monaalq2020

[monaalq2020]

My unexpected online learning experience.

As we all know and are currently experiencing right now, the pandemic, and because of that, online classes started as an alternative way for us to continue our education. It is different from what we are used to, the traditional “face-to-face” classes.

My online experience as a student which at first I felt relieved. Since I knew COVID could compromise our health. Initially, I thought “YES! Online! I don’t have to deal with the struggle of waking up in the morning and having to socialize with others”. But as time passed by, I started feeling a little different. Since we started this whole online situation, I was already confused. I felt lost. Compared to others my age, they seem pretty well with using technology. I, on the other hand, I am not that familiar. I don’t know how to download or transfer files and such. It was pretty hectic trying to figure out how it all works. I’ve had experiences wherein instructors just post assignments and expect us to complete it within the given time. It was here when it really hit me. I am used to instructors guiding us or that I could ask my seatmates for clarity. But this online situation is kind of a barrier. You might think “why don’t you message your instructors or classmates? Trust me, I did. No response. Maybe even the instructors are having a hard time shifting as well. As the older generation are not that familiar with using technology. And what about my classmates you say? Well here’s a thing, I am a shy human being. In order for me to be able to talk with another, I first analyze how they are. “Do they look friendly?” “are they approachable?” These are the questions I ask myself beforehand. But because it's online, It is harder since people may not be who they appear to be online.  Another issue I had was when there’s a a group project that’s nearly due. I understand that not everyone has a stable internet connection such as myself, but it is way difficult to reach out for my group mates and this would affect my grades. Another thing is motivation. Before during regular classes, it was simple. You enter, you pay attention, do the requirements and then you leave. You could say it’s the same but in my opinion it really isn’t. Being in a physical classroom makes me want to complete my work, but online learning makes it harder to focus because I even have to also finish up household chores, and it throws me off.

Now this new learning system has its perks, like learning within the comfort of your home and not having to wake up early to travel to school. Despite these benefits, there are downsides of this method of learning. On behalf of me, the most challenging part is to focus. Using your gadgets as a form of attending class, there are temptations. I found myself delivering assignments weeks late and it's mainly due to the fact that I had no motivation and energy to try to complete them. Additionally, I find that simply reading the instructions for an assignment or lesson isn't as engaging as when it's explained by the instructor. Other than online classes distracting me, It has also affected my health. Because online classes usually take place at home, You lose track of time and your sleep schedule gets messed up. I found myself drinking way too many energy drinks since I often work on my assignments during late hours trying to catch up on deadlines. 

Despite all the negative emotions I’ve felt, there are also some positives that result from it. I used to think I always needed my seatmate or a classmate to help me regarding assignments but this time, I found out I can actually work on my own and not depend on anyone. I’ve also learned a few ways to use the laptop. Compared to before online class, I’ve improved drastically. Slowly but surely I’ve got a hang of how to organize my schedule and to balance education and entertainment. Without online classes, I would’ve never thought I can do things independently.

[monaalq2020]

Twinflame

My real one and my reflection. Twinflame. Not necessarily a romantic relationship. As Vallejos says “This kind of high-level, soul-based connection isn’t about romance. It’s about spiritual growth, You meet them and your life just completely changes. You start seeing the world differently. It pushes you to want to engage with the divine, shift consciousness, and become a better, soulful being in this experience." So who is this twin flame I am pertaining to? Well..

Her name is Aisha but I call her sushi and she’s my best friend. The girl with the purple hair. She’s the type of person who has your back no matter what as long as you're real with yourself and others. Yeah, she’s a small girl but don’t get me started with her big personality! I admire her trueness and how she sets boundaries to herself and the people around her. I’m saying it now, do not underestimate her ability to cut you off. She does not tolerate any form of disrespect. She’s 20 this year. Crazy how time flies. I’ve known you since forever yet you still manage to surprise me with all the crazy new things you can do. Let me tell you guys a few things about Aisha Almuzaiel.

Aisha is an animal lover. Her love for animals is beyond and because of that, she decided to pursue Zoology in hopes of accomplishing one of her goals which is to help save and create a better space for animals. She also cares about the environment. She volunteered to help in a  nonprofit organization called Trashtag Kuwait. In addition to that, She volunteered to help around a petshop called Luna & Beau.

But it doesn't stop here. Aisha has a passion for music. This girl can sing and play instruments like piano, ukulele, and violin. From singing in her room to performing in front of the crowd.

She was in a musical band called فن pronounced as “F-I-N” which translates to “Art”. The band performed at Yarmouk Cultural Center and their theme is (translated) “International music by the hands of Kuwaitis” and they were on the page of CP magazine 2018 for Youth achievements. Making history as they are the first female band in Kuwait. Additionally, they also got an award sponsored by Honda.

and of course as an animal lover you definitely own a pet. Aisha owns 2 dogs that she adores very much. One dog is a husky breed and his name is Ace. The other one is a German shepherd called Hunter. She enjoys taking her dogs for a walk whenever she can as her schedule is quite loaded being a student and also working part time at a Salon. 

She does not only love to create art such as music but she also has gained interest in painting. She’s artistic in her own unique ways, who knows what else she can do? I’m proud to say that she’s my best friend. Although we have our differences, we are so much alike! We can have different points of views but still respect each other’s opinion. She’s open-minded which allows us to have unlimited topics to talk about and I love that about her. I could text her anytime about anything, from happy news to devastating ones and she knows exactly what to say and how to handle the situation. She knows my weaknesses and has never used it against me. She is someone I fully trust. Sometimes we look at each other and know exactly what we’re both thinking of. She could randomly send a simple  “HAHA” and I would know exactly what she’s laughing about. Crazy right? That’s how connected we are. Alright this is getting slightly too cheesy, shall we cut to the chase?

Aisha has accomplished many things in life and I am so proud of her. Even though we are in different countries, I am always here clapping for her. Distance changes nothing. Sushi, I know you’re going to read this. It’s been two years since I last saw you. I miss you Boo. I will see you soon!

Oh and did I mention that she’s a Scorpio? Hmm... a water sign... maybe that's why we get along well..

[monaalq2020]

Into the Untrue

Fake News, based from the name itself is a compilation of news that has either been altered with or edited to make it seem like it is something it's not, most of the time Fake News are being made by face book pages, untrusted sites, images that are being passed around or forwarded amongst the online community. Some fake news are being made to troll other people or scare other people just to cause some commotions or chaos of some sort. Fake news are being done very often especially when it comes to Politics, Medical Fields, and Academe due to this recent outbreak of the pandemic. These fake news are being made in order to either make the citizens look down to rethink their opinions or views about the government and the country in general. These fake news do spread very quickly. Most of the time, it's related to the academic fields where in the resident is mentioned or the Dep-Ed about no schooling or no home works or no classes and such, there were even fake news being passed around about the president signing off a no homework policy contract which is obviously untrue since it came from an unreliable source and a random Facebook page. When it comes to medical fields, a lot of false information is being passed around such as cure to cancer or cure to covid-19 which is obviously fake news because then we wouldn't be in this situation where we are in a crisis right now. Fake news in showbiz/entertainment communities have the most false information spread due to challenges between celebrities, influencers and idols as well, fake news like deaths, events, or even scandals are being made to slander or defame certain celebrities in order to ruin their career or how the people recently call it, cancelling them. In conclusion, we should always double check the sources and make sure it is a legit site or a trusted person spreading information before jumping into conclusions when it comes to news, because such news are too important for us to assume the worst or best, which is why we should always check for a reliable source.

I personally think something as big as fake news cannot be stopped nor lessened because it could come from anyone, be it a group of unreliable sources or just a single person creating sites that may look believable but untrue, which is why I always check on the site or the page if it’s reliable or a verified page made by official reporters or authors.

[monaalq2020]

My Higher Self.

I am Mona, here to give you a little insight of my journey of exploring myself in and out. I have dreamt of exploring this little ball of life called earth, the goods, the places. Exploring one's self entities, had led to taking likings into Astrology and Crystals, the way they see into you just as you would expect to see yourself, how healing could be done in unexpected ways to maintain peace and clarity. A simple rock with minerals contained but it isn't only just that, now you  may be wondering why the crystals? well you see, growing up, not having everything given in a silver platter, call it unhealthy if I do say so myself or "abusive" but that would be too much wouldn't it? call it as you may but these rocks filled with allocation would surprisingly motivate me throughout my daily life, even while stressed or under pressure. I wouldn't really call it struggling throughout life, but let's just say I was continuing a path I was thrown into without a choice, and for that I had to find myself, what I want to do, who I need to become, with that being said I had to start doing things for myself, focus on nothing but my future and my well being that may or may not come to an end but hey who's counting? all that matters is that I have everything planned ahead of me and I have no intentions of giving up after years of healing.

You may be wondering what is this future she's talking about, brace yourself because I'm about to bring in some cliché, I've always dreamt of going to the big city you know what I'm saying? yes that city, the city that never sleeps at night, the city filled with dreams, a perfect place for a fresh start in life, to be able to discover more about myself, probably more than I think I already knew. The thought of having to live independently, finally free of such chains, to be able to breathe in a completely different place from where you felt imprisoned, as long as I have meaning and reason, I will always be able to easily turn negative situations upside down and see light in every darkness, to have finally become someone I have always dreamt of becoming as a child and to prove to very own self that I could accomplish such desires despite having various obstacles in the future that may block or keep me from achieving these goals of mine, I know that I could overcome it as long as I manage to keep my rhythm constant. Lastly to anyone reading this, I've went through a really rough emotional roller coaster, like really rough, like no seatbelt and missing roller coaster trails rough, like pennywise riding next to you with no seat belt and roller coaster trails rough, now that you get my point, I would like for you to know that no matter what you go through, find what sets your heart on fire and keep that close to you, never let it go because that could be your holy grail in keeping you on track, be it a living thing or an object, do not let it go, only you got you keep that in mind, with that being said I rest my blog, peace.

[monaalq2020]

NIH Study: Effect of Social Media.

Social media has changed the way we live our lives. It is everywhere. It has become a big part of our lives. More than 3.8 billion are using social media and that raises a question if it has an effect on our mental health.

The video I watched on Youtube, “NIH study tracks effects of social media on adolescent brains” By CBS This Morning stated that the National Institutes of Health study is following more than 11,000 children over 10 years and found significant differences in brain chemistry in children who used 7 hours of screen time a day as compared to those who used it less.

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego made it possible to see what happens inside one’s brain when they’re engaging on social media. In the video, You can see how the “brain lights up” and that shows that the brain is stimulated and is releasing a chemical called dopamine which is caused by having screen time. Hence, its the reason why we keep checking on our social medias because it gives us that “good” feelings. As seen on the video, Roxy Shimp, 18 years old. When asked how often she checks her social media, she replied with “every 10-20 minutes”. This shows how social media can be addicting.

What I have to say is that it’s no surprise that we’re constantly checking in on our phone, Although, I worry about our mental health especially during this pandemic when you’re not allowed to go out but to stay indoors and for most, our phones is the only form of entertainment. On top of that, Online classes is needed now which means more exposure and some classes requires being on social media which could also be distracting. I hope we can find ways to balance the time we spend on our phones while also finding other productive form of entertainment. Our mental health comes first.

[monaalq2020]

2020 made me stronger.

This year 2020 took an unexpected twist with COVID-19 happening.Where I live, we’ve been in quarantine since March. A Lot of us are going through a lot at this time. People are losing their jobs and their loved ones. I’m going through it as well. I lost my aunt on march. She died fighting cancer. This year started rough and I thought this could be the worst year but as days went by, I slowly started to see the positive things. So here’s a few things that have happened that I’d like to share.

Being indoors for so long made me realize that I can do a lot of things that I never thought I was able to do like cooking, baking, and caring for plants. Quarantine made me do things that I used to find excuses to avoid. It made me face a few of my fears. I learned how to drive a car and I finally had the guts to cut my hair short. It made me learn more about myself and I even got to know my family more. Yes, It's weird saying that but because we’re always on the rush, going out everyday be it for school, meeting your friends, etc. we tend to forget to spend more time with our family. It also taught me to never take anything for granted. I would’ve never thought the day I celebrated my friend’s birthday would be the last event I’ve attended before quarantine started.

For my sanity, I’ve been using social media way more than usual, keeping in touch with friends and spending a lot of time on Youtube which helped me find influencers that I liked and motivate me to do better. I also try to wake up early to watch the sunrise and that's been helping me drastically. 

Disregarding all the distractions, I’ve seen a lot of truth this year. So many things have happened. 1)This pandemic had people show their true colors. 2) People are now seeing how the government actually is. and third, which I have to mention, there is a BLM movement 

Another thing that I strongly feel is that while we are finding ourselves during quarantine, Mother nature is also healing. Since there’s been less pollution, the eco-system has improved. 

Lastly, I’ve learned patience. This will all be over soon and I hope we all learned something from this pandemic. We may immediately think this year is horrible but if you pay attention, I think this year is all about realization and changes.

[monaalq2020]

What happened to ABS-CBN?

2020. Perfect vision but terrible year. Amidst the pandemic humanity has been struck with, other crises had come to surface. One being the downfall of the largest broadcast network in the Philippines, the ABS-CBN channel. The media giant filed an application for a franchise renewal after their forced shutdown last May but the congress conducted hearings to discuss about the renewal due to alleged violations of the famous network. Some of these allegations included 1) citizenship issues of network owner; 2) granting Philippine Depository Receipts (PDRs) to foreigners; and (3) unjust labor practices.

In Marcoleta’s summation of discussions on ABS-CBN franchise renewal, he discussed about  the issue revolving around the citizenship of Eugenio Gabriel "Gabby" Lopez, ABS-CBN's chairman who is also the treasurer and director of the Lopez Holding Corporation, wherein it contradicts Article XVI (General Provision) Section 11 of the constitution which states that “the ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.” Marcoleta imparted that Lopez does not own a Filipino birth certificate and confessed to not being registered to the nearest Philippine Embassy by his parents after his birth. ‘Lopez did not make an effort to file for a Filipino birth certificate even when he was of age disregarding the fact that it was a duty to register as stated in our laws,’ says Marcoleta. Another allegation defying Article XVI, Section 11 discussed by Marcoleta was the selling of Philippine Depository Receipts (PDRs) to foreigners wherein it was also found out  that these buyers are given the option to change their rights dictated in the PDRs which is a matter that is not controlled by the Securities and Exchange Commission in our country. Marcoleta says ABS-CBN’s response to this allegation was that the PDRs were used as legal instruments in many countries. ‘But what they (ABS-CBN) did not confess is that there are no restrictions in other countries on the ownership and management of mass media which is not the same in our country, a media company which is 100 % owned by a Filipino is allowed to operate in America’ says Marcoleta. As for the accusation against ABS-CBN about labor law breaches, according to Marcoleta, it was proven in a detailed examination of papers from BIR, PhilHealth, SSS, and other companies that ABS-CBN was confusing the public by saying they have more than 11, 000 employees but in truth, just one-third of the claimed number. Marcoleta says the network employees were deprived of the proper security, benefits, and regularization denying them of their rights as workers.

What were mentioned above are just some of the allegations acknowledged and discussed by the House of Committee. People are entitled to their own opinions. Some are against the renewal of ABS-CBN franchise and some are supportive of it. According to many supporters of the TV network, ABS-CBN had been the channel they depended on when trying to know more of news and updates occurring in the country and that many Filipino families grew up with the said channel. They were also empathetic toward the ABS-CBN employees and talents who will lose their source of income after its official shutdown. People voiced out that cutting workers off their source of income while in the middle of a pandemic and an economic crisis is one of the worst things the government could do to its citizens when it is supposed to protect and serve the people. ABS-CBN and their supporters also made use of what is stated in Article 3, Section 4 of the Philippine constitution, “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances,” in their defense for the renewal. Many people are left to think about these situations. To what extent can a violation of the law be? What law is supreme? Law is law, they say. I mean, what is the law?