The long and winding week
After four days of non-stop yakking by yours truly, I am proud to say we have finished with Phase 1 of training for the MGP School I.T. program. There were hitches and glitches yes, but the fulfillment of seeing a room full of people who have never laid hands on a mouse or keyboard, now helping each other register for an email address, that brings tears to one’s eyes.
This is me, a frustrated teacher, finally finding a way to realize my dream. This is 4 schools in as many municipalities in Masbate, who may have a few computers on campus—but hardly any of them working, and none of them connected to the Internet save for one school in the city—finally connecting to the internet. This is several teachers some of whom were over the age of 40, but have hesitated to come near a computer for fear of breaking something. This is more than 40 educators, now directly linked to the immensity of information on the internet.
There are no phones in these municipalities of Masbate, save in the city itself, so there is no DSL in Milagros, or Baleno, or Balud. People have mobile phones yes, but wireless internet has been impossible because of the line-of-sight necessary for antenna-based internet connections. The SmartBro USB Internet device has changed all that.
Just the mere sight of a teacher who had never been near a browser now coaching her fellow teacher, after discovering just how easy it is to find information on the net, on how to enter a URL into the browser’s address bar, is enough to make up for the lack of sleep as Tech Guy Diom Felecia and I assembled tables long into the night. The tables on which the new computer systems rest, and the gas-lift chairs that go with them, are all part of the CSR project, and saw form in our hands. The table assembly was difficult and arduous, but for each drawer that I put together I remembered my father who passed on the love of tools and of making things to me. We, the teachers and I, are parables of Fig trees with a twist—after being fruitless and bare for so long, now thick with new possibilities.
There is triumph in each successful double-click (don’t move the mouse when you double-click), in each right click, a feeling of fulfillment when you have managed to change your desktop wallpaper all on your own. For us who have been around computers since time immemorial, this is trivial, but for someone who has been intimidated by computers but now finds himself master of one, this is a feat worthy of applause.
I am not extolling the virtues of teaching, neither am I pandering to the generosity of companies who have come to our country to extract what it can and then leave when there’s nothing left.
I am celebrating the joy of learning, because for me it is never too late to learn.
On the road again
Back to Masbate it is for me, for the implementation of Filminera Resources Corporation’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program for certain schools in that province. This would be my second trip to Masbate, with the first being the needs assessment trip two weeks ago. This time we’re ready with the 13 Lenovo K200 PCs, printers etc. Tomorrow I will begin the series of training sessions with the schools’ faculty.
Posting this while on the road from Legaspi to Sorsogon. Sure hope this van has got good car insurance.
(continuation, posted from Puro, Aroroy, Masbate)
Here’s my very own photo of the Mayon Volcano, taken from aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR 277 bound for Legaspi. Better than taking a photo of MMDA Chairman BF a few kilometers from the airport going to Sorsogon. Yep, the posters are still there.
But the good news is, so is the Mayon Volcano.
Complete memory loss
I envy my eldest son, who just got himself a PSP out of his own money, and an 8GB memory stick to store all his games on. It’s not the PSP I’m envious about though, it’s the 8GB memory card.
My old Sony Ericsson P910i and I have seen better days. Being old and almost obsolete, we can only take the archaic stuff, such as 32mb memory sticks and 70s music. I have scouted for a memory upgrade for this phone and every time I am told that the phone cannot take anything higher than 512mb. Anything higher than that will break the phone, after making it hang and overheat and suffer a general system failure. And I thought yeah I suppose that would be like me. Feed me 90s stuff and I’d freak out (does not compute).
Wish there was some place where we could retire peacefully in pre-megapixel bliss.
While we’re on the subject …
While we’re on the subject of diet pills…
Orovo was created to combat the supplement industry’s trend of concerning itself more with profit margins than with people. By cutting corners in the type and quality of their ingredients, these companies are able to create cheap products, market them under false pretenses, and ensure they see the largest, quickest profits they can manage. OROVO’S unique and powerful supplements have been formulated using our unique Top 10 SuperFoods blend. The Top 10 SuperFoods were developed after one of OROVO’S founders tuned into a segment of the Oprah show titled, “How to Look 10 Years Younger in 10 Days.” A world renowned dermatologist was featured recommending the daily use of ten “super-foods” to combat the effects of aging and optimize overall health.
While Sam and I may be deadringers for Dagul and Debbie these days, the mere thought begs the question: should I start with the weight-loss stuff again?
Answer: NO. At my age the only weight loss stuff acceptable is exercise and a proper diet. Hope I get more of that in the next two weeks. There’s a gym at the FRC compound in Masbate, and while the food is good, it is also healthy.
Good luck to me.
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