#3rdessay

[squarerootof49-blog]

Extra! Extra!

Ever been in a situation in which there are so much things to do, to the point wherein you would not know what to do first? Or have you ever been in a certain circumstance where you are so busy with all the things that are happening around you, and you want to be in multiple places at once? There is an undeniable stage in life where a person’s main focus is to really study and be in school. Well of course, if you are fortunate enough to be sent in a good school. But nonetheless, this phase in a person’s life must be dedicated to studying. However, there is more to life than just school and academics. A person has the decision to engage and be involved into extracurricular activities. The question now is, what really are extracurricular activities? What is the main purpose of this, and how will it benefit a person?

St. Paul College, Pasig values holistic education – each Paulinian must be developed holistically; following the three main thrusts: to be Academically Prepared, Morally Upright, and Socially Responsible. They expect the students to excel not only academically, but also through other ways such as the so-called extracurricular activities. These activities include clubs that may perhaps consist of sports, performing arts, journalism, and the like, and even community service or charity works. It can be through forms of adhering to different organizations, or joining various competitions that is prearranged by the school or outside of it. There are so much more approach to involve oneself to distinctive activities.

Through the diverse selection of activities to do, a student who engages into these extracurricular activities will be able to partake so much knowledge, learnings, and experiences from it.

First, The art of time management. It is how a person will balance their time, and make use of it wisely. A person must be obedient so that everything will be followed. Once something is not worked on, the whole thing will be messed up.                                     

They will test their Decision making skills; it is the action in deciding for an option on which to prioritize first.                                                                                      

Commitment. One must be fully committed for as long as it may get to the task they are supposed to do. No matter how easy or how hard it might get, stay committed. It’s not going to be easy, but it will definitely be worth it in the end. Commitment is the key to be successful.                                                                                        

Extracurricular activities give someone the opportunity to contribute through the ideas that will be put in to action. It lets somebody see that a person is really thinking not only just of him/herself, but of others as well. It accedes to the growth of a person within; giving confidence and a raise of self-esteem because that person is given much importance.

Different universities abroad look into extracurricular activities of a student to know their capabilities as a person. It serves as a considered opinion whether or not a person gives importance to other people such as the community and the like, or a person is socially aware of the happenings in the surroundings. They do not only consider the academic attainment of such, or how smart a person can be. They want students who actively participate not just in school but outside as well, and students who are more than just interested in book works and solutions. Activities that students are involved in make known of whom they really are – their personality and qualities as an individual. Who needs a brain that knows almost everything, if you can’t interact well with other people?

Although some might say that participating and involving oneself in extracurricular activities have become an issue in education, it still is a vital role in society nowadays. It does not interfere with the primary purpose of education, for it may help them in their careers in the future. It is a way of practicing how to deal with things at the early stage of their life, and they may bring the wisdom as they grow and be on their own someday.

Through all these, students can manage to strive hard and persevere. They can overcome the challenges that will come their way, because of the knowledge imparted to them as they learn how to manage different situations; no matter what kind.

Find an activity that best fits your interests, hobbies, and personality. Stay true to yourself, and be no one but you. Make sure that what you’re doing is really what you want to achieve and pursue, not just because of the credit but you’re doing it because you want it. Be fully committed. What are you waiting for? Think twice, and subsequently go find your best fit. No regrets. Remember, nothing worth having comes easy.

~elephunny001~

REFERENCES: 

[1] Haensly, P., Lupkowski, A., Edlind, E. (n.d). The Roles of Extracurricular Activities in Education. Retrieved August 28, 2015 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40365131?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

[2] Burgess, J. (n.d). Extracurricular Activities and the Benfits. Retrieved August 30, 2015 from http://education.more4kids.info/168/extracurricular-school-activities/

[3] Extracurriculars Matter – To You and To Colleges. (n.d). Retrieved September 3, 2015 from https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/outside-the-classroom/extracurriculars-matter-to-you-and-to-colleges

[squarerootof49-blog]

A Taxi Joyride

Always five minutes ahead, and the now has passed and the future, present; and the mind is swimming and thrashing and plunging into dark waters to predict what the future will hold and it renders the present immobile, the now suspended in time until the hands of the ticking clock begins to beat again. This is the future; this is the now.

She never wanted an apology, but you still gave her one thinking - she deserves it anyway, maybe a ton of it even. She never wanted an apology for “What have you done wrong? You were just being true; you were just being you.”

Something must be wrong with me.

But tears danced across her face resembling her favorite winter drink — a glass of cosmopolitan rendering her drunk and delirious; blissful one moment, heartbreaking the next. And you still apologize no matter how much it pains her, no matter how much her head shakes from left to right trying to make you stop with what she would call an irrational sorry. She claims to understand, but you still insisted that she listen to what you have to say because there must be something she doesn’t fully comprehend.

And what had happened cannot be blamed for what is happening.

It’s me. It’s me. Something must be wrong with me.

But what had happened left you shattered in pieces; pieces that can’t seem to be put together. “…that’s the thing: you always come back stronger, you know yourself better and I love—”. But it’s you, something is wrong with you; selfish and arrogant you’ve become.

Tears trickled down her cosmopolitan-like face. Pain that you’ve caused her— she who makes you smile a little bigger, and laugh a little harder, the sunshine of your days and the moonlight of your nights.

She disagrees with everything, as if she’s a child denying her wrongdoings. Every sorry makes her cry a little bit harder; but not now:

“Once, I must’ve deserved you, but you don't deserve me. You’re worth more than who I can give you. You are worth more than the complexity of my jagged pieces. You are simple, round, and beautiful, and you deserve more than broken pieces of me. You deserve the world. You deserve a rock and that is not me. And I am sorry for my heart said ‘No’; I am sorry that my heart couldn’t let you in; I am sorry that it said ‘Maybe not today. Maybe not ever.’ I don’t want to be that insolent fool who toyed with you, whose light is so much more than mine. I don’t want to keep pretending.”

What have I done?

5 glasses down; it is almost over. Winter’s frost has started to melt away, Christmas carols sound in the streets. There were melted marshmallows on hot chocolates and you’re watching the snow drift down but all you see is your breath as you sigh away to its end; it’s soon to change.

As you downed the 7th glass, things get blurry, hallucinations probably, and you are brought a few months back, plunged into memory lane, forced to go through the pain again.

In the fall breeze, your fingers intertwined. In that moment, you were with her, or she was with you, but either way it felt darn good. The sound of crisp leaves, as you stroll around the autumn street, is music to your ears. She embraced you in her promising arms and things had never seemed like they would get better until then - until that moment - and her voice, her voice were kisses that flutter like butterflies from your mind to your chest.

You wandered once more, passing streets of the forgotten, and you pleaded to go back to the before but she insisted on wandering around, looking for “…every piece of pain you have felt and know the different light bulbs in your life. I want to know them all. Even though I know that that’s the thing: you always come back stronger, you know yourself better and I love—”.

And all you see is red, trembling in fear and anger, and shivering beneath dark waters, even as she held your hand and you take your last gulp of air before you let yourself drown in the memories darker than the waters themselves.

You have been warned: “Never ever bring up ‘Katherine’ , a.k.a the ex, when there’s someone new”, even though you’re not exactly dating, and Katherine wasn't exactly your ex and instead just another “Maybe”.

You were told no one wants to hear about the “What Could’ve Been” and that it doesn’t and will never matter, but apparently, it does. To her, it does.

And to say that you were obsessed about the past is an understatement:

“Three years has passed and it’s still a constant, wrenching pain that fades slowly, but never really disappears. And admittedly, you haven’t fully moved on. Because that’s her thing. It had always been Katherine who moved on faster than she got heartbroken and she would clock in here and there like it doesn’t matter.

You’d call her sometimes but it seems like it ends the same way every time, and it’s the reason she lost you, or you lost her and either way you lost each other.

She lost you when the texts got shorter and your phone rang less often than it did before. She lost you when replies got slower and messages were sent less often than it did. She lost you because it felt like reaching out to someone who was fading away into nothingness.

It felt like you were shouting for help but no one else can hear you but yourself. You were drowning in your own thoughts with no one left to save you. And when you thought it could be Katherine, she was nowhere to be found. And it frustrates you.”

She hugged you even tighter, reminding you of her presence - solid and concrete, real and in the flesh - and you were convinced that then and there she had you, but you knew that wasn’t the exact truth.

She already had you the moment she started to notice the little things and it felt odd to have someone know you enough to figure out when to talk and when to keep silent; uncanny to have someone care for you the way she does; weird in all the sense of the word. And there she had you because you were losing yourself, still in her promising arms.

She had you because even though you knew that you were already screwing up, she insisted that you were perfectly fine. And it unravels you faster because the reason why you’re destructively screwed is because you were already falling for a person you couldn't bear to lose. And right then and there she had you and she didn’t even know.

She had you because she was everything Katherine wasn’t and even when Katherine still lingers in your heart. She brought light when there was darkness, and with it a speck of hope. Hope that sometime soon everything, and all of the pain, will finally make sense.

She brought nothing but light into your dark world, and you let her while you swim and you thrash and you plunge into your own deep blue sea. She miraculously lights up each dark cave you pass by, each cave of insecurity and it gets lighter and lighter each time: from a speck of light, it looks like a galaxy now.

But that one last cave… she had tried to light it up but failed. And you don’t want to let her touch it for it is toxic; poison. You don’t want her to get involved in it because she will just get as frustrated as you are. Almost everyone tried but not even one succeeded because it is not a cave of insecurity. It is a cave of the past, the present, and the future.

You’ve lived your life under the assumption that you don’t need him, that there was no reason to need him. He was never truly there so how could you actually miss him? You moved away when you were 10 and he was never a constant in your life again. You thought this never affected you because you were too young to really remember him being there, even with the few and far between visits you shared throughout the years after. The broken promises of trips and gifts. The missed phone calls on Christmases and birthdays. You felt you were stronger than to let it affect you. You didn’t need him, because you never actually had him.

You didn't realize that you needed him, until you saw your uncle, how lucky your cousins were for having him. You never felt so incomplete; but you just took it in, you felt you were strong, you felt as though it wouldn’t affect you.

You kept it all in, the wound has been engulfed with the happy memories brought by your friends and family. It is a scab that will just be there forever, and no band-aid can help heal it.

But you never really understood all the times that he was never there. You’ve never wanted to admit that you felt abandoned; but it is what it is. Feeling as if this person who you want to love oh so dearly, wants nothing to do with you. At the age of 13, your mom would bring you back and forth to the hospital because of nausea, you were never sick; You were just a teen longing for a warm embrace from the man who supposedly would never hurt you. For so long you wanted to ask why, but some things are better left untold; some things just don't have an answer. You wish he knew how much he had hurt and affected you, and how he hurts you over and over again throughout the years of broken promises. All the while breaking his first daughter, his first princess, who in total honesty only needed a hug to begin with. Only if he knew.

Taxi Driver: “Excuse me? We’re here.”

You: “Sorry, what?”

Taxi Driver: “We’re here. This is your stop.”

You: “Oh sorry. How much do I owe you?”

Taxi Driver: “$7. Are you ok? 

You: “Yeah just kinda nervous”

Taxi Driver: “Someone special?”

You: “Yeah, very. Just sort of a new beginning” 

There she was, and you suddenly found yourself smiling just a little more for no reason.

Deliberating in your own mind how something could actually feel this good again. With no hesitations you dove head first into a love with her, that consumed you, and the way she carefully took her time was hard for the impatient person in you to understand in that moment. She made you remember just how blissful and heavenly that feeling of falling for someone was, and how something so good just shouldn't be rushed. She got to know you, cautiously yet vigilantly. It even felt too good to be true.

But there she was, bravely deciding she wouldn't run, even though every fiber of your being reminded her of how terrifying it was to open herself up to the possibility that you could destroy her— the way someone else did. You understand that. You were terrified, too. But she stayed, while you tirelessly worked to pick up all the shattered pieces of your souls and put them back together.

TheParalysisofAnalysis

[squarerootof49-blog]

Minimum Wage Law is very Low

Filipinos are known as hardworking people, they will do everything that they can to provide for their families and for their own. Over the years, we are also known as hospitable people with an industrious attitude because of our talents, skills and professions. Other countries benefit the expertise of our fellow Filipino people. Why is that Filipinos flee their own country?

If given the chance, I would like to revise Republic Act No. 602 or as they call it The Minimum Wage Law. Minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation an employee must receive for performing labor. Minimum wages are typically established by contract or legislation by the government. The minimum wage in the Philippines is Php 425-481 per day and this depends on the type of work the person has or if the place is urban or rural. The income that they receive will lessen because of the income tax and healthcare such as SSS, Philhealth and Pag Ibig. Because of these, the income that they will receive is not enough to survive for a whole month. This is why our fellow Filipino people leave their own country and prefer to work abroad because of the unfair treatment that they receive; they have nothing to lose but our country loses the hardworking and talented people that will bring us to the top.

The minimum wage should be changed into an hourly rate instead of daily. The government should add 50% to 70% increase so the Philippines could level up with the minimum wage of other countries. By doing so Filipino employers will not invest high amount on training newly hired people. With the current minimum wage, a typical Filipino worker would spend 1-3 years in the Philippines just to gain experience. After that, he will seek an opportunity to migrate to a more prosperous country and a country which provides better benefits for a skilled worker. Countries such as America, Australia or Canada, countries that have 80% higher difference in minimum wage than of the Philippines.

Another crucial part that needs to be changed in the Minimum Wage Law is the equality of the amount of wage in the province and NCR. The amount of minimum wage in the province is 200-266 pesos per day, which is half of the 466-481 pesos per day in National Capital Region. If the government makes the minimum wage equal throughout the whole country, then we can solve the congestion, overpopulation and traffic here in Metro Manila. No one from the province will go to Manila and leave their family just to earn a higher amount of wage for their future. If they implement this change, no father or breadwinner would be away from his or her family.

If you think the Philippines cannot apply these changes, then there is something wrong with the Philippine government. Obviously there is political glitch that needs to be fixed and needs to be resolved as soon as possible because Philippines, our country, is nearly at the bottom of the economic world. By changing Republic Act No. 602 or Minimum Wage Law, our land will be a better place to live in. By changing this law, no more traffic in Metro Manila, pollution would lessen and violence would not prevail. If this law is changed, our land would rise little by little, the talents and hard work of bright and genius Filipinos will not be harvested by other countries. It is saddening to know that other countries take credit from what a Filipino can do because he is not in his own country for the reason of low wage.

-snipsnapzap-

References: Filipinos: A Hard-Working Race by @elziezola. (2014, June 1). Retrieved September 6, 2015, from http://www.bubblews.com/posts/filipinos-a-hard-working-race R.A. 602. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2015, from http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1951/ra_602_1951.html Official Website of National Wages and Productivity Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2015, from http://www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph/pages/ncr/cmwr.html 480 is what percent of 3600 - step by step solution. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2015, from http://www.geteasysolution.com/480-is-what-percent-of-3600

[squarerootof49-blog]

The Luckiest Girl in the World

Two summers ago, my mother and I went to the Cartimar Shopping Center in Pasay, Metro Manila. That location is known for selling domestic animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, hedgehogs, and any other animal you can imagine. My mom and I were looking for a bed for my pet shih tzu. My mom started to look around in a pet store while I wandered around the area. I saw a store called “Jojo’s” and proceeded to walk inside.

Little did I know, that I was going to meet the love of my life. I was walking through the store, a man, obviously the merchant, started talking to me and showing me each puppy he had. Then, this one puppy, the tiny, toy poodle with big, glassy eyes, caught my eye. I then asked if I could hold him and he obliged. This puppy was so stiff and scared, so I started comforting the puppy. My mother then walks into the store and sees that I’m holding this tiny, adorable toy poodle. I smile at her as if to say, “Can we keep him?” She smiles back at me and says “You sure you can take care of him?”.

I then reflect on my ability to take care of another living being. I was never a very good caretaker, I wasn’t affectionate, or sensitive to little kids. I didn’t know how to take care of any living thing. I had a rabbit once but I didn’t take care of it for years, only for a few months, then we gave him away. I didn’t understand how to take care of anything that needed to eat, drink, sleep, and defecate. These animals need love, care, affection every hour of the day, especially since this was a 3-month-old puppy. I don’t know much about dogs, a few years ago, we did have a Chow Chow, but I didn’t fully take care of him because he was my mother’s. I didn’t know if I had the ability to take care of a living creature. But, I was willing to try.The puppy was so adorable and irresistible, I didn’t know how to put him back down. I then thought, “How will I take care of him? I have school in a few weeks.” I thought of it for a while, but then, I knew I could do this. I was an approaching sophomore but I can handle that for this tiny puppy. My mom bought him for me for my 15th birthday. We got him groomed right away and checked twice with different veterinarians, no harm in checking twice. Although, he did have bacterial problems, that didn’t make me love him any less. I fed him medicine everyday for two weeks, which eventually paid off and healed him. I didn’t have a name for him yet.

I got home, showing him off to my dad and my sisters, my dad already had a name for him, which was probably the most generic name ever, but I agreed anyway. That dog was a gift from my mom, and named by my dad, what could ever be better than that? My dad named him Max, of course. To be totally honest, I wasn’t the very best mother to him, I didn’t know how to be. I wasn’t sensitive, and worried about him, which was really bad for a mother of a puppy.

He gave me sleepless nights, trying to get him to calm down and stop crying. Of course, the dog was homesick, but he was really noisy crying the whole time I was trying to sleep. After a week, I decided to let him sleep on my bed with me. He didn’t cry anymore, he felt safer and more secure. A few weeks after that, I learned how to be a good mother for him. I fed him thrice a day, gave him water, cleaned up after him, scolded him when he did something wrong, and gave him love and affection.

Through my experience with him, I’ve learned to be a more affectionate person, a more sensitive person. Through this, he has taught me to be more caring towards other people. I have grown to be more independent because of him. So, here, 2 years later, we now have 5 dogs, and I don’t regret a single thing. This was the best decision I have ever made, because through thick and thin, I will now, always have a best friend that will always have my back and stay with me no matter what I do or say. I know that he will always love me and protect me. This is how I met the love of my life.

- Daisy -

[squarerootof49-blog]

Job Hunt MUST-HAVES

By: OhanaCabana101 

              Year by year, the demands of the workforce are constantly changing. Workers are laid off, employees get cuts in their pay, or people’s capabilities just no longer fit with the current work and performance requirements. However, if one possesses the work skills needed to succeed in a fast changing work environment, there is a higher chance that one could stay in their occupation for a longer period of time.  Necessarily, any employee (especially a young adult) who desires to survive in this ever- changing workforce should possess the following qualities: excellent communication skills; proficient computer skills, and highly-responsive adaptability skills. With these three “ingredients,” one may attain and successfully maintain an occupation one aspires to have.

               As part of the workforce and like in majority of jobs out in the market, one has to encounter and constantly interact with people almost all the time. In order to harmoniously deal with these people, one must be able to effectively communicate with them his or her ideas. Whether it be verbal, non-verbal, or written, it is essential for an employee to possess the proper communication skills for a particular workplace setting. According to the website Communication Skills World, it states that “if the employees feel that they can easily communicate with the top level executives, the communication inspires them to become more loyal and hard working.” If an employee does not have the communication skills needed to perform in the changing workforce, that employee could cause serious damage to the company in terms of time, effort, and money. Good and responsive communication is “key” so as to keep away from misunderstandings and mistakes in handling any given task.

               Secondly most important, it is a great advantage for one to be tech-savvy in order to be an effective part of today’s changing workforce. One must familiarize themselves with the current or most up-to-date systems and programs that contribute to the advancement of any company or business. According to Laura Latzko from Demand Media, she affirms that “knowing how to use a computer often allows you to get work in a more organized, efficient and timely manner, especially if you perform a job that requires you to use a computer on a frequent or regular basis.” Since in business, time is always of the essence, it is a great advantage to successfully accomplish any given task in a shorter amount of time. Keeping abreast with the latest trends in technology will give one a cutting edge to being an even more valuable asset or employee to any company.

               Last but not the least, it is also a big plus for one to have great adaptability skills. An employee needs to be able to adjust in his or her work environment as soon as possible in terms of the work itself and the different kinds of people he or she is exposed to.  According to Emma Sue Prince, a web portal director from Training Zone, she expresses: “…when we intentionally put ourselves in situations that are outside our comfort zone, we grow… We need to adapt by continually evolving and reinventing ourselves. It means continuing to grow and transform, and in a way, become better versions of ourselves.” If one cannot immediately comply with the norms and subtle nuances of their workplace, one would probably not last very long in that company. Personality-wise, one always has to be able to take the initiative to be flexible, responsive, and thoroughly customer service-oriented no matter how complex a situation one is faced with.

               Needless to say, it is crucial for one to be fully-equipped when embarking towards the fast-paced and ever-changing workforce. That being said, one can never over-emphasize the importance of possessing excellent communication skills, proficient computer skills, and extensive adaptability skills. After all, if one fails to prepare, one must prepare to fail… which must be avoided at all costs. With that in mind, here is a final food for thought on this matter:

               “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin, naturalist

References:

Why Communication Skills Are Important. (2013, October 10). Retrieved       September 5, 2015, from http://www.communicationskillsworld.com/whycommunicationskillsareimportant.html

Latzko, L. (2015, February 8). The Advantages of Being Computer Literate in the Workforce. Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-being-computer-literate-workforce-27703.html

Prince, E. (2012, May 13). Adaptability – a key skill we must develop in ourselves and in others. Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/blogs/emma-sue-prince-unimenta/emma-sue-prince/adaptability-key-skill-we-must-develop-ourselves-and-

[matthewmkd]

Documentary Essay : Inside Area 51

This documentary explores a top secret base in Nevada called Area 51. The documentary shows the conspiracies that are surrounding the base and shows some 'evidence' for these conspiracies. Throughout the documentary personal experiences of people who worked at the base and revelations from the government are used together, this makes the documentary seem more realistic and believable. They also use silhouetted interviews for the interview shots because access to the Nevada base has always been highly restricted and those who worked there were sworn not to speak of it. This showed that the identity's of these characters need to be hidden and this shows the audience that the people speaking out could be in real danger which makes the documentary more tense. During this essay I will explore the techniques used in the documentary and if they were effective and what mode I believe it conforms to. Also I will consider the issues the documentary makers had while filming this. 

This documentary uses archive footage of UFO's and aircraft to back up the claims of the characters who are speaking out., so we find the characters more believable and we see visually what they are talking about. In this documentary there is also a commentary over all the video, which makes it easy for the viewer to follow what is going on. The commentators voice also may suggest what the audience should think as it feeds the viewers all the information in the documentary. The documentary combines personal testimonies with recently declassified information, photos and video this makes the characters story's look more official as it is looks as if the government are providing evidence for the characters stories. Also notice how most of the characters interviews are silhouetted this makes the threat of the US Government seem more real and makes the documentary more tense. Also when the characters are talking about the scare tactics used by the US Army they use archive footage of helicopters and CIA cars to show the viewer how much the base is kept secret. Also the film crew managed to stay hidden from the US eye when they were filming the base this means they managed to get good shots of the base and few things were concealed/hidden from the camera crew.

I think these techniques are effective because the camera crew managed to get very close up shots of Area 51 (the closest shots ever) which gave us an insight into what goes on in the base. Also the mixture of actual government declassified information with personal statements made the documentary seem much more believable and realistic for the viewer. Also the audience may have felt on edge as all the interviews with veterans were silhouetted so the veterans were not in any danger which could have made the documentary much more tense.

I believe this documentary was an example of Expository Mode (Voice Of God) because it includes factual information and figures and has interviews to back up the topic aswell. The narrator explains everything in this mode and is assumed to always be right. The issues they may have had while filming is staying within the law finding people who would be willing to talk about this subject. Also the filming of the base had to be done at a certain point to be legal and it may have taken long to find that point.