An Appreciation to Great Things Shown

There are many ways to express one's appreciation
to great things shown to others. For me, it's through words,
through passages, through poems, through lines that I could
express my gratitude to good deeds shown in tough times.

DL, You may not be aware that those simple gestures you've
shown during those times were beyond compare. The concern
shown created a great impact in me.

Honestly, you're one among those selected few I really
admire most. Your simple ways, the virtual affection shown
during those tough times opened my eyes to a brighter pathway.
You've guided me with the basic skills in starting a blog and look,
its been extended globally. Those skills you've shown were
extended to a wider horizon and here we are in EAYSTALK.

I've survived those tough times without any fuss. But of course,
through the support of good people around like Ka Boyet,
Kamandag and yourself!

Being positive was one great factor that contributed to
everything. Surely, positive thoughts could lead anyone
to the right path if the motive is to share.

Sis DL, once again I'll say you're one great influence
to me from the past. I admire you for reaching out
during those tough times.

More power to you Damong Ligaw.

Happy New Year to all

Happy 2006 to all

May you all have a wonderful year and great time this 2006

How did Halloween Come Into Existence?

May be you're wondering how halloween came to exist.

Here's a brief info:

The Celts celebrated New Year on November 1st.
It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the
end of the season of the sun and the beginning of the season
of darkness and cold.

On October 31st after the crops were harvested and stored for
the long winter, the cooking fires in homes would be extinguished.
The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the
sacred oak forest. The Druids would light new fires and offer
sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the
fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness
would begin.

When morning arrived, the Druids would give an ember from their
fires to each family who would take them home to start new cooking
fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil
spirits.



The November 1st festival was called Samhain
(pronounced "sow-en") and last for three days. Many people
would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads
of their animals. This festival became the first Halloween.

The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian
religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the
Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church
holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's
Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church would
make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and
was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades,
and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.

But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget their
early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people continued
to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day. Over the
years the customs from all these holidays mixed. October 31st
became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's
Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween.


_________________

A Light Shines In The Darkness

This is dedicated to Cherrie, my former colleague who lost her husband recently from the Philippine Refugee Camp, Morong Bataan, Philippines.

For You Cherrie



When despair fills your weary soul
And there's just no way to cope;
When you think his life is over
And you see no rays of hope...

A light shines in the darkness
That will brighten your ways...
It wil bring you up again with some rays
A brand new and happy day.

Remember, you never walk alone;
Friends are around to ease your pains
And feel the joy like you've never known.
Cherrie, console your soul, don't come to an end,
For sure, the sun will shine again.

You're Not Alone - Cherrie

Just Remember



After many a day when tears have fallen
upon knowledge of his departed soul
there is still a yearning from deep within
for something in life to make you whole.

When weeks have gradually come to pass
so burdened by your restless mourning
an expectation seems to remain
for the aura of his presence returning.

Upon completion of his mission on earth
spent sensibly in profound reminiscing
relief can often seem out of reach
and be nothing more than fruitless wishing.

Before oncoming years in your future
holding on to mementos and memories
you know that his spirit still has breath
as you watch him compassionately.

Only hope in the greatest sense can be
as you carry out your days not alone
fully aware of your destiny
to reunite with him in Heaven’s home.

From:

Angie - CO Dorm 42

Dreams And Their Implications - Calendar Months

January --- To dream of this month,signifies financial gains,a mystery will be solved and beware of a false friend nearby.

February --- Usually associated with health problems and many worries. There is hope for beneficial events to come.

March --- To dream of the month of march portends disappointing returns in business and enemies could cause damages.

April --- It signifies that much pleasure and profit are in the horizon,but if the weather is miserable,it is a sign of distress.

May --- To dream of this month denotes prosperous times and pleasure for the young. Do not be discourage.

June --- Will have good earnings but must rely on own good judgement. Avoid rivals.

July --- To dream of July,foretells unusual gains in all undertakings. Use caution in your affairs.

August --- Overall a positive month . All will go well in life, will take a long trip,and will receive unexpected good news.

September --- To dream of September means good luck,changes for the better and desires and hopes will be accomplished.

October --- To see yourself in October means you are enjoying the fruits of hard work and will make lasting friendships.

November --- To dream of November ,augers a time of happiness and success in all affairs.

December --- It is a month that foretells accumulation of wealth,but loss of friendship. Will be very fortunate in love affairs.

Source: dreams/calendar

Dreams And Their Implications - Part 1

Our ordinary experience of dreams seems to confirm beyond all doubt the correctness of the first assertion. In dreams every man acts and talks in complete accordance with his character, They are in sharpest contradiction to those maintains that the subjective feelings and desires, or affects and passions, manifest themselves in the wilfulness of the dream-life, and that the moral characteristics of a man are mirrored in his dreams.

The moral nature of man persists even in dreams.. No matter how much of that which accompanies us during the day may vanish in our hours of sleep. No dream-action can be imagined whose first beginnings have not in some shape already passed through the mind during our waking hours, in the form of wish, desire, or impulse." Concerning this original impulse we must say: The dream has not discovered it- it has only imitated and extended it, after we wake, being conscious of our moral strength, we may smile at the whole widely elaborated structure of the depraved dream, yet the original material out of which we formed it cannot be laughed away. One feels responsible for the transgressions of one's dreaming self; not for the whole sum of them, but yet for a certain percentage.

If one believed in the power of the dream to reveal an actually existing, but suppressed or concealed, immoral disposition of the dreamer, one could not express one's opinion more emphatically than in the words.

Effective Communication Gambits

You've probably heard of this term, don't you?



At first glance, it sounds like a term used in a chess, am I right? Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about playing chess. Anyone who is a chess officionado, the word Queen's Gambit is a very common term though. This has something to do with conversation.

This has a very strong effect in expressing ones' opinion. It helps us introduce our ideas in a conversation. It's a natural and a friendly way of communicating. The impressions we create are abrupt, direct and rude when gambits aren't used. At times, people will get a wrong picture of us. Using gambits in a conversation makes it more natural, more confident, more friendly and others may find you easier to talk to. This is the missing link in most conversations. If we start on the wrong foot, most likely we'll be misunderstood.

The only way we make our conversation sound so natural is through the use of gambits. It maybe a word or phrase which helps to express what we are trying to say. This is a very useful tool in introducing a topic. This doesn't express actually the opinion, it will only introduce the opinion itself. Many aren't aware of this . Now,if gambits are used, the flow of conversation is rather smooth and it comes so naturally.



In some instances, when we want to express a deeply held belief, others will understand us better if we start it with I personally believe.....

In an argument or counter argument, it is best to start it with That's probably true but... or maybe That would be great except ....

They are used when we want to emphasize some points, when we're in a discussion or any other situations. It varies depends on what kind of topic we're in to.

Gambits are maneuvers, or strategies applied to a particular endeavor. They could be used in psyche and physical wars too. It's really so easy to come up with a solution when conflicts arise if gambits are used in this scenario. It's somewhat associated with COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT - a non-judgmental talk.

People with good communication skills usually use gambits everyday.

The Stresses Of Modern Life

Life could be tough and life could be boring at some stage. Too many little things to do too little time. What if we don’t get it done, what if we don’t get it done before it's due, what if this, what if that. This is when we really go into stress mode!





Open-ended questions may be a contributory factor to our stress. We often come out with answers like with that would be awful, that would be terrible which compounds the stressful feelings even more.

Take note of one thing though, whenever we hear ourselves saying we need-to, we have-to, we got-to it's best to replace it with " we want-to or we would like to. Substitute needs with desires. That would really be useful.

This is simply to remind ourselves that awful things will not happen if our desires are not met. We may not like the results if things don’t go our way, but we can indeed stand the feelings. It may not be good if things don’t fall into place like we want, but the world will continue to spin and we will be able to handle it.

It takes time to get use to these and it takes practice as well. Don’t expect it to happen for you like magic. Pay attention to our self-talk, listen for the what-if statements, flag the must and need statements. We should know how to dispute them with wants and desires. Do it vigorously. With time it will become second nature, and you’ll notice the lack of stress in our lives.

A Warm Welcome To My Co - ICMC Kapamilya

Greetings to all you my dear Co - ICMC Kapamilya all over the Globe!!

The experience we've gained in that isolated place in the Bataan, Philippines gave a very strong impact into our lives. Our dedication to the Refugees remained in our hearts even after we've left the place for quite a while. As you can see some of the passages in this site are refugee related. That's how strong the impact is.

Thank you for visiting this site.

Angie - CO

Remember them? Our Big Bosses....

taken with Babes in January 2005


taken with Ramon Diokno in January 2005

Oh, What A Memory To Remember!!......ouchhh

Screaming loud in a hotel lobby "Give us back our travel documents, you can have all the money and cards, just give us our tickets and passports, that's all we want!!!!"......... Oh! what a MEMORY TO REMEMBER...geezz... I was hysterical that time.




A hotel manager in London calmed us down upon seeing how distressed we were those moments. Actually, I was on the verge of breaking down. Imagine all our travel documents including bankcards and mobile phones were taken away from us by bandits. The first reaction was to scream. All that was left in my pocket was four pounds, yes four pounds!! That amount brought us everywhere though via internet to send emails for emotional support. Four pounds was enough to reach the world.

An unforeseen circumstance happened a couple years ago on a journey. Our train to Scotland was postponed for the next day and we've decided to hang around for another night in London. That was when that incident happened. An experience we won't ever forget with my sweet girl.

As we entered at the doorsteps of the hotel, something strange we've noticed at the back of our coats. A shaving cream and gel was all over our coats - spreadout from top to bottom. We really couldn't figure out how it happened. Our first reaction was to take our jackets off and cleaned the mess in the hotel lobby. I laid my bag on the couch close to where I was standing. In just a spur of a moment, my bag was gone. Flick! All documents vanished in just a second. A slight memory of a man in a suit staring at us prior to the disappearance of my bag. That man had a connection to incident.

“Professional robbers got all the tricks and tactics, by all means.”

We wanted to ring the authority immediately but we're deprived to use the hotel phone. We dragged ourselves to the nearest train station close to Marble Arch and find someone in blue uniform. How awful that was really, much more when we were driven away from the Hotel where the incident occurred. The receptionist on duty didn't want to be involved in the incident.



Fortunately, strangers came to our rescue. Seeing how desperate we were, a next door hotel offered us accommodation and food for free when they've heard what happened. We felt we were refugees for a while. Oh my gosh!! Strangers came to assist us while investigation was going on. Our immediate needs were looked at by these strangers, they've rang the Embassy for us, they've rang Sydney for cancellations of my bank cards and they offered us food. AREN'T THEY GREAT STRANGERS? By the way they're originally from Pakistan.

Who Would Say - Don't Trust Strangers ?

Just what I've always thought, there are strangers with good hearts regardless of colour and race. Since then, my notion about - not trusting strangers disppeared completely. Strangers came to our rescue. Not only that, I've met a friend online who happened to be a local, he came to assist us the next day. He's a stranger to us as well, yet he was there.

To you Ading Gooner, thank you so much. There's no amount of words to express our gratitude to you and your family. We'll never forget what you have done to us.

To The Manager and his staff Fariz, Vicki and Arif who've helped us during those days, for nothing - not even a pence, you've shown really a great deed to us. We will be back sometime this year to pick up the pieces of that very unpleasant experience in your country, we’ll get an accommodation in your hotel once again.

To The Bureau of Tourism, your advice definitely worked. I really appreciate the big help. My greatest thanks also to the Australian Embassy, for the great support and of course The Paddington Police Station in UK.

To the local papers I’ve approached, your publication indeed was a very good medium. Kudos to your papers! The exposure you’ve done affected the business of that hotel who deprived us to use their landline in time of an emergency. Yeah, I was convinced that they're a part of a syndicate.

That incident didn’t stop us from travelling and never will. Now, that everything is over and we're completely out from the emotional stress, we are ready to pass London Bridge again. he he he.

This is just a brief passage from the whole incident, I hope that this may serve as a guideline to other travellers out there.

Let's Keep the Spirit of Harmony

"Happiness is a grateful spirit, an optimistic attitude, and a
heart full of love."

"Happy people roll with the punches. They know from experience that everything changes. Today's good fortune may vanish tomorrow,
today's crises may turn out to be tomorrow's good fortune."
.......anonymous




Some of us think that HARMONY is an expression of LOVE. Yes, for sure it is. We can't have HARMONY without LOVE. It's actually a mirror of seeing ourselves in other people, wishing others the best in life and uplifting ones' morale if there's a need to. Reaching out, extending our arms to others to make them feel they belong in a crowd.

Harmony promotes social, cultural and economic benefits in a multi- ethnic community. It enriches us about cultural background of others and linguistic diversity. It is somewhat a simple, but powerful way of expressing that there is no place for racial intolerance or disharmony.

In every community, everyone aims for a harmonious environment. I am sure you feel the same way. We want to demonstrate harmony on a daily basis. We want to have a healthy environment regardless of what cultural backgrounds we came from. No matter how different we are , we are all human beings who want a better future for ourselves and for our children. Lets enjoy the cultural diversity that we are in and strive for a better life.

At my workplace, it is full of people coming from virtually all continents and all religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. They come from as far as Burundi, Yugoslavia, Middle East, Russia, Turkiztan, Afghanistan and South-East Asia such as
China, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Burma and Thailand. The diversity does not end here. There is also a huge diversity of interest, hobbies, motivation and plans. However, everyone works towards a common goal to build a better life.

This may seem very idealistic, but Let's Have A GO!!

LET'S KEEP THE SPIRIT OF HARMONY WITHIN OURSELVES AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHERE ARE.

What's the Problem with Ethnocentrism?

Ethnic refers to cultural and centrism refers to the central point...so basically ethnocentrism refers to judging other groups from cultural point of view.

Ethnocentrism leads misunderstanding to others. We falsely distort what is meaningful and functional to other people through our own tinted glasses. People see ways in terms of life experience, not through their content. Some people don't understand that their ways have their own meanings and functions in life, just like our ways have meaning for us.

The bent of this is that "we don't understand that we do not understand". We aren't aware that we can develop more understanding about how others experience life.

At the best, people simply continue unawareness. Yet, this can have consequences within our own interpersonal relationship. This is an unintentionally offending others, generating ill-feelings and even set up situations that harm others. It is easy not to see the life concerns, particularly minorities and disadvantaged. Their inabilites to deal with life situations.

We may have positive intentions from our own point of view in helping other groups deal with situations, but how do they see the problem?

At any given behaviour, we need to keep in mind that there are meanings and they are often very deep in one's subconcious. Some of us aren't aware that we are being ethnocentric. There's one thing that we should keep in mind that there are many ways in which human beings can experience life. Perhaps no one can ever have a complete understanding of another people, without fully experiencing everything that others experience, However, it doesn't mean we don't fully develop understanding to interact successfully with others.

When we encounter people from other ethnic bakgrounds, we have an opportunity to learn "new ways" of seeing and experiencing life which never existed. Yes, they do exist. If only we can look at life in a complementary perspective instead of as an inherent conflict on the negative side, there are possibilities that we are lessening the problems of ethnocentrism. This is actually leading people to make false assumptions about others' ways based on limited experience. We are ethnocentric when we use our cultural norms to make generalizations about other culture and customs. Without concious awareness a generalization is made and culture is used as a universal yardstick. It influences communication between human beings.

"Ethnocentrism" is leading us to make pre-mature judgements. Others tend to evaluate immediately and assess based on an individual experience. Well, everyone is ethnocentric by nature, that can't be avoided nor it can be willed away by a well meaning
attitude. If you say you aren't, but rather you're open minded and tolerant that is misleading.

"EVERYONE IS ETHNOCENTRIC AND THERE'S NO WAY IT CAN BE AVOIDED, BUT IT CAN BE LESSENED"

Nostalgic Moments - A Visit To The Refugee Camp

Early this year, I've visited the Refugee Camp once again after more than a decade and to my surprise, the place was fully abondoned, no trace of dorms where staff were housed and bunkhouses where refugees were billeted. But there's one thing that struck me most, a former building was converted into a museum.




Most memorabilias about refugee experiences were kept intact especially the boat that was used by Viet refugees that once sailed the rough waves in the ocean from Vietnam to Philippines. What a sight!! It was a very touching moment when most of us saw that "small boat" again and it's fully preserved after long years.



The PRPC- Philippine Refugee Processing Camp had closed several years ago after operating for many years. But on 20th January 2005, it was opened for the Grand Reunion. It was arranged to be a Reunion for all those who had dedicated their time and effort for the refugees, all VOLAGS (Voluntary Agencies like Caritas Manila, Salvation Army, Embassies etc.) and former refugees as well.



It marked the 25th Anniversary when the Philippine Government and UNHCR-United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees signed an agreement that refugees will be transported to the island for processing purposes. Thus, refugees stayed in Bataan for temporary assylum prior to their resettlement to other countries. While Refugees were billeted there, they were given intensive ESL for survival and Cultural Orientation about Western lifestyles.



Fortunately, I've managed to join the Reunion and I've met former colleagues who came from all over the world who continuously dedicate themselves serving the refugees all over the globe. There were former refugees who went back to Bataan for that purpose to join the events and to pick up the pieces to where they've left.


January 2005

There were around 20,000 Indo-Chinese Refugees from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam when I was still in the Refugee Camp in Morong Bataan. Most of these refugees came from other camps in Thailand, Malaysia and Hongkong. The camps in the Philippines were not as bad as other areas, but it isn't as good as living in your own home as well.
The picture below is where refugees used to live and they are known as billets and bunkhouses.



It was really a remarkable event last January, inspite of my hectic schedule and considering that only 4 days in PI and it's the last leg of our trip. It's worth visiting the place after more than a decade. A place where I've learned to value the real meaning of life through the experiences with the refugees. A place where I came to realise the real essence of global issues based on humanitarian ground.



An event to remember indeed! It's really worth a cause!

Flight To Seek Safe Haven

Every year hundreds of thousands of people leave their own countries and flee to other countries. People who have to leave their countries for political, economic or religious reasons are called Refugees. They usually have no choice.

Some Refugees leave their homeland because of hunger. They know they will die if they won't leave; there isn't enough food to eat. Others leave because of war. They are afraid they will be killed if they stay. Some refugees leave because of their religion, race or political ideas cause serious problems for them. Sometimes, religious, racial or political minorities are persecuted by larger groups. Members of such minorities leave because they will be imprisoned or killed if they stay.


Kurdish Refugees

Some refugees flee to countries close to their homeland. They resettle in neighbouring countries because they want to return to thier homes after the danger is over. Other refugees resettle in countries far away from their homeland. They do this for the reason that they may not be able to return to their country again.


An outdoor activity with Iraqi Refugees

It is not easy to make a new life, but most refugees get help. They are given a place to live and food to eat until they find jobs. They are given Government assistance until they are able to stand on their toes in a new land. It's not that easy to start and with no choice to be a refugee, they have to face all these kinds of struggles. The experiences they have been through keep haunting them within their inner selves no matter where they are. Even they wanted so hard to get rid of those traumas they've encountered, it lingers in their minds always.


A Cambodian Refugee

Most Refugees look forward to the future in their new country. They work very hard and are thankful for the opportunity to start a new life.

Aren't you lucky, you aren't a Refugee! I hope that this will give a clearer view about your concepts on who a Refugee is, and why they are called Refugees. Some people may not have an idea about the impact of being a refugee.

I hope that this passage may open the minds of some readers who haven't got any closer contacts nor experience with REFUGEES.

Maasalama! Ciao! Sumnang loo!

Okun Charan! Shukran! Cam' en!


Taken with Iraqi/Sudanese Refugee Ss

Acquisition Of Skills Not Acquisition Of Content

Learning is not the acquisition of content, but the acquisition of skills with which to learn this content.

This is an excerpt from a "presentation" that was recently presented in a group of mentors and I thought it wise to blog it. With the acknowldgment of my co-presenter Victoria Parisi, I added this to my blogspot. It may be useful to some of you who visit this site who speak the same language and the same path like we do.

Helping Adults Succeed...

There are three ways in which we can make modifications our programs to encourage learners; include eliminating affective barriers, making the material relevant and motivating and encouraging the use of learning strategies.

Affective factors such as motivation and self-confidence are very important in language learning. Many learners "fear failure" more than their younger counterparts, may be because they accept the stereotype of previous unsuccessful attempts to learn. When such learners are faced with a stressful, fast-paced learning situation, fear of failure only increases. Others may also exhibit greater hesitancy in learning. Thus, mentors must be able to reduce anxiety and build self confidence in the learner.

Activities which include large amounts of oral repitition, extensive correction or an expectation of error-free speech will assist the learner active participation. On the other hand, providing opportunities for learners to work together, focusing on understanding rather than producing language and reducing the focus on error correction can build learners' self-confidence and promote the process of learning. Mentors should emphasize the positive-focus on the good progress learners are making and provide opportunities for them to be successful. This success can then be reinforced with more of the same.

Adults studying a foreign language are usually learning it for a specific purpose: to be more effective professionally, to be able to survive in an anticipated foreign situation, or for other instrumental reasons. They are not willing to tolerate boring or irrelevant content or things that may stress the learning of grammar rules that are out of context. They need materials designed to present structures that will be of immediate use to them in a context which reflects the situations and its functions. Visual Aids and activities that incorporate relevant experiences will surely succeed with the majority of adult learners.

Adults have already developed learning strategies that have served them well in other contexts. They can use these strategies to their advantage while on the process of learning. We should be flexible enough to allow different approaches to any learning task. Adults best learn through a visual channel.


*********************



Taken with Ian, a practice teacher from Macquarie University, NSW. 2005

Ian, isn't it nice to see your first Ss? Congratulations! Well done! You've done it with flying colours. The passage above may be useful to add to your culminating report. You may want to include this.

Innovative Approach - An Effective Method

"Different strokes for different folks."

Well, I don't really know much about this statement whether it's effective or not, but would rather focus on something that's proven to be more effective.

It makes me wonder what's the best approach that we could use to get a good feedback in solving some issues. To my belief, it's embedded in our personalities as to what method is best suited.

Often times, it is misinterpreted as a sign of weakness when someone walks out from a critical situation. That's being judgmental! A stereotype indeed, many are still into this kind of mentality. There's always a best way for someone to combat an issue in different perspectives.




My point of view is, Innovative Approach is an excellent medium and I find it very effective at any given circumstances. "Modelling from behind" that is. You don't need to spell the words out.

Words are always open to anyone for interpretation and the meaning behind often gets lost or it reduces its strength in the transference from the writer to the readers. A more efficient way in which it can easily be achieved is through this method. An innovative approach can be very effective especially when interacting with others. This way you can see the greatest transference of information not coming through words, but through the ENERGY behind those words. The same goes in a virtual reality, rather than telling people how to be, how to solve an issue, SEEK to set the readers' minds by examples, through models and thus allow ACTIONS TO SPEAK THAN WORDS.






In dealing with others, it is much more profound to embody the solution yourself rather than merely sharing it through words.

Blogging is really great!! Can you see the approach used?

Great Day to All!

Identify your Role As A Team Player

This isn't about sports, this has something to do with positive qualities and allowable weaknesses. Try to refrain from saying negative traits, we can always replace it with "Allowable Traits"

Decide which stereotype you think comes closest to describing you. If you find it absolutely impossible to settle for one stereotype, allow yourself a mix of two. But remember, you are not being asked to describe yourself as a stereotype, just to say which one you think comes closest to yourself. The purpose is to use the stereotype as a starting point, not accept it as an endpoint.

ARE YOU A .................. ?



* Company Person - CP - conservative, dutiful, predictable. organising ability, with common sense, hard working, discipline, inflexible, unresponsive to new ideas.

* Chair Person CH- calm, confident, controlled, welcomes all ideas on merit, without prejudice; clear objectives, only ordinary in intellect and creativity.

* Shaper - SH - highly strung, dynamic, outgoing, lots of drive, challenges inertia and complacency, impatient, easily provoked and irritable.

* Source Person - SO individualist, serious, unorthodox, great intellect, imagination, knowledge, up in the clouds, disregards practical detail and protocol.

* Investigator - IN- extrovert, enthusiastic, curious, contacts new people, explores new ideas, likes a challenge, loses interest after the initial attraction has passed.

* Monitor -MO - sober, unemotional, careful, sound judgement, discretion, hard-headedness, acks inspiration or the ability to motivate others.

* Team worker - TW - sociable, rather mild, sensitive, responds to people and situations, promotes team spirit, indecisive at moments.

* Completer - CO - orderly, painstaking, anxious, follows through to the end, perfectionist, worries about small things, won't 'let go' of a piece of work.


Thanks Dr Edge, these are really great ideas.

Facilitate Human Creativity - "Mentoring"

This passage is addressed particularly to my former colleagues out there who are still in the same career and started to visit this site. I found this very useful and thought it wise for you to see how this will work with you. This is a newly acquired skill and it looks effective after the workshop today. It sounds really interesting especially for mentors like you.

Have you heard of this COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT yet? Is it being used there now to where you are? Am sure, you're familiar with the Active Listening. If you are, you can associate it in a way, but there's a slight difference as to the methods. This is a new trend that was just introduced and later it might be implemented after this project will be done.

It may sound a "New Abstract Concept" at first glance, but after absorbing the new skills we've been through, the approach is very practical. Don't get frustrated if you find it so abstract for the first time. You might think that it hasn't got any relevance when you will come across this. Don't worry, we felt the same way among us who were there on the first day. It's a new concept really, we finally found out that it's not complicated at all. Actually, it's focused on Power Non-Judgmental Understanding to Facilitate Human Creativity.

I've asked the persmission of Dr Julian Edge, the speaker and facilitator of the conference, to share these ideas to you guys out there and maybe you will find it useful. He was actually very glad that his ideas will travel across miles. He gave me his site as well where you can see the whole FRAMEWORK of what I am talking about.

Here's the link.

http://www.aston.ac.uk/lss/research/prodd/CD/

This trend needs a collaboration with a colleague to start with.

Anyway, I hope you will find this useful to some extent.

PS: Ms Tapya and Pumpkin, this may also be of help to you and add up to your insights. Oh! sorry I haven't sent those Methods and Strategies from previous workshop yet. 'Will look into that sometime.

The Impact Of Online Relationships

Chatrooms are very popular these days for meeting people from all over the globe. People discuss, share jokes, talk about anything out of the blues and consequences are, they tend to develop a closer tie to someone they could relate to. Thus, an affair to remember! Like any other form of relationships, online affairs need to be treated with care as well.

A survey was conducted about online affairs a year ago. Questionaires were sent to participants who frequent chatrooms, forums and other sites where they eventually developed "online affairs". Online allows people to meet at a distance, chat in real pace, by e-mails, exchange views, even talk to each other in audio conferences or via voicemails. They may have been caught "beyond" in an online relationship after a while of constant meetings.

Note: Identities of contributors in this survey were kept private. Responses were based on personal views and experiences. It may not be true to some, but it may serve as guidelines to others. There were many input collated, but I'll cite only a couple. If there are other ideas that may arise from here. Your contribution is well appreciated.





** How strong is the impact of an online affair to you as compared to a normal face to face relationship?

P1: IT IS AS NORMAL AS FACE TO FACE RELATIONSHIP. THE IMPACT CAN'T BE BASED ON WHAT I FEEL VS. PREVIOUS FACE TO FACE RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL YOU INDULGED IN.

P2: impact is very strong as we create our own
internal realities as compared to a face to face
relationship where unexpected circumstances may arise.
in our own internal world there is only perfection.


** What are the factors to consider to maintain stability of
emotions when indulge with an online affair?

A3: the factor(s) to consider are...trust, trust, and trust.
as in any normal relationship trust is both internal
and external...trust to oneself and to the other.

A2: HONESTY, BEING LOGICAL IN ALL CONVERSATIONS AND AVOID
OVER PAINTING IMAGES YOU CREATE....AVAILABILITY OF BOTH
PARTIES WHEN MEETING EACH OTHER BECOME A MUST THEN DRAW
FURTHER CONCLUSION THEREAFTER IF NEEDED.


** Can you site few stories of people who were involved in online affairs and it lead to a destruction of families as well separation from previous marriages.


A1: NONE

A2: i am aware of only one. the tendencies were a motivation
toward the intended person and an away from motivation
from the spouse. unfortunate however, because there were
several issues which remained unsolved in both relationships.
the result was the destruction of both relationships.

more.....

Key Points in Handling Critical Situations

There comes a point in time when we encounter critical situations in areas other than workplace. What are the points to consider in handling these situations?

Considering the fact that we're in a multi-cultural enviro, issues on critical situations are often encountered. They arise almost everyday.




Taken with Gabriela,prac tr from University of Technology, Sydney. 2004

At my workplace, it's a normal routine. No doubt about that! Being exposed in a Multi-Ethnic Society, critical situations come and go. Conflicts between ethnic groups are very common. You can imagine what chaos it brings if it's within the 4 walls of the classrom. Here are some scenarios: Kurdish having a go with an Iraqi, a Yugoslav with a Serbian, a Vietnamese fighting with a Lebanese, or maybe a Sudanese having a conflict with other ethnic tribes. These things are real situations. Yes, they are really happening! All sorts of issues are within reach. CULTURAL SENSITIVITY is the biggest factor to consider. Balance the athmosphere in a comfortable set up. DIVERSIFIED ACTIVITIES are suggested as well.




Psychological problems are issues too, in this scenario. You're dealing with victims of crimes, war shocked Ss, victims of rapes and abuses, deprived people, name it!! The workplace is like a melting pot and you're there to mould it. These people were disadvantaged at some stage in their lives, so you've got to be very sensitive.

How would you deal when there's an outburst from a rape/domestic violence victim in the middle of an activity? How would you face a situation when bullying starts for no reason? How about "a war shocked S" just simply stares at you and his mind is out of nowhere?
How will you manage that? STRATEGIES and more strategies, you've got to be very resourceful to survive for a decade at work.




These may seem unreal, but they're real. Yes, they are evident. Situations like these are common for people who are exposed in a multi-cultural world, who are aware of global issues.

FEW TIPS: EXPRESSION OF EMPATHY should be demonstrated at any given circumstances. RESPECT, regardless of what the ethnic background is, they deserve to be respected and so are you. POSITIVE RAPPORT should be the first to consider, if there's an interactive/ positive rapport with them, potential problems that may arise are manageable.

CriticaL Situations are not only evident through face to face interactions, these are also happening in virtual reality. How are we going to deal with things like these?

Here are key points to take into consideration:

* Letting the person get out their frustration -within reason- is the first step in finding the solution. Let the person vent his/her own fellings. Don't tell them to calm down. BE QUIET. SILENCE is the best weapon to combat situations like this. Let them talk and don't take what they are saying personally.

Never say:
.. you don't understand
.. you must be confused
.. you're wrong

* Don't get trapped in your Negative feelings about the person. It doesn't matter if you like them or not. The friction between you and the difficult person is often worsened by how you interpret his/her behaviours.

* Express Empathy if there's a need to, otherwise leave the situation alone to that person who constantly whinge. He/She will stop in the long run.

* If the situation is getting worse, expect that the person is loaded with "Psychlogical Problems", he's overloading himself with burdens and piling up more hatred within. Any person who manifests such acts has an enormous varied complexities. His aim is to focus attention in that particular realm.

* Simply disregard it! Focus yourself instead to an activity that's worth a cause! Great day to all.

Tips To Consider .... Online or Offline

What can you say about this?

Getting into relationships/friendships online can be very rewarding, but they can also be very dangerous. Anyone who is involved in any sort of a relationships online should be smart to avoid the dangers and reap the rewards.

The people we are dealing with online aren't just virtual entities. They are more or less real, like the people we met everyday in a "real set up" life. Take note of that!

We should treat others online as we would wish to be treated, but we can't always expect this thing to happen. On the other hand, we have to recognise as well that others online may not necessarily treat us as we treat them. Not everyone will share the same values and sensitivities that we've got. Some of us, may have encountered verbal abuses, harsh words, bashings and humiliations. Others may have encountered polite people, respectful who treasure values so much. This is where we need to be sensitive of. Knowing our ways and values, we choose the people and groups where we feel comfortable. Why hang around with people where we don't feel the positive vibrations.

If we frequent chatrooms or forums, we got to consider that it’s possible to develop strong relationships with people online, relationships that are different in quality and character from anything we’ve experienced offline. The anonymity online can be judged only on what we write. This can be very intoxicating. Be careful of this intoxication.

The anonymity encourages deception. Based on research, 80-85% frequently lie. People online lie about their identities. It goes beyond giving false names to go with an online identification. Who would entrust personal details online? Tell me about it! Remember that cyberworld is littered with people who have spent so much time getting to know someone only to find out this is misleading.

In an online relationships, we got to consider these factors, physical presence, social context and everyday experience. Any person we get to know online is not the complete picture of what they really are. Remember this before offering personal details, heart or life, we got to be very careful. Out of 10 people we meet online, it's good enough to have 1 or 2 to treasure and develop in depth relationship/friendship.

Once we turn our computer off. That's about it! We look around and notice who and what we have in our life offline.

Reducing Psychological Harm

Have you ever thought of trying not to cause pain? It seems almost self evident, that others enjoy this kind of scenario of inflicting pains to others. Even animals try to avoid pain much more to humans.

This idea of judging actions and situations without thinking what the outcome is, maybe beneficial to them and they feel the sense of satisfaction. They never think of the psychological impact of what they've inflicted. It maybe harmful to some or maybe creativity to others. It's actually beyond words seeing people harming others in the cyber world to the extent of relating it to reality. They probably gain more self satisfaction that way. They think that it will attribute to the maximum level of contentment. It's UNBELIEVABLE!!



To some extent, it's CREATIVITY on my part. I took it positively and explored different angles to gain more skills in the virtual world. Thus, this website came to exist. My gratitude to SOMEONE who has a better perspective and a broader outlook in life compared to the rest of the group who constantly hang around watching how people melt or being wiped out by a tsunami.




Along with the idea of freedom, judging things in terms of their harmful or beneficial effects has been one of the "main weapons" of many nowadays. People who are judgmental with physical appearance are using this to comouflage their innermost complexities. I couldn't fathom how they enjoy inflicting pains to people they haven't seen or had seen once/twice in a real life set up. Could it be that they had extreme negative experiences previously and they put their frustrations in this kind of scenario?

Although seeming to be self evident when pain is involved ,judging things in terms of their outcomes is not as clear cut as it at first seems. So, do we just avoid causing any pain or harm? When is the pain or harm worth it?

Anyway, how do we know what the outcome of a specific situation or action will be? Can we always predict what the outcome of an action or any situation? How could we reduce psychological harm to others?

What's your Zodiac Sign ?

here's mine....

Element: A cardinal airy sign
Traits: Alert, Just, Artistic, Honorable, Affectionate
Ruler: Venus
Gems: Diamond, Opal
Color: Indigo Blue
Metal: Copper
Exalted: SATURN
Harmonious signs for business/marriage/companionship: Aquarius, Gemini

Libra is represented by the balancing scales of justice indicating their love for fairness and harmony. With Venus ruling this sign, Librans are gentle, modest, soft-spoken and courteous. They like to enjoy the luxuries of life and to patronize the arts.

Librans are sensitive to the needs of others and have the gift, sometimes to an almost psychic extent, of understanding the emotional needs of their companions and meeting them with their own innate optimism - they are the kind of people of whom it is said, "They always make you feel better for having been with them." They are very social human beings. They loathe cruelty, viciousness and vulgarity and detest conflict between people, so they do their best to cooperate and compromise with everyone around them, and their ideal for their own circle and for society as a whole is unity.

In their personal relationships they show understanding of the other person's point of view, trying to resolve any differences by compromise, and are often willing to allow claims against themselves to be settled to their own disadvantage rather than spoil a relationship. They like the opposite sex to the extent of promiscuity sometimes, and may indulge in romanticism bordering on sentimentality. Their marriages, however, stand a good chance of success because they are frequently the union of "true minds". The Libran's continuing kindness toward his or her partner mollifies any hurt the latter may feel if the two have had a tiff. Nor can the Libran's spouse often complain that he or she is not understood, for the Libran is usually the most empathetic of all the zodiacal types and the most ready to tolerate the beloved's failings.

Preserving Heritage

Heritage is one of the 6 main values that we should look into account even we're now in the modern era. Despite the complexities in life nowadays, it is fruitful to name the values explicitly. The importance of this is to refresh one's cultural background or to be familiar with them and make some distinctions to the present values of people these days.

Without heritage, we would lose touch with each other, with the past and with our sense of self. But should the old be venerated because it is old? Is this heritage "our" heritage? or is it the heritage of the POWERFUL?

The main idea behind preserving our heritage or culture is that values embodied in stories, objects, occassions and institutions all shape our identity and conduct.

Highlights On A Very Impressive Performance..

On 17th April 2005, marked the graduation day for students in Saint Louis University, Baguio City, PHILIPPINES.

We know that we've been there for all of the big steps in our student's life - and that we continue to play an important role during and after college years.


Sarah Jane & Giesel


Miss Sarah Jane Rulloda, left a very remarkable impression to the University, to her family and to her friends. She's a pride of her clan, I should say. After 5 long years, the fruit of all those sleepless nights studying and browsing on books came to an end. Sarah Jane highlighted a very impressive performance in SLU. She graduated attaining two courses. In both discipline, she achieved outstanding awards in Bachelor of Science in Financial Management and Bachelor of Science in Accountancy . She was awarded honours as SUMMA CUMLAUDE and MAGNA CUMLAUDE respectively. Sarah Jane is incredibly awesome!

Rigorous, demanding and worthwhile. These are some adjectives that she had eventually applied to her studies. It's in her major that she started to a mass expertise, accruing knowledge and skills for her career - and life.



To: Sarah Jane

Knowledge moves back and forth like a stream of energy.

But it doesn't stop there. You've learned for learning's sake. You've learned-working to sharpen your mind and soften your heart-because you want to be a "woman for others." you take your knowledge outside the classroom. You work for peace. You work not for the sake of financial advancement, but work for a better perspective. You help the sick, the poor and the needy. Tag along with you the 6 main values in life, the freedom, safety, fairness, equality, loyalty and efficiency. Or you can even write a book that may heal a thousand hearts.

This is the essence of education. A "place" where you not only can talk about the meaning of life - maybe you can find it too.

Goodluck, Sarah Jane.(it pays to have those "flashlights" eh...lolzz)



what jane does in her spare time...playing games at the arcade. lol