Miah Learns to Write

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

When I was looking for jobs in Korea, I heard from several of my peers where to find them. I tried them out, and they are quite legitimate. Some of them require you to have a bit of knowledge in the Korean language. You need to know how to read hangeul. But apart from that, they work just like the usual job site you would find in any country. Here are some of the job sites I used while looking for jobs in Korea. 1. Saramin The most popular job site in Korea for both Koreans and foreigners is Saramin. When you search for jobs on Saramin, it allows you to filter based on the area or field of expertise, the location or region where you prefer to work, and keywords if you have a specific job or criteria in mind. Saramin also gives you job recommendations based on your profile and resume. Not only that, but employers think highly of Saramin because of its track record and credibility. 2. Jobkorea If you have no luck finding a job in Saramin, you can try out the second best site I have found

I studied in South Korea for three years under the Global Korea Scholarship Program or GKS, formerly known as the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP). The GKS program provides opportunities for people all around the globe to learn the Korean language, be exposed to Korean culture, and do their undergraduate or post-graduate studies in South Korea. It has a rigorous selection process which lasts for approximately six months from the time you apply until you fly to Korea, if you are fortunate to be selected as one of the scholars under the program. Each year, the Korean government opens the application period for the undergraduate program around August or September, and for the graduate programs in February. Generally, thousands of people apply every year, although that number may have increased since the popularity of Korea surged in recent times, but only a handful get selected. So, the question that I have received occasionally is, "How do I become a GKS scholar?".

Photo by Photos of Korea on Unsplash Disciplining a child has become less popular especially for the Gen Zs. Despite corporal punishment being legal in all states in the US, according to this article , it seems that the practice has seen a decline since the 1980s with a survey published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies suggesting that " a majority of children in the US were not subject to corporal punishment in 2014. " There have been studies which asserted that corporal punishment may harm a child's development and cause decreased cognitive ability. Others point out that corporal punishment can inflict mental distress and emotional trauma on children which can affect their psyche. So, the question then is, "Should parents discipline their children by spanking?". I'm not a child psychologist, a pediatrician, a lawmaker, or a parent. But as someone who experienced receiving corporal punishment as a child, I will try to weigh in on the issue given ho