Miah Learns to Write

Photo by Dom Fou on Unsplash I have been curious about the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6. I'm not exactly sure who these are, but there are some scholars who suggest that these were the children of fallen angels and humans. That is one of the theories being put forth. It's possible though I can't understand how that could have happened. Nonetheless, the Bible speaks of these giants as men of renown and heroes of old. Which got me thinking that perhaps they were the references for epic myths like the story of Gilgamesh or the Greek demigods and heroes. Another explanation that I thought would be more reasonable and less on the fantastical side is that these were just extraordinary humans. They probably demonstrated feats that no mere human could have done back in those days. So, people inflated their reputation and told stories about their exploits, just as how actual myths start. However, that doesn't explain the passage that says that the sons of God got together wit...

From Center for Media Freedom & Responsibility I was born in 1997, 11 years after the ousting of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. I have no idea about the events during that time. I only hear stories on television, from my family members, and from teachers at school. I don't remember reading much about it on textbooks either, so as a member of the next generation, I was completely in the dark, and I still am. As far as society is concerned, that time was the darkest period in Philippine history. Though now, I don't exactly know by what measures they conclude that to be the case, because I consider the 300 years of colonization to be the darkest era of Philippine history, but I digress. There is so much that we don't exactly know about that time. It's as though it's shrouded in mystery, and will forever be buried in the dark because nobody who was in control during that time, or who knew what was going on, wants to divulge the inner machinations o...

Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash Humans are funny. I'm not talking about that in a comedic sense, although there's that dimension to us. What I mean is, we're odd and paradoxical at times. We're a conundrum. In a previous article , I mentioned that we're afraid of being vulnerable with others because we don't want them to find that deep down in our core, we're an empty shell. Now, I don't think that's exactly the reason. I think what we fear more than being seen as an empty shell, is being seen as unlovable or wretched. We have this deep-seated need to be accepted and loved, right? To have somebody else see the despicable parts of ourselves defeats the purpose of trying to paint ourselves to be lovable or good. That's why we try to be good to others, isn't it? Initially, I mean, and I don't really want to get into the religious aspects of these questions yet. Essentially, human beings are selfish by nature, and there are some people w...

Photo by Moon Bhuyan on Unsplash Being vulnerable takes a lot of courage. We fear being judged, or being hurt when we take off all the embellishments in our life, and everything is laid bare. We fear that once we remove all of the pretense we show other people in order for them to like us, or at the very least, to not be offended, nothing will be left but an empty shell. It's a difficult thing, to open ourselves to others. But life as humans living in a society, we find won't be as fulfilling if it were to be lived in solitary confinement, not in the legal sense of the term, but in a metaphorical sense. If we live secluded from the world, like a hermit, I don't think we'll be able to enjoy life as it was meant to be lived. Because humans seek companionship. We seek community and connections with others. That's just how we were designed. No matter how much we try to hide or bury the feeling of loneliness or longing, if we are truly honest with ourselves, we'd muc...

Photo by Viva Luna Studios on Unsplash Taking care of our skin is a lot more complicated than I previously thought. I learned that the things that we apply on our skin can do great wonders on its health. We need to be proactive in taking care of our skin which goes beyond simply washing it with water and soap. In fact, it might be more detrimental to use bar soaps or any kind of soap that would irritate the skin. But anyway, there are a few things that we need to do to take care of our skin. So, here's my 7-step skin care routine: Core: Cleanse - Exfoliate - Moisturize There are three parts that are essential to taking care of your skin. If you have searched online, you might have seen varying versions of people's skin care routine. Others would have fewer steps, while some will have more. Generally, you can have a minimum of three steps. These are cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing. The purpose of each is simple and pretty self-explanatory. You cleanse your face to get r...

Anime and manga have their fair share of fans and critics. Critics would often cite the animation as the main gripe for many anime. For manga, it's usually the writing. Either way, an anime or manga which started out really well can come under heavy fire from everyone in the community if the ending turns out bad. For me, I can usually let things slide, but for these five anime and manga, I just couldn't come to terms with how their stories ended. 1. Darling in the Franxx I believe it was 2018 when this anime first came out. My friend had suggested that I watch it because of all the hype it was receiving, and I initially liked the premise of the story. Everything was going pretty well, although there were moments where it felt like the story was dragging, and that the progression was stunted, but overall for the first half, it seemed like a decent story. Things became a lot muddier from episode 11 or 12 onwards, because apparently, the story took a very sharp turn from its initi...

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash There have been a lot of discussions about the legality of capital punishment and whether it is even a humane way of administering penal justice. In the Philippines, it's a hotly debated topic especially during the former Pres. Duterte's term because he was a stalwart proponent of it. Apparently, the current Philippine Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is undecided on whether to reimpose the death penalty in the Philippines, because he believes that it's not an effective method to curb crime rate in the country. I think there are merits to implementing the death penalty in a country, but I also think there are certain dangers around it. I think the state should implement the death penalty, but they must strictly abide by guidelines on which cases where the death penalty should be considered. For example, serial killers or serial rapists need to be put to death. And the state has the authority to do that. I believe there is a precedent fo...

Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash There is this very popular saying in Christian communities which goes, "Love the sinner, hate the sin." And I think it carries with it a bit of a confused notion about the nature of God, and how Christians are supposed to deal with the world. First of all, obviously we have been commanded to love God above all things with all our mind, soul, heart, and strength. Then, we should love our neighbors as ourselves. We should take pains to resist sin and temptation because for Christians, we have already been freed from it, so it makes no sense to willfully go back to the bondage of sin. So, that's the meaning of the statement in a nutshell, but there are some nuances to it. I believe this statement has mostly been used in the context of how Christians should deal with members of the LGBT community, and it tried to tackle the issue of how we should evangelize to them. Because society has deemed it hateful to tell people who have homosexual ...

Photo by Nick Chong on Unsplash About six years ago, I took a course on investments and stock trading which was fun for some parts but really complicated for the rest. However, we had this group activity that became part of our project in a way in which we went on this virtual trading platform and invested money on stocks. My friends and I were quite stressed because we didn't really understand the principles that well, so we lost some money at first, and then later on, one of my friends discovered a means of getting quick profits on short trades, so we ended up winning the virtual trading game. And here are some of the lessons and insights I learned from that time: 1. Don't get too obsessed on a particular path, be flexible and move on If you think that you are on the wrong path, no matter how much costs or losses you have incurred, do not prolong the torment. Get out of that sticky situation while you still can and simply try to recover what you have lost by making the right,...

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash How can I overcome procrastination? Many people who procrastinate usually do so because they worry about something or have this innate fear. It's possible that you have a fear of failure, or very high standards of performance. You may be a perfectionist, and don't want to make a mistake because it'll ruin what you have started, so you would rather put it off until you feel "ready" to do it, or than when you do so it will be a success. However, you will always have an excuse to not feel "ready". There will always be some other distraction or reason that will make you put off what you were supposed to do. That's why a lot of people who procrastinate do so, because they think they have enough time to accomplish what they have set out to do even though in reality, they will probably just keep delaying until they have wasted a lot of time focusing on other things without accomplishing their priorities. That's why they cr...

Photo by Vladislav Babienko on Unsplash Our decisions can determine certain outcomes in life. Some may have life-altering consequences, while others have only seemingly minor repercussions. Nonetheless, we all need to make decisions in life and no matter what those decisions lead to, you won't know until you actually make them. The fear of making the wrong decisions often paralyze people, and instead of facing their circumstances head on, they make excuses to delay making a decision. Of course, before making a decision, one must weigh the benefits against the costs, or take into account the risks associated with each option. But take too long making a decision and either the opportunity will simply pass or the problem will soon overtake you. I think what causes indecision in a lot of people is simply the fear or the worry of making the wrong one. So, for example, wondering which job opening to apply for or who to marry. Sure, these are significant decisions in a person's life, ...

Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) For many people who are aspiring to study or work in Korea, learning Korean is a must. It helps you have an easier life in Korea. It enables you to communicate with the locals, navigate your way around the cities, and it gives you access to the same conveniences that Koreans do. One of the measures for gauging your level in Korean is the Test of Proficiency in Korean or TOPIK. It's a comprehensive exam which features listening, reading, and writing portions. A new separate speaking exam has also been recently launched. There are six levels of TOPIK, where TOPIK 1 signifies a beginner level of understanding while TOPIK 6 signifies advanced fluency. TOPIK is also divided into two different categories namely TOPIK I and TOPIK II, with TOPIK I targeted for lower to upper beginners from levels 1 and 2, and TOPIK II for intermediate to advanced levels from levels 3 to 6. For TOPIK I, one must have scored at least 80 out of 200 points to achieve level...

Bayanihan sa Bukid by Carlos "Botong" Francisco Let me be frank, has there ever been unity in the Philippines? Not just in clusters, I mean the nation as a whole, what moment in the history of the Philippines has national unity been displayed? Some may point to the People Power or EDSA Revolutions of 1986 and 2001, but I don't see how those can be categorized as symbols of national unity. I say that because I don't think that those are representative of every people group in the Philippines. I wasn't there, but based on pictures and stories, it doesn't seem to depict national unity at all. Furthermore, the nation wasn't at all in agreement or involved in those two events. I'm pretty sure many Ilocanos didn't agree with the deposition of the former Pres. Marcos Sr. And we don't even know if the Visayas or Mindanao provinces had any say in those two civil resistances. I would even dare to say that those two "revolutions" were actually c...

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash Finding jobs in Korea might be difficult at first, especially if you don't know where to look for them. On top of that, it might be slightly different from how you are used to doing it in your own country. But, once you are able to familiarize yourself with the culture and the work ethic in Korea, then looking for a job will be a piece of cake. If you are new to Korean culture and don't know where to start, then here are a few tips on how to find jobs in Korea. 1. Look for jobs on job boards (Saramin, Job Korea, Albamon) There are a few popular job sites or job boards in Korea. Some of them are Saramin, Job Korea, and Albamon. Check out this article on 5 Sites to Find Jobs in Korea to learn more about them. Generally, these websites are written in Korean, so it would be best if you have some rudimentary understanding of the Korean language and the writing system, hangeul. Otherwise, you can just use the Google translate extension to give you a...