Warning: Shameless plug ahead!

My interview with GMA 7 at the UP CMC ended a few minutes ago. In case you’re wondering if I said anything incriminating, please watch the segment on blogging on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (GMA 7) this Saturday (April 26) at around 9 p.m.

Even if I won’t have access to television this Saturday (more on that in a future post, or perhaps a column article for Pinoy Weekly), I’m sure that there will be some UP CMC students who are looking forward to watching it. There might be footage of them consulting with me…under the tree! Yes, the producer decided to be creative by interviewing me at our college’s parking lot.

Hope this encourages you to watch the show this Saturday. Thank you for reading and sorry for this shameless plug.

Thanks to my mother whose idea of parenting includes requiring her children to take summer courses, I learned how to type when I was still in Grade 5, or the summer of 1981 to be exact. (Yes, I am that old, and what we used then were not computers but typewriters, both manual and electric.)

My mother took me to a vocational school in Caloocan City where we used to live, and the teacher then wondered why I was enrolled in a class full of college students and professionals.

I was not taken seriously by my “summer classmates” at that time and I consequently felt like a “sit-in.” One of them would even tease me whenever my mother arrives after our class to take me home.

It was not until I topped (ahem!) an examination (I think it had to do with the parts of a typewriter) that they began to treat me like a classmate, asking me questions if they did not understand the lessons and advising me where to buy cheap coupon bonds, stencil papers, correction fluid and other supplies.

I finished the typing course in 1981 with the highest grade but I did not have the highest words-per-minute (WPM) during our final practical exam. From what I recall, the honor went to a female secretary who was more than 20 years my senior. I remember that my WPM then ranged from 100 to 120 WPM using an electric typewriter.

So what is my WPM at present? I took an online speed typing test and, much as I hate to admit it, I have slowed down a lot.

83 words

The website also states that I got “358 points” and that my rank is “6,242 (out) of 157,201 on the ranking list.” The test results also show the following:

You type 444 characters per minute
You have 83 correct words and
you have 0 wrong words

My current rank puts me in the upper 4% of those who took the test.

How about you? If you’re curious about your own WPM, it wouldn’t hurt to take this test which only takes 60 seconds to complete. Thank you for reading!

Before anything else, allow me to make a couple of announcements:

1. My Journalism (J) 117 (Online Journalism) students may now get their class cards from the department.
2. For the 1st Semester of Academic Year 2008-2008, I will be teaching the following courses (aside from the usual thesis advising at the baccalaureate and master’s levels):
   • J 122 (Publication Design and Layout) TUV
     Tuesdays, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, BNR
   • Media 230 (Media Ethics) TZZ
     Tuesdays, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, M 211
   • J 122 WUV
     Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, BNR
   • J 202 (Advanced Reporting) WZZ
     Wednesdays, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, M 211

And now for the visceral: I am very happy that, just like before, most of my students in J 117 and J 122 have produced websites that I can be proud of.

Below is the list of the websites submitted in partial fulfillment for the two courses. Hope you’ll visit my students’ websites if you have time.

J 117 (Online Journalism):

• Bautista, Roehl Niño - Virtual ink and viewfinders
• Castillo, Hannah Joy - No loose ends
• Crisostomo, Danielle Alessandra - Media graffiti
• Dormido, Hannah Faith - Kontradiksyon
• Eligio, Absolom Jerome - The communique
• Lopez, Katherine Mae - The explorer
• Macatangay, Sheryl Mae - Jot it down online
• Matsuzawa, Mikas Aleya - Liyab diwata
• Nachura, Celia Grace - The rabbit hole
• Paglinawan, Adriel - Adrielink
• Paner, Marione Paul - Kalinaw
• Peñamante, Laurice Claire - Inkwell
• Sabillo, Kristine Angeli - Talimhaga
• Wong, Ma. Monica - News in perspective

J 122 (Publication Design and Layout):

• Aguilar, Charles Tito - Animation, comic & movie enthusiast
• Avila, Tatiana - The rule of thirds
• Decierdo, Rogelio - Flamerounin’s lair
• Duran, Roanne - Living in oblivion
• Espejo, April Joy - Beyond wonderland
• Liban, Stephanie Lauren - Art around UP
• Prado, Kharl - Shutter
• Pua, Micah Jeremy - Micah’s closet
• Reyes, Marco Darrel Ruben - The travel plate
• Sabillo, Kristine Angeli - Canto IX in limbo
• Sarmiento, Patricia Aireen - Stream of consciousness
• Soriano, Paolo Martin - El Pippo’s paradise
• Sulit, Micah Vanessa - Morsels of Micah
• Tuazon, John Mark - In:Focus
• Valencia, Mary Grace - Snug in your corner
• Valenzuela, Abegail Rose - Food trip

(Updated April 4, 7:01 pm): N.B. - This was published in Vol. 7, No. 12 (April 2-8, 2008) of Pinoy Weekly (p. 5), the full text of which may also be retrieved from http://www.pinoyweekly.org/cms/2008/04/medalya-bilang-gantimpala. I’ve decided to post this in advance as a “gift” to my sister whose son and daughter graduated this year.

May dalawang commencement exercises na dinaluhan kaming mag-asawa noong Pebrero at Marso. Nagtapos kasi ang dalawa kong pamangkin sa kolehiyo at elementarya.

Wala man silang nakuhang medalya, ibang klaseng karangalan ang naibigay nila kay Ate na nagpakahirap para makapagtapos sila. Para sa kanya, may magandang ibinunga ang halos walang tulog na pagtatrabaho para lang bayaran ang mataas na matrikula ng mga eskuwelahan nila.

Ang panganay kasi’y nagtapos sa De La Salle College of Saint Benilde sa Maynila; at ang nakababata, sa St. Scholastica’s Academy sa Marikina. Alam nating hindi biro ang matrikula’t iba pang bayarin sa mga eskuwelahang ito bagama’t napakataas ng kalidad ng edukasyong ibinibigay ng mga ito.

Malaking sakripisyo para kay Ate ang pagpapaaral sa dalawa niyang anak. Kahit na nasa ibang bansa siya, parati niyang kinukumusta ang kalagayan nila.

Gusto man niyang makapunta sa Pilipinas sa araw ng kanilang pagtatapos, nanghinayang siya sa malaking gastos sa pamasahe. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit nagkasya na lang siya sa pagbati sa mga anak niya sa pamamagitan ng telepono. Hindi man siya pisikal na nakita, narinig naman ang boses niya.

Katulad ng iba pang magulang, ginawa ni Ate ang lahat para mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang mga anak niya. Ako at ang aking asawa ay lubos na nanghinayang na hindi niya nakita ang kanyang mga anak sa matatawag na “espesyal na araw” nila. Sabihin mang puwede namang ipadala ang mga larawan, iba pa rin ang pisikal na presensiya sana ni Ate sa araw ng kanilang pagtatapos.

Naaalala ko tuloy ang sarili kong pagtatapos noong elementarya, hayskul at kolehiyo. Masaya ako noon, pero hindi lang ito dahil naroon sa aking pagtatapos ang aking mga mahal sa buhay. Ang aking kasiyahan ay masasabing napakababaw dahil nasilaw ako noon sa kinang ng mga gintong medalya.

Aaminin kong ibang kasiyahan ang nadama ko kumpara sa mga tinagurian kong “ordinaryong” gradweyt. Sa loob-loob ko noon, espesyal ako dahil sa aking pagiging honor graduate. Pero ang aking kasiyahan ay may iba’t ibang antas.

Hindi po ito personal na pagyayabang kundi pagtutuwid ng isang kamalian.

First Honorable Mention (o Third Honor) “lang” ako noong nagtapos sa elementarya kaya hindi ako masyadong masaya noon. Dagdag pa rito ang sitwasyong sa dinami-dami ng mga medalyang pang-akademiko, ang nakuha ko lang na karangalan ay “Best in Religion.” Para sa akin noon, hindi ako “magaling” dahil dalawa lang ang medalya ko.

Pero hindi masukat ang aking kasiyahan noong hayskul dahil naging Valedictorian ako’t sa akin napunta ang ang karamihan sa mga medalya sa larangan ng akademiko at pamumuno sa student council. Hindi tuloy nakakagulat na abot-tainga ang ngiti ko noon. Huwag mo sana akong pagtawanan kung sa aking pagtulog sa gabi ng aking pagtatapos noong hayskul, katabi ko sa kama ang mga medalya ko!

Kahit cum laude “lang” ako noong kolehiyo, masasabing may kasiyahan din naman ako dahil nakuha ko ang karangalang “Most Outstanding Journalism Student.” Masasabi mong “bumawi” na lang ako noong nagtapos ng master’s sa isa pang unibersidad na naggawad sa akin ng gradwadong karangalang “With High Distinction” (na katapat ng summa cum laude sa antas na undergraduate.)

“Kay galing naman ng anak ko!” Ilang beses kong narinig ito sa nanay ko habang sinasabitan ako ng mga medalya. Masakit mang aminin, wala akong pagkilala sa pinagdaanan niya para lang makapagtapos ako.

Sa aking valedictory speech noong hayskul, parang pabalat-bunga lang ang aking pasasalamat sa kanya. Mas inisip ko noon ang aking personal na kagalingan at hindi ang konteksto ng aking karanasan, lalo na ang hindi-masukat na sakripisyo ng nanay ko.

Sa okasyon ng pagtatapos ng dalawa kong pamangkin, pumasok sa aking isipan ang aking kamalian. Para sa kabataan, ang pagtatapos ay dapat na okasyon para kilalanin ang mga magulang, lalo na ang mga nagbuhos ng dugo’t pawis tulad ni Ate at ng nanay namin.

Para sa mga magulang ng mga nagsipagtapos, higit pa sa gintong medalya ang kanilang gantimpala, lalo na kung ang mga anak nila’y tutulong sa pag-unlad hindi lang ng pamilya kundi ng buong bansa.

Para makipag-ugnayan sa awtor, pumunta sa www.dannyarao.com.

If you’re against corruption (and want to have fun at the same time), you should play the game called Who Wants To Be A Billionaire Presents: NBN-ZTE (Reloaded).

My wife forwarded the PPS file to me and I can’t help but share it with all of you.

While I’m sure that whoever designed it won’t mind my decision to disseminate his or her work, I hope that the person responsible for this game would contact me so that he or she will be properly credited.

While this was done in the spirit of (political) fun, this game can test your knowledge of current events in the Philippines, particularly the controversy surrounding the national broadband network (NBN) project.

Suffice it to say that I had a blast answering the questions. Modesty aside, I aced the test and I am now a “virtual billionaire.”

How did you fare? Do let me know. Thank you for reading.

My wife and I have been living in Marikina since 2005. But it was only last March 9 (Sunday) that we, together with a couple of in-laws, had the time to go to the World of Butterflies which is just a few blocks away from our house.

I won’t discuss the features of this particular home to several species of butterflies lest I spoil your planned visit there. Besides, as the title suggests, the reason for this post has more to do with sex and grammar.

Huh? What am I writing about? Anyway, before I give you the answer, I’d like to show you what you can see should you decide to go to the World of Butterflies.

Isn’t that beautiful? Of course, you may answer with a counter-question, “Isn’t that obvious?”

Anyway, let’s cut right to the chase and show you this funny sign that has to do with sex and grammar.

Had the sign been properly edited, it would have read:

MATING CAGES

An enclosed area where mating of butterflies, which could last up to 24 hours, takes place.

I still can’t get over the fact that the copulation period for butterflies lasts up to 24 hours or one full day. This situation more than makes up for their very short life span, don’t you think?

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

My wife and I were in Kalibo, Aklan from January 31 to February 2. For a more convenient travel, we took the Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight from Manila to Kalibo and then back. At the airports of Manila, Kalibo and Legazpi (which we visited also recently), we noticed this tarpaulin from PAL which warns against the use of mobile phones while on a plane.

Please remember that when you ask a friend to take it easy on the wheel, you tell him or her to drive safely. If PAL wants to provide some well-meaning safety tips, it should tell the public to “fly safely.”

Walking on a major thoroughfare in Kalibo after a very long lecture, I really cannot help but share this directional sign with you.

Please trust me when I say that an airpot in Kalibo is no different from the ones used in other parts of the world. The “airpot” refers to the place where an “airplan” lands, okay?

At a cathedral, we noticed this funny sign:

Correct me if I’m wrong: The message of the sign is that you cannot enter if you’re too close (to what, I don’t know!), and that you should remove the four wheels of your vehicle to save on precious parking space.

Anyway, there’s another sign outside the church that caught our attention:

This sign simply means that there is no limit to…sorry, I did not stick around to find out.

One of the must-sees in Kalibo is the Sampaguita Gardens. We went around the place and I noticed that there is something ungrammatical about its slogan.

As you know, there is a difference between “everyday” and “every day.” The former is used as an adjective; for example, “Christmas is an everyday season at Sampaguita Gardens.”

That’s all for now. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you.

While waiting for my wife at the Blue Wave mall in Marquinton (Marikina City) last January 18, I killed time by strolling around. Lo and behold, I found a lot of funny signs!

I saw a notice of job vacancy at a bookstore on the second floor.

Apparently, the management does not require experience in spelling! Talking about misspelling, notice anything wrong with this sign at a skin care clinic?

If you’ve immediately noticed the typographical error, good for you! But no matter how eagle-eyed you are, you may have some difficulty understanding this sign.

Obviously, this is one sign in dire need of a couple of commas, a space and a period.

This sign, on the other hand, is understandable (and perhaps tolerable), but only if you already know what LAN means!

Okay, I know it’s hard to conceptualize signs, especially if they’re meant to promote a product. But don’t you think the sign below is wanting in creativity? Please pay close attention to the slogan.

A collectible power card is…collectible! Is it just me, or has the person run out of ideas? By the way, it’s also…non-reloadable! Talk about negative advertising!

Anyway, that’s all for now. More funny signs to follow. Thanks for reading!

I’m sure this is just one of the many blog entries on the start (okay, “kick off“) of the UP Centennial celebration.

Joy and I were at UP Diliman last January 8 (Tuesday) to witness the grand celebration. Would you believe that some of her former professors at UP Visayas who attended (including the incumbent Chancellor of UP Visayas) still remember her? Then again, it should not be surprising as she was a student leader in the late 1980s.

Below are some pictures for your enjoyment.

As I mentioned in my Twitter post, there is something ungrammatical about the de facto slogan “Ang galing mo!” (You are excellent!) Do you know what that is?

Disclaimer: I got the photograph above from another Flickr account. Unless otherwise specified, the ones below are taken by Joy and I.

These are selected photographs of the contingent from various units. Where was I while Joy was on her way to the UP Diliman campus? Engr. Mon Ramirez, webmaster of Arkibong Bayan, sent some of the pictures he took via email. (Thanks, Mon!)

If you’re familiar with Quezon Hall, you would know that we took this picture beside the Oblation. While there, I managed to take a picture of the well-lighted Oblation by sunset.

We stayed there until the lighting the cauldron. (Sorry for the low resolution. We only used a Nokia 6288 to take this picture.)

Finally, some pictures of Joy and I to prove that we were there. (Not that we need to, but I’ll post these just the same!)

Updated (Jan. 10, 5:45 pm): A former student, Bianca Consunji, uploaded a “UP at 100” photo album on her Multiply account which includes the photograph below. Please check out her photo album for more pictures, as well as interesting and intriguing comments from her friends.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

Ever heard of Engrish? This is defined as “the humorous English mistakes that appear in Japanese advertising and product design.”

While waiting for the UP Centennial activities to begin, I stumbled upon Engrish.com which has a collection of funny signs found in Japan. Below are some signs that I found to be very, very, very, funny.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!