total… totality…. totalitarianism…. abolished!

It is worthy of note to incorporate totalitarianism in today’s issues. Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state holds total control over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible. It refers to the structure and goals of the new state which was to provide the total representation of the nation and total guidance of national goals. It is a society in which the ideology of the state had influence, if not power, over most of its citizens.

 

This system politicizes everything spiritual and human. Everything within the state, nothing outside the state and nothing against the state. It seeks to mobilize entire populations in support of an official state ideology and is intolerant of activities which are not directed towards the goals of the state, entailing repression or state control of business, labour unions, churches or political parties. The officially proclaimed ideology penetrates into the deepest reaches of societal structure and the totalitarian government seeks to completely control the thoughts and actions of its citizens, Wikipedia (2015).

In as much, this form of government reminds us that we are all merely particles of matter that is part of a larger cosmic force. As minute elements of this interconnected and interdependent universe, human beings have the same intrinsic right to exist as anything else with dignity regardless of sex, gender, economic status, political and religious affiliations. This seeks to open up our eyes to our potential as a person and to contribute meaningful tasks to the tapestry of the universe.

More so, we as citizens of the world should indulge more on the societal

problems in order to illustrate national assertiveness and the sustaining power of love and brotherhood.

We as taxpayers of our government should bring out fragile experiences against the barbaric arbitrariness of government which may inspire people to uphold the dignity of the downtrodden and the powerless. We have the need to talk about issues on unjust social hierarchy and oppressive society which holds us even without chains. Thus, there arises the need for democracy and strong allegiance of people to fight for their rights.

 

 

 

 

 

charm… charmed… charming…

CREATE OUR OWN CHARM AND STYLE

Adjust instead of abhor the most tense of circumstances

Befriend instead of bully other people

Create instead of criticize the trend

Develop instead of discourage other people’s talent and skills

Engage instead of expel social gatherings

Find instead of flaunt other people’s style

Greet instead of groan to all kinds of people

Hum instead of harry when under pressure

Invent instead of imitate mode and style

Juggle instead of jump to conclusion

Keep instead of kick off untried ideas on fashion and style

Learn instead of laugh at our own idiosyncrasies

Materialize instead of make believe to be a unique somebody

Nurture instead of nag interpersonal relationship

Offer instead of offend other people

Ponder instead of pause enhancing our style

Qualify instead of quit when people question our style

Radiate instead of reduce winning personality

Show instead of suppress fashion statement

Transcend instead of trespass delivering our sense of individuality

Undertake instead of undone winning personality

Visualize instead of vex newly – introduce trend

Win instead of waver other people’s business

Be Xtreme instead of Xterminated by our own trademark

Yield instead of yearn a desire for style

Be our target the Zenith instead of Zigzag

 

FILIPINOS ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

Filipino…….. I am proud to be part of this race… amazing by any measure, I am proud to be a Filipino and will continuously speak good things about being Filipino. Philippines, it is a very special place and so are its people and I am without a doubt proud to live here. The reasons?  They run as follow:

Physically speaking, Filipinos are beautiful and handsome people.  There are hundreds of thousands of attractive and sexy people in the Philippines. We are said to have the “KAYUMANGGI” (golden brown color) which Filipinos should showcase and extol our very own diversity.  Their tanned skin is delectably sexy.

Mentally speaking, Filipinos wear a brilliant crown.  We are smart, practical, resourceful, creative and intellectual people.  We are workers of the world.  We can find Filipinos anywhere and anytime in the world.  We are able to cope with different countries.  Are not sign of common sense and flexibility?

Emotionally speaking, Filipinos have tremendous emotional intelligence.  The proof…. we have once again been declared as one of the happiest people in the world.  We have a low scale in suicide ratings.  We have sense of humor and survival instincts despite the never- ending crises we encounter.  We experience typhoons, floods, rapid climate changes, food crises, lack of job opportunities, unresolved traffic, mistrusted government officials and leaders, etc. and yet we can still see hope. We can still smile in the face of adversity and I admire that positive outlook in life.

Socially speaking, Filipinos are warm, friendly and hospitable.  We make it a point to welcome and make visitors feel comfortable. We can also adapt to all situations and thrive everywhere in the world.

Spiritually speaking, Filipinos are faith-personified. Every time we have problems and difficulties, prayers become music in our hearts.  Our religiosity helps us to persevere and hold on to our trust in God.  Hopelessness is vague in us because we believe that God will always provide and protect us.

Filipinos, like any other nationalities, strive to have simplicity, modesty, integrity, love and elegance.  Let us pray that the Man Above will always guide and watch over us.

Oopps…. As it goes “nobody is perfect.”  Filipinos still have traits and values in life that are quite undesirable.  Can we think of a nation that is all perfect?  Mind-blowing?  Perfectly imperfect?  It certainly is!!!! These traits are all too-telling that Filipinos are one of the most beautiful persons on earth because they have beautiful souls.

Filipinos are scarred people because of the Spanish, American, Japanese colony and the existing political conspiracy. We endure pain so we acquire beautiful soul which is contrasting to seeking pleasure which only acquires beautiful body. We have suffered long enough and those who have suffered are usually the most beautiful people. Filipinos have integrated their life with beauty. It doesn’t matter what happens to us but how we act to what happens to us. It doesn’t matter what are our problems and burdens but what we can be out of our sufferings. Our life is beautiful because there are always challenges and impediments in our life. With our life’s challenges, we get to be beautiful what we have wanted to be.

             F   ilipinos at all costs are

             I    ndividuals… every step of the way are

 L   ovable… for myriads of reasons

 I …inspiring stories to tell

             P   ortrait of a man with honor

             I   would never change my being Filipino

            N   ation of complexities and beauties

 Oh…. Filipinos are God’s question and answer to humanity

 

A- Z Tips To Be Our Own Best Friend

“WE CANNOT GIVE WHAT WE DON’T HAVE.” This has been a worn-out cliché when people are engaged into deep and philosophical conversation. This holds true in dealing with our own self because we cannot extend ourselves when we are lost inside and when we are not in our full self. We cannot offer the gift of ourselves when we are hurting inside and in too much pain.
We cannot be a good friend when we are not friend to ourselves first. To be meaningfully connected with people, we should make our own self our best friend. Being a best friend to oneself also means accepting a whole range of relationships with promises of companionship, mutuality and happiness. My folks, we should start now reconciling with ourselves to fully experience the gift of friendship.

Always smile- We should always flash a smile to just about anybody else to capture people’s heart. A frowning face is an excess baggage.
Bring out the best in people- Helping others unleash and excel their faculties can build bridges.
Change the way we look (at ourselves). Physical appearance is a plus factor in attracting people but self-esteem scores big points than the latter.
Dance- Life is a stage floor. We should dance to the tune of life. Flexibility is a sign of maturity.
Enjoy life- Life has no guarantee. We can never tell the future so we should enjoy it while we have it.
Forgive the culprit- Forgiving is so, so, so (the point can’t be stressed enough) hard but it can get us wayward to heaven. Imagine life without antagonists or detractors!—that would be boring! Sometimes, we become stronger and mightier when we are challenged. They are the ones who block our way and demonize us and also serve as building blocks to our emotional maturity.
Greet old friends- Reconnect with our old friends and cherish the wonderful friendship we have shared with them.
Harness our talents- Undiscovered and utilized talents are bootless. We should whip up our very own masterpiece to be productive and prosperous.
Inspire people- We should inspire others to follow their feet and make a difference in this world.
Jump- Jump with abandon to celebrate the simple pleasures of life.
Kick- Be alive and kicking. Always be on the go and be up and about to life’s opportunities.
Listen- Listen to the sound of nature like birds’ chirp, cats’ meow, dogs’ bark, wind’s murmur, water’s drop, etc.
Mention merits- Mention the good deeds of other people and pass them on to others.
No grudge- Don’t harbor grudge because it’s one of the causes of ulcer, migraine, cancer, hypertension and other illnesses. When we forgive, we do a favor to ourselves because we let go of our bitterness.
Ostracize not the different- We should learn to accept the different or odd people because they spice up their life. Imagine if we’re all the same.
Put wisdom on experiences- We should charge to experience our agenda in life and gain the lessons from it.
Quest- We should embrace the quest for true friendships. We should love our friends and accept people who come along our way.
Render service- We should be service-oriented persons to become truly beautiful not only in the outside as well as in the inside.
Sing- Sing as if nobody is listening. Sing and sing with abandon because it invites people to sing with us too. It can help us get out of our shell.
Tolerate some mistakes- Tolerance and patience in a minimum infusion can tame the wild and barbaric ones. We should generate them for this world offers no instantaneous stuffs.
Understand- Understand others to be also understood. It will create an atmosphere of mutuality and affection.
Videotape in mind the good memories- The good old days should not stay buried. We should scroll down those memory lanes. Nostalgic moments are worth keeping a record of.
Wander places- Trade place where we could improve ourselves. We should take charge of our expeditions provided that the environment is conducive for growth.
X- amine our life- Unreflected life is as good as death. We should re-asses what is happening to us. It won’t help to make people fall in love with us when we don’t even know who we really are.
Yearn for transcendental experience- Getting and being spiritual can drive people to love us.
Zealously beautify ourselves- Beauty and sexiness are not everything…… but looks are something to possess. An iota of vanity should be dissolved because superficial beauty slips away rapidly. We should at least be presentable and well-groomed enough when we go out.

faith…….

Faith is in you whenever you look
At a dewdrop or a floating leaf
And know that they are because they have to be.
Even if you close your eyes and dream up things
The world will remain as it has always been
And the leaf will be carried by the waters of the river.
You have faith also when you hurt your foot
Against a sharp rock and you know
That rocks are there to hurt our feet.
See the long shadow that is cast by the tree?
We and trees throw shadows on the earth.
What has not shadow has no strength to live.

             

teaching literature in full blast…..

According to Saymo (2000) literature is a representation of life. Many beautiful memories of the past and the present can be gleaned through the study of literature. In support to the national and global collaboration, human experience can be a vehicle to achieve the fullness of man by giving opportunities to learn, develop skills, be culturally conscious and possess moral integrity.

Carpio (2003) researched that human history as seen, recorded and interpreted by writers is a witness to man’s indestructible dream to depict the human condition as narrative, lyrically or dramatically, negatively or realistically. Literary men and women have produced penetrating works. The air they create breathes of the tragic, the tragicomic and the comic. Is their environment ugly, is it beautiful, is it a conglomeration of the squalid and the profound? Writers look at reality in varied ways. If the human condition is bleak to them, they make them see and feel and read about it in works of art like literature. The range of life’s possibilities in literature keeps on enlarging and the past is linked to the present in various usable forms and attitudes and genres of works of art. It engages the turmoils, the ups and downs, the pains, pleasure and glorious moments experienced by society. It tries to understand and record the nature of man and his times and in content and form shows how man fares in his world.
In the same token, Showalter (2002) proposed ways on how to teach literature to college students. It is necessary to always read excerpts of material in class. Students often rely upon study guides and predigested responses to texts they have never experienced as living works of art. Remember to allow plenty of time for regular readings and re-readings so that its impact as sound can be enjoyed before it is analyzed simply as a complicated kind of prose. Worthy of note is to set new questions. Do not borrow questions from textbooks or any other material. Make sure the questions set have not been discussed in detail in class and the questions have to be similar but ensure that they are not the same.
It is important to note that teachers should always ask why for any piece of work because the most important question in literature is why?. Make sure every student knows the importance of this question from the first class. Train the class to be opinionated and try to interpret every line according to the reason and the intention behind it. The heart of all literature is its intention. Add fuel to the fire. There is no room for a unanimous agreement in literature. Every line is subject to interpretation, levels of importance and hidden meaning. Make sure that students are not exposed to one view.
The best way to do this is to play devil’s advocate. When they express a view, disagree. If they agree, change the view. This will make for interesting debate and force the students to defend their viewpoint and explain why they are right. Try to be as unreasonable with stand and this will get the students more heated and force them to think in the abstract manner necessary to write a literature paper. This is also good for waking up those students at the back who snooze every class. An argument is much more interesting than the face of the desk.

In like manner, Linkon (2011) cited teaching methods in literature subject. She proposed that teachers should add history to the material. As the students become familiar with the material, allow them to become familiar with the face behind the material: the writer. Tell them a little bit about their past and the way they lived their lives and some of the documented inspiration behind their works. A lot of very famous writers lived interesting and somewhat tragic and scandalous lives. It is always interesting to hear about and it might provide more meaning to their words.
Involve every single student. Each class has students that are not really interested in the material but come to class each day for unidentified reasons. Each class also has students who tend to monopolize the conversation and centre discussions towards their opinions. Avoid that at all costs. Even the lazy students can usually provide some sort of input. Ask a lot of questions and give everyone an equal shot at answering. Do not stand there and wait for an answer. Maintain an interest in each and every student. Students can usually tell if you like them or not or if you prefer one over the other. Avoid this at all costs. Teacher’s job is to promote the imagination of all the students and to treat them all equally. Talk to all of them personally at least once.
Recognize the students’ weaknesses and strengths by giving students a lot of opportunities to do various kinds of work like speaking, arguing, writing, interpreting, etc. Praise each student on their strengths and talk to them about their weaknesses. Allow students the freedom to choose the form they are more comfortable with. For example, if a student is good at verbal discussion and not good at written communication, allow for one of their assignments to be verbal. To be fair, however, give all students a chance to choose the form they are good at. Talk to the students personally about their weaknesses and how to improve them.
Grade the thought, not the content. When marking papers, be aware that literature is not like most other subjects where the content is what is essential. It is the creativity and thought behind the content that makes a literature essay stand out. Grading the content is obvious but in literature, give more marks to the student with a controversial and creative interpretation and a few less to the student with the textbook interpretation. Emphasize references. No matter how creative the thought, it has to be backed up by quotes from the material. A student might have a particularly brilliant idea but if it is disproved by the material, the idea is worthless. Stress on the fact that every claim has to be supported by lines, verses and dialogue in the text.

This course is aimed at honing students to become lovers of literature and make them love literature. This philosophical framework intends to move students to LOVE LITT or the acronym expounds:
Love reading
Obtain logical and critical thinking skills
Ventilate feelings and emotions
Enhance the moral, sociological and spiritual dimensions
Listen to each other’s insights
Intends to reach out through the literary circles
Tie and deepen each other’s bond
Test one’s knowledge about oneself and the world that surrounds him
In this regard, it aims not to teach about literature, instead to teach literature itself.

Carpio, Rustica. Literature is Life. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. 2003.

Linkon, Sherry Lee. Literary Learning: Teaching the English Major (Scholarship
of Teaching and Learning) Paperback. United States:
Indiana University Press. 2011.

Saymo, Apolinario. The Literatures of the World. Makati:
Grandwater Publications and Research Corporation. 2000.

Showalter, Elaine. Teaching Literature. United States:
Blackwell Publishing Company. 2002.