Prex J.D.V. Ybasco's Blog, page 11
January 3, 2020
2020 Projects
There will be time for reminiscing but this is not it. Do standby because I have another post for my 2019 Highlights. lol. Here are my projects for 2020 as the title so explicitly indicates:
Puzzle: Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel has intrigued me for as long as I got hooked on Harry Potter. Apart from that reason, it was the most interesting design among the cheap ones they had at the Puzzle Mansion. For further deets, let’s all cross our fingers my lazy bones don’t overpower my muse so I can write about it.
Minimal Waste Living
A number of eco-friendly shopping bags have accumulated in my bottom drawers where I usually keep plastic/paper bags. Although it has been a household practice to carry shopping bags to reduce the amount of plastic, I tend to forget them and go as far as think they clutter my bag. Now that I have a designated pocket for one medium sized foldable bag, I simply need to stow it.
I have also thought about transitioning to solid shampoo and conditioner but I cannot experiment with hair products that may trigger my trichotillomania.
Panning Project
I have jumped on the bandwagon of the panning project (aka project pan or project use-it-up) because I see sense in it. It is difficult not to when in one year I collected I number of face products worth thousands and I hardly used them. I created a database to help me monitor the products that I actually use:
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This might look excessive and laborious but the design of the database aims to reflect the following: 1) length of time it takes to pan/consume a product 2) frequency of use 3) product value. All three will help me or any consumer make better judgment in purchasing apart from the packaging or price or a favorite Youtuber’s recommendation.
Click here to view a downloadable and customizable version. Once downloaded don’t hesitate to modify the LOVS for brands, types, and status as obviously, those already indicated have been tailored to suit me.
Goodreads: Reading Challenge
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I decided to take on another reading challenge this year, this time for 100 books including manga volumes.
It wouldn’t hurt reviewing 漫画 for organic content. The greatest challenge for me is maintaining the credibility of the review since I may be misled by some random translation mistakes.
Organic Content List / Calendar
Here’s the thing: I’m a disorganized planner or the kind who has a number of items in her to-do lists that may not necessarily follow a specific order. I had an epiphany that scheduling posts is not enough to make sure that this digital space has content. I can already hear my 40-year old self laughing at how half-hearted her 30-year old version has been in blog updates.
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This page will be further updated with results or other projects I want to accomplish this year. Cheers to a productive 2020.
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December 30, 2019
November-December 2019 Articles
November started very slowly for me then, like a whirlwind, December came and a ten-day vacation with it so here’s a long list of amazing reads. It’s long. You have been sufficiently warned.
Cheers! A celebration of literature’s booziest books (BBC)
This old article, 5 years old in fact, is particularly dedicated to writers and readers like me who vicariously enjoy their favorite characters’ drinks. I, for one, would love to have a butterbeer or firewhisky in Hogsmead.
I wouldn’t mind drinking with these guys either.
What our eating habits say about us (Medium)
Hengtee Lim knows how to write a good story. Not only was I transported into a different world, looking at a particular scenario from a point of view of a protagonist-learning his thoughts and feelings- and an observer-seeing duality of perspectives come into play.
The Most Bizarre Historical Coincidences (Reader’s Digest)
Mark Twain’s and Stephen Hawking’s deaths were, pardon for the expression, the most interesting for me. The others were … well, bizarre.
If I touched the moon, what would it feel like? (The New York Times)
When I was a kid, I used to stare at the moon and wonder how it would be like to live on the moon. Then, I grew up and read some more and realized that I could still imagine what it would be like and defy facts already proven by science.
Japan’s Deep Connection to Childish Relationships (BBC)
This may be an #unpopularopinion but Amae in its nature is a passive-aggressive manipulation that is why it works even when people don’t like it.
How to Conquer Work Paralysis like Ernest Hemingway (BBC)
Interruptions are not bad.
This article must be read with a grain of salt as any other article. Not because Ernest Hemingway said so does it qualify as a fact and that it should be treated as an ultimatum.
Why Appraisals are Pointless for Most People (BBC)
“You’re creating artificial steps just to check a box,” says Elaine Pulakos and I can’t help but nod to that.
On the one hand, there must be a standardized objective tool to measure employees’ contribution to the company. On the other, workload beyond employees’ job description, admittedly eating up production hours even when not prioritized, is not captured.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Medals made from 80,000 tons of recycled mobile phones, electronics (USA Today)
From the country that gave the world “mecha”, Japan has given another insight to recycling.
What we get wrong about time (BBC)
The experiments included in this article might be misleading and would often contradict each other. According to the article, children have difficulty in imagining their future and thus who would choose to have water after a day of parched throats because of pretzels and people with amnesia would find it difficult to imagine a museum because they couldn’t recall any image of such. The second example contradict the first doesn’t it? If we’re to follow one chunk of idea in the article, the past affects how we perceive the future, then the children have a perfect understanding of what their future would be like based on their experience.
Now, why did I include this in the roster of articles? Bite me.
Why there is so little left of the early internet (BBC)
Here’s a cheerful news for those who are worried about their old embarrassing accounts and posts. There is a silver lining after all. Who knows if this very blog still existed ten years later.
The nation that thrived by nudging its population (BBC)
All I’m saying is if a nudge was enough for my country to prosper we wouldn’t have to be strongarmed.
If we made contact with aliens, how would religions react? (BBC)
The line “so long as we don’t collapse the Universe down to our finitude” encapsulates the way I view religion and my choice not to have/adhere to any.
I appreciate how this article puts in perspective-and how ambitiously it puts it!- different religions vis-a-vis the probability of alien beings having a religion.
Social Media is like the weirdest house party, ever (Medium)
Hengtee explores how fun and exhausting social media can be in this well written article. Which party do you think I go to?
Did I totally make up for the last month’s supply of articles? Yes. I had an amazing time reading these articles in the last two months of 2019 that for a time I thought of rereading old articles I archived and actually ranking them. I decided against it given that I didn’t have the luxury of time to do so and it would be pointless as it didn’t satisfactorily answer why I had to. I hope I can go back to reading more novels in 2020 apart from the volumes of manga.
That’s 2019 for me. Cheers to 2020.
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December 20, 2019
To Johnson, With Love
The strength to smile despite the everyday stress is one of your key talents I am envious of. I’m not saying you are a hypocrite–or at least, not explicitly–It’s actually far from it. How you enliven the atmosphere with just your mere presence is another. The passion you have for your craft and the respect you devote to your art are probably your greatest assets. At this point, you’re already thinking I may be flattering you too much–well, yes I am. Is it still a flattery though if I say I know you’ll go far?
Now that you are holding your head a bit higher–how’s the weather up there? lol– will you still be willing to read a few more words from me?
We might have considered destiny as overrated as we realize the power behind every decision we make. We don’t need to wait for doors to close or open for us. We can unlock opportunities and places by ourselves without seeking validation from anyone. And you have already made a step towards one of those places.
They say you can always look back but I hope you continue to look forward and achieve the dreams no one else has drafted for you but yourself. And I hope we see each other again in that future.
It’s going to be awfully more quiet from now on–
The taste of morning coffee will never be the same–
And discussions will definitely be boring for the next few days and I blame you for all of the sudden changes.
Despite all these, I just want you to know, I like you better now. Cheers.
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November 12, 2019
Hardest Booklover Would-You-Rather
While searching for and plotting possible content for my blog, I came across this Would-You-Rather tag “Extreme Book-Lover’s Edition” from LaurensBookshelf. I’m tagging the following bloggers:
Syme, Average Gay GuyDani , Perspective of a WriterAlys, Alys in Bookland JL Hunt, Hunt’s Clubhouse Balie, Noveler’s Blog Amy, Novelgossip
1. Would you rather have a friend who loses your books, or one who dog-ears them?
I’d prefer not to have either of them, to be honest. Then again, my friends could easily pay for the books that they lose or damage, so I guess that’s fine. And thank heavens for eBooks.
2. Would you rather secretly love a book everyone else hates, or secretly hate a book everyone else loves?
I don’t really anchor my taste in books on other people’s interest. Leveraging the next book I have to read based on the bestseller’s list only to hate it afterward would render me some pesos poorer– not to mention the amount of wasted time I could not turn back, the horror!
For the sake of answering the question, I’d rather love something that everyone else hates.
3. Would you rather be stuck on a very long plane or train ride without a book?
Can I be honest that for my sanity, I’d rather not be stuck in any long ride, with or without a book? It doesn’t matter.
4. Would you rather have dinner with your favorite author or your favorite character?
I’d rather have dinner with my favorite character. I wouldn’t want to be disillusioned.
5. Would you rather date a character you have a crush on or your crush from real life?
See #4.
6. Would you rather have your favorite book turned into a movie, or your favorite movie turned into a book?
I’d rather have my favorite book turned into a movie or into different adaptations. More room for improvement in case they mess up with the first one.
7. Would you rather read a book with an annoying cliffhanger, or one where your favorite character is killed off?
I’d rather read a book where a character dies and his death is justified. Cliffhangers are necessary evils to make readers anticipate the next installment of a series, unless they have been used as an ending of the entire series– that, that I cannot handle.
8. Would you rather lose the ability to read any new books, or the ability to reread books you’ve already read?
Now this is a tough question. If ‘new’ here means something that I have not read before and not entirely new as in published just recently, then, I’d go for losing the ability to reread the books I’ve already read. My love for Harry Potter doesn’t end with me not being able to reread them. And there’s Pottermore.
9. Would you rather live in a library or a bookstore?
Library. No doubt.
10. Would you rather lose your place or get a paper cut every time you read a book?
What bothers me in answering this question is the first one, I can definitely control with a well-placed bookmark and the other, I definitely can’t unless I choose to read eBooks for the rest of my life which is far from happening until someone out there innovates a book-reader that can tickle my olfactory nerve with the scent of book.
Paper cuts are worse than cliffhangers so I’d rather be friends with my good old bookmark.
11. Would you rather have to always read in the dark, or always read books with tiny text?
Reading in the dark with my eBook reader. Lol.
12. Would you rather read by a fireplace, or on the beach?
I’d rather read by a fireplace. Its novelty outweighed that of reading on the beach because the possibility of snowing in my country is zilch, hence the absence of fireplaces.
I have a number of organic content planned out but until I have a solid content calendar, the book tags and other random questions will remain to be my fillers and I think you understand that. Feel free to tag yourself in this challenge and tag me in return so I can read your answers.
I remain,
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November 2, 2019
How I answered the 20 unusual teaching interview questions
You might have come across my friends’ interesting responses to the 20 Unusual Interview Questions. If you haven’t and you’re missing out, out of the goodness of my heart I give you this list:
Teacher of the Week: UponTeacher of the Week: Syme, the InfiniteTeacher of the Week: Artsyfancy’s Tina
I decided to answer the 20 questions myself.
How do you handle stress?
I don’t handle stress well so I prefer not being stressed. A good amount excites me as any challenge does but when stress gets to me that I need to vent it out at something, or someone, I prefer not to be surrounded by anybody so I go somewhere I could be alone, and hopefully nothing fragile is around.
To control the amount of stress from getting into my brain, I listen to music, not the soothing ones but the loud ones that could take my mind off pressure and let me focus on what I have to do. Or I rewatch an anime or a movie I like.
What book are you currently reading?
Harry Potter, the Complete Collection.
If money was no object, what would you have in your classroom and why?
A hologram projector. It’d keep my sanity.
Which superhero would you be and why?
Although I have seen a number of superhero movies and animes, I still haven’t found a superhero I’d rather be. I have to admit that it’d be nice to be like Saitama though.
Tell me about the last educational article you read.
Researchers Translate Bat Talk. Turns Out , They Argue-A Lot. (Smithsonianmag)
Please read my October 2019 Articles. ^_^
What flower would you be and why?
I love the simplicity of lilies. They look majestic. They don’t need any embellishment to look good or appealing. They don’t have an overpowering scent and they stand for special occasions, be it wedding or death.
What educational blogs and websites do you follow?
Brainpickings.org and WaitbutWhy. I also follow a number of websites for Japanese practice. You can find the list here.
Tell me about the worst teacher you ever had in school.
Teachers like those need not to be discussed. Suffice it to say that their common denominator was their failure to fulfill their very essence as teachers: to impart knowledge.
Meanwhile, Umbridge drank tea.How would your teachers describe you as a student?
My elementary teachers would have forgotten my existence by now. My high school teachers would probably describe me as a smart student who loved to read and thus stole books from the library. My college professors would try to remember my name and associate it with someone who won writing contests but was not that remarkable in the classroom save for a few courses here and there. My Master’s Structure of English professor would probably say I was too inquisitive and that I took syntax trees too seriously… and my Translation professor probably thought I wasn’t good enough for his class.
If you could be anyone for a day, living or deceased, who would you be and why?
Certain candidates come to mind but I’d rather be a fictional character. It doesn’t have to be a superhero though. Offer me a side-character position near Akira Sendoh and I’d gladly accept it.
What was the last professional development class you attended?
Certification for Business Analysis Professional
How do you deal with anger?
I want to believe I have certain anger levels and various scenarios deserve different responses. Then again, I was called a dragon once and a witch several times and these monikers may indicate something…
Describe a time when you worked with a team to accomplish something.
During the CBAP workshop, the participants were asked to work on several scenarios. I noticed a couple of things about how people work in a group and it’s interesting to see that some would try to get to know the group’s members before tackling the case while others would focus on the task immediately. What I found most interesting however was how people took information for granted just because they wanted to finish a task.
Do you prefer to be a leader or follower? Why?
I prefer to be that follower who tells the leader what to do.
What social media sites do you use?
Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. I’m very connected, at least, online.
How do you stay organized?
I just do. Kidding of course. Calendars and journals. I tend to calendar things that aren’t necessary for me to remember so I can keep my head clear for things that are more useful.
What types of technology would you use in your classroom and why?
Again. A hologram. With AR technology booming nowadays and students have easy access to information, I only need a hologram to “attend” my classes without being physically present. This might sound very irresponsible of me, but believe me when I say that it’d be advantageous for me and my students.
If you were not a teacher, what would you want to be and why?
Astronaut because why not? Or a book blogger.
Lost in space…Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
At home, establishing my own empire and writing.
What type of animal would you be and why?
A dragon. Or a shark. Or a tardigrade so I could outlive everyone.
I had fun answering these questions even when I’m no longer a teacher and I tried my best to answer them as honestly as I could unless I needed humor to make them more interesting. So much for content.
The gifs used to create this post were lifted from Google Images.
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October 30, 2019
October 2019 Articles
I thought September was busy. I was wrong. October brought a different perspective to how busy a month could go. But you’re not here to read the old complaints about work so here I dish a number of eye-opening articles I read this month.
What Depression is Really Like (Brainpickings)
I am neither articulate nor knowledgeable enough to describe the danger in associating the word depression to a temporary state of sadness. And the strawberry core of today’s generation would definitely accuse me of invalidating their condition just as easily as they invalidate my right to speak. Examining sadness and depression from a Google-search perspective may be a lot easier than evaluating oneself objectively and subjecting oneself to professional diagnosis but it veils the need of those who are actually suffering from it–and even worse, those who don’t realize they are suffering from it.
Researchers Translate Bat Talk. Turns Out , They Argue-A Lot. (Smithsonianmag)
“There are bats arguing in the conference room,” is a sentence I can definitely pull off. Apart from that, what makes this article soooo interesting is the possibility of being able to translate other animal sounds. Who would have thought Animal Farm, Babe and Charlotte’s Web aren’t far from happening.
The Third Self: Mary Oliver on Time, Concentration, the Artist’s Task, and the Central Commitment of the Creative Life (Brainpickings)
“Creative work needs solitude. It needs concentration, without interruptions,” said Mary Oliver.
If you’ve been lurking in this blog for so long, that I value the five minutes I use for rest, entertainment and learning more than the eight-hour stretch of work I do in the office will not surprise you any longer.
What are the best first lines in fiction? (BBC)
The best first lines Hephzibah Anderson mentioned in the article were pretty much according to one’s preference unless statistic states otherwise. Then again, for that statistics to make sense, every reader in the world would have to have a platform to vote for literature’s best first lines–say, Goodreads? The next consideration will then be the qualitative side of things–what makes the best the best?The article still is quite interesting though, albeit, the title set my expectations too high with the superlative included. Semantics aside, let me offer one interesting first line:
“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The Dunning-Kruger Effect is Why Incompetent People Think They are Great (Curiosity)
Perhaps the perfect example of a person–or fictional character– suffering from this is Gilderoy Lockhart, the obnoxious yet totally hilarious Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts in Harry Potter’s second year.
So many writers, motivational speakers, philosophers, doctors and may be your very own colleague or boss have tried to address this issue but what remains true is “The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” Thank you, Stephen Hawkings for that one. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Von who recommended this article to me.
Out of interest, I wonder, how many of those who have read this article actually tried to re-evaluate themselves.
I want to give a shout out to one special lady, Tina of ArtsyFancy. She is going to hold another workshop at The Village Nook on November 16th. Mark your calendars. ^_^
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October 5, 2019
Teacher of the Week: Artsyfancy’s Tina
Educators around the world celebrated #InternationalTeachersDay so I decided to honor another teacher this week.
That sounded awful nice of me, therefore untruthful. Tina submitted her responses to the questions when I was about to think she wasn’t interested at all, just in time for the Teachers’ Day celebration. Was that entirely honest? Yes. Was this explanation necessary? No.
Here are her responses to some of #RGSTeachersLounge ‘s 20 Unusual Teaching Interview Questions.
How do you handle stress?
Normally, I’d eat sweets and have a cup of coffee. When at home, I’d usually end up sleeping. But if it’s too much stress, I’d normally withdraw and do anything BUT be with people.
What book are you currently reading?
Currently re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird
Which superhero would you be and why?
Wonder Woman. ‘Coz why not?!
What flower would you be and why?
Baby’s Breath. I love how, for most people, they seem so simple and basic, but when added in a bouquet, they’d make the ‘main flowers’ pop out more, and they always add something ‘extra’ to the bunch.
Tell me about the worst teacher you ever had in school.
HAHAHA!!! I used to have a teacher who abused her power and would always make things difficult for her students, as if it’s the only way to make students learn. Because of her, I knew what kind of teacher I did not want to become.
How would your teachers describe you as a student?
Hmmm. Perhaps organized, studious, quite creative but not much of a risk-taker.
If you could be anyone for a day, living or deceased, who would you be and why?
Robin Williams. His death really shocked me and I would want to know what could have been going in his head before he decided to end his life.
What was the last professional development class you attended?
I finally attended a calligraphy workshop!
(I’ve been out of the classroom for a long time and been trying to pursue a career as a freelance calligrapher, so yah).
How do you deal with anger?
I listen to worship songs. And then I cry. I also write.
Do you prefer to be a leader or follower? Why?
Follower because, though it may not seem like it, but I really don’t like feeling pressured and having people expect a lot from me.
What social media sites do you use?
Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Pinterest (does that count hahaha!)
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September 29, 2019
September 2019 Articles
Let’s admit it. There are those months you think you’ll be busy only to find out that it can get busier. That’s not comforting for fresh graduates who are looking for jobs out there, I know. Eventually, they’ll face the harsh reality that ideal workplaces will remain a figment of their imagination–unless they do something about it.
What’s my point? Work. But everybody gets so busy at work so what’s my point? Nothing really.
Here are the articles I managed to read in my busiest month of the year as of yet– October is eyeing me as if saying he isn’t going to make it easier for me.
How Paper is Making a Comeback
For someone who works for a publishing company, this doesn’t really sound that surprising.
The Animals that Will Survive Climate Change
If you’re queasy about looking at photos of roaches, don’t click the link. But I suppose by now, you already had, rendering my warning moot. Also Tardigrades or water bears are cute if you have a soft spot for microanimals. I have a certain respect for them knowing they’ll outlive us all.
What single word defines who you are?
This old article from David Robson made me think of robot-generated novels, short stories, or literature. The Verge featured an article in April about a textbook being written by AI. This might not look distressing for others –in fact it posits a good business market for Publishers with advance technology. Then again, for writers who are struggling to find a niche, competing against more renowned authors, this is a dilemma. How exactly would we identify ourselves from our AI counterparts then?
I reread therefore I understand
I know I eventually have to explain why I reread to the rare few who ask. The first month of my Annual Harry Potter Marathon after all. In this article, Blessing breaks down Descarte’s proposed methods in understanding Philosophy. Rereading may be time consuming for others but as facts can be easily debunked by new findings, philosophy can be as easily reinterpreted. As Blessing says, “It’s not an easy, passive activity.”
I have also finished a couple of things this month:
The Big Bang Theory
I finished all twelve seasons of The Big Bang Theory. Remember last month’s recap when I was just binge-watching it? Yes. I didn’t exactly break any record but still.
The Worst Witch
Only the first season. I am not sorry that I skipped the succeeding ones.
Dear Enemy
I finally finished the book I started reading in August. That’s one sad record.
You will have read this post in October. Yes, I admit, work has finally caught up on me. And I like it. Very much.
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September 20, 2019
Teacher of the Week: Syme, The Infinite
In continuation of our Teachers’ Month celebration, I have yet another willing victim. This week’s awesome teacher is Syme from The Average Gay Guy. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because he is quite popular, not only in this virtual domain but also, in real life. How he charms people is his ultimate secret. Ask him about baking, movies, music, and theater, and you will find yourself conversing with him for several hours–time well spent, mind you.
How do you handle stress?
I make light of the moment. I make fun of it. There’s power in acknowledging that a situation is stressful and there’s greater power in making fun of it. As a favorite Hogwarts professor once said “Ridikulus!”
If money was no object, what would you have in your classroom and why?
I would love a top of the line kitchen laboratory as my classroom. It would be great to teach baking and pastries in that kitchen/classroom.
Which superhero would you be and why?
I’d rather be a villain. I’d like to know how a villain’s brain works.
If you could be anyone for a day, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
Jaime Augusto Zóbel de Ayala II. If ever I got to be someone else for a day, I’d go about it strategically. I wouldn’t do it for experience/sentimental/cerebral purpose but for setting myself up to be comfortable for the rest of my life. In that one day that I was one of the richest man in the country, I’d be transferring millions of pesos in my bank account, properties and businesses under my name and make necessary legal action so all that remains irrevocable.
How do you deal with anger?
Lately I’ve been a firecracker with how I deal with anger;I get easily triggered and I react without thinking. But there was a time when I would patiently talk to a person and explain to him/her what he/she made me feel by her action and ask politely to avoid doing it. I don’t know which works better.
How do you stay organized?
I try to write things. I keep a calendar and journal which I try to update daily. I guess the best way to stay organized is to be a minimalist in all aspect of one’s life.
If you were not a teacher, what would you want to be and why?
Any career that involves arts and creation. So, anything from being a chef, a writer, a dancer, an actor and or a painter.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully doing something that I have always loved to do. I hope to be calmer by then and have accepted the things that may not come.
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The questions used in this post were from #RGSTeachersLounge . If you are a teacher and you want to answer the same set of questions, by all means, you have the freedom to do what you want. If you aren’t a teacher and you want to answer the same set of questions, the same philosophy applies.
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September 10, 2019
Book feature: Vibal Filipiniana Classics, Jose Victor Torres’ El Periodismo Filipino and Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli me Tangere
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For aesthetics alone, I would buy these in a heartbeat at Vibal Group’s booth at MIBF this year!
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