Minding My Own Busyness

What more can I say? I'm blessed with things that keep me busy (and lazy) enough to visit this blog. I almost had a nil. Oh blogging, fluctuating!

The blog post ideas in my head are still in a clutter. I still haven't written a post about my 31st MIBF trip, the school events that ate up my social life and sapped my energy but transformed me into a better multi-tasker (and a more optimistic human beans, right BFG?) and the challenges of running a household.

But there's still a plethora ( I love this word!) of reasons to welcome each day with a smile while singing Hairspray's version of Good morning Baltimore (versus the new Nescafe commercial).

One. I survived the UP College of Education's Master's Admission Test in Education (MATE) so I'll be a student again, graduate student this time starting November 2011. I have five years at the most to finish my  M.A. in Reading Education. So wish me luck with all the papers, case studies, readings and pressure and THE thesis of graduate school.

Two. Project Pass-a-book-on's facebook page got 12 likes already so all the more enthusiastic I am to encourage people to donate books and make a difference in their kababayan's life.

Three. God never runs out of blessings for us, so he finally gifted us with a green portable radio. Oh how I long for it! And it's green.

That's all for now.

Oops! One more. Someone very close to my heart is giving her android phone to me. Another hand-me-down which I don't mind.

Project Pass-a-book

The Big Os

The project aims

·         To instill a love for reading among Filipino children

·         To build a community of children who can and will read

·         To make the Filipino children appreciate our children's literature

·         To provide marginalized Filipino children opportunities to read authentic Philippine children's literature

The Mission (I'm) Possible

Project Pass-a-book is  a collective effort of literacy advocates, non-government organizations (NGOs) and private institutions to provide children in Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental opportunities to read and enjoy locally-published children's books.

The people backing this project strongly believe that reading, as an important life skill, should be developed and nurtured inside and outside the school.  The proponents of this project believe in the power of reading to tickle one's imagination, to quench a person's thirst for knowledge and to transform people's lives. Thus, creating an opportunity to read is a must.

The Challenge

Project Pass-a-book aims to distribute new picture story/books to school-aged children in a far-flung place where buying a book (and reading) is a luxury. The picture storybooks would be coming from the different individual or group donors. Each new picture storybook to be donated must

a.       be covered with clear plastic to ensure its durability,

b.      have the donor's message/dedication to the child who will receive the book to make the experience more personal . The message could be in Cebuano, Filipino, and English (with Filipino translation).

Other ways to make the gift-giving more personal are highly-encouraged (e.g. attaching a picture).

The Setting

After 14 years, I'm gonna see again this mountain.

The heart of Cabalawan.

Project Pass-a-book aims to distribute new picture story/books to school-aged children in Cabalawan, Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental on the third week of December 2011.  Cabalawan is a small barrio that is almost nine kilometres away from the main road/high-way. It houses an elementary school that has 4 teachers and a number of students (no sufficient data as of today). Magsaysay is a fourth class municipality. (Keep posted for the pictures of the place and school profile written by one of the school officials.)

The Mission (I'm) Possible II

The project would also like to tap volunteers from the beneficiary barangay, preferably the teachers   to facilitate "literary circle" activities. A literary circle is an unorthodox way (for lack of a better term) of grouping the children for book talks and other enrichment activities. Activities include discussion about the book (e.g. plot, illustration, genre, etc.), enrichment activities (arts and crafts, music). The literary circle could be formed based on the reader-child's interest, reading ability, instructional needs and the book's literary genre. Thus, generic literary circle activities (e.g. lesson plans/ideas, graphic organizers) would also be given to the teachers during the short project orientation. (You may also share your 'photocopy-able' teacher resources/materials.

The said volunteers will also smooth the progress of the ‘passing of the book’ from one child to another. The project aims to introduce to the children the wealth of children’s literature that this country has, in doing so, the books that they have should be shared to other children in the literary circle. It’s the volunteer-teacher’s job to monitor the rotation of the books in the literature circle. This explains the need for the books to be plastic-covered.

The Possible FAQs

1.       What kind of books should I give?

a.       New picture books/picture storybooks in English with a Filipino or Cebuano translation published in the Philippines  (Know your local children's literature.)

                                       i.            Adarna House books

                                     ii.            OMF Lit-Hiyas books

                                    iii.            Anvilbooks

                                   iv.            LG&M-Vibalbooks

                                     v.            Lamparabooks

                                   vi.            Tahananbooks

                                  vii.            Others

2.       Where are the 'drop-off' points?

a.       School of Saint LaSalle of QC in North Olympus Subdivision, Zabarte Road, Novaliches. Look for T. Jerson or leave it/them to the guard on duty.

b.      TBA. (If you want to volunteer your office/place as a drop-off point, send an email or SMS to brojersrc@gmail.com / 0906-204-5044)

3.       Is there a way for me to know that the book has really reached its new owner?

a.       All activities will be documented through photos and some written documents. A blog post in www.misterserendipity.blogspot.com will serve as the "State of the Donation Address' or SODA before 2011 ends.

4.       What if I'm 'tinatamad' na 'mag-plastic cover?

a.       Think again if you really want to donate. If the answer is still a yes, get the book, plastic, scissors and tape. This activity doesn't happen every day, so your katamaran (e.g. going to the bookstore, writing a message) is not a valid excuse.

5.       What if I want to share my old books?

a.       Sharing your old books is good but only new books are accepted. The children in Cabalawan are so used to receiving old textbooks from the Department of Education. I think they deserve new ones too.

6.       What if I want to share other stuff like bags and pencils?

a.       Great! Then we can have another outreach activity in April or May.

7.       What do I get from this?

a.       A reward from God (well, if you have the right motives)

b.      A hope for a better Philippines

c.       A million thank-yous from the children of Cabalawan

So what are you waiting for?

a.       Go to the bookstore. Share this very-demanding project to your friends. Make a pledge. Start saving  for that Php 70-book. Give because you have something to give.

b.      Shrug it off. Make excuses. Wallow in apathy.

Children’s Book Creators’ Forum at the MIBF

Wow! Another Children's Lit conference. Book enthusiasts like me, let's attend!

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is inviting all writers, illustrators, and children’s book enthusiasts to participate in Sulataktakan: Conversations on Children’s Literature. The forum will focus n what makes an award-winning children’s book, as well as work styles of known children’s book authors and illustrators. The event, which will be onSeptember 17, 2011, Saturday, from 2pm to 4pm, will be held at Meeting Room 3 of the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
Guest speakers are children’s book creators Dr. Luis Gatmaitan, Mailin Paterno, Jomike Tejido, Russell Molina, and Beth Parrocha-Doctolero. Tejido and Molina have authored books that won the 1st Philippine National Children’s Book Awards in 2010.
The forum will be followed by book signing, so attendees are encouraged to bring along books authored/illustrated by the guest speakers.
The participation fee for the forum is Php100. For inquiries, email pbby[at]adarna.com.ph, or call 352-67-65 loc 120 and look for Lance.

Children's Lit news from Adarna House's blog.


Se you there! 

32nd MIBF

Thanks Prime Trade for the publicity materials for our school.

Friends and online buddies, see you there!

Filipino Friday Week 4: On Filipiniana

In my previous post, I daydreamed of coercing my friends to tell us about their favorite locally-published books. I asked them to answer these questions:

A. What's your favorite book from written by a Filipino (textbooks are not allowed.hehe)? You know, that one book you never got tired of reading (over and over and over...) - or hearing. The one book you still remember vividly to this day.

B.Describe a character in the book that reminds you of someone you know.

C.To whom would you recommend this book? Why?

Thank heavens for there's one friend who took heed of my plea. Haha. But before I give you her answer, let me share with you my thoughts about this week's topic. 

 I guess I have established , in this blog, the fact that I am a children's lit fan. (Thank you T. Portia for giving me that make-or-break UNO. Look where it has brought me.) But one thing that I haven't really worked hard on is the task of giving you the impression that I am a children's lit patriot. Believe me.I know and love and take pride in our country's children's literature.

Proofs? Don't get me started. Visit my future book blog na lang.

Anyway, back to this meme's questions:

Do you read Filipino literature? If you do, tell us your favorite books by Filipino authors and name a few that you’d like to recommend to fellow readers? If you don’t read much Filipino lit, then tell us why.

Tuwing Sabado, written by Russel Molina and illustrated by Serj Bumatay is a staple read in all classes that I handle. I will never get tired of reading this heart-pinching/warming, tear-jerking  tale of fatherhood. And my pupils just love this book. (Random sharing: I was there when the author read the manuscript of this story, months before the book was launched.)

Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel. This is one of my first children's lit reads. And it's the book that made me want for more Tito Dok books. (Fast fact: Tito Doc is the nickname of the author.) The illustrations are fantastic. They enriched the story. I love the spreads in which Raquel wore those totally out-of-this-world wigs. (Random sharing: I have an autographed copy of this one--both author and illustrator)

Unang Baboy sa Langit. Butsiki is the name if you're wondering who that lucky saintly pig is.. Very witty story. I first heard of this story in the radio show Wan Dey Isan Araw aired over 702 DZAS. Then I fell in love with the Rene Villanueva brainchild. I used it in our storytelling project and made a chant to accompany the telling. I just wish that a new edition of the book would come out (asap) because the illustrations are not that appealing. (Random sharing: I met Sir Rene in 2007 and whispered to him, while we were on stage, that I'm in love with his book. True story.)

There's a plethora of good Philippine children's literature out there. How I wish I am that linguistically-gifted to convince you to read these:

• Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
• Grace Chong books
• Jomike Tejido creations
• Papel De Liha by Ompong Remigio
• and a whole lot more.

Ooops! I almost forgot to mention some YA fiction and general fiction that I've perused over the years.

• Titser by Liwayway Arceo
• Bob Ong books (which should be read in moderation)
• Arnold Arre's Mythology Class and After Eden

Oh my! I haven't been reading Filipino novels lately! Wake up my dear old self.

And on that note, I give you my friend, Bb.CJ Aguila, Filipino professor and lover of Philippine literature. Here are her answers to the questions posted above.

A.Bilang guro sa panitikan, babalik-balikan ko ang KUWENTO NG MGA KWENTISTA! Para sa lahat ng henerasyon...hindi nagbabago ang mensahe... kuwentong may PUSO....

B. Isa sa karakter na narito ang batang si Fe na muling nagkaroon ng positibong pananaw sa buhay matapos mabatid ang mga pinagdadaan ng mga tao sa lipunan na mas pinagkaitan ng tadhana, ngunit kailanman ay hindi naging hadlang upang tumigil sa pangangarap. Minsan akong nagkaroon ng estudyante, na aking nakilala sa ikalawang taon ng aking pagtuturo (na kagayani Fe)....

C. Ang aklat na ito ay mairerekomenda ko sa lahat ng mga Pilipinong may pagmamahal sa Literatura... at mga taong nagnanais ding maging iinspirasyon sa iba.

Thank you so much CJ for sharing your thoughts on this week's meme. When you're done with your thesis about children's literature, you should, if not must, start blogging about Philippine Literature.

Can't Wait for Filipino Friday

Thanks to the ReaderCon Filipino Friday meme for giving me a new fresh perspective for Fridays. No more gosh-I'm-so-tired-sana-Friday-na days. I'm all giddy inside for the Week 4 buzz so I'll be posting some stuff leading up to next week's topic:

September 2 - Do you read Filipino literature? If yes, what are some books by Filipino authors that you can recommend to fellow readers?

And I'm doing this with a little help from my friends.

I have persuaded (some of) them, using my charm congenialness (hihihi), to do some guest-blogging for misterserendipity. This is a milestone for this blog. (Lume-level up ang blogging skills ko! Com'on!)

If you consider yourself a friend of mine (which is a major life decision) and you are passionate about locally-published books or books written by Filipinos (any genre), feel free to send me a message on facebook or email me at brojersrc-at-gmail-dot-com. And let's get ourselves pumped with

Cheers!

Readercon Filipino Friday Week 3: Being A Reader In The Philippines

This is kinda late. Better than never. So for this week's meme, we zero in on the joys and travails of being a reader in the Philippines.

How hard or easy is it to be a book lover in the Philippines?

What are some of your frustrations as a Filipino reader?

And what are the positive aspects of being a reader in the Philippines?

Apparently, it's hard to be a leisure reader here in the Philippines. I only know a few friends and kakilala who include book-buying in their weekly/monthly visit to malls. Sila na ang may budget for books. If you are a book lover in the Philippines and you are

kahit anong book pa yan, makukuha't makukuha mo. You are a denizen of Fully-booked, Power Books, National Bookstore--the top three bookstores in the country. If you are part of the

hanggang browse/scan ka na lang muna sa favorite books mo sa NBS, Powerbooks at Fully-booked. More or less, nakatabi mo na ako sa Booksale, and you're also hoping na may naligaw na second-hand copy ng book na binibista mo sa Big 3 bookstores. The book prices in these second-hand bookstores fit your budget. Extra money, actually. Kung

ka naman, it's not a big deal that the movie you are watching is based on a book. And that the book is better than the movie adaptation.

One of the joys of being a children's lit reader in the Philippines is the fact that there's a big chance that I can meet the authors of the book I'm reading.

And I can force them to sign my book and have a fan-dominated chit-chat. You also have the Manila International Book Fair, the National Children's Book Day, the Buwan ng Wika, the SCBWI-Philippines conferences and the Book signing events that these publishing houses are putting up, to sustain your love for books.

Kung presyo naman ang pag-uusapan, I miss the "newsprint price" of Adarna House.

But I do still love their books and their book fair people. We look 'family' to each other. Haha. It's also a good thing that Lampara Books is publishing the winning stories in the Palanca Awards Short Story for Children category. Pati na rin yata PBBY runner-ups, because the other day, I saw Becky Bravo's

in National Bookstore.

Even if I have met a number of authors, illustrators and publishers, I still have frustrations as a reader. Let me enumerate those nega vibes..

1. There's a dearth of novels in the YA fiction category.

2. Publishing houses have yet to publish more books in other Philippine languages. I'm glad Adarna has started(?) the trend. See this one:

3. Only a few school libraries function as haven for book lovers. Only a few politicians, and civic organizations are trying to build more school/public libraries.

4. I know a few people who are dayuhan sa sariling bayan in terms of their reading choices.

5. Some bookstore/shop people do not know how to entice their customers to buy and not just browse. They should attend a seminar/ crash course on basic things about literature in general. They should know the what's-hot in the book scene. They should do book talks. Haha

6. Some parents are still misguided when buying books for their tots. More coloring books, less picture story books. More foreign(sounding) authors, less Filipino authors. Kumusta naman tayo diyan?

Filipino Friday: Becoming a Reader

Fudge! I just checked September 14 in the calendar, and it falls on a Wednesday. That means, I can't attend the first Filipino Readers’ Conference in SMX Mall of Asia unless an unexpected typhoon comes for a quick visit and DepEd declares another ill-advised suspension. Given my situation, I'll just show my support by participating in this meme. So for this week, the questions at hand are the following: How did you become a reader? What factors influenced you to take up reading as a hobby and why do you enjoy it so much? Because I was thrilled to introduce myself last week, I think I had spoiled my answers for this week. So this post would just give you a recap, additional info on the things I've blabbed in my previous post. I was forced by circumstances to read-- -after that Creative Writing class nightmare -the required readings in college (hahanapin mo pa sa UP Shopping Center; makikipag-unahan sa pagpapa-reserve sa library; manghihiram sa classmate). When I was a child, I equated reading to reading textbooks. My very first memory of reading is when my Mama taught me how to read using the classic

I think the original cover page is the one with the nipa hut. After that, puro textbook stories na. If you studied in a public school, you'll understand why most Filipino children in public schools are not exposed to authentic children's literature. Gayunpaman, na-enjoy ko pa rin ang mga short stories sa mga naghihingalong libro namin sa Filipino at English. Sayang, hindi nauso ang library sa school namin. I was a freshman in high school when I read my first YA novel. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I read that for a book report. Not bad. I enjoyed reading it but it didn't made me want for more. Malay ko ba na exciting pala ang mga detective stories at magkakaroon ng Sherlock movie after 8 years :) So I didn't bother asking the owner of the book if she had other Sherlock books. Bob Ong books

ang pumuno sa 'love' ko for reading. Pang-masa. Thank you Bob Ong (kung sino/sino-sino/ano ka man), because of your book, I discovered that I and reading are meant for each other.Before I graduated from high school, two books were added in my list--The Little Prince (recommended by a classmate who has a UP student-sister and Daddy Long Legs (lent by a classmate who has a UP student-cousin). HIndi ko natapos ang TLP kasi ang lalim. Na-excite naman ako sa DLL dahil may TV series sa Channel 2 no'n. I still feel blessed even if I didn't get to spend my younger years with Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Boxcar Children and all the other classics. I had a very typical masang Filipino childhood. TV, street games, school. I am more blessed now because I have the opportunity of inspiring children to spend their childhood with dragons, vampires, real people, fairies, talking animals from books.

My prayer is that through this convention, literature advocates would reach out to Filipino children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, and introduce to them the joy and power of reading.

The Hunger Games Movie

Filipino Reader Fridays: Introduction

Yeah. It's my first time to participate in a blogging event. I seldom (have the enough kasipagan to ) blog. I am more of a reader,I guess. But for the love of books, I will try to participate in the Filipino Reader Conference. And the task for this week is to introduce myself as a reader.

Warning, I'll be code-switching ha, para mas natural ang dating.

I was already a college freshman when I seriously followed the advice of my high school teachers to read. Before college, hindi ko alam na kailangan ko pala talagang magbasa nang magbasa. (I stopped blaming my parents and teachers for not exposing me/us to literature.) Buti na lang may creative writing class na nagpamukha sa akin na 

if you are not a good reader, you can't be a good writer.

 I was shamefaced during the time na winoworkshop 'yong piece ko. Ang sarap ma-eject sa kinauupuan ko. Eye opener. True story.

From then on, I started my catch-up reading . Saan ako magsisimula? Siyempre, ano ba ang una kong na-miss? 

This experience is one of the reasons kung bakit nag-shift ako from BSEd-English to BEEd-English. Salamat sa English 11 prof ko na si T. Lalaine, now president of Kuting, for letting us read a lot of children's lit. Sa klaseng 'yon, nakilala ko ang Little Prince, si Twink Macaraig at ang kanyang kuwentong What is Serendipity?, si John Steinbeck at si Harry Potter ( on a more personal level) dahil sa literary analysis na involved ang 3 nobelang 'yon. After that sem, nagsimula na ang effect ng 

I discovered that reading is an inexpensive hobby because we have the cozy UP-Diliman libraries and the ever-dependable second-hand bookstores like Booksale. Ang una kong binasa after English 11 ay The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller because T. Lalaine mentioned that it's a good read. Akala ko novel for children. Haha. But I still liked the book and as a matter of fact, I plan to say the lines--

"In a universe of ambiguity, this kind of certainty comes only once, and never again, no matter how many lifetimes you live."

--sa magiging Francesca Johnson ko.

The next sem, I enrolled in the Children's Lit class of THE T. Portia Padilla. Golden Age ito ng college life ko dahil dito ko na-establish ang fact na Children's Lit fan na nga ako. The summer prior to this sem, I discovered the radio program Wan Dey, Isang Araw in 

. This program is hosted by THE Palanca Hall of Fame Awardee Dr. Luis "Tito Dok" Gatmaitan. In the program, they feature a pre-recorded storytelling of locally published books for children and Tito Dok interviews the author of the featured story. Do'n ko unang narining si Sir Rene Villanueva at ang kanyang (ang aking paboritong) Unang Baboy sa Langit. Kaya naman no'ng ma-invite si Tito Doc sa class namin, feeling ko pre-Nirvana moment ko na. Super thanks to our very passionate prof for all those greet-and-meet-and-interact-with-
your-favorite-authors-and-illutrators moments. At siyempre sa walang sawang pagpapahiram ng kanyang mga libro for our annotation.

Going back to the task this week, I am proud to say that I am one voracious Children's lit reader. I can easily spot the good reads whenever I scan the books in the shelves of my favorite tambayan--the second-hand bookstores. I read a lot of Newberys and Caldecotts and all those that should have won those awards like Tuck Everlasting.

I love the works of Katherine Paterson, Madeleine L'Engle, Lois Lowry, E.L. Konigsburg and Gary Paulsen to name a few.

In terms of illustration, walang papantay sa magic ni David Wiesner.

Sa local scene naman (na first love ko), hindi mawawala ang Tuwing Sabado ni Russell Molina, ang mga libro nina Grace Chong, Tito Doc, Rhandee Garlitos, Ompong Remigio at ng marami pang iba.

Ngayon, in love ako sa Hunger Games ni Suzanne Collins na babasahin namin sa school book club namin. Hindi pa rin ako maka-get over sa mas pinalalim na understanding sa The Story of Ferdinand (dahil nabasa ko ang pre-publication history niya.)

Wow. Reading has never been this good.

At present, I am moderating a school book club--The Bookmunchers.

NCBD Dreams

July, next to December, is my second  much loved month of the school year. I know the teachers reading this are bobbing their heads as I put December on top of my list.  But, golly! July is just a few points behind the gift-giving month.

I started loving July when I learned about the National Children's Book Day or NCBD.

 I've heard about it in my Children's Literature class circa 2007 (Thanks to Teacher Portia!) Back then, for a number of imaginable reasons, I didn't appreciate it as much as I do now. One, we never had any NCBD celebration when I was in grade school and high school, given that the NCBD is a 28-year-old fete, and I'm only 23. Two, our librarian-slash-guidance counsellor didn't know that such celebration exists nor did I know that she was the librarian in that textbook-full room. Three, I wasn't yet hooked on children's  books then (the lamest excuse I could think of).

In the traditional school calendar, July is dubbed as the Nutrition Month. I think our Department of Health (DOH) is the instigator, rather, brain behind this nationwide event which the Department of Education (DepEd) adapts and implements on a nationwide scale. 

(Thank you DOH! I believe, with all my heart, that in your theme-brainstorming meetings, there are other topics aside from breastfeeding. So why be fixated on breast-

feeding alone?

And DepEd, please do not copy everything. I think you have the power to change/modify the theme.  Make it something more relevant, meaningful and developmentally-appropriate. I am not in the position to give you a lecture on this.)

Unlike the highly-celebrated nutrition month, the NCBD is just like a drizzle quenching the thirst of teachers, librarian and students for books. I'm guessing that the DepEd annually  releases a memorandum advising, if not requiring, schools to have modest NCBD activities. I'm sure that the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), the one spearheading this affair,  never forgets to inform the education bureau the impact of this event to the lives of the Filipino children and to the history of Philippine literature.  For a number of years, NCBD posters, sponsored by Jollibee and, I guess, Adarna Publishing House, in coordination with the PBBY, are issued to different institutions.

Of course, for free.  But how come that out of the 10 teachers that I asked about their school's NCBD event/s, only one excitedly said yes, they are having an NCBD school program? And the others texted back with "Anong NCBD?"  True story. Epic fail.

Children's Lit advocates, WE still have so much work to do.

Yes, I agree with the great Ma'am LDR (Lina Diaz de-Rivera), teacher of teachers of children's literature in UP Diliman, that we are in the Golden Age of Philippine Children's Literature . There are more companies now that are publishing high-quality books for kids. Okay, there are some books that need to be sent back to their editors or to their FGD groups. The number of writers and illustrators for children is growing  __________. a) fast; b) faster than my toe nails: c)period. Different NGOs who are big on children's literature like PBBY, Alitaptap Storytellers, Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting (Kuting), Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK) are gaining more members and volunteers. These are just some of the signs that the state of Philippine children's literature has gotten better.

But why do  I feel that something is missing in that measure of success?

In one of my daydreams, I pictured a festive  third Tuesday of July in almost all Philippine schools. Students are swelling with joy as they read stories written for them by their fellowmen. Teachers are busy choosing locally-published  books to be included in their class reading list. Authors and illustrators are touring different schools for book talks--signing copies of their books as their fans giggle in excitement. And the most ambitious of all, for the first time in Philippine television, the president is reading a Rene Villanueva or an Almario story and ending the storytelling with this:

"Mga kababayan, lalo na sa mga kabataan, Happy National Children's Book Day!"

Where are Thou First Day Jitters?

Classes started last Thursday,June 16. I'm in my third year of teaching. And I'm still occupying the same room and handling the same advisory class. I love being a Grade 4 adviser. Welcoming tots from the primary level. Grooming them to become better pre-puberty kiddos.

This year is the year of drastic changes.

No more mom to

1.iron our uniforms
2.prepare a cup of coffee to awaken my half-awake senses
3.double-check if the spoon and fork is in my lunch box

every morning. This forces me to leave (and fix) my bed much earlier than usual. If I fail to do that, I'd end up having an empty stomach while racing against the hands of the school's bundy clock. The perils challenges of not having a mom or dad.

The biggest change this school year is the new set of people I'll be working with. There are more new teachers to befriend. That being the case, I've started implementing my OPERATION FC (feeling close). I'd like to think that I have reached my goals after meeting three new friends. And they made it easy for me to integrate in their established group. And now, I've started showing them my true color--

having a high-level of likable meanness

. I hope that with them on my side, all the negative vibes would be turned into laughing stocks.

It's a totally different year for me as an adviser-teacher because I didn't have the usual first-day-of-school jitters unlike in the past two years. I guess, it's a sign that I'm really growing in this profession. To put it bluntly, a sign of aging. It's a sign that I'm no longer like the main character in the book

(Btw, I read this story to my fourth graders on the first day of school.)

The jitters are gone because I am (already)so sure of myself. That teaching is really really for me. Now, I have fully understood the nitty-gritty of the subjects I am teaching (e.g. curriculum, approaches, competencies). Little by little, I am gaining the confidence and the desire to dream of becoming a textbook author or a curriculum developer. True story.

One of the things that really made me confident is the radiant energy that my classroom provides me. Here's a sample.

I'm now excited to do better this year. For God's glory!

Pagbabagong morpoponemiko G-T

Isang bagong discovery sa akin ang closeness ng letters G at T. related sila in terms of morphophonemic changes.
Narito ang ilang mga halimbawa ng salitang magpapatunay:

a. maGanda-maTanda (Ang weird lang kasi may popular notion na kapag mas bata, mas maganda. Pero baka naman, ibang klaseng kagandahan ang tinutukoy dito, like beautiful mind)

b. maGinoo-maTino (Pwede…)

c. maGunaw-maTunaw

d. palaGi-paraTi (Parang speech defect lang ng mga Japanese na nahihirapan silang ipronounce ang R ba o L?

e. daGok-baTok (may pagka-dyslexic lang dahil sa d at b, reversal nga ba 'to?)

f. hiGad-hiTad (Panalo to! Kasi nga may mga higad na mabuhok, kaya mangangati ka….di ba kapag makati ang isang tao, dini-describe na HITAD o malandi?)

g. magGuro-magTuro (pwede rin….)

h. biloG-biloT (may point ako….niro-roll ang mga bagay tapos nakakaform ka ng cyclinder na may circles sa magkabilang gilid)

i. pantoG-bantoT (same as letter e, wag na nating i-discuss, ang baho e)

j. lupiG-lupiT (related words...pag nalupig o natalo ka, may posibilidad na nakaramdam ka ng kalupitan ng kalaban o ng kapalaran)

I love pagbabagong morpoponemiko :)

P.S.

Nong nag-aaral kami ng dynamics, narinig ko ang term na mezzo (piano and forte) which means moderately soft or loud. In Filipino, medyo malakas o mahina. Gets? Mezzo-medyo. O ha!

Ang Puwersang Paulit-ulit

Habang nasa dyip kasama ang ilang kaibigan, napag-usapan ang isang magandang babae sa LRT na naka-spaghetti straps, at confident sa pagpapakita ng kanyang ma-kremang kili-kili dahil sa mainit na panahon at sa bagong lagay na deodorant.

Nauwi ang tawanan sa isang linguistic activity. Isa na namang serendipitous experience.

Na-curious tuloy kami sa mga salitang nauulit.

Nag-isip kami ng mga halimbawa--may gitling o wala.

kili-kili bukong-bukong mga balbal na katawagang pang-katawan (pribado)
tuktok siksik bilbil
liblib kuko (pwede na rin) dibdib
pokpok hithit ting-ting

Well, sinubukan naming mag-analyze. Siguro, safe kung sasabihin na ang mga salitang nauulit ay kargado ng positibo o negatibong pagpapakahulugan. At dahil nauulit nga, mas mabigat ang kahulugan nila kumpara sa ibang mga anyo ng salita. Mas may emphasis o diin kasi pag nauulit ang isang pantig o salita mismo.

Karamihan ng mga salitang balbal na terminong pang-katawan ay kargado ng mga negatibong pagpapakahulugan. Halimbawa na lamang ang kili-kili--na laging kadikit ang mga terminong putok, anghit, black underarms at maitim. Mga negatibong bagay ang naiisip natin kung nababanggit ang kili-kili.

Isa pang halimbawa ay ang bilbil. Tinuturing ng marami na makasalanang taba ang bilbil. Negatibo na naman. Kaya nga nauso ang mga negosyo nina Dra. Belo at ni Mr. Calayan.

Idagdag pa natin ang mga katawagang balbal sa mga pribadong bahagi ng tao. Isang taboo pa din ang paggamit sa kanila sa pang-araw-araw na pakikipagtalastasan.

Hanggang dito na lang muna. 'Pwede ka ring magbahagi ng iyong mga halimbawa, hypothesis at mga interpretasyon.

Si Mukhtaran Bibi at ang mga Munting Tinig

Kasalukuyan kong binabasa ang librong In the Name of Honor na ibinigay ng isang dating guro. Required reading daw to sa EDLR 101, nakalimutan ko na kung ano'ng course description, basta tungkol sa development of language and reading ang kursong 'yon. Naintriga ako. No'ng panahon naman namin, not a very distang past pa naman, ay di kami ni-require na magbasa ng kung anong nobela.

Tungkol ito kay Mukhtaran Bibi, isang Pakistani na ginahasa ng mga kalalakihan mula sa isang tribo ng mas mataas na caste bilang paraan ng pagbabalik-dangal sa kanilang "nasirang" karangalan. Biktima si Mukhtaran Bibi ng balikong tradisyon sa lugar nila kung saan oppressed ang mga kababaihan. Natutunan ko sa librong 'to kung gaano kalala ang sitwasyon sa mga lugar kung saan 'di pantay ang trato sa mga kababaihan at kung ano'ng maaaring mangyari (to the extreme level) sa mga tao, especially sa mga kababaihan, na hindi naturuang bumasa't sumulat--basic skills para tawaging literate ang isang tao.

To cut it short, sa halip na magpakamatay si Mukhtaran at mag-dwell sa kahindik-hindik na nakaraan, naisawalat niya sa mundo ang kanyang karanasan. Salamat sa midya, sa mga NGO at mga women's right activist. Exciting 'yong part na unti-unti niyang inaabot ang HUSTISYA. (Hindi ko na i-dedetalye.) Sa huli, nakapagpatayo siya ng isang paaralan sa kanilang lugar (first school for the girls) sa pag-asang sa pagkatuto ng mga kabataang babae at lalaki, unti-unting mabubuksan ang nakapinid na pag-iisip ng kanyang mga kababayan ukol sa pagkakapantay-pantay at edukasyon.

Habang binabasa ko 'to, parang kidlat na bumabalik sa aking gunita ang mga eksena sa pelikulang Mga Munting Tinig na pinagbidahan ni Alessandra de Rossi. Katulad ng lugar kung saan nadestino si Alessandra, hindi din gano'n kalaki ang pagpapahalaga sa edukasyon ng mga magulang ng mga mag-aaral ni Mukhtaran. Pero kung drama at drama lang rin ang pag-uusapan, mas mapapaiyak ka sa karanasan ni Mukhtaran. Naging mitsa siya ng isang malaking women's right movement sa Pakistan at sa mundo. Isa siyang inspirasyon sa libo-libong kababaihan na inabuso/inaabuso ng isang lipunang nagpapauto sa mga baluktot na paniniwala.

Salamat kay Mukhtaran Bibi at sa marami pang mga munting tinig na bumubilong sa isip ng marami na huwag puro pansariling pakikibaka ang atupagin. Na p'wede rin namang tumulong kahit isa ka sa mga nangangailangan ng tulong.

On Bourgeoisie and Selfishness

I had a memorable conversation with a former professor about career, life and other people last Tuesday.

It was the afternoon when she asked me to come over and put some order on her piles/tons of children's books. (She has more children's books than our college library's Childre's Book Section.) Good thing another former student assistant of her came by and helped me.

At five, we called it a day of tiresome sorting, shelving and sorting again (I had to devise a system). Of course, it wasn't for free (haha), 'though I would still have done it without getting anything in return. Teacher gave me her copy of

(an earlier edition of this one)

which I think every Reading teacher/major should have.

Then we headed to in

Katipunan for their first Super Panalo meals. They (Teacher and ex-co-SA) didn't know that that promo exists. There was something in the carbonara spaghetti and caesar salad that made me more comfortable chit-chatting with them. Way back then, I was this reserved, tight-lipped guy who'd seldom enter into any kind of banter. Some call it insecurity. Others label it as politeness.

But that afternoon, I was a certified FC. Feeling close.
I heard my self talk, not just listen. I listen to their personal accounts on teaching, career and life.

Since I know that they are so incline to children's lit,just as i am, I asked them if they've read

. I was expecting for a vigorous YES to be followed by a series of exchanges about the book's elements. But to no avail.

My teacher, who I look up to in terms of oozing passion for children's lit, mentioned the word BURGIS in her explanation. She doesn't want to go with the flow. The bandwagon failed. I got her point.

I have a very limited mind map of the word BURGIS. I almost equate it to selfishness. Then that afternoon I was pointed back to my

Oo nga naman. Unti-unti nang nadodomina ng mga foreign writers ang Reading list ko.

"Nabasa nga nila ang Hunger Games, e' ang

, nabasa na ba nila?", she quipped.

Then a sudden realization dawned on me.
Gosh, for the past two years how many times have I worn my volunteer's hat? How many stories have I read to less fortunate kababayan? How many locally-published books have I bought? How many times have I ignored the laments of

Then, they started suggesting ways on how to lessen the BURGIS in me; how to reach out to our kapwa-Pilipino. Then we sounded too idealistic.

Oh well, better have some ideals than have nothing at all.

SCBWI-CCP Conference

Hear ye! Hear ye! All Children's book authors, illustrators, librarians, children's literature advocates, educators, readers, publishers,fans, professional stalkers of published authors and/or illustrators, budding writers and illustrators! Your attendance in the event below is required by the request of this blogger.

To those published authors and/or illustrators,please inform me beforehand if you can come, so I know which books I need to bring/buy. Hooray! See you there!

For more info about the conference, do visit this site.