Poinsettia

It was very delightful when I saw our poinsettia in our backyard and its leaves were turning red. After a year of being plain and green, this lovely plant boast its beauty. A Christmas plant indeed!

Happy Holidays!!!

One thing I missed during this season is the "Karoling" (Christmas Carol). When I was a kid, we used to go karoling in our village. We are making our homemade instruments like the kalansing and the drums. Come six o'clock in the evening make way for the carolers to scram through the houses, singing different Christmas carols along the streets. After the karoling, we are dividing the money we got. Its quite relieving, reminiscing these treasures of youth. Below is a picture of the kalansing, a homemade drum (made out of a can of milk plus a stick) and later on, a guitar we're using.




Here's a sample of the Christmas Carol medley we used to sing:

Kay sigla ng gabi ang lahat ay kay saya
Nagluto ang ate ng manok na tinola
Sa bahay ng kuya ay merong litsunan pa
Ang bawat tahana'y may handang iba't-iba

Tayo na giliw, magsalo na tayo
Meron na tayong tinapay at keso
Di ba noche buena sa gabing ito?
At bukas ay araw ng pasko.

Sa paskong... darating...
Santa Klaws mo'y ako rin...
Pagkat kayong lahat ay naging masunurin.
Dadalhan... ko kayo...
Ng mansanas at ubas.
May kendi at tsokolate
Peras, kastananyas na marami
Sa araw ng pasko
Wag nang malulumbay
Ipagdiwang ang araw
Habang nabubuhay.

Thank you! Thank You!
Ang babait ninyo!
Thank you!

This is one of the Filipino traditions and a youthful experience that I will always reminisce during this season. Sad to say that, this tradition is deteriorating nowadays. =(

Dito sa Veranda

Habang lumalalim ang gabi,
Lalong hindi mapakali
Masilayan lang ang iyong ngiti
Ikaw ay hihintayin anumang sandali.

Kung mga tala lamang ang tanging tanglaw,
At ang gabi'y lalong mapanglaw,
Hinihintay na ikaw ay matanaw
Pagkat sa aking puso, laman ay ikaw.

Dito sa veranda ako ay nakatunghay
Kahit mga mata ay tumatamlay,
Kalaban ma'y antok, diwa ay binubuhay,
'Pag di ka nasilayan, ako'y malulumbay.

Ligaya ka ng buhay ko
Ikaw ang tibok ng aking puso
Matagal nang ramdam ito,
Puso ko'y sadyang binihag mo.

Nagkasya nalang sa pagtingin
Pagkat imposibleng ika'y mapasaakin,
Langit at lupa man ang agwat natin,
Pag-ibig mo'y dinadalangin pa rin.

Nakaupo hanggang bukang-liwayway
Dito sa veranda ako'y nakaantabay
Sa iyong mga ngiti, bati at kaway
Aking pag-asa ay nagkakaron ng kulay.

Dito sa veranda ako'y liligaya
Pagkat dito tayo madalas magkita.
Dito sa veranda kita hihintayin,
Nang ang iyong puso'y mapasaakin.

Dito sa veranda... Ligaya...

An Epitaph for Papa

A man who lived a life of righteousness,
Showed the world nothing but cheer and kindness,
A faithful army of God 'til his last breath
As his legacy remains, we'll do the rest.

How do airplanes fly?

When I was a kid, I wanted to become a pilot. I was so amazed whenever I saw an airplane cruising up in the sky. A lot of questions keep bugging my mind. If it carries passenger, then it may be as huge as a bus, a train or even larger, then how can it fly? Out of curiosity, a lot of children would always ask their parents “How do airplanes fly?” Most of the time, the parents would give a wrong answer, “Airplanes fly because they have engines which makes them fly.” This has been the misconception of a lot of people, I also thought that way before. Yes, it may be a factor, but it is not the reason why airplanes fly.

Now that I am studying about airplanes, I can somehow answer my queries about them. If a child would ask me how airplanes fly, I’ll let him look at a flying bird and ask him how does a bird flies, the very simple answer would be, “Because they have wings.” Same way with an airplane, it flies because of its wings. The engine, whether a propeller or a jet, doesn’t make the airplane fly, it produces thrust but never produces lift.

Take for example a kite. To start flying a kite, the flyer has two options: 1. Run quickly while pulling the kite as it flies up opposing the wind and 2. Let someone throw the kite up in the air as the flyer pulls the string. The pulling of the string accelerates the movement of the kite which generates thrust. This thrust, then, produces lift as it opposes the direction of the wind which pushes the kite upwards. The flyer may then loosen the string to release tension and to increase its altitude, fairly enough to control the stability of the kite. Without enough wind or air, the kite will sink or stall. Like a kite, an airplane also deals with different forces acting on it in order to fly and relies greatly on the relative wind.

Technically Speaking…

In order to understand what makes an airplane fly, he must know the basic concept of the Theory of Flight, particularly about Aerodynamics, which came from the Greek words aerios which means air and dynamis which means force. Thus, aerodynamics is a study of forces and motions of objects through air. There are four aerodynamic forces acting on an airplane during its flight, they are: (A)lift, (B)thrust, (C)weight and (D)drag. These forces were acting perpendicularly along the Center of Gravity (C.G.) of an aircraft. The pilot deals with these forces during flight. See the figure below.



For a level flight, it is assumed that lift is equal to the weight, while the thrust is equal to the drag. In order to climb, lift must be greater than the weight. Hence, lift is directly proportional with the altitude; as lift increases the altitude increases, thus creating a climb. On the other hand, when thrust is greater than the drag, the airplane speeds up; while a decrease in thrust would make the airplane slow down.

Understanding the effects of these forces on the stability and control of an airplane let us now investigate on their nature and how are they produced. To start with; is the weight; the simplest yet the very important factor in flying an aircraft, all of the other forces depend greatly on the weight. It is the gravitational pull of the aircraft towards the center of the earth. In order to fly, a flyer must overcome or overpower the weight of an aircraft. Next is the thrust or the forward force of an airplane. It is produced by the engine or – most of the time – called the powerplant of an airplane. It may be a jet or a propeller. The engine, literally, sucks air from the environment. This air is very massive, such that, it has the power to move the airplane forward. This determines the propulsion system of an airplane. The more power produced by the engine, the more it produces thrust. Next would be the drag or the force that pulls the airplane backwards. We can correlate it with friction. This force can be determined by the structure of an airplane and its design. Any blockage or disturbance of air flowing along the surface of an airplane will produce drag, reacting inversely on the thrust. And lastly is the most vital and very important force is the lift. Without lift, the airplane will not fly. Lift must be greater than the weight of the airplane so that it will ascend. It can be produced by the wings and depends greatly on the wing’s airfoil characteristics and design. The pilot can increase lift by retracting the wing flaps down and increasing the throttle setting, or the thrust, at the same time. This is very important during take-off to lift the airplane off the ground.

This is the basic concept on how airplanes fly. In a very simple, yet factual way, an airplane fly because of the forces acting on it, most especially the lift, which was entailed by the upward force of the wind acting on the airplane’s wings. This action pushes the airplane upwards, which causes it to fly.

ADIOS! MY LOVE

Thanks for the laughter we've shared
All the times you showed that you cared.
Through the years we've been together
I never felt like I'm no other.

All the times that I'm with you
Completed my life but you never knew.
For we only knew that forever
We will share this happiness together.

Though rough winds shake my day
Still, you're here and made me feel okay.
You shared your shoulder for me to cry on
And showed me your loving attention.

We've always thought it would last
For a lifetime we won't be apart.
Fate's been unkind for both of us,
All the bliss ended in just a blast.

I can't decipher if it's God's will
Never believe it was for real
All I thought it was just a dream
That when I woke up, you'll be here.

But the dream seem so long and endless
It's like you're lost in the wilderness.
I am sure you'll never come back
In an instance you missed your luck.

If only I could summon Death!
To bring your life back on earth.
If only I could I'll really do...
My life has no worth without you.

We never had the chance to bid goodbye
To end this heartache in just a sigh
I know you also feel the pain
You're also crying like rain.

Sometimes I wanted to ask God,
Why did He let this happen?
But I have no right to question Him why
For all we have is a borrowed life.

God is waiting for you, above
Farewell to you my love...

Pay it forward

I remembered yesterday while I was filling up the form as I signed up for this blogsite, about my favorite movies. One of my favorite movies is PAY IT FORWARD. This movie is very idealistic in turning the world into a peaceful one, where everybody shares, loves, and generous with each other. If only the viewers can absorb and internalize the message of the movie, it is not impossible to have peace in this world.

Pay it forward; it is the formula one can use in order to spread generosity, love and peace on earth. If you received a favor or anything from someone, then pay it forward, not with whom you received the favor but to other people who need your help. It is like a networking where you have to outsource or to connect with other people, thus creating a bigger network, a network of kind, loving and generous people. Here is my experience earlier relating to this topic.

This afternoon, while I was in a hurry going to school (that was about 12:30 PM), I haven’t ate breakfast even if it’s already lunchtime and I am really starving but I have no time to waste because I have to attend an orientation at 1pm. So I decided to buy the usual brownies from a vendor at the MRT (a rail transit) station so that I have something to eat as I alight the train. When I was on the train, I was thinking of what shall I write for my blog, lot of things came into my mind. Then we arrived at Taft Ave station, I rode a bus, still thinking of a good topic for my first formal post (since I had a warm-up post this morning as I signed up). My mind being pre-occupied, I forgot the feeling of hunger because of the excitement of writing a blog.

Then I alight from the bus at the waiting shed near the airport and waited for my last ride going to school. As I was waiting, I noticed this old man, a beggar with his old gray hair, the cracks of his thick yellowish skin was very eminent, and his mouth was half-opened breathing softly, his eyes closed while his old face makes an aura of weary and hunger. He was lying on the dusty floor. His hand is open and waiting for alms. My heart was very touched by this scenario, I realized that I am still lucky because my hunger will not last that long as what this old man is living with. Few people were also there standing at the waiting shed, waiting for their ride, but none of them seem to notice the old man (or they were just ignoring him?), and I was staring at him, thinking of how could I help him. I am not rich and I am just a student, I don’t have enough money to give, how could I help this old man? I was really pity, yet guilty.

Then I looked at may bag and saw the brownies that I bought. Without a second thought I got it from my bag and handed it over him. He was very surprised and suddenly got up; he seated and laid his back on the pillar of the shed. As he opened the packaging of the brownies, his eyes were at glow, for the thought of having something to fill his stomach. No words came from his mouth. The brightness in his eyes was already a sign of gratitude, that he was pleased with what I gave him. The people around seemed touched; guilty perhaps as they saw how the old man appreciates the little brownies I gave. One by one, they got something from their bags to give the old man. A not-so-old lady, who looked like a teacher, gave him a pack of biscuits; then a sales lady gave him a pack of juice. Maybe they also realize that they too can help even with those little ways of generosity. As I was riding the FX taxi, I was very happy that somehow I’ve helped this man and has been an instrument to wake up the people around, that we also have social responsibilities to our less fortunate brethren.

One of the principles in life my late father taught me is to live by the golden rule. He would always remind me, “Do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you… Always think: what if you were in his place? What would you feel?” If we were at the shoe of the old man (although he doesn’t have shoes, lol), how would we feel, being ignored by the passersby, that all we want is just something to eat? Most of us never realized that we were very fortunate that we are able and capable of having the life we’ve always wanted. And never did we know that sharing just “a bit” of these blessings would certainly help and make others happy.

Christmas is near and it is the season of sharing. May we share the blessings and the favors God has given us, to those who were out of our network; to someone we don’t know and especially to someone who’s in great need. Pay it forward. Happy Holidays.

ENGLISH PLUS IS A PLUSH

I admit that I am not fluent in English, especially through oral communication and I know most of us do. Not only the Pattseans are experiencing this deficiency but most of the college students, especially those who doesn’t have a strong foundation in English language during their high school. Having such difficulty would also mean a lesser opportunity in landing on their dream job. This might be the reason why the school administration has implemented and added the English Plus Program, a required additional subject for all graduating students and should be taken as part of the requirements for graduation, by hook or by crook.

We don’t have enough knowledge regarding this program. It is just surprising that all graduating students were required to enroll the subject, amounting Php3,500 which should be paid upon enrollment (in full). Well, a very huge amount of money to be paid in such an ambush! I don’t know if this program is mandatory as required by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), but still it is very expensive.

Well, is English Plus really a plus or just a plush? On the brighter side of it, it is very beneficial to the students to improve their English language. BUT, is it really effective? Or is it just another English subject taken for granted? For a 40-hour-long English course, is it really possible to make these students fluent in English? Or might as well enroll in a call center training academy who offers English proficiency for only Php1,995,or even lower, and can be paid in cash or installment basis. They also provide kits for references and exercises. And such training is more feasible to transform their students to speak in English fluently and might as well help them find a job, nonetheless, in call center industry (it might be very far from the aviation course, but at least, practically it is better than being unemployed). However, it is the English proficiency training we are most concerned.

Indeed, why is it necessary to enroll a single English course to improve our English proficiency, the fact that we have five or even six English subjects enrolled as part of our curriculum? That only proves that those English subjects we have taken were useless. Useless in the sense that we have to take another English program just to cover up the defect of those English subjects that should have improved our English proficiency. The sad thing, we have to pay for it!

Under the present economic crisis, it is very untimely to require the graduating students to enroll such course. It would be very pleasant to make it optional, rather than mandatory. Anyway it is just an additional subject. Taking the course might be an advantage for those who can afford. And for those who cannot, may just take the risk in finding a job and answer with confidence during interviews. For an instance, the Review Classes for the Aeronautical Engineering Board Examination is optional. It is up to the graduates whether to take the review classes or not, in PATTS Review Center or in other review centers. It all depends on them, otherwise this just an aid for them to pass the board examination and not an assurance. English plus either is still not an assurance. And is merely a waste of time and money since it does not guarantee the students to be proficient in English after enrolling the course. Instead of adding such course, the school administration, particularly the Language Department, should have enhanced the campaign of the existing English subjects for the advancement of the English proficiency of the students. In relation to this, they should employ more English instructors, effective and qualified enough to teach English subjects, most especially in Oral Communication or Speech improvement. And rather than this English plus program, they should have added Speech Laboratory for the Speech Improvement subjects instead. Such laboratory class should be equipped with manuals and hands-on training using computers in order to be more effective. It is more acceptable since it can be paid in installment, just like the laboratory subjects of the technical courses. There is a lot of way to improve the English subjects. And such improvements "may" not mean additional fees. The fact that we enrolled it, we paid for it, therefore we should get the most out of it. The performance of the medium of instruction will reflect on the students. If the graduates are found to be poor in English, therefore, it means that those English subjects they have taken were “in a way” ineffective or the campaign in English proficiency of the institution is weak.

To end up, English Plus might be an immediate solution, but it is not the cure for the deteriorating English proficiency of the students. It still lies on the English subjects under the curriculum and more on the students. It is like putting a band-aid on a wound; it just conceals the wound for a moment but does not heal it and might even worsen it. It is the English PLUSH.

First Blog

This will be my first entry. Well, before, I used to have a Friendster blog. Hmmm way back 2005 when it was last updated. That blog contains poems that I've written while I was courting someone. I'll probably have a separate blog for that. Well, this will just be a warm up for me. I have a lot of topics in mind. Ironically, I don't know where to start with.