Career Change

It was a pretty interesting day for me today. In two weeks, I should be going back to school but something just came up and I am probably moving to another school (Lady of the Lake) of this semester. I will be processing my papers including the transfer of my scholarship by next week. "Lady of the Lake" is supposed to be a better school for my nursing field. This is where I was recommended to go. I got an offer to be in a military air force nurse. By October, I will be taking an exam, then go for my physical fitness, so on, and so forth. Today was a new start for me to make another big decision in my life. I am still confused and I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking until December. They have to know before January of next year, so they could start setting me up for my semester being in the air force. I really got excited about this. If I decide to pursue this, in front of me are huge opportunities. They will pay my tuition, books, gas expenses, and almost everything that I need. And the package of the whole thing is that I get a work out almost every day which I really like to do. Then, when I get finish, I get to travel around the world. And also, I can learn on how to fly a plane, and I get to go to the LSU - (known as the "Harvard in the South") for my classes and a lot more. Of course, I still have to undergo some tough trainings and I don't know how I am going to do with that. But they told me not to worry about it. I will be fine. I already had a meeting with the captain of the air force today and he said, I should have no problem getting into it. He even added, “you don't have to look tough, but you will be built tough". He said: main thing they need are "critical thinkers". Can you believe? Me? A smart thinker? he he...we will see about that. I will also be tested on how I will react on different situations under pressure. If I pass it, this might be the right road for me.

Anyway, regardless of what my decision will be on this whole thing. I am going to stay put and finish my semesters needed to be a full pledge nurse, and on the side of it, I will probably be adding up semesters for the air force. Just in case I decide to turn my back on it. I won't lose anything. I also think that it's time to seek guidance to the Lord. I got all kinds of opportunities laid in front of me. It's just a matter of making the right choice.

DJ and Nath

Aren't they cute? Alright! But they can be a pain in the butt too. Babysitting this two in the same house is a chaos. We consider it the toughest job of all. They are worse than a dog and a cat. If they are together, fighting never fails because whatever stuff the other one got, the other wants it too. They are both brave. Nobody owes anything and they both retaliate. They won't stop till they get even with each other. I was even thinking of getting them a pair of boxing gloves. Whoever watches this two will surely be stress out. I experienced it myself and it wasn't easy. I even decided, "That’s it"! No more kids for me. he he he!

My sister, mommy, and I had given up to put this two in the same place. We finally got them separated. If my sister is at work, her mother-in law watches DJ and if I am at work mommy watches Nathaniel or sometimes my sister does if mommy is sick. I am so glad I got my mom and sister with me. They are a lot of help. Only right now, my mom is very sick her illness finally taking a toll of her. Sis and I are the one taking turns taking care of mommy. We might need a 24 hrs. caretaker for her very soon but I refused to put her in the nursing home though. Lote (my sister) and I are trying to do what's best for mommy. We've decided to just petition one brother this year to temporarily take care of her while we both work and I am still finishing school. I don't know how we will be able to manage it again this year but I believe we can get through it, as long as we both work as a team.

Anyway, these two boys are very sweet in nature. They just got the AMORO genes of being a fighter. They just now starting to get along a little better but they still fight when something arise. I hope they can be best friends when they grow up. I know they have too, because they live next to each other. They don't really have much of a choice. My sister and DJ are going to live within my property. I just wish she don't get remarried (right now, going through divorce) and move to another place. I will be sad. I liked to have all of my family in my sight so we can look out for each other. It's what I am trying to do in the future. I already got the land I needed more than enough to occupy them. And I know, it is still a far way to go because it takes time and money to get the rest of them. There are three in my family that is going to be a nurse that includes me. It's what I am hanging on to fulfill this goal. I just hope and pray that nobody is going to go astray. So, we can work all together as a team.

Types of Memory

Here are examples of the type of memory, I’ve learned on my psychology. I’ve made samples based on my life’s experiences with my explanation as well, so you will be able to differentiate between them easy.

Semantic Memory- consists of your general knowledge about the world.
Example:
I know what a Rat Terrier is. It’s a type of dog, poodles and beagles are other kinds of dogs. And I know that they can be trained, but nevertheless no matter how cute they are, they tend to poop in inconvenient places and shed hairs all over places.

This knowledge that I have illustrates an example of a semantic memory because I don’t remember where I learned that, but I know it anyway. According to Endel Tulving, who first came up with the distinction, that defining a feature of semantic memory- is something you know, even though you can’t remember where or when you learned it.

Episodic Memory- refers to a memory of specific episodes in one’s life and is what most people think of as memory. This type of memory are connected with a specific time and place.
Example:
I remember that it was my 23rd birthday in the year 2003 when I first got my driver’s license.

This illustrates as an episodic memory because I could not forget when I got my driver’s license for the first time because it was my birthday. Growing up from other country, everything was new to me. When I got here in United States I’m pretty much learning the new way of life and that includes driving. Boy, I was so happy to get a license to regain my freedom. Back home, we don’t have to drive to get places I wanna go. But when I got here, there is no way I will reach to my destination in a day if I will just walk.

Procedural Memory- refers to the skills that human possess. Is often contrasted with episodic and semantic memory.
Example:
I remember when I bought a CD for workouts and just by reading the instruction written on the manual. I could almost picture it on my mind what are the steps to do because I’ve tried different types of workout before and I definitely know the basics without watching any video.

This illustrates as a procedural memory because I have linked my memory to some of the things that can be considered as episodic. In a way, that I’ve been through some workouts before and already know the basic steps. And semantic in a way that it was stored in my long term memory as general. I mean exercising have almost similar action depends on what type of workout you are doing that suits you well. So, oftentimes when I feel lazy and don’t wanna follow the video. I can just execute the actions myself and do my own thing knowing that I am doing the right thing because I pretty have much everything laid out on my mind.

Flashbulb Memories- are remarkably vivid and seemingly permanent memories. These memories are typically of highly emotional and personal event’s in one’s life.
Example:
I remember that day when I just came home from school. I was at our office and about to do some paperworks when I received a text from my family in the Philippines that my dad has been murdered.
I was shock and could not believe at first. I was crying horribly the moment I received the bad news. I never was able to do the paperworks I intend to do for that day and I was so glad that I did not receive that text while I’m at school or else I don’t know if I will be able to drive myself back.

This illustrates as a flashbulb memory because I never did forget that event because it has such an emotional impact on me and I’m pretty sure that it was stored in my long-term memory because until now I can still recall how I feel that day and where exactly I am and what I am doing. It was that intense feeling that I experienced at that moment that makes this memory be stored in a long-term process. I’ve learned too that most of the things that are stored in the long-term memory are the ones that are linked with emotions. It’s so true.

(originally written: May 24th, 2009)

The Hypocrisy of America’s View of Immigrants

This is one of my papers that made an A grade on my English class in making an argument based on the cartoon that I picked to deal with. I choosed about immigration since I am an immigrant in this country. I just think that it is more easy for me to form some ideas based on my personal points of view.

Here is the link of the cartoon that I was interpreting for my argument. It is a copyrighted photo. I won’t be able to copy it to my blog. So, I am attaching the link here to view in case you care to look at it, so you would get what I am talking about. Here it is: http://www.cartoonistgroup.com//store/add.php?iid=23932

America has always prided itself as being a refuge for poor people from around the world. From the very beginning, it has been a country made up entirely of immigrants-even the original people that the Europeans discovered in the New World had themselves migrated from Asia thousands of years before.

America have always been sensitive to the plight of people who live in countries where there is little chance of advancement, and has opened its arms to these less fortunate than themselves.

But, does America have it’s limits? Has the overwhelming rush of poor people who have bypassed all rules and laws illegally sneaked across the border in search of the American dream caused Americans to turn their backs on these people in need? Has the over-12 million illegal immigrants over stayed their welcome, becoming a drain on social services and causing Americans to lose their jobs, and causing the once-generous American public to harden it’s heart?

Having immigrated (legally) to America myself, I know completely how it feels to be very poor. Compared to where I am from (the Philippines), there is no such thing as a “poor American”. Imagine a life in which you do not have a car, or a washing machine or drier, no refrigerator, no indoor plumbing, and a public water system that turns your water on for two hours per day. There is no public assistance, no charity hospitals, no WIC programs, no food stamps. If you get sick and have no money, you either survive it , or you die- the hospital’s won’t let you in. If you are educated, you might get a job as a school teacher, making perhaps $300-per month! It is not unusual to see people working 12 to 16 hrs. per day for less than $150 per month. So , is it any wonder why people risk their lives to come to the Land of the Free?

Mr. Bennett has depicted his view of America’s changing viewpoint in his drawing of two would-be illegal immigrants, who represents the millions of people who have entered the United States illegally, with no regard to the laws of the United States, in an attempt to benefit from the riches they perceived to be found there.

Our subjects stand in the dessert, which is both figurative and actual; it represents the hardships the illegal aliens encounter on their journey to the America. Those hardships might be the actual desserts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California where man of these illegal aliens have died a horrible, painful death from dehydration in the unforgiving dessert heat. It is also figurative of other illegal aliens who have risked their lives, as they crossed the Gulf of Mexico on homemade boats from Cuba, tramped through the snow across the Canadian border, or huddled in the bottoms of cargo ships from Asia.

There is a quarter-moon in the night sky, which does not give much light, but can still be used for navigation. This indicates that these people feel the need to travel under the cover of darkness to avoid being detected. This might also represent to those who use other forms of deceit, such as fake documents and passports.

They are carrying their belongings, of which all they have is two bags between them, a flashlight, and the clothes on their backs. These people are obviously poor, and if they owned any thing more than they are now carrying, they had to leave it behind. They are using the flashlight to read a sign that reads,” Land of the Free” and other sign below it that reads, ” No Trespassing”. It is assumed that this particular pair of illegal aliens can read English , and they are actually concerned that the Americans might not want them to enter America illegally. It is as if this couple might decided to not cross the border after all, now that they have read the sign that contemplating the apparent contradictory message of the two signs.

The immigrant laws, or, rather, the enforcement of these laws, in reality has been much more than fair for illegal aliens from Latin American countries. As a matter of fact, it borders on the insane. Having migrated from the Philippines myself, I would venture to say that America policy is usually much more hypocritical in the way it deals with LEGAL immigrants( although I have never experienced hypocrisy from any individual American concerning coming to this country, as the cartoon seems to imply).

The cartoonist, Mr. Clay Bennet, is wrong to imply that U.S sentiments are hypocritical concerning illegal immigrants. He has used his cartoon to falsely accuse the people of the United States of being hypocrites in proclaiming their country “The land of the Free” and then proclaiming “No Trespassing”. In reality, Americans are very kind and generous to all people, and have made their country made up entirely of immigrants-even the original people the Europeans “discovered” here, had themselves migrated from Asia thousand of years before.

America had to set limits on the numbers of immigrants, because even America, in all it’s greatness, can only support a finite number of people. America welcomes those who want to come here to make this a better country, and seeks to keep out to those who would do us harm. Illegal immigrants overload the system in America, and make it much harder for those who seek to come here legally. Clay Bennett apparently hates America, in that he uses lies and false pretense to try to make Americans look like heartless cads.

(originally written: May 24th, 2009)

Nature vs. Nurture

This was a true documentary story that has touched everyone’s heart that came across with it. I could relate this to what I have learned in my psychology course in regards with the nature vs. nurture. This issue was considered as the most enduring debate in the field of psychology. Based on my understanding, nature is defined as the existing system of things; the world of matter; or of matter and mind; the creation; the universe or we could say in general the regular course of things while nurture is something that shapes us who we are and what we are going to be in the future. It is what we are exposed to that changes us.

Here’s the summary of the story to gain the concept for the whole thing. This story is about two young chaps who out of compassion bought a lion cub on sale at Harrods, the London department store. They named him Christian and in their innocence tried to raise him in their London flat. Of course the lion grew somewhat and they eventually had to find him a proper home. His new home turned out to be in the African country of Kenya, where he was flown to from London, with his two adoptive parents in tow. The lads soon returned to London and left Christian there to be reintroduced into the wild.

Sometime later we find the young lad hankering after their lion. They are in fact sufficiently lonesome to actually go back to Kenya to see how Christian is doing. They are warned not to go because the lion has not been seen for months. The experts also predict that having been fully reintegrated into the wild, the lion may not recognize them. They went anyway.

On arrival they find that Christian was now the leader of a pride of wild lions, has appeared at their camp in Kora and is apparently waiting for them to arrive. The video ends with the lion loping purposefully out of the bush towards the two defenseless men. Wow, I thought that he is going to attack the two but instead Christian gets very excited and starts jumping all over this old buddies, licking and hugging them like any normal house pet would do.

Now, who would expect that he still remembers the people that raised him after that long period of time of their separation? Now, could we say that nurture plays an important role on how Christian turns out to be despite of his nature being a wild animal? Yes, Indeed! This story displays all kinds of concepts that we have touched in my psychology class such as memory and classical conditioning. In a way that Christian was able to register the two young lads into his long term memory and he was also conditioned to act like a loving person until time came that they have to let the nature take over for his own sake to what he is destined to be. Fortunately, Christian never departed to how he is nurtured.

In my own opinion, I would say that nurture rules better than nature. We saw the evidence in this story that nurture was able to override Christian’s side of being a wild animal. The same applies to human nature. It doesn’t matter what nature of genes and personality you have inherited from your ancestors. It is the nurturing in life that dictates who we are. It is what we are enlightened to that shapes us. Greatness is forged in a cauldron of specific temperatures and workable raw materials. All of these reagents need the proper environment and tempering to develop into something worth while. Thus, we are not much different in fact to many other forms of animal life; and it is because of subtle human conditioning, not the actual facts that we are raised to believe there is a wide gap between what is human and what is animal. This story reflects a lot of knowledge that I had learned from my psychology in the application of real life. And at the same time it was a great story of unconditional love.

(originally written: April 29th, 2009)

Understanding Psychology

My professor in psychology had given us an assignment. He wanted us to write a paragraph on what we have learned about this course. While making it today, I was thinking of pasting it to my journal here since I’ve neglected this site already. It’s been a while since, I’ve posted anything here. I just got so busy in life lately that I don’t have time to update my online stuff often.

Anyway, straight to the point. Here’s what I have to say. I find psychology very interesting. It’s amazing how an individual can alter your state of mind and behavior by following the scientific study. Psychologists do it by observing and recording how people and other animals relate to one another and to the environment. They look for patterns that help them understand and predict behavior, and they use scientific method to test their ideas. Through many studies, psychologist have learned much that can help people fulfill their potential as human beings and increase understanding between individuals, groups, nations and cultures.

It is a broad field that explores varieties of questions about thoughts, feelings, and actions. Psychologist ask such questions as: “How do we see, hear, smell, taste and feel? What enables us to learn, think and remember , and why do we forget? What abilities are we born with, and which must we learn? How much does the mind affect the body and , how does the body affect the mind? For example: What can our dreams tells us about our needs, wishes and desires? Why do we like the people we like? Why are some people so negative when it comes to their thinking and others are positive no matter what situation they are in? Why other people easily get angered? What causes violence? What is mental illness and how it can be cured? “ I mean there are lots of why’s and how’s that we wanna know. Psychologists knows what factors contributes the effects of such things through research findings. Psychologists have greatly increased our understanding of why people behave as they do. Psychology is closely related to the natural science of biology. Like many biologist, psychologist study the abilities, needs and activities of human beings and other animals. But psychologist focus on the workings of the nervous system, especially the brain.

Now, pretty interesting to have some knowledge on this field. It makes me wanna be a psychologists too. I’ve never been good in reading other people but I am a little bit good in altering my own thoughts and emotions. And it does work. I always believe in the power of positive thinking. For example: If I am depressed, I’ll think and do things that inspires me to alter my emotions. Do you think that psychology is just for students, academics and therapists? Then, think again. Because psychology can be utilized in a number of ways. The results of these experiments and studies can have a good impact in the applications of your daily life. Examples of uses for psychology in your daily life are: get motivated, improve your leadership skills, become a better communicator, learn to better understand others, make more accurate decisions, improve your memory, make wiser final decisions, get better grades, become more productive, and be healthier. Psychology provides a framework for understanding human behavior, thoughts and development. By having, a broad base of understanding about the how’s and why’s of human behavior, we can better understand ourselves and others. And it makes life so much easier. By the way, I don’t agree everything that psychology has to say, depends on certain things. Nevertheless, it’s good because it gives us a complete different idea of the things we think we know best.

(originally written: February 5th, 2009)

Venting Out

This is going to be my 1st venting since the start of the year. Yesterday, we went shopping with some of my good friends and also meet some people that are also friends but are not that good. Why I say that they are not so good? It’s because those are the type of people that pulls u negatively. Anyway, while we are shopping we have some conversations too and they were asking me some questions. Most of our topics are about our future plans in life and what we’re going to be doing in the next day or so. I am the type of person that doesn’t run out of things to do in life; the easy way or hard way. I am not scared to try anything. I told them that I am going to school and be working at the same time. And I am planning to get some of my siblings again. And boy, there was this one person that is so opposed of what I am saying and even laughed at me. She even compared me to other people that are already successful. I am still on my way of doing it and comparing me to some other people that might be better than me would not make me feel anything less. I do things my own way and trying to imitate other people is not on my vocabulary. She probably doesn’t think that I would be able to do those. She doesn’t even believe me that I’ve been in school last few yrs. and she said some other things that insult me really well. But I was able to keep a good face with it and share some good laugh with the rest of them despite of the negative reactions I have received from them.

Oh well, it is really normal to encounter some people like that in our life every once in a while. I don’t have any hard feelings about it and I don’t have a plan to vow in the same level. All I can say, I feel sorry for the person who have an attitude like that. She isn’t going nowhere in life if she continues to be that way. Minding other people’s business is what she’s good at. I would not try to brag or anything but nobody is going to put me down. I have enough attitudes in believing myself and I am not giving anyone a permission to discourage me on anything that I want to do because other people just don’t think the way I do. As a matter of fact, I like people that challenge me. It gives me more energy to work hard to make it happen. Their negative energies will do something good for me and that is to prove them wrong. Alright, enough bitching now. he he!