My Socially Constructed Reality

I've always known Americans as much more liberated and open-minded than the Filipinos. However, as I do my research on homosexuality, I realized that they are not as liberated and as open-minded as I thought them to be, well, at least on the issues on homosexuality. In my search for related literature, the information I got revealed that many Americans still consider homosexuality as a perversion -- something not normal. But I found several articles from reputable journals saying that homosexuality is inborn. Being gay or lesbian is not a choice that individuals do make. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association deleted homosexuality in their list of mental disorders . That was over thirty years ago. By now, it should have been clear that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality. In fact, when I was floating my questionnaire through e-mail, one respondent reacted on one of the questions. I asked, "What kind of lifestyle do homosexuals have? Is it different from...

I'm not talking about the military rule in the US that prohibits gays to enter the military. I think this DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL is the best thing to do when you want to totally forget about something. I've been bothered by something last month so I was not able to write orders. I realized I needed to move on and forget about it and everyone involved in it although they're my relatives. It's just so hard for me to accept the fact that my own relatives would do such thing to me. I rarely get angry or get mad at people but when I do, I'm afraid, it is irreversible. There's no way I can bring back my trust to them. I can't explain why. This Christmas break is something I look forward to. It would be my time to reflect and go back to basic for ten days -- no Internet, no deadline, no work, no student, no papers to check -- just quality time with my kids and my husband and a lot of time to pray. I'm spending the holidays in my husband's provin...

When I came to school after the lunch break, I was surprised to see a Christmas card on my table. It was from my Korean student, Kevin . The card made me smile. And I even thought, "This is the best I've got for Christmas." For me, this is more than a card. It is a sign that I've done well as far as being a teacher is concerned, this year. This card represents how my student appreciate me as his instructor. If only all students are appreciative of teachers' effort, then schools would be the best place to work for. ************** Later that afternoon, another Korean student -- also from ILI -- gave me another Christmas card after we had thesis consultation. When I opened the card, I was quite surprised with the headline: FOR YOU, MOTHER. Ha-ha! I never knew I am this old to be considered by a college student as a mother. I even thought, why would he look up to me as his mother, why not as his sister -- or a friend? When I opened the card, the question I had ...

This morning, as part of our community extension program, the faculty from our department, together with students and o ther teachers from another department, went to Bahay Pag-Ibig which they call "House of Prayer." Bahay Pag-Ibig houses 70 old people (50 female and 20 male) who no longer have relatives who can take care of them. They were already in the hall when we arrived. After giving all our donations (powdered milk and choco, canned goods, etc.) to the Director's office, we started with the program. Seeing old people lined up for a short program -- some of them can barely move, some seem not to hear us, few are comfortably sitting on wheelchairs, some are still strong, some can barely utter words clearly -- made me realize how grateful I should be in life. It also came to my mind how unfair life could be for people like them. I guess they also started their lives with their own families -- perhaps some of them even raised children. But now, they have no relati...

Charles, Dani and Stef before going to SM Clark This day, I spent over 6 hours in the mall with my family. We left the house at 10 a.m. and came back at 4:30 p.m. We just had our Christmas shopping -- we did actually by visiting two malls -- SM Clark and Robinsons Balibago. Our first stop was at the department store where Steffi planned to buy a new pair of doll shoes with her gift certificate -- which she got as prize when she joined the Book Exposition. After several minutes, or maybe half an hour looking for the right shoes with the right size, we ended up going to the children's wear section. Instead of shoes, as she planned, she got for herself a pair of green skinny jeans. Pix taken in the fitting room at SM Department Store We actually didn't buy much but we did find special items for the kids, plus we bought items for their exchange gifts on their Christmas party. After hours of going around the department store, it was time to eat! After out meal -- bunch of lunch...

I got 32 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes to finish what I consider a big writing project. I call it big because it requires 75 pages and will give me $450 upon submission. I also call it big because the penalty, just in case I fail to submit on time, is very high. Also, it's a big project because it comes in between the holidays. I have been thinking of Christmas several days ago. I want to have a break from work. But now that my deadline is just around the corner, I am thinking of HOW I could possibly finish before the due date. It's easy to write if time is sufficient. It's easy to write if the materials are already in front of me. This project requires some kind of commitment and discipline. I hope to be able to write each day on a designated time -- when kids are asleep -- that means I have to be awake the whole night or wake up very early, say 3 a.m., in order to get myself into thinking and writing. Just this morning, I read tips on writing from this site . It's...

Called " Hail! U.P. Oblation ", the historical and visual gathering is estimated to take place at 6 a.m . at the UP Diliman Amphitheater behind Quezon Hall where the original Oblation monument stands. The event will be covered by foreign and local media organizations and professional photographers. The best photographs from Hail UP Oblation are being planned to be featured in a future UP Centennial coffee table book. All are invited to witness this once-in-a-lifetime human ensemble and photo expedition as one of the final events of UP's one hundred years of service to the country. Unlike the men of the Oblation Run, the 100 Oblation models will be wearing specially designed trunks with stylized fig leaves. After the photo shoot event, " UP Para sa Bayan ", a public service fair offering free medical, dental, legal, veterinary, health promotions. education workshops, as well as traditional and non-traditional amenities, will take place at 7 a.m . The enti...

Steffi with her friends

This is a tiring but an enjoyable day for the whole family. We just attended FAMILY DAY at my two kids' school. The kids surely had fun, especially Dani, who was also with us. She was walking around the campus almost the whole day. She enjoyed seeing other kids playing and running around with their own families. Dan joined the basketball team for grade schoolers' dads. They won over the high school students' dads :-) Yey! The Family Day actually became a Pacquiao Day in school. After the program, some parents watched the Pacquiao-De la Hoya fight in the lobby. A TV set was placed there so dads won't have to go home just to watch the event. We went to school at 9 a.m. and came home at 5:30 p.m. The kids were very tired so they slept early that night -- 7:30 p.m. We were tired but we had fun!

CONGRATULATIONS to Charles , my son, who was among the students in the team which was declared as the CHAMPION in the Battle of the Champs ( MATHEMATICS QUIZ-BEE). When I got home last night, I was so happy to see his certificate and medal :-) I have a Math wizard in the house! It made me extra happy to know that both of my kids excel academically. Just a few days ago, it was Steffi who got a medal for being the Champion in Book Exposition. Cheers!