voice and audience contact

Two general observations had been made among the kids that have enrolled this summer for public speaking and journalism. Out of the nine only two showed confidence in projecting themselves with the right volume of the voice, while the rest still needs more training in this area. This can be achieved after more practice and drills which they are getting every meeting. Another thing which they need to work on is audience contact. It seems like majority of the kids have the tendency to look everywhere---the roof, windows, floor --- and avoid looking at their classmates who serve as their audience. Eye contact is vital in putting across your message. Without this, everything else fails. So these two aspects of public speaking will have to dealt with early on before proceeding to more serious topics. Today, a review on the parts of the stage will be done for the sake of those who were absent yesterday, then we move on to gestures, how important they are and the different types, then the different public speaking situations will be discussed. There is so much to be done with too little time but my goal really is to make these kids excel in their classes and in school because of the skills they have gained from this month-long seminar workshop.

Hey, guyz--new poll...

So we had resolved the issue on Britney's comeback or not. Time to take up a more serious concern which involves the entire human race---the issue on violence perpetrated or done by children as young as 9,10 to 17 killing and beating homeless people in the US and around the world. In fact over the past few months we have read news of 15-year-olds killing their own mothers. Why? Is it the lack or absence of discipline at home and in school that some of our children are behaving like monsters? Are we over-protecting our children needlessly from adult intervention that tries to correct misbehavior through discipline? Are our laws over-shielding our children so much so that we are actually encouraging violence among them who we are trying to protect by using the law against anyone who tries to intervene through punishment and discipline for misbehavior? In short are we letting our children grow up to become violent adults by abusing the law? All these questions can be answered if you join the poll where you only need to click for your answer. You are also welcome to leave your opinion if you desire.

Sunday morning rant

It's one lazy Sunday morning, the internet is crawling, I'd been staring at the monitor for what seems like ages before I get to the page and right now I am feeling drowsy. I'd been wanting to accomplish much at www.Mylot.com/?ref=funny52f, an online discussion community that pays, but the slowness of the internet makes it impossible. I had walked the dogs for about 20 minutes and now ready to tackle my online task with full concentration since Dewey, my granddaughter is still asleep and there is no class, nothing to worry today except that the internet does not seem to cooperate. I mean, talk about how the internet can easily blow an otherwise perfect day into another lousy Sunday... Come on...

Britney's out of rehab

Britney Spears got out of rehab and had expressed her intention of writing a book telling the world about how her relationships with ex-bf Justin Timberlake, ex-hubby, and parents had pushed her off the wall and led her into doing the series of scandals that had screwed her life. Her family had been devastated of this news and had hoped that the once-popular teen star will be able to get back on her feet and think twice about what she says because everything will always go back to her.

As of today, poll results reveal that people are not quite sure whether the one-time pop princess will be able to successfully go back to the limelight and enjoy the same popularity she once had after the scandals. To the question on whether Britney Spears will be able to make a successful comeback after rehabilitation, 38.46% said "maybe", 23.08% said "no", another 23.08% answered "I don't care" and only 15.38% answered "yes".

let people hear how good you are

Whether you like it or not, whenever you are given the task to be the MC or host of a certain program you must have to put tons of enthusiasm to it. Get excited about it even if it is only a small affair and no talent fee is involved. Look at it as an opportunity to grow, to learn more about the craft, and to let people know how good you are at hosting. Having enthusiasm, excitement, love, or passion for the task at hand will pay off in the future as your skill will spread by word of mouth and people will be wanting you to host their shows or programs. Since you are only a beginner, the rule is to never say "no" to any invitation to host unless it is in conflict with a really important engagement you had earlier scheduled. Welcome any public speaking opportunity that comes your way and you're on the road to being a successful toastmaster.

Lucky 9

Nine kids have signed up for my summer workshop in debating, hosting, and journalism. I welcome and congratulate the following lucky stars who made it: Rio May, Bien Raphael, Michaela, Jea, Kate, Dianne, Charla, Russel, and Angel. These guys are just lucky for they will be learning the rigors of public speaking for a month, after which a debate or talk show will be put up by the same people. I would like to thank Mark for giving them a good motivational start-up.

birthday

I've never been much of a noise-maker when it comes to celebrating my own birthday but yesterday, April 23, I just felt like making a little celebration. My family and I and a couple of friends packed some lunch and headed to Dream Park, a resort with two swimming pools and a beach nearby, nice shady areas where you could comfortably dine with your family. We ate lunch the first thing because we started from the house at around 12:30. After the meal, Dewey, friends Jessa Mae and Chula started to enjoy the water in the kiddie pool, while Love and Anthony took the plunge an hour later. Mark forgot to bring some swimming trunks so he missed the swimming part. I was ready with my attires but did not feel like touching the water, so......All in all, I think Dewey is going to have a little sunburn again but I hope not much. It was a nice birthday celebration---something I never had in years!

massive relocation

One of the online tasks I hope to accomplish before the summer ends is the relocation or transfer of my blog entries from my other site which, I fear, is in danger of extinction, to this site. A great many very personal stuff had been stored there and which I spared this site for the squalid nature of those posts. But I guess there is something about squalor that makes for interesting read. If anything, it is something to watch for.

hosting as a skill

Successful hosting does not just happen. It's a combination of talent polished into a skill. Yes, effective hosting can be learned through constant good practice. The earlier a person starts, the better. I remember my own children being assigned to host when they were in kindergarten. Of course at first they had to rely on scripts but later on as they progressed to higher levels, I have noticed marked flexibility in their hosting styles. Scripts became merely a guide and not the exact determiner of their spiels. This happened only after many years of practice.

The rule of thumb to follow if you want to improve your skill in hosting is to always accept assignments or invitations to host certain events. This will broaden your opportunities for growth in this area.

When invited to host, the first question to ask will be "Where will it be held"? The venue gives the emcee a clue into the degree of formality of the program. For instance, a show maybe held at the Luce Auditorium in which case the audience will be expected to wear something formal or decent. If the show is going to be staged at the pubic market, then you can come in more comfy attire. If the event will be held at the SU gym, then casual attire would be acceptable. Likewise the formality of the language varies according to the nature of the show.

the fool down the road

A few days before the Virginia Tech massacre happened killing 33 people all caused by one Korean gunman, I walked my dogs one morning. The instant I stepped out of our gate, the sight of a man in tattered clothes bringing something like a bat instantly put me in panic mode. There was no way that I could make my dogs go back in because we had just stepped out of our gates. Undecided of what to do as the insane person was heading towards our direction, I entered a neighboring gate which was open, hoping that he would just pass by. But no, the fool followed us inside. There was no one around and this man had started talking to himself while his loose pants were about to fall and his dirty "thing" was hanging. Ugh! How disgusting can my morning get! I thought fast while he was busy conversing with "people" in his head, I started to dash out of the area with my dogs. I decided to go back home but my dogs didn't want to go in yet and I knew that forcing them to get inside while they had not been walked for at least 30 minutes would make my fierce dog very angry and would even bite me if I force him to do something he did not like to do. The fool followed us again and stood maybe 3-4 meters away from my dogs while I was giving instructions to my helper to lock the gates. I was afraid to go in yet because the insane man might follow and go inside the house where my granddaughter was still asleep. I shouted at the fool not to go near the dogs for he will be bitten if he did that, but he just muttered something like "let them bite, let them bite". In order to banish him from the vicinity, I started to run again, this time towards another direction, towards a place where there were security guards. There are two places near our house where security guards are posted 24 hours---one is at Royal Suite and the other place is at Ang Tay Golf Range. True enough, the man stopped following us. But holy cow, I've reached this age and had read many books but I realized that I didn't know how to deal with an insane person, that dealing with situations like this is not gained by experience nor from books. If a man who is loaded with guns and ammunition suddenly appears in one class while the teacher is in the middle of his lecture, what should the teacher do? How about the students? What is the best thing to do here?

successful hosting or emceeing

A good host or emcee (master of ceremonies) holds the key to a successful show or program. On the other hand, poor hosting or emceeing can kill what would have been a good show. While doing some research in this area, I found out that there are aren't that much materials on hosting or emceeing tips that people who feel they have the knack for it can use in order to improve their hosting techniques. I would like to start a few blogs on this area as I'd gathered many years of hosting experience and had successfully transferred the skill to my children. I know that those of you who love to learn this skill can easily do so through practice---constant practice.

Oprah Winfrey would be my idea of a good host----intelligent, witty, charming, people-oriented, and creative. If making Oprah as our standard for good hosting sounds too ambitious to you, then you might as well forget about having any serious career along that line.

Career? How can one make a career from hosting or emceeing? In case you don't know, hosts of shows, parties, or programs are paid a handsome price depending on the magnanimity of the show. If it is a beauty pageant, a host can earn from one show from Php 5,000 to 15,000 Php. Yes, people pay good money for good talent or showmanship. After all, the program can easily turn into a flop if not well handled by a professional host.

Opportunities? Events that need hosts are just too many to mention but let us name some of the most common ones where an emcee can make money: beauty pageants, weddings, debuts, anniversaries, variety shows, fashion shows, competitions, parties, etc. Just make your existence known, make yourself visible, show them and you will have your hands full. Now for the nitty-gritty of the whole thing, come back for the next blog. I have some offline work to do but I will be back for more tips on good hosting.

Miss Teen Philippines-Neg. Or. is Fil-Jap

Thirteen bubbly teeners vied for the title Miss Teen Phils.-Neg. Or. held last Friday at the Silliman University Luce Auditorium and hosted by my son, Mark Xander Fabillar. The winner is a pretty combination of Filipino-Japanese parentage. To represent the province to the big pageant in Manila come May 10 is high schooler Eri kajikawa. The photos show Eri and the other candidates with host.

look what I got from Mylot!

Yesiree! I got my first payout from Mylot via Equitable bank ATM and on that same day found this cute bag, not really expensive, but I just found it irresistible! I succumbed to the temptation and bought the bag as a sort of remembrance from my FIRST Mylot earnings. How much? Don't press me for details coz I'm not giving you any. Aside from this cute see-through bag, I was able to buy pizza for the family and my much-needed manicure and pedicure. A body massage will be scheduled today. How about that?

Dumaguete is most peaceful city in P.I.

The President of the Philippines (GMA) has recently named the city where I live, Dumaguete City, as the most peaceful city in the country. Kudos to the Dumaguetenos and keep it up! This alone is one good reason why tourists should make Dumaguete a "must visit" city when they come to the Philippines.

Summer Workshop

Debate * Journalism * Hosting

Make this a different summer for your child.......enrol him/her to a

Seminar-workshop in

A. Public Speaking (Debating & Hosting)

B. Basics in Journalism

Registration is now going on! For inquiries, call tel. no. 422-5823

Sessions start April 25-May25,2007, daily, MOnday to Friday, 3:00 pm.

Samson Hall, El Oriente Hotel, fronting Noreco II

REal St., Dumaguete City

Philippines

blog about your passion

When my son told me to concentrate on blogging about my passion, I thought about that. What is or what constitutes my passion? It seems like I have a lot. You can say that I am a multi-faceted woman who loves to do many things like dance, sing, write, act, teach, laugh, make others laugh, etc. Just what is that one thing that I really love to do? First, I would like to cross out the things that I dislike to do----I dislike making grades (shhh....this is one task that really sucks), then I hate all sorts of household chores (I am officially lazy,LOL). I do not like travelling because taking the plane or boat keeps me gritting my teeth the whole time, I hate feeling sleepy when I want to accomplish more of my online activities. After I have crossed out those I hate to do, I am back to my passion. Yes! My passion! What is it? Anyone who can make a guess? I would love to hear from you.

sunburn

Baby Dewey experiences her first sunburn after bathing too long yesterday at Dream Park swimming pool. We were there from 10:00 in the morning 'til mid-afternoon and we could have stayed longer had I not insisted that we had to go home. Today, she cries every now and then because the "sun is so bad" it damaged her skin. She's red all over from the sun's ultraviolet rays which leaves 1st degree burns on the skin or the outer layer of the skin. Other more severe cases of sunburn often lead to 2nd degree burns and would need medical attention. I did a quick research home treatment for sunburn and here are a few doables:

1. Wipe or dab cool cloth on sunburned areas.

2. Frequent cool showers or baths.

3. Apply soolthing lotions that contain aloe vera to sunburned areas.

Sunburn may also cause mild fever and headaches due to dehydration. Drinking plenty of fluids and aspirin will help alleviate the nasty feeling. Peeling of the skin is also to be expected after a few days.

dog poop story

A woman is facing misdemeanor charges for delivering wrapped up dog crap or poop to a local member of congress. In her legal defense the woman said that poop delivery is protected by the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution which is Freedom of Expression. Now isn't that an example of crap? See the story in full detail here.

was Oprah's intern, now her guest as MIss USA 2007

When Rachel Renee Smith worked as an intern for the Oprah Winfrey show in 2006, she never had any idea that the following year she would be guesting on it as the reigning Miss USA 2007. A journalism graduate, this 21-year-old 5'11" beauty from Tennessee will now be living in a Trump apartment to be able to do her charitable work as Miss USA. Take a look and listen to her one-on-one interview with the world's Queen of Talk, Oprah Winfrey.

informative, fun reading

A fellow Mylot user has shared the link to his blog which is http://blacktom.blogspot.com

or what he calls "Tom's corner" which contains informative and helpful scientific breakthroughs that will surely be of interest to you. It is a different sort of blog because the author talks about his subjects like any pro does. His latest blog about clothes that help you dodge any untoward incidents is quite interesting. Then how about milk as substitute for cigarettes? Yes, the blogger discusses the possibilities or options a smoker may employ to quit smoking. So if it is information you want, you get it on this blog.