Team Carnival asks: what can I do to help change the country?

From Team Carnival, here's a sponsored post from Unilab that comes just at the right moment when the new Philippine leaders have been sworn in.

"What can I do to help change the country?" This seems like a really big and heavy question. At the onset, I thought, who am I to change the country? I'm just a regular person who has a day job and a family to think of. I don't have the money to make a big donation to any charity here. I'm not smart enough to teach the street kids at our place. Heck, I don't even have the name that rings a bell and that would make people stop and follow me, even if I plead them to.

So how do I, as an average working middle-class Filipino, make a change?

Simple: by being a citizen who's obedient and concerned about my fellowmen and what happens to my country.

I start with myself: by being honest in everything and not cheat on others. That's from paying the correct amount of money for the goods I buy to filing the correct taxes.

By being an advocate of cleanliness and care for the environment. Throwing candy wrappers and bus tickets in the trash can. Recycling stuff that could be used again.

By following rules and obeying the law. Falling in line while waiting for the FX. Not beating the red light.

By being a good example, especially to my daughter. Share to her the values of altruism, of caring for others, and not being apathetic to the needs of those around her.

By doing simple gestures like saying thank you when a co-passenger hands me the change for my fare or when someone holds the door for me.

I can make a change by doing the little things that matter. Because the little things, when nurtured, can become big.

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I would encourage student bloggers to join Unilab's Ideas Positive. I love this campaign, and I hope the youth will learn a lot of things when they join here.

Here are more details:

Unilab launched Ideas Positive (www.ideaspositive.com), a school-based competition open to all college students in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, and Pampanga. Unilab invites student groups to come up with fresh and positive ideas that promote health and wellness in their chosen community/beneficiary.

The groups with the best ideas will have the chance to make this idea a reality. The first placer will receive P100,000 seed money to implement their idea. They will also receive a three-day, two-night group vacation package to Boracay. Second and third placers will get P50,000 seed money, and an iPod Shuffle for each member of the team.

Interested parties must form groups of five to seven members and submit their social marketing ideas, in the form of a sustainable plan, to address the health and wellness concerns of their chosen community. Deadline for submission of entries is on August 16, 2010. You can visit www.ideaspositive.com for more details.

Beastly: Bringing a modern twist to "that" fairy tale

During one of those lull times in the office (hehe!), a colleague of mine shared to me a copy of the book Beastly by Alex Flinn. She liked the book, told us that it fell under the "light reading" category for her, and that though the story was really something for the young adult crowd, she enjoyed reading it.

I got curious because Disney's version of Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite animation movies of all time. Of course, I've also seen the series with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton when I was a kid. They were two different versions, but with one underlying plot: how a scary-looking monster and a beautiful human fall in love.

In this book, however, the beast's story is given a little more background. Set in today's times, we learn that he was first known as Kyle Kingsbury, a hot high schooler who based everything on physical appearance. When he wrongs a witch, a spell was cast on him and he becomes the hideous monster that even his dad would feel such shame to call him his son. The only way the spell was to be broken is through a kiss between him and the girl he loves, who also should love him back despite his appearance.

What's interesting here in this book is how the story is presented. I particularly loved the chapters where the beast, known as Adrian, would enter a chat support group of kindred souls (read: cursed by witches just like him). And though the story was bordering cheesy (as expected of any juvenile/young adult fiction), I found it quite entertaining to the last bit. It's also quite short, with about 160 pages. Light reading, not so much for drama, but it kinda does stick to you in some way. I guess it's because the storyline is a familiar one.

And who doesn't love happy endings?

Very much recommended for those who don't want to be bogged down by too much drama or suspense in written words and bound pages. Also teaches kids a lesson or two, so might as well have your tween kids read it. :)

EDIT: Beastly is going to be made into a movie, with Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens. Mary Kate Olsen and Neil Patrick Harris are also in it. Check out the trailer below:



Seems a bit different to the original story. But I think it looks promising.

And Alex Pettyfer just might be the next Robert Pattinson.

Hope

That's probably the most overused word after President Noynoy Aquino's inauguration, or even during his campaign. And yeah, it was overly used during the first Kris-James marital brouhaha. But I digress...

While I wish PNoy (!) congratulations, I guess I wouldn't go as much as saying "good luck" or "I hope you will do the country good." Why? Because it's like putting all the responsibilities on his shoulders when, in fact, healing our nation is the shared responsibility of every Filipino.

Yes, it does irritate me when people think that it is only the president's job, when people comment in blogs or forums that it's his duty to clean up the mess of the past and make the Philippines better than it is or was. Truth is, he can't do it alone. He needs us as much as we need him.

The hope of the nation does not lie on one man alone while the others sit comfortably in their futons and watch as this one man does the job in his lonesome. A job that is every man's responsibility.

Don't pin your hopes of a better Philippines on President Noynoy alone. Every Filipino must do his share. Follow rules. Obey laws. Pay your dues. Because in the end, it's not only PNoy who will benefit from it. It's all of us.

NB: After the inauguration, I therefore conclude that Viel is the prettiest among the Aquino sisters. Don't you agree?