tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10091800620031498252024-03-14T12:32:59.924+08:00The Teenage DispatchThe blog that exists for the voice that persists.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-73867125059370657942016-07-05T12:55:00.000+08:002016-07-05T12:55:10.464+08:00Out of Place<div style="text-align: justify;">
Being a communication arts student, I’ve just encountered our fifth major course—Scriptwriting for Radio and TV. Our block have just learned how to pitch ideas and put them into writing. We were also made familiar with different video techniques and audio cues, so we briefly viewed episodes of TV series or even scenes from movies to figure out such technical things. I’ve observed my classmates being so interested in TV series and/or movies that it is usually the way by which we discuss the topics we had in Scriptwriting. </div>
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Even when it’s not Scriptwriting class, I would hear them talk about a series they were following and marathon-ing, or a movie they have just watched, and much more on the celebrities that act on those series or movies. Be it <i>How To Get Away with Murder</i>, or <i>Pretty Little Liars</i>, or <i>Game of Thrones</i>, or <i>Star Wars</i>, or <i>Civil War</i>, and a lot more that I’m not familiar with...And I just feel overwhelmed, alienated.</div>
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Even within the family. I think Ma and I are the odd ones out in terms of film, although we do like and prefer quality films. The rest are so into movies. Even Pa has a regular “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUn4yj4XA9w" target="_blank">Night at The Movies</a>”, like what American stations have done decades ago on primetime. </div>
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And here I am, a communication arts student who—among others who have film, or television, or advertising in their specialty—has a peculiar interest in what seems an abandoned media and will most likely work for that field someday. I am just so different, and I can’t but find myself out of place—OP.</div>
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But I surely don’t disdain everything TV and film. In fact, I have watched films and have followed TV series. I was even fascinated with a few of them.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdYhd5BhR8d1bbEl9WB8goqh65hjaGc4ZX9nShyzd3fQ_3Q3GIGpdibTIVVajA-JHiIqO3SPai9a98H6sNaTHUncOY6-p3sc53h9Kj8hdOLjiQbnplX6AjjFgFEOZtJ3rYAPtjsaVzRsu/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdYhd5BhR8d1bbEl9WB8goqh65hjaGc4ZX9nShyzd3fQ_3Q3GIGpdibTIVVajA-JHiIqO3SPai9a98H6sNaTHUncOY6-p3sc53h9Kj8hdOLjiQbnplX6AjjFgFEOZtJ3rYAPtjsaVzRsu/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Clockwise) Images from the films: Dead Poets Society, Chariots of Fire,<br />
The Pursuit of Happyness, and John Q</td></tr>
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<b>Feature presentations and matinees</b></div>
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During my summer vacation periods in high school I would watch films—not on DVD or even from a torrent file, but on HBO and Cinemax (sometimes from Star Movies too). I even subscribed to a weekly newsletter from HBO and Cinemax sent via e-mail. </div>
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Later on, I would visit the website of both channels and browse through the movies they would broadcast. As soon as I chose a movie I would like to see (after reading the synopsis), I would take note of the schedule, and I would likely catch most of those movies. </div>
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As long as it was vacation, movies were a part of my activities. Thanks to cable I watched movies such as <i>Dead Poets Society</i>, <i>Chariots on Fire</i>, <i>Tron</i> (both old and new versions), <i>John Q</i>, <i>Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs</i>, <i>Sucker Punch</i>, and even <i>Beastly</i> and The <i>Pursuit of Happyness</i>. Thanks also to the movies <i>Misery</i> and <i>Christine</i>, I got more interested in reading Stephen King’s works. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb2LSFIQ0v1zMaB6iOA9fXjKPpaXsh3XxAi3VVipjpK8ECU3VEKuYdsUwzPDw4IeGMen3b4Q4eWTY6CWOXW3CfBPmFw6kQa0jqSh5AbSFi85XScoJxWP-XT6imJiUy0B5YkmD1qMawQkt/s1600/Sci-fi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpb2LSFIQ0v1zMaB6iOA9fXjKPpaXsh3XxAi3VVipjpK8ECU3VEKuYdsUwzPDw4IeGMen3b4Q4eWTY6CWOXW3CfBPmFw6kQa0jqSh5AbSFi85XScoJxWP-XT6imJiUy0B5YkmD1qMawQkt/s400/Sci-fi.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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But usually I would look for vintage movies, and I would always expect them every afternoon on Cinemax. They call that segment <i>Movie Matinee</i>, if I’m not mistaken. On that slot I viewed various crime/spy, adventure and (mostly) science fiction films, though sometimes I found them hard to understand (especially the crime films). I was so fascinated with the science fiction flicks I saw on that timeslot—<i>The Incredible Shrinking Man</i>, <i>Five Million Miles To Earth</i>, <i>The Blob</i>, <i>Earth vs. Flying Saucers</i>, and <i>Journey to The Far Side of the Sun</i>. </div>
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But for me the most memorable film I was delighted to watch on cable (because I’ve been wanting to) was <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>. My father found the movie weird (mostly for the sound effects and silent scenes), though he recognized how antique it was. But I did like it at that time I picked it as my favorite movie when I was asked about it in my sophomore year.</div>
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Later in my fourth year, when the cable was converted into a digital box, I chanced upon films from My Movie Channel when it was still on air. I really liked that channel for the quality films they feature. Too bad it went off air last year, probably for lack of audience and profit. There I viewed <i>For The Boys</i>, <i>The Five Heartbeats</i>, <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (from the 80’s), and<i> S1m0ne</i>. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIdAeeO6nHEgMXKQTHq6QuEz0tkoOwm961Hx8b2b0pAptkdT4lvMoKLKBNQK7SznsYx9myKTg6h2DpEnO4e2oEmORNYU1mQ2lrHxXa2eittGrQyDyGhiswrOXdEmpmlwglHuUBgfBIzWM/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIdAeeO6nHEgMXKQTHq6QuEz0tkoOwm961Hx8b2b0pAptkdT4lvMoKLKBNQK7SznsYx9myKTg6h2DpEnO4e2oEmORNYU1mQ2lrHxXa2eittGrQyDyGhiswrOXdEmpmlwglHuUBgfBIzWM/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(Clockwise) Images from the films: For The Boys, The Five Heartbeats,<br />S1m0ne, and A Christmas Carol (starring George Scott)</span></td></tr>
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<b>Series and sitcoms</b></div>
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I also got into some TV series on some cable channels. There used to be 80’s shows on 2nd Avenue when I was in my 2nd year high school which I used to follow. I would watch <i>Small Wonder</i> in afternoons, featuring the girl robot living with a small family. Early in the morning, there was also the stories of riding the roller-coaster ride of growing up from <i>The Wonder Years</i> and the young Neil Patrick Harris working as a physician in (incredibly) his teenage years in <i>Doogie Howser, M.D.</i> </div>
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When AXN Beyond reformatted to beTV (which later on became Sony Channel), they aired the 90’s sitcom <i>Everybody Loves Raymond</i>. One time I stumbled upon it, and I liked it. I knew the schedule, and I would switch the TV to that channel at specific times (usually 5:00) and have a regular laugh from the dysfunctional family of a humorous sportswriter Ray Barone. </div>
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When I was in third year, I also saw <i>The Newsroom</i> at its start. I was of course fascinated at a series about a team of anchors, journalists, and producers working for a news channel. If you ever saw an FB video of a man angrily responding to the question “Is the US still the best country in the world?” (that he said it used to be), it was from that TV drama. Later on I missed <i>The Newsroom</i>, and somehow I drifted away from watching TV series.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMReyqpjUP05gQzWPHdbu8RWu7JlwVob8w5_YlFmFtCtp61REaGRTy-UPp8xjLfGMDuSKx9TlAFsryfyJ4AScvWfdCQ6FhBalhY8jIeg9iWNMTQbGPlx7u-0_iGQYy_D6gDMi1Xm2d-xip/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMReyqpjUP05gQzWPHdbu8RWu7JlwVob8w5_YlFmFtCtp61REaGRTy-UPp8xjLfGMDuSKx9TlAFsryfyJ4AScvWfdCQ6FhBalhY8jIeg9iWNMTQbGPlx7u-0_iGQYy_D6gDMi1Xm2d-xip/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(Clockwise) Images from the sitcoms:<br /> Small Wonder, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Cosby Show, and Taxi</span></td></tr>
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When I was yet to become a college student, I would regularly catch <i>The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon</i>. I would always wait for the segments, especially “Thank You Notes” and “Screengrabs”, then I either eat lunch during the interview segments or switch the TV to another channel. But often I finished the show.</div>
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<i>The Big Bang Theory</i> also came as another source of laughs. In the lives of four scientists with different ways and manners in their professions and their relationships, I would find myself laughing (with siblings and parents, thankfully). Even in these college years I would find it on Warner TV or Jack TV and set aside the work for a while. In such an often stressful life I’ve been living, I need a laugh. </div>
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There’s also another good channel I’ve found from the box—Hits. It’s the place for old TV shows, and I am in for things vintage. I found doses of laughs from <i>The Cosby Show</i>, <i>Different Strokes</i>, <i>Taxi</i>, <i>Married...with Children</i>, and even <i>Mad About You</i> and <i>The Golden Girls</i>. I also viewed some episodes from <i>Moonlighting</i> and <i>The X-Files</i>. Oh, I hope I would have the time to catch <i>The X-Files</i>, but it appears I won’t have time for any marathon/catching-up while I was busy in the city, in the campus.</div>
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So far, aside from <i>Big Bang</i>, the program I catch when I have the chance, is <i>60 Minutes</i>, the long-running magazine program comprised of 3 stories and the ticking of an Aristo stopwatch. </div>
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And currently, I got hooked on <i>Ang Probinsyano</i>, the missions of a policeman turned CIDG officer against various criminals, especially against a drug syndicate, which makes the major plot of the story.</div>
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<b>One favorite remains</b></div>
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I have shared to you my viewing list and favorite picks on television and film. Yet, this patronage fluctuates in time. But at the present, I’m less hooked on TV series or motion pictures as much as others are. </div>
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While many I know are into today’s hero films or novel adaptations, which have just been viewed on movie theaters and probably have been released on Kick-A-- Torrent, I’m not into that. Many wait for the next episode of famous TV series on cable or online, but I’m just not interested in any of them. </div>
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The particular reason I have felt negative about this is: I feel I won’t be able to bring anything else interesting to talk about, finding it difficult to talk at all. I feel and surmise that’s the easy link that could bring a conversation with someone, although I consider that he/she/they could give an ear on or express about other topics. And I can’t use the TV/movie link always. Or maybe I could try. Aside from that, I find it somehow ironic that I’m in a communications course, but I have less affinity to some of the trending media (except social media, of course). </div>
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But wait, read: communication arts. The entire program involves a lot of fields (not mass media/broadcasting alone), it has a wide range of areas covered. And I just turned out to be liking the areas of radio and (a bit of) research. That’s the way it is. </div>
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Of course, I find it helpful to view more series and films as I go through my major subjects this upcoming 2nd half of college. But I would less likely follow more than one series, or set my eyes on a lot of films. This happens to be the case because: 1) again, I like radio more, and 2) I’m a bit cautious and conservative with what I view, that’s why I grew less inclined to view films and series.</div>
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I should therefore stop being negative on feeling out of place. I have to embrace it. And maybe celebrate it. It’s nothing to be sad about. At least there’s someone who’s concerned with keeping the airwaves alive. Radio will remain my favorite. </div>
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In fact, these past weeks and days I’ve been listening to radio dramas, book readings, and documentaries (yes, documentaries on radio) from United Kingdom’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4" target="_blank">BBC Radio 4</a>. Maybe you would like to try them, for a change. Let me give you some links:</div>
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<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07c2wm0" target="_blank">The 2nd part of a 2-part dramatization of John Wyndham’s <i>The Kraken Waves</i></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07bzjxm" target="_blank">A 15-minute sci-fi drama entitled "Inertia"</a> (the story's so sad)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0135q6c" target="_blank">A 5-episode reading of a biography of war poet Edward Thomas </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03y6l7m" target="_blank">A documentary about video game music</a> (yes, there is!)</li>
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adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-21109434152851579022016-06-28T13:00:00.000+08:002016-06-28T13:00:39.768+08:00How I Got Into Coffee<div style="text-align: justify;">
Coffee is a part of my everyday routine, in and out of school semesters. I’m among a lot of professionals and students today who drink a cup of coffee or more everyday. Not that I go to a coffee shop every now and then and have “Adrian” signed on my cup. I’m frugal. Instead, when I’m at school, my regular cups of coffee are a hot 7-Eleven’s City Blend, a cold Nescafe French Vanilla or White Mocha, and (the main cup among them all) brewed coffee in the house. </div>
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I thought of coffee as a bitter drink before, but as I grew up it would become a daily dose, my favorite drink aside from rootbeer.</div>
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<b>My first coffee</b></div>
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My parents like coffee very much, as much as your parents do (I believe). I remember times when I was still so young when Pa and Ma tell me while we eat breakfast (or maybe evening dinner): “<i>O, mag-kape ka...</i>” (“Why don’t you have coffee?”) in a jokingly way. I would simply refuse. I didn’t like coffee yet at that time. But I tasted one. It was a cappuccino either my auntie or my brother got from briefly working on a night shift, if I am not mistaken. </div>
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Later on, I happened to learn how to make coffee when either Pa or Ma called me to do it for them. I would ask how, and they would instruct me: 1 teaspoon of coffee, 1 or 2 of creamer, then 1 to 3 of sugar. I even remember Ma telling me to level the amount of either of those three on the teaspoon. But the first time I made a cup of coffee for myself was also the first time I didn’t sleep at all. </div>
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I was in second year in high school—when academics demanded more. I was desperate to reach the deadline for lettering plates on Drafting that I turned out cramming. I have believed that coffee would make me stay awake. And with the parents asleep, and the TV on ANC, I made the coffee on my own. And it was not tasty! But what mattered was I got awake. So I went through the night trying to get those letterings done, like someone keeping a radio station on air overnight. I survived, with the help of a bitter coffee made by a once novice to that drink.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL-k6JfLfRBZ0L8-vqnQGt0dvD2ftGRmwao1i-KnnTg7Q8Zscubjp70jYcAy3wz9dK-KO10Nout263hmn_VrhPrxAmaBfQE6peo50MCwgARMZP73LYY9GmF-lqqujolICK4922L-3MAuT/s1600/WP_20160225_19_37_23_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL-k6JfLfRBZ0L8-vqnQGt0dvD2ftGRmwao1i-KnnTg7Q8Zscubjp70jYcAy3wz9dK-KO10Nout263hmn_VrhPrxAmaBfQE6peo50MCwgARMZP73LYY9GmF-lqqujolICK4922L-3MAuT/s320/WP_20160225_19_37_23_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yellow cup I usually use for the drink</td></tr>
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<b>3-in-1</b></div>
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I can’t recall any third year experience with coffee, but I do recall times when I got into drinking coffee during my fourth year in high school. Several times came when demands of school (and lack of managing time and beginning work as soon as possible) pushed me to go and finish outputs overnight. </div>
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I remember one time when I was working (rushing, rather) on a blueprint for Civil Tech, laying out a tracing paper with bond papers containing several plans for a house. DZFE, the classical music station (which has just begun to extend its broadcasts ‘til 3am), was on the background. I took a break and made coffee. I put a sachet of a usual three-in-one coffee on a cup, filled the cup with hot water, then mixed it. And again coffee helped me get through the night. And this time it was tasty!</div>
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I hardly liked to sip a brewed coffee yet at that time. At home it was then made by boiling water on a pot, then settling it down for a while, then putting 3-5 spoons of ground coffee on that water. As a result, you likely get the remains of the ground coffee on your cup when the pot is already less than half-full. So, I would usually buy sachets—from Nescafe to Maxwell’s House. I would even carry a mug and a few sachets with me to school, and take advantage of the hot water coming from the dispenser. </div>
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The habit of drinking coffee began to form, especially when I was done with high school and off to college.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSaI_k14cHAgLhzJRgTkaNI2BbMNji8ncJPiphhUrxEsnvDKWH6uscfaogJYcmoAoFd7jtdto7nZT_iCxpxjf-aeemPlga1847xzzj7AoGdI2bhcvDtbmqItTOK6ipN3ArTtys14ZQp_t/s1600/DSCN0993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSaI_k14cHAgLhzJRgTkaNI2BbMNji8ncJPiphhUrxEsnvDKWH6uscfaogJYcmoAoFd7jtdto7nZT_iCxpxjf-aeemPlga1847xzzj7AoGdI2bhcvDtbmqItTOK6ipN3ArTtys14ZQp_t/s400/DSCN0993.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L-R) My mug, my mother's cup, and my father's mug. <br />
We and our coffees gathered as we watched <br />
UAAP Cheerleading Competition last year.</td></tr>
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<b>Brewed</b></div>
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During the longest summer vacation I got after an academic period, I have made and drunk more coffee. Later on, I learned to make and to appreciate brewed coffee on the pot. With a fresh brew on the cup or mug, I would add 2 or 3 teaspoons creamer and 2 or 3 teaspoons sugar. Since then, that’s my usual mix of coffee. But sometimes I also make a cup with instant coffee (different from 3-in-1), so I would have a teaspoon of it in the cup or mug.</div>
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With such blend, I have formed my general definition of my coffee—creamy, and sweet enough.</div>
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Coffee was with me as I ate breakfast, as I read a book or write something, and as I surf the Net. Aside from a way to get awake, it has become a way to get moving through the day. It really fits in those things I do—especially reading and writing. I don’t simply got into drinking coffee because it keeps me up, but more importantly it happened to be a great complement to my lifestyle. </div>
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Then came the coffee machine during my first year in college, revolutionizing the way brewed coffee was made in the house. I would learn the ratio for coffee and water—1:1. Drinking coffee became more pleasant, as well as more frequent, whether I stay late at night or not. </div>
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Others would settle on a frappe or simply iced, but I was content on a brewed blend. But sometimes I’ll have a cold version. Once I bought in a stall in the community mall, and once I’ve bought in a convenience store. But still, I’m often frugal.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-W9kPSpy0IWro35mUaGqGECkQ2sAn_RCVXtUdLOYdCD2mL6kNujbdnLA3Vr_0AXoqKIMZdCoMvuegIy2XBE1zg8Aq39SlO_pe8BZr1jeeonjyH8g6qNB4gEPEbDX8543IrbmcG7j_r5U/s1600/WP_20160222_14_51_41_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-W9kPSpy0IWro35mUaGqGECkQ2sAn_RCVXtUdLOYdCD2mL6kNujbdnLA3Vr_0AXoqKIMZdCoMvuegIy2XBE1zg8Aq39SlO_pe8BZr1jeeonjyH8g6qNB4gEPEbDX8543IrbmcG7j_r5U/s320/WP_20160222_14_51_41_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In my commutes back to home,<br />
I would often buy a cup of coffee.</td></tr>
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<b>Instant blend</b></div>
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In my second year as a college student, I further practiced that frugality. I would usually have a cup of City Blends on 7-Eleven, where I often have lunch with my closest companions. Actually, buying a coffee there secures our stay. We don’t buy our lunches on the store; we bring packed lunch. And I see it unfit that we have lunch there but won’t buy anything there. So either my classmate, I, or both of us, will buy coffee there. </div>
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Sometimes, since there are only three choices for hot coffee, we would buy either Kopiko 78, Nescafe French Vanilla, or White Mocha. We were even glad when an Iced Coffee was added to their selections. I have no favorite among them, though. They are all the same for me, at least in what they are called. They are all good coffees, as long as taken in moderation. Besides, they less likely aid me in keeping myself up in afternoons, unfortunately. That’s because when I get back to the campus library about an hour after lunch to read (and sit back), I often end up dozing off.</div>
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Before I ride on a bus back home, I would even go to a 7-Eleven near the bus station and buy a cup (and also some food). Maybe that’s the only instance where I buy coffee to keep me awake and do something productive while I’m on the bus (as a commuter, you’ve got to have some way to save and even redeem time). This time, the coffee’s more likely to keep me awake.</div>
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Coffee is now a part of my life, and it came right before I undergo what they call “adulting”. Cups of it, or bottles, or tetra packs of it, have been with me as I struggle past academic years. </div>
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If others got to like coffee by influence of socialization (not saying that I was totally immune from it), I got into it with an amount of “parental guidance”, as well as a liking into its self-defined taste. If others have it chilled on a tall or grande cup on a coffee shop (with details of how it is to be done), I find some joy or comfort in a hot, creamy and sweet cup from the house (or on the convenience store). But maybe, when I have the resources, I could learn discover more about this drink—beyond the usual blend. But I’m not into that for now.</div>
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I understood from a chapter of a Sociology textbook that coffee has been bringing people together in some ways I can’t instantly explain now. Yet on a personal level, I believe that coffee has been a companion—a good one, compared to other beverages. It is one of those things you grab, keep, and consume to get you through the day (like music or talk on the radio, or that portable battery-powered mini-fan on your bag). </div>
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A record label names itself Fueled By Ramen. In my case, I may describe myself: Fueled by coffee.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe0d4doryS_dCBLdSjv6D0-DsyCiGAegdtanyKXo_UknzpFHNKaVE0BKXT-YG1SF7F3n8NosDqRChTEoM1Beq_9hBLsLRuQyOhevqJMvbGUp7lO2WnZNFCJn-UqEOfOMPT6ZD09ZPYiHf/s1600/WP_20160627_12_44_45_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe0d4doryS_dCBLdSjv6D0-DsyCiGAegdtanyKXo_UknzpFHNKaVE0BKXT-YG1SF7F3n8NosDqRChTEoM1Beq_9hBLsLRuQyOhevqJMvbGUp7lO2WnZNFCJn-UqEOfOMPT6ZD09ZPYiHf/s320/WP_20160627_12_44_45_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>How about you, reader? How long have you been a coffee drinker? And how did you get into it? Give me a comment, if you may. :)</i></div>
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<i>Disclaimer: This blog isn’t any paid advertisement just because I mentioned coffee brands. :)</i></div>
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adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-64714283072595429132016-06-21T11:12:00.000+08:002016-06-21T11:12:34.928+08:00Life Without Internet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgnu-ZfuStADL9R0ZVlkhRSbVhcbzMMGNspcm5vEKvQeDz12YqGZ6Jr9vztOM5dwUhOuMHl2KE9jxg3UmVqvOYt7d4JHhwYMw7aWIU9JH4NB75sZ15E0LCh2MMa5z-CifE6U1dQHNNAHJ/s1600/faulty+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgnu-ZfuStADL9R0ZVlkhRSbVhcbzMMGNspcm5vEKvQeDz12YqGZ6Jr9vztOM5dwUhOuMHl2KE9jxg3UmVqvOYt7d4JHhwYMw7aWIU9JH4NB75sZ15E0LCh2MMa5z-CifE6U1dQHNNAHJ/s400/faulty+%25283%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: isolate;">marcusradich.com</span></td></tr>
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While I was in high school I was much engrossed in science fiction, especially those under the themes of cyberspace. I chanced upon a secondhand book, a collection of short stories entitled <i>Live Without A Net</i>. And I bought it. The stories there center on the theme the title suggests—a future without cyberspace, without virtual reality, without the Web. And it made me think: what would happen to a world without the Internet? That seems impossible of course, but for a while I faced a dilemma similar to that. </div>
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I remember a time during my recently-concluded 2nd year in college (first semester in particular) when I had no access to the Internet at home due to some lapses in payment, which later on turned out to be some sort of misunderstanding in how much to pay. It hasn’t been easy to be away from the World Wide Web for months, but I managed to get through it, and I learned much from the experience.</div>
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<b>Routine</b></div>
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From September until the middle of November last year, there was no Internet in the house. I had to endure academic life without easy access to the Internet, so I had to find it elsewhere (and that was tedious). That meant lending saved money for it and spending spare time for it, either at the library or the computer shop. But there's no way—it seems to me—to get connected with my classmates and do most of my schoolwork but online. Besides, our aged PC is slow and broken, and I didn’t have a laptop to use for a while. And when I have had one again, there was still no Net.</div>
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So, after lunch I often extended my stay in the city for at least 2 more hours either in the library or the computer shop near the campus. Sometimes I went right away back home and, upon arriving, went out again to one of the two computer shops I know in the neighborhood. On one of them I even had my usual seat. I brought with me my 4 GB USB, my headphones, and necessary notes, even my planner. I would try to stay online at the least possible time, but it usually went from two to three hours. Sometimes four.</div>
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At the comp shop, I usually would open Google Chrome (or Mozilla Firefox) and Microsoft Word. Often there’s music on the background, care of YouTube.</div>
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That 1st semester, I had a lot to do on Word. From research inputs for Marketing; project proposals for Broadcast Media; to scripts for a video project on Natural Science; to more researches and write-ups on Asian History and even NSTP. </div>
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Of course, I also logged on to Facebook. Aside from scrolling the News Feed, I got information about assignments or announcements on our block’s group page. Our block's communication, when out of the class, is heavily relied online (social media in particular). </div>
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I also contacted my classmates/groupmates there about tasks we or I had to accomplish on our projects. For instance, since I lead a part of our block—the research part of our block’s broadcast plan (our major project on Broadcast Media)—I, as my fellow leaders did, created groupchats (which I call group threads) and group pages on Facebook. There I posted announcements and pleaded them to comment a word of my choice in response to that post (for example: 'Chow!' or 'Checkmate'). We also send and gather personal outputs either on those places. Moreover, I collaborated with my fellow leaders or groupmates on Google Docs. </div>
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On several occasions, a time would be set for the group (or the block) to show up on the groupchat on Facebook, and meet up about a major project. I even remember a time when I went back home early before traffic builds up, because I had to be online at about 6pm. No time to rest for a while upon arriving home. but on ? </div>
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<b>Reflection</b></div>
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This change in my routine was a trade-off, a sacrifice. Instead of commuting back home after lunch</div>
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and do schoolwork at home (as planned), I would go to the library or the shop the whole afternoon. Sometimes I would reach evening, and I reached home at around 7 to 9pm. Or when I would go home then out again to a shop, I returned home at around the same times. In fact, instead of having money saved for Christmas, I had to sacrifice it to accomplish necessary work online. It seems that everything’s online. </div>
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A college student doing much research, paperwork, and group work, the World Wide Web was a necessary resource for finding and gathering information, producing outputs, and connecting and communicating with people.</div>
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Maybe I’m so late to state, but indeed times have changed. This is a time where the generation of people—I included—are living with the Internet as necessary as the radio in the 20th century or the cellphone at the present. It has become the primary means of connection and a source of information (aside from the library) these times. Internet has already been an essential for students!</div>
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It’s been considered a tremendous and valuable resource these days. It shouldn’t be ignored, however, that the library is also an essential for a student, especially in research. (I even consider it’s contents like treasures in a mine) Yet the sources of Internet are necessary to be integrated with whatever you find in a library, because the Internet has much recent material, be it articles, and even video and audio clips.</div>
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Unless anything else gets you busy, the Internet is even the stuff of the day, usually on rainy and stormy days. Isn't it good to be in the house during the typhoon, just to stay dry and safe? You even have the extra time to finish remaining loads of schoolwork. But now, without the Internet, living the day appears to be almost boring! And the day is almost lost in direction, unless you have come up with things to get you busy again. If there was only the zeal to read the book, or a station similar to UK’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">BBC Radio 4</span></a>...</div>
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<b>Result</b></div>
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Apparently, I did miss the Internet very much. But I’m thankful that this sort of sacrifice I did for a large part of my 1st sem paid off. I passed and survived the sem, earning a harvest that I should be thankful for. Besides, it seems that at the end of every sem, what matters is that you’ve survived.</div>
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I was also glad the Internet was accessible again at the comforts of the home before the semester ended, just in time for the semester’s most pressing outputs I had to accomplish (and cram, sadly) with my classmates numerous kilometers away. The Internet provider was replaced, and I find the service efficient enough.</div>
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Sometimes we have to face such challenges. In these kind of circumstances we learn to make ways and take alternatives. It’s like the rats in a maze searching for cheese around the different parts of the maze when the cheese in one part was gone. Besides, it helps to take a break from the Net once in a while—even more than that.</div>
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The current challenge for me, now as I have been accessing the Internet, has been to manage the time and content I consume online. Why? Sometimes, going online gets you nowhere, letting time pass away without any productivity. Here is another struggle, and it is real.</div>
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<i>You reader, have you ever had that experience of having to find Internet access away from home? How would you face a day (or more) without the Internet? I want to hear from you. </i></div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-20095555050103624272015-12-31T23:23:00.000+08:002015-12-31T23:23:14.029+08:0015 Songs from 2015 That I Like<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another year will close, and so another one opens. One of the few things I could highlight in this year is that despite my flair for retro music and almost-dislike for pop music, I still find good songs from today's music, be it a chart-topper or not. In no particular order, let me share some (if not only this 15) songs from 2015 that I like. The songs, by the way, are not in a particular order. </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Into Your Arms | Capital Kings</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D_0B7POXzSQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D_0B7POXzSQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Beautiful Now | Zedd feat. Jon Bellion</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Sl2HeP8RlfU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl2HeP8RlfU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Verge | Owl City feat. Aloe Blacc</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sNSE4VwitpE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sNSE4VwitpE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Desire (Gryffin Remix) | Years & Years</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JaWsUAg2rnQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JaWsUAg2rnQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. Run Away With Me | Carly Rae Jepsen</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/h8k9C0Sd4fc/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h8k9C0Sd4fc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. Confident | Demi Lovato</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cwLRQn61oUY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cwLRQn61oUY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">7. How Deep Is Your Love | Calvin Harris & Disciples</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qWWSM3wCiKY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWWSM3wCiKY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">8. Drag Me Down | One Direction</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jwgf3wmiA04/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jwgf3wmiA04?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">9. Run | AWOLNATION</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/79i2YKaDjJ4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/79i2YKaDjJ4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">10. Shots | Imagine Dragons</span></b><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qQrgto184Tk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qQrgto184Tk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">11. Where The Sky Hangs | Passion Pit</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">12. Orphan | Toto</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">13. Stockholm Syndrome | One Direction</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">14. Style | Taylor Swift</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">15. Unbelievable | Owl City feat. Hanson</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How about you? What songs do you like from 2015? And which from this list do you like as well? Give me a comment, or a tweet, would you?</span><br />
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A blessed 2016 ahead for you!adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-71019253885922370182015-12-27T22:02:00.000+08:002015-12-27T22:02:32.920+08:00Another Appointment with Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm done with another first semester, and it left papers as a remembrance now filed into their respective envelopes. Not only does first sem's end mean I can finally give myself much rest. For me, it also means cleaning my small room, its shelves, and books. </div>
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It's been a usual thing to do during free time, and I'd been waiting to clean my room and revisit my books. It was another time for me to decide which to keep, and which to "phase out". Yet, what seems to be a once-a-day job before extended to at least three days! I started late in the morning with cleaning the dust off the shelves, but I found it difficult to accomplish attending to my books for a day. But at least, I started!</div>
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I cleared the shelves, taking the books out of their nooks one by one. These books stayed stacked in the different corners and spaces of the almost-skimpy home: at the living room, at my desk (on top and under), and at my room.</div>
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After I cleaned my shelves, I started cleaning the books I placed at the living room. Next, I headed to the desk and cleared the top desk first, stacked with both pocketbooks and hardbounds (and also a softbound). </div>
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Few days passed before I got to attend to the rest of my stacks of books. So there were much books left piled up like prototype buildings.<br />
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When I got back to my books two days after, there was much which I decided to let go—phase out, in other words. But there was much I wanted to keep, and I did, especially the YA ones. And with that comes somehow a promise to get back to them and finally read them. I hope.<br />
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adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-38694967986461795582015-12-15T22:55:00.000+08:002015-12-15T22:55:06.912+08:00NSTP DRRM Seminar: Addressing the Nation's Disaster Issues by Involving Communities and Youth<div class="p0" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the efforts of UST’s National Service Training Program to raise the youth’s awareness about national issues involving disasters and to empower them to be part of the solution, a Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) seminar was held, which I attended l</span></span><span style="line-height: 32px;">ast October 25, 2015</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px;">. Very timely and relevant for us to learn from, the seminar has been an orientation not only to the natural disasters our nation faces and how we should respond to them, but also to the issues they raise and what we should learn from them. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A big part of this seminar focused on the concepts surrounding disaster risk reduction and management (such as disaster, hazards, and risk) and how each differs from the others. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here I understood that <b>disasters</b> are not necessarily all about the events; they may be a result of human activities as well. While <b>hazard</b> brings the potential to <i>cause</i> disruption or damage (whether natural, human-induced, or environmental), <b>risk</b> is the <i>consequence</i> that may arise once hazard interacts with vulnerable areas. I have also found out that as communities face hazards, we must consider the <b>vulnerabilities</b> that hinder the ability of a community, as well as the <b>capacities</b> that can enhance their ability to face and cope with disasters. It is important for us to determine these vulnerabilities and appreciate our capacities when dealing with uncontrollable hazards. In spite of these, <b>disaster risk reduction and management</b> comes to decrease the community’s vulnerabilities and increase its capacities, towards mitigating and managing risks so that disasters in the community may lessen—if not entirely eradicated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If the community, then, would move towards risk reduction and management as well as <b>disaster resilience</b>, working together is essential. However, as I have learned from the lecture, the norm was a <b>top-down approach</b>--in summary, higher authorities respond first and even only after the onslaught of calamities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the present, thankfully, a <b>paradigm shift</b> led to the current approach to disasters, and it enjoins the members of the community into participation with authorities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px;">And, I see, this is why we in that seminar, as citizens of this state and as members of our own communities, were taught these things that afternoon.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Employing the knowledge</b></span></span></h3>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While everyone of us there were much informed by the lecture, we put and furthered our learning into the exercises given to us by our facilitator. Each group in our section did our <b>Participatory Capacities and Vulnerabilities Assessment</b>. Each of us in our group contributed our own places to the assessment, and we also determined the problems we think each of our barangays were dealing with, the vulnerabilities that likely seen in the residents, the capacities that possibly lie within each of them, and the actions they as a community can do in order to address vulnerabilities and build up capacities.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Aside from the assessment, we were also trained about first aid and basic life support. I believe I need to recall such knowledge to my mind, even if I was oriented to these things when I was in high school. I cannot learn them at an instant; I might have to learn them over and over again, even now.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blogger volunteered to be the patient whom his groupmates would try the first aid procedured on</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A certain carry technique being performed by the rest of the group</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reflecting on these lectures and exercises, I have seen how beneficial it is when members of the community collectively harness their knowledge and skills to prepare for any disaster in the future that can make them prone to tragic consequences if they do otherwise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, I was reminded that day that there are disasters around us, <u>even way beyond natural</u>; and it’s beneficial therefore to determine how vulnerable we are to these "disasters" and believe in what we can do to overcome them and avoid them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Actual application and action</span></b></span></h3>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How is disaster risk reduction management actually applied by a community? I got a glance of it at a barangay near my home—Barangay Balibago in Santa Rosa, Laguna.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was able to meet and talk to Brgy. Kagawad Michelle T. Catindig, committee chairman for health and sanitation. Regardless of her expertise, she exerted effort to impart to me the barangay’s efforts in conducting disaster risk reduction and management. In particular, she presented to me the plans, as well as a report of how DRRM has been performed.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNgUFR9NW6u9bMZYY3pC7KnADiRNdZPKpz-8dapTXEISq3JNrg2yeQ6RRYIBRCvzHbP3dlelS2rwEDp4P9DM6FFn8lnG64IhI4YA7xBw8DVnkQJ7Q_H6U0-uzyqLexNPIzc7vjnS0JBMo/s1600/DSCN1088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNgUFR9NW6u9bMZYY3pC7KnADiRNdZPKpz-8dapTXEISq3JNrg2yeQ6RRYIBRCvzHbP3dlelS2rwEDp4P9DM6FFn8lnG64IhI4YA7xBw8DVnkQJ7Q_H6U0-uzyqLexNPIzc7vjnS0JBMo/s320/DSCN1088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The barangay hall has a copy of this guide about disaster management provided by the city government</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Barangay Balibago has a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Council (BDRRC) which sets and carries out a Disaster Preparedness and Management Plan for the barangay, and also is in charge of the activities relevant to disaster preparedness, rehabilitation, relief, etc. The barangay’s plan centers, as Kgg. Catindig explained, on its objectives as its framework. As far as I can recall, she emphasized the objectives as the reasons why a Preparedness and Management Plan exists for the barangay, which are: “to save lives, to prevent needless suffering, to protect and to minimize damages during disasters and calamities”. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9oNpOio0bxgTQK7RTsODBi7R9bRG95lDbpXV937jGGZKdU6MDrNiizx07GX3YFqJKx-aJUlHbdlzPCXBhOPyI2SYwYLdSlGfNur7uANsOEZChY52EGwWTYOASW867YceJ78XpzhvjfTb/s1600/DRRM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9oNpOio0bxgTQK7RTsODBi7R9bRG95lDbpXV937jGGZKdU6MDrNiizx07GX3YFqJKx-aJUlHbdlzPCXBhOPyI2SYwYLdSlGfNur7uANsOEZChY52EGwWTYOASW867YceJ78XpzhvjfTb/s640/DRRM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Clippings of the Brgy. Balibago's Calamities and Disaster Preparedness Plan</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px;">With the plan working toward reaching these objectives, it lays out the BDRRMC, its organization into several officers and teams, and its tasks for its Chairman and Service Team Leaders. Furthermore, the plan essentially details coordinating instructions for the council and—more importantly—implementing guidelines before, during, and after the impact of a disaster.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As far as actual action is concerned, in its State of the Barangay in the 2nd semester of 2014, Brgy. Balibago’s Sangguniang Barangay affirms its commitment to be fully-prepared for the onslaught of calamities in order to meet the needs of affected constituents and prevent large-scale effect in the communities. The barangay has secured rescue and disaster equipment and also conducted a seminar in disaster preparedness & rescue operation for the barangay's tanods. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, July 17, 2015, with Typhoon Glenda bringing much damage to the barangay, from collapsed posts to torn roofs, the Sangguniang Barangay, together with other officials, urgently responded by conducting a clearing operation.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozCCsVVjK4m5e8O6dUgfy0NXHX1CMF3dQa1ZdrOIWMiYAga9cWiqBLayCtCu83KXXETC34ptdyjH2fyQ-ZsRRIWKhB4HLf3L_EFOQfEHt26zxPSYFx9-umpTnYZbTq4n8U2qbeylp6Ck0/s1600/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozCCsVVjK4m5e8O6dUgfy0NXHX1CMF3dQa1ZdrOIWMiYAga9cWiqBLayCtCu83KXXETC34ptdyjH2fyQ-ZsRRIWKhB4HLf3L_EFOQfEHt26zxPSYFx9-umpTnYZbTq4n8U2qbeylp6Ck0/s320/Picture7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a personal scale: Addressing vulnerabilities, increasing capabilities</span></b></span></h3>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As previously seen, not only government units </span></span><span style="line-height: 32px;">are being oriented to take action</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 32px;">, but now communities as well are involved towards reducing and managing disaster-borne risks and the issues they carry with.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And in a personal scale, what I think I could do to address vulnerabilities and increase capabilities of my community begins with having more care and awareness about the community, its vulnerabilities (and even my own), perhaps why they are there, and how they remain there. Then, I would like to follow it up with prayer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I might as well talk to people among the community whom I know (especially in our church) and discuss such issues. If they become fruitful, we might as well join our hands in laying out our concerns to the authorities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Moreover, if ever I have the specific knowledge that is applicable to dealing with the vulnerabilities, I should impart that knowledge. I might as well avoid being an additional vulnerability. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To increase the capacities, I should consider bringing the knowledge and skills of the community to a higher level. This again has to do with imparting knowledge, which can be done (most likely in partnership with groups/the LGUs) through teaching the members about what we should brace ourselves for and how we should do so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a larger scale: Dealing with pressing disaster issues</span></b></span></h3>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Along with the regular natural occurrences our country experiences, the Philippines is physically surrounded by features that are potential to induce risk. In fact, we have already encountered these phenomena throughout history, and we have witnessed properties destroyed and lives lost out of them. This is a clear reason for us to address the issue of disasters. After the catastrophes we have gone through (such as Typhoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake), our country, as a nation that is mandated to protect and foster the welfare of its people and communities, cannot—and shouldn’t—afford another large aftermath of casualties.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The best time to address such issues is now, although in reality there are much issues facing us. Yet, may our officials—from national to local government (especially the next ones)—never neglect to allot time in dealing with these issues. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Any time is the best time to address these issues, but we hope now they are addressing it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While the executive government should initiate in addressing these issues, agencies such as, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysiscal, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) are the ones who will help a lot in providing essential information. More importantly, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council takes action in addressing DRRM issues, initiating preparations and keeping the situation under control. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of equal importance, leaders of local government units (LGUs) and heads of communities, including those trained, immersed, and highly-educated in disaster risk reduction management, are the people who would matter a lot in marshaling their constituents so that concerned individuals themselves might be a part as well of the solution.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And this at least has been done through the efforts of UST’s NSTP in enlightening us with the pressing issues about DRRM, and imparting us with knowledge as to how to prepare and deal with disasters and its effects. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have the power as members of our communities to do our share in this matter, and I hope I do mine in any way I could.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 32px;">———</span></div>
<span style="line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Photo credits: Brgy. Balibago's Ulat sa Barangay, 2nd Semester 2014, October 4, 2014 (Powerpoint presentation)</i></span></span></div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-36052553476654768762015-07-31T19:55:00.001+08:002015-07-31T19:55:35.567+08:00The Sanctuary Named BooksaleI came down from a bus one Wednesday afternoon, arriving in Walter Mart here in Santa Rosa, Laguna right from Manila. As usual, I welcomed the coldness of the small mall, walked on the clean, white-tiled floor, and went right away to my favorite place there—Booksale.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jP3n0Sv_Xnh8d_z-f9hKX8Y5luzOeW_IExwdkU1a3_d8zSBGsQOHe2rdFqM4dreZHyKjBaAhjKEfb6sp3CJHplwy2Okx-5oMp-61KzFmhUwEMeUbCMB5MVJ50UICpzsNjFCdEFCv43Mq/s1600/IMG_20150724_175140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jP3n0Sv_Xnh8d_z-f9hKX8Y5luzOeW_IExwdkU1a3_d8zSBGsQOHe2rdFqM4dreZHyKjBaAhjKEfb6sp3CJHplwy2Okx-5oMp-61KzFmhUwEMeUbCMB5MVJ50UICpzsNjFCdEFCv43Mq/s400/IMG_20150724_175140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I did my usual peeking into the shelves. I started amusing myself with the books at the front (which are mostly Christian literature). I continued with looking into the pocketbooks at the box beside the shelves. Then, I entered inside the stall, towards the books inside a skimpy spot there, where I bent my knees to see the spines of those books piled together at one side. These have been the usual things I do whenever I arrive at Walter—to look into Booksale, to saunter and take a break inside that secondhand bookstore.<br />
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Even a cashier there has known me for a long time. We usually converse, and at those times—of course—he begins the talking. But at that particular time, he informed me of something that I almost thought of before: the bookstore will pack up and close. This month will be their last, and maybe at the time this is published it is clearing up its area.<br />
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The Booksale in Walter Mart is the nearest I could get to a bookstore, but sooner it would not be anymore. I just have to take a tricycle or two, then a jeep to the nearest Booksale, in SM Santa Rosa. The cashier and I will most likely get to see there once I no longer see the Booksale in Walter.<br />
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I will do miss that place. I don't know if another store will replace it, though that would be good. But I will miss it for one simple reason: It was my sanctuary. It's the place where I encountered and bought books on my own for the first time, thanks to my commuting as a high school student.<br />
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It was there where an interest in books bloomed, and sprouted out. I remember the first books I purchased there—three <i>Reader's Digest</i> condensed books (which I haven't completed yet!), and the first books I purchased and finished—a non-fiction about former US President Jimmy Carter. Since then, I have bought a lot of books there; until I realized I cannot read them all anymore, mostly due to my 1) decreasing interest in science fiction, 2) my increasing interest in Christian literature, and 3) my lack of willingness to read what I bought and to control how many I buy.<br />
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And out of this interest in books, combined with inclination to newspapers and inspiration from authors and people around me, I gained an interest in writing.<br />
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Booksale, this bookstore that offers good finds (if you're willing to "hunt") for very affordable prices, has been a part of my adolescence, and—at the risk of sounding corny—my life.<br />
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So long, Booksale. Thanks, and see you in SM and—hopefully—in Times Plaza (at UN Ave.) and Mall of Asia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JtlEiOlDG-WGWNyOKpKTwitEAnoKvSaU3w1HEbuCJQJ8c_-vyLxCmKSMhqkKzupVnwrwne4chyphenhyphensXHTyiEe-o8fleW9PUP0Q6yQC4RHfAc7ldSgUCcCnRWgyYMOtMsDISiLWwV91Wz7y-/s1600/IMG_20150731_182240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JtlEiOlDG-WGWNyOKpKTwitEAnoKvSaU3w1HEbuCJQJ8c_-vyLxCmKSMhqkKzupVnwrwne4chyphenhyphensXHTyiEe-o8fleW9PUP0Q6yQC4RHfAc7ldSgUCcCnRWgyYMOtMsDISiLWwV91Wz7y-/s400/IMG_20150731_182240.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-90600912237073328212015-07-21T13:11:00.001+08:002015-07-21T13:11:12.382+08:00What Does A Like Mean?In these times where the the World Wide Web—particularly the social media—is the main medium, Facebook's news feed is our most accessible newspaper. The News Feed has become one of our windows to what's happening or has happened within our circles (family and relatives, friends, communities) and around the world.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4M5KRfQ2vK8nf4_LUh6K_b6Cdmz8DQ7gw_tcil8vw6wWY53x8WnHFKsphuBHlYdwRvHu3yR6QXW9uWVT3KskkXhmUaOlwsgpAfeaeIDhQPmY-Zo80CrOpuvOBol9TRUh84l3ziZFS_4l/s1600/facebook-like-unfair-dismissal+%2528personneltoday%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4M5KRfQ2vK8nf4_LUh6K_b6Cdmz8DQ7gw_tcil8vw6wWY53x8WnHFKsphuBHlYdwRvHu3yR6QXW9uWVT3KskkXhmUaOlwsgpAfeaeIDhQPmY-Zo80CrOpuvOBol9TRUh84l3ziZFS_4l/s320/facebook-like-unfair-dismissal+%2528personneltoday%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: personneltoday.com</td></tr>
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With our scrolling (<i>which often becomes too tedious</i>), we see a plethora of posts, either they may be statuses, photos, or links. And along with these posts, Facebook introduced us to three functions we could use to respond to posts and to reactions to those posts, as well as to see whether our posts are well-received or not. These are the <i>like</i>, the <i>comment</i>, and the <i>share</i>. Among these three, the like is what Facebook is mostly known for; it even has taken its place on contemporary language and culture. <br />
But what does a like mean these days? As I have observed in my daily practice of logging on to Facebook, that blue "thumbs-up" hand means more than a like.<br />
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In the first place, a like is an appreciation of a post. We click that thumbs-up because we're delighted, amused, or entertained about it. Now, a like may also mean we understand the situation happening in an area. A like may heighten the interest in posts about stories "of national interest". A like may also mean an affirmation of our awareness of a cause raised through a post.<br />
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A like may mean that we're with the one who posted about a certain plight of him or groups affiliated with him. And for anyone who shares something out of his/her heart in a lengthy post, a like may bring comfort. At least, depending on the depth of our relationship with that sharer, we know what's going through with him/her. And so we're with him/her.<br />
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Aside from those, especially in these times when anyone can be reached out a fingertip away, a like may mean that some announcement addressed to us is "Noted." It's a sign that we really received the message, not that we've just "seen" it.<br />
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A like may also mean that a post has served as a reminder for the one who liked it. I usually do that, just in case I need to go back to that notable quote or Bible verse; because I thought of doing so for the purpose of returning to it, like notes in a class. However, I have rarely return to them.<br />
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The blue thumbs-up icon named like has meant much in this age of advanced and advancing ways of communication. The symbol has much meaning, but this meaning actually depends on how the viewer uses or receives it.<br />
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But the like isn't only the Facebook function that is dynamic. Shares and comments mean a lot too, and I think they mean better than likes do. An online news satire series notes it very suitably: "<i>Higit sa like, share!</i>" (More than liking it, share it!)<br />
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(<i>But pardon me, I haven't shared an episode of that show yet!</i>)<br />
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So, what do you think? Do you have other definitions of 'like'? Have your say and give a comment!adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-81962885360284214492015-06-18T15:55:00.000+08:002015-06-18T15:55:07.853+08:00How To Watch The News<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEveaJW5b15oG7AsXIgHPEcEMSnIeVL5DolDLXrU62oyeoFC2LNboHl-kb9c7sA9vokggFQ3XHnd_nJeJomUqHOPUoc_h-lOgmiEMGFmHjwD9H3nVFSE8pwYa6YE_9sukIMROovHDGzPWs/s1600/thumbnail.php.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEveaJW5b15oG7AsXIgHPEcEMSnIeVL5DolDLXrU62oyeoFC2LNboHl-kb9c7sA9vokggFQ3XHnd_nJeJomUqHOPUoc_h-lOgmiEMGFmHjwD9H3nVFSE8pwYa6YE_9sukIMROovHDGzPWs/s320/thumbnail.php.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From: www.hardrainproject.com</i></td></tr>
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Watching the news is one of the activities that keep us informed and in touch with the world around us. Aside from primetime dramas and sporting events, television newscasts most probably huddle people (particularly families) together while they eat their dinner, have their coffee, etc. Newscasts, as I see them, are a part of our culture that generations can be classified by those who grew up watching RPN 9's <i>Newswatch</i> and those who identify with Noli de Castro's "Ti-veeeeeeeey Patrol!". From breakfast to dinner, and even before bedtime, television newscasts accompany us.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFC2wGYkwf7SZJYybfaj0Nt6fCFYYdPcMXwof6jbAZXLEJkNjxmoPbSBaJi2OFZ5piy679cZ0DAmzYWmg8mOaRDK5LlRMvMIpzHJSJXRpmVF9fj4QMIMJyWf7wb_nP6nUfcGxATP4irPE7/s1600/vlcsnap-29061.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFC2wGYkwf7SZJYybfaj0Nt6fCFYYdPcMXwof6jbAZXLEJkNjxmoPbSBaJi2OFZ5piy679cZ0DAmzYWmg8mOaRDK5LlRMvMIpzHJSJXRpmVF9fj4QMIMJyWf7wb_nP6nUfcGxATP4irPE7/s320/vlcsnap-29061.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From: <span class="_r3"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">drnorth.wordpress.com</span></span></i></td></tr>
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I've observed, somehow, that when it comes to watching news—especially when we're with other people—it seems that we're responding to the news instead of listening to the news. I think an ethics in watching the news is helpful for such a circumstance, especially with respect to concerned and socially-aware individuals who want to know know and then digest the news.</div>
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My suggestions are plain simple: <b> </b></div>
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<b>1. Listen to the news</b></div>
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Keep quiet. Be silent when watching the news. Listening to the report is as much important as watching it. How could we (and others with us) understand the issue or report when anyone of us instantly blurt out our personal comments? Worse, the news item is just being introduced, the headline is just being read, and yet we comment instantly (and sometimes the newscasters do).</div>
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We don't know the details yet at that time, so we better know the story in full. Keep the comments to yourself. Leave it for later. No wonder commentaries (if there are any) are placed before the newscast ends. Check out <i>TV Patrol</i> or <i>The World Tonight</i> for what I mean.</div>
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And thankfully there are commercial breaks. Probably that's a good time to let the comments out, and hopefully for a discussion surrounding that comment begin.</div>
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Just to reiterate the aforementioned ethic,<b> </b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7xgcgoohpU6Mkcbb4qPstDx0QIAc0hghaxR7HfLPQygr_UXOQpUcvxkXmzIOdjS34kWIqmrsqRp23Hq36lUXXYY6Yp-0klzEFe3VPYDNgWGCZPLWVgZykgtcFD5mPk-943wsa8tLatR4/s1600/56304305_56304304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7xgcgoohpU6Mkcbb4qPstDx0QIAc0hghaxR7HfLPQygr_UXOQpUcvxkXmzIOdjS34kWIqmrsqRp23Hq36lUXXYY6Yp-0klzEFe3VPYDNgWGCZPLWVgZykgtcFD5mPk-943wsa8tLatR4/s320/56304305_56304304.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From: <span class="_r3"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">sofrep.com</span></span></i><span class="_r3 irc_msc"><a class="irc_hl irc_msl" data-i="1" data-noload="" data-ved="0CA0QhxwwAA" href="http://www.google.com/search?imgurl=http://sofrep.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/56304305_56304304.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sofrep.com/38971/war-fatigue/&h=360&w=640&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSEgnjQEQnEW1-6CHSopPg_1Uhd8Q"><span class="irc_idim"></span></a></span></td></tr>
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<b>2. Pay attention</b></div>
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Just pay attention. Let the newscaster talk to you. Let the reporter give you the details. They are dedicated to informing you about what their newsroom thinks is important for you to know, and they are paid for that. So, let them speak.</div>
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Don't crowd the noise made by news by other noises from comments. Sometimes, though, reactions are unavoidable. But after that, may we hush and pay attention?</div>
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And lastly,<b> </b></div>
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<b>3. Application of rules 1 and 2 depends on the items</b></div>
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In other words, discern what you will pay attention to and digest.</div>
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It depends on you, but I really hope you will pay attention to what's really important for you to know. News services are there to tell us what we need to know, but one way or another that isn't followed. So, choose a good source.</div>
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Following such ethics is not easy to do. It is, I believe, a habit for us to develop. Even I tend and have reacted and commented instead of listening to the details. But as much as I can, I stay put to know the news, that I may digest them and make sense of them as an individual living with other individuals who are as much affected by such news as I am, although probably in different degrees.</div>
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It has taken a blog post to tell you simple things. And this time I will type them for you to remember: <b>Listen to the news. Pay attention. Digest thereafter. Comment later.</b></div>
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<b>——— </b></div>
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What do you think? Do you agree? Give a comment, if you may.</div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-79806018921042363382015-06-09T16:20:00.000+08:002015-06-09T16:31:58.430+08:00The Chamber<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvpZDLn6E2A8uxeHYd_pmrzp6kZQTEqXbNm4BeUpzYHFnbM4d3CkxjM8NDbraGiXyVlNwU8k6iS_2wh_EObRL8EEVJ753DvO3kaGTMGVd45kJyvDkOllW6iIYHKzy1l_JHj-HScmvMs88/s1600/Library+Patron+-+Reading+Room+%2528apf2-05486r%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvpZDLn6E2A8uxeHYd_pmrzp6kZQTEqXbNm4BeUpzYHFnbM4d3CkxjM8NDbraGiXyVlNwU8k6iS_2wh_EObRL8EEVJ753DvO3kaGTMGVd45kJyvDkOllW6iIYHKzy1l_JHj-HScmvMs88/s320/Library+Patron+-+Reading+Room+%2528apf2-05486r%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <span class="_r3"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">oi.uchicago.edu</span></span></td></tr>
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One of the privileges I had when I started going to college was a vast library. I only had little experiences regarding libraries when I was in elementary and high school; but when I entered UST I've been so amazed with the campus' big and wide UST Miguel de Benavides Library, just a few walks away from St. Raymund's Building, where my classes have taken place.<br />
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Whenever there's schoolwork that involves research, or whenever I just wanted to pass time and dwell in coldness, the library is the place to go. Usually upon entering that library I go right into the elevator and head to fifth floor. I would then go to my left, opening a glass door to a cold hallway to my favorite hangout—the Humanities section. <br />
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<b>A particular place</b><br />
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Inside Humanities there's a portion among the rows of desks, tables, and shelves that uniquely stands out. It's actually a corner of the room, situated at the upper-left side. This box-like 'nest' has two arches, sandwiched between racks of books ranging from Bible commentaries to Philippine literature. Inside, there are more shelves filled with mostly aged pocketbooks with brown pages. Surrounded by these shelves are two desks, which make it a privilege to get in there. It is called the <i>Esquinita de Quijano de Manila</i>, named after a pseudonym of one of Philippines' renowned National Artist—the late Nick Joaquin, whose portrait is framed as a glass window adjacent to the desks, and whose collection of books were in those shelves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yXnd0Ic3AEbxGFSLjcqmRm_uVoHRYiuUz0xGyBnYVzZufg1vNNqvhBd1QIH4lGS-tZxKrmS1aopWV85G12rPyp7v-nnxahRp3DvBp3fBYFoDmbOy6wySGajhz7UGFDevwrD2lZ2yd9t_/s1600/IMG_20150207_151717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yXnd0Ic3AEbxGFSLjcqmRm_uVoHRYiuUz0xGyBnYVzZufg1vNNqvhBd1QIH4lGS-tZxKrmS1aopWV85G12rPyp7v-nnxahRp3DvBp3fBYFoDmbOy6wySGajhz7UGFDevwrD2lZ2yd9t_/s320/IMG_20150207_151717.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I call it The Chamber. I was amazed the first time I saw it—a library within a library within the entire library. For me it's a kind of sanctuary, like I would call a Booksale stall. I find it as a place in the library that I can go to when I want to pause from the fast-paced world encapsulated in the campus and the classroom. It's a place to sit back; to chill out when I'm left on my own after class; to go to when I'm stressed, depressed, or feeling things mixing up that I need to sit somewhere and stay put. Aside from the library itself, The Chamber is a place where I appreciated solitude and silence, because it's a different experience when you're enclosed in a small open room and have a sort of a VIP seat there. <br />
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<b>First time: Reviewing in solitude</b></div>
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The first time I went in there was a Saturday afternoon. After classes I had some bizarre blues out of feeling what I regard as some adolescent disturbance (which I prefer not to expand at this point) as expressed by a particular song by Björk. I realized I needed to be somewhere quiet. As a way to pass time, stay calm, and more importantly to prepare for an upcoming presentation in Communication Theories [one of my subjects at that time], I decided to review notes in the library. Thankfully there's a seat in The Chamber, so I took the opportunity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozcQcvew8aapc72opB9x0H4mvnACADmczKc1JFHhnS7EDLB_z2aT7LFK-3S1xiL8YTzpAXTu78ZdXM-8doone3nfsg1kKmWb6FdENQ2dZw2mQ0nXmxxH08JBOCYtqyQHDbPTGM8ERA3SU/s1600/IMG_20150207_164208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozcQcvew8aapc72opB9x0H4mvnACADmczKc1JFHhnS7EDLB_z2aT7LFK-3S1xiL8YTzpAXTu78ZdXM-8doone3nfsg1kKmWb6FdENQ2dZw2mQ0nXmxxH08JBOCYtqyQHDbPTGM8ERA3SU/s320/IMG_20150207_164208.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once I occupied the seat, I laid out my photocopied readings, a yellow pad, and my pencil case (pen case, rather) and let the afternoon pass while I reviewed my outlines and notes. Not only did I benefit from studying at such a solemn place, but I appreciated <i>being there</i>.<br />
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In The Chamber that afternoon the waves of mixed emotions were assuaged by silence, concentration, and calm.<br />
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<b>Another time: Problem solving </b></div>
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Then another afternoon came when I went there after classes. I had another strike of blues under the same descriptions given earlier. Good thing there was a vacant seat at that calm Chamber.<br />
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I sat there, laid out a notebook and a pen, then expressed myself with whatever is in there that needs to be articulated in words. I wrote, hoping that writing would not only let my expressions flow but would also help me ponder about this 'matter' of mine and find practical solutions. <br />
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I found out, as I wrote, that I've magnified things, that I've made a big deal of this 'matter'. As I always have said to myself, <i>it's all in my head</i>. Seemingly the problem is solved: along with other suggestions, break the 'magnifying lenses'. After finishing my breaking-news-like journal account, I prayed to God about this 'matter' that I faced, which for me became a challenge between selfishness and humility, good and evil (this should've been the first recourse). <br />
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Thankfully, the mixed emotions were assuaged once more.<br />
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The Chamber is just one of those places remarkable for me in my preliminary journey in college life. It's simply a good place to be in. Not only for study, but for pausing from the play and fast-forward of day-to-day; for reflecting on things that demand your attention...and even for listening to The Corrs or The Carpenters.<br />
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(I just really like that place, that's why I wrote about it.)</div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-18612004111111132372015-06-02T18:00:00.000+08:002015-06-03T17:23:35.528+08:00How Were These Past Days?<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s been a long time since I returned here in this blog. While I was in the campus, I didn't have the time to write here, even to keep a journal. Many things have happened in these last months that comprised the second semester of my first year in college. Finally, I'm done with first year. I miss a bit doing the things that kept me moving previously, though. I've missed writing here, and I believe there's much to tell about out of all I've been through while the <i>Dispatch</i> was left dormant.<br />
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This time I start with this question: how were these past days and months?</div>
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The answer: not easy, but great.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Not easy</b>. It's not supposed to be, anyway. The first semester of first year was uneasy as well at several, unforgettable points. Yet, the second half of the game was more burdensome. My classmates and I saw the bulk of schoolwork we have had to overcome—from readings, projects, presentations, even an event and a research!</div>
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An ordeal it was—an ordeal that consisted of sleepless nights. Add to that the distance I took each day to carry myself to school, as well as to carry schoolwork back at home. The bus tickets tell that: from KM 40 to KM 5. In terms of time, 1 1/2 to 2 hours from school to home. But I got used to it, even enjoy it whenever the commute is easy as a breeze. Some of the work I did on the road, while I'm on the bus or the train (reading or writing, for example); but I carried most of the work at home. Many of them were completed in long-term, especially my research project; but most of them I completed short-term at the desk that is originally a drawing table. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRsB-nOU5o6TMm6QRtUCEUQPFE4leo6QkjkB__yL5tZ25yfB1HJwDDdROQBP6dUh4Ml3p8rlATaZ3LRTWKnQ4uYbmmzlKAVm2GjOxVqMuVgzM0ndrY_209Qhi2_1TBpMz169tfrICv5EE/s1600/IMG_20150422_230537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRsB-nOU5o6TMm6QRtUCEUQPFE4leo6QkjkB__yL5tZ25yfB1HJwDDdROQBP6dUh4Ml3p8rlATaZ3LRTWKnQ4uYbmmzlKAVm2GjOxVqMuVgzM0ndrY_209Qhi2_1TBpMz169tfrICv5EE/s320/IMG_20150422_230537.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There the schoolwork continues, facing either my textbooks or readings or the laptop; usually with YouTube playlists or <a href="http://963wrock.com/" target="_blank">WRock Cebu</a> on the background. Sometimes it would be <a href="http://tunein.com/radio/DCG-FM-1059-s144879/" target="_blank">Retro 105.9</a> right from the stereo, and at other times it's as plain silent as a library, let alone the humming of the electric fan. In these conditions I continue whatever was started in the campus: beating deadlines, preparing for upcoming lessons, and above all surviving each day until I reach the wee hours of the morning. Then, I would retire to sleep between midnight and 3am, the latter being the latest; or else I didn't sleep (which occurred two consecutive times. I had no other choice).<b> </b><br />
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<b>So it was not easy, but it has been great</b>. Despite of the burdens and the difficulties academics bring, light moments and funny ones came along. <i>Siguro hindi halata sa akin ang palatawa</i>, but I've learned by experience and even through a lesson in Literature that laughter or comedy is something that—in my own words—smooths the rough road marked with problems to solve and obstacles to pass. It is these moments of laughter, and add to that good conversations, that make the day-to-day study fine. It's the side dish along with the main course.</div>
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In fact, it's a triumph whenever I got to talk to someone or start a conversation, especially when I really wanted to get off being busy and just try to talk to someone (you see, even for a Communications student like me, it's not a walk in the park to engage in a talk! But, it depends).</div>
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Once in a while we need times like those—to take a break, have a laugh, and talk to anyone.</div>
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Thankfully, the days that passed have led me to the finish line. I'm thankful (and I should be) that it was worth the efforts and the sacrifices, and that I've survived fruitful after the tiring and—at one point—sickening battle. I've been surprised I've thrived that way, which makes me appreciate how my capability have somehow elevated.</div>
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Inevitably the academic journey is never easy, but if one just goes on through the process, along with faith in God and determination of one's self, that student shall overcome. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57ByGL8JTNMNX2qs0sc_bucLPVT_G3JtQ5kTTNl8WMgQHBMOx-Mr43zHyBn2BpZSBfhvfOLHSuHudRdVhcBieFxgy_8cLJiENFWj5QZJztdYukeWscLw3Ao3hGetvJbc4iPj2USTFVaMU/s1600/WRock+Man+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57ByGL8JTNMNX2qs0sc_bucLPVT_G3JtQ5kTTNl8WMgQHBMOx-Mr43zHyBn2BpZSBfhvfOLHSuHudRdVhcBieFxgy_8cLJiENFWj5QZJztdYukeWscLw3Ao3hGetvJbc4iPj2USTFVaMU/s1600/WRock+Man+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Success! Free at last!" <i>Source: mixcloud.com</i> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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——— </div>
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Do you have anything in mind which you want me to write about? Please let me know. Tell me <a href="https://twitter.com/adrianconoza" target="_blank">@adrianconoza</a> or at adrianconoza@gmail.com.</div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-52614629301390636282014-12-26T13:55:00.001+08:002014-12-26T14:09:37.175+08:0010 Possible Careers as a Communication Arts Student (3/3)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObWjZQr7GASsNI5bmVjbtR09qjwspfwXkfZgD1ZMAhyphenhyphen5LjowR-ifJBN__sZexe-MVH4Et4AZBpYi0wpYAixnRS188AxZdAZldt8b8Am5f5qz1AHW5lTVBvpRDoiN3JClOL44RBQVNYY6h/s1600/sax_icon_400x400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObWjZQr7GASsNI5bmVjbtR09qjwspfwXkfZgD1ZMAhyphenhyphen5LjowR-ifJBN__sZexe-MVH4Et4AZBpYi0wpYAixnRS188AxZdAZldt8b8Am5f5qz1AHW5lTVBvpRDoiN3JClOL44RBQVNYY6h/s1600/sax_icon_400x400.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: <span class="irc_su" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">David Brent Johnson via Twitter</span></td></tr>
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<b>8. Producer/presenter of a jazz program in DZFE or Crossover</b><br />
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I’m so inspired by the American jazz-oriented program <i>Nightlights</i> that I would like to work for a jazz program or to simply play jazz music. I find it fulfilling to educate the musical taste of the Filipino and encourage him to listen to various genres, including jazz.<br />
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<b>9. Work for a talk-oriented radio program</b><br />
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I’ve heard from a lot of those who discuss matters and share their opinions on both FM and AM. Among these radio personalities, I often listen to Ben Tulfo (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvXA7aK7jxY" target="_blank">example</a>) and Joel Reyes Zobel. I find myself smiling when I listen to Sir Ben's program, but I also get understandable opinions.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FQQdj13JfL8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I’m also inspired by Larry King, who, before having a program in CNN, became an overnight (graveyard shift!) talk show host on America’s Mutual Radio. On Larry's show, he interviewed a particular person; then opens the line for his listeners to ask questions to the guest; then talk with his callers on just about anything.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AyiLkMaAx4ltC5lZjieUyCWy7WIu4wAAyctFvyGd80VzbdNPn-bgcfRAUpHk7XaOw33ZUkibNCKhf369JIx3Gow4xgwR-TslanPpJAIwAjbLca9oC7n0H8lf3cgm02-hfaj-d7fu5TtM/s1600/RADIO+Mitch+31+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AyiLkMaAx4ltC5lZjieUyCWy7WIu4wAAyctFvyGd80VzbdNPn-bgcfRAUpHk7XaOw33ZUkibNCKhf369JIx3Gow4xgwR-TslanPpJAIwAjbLca9oC7n0H8lf3cgm02-hfaj-d7fu5TtM/s1600/RADIO+Mitch+31+resized.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: <span class="_r3"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">mitchalbom.com</span></span></td></tr>
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom, in fact, also has his own talk show which airs in the afternoon in Detroit, Michgan, USA. I haven’t taken a listen his show yet, but I heard <a href="http://mitchalbom.com/radio" target="_blank">his past interview with Stephen King at his website</a> (4th on his top 10 interviews).<br />
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There’s also the late Bob Grant who says his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kToCuiXGBmg" target="_blank">“unrehearsed” program in New York</a> opens an exchange of ideas, and he gains much calls from his listeners.<br />
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Knowing things such as these, I’m fascinated by talk on radio. You get to hear ideas and opinions, you get the privilege to know what others think you have to know, and you also get to balance opposing views. In fact, the essential act of listening is being exercised, and the process of thinking is being valued.<br />
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I find it worthwhile just to work on those things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFS906owQ7UuO5gqV4YNlkNiZms-211RshnieZ0mQnkaqWcscfWMK3aTY7P9fDQeTs7I1WaO9Sy9b4yyTXhuek6yUOw5LnealyG73cUaxn3zfrcMTQEJ18QfZU90z79pcITD6s-7VEdfq/s1600/rat0-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFS906owQ7UuO5gqV4YNlkNiZms-211RshnieZ0mQnkaqWcscfWMK3aTY7P9fDQeTs7I1WaO9Sy9b4yyTXhuek6yUOw5LnealyG73cUaxn3zfrcMTQEJ18QfZU90z79pcITD6s-7VEdfq/s1600/rat0-006.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: <span class="_r3"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">www.achievement.org</span></span></td></tr>
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<b>10. Broadcast journalist</b><br />
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To be honest, I do want to learn journalism, aside from communication. I’ve been into writing, why not be a journalist? But for now, considering that I have passed in CA rather than in journ. when I took my entrance exam, I’ll go on with CA. Besides, broadcast journalism is included in the course.<br />
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With regards to the topics, however, I’m more inclined to work under, or even be a correspondent on topics which are not much attended to in major newscasts both here and abroad. Such topics can be regularly found, again, from another program in the West—<i>CBS Sunday Morning</i>. It’s a weekend daytime program that covers topics not much covered by major news programs, such as theater, classical music, and literature—simply put, the arts.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3GW_6RIevqw" width="560"></iframe>
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If I were a print journalist, I would also like to write more about the arts; but in both broadcast and print, I’ll appreciate it too to write in the field of religion, transportation, education (academics, school life, etc.), and media.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-9084872720664184822014-12-19T15:38:00.001+08:002014-12-19T15:43:58.292+08:0010 Possible Careers as a Communication Arts Student (2/3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> 5. Simply put, a DJ</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuES2Gjqp9nA277zm8FIEwanPCdYj9Kgx6pzR5hBmAcaMQrpp2rRBvVBBhq1UVWrlGc9Pmt7tpr064wFaNPkKVPnOW5wtwYLg6hMoyfehQ5JGtzhMeCq3ZT_L3rDk81ccB9UGz7QGH_oL/s1600/23719191+-+09_04_2012+-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuES2Gjqp9nA277zm8FIEwanPCdYj9Kgx6pzR5hBmAcaMQrpp2rRBvVBBhq1UVWrlGc9Pmt7tpr064wFaNPkKVPnOW5wtwYLg6hMoyfehQ5JGtzhMeCq3ZT_L3rDk81ccB9UGz7QGH_oL/s1600/23719191+-+09_04_2012+-.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from: <span class="_r3"><span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr">www.straitstimes.com</span></span><span class="_r3 irc_msc"><a class="_ZR irc_msl" data-ved="0CAkQhxw" href="http://www.google.com/search?imgurl=http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/23719191%252520-%25252009_04_2012%252520-.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.straitstimes.com/through-the-lens/story/rediffusion%3Fpage%3D2&h=1109&w=1600&ndsp=19&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAQSWQmJB940Yo1-hhpFCxCwjKcIGjwKOggCEhTWG60LpwiACtcb6gnsCecUgwqrCxogeWqO3Fd71O3BGbXw4Rs4f7NeYHzU5WASUj7EYvwB6FAMIbLTgVPQ8TJ9"><span class="irc_idim"></span></a></span></td></tr>
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Now here’s a primary prospect. I’ve been interested in radio, and I still am.<br />
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Mostly, among different formats, either it’s working for the jazz station (if ever, Crossover, more classical jazz please…); or for the classical station (I appreciate classical a lot, but it would take a long time for me to cultivate the flair); or the oldies or the alternative.<br />
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Either it’s at daytime (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuk8AOjGURE" target="_blank">“Goooood Morning, Vietnam!”</a>), or afternoon, or graveyard. In fact, graveyard shift is that which stuck on my mind for a long time, especially when I refused to sleep to get schoolwork done. I got used to being an owl since high school, that graveyard shift might be fit for me.<br />
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Don’t many start there? Don’t few occupy it? Why don’t I?<br />
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<b>6. Speaking of graveyard, an anchor in the graveyard shift.</b><br />
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This reminds me of both <i>NBC News Overnight</i> in US and <i>ITN Morning News</i> in UK in the 80's.<br />
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The earlier’s concept has gained my high regards and great admiration. It’s a newscast that is radical and distinct in the 80s among other newscasts. It is one that is more conversational and more story-centered. It is deemed as the “most intelligent news program ever” by the awards jury of the duPont Columbia Awards at that time. More about this on <a href="http://teenage-dispatch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my past blog post</a>.<br />
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The later, meanwhile, is a result of the extended operations of ITV into the wee hours.<br />
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It’s like being an anchor on ANC from around 12-3am. 9TV can do with that as well, being a 24 hour news service.<br />
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<b>7. Graphics designer/artist</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qB6QRjCmyhWOoVBfbEA5yIGPoPgMgqo94g3h8tN4WhqBfkbVCPr5MBVYk4SgpKnfWI-UAXot-bd2mL9SlZPeY2DeDA2asAQv1KWerhjutBj3C6Jpo0o0kkWcnJsv1kxRx1l0NJeGaii_/s1600/TTD_Careers_1+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qB6QRjCmyhWOoVBfbEA5yIGPoPgMgqo94g3h8tN4WhqBfkbVCPr5MBVYk4SgpKnfWI-UAXot-bd2mL9SlZPeY2DeDA2asAQv1KWerhjutBj3C6Jpo0o0kkWcnJsv1kxRx1l0NJeGaii_/s1600/TTD_Careers_1+2.png" height="344" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are what they call 'holding slides', ever present in British TV presentation. Image credits: tv-ark.org.uk</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Television presentation involves graphics and visuals ever since. That’s what I have observed when I got to look into television history of UK, and even here in the Philippines. If you will look closely at the visual art made for programs and schedules (click the collages, if you may), you might possibly see how they were intricately made.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ohuD21zHb6UFUvt8bkscshnATYiZRf-t9RW7oVtpaNSvaafrmDJPaN2MpmGUE5pUt8r8Ra4OsGtwq0erEfv4kA-gz-QCwbY5W6h7kyKgVj7_yRaeyNwx76ugt5RY4B1n9fVNxqstbbPb/s1600/TTD_Careers_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ohuD21zHb6UFUvt8bkscshnATYiZRf-t9RW7oVtpaNSvaafrmDJPaN2MpmGUE5pUt8r8Ra4OsGtwq0erEfv4kA-gz-QCwbY5W6h7kyKgVj7_yRaeyNwx76ugt5RY4B1n9fVNxqstbbPb/s1600/TTD_Careers_3.png" height="150" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local slides/cards around 70's-80's. Image credits: videos from some flagwavercharacter's YT videos and jadxx0223.deviantart.com</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutIYQbyCX8fbqQyes01n6XbI_Fu36XGugaSqOVyOXrlWknJvTkCOrCOj7O4JPK-ZCk2Mzl-dusnLjtiqsgDgFf7hm1rP8LK3-wycSsjYzhxJ9gdi2XlW4n6Fjhxuk1JjlBCm3m_WyCGpH/s1600/TTD_Careers_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutIYQbyCX8fbqQyes01n6XbI_Fu36XGugaSqOVyOXrlWknJvTkCOrCOj7O4JPK-ZCk2Mzl-dusnLjtiqsgDgFf7hm1rP8LK3-wycSsjYzhxJ9gdi2XlW4n6Fjhxuk1JjlBCm3m_WyCGpH/s1600/TTD_Careers_4.png" height="147" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">News graphics before computers did the job. Taken from YT videos from flagwavercharacter and sandiessss</td></tr>
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Even in news programs, before computers took the role, artists creatively produced images and illustrations that would go along the news items. They are simple, but such simplicity is just fit for the news. Too much graphics, for me, usually looks like too much light.<br />
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If there were still anything like these that would necessitate a graphic artist, I would appreciate to learn about making them. And I like to revive nostalgia, even by means of new technology.<br />
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(To be concluded)</div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-66740363250289490832014-12-10T12:14:00.000+08:002014-12-10T12:14:03.438+08:0010 Possible Careers as a Communication Arts Student (1/3)<div>
I haven’t written for this blog for a very long time. I was busy during the first semester of my first year in college, and finally I’m done with it. I’m currently taking up Communication Arts (CA), and for the past 4 months I’ve been learning a lot about this course. Despite times when my mind plays with doubts of belonging to this course, I’ve been appreciating what I’ve learned about communication, as well as mass media—it's forms, history, and growth.</div>
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Often, moments come when I think of what career I will have upon finishing CA. Many ideas come to my mind, both usual and odd. There are those that I caught from what I’ve learned from media history out of watching television archives and listening to foreign stations and old airchecks—all of them through the World Wide Web.</div>
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Here are those possible careers that come to my mind, and some of them are conceived and perceived as dreams</div>
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<b>1. Continuity presenter on television</b></div>
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This is more than a voice-over. It is something more spontaneous, more creative, and more interesting (at least for me).</div>
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I got this idea from discovering how television broadcasting appeared in United Kingdom, especially around 60’s to early 90’s, thanks to the vast library of <a href="http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/" target="_blank">TV Ark</a>. </div>
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In UK, only three channels used to dominate the airwaves: BBC1 and BBC2, the public broadcasters, and Independent Television (ITV), the private/commercial broadcaster. In both channels, there is someone who serves as a “companion” or a “host” that guides viewers throughout the station’s broadcast until (before they started to operate 24 hours around the ‘80s) they close down, or sign-off.<br />
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On BBC, broadcasts are presided by live announcers. On every station of ITV for each region in the country, however, the presenter takes this role. Here are examples of what I mean:</div>
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What’s interesting here is that the presenter is not just heard, but also seen. He introduces the programs, as well as says the next airing of those programs. He says the schedule for the day, as well as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY0-XvjIfmc" target="_blank">birthday greetings</a>. He greets you “Good Morning”, and he wishes you “Good Night”, and even reminds you to switch-off your TV set before you sleep (when the TV’s all black, before the signal finally goes out).</div>
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Since discovering this, I’ve been so amazed at how Brits broadcast on-air. For me, it looks cool. However, this style of broadcasting has gone away. Later on in the 90’s, the stations no longer have in-vision continuity, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAkB6_3dbGE" target="_blank">voices remain doing the job</a>.<br />
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<b>2. Continuity announcer on TV</b></div>
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If ITV had presenters, BBC has announcers. They do the same thing ITV used to do, without the faces.<br />
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Here in my country, there are announcers too, but they exist in recorded plugs, brought-to-you-by’s, and broadcast notices.</div>
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Knowing that BBC take these jobs live fascinates me a lot. In fact, announcers don’t end the broadcast with any station notice (“This is…A commercial television station…”), but simply with tomorrow’s weather report, a bit of reminders, a bid of “Good Night”, and finally “God Save The Queen” (on BBC 1). What a friendly way of dealing with audiences…and telling them to sleep!</div>
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It also interested me that I spotted public broadcasters in US that did this as well in the 80’s, although only limited to plugs and station IDs. I’m not so sure whether they announce on-air or pre-taped, though.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoImdYrF4UCLYKCqD7-HapELy2WjlzjVTcOHI5LBaBZopMUihqUGN8AKC7Y3yyWrFAjoV_eYxBkLN2meiMVaw0Zq_A2jhlOW4cgun2Y0HItHiMiY5icBmhs6VXuH1kMMzxPR4KKmzjq9a/s1600/p01d0sgq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoImdYrF4UCLYKCqD7-HapELy2WjlzjVTcOHI5LBaBZopMUihqUGN8AKC7Y3yyWrFAjoV_eYxBkLN2meiMVaw0Zq_A2jhlOW4cgun2Y0HItHiMiY5icBmhs6VXuH1kMMzxPR4KKmzjq9a/s1600/p01d0sgq.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: bbc.co.uk</td></tr>
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<b>3. Continuity announcer on radio</b></div>
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I got this idea when I started listening to <a href="http://wdcb.org/" target="_blank">WDCB</a>, a public radio station in the Chicago area playing jazz and blues. The continuity announcer’s job there, as I’ve observed, are mentioning the schedule of programs (“…Monday nights at 8”, for example) and telling the donors/supporters of the station (“Support for WDCB comes from…”).<br />
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This work is much more evident when you listen to UK's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4" target="_blank">BBC Radio 4</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4extra" target="_blank">Radio 4 Extra</a>. The announcer does the same thing as those on BBC1 or BBC2 do. Wow, this tradition continues on BBC, both on TV and radio.</div>
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<b>4. Newsreader in an FM station</b></div>
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Only few do newsreading live and local on FM, nowadays. One of them is government-operated DWBR 104.3, where the news is simply delivered on top-of-the-hour, without any almost-distracting sound effects or background music. Like this one:<br />
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I also got inspired, again, from listening to public radio and old airchecks (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MnT3gMA99o" target="_blank">here's an example</a>) I’ve heard from YouTube. </div>
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Here is this dream to read the news either on the classical music station (that would’ve been an achievement!), or the alternative music station. Or I’ll perhaps settle on the oldies station’s news every 55 minutes past the hour (although not always like that) or on DWBR’s top-of-the-hours.</div>
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Is it still costly to have a segment like this on FM?, I wonder.</div>
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(To be continued)</div>
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adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-39342155195091758052014-06-30T11:24:00.001+08:002014-06-30T11:24:25.453+08:00Not Where I Used to Be<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: right;">“I may not be where I need to be but I thank God I am not where I used to be.”</span><span style="text-align: right;">― Joyce Meyer, speaker and author</span></blockquote>
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That quote finally had made an impact on me at this point of my life. Why is it so? Let me explain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YHv_ueEj7G8IpnpCUGOpNiYvohrBLZQybf2FD0t29egee7i3L2ZNhmtwGV4rV146C90BLywZlafx6qVRNvOC-RKQS48mwRGcOHmk8mzn1UqfUm_Djs1_laOxvOBw911SlelwoPK7gYGM/s1600/man-writing-author.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YHv_ueEj7G8IpnpCUGOpNiYvohrBLZQybf2FD0t29egee7i3L2ZNhmtwGV4rV146C90BLywZlafx6qVRNvOC-RKQS48mwRGcOHmk8mzn1UqfUm_Djs1_laOxvOBw911SlelwoPK7gYGM/s1600/man-writing-author.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: www.the-spearhead.com</td></tr>
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In the past days I've been writing about my life during my third year in high school, which I've centered around my unsuccessful leadership as the elected president of the section where I was in. I've sought my journals to weave a draft day by day. As I've read through my (almost) daily accounts, recollecting sudden happenings in my life made me reflect how hard life has been at that time, and how much I learned from the year-long burden.<br />
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My eyes and heart, undergoing an ongoing "coming-of-age", were opened to many things, especially the reality of life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hand to Face 1" by Tim Patrick <br />
Picture credit: http://www.timpatrick.co.uk/</td></tr>
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Among those realities, this stands out: leading is not an easy job, especially handling a large group of people where tensions tend to regularly spring up; and at this point I am doubtingly ready to take that role again. Reading a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasized that reality further. The difference is he got through, and I've gone moribund.<br />
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Reading through my journals also made me realize my multitudes of faults and my bulk of immaturity during those times. Not only had I a novice's journey through presidency, but also a struggling entanglement with sins and selfishness. I related with people in very poor, silly ways. I dealt with problems as if I've lost my sense of thinking and humility. I've been too soft, and at the same time too callous. Even after third year I was still quietly bitter, brought by the harsh life I faced.<br />
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But praise God! I'm glad I've thrived through all of these. Though I realized the reality of life, I further knew that God continues a good work on me. I've been officially a believer since pre-grade 6, but still I failed so much. Yet going on with a walk with Christ, I have grown further in the faith, and I have learned greater things alongside it.<br />
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I realized, especially while I'm checking out of high school and gearing up for college, that I should let go of the bitterness I accumulated. I need to forgive, and by God's grace I did wholeheartedly.<br />
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Furthermore, reading the Bible frequently and memorizing verses really helped me a lot in my ongoing growth. Here's this verse I am really glad to know:<br />
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"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."—John 8:36 (NIV)</blockquote>
And because He already has set me free from sin, through what Jesus did on the cross, then why should I still be imprisoned in sin?<br />
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I learned to look up to God, and shake off my sins—relying on His immense ability and not on my own vain effort—for I'm already free through Christ.<br />
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For real, God goes on working great things in me, such as amazing changes: a wider devotion to God's Word, an expanding commitment to prayer, a heightening longing for fellowship with other believers.<br />
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And that's how I say I'm not where I used to be. I am not a professional yet, and I still face many challenges, and I'm not perfect; but I'm thankful I'm no longer a prisoner of darkness, someone found but still lost—where I used to be.<br />
<br />
With the faith I'm holding on, I'm going further with life with God, who has great plans for me, for all of us (Jeremiah 29:11). The best is yet to come.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ66SELL5trIY5TlIv70YE22gdpz4CC25Oeh1bhOiFUiaTGe0QQBDCep7rSPYfFm5CDUzTe6qaTcGnRr-BocRdqwrPhZqncrKytUr7y8kCLHz4NpOqDPBMyQrviKvpdKLhMmSfds_Hdup/s1600/2013_56143_193480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQ66SELL5trIY5TlIv70YE22gdpz4CC25Oeh1bhOiFUiaTGe0QQBDCep7rSPYfFm5CDUzTe6qaTcGnRr-BocRdqwrPhZqncrKytUr7y8kCLHz4NpOqDPBMyQrviKvpdKLhMmSfds_Hdup/s1600/2013_56143_193480.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Project America - Martin Luther King Jr." by Franco Fasano<br />
Picture credit: http://www.celesteprize.com/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u>Postscript</u>: Change can also be done in you, dear reader. Let God drive your life, and let Him take you to where He wants you to be—a blessed, abundant life.<br />
<br />
He loves you so much He wants you to be with Him. What Jesus did is enough. The gift of salvation is already there. What's missing? You. Your choice. Decide to have faith, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you have already made the most important decision of your life.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-68807071952484166472014-06-21T14:18:00.005+08:002014-06-24T11:27:23.155+08:00Relentless Praise<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in
Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done."—Psalm 9:11(NIV)</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 5pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Wherever and whenever we meet in the name
of Christ, we should consider him as present in the midst of us."—Matthew
Henry's Concise Commentary(Matt. 18:15-20)</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a Wednesday evening the
night sky encircled Araneta Coliseum. Crowds lined-up and gathered inside the
dome, and soon they filled it. While I and my fellow people from the church
settled on our seats in an upper box—enough to see the stage where all that
happened that night would take place—people continued to group in the boxes
above and the floor below. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That scene seemingly
appear, as our youth pastor noted, that many Filipinos now are aflame towards
God, that many Filipinos are gaining an interest in Jesus Christ. For that
night was a night of moving and empowering praise to God. That night, the
famous contemporary Christian music band Hillsong United came to Manila to
perform their first of two shows (the next was on the following Friday), and,
above all, to praise the One who made playing such good and notable sounds
possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before the performances
started (from the planned 7:30 to around 9:00), 2 big screens near the stage
showed very wonderful and artistic videos promoting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrhWK2VFvL0" target="_blank">Hillsong Worship’s latestannual album No Other Name</a>; as well
as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1dOJyw27gg" target="_blank">Hillsong Young & Free, Hillsong church’s newest band</a>; and also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR9-BCg_CnQ" target="_blank">Hillsong College</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-YQRANOvhE" target="_blank">this year's Hillsong conference</a>. The people behind these videos really did a
great job of showing splendid art and using fine techniques for a cause.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great music<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The performance started,
as I’ve said, around 9 pm. And the great crowd surrounding the 11-piece band
excitedly cheered and gradually stood as the uninterrupted concert commenced
with what I consider as the track I like the most from the band’s latest album <i>Zion</i>—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3O_pAOiGuo" target="_blank">“Relentless”</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the concert went on,
the audience sang together, as well as lifted their hands. And they jumped to
the upbeat songs. And I didn’t expect that I would be moved as much as the
crowd was. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During the praises in
our church’s service on Sundays, I simply sang and clapped; then when I took
charge of the visuals for the service as I grew up, I only sing quietly with a
low voice. Only in the concert, however, did I raised my hands again, as well
as sing my heart out (that doesn’t always mean singing in a high voice, ok?),
and jumped at seemingly the “biggest dance party” that night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The concert went on with
a deeper impact and touch around the dome with fresh renditions of United’s
trademark songs, from “Hosanna” to “Inside Out”; and new music from their
latest album, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw" target="_blank">“Oceans(Where Feet May Fail)”</a> (with the beautiful and
wonderful voice of the only female in the band), <strike>“Aftermath”,</strike> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B-cCFIp0A4" target="_blank">“Stay and Wait”</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The presence of God was
really felt as people gathered together in the Big Dome in His Name! What a
great experience it was…One remarkable thing I witnessed was when one of the
singers mentioned what was imprinted on each black shirt my companions and I wore
that night—“If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, all in the
setlist moved me that night from “Relentless” to the finale, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8wY6BPFoWU" target="_blank">“With Everything”</a>,
where we chanted in chorus a musical melody, like an audience in a football
match, which led Hillsong United back to the stage for the encore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the encore, they sang
some songs which were apart from the band’s discography. They were from
Hillsong Young & Free, namely “Alive” and “Wake”. I also remembered singer
Joel Houston saying, while the crowd asked for “more!”, “You’re all crazy…”
Nevertheless, he noticed earlier in the concert that Philippines is the
favorite in Asia, especially that it wasn’t expected that the audience filled
the dome! The real finale that put the 2-hour praise to a close was the very
well-known “One Way”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brilliant visuals<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not only did I
appreciate the music. I also appreciated the visuals. Not only were there 2 big
screens, but also a “lighted mountain” in the background of the stage, and enclosed
in the “mountain” was a mountain-shaped screen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8WOdFyOE-tjWTU4oSK9LXVGKagh9IMG_ZnjeuyjSWO4oFkJiM_sCEs3jLC0Kx-8rv99ojKvD5dWO3kjqaBVPd3-pTXP4sVaOyjkANuHaiIdBvjJ-blEMJkKiYCVMYlrPooydjdOm3zsm/s1600/DSCN0235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8WOdFyOE-tjWTU4oSK9LXVGKagh9IMG_ZnjeuyjSWO4oFkJiM_sCEs3jLC0Kx-8rv99ojKvD5dWO3kjqaBVPd3-pTXP4sVaOyjkANuHaiIdBvjJ-blEMJkKiYCVMYlrPooydjdOm3zsm/s1600/DSCN0235.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout the concert the
art was impressive, as well as the effects they applied into it, from the
bursts of colors to the fast clash of different camera angles. It’s just that
the keyboardist wasn’t shown on the live feed (in my perception). I really
waited for the keyboardist to be captured on camera, yet I haven’t seen any;
but that’s just fine. I’m so much proud of the multimedia ministry that made
these visuals go with the music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Indeed, it was a
blessing event, a very fresh experience of praising and </span>worshiping<span style="font-family: inherit;"> God, as
Filipinos gathered that night in His presence. I saw and heard a fresh
treatment of modern Christian music, and I felt its amazing effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope they’ll come here
again, and with that, for me to bring my friends with me. I look forward to a
DVD of this concert, and for Hillsong Young & Free to perform here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">June 11, 2014—it was a
night of moving, relentless praise. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURsuuTlmpoyy9WZ9hNtFmZc7rJJz_gAOhNzLom_HvJBUiuyfMTvusdgGR3B1uNkDhOZWlsgcPV16Pv-TvWeEv1sAZxggQsBc_AoMkr6sjLuaA8z0A8ipxran-Sav8H2Lih4Hfu3Q_DCd5/s1600/DSCN0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURsuuTlmpoyy9WZ9hNtFmZc7rJJz_gAOhNzLom_HvJBUiuyfMTvusdgGR3B1uNkDhOZWlsgcPV16Pv-TvWeEv1sAZxggQsBc_AoMkr6sjLuaA8z0A8ipxran-Sav8H2Lih4Hfu3Q_DCd5/s1600/DSCN0243.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">— </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Picture credit: Some were taken by the author, but the majority were captured by his sister.</span></div>
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adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-39550559780386488992014-06-10T11:20:00.000+08:002015-06-11T16:43:12.180+08:00The Celebration of The BeautifulLast year, in my final year in high school, I successfully became a part of our school paper, being a contributor. I wrote much pieces enough for the people in-charge to include or exclude. The next year, I finally had a copy of the paper in my hands, and I found my name on print on the features section. That was already a success to me.<br />
<br />
And in this blessed day the Lord gave to me, and to my family in year 1997, let the following piece be my offering to you, dear reader. Compared to the piece on print, this is an updated edition.<br />
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—◘—<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: www.cartoonaday.com</td></tr>
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<br />
Models aren't only the ones with lots of pictures. Even the youth of today, especially our modern-day Filipinas, have lots of them, even tons and tons of them. They're lucky they don't have to use film after film. Thanks to digital camera—no, wait—to touchscreen cellphones, anyone can picture anything, anytime, and anywhere more efficiently. And what do we get? Multitudes of photos uploaded in social media and liked by much people. These photos even accumulate more than a hundred likes.<br />
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Selfies. That's the word. That is our trending topic here. The self-portraits of people taken by themselves, then shared on social media. Some are added with effects, and some are compiled in albums. Selfies are one of the latest use of cameras and one of the fads in today's online generation. It even found it's place in common language as it was included in the <i>Oxford English Dictionary</i> this year, and in <i>Time </i>magazine's "top 10 buzzwords" in 2012.<br />
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I have never seen in my life before the large use of cameras—or camera in cellphones—for a collection of self-portraits. We have such self-portraits before, in 1x1 photos and childhood photos from film, and in case of people like Vincent van Gogh, on canvas. But I have sensed only today that personal picture taking has gone very viral on social media.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The trend</span></b><br />
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Why is it so? Why is it that selfies have become large scale? It starts on people, they who surf the Net every now and then, eat and shop in different places, or simply bored in their homes. We can trace selfie's roots from 1900s, when portable Kodak box cameras existed before digital ones. You need to position yourself in a mirror and stabilize the camera first before we take a picture of ourselves. A Russian Grand Duchess named Anastasia Nikolaevna, just did that when she was 13 years old.<br />
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Fast forward to 2000's, self-taken photographs started to become rampant in MySpace, a social networking site. Facebook followed, then Twitter. Photos, especially self-portraits and profile pics (or what you call DP), therefore, appear on our News Feeds, whenever there is an occasion or not.<br />
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Now, with picture-centered sites like Instagram and the growth in use of smartphones and touchscreen cellphones, there's no wonder anyone can be his/her own photographer. Only today, in our time of advancement in technology, that selfies become largely popular.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The 'selfie-sh'</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: www.condenaststore.com</td></tr>
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There is nothing wrong about taking pictures by yourself. We all have our right to self-expression. However, I'm just afraid, after hearing the first syllable of selfie, that you might become obsessed of yourself. I hope it won't be that way, because that's what we call vanity. I hope I don't appear to be an emotional terrorist, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Dg7883uSA" target="_blank">"vanity kills, it don't pay bills,"</a> says the 80's New Wave band ABC.<br />
<br />
Taking a selfie in vain is useless and futile. Too much pride on one's self is selfish. It's dangerous to your health, like huffing a cigarette. Let me tell you, friend: you are not your own. You are God's beautiful creation, yet you were "bought with a price" so that you can still live right now. I hope you'll recognize that further, because He loves you so much. <br />
<br />
Another downside of selfies is that it <strike>can</strike> may lower yourself when you shouldn't. You are prone to degrade yourself in comparison with others when you can appreciate the fact that you are "wonderfully made" by God as you are.<br />
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Worse than those is what teenager Olympia Nelson have seen in selfies, something I fear might be the same thing we'll see on our computer screens. I fear that selfies might turn out to be sexualized, unnecessarily showing off skin or more than it, just to gain likes from others. In other words, pornographic.<br />
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Nelson, in <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/comment/dark-undercurrents-of-teenage-girls-selfies-20130710-2pqbl.html" target="_blank">her column in a newspaper in Australia</a>, has seen that teen girls tend to be vain at the extent of pouting and posing in sexually suggestive manners with their selfies, "showing how much they like themselves and hoping that you'll hit ''like'' to reinforce the claim". It seems to me that a new and destructing form of vanity was just birthed. Please, never ever do that. Don't sacrifice dignity just to get liked. It's disgusting. We may sing "your body is wonderland", but to indecently expose it equates to being robbed out of self-respect.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The good side</span></b><br />
<br />
Indeed, like the economic systems I've read in my Economics book, selfies have its side effects or killing tendencies. But there is this one thing that I see as the good thing about selfies. And that is what I call <u>the celebration of the beautiful</u>. I have observed that selfies, and even groupies, portray a person's positivity and joy, and can make someone proud of God, that He gave the beauty s/he possesses in him/her which He knows will perfectly fit in him/her.<br />
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It is a statement of how amazing God is. It is the portrait telling us and to whom it may concern, "I look good just the way I am, with this simple face made brilliant by God."<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The real beauty</span></b><br />
<br />
I want to tell you, nevertheless, that there is something more important than face value. That is the heart. That's why I told here that vanity is dangerous. Look closely at what the Lord says: "'For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'" (1 Sam. 16:7, New International Version of the <i>Holy Bible</i>)<br />
<br />
As much as it depends on you, celebrate the beautiful as you click your camera phone, yet remember that a clean heart and a good character reveals true beauty, and that honors the One who created you. Never forget that in God's eyes, you are already beautiful as you are.<br />
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Postscript: Perhaps that's why I didn't get into selfies (just twice). I prefer someone to picture me, for the purpose of being the picture on the "About The Author" of a book.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhEupnKI9niJCCKQus8MOqPrsX4qu7dM366iB2FBWD5sWX1JMP0lImiLatfVxMTlVSywpEiCTNH8M6jTMHNhJ0UBZFJ4Om-GS-qeVGRNOv3w1p-oIMPpk6lMqijEnbXIdFqEu2S0_JOTs/s1600/Picture+credit_Seasons+of+Love+and+War+%2528Author+Page%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhEupnKI9niJCCKQus8MOqPrsX4qu7dM366iB2FBWD5sWX1JMP0lImiLatfVxMTlVSywpEiCTNH8M6jTMHNhJ0UBZFJ4Om-GS-qeVGRNOv3w1p-oIMPpk6lMqijEnbXIdFqEu2S0_JOTs/s1600/Picture+credit_Seasons+of+Love+and+War+%2528Author+Page%2529.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: Seasons of Love and War (Author Page) on Facebook</td></tr>
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<br />adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-4105346147329278052014-06-06T10:23:00.002+08:002014-06-07T12:01:05.798+08:00S4Y#30: "Fall Back" | Factory Floor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/H0tupq-r7JU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I've known of the electronic music "post-industrial" trio <a href="https://www.facebook.com/factoryfloor" target="_blank">Factory Floor</a> in a music magazine called <i>Spin</i>. After hearing electronic patch-ups from their past releases, they finally have a self-titled album. "Fall Back" is one of their singles from the album, and it's a creative collage of sounds (though I didn't mind the vocals, because I'm more into the music) that is very post-modern as well as abstract. The composition can even fit for a traffic report, or simply a talk show's background.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-5708084612046562872014-06-05T10:21:00.000+08:002014-06-05T10:21:04.963+08:00S4Y#29: "Within" | Daft Punk feat. Chilly Gonzales<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In Daft Punk's latest album, there's a track where the duo collaborates with Giorgio Moroder, then it is followed by a chord progression made by pianist Chilly Gonzales in transition to a slow and soft flow of melodies. It's a bit jazzy in the transition, then it finally reaches the melancholic point, where "Within" begins.<br />
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"A deep vocoder sings about not understanding the world, being lost and not even remembering his own name," writes critic Nick Stevenson. Another coming-of-age feeling, it seems, though it can be felt by anyone.<br />
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This reminds me of something: in understanding the world, and being found from being lost, God can help, for He does show the world in His perspective, and He shows the Way for the lost.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-65699708855855895952014-06-05T10:04:00.001+08:002014-06-05T10:04:29.767+08:00S4Y#28: "Instant Crush" | Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
We have instant coffee, instant noodles, instant cash...and now "instant crush", at the least for a song.<br />
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One of the first tracks I've heard from their latest album <i>Random Access Memories</i>. And here, is a brilliant mix of electronic and rock, of acoustic and synthetic (with the help of The Strokes' lead Julian Casablancas).<br />
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Isn't it a thing with adolescence: having crushes instantly...and perhaps instantly fading away as well?adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-43887054414179182582014-06-04T11:30:00.001+08:002014-06-04T11:30:24.159+08:00S4Y#27: "In My Remains" | Linkin Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/_NvrWciHrBw/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_NvrWciHrBw&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_NvrWciHrBw&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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I am fond of most of the songs in Linkin Park's album <i>Living Things</i>, which I deem is one of their greatest compilations.<br />
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The first time I heard this, I was amazed. This is a fresh treatment of their unique rock style, piecing together elements from their albums before <i>Living Things</i>.<br />
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Military-like, yes it really is, with a good interweaving of moody electronic sounds, and really alternative rock riffs.<br />
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I do like that "army" bridge. It makes the song whole, and much more felt and not just heard.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-31384613273609036502014-06-04T11:08:00.002+08:002014-06-04T11:08:55.951+08:00S4Y#26: "Crystal Ball" | Keane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...I remember sitting on the bus, and I was trying to write a song and I realized that I didn't have anything to say at all, and I didn't have any feelings about anything...That was a really scary for me, because I've always had lots to say, and lots of opinions whether right or wrong...and it came out of that that we were all feeling this sense of numbness, this feeling of kinda fading away as people. And I just tried to write about that, and it ended up becoming Crystal Ball."—Tim Rice-Oxley, lead of Keane</blockquote>
<br />
The alternative rock band Keane was first featured on Dispatch on <a href="http://teenage-dispatch.blogspot.com/2013/06/101-songs-of-my-third-year-part-8.html" target="_blank">101 Songs of My Third Year</a>. And they are featured here again.<br />
<br />
I saw the music video of this song, from their album <i>Under The Iron Sea</i> (what a great title!), on cable television, and it appealed to me. It tells of a story of a man with almost everything he can be thankful for, and suddenly was robbed of these things. He was turned upside down, and so it goes.<br />
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That's how this video, and the song of course, appealed to me.<br />
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Easily felt, easily understood. Truly real.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-84979768947791574972014-06-03T11:15:00.002+08:002014-06-03T11:26:59.834+08:00Musing Around Manila<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
“The Philippines needed a modern cultural center for operas, concerts, and plays, and [I] planned to achieve a monumental one through its dimensions, elevations, and splendid decorations, and through its harmonious liens it would symbolize an organ or a cathedral.”—Juan Arellano, architect </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Then out came a woman to meet him<br />
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.<br />
(She is unruly and defiant,<br />
her feet never stay at home;<br />
now in the street, now in the squares,<br />
at every corner she lurks.)"<br />
—Proverbs 7:10-12, New International Version</blockquote>
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For five times I've gone to the University of Santo Tomas (for I am to attend there in my first college year), and so I've been further oriented into Metro Manila. My eyes have been opened to the surfaces and sights of the wide city during those visits.<br />
<br />
I've started to gain observations I have to get used to, as well as be familiar with, being not only a college student but also a regular commuter. From the reality of being packaged like a can of sardines while riding the Light Rail Transit (LRT) train; to the clear contrast between the living salaryman and the dying bystander; to the threatening vulnerability of people like me to be victimized by criminals.<br />
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For my fifth visit to the Metro, however, I have explicitly seen 2 realities I am going to share to you, dear reader. One is something I've seen since my second visit, and the other is spotted during my latest visit.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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<b>Abandoned theater</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vyeQQ0XGEA8-Em-bs14APpxN4H4Sx6_7Jzq_THoMmeSLkbzrorYj4hzBx17CgaIfo7AiSm13uiHjdfu_OU5ZBvOgxgPfys5jr8H9UPjx3mauxG_RdaZsvaZZ4FMQMRhOotlJwfLxqyTS/s1600/DSCF5465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vyeQQ0XGEA8-Em-bs14APpxN4H4Sx6_7Jzq_THoMmeSLkbzrorYj4hzBx17CgaIfo7AiSm13uiHjdfu_OU5ZBvOgxgPfys5jr8H9UPjx3mauxG_RdaZsvaZZ4FMQMRhOotlJwfLxqyTS/s1600/DSCF5465.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">axlppi.blogspot.com</span></td></tr>
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After landing at LRT's Central Station, I have to go to a jeepney which will lead me to the university campus. It's a long way there, but there is one building that I have crossed, and will cross often.<br />
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It is a large structure with fine furnishings around it. It is mostly pink in color, but through time, tattered by dust. It used to be a theater, but at the present, an abandoned building. It's called the Manila Metropolitan Theater (MET), which must have been a great haven of culture and arts in its glory days.<br />
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It is so unfortunate to see what once was created by the government during the American colonial period, and flourished by it (or perhaps exactly write: by former First Lady and Manila governor Imelda Marcos), is now left like trash, after alternating renovations, reopenings, and closings.<br />
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At this moment, I don't think the government will deal about this. Do they even care about it, while facing issues of corruption, and maybe thinking about another plan to amass the people's money?<br />
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I don't know yet if the National Commission for Culture and Arts has advanced their tripartite agreement between the Government Service Insurance System and the Manila City Hall regarding MET, but I really hope I will see this theater refurbished, refurnished, renovated, and restored—in its architectural beauty and cultural purpose.<br />
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<b>Dangerous outskirts</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTecLMd13UCG5-mdlylJbguaWqXu9qmYWYdBYwO1bq_ZA_VMiZGNGO1C5YIIKsQ4j4ofshwsid0IarWh7W4MG05gVSSm050f9FDIjHU_EsRjwPZGdPUfbKO6KAqaWR9E62E1yh60Oj2Uh/s1600/Recto_Avenue.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTecLMd13UCG5-mdlylJbguaWqXu9qmYWYdBYwO1bq_ZA_VMiZGNGO1C5YIIKsQ4j4ofshwsid0IarWh7W4MG05gVSSm050f9FDIjHU_EsRjwPZGdPUfbKO6KAqaWR9E62E1yh60Oj2Uh/s1600/Recto_Avenue.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: <span class="irc_ho" dir="ltr" style="margin-right: -2px; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 2px; text-overflow: ellipsis; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;">en.wikipedia.org</span></td></tr>
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Far enough the campus of UST, is an avenue named after a former senator—Claro M. Recto. Recto is a place for secondhand textbooks, false certificates, accessible dry seals, as well as various markets. One of these markets is alarming, however.<br />
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Being oriented to the avenue's grounds, I have spotted dangerous outskirts containing demoralizing, loathsome businesses. On one side are advertisements hand-painted with something like "untamed virgin" (yuck), and on the other are painted signs and printed posters of immoral movies, perhaps like those <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT4htL7PRko" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HBO</span></a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcaHdMd22Wo" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">other cable channels</span></a> <u>in USA</u> will air at night since the 80's(just knew that out of being a TV enthusiast).<br />
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Indeed, a movie theater of perverse films still exist, which I think was an infectious trend around the times of President Marcos. I even spotted an R-18 warning.<br />
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For real, these are dangerous spots remaining in these corners of Manila. I even doubt if many are still drugged by these forms of entertainment, though digital age brought seamless formats.<br />
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Isn't it that former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim, as far as I know, did his best in closing these businesses during his lead? Isn't it that the "city's red light districts" were eradicated at those times? Yet now, these things are still rampant, still vulnerable to unguarded minds, even bypassers! Won't today's administration in Manila bust these brothels and theaters (not worthy to be called a theater!)? Don't say they will let this be the status quo!<br />
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May there be a way for these establishments to be removed, and may the public have minds and hearts that will shun these degrading corners.<br />
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I might cover more observations like these in the future, and I have just revealed two which I feel are needed to be penned, typed, and now read by your eyes, and digested by your minds in this blog.<br />
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Not only were my eyes opened to reality, but I, in my whole being, have began to bring up concerns, that now through this blog post I have extended as causes—a cultural one and a moral other.<br />
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What do you think about these observations? Do you have your own observations too? Please drop a line: comment, or tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/adrianconoza" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@adrianconoza</span></a></div>
adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-32838715101683975282014-06-02T14:44:00.001+08:002014-06-02T14:44:27.374+08:00S4Y#25: "Out of My League" | Fitz and The Tantrums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/i3sRmkdxxfw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I actually knew this before fourth year, hearing it often on alternative music station <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jam883" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Jam 88.3</span></a>. It turned out that I heard it again often while Jam is my background while doing schoolwork.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/fitzandthetantrums" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Fitz and The Tantrums</span></a> is one of those current bands I like. They also sort of taking us "back in time", since most of their music sound like Motown music, and 80's music.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1009180062003149825.post-25579932173167102262014-05-29T11:09:00.002+08:002014-05-29T11:09:37.766+08:00S4Y#24: "Powerless" | Linkin Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SFhFFPjW6mc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I heard this in the end of the movie <i>Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter</i>, though I haven't viewed the movie entirely.<br />
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But I really like this song, the last track from the rock band's album, <i>Living Things</i>. Full of emotion, energetic in electronica, and strong in rock.<br />
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I felt with this because sometimes I did feel <i>powerless</i> with regards to situations and people around me.adrianconozahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745798731860083828noreply@blogger.com0