Reflective Essay : “The Competencies in Reading and Writing in English”

Based on our last activity my partner and I listed the strengths and weaknesses in reading and writing. I found out that some of the strengths and weaknesses of my partner are the same as mine. It somehow gives me confidence, because before I was a bit shy about my writing and reading skills. I think my partner also realizes that some of her weaknesses are similar with mine. Reflecting on it, my partner and I have different capabilities in connection with reading and writing. I somehow easily understand a reading material. I am able to read fast when interested on a topic. I think I have to exert a lot of effort to improve on my weaknesses which include being poor speller, having poor vocabulary, having difficulty understanding deep words, reading slowly when not interested and especially being lazy. I want to improve all areas I’m not good at and also in areas I’m good at. I’m so ready for improvements because it will boost my confidence and it will help me a lot eve in simple ways. So I expect my ENGLCOM course to help me fulfill my needs. I expect ENGLCOM to provide me with correct knowledge when it comes to proper English usage. With the help of ENGLCOM, of course it will help me achieve my goals. By simply passing this subject, it will help me in the future. I cannot move on if I flunk this subject. It will be a hindrance for me to graduate.

Process Essay: “Waves of Migration by H. Otley Beyer”

Ever wander how men spread to the Philippines? Our KASPIL1 professor discussed to us the controversies of the ancient Filipino. They are three hypotheses of migration and one of the hypotheses is the Waves of Migration by H. Otley Beyer. Beyer’s hypothesis gave us detailed knowledge about the ancient Filipinos.

25,000 years ago, Java men and Australoids or Negritos first arrived in the Philippines. They are considered as primitive people. Java men came from Indonesia. They migrated to the northern coastal regions of Luzon. Australoids or Negritos migrates the northern coastal regions of Luzon and mountainous region of Luzon. They both used land bridges to reach the Philippines.

15,000 years to 12,000 years ago, Proto-Malays from Borneo landed in the Philippines. They migrated in Palawan and Mindoro.

6,000 years to 5,000 years ago, there were two types of Indonesian races who landed in the Philippines. The first one was Indonesian A. Indonesian A arrived on boats and they were described as tall, slender inhabitants. The second one was Indonesian B, who were described as short, stocky, and dark-skinned. They came from Indonesia and Southern China (Indo-China).

1,000 years ago, Malays came from the south of the Philippines. They have characteristics of an Indonesian and Mongoloid. They have knowledge on pottery, glass making, iron working, cloth weaving and the like. They are also called as The Modern Men.

H. Otley Beyer’s hypothesis gave us the detailed knowledge how, where, when, people migrated into the Philippines.

Sources:

_________, Hypothesis on the Origins of the Austronesians: the Waves of Migration by H. Otley Beyer.

Static-Descriptive Essay: “Tempura Tempts”

I heard that we will be having an activity in ENGLCOM that involves food. I forgot to buy before going to school so I just bought my food at Agno Street. I chose Tempura over Chocolate Chips, and since I thought that the activity we will be having would require us to share food. I thought having a large packaging and serving are what makes Tempura the perfect food to bring. Many people will surely enjoy eating it.

Tempura tempted me to buy it because of so many reasons. It only costs Php. 20.00 given its large serving. When I first saw Tempura “quality product”, it caught my attention and reminded me of “Chip-Sarap”, a snack that you can buy at Chowking. When I opened the bag of Tempura, the smell bursted out. There was a distinctive smell of shrimp from each chip then, I took a bite of it. It was so crunchy that you can hear the sound of it. I savored its goodness in my mouth. I felt the long tasty effect of it but it’s sort of oily because it was deep-fried. I can’t stop myself and my classmates from taking another bite.

Tempura, a shrimp flavored snack, is worth buying. It’s cheaper than “Chip-Sarap” of Chowking. It gives you the feeling of wanting more of it because each chip would satisfy your craving and the feeling of satisfaction makes Tempura so addictive.

Definition Essay: “Comfort…”

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.” – Psalms 23:1.

“… There is no life – no life without its hunger;

Each restless heart beats so imperfectly,

But when you come and I am filled with wonder;

Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity…” – an excerpt from You Raised Me Up by Josh Groban

Comfort. Comfort was defined in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as a strengthening aid: 1a: assistance, support, b: solace. 2a: a feeling of relief or encouragement, b: contented well-being. 3a: a satisfying or enjoyable experience. 4a: one that gives or bring comfort. 5: to give strength and hope to cheer. 6: console. On my own understanding of comfort, I define it as an unexplainable feeling felt by someone when another person shows concern or care for him or her. Comfort for me is also a feeling of satisfaction, relaxation and the like.

Comfort has different kinds. In the definitions provided by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, they emphasized five key words to show the kinds of comfort. The first one is assistance. Assistance occurs when someone helps you in times of need. Once there was a friend of mine having a problem in a particular subject that if he doesn’t do well in the next quiz, he may flunk the subject, hence, causing him to feel embarrassed. I somehow know that I do good in this particular subject, so I offered my service to tutor him. After he got his results he happily told me that he passed the subject and thanked me for being a good friend. The second one is solace. You feel solace when you are assured and feel calm in times of trouble. Once I have this friend who became my mortal enemy, I’m always disturbed with what she’s been saying to me. One day, I felt sick of our situation that I personally approached her and asked for forgiveness for every wrong doing I have done. I don’t know if she forgave me already but I know that I did. Forgiving her has given me a clear and peaceful conscience. The third one is support. You feel supported when a friend of yours defends you from an enemy. One example of this is in our peer group. We are so close that we would know if one of us has a problem. A friend of ours was having a problem against our professor. She was really disturbed when our professor gave her an unjustifiable grade and always make fun of her in our class. So as her friends, we confronted our professor and asked him for his explanation why he was harsh on her. Because of that, our friend regained her composure and knew how much we really love her. The fourth one is cheer. You feel cheered when a person tries to uplift your low spirit. There is a friend of mine that had a problem accepting things openly. As an optimistic person, I try to show her the positive side of things that she’s dealing with. She laughs at my actions but I hope she gets what my action means. The last one, console, is felt when a person soothes or calms the grief of somebody who is experiencing depression in life. A few days ago, my childhood friend’s mother died. Knowing that she was really close to her mother, she’s experiencing deep sorrow. My company somehow uplifts her spirit because she knows that she’s with her childhood friend who has been with her ever since she was a kid.

Generally, comfort is a feeling that gives a person security, confidence, safety and protection. Being comforted is a great way for a person to feel that he’s not alone.

Comparison and Contrast Essay: “Princess Diaries”

Every girl dreams to be a princess, find a Prince charming, and live happily ever after. But it is possible to be a princess in a modern setting? Based on a best seller novel, written by Meg Cabot, it is possible. The novel is The Princess Diaries. Due to its title, you can tell where the story focuses on – a journey of an ordinary girl turned to a charismatic princess. The diary, itself is given by her father, where there is a letter slipped in the diary. An excerpt of it is a wisdom quote of the Renaldis.

“Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else is important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.” – Prince Philip Renaldi.

“The Princess Diaries 1”. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a socially awkward but very bright fifteen- year- old, is raised by her mother Helen (Caroline Goodall) in a renovated firehouse in San Francisco. She then discovers that she is the heir to the throne of fictional Genovia, given that her father, Crown Prince Philip Renaldi, had already died. The conflict of the film is when she needs to choose between continuing the life of a San Francisco teen and stepping up to the throne. While she makes up her mind, she’s pressed into taking lessons from her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews). Lana Thomas (Mandy Moore), Josh Braynt (Erik von Detten) and some friends antagonized Mia’s life. They regularly teased her for her gawkiness and frizzy hair. The climax of the film was when the world discovered that Mia was actually a princess and since then everything had changed. She had a hard time adjusting to the attention given to her. Because of this, she doubted her capability of being a princess and wanted to run away from the throne, but had decided to take it in the end after having read the letter written by her father. Now she takes the name Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Princess of Genovia.

In “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”. Princess Mia (Anne Hathaway) has just turned twenty one, a fresh college graduate, and on her way to Genovia. Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews) plans to step down and give her granddaughter the throne. She also continues her princess lessons and prepares herself to take the throne. Viscount Mabrey (Jonathan Rhys Davies) served as the antagonist in this sequel. He believes that his nephew is the rightful heir to the throne. The Parliament decided that Mia has to abide the old- aged Genovian law. No Queen shall rule without a husband. Now, Mia has just thirty days to marry if she is to retain the throne. Likewise, Mia has to win over the Genovian people and survive the paparazzi. Although a charming Englishman named Andrew Jacoby, seems to fit the arranged marriage bill, Mia finds herself drawn o the man vying for the same throne. He is none other than the dashing Nicholas (Chris Pine)- Lord Nicholas Deveraux, who happens to be Viscount Mabrey’s nephew . This time the conflict that she needs to choose is between following her heart and sacrificing her love for her country. The best part of the film is when, she finds away to win the heart of the Genovian people and changes the old-aged law. She also gets both things she wants. She got her true love, Nicholas and she was the first Genovian Queen that need not to marry to become a queen.

The two films is all about allowing yourself to make a journey between who you are and who you can be. It’s an all time favorite of teenagers who fantasizes being a princess in a modern day setting.

Cause and Effect Essay: "Abortion"

Abortion as defined by Mr. Head in About.com is “the termination of a pregnancy after conception.” It allows women to put an end to their pregnancies but involves killing the undeveloped embryo or fetus. For this reason, I is a very controversial subject in the society. Approximately 42 million abortions were performed worldwide in 2007, resulting in a worldwide abortion rate of 115,000 per day. Among the developing countries, the abortion rate is 83% while in developed countries; the abortion rate is 17%. (Abortion Facts, 2007)

Abortion is the result of critical situations which individuals face, such as rape, health problems, fear from the judgement of society, and unwanted pregnancy.

Rape is a horrible abuse with traumatic effects for many of it victims. For a woman who carries in her womb the baby of her rapist, it is more devastating. Although our culture would give a raped victim “permission” and even encouragement to abort, a victim often commits abortion because adding another violent act to the horrible thing that has already happened to her will only complicate her healing process. A raped woman, who wrote anonymously to a magazine, said that she had an appointment with an abortion expert but canceled it. “I knew that what I had in my entrails was my baby. Now I have a daughter, a precious girl. I thank God daily for not have aborted.” (Abortion Methods and consequences, 2007) Also based on the survey of AGI in the United States, only 0.3% raped women commit abortion.

Health problems are also reason for aborting a baby. The performance of abortion is most commonly permitted on the grounds of saving the life of the mother, particularly in situations or cases wherein the life of the mother herself is at stake because of the child in womb. Hence, preservation of the physical and mental health of the pregnant woman is prioritized (UN Publish World Abortion Information, 2007). Based on the survey of AGI in the United States, 1.0% omen who have health problems abort their child.

Fear from the judgement of society is another reason why women commit abortion. A woman with a high status in the society experiences tremendous pressure. Being pressured by the society, she needs to be a good example, by making right decisions and planning her life well. These are the facts why pregnant women who belong to a high status in society tend to abort their child to prevent embarrassments.

Unwanted pregnancy is the most common reason why some resort to abortion. Why? They say that are not ready to accept responsibilities, too young to be a parent, cannot afford to raise a child, and the like. Also based on AGI’s survey in the United States, the percentage of unwanted pregnancy is 98% (Johnston, 2006).

These four effects I have mentioned are just some of the reasons why women commit abortion. It is devastating to know that every year the number of abortion is doubled. Hence, many innocent children were aborted because of the “personal choices” made by the irresponsible individuals. To lessen abortion rate, people need to accept responsibilities and be disciplined.

References:

Abortion Facts. (2007). Retrieved August 2, 2008, from http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

Abortion: Methods & Consequences. (2007). Retrieved August 3, 2008, from http://www.anael.org/english/abortion/index.htm

Johnston, R. (2006). Reason given for having abortions in the United States. Retrieved August 2, 2008, from http://www.johnstonarchieve.net/policy/abortion/abreasons.html

UN Publishes World Abortion Information. (2007). Retrieved August 3, 2008, from http://www.abortionreview.org/index.php/site/article/266/

Argumentative Essay: “Euthanasia is Wrong”

Euthanasia is the act of taking a person’s life which is wrong even f the person desires o die. As defined by Euthanasia Definitions, Voluntary euthanasia is when the person who is killed has requested to be killed. It is a crime to take someone’s life. Who has the right to take another person’s life? Who should be allowed to state whether a person should die? Who can determine whether taking a person’s life is for the benefit of the person who dies? Euthanasia is wrong and should not be legalized because of three reasons: it violates the constitutionalized law; it violates the fundamental principle of medical ethics; and it violates the teaching of Christ.

The act of Euthanasia violates the constitutionalized law. All countries except Oregon, Belgium, and Netherlands considered euthanasia as illegal (Map of Countries Who Legalized Euthanasia, n.d.). According to the constitution of California, an anti- euthanasia state, it violates article3, section1 of their constitution. It states that no health care provider can participate in the provision to a qualified patient of medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner (Hinman, 2004). It is also true to all anti- euthanasia countries. Performing euthanasia is against the law and can lead to imprisonment or even beyond imprisonment like what happened to Jack Kevorian, “Dr. Death”, a euthanasia enthusiast who claims to have assisted at least 130 patients to commit suicide by euthanasia. He was imprisoned for 18 years. (Kevorian, 2008)

In a like manner, euthanasia violates the fundamental principle of medical ethics: primum non nocore –first, do no harm. The four principles of medical ethics are non-maleficence (to avoid harm), beneficence (to do good), autonomy (the right to act freely), and justice (acting fairly towards the patient) (Ozimix& Fleming, n.d.). As doctors, they have the responsibility to not harm or kill the trusting patients and give all their best to secure the life of their patients. Pre- Meditated murder is illegal. Euthanasia is pre-meditated murder. Therefore, euthanasia is as illegal as pre-meditated murder. “In United States alone, one in four nurses openly admits to performing some form of euthanasia.” (Euthanasia update. n.d.) It is very sad that nurses nowadays perform euthanasia for the sake of money.

Moreover, euthanasia violates the teaching of Christ. I is stated in the fifth commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” Men are made from the image and likeness of God. God gave us life. Therefore only God alone, the creator of life, has the right to take the life of a person. No one can dictate when to end a person’s life. Killing is an immoral act. Euthanasia is a form of killing. Therefore, Euthanasia is an immoral act. Even if a person is in a state of comatose, there is a possibility that the person will wake up and still continue his life. That possibility is a miracle; it is given by our creator, God. Miracles do happen when you have hope and trust in God.

In Conclusion, euthanasia is wrong in many ways. It degrades the moral character of patients and doctors that do not give importance to the life given by our creator, God. It also opposes the constitutionalized law in countries, where euthanasia is illegal. Furthermore, it desecrates the ethics of medicine. Finally it doesn’t end life with dignity but with disgrace. Euthanasia is both a crime and immoral act, because it practices murder and an immoral act because it deprives God’s sovereignty.

References:

Hinman, L. (2004). Compassionate Choice. Retrieved August 12, 2008, from san-diego.edu/courses/SocialEthics/Handouts/CompassionateChoice.html

“Jack Kevorkian” (n.d.) Retrieved August 12, 2008, from http://www.nndb.com/people/272/000023203

Ozimic, A. and Fleming, J. (n.d.). What is Euthanasia by neglect and why is it wrong?”. Retrieved August 11, 2008, from http://spuc.org.uk/ethics/euthanasia/mib/ethical-reflection