Last night, Carmen, Vin, our student Erica and her friend Daniel, both from Korea, went to Greenhills to eat and watch a movie.  I thought I would hang out with them since I was fully recuperated from a busy and exhausting week.  We ate at Burgoo’s and watched Eagle Eye at 10:35.

First, I couldn’t believe how expensive watching a movie is now.  We paid Php 180 each.  Only the rich can afford watching movies now.  How sad.  That’s probably the reason why most people would rather buy pirated DVD’s.

What is an “eagle eye”?  The bird’s eye view is a view from the top, wherein the bird can see many things.  The eagle’s eye is much sharper than a typical bird, and therefore, it’s eye view is magnified and is much better.  The eagle eye in the movie is a sophisticated government computer program that has begun to take control of any thing that is electronically wired.  It is programmed to protect the United States.  Ironically, to protect the US, it must also destroy.

Moral dilemmas abound in this film. It was worth the Php 180.  It was great to hang out with Carmen, Vin, Erica, and Daniel as well.  It’s nice to hang out with a different crew once in a while.  Have you seen this movie?  What do you think?

Since arriving to the Philippines a little over a year ago, I have been privileged to travel to the many beautiful parts of this country.  Here are some of the places (cities, provinces) I have gone to, and I can’t wait to travel more.  Photos to follow

Baguio City - Thanks Alice for your family’s hospitality!  This was our first major trip.  I enjoyed Baguio so much more because of the people I traveled with.

Pagudpud - We stayed at my mom’s ancestral house.  We fit almost 30 people there.  I’m from Ilocos Norte, but I’ve never been to Pagudpud.  What an awesome beach!

Vigan - I’ve been to Vigan before; my mom is from Ilocos Sur.  Some of my cousins live here.  We hired seven Kalesas to take us around.  We even landed in a huge zoo!

Batangas - Balai sa Laiya and Anilao.  Resort.  Diving.  First time diving.  It was great.  I want to do it again.

Cavite - It was more of a business trip, but I still enjoyed.  One client invited me to become a commencement speaker at their school graduation.  Another client invited me to become their keynote speaker for their Foundation Day.  Thank you for the gifts.  I didn’t expect it.

Lucena - Several times.  Vin’s uncle’s resort.  Amazing pool.  Great beach.  Great service.  Great company.  I want to go again.

Naga - What a ride!  From Manila to Naga.  Freaky, but worth it.  Especially in the middle of the night, not knowing where you are.  But we made it!  Friend’s graduation.  Friend’s father’s funeral.

Camarines Sur - Damn!  I gotta go again.  I went to do some wakeboarding was twice denied due to events.

Puerto Galera - Great beach, though it doesn’t compare to the beaches in Hawaii, hehe.  Still, I’ll go there again.

Boracay - Wow!  The beach is really, really nice.  I went there with a few friends, but it was just over the weekend.  Too short.  I can’t wait to go again.

I love this country.  There are so many beautiful places.  My brothers sometimes think that this is a “God-forsaken” place, and they envision chaos and ugliness.  I can’t wait for them to visit this beautiful island.

Robbie Tan is a good friend of Vinny and The American Institute.  He is currently studdying in Pennsylvania, and we have invited him to contribute as a special guest blogger as we know that he is full of great ideas.  You will be astonished, charmed, surprised, and even provoked by his opinions on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  In other words, you will learn and be inspired in one way or another. So Robbie, this is your section!  You may take the floor.

Whoa!!!  So many things to do, and so little time.

Where should I start.  First, we just celebrated Joanna, Neysa, and Mia’s one year with The American Institute celebration at Italianni’s, Greenbelt 3.  I can’t believe it’s been that long already.  Yet, it feels like it was just yesterday.

We’ve spoken to potential business partners recently asking us to open up in Mongolia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Korea.  Even a good friend wants me to open up a school in Mexico City, Mexico.

We are currently working four major corporate clients this month.  That’s four in one month!  Yikes!  Sooner or later, we’ll have to ask Maryann to become a specialist!  

It’s stress, but the healthy kind.  Sigh!

Hello everyone!

I’d like to introduce to you Maryann. She is our final member of the AIEPRO family. She is not a Specialist, but she helps with our office tasks, like correcting papers, filing folders and profiles, preparing meals and snacks, typing, delivering files, organizing and decorating the rooms, and now, BLOGGING! She’s also involved in our FORUM!

We want to help Maryann with her English proficiency and her communication skills as well. We consider everyone in our team, regardless of position, to be vital in the progress of our school!

Here, you will see her posts and the corrections of her writings. We hope that her development will inspire you.

Sam Milby, an accomplished student leader here in the Philippines, was chosen by the Department of Education to become the “youth spokesperson” at the DepEd’s annual National Leadership Training for Student Government Officers at Teachers Camp tomorrow in Baguio City.

Sam Milby, a product of the Philippine education system, who was also a recognized student leader throughout his studies here in the Philippines, is truly a good choice to be a spokesperson for the emerging Filipino leader.

What the…???

Are you telling he’s not even a product of the Philippine education system?  What?  He can’t even speak conversational Filipino?  He’s an actor?  A model?  He’s from the US?  Whoa!  Wait a minute…

According to Sarah Katrina Maramag, deputy secretary general of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines, in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “What we need are stars in quality education, not publicity stunts.”

Furthermore, Antonio Tinio, head of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers added, in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, added, “Why has DepEd chosen a foreigner who barely speaks Filipino to be its spokesperson?  On the other hand, he’s a good choice if they want to highlight how deeply entrenched the colonial orientation is in our educational system.”

Have we gone mad?  Or am I just envious?  Maybe a combination of both.  Maybe I’m wishing I was the spokesperson.  Or maybe, just maybe, we are so interested more in the glamor, glitter, and gold that we forget how to make things right.  We want flashy and pang-masa, or “for the masses.”  I’m hoping Sam Milby becomes a good spokesperson for the Filipino youth and leadership.  I don’t know much about his history here in the Philippines as a youth leader, so I should not jump the gun.  Maybe he does have a rich background in the Philippine education system.  Maybe his looks and talent alone will inspire the student leaders of the Philippines at this conference.

Or maybe, just maybe, this is another “dumbing down” of the Philippines.  We are telling our own people that we are so stupid, we won’t know the difference.  Just put a pretty face in front of them, and it will inspire them with awe.  Why do we keep on dumbing down our own people?

We deserve better.  We deserve more.

In my barangay, there isn’t much change after 20 years.  The roads are still narrow and unpaved.  The public building structures are dilapidated.  There is no new industry.  Tambayan, or chilling drinking beer and gin, at night.  When I visit my folks there and ask them, “How are you?” they habitually reply, “Kastoy latta.”  In other words, “It’s still like this.”  Why is it always like this or that?

There is one thing that changed, though.  The proliferation of “Project of…” signs everywhere.  This wall is a project of.  This tree is a project of.  This sign is a project of.  This road is a project of.  This door is a project of.  This window is a project of.  This leaf is a project of.  That carabao is a project of.  That eggplant and tomato garden is a project of…

Why is everything a project of?  Of someone.  Who is that someone?

Then I think of the potholes.  Again, these dilapidated buildings.  That unfinished pavement.  These carabao, cow, goat, and dog poop all over.  Whose projects are these?  How about the poor kid who can’t afford to buy books and paper?  Whose project is he?

Whose gonna take accountability for these failed projects?

When a new wall, good for nothing wall, is erected, there’s a “Project of…blah blah blah, and blah blah blah.”  Names written all over it.  Who are these names?  Thank you for this wall.

When I went to the US at the age of 9, I did not know how to speak English.  Sure, I spoke the very basic, “My - name - is - Chris.  I - am - nine - years - old.  I - like - chicken.  My - favorite - color - is…”  For a few years, other kids teased the way I spoke.  But in less than two years, I outdid all of those kids who laughed at my English and my Filipino accent.  How?

Reading.  I read voraciously.  In fact, I was in a program called Read, Read, Read.  Redudant, huh?  The point is, read!  Read in the bus.  Read while waiting in line.  Read in your bedroom.  Read while taking a dump.  Read the labels.  Read the cereal box.  Read the back of a shampoo bottle.  Anything you can get your hands on, read!

Last night, I bought three books at Fully Booked at the Fort:  Grammar Express, which I sent to a colleague in Nueva Vizcaya via LBC this morning, Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, and Speechs that Changed the World, the stories and transcripts of the moments that made history.  I’m surrounded by books.

But I would highly recommend reading because it worked for me.  I became a better speaker, debater, and person because of it.  We can make the excuse that we don’t have enough time.  But a book is not heavy, and sooner or later, you’ll have some time, whether your waiting for the taxi or your waiting for your food.

Happy reading everyone!

My computer finally gave in today.  It could no longer take the workload I was giving.  I’ve filled it’s luggage to the max.  Yes, I have officially reached its storage capacity of 80GB.  So, I decided to go treasure hunting for a new gadget, and found this fire red 160GB external Hard Drive called My Passport Essential.  It’s the size of a passport, and it can hold up to 160GB of digital information.  Yahooooo!  Or should I say, woohoo!  Yahoo is not paying me to mention their name.  Not like it matters.

Anyhow, I can finally take some load off my laptop.  It has taken a memory beating for almost two years now.  In fact, I am synchronizing my files as we speak.  It’s so great to have information in such a small unit, smaller than a pocketbook.  I paid Php 3,798 for it, and it’s well worth it.  At least for now.

I wish I could store information in my brain, my memory, just like that.  Hit “synchronize,” and it will synchronize with all the information in this magazine or that book or this manual or that piece of literature.  In science, they call it osmosis.  In technology world, they call it data transfer?  Hmmm.  Is that right?

If you haven’t bought an external memory drive yet, you haven’t been looking at enough information.  Music.  Videos.  Pictures.  Applications.  And so much more.

Today’s Manila Bulletin, page 4, reads Manila offers free education to youth.

I must applaud Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim for and his city government for working to make Francisco Balagtas Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila to be a free school.  I hope that there are more of this in the Philippines.  In the US, my education was virtually free all the way to high school.  Yes, there were the occasional fees here and there, but it was very, and I mean very, affordable.  I also hope that teacher’s salaries will be increased because it will motivate to work harder and have pride in what they do.

Below this article is another headline that reads, Teachers, parents urged to uplift quality of education.  This time, it’s Valenzuela city mayor Sherwin Gatchalian urging more than 200 educators and community members  to become more involved in the education system of the city.  This is great news because we normally forget that we have a voice in how we want our education to be.  We leave it up to the educators themselves to do as they wish.  Parents, first and foremost, have the responsibility of ensuring that their children get the best education, no matter how poor you are.

Every thousand miles begins with a single step.  This is one of the early steps that our elected leaders are taking, and I applaud them for this.  Let’s just hope that, in the process of the many steps to come, it is all for the common good, and not for the selfish few.