I’m not a teacher by profession and I never dreamed of becoming a teacher but still I became one. My job as an online teacher is a fun experience and challenging one as well.

Right now, I’m experiencing teaching Korean of all ages. Teaching is a fun experience if the students are participating.

But what if they are not participating?

Teaching children can be very challenging especially if the student knows zero English. You need to catch their attention when they are playing. Children prefer to play with their toys or sometimes play computer games instead of studying. As their teacher, I do not need to be authoritarian just to make students follow your instructions. You just need to know everything or pretend that you know everything.

If you do not know what they are talking about, they will tell you, “Huh?! Teacher you don’t know?! You’re a teacher!” Because of that, they will act like they know better than you. The next thing that happens is they will act that they are really smart. But the truth is, their sentences can still be hard for the teacher to understand.

Here is an example, one student who had been in the Philippines asked the teacher a question: “Teacher, do you know Paseo Pampanga? “ The teacher said, “No I don’t know that.” The student will say, “Huh?! You don’t know that?! You’re a teacher.”

Actually, the student is asking about Museong Pambata and not Paseo Pampanga. There is no place in the Philippines such as Paseo Pampanga. It can be a vague reference to Paseo de Roxas (a street in Makati) and Pampanga (a province in Central Luzon).

I’ve been teaching Koreans for more than a year now and I’ve noticed that they are confident that they are smart to the point that it becomes arrogance. Some of my students are saying that they are geniuses but if you listen to their sentences carefully you will notice their lapses in grammar, sentence construction, word choice and pronunciation.

When it comes to pronunciation, they are having a hard time pronouncing the letters “R” and “L”, among others. For example, the word “really” they pronounce it as “leally”. The word “people”, they pronounce as “peopur.” They always mispronounce a lot of words. Largely because Korea is not an English-speaking country.

However, there are some of them who are very eager to learn. Many are open to corrections.  If you encounter an arrogant Korean, GOOD LUCK! Businessmen and teenagers have the attitude that will really test your passion for teaching. Let us see how far you will go for your “passion.” Try to listen to their sentence.

Try to correct their mistakes. Let us see if they will follow your corrections. Actually, if you correct them they will just say “Okay, okay, okay” but truth is they did not absorb what you said.

I’ve experienced teaching a teenage boy who does not listen. His English name is Anthony. I asked him a question and he answered me with, “I’m genius!” I asked him again and his response was, “Aahhh! Why are you asking?! I am genius!” I’m really controlling my temper then, but actually I really want to punch his face. That student is still lucky because we are not in a real classroom setting.

I really don’t know why Anthony is insisting that he is a genius despite the fact that he cannot answer my questions about the lesson. He is just lying on the floor during the class. There was also an incident when he turned a flashlight directly at the camera the flash was too bright for my eyes.and it’s iritating for my eyes. That really hurt.

I asked him to stop doing it but he just kept on saying “I’m genius.” That time I really lost my patience. I told him, “You think you’re genius”? What do you think of yourself? A scientist? You are not genius! You are a bad student!”

Up until now I’m still connected with the company where I met Anthony.

Every once in a while as you are walking on the city streets, you see old people disabled, or sometimes just acting like a disabled, sitting in a corner asking for spare change. But if you look closer, they are not really disabled and are still able to fend for themselves. Some may even have a bulkier build than you. Some of these actors and actresses can even be seen wearing some jeweler such as rings, necklaces and bracelets. After the whole day of acting, their disabilities will suddenly vanish.

Another situation is, when you are riding in passenger jeepney. You will usually encounter children, sometimes even carrying a little child (most probably a younger sibling) asking for alms while holding a piece of cloth that he/she will use to wipe your shoes all the while showing an intriguingly sad face.

Aside from these children, you might have also seen people singing in a dialect unknown to you. They claim that they came from a faraway province—went down from the mountains to try the city life—and unluckily went out of cash and is unable to feed himself/herself or his/her family. Some claim the need to save up so that they can go back home to their province.

Meanwhile, another person will come up to you saying the script that they memorize while giving you a small envelope to put cash in. This person will explain that he/she from some religious charitable organization that helps the less fortunate children. However, since you are probably on the street or on public transportation, you have no way to confirm how legit the organization is or if it even exists. For all you know, it could just be part of a syndicate.

By Misfortune teller

Way back in 2004, there was a professor named Alex S. Maaliw who teaches CO-100 to the first year students of the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in AB Journalism and AB Broadcast Communication at the University of the East, Manila.

During that time, the whole classroom was occupied by his students but on the next semester, his class was divided into two because the students have different majors. In 2005, Professor Maaliw teaches the major subject to the Journalism students which is not more than 20 due to its small population.

Until the next two years, he became the consistent major Professor of the charming students, but every semester the number of students in the subjects is becoming smaller because of financial problems until only ten students were left in the classroom and one of them is Lemuel ‘Lem’ Angeles who is popular that time because of “his” trade mark as “boy next door.”

Lem is very approachable especially to those who admire the computer games that’s why he became a friend of Eleazar ‘Eli ’ Ultado who is the Attorney of Lem every time he’s facing a libel case because of his libelous articles.But after a few years Lem was terminated from the publication because of not submitting the story to his Editor who is Mr. Tan, the regular sit-in in the journalism batch.

After the termination, he became a Game Developer since he’s also a graduate of Information Technology.Meanwhile, when Atty. Ultado doesn’t have a case, he teaches the computer games designed by Lem to his six-year-old son, the godson of Joba Botana who is working at the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a Beat Reporter.

After graduating her Journalism course she proved that she is a career- oriented woman that’s why she became one of the most powerful women in the field of writing. By that, she failed to marry because she chose to focus in her career.

But there are times that she feels envious to her friend Khem-Anne Ycong who has a successful marriage life aside from being a Chef in her own Restaurant.In her restaurant, Farrah Brooke Miranda often eat there together with her three kids and husband Ronald. For her, it’s the perfect place to relax while doing her business plan for the Hotel that she wants to start.

Like Farrah, Khem’s restaurant is also the meeting place of top caliber columnist Riza Valencia and Babylene Sulam after visiting Malaya Gavanzo’s Spa Center.At Malaya’s Spa Center, Emilyn Castalla arrived who is having her day-off at the Call Center Company where she works as a Manager.

While waiting for her turn Emilyn read a magazine at the shop and she was shocked of what she saw. Her friend Kathleen Velasco is now one of the hot babes in Beverly Hills. She is also an actress of Desperate Housewives.Within the ten years, those students usually send e-mails to their Professor to share their successful stories.

Biography of the author

Jocel Lopez graduated AB Journalism at the University of the East who is now working as a part-time Beat reporter and own two of the biggest restaurants in the Philippines and one Handy craft business. She is married to Mr. Tan, the Editor of a widely-circulated business magazine.

It’s been two years since I left the Dawn. During the time that I was a part of the weekly publication, I belonged to the News Department that required having an overnight staying in the office every Friday to finish the unfinished articles but sometimes I have to have an overnight not just once but thrice a week, twice for the Dawn and once at Karen’s house just to have a great time. 

And because of that, my mother used to question me every time I get home in the morning or in the dawn. She even told that I’m just going home to ask for my allowance. Having a quarrel with my parents became a part of a daily routine in our house. 

But one day they were until told by somebody that a frat member threatened me because of the article that I reported about them. They said that, “Akala ko nasa Dawn ka lang yun pala sinusundan ka ng kung sino-sino,” and because of that they asked me to leave the Dawn. 

Honestly, I didn’t want to quit my job there as a news writer because I love to interview many sources even though sometimes I find it hard to beat the deadlines because of the sources who don’t want to be interviewed. 

Aside from that, I need the Dawn to improve my writing skills since I’m a journalism student.  I’m not saying that I don’t learn anything in the class it’s just that in the Dawn, it’s just like in the real field of journalism that I need to gather information everyday to be able to submit eight to ten stories per week and to beat the deadlines.  

I don’t want to leave the University’s weekly publication so I tried to explain my side to my parents, that the hardship I encountered in the Dawn is no match compared to the actual field of reporting. 

But their decision is final so I have to leave the Dawn. Even though I’m no longer a part of the publication I’m still reporting in the Dawn’s office everyday not as a News writer but a regular by-stander.  

This year I considered this Valentines as my busiest and happiest. It is also a unique date of mine. This year’s Valentine was my first time to prepare a date for my loved one in his house.  This was the story.

A week before Valentine my boyfriend had an injury in his legs because of basketball, and then the next day it’s hard for him to walk or simply ‘iika-ika.’  

Few days before the Valentine’s Day he asked me, “Oh anung plano sa 14?” If he were to decide we are just going to watch movies in his house because of his injury but I don’t want this Valentine as ordinary as last year’s… Last year we just went to Robinson’s Ermita and watched Ghost Rider.  

This year I won’t let my Valentines be just as ordinary as before so I set a date. But how can I prepare a date if I don’t have budget? Of course I asked money from my loved one, hehehe. 

I asked my boyfriend to give me at least P500 for the budget I was about to keep it secret but if I don’t tell him my plan, he wouldn’t give me anything. He said, “Hindi ako magbibigay ng pera kung hindi ko alam kung para saan.”

I don’t have any choice so I told him that I have a plan for Valentine and at last he gave me money but not P500 he gave me only P200. 

Two hundred pesos?! Duh! I have lots of thing to buy especially the food but what am I going to buy with P200?So what I did is to text my friends and barrow some of the things that I need such as wine glass, curtain, and red table cloth.  

At last my friend lent me curtain and table cloth and another friend of my mine lent me a wine glass.February 14 in the morning, I texted my boyfriend to take a bath and go outside and do whatever he wants to do just get out of the house. 

Finally I’m at his house and I set my plan, I used the curtain to hide his bed, I put the television on the side and using the box of an ironing board I made a center table with the red table cloth.

And when the table is ready, I brought out a whole roasted chicken, rice, bread, and pineapple juice while he brought cake and red wine. It’s time for the balloons, I blew 12 pieces of balloons and hung it in the clothesline, scattered in the floor with the potpourri.  

When everything’s ready I texted him to go inside of the house and when he entered the door he said “wow!” with a big smile in his face then he hugged me while saying “thank you, I love you.”

A war freak story 

I was in the Dawn’s office with my boyfriend Rob at the University of the East in Manila when I got hungry. So, I left my boyfriend for a while to buy my favorite Choco Mucho but the moment he asked me where I am going, I did not mind him until I closed the door. 

And then while I was walking at the lobby of the College of Engineering, that there someone was following behind me and I thought that he is my boyfriend and he would play a prank on me as he usually does when he fetches me at Mini Stop Recto.

Its either he would snatch my bag, or cover my eyes and sometimes he would pretend as a “holdupper.” 

But this time he wouldn’t score; he doesn’t know that while he is following me I am getting ready to hit his face. I am putting all my energy on my right hand. 

Now, I am ready so I walked slowly so he could catch up then suddenly I stopped and ooh! I hit his face, but wait! He is not Rob! After I slapped him, I just realize that he is Carlo a friend of my friend Jay-Ar then Carlo asked me, “Oh bakit? Napapano ka?” 

Imagine how ashamed I am when I was in front of him but it is good that we know each other at least he did not take revenge on me. And then I just told him that I mistook him for someone I know and he just smiled at me. 

After that, I just walked away but I let him go ahead of me but deep inside I am blaming him because he is walking behind me, but then I made sure that no one else followed behind me. 

Bounty Hunter

When I was a kid, I used to dream to be an assassin , a bounty hunter, terrorist or a pirate someday to expereince how to kill without any doubt and collect their skulls and display it in my house and throw their bodies in a mass grave.

Then, if I need money, I’ll became a bounty hunter to earn big money. But unluckily, I never got the chance to kill or to hunt a most wanted criminal to earn money because I belong to the new generation where you can’t kill as easy as you think.

In this generation if people’s want money, then people have to work for it although there are some people who are hired killers. I want to be one of them.

But who’s going to hire me to kill someone? Who’s going to pay me? How will I earn money? Selling items or products?

All of that its just in my dream because in my real life, instead of becoming an assassin or terrorist or a bounty hunter, I became an Avon dealer.

It just happened when I was strolling in the Mall with my mother and my two nieces when a Manager of Avon gave me a flyer inviting new dealers-to-be, and so I tried.

Being a dealer is very different from killing people particularly in the way they earn money. In my dreams, if I want money, I’ll kill then somebody will pay me while in Avon, if I want money I have to sell their products.

But the money I can earn from Avon can’t compare to what I can earn from killing.

One day I realize that Avon gave reality to one my dreams, my dream to be a bounty hunter for the reason of I’m hunting some of my customers who are irresponsible payers just like a real bounty hunter. I can get my reward if I find them.

Sometimes, I think of decapitating my customer’s head which I would offer to Avon as payment for their accounts. 

The Slaughter from the MySpace SF Indie Fest page: “In an old school camp-o-rama bloodfest, IndieFest alumnus Jay Lee (Noon Blue Apples, The Affairs of God), returns to San Francisco and slashes, drowns, spears, rips, squishes and burns people in The Slaughter. With his tongue so firmly in cheek that it nearly rips a hole, Lee delivers a perfectly pitched horror-comedy romp that never takes the easy road, and respects both the audience, the characters, the zombies and the Demon. When six college students take a job cleaning up an abandoned house their plans are to work hard by day, and play hard by night. However, their careful planning is disrupted when they discover and ancient Tome and (wouldn’t you know it) awake Cthulha, an ancient female demon. A turn of the century ritual to raise the feminine evil goes horribly awry and leaves a she-demon dormant on the ceremonial grounds waiting for the conclusion of the arcane ceremony. Sixty years later a young couple moves into a house built on the ancient grounds and their young daughter’s murder leaves the house abandoned for yet another forty years (and fulfills the next part of the ritual). Now, six college students are hired to clean up the house for a greedy real estate mogul and his hemchwoman who plan to sell it for a huge profit. When they unwittingly complete the century long ritual and fully awake the demon from her ancient slumber, it is literally Hell on Earth – and only the ultimate sacrifice can save the world from a future of unspeakable evil.”