat sobrang haba ng programa na kanilang inihanda na nagtagal ng magmula alas-kuwatro ng hapon hanggang alas- siete y media ng gabi, at sobrang pagod at gutom na ang nararamdaman ko sa mga oras na iyon. Kaya lubos pasasalamat ko na lamang ng matapos iyon. Pagdating sa paaralan na aming tinutuluyan ay agaran akong kumuha ng pagkain at pagkatapos ay natulog. Bago iyon ay sinabihan muna kami na manatili sa labas sapagkat may isinaayos na “Welcome Night” ang pamunuan ng paaralang iyon ngunit hindi ko nalang sila pinansin at tumuloy na sa pagtulog.
Ikalawang araw ng presscon, pahinga muna ako. Ngunit pinilit ako na pumunta sa contest venue para suportahan ang isa kong kasama sa lalabanan niyang kategorya. Ayaw ko talagang sumama sapagkat sa ikatlong araw pa ang Sports Writing Contest pero sumama nalang ako bilang pagpapakita ng pakisama. Habang lumalaban ang aking kasama ay inaya ko ang aking tagapagsanay na pumunta sa mall na kaharapan lamang ng contest venue. Naglibang ako sumandali doon, pampalibas oras lamang kumbaga. Pagkatapos noon ay umuwi na rin ako agad at hinintay na dumating ang kinabukasan.
Dumating ang ikatlong araw, ang araw ng aking kategoryang lalabanan. Nakipag-unahan na ako sa maliit na paliguan na aming ginagamit sapagkat kailangan na maaga akong dumating sa contest venue. Pagdating sa contest venue ay tiningnan ko ang program at nakita na alas-nueve pa ng umaga ang simula ng aking kategorya Kaya’y inaya ko ang aking tagapagsanay na mamili muna ng mga souvenirs na t-shirt at iba pa. Hindi ko namalayan ang oras at ako na lamang pala ang hinihintay at hinahanap sa lahat ng kalahok. Nag-mala-San Chai ako ng Meteor Garden na humahabol kay Hua Ze Lei sa bus na kaniyang sinasakyan. Nahabol ko naman ang bus at kami ay pumunta na sa lugar na pagpapanuoran namin ng Sports Event.
Pagdating doon, hindi ko alam ang aking mararamdaman. Matitindi ang aking kalaban. Hindi tumigil sa pagtibok ng mabilis ang aking puso dulot ng kaba. Badminton ang pinapanood sa amin. Hindi ko napaghandaan ang event na iyon, hindi ko kasi inisip na iyon pala ang ipapanood sa amin kaya “bahala na” ang nasabi ko sa aking sarili.
Bumalik kami agad sa contest venue pagkatapos panoorin ang game. Mahigit dalawampung minuto akong nakatunganga at wala pang nasusulat kundi ang aking headline pa lamang. Nasisiraan ako ng loob sapagkat alam ko na marahil doon na matatapos ang lahat, matatalo na ako. “Last 15 minutes” ang biglang sabi ng room facilitator at dali-dali akong sumulat ng hindi na iniisip ang aking sinusulat dahil natatakot akong maabutan ng oras, pagkatapos ay ipinasa ko na at biglang sabing “Bahala na”.. Nahirapan kasi talaga ako.
Agad akong humingi ng tawad sa aking coach sapagkat hindi ko sigurado kung mananalo ako o hindi. Positibo naman ang kaniyang tugon ng sinabi niyang: “Ok lang ‘un! Nakarating ka na rin naman ng Regional.” Tapos ay nag-text ako kay papa at sinabing nahirapan ako anupat sumakit ang aking ulo sa paglikha at aking piyesang ilalaban. Natuwa naman ako sa reply niya na sinasabing: “Ok lang kahit di ka manalo. Nakarating ka na sa Regional and that’s already an achievement.”
Kasama sina Chelsi at Roxanne sa huling araw ng RSPC
Kinagabihan ay may nakilala kaming mga bagong kaibigan sina Chelsi at Roxanne, isa iyon sa mga naging “highlight” ng RSPC sakin sapagkat pagkatapos magkakilala ay nagkakwentuhan kami ng matagal at di namamalayan ang oras, alas-tres ng umaga na kami natulog noon sa sobrang enjoy sa pagkukwentuhan..
Kinabukasan ay dumating na ang oras ng pagkilala sa mga nanalo. Tuwang-tuwa ako na makita na may mga nanalo mula sa aking dibisyon, ngunit pagdating sa aking kategorya, bigla akong nanahimik. Sinabi ang mga nagsipagwagi mula sa ikasampung puwesto pababa sa ikalawang puwesto ngunit hindi ko man lang narinig ang aking pangalan. Pagkatapos sabihin ang nagwagi sa ikalawang puwesto, sinabi ng isa sa aking mga tagapagsanay na “maghanda ka na..”, hindi ako umimik at hinintay na lamang na sabihin at nanalo sa unang puwesto. “And the first place winner came from the Division of…” ang sabi ng emcee, nagpa-sorry ako ulit sa aking tagapagsanay at bigla akong tumalikod at lumakad paalis sapagkat alam ko na hindi ako iyon, “San Fernando City..” ang itinuloy ng emcee.
Isa iyon sa pinakamasakit na nangyari sa’kin. Ang pagkatalo. Sapagkat ako lang ang inaasahan ng aking mga kasama sa paaralan. Pero aking napagbatid na ang pagkatalo ay isang hakbang sa pagtahak sa tagumpay. May iba pang magagandang bagay na naghihintay sa akin sa hinaharap at nasasabik na lamang ako na dumating ito, mga mas mahuhusay at magagandang oportunidad na naghihintay sa akin.
(To be edited.. This is a rush draft..)
12.24.09
You Can Improve Your Memory!
“Memory enlarges our world. Without it, we would lack a sense of continuity and each morning encounter a stranger staring back from the mirror. Each day and event would exist in isolation; we could neither learn from the past nor anticipate the future.”
—“MYSTERIES OF THE MIND.”
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WHY is it that some birds can remember months later the places where they stored seeds for the winter and squirrels can remember the locations where they buried nuts, but we may forget where we left our keys an hour ago? Yes, many of us complain of a faulty memory. Yet, the human brain, though imperfect, has an amazing capacity to learn and remember. The secret is to make the most of what we have.
Enormous Potential
The human brain weighs about three pounds and is roughly the size of a grapefruit, yet it contains some 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, all of which form an incredibly complex network. Indeed, just one neuron may be connected to 100,000 others. This wiring gives the brain the potential to process and retain a vast amount of information. The challenge, of course, is for a person to recall the information when it is needed. Some excel at this, including many with little if any secular schooling.
For example, in West Africa, nonliterate tribal chroniclers called griots can recite the names of many generations of people in their villages. Griots enabled American author Alex Haley, whose book Roots won a Pulitzer prize, to investigate his family tree in Gambia back through six generations. Haley said: “I acknowledge immense debt to the griots of Africa—where today it is rightly said that when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground.”
Consider, too, the famous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, who was “discovered” at the age of 19 when called upon to substitute for another conductor. In spite of his poor eyesight, he was able to conduct the entire opera Aida—from memory!
Such feats may amaze us. Yet, most people have the potential to remember much more than they think they can. Would you like to enhance your memory?
Improving Your Memory
Memory involves three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Your brain encodes information when it perceives it and registers it. This information can then be stored for future retrieval. Memory failure occurs when any one of these three stages breaks down.
Memory itself has been divided into various kinds, including sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory receives information from stimuli through the senses, such as smell, sight, and touch. Short-term memory, also called working memory, holds small amounts of information for brief periods. Thus, we can add up numbers in our head, remember a telephone number long enough to dial it, and remember the first half of a sentence while reading or listening to the second half. But as we all know, short-term memory has its limits.
If you want to store information indefinitely, it must go into your long-term memory. How can you put it there? The following principles will help.
Interest Cultivate an interest in the subject, and remind yourself of the reasons for learning it. As your own experience in life may tell you, when your emotions are involved, you enhance your memory.
Attention “Most ‘memory failures’ actually represent failures in attention,” says the book Mysteries of the Mind. What can help you to pay attention? Be interested and, where possible, take notes. Note-taking not only focuses the mind but also enables a listener to review the material later.
Understanding “With all that you acquire, acquire understanding,” says Proverbs 4:7. When you do not understand a teaching or concept, likely you will not remember it well, if at all. Understanding illuminates the relationship between the parts, knitting them together to form a logical whole. For example, when a student of mechanics understands how an engine works, he will better remember details about the engine.
Organization Categorize similar concepts or related ideas. For instance, a grocery list is easier to remember when we categorize items—meats, vegetables, fruits, and so on. Also, divide the information into manageable chunks of not more than five to seven items. Telephone numbers are usually divided into two parts so that they can be remembered more easily. Finally, it may help to put your list into a certain order, perhaps alphabetical.
Recitation, or verbalization Repeating aloud what you want to remember (a foreign-language word or phrase, for example) will strengthen the neural connections. How so? First, saying the word forces you to pay close attention. Second, you may get immediate feedback from your teacher. And third, listening—even to yourself—calls into play other parts of your brain.
Visualization Make a mental picture of what you wish to remember. You might also find it helpful to draw it or map it out. Like verbalization, visualization makes use of different parts of your brain. The more senses you use, the deeper the information is embedded.
Association When learning something new, associate it with something you already know. Linking thoughts to memories already stored makes encoding and retrieving easier, the association serving as a cue. For example, to remember a person’s name, link it to some unusual feature of his appearance or to something else that will call the name to mind. The more humorous or absurd the association, the better the recall. In short, we need to think about the people and things we want to remember.
The book Searching for Memory states: “If we operate on automatic pilot much of the time and do not reflect on our environment and our experiences, we may pay a price by retaining only sketchy memories of where we have been and what we have done.”
Consolidation Allow time for the information to be processed, to soak in, as it were. One of the best ways to do this is to review what you have learned, perhaps by repeating it to someone else. For good reason, repetition has been called the mother of retention.
Mnemonics—A Useful Tool
In ancient Greece and Rome, orators were able to deliver long speeches without referring to a single note. How did they do it? They used mnemonics. A mnemonic is a strategy or device that helps us store information in the long-term memory and recall it when needed.
A mnemonic device used by ancient Greek orators was the method of loci, or the location method, first described by Greek poet Simonides of Ceos in 477 B.C.E. This technique combines the principles of organization, visualization, and association with something familiar, such as a landmark on a road or an object in one’s room or house. People who use the loci technique go for a mental walk, associating each piece of information that they want to remember with certain landmarks or objects. When they want to recall the information, they simply take that same mental walk again.—See the “Take an Imaginary Walk .” in the lower part of the article.
Research done on people who ranked high in the annual World Memory Championships found that their superior memories were not due to exceptional intellect. Moreover, most participants were between 40 and 50 years of age. What was their secret? Many attributed their skill to their effective use of mnemonics.
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BE GLAD THAT YOU CAN FORGET!
Imagine what your life would be like if you remembered everything, whether important or trivial. Your mind would become filled with clutter, would it not? In fact, one woman who could recall practically everything that occurred in her life, “described her constant recall as ‘non-stop, uncontrollable and totally exhausting’ and as a ‘burden,’” says New Scientist magazine. Thankfully, most of us do not have that problem because our mind, researchers believe, has the ability to weed out irrelevant or out-of-date information. “Efficient forgetting,” says New Scientist, “is a crucial part of having a fully functioning memory. When we forget something useful, . . . it just shows that this pruning system is working a little too well.”
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TAKE AN IMAGINARY WALK
How would you remember a grocery list with several items, such as bread, eggs, milk, and butter. Using the loci method, you could “see” them as you go for an imaginary walk through your living room.
Visualize a cushion of bread in the armchair
eggs incubating under the lamp
your goldfish swimming in a tank of milk
butter smeared all over the television screen
The more humorous or unusual, the better! When you get to the store, retrace your mental walk.
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ADDITIONAL TIPS
- Stimulate your memory by learning new skills, a new language, or a musical instrument.
- Focus your attention on the most important things.
- Learn mnemonic techniques.
- Drink sufficient water. Dehydration can cause mental confusion.
- Get enough sleep. During sleep the brain stores memories.
- Relax while you are studying. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, which can disrupt nerve interactions.
- Avoid alcohol abuse and smoking. Alcohol interferes with short-term memory, and alcoholism can lead to a deficiency of thiamine, a B-vitamin that is essential to the proper working of the memory. Smoking reduces oxygen to the brain.*
* Based on information published in the electronic magazine Brain & Mind.
(Source: http://www.watchtower.org/e/200902b/article_01.htm)
12.23.09
My Winning Article:Division Schools Press Conference (Tarlac Province)
DCT High School towers over DCT Collge
High School boost to supremacy,
spikes College down
DCT High School Varsitarians squandered an early 6-point lead but regrouped and beat out the DCT College Volleyball Team in a pulsating finish, 25-22, 25-22, in their Volleyball Exhibition Game at the Dominican College of Tarlac, October 28.
Veteran Captain Alexis Martinez of the Varsitarians, a former player of the University of Illinois fired 8 spikes including 6 in the second set with 5 kills and 4 blocks to lead his team to an overwhelming triumph.
Varsitarians blew away a strong start but caught in the second wind enabling them to trail by 4 points in the middle going of the first set, but they brought back their rhythm and made an elusive run to snatch the set, 25-22.
DCT College tried to clinch the win in the second set to bring the match to the decisive set and fold the upset the Varsitarians gave them in the first set, but the Varsitarians are too tough and give DCT College a hard time.
Thrilling change of spikes occurred in the middle going of the second set which made the match unpredictable, but the Varsitarians boost up with desperation to finish the match. The ended it up with an astonishing spike by Martinez, 25-22.
“Spike! Spike! Spike! I think our team won because of our spikes, and of course, teamwork,” said Alexis Martinez in Tagalog.
“A little more practice. The performance my team showed didn’t satisfy me even though we won. We will start to focus ourselves in trainings after this,” said Varsitarian coach Renel Samson in Tagalog.
After winning the match, the DCT High School Varsitarians will train for the forthcoming Provincial Athletic Meet this November.
[2nd Place in Sports Writing English (Secondary) Category- Division Schools Press Conference 2009 (Tarlac Province) ]
