Never Give Up

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Exit Essay

             In today’s time, the world is being threatened by a lot of conflicts. Some conflicts may be found in Europe, Asia, America, and, the Middle East. Conflicts are happening because of the difference in mind-sets, of the selfishness of people, or the generalization of people towards other groups.

            The first reason why conflict is happening is due to the mind-set of different groups of people. This reason can be seen in the Middle East and Europe where the ISIS group is causing terror. Another example where this reason can be seen is In the Philippines. The conflict in the Philippines is caused by the war on drugs by the current administration and by the Islamic group [Maute Group] in Marawi. These conflicts are happening because these people have a different mind-set from others. The second reason why conflict is happening is due to a person’s selfish desire of power. This second reason can be seen between the current Philippine government and other countries where President Rodrigo Duterte is cursing other countries like the USA and world-organizations like the United Nation. Another example of the second reason is about the North Korean government where their Supreme-Leader Kim Jong-Un terrorizes other countries especially the United-States and countries surrounding North Korean with nuclear weapons. In addition, this reason is also seen in the issue between China and other Asian countries regarding the South-China Sea where China is trying to own all the islands that is part of the South-China Sea without respecting the other countries that owns these islands. The last reason why conflict is happening is because people generalize others based on their ethnicity. This last reason can be seen in the USA where President Donald Trump is causing chaos with racial discrimination against people in the Middle East and Mexicans. To clarify, President Donald Trump is doing this because of the generalization of all Muslims as terrorists, and generalization of all Mexicans as illegal immigrants.

            Truly, conflicts are happening around the world. However, these do not just happen without any reason. Firstly, these conflicts happen because of the difference in the mind-sets of people. Secondly, these conflicts happen because of the selfish desires of people. Lastly these conflicts happen because of the generalization of people towards others. Conflicts around the world may not be stopped, but it can be lessened; people just need to show proper respect and discipline towards others.

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My Body is Ready

Image Source: my body is ready. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/6a9w).

      Most of the time, people want to look the best they can to be for them to be accepted in society. This is why most people do their best to go to the gym or eat less food to keep with the standards of a perfect body. Although having body standards are good to keep people to stay fit, the harm of this to them outweighs that benefit.

Image Source: Back to School for Some Chemistry and Art!! | Mr. Bean Official. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghIoTW10qwc).

     People will feel good about themselves if they have a fit body; they will feel that they are in par with those people that are the basis of a good body and as a result they will increase their self-esteem. However, in order for people to get this perfect body, they would have to give up on eating which is bad for their health. So instead of being happy about themselves, they will feel stressed and sick due to lack of energy given by food.

    Not only does having a standard for a perfect body keep people stress and sick, it would also distract them from other things like school and work. It is because they would focus on their body more than on the important things. For example, people will rather go to the gym than do school work or sometimes they will feel bad about themselves and have less focus during class if they forgot to go to their daily gym schedule.

Image Source: Learn to Love Yourself: A Self-Acceptance Activity. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/livingablissfullife/2016/04/learn-to-love-every-aspect-of-yourself-with-this-self-acceptance-activity/).

    Having a fit body is not a bad thing, but focusing on it instead of health and other more important things makes it bad. People should learn how to accept themselves and not compare themselves with others. Everyone is unique, and equally beautiful. As Degeneres (n.d.) said,”beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.”   .

References:

Body image, self-esteem and the influence of society (2016, August 1).                         Retrieved on December 10, 2017, from URL:                                                         https://livelifegetactive.com/blog/body-image-self-esteem/

Hawkins, H. (2017, March 7). Society's Beauty Standards.  Retrieved on                       December 10, 2017, from URL:                                                                               https://www.theodysseyonline.com/societys-beauty-standards?                             altdesign=socialux

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With Great Power...

Image Source: This 'Avengers: Infinity War' Artwork May Reveal Major Story Details. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/09/21/avengers-3-infinity-war-story-spoilers-artwork/).

       This November 29, 2017, Marvel released the first trailer of Infinity War, and it trended almost everywhere in the world. People have anticipated fictional movie where people have powers because it is a universe far from their reality. It is a universe where they can have different kinds of extraordinary abilities that others do not possess. Powers that make them above than others. Ever since the early civilization, power has influenced the culture humankind.

Image Source: Ancient Egypt: Social Classes. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://prezi.com/klxnxlmake1q/ancient-egypt-social-classes/).

       The influence of power to the culture of the early civilization is seen through the social-class pyramid they have. Two popular examples of these social-class pyramids are the Indian caste system and the Egyptian social class. On one hand, the Indian caste system has four types of social classes that dictates their power in society. The first and most powerful class is the Brahmins; they are the priests and scholars. They are the most powerful class because they are the ones who are closer to the gods. The second class is the Kshatriyas; they the kings, warriors and people born of royalty. They are the ones who govern and protect the people. The third class is the Vaisyas; they are the commoners. They are usually the workers and merchants of the early Indian society. The fourth class is the Shudras; they are the slaves or servants of the higher classes. Even though they are just servants or slaves, they still have rights in the society. The last class are the outcasts; they are the ones who got exiled from society. They also have less or no rights at all in his/her society. On the other hand, the Egyptian social class has six classes. The first and most powerful class is the Pharaoh; He is the leader of the state and religion. He is also said to be one with the gods and the owner of all land. The second class contains four equally powerful class: the vizier, senior official, high priests and the nobles. The vizier is the highest official serving the Pharaoh. Like the vizier, the senior officer has the highest-ranked official next to the Pharaoh, but he acts like a leader to some areas of ancient Egypt than being a servant of the Pharaoh. The high priest on the other hand is the highest religious officer while the nobles are the aristocrats of ancient Egypt. The third class is the scribes; they are the only member of society that is known to be literate. The fourth class is the artisans and craftsmen; they are the skilled people who make statues and other woodworks. The fifth class is the peasants and workers; they are the ones who work in the fields to give society food and other necessities. The last class is the servants and slaves; just like in the ancient Indian caste system, they serve the higher classes.

Image Source: The Philippine Government. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.gov.ph/philippine-government).

       Just like the ancient civilizations, today power still influence the humankind. Even though people are treated as equal now, power is still not equally distributed. For example in the Philippines, power is seen highest in the government, then the rich people, then the middle class, and lastly the masses. Power is distributed like this because of money; money dictates power in the Philippine society because the more money a person has the more connections he/she will gain making him/her closer to the government.

Image Source: How to draw the Spiderman logo, Spiderman symbol. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://drawinghub.com/tut/how-to-draw-the-spiderman-logo-spiderman-symbol-11067).

      Power has influenced the early civilization and today’s civilization’s culture. In ancient civilization, a person’s power is seen through his/her social class while in today’s time, power is usually seen through a person’s money. That should not be the case in today’s time though; people should be treated equally and fairly. There should be no exemptions. As Uncle Ben in the Spiderman movie (2002) said to Peter Parker, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”

      References

Ancient Indian Social Hierarchy. (2017). Retrieved December 3, 2017, from URL: https://www.hierarchystructure.com/ancient-india-social-hierarchy/

Keating, K. (2016, May 18). Ancient Egypt: Social Classes. Retrieved December 3, 2017, from URL: https://prezi.com/klxnxlmake1q/ancient-egypt-social-classes/

Sharrock, D. (2017, September 6). Why do people like science fiction movies? Retrieved December 3, 2017, from URL: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-like-science-fiction-movies

Ziskin, L., and Marvel Enterprises (Producers), & Raimi, S. (Director). (2002). Spiderman [Motion Picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.

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Race, All You Can

Image Source: ABOUT NASCAR . [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/about-nascar.html).

The goal of a race is to see which competitor will finish first, and most of the time, the one with the more superior car will win. Just like these race car drivers, people of different races want to be known as the superior one. As a result, racial discrimination is abundant around the world. All races should learn to respect one another, moreover, these races are unique and distinct from one another.

Race is basically describing a person’s physical looks. Worldatlas.com (2017) stated that race can be related to a person’s skin color, hair color, hair type and also the facial structure. Race can also depend on the place of origin of that person.

There are five different races around the world. The first type of race is the American Indians or the Alaska Natives. This race consists of people who originated from the Americas that live in tribes. Native Americans usually have high cheekbones, shovel teeth, large earlobe, and brown skin color. The second race is called Asians. This race consists of people who originated from Asia especially in the eastern region of the continent. Asians usually have a yellow skin color, less body hair, and almond-shaped eyes. The third race is called the Native Hawaiians or the Pacific Islanders. The Pacific Islanders usually have thick legs and hands, wavy black hair, and exotic eyes. The fourth race is the Blacks or the African Americans. This race originated mostly from Africa. The African Americans usually have dark-colored skin, and large muscles. The last race is the Whites. This race originated from mostly Europe, Middle East and North America. The Whites usually have a fair skin color or sometimes rosy, rosy cheeks, and brown hair.

  Image Source: Rassen gelijkheid . [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://nl.dreamstime.com/royalty-vrije-stock-foto-rassen-gelijkheid-image28991925).

All of these five races are equal, distinct and unique from one another. Therefore, they should not strive to seek superiority from other races. People should learn to respect and give importance of the different races. As Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963) said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

 Disclaimer: I do not mean to offend anyone in my essay. This essay is made for my English and Communication class. I will be saying sorry already, if I ever offended anyone.

References:

Racial discrimination (2016, June 27). Retrieved November 25, 2017, from                    URL: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/race-            discrimination

What is the difference between race and ethnicity? (2017). Retrieved November             25, 2017, From URL:http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-                     difference-between-race-and-ethnicity.html

Race and ethnicity classifications (n.d.) Retrieved November 25, 2017, from                   URL:http://www.iowadatacenter.org/aboutdata/raceclassification

Duffy, L. (n.d.) Physical characteristics. Retrieved November 25, 2017, from                   URL:http://imblackeagle.tripod.com/looks1.htm

Hays, J. (2008) Asian Physical Characteristics. Retrieved November 25, 2017,               from URL:http://factsanddetails.com/asian/cat62/sub407/item2608.html

What are the prominent samoan physical features and characteristics? (2012,               September 27).Retrieved November 25, 2017, from                                               URL:http://themanaiablogwriter.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-are-                           prominent-samoan-physical.html

Holcombe, W. (1861, December). Characteristics and capabilities of the negro               race. Retrieved November 25, 2017, from                                                               URL:https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moajrnl/acf2679.0033.006/406:1?                     page=root;size=100;view=text

Why are white people called Caucasian? (2013, April 19). Retrieved November              25, 2017, from URL:http://mentalfloss.com/article/50202/why-are-white-              people-called-caucasian

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Sometimes the Problem is the Solution

Image Source: Ang Nawawala (What Isn’t There) Cinemalaya Trailer. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://vimeo.com/45476006). 

Most people who are having a hard time in their life will usually say that life is unfair. However, the problem is not that life is unfair-it is your broken idea of fairness (Emberton, 2014). Problems is the reason why life is challenging. However, problems are not always a bad thing. Sometimes, these problems are the solution people are needing. In fact, this is seen in the 2012 indie film “Ang Nawawala” by Marie Jamora. There are examples of significant problems that benefitted the characters in “Ang Nawawala” instead of being a dilemma to them.

Image Source: Ang Nawawala (Marie Jamora, Cinemalaya 2012 New Breed Finalist) . [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://sinepatrol.blogspot.com /2012/08/ang-nawawala-marie-jamora-cinemalaya.html).

The most notable example of a problem that helped a character in the 2012 indie film is when the main protagonist, Gibson Bonifacio, experienced a heartbreak from the girl that he loves, Enid Del Mundo. This heartbreak helped him realize that he needs to move on from his trauma of losing his brother at a very young age and accept that he cannot do anything anymore to bring him back. Another example of a problem helping a character is when Enid became interested in Gibson, because of Gibson’s problem in speaking. Due to the problem of his trauma, Gibson was unable to speak to cope with what he has experienced but because of his inability to speak, Enid found him attractive making her interested in Gibson. Another problem that helped a character is when the mom is being authoritative to Promise, the little sister of Gibson, in her studies. The strict attitude of the mom was because of the loss of her son, Jaime, the brother of Gibson, thus this made Promise focus on her studies and help her get high grades. One last example of a problem being beneficial is when Gibson’s trauma helped him enhance his skills in filming and editing videos. Video shooting and editing has been a hobby of the Bonifacio family, and Gibson’s skill in this was enhanced when he shoots a video every time he experiences something as an act to forget his problems.

Image Source: Ang Nawawala: A Breath of Awesome Sauce. [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://rheagulin.blogspot.com/2013/04/ang-nawawala-breath-of-awesome-sauce.html).

“Ang Nawawala” is one of the many films that would help people realize that problems can be beneficial for them. Gibson, and his family may have experienced significantly many problems in their lives, but at least they learn from these problems and these problems as something beneficial for them than a disturbance. Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines (Schuller, 1926-2015).

    References:

Jamora, M. (Producer), & Jamora, M. (Director). (2012). Ang Nawawala [Motion Picture]. Philippines: Cinemalaya

Aguila, R. (2012, July 12). Ang Nawawala: a curated glimpse of the local indie music scene. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from URL: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/artandculture/265173/ang-nawawala-a-curated-glimpse-of-the-local-indie-music-scene/story/

Emberton, O. (2014) The problem isn’t that life is unfair-it’s your broken idea of fairness. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from URL: https://oliveremberton.com/2014/the-problem-isnt-that-life-is-unfair-its-your-broken-idea-of-fairness/

Sarmiento, A. (2015). What isn’t in What isn’t there. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from URL: http://themanilareview.com/issues/view/what-isnt-in-what-isnt-there

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Every Joke is Unique

Image Source: [Adobe After Effects]SF4 Style VS Screen Template [Online Video]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf1d034eXyg) 

Image Source: Comedy-Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias: #FluffyBreaksEven [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/gabriel-fluffy-iglesias-fluffybreakseven) 

Image Source: COMEDIAN BO BURNHAM COMES TO CARPENTER THEATRE IN OCTOBER [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://rvamag.com/news/comedian-bo-burnham-comes-to-carpenter-theatre-in-october.html) 

               It does not matter if a joke is offensive or not as long as it is funny and entertaining to people. People who usually tell these jokes are comedians. Comedians have their own style that makes them unique from others. One type of comedian is the stand-up comedians. Stand-up comedians are solo performers who speak directly to their audience to share their punchlines. Examples of Stand-up comedians are Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and Bo Burnham. Fluffy and Bo are entertaining, calm and relaxed in performing, and clever, yet they are very unique from one another in their way of expressing their punchlines with Bo being more offensive, being more serious, and having more variety in his performance.

               Stand-up Comedians are usually very similar in their readiness in performing in stage, and Fluffy and Bo are no different. Both comedians are very entertaining and funny. It is because it is their job to make people laugh and have a good time. Both comedians are good in entertaining their audience laugh because they know how to relate them. Both Comedians are also very relaxed and chill in performing. It is because they are very confident in whatever they are doing on stage. They don’t seem to get nervous in performing. Lastly, both comedians are very clever. It is also because both comedians have very smart ways in sharing their jokes to the audience.

               Being a comedian is a very hard job to do. He/she has to appeal to people, but at the same time he/she has to be unique for him/her to have his/her own personality so that he/she is not just a rip-off of another comedian. That is why Fluffy and Bo have their differences. One difference they have is that Bo is a more offensive speaker than Fluffy. Fluffy is a just a comedian who just tells his punchlines without hurting other people’s feelings. On the other hand, Bo does not mind if his punchlines are offending others because he makes use of bad words, racist comments, and other offensive punchlines. Another difference of the two is that Bo talks about a more serious topic in his punchlines compared to Fluffy. Fluffy just gets punchlines from his experiences in life. Bo, on the other hand, talks about the reality of life. He jokes about relationship break-ups, Depression and Suicide, and other serious topics in life that is not usually made fun of. The last difference of the two comedians is that Bo uses a lot of techniques in sharing his jokes to the audience compared to Fluffy. Fluffy is a standard stand-up comedian who shares his jokes by just telling his audience. On the other hand, Bo uses more variety in sharing his punchlines. He uses songs, and stories in telling his jokes, and he, sometimes, even interact with his audience by cursing them, or humiliating them with a punchline.

               Being different is not always a bad thing. It is actually the opposite. Being different is makes people special and unique. Fluffy and Bo may have differences, but it does not mean one is better than the other. Both comedians may have differences, but they also have similarities. Fluffy and Bo have the same mindset in performing because they are both entertaining, calm and relaxed in performing and clever with their punchlines, but they have different styles in executing their performance because Bo is more offensive in his words, is more serious in his topics, and have more variety in his performance compared to Fluffy. It does not matter if a comedian is different from other people as long as he does his job in making others happy and entertained.

References:

Zoglin, R. (2010, November 03). Stand-up comedy. Retrieved October 29,                   2017, from URL https://www.britannica.com/art/stand-up-comedy

Iglesias, G and Karz, M. (Producer), & Rodriguez, M. (Director). (2014). The                 Fluffy Movie: Unity Through Laughter [Motion Picture]. United States:                   Open Road Films

Scanlon, C. and Welch, K. (Producer), & Burnham, B. and Storer, C. (Director).            (2016). Bo Burnham: Make Happy [Motion Picture]. United States: Netflix

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Ta-Who?

Image Source: How to Make Taho | Tofu with Tapioca Pearls | Quick and Easy Recipe [Online Video]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw6BUoZqTgk)

Every morning in the streets, people will usually hear a loud shout that would make them especially the little children excited. It seems like a hero with an inspiring battle cry trying to give confidence to his comrades. In truth though, it is only a “Mantataho” or a Taho Vendor shouting “Taho!” to signal the people that he is selling Taho. Taho has become one of the most popular snack for people to eat during breakfast because of its cheap price, health benefits, good taste and many variety.

Image Source: Taho [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.reddit.com/r/Philippines/comments/6jpqeg/taho/)

Taho is really cheap. For only 5 to 20 pesos, depending on the size and variety, people can already taste a delicious, yet simple food. This is why people usually buy this for breakfast because they can save money more.

Image Source: PS VLOG 4 - Taho Tofu Dessert Foodtrip Philippines [Online Video]. Retrieved from URL (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnTsHPMZ_z8)  

Taho has health benefits. Dr. Galvez (2012) said that taho contains Lunasin, a soy peptide, which lessens cholesterol making the heart healthier. Dr. Galvez (2012) also said that there was a study that states that Soy protein can prevent the formation of cancer tumors.

Image Source:http://foodipino.com/2013/07/12/filipino-ta-ho/  [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://foodipino.com/2013/07/12/filipino-ta-ho/)

Taho is also very delicious and sweet food. Its sweet taste comes from the present of the brown sugar syrup or more commonly known as arnibal. The sago also gives addition to its exquisite taste.

Image Source: History of Taho [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://www.pepper.ph/history-taho/)

Taho is also diverse in its variety. The most common serving of taho is when it is served hot with soft tofu, arnibal and sago. In different places though, people have innovated the taho by replacing the arnibal with a different ingredient. The perfect example of this is in baguio where they sell taho with strawberry syrup instead of the traditional brown sugar syrup.

Image Source: Day in the Life: Spending a Day with a Taho Vendor [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL (http://www.pepper.ph/day-life-spending-day-taho-vendor/)

Taho is a very healthy, delicious, and financially-friendly food for people. Eating taho is very beneficial for everyone. People should never hesitate in buying taho if they hear “TAHO!” early morning because it will never disappoint.

References:

A Taho a day, keeps the doctor away. (2012). Retrieved October 21, 2017 from              URL https://adventuroj.com/2012/03/07/my-daily-dose-of-you-taho/

Baes, P. (2017). Day in the Life: Spending a Day with a Taho Vendor.                            Retrieved October 21, 2017 from URL http://www.pepper.ph/day-life-                    spending-day-taho-vendor/

Estrella, S. (2014).  History of Taho. Retrieved October 21, 2017 from                            URL http://www.pepper.ph/history-taho/

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Powerful Inspirational true story...Never give up!

When you Don't give up..You cannot fail!! More on that at my newest website: http://connielynne.net I want to say a BIG thank you to 'everyone' who has comme...

Image Source: Powerful Inspiration true story... Never give up! [Online Video Thumbnail]. Retrieved from (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlXWp6vFdE).

ENGLCOM1 has been the most stressful and hardest subject for me as of the moment. It is the only subject that I am constantly having a difficult time. Because of this, I constantly get disappointed at myself if I do not understand the lesson of ENGLCOM1, but I don’t let this stop me in trying. 

Just like the video that I chose, my development in ENGLCOM1 is not what I expect. When I thought that I am learning correctly, My brain will suddenly shut down and confuse me all of a sudden. When I thought that I have already mastered the lesson before, I will suddenly forget what to do. When I thought that I’m going to be fine, I will suddenly feel doubt. Even though all these negativity surround me, I just have to remember that I have family members and friends who believe in me. People who would support me through good or bad times. I also need to believe in myself and not give up in order to fulfill my goal in this subject just like the injured runner who never gave up and finished the race despite his hamstring injury. 

My development in ENGLCOM1 may be slow, but with a little determination and self-confidence my development will grow and I would reach my ultimate goal in the subject. This goal is to learn how to properly read and write academically and pass the subject. Confucius (n.d.) did say, “ It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop “.

Reference:

Lynne, C. [Connie Lynne]. (2010, September, 16). Powerful Inspirational true                story... Never give up! [Video File]. Retrieved from                                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZIXWp6vFdE