Road trip: Biyaheng Nueva Ecija

      It was sunny day of June 27, 2016, me and my husband was so exhausted emotionally because of personal problem. I am confined in our bed the whole morning and decided not to go in my work to rest. It seems that I don't want to do any that day. When finally I decided to leave the comfort of my bed. I saw my husband thinking deeply about our problem. We really feel bad at that moment but such mood suddenly change when I said, "Let's go out. Let us have road trip today?"

     Without hesitation he agreed to go for a road trip and since we only have half day we decided to just go around Nueva Ecija. Our problem is where in Nueva Ecija should we go. With the help of social media, I came across the FB page, Biyaheng Nueva Ecija, we are very thankful of that page because we were able to have an itinerary in an instant. Where do you think we go? 

     Well before that, I want you to know our golden rules while on road trip:

1. No facebook or other social media.(Well I really believe that this rule is really just for me.)According to my husband, this is to avoid interruption and for us to enjoy the scenery on the way. 
2. Focus on our way. 
3. Capture memories. Many photos, much better.
4. Enjoy...as in "bawal ang KJ!"

     After internalizing the rules we rode on our blue car and enjoyed our itinerary to find tranquility. 

     At 12:00 noon we left home and drive going to Palayan. We have a quick stop in Shell in Crossing, Cabanatuan City to gas up and to buy some foods and drinks that we can bring. 

    We reached Aulo Lake at 1:30pm. We really don't know the way going to the lake so we used GPS to locate it. 

Don't be bother with the rough road, because the scenery will help you forget all your problems. 

Scenery going to Aulo Lake, Palayan City. 

The majestic Aulo Lake. 

Here are our pictures at the lake. 

       After enjoying the beautiful scenery of Aulo Lake we looked for Hilltop Resort, also in Palayan City but the place was not budget friendly and recommended only for group and over night outing. 

      At 2:30pm we found our self traversing the road going to Gabaldon to visit the Dupinga River as a replacement to Hilltop Resort. But when we reached Dupinga River, the water was too brown to swim-on so we looked for resort in Gabaldon. Here are the pictures that we captured along the way. 

Dupinga River was gone...Just kidding, there are still little
 water flowing on it. 

 
       At 3:00pm we reached the Leivy Lance Resort in Gabaldon. This is actually not the nearest but we choose this one since we already visited the famous Stone 8 resort many times. It was our first time in Leivy Lance, and luckily there was no visitor during that time except us. So we were able to swim solely in the pool and that was very refreshing.

         

       We left the said resort at 4:00pm and we traversed the road going back home. We choose the long way so can have a quick stop in Tanawan, Laur. 

View from Tanawan, Laur.

      As you see we travel together and get lost in beautiful places of Nueva Ecija. By doing such thing we made memories together that will surely last for a lifetime and most specially, we found tranquility in our road trip. 

      With a peaceful heart we went home at 5:30pm. Surprisingly, the nature let us end the trip with this beautiful view. Yes, the sun was set to rest with our problems and we went home with so much love and grace from our Lord! 

      Remember guys, sometimes the road that we travel doesn't lead us to the destination that we hoped for. But if you can look back in the trip and smile, then it was worth it. Plan you road trip now and don't forget to start here in our beloved province, Nueva Ecija. 

The sunset on our way home. 

Every Child is Special: A Teacher's Review

(c) web

I came across this movie last Sunday, August 7, 2016, when our speaker during the review used parts of the movie as her motivation. And such motivation left me wondering and too curious about it. So yesterday, Monday,  August 8, 2016 I found myself searching and downloading the Indian movie Every Child is Special. 

Let me introduce you to the characters: 

Darsheel Safary- played the role of Ishaan Awasthi. 

Aamir Khan- Ram Shankar Nikumbh, Ishaan's Art Teacher

Tisca Chopra- Maya Awasthi, Ishaan's mother

Vipin Sharma- Nandkishore Awasthi, Ishaan's strict father

Sachet Engineer- Yohaan Awasthi, Ishaan's elder brother

Bugs Bhargava and Shankar Sachdev- teachers of Ishaan who always disgraced him but changed their attitudes when Ishaan already got high grades

I'll try to provide the summary on my own perspective.

Ishaan is an eight-year-old boy who is suffering from dyslexia, a reading disorder. 

He grew in a middle class family. He has strict successful father, a typical mother (a housewife), and a bright and scholarly kind of elder brother. 

In his school, Ishaan was always disgraced by his teachers because of his inability to read, the same reason why he always failed in all his exams. Her mother, Maya Awasthi, did her best to tutor Ishaan but like Ishaan's teacher, she failed. 

In his English class, Ishaan's teacher asked him to read a sentence but he was not able to because as he said, "the letters are dancing." 

No one knows that Ishaan is suffering in dyslexia. So when he failed in all of his subjects, his father, Nandkishore Awasthi, brought him in boarding schools to discipline him. And that brings fears and anxiety to Ishaan.

In boarding school, Ishaan also experienced the same treatment with the teachers. He was disgraced and bullied. Such thing changed when he met his art teacher, Ram Shankar. 

Mr.Ram Shankar is a volunteer in a foundation for special child. The first time he saw Ishaan, he knew that Ishaan is special. Shankar studied Ishaan's condition. He studied Ishaan's school works, went out of school to find answer, observed every child he met on the way, until he decided to visit Ishaan's home to look for Ishaan's school work in his former school. When Shankar saw all of Ishaan's works including his paintings, he found out that Ishaan's has dyslexia. He explained it to Nandkishore Awasthi by asking him to read chinese characters that the father don't know how to read. He also asked the parents of Ishaan to allow him to help Ishaan by means of tutorial. 

Back in school, Shankar explained the condition of Ishaan to the school principal and asked him to let him teach Ishaan. Allowed by both parent and principal,Shankar subsequently brings up the topic dyslexia in class and offered list of famous people who were dyslexic. In the end of his class, Shankar asked Ishaan to remain behind and revealed to him that he too experienced the same difficulties with dyslexia. He attempted to improved Ishaan's reading and writing by using remedial techniques developed by dyslexia specialist. From then, Ishaan developed his interest to mathematics and language. 

As the school will end, Shankar organized painting contest for the whole school. Everyone was invited. In that event, Ishaan painted the place where he was first applauded by his classmate in their art class. And hola, that painting won the first places seconded by the painting painted by Shankar. 

Ram Shankar painted Ishaan, the second place. 

Ishaan's painting, the place where he was
first applauded by his classmates. 

During the awarding of winners, Ishaan was too scared to stand up when the principal announced his name. But when her art teacher step out towards him, Ishaan stood up knowing that there is someone who will stood up for  him no matter what. As everyone raised up and applauded him (yes, including the school bullies and the teachers who disgraced him) he walks towards the center to received the award, then he run to his teacher to hug him. 

After that event, the progress was evident. World turned around for Ishaan and everyone started to like him. His parents was so proud of him and the same time very thankful to the teacher who never give up on Ishaan. 

The movie is really good. It teaches me to love the craft of "teaching." As a newbie teacher here are the list of learning that I listed down while watching the movie. 

1. Teacher can make or break a student. Like in the case of Ishaan,he was able to cope up with his sickness because of the help of his teacher. If no one stood-up for him, do you think the story will be the same? 

2.  Teacher should know their students because each of them are special. In professional education we always mentioned that "our students are diverse" with this we have to acknowledge that each of them have different learning abilities and each of them are special.

3. Talk to the parents. If you notice that there is something wrong with your student, have a hearth to inform the parents about it. 

4. Teachers need to go out and explore the world to find answers. Most of the teachers today are too busy in their classroom and that is the very reason why they are not able to find better answer to the problem of their students. Teachers should find time to go out. Remember experience is the best teacher. 

5. Always remember that the love of a mother is not enough, teacher should aided it. Teachers are said to be the second parent of their students. So like the heart of a mother, teacher should love their students to help them. 

6. Talk with your students with your heart. Explain to him how important he is, tell him that he can, tell him that he is special.

7. Appreciate the skills of your student. Teachers should find time to appreciate the skills of their students, always remember that every child is special, that he has special gift.  

8. Always fight/depend your students. Like what Shankar did to Ishaan, when the principal of the boarding school told the teacher to recommend Ishaan to enter school for "special children", Shankar told the principal to give Ishaan a chance because he believes that Ishaan is an average student. 

9. Help the student to overcome his weaknesses at all cost. Teachers should know how to do research. The world always have an answer on how to overcome certain weaknesses. 

10. Influence your co-teachers. Reality, not all teachers choose teaching because it is their passion. So influence them to love the craft of teaching, much better if you ask them to watch this movie.

11. Teachers, thanks your teacher who created impact to your life. Teachers created impact to their students. Remember that there is only one teacher that can influence and touch ones soul. 

12. Lastly, thanks every children and parents who shared their life to you.  

   

As a newbie teacher I am dreaming of having one student that will going to say this, "Ma'am you created impact into my life. I am a changed soul because of you."  Yes, I am so excited to influence one soul.

With this, I wanted to end this review by saying thank you to all the teachers who created impact to my life. I am a changed soul because of you.