Coffee Cut

Jackie Chan meant it when he said, “Coffee is a language in itself”. Since the 16^th century, coffee continues to be a part of people’s lives. It is some people’s “Good morning!” Coffee is some people’s “It’s time to relax.” Coffee is some people’s “I miss you!” Coffee is some people’s “Everything will be alright.” Each cup of coffee conveys a message that some people fail to say directly. However, its warmth, its bittersweet taste, its seductive aroma, and its rich flavor are enough. It feels like a friend’s warm hug, a mother’s touch, and a lover’s kiss.

Nowadays people can get coffee anytime they want to. At the press of a button, one can get their cup of freshly brewed coffee. According to the National Coffee Association of USA, 83% of all Americans drink coffee. This explains the sudden increase in number of different Coffee shops not only in America but all over the world.

In the Beginning: Brief History of Coffee

Coffee drinkers are forever indebted to goats. People may think that goats are only good for milk and meat but a special herd of goats actually paved the way to the discovery of coffee in the 6^th century. It happened one day when Kaldi, a goat herder was watching over this particular herd, he noticed that the goats became restless. He figured out that it was because of the unidentified berries and leaves that the goats ate. He tried the berries himself and was pleasantly surprised by its invigorating effect. The monks who witnessed how Kaldi danced with the goats tried to figure out the best preparation for these berries and coffee, as people know it now, was born.

Why Drink Coffee?

No one can deny the charm of coffee’s taste and aroma. However, aside from satisfying a person’s sense of smell and taste, it has a lot of other benefits.

•  Drink coffee for long life. Studies conducted in 2008 and 2009 prove that coffee drinkers who suffer from different chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease had longer lives that those who do not drink coffee. In addition, those who drink four cups of coffee a day or more even had longer lives than those who drink less. Three more studies show that people who drink up to three cups a day have 10% lower death rate while those who drink more than three cups have 12% lower death rate.
•  Drink coffee to boost energy. Charge up with caffeine which is the most popular psychoactive substance that people around the world love to consume. Right after drinking, this energy booster flows with the person’s blood and goes to his or her brain.
• Drink coffee to boost mind functions. Once in the brain, caffeine blocks the Adenosine which causes hyperactive firing of neurons resulting to memory enhancement, lighter mood, alertness, more energy, and more efficient thinking process. 
• Drink coffee for healthier reproductive system. While prostate cancer and ovarian cancer as the most frequent gender-exclusive causes of death, a lot of people would try anything to prevent such illnesses. Fortunately, there is no need for expensive supplements and treatments as coffee is the answer to this quest. A study conducted in 2011 shows that male coffee drinkers who drink at least six cups of coffee a day have 20% lower rate of having prostate cancer. On the other hand, women who drink at least four cups a day have 25% lower chance of having ovarian cancer.
• Drink coffee to prevent cancer. Studies prove that coffee drinkers have lower chance of having different kinds of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer. The coffee is able to provide protection against cancer because of its chlorogenic and caffeic contents.
• Drink coffee to get rid of fat. Different fat burning products have one thing in common – caffeine. This is because caffeine is an effective fat burner. Numerous studies prove that caffeine raises a person’s metabolism rate by at least 3%. In addition, it increases the rate of fat burning to at least 10% for obese people and at least 29% for others. These are observable on new coffee drinkers.

What’s the Difference? Brewed Coffee VS Instant Coffee

Some people may not recognize the difference between a cup of brewed coffee and a cup of instant coffee. However, for avid coffee drinkers, there are a lot of differences between the two. More coffee drinkers prefer freshly brewed coffee over instant coffee.

• Cost. Instant coffee is definitely more affordable than brewed coffee. It may be bought in bottles, in cans, or sachets. From its name, “instant coffee”, this powder is just added to hot water, sugar and creamer may also be added, stirred, and drank. On the other hand, brewed coffee will require a coffeemaker. However, brewed coffee drinkers swear that it is definitely worth the price difference. 
• Content. Acrylamide was discovered in 2002. It is a toxic compound measured in PPB or parts-per-billion. Apparently, instant coffee has more PPBs of Acrylamide compared to brewed coffee. As an example, Nescafe has 471 PPB while Classic Roast has 13 PPB only.
• Detoxification. Coffee is popular for its antioxidant contents. However, it turns out to be the result of the roasting process. Therefore, instant coffee has a lot less antioxidants than brewed coffee.
• Caffeine. While people turn to coffee to stay awake and alert, instant coffee cannot give them what they need. If an instant energy and mood booster is needed, this need can only be fulfilled by brewed coffee. As an example, 8 oz. of instant coffee has a maximum of 173 mg caffeine while brewed coffee of the same amount can have a maximum of 200 mg caffeine.

Certified Pre-owned BMW: Everyone’s Dream Car is now within Reach

Nowadays, it is hard to find pre-owned car dealers that a customer can trust. This industry has been great and a lot of businessmen jumped in the bandwagon and started selling certified pre-owned BMW.


Sometimes, dealers tend to forget about learning more about the buyers in order to help them decide what kind of vehicle they really need. Pre-owned vehicle dealing is not a cold, profit-focused business. To be a trustworthy dealer, the dealer should have mastery of the vehicles’ features, patience, some skills in asking probing questions, an eye for details, can build rapport with the customer, and can offer the best quality customer service possible even after sales. There are a lot of ways on how to identify if the seller of certified pre-owned BMW is trustworthy enough, customer should observe if the dealer is asking significant questions, if they are honest about the possible problems that may arise with particular vehicles in relation to the customer’s needs, and if they are making suggestions that do not depend on how much they will make but based on which vehicles will serve its purpose best for the buyer. Certified pre-owned BMW dealers should also take time in speaking with the customer. This will show the customer that it’s not just about the sales but finding the right BMW for the buyer. These are the qualities of Chicago Motor Cars that makes them the most trustworthy pre-owned vehicles dealer. Chicago Motor Cars have a vast collection of different vehicles including a number of certified pre-owned BMW that will certainly catch the interest of car buyers. This pre-owned vehicles dealer is committed to honesty where vehicle details are concerned.


They believe that the customer should know what they are exactly getting, valuing the long-term relationship over one-time profit. This is definitely appreciated by their customers. They have friendly customer service representatives that know everything that they need to know about each car available in their showroom. This gives them the edge because they are able to give an expert’s opinion if the customer needs it. The information that these representative gives about the vehicles including every certified pre-owned BMW can even be cross-checked with the authorities and it is guaranteed to be nothing but the truth. A lot of their previous customers were turned into loyal customers and are willing to testify about the how Chicago Motor Cars is different from the rest of car dealers especially when it comes to honesty and personalized customer service. Their pricing is another positive point of this dealer. A lot of their customers were surprised about the cost of the vehicle that they were buying. Even those who bought a certified pre-owned BMW were expecting that the price will be so much higher. Chicago Motor Cars is not only customer-friendly, it’s pocket-friendly too! Aside from the actual vehicles, they are also offering different vehicle accessories for a surprisingly low price. All the vehicles that they are selling are guaranteed to be on their best working condition. Most of these vehicles had only one owner before it was turned over to Chicago Motor Cars.


This will be apparent in the mileage and may also be cross-checked from the records of authorities as done by other previous customers. Its vast inventory seals the deal. No matter what kind of vehicle the customer is looking for, Chicago Motor Cars surely have it!

Boracay Odd Venture

Boracay Odd Ventures
Ma. Angelica Maghinang – Domingo

“I don’t want to be a squatter in my own country.” This is a sentiment shared by Filipino investors in Boracay including Boracay Foundation, Inc. Board Member, Mr. Lowell Talamisan. In search of answers on how this is viewed by both foreign and local investors, I started a quest for reality. “It’s a very, very bad, bad, bad, bad situation for foreigners”, Mr. Johan Philip Van der Tak, a Dutch National, said in a low voice. I scrutinized the scenario and noticed how our profound conversation looked out of place against the picturesque backdrop which made me want to find a beach bed, put some sunblock on, get a good book, order a Cosmo and lie on my back.

I had a hard time focusing on the conversation with the scene, people’s laughter and the sound of the crashing wave on the shore tried to haul me away from my pleasurable duty. The name of the place, “Ambassador in Paradise” was perfect since just being there made me feel like I was somebody eminent. I closed my eyes for a moment, and then I got on with my task on hand. “How long have you been in business here in Boracay?” I asked Sir Joop, as he was fondly called by his employees.

“September 2007,” he said. “We bought this lot in 2002.” He first set foot in the island of Boracay in 1993 when the land was not yet developed fully. He was wearing a shirt that almost had the same shade as the sand. With his glass of beer in front of him, I decided to start asking some possibly hot questions. “What do you think about the limitations set by the Philippine Constitution about real estate and business ownership of foreigners here?” “I think that there are lots of foreign investors who will not invest because foreigners cannot own land (here) because when you come to my country, you can buy whatever you like to buy. It should be (like this), you can buy there, and I can buy here. That’s how it’s like all over the world except for this country,” he answered with a shrug. “Corporations, 40 – 60, it’s a very, very bad, bad, bad, bad situation for business because 60% are dummies. Yes, you have your anti-dummy law but (still) 60% are dummies. It’s not fair. It means that they can cheat. It’s the first part of the corruption in this country,” he added referring to the “40-60” business ownership requirement that necessitated corporation – owned businesses to have a maximum of 40% foreign ownership and 60% for Filipinos and raised his right hand to his lips as if to zip it. I asked him about the foreign businessmen’s relationship with the Filipino ones. “I have an impression that they are jealous.” He answered without further elaboration as his daughter; a tall, leggy blonde with a lovely, angelic face gave him a pat on the shoulder as she walked by.

“How do you see your business in 10 years?” I asked. He took a swig of his beer leaving the glass half – empty, and stood up to pull his chair again, sat, then crossed his legs. “It depends, those are my daughters (points to them) and if they will allow, I can put up (a) business,” he said adding that it would greatly depend on the government, if President Noynoy Aquino will be able to stop corruption.” His other daughter, equally lovely as the first one that I wondered if they were twins, passed by but not without touching her father’s cheek and touching his head affectionately. After that endearing sight, the Dutch National asked, “Do you know how many times I got threats of being kicked out of this country?” I looked at him and silently urged him to go on. “I don’t know what’s wrong with these people. It’s like they want to steal my money. Yes, I have a good feeling about this administration but I also had a good feeling with the Arroyo administration before but…” and he shook his head.

“Do you think that foreign investors will flood in if the limitations that I mentioned would be lifted?” I asked. “Of course, I know some other people who could invest their money but they don’t want to invest their money because they can’t own the land. The situation is very bad for the industry because some people do not realize what the Filipinos do, some of the Filipinos do to foreigners. They go to business with them, and then they (Filipinos) cheat them. It’s a very messy situation. I hope I could meet the President. I would really love to have a chance to talk to President Aquino,” he said. “Don’t you think that your concerns would have better chances or more possibilities of being heard if you and other foreign investors would have an organization? Or do you have an organization of that sort here in Boracay right now?” I inquired. “None that I know of, there are lots of other foreigners with same sentiments as mine but of course their keeping it in the low. There are some who would talk to me and I tell them that if you want to invest, you should first come to me so that you would not be cheated like how people cheated me and still want to cheat more,” he said and then took another sip of beer.

I thanked him for his time but he said, “Is that all? C’mon, you can ask me more questions – anything!” So I asked him what his thought are if he would be to compare businesses owned by foreigners and by Filipinos and he told me about what he do with his business here and in Europe. “There is an exchange of employees. I take Filipino workers to work for my business in Europe and I take a Dutch National to work for me here in the Philippines. This is a beautiful country. If more foreign investors would come, billions of people would benefit. For example, my secretary – Rina, are you happy that you work here?” he asked. Rina who was really accommodating to us, was wearing a pink tank top, with her hair in a bun and a bejeweled head band. She was smiling when she answered, “Yes.” I asked him about their guests, “Do you have more foreigners or Filipino guests?” “Well, we have very rich and famous Filipino guests, I won’t mention names but I focus on putting up really huge ads on European newspapers because I think bringing in European guests is important. The government is not doing it so I just do it.” He asked if I wanted to see the ads and when I said yes, he excused his self and stood up to get the newspapers.

He returned with the newspapers and showed me an editorial written about him and Ambassador in Paradise with a big picture of him and his friends, one of which was in sitting in the bar during the interview. The picture was taken in front of his business in Europe. Being journalists, he asked us for a favor, “Do everything that you can to stop corruption,’” he said and we closed the interview with firm handshakes.

The sun shone brightly for a moment in between downpours. We were talking over egg sandwich with tomatoes and orange juice. It was like a summer day in July. “Is it true that most of the business establishments here in Boracay are owned by foreigners?” I asked Mr. Lowell Talamisan, owner of Lion’s Den Resort which looked anything but a lion’s den with lush greeneries, tranquil ambiance and an inviting hammock that promised a gratifying slumber.

“Well, the owners are mostly Filipinos. Though there are some who are married to foreigners, like our president in Boracay Foundation” he said. Technically, this is true since foreigners are not allowed to acquire real property here in the Philippines and would only be allowed to have a business here only if they would get into a corporation with the 40 – 60 set-up as mentioned earlier. With what the Foreign Investments Act of 1991 stated, a minimum amount of $200,000.00 or more or less Php 8,800.00 is required as capital for foreigners who wanted to get into a corporation and have a business here in our country ensuring that the businesses owned by foreigners were bigger than the ones owned by ordinary Filipino Businessmen.

When asked about the Filipino Businessmen’s relation with foreign ones in the island, he replied, “Actually, at present, and ever since, there wasn’t any conflict. I know this, being with the Boracay Foundation, Inc.” “How about the law about land ownership for foreigners? What do you think about it?” I asked. “Land Ownership? Ako, pagdating sa land ownership, gusto ko Filipino eh, dahil I don’t want to be a squatter in my own country. That later on, it would be the foreigners who rule over us. That would be pathetic. That will be sad.” He said and shook his head.

“Some foreign investors think that it is unfair why Filipinos are allowed to acquire properties in their land and it is not, here in ours. What can you say about that?” I asked. He smiled sideways, and responded, “Well, we have to protect our interests. Unlike other countries, the well developed ones, they can give this privilege because on their own, they can stand. Whereas, Filipinos, if we do that, then we will be at the mercy of these foreigners, unlike in the States or in Europe where the government is stable so they can give this privilege, but not in the Philippines. We have to bear in mind that up to the present, third – world country pa rin tayo. Ako ayoko eh, bakit i-a-allow natin, nakikita na natin? Imagine, if all foreigners will be given the chance to own a land (in Boracay), eh lahat na ito, kaya nilang bilhin. Then what would happen? Eh ngayon nga lang yung Koreans eh, we are at the mercy of some Koreans which shouldn’t be the case. We should all be equals. That’s why we should show them. That it’s us who have the rights. What happens is that our government is so calloused. Calloused in the sense that they are indifferent with our sentiments, with what we feel, with our problems when they should be the one in front of these. Like right now, how many resorts are in the beachfront that are owned by foreigners? What happened is that they got most of them when they only have dummies. What the government should do is to be critical. How can these foreigners acquire those properties if not for dummies? They (the government) should prosecute these people.”

“What can you say about the swelling of the figures of foreigner-owned businesses in Boracay?” I inquired. “Well, that’s a welcome sign - a sign that shows that the island is getting attention. What we’re asking for is that it should be regulated so that there would be balance because if there would not be any balance, ultimately, and eventually, what would happen is that all the places here will be owned by foreigners,” he answered.

“How about the Boracay Foundation, Inc.? What is the organization about? I asked. “Well, I can say that I am one of the incorporators of Boracay Foundation and we are the umbrella organization of all the other organizations here. We make the issues in the island known to the local government and we make the endeavors of the government known to the people,” he replied.

 “Do you have members that are foreigners? I asked. “Well, majority are Filipinos both in members and in the board. In the board, we only have a foreign member who says, “I’m not a foreigner. I am a Filipino”,” he responded. When asked about how he sees his business in 10 years, he said, “I hope that it’s still doing good like it did 10 years ago.”

When I reviewed these conversations, I found more common points than conflicts. Both were not satisfied with the government – one because of its “unfair” limitations, and the other with the implementation of these laws. Both were aiming for Boracay’s prosperity. With these, I will leave you something to ponder upon. Do we need more foreign investors to boost the island’s income or should it remain a home, something that we can call our own?

My Translation and Editing Text Reviewer

Translation: Communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text.
- from Latin “translation” meaning to carry across or to bring across
- Alternative Latin “traduco” which means to lead across
- Ancient Greek “metaphrasis” which means a speaking across

Metaphrase: literal or word-for-word translation (formal equivalence)
Paraphrase: Saying in other words (dynamic equivalence)

History of Translation:

-Septuagint: a collection of Jewish Scriptures translated into Koine Greek
-Lingua Franca: Latin (Middle Ages)
-Alfred the Great: commissioned vernacular Anglo-Saxon translations of Bede’s Ecclasiastical History and Borthius’ Consolation of Philosophy
-The Christian Church frowned on even partial adaptations of St. Jerome’s Vulgate, The Standard Latin Bible

Asia:
-Spread of Buddhism led to large-scale translation efforts
-Tangut Empire-exploited block printing

Arabs: undertook large-scale efforts at translation
-Made Arabic versions of the Greeks’ philosophical and scientific works
-Some Arabic translations of these works were made into Latin (Middle Ages)
-Development of European Scholasticism

Western:
-14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer adapted from the Italian of Giovanni Boccaccio his own Knight’s Tale and Troilus and Criseyde, French Roman dela Rose and completed Borthius from Latin; founded an English poetic tradition on adaptations and translations from earlier established literary languages
-First great English Translation: Wycliffe Bible: showed weaknesses of underdeveloped English prose
-Great Age of English Prose Translation: Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur – a free adaptation of Arthurian Romances
-First great Tudor translations: Tyndale New Testament, its Authorized Version and Lord Berners’ version of Jean Froissart’s Chronicles

Renaissance Italy
-Cosimo de’ Medici of Georgius Gemistus Pletho (Florence)
-Latin translation of Plato’s works by Marsilio Ficino
-Erasmus’ Latin edition of the New Testament
-Readers demanded rigor of rendering
-Non-scholarly Literature continued to rely on adaptation.
-France’s Pleiade, England’s Tudor poets and Elizabethan translators adapted themes by Horace, Ovid, Petrarch and modern Latin Writers
-Rise of Middle Class
-Development of Printing

Elizabethan Period of Translation:
-stylistic equivalence
-no concern for verbal accuracy

Second Half of 17th Century:
-John Dryden sought to make Virgil speak in words such as he would have written if he were living and an Englishman
-Homer suffered from Alexander Pope’s endeavor to reduce the Greek Poet’s “Wild Paradise” to order

18th Century:
-the watchword of translators was ease of reading; whatever they did not understand in a text, or thought might bore readers, they omitted
-James Macpherson’s translations of Ossian

19th Century:
-The policy became the text, the whole text, and nothing but the text except for bawdy passages and the addition of copious explanatory footnotes
-Style: far-reaching metaphrase to constantly remind readers that they were reading a foreign classic
-Exception: Outstanding translation of Edward Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan

20th Century:
-A new pattern was set in 1871 by Benjamin Jowett who translated Plato into simple yet straightforward language.





Types of Translation:
1. Legal – field of law
2. Literal – word-for-word
3. Technical – specific profession
4. Interpreting
a. Simultaneous
b. Consecutive
c. Whispered
d. Gestural
e. Conference
f. Escort
g. Community
h. Legal
i. Medical
5. Machine
a. Rule-based
i. Transfer-based
ii. Interlingual
iii. Dictionary-based
b. Statistical
c. Example-based
d. Hybrid

Direct Translation:
1. Borrowing: no translation
2. Calque: word-for-word (phrase)
3. Literal: word-for-word

Oblique Translation Techniques:
1. Transposition: change sequence
2. Modulations: different phrase
3. Equivalency: different way
4. Adaptation: different, familiar way
5. Compensation: lost meaning is expressed somewhere else in the text
6. Transliteration: Converting to phonetic equivalent

Disambiguation: finding a suitable translation when a word can have more than one meaning (first raised by Yehoshua Bar-Hillel

Qualities of a Competent Translator:
1. good knowledge of source language (spoken and written)
2. excellent command of target language
3. familiar with the subject matter
4. profound understanding of etymological and idiomatic correlates between two languages
5. finely tuned sense of when to metaphrase and paraphrase

Malapropism: the substitution of a word for a word with a similar sound, in which the resulting phrase makes no sense but often creates a comic effect.

Official List of Winners: ACCian’s Choice Awards 2010

Tinkerbell: Ms. Ann Portia T. Robado

Peter Pan: Mr. Ernesto B. Templo

Ms. Sunshine: Ms. Ramonette Cordero
Ms. Kristel A. Saligumba

Mr. Sunshine: Mr. Edward Gumban

Fit N’ Right: Ms. Ma. Anuncaciacion E. Pampliega

Prima Ballerina: Ms. Grace V. Delos Reyes
Ms. Jodamay L. Raz

Most Promising Teacher: Mr. Ronel R. Advincula
Ms. Cyre Milloroso

Ms. Pure Energy: Ms. Mhargie G. Morales

Mr. Pure Energy: Engr. Leo N. Patacsil

Dressed to Kill: Mr. Rommel J. Constantino

ACC’s Next Top Model: Ms. Santa Renea Crisostomo
Mr. June B. Mijares

Ms. Champagne: Ms. Ann M. Templonuevo

Mr. Champagne: Mr. Galileo E. Borces

Campus Heartthrob: Mr. Peter R. Arboleda
Mr. Rhino Nicodemus
Mr. Artemio Nosotros

Total Performer: Ms. Luchelyn A. Beltran
Bro. Lean Fernandez

Bright Mind: Mr. Jeffrey Clarin
Mr. Noli Resterio

Timekeeper: Mr. Adrian Jonas Cordova
Ms. Syldy T. Villegas

Ma’am Techie: Ms. Profetiza Maatubang
Ms. Richele Domingo

Sir Techie: Mr. Richard H. Diocena
Mr. Cris Melric . Palanog

Walking Dictionary: Ms. Divina M. Muyargas
Mr. Juler A. Fernandez

Walking Encyclopedia: Mr. Rey V. De Los Reyes
Ms. Evelina G. Gayo
Engr. Joel Zapico

Ms. Resourceful: Ms. Mary R. Repedro
Mr. Daniel S. Deloso

Ms. Congeniality: Dr. Maria Neiy E. Mucho
Ms. Aiza O. Nahil

Mr. Congeniality: Mr. Julius R. Dela Cruz

Tree Hugger: Mr. Julius V. Saluta
Ms. Lufelle A. Carel

Silent Water: Engr. Agnes D.C. Perez
Ms. Lara B. Albacino

Ms. Interactive: Dr. Antonia S. Escalona
Ms. Anita C. Tuayon

Helping Hand: Mr. Marlon T. Niňonuevo
Mr. Jocel Rata

Great Philosopher: Ms. Fe V. Tafalla
Ms. Eleonor R. Teopy

Fairy Godmother: Ms. Erlinda B. Albito
Engr. Alica Coching

Best Supporting Teacher: Ms. Richie B. De Mateo
Ms. Anita S. Cioco

Soaring Eagle: Engr. Cecilia S. Calizo

Unsung Hero: Mr. Arvin Kim A. Arnilla

Reflection

Time: 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM
Church: St. John Nepomucene Parish
Parish Priest: Father Ted Hilario
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28, "The Faith of the Canaanite Woman"
Companion: Kim Francis B. Domingo

Reflection:

Sometimes, we question God about the trials that we experience. We usually feel that we don't deserve to be in those specific situations. We feel that we deserve something better.

Life is full of lessons. We were given free will so that we can make our own decisions but we should be prepared for every possible consequence. When all reasons fail, when all options end, it will all leave us with one thing - our faith in God.

As humans, we have limitations. It is something that is plain to see but there are some who refuse to admit it. With the modern times, some people feel that with sufficient resources, everything can be done. But truth will be realized later on and we will be left with the most powerful weapon of all. Like what the Canaanite Woman have, it is our faith in God - in his love and his power. His power to make what we are praying for, happen, but in His own time. His love, that He will never let us perish, that He will never give us trials that we cannot overcome, that everything happens for a reason. Reasons that only He can understand. All you have to do is to have faith in Him.

Feminism

Feminism

Definition:

Feminist criticism is a type of literary criticism, which may study and advocate the rights of women. As Judith Fetterley says, "Feminist criticism is a political act whose aim is not simply to interpret the world but to change it by changing the consciousness of those who read and their relation to what they read." Using feminist criticism to analyze fiction may involve studying the repression of women in fiction. How do men and women differ? What is different about female heroines, and why are these characters important in literary history? In addition to many of the questions raised by a study of women in literature, feminist criticism may study stereotypes, creativity, ideology, racial issues, marginality, and more.

*Judith Fetterley: a literary scholar known for her work in feminism and women's studies. She was influential in leading a reappraisal of women's literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the contributions of women writing about women's experience, including their perspectives on men in the world.

Men Used to Think of Women as Lesser Beings

John Chrysostom, Greek Ecclesiast (345-407 AD): called women “a foe to friendship, an inescapable punishment, a necessary evil”.

Ecclesiasticus (a book of the Apocrypha): stated that “All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman”.

Tertullian, Roman Theologian (160-230 AD): lectured women, “The judgment of God upon your sex endures even today; and with it inevitably endures your position of criminal at the bar of justice. You are the gateway to the devil”.

Alexander Pope (1688-1744): asserted, “Most women have no character”.

John Keats (1795-1821): explained, “The opinion I have of the generality of women – who appear to me as children, to whom I would rather give a sugar plum than my time, forms a barrier against matrimony which I rejoice in.
Three Phases of Feminism History According to Elaine Showalter:

1. Feminine Phase (1840-1880) – Female writers imitated the literary tradition established by men, taking additional care to avoid offensive language or subject matter.
2. Feminist Phase (1880-1921) – Women protested their lack of rights and worked to secure them. In literature, they decried the unjust depictions of women by male writers.
3. Female Phase (1920-present) – Concentrated on exploring the female experience in art and literature, reveal the misogyny and later on, focused on gynocriticism.

*misogyny: negative attitudes toward women
*Gynocriticism: a movement that examines the distinctive characteristics of the female experience in contrast to earlier methods that explained the female by using male models.

Three Major Groups of Feminist Critics:

1. Those who study difference:
• Believe that gender determines everything, including values system and language
• Look for distinctive elements in texts by men and women

2. Those who study power relationships:
• Attack both the economic and social exploitation of women
• Frequently look at writers from cultures as varied and different as the black, Hispanic, Asian-American, Jewish and lesbians
• Believe that the social organization has denied equal treatment to all its segments and that literature is a means of revealing and resisting that social order
• Art and life are fused entities, making it the duty of the critic to work against stereotyping.

3. Those who study the female experience:
• Rejecting the idea of a male norm, against which women are seen as secondary and derivative, they call for a recognition of women’s abilities that goes beyond the traditional binary oppositions such as male/female, and the parallel oppositions active/passive, intellectual/emotional.
• Examine female images in the works of female writers and the elements thought to be typical of l’ecriture feminine-such as blanks, unfinished sentences, silences and exclamations

Writing Feminist Criticism:

Prewriting (Questions to ask):

1. What stereotypes of women do you find?
2. Examine the roles women play in work. Are they minor, supportive, powerless ones? Are they independent and influential ones?
3. Is the narrator a character in the narrative? If so, how does the male or female point of view affect the reader’s perceptions?
4. How do the male characters talk about the female characters?
5. How do the male characters treat the female characters?
6. How do the female characters act toward the male characters?
7. Who are the socially and politically powerful characters?
8. What attitudes toward women are suggested by the answers to these questions?
9. Do the answers to these questions indicate that the work lends itself more naturally to a study of differences between the male and female characters, a study of power imbalances between the sexes, or a study of unique female experience?

Drafting and Revising:

Introduction:
• Point out why a feminist critique is particularly appropriate for the text you are analyzing
• Connect the characters or events of the situation with one that has actually occurred

The Body:

Study of Difference (Questions to answer):
1. Is the genre one that is traditionally associated with male or female writers?
2. Is the subject one that is of particular interest to women, perhaps one that is of importance in women’s lives?
3. What one-word label would accurately capture the voice of the narrator? Why is it appropriate?
4. Is the work sympathetic to the female characters?
5. Are the female characters and the situations in which they are placed presented with complexity and in detail?
6. How does the language differ from what you would expect from a writer of the opposite gender?
7. How does the way the female characters talk influence the reader’s perception of them?
8. What are the predominant images? Why (or why are they not) associated with women’s lives?
9. Does the implied audience of the work include or exclude women? In the case of a male writer, is it the work addressed to a mixed audience, or does it sound more like one man telling a story to another man?
10. How do the answers to these questions support a case for this work’s having been written a particularly masculine or feminine style?

Study of Power (Questions to answer):

1. Who is primarily responsible for making decisions in the world depicted: men or women?
2. Do the female characters play an overt part in decision making? Or do they work behind the scenes?
3. Who holds positions of authority and influence?
4. Who controls the finances?
5. Do the female characters play traditional female roles? Or do they assume some unusual ones?
6. Are there any instances in which women are unfairly treated or ill treated?
7. What kind of accomplishments do the female characters achieve?
8. Are they honored for their accomplishments?
9. Do the male characters consult he female characters before taking action, or merely inform them of it?
10. Does the story approve or disapprove, condemn or glorify the power structure as revealed by your answers to these questions?
11. How is the female reader co-opted into accepting or rejecting the images of women represented in the work?
Study of the Female Experience (Questions to answer):

1. Does the text reject the idea of a male norm of thinking and behavior that is stable and unchanging? If so, where?
2. Is the writer’s style characterized by blanks, gaps, silences, circularity?
3. Are images of the female body important in the text?
4. Are there references to the female body important in the text?
5. Are there references to female diseases or bodily functions?
6. Do motherhood or those attitudes and behaviors characteristic of motherhood figure significantly in the text?
7. Can you find instances in which the traditional binaries of male/female, intellectual/emotional, objective/subjective, and active/passive are reversed?
8. What new circumstances do the reversals suggest?
9. Can you find instances in which wholeness rather than otherness is associated with the female characters?
10. What generalizations about the uniqueness of the female experience can you make based on the answers to these questions?

The Conclusion:

• State generalizations and conclusions drawb from your questions
• Pull all your references to the text into a single statement about what is particularly female (or male) about the way the work was written, about the power relationships depicted in it, or about its presentation of the nature of the female experience.

References: www.feminist.org
www.uni-koeln/phil-fak/englicsh/datenbank/e_index.htm



Prepared by Ma. Angelica Domingo
BSED-III

Submitted to Mr. June B. Mijares
Literery Criticism
TTh 1:00-2:30

Ma. Angelica M. Domingo Facilitating Learning September 17, 2010
BSED-II MWF 8:00-9:00 Mrs. Teopy

Experiment Pre-conserver Transitional Thinker Conserver
1. Biscuit ☺
2. Iced Tea ☺
3. Coins ☺

Assessment (Case No. 1)
Xandie Maghinang, 4 years old, pre-schooler
On the first part of the experiment, I used “Tiger Biscuits. First, I took two pieces and gave him one. I asked him who have more biscuits between us and he said that I did. Then, I gave him another biscuit so that he then has a total of two pieces. Then, I broke one into two. Then I asked him who have more biscuit and he said that he did.
On the second part of the experiment, I poured iced tea into two glasses – one small and the other double its size. I filled the small glass and half glass to the other. I asked him which one has more content and he pointed to the bigger one.
On the last part of the experiment, I arranged coins into two lines of same length. I asked which one was longer and he said that both lines have the same length. I moved a coin one space to the right and left a gap from where it was placed before but he still said that the length is still the same.
Experiment Pre-conserver Transitional Thinker Conserver
1. Biscuit ☺
2. Iced Tea ☺
3. Coins ☺

Assessment (Case No. 2)
Francis Albert Domingo, 7 years old, Grade 2 Student
On the first part of the experiment, I used “Tiger Biscuits. First, I took two pieces and gave him one. I asked him who have more biscuits between us and he said that I did. Then, I gave him another biscuit so that he then has a total of two pieces. Then, I broke one into two. Then I asked him who have more biscuit and he said that we just have the same amount.
On the second part of the experiment, I poured iced tea into two glasses – one small and the other double its size. I filled the small glass and half glass to the other. I asked him which one has more content and he said that both glasses hold the same amount of iced tea.
On the last part of the experiment, I arranged coins into two lines of same length. I asked which one was longer and he said that both lines have the same length. I moved a coin one space to the right and left a gap from where it was placed before but he still said that the length is still the same.


Experiment Pre-conserver Transitional Thinker Conserver
1. Biscuit ☺
2. Iced Tea ☺
3. Coins ☺

Assessment (Case No. 3)
Jeff Ocay, 9 years old, Grade 4 Student
On the first part of the experiment, I used “Tiger Biscuits. First, I took two pieces and gave him one. I asked him who have more biscuits between us and he said that I did. Then, I gave him another biscuit so that he then has a total of two pieces. Then, I broke one into two. Then I asked him who have more biscuit and he said that we just have the same amount.
On the second part of the experiment, I poured iced tea into two glasses – one small and the other double its size. I filled the small glass and half glass to the other. I asked him which one has more content and he said that both glasses hold the same amount of iced tea.
On the last part of the experiment, I arranged coins into two lines of same length. I asked which one was longer and he said that both lines have the same length. I moved a coin one space to the right and left a gap from where it was placed before but he still said that the length is still the same.

How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife Activities

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Topic: Literature: How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife by Manuel Arguilla

Age Level: Adolescence

APPLICATION	SPECIFIC ACTIVITY
1. Use visual aids such as charts and illustrations and	I will prepare pictures of the different scenes in the story, ask some students to pick one, arrange the pictures chronologically and have them re-tell each scene that they picked in their own words.
2. Use well-organized materials that offer step by step explanations
3. Provide students opportunities to discuss social issues	I will group the students into two. I will ask a group to list down the advantages while the other, the disadvantages of marriage between people having different culture or different economic status and have a representative from each group discuss their list in front of the class.
4. Provide consideration of hypothetical “other worlds”	I will ask the students to draw two pictures. One will be their vision of the life in the city of a person who grew up in the barrio and the other, their vision of the life in the barrio of a person who grew up in the city.
5. Make sure that at least some of the tests ask for more than rote memory or one final answer.	I will ask the students to write a composition about the pros and cons of living in the city and living in the barrio.
6. Use lyrics from popular music to teach poetic devices, to reflect on social problems, and so on.	I will ask the students to listen to the song “Kapaligiran” by Asin and “Manila” by Hotdog, have them list down the lines in the former that describes the barrio and the lines in the latter that describes the city and discuss the disadvantages of living in rural and urban places and how life in these places can be improved.

Example Weekly Lesson Plan

A lesson plan that I made:

HOW MY BROTHER LEON BROUGHT HOME A WIFE

by Manuel E. Arguilla

A Weekly Lesson Plan in English IV

COMPETENCIES

Listening

Make use of different learning strategies according to the main purposes of listening.

Speaking

Develop the ability to verbally give information and express needs, opinions, feelings and attitudes.

Reading

Demonstrate the ability to locate and synthesize information essential to one’s understanding and interpretation of his environment.

Writing

Demonstrate imagination and creativity in written form.

Literature

Express a deeper appreciation of values in literature.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the week, the students are expected to:

1. predict possible continuation of the story.
2. to derive needed information from the story according to the task assigned to them
3. differentiate people living in the city and in the barrio.
4. discuss their opinions on how the father treated Maria, his daughter-in-law.
5. write a descriptive essay about a specific person who lives in the city or barrio.

Session 1

OBJECTIVES

The students are expected to:

1. to recall important events in the story

2. to commend positive values shown by the actions done by the characters

3. skillfully act out different scenes in the story

CONTENT

HOW MY BROTHER LEON BROUGHT HOME A WIFE BY MANUEL E. ARGUILLA

The story is about a young boy whose brother has become successful in the city and meets him with a cart when he returns to the barrio with his city-bred wife. The father, an old revolucionario, submits the daughter-in-law to various tests to see if she will adapt well to the ways of the barrio and the family. The young boy takes easily to the new relation, probably also thinking of himself getting a wife in the future.

INPUT

“How my Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” by Manuel E. Arguilla

SOURCES

REFERENCES: Baul: A Collection of Philippine Literature by Leoncio P. Deriada and Isidoro M. Cruz

pp.12 – 20

MATERIALS: Tape recorder or laptop, pictures of different scenes in the story and pictures of the city

and barrio.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Listening attentively to the story played using a tape recorder or laptop.

NEW KNOWLEDGE

Recalling dialogues heard and perform them using the students’ own words.

PROCESS

1. INTRODUCTION

A Ask the students about their experiences in the city. What are their favorite places or establishments in the city? What do they like most about the city and what do they like the least about it? Do you have friends in the city? What are they like? Ask them about their experiences in the barrio. What do they do in their free time in the barrio? What do they love and dislike most about it.? Do they have friends in the barrio? What are the like?

C. Divide the class into small groups of about 4 – 5 and ask them to discuss where they would like to live better, the city or the barrio? Have them write the majority’s choice in a manila paper and list down the reasons why. Have the group leader present what they wrote in front of the class afterwards.

II. INTERACTION

1. Reading Activity

1. Pre-reading

a. Vocabulary Web

b. Anticipation Guide Questions

· Where did the story happen?

· Who are the characters in the story?

· Why did the father treat Maria like he did?

· What was Maria like?

2. Reading: A pre-recorded narration of the story will be played.

III. INTEGRATION

1. Post pictures of the important scenes in the story and ask the students to tell the class what was happening on that specific picture.
2. Read specific lines from the story and ask the students to say “Yay!” when the character did something nice and say “Boo!” when they do something that was not good.
3. Group the students into three and ask each group to act out one of the scenes in the story, based on the pictures posted in the board.

Session 2

OBJECTIVES

The students are expected to:

1. to identify characters of the story through given description.
2. to share their own experiences in the city or barrio.
3. to express how they feel about certain scenes facially.

CONTENT

HOW MY BROTHER LEON BROUGHT HOME A WIFE BY MANUEL E. ARGUILLA

The story is about a young boy whose brother has become successful in the city and meets him with a cart when he returns to the barrio with his city-bred wife. The father, an old revolucionario, submits the daughter-in-law to various tests to see if she will adapt well to the ways of the barrio and the family. The young boy takes easily to the new relation, probably also thinking of himself getting a wife in the future.

SOURCES

REFERENCES: Baul: A Collection of Philippine Literature by Leoncio P. Deriada and Isidoro M. Cruz

pp.12 – 20

MATERIALS: Pictures of different scenes in the story placed inside a small box

PROCESS

1. INTRODUCTION

A. Ask the students to retell the story in their own words. One student will talk about a scene in the story and another will continue with the next scene as they chronologically took place in the story.

II. INTERACTION

A. Ask the students about how the different characters may feel in the beginning of the story, in the middle, and in the end.

B. Group the students into eight to ten members. Ask them to prepare a talk-show presentation with the character in the story as the guests. Have the talk show host ask questions about how they felt in the specific scenes in the story and have the host add questions of his or her own.

III. INTEGRATION

1. With the previous groupings, ask the leaders of each group to stand in front of the class and tell them about different scenes in the story based on what they picked from the box. The leader will say how the character felt during those scenes and the members will express the emotion facially.
2. Choose a few volunteers and tell them to describe each of the character in the story in front of the class without telling who they were describing. Have the class guess who the character was.
3. Homework – Write a short essay about your most memorable experience in the city or in the barrio.

Session 3

OBJECTIVES

The students are expected to:

1. to rearrange scenes in the story as they happened chronologically.

2. to debate about the father’s treatment of Maria.

3. to draw from memory a friend that they have in the barrio or in the city.

CONTENT

HOW MY BROTHER LEON BROUGHT HOME A WIFE BY MANUEL E. ARGUILLA

The story is about a young boy whose brother has become successful in the city and meets him with a cart when he returns to the barrio with his city-bred wife. The father, an old revolucionario, submits the daughter-in-law to various tests to see if she will adapt well to the ways of the barrio and the family. The young boy takes easily to the new relation, probably also thinking of himself getting a wife in the future.

SOURCES

REFERENCES: Baul: A Collection of Philippine Literature by Leoncio P. Deriada and Isidoro M. Cruz

pp.12 – 20

MATERIALS: Different scenes in the story written on pre-cut cartolina separately

PROCESS

1. INTRODUCTION

A, Have the class read their homework in front.

II. INTERACTION

A. Ask questions about what they wrote. Ask the students if they had similar experiences similar to what their classmates shared.

III. INTEGRATION

A. Post the pre-cut cartolinas wherein different scenes from the story were written separately. Ask some of the students arrange them chronologically.

B. Ask volunteers to explain what happened in each picture until they finish re-telling the story based on the pictures.

C. Divide the class into two groups and have them present a debate about whether or not the father did the right thing by treating Maria the way that he did.

D. Have the students draw their friend from the barrio or city and what they love doing together.

Session 4

OBJECTIVES

The students are expected to:

1. to explain why the characters do what they did in different scenes in the story.
2. to discuss how they felt about the different actions that a specific character did in the story.
3. to write other possible ending of the story.

SOURCES

REFERENCES: Baul: A Collection of Philippine Literature by Leoncio P. Deriada and Isidoro M. Cruz

pp.12 – 20

MATERIALS: Picture of a person living in the city and a person living in the barrio

PROCESS

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Post two pictures on the board, one with people living in the city and the other, people living in the barrio. Ask the students to describe each picture. Write the descriptive words that they say below each picture. Ask them to write about a certain person that they know who lives in the city or barrio.

B. Ask them to read what they wrote in front of the class.

II. INTERACTION

A. Ask them why most people like living in the city and why some likes living in the barrio better. Ask them to compare both through job opportunities, recreational places, technology, crime rate, education, and more.

III. INTEGRATION

1. Read out different lines about actions that the characters in the story did and have them explain why they think the characters did it.
2. Ask them if they think that specific action was right or wrong and why.
3. Homework – Ask them to write another possible ending of the story.

Session 5

OBJECTIVES

The students are expected to:

1. to identify values that the characters displayed in the story
2. to select a character whom they like the most because of their values.
3. to act as their favorite character in the story.

SOURCES

REFERENCES: Baul: A Collection of Philippine Literature by Leoncio P. Deriada and Isidoro M. Cruz

pp.12 – 20

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Read different scenes in the story and ask the students to identify the values that were shown in these scenes.

II. INTERACTION

1. Ask the students about the other ways on how to show the values that they have given.
2. What would they do if they were the ones who were in those situations or scenes in the story?
3. If there was anything that they would like to change in the story, what would those be and why. What will they do instead?

III. INTEGRATION

1. Ask them to select the character that they think shown more values than the others.
2. Ask them to choose a specific action that the character they have chosen did or a specific line that they said and have them act it out in front of the class.

Aklan Catholic College Vision

We had our screening for The Aklan Collegian last month and one of the aspiring Collegians wrote about the importance of not only memorizing the school vision and mission but also embedding the meaning of these in our minds and hearts. Here's the Aklan Catholic College Vision:

We envision Aklan Catholic College as a vibrant educational institution committed to empowering stakeholders as globally competent and authentic Christians.

Back-to-School!

School starts again tomorrow. You know how after a long vacation, you feel lazy to go back to school or to work? I think everybody does.

Well, what to do when you're not yet ready to go to bed and wake up early? When you're not ready yet to give up the remote control or put down the book that you've been reading? When you're not yet done with your list of places to visit?

Here are some tips to help you prepare to go back to school.

1. Adjust your body clock. Try to sleep early again. It's most effective if you start at least five days before school starts again.

2. Spend two whole days doing what you want or spend the day with people you want to be with and hope that you'll get sick of them (joke!) and just give space for you to miss them again when school starts.

3. Text or call your classmates and ask them about their vacation. I'm sure they have something to share and that you do too so it will give you something to look forward to.