Transgendered in America Essay - 832 Words

Transgendered in America In the media today, we hear of football players, celebrities and even pupils who are divulging that they are either homosexual or bisexual. In the TV show, House, one of the main characters, â€Å"Thirteen†, is a bisexual woman and nobody in the show treats her differently. However, there is one member group of the LGBT is still being represented poorly by the media. According to GLAAD, they are being depicted as villains, sex workers, and are still victims of offensive jokes. A friend I interviewed even claimed that people like her are the most looked down-trodden affiliates of the LGBT! This group is called transgendered. They are one of the most misunderstood and least respected groups in America today. First†¦show more content†¦Not all transgendered individuals desire a sex change. However, if a client wanted a sex change, a psychologist must verify if the change will have a positive effect on the patient’s psychological well-being. In an interview I had with a trans-gendered companion, she stated that she would not go for a sex change until the time was right. Her reason was that if she was to have the sex change now, she would endanger her friendships with many people. While this reasoning didn’t come from a psychologist, the resultant sex change must be beneficial to the client or else the operation is useless and will cause more detriment to the individual’s psyche. After medical treatment, hormone therapy is used to get rid of secondary sexual characteristics. In addition to hormone replacement therapy, clients may get surgery for breasts, genitals or other sexual characteristics; clients can also just use hormone therapy alone so that they can alter their bodies to appear more like their self-identified gender. According to Michael Bronski’s, Ann Pellegrini’s and Michael Amico’s book â€Å"You Can Tell Just by Looking† federal anti-discrimination laws do not protect trans-gendered people or other LGBT members. Transgendered people can lose their jobs just because of their gender identity in 34 of the 50 states. According to the APA, the National Gay and Lesbian Task force did a study that a vast majority of the 6500 hundred surveyedShow MoreRelatedShe Fights Like A Man Essay941 Words   |  4 PagesShe Fights Like A Man: Transgendered Fighting in the MMA Enraged Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Matt Mitrione used harsh words to describe Fallon Fox by saying, â€Å"That is a lying, sick, sociopathic, disgusting freak† (Gregory Para 2). Mixed Martial Artist (MMA) Fallon Fox â€Å"the Queen of Swords,† formally known as Boyd Burton, has made headlines for being the first openly transgendered person in MMA. In 2006, Fox underwent gender reassignment (Fox Para 2). It is estimated that 2-5% of the population identifyRead MoreEffects Of Anxiety And Depression On Transgendered People874 Words   |  4 Pages I have chosen to discuss the effects of anxiety and depression on transgendered people. For this paper I am using Transgender to mean: â€Å" a term used to describe people whose gender identity differs from the sex the doctor marked on their birth certificate.† (Gladd.org) What inspired me to research this social issue is with modern media individuals such as Caitlyn Jenner and television shows such as Orange is the New Black; we are learning more about Transgender. Another inspiration came fromRead MoreThe Sociological Phenomenon Of Transgenderism992 Words   |  4 Pageswith the feature article titled The Transgendered Tipping Point. Which discusses the new civil rights frontier that Lavern Cox has played a huge part towards. She was on Time magazines 2015 list of 100 Most Influential People, as well as being the first transgendered person to be nominated for an Emmy award. In 2014 she was named Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine, and was included in People magazines Worlds Most Beautiful Women list. Even though transgendered people are being represented in theRead MoreRelationship Between Depression And Anxiety980 Words   |  4 Pagesmore about Transgender. I wanted to learn more about Trans-people and discovered many people who are trans ten d to suffer from depression, anxiety or both. There have been some studies done that show there is a greater chance that someone who is transgendered will have a higher chance of developing one of the disorders I have mentioned. The first article I found was titled Social Support, Trans Community Connectedness, and Mental Health Symptoms Among Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adults. Read MoreThe Concept of Gender and Gender Identity1223 Words   |  5 Pages I am interested in the concept of gender and the deeper meaning of being considered a transgendered person. I feel that a lot of people do not know or care to know about these topics on a more in depth level. People who close their eyes to the idea that a person could be born with the physical aspects of a male yet have the psychological aspects of a female and vice versa, tend to be the ones who say that those people are going against nature or god. Discriminating against people on the principlesRead MoreThe La Santa Muerte1121 Words   |  5 Pagesreceive the respect they would like to have in society, and search for the individuals that will not judge them for who they are. By this, it is seen that the La Santa Muerte helps fill the void left by society in many transsexuals living across North America. With a lot of people in society discriminating what they do not understand or cannot explain, this makes transsexuals the perfect target for society, with the addition of the Church. Since people cannot explain why there are transsexuals and theyRead MoreHostility Towards Transgender Students1090 Words   |  4 Pagesassault. These responses to a transgendered person often stems from a lack of understanding, confusion, fear, and anxiety when interacting with these people. In order to understand why people are so unsettled when in the presence of a transgender individual, it is essential to fully understand the term transgender. The American Psychological Association published a Question and Answer pamphlet (2014) to help the public understand the Transgender population in America. The APA defines the term transgenderRead MoreTransgender Rights : The Transgender Person Is Someone Who Identifies As The Opposite Gender843 Words   |  4 Pages Transgender Rights in America A transgender person is someone who identifies as the opposite gender they were assigned at birth. Transgender people often suffer from gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person feels a psychological disturbance towards their assigned gender. In order to calm their dysphoria, they make the decision to live as who they truly believe themselves to be. A person such as this often faces an umbrella of governmental, societal, occupational, educational, medical, andRead MoreGender Expression and Social Norms Essay804 Words   |  4 Pages Around the world gender is genuinely seen as strictly male or female. If you step out of this â€Å"social norm,† you could be considered an outcast. This disassociation includes, biological males/females, interssexed, and transgendered individuals. These people are severely suppressed by society because their gender identification, behaviors, and even their activities deviate from the norm. Most Americans are exceedingly devoted to the concept that there are only two sexes. Therefore, the constrictiveRead MoreOn the Employment Non-Discrimination Act Essay610 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"US Bishops oppose Employment non-discrimination Act; Say it punishes disapproval of conduct; three chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have criticized the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered; backed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2013, which was passed on Thursday by the United Senate, arguing that it punishes those who show a disapproval of same-sex sexual conduct. â€Å"Our dignity as children of God extends to our sexuality. Being a male or a female is

Symbolism in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Essay - 1242 Words

Symbolism in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Missing Works Cited Several passages found throughout Sonnys Blues indicate that as a whole, the neighborhood of Harlem is in the turmoil of a battle between good and evil. The narrator describes Sonnys close encounters with the evil manifested in drugs and crime, as well as his assertive attempts at distancing himself from the darker side. The streets and communities of Harlem are described as being a harsh environment which claims the lives of many who have struggled against the constant enticement of emotional escape through drugs, and financial escape through crime. Sonnys parents, just like the others in Harlem, have attempted to distance their children from the dark sides of their†¦show more content†¦These children can be compared directly to soldiers in a war. Thoughts of uniform packs and gruff speech come to mind; even the shadow-filled courtyard through which teachers pass quickly, as though he or she couldnt wait to get out (72) can be imagined as a setting of a quiet war in progres s. The students are all at risk for the same fate which befell Sonnys uncle. The hit-and-run incident which killed him was one of the expected casualties of the war unfolding around Sonny. Everyone knows an individual could fall at any given moment, but as was described in the livingroom scene remembered from many years ago, the hardships are not openly spoken of. Therein lies the critical error of insufficient emotional expression, which will be described later by the section dealing with jazz. As it pertains to the war scene, the lack of emotional expression is also demonstrated when Sonnys brother glimpses a barmaid going about her life at work. Sonnys brother, also the narrator of the story, watches her face as she laughingly responded to something someone said to her, still keeping time to the music. When she smiled one saw the little girl, one sensed the doomed, still-struggling woman beneath the battered face of the semi-whore (73). Primarily, the term doomed stands out most strongly. Viewed through different glasses, she could just as easily be a young soldier, lost in a land of terror, attempting to live up to the strength of a matureShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the reader meets Sonny, a recovering addict, and his older brother, a high school teacher. Although these two brothers have completely different lives and personalities, the author’s use of symbolism brings them more tightly together like a real family. Baldwin uses symbols such as ice, lightness and darkness, and jazz music to add more depth and meaning to â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† People usually think of ice or the coldRead MoreSonny s Blues By James Baldwin827 Words   |  4 PagesSonny’s Blues In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† it is only when a brother loses his child that he realizes how easy it can be to lose his brother. The narrator’s little brother, Sonny, was left in his charge when their parents passed away. He neglects Sonny and leaves him to work through hard decisions on his own which leads to Sonny being picked up by the police for using and selling drugs. When the narrator’s daughter, Grace, passes he sees how suffering can affect people and reaches outRead MoreRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin993 Words   |  4 Pagesonly seems to be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. While Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny, the audience infers the idea the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a signi ficant factor of symbolism portrayed through the overall hometown setting, key events told throughout the story, and the overallRead MoreRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin935 Words   |  4 Pagesto be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes on the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny. The audience has to infer the reasoning behind what the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factor of symbolism portrayed through the overall hometown setting, key events told throughout the story, andRead MorePoint of View and Symbolism in Sonnys Blues1558 Words   |  7 PagesPoint of View and Symbolism in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† The story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin makes excellent use of multiple literary elements. Namely, I think the writer utilizes symbolism and the nuances of point of view to give the story a deeper connotation that could not be said plainly. The meat of the story is about an unnamed older brother’s relationship and differences with his younger brother, Sonny. Sonny’s aspiration to become a jazz pianist leads him in an opposite direction than hisRead MoreSymbolism And Themes In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin1958 Words   |  8 PagesWhile reading â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin theme, symbolism, and motifs were discovered throughout the entire short story. Sonny one of the two main characters, is dealing with a drug addiction and is now following his dreams of becoming a jazz musician. The narrator, whose name was never given, does his best to keep the promise he made his mother years ago, to be his brother’s keeper. James Baldwin, an African American author, grew up in Harlem, New York. Baldwin had no one to share his loveRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s The Blues And Jazz Essay2185 Words   |  9 PagesBorn in Harlem during the mid-1920s’, author James Baldwin carved for himself a space in literary and intellectual spheres of influence ground in the assertion that â€Å"all art is a kind of confession† and that artists must be forced to â€Å"vomit the anguish up,† (Gates Jr. 390). Baldwin’s confessional vomit came from his spirit of evangelism with lyrical stylings of both the blues and jazz. Baldwin’s writings appropriate all three of these elements of African-American culture in both small, singular elementsRead MoreMovie Analysis : Sonny s Blues1248 Words   |  5 PagesHopeless Records Some people might agree that a broken home might be better then no home, or maybe having no home is better then having a hopeless home. The narrator who is unnamed in Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, is from a home that you can carry good and horrid memories with you. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, the narrator along with his entire household all have personal suffering that affect their lives tremendously. Consider that almost everyone has problems in their life and household, weatherRead MoreSymbolism In Sonnys Blues1392 Words   |  6 PagesSonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a short story about two brothers that overcome many obstacles in their lives such as housing problems, death, discrimination, drug addiction, and imprisonment. Baldwin tends to use a lot of symbolism, allegories and imagery within the text as well. This story expresses the overall theme of suffering that Black Americans faced during the 1950s. The link betwee n music, drugs, and environment play a large role when it comes to the characters suffering. Much of theRead MoreLiterary Canon Of The 21st Century1637 Words   |  7 Pagesin the midst of all those great literature works, there are some great standing out articles due to their strong composition and meaningful life messages that the authors try to convey to the audiences. One of them is the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, written by James Baldwin in 1957. This story shows us the reality as well as the complexity of life matters, and an overall picture of all the subcategories also really shows us the reason why it should be remained as a part of the literary canon of the

Absenteeism 2 Free Essays

Absenteeism is a serious workplace problem and an expensive occurrence for both employers and employees seemingly unpredictable in nature. A satisfactory level of attendance by employees at work is necessary to allow the achievement of objectives and targets by a department. Employee Absenteeism is the absence of an employee from work. We will write a custom essay sample on Absenteeism 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is a major problem faced by almost all employers of today. Employees are absent from work and thus the work suffers. Employee’s presence at workplace during the scheduled time is highly essential for the smooth running of the production process in particular and the organization in general. Despite the significance of their presence, employees sometime fail to report at the work place during the scheduled time, which is known as â€Å"Absenteeism†. Labour Bureau, Simla defined the term ‘absenteeism’ as â€Å"the failure of a worker to report for work when he is scheduled to work. † Labour Bureau also states that â€Å"absenteeism is the total man-shifts lost because of absence as a percentage of the total number of man-shifts scheduled to work. According to Webster’s Dictionary, â€Å"Absenteeism is the practice or habit of being an ‘absence’ and an absentee is one who habitually stays away. † Types of Absenteeism: Absenteeism is of four types viz: 1) Authorized Absenteeism, 2) Unauthorized Absenteeism, 3) Willful Absenteeism and 4) caus ed by circumstances beyond one’s control. 1) Authorized Absenteeism: If an employee absent himself from work by taking permission from his superior and applying for leave, such absenteeism is called authorized absenteeism. ) Unauthorized Absenteeism: if an employee absent himself from work without informing or taking permission and without applying for leave, such absenteeism is called unauthorized absenteeism. 3) Willful Absenteeism: If an employee absents himself from duty willfully, such absenteeism is called willful absenteeism. 4) Absenteeism caused by Circumstances beyond One’s Control: If an employee absents himself from duty owing to the circumstances beyond his control like involvement in accidents or sudden sickness, such absenteeism is called absenteeism caused by circumstances beyond one’s control. Features of Absenteeism: Research studies undertaken by different authors reveal the following features of absenteeism: * The rate of absenteeism is the lowest on pay day, it increases considerably on the days following the payment of wages and bonus. * Absenteeism is generally high among workers below 15 years of age and those above 40. The younger employees are not regular and punctual, presumably because of the employment of a large number of newcomers among the younger age groups. While the older people are not able to withstand the strenuous nature of the work. The rate of absenteeism varies from department to department within a unit. As the size of the group increases, the rate of absenteeism goes up. This difference in the rate of absenteeism is believed to be due to the peculiar style and practices of management, the composition of the labor force and the culture of the organization. * The percentage of absenteeism is generally higher in the day shifts * The percentage of ab senteeism is much higher in coal and mining industries than in organized industries. * Absenteeism in India is seasonal in character It is the highest during March-April-May, when a land has to be prepared for monsoon saving, and also in the harvest season, when the rate goes as high as 40 percent Causes Of Absenteeism: The following are the general causes of absenteeism 1) Maladjustment with the Working Conditions: If the working conditions of the company are poor, the workers cannot adjust themselves with the company’s working conditions. Then they prefer to stay away from the company. 2) Social and Religious Ceremonies: Social and religious functions divert the worker’s attention from the work. ) Unsatisfactory Housing conditions at the workplace. 4) Industrial Fatigue: The industrial fatigue compels workers to remain outside the work place. 5) Unhealthy Working Conditions: The poor and intolerable working condition in the factories irritates the workers. Excess hea t, noise, either too much or too low lightening, poor ventilation, dust, smoke etc. cause poor health of the workers. These factors cause the workers to be absent. 6) Poor Welfare Facilities: Though a number of legislation concerning welfare facilities are enacted, many organization fail to provide welfare facilities. This is either due to the poor financial position of the companies or due to the exploitative attitude of the employer. The poor welfare facilities include poor sanitation, washing, bathing, first-aid appliances, ambulance, rest rooms, drinking water, canteen, shelter, creches etc. the dissatisfied workers with these facilities prefer to be away from the work place. 7) Alcoholism: Workers mostly prefer to spend money on the consumption of liquor and enjoyment after getting the wages. Therefore the rate of absenteeism is more during the first week of every month. ) Indebtness: The low level wages and unplanned expenditure of the workers force them to borrow heavily. The research studies indicate that workers borrow more than 10 times of their net pay. Consequently, workers fail to repay the money. Then they try to escape from the place in order to avoid the moneylenders. This leads to absenteeism. 9) Maladjustments with the job demands: The fast changing technology demands higher leve l skills from the workers. Some workers fail to meet these demands due to their low level education and/or absence of training. 0) Unsound Personnel Policies: The improper and unrealistic personnel policies result in employee dissatisfaction. The dissatisfied employee in turn prefers to be away from the work. 11) Inadequate Leave Facilities: The inadequate leave facilities provided by the employer forces him to depend on E. S. I. leave which allows the workers to be away from the work for 56 days in a year on half pay. 12) Low level of Wages: Wages in some organizations are very poor and they are quite inadequate to meet the basic needs of the employees. Therefore, employees go for other employment during their busy season and earn more money. Further, some employees take up part time jobs. Thus the employees resort to moonlighting and absent themselves from work. The Cost to Co. Turnover As most HR managers know, the cost of turnover adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to a company’s expenses. While it is difficult to fully calculate the cost of turnover (including hiring costs, training costs, productivity loss), industry experts often quote 25% of the average employee salary as a conservative estimate. For example, if the average salary is $20,000/yr the cost of one employee turnover is $5,000. If you have 30 employees terminating per month, the cost to the organization equals $150,000/month. Mulitiply that by 12 months and you have $1,800,000 in added annual expense. Loss of Company Knowledge When an employee leaves, they take with them valuable knowledge about your company, your customers, current projects and past history (sometimes to competitors). Often much time and money has been spent on the employee in expectation of a future return. When the employee leaves, the investment is not realized. Disruption of Customer Service Customers and clients do business with a company in part because of the people. Relationships are developed that encourage continued patronage of the business. When an employee leaves, the relationships that employee built for the company are severed, which could lead to potential customer loss. Turnover spirals into more turnover When an employee terminates, the effect is felt throughout the organization. Coworkers are often required to pick up the slack. The unspoken negativity often intensifies for the remaining staff. How to cite Absenteeism 2, Papers

Nestle Kasambuhay Habambuhay Films free essay sample

Sine Kasambahay started with the short film – â€Å"The Howl and the Fussyket† which showcased a family coming together for a declamation contest. With the drive to win, the mother tried to help her son (who had a â€Å"p and f† defect) in preparing for the competition by hiring a call-center agent and a stage actor to train him. It is really inspiring to see a mother so supportive of his son (even with his â€Å"p and f† defect). This is what can be called positive parenting. She was very careful with how she talked to her son, asking him if he really wanted to go through the contest. Filipino mothers are expected to be like this. They are the ones who stay at home to tend to the children, giving them all the support, love, care and attention that they need. Seeing Dennis Padilla (the dad) turn off his webcam while listening to his son’s speech showed the â€Å"Bahala ka na diyan. † attitude of Filipino fathers – leaving all family matters to their wives. Maybe because they are the ones tired at work, the bulk of the problems at home are handled by the mothers. In this short film, Eugene Domingo (the mom) showed the mothers in the modern times – a working mom. Even with a job, she never failed to support her children saying she will take a leave (and even forcing her daughter to go to the program) just to watch his son in the declamation contest. A lot of Filipino mothers are already working. This new trend sometimes eats the time of parents, especially mothers, for their children. When they arrive home, they are just too tired to attend to them. This film showed that it is possible to be there for them even if one parent is an OFW and another is also working. It also proved that families can be together (even if one is another country) through the use of technology. Another film in the collection, â€Å"Sali Salita† came in contrast with â€Å"The Howl and the Fussyket. † â€Å"Sali Salita† (a personal favorite) is about a mother who writes children’s storybooks but could not find time to create stories with her son. His grandfather provided the attention that the child needed, which the mom cannot provide. They filled up a can of milk with words, which they use to create (through their wild imagination) a tale of heroes fighting villains. In the end, the hero just needed a secret weapon – a mom showering his child love and attention. Also a story of a working mother, this film provided the audience with the reality of how busy mothers can be. One could see a neglected son acting up when he is with his yaya. When he tried apologizing to his mom for breaking her laptop, she did not seem to accept the apology. Instead she called, probably her publisher, apologizing to him. When in fact, in my opinion, she should be apologizing to her son for her negligence. Parents might say that they are working hard for the welfare of their children, providing them more than their basic physical needs but forgetting about their basic emotional needs. Needs that are very essential to a child’s development. Thank God for the arrival of the child’s grandfather, showering him with all the attention that he needed. In true â€Å"Kuya Bogie† style, they created a tale of Josh as the hero saving the queen (his mother) from the evil COMPUTER. Their story is basically the projection of what the child was feeling – he was fighting against the computer, which symbolized his mom’s work,. Work , which was engulfing his mom in its world where he was practically left out of the picture. Often in Filipino families, the grandparents are the ones who are showering their grandchildren with material things to the point of spoiling them. I usually see this scenario in my class. Lola or lolo is the one attending the Parent-Teacher Conference because the parents are just too busy with their work. One student told me that his lola pays for all their trips abroad. She is the one feeling sad when her grandson does not do well in school. â€Å"How about mommy? Where is she? â€Å" I asked. â€Å"Always on the phone. † Since a lot of Filipino women are joining the workforce, the children often find themselves in the care of their grandparents. There are pros and cons in this set-up. The good thing is the children are not just left with the yayas or in other countries the daycare. They are placed in the hands of family, which is great. But this leaves the parents complacent with their child’s well being. They feel that their children are well taken care of by their parents that they sometimes forget their own responsibility as parents. A film in the collection â€Å"Tingala sa Ibaba†, also showed how parents can neglect their children. The film is a satire featuring two children in a seesaw. One chubby child from a well to do family is always looking up at a lanky child from a poverty stricken family background when they are on a seesaw. The story shows how friendship between two people from different social backgrounds can change one’s perspective in life. The child from the well-to-do family was left in school alone his fetcher late. This is another usual scene in schools when parents are too busy to attend to their children. To kill time, he befriends a boy who remains to stay on top when they are on the seesaw. Maybe this lanky child is on top for many reasons. Even though he is from a poor family, one will notice the concern the father has for his child when his sister came to fetch him and said â€Å"Angelo, Angelo, hinahanap ka na ni Papa! † Here is a child from a poor family – his own FATHER looking for him compared to another from a rich family left alone because his DRIVER is late. One will not feel anything but pity for the latter. Feeling sorry for him, the lanky one devised a way to add weight to his side of the seesaw. He gave up the ice cream, gave it to his sister so she would agree to sit on his side. This gave the other boy a chance to experience being on top. Going back to â€Å"Sali-Salita†, another detail that I noticed in the film is the absence of the father. One may think that maybe the reason behind the mom’s concern for her job is because she is a single parent. She needs to work hard for her child to sustain the lifestyle that they have. But looking at their house, the presence of more than one house help and their possessions, maybe there is indeed a father. Maybe he is also just too caught up with work – an absentee father. The children are the ones who suffer in this situation. It is noticeable that parents who work hard but does not have time to be with their children, shower their children with the material things that they want. This is very evident with the toys that Josh has. This kind of children often grow up getting â€Å"spoiled. † Along with being spoiled, they do not learn the values that most of us, in our generation, learned from our parents. In this world which has become more materialistic than ever, money is very important. Parents buy their children PSPs, iPods, iPads and other very expensive toys. These material things will not teach them about life. These just expose them to things that are far worse. This â€Å"gadget-filled† lives of children were seen in â€Å"Unplugged†. In this film, a football team of young students went on a fieldtrip to the province. They met their coach’s grandfather there who pulled them away from a life full of technology and materialism. He taught them to live a simpler life, which means going back to nature. This also gives them the chance to discover new things for themselves. It teaches them to learn to appreciate life as it is. How one can wish that children can forget all their gadgets, just like what happened towards the end of the story. But there was a twist, when they went out looking for the grandfather, there he was†¦using a laptop TWEETING! Probably, this tells us that you can never really escape technology. People need to learn to use it to be more efficient. Even grandfathers can still learn and make their lives easier to connect to the world through technology. Going back to a family’s show of support, another film (a musical one this time) â€Å"Oh! Pa Ra Sa Ta U Wa Yeah! † also showcased this Filipino family trait. It is a story of family on a road trip. It is a continuation of the â€Å"Nestea-serye† which stars Nicos who is very much in love with Matina. Nicos’s father, showing full support to his son, shares with him an aged old heirloom that is an alphabetical manual on how their clan courted women. Nicos found himself confused with Matina’s mixed signals and the information given to him by her sister. As a function of a family, which is providing emotional support to its members, Nicos’ parents comforted him. A little pat on the back by his younger brother goes a long way especially for a distraught brother. It showed how great a family can be if the children are open to their parents. This openness probably roots from the confidence and security that their parents will support and help them. This is not the case in some families. Sometimes the parents and the teenage children are always in conflict. Teenagers do not confide in their parents. Usually, they run to their friends for help, especially in the matters of the heart. This film reminds me of a featured film entitled â€Å"Little Miss Sunshine† which starred Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear and Steve Carrell. This particular family went on a road trip to support their daughter in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. The family consisted of a father, a mother, brother, grandfather and an uncle. They rode in a Volkswagen Type 2 (Kombi) which is exactly the same car used in â€Å"Oh! Pa Ra Sa Ta U Wa Yeah! † The American film showed a dysfunctional family coming together for the little girl’s dream of winning in a beauty pageant. They finally came into terms with their differences and settled their personal issues through each other’s support. The long drive from Albuquerque to California gave them the chance to settle what needed to be settled. Another story about families is â€Å"Cooking Mo, Cooking Ko†. This story is reminiscent of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† (even the names of the characters are patterned after the famous play) The film started with two families who get along with each other but ends up fighting because of a carinderia competition. Busy with their family war, the parents did not notice the blossoming love between their children. Getting along with other families in the neighborhood is a must for Filipino families. This is very evident especially in the rural areas. They give each other ulam without any need for a reason like a special occasion. When one suddenly runs out of bigas, asin or asukal, they could just ask from their neighbors instead of going all the way to the bayan to buy. The Capule and Montano families manifested this at the start but because of the â€Å"copy-cat† mentality of Filipinos, the friendship between them did not last. They started a competition which each Filipino must have witnessed at one point in their lives. This â€Å"war† ironically ended when their children eloped and bore a child. This is another good trait of Filipinos, they learn to forgive easily especially when they are presented with a grandchild. Filipino grandchildren and grandparents form special bonds, which will be discussed more later. Another Filipino trait that was evident in this film is the principle of pangunguyog (from the root word kuyog). The whole colony of bees running after its target is the perfect example of pangunguyog. Filipino families have this tendency. When a family member has a fight with someone, the whole family will surely join in. In the film, when the couples came out of their houses bringing ladles, pots and even vegetables to attack their neighbors, every member of the family was with them. Proceeding to another life stage, â€Å"Downtown† (another personal favorite) featured a lonely aging Chinese man. One might think that he must be alone because of his wife’s passing away. The most welcome twist came when he started cleaning and fixing up his house and along with that, his life. When he was ready, he tried to win back his wife. If only this can be possible for all married couples who separate because of differences. In the United States, divorce is legal. This makes it easier for married couples to file for separation. A perfect example of this is Kim Kardashian’s marriage to Kris Humphries where they were just married for 72 days! For a people giving importance to the sacred sacrament of marriage, this is not yet true in the Philippines. One can file for legal separation or an annulment if he finds himself wanting to get out of the marriage. Annulment can take a pretty long while to settle and can cost lots of money. Filipinos should be thankful that some family values are still intact. Husbands and wives really do try to settle their differences before really separating. Sometimes it does work out, sometimes it does not. There is also a growing number of married couples getting separated here in the Philippines. Some, which in my opinion is not right, are staying together for their children. This shows how much Filipinos care for keeping the family together. This also shows the great love of some Filipino parents to their children. Imagine this old man, turning his life around, just to win his wife back! For some, this is unfathomable. Husbands or wives cannot even tweak some little things in themselves to save their marriage. They remain selfish and continue with what they stubbornly think is right without realizing that changing can actually save their relationship. It gives me goose bumps when I hear of couples celebrating their 50th anniversary or even their 60th! What a life these couples had with each other! When their stories are heard, their married lives are not as blissful as everybody thinks. Of course they also went through challenges but because of their love, trust and commitment to one another, they remained strong through adversities. They would say that it has been a life of compromises and adjustments. Main point: married life is not easy but if there is true love, trust and commitment between couples, anything is possible and probable – just like that old Chinese man who lives in Downtown who did all that he could to win his wife back. Just like Chinese old man in â€Å"Downtown† and Angelo in â€Å"Tingala sa Ibaba†, the young handsome policeman in â€Å"Silup† had to sacrifice something in his life for another person dear to him. This film is about the dangerous life of a cop. A cop, despite his good looks, bravery and noble job, choosing to remain single. Why, you might ask? Well, one will not fail to notice his routine of taking out cans of milk and replacing them with his gun. Eventually, the audience finds out about his family life involving his dear old grandmother. Here are two people in two different life stages: the silup who is a young adult, who at this stage could already start a family, but chooses not to and his grandmother, a dependent elder, who needs daily care and unable to perform all personal functions. The silup chose to be single to take care of his aging grandmother. Probably this is his way of paying his grandmother back for taking care of him. This is common practice in Filipino families. Children learn to give back to their parents, in monetary form, once they start working. When these parents get older, one of their children is expected to live with them to take care of them until the end. The silup and his grandmother’s situation is not at all uncommon in our culture. Some children are left to be taken care of by their grandparents. One or two grandchildren grow up under their grandparents’ supervision. Sometimes they take on the role of the real children in looking after the grandparents when they get sick or until they breathe their last breath. This is to attest that Filipinos cannot just leave their family behind, especially the elderly. In other countries, it is a practice that the elderly are left in nursing homes. This is one of the best traits of Filipinos, they have high regard for the elderly. They know how to be grateful to these people who I am sure also sacrificed a lot just to tend to their children and their grandchildren. In the film â€Å"Sali-Salita†, one can witness the special bond between the grandfather and Josh. His grandfather was the one who showered him with love and attention, which he craved. This kind of special relationship cannot be severed by anyone or anything. Josh might even grow up to be that courageous policeman who sacrificed living his own life just to take care of an aging grandparent (just like that honorable man in â€Å"Silup†) The final two films display the Filipinos’ belief in the supernatural. Very similar to Nora Aunor’s â€Å"walang himala† movie, â€Å"Isang Tasang Pangarap† is about Elias who acquired a power of telling the future using the person’s coffee cup. He then understood the responsibility that came with this special power. The film started with a scene showing Elias contented with his life. All he wanted is to drink a cup of coffee. This reflects some Filipinos’ contentment with simple life. They find joy even if living in the slums. People often wonder why Filipinos can still smile even through tough times. When you pass through the road between Quezon Ave and East Ave (passing by NIA Road), you will notice a whole lot of illegal settlers in the area. But every time you will pass by, you will seldom see a sad crowd. You will witness children playing on the dangerous street, men drinking alcoholic beverage on the same street or women talking with each other. These people seem contented like Elias. According to the Social Weather Stations, in a survey done in 2008 with the question â€Å"If you were to consider your life in general these days, how happy or unhappy would you say you are on the whole. Are you†¦ †. The percentage of their response is shown in the table below: | URBAN| RURAL| Very happy| 25| 33| Fairly happy| 49| 47| Not very happy| 22| 16| Not at all happy| 4| 4| One will see that Filipinos are fairly happy. But we have to take in consideration the fact that people may hide their true feelings when it comes to surveys. Sometimes, Filipinos try to hold on to HOPE. Hope is a very powerful driving force in their lives, in anyone’s life probably. When Elias received the power of reading the fortunes of people through looking at the bottom of their coffee mugs, the people of San Luis found hope in him. Some of the people in the film made their lives revolve around him (like the Indian national and his goons). Dressing him up like Jesus (with the crown, white dress with a red cape), he was brought out to be praised. In this activity, his most beloved coffee cup broke. He was the one who lost all hope when this happened. His source of happiness vanished with his want to be the bearer of hope to his townspeople. Filipinos are also fans of fortune-telling. This is evident before the current year ends and the new year starts when people are bombarded with fortune tellers giving us ideas on what will happen the next year. When one goes to Quiapo, he will be welcomed with rows of fortune-tellers just outside the Quiapo church (How ironic! ). Tarot cards, a person’s palm or the alignment of the stars and the planets are just few of the means on how fortune-tellers apparently see a person’s future. May this be true or not, Filipinos are mainly looking for HOPE of better days ahead of them. Families, especially in rural areas, often go to a faith healer or an albularyo for healing physical, mental and sometimes emotional sickness. When they hear of miracles in the form of a person being healed by someone, Filipinos go to this healer. The reasons can vary from truly wanting to be healed to nakikiusisa lang. Filipinos love to be in the know. This is very evident when there is an accident on the road. Expect heavy traffic if this is the case. People will surely be slowing down to look at or watch the accident. Another shameful proof of this is the hostage incident in the Grandstand in Manila where the usiseros bombarded the bus once the hostage taker was killed. Finally, the film â€Å"Sign Seeker† is about a young man seeking for divine outrageous signs to finally ask a girl out. To his surprise, he found them materializing right before his eyes. With his fear for rejection, he still kept on denying himself of what he really wanted. Filipinos are also sign seekers. Some Filipino families yearning for wealth often bet in the lottery. Choosing the numbers for the lottery is not a random act for most Filipinos. For example, one mom takes in consideration the initials of the names of her family members. These initials correspond to a certain number and these numbers are what she will use in betting. But Filipinos should learn from what Elias made his townspeople realize: â€Å"Walang himala, nasa puso ng tao ang himala. Kayo ang gumagawa ng sarili ninyong tadhana. † If Filipinos only live following this precious advice from a very contented man like Elias, they would make their own miracles. This way, they would find true happiness in life. All these films truly reflect the Filipinos way of life. Watching these films will surely make the audience laugh, cry and even reflect on their own lives. Nestle, in its 100 years of existence, has truly provided its consumers products that they will continue to use another hundred years from now. Through these Nestle Kasambuhay Habambuhay short films, it also captured the people’s hearts and minds on what Filipinos and Filipinos families truly are.