Mengag-gag-ay tako.

Gawis ay agew yo.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Yoghurt and start of school

One of the visitors who came to Sagada (he knew me through another friend) last Monday told me, "Let's go out and have coffee so we can talk." I was about to say, "why not?" when he said, "Ay, di pala uso kape dito, yoghurt pala uso." So, he amended it to "Let's go out and have yoghurt so we can talk." Yes, in fact about 70% of my friends here all know how make yoghurt with their own way - with flavor or without.

Enrolment is almost over and the start of school is here. By Monday, every teacher and student all over the country will be busy with the usual stuff. However, i pray that the usual stuff should be an improvement of the past not just a repetition of what happened, including the mistakes. Though, in truth, i am not yet ready for the new school year since my mind is still on vacation and my body longs for the beach, the mountains and the sunshine, i have no other choice but to put my feet on the ground again. And, whether i like it or not, condition myself for monday and the rest of the year.

WORK... WORK... WORK... and no play - play will be during the vacations only (he he) but even if that is the case, when we enjoy what we are doing, we are already playing. That is, make work a play.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

ict integration and webpage designing

I'm here in a training in baguio again. at last, kasi we (that includes my computer buddy at school) have been looking for a training like this for the past year. we already have a website but it was only through the help of Mr. Kent Sinkey, an American who opted to stay in Sagada, that our dream came to reality. But, we have been trying to look for a seminar like this kasi we do not know how to update our own web. It is not good if we will always be a parasite when we can be the host ( he he). now, our wish came true. i hope we can finally produce a 100% web of sagadanh'ers. i know and i believe that this training will bring us a hundred steps forward and we can really make our web the best that we can make it, with our own tastes and with our own flavor.

i met rossana valdez, ms. olongapocnhs (bastos ko ano pero this i think is a sign of pagtanda), marinella, zenaida, vernice which i have already met in other trainings sponsored by smart before. i met new faces again to add to my growing lists of contacts all over the philippines - my room mates lorna and juvy ann all from la union. ms mildred dapliyan who came all the way from olongapo city national high school though she is from pingad and married to ernesto dapliyan of sagada.

my gosh, i arrived late yesterday. i came all the way from tabuk, kalinga. we started in tabuk at 9:00 am and reached bontoc at 3:30 so i have to board the last trip from bontoc. i stayed in two different vehicles for 13 hours. i opted to go to bontoc instead of boarding straight from tabuk coz their first trip is at 1:00pm and i will stay in the bus for 12 hours so that means to say, i will reach baguio by 1:00 am. that's why i did what i did. new routes, new experiences, new experiences, new learning. way to go, irene.

by the way, i met my "twin" again. though she is a little older than i am, how can i not say that. so many people have mistaken me for her and her for me. just at breakfast i was greeted by stories of how they have mistaken me for her last night, calling her my name and she gamely let them think of what they are already thinking. that's soraya and she's our project manager.
i came to note that joretze, cesar and lauren are together at lipa. go, go, go the smart mentors.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Election Fever

Election fever. Have you caught it already? I am still proud to say that election in Sagada had always been cool. (I don't know if it is a proof to Montesquieu's (?) climate theory.) But, though there are many people killed due to politics, no one in Sagada is ever known to have died due to the "dirty" game.

Tomorrow will be election in the Philippines. They say that there is a raise for the honorarium of the BEI's who will be serving. Others say it is too much, others complain. Looking at it though, i could say that the amount is fine if you are here in Sagada or in places where politics is not a dirty game but, it is too little for those who are going to serve in the "hot" areas for their lives are also at stake. Yet, i greatly hope that this year's election will be as cool as the climate here in our place though it had already started with a lot of killings. May the election fever in other places subside and may the wisdom that comes from God and the wisdom of the election overrule the fever that had attacked others to the extent of killing and even destroying others morally, spiritually or even physically. This is my prayer, in Jesus Name, Amen.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

So, back to business again

It's been more than a week since we separated ways with the other smart mentors. my plan then was to take a very deep rest (not really sleep but do things which does not need my mental processors, physical maybe, but for sure not mental) so, when i went back to baguio, i took my kids (Manev & Sab) gallivanting - the malls and Asin Hot spring before we finally came home to sagada. Again, i refused to see the computer for some time - then slowly i started reading the past lessons and those that we have done. i had to pick the diamond nuggets i dropped along the way when my mind refused to take anything anymore. so far, i had picked some but not all. i know, i have left even some bigger nuggets somewhere.

when i was ready to face the computer again, i was too disappointed for the MOPRECO (Mountain Province Electric Cooperative) was not ready for me - WALANG ILAW. too bad. the next day, the light came when it was already high noon. i have to go to school kasi walang internet sa bahay. hapssss, another disappointment walang internet. it took me (and some helpful hands through the phone) the whole afternoon (and we even continued it the next day) to diagnose the problem. Until - taraaan- i can now post again.

i came to realize how blessed we are again to be in that training that we had. it was in fact, the most comprehensive, mind and stomach fulfilling and even the most luxurious training i've ever been. it will forever put a mark in my life. just to have our closing program away from the venue of our training is already a luxury and to have it in tagaytay adds to the imprint. i am too overwhelmed. WHOA SMART.

i just had a nice chat with my colleague yesterday. i shared to him what happened and encouraged him to join the next screening if there will be (of course, there will be. this is too good a program to stop). i know he will grab the next opportunity and if he will not grab it, i will grab it for whoever is interested but i know basing from experience that he will be one of those who is the most interested.

there are other things i need to sort out but that training already gave me a headstart on whatever direction i need to take.

to our benefactors and to all those behind this, be assured that what i learned will not only be head knowledge and that it will not just stay within me. in fact, we already had an initial plan of when to have the 1st mentoring for a few teachers - yes, that will be before the end of May.

congratulations to all my co-smart mentors. let's live to what we have bitten.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Research

Super men is what i call this group. we took methods of research and statistics in just a half day. then made our thesis title and chapter 1 in the afternoon. tapos nagdefend sa gabi. wowoweeee. talagang supermen sila. (nakalimutan lang ilabas ang mga undies nila)

but i congratulate all of you people. galing niyo. sana totoo iyan forever para graduate tayo lahat sa Cebu next year. I really admire all of you. Be the best of who you are.

i learned a lot from this and i hope you did, too.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Day 9

Peer Mentoring and Conflict Management is a very needed topic which not only Smart Mentors will use but is applicable to everybody. I'm glad i had more time to be with myself a while ago. i had been in touch with myself, then with others. now, i realized i have more in my hands than just being a Smart Mentor.

Now, other things are cropping up. i'm worried about my action research but i know that with people who are willing to teach, i will be able to do it.

Day 8

Technology of Participation - It seems something foreign but looking at it deeply it had been a practice perfected by some in the earlier years but was given a name that seems so foreign to understand. I have nothing against what it is but i was not cleared on the fact of why it was called a technology of participation. What is clear to me though is its use - in fact, it's very flexible use.


it's only my second week of using a blog (thanks to Fr. Jomar for introducing it to us) and i am now enjoying its use. i am now starting some concrete plans on how to use it in my classes this school year and the years to come.

ORID and workshop methods are really needed not only by facilitators. It can also be applied in everyday life.

My mind is starting to digest most of the info that were able to be retained in my mind and now, things are becoming clearer. i hope then that i will be able to successfully finish all the requirements before i go home.