Prex J.D.V. Ybasco's Blog, page 12

Teacher of the week, Upon, and her answers to 20 Unusual Teaching Interview Questions

In celebration of Teachers’ month, I forced my friends to answer some questions for fun from the 20 Unusual Teaching Interview Questions from ReallyGoodStuff –although I have to make a disclaimer out there that it was more for my entertainment than theirs, but hey, they responded so that’s a good thing, right? And yes, I only have a few friends so please don’t expect this to be a series.

Being just and merciful, I decided to let my comrades choose which among the 20 questions they would answer. Without further ado, let me give you Teacher Upon’s answers:

Q2: What book are you currently reading?

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Q3: If money was no object, what would you have in your classroom and why?

Any tools/gadgets needed to experience the AR and VR learning styles. It should be a very effective way to maximize teaching methods that would cater to all types of learners.

Q4: Which superhero would you be and why?

Flash! I’m the opposite. What I could accomplish and do if I were him would be unimaginable!

MIBF 2019: Experience Learning with Vibal Group

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Don’t miss out on the opportunity to grab quality VIBAL books in this year’s Manila International Book Fair. Since, this is the event’s 40th year, you can expect great deals and awesome activities we have in store.

We are also launching great Chikiting books so yay for our young readers.

Visit Vibal Group’s booth at the lower ground floor from September 11th to 15th.

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August 2019 Articles

Binge-watching The Big Bang Theory on Netflix again made my long-weekends fun-filled. It also reminded me that Sheldon’s remarks, although hilarious in the sitcom, don’t sit well with other people. Then again, he’s credible enough to say this:

What songs make you work out harder?

I normally just listen to ONE OK ROCK’s songs or The Greatest Showman’s sound tracks but David Robson posted a tweet asking for workout songs a couple of weeks ago and he delivered a well written article on a workout playlist. Now all I need to do is actually workout.

Why indoor air quality matters to our bodies and our brains

Have you ever wondered why you feel stuffy and what you can do to change that? This article brings a fresh perspective to those who are still pondering on getting diffusers or an aloe vera plant.

How the sound in your office affects your mood

Being an auditory learner, I have come to terms with external noise being out of my control since I started going to school. However, I can always choose what I listen to regardless of where I am. The simple act of choosing not to be affected by what’s going around in the workplace–be it gossip, hysterical laughter, derisive remarks, ongoing construction — in itself is liberating.

What is your average book rating?

Dani from Perspective of a Writer shares her average rating of books across the years and its possible indications. Before I got distracted by other stuff- e.g. number of pages I read in 2016- I managed to check my average rating for 2019: a whopping 4.0. I attribute this to my selection of reading materials. Interest, time and habit contribute to my average rating. As I have become more selective in choosing books or manga to read in the amount of time I have, it is not a surprise that the rated books often have 4-5 stars. I do not see book-ratings as a gauge of how good a reader is particularly when ratings are in fact subjective to personal interest.

How much of your body is your own? (BBC)

It’s an interesting way to get an overview of what makes my body my body though, I’m pretty sure that there’s a number of people with the same birthday, sex, height, and weight probably had the same results.

By the way, have you noticed that the titles of this month’s articles are WH questions or clauses?

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Student of the Week: Alyssa

#Studying #Law

The ULTIMATE Book Tag, 2019

Suffice it to say I found another book tag–blame all the holidays in August for my sudden prolificness. I got this one from Bookworms Anonymous – for the sake of anonymity, I did not include his or her name. That was a bad joke. Hi, Chiara!

I added 2019 to the title with the assumption that another book tag with the same name and a different set of questions may be created some months or years later. The probability is high given that multitudes of people create a new set of New Year’s resolution every year.

1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?

I still can read for a decent period of time before I get nauseated. It also depends on how bumpy the road is or what media I’m reading, say a soft copy with minute letters or an e-book.

2. Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why?

Lemony Snicket’s writing style is unique to me. Describing how he could involve his readers to his text–and befuddle them with uncanny definitions of words, appear as an omniscient yet playful narrator and deconstruct his own text in the midst of his narrative will require a full-blown occasional paper from me.

3. Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga? Give three points to defend your answers.

That I have to enumerate three points to defend my answer to this one is rather challenging but here it goes:

I have never read Twilight. Believe it or not, I can’t go pass that 90th page.Quidditch, Muggles, and Platform 9 3/4 have already infiltrated our vocabulary –unless of course one has not read/ watch the Harry Potter series.I am not much of a romance reader unless you consider me reading Hermione and Ron’s love affair from the first book to the last one.

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what’s in it (besides books…)?

My book bag contains all the stuff I need for the office e.g. soothing balm that I could throw at someone that stressed me out for my special needs.

5. Do you smell your books?

Yes. I love the smell of new books in particular. Or any of my old books. I refrain from smelling the ones I got from second-hand bookshops though.

6. Books with or without little illustrations?

For Young Adult fiction, small illustrations for chapters are appreciated. For classic, I do like the ones in Daddy-Long-Legs. I prefer seeing illustrations in non-fiction works as sometimes written descriptions or explanations prove to be confusing or unsatisfactory.

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn’t quality writing?

Nothing comes to mind. I’m easily put off by a certain writing style and I don’t enjoy a book when I keep stumbling over a poor description or cheesy lines.

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

You meant like the time I ignored everyone in the room because I was reading something? No? Then nothing.

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?

Les Miserables.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

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I saw myself as an author when I was in High School. I have made myself one.

12. When did you get into reading?

Elementary. I loved to do advance reading, not realizing that the habit was called that. I simply did not want to be limited by what my teacher was about to discuss on a particular day so I read most of my textbooks a chapter early. I skipped a number of exercises though but not English. My mother went through the exercises with me and patiently taught me what prepositions follow certain verbs and the like. Reading novels became my interest not until grade 5 or 6.

13. What is your favourite classic book?

The Lord of the Rings and the Two Towers certainly but I also loved The Screwtape Letters.

14. In school what was your best subject?

Structure of English.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated… what would you do?

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Ask the giver if I could have something else that I had not read or at least I liked. As the receiver, I also have an option to accept or reject what could possibly end up as trash. Besides, my friends know what I don’t want and are smart enough, I trust, to determine what I like before recommending something to me. Therefore, the likelihood of that happening is very low.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

The Pendragon Series by D.J. MacHale

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while filming?

Filming what…?

18. What is your favourite word?

Darn.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?

Is it necessary to fall under any of these categories?

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?

Why this question? Vampires because they are nocturnal and they get to wear cool clothes, live forever, and are unlikely to be crushed by stomping feet.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

Angels could fall. Shapeshifters are simply fun.

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?

Spirit. The idea that one could lose sanity because of the full moon is not appealing.

23. Zombies or vampires? Why?

To run after me and infect me? I’d rather have the vampires convert me simply because I could spend more years reading, not eating, and observing how time passes by. Being brain dead is repulsive. Getting eaten by one is worse.

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

Love Triangle.

25. Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?

Action-packed books without love scenes. I’d still ship Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister though, if ever there was a retelling of A Song of Ice and Fire. Oh, wait. George R.R. Martin would have to finish the books first.

That’s my take on The Ultimate Book Tag. Was it the ultimate though? Time will tell. Go figure and tag yourself while at it.

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20 Questions Book Tag

I tagged myself to ABookNation‘s post with the same title so you better check it out as well.

#1: How many books are too many in a series?

After reading Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, I have started thinking that thirteen would only be acceptable if the author was Snicket, or if the craft was as good as Snicket’s, or if the story was about the Baudelaire children. It’s not too much to ask.

#2: How do you feel about cliff-hangers?

A necessary evil.

#3: Hardcover or paperback?

Both for my favorites. Anyway, there is always the ‘e-book’ option for those I don’t care to collect.

#4: Favorite book?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

#5: Least Favorite Book?

I might have forgotten about it.

#6: Love Triangles, yes or no?

I don’t really mind love triangles or even more complicated relationships as my YA novel, To be Continued, delves on that but I think I’m more comfortable reading about them in short fiction.

#7 Free question: Who by far is your favorite fictional character?

The list I got didn’t have a seventh question so I suppose I could simply ask one of my own and answer it. Sherlock Holmes.

#8: A book you are currently reading?

Dear Enemy.

#9: Last book you recommended to someone?

Good Omens.

#10: Oldest book you’ve read? (publication date)

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

#11: Newest book you’ve read? (publication date)

Fantastic Beasts – The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay

#12: Favorite author?

J.K. Rowling based on the amount of books I read from her. Based on how I relate to as I writer, I go for Lemony Snicket.

#13: Buying books or borrowing?

Buying. Or downloading.

#14: A book you dislike that everyone seems to love?

Eragon.

#15: Bookmarks or dog-ears?

Bookmarks. People who dog-ear books must be severely punished.

#16: A book you can always reread?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

#17: Can you read while listening to music?

Of course.

#18: One POV or multiple POVs?

One POV. Multiple POVs only work well when executed in a way characters really sound different from each other.

#19: Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

Define work. Give me a day when I can read to my heart’s content and I won’t ask for anything more. Apart from coffee and regular toilet breaks.

#20: Who do you tag?

Hey, it is a free world.

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Things to do in Bohol for Chill-Out Retreaters

Disclaimer: This is not a travel blog by any means so leave the trash comments somewhere else–Why am I suddenly being so defensive?

There are a number of tour packages being offered when one books an accommodation in Bohol so A month ago, my family and I spent a long weekend in and we immensely enjoyed ourselves there. I came up with a list of things a chill-out retreater such as myself could do in that lovely place.

1. Rent a motorcycle (Php 500/day).



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Simply the cheapest and the easiest way to get around Tagbilaran and Panglao, riding a motorcycle also gives travelers the opportunity to drop by places not included in tour packages. Major roads in Bohol are well paved and relatively safe.

2. Visit the Nova Shell Museum in Panglao (Php 30-50).

Though I totally understand that visiting local museums is not usually one’s cup of tea, I also know that paying for entrance fee can definitely help preserve small institutions that still care to exhibit the evolution of local culture–for a minute there I was about to believe I was creating a paradox. The shell museum has potential but can seriously do well with funding and extra dusting. It houses a big collection of -surprise!- shells, coins, porcelain, and rocks.

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3. Join the informative Bee Farm Tour (Php 30).



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The tour is short and it covers the essentials. I have to give it to the resident tour guide for his expertise and sense of humor. He was stung about three times but he just walked it off. The highlight of the tour was holding the frames full of those busy bees which were so focused in their work and couldn’t even give their time of day to smile at our cameras. How exciting it would have been had one of us dropped the frame! The queen bee graced us with her presence. Until now I still want to argue that bees let her pass by not because of her authority but because of how large she was but I don’t speak bee so my argument is groundless.

4. Buy souvenirs from the shops on the other side of the Tigbao Hanging Bridge, Loboc.

It may be because of the Php 30 “entrance” fee but travelers could get cheaper merchandise on the other side of the bridge–granted that they make it to the other side and return. The bamboo bridge is sturdy but not for the faint of heart. Travelers sensitive to the slightest movement of a hanging bridge might not enjoy how it moves when a group decides to cross it together. Still though, it offers a gorgeous view of the river.

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5. Try Exotic Chichaworm in Bohol Enchanted

The Going Bulilit episode on Chichaworm may inspire travelers to try this exotic food packed in small take-away bags in Bohol Enchanted for only Php 75. Protein after all is still pretty much part of our diet. Exotic Chichaworm may be available in other parts of Bohol but having a glass of fresh Coconut juice in a botanical garden adds up to its appeal.

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6. Get in touch with Nature.



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Have a sumptuous lunch at Rioverde Floating Restaurant as singers serenade you.Appreciate the vulnerability of butterflies and the sleekness of snakes in Bohol Python and Wildlife Park and Butterfly Sanctuary.Feed the tarsiers in Bohol Enchanted and take photos with their lovely flowers.Play with the waves along Alona beach.



7. Enjoy the Boholano food.



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Truth be told I was looking forward to being stuffed with authentic Boholano food but I could only enjoy it at Bohol Bee Farm. I couldn’t complain about the food we had at the resort because it was good in its own way. If anything, it only spurred me to visit Bohol again.

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With the assumption that it is a must-see tourist attraction, I didn’t see the need to put Chocolate Hills in the things to do in Bohol. Not including it in the list does not invalidate how majestic the experience was. Besides, travelers, even “recharge- retreaters” still need to exercise and ascending those steps to get a 360-view of the place can definitely do the trick.

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Customer Service 101

Not everyone can work in the service industry. Not everyone who works in the service industry actually fits the requirement. At least, that’s what I thought. Needless to say, Customer Service is not my first choice when choosing a career because it truly is difficult. How service personnel keep that charming and understanding smiles while irate customers berate them is admirable.

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With its mission to be the leader in publishing and technology, Vibal Group, Inc. provided a three-hour training for its employees on the rudiments of quality service. Ms. Connie Josue facilitated a number of activities for us to gauge how customer centric our department was.

Here are my takeaways from the training:

Every employee is responsible for customer service.



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That one’s department doesn’t have a ‘client-facing’ role doesn’t mean an employee is excused from delivering good customer service. It seems that there is something more to it than merely taking phone calls, responding to emails, and jotting down client queries. Internal clients, yes, our very own colleagues, also benefit from our on-the-dot project deliveries.

In its simplest sense, customer service means doing one’s job with excellence regardless of one’s position or department. That definitely is an eye-opener.

Customers, internal or external, need someone to listen to them first.

What I learned from Jung, people respond differently to external stimulus. Complaints are not my kind of stimuli–I’d rather avoid them by any means or prevent them from happening yet they still pester me for one reason or another. However, Ms. Connie enlightened us that like mistakes, complaints make rich source for learning and improvement.

However, contrary to my belief that the best way to get rid of complaints is to solve them immediately, Ms. Connie elucidated that listening to clients’ actually gets the job half-done. When employees listen carefully, the word is carefully, to their clients, they will be able to determine the source of complaint and address it properly –given that these employees are trained enough to sift through a barrage of insults and get to the core.

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Active listening definitely is the key.

Product knowledge is necessary for excellent customer service.

In connection with the previous point, having good product knowledge also establishes credibility. How familiar employees are with the company’s own products is evident in the way they suggest solutions. Though admittedly, flowery promises are necessary to promote the company and the products, understanding them in-depth can also help in determining the extent of service particularly when employees are catering not only to external clients but internal as well.

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It seems relatively easy but as the cliche goes, it is easier said than done. There is a reason why companies have to outsource customer service and pay them big bucks after all. Then again, having this kind of training for on-boarding and refresher boosts dedication and though not everyone can provide excellent customer service immediately after, at least, employees can always try.

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July 2019 Articles

Define productivity? Spending time with my family on a much-needed vacation, finishing two novels, reading a number of articles–juggling all these with keeping up with my work. But you don’t exactly need to know that. Time to reflect on the articles once again.

Desktop Dining Rules: No Boiled Eggs or Tinned Fish

As someone who used to have lunches and breaks alone, yes, it’s a treat to have ten minutes on my own when I can catch up on my reading or do other stuff by myself. I remember how annoying it was to have “visitors” drop by to say hello at my cubicle.

How to Escape the Hyperactive Hivemind of Modern Work

Focus at work has always been a part of the recruitment package. How to address the bulk of work in the pipeline remains on the shoulder of Project Managers. Long term solutions for this will be difficult to come by and what remains is mainly a negotiation between clients and company on a reasonably projected timeline. Then again, meetings eat up a whole lot of time and consumes the remaining time for actual work. This truly is a vicious cycle that needs to stop. 

Media Multitaskers Pay Mental Price, Stanford Study Shows

This literally an OLD news- a decade to be exact. Perhaps the best time to measure Tech-multitasking’s advantages and disadvantages is right now when technology is at its peak, when most tech-users have had a good amount of experience in technology and cross reference it to the findings in this old research. It’s easy to say that multi-tasking was difficult for knowledge-based workers and could and would not yield good results vis-a-vis focusing on one task at a time. Learning preferences must also be taken into consideration.

Why search is no longer all about Google

My brother suggested another search engine called Ecosia which converts the amount of search to trees the company commits to plant. Apart from the short plugging stint, I agree that now that applications that function as resource pools can be easily downloaded, searching in Google does not seem to be as enticing as before. Why bother when I can simply look for cocktail mixes in Mixology which has been specifically designed for that? Searches simply have become more complicated. 

Could wooden buildings be a solution to climate change?

For the longest time, I thought the only solution to global warming is planting more trees and letting Nature take its course and reclaim what’s theirs. Lo and behold, there is such a thing as tree maturity and by a certain period of time, trees won’t aid in CO2 reduction any longer. What this article proposes is using timber for construction–again. Yes. Although certain advantages peppered the argument, I couldn’t help but wonder: given how fast construction was, would there be enough time for people to replant? How strict the policies must be?

Daddy-Long-Legs has reminded me about my love for writing and the thrill in winning competitions or getting a story published. Good Omens, on the other hand, has reminded me that writing is a skill that needs to be polished. I am in an arena with a very blunt sword is what I am trying to say.

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June 2019 Articles

Once upon a time, there lived a person who promised not to let anything hinder her from writing, an activity that she loved so much. Well, she still loves it, there’s no doubt about that, but monsters keep getting in the way and she barely gets enough time to write yet she still writes because that’s what writers do. For a minute there, I almost yielded to my laziness.

How to Negotiate Anything

After getting a certification for Business Analysis–albeit my score wasn’t something I could be proud of– I figured that there’s more I haven’t explored in the field. Negotiating is one of them. I’m bad at it. Not horrible, but bad. And darn lazy. When I don’t feel like it, I only do to things: argue and not care. Guess what I usually do.

This article is a good read for me, definitely. It’s like cushioning a fall or having another mask.

Blaise Pascal on the Intuitive vs. the Logical Mind and How We Come to Know Truth

I just want to put it out there that the “intuitive” described in this article is quite different from Jung’s description.

Bob Dylan on Sacrifice, the Unconscious Mind, and How to Cultivate the Perfect Environment for Creative Work

That the world has enough songs and that it will not suffer for the lack of new ones is a gold. Bob Dylan had the confidence to claim that most of his best works were created quickly. How I wish I could say that for the poems I created when I was in college. I didn’t bury them because they were my brain children but I don’t think they’re ready to see the world.

iPhone designer Jony Ive to leave Apple

This came as a surprise to me. I only learned about this man a couple of years ago despite being an iPhone user for almost a decade.

ON THE WAY TO A SMILE – EPISODE:TIFA

June was not a good month for reading novels and writing articles for me but I got to attend a number of webinars on Business Trends and Market Research – topics I didn’t even find interesting some years ago- and finish a number of short stories and novellas including this one which happened to be a game changer.

On the Way to a Smile – Episode:Tifa

By the way, I’m rather excited that Final Fantasy VII has a remake coming. Although my only knowledge of it comes from Advent Children [Complete] , On the Way to a Smile and the hundreds of fanfiction I read (which hardly count being fan-made), I can’t help but be invested in this whole thing. Yes, I might play this after proving I can play a bit of Ragnarok lol.

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