I n t u i t i o n

     Intuition..gut feeling..or a hunch that we call. sixth sense? According to a psychic library, it is the awareness of a fact or reality that is not related by any usual reasoning power or logical assumption. Yes, the sixth sense, and everyone has it, though only a few are in tune with it. WebMD states that just like the brain, there are neurotransmitters in the gut that can respond to stimuli and emotions in the now.
     Some people set aside these feelings, and some people tend not to share what transpired after these feelings. I, for one rarely share this kind of feeling, unless I have detected that the one I'm talking to believes or has an open mind about this topic. Some people with a broader mind call it a gift of discernment. 

     The vivid memories of this intuitive ability or gift happened 18 years ago. This is very significant even though I have been experiencing the same many times. I had 2 kids then and teaching at a prestigious university that a need for a housemaid was very urgent and badly needed. Our grandmother referred a woman who had worked for them long before. Maybe because it was long ago, she forgot to mention the unlikely things the maid had done. As I was asking questions, her answers made me uneasy, but then I dismissed the thought. On our way to our parents, the owner-type jeep that we were driving lost its brake and we had to stop and slammed at the small truck in front of us, it seems something was stopping us to bring the maid to our house. We survived the accident with no injuries and arrived at our parents' home safely. Once again, I asked the maid some questions which I had asked her before though in a different form or style. Throughout all these, my intuition tells me something. I had once again... dismissed the thought, for I have been longing to have a maid.

image credit: Shutterstock 

     After taking our lunch, I went out to buy some goods and when I came back the maid was gone Our mother told us that the maid had asked permission to buy some personal things she needed. Hours went by, and the woman still hadn't come back until I checked my bag..there with sadness. I had been robbed The woman had taken my cash in the bag with her and scrambled through with her stuff, it only contains one shirt and one pair of pants. It brought us to the conclusion that she really was up to something. The good thing, maybe, she had not reached our home yet and it could be worse than this. From then on, I have learned to follow whatever my intuition would say, regardless of any situation or circumstances. 

     There are other remarkable encounters with that gift, if I may say..usually, with persons, I am dealing with in my daily life. Out of nowhere, it would just pop out of my mind what a particular person had done and find it true. There were instances when a person whom I have never met before made me uneasy because I discern something is wrong with his behavior or he is up for something or sometimes there is a need for me to be so concerned for that person. The last one I've learned to manage..pray for the person and talk to him. Some instances were delicate and complicated I cannot discuss them here for the privacy of some people.
     Intuition is also weighing the things or decisions you have to make. If you feel uncomfortable, not at ease in a certain place or person because you sense something (which some people call "aura"), it would be right to avoid them than suffer what negative happenings could have transpired. When we were in Dalaguete, Cebu with kids in a strange and far place away from our house and the city, I was not comfortable with the place. Beside the bay, though big and homey, can't sleep the whole night until it rained and a brownout took place (remember about the maid? when there are minor unpleasant incidents, it's a sign worse could happen). The generator from the resort was pulled on. At 5am, I texted the driver we had ridden from the airport to fetch us and check in to another hotel. I don't really know what would really happen that night but as for me, I cannot put my kids in danger or whatever what's in that place. I have traveled with kids many times and this was the only one in which I feel disturbed from the moment we stepped in until the night. Though we had reserved for 2 nights and 3 days, we only spent one night and find another place in Mactan. If you were in my shoe, would you do the same? Please comment below on what you think.

How Intuitive Are You Quiz <<< I got to level 4 (52)

#intuition #sixthsense #gut #hunches

First Aid: When Someone is Choking

     Has anyone from your family experienced this one simple yet deadly emergency situation? When I was a child, I remember my younger brother suddenly coughed up as if he cannot breathe. My mother may be out of the experience knowing what had transpired, made a strong tap on his back, and two small coins suddenly cough out from my brother's mouth. The same thing happened when my eldest was only 6 years old, remembering what my mother had done, tapped on his back too and cough-out a small coin. Another incident was when my daughter, already 18 years old suddenly choked upon a pechay veggie we were eating. Her older brother made an abdominal thrust on her back to cough out the food. Choking is the common cause of death amongst children. Choking can be fatal if not immediately and properly handled. As a mom, in a time like this, we should know how to give immediate action to rescue someone we love. Read on and be informed.

How to recognize when someone is choking?

1. When a person is clutching at his throat and unable to speak.

2. When a person is becoming distressed and panicky.

3. When a person lost consciousness because of an inability to breathe,

What happens when someone is choking?

When we swallow food, a flap of cartilage known as the epiglottis moves downward to stop food from being taken into our trachea or windpipe. If this fails to happen, food becomes stuck in our airways and choking might have occurred.

Choking if not attended to and properly handled may cause brain damage within 3 or 4 minutes due to lack of oxygen.

What are the proper immediate actions when someone is choking?

For Baby:

1. Straddle the baby's face down along your arm supporting his head. Give 5 firm taps between his shoulders.

2, If choking continues, turn the baby over, still supporting his head. Place 2 fingertips between his navel and breastbone. Press forward and downward in quick movements and repeat the movement up to 4 times if necessary.

3. If the baby loses consciousness, seek medical help immediately and begin resuscitation.

For Children:

1. Lay the child across your lap with his head down. Tap firmly between the shoulder blades 5 times.

2. If unsuccessful, turn the child over so that he faces you on your lap. Support the back of the child and give him 5 firm upward thrusts with one hand above his navel.

3. If still unsuccessful, try steps 1 and 2 again. If the child becomes unconscious, call an ambulance /bring them to the nearest hospital immediately and begin resuscitation.

For Adults:

1. Lean the patient forward and give him 5 hard taps on the back between his shoulder blades.

2. If unsuccessful, an abdominal thrust can be performed from behind a patient who is either standing or sitting.  

     a) Pass your hands around the patient and interlock them together just above his navel.

     b) Pull sharply inwards and upwards

3. If the person is unconscious, kneel astride him on the floor and perform a similar abdominal thrust with your hand (one hand on top of the other) just below the rib cage.

4. If you have tried the abdominal thrust 6 times without success, call an ambulance/bring the patient to the nearest hospital and begin resuscitation.

Step 2

Step 3

*Remember not to poke fingers down the choking victim's throat to find the object. But if the object appears in the victim's mouth, you may remove it gently.

Info and images credit to First Aid, Children's Leisure Products Ltd. 1998  published by Geddes&Grosset 

The Pixie Dust of New Year

    

The new year comes and a new hope begins. Welcoming the new year with fireworks displays all over the world signifies a new spark of hope for everyone, the spark that my younger daughter had noticed, telling us..it's like pixie dust. The spark of happy thoughts! Pixie Dust! Pixie dust of fairies from the movies Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, a magical golden glitter that grants the ability to fly. As to the Oxford dictionary, pixie dust is a substance or influence with an apparently magical effect that brings great success or luck. And as fireworks have different colors and effects, so are the Pixie Dusts. According to Disney Wikia, pixie dust have different colors with abilities and talents. Let us try to associate the colors with our gifts and talents.

Gold >> Grants flight and/or weightlessness. Helps a fairy greatly argument and strengthens its magical talents. Creates other colors of Pixie Dust when mixed together with Blue Pixie and certain ingredients.

"This could be our Hearts/Passion and Dreams that can make us fly and be successful. As our Hearts and Dreams can win an argument for us and strengthen our desire to achieve our goals."

Blue >> Creates golden pixie dust. Replenishes Gold Pixie Dust supply. Supremely powerful multiplier. Creates other colors of pixie dust when mixed together with Gold Pixie Dust and other ingredients.

"This could be the Self-Motivation and the Values that supply and strengthens our Hearts/Passion and Dreams. These gifts are powerful multiplier as it builds people to go and move on with their lives."

Green >> Grants the intellectual and intuitive abilities of a Tinker-Talent Fairy. Restores a Tinker-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments a Tinker-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Tinker-Talent fairy. Enables Tinker fairies to forge and create, mend and repair, modify and upgrade anything they make with ease.

"This could be our Mind and Reasoning ability that would enable us to think, create, innovates, and find more ways to succeed in life. "

Amber >> Grants the abilities of a Light-Talent Fairy. Restores a Light-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments and amplifies a Light-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Light-Talent Fairy.

"This could be for those who have the abilities in motivating and encouraging other people, how they give light, hope and touch lives."

Pink >> Grants the abilities of a Garden-Talent Fairy. Restores a Garden-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments a Garden-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Garden Talent Fairy. Create and control plant life and vegetation.

"This could be for those who have the abilities in caring, the supportive one. How their care and support can control and create something new in people's hearts and minds."

Purple >> Grants the abilities of a Fast-Flying-Talent Fairy. Restores a Fast-Flying-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped out abilities. Greatly augments and magnifies a Fast-Flying Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Fast-Flying Fairy.

"This could be for those who seem like to have the Midas touch in everything they do and yet able to help those who needed help in an instant without much thinking, generous."

Cyan >> Grants the abilities of a Water-Talent Fairy. Restores a Water-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped out abilities. Augments a Water-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Water Talent Fairy.

"This could be for those who have the abilities of easy adaptation and calmness in every situation/circumstances, those who give way for peace and security."

Orange >> Grants the abilities of an Animal-Talent Fairy. Restores an Animal-Talent Fairy's lost/swapped-out abilities. Augments an Animal-Talent Fairy's abilities onto a Non-Animal-Talent Fairy.

"This could be for those who have the abilities of loving people, whoever and whatever they are and what they have been. Appreciate everyone's qualities and everything in its place."

UNFORGIVING

     Easier said than done. Forgiveness is not an easy task. They say time heals all wounds, but it takes more time for a deeper wound to heal, and the wound left a scar. Sometimes that scar is another pain if not properly healed. It remains a mark for all to see and remember. From what I know forgiveness is not only given to those who asked for it. Does forgiveness necessarily mean we have to forget the misdeeds done to us? Maybe yes, maybe not. Maybe yes, if the one who wanted forgiveness to make amends for what he/she did if that person corrected what has been done. Maybe no, for the person concerned be aware and learned his lessons regarding interactions with that person, especially if that person keeps on doing or repeating the same offense to that particular person or another person. Actually, I really don't know the answer. 

     When someone wronged another person, that person may forgive once, twice, thrice,.. ten times, or maybe until the patience has reached its limit. Some people may forgive again and again, while some cannot even forgive the slightest offense done to them. Forgiveness is given freely. Forgiveness, they say is for the person who had been wronged and not the other way around while unforgiving is a bondage that consumes the mind, and distorts the heart with revenge. Unforgiving is I, taking a poison yet expecting the offender to die from it. Unforgiving is I, wanting to break free from the chain of bitterness, to be free from the prison of serving the time for someone else's crime.

image credits to the owner

English 101: Singular & Plural Nouns (series 1.A2)

     This is my third in a series of my English 101 on this blog. I am through discussing the different types and kinds of nouns, we will go on how is it when a single noun becomes many.

When we talked about the Number of Nouns, we are referring to Singular and Plural Nouns. Determining the numbers of a noun is vital in sentence construction. Most singular nouns are made plural by only adding "s" to their word. However, there are singular nouns which does not need any changes at all, and some are governed by rules or need changes for most of the letters in a word.

Here are some words which stay the same in plural form:

words with a suffix of -craft, 
sheep, cod, swine, trout, deer, salmon, moose, series, species, Japanese, Chinese, fish (fishes can be used if referring to different species)

Here are the lists of rules for changing singular nouns to plural forms.

1) If the noun ends in  's', 'x', 'sh', or 'ch', we add -es to make it plural.
    Examples: bus-buses, box-boxes, bush-bushes, batch-batches,
 
2) If the noun ends in 'o' with a consonant before it, we add -es,
    Examples: mango-mangoes, potatoes

    If a noun ends in 'o' with a vowel before it, we add -s.
    Examples: igloo-igloos, stereo-stereos

3) If the noun ends with 'f' or 'fe', we sometimes change the f or fe to -v and add -es.
    Examples: leaf-leaves, beef-beeves, life-lives, knife-knives

4) If the noun ends in 'y' with a consonant before it, change the y to -i and add -es.
    Examples: battery- batteries, candy-candies, berry-berries, lady-ladies

5) If the noun ends in 'y' with a vowel before it, we add -s to make it plural.
    Examples: monkey-monkeys, journey-journeys, key-keys, decoy-decoys

And here are the lists of some singular nouns that must change their spelling:
child-children, man-men, woman-women, ox-oxen, mouse-mice, foot-feet, tooth-teeth, goose-geese, louse-lice

Click here for some exercises
Click here for other exercises

The ALDUB Phenomenon

     Phenomenon as defined by Webster is something, such as an interesting fact or event that can be observed and studied and that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully. His other definition is someone or something that is impressive or popular especially because of an unusual ability or quality. The word Phenomena, however, has been in occasional use as singular primarily a speech form used by poets, critics, and professors. They both functions as nouns while Phenomenal functions as adjective.
     The above definitions clearly stated what ALDUB is -- interesting event, difficult to understand, someone impressive because of unusual ability/quality. People, organizations, media were stunned and curious what ALDUB is all about nationwide and worldwide. Tagged as the Kalyeserye (street series), counter part of a tv series but done on the street, since the segment is being shown outside the studio and visits to a selected barangay. ALDUB stands for Alden and Yaya Dub.

     It all started when a simple yet ecstatic and pretty girl from Bulacan became a yaya (maid) of actor impersonator Wally Bayola known as Lola Nidora, in one of the segment (All for Juan, Juan for all) of a famous and popular TV show in the Philippines, Eat..Bulaga! That girl is Maine Mendoza popularly known as Yaya Dub for her numerous dubsmash entry in Youtube. During one of her dubsmash in the said TV segment, a familiar and refreshing good looking face of Alden Richards was flashed from the studio screen and voila!..the surprised and blushing look of Yaya Dub caught on camera was the beginning of an unexpected happenings on and off screen..'on' for the casts themselves began exchanging feelers through dubsmash and later, love notes/fansign, with the meddling of Lola Nidora with her lessons/values in accordance with the losing Filipino customs and traditional values..' off'' for the people watching the show with much delight, excitement, and expectation have high hopes for the couple and the ever-far-reaching forever.

     The love team ALDUB reaches the curiosity and ears of even the Filipinos working and living abroad, foreign artists, celebrities, and news media and continues to break into the Twitter world. They were even compared by Morning News USA online to Hollywood stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. But what makes the love team unique? What does the ALDUB fandom see that makes it so famous? Sociologists and socio-analyst from universities even used ALDUB as an example in their lessons and talks.
     I have enumerated some observations though I am not a sociologist, just a mere fan who wanted to be entertained and observant of what's happening around us as a part of my task as a blogger. My opinions are just my observation on what makes ALDUB  creates the fandom, the ALDUB Nation; trends in the social media, thus, topped the list of Twitter for 41 million tweets in just 24 hours (for the #AlDubEBTamangPanahon, breaking the #WorldCup) Watch Rish Jaitly, Twitter VP Exec for East/AsiaPacific; breaks even international newsroom (CNN & BBC); covers famous local magazines and the world's Reader's Digest; gets on the curiosity of even some well-known celebrities around the world (Bryan White, Darwin, Brandon Beal, among others). Added to that the numerous product endorsement of the two as a couple and solo.


And these are my observations:

• The first encounter on split-screen of the two unknowing persons which was sudden, unique, and natural has made people feel the spark on its own. This sudden impact on the audience became history as we all know. Watch the 1st encounter and 1st pabebe wave.
•  The unpredictability and creativity of the characters in the series make it unique, i.e., Lola Nidora (Wally Bayola), Lola Tidora (Paolo Ballesteros), and Lola Tinidora (Jose Manalo) and some other characters impersonated by only one person, such as Doctora TheExplorer, Duhrizz, Rianna (Wally Bayola) and Frankie Arinolli (Jose Manalo), Alden Richards and Yaya Dub (Maine Mendoza).
• The fun and entertainment the show has been giving to Filipino people not only in the Philippines but also those living and working abroad because of the "kilig" factor as well as the lesson being imparted by Lola Nidora. It also serves as a stress reliever with all the problems and life's difficulties. (I, for one, can attest to that).
• The Kalyeserye is a replica of what our culture was about courtship, the decreasing respect for elders, and the importance of "Palabras de honor". It depicts the somehow lost values of the Filipinos during and after the Spanish era as Lola Nidora cited how they were in those times. As we have observed, these values we cherish but cannot be implemented on our own as the influence of the West and the modern technology lure Filipinos to modernize their way of life. Yet, the show is trying to say that even in today's generation, we can still implement or do it fair.

For more about ALDUB you can hover over names and click on them for links:


ALDUB Episodes

Alden Richards

Maine Mendoza

My BLogSiTes & LinKs

   

    I got two blog sites, this one is created 7 years ago with this blog site, which contains random thoughts, poems, letters, blog ads, etc., the other blog created 2 years ago is Sunflower for Emily which contains selected photos and poems I personally composed and some from friends or have stumbled upon with permission. Since I am a heavy user of social media like Facebook and Twitter, for personal reasons I cannot link my Facebook and Twitter here. they are even linked to my Pinterest.

     I have seen that you can really do business or make money through them. SEO or Search Engine Optimization, Hashtags, analytics, web content, newsfeeds, and apps are by-words we constantly read or heard. These are the keys to more views and followers especially if you are doing business through these social media. These are the reasons why I initiated a new look and name for my two blog sites. I have signed up on Instagram recently, my Twitter is getting more followers, and I have affiliated myself with some twitter groups, persons, and blog ad companies. I was contemplating then what to do with my two blog sites along with their link to other social media. My Pinterest has a username of April Brews created only early this year because I was thinking then of a name that symbolizes what I love to do. I thought of a coffee since I am a coffee drinker and I drink while blogging or thinking. 

     With all this social media hype and the recent ALDUB phenomena that make waves through Twitter, it comes to me how powerful social media is in popularizing even ordinary but talented people, especially on YouTube. 

      I am also on LinkedIn and still looking and checking on some apps to link my blogs. With its new look and name, expect more fresh new blogs this coming day and so on. Please check the links and if you are interested to advertise your business or brands through blogs or space, feel free to leave comments here.