The Champions!

The Champions!

Yes, we are the champions... in the recently concluded 23rd SEA Games held in our country, the Philippines won the the overall medal tally with the most medals in the games. Its the first time to happen in the history of SEA (South East Asian) Games! Philippines never did it in last 2 hostings of the event. I bet the whole Filipino athletes were fully motivated by the cheers of the hometown crowd who gave their 100% support and cheers to them. Though, I weren't able to attend the events and just watch the games and ceremonies on tv, I totally supported theFilipino athletes... I even made a support campaign in my forum signitures.

This is a revenge-comeback after Athens 2004 Olympics where we haven't harvest any medal... I hope we continue the feat of champions in the next SEA Games in Thailand. hope this will contunues on future SEA Games and other sports events. May this also serve as a stepping stone for medal harvesting in Beijing 2008 Olympics.

This SEA Games shows not only the abilities of the Filipino atletes but also the culture of Filipinos especially in the opening and closing ceremony of the games - which is colorful and festive. The overall champion shows that Filipinos are truly world-class athletes. We're the real champion! It made me proud to say "Pinoy Ako!" kaya Mabuhay ang manlalarong Filipino!

Goodbye Ian

Goodbye Ian

Today, I bid farewell to my SPED (Special Education) student "Ian" - we have the same name, because my 50 hours of training is already consumed. We bid farewell to the kids together with my classmates and co-trainees there - Nian, Realyn and Jeff. Ian gave me a ribbon award from their recognition day that made me feel elated with my name he wrote on it - T.ian (means Teacher Ian) I also bid farewell to my afternoon student, Patrick. It was an emotional moving farewell with the kids.

Along with Ian and Patrick, I will also miss Tien, Harvey, Richard and Jherold - who gave me a sweet hug in the morning of my last day there. I gave them a hug before they leave and when they say their traditional saying goodbye to teachers "see you again tomorrow", I told them "see you again someday". They become dear to our hearts and my students to me. I hope that I was able to contribute something towards their development despite of their disabilities. I know that they wouldn't understand me or remember me again someday in the future but I want them to know that I will always pray for them.

What are the things I learned? Patience. This was one of the things I learned. I really have a short temper and in SPED it really tested my patience on the kids… especially when they can’t able to catch up what you’re teaching. You also have to learned to understand them since they are special children. Our principal their gave one of the best insight during our last stay there – that the teacher’s role is more fulfilling in SPED because after all your teaching strategy to a special child and they get to catch up what you’re teaching, you feel you are more effective as a teacher and elated that a kid with a disability learns from you. Finally, you learned to love them as you get close to them.

What A Hectic of Week!

What A Hectic of Week!

My whole week of on-the-job-training (OJT) was hectic!!!
I am really pressured, tired and definitely no time for everything!

My OJT in clinical and educational setting have already started this week and I just finished a complete week of training. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'm at National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong for the clinical setting and every Tuesdays and Thursdays in Immanuel Grace Learning Center at SPED (Special Education) Department for my educational setting. The whole week was really hectic! I mean I almost have no time for everything! Everytime I went home I’m already tired that I badly need a lot of rest and sleep!

In Mandaluyong, for my clinical setting I already met my Clinical Instructor and I already met my first patient. I was assigned in Pavilion 4. It was the forensic section! It means those patients detained there are those with criminal cases! I mean murder, rape, homicide... etc. All the boys (some were from other school and section) in OJT were assigned there. I am always with Jeff who is my buddy there since he is my classmate. First, I am nervous when we, together with my other co-trainees made our first step in the area... since we have to be aware with the patients that were going to deal with and the place where we are. My first patient was cooperative as I gave psychological test on him but he has a poor verbalization because he has a very low-modulated voice. But what I really won't forget in that pavilion is the smell of the place... it was really bad.

In Tuesday, I started my duty in Bacoor for my educational setting. This will continue on Thursday for a total of twice a week. I was assigned in SPED (Special Education) in kids section. I am with my other classmates – Nian, Rea and Jeff in that OJT. The kids were lovable especially "Ian", the kid assigned for me to teach. In the afternoon, the kid assigned to me was Patrick who really has his "own world." They are both autistic. The kids were good and kind and tolerable in their tantrums... I think they started to become dear to me that I think that in my last day of OJT there will be an emotional exit.

After a week of tire, pressure, weariness... I still have energy to live up against those tides and with all my strength I say "I survived."

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa

My start on-the-job training is tomorrow! And it is tomorrow for clinical duty at the mental hospital! I'm really nervous! It's my first day of training, but I hope it will turn out to be an "ok" day tomorrow.

I'm really nervous! And it's going to be tomorrow!!! I've been looking forward for this training to come. I'm nervous but I am also thrilled and excited to what is going to happen and new experiences that I'm going to gain. And now it's about time… It's about time to apply everything I've learned in my school to the field training that I'm going to work with. It is my real moment! This is it! Ito na talaga ang tunay na teleserye ng buhay ko!

Anorexia Nervosa? Well, I think I'm really going to have it if this nervousness but with feelings of thrill and excitement will continue to strike me. So, wish me luck for my start of ojt tomorrow... before I'm going to be diagnose with this either-refuse-nor-not-to-eat-disorder!

Application

Application

Earlier in the afternoon, I applied for my on-the-job training for my educational setting at Immaculate Grace Learning Center in Bacoor. I had to admit that I am really nervous before coming to the school because I felt that it was like I am applying for a job. Well, they almost had a similarity, right?

The application turned out ok, the director was kind and accommodating. I joined my ojt there with my other classmates – Realyn, Jeff and Nian on Tuesday, which is the start of my ojt for the educational setting. And this will continue on Thursday as our training there will be twice a week.

And why the title of my blog entry is "application"? Because this sem its time to apply everything I've learned in my university as the following months will be devoted to OJT. Its "application" time of all the things I learned in my course and in my school! So I've got to be equipped and ready! It is really no more classroom learning as this time everything is going to be APPLIED!!!

Sweet Child of Mine

Sweet Chile of Mine

Yesterday we've just finished taping our video project for our Rizal course and like our Art Appreciation theater play, it was a rewarding experience.

I enjoyed every single moment of it, which I never thought. I never thought that I'm going enjoy in the company of Aimee and Rea whom is our group mates together with Nagi, Cheng, JP, and Princess. We finish taping the two whole scenes in two (2) hours I think. Can you imagine that... the whole scene for two hours! We even forget to eat launch as we never noticed that we finished in 1 p.m. In the afternoon, we made it edit at a video shop... which cost us 1,500 pesos. But it was worth it for the entire video as it was edited good with background music and scenes. We finished in 6:30 p.m. after editing. I'm so tired but was happy that it ended good.

But as I've said it was a rewarding experience. There is a feeling of relief after finishing the video as if all of our worries for that subject ended. (it is our final requirement for Rizal)

What I won't forget in doing that project is the bloopers we had during the entire taping. It was so funny to look again at the bloopers that were caught on the camera. And to watch it again as the tape role, it was really funny and eye-teary laughing that happened. Even I had bloopers of my own - I was caught chasing butterflies on the video because it was ruining my scene in the tape. What also made it funny is that we included some famous lines from our Art Appreciation play "Liwanag". I'm going to have myself a copy of it.

In the ending of the video we included our bloopers which made the video more comical and funny as "sweet child of mine" song is played as the background. The ending background song was suggested by Aimee and Rea... and I agree with them that song is perfect of the ending bloopers. That is why this is the title of my blog entry today. I just fail to suggest to end the video with our blooper scenes with sounds for 5 or 7 seven seconds then stopped the background music then play it again, then have another seconds of blooper scene with sounds. I think that it's a great idea! It was really a good experience of having projects videotape... ever since highschool its one of the memorable projects to have. In that, I wonder why I did not take Communication Arts in college to enjoy more videotape projects.

Anyway, after seeing the finished video we are all relief and happy that we made an "obra" (masterpiece) like that and we are ready to present it to the class on Wednesday. Since I can't have a copy of real bloopers of our video taping and since I really like those kinds of memories, I write it here on my blog, so I can remember it!

Wait! I remember, I fail to suggest to include in the end of our portrait scene the words - "Yahooo! Tapos na kami!"