"Once" is Forever

My love, I wish you are here To give you my love and care So I can always feel better.

My love,

I promise you one thing:

To be my everything

No matter what happens.

My love,

I’ll always find a way,

To love you more each day

And always be here to stay.

My love,

I’ll choose nobody but you

To show my love that’s true

True, and just for you.

My love,

Please lend some time to hear

To you I always swear

My love will be forever.

My love,

For you I’ll never change

I’ll always grab the chance

To love you just for once.

My love,

Do not feel some fear

I’ll give you the “Once” care

Because that once is forever.

LOVE IN TEN LINES

 

LOVE IN TEN LINES

Love is not foolish;

Love is never selfish,

Because love always gives;

And love always forgives.

If you cannot love,

Love what you have

Because love is kind;

Yet love is blind.

So share your love –

The love you have.

How CELTA Changed my Pedagogical Perspective

Those who know and had experienced CELTA can relate to a positive change in their teaching career.

What does CELTA mean, by the way? It stands for Certificate of English Language Teaching for Adults. If you are a language teacher, it is your great advantage to earn a CELTA certificate because you can use it to apply for English teaching jobs abroad as some companies require such qualifications to teach English specifically to non-native English speakers.

Why take the CELTA course? 

If you aim to be a globally competitive English language teacher, the course is suitable for you. It can help you acquire the teaching job you desire to have. This intensive training usually lasts for a month where assignments and teaching practice are done. The best part of it is learning new teaching strategies in the ESL classroom and designing your own lesson to have a fun and interactive class.

How did this course change my pedagogical perspective?

Before the training, I knew that the course is not easy as there might be a lot of inputs, teaching practices, assignments, and re-submissions all throughout. What a trainee should be afraid of is to fail the training. It is an expensive course that one has to take seriously so as not to waste their money.

Sleepless nights

CELTA actually is my way of enhancing my language teaching skills and putting them into practice. As a language teacher, it is my advantage to have learned new techniques in language teaching and strategies to employ in the classroom. Injecting varied interactive activities where pair and group work occur is one of the lessons I learned during the training. Getting your students involved in the lesson without you being with them as they do the task is another way to make your lesson more student-centered. Of course, your monitoring and facilitating should always be present.

Teaching Practice

In this training, I found out that teacher talk should be lesser, regardless of the students' level. As a teacher, you have to be more aware of each of your student's language needs. Language grading is important. Your students' level varies, so you have to be conscious of the language you use to suit their needs as learners.

In addition, it is not always enough to make your students speak just by asking them conversation questions and letting them talk about them just to say that they are practicing their speaking skills. Actually, if one student speaks, another student waits which sometimes makes them bored and the lesson boring. Some students might get tired of answering those conversation questions. It is always better to do pair or group work.

Teaching Practice Materials

Giving of instructions that are not wordy is something that a language teacher should take note of. Clear and simple instructions are absolutely good. Instead of repeating them many times, ask ICQs (Instruction Checking Questions) to know if learners understand them. Conveying and checking the meaning of a target language is one of the hardest parts of teaching as you have to be more careful and aware of the meaning, pronunciation, and form. Asking CCQs (Concept Checking Questions) is the best way to convey the meaning including timelines which are sometimes difficult to explain if you are not knowledgeable of your target language.

My takeaway?

In the lesson, you should always have a clear focus, be it a language skill or a system. There are a lot of things to consider when teaching English to learners with various proficiency levels.

Before, I taught my students purely by asking questions and relying on handouts. Now, it all changed because of my CELTA experience. It is always best to undergo intensive training similar to this course.

BORROWED LOVE

 

There was a young woman from a faraway land

Who met an older man whom she first thought was bland

But when they got the chance to talk with each other,

Like blooming flowers, they were lovely together.

“Hi, I am Carter,” said the seductive old man.

“And I am May,” replied the beautiful woman.

They shared thoughts and out of the blue fell in love

And they believed that t’was a gift from above.

Backstabbers in ubiquity shackled their joy

Carter and May were embarrassed and a bit coy

And those obnoxious people drove them up the wall

But the shy lovers closed their minds to it at all.

The lovers stood still and held their hands together;

But oh, fault-finders always have time to bother.

Carter and May defied them; kept them at arm’s length

Because they lent each other strength.

They’ve been through storms, smiles and tears, warm and cold

And swore to be together until they grow old

Their fate was unkind and love was mean, however.

The love they vowed to death would be in vain, forever.

Time was really never kind to Carter and May

If they insisted, there was a devil to pay.

Be that as it may, but they are now worlds apart

Because once in their lives, they had each other’s heart.

Carter and May’s love story was like a movie

It ended thick and fast, like the scenes on TV

Those sad and happy times they shared will be treasured

The lovers’ scrounge, borrowed love was once rest assured.

Top 10 'Worth Watching' Movies When You're Bored

We all have different ways of treating ourselves for pleasure especially when we feel bored and got nothing to do. Some of us travel, others eat their favorite cuisine, and others just surf the internet. Some people also prefer to watch movies (I am one of those). 😅

When I feel bored, I browse the internet and check the latest movies on Youtube or on any other free websites. I like watching movies because they teach us life lessons that we can ponder on. Here are the top 10 of the best movies I have watched so far.

In this wonderful world, it is unusual for us to believe in the impossible. The tenth on my list is the movie The Impossible starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. It is a 2012 English-language Spanish disaster drama directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez. It is based on the experience of María Belón and her family in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. This movie made me believe that God really gives us the courage and strength to face the challenges that He gives us. It is a movie worth watching for because it can make you accept the beauty of life despite the difficulties and hardships.

Oh, it’s still unusual to believe in the impossible because Captain Phillips survived in an almost-death experience when he was hostaged by pirates in the Indian Ocean led by Abduwali Muse. Ninth on my list, Captain Phillips is a 2013 American biographical survival thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film is inspired by the true story of the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking. This movie makes you feel proud because of the courage shown by Captain Phillips. A true man of valor, he is Captain Phillips. Watch the trailer here.

Let’s pause for a while on those true stories of impossibility. Why don’t we laugh and cheer up as we watch Home Alone? It is eighth on my list and I am pretty sure you’ll love the concept of this movie as it is not just comedy but you can also learn lessons from it: the value of having a family and being wise when you’re alone. Home Alone is a series of family comedy films directed by Chris Columbus (1 & 2), Raja Gosnell (3), Rod Daniel (4), and Peter Hewitt (5). The first two films, Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), follow the adventures of a boy named Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) who, during the course of the film, gets burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) arrested by using booby traps. Imagine an 8-year old boy fighting with burglars. Isn’t it amazing? Would you like funny tricks to catch burglars? Watch Home Alone and you’ll learn from it. 

From comedy, let’s get back to impossibility. Would you consider yourself being on an island with just a tiger alone? Well, Pi didn’t. Seventh on my movie list is Life of Pi, which is a 2012 American adventure drama film based on Yann Martel‘s 2001 novel of the same name. This movie can touch your heart since the protagonist, Pi, needed to escape from the danger of being alone with the tiger. This film teaches us on how to be strong in spite of the storms that come our way, and Pi is one of the best examples of it because he did not surrender and he still trusted God all throughout his journey. This film also teaches us to be brave enough and accept the reality that things come and go and that our loved ones will never stay with us forever.

Well, we are talking here about being alone and survival. Chris Garner is also a survivor – a survivor from a hardship that he encountered in his life. He had hardships being a father, a husband, and a salesman. This movie is sixth on my list: The Pursuit of Happyness which was starred by Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith and gained appreciation from its viewers. This movie grabbed my heart and mind and it made me realize that life is never easy; we need to face the reality. Try watching this movie and relate it to your life. Compare your life with Chris’. Homeless, he still strived hard to give his son contentment and determination to continue their life even without wealth, because their wealth is each other.

Five down and we’re ready for the last five movies worth watching. From Chris Gardner’s son, we go to a special child who has a unique ability. Fifth on my list is the film Every Child is Special which made me cry. This movie will make you realize the importance of children and accept that they have flaws that are worth to be treasured. The film explores the life and imagination of Ishaan, an eight-year-old dyslexic child. Although he excels in art, his poor academic performance leads his parents to send him to a boarding school. Ishaan’s new art teacher suspects that he is dyslexic and helps him to overcome his disability. Watch this movie and you’ll know, we are all born with differences.

From heart-touching movies, we move on to the fourth movie worth watching – The Vow. It is based on the actual relationship of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, who wrote a book about their marriage, also known as The Vow. Ten weeks after their wedding on 18 September 1993, the couple was involved in a serious car accident. Krickitt suffered a brain trauma, which erased all memories of her romance with Kim as well as their marriage. Kim was still deeply in love with his wife, although she viewed him as a stranger after the accident. If you watch this movie, I am sure you’ll fall in love again and again. This is a story where love is never forgotten in one’s heart, even if everything was erased in one’s mind because of certain circumstances. Watch the trailer here.

Here we go with love again. The most famous love story of all time, Titanic which gained enormous appreciation from audiences around the world is the third on my list. This is a movie really worth watching for because love never gets old; memories never get old. Everybody can relate to Jack and Rose’s love story where heaven is never too far from land. This film will always capture your heart and will always remain in your thoughts. It will also make you fall in love and watch it over and over again.

Love stories aren’t just for lovers but also for friends. Second on my list is a story of friendship and love: 3 Idiots. A romantic comedy originated in India, it tells the story of three friends who were always screwed by their teachers and classmates because of their idiotic characteristics. But because of their pursuit to achieve success in spite of ignoring their true dreams for the fulfillment of their family’s dreams, they still made it to the point that they become successful in their careers. If you watch this movie again and again, you’ll be dignified with it and tell yourself that this movie is really worth watching because of different lessons in life. It caters to every individual’s characteristics and differences. 

We’re down with nine movies and the first on my movie list is The Notebook. Love also never gets old. It remains the same forever. This is proven by this love story that really caught my heart and made me cry. I wish I could have a love story like that. Starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel MacAdams, the film gained awards and recognition from its audience. It is a great love story of a poor young boy and a country girl who fell in love with each other but were destined to part ways because of real circumstances. Yet, their love wasn’t measured by time to fade, but it was measured to grow as years passed. This film taught me the lessons of love, and I’m sure you do if you watch this. A heart-wrenching movie, The Notebook is one of the bests. Here's the link to its trailer. 

There you have it. In fact, I still have a lot to share but I just keep them on my list. Watch, cry, laugh, be sentimental, react, critique, but learn. Got movies to share? Feel free to comment them here.

Lessons I Learned this Pandemic

This global pandemic was unexpected. Nobody knows when this will end. Nobody knows the certainty of its cure. This is a worldwide problem that it has been affecting everything in the world: economy, tourism, employment, health, education, family, life, and many more. Because of this, people have been struggling for survival. At the same time, we have realized some important things at this point in our life.

What has this global pandemic taught me?

For more than a year (as of this writing), we have been quarantined inside our company. This was decided prior to the government’s implementation of the local and national lockdown as part of our company’s precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the virus and to ensure the safety and health of the employees. It has been a good decision, I personally say. Because of this quarantine, I realized a lot of things.

1. Importance of Saving

Due to the rise of the COVID-19 cases, the lockdown has been continuously implemented. As a safety measure, we are still being quarantined inside our building. We have work, we earn. I realized that while you are earning, it is very important to save a little from your salary. This is not being too thrifty, but it is because we do not know where to get finances when the need arises. Many people outside have been unemployed for quite some time now, and they did not have any savings. They have not been earning any income that resulted to a financial struggle. Good thing, for us here, we still earn a monthly income.

• Value of family

Our family is one of the most important things in our life. We work to provide for them. Unfortunately, because of the lockdown, we needed to sacrifice being too far from them. If we do not work, we cannot provide the needs of our family. We cannot give them adequate basic needs. We work because we have family to feed. So, no matter how distant we are to them, it is fine. In addition, those who stay with their family can now see them every day. They can eat with them three times a day. They can spend time with them watching TV, listening to music, doing household chores, and other activities they can do for bonding. Family is always important.

• Friendship

The quarantine has served as a bridge to fill the gap among people who have different perspectives. As I have observed, many did not have the chance to build strong bond and create a harmonious relationship with other employees in our company. However, this quarantine united the two campuses. Our colleagues from both campuses found unexpected friendship and camaraderie. Others have found their special someone too.

• Time is precious

We cannot anticipate some circumstances that may occur in life. At this time of the pandemic, I realized that time is very important. If we can spend most of our time with the special people in our life, let’s not waste time. Making and giving our time to them at our free time are crucial because I personally observed that during these crises, some people lost their loved ones and cannot be with them until their last breath. Some of them are even deprived of the chance to see their loved ones (e.g. parents, brothers, etc.) for the last time due to transportation restrictions. This is a sad reality. That is why, while we have time, we must let them feel the love we have for them. We might not know what to happen next.

• Gratitude

Not all of us in the world are lucky enough to still be living amidst the crises we are going through. We are all blessed with what we have. Because you can still read this article, you are still alive. Because you can still communicate with your friends and family, you still breathe. Because you have a job, you still earn. Because you still earn, you still have food to eat. Because you don’t have complications, you are healthy. There are many people who do not experience the same experience we have now. There are children who cannot eat well because their parents cannot provide for them. There are elderlies who cannot sustain their old life because nobody can take care of them anymore, and nobody can feed them due to inadequacy of food. There are people who struggle to earn a living regardless of how big or small their income is. There are jobless people who continuously fight poverty because they lost their jobs. There are people who suffer from calamities but still continue to be hopeful and resilient despite the dreadful tragedy they have been going through. There are in fact a lot of things to be thankful for. This is not the time to complain because what we have right now is the dream of those who don’t have.

There are more aspects to realize, but the acts mentioned above are some of the most important. This pandemic taught me those things and I have been more resilient and more careful. I have been more aware of what is good and what is right; when to complain and when not; where to start and where to stop.

Famously said, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and there’s always a rainbow after the rain. Tomorrow will be another day; this global pandemic will soon vanish just like thin smoke in the air. The only powerful weapon we can use is prayer; and we can help one another if we start to discipline ourselves too. Let’s all be positive despite the negative around us.

My Thoughts: Here's How to Respond to People's “CONCEALED” Judgment About You

In today’s generation, it is inevitable not to be caught by people’s melting judgment about things we do. It has been a norm, I say, and it is getting worse day by day.

People around us tend to be more judgmental and easily conclude about something that has not been proven to be true. Their eyes speak, even if they don’t say a word. If they do, they are more figurative. Then they spread rumors without knowing the fact. Just because they heard something from others, they would construe it as a fact, but they don’t show it to you. Sometimes, we are being criticized secretly and we don't notice it until people around us change.

Have you ever had this kind of experience? If yes, how did you react? Like others, I also experienced it. It was not easy. People’s eyes were on you – staring at you like you are the dirtiest whore on earth. They talk about you behind your back but throw a fake smile in front of you. Because of that experience, I found some better responses to their judgment.

BE YOURSELF

I realized it is still best to be who you are no matter what people say about you. They don’t know you the way you know yourself. Whoever you are or whatever you do, just be consistent. If you are a happy person, stay happy. If you are a serious person, remain serious. If you are friendly, be friendly. But be careful who you befriend – they might be one of those who judge you. Just be yourself. You don't need to change yourself for people who don't appreciate you and accept you for who you are.

IGNORE THEM, WE ONLY LIVE ONCE

The more we buy criticisms, the more we get stressed. The tendency is, we can no longer focus on important things because we keep our eyes on people's thoughts. If we ignore them, or the things they say about us, we will have peace of mind. Imagine they don't exist in your world. We only live once in this world, so it's better to spend our time creating special bonds with those who are sincere to us and making more memories with them, and be happy.

LET THEM BE

People will always have something to say about us. There are some who are squeamish about what we do. They disapprove of the things that are not in their standard. We don't need to please them. Let them say bad about you. Let them think negatively about you. Let the question your decisions. Let them criticize you until they stop doing it. As long as you don't step on them, you are fine.

THEY DON'T FEED YOU

This has been one of my personal principles. It may seem funny but it's practical. You are in charge of yourself and you know it better than they do. You are the only person to feed yourself. Never eat the poison that most toxic people feed you. Anyway, you don't ask anything from them. You can stand on your own. Be still.

PROVOKE THEM

This may sound ironic but I think it's one way to tease people who do nothing but criticize. Those people have problems with themselves, not you. Do things that increase their anger, but remain cool by minding your own business. When you meet them, throw a sincere smile at them. They'd be more insecure or annoyed until they realize you don't have time for their insecurities.

EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY

Just remind yourself that everything in this world will not last long. The negativities we experience now will vanish at the right time. The criticisms we hear from others and their judgment will be forgotten. There is perfect timing for all.

NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS PERFECT

We are just human beings, we make mistakes and learn from them. We are not perfect, so do those who criticize us. They, too, are being criticized by others without them knowing. The fact is, we also do the same thing to them; worse is we even curse them to seek revenge. But this is not the solution. We have to understand them. They might be going through critical times. We can pray for them to be enlightened instead of revenge. We live in a cycle. Today may be our time to be judged, tomorrow might be theirs. It is just a matter of maturity and understanding.

Sometimes we don't recognize criticisms around us until we notice the change in people around us. The change in their perspective towards us leads us to a change in our beliefs about them too. We change our manner of understanding towards things. People change because people change.

Disclaimer: All contents are based on my personal views and experiences.