What is a blog? Twenty years ago, there was no such word. Ten years ago, the program "weblog" was invented, and was recognized as a technical term in the computer and Internet world that in five years, like every other online engines, or networking sites, it became famous.
The word blog, if explored, meant an online journal. No matter how many definitions it can come up with, it's just that. A diary free for everybody to read. Wow, 30 years ago, a diary is something so discreet, even if the writer wrote some amazing play of words, no one could ever find out. I am not instigating that people cannot keep a secret anymore, but i have read some amazingly ridiculous entries, including some from famous people, and i must say... maybe writing with an old fashioned pen and a notebook with a lock has really phased out. Or maybe we leave those to teenagers... (?)
Moving along, the modern day (say, a year to three years) blogger. No matter how simple the definition of the word "blog" is, its use has evolved into something else. It's not just a diary anymore, it's a page with interesting things to read. From comics to comedians, from an observing eye to the rantings of a madman (like me), useful information, news with their own point of view like a newspaper editorial, advertisements, and some are insensible things to post just because the writers have readers.
The blogger. Who, or what are these bloggers? Are they writers, desperate for an outlet because they have too much thoughts and they need a place to release all of it? Or they have no job and hope that a producer might take notice of their greatness online and hire them?Are these people blogging for the sake of showing off that they have a lot going on? That they have activities to "share" for everyone to see? No offense, but I'd rather read a blog with about five hundred words, than read a blog with about 150 words saying some nonsense with regards to an actor getting a new piercing on his hooha, or some lousy entries with exciting photos. If i wanted exciting photos i would just stay on my homepage engine and explore the entire everything for the day.
Getting lost, are these bloggers blogging for the sake of their readers? That they just type and post entries even if it isn't really relevant? Are they people with a beautiful sense matched with an amazing play of words. And there are bloggers like me, who rant and rave over insensible things, or current issues. Some judgemental and prejudiced. I personally prefer the prejudiced, because at least they are biased for a reason, judgementals are just people with very bad opinions.
But a blog is just a diary. As insensible as most entries are, they are still mostly diaries, of people with too much time in their hands, or people with Internet connections, or people who has the need to be popular with readers and followers. Not all of them can be called writers... because a writer can have about 400 to 500 words easy. Bloggers are just there to show something. And most of them less than 200 words, with pictures! Just so they can show everybody they have an interesting and colorful weblog.
Whatever. I'll make it a bit simpler... i hate insensible blogs. i read a lot, and in a place where there is a lot to read, a personalized point of view is as refreshing as an orange juice after eating roast beef.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
My Newly-Obtained Prejudice
... started a couple months ago. I have been fair my whole life. And judging isn't something i do very well.
I am a teacher, not by title, but by choice. I have been teaching since my high school days. After moving from private school to a public school in the Philippines midway through high school, i found something i could do with all the information stuck on my head, because I don't just read school books, i read everything. And one thing about me is that i cannot forget easily. Once i read it, it's stuck. My teachers discovered it (in HS public school), honed it, and set me to work everyday. Everyday has a different subject, making me miss my own classes, in return, i give my own. I never told my parents because i never tell them anything. But i found it fun, so i just kept on doing it even if most students (from higher section than mine) thought of me as a teacher's pet, a braggart, or simply a nerd. I don't care because i don't see any point of doing so...
And my best subjects were English, Health Ed and Citizen Advancement Training (CAT) lectures.
So over the years, since CAT is not a subject outside school (unless considering military), i continued teaching (or tutoring) English. From Kindergarten kids to high school. Basically anyone who needed some extra help when it comes to school work. I'm there, and eventually, at age 19, i found a job. A job teaching English to Koreans full time. Don't get the wrong impression.. i went to college. Management Information System was my major, but i didn't finish it. Financial problems. One may ask why i didn't take up Education, and i can answer that: My dad told me not to. Teaching does not get good money for what it's really worth, and that there are too many teachers in the world, and they don't get good money for it. I may have passion for it, but i have to think of its career path before engaging through.
So i didn't.
Moving along....
The irony of that situation where my folks didn't want me to take up Education as a major, i found a teaching post in a then small school. It's the same place i met my student-turned-boyfriend-turned-boss/fiance-to-husband. There's a story behind it, but here's not the place.
Fast Forward to: I got married to my Korean husband.
There i was, after my first baby, teaching (again) exclusively to a University Laboratory, to Masteral students who cannot afford to take extra English classes because of the price, and because they don't have much time. The thing with that class is that they can afford to hire me, I'm Asian! therefore, my teaching rate is considerably lower, much MUCH lower than native speakers. It lasted a year.
While having my second baby, i was a private tutor, to my husband's Elementary school nephews. Two of them. I thought they were doing me a favor, keeping my hands full, and earning extra cash at the same time... until we (my family and I) were invited for dinner at their family restaurant. I saw where they established their "raw fish" resto. It was in a place, surrounded by English 학원s!!! Again, the issue: they cannot afford to pay (during those times) a "Native Speaker" or in a 학원 because their resto just started.
That's okay, i mean, the Native speakers had been around longer than me in my teaching career. But right now, as i am observing, and since i have a new gig, i have developed a new sense of resentment to these Native Speakers. You may ask, who are these Native Speakers?
Here in Korea? They're recognized as the ones with white skin, and those who came from, US, Canada, Australia, Britain, Africa, and so on.
I can do a live and let live. Why not... but right now, i am teaching again to a new set of students, and the main reason i am teaching them is the same thing: The parents of the kids cannot afford to send their kids to an English school with a native speaker. And since my rate is lower, and it's a good way of earning a bit, i took it. We do not have a particular book, and their abilities are different from each other, and their needs different from one another, so my lessons are personalized. Everyday, i try to find a material, a lesson, a new trick to make sure the kids are learning something. My main source is the Internet, then some books, then some resources my friends send me. Since the English language evolves, changes, and extinguish words and parts of its grammar on a yearly basis, learning it is a nonstop process.
And here's why i cannot just live and let live: the discrimination against my kind, without considering our abilities, and judging us through stereotype. We're not all factory workers, or farmer's wives, or fisherman's wives. I can overlook the fact that the rate for Native speakers are 10 times more than our rate. Their economy is always better, and that they needed the money more. But right now, it's just too much.
See how twisted that is? And that is in a forum i joined a couple months back. They share good lesson plans, some interesting activities, although i NEVER used any of what was shared through. I mainly use my own compilations and own inventions. But what does this imply? That US, who can speak English, teach the language, cannot do the same exercise because as it stated: NATIVE SPEAKER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...?
I'm not yet done. Last year, the current Korean President released a statement that English teachers should only be Native Speakers, those who came from those countries i mentioned. I get that these Koreans wanted to learn good English, but how good can they HONESTLY say these Natives are? They're on Korean TV, making mistakes that are easy to overlook because their skin colors speak for themselves. I cannot see any qualified Asian teacher who, if they made the same mistake, won't get fired, or go unnoticed.
I read The Korea Herald, an English newspaper, and it has this section: The expat's corner... and it makes me wonder: How come the only contributors that i read about are mostly those labeled as "Native Speakers"? If i submit an article, or if another Asian submits an interesting article about Korea, or Korea living, or anything, will it pass through?
We shall see. My message for Koreans: We're better than you think. We have tricks up our sleeves on how to learn this language that you desperately need, without the complication of an accent.
My message for Native Speakers: You're not all that. You make mistakes worse than us. We're also not all that either, but we're trying to coexist together. Anyway, the market is big, and you don't have to discriminate us over and over again.
Oh, there's more. It's just getting really late, and i have an early day tomorrow.
I am a teacher, not by title, but by choice. I have been teaching since my high school days. After moving from private school to a public school in the Philippines midway through high school, i found something i could do with all the information stuck on my head, because I don't just read school books, i read everything. And one thing about me is that i cannot forget easily. Once i read it, it's stuck. My teachers discovered it (in HS public school), honed it, and set me to work everyday. Everyday has a different subject, making me miss my own classes, in return, i give my own. I never told my parents because i never tell them anything. But i found it fun, so i just kept on doing it even if most students (from higher section than mine) thought of me as a teacher's pet, a braggart, or simply a nerd. I don't care because i don't see any point of doing so...
And my best subjects were English, Health Ed and Citizen Advancement Training (CAT) lectures.
So over the years, since CAT is not a subject outside school (unless considering military), i continued teaching (or tutoring) English. From Kindergarten kids to high school. Basically anyone who needed some extra help when it comes to school work. I'm there, and eventually, at age 19, i found a job. A job teaching English to Koreans full time. Don't get the wrong impression.. i went to college. Management Information System was my major, but i didn't finish it. Financial problems. One may ask why i didn't take up Education, and i can answer that: My dad told me not to. Teaching does not get good money for what it's really worth, and that there are too many teachers in the world, and they don't get good money for it. I may have passion for it, but i have to think of its career path before engaging through.
So i didn't.
Moving along....
The irony of that situation where my folks didn't want me to take up Education as a major, i found a teaching post in a then small school. It's the same place i met my student-turned-boyfriend-turned-boss/fiance-to-husband. There's a story behind it, but here's not the place.
Fast Forward to: I got married to my Korean husband.
There i was, after my first baby, teaching (again) exclusively to a University Laboratory, to Masteral students who cannot afford to take extra English classes because of the price, and because they don't have much time. The thing with that class is that they can afford to hire me, I'm Asian! therefore, my teaching rate is considerably lower, much MUCH lower than native speakers. It lasted a year.
While having my second baby, i was a private tutor, to my husband's Elementary school nephews. Two of them. I thought they were doing me a favor, keeping my hands full, and earning extra cash at the same time... until we (my family and I) were invited for dinner at their family restaurant. I saw where they established their "raw fish" resto. It was in a place, surrounded by English 학원s!!! Again, the issue: they cannot afford to pay (during those times) a "Native Speaker" or in a 학원 because their resto just started.
That's okay, i mean, the Native speakers had been around longer than me in my teaching career. But right now, as i am observing, and since i have a new gig, i have developed a new sense of resentment to these Native Speakers. You may ask, who are these Native Speakers?
Here in Korea? They're recognized as the ones with white skin, and those who came from, US, Canada, Australia, Britain, Africa, and so on.
I can do a live and let live. Why not... but right now, i am teaching again to a new set of students, and the main reason i am teaching them is the same thing: The parents of the kids cannot afford to send their kids to an English school with a native speaker. And since my rate is lower, and it's a good way of earning a bit, i took it. We do not have a particular book, and their abilities are different from each other, and their needs different from one another, so my lessons are personalized. Everyday, i try to find a material, a lesson, a new trick to make sure the kids are learning something. My main source is the Internet, then some books, then some resources my friends send me. Since the English language evolves, changes, and extinguish words and parts of its grammar on a yearly basis, learning it is a nonstop process.
And here's why i cannot just live and let live: the discrimination against my kind, without considering our abilities, and judging us through stereotype. We're not all factory workers, or farmer's wives, or fisherman's wives. I can overlook the fact that the rate for Native speakers are 10 times more than our rate. Their economy is always better, and that they needed the money more. But right now, it's just too much.
Comics & Cartoons:
* Native Speaker introduces the concept of comics and cartoons. 5 minutes.
* Native Speaker defines the difference between a comic and a cartoon. 5 minutes.
* Native Speaker performs Comic or Cartoon activity. 10 minutes.
See how twisted that is? And that is in a forum i joined a couple months back. They share good lesson plans, some interesting activities, although i NEVER used any of what was shared through. I mainly use my own compilations and own inventions. But what does this imply? That US, who can speak English, teach the language, cannot do the same exercise because as it stated: NATIVE SPEAKER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...?
I'm not yet done. Last year, the current Korean President released a statement that English teachers should only be Native Speakers, those who came from those countries i mentioned. I get that these Koreans wanted to learn good English, but how good can they HONESTLY say these Natives are? They're on Korean TV, making mistakes that are easy to overlook because their skin colors speak for themselves. I cannot see any qualified Asian teacher who, if they made the same mistake, won't get fired, or go unnoticed.
I read The Korea Herald, an English newspaper, and it has this section: The expat's corner... and it makes me wonder: How come the only contributors that i read about are mostly those labeled as "Native Speakers"? If i submit an article, or if another Asian submits an interesting article about Korea, or Korea living, or anything, will it pass through?
We shall see. My message for Koreans: We're better than you think. We have tricks up our sleeves on how to learn this language that you desperately need, without the complication of an accent.
My message for Native Speakers: You're not all that. You make mistakes worse than us. We're also not all that either, but we're trying to coexist together. Anyway, the market is big, and you don't have to discriminate us over and over again.
Oh, there's more. It's just getting really late, and i have an early day tomorrow.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The End of an Era
For the longest time i had never liked my birthday. I like the day itself with the unluckiest number 13. I had my reason: IT’S A SCHOOLDAY. Quite embarrassing, actually, to have classmates badger you for a party, or for a “blow-out” or something. I don’t even get presents for it! I never liked presents too, simply because it feels like a bribery so you would be a good girl for the coming year. It sounds silly, but since i had been, REALLY thinking like that.
However, i also thought of celebrating my birthday, but ONLY a couple times, and those are the years that are significant. 18 is not significant so i didn’t really celebrate it. I chose: 24, 33, and 45. I don’t know if i would still alive after those years, we’ll never know, but those years are significant to me.
I’m turning 24 this Saturday! The year i have been waiting since i was 13. Way back then i only thought 24 is the MOST exciting year of being single. When i turned 15, i found out that it’s the year when i actually am considered an adult and beyond my parent’s control legally. When one turns 18 you only get adult privileges. At 24 you get to do all. *evil grin*… and at this day i want to celebrate it with a BANG!
Unfortunately, i am not able to celebrate it at all. See, at age 20, i ran away (or eloped, for a more appropriate term) because i was pregnant, and i got married. I made that decision, don’t ask me why, but i did. But still. i want to celebrate this year with a bang. Last year i thought of flying back to the Philippines so i can celebrate with a few friends, but then, i had my second baby, which eliminates all the possibilities of celebrating with a few friends EVER. But i never gave up, and i still want to celebrate it because it’s one of the few birthdays i HAVE been looking forward to. But there is just NO WAY on earth that my parents will fly here (we’re still not speaking), or to see my friends, or to simply have a get-together all for my own. So i told my manong, let’s just dine out that day, with my kids, and my in-laws.
So i started planning, i wanted to look fabulous that day! When is that day gonna be? A weekday… a weekend, doesn’t matter. I said i want to and that’s THAT…. I’ll lose a couple pounds so can fit my blue dress perfectly, i’m growing my hair so i can do it properly, i took care of my nails so it won’t be too long or too short, AND not chipped. So when is it going to be? I don’t like my birthdays but this one, even if i’m nervous (surprised?), should be just perfect. So when is it?
A month ago, i checked the calendar so i know what day my birthday will land on. I laughed, and i was sooo nervous i even called Jocelyn because i was freaked out. In fairness to God, to what i have been looking forward to for the longest time, i AM going to celebrate that day with a bang… together with the entire clan of my husband… and the entire country at that.
EVERYONE: my birthday landed on a national holiday, their THANKSGIVING DAY. Now there’s the bang i’m looking for (^__^)…
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Grrr...
dig this... MY original blog site had been cleaned. Just when i'm about to share a very cute and USEFUL word compilation!
SO, there. i sent a complaint... HOPEFULLY i'd get my old ORIGINAL blog. wish me luck!
SO, there. i sent a complaint... HOPEFULLY i'd get my old ORIGINAL blog. wish me luck!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
expat; what's the catch?
Main Entry:
-
- 1ex·pa·tri·ate
- Pronunciation:
- \ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt\
- -ˈspā-trē-ˌāt\
- Function:
- verb
- Inflected Form(s):
- ex·pa·tri·at·ed; ex·pa·tri·at·ing
- Etymology:
- Medieval Latin expatriatus, past participle of expatriare to leave one's own country, from Latin ex- + patria native country, from feminine of patrius of a father, from patr-, pater father
- definiton:
- to withdraw (oneself) from residence in or allegiance to one's native country
- to leave one's native country to live elsewhere; also : to renounce allegiance to one's native country
Then i encountered this newspaper, and it has a page entitled: The Expat's page. i already know what an expat is, what it means, its etymology, HOWEVER, if it were applicable to me or not was the question that caught me. My whole life i never imagined me to go somewhere else abroad, much less live far, far away. Now i find myself almost three years in Korea., AND married.
If we were to take the definition given by Webster, and thru it's latin derivation, then i am considered an expat. Here's the catch: i'm married. And here's another catch: i'm female. Is the title expat ONLY for single foreigners who had decided to live abroad? Or for male foreigners with native wives who had not yet decided to change their citizenships? Or those foreigners who had changed their citizenships? There's also this ridiculously ludicrous idea that ONLY white people, or those from the western hemisphere are considered expats!
Complicated, huh? but lemme get one thing straight: i'm a Filipino National, because i'm still a Filipino citizen living in Korea. We're still debating on whether i'll be changing nationalities or not. Meanwhile, i just gave you something to think about. =)
have a great day!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Expat's Corner; my own review
I just finished reading the latest article on The Korean Herald regarding the Expat's corner. For weeks i have been trying to get a hold of these bloggers, because for one, it's like reading an online editorial (which, i might say, is my second favorite page on newspapers), and two; i'd like to see if they really are as smart as they preach themselves to be.
This will take long, with two kids, and a house to manage, i would read their articles one at a time.
So maybe no one would read this, or maybe someone would, i don't care. But i will say this one more time; i may be young and reckless, but i'm not stupid. And i'm certainly not the one who usually backs down.
This will take long, with two kids, and a house to manage, i would read their articles one at a time.
So maybe no one would read this, or maybe someone would, i don't care. But i will say this one more time; i may be young and reckless, but i'm not stupid. And i'm certainly not the one who usually backs down.
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