"HOLY WEEK STARTS AND ENDS NOTHING"

This is a week of excitement and happiness, a week of commemorating the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the lesson that I have learned from my high school that holy week is a week for sacrifice, for alms giving, for thanksgiving for what He has done for us for the sins that we have done.

But, as Holy Week started until I ended, I did not do any action as a sign of my gratitude to Him. I don’t even go to mass, what I did was I enjoyed the days during the liberty, drinking, gimmicks, going out with my perks, and other forms of enjoyments. I as a Christian must not neglect the fact that He had given His own life for me, just to save me and to be with Him in heaven.

Naturalness Lasts

This week, I have learned about the difference of NTMA cadet with the other cadets. I have learned this during our forum last February 28, 2008 at the PICC with the guest President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; it was all about the way how we had shown them our snappiness in a natural way during the forum. The other cadets from Magsaysay Institute of Shipping, they were very snappy because even they were seated, they were not leaning and they were always walking in two. But, they have only one problem, they were not doing it in natural way and they were exaggerating the way they walk. In addition, so at the last part of the forum, they give up, so they also become lousy. They were better than the other cadets from other academies, because the cadets that were besides us were sleeping, talking to each other, and seating as if they were at their home.

After the arrival at the front of the PICC, we already formed at the front of it, so they looked at us as if they were asking “What academy is that?” We were leaning on the chair but we last until the end snappy, because of the naturalness we have. We walk natural, we act natural, and we walk natural.

As a conclusion, I have learned not only about the forum, but also about the effects of being natural to the life of a cadet. I have also learned about its power against being look warm and exaggerated cadet.

Following procedures

In physics, we have an experiment about the density of water, salt water, and kerosene. The experiment was very interesting since it deals mainly with following procedures. The experiment will only right and less percentage error will be obtained only if the procedures are properly executed and will be followed properly.

This week, I have learned about following procedures and steps. Following procedures is not just doing what you wanted to do, it is just doing or following what is written. It is very difficult for others because they or can I say we are not following it. In nature, Filipinos are in nature disobedient, we just want to do what ever we want. As we made the experiment, I found out that it is very enjoying if you are the one doing the experiment.

This week is again a week for me to realize something that will surely help me in the future and in my profession.

Important Value I Have Learned

What I learned this week was not all about academic matter, but about a self-realization. “Treat them equally, even they are terror or a friendly teacher” were the words that I heard from a cadet, that make me feel guilty of treating my teacher unfairly.

He told me those words because what happen was Cadet Cabading and I were answering Kumon in the library for the whole two hour vacant period, but the time was really fast until the time was only five minutes before the next subject was going to be conducted. He told us “It is already time, let’s go to the next subject”, then I replied in joking manner, “It’s just fine because our next teacher is Ma’am Bravo”, and hen told me those words. I just replied, “Sorry, sorry”, also in joking manner, but inside I said, “He’s right, why am I like this.”

From that very moment, I promised that I will strive to be always in the room before time, and I will treat them with fairness.

Launching of Lifeboat

As new week starts, there is a new thing that I have learned; it was all about the different commands in rowing lifeboat. First, lifeboat according to the dictionary is that it is a double-ended ship’s boat constructed and constructed to be a rescuing device in case of emergency or in abandon ship.

The first command is “Up oars”, which means to put out the oars vertically with the blades facing forward and aft. The next command is “Out oars” which means to put the oars on the rowlocks, to be ready to row, then the next is “Get way together” that means to row in account of two for many times until “ Rest on your oars” has been heard form the team leader.

This practice was very essential on board the vessel because no one knows when accident will come. It is better to be ready and practiced than to just think that it will not come.

As 2008 Comes

As New Year comes, there are different predictions of people to our country; some pray that our country will be prosperous, rich and very peaceful. In the other hand, people that are anti- government wish that the administration of the President Arroyo will be changed by those who are concern to the country.

As I have seen how people welcomed the New Year, I already seen that this country will be a home of crimes, gambling’s, and many more things that will make the country even poorer. There will be many companies that the Filipinos can work, but the owners of the company are foreigners and before new year again starts, their will be additional population that will be added to million of people suffering from poverty.

Securing of Cargo

This week, I have learned about the cargo handling, most specially the securing of cargo. Securing of cargo includes blocking, lashing, and shoring of cargoes. Blocking is installing solid pieces of woods or blocks to a deck, bulkhead, or overhead, because putting this can reduce the movement of the cargo. Lashing is also installing a wood, but it is an additional support to the blocking method, lastly is lashing that mainly involves putting of some tie-down straps, heavy ropes, and tensioning belts to secure the load.

This topic is very important to me, because it gives us information about the ways on how we must secure our cargoes, use all spaces, maximize the cargo, and lastly ensure the safety of the company’s property and the life of the crew.