Salamat.

Yellow Ribbons

Bang!

Yellow Fridays

“L” sign

Flowers

Kindness

Smiling faces

"Tearful joys and Joyful tears"

Prayers

Rosaries

Dancing in the streets

Bloodless Revolution

Freedom

Change

Proud and Happy People



We will never forget.

De do do do, De da da da...

How are you doing with your English skills practice? I do hope that you have tried the few things mentioned in the previous entries. I also hope that these have helped you in the ways it helped me, and I hope as well that you have found or discovered other ways on how you can improve your skills from these tips.

It may be hard to believe but I myself am no stranger to practice and checking my English skills. As I have mentioned before, I’ve been in the business of radio broadcasting for quite some time. Having had the chance to work with great mentors who have instilled the importance of practice and self-evaluation among other great values and principles, it is not uncommon to see me practicing my talk breaks and to critique myself through airchecks (recording your adlibs on a tape). In one of my airchecks, I noticed that I do not open my mouth big enough for me to clearly produce the sound of the words that I say. This resulted to my adlibs being a little inaudible and difficult to understand. In addition, my tape also showed that the tonal quality of my voice was the equivalent of my cooking – very flat. To describe it as boring would be a compliment.

Awareness is a good thing. Indeed, it is. So, with some major effort on my part, I was able to make a big change in my talk breaks with the help of two little things that I overlooked for some time. That is, to relax and to smile.

In our zest and eagerness to master a skill, or in our complacency for having learned one, sometimes we tend to forget these two factors that greatly influence our ability to perform a task. Sometimes, we get too hard on ourselves for not being able to match up to the set of standards we attempt to achieve. We belittle ourselves, we add pressure, we lose sight of the purpose. On the other hand, sometimes we feel that we have made it for having learned a skill and slowly, albeit unknowingly, we lose the passion to improve further and learn more. A false sense of achievement takes over us clouding our thinking; complacency and disregard displaces the passion to learn.

Take a few steps back. Introspect.

Relax.

Smile.

The law of attraction says that we are what we think we are. When we focus our sights on something, we must never let the negativity hinder us from achieving our goal. Think that you can do it, and you can. Think that you cannot do it, and you never will. Challenges will always show up along the way to success. Do you remember how many times you fell when you were a baby learning to walk?

Relax.

Smile.

Random Thoughts.

My country is nearing another election. I’d like to think of this exercise of ones’ freedom to choose as the ultimate manifestation of the saying: “A pen is mightier than the sword”. At least until the computerization of elections is finally realized.

“A pen is mightier than the sword”. This is how our national hero, Jose Rizal, fought his war against Spain. But you have to understand that this happened in the late 1800’s, which is, according to my 10 year old son, before “Ice Age”

Speaking of pen, does anyone remember those days when you had to practice your handwriting everyday just so it would be pleasantly readable as you grow up? How do you feel about that now? I never heard of anybody saying something bad or good about my penmanship or somebody else’s these days.
Oh, my mistake. My apologies to any doctor reading this…

People don’t write letters now, they email. They don’t say “hi”, they just send a waving emoticon, or a smiley. Do you think those endless hours of writing practice were…?
a. a waste of time
b. a waste of energy
c. a waste of money
d. our noble contribution to global warming

I was having a conversation the other night with a friend I haven’t seen since college and we were talking about this and that and lots of other stuff and he invited me to get into farming with him particularly onions. Now, that’s something that could really help my finances especially in these times of economic downswing. So, I told him to give me time to get my finances right and then we’ll dive right into the business. Then, he gives me this “what are you talking about” look. So, feeling the awkwardness of the moment, I stopped talking and asked him what is wrong. Then he asked me, “Haven't you heard about Facebook?”

I don’t understand Social Networking Sites. I admit I have two: a Friendster account and a Facebook account(and I didn't know about Farmville). When these things started, it was a good way to reconnect and catch up with friends regardless of distance. Also, I never really liked the taste of stamps so I was cool with online networking. But now, social networking sites have gone crazy: anybody can be a willing victim for a stalker; you can be friends with someone you have completely no idea about; people don’t introduce people now, they are either suggested, recommended, or added; if you don’t like someone, press delete. People don’t express their thoughts in poetry, or in a poetic manner, a shout out could take care of that; people “poke” without actually poking another; people get a “high five” without having to slap skin with one another. It’s just crazy these social networking sites. Virtual insanity it is, indeed.

It’s been 40 years since man first landed on the moon. In the words of Neil Armstrong, “One small step for a man, one big step for mankind”. We have been making big steps and huge miss-steps as well. Maybe it’s time for us to go back to taking small steps. I do understand that this may be quite difficult for Shaq and Yao-Ming.

KISS... anyone?

One of the methods that is very helpful in improving one’s English is having a conversation with one’s self. It sure sounds crazy but I know quite a few who do it for the same reason as I do and for the reason that will keep ones sanity in place. Keeping one’s sanity in place is another story for another blog so let’s talk about the former. If you remember the “mirror, mirror on the wall” entry, we talked about standing in front of the mirror to check how small or wide your mouth opens when words come out of it (if this is your first time to read my blog, please scroll down and give it a check). Let’s apply that idea to having a conversation with ones’ self. Just like before, please make sure that your door is locked and that you are completely alone in the comfort of your room.

This is actually rather simple. Just stand in front the mirror, pretend that your reflection is another real person, and just speak your mind. Talk about how your day went, or the dream you had while you were asleep (some of us daydream, remember?), or how you like your coffee, or what is making you look forward to the weekend; talk about the news and how you feel about it; just about anything that comes up to mind you just have to blurt it out. Make hand gestures, make faces, move your body, as if you were speaking to a friend. Now, as you do this activity, be aware of your intonation, your sentence pattern, your choice of words, and even the non-verbal aspects of your communication skill.

Give this activity a try. I suggest you make this activity part of your day. When you comb your hair or fix yourself in front of the mirror, use these opportunities and other similar chances to do this activity. Believe it or not, I’ve done this outside of my room – but that’s perhaps I’m a bit of a lunatic. Kidding aside, some people sing in the bathroom, or use their cellphone while preparing dinner; others read a book, or listen to music from their Ipod, or play a video game while on the train or in a taxi. We don't assume or even think that there's something wrong with them. If they can do these things outside of their homes, then to practice or to improve our communication skills in the same places must not be too bad to do? Nevertheless, whereever or whenever you do this exercise, do not despair if, in every attempt you make especially on your first try, things don’t go as well as you hope it to be. So they say, “No pain, no gain”. Do this exercise every chance you get and before you know it you'll become comfortable doing the exercise which, consequently, will make you more aware of both the good and the not so good areas of your communication skills. Being able to identify these aspects of your skills is, without a doubt, a good thing. Relentless practice is the key to improvement and mastery.

A few days ago, thanks to YouTube and to my mentor in radio, I was reminded of the reasons I got into broadcasting. It made me realize how important it is for you and me to fix our eyes on the prize, to keep our purpose in mind, and to always check and practice the basics of whatever it is that we put our hearts into.

I am privileged to be given the chance to be in broadcasting. How I wish you’d have a chance to experience it too. Whether that chance will present itself to you or not, allow me to tell you that you and I are in the same boat – we communicate to promote understanding. In order to achieve this, we are to continue to learn, to explore, and to practice our faculty of the language we use. There are many tips out there on how we can become better communicators and all of them may offer a lot of help but let's not forget the basics. We can never go wrong with the basics. Anybody remember KISS?

This is one communication principle that is always bounced to us in radio:

KISS – Keep It Short & Simple.

KISS English everyday, every chance you get.

Stealing an expression from the soundtrack of the Hollywood flick “Slumdog Millionaire”, Jai Ho! May victory be yours my friend!

Where the Day Takes You

How time flies? I didn’t realize until this morning that it has been 11 days since my last blog entry. I guess I have to make it up to you in some ways, perhaps by getting two entries for this week.

So what kept me away from writing, you might ask. Two words – “writers block”. You may have heard of “mental block”, the condition where at one point our brain seems to stop working at a time when we want it to work. It seems like something is blocking your brain from performing its job, thus the term “mental block”. A writer’s block is very much the same. This is the term we use in radio when we experience an absence of words we are to supposedly put on paper to come up with a commercial script for a certain product. There is an idea floating in the brain but for some strange reason, it just seems very challenging to put it into words. Perhaps you’ve experienced this as well in the past. But wait, I’m not really a professional writer. I’m doing this blog to develop and to learn more skills in writing. Hmmm…perhaps it was not writer’s block. Maybe it’s a clear sign…A sign that says in Big Bold Letters: MORE PRACTICE!

Definitely, I must!

Speaking of practice here’s a little bit of revelation: I have been spending some time trying to learn how to rollerblade. Alright, I admit, I’m scared of putting those contraptions on. Imagine the look on my children’s faces whenever I attempt to make a stride with those wheels under my feet. I could clearly see their “oh my goodness I hope he knows what he’s doing” look on each of their faces. Yet, on the other hand, I, on those rollerblades, appear to be an amusing sight for them. Thankfully I have not fallen, lost my balance, or broke any bones (yet!). I cannot exactly recall what made me scared of roller skates or rollerblades before. What I know now is that it is fun and I am not good at it, but I can do it well enough to experience the joy of being mobile as if I were defying some laws of gravity. I do plan to continue learning how to rollerblade and try my best not injure myself in the process. Wish me luck.

Learning something new always puts us out of our comfort zone. But with a will strong enough to wither whatever opposing force comes our way, anything is within reach. The path may be long and winding but just like any path it will always lead to a desired destination. Most importantly, never cut corners. There is no shortcut to learning.

One advice I learned about how to stay away from writer’s block is to just write something. Whatever idea we may have must be put on paper to get us going on the next time we will have the time to continue the job. Just write it.

I remember, not too long ago, that…

Thanks for giving this teeny-weeny, tiny-little-small space in cyberspace a check. You could have been elsewhere but you’re here.

Remember:

Time flies so fast...


especially when you are asleep.

Mirror, mirror, on the Wall...

This may be a bit uncomfortable. Yet, I tell you, from my experience and from the experience of my mates in radio, it is worth doing. What we are about to do, and with awareness and regular practice, is a sure shot way of improving our communication skills. It may sound very basic, and indeed it is, but quite a few of us forego the basics in our haste to achieve a certain goal forgetting what an old proverb says: “Haste is Waste”.

So, if your pen and paper are ready, and your mirror too, then let’s begin.

Reminder: I highly recommend that you do this in private. Doing this exercise in public will not only bring you some amount of embarrassment, it will also make people think that you will have to be sent to a hospital, or worse, to a mental institution. So don’t tell me that I did not warn you.

Preparation
1. Set yourself up in a comfortable standing position in front of your mirror.

2. Make sure that you see yourself well, especially your mouth, in the mirror.

3. Breathe.

4. Relax your mouth and your tongue.

5. Make sure that the door to your room is locked. Better be sure about this one.

6. Say this sentence three times: “Act enthusiastically and you will be enthusiastic!”


Now you must be ready for the next step. Here it is:

1. Say the sounds of these vowels “A-E-I-O-U” repeatedly.
Start off very slowly and softly, and gradually increase the speed and the volume as you finish each set.

2. Watch yourself in the mirror as you do the above exercise.
Watch your mouth. See if your mouth opens enough to enable you to pronounce the vowels clearly.

3. Make a little effort to open your mouth more as you say the vowels.
Notice how easier it is to pronounce the vowels and to make the sound of each vowel.

4. Open your mouth even more when as you repeat saying the vowels.
Notice how your tongue and your lips are able to have more movement.
Notice how easier it is to use both to make the proper sound of each vowel with complete clarity

5. After numerous times of saying the vowels following the number 4 step, stop. Give your tongue and your mouth a little rest.

6. Now, after a couple of minutes rest, let’s do the same exercise again.
This time, let’s put a consonant before each vowel.
Example: Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu
Ca, Ce (Ke), Ci (Ki), Co, Cu

Remember: Give your tongue and your lips enough room to move by opening your mouth wide. Doing so will result to a clear and better pronunciation.

7. Do the above exercise until all consonants in the English alphabet are used.

8. Take a rest

9. Walk around in your room for about 3 – 5 minutes.
Relieve whatever tensions you may have.

10. When you’re ready, go back in front of the mirror.

11. Prepare (check Preparation)

12. Now, let’s do the same exercise but let’s use some basic expressions.
Example:
Hi! My name is…
Nice to meet you!
How are you today?

You may use other expressions, phrases, or sentences depending on your skill level.


13. Always remember:
Your mouth should be wide open everytime you say each expression.

14. Go on as long as you can. Stop when you feel you’ve done enough.


Clarity is a very important part of communication. Being able to exercise clarity especially in pronunciation makes it easy for your listener and for you to understand each other, and to be certain that you are following the same topic.

The exercise presented above, when done regularly, is a helpful tool in checking your pronunciation. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. Never get tired of practice for enough is not enough.

The good thing about this exercise is that you can apply this immediately in your next conversation with a friend, a co-worker, a teacher, or anybody you’ll have a chance to talk with. The next time you say “Hello!”, “Good morning!”, or “How are you today?” , remember: OPEN YOUR MOUTH.

Promote Understanding – that’s what happens when we speak. It is the underlying purpose of each of us whenever an opportunity to engage in a conversation, or simply to just speak, presents itself.

Thank you for checking back. As always I dearly hope that this provides you, my friend, with useful learning. Remember, learning is an everyday event. Or, as the late Michael Jackson said in one of his hits,

“Keep on with the force. Don’t stop ‘til you get enough”.

Mata ne!

My Favorite Vegetable

The reason why I’m on radio is because I don’t look good on television.

No, I am not going to blabber about the good quality, or the lack thereof, of my genes.

Yes, I am about to tell you about my other profession…my other passion…which, believe it or don’t, is largely responsible for equipping me with the skills and the discipline which I needed to be good in teaching, learning, and most importantly in communicating.

I discovered radio on one sunny April afternoon while on store duty at my elder sisters’ “sari-sari”store. It was just like any other day at the store – my mind was elsewhere. Then, the radio dj said something that I couldn’t recall now but which I thought was simply funny. Or perhaps it was too corny which made me say to myself, “I could do that! I could make people laugh and I can be funnier than that dj”.

Of course, as you may have read in one of my previous entries, that wasn’t the case at all.

I was in radio for the wrong reasons. Worst of all, I was inadequately equipped in the area of communication skills. Fortunately, my being a beginner made me open to growth, however painful and embarrassing it was. Looking back, I believe that was the only good part of my adventure to the world of fm radio. If it were not for that open attitude to learning, I may not have had this opportunity that I so enjoy doing now.

Radio has four functions – to inform, educate, persuade, and to entertain. These functions are very much like our purpose when we communicate to another person. In our daily exchanges with others, we always perform one of these four functions of radio, if not all of it. So, if you think about it, each of us is a radio set within ourselves. There is always that natural feeling to reach out to others thru phone conversations, water cooler talks at the office, a small talk with a salesperson, meeting with co-workers, and the list of opportunities to communicate goes on. The only thing that makes us different from one another is our skill in being able to communicate our thoughts and feelings. Some of us may be able to express thoughts simply and correctly, or in a complicated manner; while others may not do so well.

There is a popular proverb in radio that says, “What a good communicator can say in 10 words, a better communicator can express in 6 words. What a better communicator can say in 6 words, a great communicator may say in 4”. You and I may possess either great communication skills, or perhaps better. Or it could be entirely the opposite – you and I may be struggling with our communication skills; a complete beginner; a trying-hard learner. In either ends of the spectrum, the “I don’t want to go on” trap is always present. Never fall to that trap. Keep your motivation to learn and your faith in yourself up. On my first radio program I shared this proverb which I got from a poster in my brothers’ room. It said, “When life gives you a wave, ride it to the end”. I didn’t know then that I would greatly benefit from that message.


The four functions of radio can be summed up in two words.

But I’d like to give you the chance to figure it out yourself… at least until my next entry is up.

One doesn’t have to be a radio guy (or girl) to become better in communicating in English. Yet, there are a lot of things that you and I can learn from communicators, from radio or any other mass media, that will surely help us out in attaining better communication skills. On this note, let me just tell you to have your pen and paper ready for some note taking on my next entry. If I may add, prepare a mirror too. The size doesn’t matter. Let’s do something fun.

The wave of learning never stops. It’s all up to you to give up enjoying the wave, or to ride it out while doing a handstand.

My genes are great, a gift from my parents.

My spelling, on the other hand, is not.

“Brocolli” – that’s the reason why I’m on radio and not on tv.