Teaching Bloopers Of Some Of The People That I Know

I just heard someone with a P and F deficiency. Unfortunately, she has a position higher than me. I don't mind her making mistakes as long as they are really difficult ones which almost everyone makes but not really simple ones. For example during her class today with an adult student, she kept on saying the word "SHEFERD" instead of "SHEPHERD". She even changed the story of "THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF". She said that the boy lied about a fox attacking his goats and not a wolf attacking his sheep. Sorry but I couldn't help but facepalm myself, roll my eyes and then, shake my head. Wow! I wonder where she read that story.

Somehow it reminded me of a certain teacher in an old company that I worked for. I don't know her but her class recording became famous in the company - not in a good way but in a bad way. It was a bad call. Why? Here's how. She was teaching a young student and was singing the song "BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP" with the student. Sadly, I don't think she researched the lyrics before the class therefore, she ended up singing the wrong lyrics and confusing the student. Her lyrics were: BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP, HAVE YOU ANYMORE?YES SIR, YES SIR, 3 + 4. 1 FOR MY MASTER AND ONE FOR MY DAME. ONE FOR THE LITTLE BOY WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE...I had the same reaction then. I didn't know whether to laugh or just feel bad for the students.

More mistakes...I heard her say the word, geyser, to one of her young students. She continued to pronounce it this way [gey-ser] when it reality, it should be [gahy-zer]. Are you fine, [name of student]? I think you are feeling something. Duh! Of course, she is feeling something. She isn't numb and she isn't dead yet so she is feeling something. I was often told that I should give out facts and correct information to my students but then again, why can't some people just do the same?Especially those who tell me to do so since they have higher positions than me. Just saying.Growing up, I also had teachers who made some extremely laughable mistakes. I don't know whether they meant them or not but here are some that I still remember. Taj Mahal should be pronounced as it is and not as Thai Mahal but one of my English teachers in high school kept on insisting that it should be like that. Doongkee is the accepted pronunciation for the word donkey if you are British and not someone who is just pretending to be one. Deenoosor for dinosaur is unaccepted as well. Gah! You are Filipinos who follow the American English curriculum. Stop humiliating yourselves! Although I have to say if I had a British accent, I wouldn't shut up too.

Anyway, teachers or not, it just goes to show that we are humans too. We aren't perfect and we will never be. All I am saying is that as teachers we should strive for greatness only because that is the expectation of our students, their parents and everybody out there. I don't want to be a party pooper and say that I am perfect when clearly, I am not. All I am saying is that as teachers, we should try our best for everyone. This is the path that we took in life after all so why do it in a half assed way when clearly we can go all out if we only try harder? Just my two cents.

 After hearing her say that story, this is how I felt. Good grief! Even an elementary school student knows that story well. Shame on you!

 This kind of poor grammar is good for cute LOLcats but it definitely isn't entertaining to hear when your English teacher is the one who said it. I haven't heard anyone who said this mistake at the moment but I am sure, I have heard others before who have made this mistake. Be aware! I might never be a grammarian but I know my basic grammar. The use of is and are should be easy for English teachers like you and me.

I am a teacher because I want to make a mark in this world. Not just because I want to be proud of what I do but because I want to make sure that my students will remember me for what I taught them. This is why I always want to make sure to teach them the right things. If I will be teaching them the wrong things all the time then I don't think I should be remembered in a good way but in a bad one. I probably don't deserve it.

Year End Realizations

I know that Christmas is already done. It is now the 27th and a rainy one too. I am lucky to have been able to spend some time with my loved ones last December 24th and 25th. I really appreciate it even if I wasn't able to help much due to my current condition. Sadly, not everybody was as lucky as me. I found out yesterday that most of my officemates in the later shift were not able to reach their families at 12 midnight on Christmas Eve. They had to stay at work until 11 PM which only gave them an hour of traveling time which wasn't enough for everyone. I read through our group messaging that one of the group leaders went home earlier than 11 PM which angered the Korean owner. I took the liberty to take a snapshot of the conversation in order to let people decide whether they think he did the right thing. I don't know why but somehow shouldn't they understand these holidays are important to us too? It is not like we get to have a lot of holidays. In fact, we don't follow Korean and Philippine holidays anymore. The management said we can follow just the major ones like Chuseok, Seollal, Christmas and New Year but why like this? Somehow I feel the injustice even if I am not the one affected by it. Sadly, nobody even complained about it. Everybody just said yes and thank you. What is the world turning into?

So, the group leader was stripped off her title and is now just a regular teacher. Somebody will be taking her place in the team, I guess but after what happened, I don't think there will be any takers. Our next holiday will be on December 31 and January 1. Somehow I can't wait for the long weekend to be here. Looking forward to the new year ahead of me too. Hopefully, no negativity will come my way. Unfortunately, I know that that is impossible especially after seeing the current exchange of messages I have been having online with a certain person who can't seem to move on. She has written down awful things on her wall which is her liberty to do so. Sadly, many people noticed. So, when I posted something about bitterness and negativity, she immediately thought what I posted was meant for her. She decided to strike back. It seems the troll just can't stop trolling this holiday season. What hurt me the most is the fact that she is my kin but she's just too far gone that we no longer can reach her. I don't think she will ever change soon so here I am praying for patience and understanding towards people like her. I wish she would just be happy for us. Clearly, she has said she is happy but why this? Why is she starting this fuss? Honestly, the way I see it, one can never be happy with this kind of baggage and I guess after seeing all the happy faces in the photos that were taken last Christmas, she couldn't help but lash out on whoever she wanted to. Some of the people who noticed the exchange of messages had mixed emotions. Some of them said I should continue teasing her with my posts when in reality, I don't think I want to do it anymore. Not because I am backing down because I am scared but because I think it is a waste of time. Some of them were irritated especially because she was being immature which doesn't really surprise any of us either. We are used to it by now.

The end of the year has brought two realizations because of the two incidents that happened to me or around me after Christmas. Selfish people will always value themselves over others and will always think that the world revolves around them when in reality it doesn't. Paranoid people will never know the true feeling and meaning of happiness and gratefulness for to them everyone is fake and they will forever be misunderstood. This is why people won't give much thought on the fact that in the end, these people will be lonely no matter how happy they think or say they are. Somehow I pity them but what can I do? Change comes from one's heart, no matter how much others influence you to do so. If you don't want change to come to you then it will never happen. Just a thought.

The snapshot that I was talking about. You decide whether this was appropriate or not.

 Exactly! Why can't people see that?

I will definitely not foster negativity this coming year. There is just no room for it especially since I need to be happy with my new life and the latest addition to our lives. I just can't wait for our baby to be born in this world and what a great way to welcome "IT" by giving it an environment free of negativity. Wouldn't you agree?

Why Am I A Teacher? - Yesterday's Class With Brian

Brian is one of my junior students and like many other children, he likes to play a lot in class. He often shows off his new toys and even his old ones. He shows me pictures and draws in our whiteboard as well. He even does magic tricks. He likes Psy and has danced Gangnam Style countless times during our class. He has even sang a couple of songs for me. He was handled by many different teachers before me and the last teacher who taught him warned me that he was a bad student. Honestly, after teaching him, I realized he wasn't. I guess that teacher was just scaring me. Luckily, I am not one who easily gets scared.

Anyway, he has been my student for more than 3 months now. We have had a rocky start. It was our getting to know stage but now that we have established a relationship, we have become more comfortable with each other. I have taught countless of children before but I guess as I started to grow older, I have come to like teaching adults more. Maybe I will like teaching children again once I have a baby of my own. In yesterday's class, we were in the middle of our topic about Christmas. Although Christmas won't be here till next week, like me, he is already excited about it. I told him that we should both prepare to sing a Christmas song on Christmas Eve. Yes, I have to go to work on the 24th.

I don't know how to surprise him yet but actually, I want to surprise all of my students on the 24th since Christmas will be on the next day. Koreans are said to not be fond of the holiday but they know what it means and to Christians and Catholics, the holiday means a lot. When I asked Brian what he wanted to get this Christmas, he said he wanted to have a BB gun. Despite me always telling him that guns are bad and scary, I can't sway the kid to not liking them. Honestly, I think it is a great thing that his mother doesn't allow him to play violent video games or watch anything too violent. Otherwise, he would probably have violent tendencies. He does confess to beating his brother up sometimes but he says it is only because sometimes his brother does bad things or says bad words. He rarely does it because he doesn't want to make his mom upset.

In one particular activity in this class, we both drew our own Christmas trees. When we finished, we wrote Merry Christmas below it. I took a picture of it as to me, it is a good memory. I am guessing he did too as he sometimes takes pictures of our class together. I realized that I am a teacher because I can make my students better. It doesn't matter how bad they are, I know I can make them better. They might not be good in English but at least I encourage them to keep on trying. Students with behavior issues? Well, I have handled some of them and luckily have survived them. Many of them became well mannered although some remained the same. I guess it is hard to change people especially if they don't want the change to start from themselves. Yesterday was a good day to study English, I am glad that today is another one too. Definitely another fulfilled day.

This is how our Christmas trees looked like during the class. I did the one on the right while he did the one on the left. They weren't much but the thought was there. It is the thought that counts after all.

Some of Brian's messages related to Christmas. Somehow I am excited what he will do for me or show me on Christmas Eve. I guess I need to remind him on Friday.

December Celebrations: Our Busy Weekend and Una's Dedication

December is always a busy month. It is a month filled with parties - here, there and everywhere. This year's December is not that different. The first party of this month for me and hubby would have to be the dedication of my niece, Una. Although we haven't seen her personally yet, we knew how she looked like through the pictures that her parents frequently post online. Unfortunately, we were not able to prepare any presents for her but we hope to be able to give her something for Christmas.

The weekend was busy for both me and hubby. We both had work to finish and although he was able to finish his, I knew I had to work until the weekend to finish mine. Last Saturday, my trip to the OB was moved to an earlier time. We were supposed to go to the Toy Fair at Megamall after that but upon realizing the distance of where we were, we decided against it. We saw a movie called "The Hobbit" instead. Movie review to follow later. We went home to Antipolo afterwards. Tired but happy, we slept at midnight after chit chatting about different things with my folks.

The next day, I finished all my work. We no longer went to the Toy Fair due to the terrible weather. It was raining cats and dogs. Funny, just when it seems we won't be able to go to Una's dedication, the rain stopped. After boarding the car, it started raining once again. When we arrived in Ortigas, we realized that it was carless day thus, it was harder to drive to the venue but luckily, there were parking lots nearby. Oddly enough despite not being stuck in traffic in areas far away from the venue, we found ourselves stuck in one near it. Good thing we were only 30 minutes late for the party.

As soon as we got there, we knew we would be greeted by all our relatives. It was nice to see them again after a long time. It was a surprise for them to see me six months pregnant and with a husband as that's how long I haven't seen them. I am glad they were accepting to the changes. Anyway, since the venue was on the roofdeck, we were a bit worried that it would rain again on a later schedule but we decided to hold that thought for later. Una's dedication was precided by her grandfather, my uncle, Uncle Arnold. During his opening speech, he mentioned that when Una's parents, Ate Fritzi and Kuya Rico were married, they also experienced a lot of rain before the ceremony started. Luckily, the sky cleared. Rain of course was a sign of blessings to come. At least that is what we believe.

After the dedication, it was time to dig in. I didn't know what to expect from the food there but somehow we all kept our fingers crossed that the food will be yummy. Thankfully, the food was okay. There were abour 3 or 4 viands available, one pasta and rice. We had Asparagus soup and salad for our appetizer while traditional sweets like Bibingka and Puto Bumbong were for desserts. I loved the Buttered Fish with garlic. I wasn't sure if it was made of Tanigue or something else but it was tasty. I also like the Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes on the side. I wasn't able to eat any other main dishes as I was trying not to eat too much. The Bibingka was okay but I wasn't exactly a fan of the Puto Bumbong as I like the ones that we eat from Antipolo more. Macaroons were given to us as well.

We were given flat heart shaped ornaments and we were told to write a short dedication to Una on them. The whole decorate your own heart theme actually reminded me of what I asked our guests to do for us during our wedding. I still kept the box of dedications with me although I thought I should have done a better job in the theme. Anyway, the giveaways that were given to us were heart shaped ornaments and because my mom liked them a lot and we sat on a table with the rest of our relatives, they all gave theirs to her which she plans to add to our Christmas tree. Meanwhile, the centerpiece which looked like a mini Christmas tree, was a delight to look at. Which was why, my father and the rest of my relatives wanted to take one as well. At first, my uncle didn't approve of it but his wife just couldn't deny our requests.

In the end, we all went home with full bellies and happy hearts. We did not just have fun during the party but we were also able to spend some quality time with our relatives who we rarely see. The next reunion will be on December 27 and I am really looking forward to that. Oh, my bad! Christmas is the next one then comes the 27th. Either way, I know that December is a month filled with celebrations. Although I might not be as fit as I used to be, I hope that I will still have fun in all of them. Since I don't have presents to give for Christmas yet, I might just have to go with the Christmas rush this week. Good grief! I hope that I can make it. Thank you Lord for another wonderful December!~

Too bad we were only able to have our photo taken with our relatives who sat with us in the same table. Perhaps we can have a more complete family picture next time. I can't wait! But I guess we need to use the panoramic view then since we know there are so many family members in our ever expanding clan. (Teofilo, Perona and Bernardo Clan -- In the picture)

Dad holding on to the Christmas Tree centerpiece. He wanted to ask for more but since other people already took home theirs, all he could ask for was more souvenir hearts. Can't wait to see them on our Christmas Tree. Will take a lot of pictures this Christmas. I am so excited!~

My Busy Thursday and Friday after 12.12.12

I don't mind helping other people out. In my line of work, sometimes we are required to have subclasses for other teachers who are either absent or are late. I am already used to that. But to actually pick up where someone left off just because they were neglective of their duties is just bad. I helped a new member of our team today. I made sure that he had a computer on standby for his classes. I gave him pointers and made sure he was okay. As a protocol, we are required to always check our schedule and refresh it just in case a new student comes in. He is an experienced teacher. Far more experienced than me even. I don't want to judge him but now, I am thinking he didn't do it when he should have. To make the story short, He missed a class while most of us were busy having one.I get it. It is his first week here so mistakes and bad luck can still happen. I just never expected it to happen today when three people have been helping him set everything up. I was asked by my leader to call the student but the student's class was supposed to be 40 minutes earlier. I was hesitant to do it. Not because I didn't want to help him out but because I didn't know what to expect from the student. When I called the student's number, a woman answered in Korean. She didn't speak English well. She passed the phone around to other people. Finally, after a minute or two, she asked "Why call so lately?". I was embarrassed. I said sorry. I tried to explain to her that another person was supposed to call them but I did it for him. Sadly, all she ever understood was me apologizing. I told my leader to report the incident to our boss who just went back to Korea last night. He will probably be pissed by it but I don't want to be the one who will be scolded. I did my job after all.

Thankfully, the class was rescheduled for a later time with a different teacher. Anyway, I started my work later than usual yesterday as my 5:30 student postponed her class today due to her current condition. I wish I could understand what she meant. I mean, I did understand part of her message, just not all of it. The least I could do was wish her well. I consumed her class time for eating breakfast. Two pancakes with butter and syrup started my day right. A cup of hot chocolate completed it. I only had a few students yesterday but I intended to use my free time wisely. Writing articles due this weekend is one of my goals yesterday and today.Apparently, I still need 4 articles about Japanese culture and 6-8 more about love, sex and relationships. I am feeling positive that I will be able to achieve all them until Friday night as the weekend will be a busy one for me.While typing one of my articles, I heard my leader having a class. She was having free talking with her student about LASIK Eye Surgery. She corrected her student by telling her that LASIK should be called Laser instead. Sure, Laser Eye Surgery is right but LASIK isn't wrong either. It is an acronym which stands for: Laser Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis. Quite a mouthful so definitely hard to pronounce. What was unacceptable was the fact that she kept on mispronouncing the acronym despite my help. Sad but true. I know leaders are people too and nobody's perfect but shouldn't people practice what they preach? She always tells me to be careful with what I teach my students but now I wonder if she is careful as well. In her earlier class, her student said something about him attending a year end party and having a black out. She immediately told him that the expression black out was wrong and that it meant power outage. Sadly, black out had many meanings. One of them includes to faint or to lose consciousness. I couldn't help but send her a message once again about her
mistake. Tsk tsk!

Yesterday, I had a short meeting with our leader and new member. The meeting was mostly to educate the new guy on what he should and shouldn't do. He had questions but we were ready to answer every last one. I found out how uncomfortable he is with teaching students while in front of the camera. Basically, I told him some of the things that I hated but said them to him without the intention of showing him how much I hated them. I told him that we need to "act" in front of the camera. Knowing that he was an experienced teacher, his eyes widened in disbelief. He said: He was a teacher. I jokingly said that he is not just a teacher but an actor as well. Two jobs in one. I was being sarcastic of course because that was how I reacted the first time I was told about it by our leaders and bosses here. I was also told to be perky and to smile more. I told that to the new guy as well. Like me, he didn't like the idea. He just couldn't process it. I told him to be prepared to handle kid students, he seemed not interested in the idea. He said that he would rather have 20+ phone classes than have less than 10-20 video classes. He said that things are harder here in this company. I agreed with him because in all honesty, things are becoming ridiculous here.I understand how much they want to maintain the quality of each class but shouldn't they be concerned about the quantity too? Problem is, once you have at least two or more students who will stop studying with you even if these students didn't really leave because of you and had personal reasons for leaving, you will still end up being blamed for it since you are their teacher. In other companies, we have a lot of students and we just keep on working. We do maintain the quality of our classes but at the same time, we don't bother ourselves anymore regarding such trivial matters. If a student will leave without complaints about you then why should you be bothered? I heard that things will get stricter around here by next year. I pretended to care and note down things but honesty, I don't because I intend to speak to the manager by Monday and hand my resignation. I know now at this point that they have no intention of processing any of my benefits so what's the point? Offering me that they will do it provided that I will continue working for them next year is just blackmail. I will choose my baby over this company in a heartbeat.

So, my Friday morning has just begun but I am hoping for a good day. I got my schedule planned out already. I am hoping that everything will turn out well this day. I still have 8 articles to write until tonight. I am glad that at least I was able to write something yesterday although not a lot as I had work and chores to do as well. Hopefully, I can write at least 3 or 4 at work during my free time today provided that nobody will disturb me with non-important things. I still need to wash some clothes when I get home later and even cook dinner as well. I am excited for the weekend eventhough I know I will be tired once again. Christmas will be coming soon and I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet. Sheesh! Looks like I need to coordinate with my mom this year. I don't think I am in the right shape to be shopping in very crowded places. Looks like my baby bump will be quite a challenge to me. Hoping for a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. Smiling despite all the work that I need to do for a stress free weekend. Yahoo!~

This is how I perceive myself today and yesterday.
 

The message my student sent me yesterday about her sickness. I honestly did not understand everything. Too many medical terms, I guess. >_<;

If ignorance is bliss to some people then to me it is annoying. Practicing what you preach has got to be the biggest comment that I can say about what has happened yesterday and today. I don't mean to be rude but they judge me for the mistakes I do at work. Why shouldn't I do the same to them?

Why Am I A Teacher? - Today's Class With Sue

Today is Tuesday, December 11, 2012. I wanted to start the day right. I promised my student who gave me some Korean cosmetics for Christmas the joy of seeing me wearing them. She was pleased to see me when I entered the class today. She even praised me because of the natural look that I had. I was thankful to her not just for her compliments but also because she has always been very kind to me. Her English name is Sue and although her husband is not my student, he has gotten quite familiar with me. Sue is a stay at home mom who used to be a nurse. She has a son in kindergarten and a younger daughter who was only 2 years old. We have a class almost every day. We often talk about her problems and the things that happen to her every day. To her, I am her friend which is why sometimes I think that my class with her is not just an English class but also a consultation. At least that is how her doctor husband sees it.

 

Our topic for today might sound like a harmless one. I didn't expect it to open age old wounds. Today's topic was about toys and childhood. I merely asked this question: "What was your favorite toy when you were a child?". She told me that she liked her pogo stick as well as her barbie doll. She told me that she had two older sisters who used to go to school while her parents went to work, leaving her behind alone at home. I didn't want to ask more especially after suddenly seeing her crying in front of the camera. I suddenly felt out of focus. What did I do wrong? I didn't want to be out of my composure. My eyes started to water but I tried to keep the tears in. Otherwise, I knew the class would be a goner. I had to save it and most of all, I had to make the student smile once again. Her husband saw her and said we're having a consultation again. Good thing that we were able to talk about something more cheerful afterward.

 

Honestly, I felt bad for her. She has been my student for 6 months now and she has told me so much about her. She has said to me how bad her childhood was and how poor they were. She told me that her mother used to hit her and her older sisters but she still loves her nonetheless. She told me that she doesn't really have a good relationship with her mother in law but I advised her to work things out. She is a devout Christian and I know that she is a good person who wants the best for her family. Now, that I am at the crossroads of leaving the company, I suddenly feel guilty for her. She is one of the reasons why I am still here. Sue is one of the students that I treasure the most. I am actually hoping to keep in touch with her even when we are no longer having English classes but I know that is an idea that is a bit farfetched at the moment. I am keeping my fingers crossed though that it won't end badly.

 

Being a teacher needs a heart. This job isn't just about imparting knowledge or using the books that you read for each lesson there. There are also life lessons to be learned and heard of as well. Life lessons are after all more important than anything else. Students like Sue make me love my job more. She makes me realize that there is more to this job than the bad bosses, horrible company reputations, worst policies and so many other corporate negativities. Sadly, I have more students who are like Sue at the moment. I feel bad to leave them behind but somehow I shouldn't feel this way. I am choosing

my future child over my career. This is my path now. Somehow, someway, I just hope that I will still be able to stay in touch with all of them. How? That I don't know. I guess today's inspiring Tuesday isn't exactly something that I have hoped for. I could have wished I didn't make her feel upset but what can I do when all has been said and done.

An emotional class with my student made me feel bad today. I didn't know how to react. I was caught off guard. Luckily, I was able to cheer her up before we ended today's class. Whew! That was close.

Hello December, Hello Short Hair!

This is probably my shortest blog entry ever but what the heck?! December has begun and because I have clearly been declaring how hot it is each day, I have decided to chop most of my hair off. That's right. You heard me. From my wavy locks that flowed until my arms, I have decided to have them cropped until my neck. Now, don't look so aghast. I know that it is probably too short but then again, it is time for a change. Many people were surprised when they saw me. Some of them didn't approve of it but most of them understood and praised me for how brave I was to try something new. Personally, I still feel weird without long hair. I still look for it at times. Clearly, I am still getting used to it. I am glad though that I don't feel as hot anymore. Now, I can save a lot of time trying to fix my hair before I go out somewhere. I clearly don't need to use a lot of hair products anymore which is both less time and money consuming. So, here's my way of saying hello to December. A new hairstyle as I try to hope for a better 2013. I can't wait!

So, how do I look? This isn't really my first time to have uber short hair. I remember having it done once or twice before but that was a long time ago. Now that I am older, I think I am more comfortable with it than I was. What do you think?

Books Adapted Into Movies: To Love Them Or Loathe Them?

Being a reader, I hate it when people judge books based on their movies. Clearly, most books are better than their on screen counterparts...

Today, as I heard one of my co-workers talk about the Twilight Saga with her student and she got most of the details wrong since she admittedly said that she did not read the book, I didn't really like what she said. Funny, many girls like Jacob Black. Must because of the whole shirtless wonder he has become from New Moon. Pssh! As if he ever stands a chance against the alpha male, Alcide Herveaux from True Blood. Anyway, although I read the books and devoured each one of them, I can't really say that the books were better. Sure, the books were more detailed but then again, I didn't like the writing on the books because they were written for a much younger audience. Who knew Edward and Jacob would end up being heartthrobs even to those older than teenagers? Now, that the movie franchise is over, fans are asking for more especially since there wasn't a real ending to the last book. For the love of God though, I think I have had enough.

Meanwhile, the success of several other books have made it to the big screen. Books like J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games might both have strong following in the big screen but there are more who like the books themselves. Although I have dabbled on some HP bits, I never really read all the books. I read all The Hunger Games book but ended up being disappointed with many parts and somehow a bit annoyed with Katniss, overall. TV shows loosely based on L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries and Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries AKA True Blood might have been famous to many but both of them have created their own twists to the books and have had lives of their own. One reason as to why you should never judge what you see on TV and in the movies to rate certain books.
 
This growing trend will never stop as fiction has already hit a stage when Hollywood seems to have lost inspiration and have found it in such books. I heard there will be another Percy Jackson movie soon and that there will even be a Fifty Shades Of Grey one as well. Maybe Hollywood just wants to sensationalize these books more and profit from them in their own way. I don't see anything wrong with that. I just don't think they should claim that these movies were solely based on the books. Somehow they should also warn the audience how loosely based they are from the original plots. Anyhoo, since I am torn between being a book and movie lover, I would have to be in the middle of this. I read books and watch movies but at least I have the sense to know which one came first and the taste to say which one is better. Shouldn't most people have that too? Just musing.

Do you usually like the book better than the movie or the movie better than the book? What is your favorite book to movie adaptation you have ever seen? -- To me, most movies don't really capture the true essence of the books. It is like they chop off so many good scenes. Besides, it is easier to carefully craft something using words than just pictures. Sometimes a scene from a movie doesn't look as magical as it is in the book. Sadly, because people read their original stories, they often have high expectations of the movies. This is why I would rather read the book and watch the movie separately. To me, they are very different experiences which I should never judge at the same time especially not when it comes to comparing their differences and similarities. 

I am Not Disposable And So Are You...

Today, I am deeply saddened because of the unexpected news that I heard at work. I am not really Ms.Congeniality which is why I rarely bond with people around me but when I do find a person to be good, I consider him/her as a friend. I found out today that one of my colleagues has been booted out of the company yesterday. Honestly, I am not in favor of this decision especially since I know that she was a hardworker and person with needs. December has just begun and the thought of being jobless before Christmas is just bad. To be kicked out of your company before Christmas is just cruel. I don't understand why people do such things but then again, should I expect more? Business is business. They always say there is no room for feelings here. All I thought about was consideration. If only my boss had it. Unfortunately, at this rate, I think he might have none...

This morning when I found out of the grave news, I was not only surprised by it but I was also angered as well. Why? Because every month, we see the progress of each teacher in different sheets. I know that she has lots of students and although she was not able to maintain all of them at some point, she was able to make up for it through her constant passing of level tests. It was odd to find out that the company ditched because they said that she did not maintain her students and was not bringing in profit to the company. I was hurt by this as I know that she did. I told my leader face to face that I did not like what they did to her and that she shouldn't have been treated that way. Like me, she was an experienced teacher and like me, she was mistreated here. I felt bad for her. I openly told my leader that there were other people who were more deserving to be removed from this company than her. I didn't tell her though how targeted we experienced teachers felt. It was an outrage!

Actually, I was expecting to be removed from this company first as I was already given a warning last October but I am still here. Maybe I am lucky but I honestly think that I am not. She is lucky because she got out. In my case, I still have to deal with it. I will be sending her messages later to ask her how she is with high hopes that she will able to cope with the loss and find a "better" company and job soon. I just felt bad that at the end of the day, we are all disposable. No matter how experienced we are or how much hard work we put into this company, it just doesn't seem to change anything. We, the experienced teachers, will continuously be targeted and removed after they have already gotten everything that they want from us. I am not just something that they can use and throw away. I wish they will realize that. It is too bad that they can't.

I am often quiet here as I continue to observe the atrocities revolving around me. Good thing I am a good listener and with every single thing spilled to me, I continue to realize how horrible things can get. No wonder so many employees have complained about this company in the past. I learned that most people who continue work here don't want to bother complaining because of the trouble that they will just get themselves into afterward. They will be blacklisted meaning it will be hard for them to look for jobs. Since most of them here are young and this is the first company that they have worked for, most of them are scared of losing their jobs and trying once again. This kind of hold is powerful and this is the kind of thing that the company that I work for revel in. Sad that even in invisible chains, such young minds are limited to only this. I wonder how they would improve somewhere outside these walls.

I, on the other hand, have a different battle to face. Since I already lost one of the battles to get my SSS benefits, I am hoping to at least get my Philhealth even if I intend to actually leave the company by next year before I give birth. Honestly, I am starting to find it difficult to cope with working daily as I work extremely early and go home in the afternoon which often leaves me tired and lacking sleep the next day which isn't good for both me and my baby. The daily travels from my home to work isn't as easy as it used to be. I know I am running out of time. I just hope that before I actually leave this company, they would have the decency to help me with my Philhealth benefit. Should I keep on trying? I know I will. Should I hope for it? I will just keep my fingers crossed. Uncertainty engulfs me as I thread these waters. I just hope that things will be for the best.

Today I finally understood the lyrics of Katy Perry's Fireworks. Yes, I feel like a plastic bag but I am not disposable. I am not rubbish. I am not something that can be used now and can be thrown later once my purpose has been done...