Just ranting..

It has been a while since my last post. Reason? Weak connection! Today i finally found a coffee shop with an epic wifi so i took the chance to upload pictures and check my blog. yey! but stll no access to email, pfft! Pardon my grammar, spelling and shiz, this is an impromptu, no draft and no proof reading. I just want to blog. You see I have this WordPress application on my Blackberry phone, I have been saving entries on it with the intent of posting them once I have a good internet connection. But guess what, I tried to retrieve my entries last time and booom! they are nowhere to be found! My works were not saved because i had no data connection on my phone. how i wish there was a pop up message saying i can not save a file there. Pffft! there was an option on my phone which allows me to save drafts on my phone memory, i tried that but still, epic fail! so sad. i need to learn how to go about that wordpress application on my phone…soon!

 

So, what is new? what am i up to these days? Nothing much. Nothing much happen when you work onboard. you live your life 24/7 inside the ship sailing on vast salty water! same routine everyday. Now what do i do onboard? well, i am a casino dealer. yes i shuffle! not the dance okay, i do not dance. i am just but a great clapper! LOL. I shuffle cards. I deal cards. I take your money! LOL.

Let me tell you a funny story. Last week on our way to Thailand or Malaysia (I really can not remember.) lots of dealers, specially the new ones, got sea sick. it was rough sea and it was for two days! imagine dealing cards on the table and everything keeps on rocking like a cradle gone mad! it was epic! almost half of the dealers on duty had a sea sick bag and always asking for emergency break to puke. LOL! others were all so pale towards the end of the shift. hahaha..

So what else is new? hmm.. my weight? LOL! yes, i have gained a lot! We do not sweat here you see. A/C! I have not gained much though. two kilos is not so bad. enough of my weight issue. im getting all fed up with people telling how fat my ass is! LOL

now, i want to write about my HAPPINESS. yes,i am still with happiness so boooyah hopefulls! what am i saying here, i know you all lots do not understand. you see, I call my boyfriend “happiness”. need i explain more? it is simple. he makes me happy, i make him happy, thus HAPPINESS. okay, this is cheesy. LOL! sorry, i just miss him.

hey happiness, I LOVE YOU! wait for me, i am going to catch you a mermaid. LOL

ok, i am going to end this now. sudden death. laptop battery is dying on me. until next ranting. Cheers!

October 5 : National Teacher’s Day

Two days ago we celebrated National Teacher’s Day, it is one of my favorite celebrations in a year next to my birthday.  National Teacher’s Day is celebrated on different dates in different countries unlike many other International Celebrations like Christmas and New Year (except for Chinese New Year).

Now here is a brief history of the celebration courtesy of Wikipedia.

“In many countries, Teachers’ Days are intended to be special days for the appreciation of teachers, and may include celebrations to honor them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community in general. The date on which Teachers’ day is celebrated varies from country to country. Teachers’ days are distinct from World Teachers’ Day which is officially celebrated across the world on October 5th.

“The idea of celebrating Teachers’ Day took ground independently in many countries during the 20th century; in most cases, they celebrate a local educator or an important milestone in education (for example, Argentina commemorates Domingo Faustino Sarmiento‘s death on September 11 since 1915,while India celebrates Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan‘s birthday on September 5 since 1962). This is the primary reason why countries celebrate this day on different dates, unlike many other International Days.”

Now let us go back to the reason for this blog entry.  Like what I have mentioned, we just celebrated Teacher’s day and the event made me miss teaching.  Yes, I am a TEACHER. I once taught secondary and tertiary students. It has been a while and everyday I wish I can go back to teaching. The experience was incomparable. I practiced teaching only for a year but if feels like forever.  The best feeling was when I saw my students march on the stage with pride. Their success was my success too.

My first month of teaching was nothing but frustrating and depressing. Let me share why. I am an English teacher and my first group of students were college students of different courses from my school. Since we are from the same University, I expected too much from them. We all know that it is not easy to get in a University right? On the first day, I gave an orientation. I told my students about the Do’s and Don’ts in my class.  I only had one rule. The Golden rule in every English class — EOP (English Only Policy). My students hated me at first for this rule but enjoyed it later on. I told them that the only way to learn the language is to use it. Practice. Practice. Practice. I shared with them what a teacher once told me,  “you do not have to memorize the language. You do not have to do a mental translation for it will take time for you to think and response and there is a big chance that your grammar will be wrong for you will surely do a direct translation. Think English. Speak English. Learn it with your heart.”  Good point right?  My teacher said I have to learn to love the language, once I do, my brain will automatically think and my mouth speak in English.  This, I have proven to be true.

After a month, my students were already comfortable speaking in English.  Their grammar and pronunciation improved too. After six months,  I was asked to handle high school graduating students. I had the same issue —  they despise my subject! It was more challenging since they were graduating students and I had to make sure that they will be ready for college.  I needed to make sure that they will pass college entrance exams.  I bombarded them with activities, homework and exams to get results fast. As expected, my students hated me. I had to deal with all the hate, for once, I did not teach to please. I only had one goal — to educate them, to prepare them for college.  Few days before graduation, I received a handful of colored papers from my students.  They each made a letter for me. Sweet. On their graduation day, I was the proudest teacher. Watching my students walk up the stage.. amazing. Amazing is actually and understatement, I honestly do not know how to describe the feeling.  After the ceremony, my students, along with their parents, hugged me and thank me.  I was touched.  I must have done a good job as their teacher. I tapped my shoulder, “job well done!”

Now this is one of the reasons why I miss teaching. I miss standing in front of the classroom educating young minds.

I love teachers and I am proud to be a teacher myself.

Teaching is not a job, it is a vocation.

Teaching is a noble profession. Be proud!

My Job Application

It is the third day of August, close to the end of the first week and I still have not written anything about love or relationship. Now this is really a challenge. Actually, I have not written about anything in days. I was busy studying for a new job. Yes, I am applying for a new job. I have been in the contact center industry for five long years and I do not feel I am growing. I am earning yes, a lot, but I am not sensing any growth within that five years. I have mastered the job but that is as far as it goes. Plus, I am now getting bored of what I do which means I am no longer happy with it. That made me think of venturing out to see my options and try another job. I need something new.

It has been my dream to work on-board and I think now is the perfect time to pursue that dream. I am not getting any younger and soon, I will no longer be qualified for the job because of my age. Weeks ago, equipped with an updated resume and credentials, I went to this well-known Shipping agency to apply for an on-board job. I hand my resume to the front desk officer, she checked my information and ask me to wait for the height and weight assessment. So I sat there with the rest of the hopeful applicants and wait. My turn for the assessment. “Madam, please take off your shoes and stand straight”. I took off my shoes and stood on the scale. He wrote the numbers on my application. I passed the height requirement. Yes! After the assessment, I was told to go back the next day in corporate attire for I will have my initial interview. So, I went back the next day in corporate attire –skirt and coat. The initial interview went well then I was asked to take an exam. I was endorsed to work at the casino and they have to check if I can do the job. I have to take a Math and English test. Piece of cake! A guy walked me to the room where I will take the exam, hand me a paper of at least 60 Math equations then gave me instructions. Actually there was only one instruction for the Math test — Solve the equations mentally. Erasures will be considered wrong. I wish I took a picture of the test so I can post it here. Anyways, the test was divided into three parts. First and second part of the exam was almost the same — give the 150% and 5% of the given numbers. For the third part, the instruction was simple — Perform the operations indicated. Let me give you some sample items:

19×18+ 25 = ??

125 x 25 -67 = ??

27 x 35 + 345 = ??

45 x 45 = ??

Simple right? *sarcastic tone* And I was not allowed to use a scratch paper or write anything on the test paper. It was impossible to cheat and use my phone as a calculator because before he gave the test paper, he asked me to put my phone in my bag and put my bag on the chair on the other side of the table. So how on earth will I be able to get my phone from there without him seeing me? Anyways, I finished Math test in less than 30 minutes. One mistake due to an erasure. After Math was English. English was 100 items — reading comprehension and grammar. Almost perfect, again, an erasure caused an error. After the exam, I was introduced to the person who leads the Casino group. He is the one responsible for screening applicants who will be endorsed to work at the Casino. He was happy with the result of my exams and said I have a great chance to get the job. Great! He, then, discussed the job description and compensation I will get then he scheduled me for a fleet interview the next day.. Fleet interview was more like a practice for the final interview it was just that we were in one big group. We were told that apart from the typical question-and-answer, we will also do mental math in our final interview. The purpose of the fleet interview was to help each other and to practice mental math as well. The assessor asked possible questions that may be asked during the final interview and each were asked to answer. This, she said, will help us prepare our answers for the Principal interview. True enough, some of the practice questions were asked during my final interview. And yes, I nailed it! Just yesterday, I received a message from the company that I passed the Principal interview. I got the job!

So this, my friends, is the reason why i have not written anything in days — I was busy studying Math and attending interviews. The challenge to write about love and relationship is still on. I still have at least two days left before the first week ends. I know I can do it. For now, I give you this blog. Sorry if this bores you, I promise to entertain you next time.

To end this blog, I give you —  The Beatles. ENJOY!

 A Hard Day’s Night — The Beatles