MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE

This picture reminds me of how the Filipinos busily preparing something on this yuletide season.Christmas isn't just an ordinary thing for us but a greatest and long celebration of the year.I truly miss how the Filipinos did the traditional Christmas preparation.
It's Christmas time now and we can't stop it....thanks God, at least I have friends here in Thailand..I'd say newfound friends who are foreigners too that keeping me alive and joining me celebrating the season. I truly miss home...
Merry Christmas to all.............

FILIPINO TEACHER - CNN HERO OF THE YEAR

Pushcart educator named CNN Hero of the YearMANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) For his innovative “Kariton Klasrum” (pushcart classroom) Filipino educator Efren Peñaflorida has been awarded by CNN as “2009 Hero of the Year.”
Peñaflorida was awarded during the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. He received his award from American actress Eva Mendes. He bested nine other nominees from different countries for the Hero of the Year award. The nominees were initially selected by a panel of 14 “Blue Panel” luminaries but the Hero of the Year award was given to the one with the most number of online votes in the CNN Heroes’ website.
Peñaflorida will have been the first Filipino to become a nominee of the annual CNN Heroes’ awards and the first Filipino to win the top prize.
The project, already on its third year, is a tribute by the international news organization to selfless humanitarian acts of individuals from different countries.
In his acceptance speech, quoted by CNN, Peñaflorida said: “Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”
"So to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers ... you are the change that you dream as I am the change that I dream and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."
Peñaflorida will receive $100,000, which will be used to fund his work in the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), a volunteer organization that he put up to conduct his “Kariton Klasrum” program.
Peñaflorida’s program conducts weekly visits to poor and underserved areas in Cavite, north of Luzon, to teach young people basic lessons in Mathematics, English, and Science using only a specially designed pushcart.
In a previous interview, Peñaflorida said he would continue holding weekly lessons and hoped that it would encourage other people to lend time to help others in need.
When they learned that Peñaflorida was chosen as CNN's “Hero of the Year” on Sunday, his members were busy training new volunteers for the "pushcart classrooms," the same work that gave him worldwide recognition.
Peñaflorida's 20-year-old sister Glenis Mae was at the group's office in Cavite City, attending the training and learned about the good news after checking CNN's website Sunday afternoon.(Source:Inquirer Global Nation)

Just like to share this touching story which I got from Global Nation Inquirer website when a (certain) Filipino teacher won as "Hero of the Year" by CNN news just this November 22,2009.
I know that I'm already late on posting this one but better late than never. I never knew anything about the latest buzz about my country since I left last October 26th.
When I checked the site and viewed it on youtube I cried a tear but immediately wiped it dry 'coz there were some students playing computers seated on both sides.
The info above gives you a definite birds eye view about the whole story..so just read them.Check this video to view the whole thing about Efren Penaflorida
Lastly, I am proud to be a Filipino Christian teacher........

A LONELY CHRISTMAS

It's my first time to spend a Christmas season a seas away from my country Philippines. This is also the first cold, sad and lonely Christmas in my entire life.



Is it worthy to worry on Christmas day?


Trying to ponder deeply and amuse myself in this yuletide season.



Tears would just simply flows down when I am thinking of the great Christmas in the Philippines.

A SLICE OF LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES

If I had my life to live over, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time. I'd relax; I'd limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after the other, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do over again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over again, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dance; I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

-=Attributed to Nadine Stair=-

I found these pics at Flickr.com a pictures of the common situation in my country Philippines.The pics reminds me of the usual and routinable life in the Philippines but laid back and so simple.
There's no really place like home, and home is where your heart is. The above phrases were also taken from smiles4angels account as I was viewing his collection of pics.I Just simply love it and relate the message.
The pics that you just see above are just among the slices of life in the Philippines...miss home.

TEACHERS PRAYER

Teacher’s Prayer

I want to teach my students more
than lessons in a book;
I want to teach them better things
that people overlook -
the value of a rose in bloom
its use and beauty too,
a sense of curiosity to discover
what is true;
how to think and how to choose
the right above the wrong,
how to live and learn each day
and grow up to be strong,
to teach them always how to gain,
in wisdom and in grace,
so that they will one day make the world,
a brighter, better place.
Lord, let me be a friend and guide
to give these minds a start
upon their way down life’s long road,
then I’ll have done my part.

Becoming a teacher wasn't a dream for an impatient person like me, but you see I am teaching and graduated the course.
I can't literally believed that God had put me into this profession...and now trying myself to enjoy this kind of vocation in a foreign land.
As I was roaming around the net world, I thought of browsing a teachers prayer..so I stumbled down on a certain page and found a lot of prayers including for teachers. I am posting it here because I am already loving this profession because this is what the Lord wants me to be.
Teaching Thai students the English language isn't easy nor a piece of cake..you really have to exert effort, patience, and understanding. Somehow, the prayer above would be my tools to use just to reach out the heart of these young innocent future leaders of this Siam country. I may not appreciated it now but in the long run, God would extend the horizon of my human understanding.

THE ADJUSTMENTS OF A SINGLE MALE

It's the 1st day of the month of December. As usual, I was away for awhile since my sked is quite tight. Its already Christmas and we can't stop that. The most wonderful time of the year has arrived and I can feel the cold wind touches my face, but the spirit of the season seems to be lonely and dry because Thai people doesn't celebrate Christmas.
This really makes me lonely more so as I'm away from my family for the first time,celebrating the yuletide season an ocean away from friends, kins and my parents. Honest to goodness, I am still adjusting now..I don't know when I am going to adapt the atmosphere of being away from home.
There are moments that I was almost tempted to shout and scream at the top of my lungs because of the feeling of being congested and enclosed with loneliness and nothingness.
Living in a foreign land makes you cry and sigh and even asking yourself why am I here? this isn't the country that I wish to be...I arrived expecting adjustment to life here in Thailand would be a breeze since its the Philippines neighboring Asian country.
The transition is a very stressful one, the reason I am physically stressed and my weight is loosing out of control.
My discouragement is due to a combination of things which left me weak and powerless. No matter how much would I try to fit in myself still there is lacking and am always a foreigner.
I found one of the hardest adjustments was getting used to living in such a land that you never wish for or dream of. I am also struggling of loosing sense of close tight relationship with the people around.
I miss the companionship of my friends and acquaintances,family, and I always have this feeling of being a lone hitch hiker most of the time.Despite of the lessons I've learned in life I spent most of the time feeling sorry and lonesome.I am tryin myself to study the language so that it won't be so hard for me to adjust the culture but I am not motivated to do so because the lacking of interest.
I just found myself in the midst of wilderness looking for something far and nowhere. Just encouraging myself deeply that God had brought me in this country because he has a reason, but my heart refused to accept that I have the purpose why I am here.
Last month I was in Laos exiting as required by some foreigners who can't obtain a certain visa. I spent 2 days and 1 night in Laos just to get a non B visa at Royal Thai embassy in Vientiane, Laos.
The country wasn't that impressived but it's peaceful. The language they were using was similar to that in Thai.
I was enjoying when I went there because I got the chance of meeting Filipinos so as with other foreigners sharing the same problems.
We stayed in a simple hotel with simple foods.The night was a bit fun just as the Filipinos love to sing in videoke.I decided to walked around with new found friends in a baywalk.
The trip going to Laos was so tiring because we were just boarded on a van with 11 passengers. We left 10 in the evening at Bangkok and we arrived in Laos early 5. We left the van and boarded to a bus that took us to Vientiane to process our papers at the embassy.
It was really hot at that time and tiring, but it's a good experienced to travel to a neighboring country around Asia.
Despite of that, my struggles isn't finished yet...I need to continue my journey no matter how lonesome it is.