The Lakers are back in the playoffs! =)

My favorite basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers, are back in the playoffs! :)

Man, I'm so excited to watch! =) They missed the playoffs last year, for the first time in over a decade, and that really didn't sit well with me. Now that they're back I'm eagerly anticipating each game, and which watch it on TV whenever possible.

=)

The Lakers are baaaaaaaaaaaackkkkkkkkkkk!!!!

Crash - The Movie

I saw it this past week, and I must say that it is a deserving Oscar-winner for Best Picture. I had seen Brokeback Mountain before Crash, and had thought, then, that it was a shoo-in for the award, but after watching Crash I must say that the Academy got it right.

Exceptional acting from everyone concerned. I have always been a fan of Don Cheadle's work, but so many others turned in stellar performances as well, most notably Matt Dillon, who was spectacular in his role as a morally-ambiguous, racist cop. Great, great stuff.

I love this movie. I'll be watching it again next week. It's that good. :)

Free for a while... ;)

I'm done with teaching till the end of the month, with the exception of one Saturday class. :) I can honestly say that I'm happy... :)

Now I'll take the time to try to tour Seoul and see all the wonders this city has to offer... or find out the horrible truth that there aren't any. =) Either way, I'll not have to wear a suit while doing it.

Ah... rest is bliss. :)

My first set of student evaluations

Wow. :) I'm still grinning ear-to-ear. I am so gratified that the students I teach seem to appreciate the effort I am giving in class.

Here are all the evaluations, in their entirety, including the negative ones. I have left no word out.

* * * * *
I hope I can get rid of those nerves I feel before giving a speech throughout this class! Can't wait :)

Sometimes, you teach us something vague. Please explain it in detail.

Hello~ Peejay~ I was very impressed by your first class The class as a whole was like a fantastic speech!! It motivated me to have confident in public speeking although I'm so bad in it.. Like many other students, I think your class is the most humorous and enjoyable class than the other GLP classes.. And, also, you are always well-prepared for the class since you come into classroom few minutes earlier and write what we will gonna learn today on the blackboard; that is the other thing that impresses me.. Although this is not a suggestion, I just wanted to tell you what I think about your class :) BYE~

Buenos Dias! I really love your class! It is really amazing, largely because of your sense of humor. When you say "for example", I am always ready to laugh!!! Well, my parents always say that I was really brave in speeches as a child that I always showed up in shows instead of my sunbaes! But I don't know that I am still brave... I was really shy in my elementary and middle school years, but this is being corrected as I entered DFLHS. Help me constantly!

His class is just amazing. I've never seen class like it before. Mr. Garcia's class is full of passion. Even though I had him for shor period of time, I feel like I already perceived and learned many lessons in Speech and Debate by Mr. Garcia. I am looking forward to have him class in future and I can't even wait. He has just great talents of making students concentrate and his talking is really grabbing our attetion fully.

You are very funny guy.

I like your class because you show a lot of passion everytime you come in. Sometimes, however, you lose your point and seem to focus more on making us laugh. I hope we will finish the theoritical(?) class contents quickly and have a lot of debates. Just to let you know, I like persuasive speeches more than informative speeches, and I prefer debates to persuasive speeches!

NO suggestion Perfect Perfect Perfect. Thank for being my teacher

I feel grateful for taking Speech and Debate class with YOU. What you said in class is still in my memory, and the whole class period is really exciting!

Please don't change anything; your current method is great!

MR GARCIA ~~~!!! I LOVE YOUR CLASSES !!! Your classes are never boring and I especially like how you tell us the examples hehe

Can't we do in class debate????

Hello Mr.Garcia, I just wanted to suggest letting the students mention their thoughts about their peers speeches. Not something like an evaluation sheet, but just saying it to them. Thank you.

I enjoy your class, and I am content with it. Your class is both fun and informative. I can't think of any suggestions to your class, since I am so content with it.

Thank you for teaching us.

Mr. Garcia helps us enjoy the class.

Great class, I wish that this syllabus would be kept on forward.

You are the best speech teacher I ever had!

Your class is really interesting! I think it would be really great, if you can give us more details and information about how to make a good speech.

GREAT

I like how you teach us but since it is Speech and Debate class, I want to have more speech experiences. Giving speech only twice is so little.

I reaaaally love your class, and I was moved when I listened to your speeches. Although I cannot deliver good speeches, I am looking forward to delivering speeches and having debates. I strongly believe and wish to learn a lot from your classes. Thank you.

Mr Garcia, To tell the truth, I have not found a single aspect of your classes that is not satisfying. Your knowledge on the subject is irrefutably well-organized, and your deliverance is straightforward. One minor suggestion to mention: It would be fun to use leftover time to conduct impromptu speeches and debates. From my personal experience, I was able to see that some "pressure" affected students quickly and effectively. In this way, I am sure you will be able to give more A's than what you expect.

Hello, Mr. PJ? I love your class~!! It is so interesting and funny(?)! I wonder why we only have your class once a week.......

I think you're fun. I enjoy your classes. Teach us how to give a perfect speech specifically.

Hi Mr. Garcia~ I'm one of your students. I like very much your class. Your teaching is very easy to understand and interesting. I, however, think this class will be better if we have more chance to conversate with each other, because I think Speech & Debate class is the class to improve our speaking ability.

I feel so lucky to be in your class!! However, I want to make a suggestion; can you change the formats of class periodically? I know it can be hard for you, and answering the question is a very creative and good format, but if we keep working on one format, we could get a little bored. If you change formats of class periodically, it would be so great!

Your explanations are great! I love your classes

Too many homework and quiz

* * * * *

That last one was funny, because I don't give quizzes. ;) Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with the results. :) Wow. THIS is why I teach!

Take the road of least regrets

In life, we are faced with many roads to take.

I believe we should always take that which would lead us to the least regrets, regardless of how painful it might be to walk through.

New study finds 60% of the people handling food in the Philippines have worms

Check out this link: http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=2&story_id=71954

Are you kidding me???

60%???

Damn.

I mean, I don't really need a reason not to eat in a Philippine restaurant, as my years abroad have spoiled me and I currently don't settle for anything but sanitary food, but... damn. 60%???

I have had my share of upset stomachs eating in the Philippines. This only confirms why.

The sign of the times...

Hell must have truly frozen over.

First, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand says he will step down. Then, a movie producer is offering Paris Hilton the role of Mother Teresa in a new movie.

Words fail me...

I'm still waiting on whether Thaksin really means what he says, and what, if any, political machinations he may have put into place. As for Paris Hilton, I think the Heavens would open up and... (this is a family-friendly blog, so the rest shall remain unwritten).

Paris = Mother Teresa???

The lost weekend...

Saturday

Woke up at 6:30 am. Worked throoughout the day. Got home at 2:30 am the following day.

Sunday

Got home at 2:30 am. Slept for a bit. Woke up at 6:30 am. Worked throughout the day (still ongoing)... may be back by Monday morning.

* * * * * UPDATE * * * * *

Got back to my place at 10 AM on Monday morning, after working all night. Wow. That's got to be some new record.

* * * * *


Guess that was a bit of a wasted weekend. :)

When I born, I Black

Got this from a friend online. I don't know the original author, so I can't credit him/her, but if anyone does know, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to include the credit here.

* * * * *

When I born, I Black,
When I grow up, I Black,
When I go in Sun, I Black,
When I scared, I Black,
When I sick, I Black,
And when I die,
I still black..

And you White fella,
When you born, you Pink,
When you grow up, you White,
When you go in Sun, you Red,
When you cold, you Blue,
When you scared, you Yellow,
When you sick, you Green,
And when you die, you Gray..
And you calling me Colored ??

How many times would you be willing to get hurt before you start quitting on a dream?

How many times would you be willing to get hurt before you start quitting on a dream?

If you keep hoping for something good to happen, and you keep on giving yourself up, and opening yourself up to hurt, and you never seem to get what you want... is it time to stop wanting it?

All my life I've been taught the value of perseverance, but my experiences have also taught me the prudence of pragmatism. When is something so impractical it becomes harmful to keep wanting it? And when is something just another dream away from happening, in spite of all the hardships and difficulties you've already had to go through to continue dreaming it?

I guess this is what will ultimately determine how much you really want something. If you keep on bleeding for it, no matter how many times you've been disappointed, then I guess you must REALLY want it. Whether you're ever going to get it, though, is another matter entirely.

But I supposed there are worse things in life than dying with unfulfilled dreams. After all, if we always got what we wished for, were we ever wishing hard enough in the first place?

Points to ponder, surely...

Is happiness a reaction or a choice?

Is happiness a reaction to the things we experience in life, or a choice we make internally to deal with what we find in life?

Something to ponder on a cold spring day...

Cool time in class today ;)

I did something interesting in class today. :)

I was explaining the concept of "facial expressions" and why they were so important in public speaking, and on the spur-of-the-moment I decided to try a new thing. I asked my class to give me 5 different emotions (they gave, in order, "happy, angry, frustrated, sad and confused"), and then I asked them to give me a topic (they gave "Iraq").

I then immediately launched into a speech on Iraq, using all of the emotions IN ORDER, and even using George W. Bush's voice. ;) It was way cool. I had so much fun doing it, and the class loved it. They were clapping by the end of class. =)

I love these random moments in teaching. They give me a feeling of purpose. You get to discover these small moments of joy each day if you really just look hard enough. ;)

The scale is tilted only one way

I can't wait to get to Thailand. I intend to get at least two massages a day... I kid you not. :)

I just wonder whether, when I get back, I'm going to regret leaving it in the first place. My life is so different now... I work much harder, earn much more, but get to do fewer things for myself. It's the classic dilemma of having to choose between earning more money or having a more relaxing life. I realize that striking a healthy balance is probably what I should be striving for, but right now the scale is most definitely tilted only one way...

Who is the dumbest person you know?

Just felt like asking a random question today. :)

Relativity

It's interesting to note just how expensive things in Korea can be, and yet how oblivious people in Korea are to just HOW expensive they are relative to the rest of the world. For instance, the first time I bought rice at the grocery, I went for a nice-looking 3 kilogram bag... only to find out later that it cost US$18! Are you kidding me? I paid 18 bucks for 3 kilos of rice?

Just to put that in perspective, in Philippine pesos that would be over 900 pesos for 3 kilos. Wow. I'm not exactly sure how much rice in Manila is now, but I'm pretty sure it hasn't yet hit 100 pesos per kilo. Not even close. After all, the minimum wage is only slightly above 200 pesos per day.

This is why people from rich, developed nations often consider products/prices in developing nations to be so cheap.

But if you think a bit deeper, you may also realize just how little effort has to be expended to make the world a better place. After all, if you throw away 500 Korean won (20 Thai baht) on a small ice cream snack one day, then why not help feed a poor kid in a developing nation? 20 baht can buy you quite a meal in Thailand, especially in the countryside (where I once had a good meal for 10 baht). Think about it. Half an ice cream bar = one full meal for a hungry child.

I don't know if it's my Catholic upbringing (with the whole "guilt" factor and this uber-emphasis on charity), but I guess a part of me always wants to give back something to someone else who is more in need. And the fortunate thing about my current circumstances is I can now afford to be even more helpful. When I visit the Philippines again this year, I think I shall find a nice little charity to help out. All I have to do is give up eating ice cream for a year, and assuming I would have eaten one ice cream bar a week, I would have as much as 1,300 pesos (500 Korean won = 25 pesos). When I get back, however, I will have much more to give.

Just these little sacrifices can go a long, long way for a poor child in need. My father was a scholar when he was young, and if it wasn't for the kind-heartedness of donors, he would never have had the opportunity to go to school and make a good life for himself and his family. Now he's doing very, very well, which is why he always finds the time to give back. He was once really poor, and now he's really successful. That's why he can afford to give, and that's why he does. I'm just trying to follow in his footsteps.

It's all relative, after all. No pun intended.

Visas and vistas

I am finally getting all my visa/work issues sorted out, and should leave Korea sometime next week (we need to pick up work visas outside the country). I am thinking of heading to Bangkok to see some old friends and pick up some stuff that I'd left behind.

It should be interesting seeing Thailand from a different perspective. The last time I was there, I was so immersed in everything (daily life, work in Thammasat, etc.) that I didn't really get to "see" the country and appreciate the natural beauty Thailand had to offer. I am intending to maybe visit a beach this time, or at least get to see some sights I never really had the gumption to visit while I was living there.

I guess that's how all of us act sometimes: it's easier to appreciate culture when you're not really immersed in it... otherwise it's not really a separate entity ("culture") but rather a basic part of everyday life.

Nothing to crow about. We see it everyday. Why would we need to visit that place?

The trip should be interesting. :)

How long can a body go on before breaking down?

Just wondering. :)

I'm just a bit tired. I already talked about how much work I'm doing in my previous post. That's a lot of work to worry about, and I'm not exactly as fit as I used to be.

I can't really complain, though, as I'm doing something I love. I just worry about those times when I may get sick. But I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I knew I would miss Thailand... but now that my body is truly aching for a massage (Healthland... where art thou?), I REALLY miss Thailand. :) Cheapest and best massages on earth.

Sigh. :)

I'll be visiting again soon... to get my Korean work visa (I have to get it outside Korea). I swear I will get as many massages as my body can legitimately handle. :) Maybe 3 a day?

Hmmmmm....

Settling in...

I'm feeling like I'm finally settled in here in Seoul. I have a nice apartment, two good jobs, a nice bunch of kids to train for the national team, and I even got measured for two new, nice suits today. :) Life isn't bad.

My only disappointment of the day came when I went to this university to help train the debate team. Only 4 people showed up, and while I appreciate their dedication, I felt a bit let down that the others didn't bother to turn up. Oh, well. It's always hard to motivate people to give up time for debate, but considering I was going all the way to their university, I thought that perhaps some of them might at least find it convenient to come. :)

In any event, I still had a good time today. Thanks to Ah Young, Ji, Reela and Youna for being around. :) The Thai dinner we (minus Youna) all had may not have been authentic Thai food, but the friendship and friendly times definitely were.

It also snowed a bit on the way home. Just some drifting snowflakes slowly wafting towards the earth. I felt kinda cool walking home in all of that. :)

Like I said. Life is good.

Funny Bush video... ;)

Just to lighten the mood a bit... :)

http://www.badmash.org/videos/videos_flv.php?v=drunk-bush512K_Stream.flv&t=Drunk%20Bush%20II

Watch it. It's hilarious. ;)

Contract signing

Signed my first Korean job contract yesterday with what is arguably the best foreign language high school in Korea. I'm looking forward to working with the students, especially those with the debate team.

Things are starting to get more stable over here, and apart from the occasional blistering-cold days (-8 today), I suppose I'm settling down into a nice flow. My only problem is that I'm so in-demand as a trainer/coach that I'm doing work 7 days a week. I think I'm going to have to start turning down jobs pretty soon, if only to maintain whatever semblance of health I have left.

I'm grateful to all my friends in Korea, those whom I knew before I arrived, and those whom I have only recently met. :) It's always nice to know that there are friendly, decent people wherever you live. It's because of these people that I'm learning to bear my days as a single guy in Seoul.

Later, y'all.