Sabado, Disyembre 10, 2011

Cover Letter

 Dear mentor,
On our first day in class, you gave us our course outlines. On that course outline showed what was expected to improve or develop in us. The first time I read it, my first reaction was of worry. What if I was not able to achieve these results? Then you promised us a lot of writing involved in this class. As suggested by the course name, I already expected that, but making us write, on the first day, about our abilities in creative writing, caused my second reaction: stress. Immediately, I felt pressured at that moment and predicted for more in the future. Already, on the first day of RWC class, I felt pressured and worried. Wasn’t I supposed to feel like this towards the middle of the term?
On that same day, you promised us that we could achieve those desired learning outcomes with willingness, patience, and perseverance. With hope and faith, I held on to those words tightly as I delved deeper into creative writing. At first, the lessons were all common knowledge to everyone, but as meeting after meeting passed, things started to get complicated. What with all the requirements our other classes demanded, we started to feel the pressure. In the end, I am here, writing a cover letter of my progress, glad to report that I am one step closer to becoming a good writer.
Evident in my writing outputs in this class were those desired learning results you expected from each student. Effective communicating means learning how to effectively share an idea or point to its readers using the right grammatical rules. You can see in my works that ideas are understandable and easily grasped, yet still detailed. This is evidence of my improved coherency.  I am able to come up with creative and clever ideas and able to organize efficiently, a constant problem that I have to deal with. This is evident in my outlines and in the quality of the content in my writings. I have learned to analyze myself, finding my flaws in writing and striving to eliminate them and respecting other’s work by properly showing credit to those who have earned it. Last, but not least, I was able to voice my opinions and insights, helping to add intelligence and wisdom to the society as a proud citizen.
I realized that though I have improved so much, there would always still be room for improvement. Therefore, I can say that all these expectations I have not fully required, but am still in the process of doing so. Learning is a continuous process. It does not end once we’ve gained a college degree or a job. Because of this, I have not become into a great writer, but am progressing to be one. To get there, I would have to be willing to learn, perseverant to learn, and apply what I have learned.
I am proudest most of all of my development and improvements in my writing style that I have gained because of your class. I have grown from a student who is clueless and arrogant to an aware and humble writer. Because of this class, I have learned that my intelligence about creative writing is insufficient and incomplete. I am to be a person who is open to new ideas, critique, and improvement. Most of all, I learned to never settle for anything less, always striving to do my very best in all my works.
Now that classes are over, I learned that writing is a very strenuous activity. An aspiring writer must be patient, determined, and willing to take no shortcuts to achieve writing outputs that are of outstanding quality.
Again, a writer must be open to critique, having the ability to absorb useful information to make my writings better. Because of the peer editing and your editing as well, I am able to enhance my essays. I made such revisions in my major essays because I believe the advices given to me were credible and sensible. Because of these advices, I am able to eliminate spelling and grammar mistakes. I am able to discover inessential clauses, sentences that are too long and irrelevant content.  I made these revisions because I believe they would make my essays better and achieve better quality.
In the end of all the stressful essay writing, all the sleepless nights, and all the hardships I have experienced during this class, I am very grateful not only for the writing abilities I have developed, but also for your never ending patient and gracious character. My abounding gratitude goes to you, professor, for all the writing skills I was able to hone or acquire in your class. Know that, if ever my future involves a career in creative writing, you will be remembered as one of those people who have helped me get there. Thank you. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Letter 12/11/11 NA
The Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Migration Issue (Argumentative Essay) 12/10/11  NA
"Living the Life" (Extended Definition Essay) 12/10/11 NA
The Advantages of owning a Desktop or a Laptop (Comparison and Contrast) 12/09/11 NA
The Rise in Popularity of Coffee Shops (Cause and Effect) 11/09/11 NA
Agno (Descriptive Essay) 11/09/11 NA

The Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Migration Issue



Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the 14th president of the Philippines and the second woman to have achieved this position. Appointed after the EDSA Revolution of 2001, she served as president of the Philippines for a total of 10 years. During her terms of presidency, she was able to reach several achievements that highlighted her presidential career. A couple of these achievements were The “Strong Republic” Nautical Highway, which is a “set of roads and ports that connect the three primary regions of the Philippines” (WikiPilipinas, Strong Republic Nautical Highway, para. 1) and her success in the creation of a million jobs for the Filipinos (Espina, 2010). Today, she is elected Pampanga Representative after turning over her presidency to our current president, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (Calonzo, 2010).
 During her 10-term presidency, several controversies and allegations arose which questioned Mrs. Arroyo integrity. Controversies such as the “Hello, Garci” scandal in 2005, which accused her of changing the outcome of the 2004 presidential elections, and the P728-million fertilizer fund scam where she was accused of using the said money originally meant to be distributed to poor farmers to fund her electoral campaign (Dedace & Sisante, 2010) continue to haunt her to this day. Added to the accusations of electoral sabotage and plunder, she was diagnosed with a bone disease called hypoparathyroidism which is an “endocrine disorder in which the parathyroid glands in the neck do not produce enough parathyroid hormones or PTH (Hypoparathyroidism, para. 1). In effect, GMA and her party decided that it would be best for her to be treated overseas. The Supreme Court allowed the fruition of this move, when a brave woman stood to fight for justice. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima fought to persuade the court of finalizing their impending decision. To cut things short, she was responsible for plundering GMA’s plans to fly overseas. Even the current president has agreed with de Lima, saying that if GMA needed further medical examinations, it would be advised to bring the experts to her than for her to come to them (Legaspi, 2011). This unanimous decision is a very wise one, cancelling any possibilities of several economic problems that may occur with the pardoning of her leave.
Before we celebrate the final decision of not allowing GMA to leave the country, let us first examine what would have happened if de Lima didn’t choose to meddle in the situation and the Supreme Court chose to stand firm in their decision. First of all, the continuous, and not to mention annoying, issues about GMA’s faltering welfare will finally end. During the peak of Gloria’s migration issues, so many other ailments seemed to have risen with her current medical status. Rumors of anorexia and the never-ending worsening of her health (Arroyo battles ‘anorexia’ as well as other diseases, 2011) continuously flowed in the media to show evidence of her need to immediately leave the country. The predicament worsened to the point of the president questioning the honesty and integrity of GMA’s doctors (Legaspi, 2011).  If the Supreme Court pardoned her pleas for foreign medical help, issues of her medical needs, whether true or false, will finally be resolved. So much time has been put into this, that other priorities were forgotten. There are more pressing matters that are much more important than to decide on letting a sick woman leave the country.
Added to this, GMA’s medical status would have improved, or even resolved, at a faster rate if she were granted permission to leave the country. Experts with more knowledge and experience are evident in other countries and advanced equipment that could help speed up her recovery is available overseas. If GMA were to leave the country and be medically treated overseas, there is a bigger possibility of her immediate return to the Philippines, granted that no complications occur in her health during her absence. This would mean that investigations of her alleged corruptions would continue smoothly and a final ultimatum can be made without taking too much time.
However, if GMA were to leave the country, we would be pardoning an indicted criminal to leave the jurisdiction of our country. A criminal is a criminal no matter what his or her social status may be. There should be no bias or special treatment to those who are high in authority. If she were to be given permission to leave the country, our justice system would show impartiality. This, in turn, will ultimately send a bad image of our country to the world, showing vulnerability and softness in our justice system. Our reputation as a nation will be greatly affected, while other countries may take advantage of our natural camaraderie. 
The most obvious, yet most devastating result of allowing Gloria to leave the country is the huge possibility of political asylum. Political asylum is “the right to seek shelter somewhere if one has reasonable fear of persecution” (What is Political Asylum?, para. 1). Once Gloria steps into another country, she will no longer be in our jurisdiction and is free to apply for political asylum. If she is able to support her application with credible facts, there could be a chance of its approval. In the situation that the application is passed, GMA will enjoy the citizenship of the country where she filed for political asylum and will escape the charges pressed upon her in the Philippines. In short, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s valiant act of opposition from the Supreme Court has saved our country from another staging of a politician who got away.
From this, you can obviously see that the Justice Secretary was on the right track all along. Clearly, the cons outweigh the pros. Because of her wise decision to oppose the Supreme Court, she has succeeded in choosing the best decision that would protect both the nation’s reputation, and its welfare. In the end of all the controversies, the indicted congresswoman is clarified to be under hospital arrest on November 18, 2011 (GMA UNDER HOSPITAL ARREST, para. 2). It is also reported that her health has improved and has recovered greatly during her arrest (Grande, 2011). In conclusion, proven by the outcome of her stay under hospital arrest, she did not need to result to leaving the country for health improvements. With the amount of money she holds, she can get all the help she needs here. This only shows that she may have ulterior motives all along. Whatever her true intentions were, the Philippine justice system has made the right decision of not allowing any of it into fruition.



REFERENCES
Arroyo battles 'anorexia' as well as other diseases, court cases - GMA News Online - The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere . (2011, November 22). GMANetwork.com - Online home of the Kapuso Network. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/239231/news/nation/arroyo-battles-anorexia-as-well-as-other-diseases-court-cases
Calonzo, D. (2010, June 30). Arroyo takes oath of office as Pampanga rep - GMA News Online - The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere . GMANetwork.com - Online home of the Kapuso Network. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/194848/news/nation/arroyo-takes-oath-of-office-as-pampanga-rep
Dedace, S., & Sisante, J. (2010, June 29). Davide chosen to lead investigation vs Arroyo - GMA News Online - The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere . GMANetwork.com - Online home of the Kapuso Network. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/194733/news/nation/davide-chosen-to-lead-investigation-vs-arroyo
Espina, B. (2010, August 9). Achievements of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Philippine Online Chronicles. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from www.thepoc.net/blogwatch-features/9287.html
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Macapagal-Arroyo
Grande, G. (2011, November 24). Arroyo's condition improving: PNP report. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 7, 2011, from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/11/24/11/arroyos-condition-improving-pnp-report
Legaspi, A. (2011, November 9). Aquino offers to bring in doctors for Gloria Arroyo - GMA News Online - The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere. GMANetwork.com - Online home of the Kapuso Network. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/237941/news/nation/aquino-offers-to-bring-in-doctors-for-gloria-arroyo
Legaspi, A. (2011, November 25). PNoy thanks Arroyo doctors 'for telling the truth' - GMA News Online - The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere. GMANetwork.com - Online home of the Kapuso Network. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/239638/news/nation/pnoy-thanks-arroyo-doctors-for-telling-the-truth
MRS GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO UNDER HOSPITAL ARREST . (n.d.). Breaking News, Current Events, Latest News and World Events at allvoices.com. Retrieved December 7, 2011, from http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/10903228-mrs-gloria-macapagal-arroyo-under-hospital-arrest
Strong Republic Nautical Highway - WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Main Page - WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Strong_Republic_Naut

"Living the Life"

Have you ever heard of the saying, “Life is short. Live it well?” duChemin (2010) once wrote that life really is short, but because of the many challenges in life, we seem to forget that, someday, our lives will end. In effect, we start to depend upon the fact that there is a guaranteed tomorrow and that we can do everything then. Leaving things unsaid, missing opportunities in life and not overcoming one’s fears are some of the things we do because we are so used to relying on the mindset of “there will always be time tomorrow.” But, what if your life ends tomorrow? What if you slept today, but do not wake up the next? Would you be able to declare, without any doubt, that you have lived every second of your life to the fullest?
In the movies, we always hear a character of the movie say, “I’m living the life” a staggering amount of money successfully or is living in a luxuriously, after overcoming numerous obstacles. Is this really what “living the life” is all about? To secure a large sum of money for spending in the future? To acquire material ownership over luxurious things? If this is the case, does this mean that less fortunate people are wasting every second of their lives, because they haven’t progressed from their social classes? What does it really mean to “live the life”?
Before I share what I believe is the true meaning of “living the life”, I just want to remind the readers that people have different opinions about life and how to spend it. It is not my aim to direct yours, nor is it to criticize your way of living. It is but my humble purpose to relay what I believe is true and just. I respect what others may feel towards the topic and do not uphold my opinion as dominant or superior over others.
To start things off, there is not one life that we have to pattern ours with. As the phrase may suggest, there is one and only one life that is worth living, which is “the life”. This life is usually filled with financial security or material possessions. There is nothing wrong with being successful in terms of money. In fact, students attend higher education to guarantee a life that is secured financially. It is the mindset of some that this life is the only one worth living, which in my opinion, is wrong. Some people may not have the riches, yet they still manage to start every day with a hearty smile, while some are stressing and struggling to maintain their “perfect” life. Therefore, we are entirely responsible for our own lives and what we make of it. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.”
To me, life is a gift from God. Every morning, the sun greets us, reminding us that God has given us a brand new day to live. Because of this, I believe that each day is precious and should be spent to the fullest. Carpe diem, which is Latin for “seize the day” is a popular phrase found in Horace’s Odes. (The Meanings and Origins of Sayings and Phrases, 2011) I believe that in everything, we should put our whole heart and effort. We should be enthusiastic and active, achieving the fulfilment of goals in the highest manner possible.
Research has revealed, based upon more than 40 scientific studies, that religious people live longer than nonbelievers because of the positive social support that they receive, therefore, relieving stress. (Millenium Magazine, 2008) Having a religion means following a specific set of rules that the religion demands for their followers. . As a Born-Again Christian, I believe that a life well spent, is a life immersed in God. A life where God is evident is a life that is continually blessed by Him.  In exchange, a Christian must integrate Godly virtues in his life and be willing to follow the Bible. Piercy (2005) once wrote, “Without God, life becomes purposeless.” God is the source of all blessings. Therefore, without Him in our lives, we cannot receive the support that He gives to those who love Him.
In conclusion, “living the life” means spending every second of one’s life, doing everything with God, and for God. As different as it may be to the beliefs of many, this is one’s opinion of achieving happiness and fulfillment in the life that a person is aiming to live. So spend life wisely. People only live once, but if we work it right, once is enough.



References

Be yourself, everyone else is taken (Oscar Wilde) - Literature Network Forums. (n.d.). The Literature Network: Online classic literature, poems, and quotes. Essays & Summaries. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41780
Carpe diem. (n.d.). The meanings and origins of sayings and phrases. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/carpe-diem.html
duChemin, D. (2010, November 16). Life Is Short. David duChemin: The Travel and Humanitarian Photography of David duChemin, Vancouver, Canada 604-209-5900. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.pixelatedimage.com/blog/2010/11/life-is-short/
Life Quotes and Sayings. (n.d.). Sayings and Quotes. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.coolnsmart.com/life_quotes/
Piercy, M. (2005, April 22). Life—a Gift from God - Answers in Genesis. Answers in Genesis - Creation, Evolution, Christian Apologetics . Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2005/04/22/life-a-gift
Religious People Live Longer than Non-believers. (2008, September 15). Millennium Magazine. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.newmillenniumnewsmag.com/magazine/featured-articles/religious-people-live-longer-than-nonbelievers/

Biyernes, Disyembre 9, 2011

The Advantages of owning a Desktop or a Laptop

The evolution of our technology today can be easily observed through the advancements that we've made in the past few years. Every year, computers transform into more convenient machines that help in our every day lives. It is the aim of this paragraph to show the differences and advantages of owning a desktop or a laptop. First of all, portability is the main advantage of a laptop. Laptops are made specifically for easier compatibility in any place. Desktops, however, are harder to bring around due to many components that are required for smooth usage. Laptops take advantage of the fact that all of the components required to run it are contained on one machine, Laptops, on the other hand, cannot contain as much files as a desktop would normally have. Unless provided an external hard drive, laptops are limited by its storage capabilities. In desktops, capacity for storage can not only thrive under its own capabilities, but can also be upgraded to hold more files. This brings us to upgrade possibilities. Desktops have the advantage of being easily upgraded. They also enjoy the advantage of being flexible in terms of upgrading, whereas, laptops are, most of the time, limited to their current capabilities. Since laptop components are designed to be small, yet able to do much work, and upgraded versions are hard to come by. As a result, the laptop only works to a certain capacity. In conclusion, there are many differences and advantages between the two types of computers. As time passes, technology is guaranteed to grow and develop. Soon, there would be laptops that have the same attributes as a desktop would have, or an even more portable version of a laptop. Nobody knows what the future will be, but the future is there for us to shape and mold. It is up to to set the pace and choose what we make out of our resources today.

Miyerkules, Nobyembre 9, 2011

The Rise in Popularity of Coffee Shops

These days, coffee shops are very popular. Anywhere you go, chances are, you'll be near a Starbucks or a Coffee Bean. Most of the time, they are packed with teenagers just hanging around, or people eating the food served there. As a result, coffee shops are earning so much everyday. It is my intention to find the secret behind their success.
Ambience is a very big contributing factor for the success of coffee shops. The relaxing aroma of coffee and desserts welcome every customer who catches a whiff of that enticing smell. In addition, relaxing and comforting music that soothes every tired customer. Also, customer service in coffee shops is considered a priority. Employees are very kind and are always happy to serve their customers. They are very polite and will never be caught frowning at anyone. Finally, coffee shops offer great food that tempt the senses of their customers. Although they mostly offer desserts, coffee shops provide a variety of options to their craving customers. Added to that, each plate of food is guaranteed to be sumptuous, satisfying anyone's starving stomach. In conclusion, coffee shops pose as a great "chill spot" to anyone. Complete with all the basic necessities of each customer, coffee shops are hotspots for relaxation, comfort, and a great place to hang around.

Agno

If you're a famished Lasallian student with a knack for sumptuous meals at cheap and affordable prices, Agno is the right place for you. From tasty rice bowls to cheesy and salty local chips, Agno has everything to satisfy every Lasallian's hunger. Located at the back of the College of Computer Studies' Gokongwei Building, Agno serves as one of the top dining places in De La Salle University. Although the ambiance may be somewhat dirty and musty, hundreds of Lasallians still visit Agno for the variety of food the place provides. Together with fast services and the tasty and satisfying food, food stalls at Agno enjoy a steady flow of starving Lasallians everyday. So the next time you feel hungry, and want to be satisfied with something delightful yet affordable, go to Agno and enjoy the "street food" experience.