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I was never a Michael Jackson fan so on his sudden death, people were much more affected than I was. When I received the text message from my mother saying that the King of Pop suffered cardiac arrest, I let out a gasp, shrugged, and then put my cell phone away. After all, how much impact did he really have? He hasn’t made music in a while.

But as the day progressed, I was wrong. Fans of Michael Jackson started popping up. Even in school, people started opening their iTunes and played their dusty Jackson albums. They knew him for his music whereas I knew him because of his radical physical transformation.

To get into the hype, I started listening to his songs, downloading them off the internet. I found one that struck me so much I became a Jackson fan in an instant. The song sends so much message that I hope people would listen to this as much as they listen to “Beat it” and “Thriller.”

Here are some lines from the song “Man In The Mirror.”

I’m Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It’s Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin’ My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer’s Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man’s Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya’ Know
‘Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That’s Why I Want You To
Know

I’m Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I’m Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,
Na Nah)

Posted in Reflections, What's In | 1 Comment »

I wish I had a book that never ends. I would read it and read it, flipping through its infinite pages. I won’t ever stop. I would read during breakfast, I’ll hold it with one hand while I chomp on some toast with the other. I’d splash some coffee on it, accidentally of course, but my eyes remain glued to to the text as I wipe the soggy pages. I’d bring it to school, hiding it discreetly behind my school books. I’d take it to the bathroom, to meetings, to dates. I’d carefully tuck it under my pillow as I fall asleep dreaming about the new friends I made—princesses, knights, fairies, and even animals. I’d wake up and the day repeats itself, I would read during breakfast, I’ll hold it with one hand while  I chomp on, today, cereal with the other, I’d splash some juice on it, accidentally of course, but my eyes remain glued to the text as I wipe the soggy pages. I’d bring it to school, hiding it discreetly behind my school books. I’ll only pretend to listen to my teachers. Before I fall asleep, I’d carefully tuck it under my pillow, thinking of my new friends of unicorns and mermaids. It’s the same old day but with a different adventure.

The end, sighing, I close the book I am holding. I peered at my phone, the hopeful little envelope icon wasn’t there. Maybe it is broken, I daresay. My planner is open, only to see blank pages for days and days. The mailbox is empty. My special jar for roses contains only water.

There is no never-ending book. There is only… life.

Posted in Etcetera, Reflections | No Comments »

My nephew is turning a year old. One year! Turning one is a major milestone, and I could not wait to find the perfect gift for him.

His mom, my sister, gave me some advice on that kind of gift to give to Peyton. Her conditions were that it must be educational, foster creativity, stimulate his intellect, engage his attention, and challenge him—all without frustrating him. Apparently, these are the ingredients to create a super baby.

Some people scoff at the toy industry, saying that it is just another way for the toy companies to get rich while fooling parents about the need to have different toys for their kids. Yet I realized that playing doesn’t make sense only to adults. To play means to lose oneself-to explore and to test the environment without fear of judgment. Maybe if we all played more, the world would be a less stressful place!

When children play, they may not know that it serves a purpose. To them, it is just a way to make noise and have fun. But researchers have found that play is essential for a child’s development. It is through play that children get to know the world around them. Learning does not begin and end with books and numbers; it does not have to be boring. Through play, children learn how to communicate, express themselves, and concentrate—all of which are important tools that can help them deal with the world they live in. Toys are similar the world over because researchers have discovered that while children are young, they all play in the same way. It is only when children begin understanding culture and society rules that play can change.

Summer is over but the store still had a stack of inflatable rafts, lifevests, and floaties on display. It’s probably too late to get him these toys since his swimming classes are over. The classes also employed play as a tool to keep the kids engaged. Teachers would sing nursery rhymes as they moved across the water, play ball with water toys, and crawl through a floating tunnel.

With my research in hand, I continued my search for Peyton’s gift, shaking my head at the pricey ones. There were a lot of stacking toys available, but Peyton had those already. There were some ride-on toys there which I knew would help give him better coordination and balance, strengthen his leg muscles and foster independence as he learns to move around on his own but they cost an arm.

Babies at 12 months also love to bang things together and make lots of noise. But then, my sister and brother in law would surely not thank me if I gave Peyton more toys that he can create a ruckus with. He can do that just as easily with a spoon and a bowl.

Wooden toys would add to his collection but they were more expensive than plastic toys, while playtime DVD’s are too long. He would not sit still for those. I shook my head.

Toys that teach object permanence might be useful. Object permanence is knowing that an object or a person is still there even though it is out of sight. A jack-in-the-box is the perfect example of this type of toy. Unfortunately, the store was out of stock.

Peyton is also proud of the physical milestones he’s achieved, showing this by looking at us and clapping his hands each time he does a particular feat. He enjoys pushing buttons and knowing that every time he does something, another thing happens.

There are so many choices and a lot of things to think of when buying a toy for my soon-to-be one year old nephew.

My head hurt and I’m dizzy from going around the toy store. Finally I did what any sane person and loving aunt would do.

I got him a gift certificate.

Posted in Etcetera | 1 Comment »

Employee to Supervisor: Boss, leav po k 2day. May skit anak k. Tnx.
Lover to Lover: I thnk we shd c odr ppl.
Bully to Nerd: Ppl wil knw wat knd of persn u r if u dnt giv me ur baon 2m.

For a country that is now being known as the text capital of the world, there is a need to be wary when it comes to abuse of texting.

According to txt2nite.com, texting was initially used for business. It was an efficient way of sending short emergency messages. Yet, as the technology became more widespread and advanced, cellphones became cheaper to purchase, and texting became more widely available.

Texting was initially created for ease and cost-efficiency in terms of communication. Yet now, the opposite seems to be happening, and more people are being lured into its dark and seductive world.

When World Wrestling Entertainment Superstar John Cena visited the country, he first noted that he has never seen so many people with cellphones glued to their hands. For whatever reason-connection with family, friends (and even strangers) or as a status symbol, the cellphones in the Philippines have shifted from being a luxury to a necessity.

The use and abuse of text messaging is rampant. In many cases, it has replaced the intimacy and more personal approach of meeting people face to face. Its cheapness, especially with the rise of unlimited texting, demeaned even the less intimate approach of calling. True, texting works for short messages (that is what it was meant for) but now, people conduct whole conversations through it. A friend mentioned that she uses texts to contact people, but once a conversation starts, she calls the person up. Probably because she can attest that nuances, such as tone and nonverbal signals, are lost when reading a text.

The world of texting has a language of its own. Timothy Shanahan, president of the International Reading Association, says the popularity of texting promotes an appreciation for reading. True, some people may be more inclined to read a message from a loved one than watch television or play video games. But, what about the art of writing? In order to capitalize on the inexpensive aspect of texting, messages are cramped into 160 characters, thus necessitating the removal of some letters in each word. The final attempts at emotions such as smileys and emoticons may be compromised, leaving dry messages left for the receiver to interpret.

A study done in Brigham Young University suggested that people tend to text if the risk of rejection or hurt is great such as dumping, breakups, and even as simple as asking for a date. Through text, rejection is easier to shrug off; the texter cannot show how affected one is. But, what about the recipient of that message? Texting is easier because it’s easier to ignore that there is another person (or persons) involved in these sensitive cases. There’s no one to look in the eye.

Sometimes, it is not an issue of pride but of cowardice. Through texting, one argues with loved ones, stalk crushes, bully inferiors, break up. It should not be a matter of spineless , or even laziness, but a matter of etiquette. The rule of thumb should be-personal issues should be resolved through face to face interaction, not through the phone, not through email, and certainly, not through text.

Posted in Etcetera | No Comments »

For the past year, I haven’t had much contact with my best friends from high school, even the one who also went to my college. I always had an excuse for not hanging out with them—I had a date, I had a family thing, I had a test, I had this and that.

Recently, when I was undergoing a bad time, I blogged about my experience—this was to avoid upsetting and unnecessary questioning. Sadly, it was through this blog and through the gossip grapevine, where my friends found out. My friend replied to my blog almost immediately suggesting that we talk later that day. Soon, our other friend texted saying that she was coming all the way from Taft. By the time night came, the four of us were reunited again. I haven’t seen most of them since February because I’d been too wrapped up around my own little world.

During my good times, I failed to be with them. I was happy. But they were still there during the bad. In fact, I kind of feel bad because every time I would get a hint of sadness, I’d quickly text them and we would go out, have dinner, or watch a movie. I’d also constantly rag them with my fluctuating emotions. It’s not just the four of them. Nearly all my friends came to my aid when I needed them most, armed with advice, distraction, and love. My family, whom I’ve poured all my moodiness and grouchiness, helped me rise again.

If there is one good thing that came out of this, I realized who my true friends are. I realized who say they care and who actually care. I gave too much and when I had nothing left, my friends gave me something.

Posted in Etcetera, Red-Letter Days, Relationships | 2 Comments »