take this 30 minutes before meal

Al Rose, available, but I asked the courteous attendant in Dynamic Pharmacy about it and she shook her head. I walked across the street. Al Rose's lady read the doctor's paper and "Naay amo( ani) ." --We have (this). It costs Php 26.50. Ganaton to rebuild my tummy as if it was People Power for Libya!

DOC, WHAT IS PURINE?

My attending doctor gave me a low fat, low salt and low purine diet. Yes, I had eaten loads of congee with "inon-on" fish (fish, like seabass, in vinegar and salt!).
       Low salt? checked. Now, what is purine?
       Purine rich foods are the following (you can grip that pole or slit your eyes for the familiar food!)
       1. Meat
       2. Seafood
       3. Beer
       4. Oatmeal (whoa!)
Please, pray for the complete healing of my gastritis. Then, if you do, I'm gonna reveal my hospital bills!

hospitalized

It was the longest Friday night ever! The pain was polite enough to allow me to see friends in KetKai Mall. So, I had the journey, and I was strong as an ox, if you know what I mean, I was amazed and stunned by these huge cubes of journalists' pictures, which were mounted at the space near Marks and Spencer; pictures of sad realities about teenage moms, shady characters living on slums, etc.
       Then, living la vida loca had suddenly ceased by the pain. In fact, Bronte (not real name!) was asking about my abdominal pain. I left my friends because the inside of my body mimicked the turmoil and chaos of Libya!
       Buscopan attacked the pain, Zantac, too. But in vain. The pain lasted for eternity! The medicine had allies in the person of--I mean, in the "bottle" of Eficascent and Omega Pain killer. The pain was unbearable, pushing me to make unpleasant groans and hideous noises.
       By 4 of the clock, ayem (AM): I was at The Polymedic.

Bad Luck Comes in Threes, story #1

Laptop just conked out (I dunno why!), Samsung charger was left somewhere (I was useless and alienated all Sunday!), and my eyeglasses were crashed by someone!

dear guard at the outpost

dear guard,

Gutom na kaayo (ko!) --- (I am) very hungry. Allow me to buy dishes outside. I didn't listen to my teacher to bring packed lunch (balon). Nagbasol na noon ko. (Now, I am regretting.) Duwa na lang kulang. (I lack only two.) Then, this NAT exam will be over. Perhaps, by 2 o'clock. I already answered Filipino, AP, and English. Math is maka-nosebleed.
 
(signed) Student Who Loves Lunch

PS
Guard, don't worry, I will give you half of my "fried sliced eggplant" dish. Or would you rather like some blood stew?

quiz on cdo streets #1

photo by womensinpiration.com

Name the two streets, where you can find this famous "bistro" (Klai mahk! Oooops, sorry for my Thai word, ladies and gentlemen!)

   

      Are you fishing for the answer? OK, here's the options:

                       a) Corrales-Chavez Sts.

                       b) Capistrano-Mabini Sts.

                       c) Velez-Pacana Sts.

      Please post your answer under Comment. Thank you. Before I forget, "klai mahk" means very good in Thai language. Before I feel hunger? When you ask the waiter (names withheld due to memory lapses and engaging conversation between friends!) how spicy the dish is and the waiter would say "just mild," start to feel scared. But at the end, try to be a little tyrant: tell the waiter to just "remove" the chilis and stuff!

LICENSE PLATE LETTERS OF THE DAY

SWP (I saw this license plate letters when I was aboard a jeep with my wrinkled four ponkans in cheap plastic bag, along the thoroughfare called Velez street!)
     SWP, for me, it means...
      1. Sun withers plants
      2. Seemingly white porcelain
      3. Sure, why not, pare !
      4. Shakira's Waka-waka Phenomenon
      5. Southwest Pacific
      6. Swan Welcomes Portman (as in Black Swan for the actress Natalie Portman!)
      7. Seething with Pride
      8. Soup with Porkchop (yum, yum!)

seawall piper # 1

The sea. The waters right now . Color green. Does it mean my classmate from high school--in jeez name!--Green. Connotation for dollars. I am standing with my leather bag sashed across my body. Looking at the seawaters. There are boats at some great distance from the beach.
       Fishing boats. They say, water is your subconscious, telling you something relevant, something significant. So does it mean that I have to eat fish today? Pork weekdays is getting on my nerves. My subconscious is telling me through the fishing boats.
       Or (I uniquely pronounce this as "Oughr".) I have to rent some DVD's that are "fish"-themed. Shark Tale is one movie. If you are above 40, try Splash.
       I flag a conveyance, going to work. Fishing boats full of dollars. Twisted mind!

word: trifle

don't mind my emotional trifle.
the parents are trifle happy about the panel of judges' final say.
the students are trifling away in the hallway. they totally snubbed their projects!

so what do you mean by trifle?

Dear Childhood Dictionary

dear childhood dictionary,

it has been a long time since i opened your pages. you know what, pages nowadays become thinner. a slimmer page, a page on a diet! i went to national bookstore at cogon branch to buy a new dictionary. but i was astounded by the thickness of each page. i could almost read the text on the obverse side. alas, you and your contemporaries: the encyclopedia, of which some information made me the top scorer in araling panlipunan (social studies), the volumes of classic stories. you have great page integrity! my exaggerated thumbs-up goes to my late dad and mom for purchasing some sets of reference materials and those story books. and YOU!

i was addicted to your contents at such a young age. after climbing and picking some ripe guavas from our guava tree, i pulled you from that nook and be informed with deep words and new abstract!

because of you, i talked as if you were guiding me, based from your pages and pages of vocabularies! and the students sucked everything all in. because of you, my students learned new words and used it in their facebook accounts and essays to be passed and text messages for their friends, loved ones...

but.

where are you now?

MY OFW MOMENT WHILE I WAS AN OFW

OFW means out. from. work, whether at the OFFICE, FIELDS, (or) WASHROOM. I came home earlier than what I was supposed to be timed in. Bangkok traffic was terrible yet my championship-day-to-a-finalist determination to be at my apartment before five gave me some golden fruit.
       The guard of the dreary-facade condo greeted me. I admired him mainly because he knew some facts about The Philippines and he sang English songs. A Thai man singing classic American is a bliss when you are away from home. I befriended him. Some days, Pratnu was absent. So, my time from stepping up on the concrete platform to the glass door was fast and quick.
       I wanted to be early because the school secretary sent me an e-mail that my teaching demo was on the next day. I was set to be in that school (name withheld, but it rhymes with--Oh no! no word to rhyme with! Sorry, Dina!).
       My necktie, my long-sleeved shirt, my visual aids (crucial job-hunting object!), my purse, my speech.
Ready, prepared. Folded neatly, scotch-taped straightly, placed correctly. According to feng shui, according to plan. Effing, according to destiny's whiplash!
       The two American farangs (Thai word for foreigner.) gave thumbs-up for my demonstration.My lesson was all about Relative Pronouns. I met other Filipinos in the corridor. Jobless Filipinos. One was an experienced teacher in Manila who filed a leave in order to go to Bangkok and feel the velvety contour of success in the land of tuktuk.
       I WASN'T. I DIDN'T GET THE JOB! I felt lost. Ousted from Waiting list (OFW).
       How come? Those two judges--the Americans--like, I saw with my own two eyes that they cast their approval. RIGHT THERE!
       Real story is this: the man hiring was a Tagalog. I was a Bisaya. Uh-oh!

"Bulibol"

AN INFANT of my neighbor has two "bulibol."
       Old people, they say that when a child has many "bulibol," he/she certainly is rude, naughty one!
       Now, what is the English word for "bulibol"? Answer: cowlick.

photo credits/wikipedia

"A, as in Alpha" ( and its connection to Aling Nena and Andok's)

Check the papers. Hold the answer key. Gwain, announce the score letter, I mean, LATER!
      "Number one...A, as in Alpha." You'd think I had gone this way? Pop, naaaaaaah. One breathed "Apple!" And I thought, very inane. I didn't dampen the vibrant vibes of her. But I knew she had dampened spirits.
       Phonetic Alphabet Table is very important during "multiple choice" moments. Students are not all at the front row, right? The rear-row kids are straining their ears for clarity, exactitude, and system. So I used the funny system in terms of "A, as in..."
       The students followed suit. From restaurant's name: Andok's, Aling Nena, Botoy's, (The) Barn, Chooks to Go, and "what is D?" I settled for DD Toys (not a restaurant, of course!) to street's name/barangay's name: Aluba, Balulang, Cugman, and Dolores Street!
       So the flow of the class goes like.
       "OK, for number 34, it is B, as in Botoy's."
       "Number 35's answer is D, as in DD Toys!"
       Then the class became advanced: A, as in Adobo...B, as in Bulalo...C, as in Calamares (mine was kinda fancy---which is---CHICKEN CORDON BLEU!)...D, as in Danggit (someone shouted 'Dog food!')
Their minds were pregnant with codes and phonetic letters.
       Laughter wafted into the humid air of February. I closed my session with a prayer, wishing that the codes--some were naughty--would be connected fully to the answers and the review!

despite the downpour (raindrops)

Dear Guard,
How's your afternoon?
Sorry for the creased ( English version of "gum-os") paper. This is urgent. Please allow me to go out. I just wanted to buy some hair wax.

COMMENT: Whoa, it is raining. The rain will surely spoil your wax!

dedicated to 2nd year students who will take the NAT exam (see the video!)

THE FIRST SCENE OF THE VIDEO IS A LINE OF FEET OF STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING EXAMINATIONS. And I instantly remember the second year students who are going to take the National Achievement Test come 10th of March.
       To the examinees: my constant reminder is please bring sturdy pencils and your packed lunch (also called sack lunch. Go check Wikipedia for details!)
       Study the 17 competencies: from interpret information from tables and graphs to fill up forms, from paraphrase lines and passages to "card catalogs."

qualifying exam for high school (mike on ,pls!)

I heard these "exam time" orders from a school head (grade chair?), proctors, and advisers! I hope you could get some "lessons" and forks up!
      1. Follow me (The teacher guiding the proctors to their respective rooms, upstairs!)
      2. Once again, calling the grade 6 teachers to, please, bring your TOP FIVE students to the covered            
                    court.
      3. (related to no. 2) Bring your chairs. Thank you!
      4. Count the pages.
      5. Don't discuss! This is not a bus terminal.
      6. Do some eye exercises.

LIFE BEGINS AT 40, GWYNETH CAN STILL SING AT 40!

FORTY magic fortified by Gwyneth Paltrow's appearance on the hottest show on Earth, Glee. Now, shut up and listen! Being forty is not passe!
       Famous 40-year olds: Lea Salonga, Jaya, Christine Bersola-Babao

paraphrasing for NAT EXAM'S sake (let's wham the exam! study and review)

My lesson now is: paraphrasing. (To paraphrase, if you prefer...the infinitive form!)
       I VISITED Long Beach City College website (during my break from bedroom cleaning, dust gathering, and other delilahs!) and I like its definition about PARAPHRASE. To quote, "...restating a passage in simpler language." Meaning, you have to use your own words, own effort to make sentences (or one sentence!) and not "copy-paste" style of stealing ideas. If you rob a car, that is larceny. In words, if you copy slash rob ideas, that is plagiarism!
       Simple Sample on this topic, The sun is here and the balut vendor feels ecstatic. Paraphrase: The sun shows up and the vendor of balut is happy about it.
       Paraphrase, I love you! You make my originality word-making improving. No to Plagiarists, Go to Paraphrasists!
       Good Luck to my second year students! NAT is NOT a hard NUT to crack if you review like a GNAT!

For:The OFW's, clear your throats and sing some classic Kyla

It IS HARD to be outside from The Philippines, harder when you are an OFW and you are the only Filipino in the neighborhood or even in the entire city, like what I experienced back in Chengdu City in mainland China a couple of years ago! You just want to speak your native language. Its utterance is a bliss for you. You are desperately wishing that the next person could speak Tagalog or--King of Impossible, speak Visayan (gasp!)--and insanely wishing that the walls could utter ten words of Tagalog! Being alone is  an issue and being alone and a total foreigner is just plain, pure, pissy painful!
       I found this video and I hope one OFW out there, alone and needed some cheers from here, would find this address and "kanta na!"

COLDPLAY AND THEIR VIDEO--HAS A HEART/HOUSE

THE MOMENT I see the waters...I remember the devastation in Australia. Total wash-out. Destroyed hamlet. Shattered lives. I have forgotten the name of the typhoon (bad weather's disgusting name!) but I can still recall the ugly images of cut coconut trees and its broken glories, boats flipped down, and people's pained faces!
       If you ever play this video, please have a minute to pray for Australia. I guess, my soul picked this song in order for me to touch others. Collective effort. Better place ahead.

EGYPT AND BIG EGO AND OTHER EARTHLY CHU-CHU

photo credits/bbc.co.uk

LET'S DISCUSS FIRST about Egypt. (Assuming, we had discussed Cleopatra, King Tut, pyramids, and movies set in Egypt!)
       What's wrong in Egypt? Pencil, please. The president would not step down. Oust him! Oust him! But the head of the state was HEADSTRONG! Yes, Yulie and Yani, just like Marcos. But People Power here was bloodless. Mubarak has ruled Egypt for so long--the longevity includes when I was still a baby; mass production of cell phone was unheard of; probably the total years of the seasons of American Idol, Gossip Girl, Ally McBeal, The Osmonds Show, Mara Clara (first version, starring the huggable Judy Ann Santos!), and The Nanny put together---that long!
       Please, study the map above and hoping that we could all go back there and be a comfortable tourist.
       Tahrir Square (see map, I sound like Dora the Explorer. Whammo!) is the main focal point for the demonstrators, who are shouting anti-Mubarak slogans (January 30, BBC).

Hard To Pronounce Name

photo credits /erno laszlo.com

    I CAME across this pronunciation challenge name, like, two weeks ago when I lay down. I found this black shopping bag (with respectable amount of dust!) and I thought of its plurality of vowels in it. 
Click this and be shocked on ERNO LASZLO. Tomahto, tomayto?Maybe, maybe not! Just click!

comment for today

To me the video is far more than okay...the song is set in the late 60's... note the apartment: The clock with hands A tea pot to make coffee, stainless steel canisters A newspaper, not the internet A phonograph and LP record A cassette deck A rotary phone And then the piece de resistance, A selectric typewriter and not a word processor, then the close, the clock with hands again The video is a tribute to an aesthetic age, a design age still not surpassed, a masterpiece. (@mrzero1982)

Pokwang, Vice Ganda, and my latest idiom

Idiom for today: A card, meaning a joker.
       1. Vice Ganda is an effective card. I mean, people laugh like horses!
       2. He is a real card that there is no dull moment whenever you are with him.
       3. Pokwang is the card in the group!

French Time!

My French song for today! DON'T ASK ME about the meaning. Or some French words. I am no francophile, but trying...

faux pas at the church (Big scene? Pun word for sin? Grrr!)

Commandment of the day: "Put this on, ma'am. Please..."
       Sunday. Hearing mass and you are a big-name celebrity. But...your physical appearance couldn't be swallowed at heaven's YouTube because you are wearing "tube" dress!
       Here's the big scene. Suck first your spaghetti noodle. Then I shall tell. Has the porch light turned on yet? OK. The characters are the usherette and that actress.
       The actress stands up, walking to the line for communion rite, with her palpable outfit. The usherette notices the attire and her senses become sharp like great pixels. In effect, she approaches the fight, I mean, the fine actress (Could she be fined?) and tells her to cover her flesh with the ordinary-looking shawl.
       The actress is upset like high-blood.
      

visayan words for foreign visitors for now

photo credits @ pbase.com

I WAS thinking about to publish some local words or some vernacular lexicon for foreigners. I mean, a word or a phrase a day just for Americans or non-Pinoys who are keen in learning the language. Frankly, I am proud to be a native of  Cagayan de Oro and, take note, I am happy like a winning contestant that many Caucasians are walking along Divisoria during Night Cafe. I remember Bangkok. The capital has a lot of whites inside the malls, parks, temples, and hotels. I wished --during my stay in Bangkok--that Cagayan de Oro would be like Bangkok. So, right now, every time I see one foreigner here, I am truly proud of that development.

My top 5 Visayan words/ phrases for today:

1. Saba kaayo /sa BAH ka A yo/ - Very noisy

 2. Labhanon - laundry or clothes to be washed

                           3. Sibog gamay - Move along a little, ex. getting a sitting space   

         4. Tua na sila didto/dadto - They are already there   

     5. Dadto/Didto - There, see the example above

I say: "Makatabang unta ni na mga pulong sa inyo kung naa mo danhi sa Cagayan de Oro!" (NO TRANSLATION.  Pipe down, I am just kidding you. That is a thoughtful Visayan sentence for 'Hope these words are helpful for you when you are here in Cagayan de Oro!'). Enjoy the stay!!!

photo credits @ pbase.com

BEING FREE FRIDAY NIGHT AND ONE PARACETAMOL

MY FRIEND who arrived from Cebu (Angus--looks puzzled, Mr Ladra--snoring, Rey--looks blank, Keisha--looks bored, guys, what are you going to expect? from Namibia? from Disneyland? Oh shoot! Yes, I am friendly, err like friendship, right, Angus? THIS "ship" is not a vessel going to and fro along Camiguin but "ship" as in suffixes, prefixes, yada, yada, YADA!)--OK...arrived from Cebu last Wednesday--a friend picked that friend from that friend's destination terminus (Could you at least use a pronoun for the noun 'friend'? Later.) which is the airport in Lumbia. The Lumbia neighborhood has cozy cool temperature. My skin got dried and some moisturiser was inside my mental drawer! Their skies are always gloomy and charcoalish--that's why I love Alaska and other iced or semi-frozen places!
       The friend (hotseat 2x), a visiting sister to her gallstone-diagnosed hospital-bound brother (This is an appositive, OK, Meme? Don't forget this. After and before the comma!), was welcomed by us--and of course, we decided to give her a treat.
       "Dear Manok."
       "Where is that?"
       "Tiano (street)"
       "My headache competes my chillaxness! (Fridays after work and Headache are two scary reality cocktails!)
       "Take Biogesic, Choi!"
       "Where is Boyet?"
      
       After dinner.
       "Maxi"
       "Where's that?"
       "The end point of Velez Street!"
       "I don't like the place. Lotsa smoking!" my respiratory-delicate friend objected. Talking in between toothpicks, waitress toting rice for "unli" rice promo, jokes, and other blahs!
       "Light na lang!"
       "Great idea!"
       Friend from Cebu asked,"What is Light? Just like Maxi?"
       "A videoke house!"
  
       We ended up at Ket Kai. We crossed the street. I saw the posh coffee house "Figaro" (pronounced FIH-gah-ro) then going to this super imposing staircase. I am talking of The Bridge Grill bar and Cafe. It is located at the second floor, north concourse. It is beside Alegr'e Cafe.

       The ambience is laid-back, literally! because there are sets of sofa or sala sets---the fabric is faux leather--where you can lie down and feel as if you are in the comforts of home; where you can place your back and command like King Midas (or Clara to Mara!) to your friend to take some photos while you are taking off your slippers and curl up on that black seat!
       The singer, the guitarist and the beatbox man were doing their jobs but our songs were never played. Grrrr!
Songs like Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Amy Winehouse, Clocks by Coldplay, and the repertoire of Corrs!
       The winds from outerspace kept me coughing like anything, but the upside was the bonding of the five friends, acting as if we had just graduated from gradeschool!
      

SHARON, THE MEGASTAR VERSUS HAYDEN, THE GOOSTAR

SHARON airs her side (not the side of her body, you silly! I mean, her side of the story!). Honestly, every time she speaks out, there are idioms and dictionary-deep words which are an advantage on my part for my students. Oh, without doubt, she is one of the most articulate actors here in our land.
       Her acid words are whoa!-yielding: "...stupid people shouldn't comment on what is stupid or not..."
       You ask: And what would be this video's connection of Sharon's wrath? Answer: the lyrics---second stanza. LISTEN, HAYDEN KHO! (you've got opinions, man...)

lyrics:

Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table
While I look outside
So many things I’d say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by

You’ve got opinions, man
We’re all entitled to ‘em, but I never asked
So let me thank you for your time, and try not to waste anymore of mine
And get out of here fast

I hate to break it to you babe, but I’m not drowning
There’s no one here to save

Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

You sound so innocent, all full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to jump up on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset

I’m not the one who’s lost with no direction
But you’ll never see
Sara Bareilles King Of Anything lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com/sara-bareilles-king-of-anything-lyrics.html

You’re so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps
You got the talking down, just not the listening

And who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

All my life I’ve tried to make everybody happy
While I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me it’s my turn to decide

Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

Who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

Let me hold your crown, babe.

an asian reading non-asian (plus other abroad possibilities!)

EVERYTIME I feel pathetic ---and this feeling is there when you are Asian, Capricornian, and Aging---I am dreaming of going to France or Monaco or Maldives; or moments of sadness, I always go to the library and borrow this book!
       Definition of common human act is rich and anecdotal. For example, the definition of smoking. Peter Mayle, the author, (In grammar, this is an appositive with a subject, right, Pasteur section? yes, Mendel section?) defines 'smoking' as considered to be such a noxious and antisocial habit that anyone who has a good word to say about tobacco risks being beaten around the ears with a rolled-up copy of " YES! magazine" (sorry, Peter, this is my version! His version is a surgeon report magazine or something!). His chapter, THE TRUE CIGAR, has a tribute to Havana and the container, which the description is written in vivid and fair details! I have learned much about cigar and "its cousin!"
       The font or the lettering is reader-friendly.

TABLES AND GRAPHS (Your NAT Exam is Coming So You'd Better Familiarize!)

I AM concerned with your NAT exam. Tables and Graphs is under Reading, right? Apart from the two genres (tu ZHAANRAHS!) which are Literature and Writing, right? Are you listening Irish, Yancy, Hachero? AH-OK! Good (I dunno but everytime I say "Good" I remember the rude character of Eugene Domingo in the film, KimiDora!I swear!) (Thank you for the parody, Mr Pagaduan and open your book, Body of Hesalta and Rhoda! Thanks big. Thanks for the following for my blog, Kate and Cash! Yes, thanks for moderating, Mr Yabo.OK, back to tables and graphs!)
       That's the number 2 competency. Under Reading. Out of 17! Competencies. That is: interpreting from tables and graphs.
       Hope you enjoy this as a warm-up: http://anepigone.blogspot.com/

MORE IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

Even though that idioms are not big come NAT Examination, but please, expose, dig in, look for, search and eat some of it for a BETTER YOU now and onwards!
     Click this link for some idioms. And HAPPY IDIOMING (Is there such word as that? In my world, Chiu and Aneta, there is!)---
1. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080711051320AAB9NJ9
2. http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ee010/esl-test.php
3.http://listsoplenty.com/blog/?p=403

let's hear some FRENCH SONG!

Lyrics to Demain :

Prendre l'air, parler à quelqu'un
Avoir l'air d'aller plutôt bien
Déjeuner, y penser au moins
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain
Décoller de mon traversin
Faire une liste de trucs qui vont bien
M'y tenir, essayer au moins
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain
Prendre un thé, et puis prendre un bain
Me coiffer, essayer au moins
Balancer tout ces vieux machins
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain

Plus de chocs, et plus de prières
Moins de clopes, plus de somnifères
Refaire la chose que je préfère
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain
Appeler quelqu'un qui m'aime bien
L'étonner, changer de refrain
L'inviter, manger plus ou moins
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain
Mettre une robe, saluer le voisin
Essayer de plaire à quelqu'un
M'amuser de tout et de rien
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain

Prendre l'air, parler à quelqu'un
Avoir l'air d'aller plutôt bien
Déjeuner, y penser au moins
Tenir, tenir, tenir debout et demain

application letter/cover letter ( my JOB hunting days! )

Dear ________:

GREETINGS!

I bid to apply for any teaching prospect as an English teacher.

Briefly, I am a graduate of Bachelor of Arts major in ENGLISH LITERATURE; I am a former Associate Editor of the English-published university paper for two straight semesters in (insert school's name).

I have just passed the August 2006 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

Experience-wise, I have taught English subject both here and abroad: in a kindergarten school in Bangkok, Thailand with a KUMON Institute of Education; in (insert school here); and in private tutorials catered for South Korean nationals here in the Philippines.

Right now, I am priming up myself on literary skills and authoring acumen to join the University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing for its English book-length literature category.

I shall await along then for an interview apropos of my application bid.

Very truly yours,

(Signature: use black ink, OK)

Choi

WORD: lustrous

Lustrous means having a sheen or glow.
       Example: Venus Raj's long, lustrous hair stands out during the modelling stint at the hotel foyer!

Coldplay-- "Clocks"

\

I LIKE to wallow in this song because the melody puts me into some kind of trance---click that sequence in 1:52 onwards plus the intro sequence!
      Remember Venus Raj? Silly, I am not talking about her morning hosting job which created some slight controversy. NOT that! I mean, this song CLOCKS by Coldplay was part of the Ms Universe: I think the gown competition!
       The instrumental part is just breath-taking; breath even negative vibes even colds and coughs even ugliness. Even apathy!
       Louis Pattison has a review on this song. He says, "Its chilly minimalism is what makes it so charming." and "an uncluttered canvas."

idiomatic expression for today

OPEN A CAN OF WORMS. It means that you open the wrong can therefore you must eat those squiggly fat worms and be interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres alongside the first TV interview engagement of Manny Pacquiao's wife! JOKE. Seriously, it means a situation which causes a lot of trouble for you when you start to deal with it.

ANOTHER BRITISH SINGER

Now, I have searched this song because
I came across its title (of course, the singer
is great! have you heard his LEAVE RIGHT NOW?)
at Light bar/videoke parlor, along LimKetKai Drive.
Go check. Go listen. Go song!
      For Lyrics?

DEAR CHOK

photo, flikr.com

Dear Chok,

You wore your black long sleeved cotton shirt! For all I know, I could have worn my white long sleeved too and both of us could send a strong message that hey-the-crisp-slash-typhoonish-weather-demands-wrap-apparel-thus-long-sleeves... but I didn't. Perhaps, my subconscious told me that that night was solely for Bochok! Yes, I wore orange stripes---courtesy from Giordano tee!

       Thanks for your generosity, your punctuality (I was late for about ten minutes!), your time, your version of Wency Cornejo's Habang may Buhay, and that familiar ditty entitled Amazed; and for constantly reminding me about "your turn to sing"---dang it! my voice quality is similar to that of a scared frog or a crappy zipper of a knock-off Anuschka bag! My singing skills? Poof! But hey, sorry but Swing Out Sister's YOU ON MY MIND? Did you notice that I stood up from that posh couch and sang my heart out. I coughed noisily but what a trouper, right? because that song is my fave, my top, my signature song! Did you notice also that I danced like an umbrella hung on the window grills exposed to January winds and February gusts (a blow of gust!)---well, given that the umbrella is made of light material!

       That one shot espresso from Dunkin truly---I mean, more bitter ( adjective, huh) than bitter gourd! "Grabeeeeee ka-pait!" (very, veeeeeeeery bitter!) but it helped to keep me sane and sound, Chok! I like the paper tumbler of that coffee---for my fold-back clips and or binder clips, loose change, and Post-It, of course!

       I learned something: From Dunkin to home, at 3 in the AM? On taxi, only 90 pesos (based from the new FARE Matrix, Chok!) and ..."Keep the change!" That's what I uttered to the cab driver and I alit from the conveyance, crossed the street while checking the seawall for people, balut vendors, trisikad drivers, and ghosts! 

classroom buzz for now

downpour

MY top pick phrase for now: UNABATED HEAVY RAINS (in Visayan parlance: dili jud ga hunong na ulan...kusog na ulan na dili ga hinay!)

down the toes sans socks!

APART from waking earlier than usual, buying mouthwash during break-time, debating with some students on school uniform, one good news that has been keeping me bouyant and totally has stuck into my good memories' album? is...I'M 10 POUNDS HEAVIER! (Interjections, please!)
       Holy adobo! Holy consomme! Holy crunchy lettuce! I...have...gained...weight! I completely forgot my black shoes after knowing the numeric fact and the students stared at me as if I was the writer of May Day Eve!
       Added pounds and I am thinking about those dishes that I have taken: healthy, body-friendly, almost SDA-like dishes! I am thanking myself---I THANK MYSELF!---on those days where hard decision-making was all over the place YET I had chosen the greens and the leafy over pork, canned, and instant! My sacrifice has finally yielded favorable results: my face beams as if I discovered gold off some urban drainage!

       "Is this weigh scale functional?" I immediately asked. "Yes!" The polite ones' answer. "Oh, REALLY!"
Then, I stood on the scale and crouched on the scale and then stood again like crazy! It was one of the most exhilarating images of my life!

WE SHALL BE INTERJECTORS AND INTERJECTEES!

INTERJECTIONS. One of the 8 parts of speech. After noun, pronoun, so on... You see your fave actor in person. Interjection ensues. You are surprised by the perpetual knocking at the door. You issue a series of vulgar interjections. That editing must be done! It is useful when a person is annoyed, disappointed, shocked, awed, scared, and panicky (Fire! Fire!).
       Look: Crickey ! is a Brit interjection; Whoa!; Dang it ! a euphemism for Damn it!
       Homer  Simpson's fave interjection is D'oh.
       Other small interjections ?

Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield & Justin Timberlake: T4 (Part One)

      LISTEN TO THE BRITISH ACCENT OF SOME PEOPLE!
Anyway, Justin Timberlake is American so he has an American accent! The hosts are definitely British!

Macupa

I AM  not a farmer; don't look at me as if I'm about to uproot (sorry for this pun!) you and position your bum on the hot seat! Look at me in a very cute dog way!
       The jeepney liner was stalling for awhile; the driver's plan was to wait for noon passengers. I did not become impatient or tinker my fone during the "alley" time. Perhaps, my soul wanted me to catch one slice (another pun again! whoa!!!) of reality. After a second, my soul had achieved HIS thrust: I saw this nursing student munching macupa on the other jeepney liner!
       Soul poked my mind: Eat fruits!
       When I arrived: The main character of a famous TV drama was asking for "apples" and I went, like: OH shoot, I have ponkans in my bag!
       Look: I am happy when teenagers nosh on fruits, but I AM SEETHING with dismay (and anathema!) when they invite me over their plastic snacks! Have you ever heard of carrots before?
       Macupa in English is Malay apple or rose apple!

Famous French Names

To give you the idea...
http://www.google.com.ph/images?q=famous+french+brand+names&hl=tl&noj=1&prmd=ivnsfd&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=6_xPTfmjL8qyrAfH14zaBg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CDYQsAQwAjgK&biw=1366&bih=667

Brand names as spelling for the masters

Nike is easy to spell--but hey, let's face it, its technology is HARD to beat! So, Nike is out. The easy brand names for spelling activity are Colgate, Banana Republic, Bench, Regatta, Oishi, Happy Feet, Microsoft, Hanes, Chippy, and Lipps candy!
       So try to spell something European---the French names, I must say!
       Ferrero Rocher (as in Roshey), Ralph Laurent (pronounced as Rafe Lowran), Porche (you mean, porsha), Louis Vuitton (Lowee Viton).

word: intestate

My friend asks me about the word INTESTATE. I go blank. Like a seawall being beaten by the salty waters! I have no idea. The word is a legal term. Meaning: go and ask a lawyer. Our search for word meaning becomes an obsession (The noise of the neighboring class is no big deal anymore!).
       Friend: Maybe it is "in the state", Choi!
       I : So, clerical error?
       Friend: Maybe.
       I: I'm going to the library...
    
OH SHOOT! There is such a word! Google it.

Word: Volatile

       The weather today is volatile. One minute, you need umbrella, the next minute, you don't. I was walking along Mortola Street and the people were staring at the brazen skies. The personnel of Ororama Superstore were not minding the summery feel and the springy breeze, instead they were either preoccupied with their appearance, break, or work. (There was a delivery truck parking by the entrance--for receiving boxes, crates, applicants; the opposite direction is the Ateneo gate!) Then, when I was aboard on Pier liner, the heavens blessed us with light showers. Umbrellas, up! Some raindrops caught on my back, on my face, at the kid's book.
       Volatile means change suddenly. Weather today. Clouds and winds and umbrellas and "paypay" and mango shakes and congee and you wonder the temporariness of the weather. Very volatile. Your wetness has two interpretations: rainshowers and perspiration. The old days are grinning at us: Your time is fast. This is the price!
       The rain stops and the road begins to gather dust. Please fold your umbrella and think about what volatile means.
       One of the passengers looks at me. She holds a basket full of "paypay" ! I hear myself asking, "Tagpila?" (How much)...

BATH TIME

SHABBY CHIC BATHROOM DESIGN from www.bathrooms4udirect.co.uk “Shabby chic”, a relatively new phrase used to describe room designs, is an obscure blend of neglect and style. It is one of the most difficult bathroom designs to create, and it takes a bold decision to go for this bathroom style. It almost certainly achieves its full potential in a continental house, either a French chateau or old Spanish villa. The absolute opposite of a fitted bathroom, the shabby chic look is a mismatch of styles and products. You can even do the unexpected, like put a put a refrigerator in the corner. Nothing is expected to match and pipe work and plumbing are on show rather than concealed. This style is best suited to those who have inherited a bathroom and want to update it a little rather than fork out on a brand new bathroom suite. The key to decoration is neutral tones with a few dark colours. For the walls choose a matte or flat wall paint. Pale golds and yellows work particularly well as does floral or check patterned wallpaper. As with the country and traditional bathrooms, cast iron baths are a must. Either a roll-top or slipper bath will do, and although you don‘t want holes or rust, the more dilapidated it looks the better. Even consider running sandpaper over the paint work and claw feet. For the ultra daring and unconventional use an Asian squat toilet or high-level cistern toilet. It’s always worth looking out for old fittings at antique shops and car boot sales, old faucets and antique radiators. Counter top basins are highly recommended in this setting, and look out for extremely unusual decorated designs. Place it on a washstand or run-down vanity unit. Add unique ornaments and antique framed mirrors. With all the accessories you get the chance to be truly adventurous. Toilet brushes, toilet roll holders, toothbrush holders can be almost any style you want. Remember - the shabby chic look is all about the designers imagination, so let your ideas run wild, and remodel the bathroom in a design like no other. Whether you're planning to revamp your existing bathroom, or looking for an entirely new bathroom design, you'll find all you need in our extensive online shop http://www.hintsandthings.com/bathroom/shabbychicbathrooms.htm

CONFUSED ABOUT SPELLINGS?

I HAVE planned to have spelling activity; this week. I mean, when I checked your Yuletide 2010 Diary. It was nosebleeding moment because of your spelling of some common, basic, familiar words.

1.  Wedding is weding
2. Because is beacuse
3. Even though becomes Even do
4. Billiards becomes "villards"
5. Surrounding is "sorrounding"

       Go to this address:http://www.hintsandthings.com/library/spelling.htm to help you on commonly confused words. Happy spelling!!!!

FRENCH, FRENCH, FRENCH

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY hors d’oeuvres ? Examples are rumaki, chicken lollipop, squid cocktail, zakuska (plural, zakuski), amuse-bouche. I STOP HERE! because the pronunciation level demands a French guy as a convincing coach plus a quick click to FORVO.COM.
       I've just remembered the trivia question (The name of the askee escapes me!): What comes after hors d’oeuvres?

BESIDE MY SOYA MILK BOTTLE OF BORACAY SAND

photo courtesy by Wikipedia

ONE of my precious things inside my head--I MEAN, INSIDE MY BEDROOM -- is this rambutan-size ( in other words, its size is like a typical rambutan!) Berlin Wall rock. This was given to me by my friend, Nang Inday T. A couple of years ago, she travelled to Germany alone to visit (Khalid, "to visit" is an infinitive, OK?) (Are you listening, Vercheyde and Roj?) a close friend. I was levitation-happy when she announced about her "pasalubong" (English translation, please.) to me. Wow, a historical piece of stone!
       What is Berlin Wall? (Fine, let's add the article, The, as in THE Berlin Wall, OK, Sophie. Sophie is that cute baby character in the movie Life As We Know It!) The wall was actually a "barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic. Read more on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall


       The Wall was, let's say, to separate East from West for some "deep" reasons (Do you still remember Alanis Morissette's I Am Giggling For No Reason?). And by around 1989 to 1990, the cement-based wall was chipped down. Therefore, it became a worldwide-hit souvenir!

Let's Pause To Hear Words from My Idol

My first apartment was at Blanco Center on Leviste Street in Salcedo Village, Makati. apartment 914. I shared the place with two guys who toiled in the corporate universe. How we (and our respective egos) managed to cram into a railroad flat, I have no idea. For one thing our tastes in music diverged wildly. One liked music from before 1800, one liked showtunes and Madonna, I liked grunge. Yet we managed to coexist in relative peace.
http://www.jessicarulestheuniverse.com/2010/12/14/memories-of-the-vortex/

commandment of the day

Just give two claps to call the waiters. (A posted memo I read inside this restaurant near Trinidad Building.)

SENTENCE FOR TODAY

" I am giggling again for no reason." This is taken from Alanis Morissette's song.

LICENSE PLATE OF THE DAY

The license plate YER ***. I have forgotten where did I see it, but anyway. Here are my meanings to those letters.
       1. Yummy Eggplant Recipe (options: egg and embutido)
       2. Year Ender Report (how brilliant, jel!)
       3. Yeast Examination Rumor
       4. Yo! Ew! Ro!
       5. Yuckiness Ends Rome
       6. You Explain Romanticism!
       7. Yasmin, Era (and) Richard (talents of Anabel Rama)
       8. Yoga Erases Restlessness!
       9. Yabbadabbadoo Expression Ressurected!   

crazy: a version of alanis

"Crazy"

In a church by the face
He talks about the people going under
Only child knows...

A man decides after seventy years
That what he goes there for, is to unlock the door,
While those around him criticize and sleep...
And through a fractal on a breaking wall,
I see you my friend and touch your face again,
Miracles will happen as we dream

But we're never gonna survive unless
We get a little crazy
No we're never gonna survive unless
We are a little...

Crazy yellow people walking through my head.
One of them's got a gun, shoot the other one.
And yet together they were friends at school
Ohh, get it, get it, get it, no no no!
If I were there when we first took the pill,
Then maybe, then maybe, then maybe, then maybe...
Miracles will happen as we speak.

[Chorus]

Crazy...
No no, we'll never survive, unless we get a little...bit...

In a sky full of people, only some want to fly.
Isn't that crazy?
In a world full of people, only some want to fly.
Isn't that crazy?
Crazy...
In a heaven of people there's only some want to fly.
Ain't that crazy? Crazy, crazy... crazy...

[Chorus]

No no, we'll never survive unless, we get a little bit...

The title of the movie: EASY A

HONESTLY? The minute that I read and process the title of this movie, there's no excitement inside me to convince myself to go the nearest cinema and actually, like, buy a ticket. Because the title is so-so. I don't like it. Makes me cringe. Makes me yawn. Makes me eyeroll. Honestly speaking.
       But, when I watched it last week via laptop, whoa! WHOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA!!!
       Please WATCH IT!
       The setting is high school. The main character is Olive Pendergast (I hope I get the last name right!). The dialogues are funny, witty, and extraordinary!

INTERESTING TYPE OF LAUGHTER

Just go to friv.com and rivet your focus to the topmost selections of games. Click the fifth square. The figure is a round object with eyes and some whachamacallit. The name of the game is COVER ORANGE. When you win the game, you'll hear its laughter. What a laughter!

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAJAMAS (WITH S) AND PAJAMA?

For my English class students (especially to the sleepy, latecomers, and backroom entities!):
      
        OK. The big difference between "pajamas" --/pah JAH massssssss/ and "pajama" ---/pa JAH maaaaa" is (Are you listening, Artajo?) (Are you in my zone, Paredes?) that: "pajamas" .Noun. "Pajama". Adjective.

       For example: PAJAMAS (noun).  Budods' pajamas are bought from SM mall. The pajamas are made of cotton---or is it poplin? I want to buy some new pairs of pajamas.
                            PAJAMA (adjective).  Blessed invited Jonah and Shamaira to her pajama party. (note: what kind of party? Is it children's party? costume party? No, it is pajama party. Therefore, pajama describes what kind of party. So, it is an adjective!

IF I WERE ADOPTED

THE DRAMA SHOW presents a story about a child who is not the biological creation of her mom. One day, the mother cleans the side table and when she opens the drawer to dust off the frames and the photo albums, she finds a letter. The letter says that the daughter has found that she is adopted.
       What if I were adopted?
       I would probably GOOGLE my parents' names--wait, that is what actress-model Angelica Panganiban did. I would probably, like, ask my adopted parents about the history of the adoption. Scary scene, eh? Just imagine the dialogue: "Pa, unsay mga ngalan sa akong tinuod na mama og papa?" (ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS: "Dad, what are the names of my real mother and father?").
       All day, I would just busy myself of ,like, piecing out the puzzle bits about my obscure and delicate past: mom's age when she conceived me as well as my dad's; their respective provenance; be awed by their family trees and so-called "love story slash giving me away story."
       Adopted but loved and enlightened and... with healthy closure. Then I would resume my papaya eating time! Facebooking everyone. And sleep.

COUNTERS

A KILO of pork. Lesson, I am giving this AS A LESSON, not that I indulge on pork. I am focusing on the "language" behind a kilo of pork. Not its "health advisory" part or its "yumminess when you slice it and fry its fats and add it to the salted shrimp!"
       "A kilo" is what you call a counter to quantify the so-called mass nouns like water, soy sauce, shampoo, cheese, rice, rain AND SO ON. Think about Head and Shoulders shampoo, Safeguard soap, Viva mineral water, Carlo Rossi wine, Eden cheese, and those uncountable things ( hair and cement included, you are right, Cory and Diosa!)
       Question: What is the smallest counter for the mass noun shampoo? (Don't "twist" your face, Ms. Tacbobo. I'm giving you the choices!) a. sachet  b. bottle  c.  drop  d. tube
                       What is the proper counter for rain? (Again, don't cringe, Paul, Charry, and Kints. This is a multiple choice question!) Is it: a. sachet   b. tube   c.  bar   d. torrent.
       I remember some of the counters: a pile of sand (near our gate!), 3 bottles of perfume (on the shelf), many sacks of rice (bodega near the pier!), a bar of soap (Brand name? I won't tell but it rhymes with souffle!) and a sheet of paper (from the students!).
       I hope that the questions above beget wisdom. Wisdom as in the next time you speak with a sales clerk, you would use it properly!
       Now, can I thaw my one kilo of pork?

thinking out loud

I am reading the entry--one of the entries-- of this Haiku contest. The third line of the poem catches my attention (while the gust moves my curtains!). The word is: CRONE.

haiku for Rapunzel (Did you see the movie, Tangled?)

Rapunz plus Eug 'quals
Aging Kidnapper bruja!
Fount of youth: Punz' hair!

NOTE: go see some search engine on what Haiku means.

CHARCOAL: BIG STARS SHOULD ENDORSE OR SPEAK ABOUT

       Macel told Mee--Macel and Mee are teachers--she told Mee that she had this sharp painful sensation that moves around her body, locally called "panuhot". The word makes me cringe. Please, NOT that term. Maybe, "oversupply of air," or "offensive travelling bodily wind," but not the P-word. Please! Panuhot is annoying like the skies are Giordano blue and you are meditating while soaking in the nearby sea then your right arm swiftly moves to pacify your back! Because of the attack of the angry jellyfish! Annoying.Meditation is immediately aborted. Your focus is no longer the skies but your itchiness and the red towel that is hung on the little boat's bow in the distance!
       Mee advised Macel to try charcoal "as what our pastor revealed." Just mix it with water and just like batter to corndogs, make a poultice out of the two ingredients. Then put it on some clean cloth, preferably an absorbent one to viz, cotton and that's it. Mount it, belt it, strap it, diaper it (for hemorroids' purposes only!).