Technology and Me, A History

  How did technology and I met? How is it that I became used to the Internet at such a young age? How do I perceive technology now with today's innovations in technology? These were some of the questions that constituted my first assignment in my Reading and Writing online class that I will answer in this post, to show how my technological narrative affected my perception of technology now as a young adult in her early 20s.
  
  I have a vague recollection of technology when I was a toddler, but when I was in kindergarten onwards I remember the technological devices we have in our household that I once didn't consider as technology. However, before I list these devices, I should start with a pen and paper first, tools that are considered as technological devices according to my professor. Before I started kindergarten, I can write my first and last name using a pencil and paper. I'm not sure if there are other words I used to write because that was a long time ago. The chalk and chalkboard were the visual aids used when I was in kindergarten, but there was an array of visual aids in grade school and high school. Included in this post is my Technology Narrative final draft as an assignment for my Reading and Writing class online as an autobiography of how technology and I started way back in the 90s. 

Early beginnings 

     I was exposed to a variety of technological devices while growing up in the 90s. My family loved and enjoyed music so my father bought an entertainment system that included a television set, a cassette and VCR player, a receiver, a subwoofer, and two large speakers. I remember when our relatives would visit the adults would watch The Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over concert while the children were playing outside in daylight and watching the concert at night. There was never a day that the radio was turned off. Music was a daily part of our lives, and my parents’ musical influences were passed on to us as we were growing up. When we weren’t listening to the radio or watching a concert, my brothers and I played the Family computer or GameBoy. Sometimes I would watch my cousins play the PlayStation when we visited them. 

     We had a family business, so a telephone was necessary in the household. I think it was in the late 90s when my father bought a Nokia cell phone. It was a huge and heavy phone, bigger than a regular corded telephone. But since that was the first cell phone I had seen in my life, I thought it was amazing. Without my surprise, a few months later, I saw cell phones smaller than my dad’s phone. As I read magazines and watched television I saw these cell phones that have the ability to phone and send a text message. In 2000, most of the upper and middle-class groups owned a cell phone in the capital city of the Philippines. It wasn’t difficult to buy a cell phone; the market was competitive and the consumers have an option to choose from the array of phone plans. Text messaging was cheaper and becoming a trend compared to talking to someone on the phone. That time, cell phones were becoming viral and cheap so it was easy for a working class person to buy one. The marketed cell phones were smaller, lacked antennas, had larger screens, and more features. By 2005, in my last year in high school, everyone in class had a cell phone (including me). And this time, the phones were in various shapes and sizes. 

     Despite these devices that I grew up with, my earliest beginnings with technology was a pen and paper, tools that I used to write my name. I learned more words when I went to kindergarten. Kindergarten to high school institutions used the chalk and chalkboard. I had my first computer class in Grade 4 and was taught up to high school. Sometimes, the teacher would use an overhead projector for his or her lectures. Other times, class would be held at a room where the teacher would play videos and used a dry erase marker to write on the whiteboard. By high school, it was implied that all students were knowledgeable of Microsoft PowerPoint and that it was required to use for class presentations. Computer classes were introduced to the curriculum in the fourth grade in 1998 so I learned how to use it at a young age. These were the methods and technological devices I grew up and learned.Since our school introduced a computer class in the fourth grade, students were required to use the Internet once a week in the school library to get ourselves acquainted with technology. In sixth grade, I signed up for my first email address partly due to my older cousin’s influence. The Internet helped me communicate with my aunt who was living in Florida. I was the “mediator” between my mom and aunt because my mom didn’t know how to use email yet. I have never abandoned any technologies I tried before; on the contrary, my technological skills have improved. I still use the Internet and email, and I use my cell phone for phone and text messaging. Nowadays, I rarely email my family and friends because there is Facebook, Skype, and Yahoo! Messenger. I email when necessary, so I can’t say I have abandoned email completely. My cell phone, laptop, and iPod are the most important technological devices I own that I use every day. I won’t say that I text more than I email, because I think I spend more time on the Internet than my phone mainly because of university, my family and friends overseas, and my hobbies. These three have affected my personal life such that I rely on them most of the time such as when I need to talk to someone. 

     Because I learned how to use the Internet at a young age, it was not difficult for me to use it for communicating with my extended family and friends. My knowledge of the Internet was an advantage because it helped me contact my family and friends without help. My first few months in Canada were difficult because I had no friends so I had to rely on the internet to communicate with them online. Instead of going out and meeting new people, I spent my time online to chat or talk with family and friends during weekends. Due to my technological capability, I was always online so I could catch my friends online and chat with them. The 14-hour difference (13 hours with Daylight Savings Time) was a hindrance for while it is night here, it’s daylight there so sometimes I go to sleep really late which made it difficult for me to wake up in the morning to go to work. This used to be my lifestyle, but once I became settled and realized that everything has changed, I no longer stay up late just to catch my friends or chat with them all the time. I chat with them whenever I feel like it, because I understand that we lead separate lives now. Most of my relatives are rarely online, but when they are, it’s usually the weekend so oftentimes I don’t go out on weekends just so I can stay and to talk to them. Sometimes, I teach my mom to chat and use Skype so she wouldn’t wait for me whenever I go out late on Saturday nights. This way, my parents can talk to our other relatives online without me or my brother’s assistance. 

     I am more knowledgeable about the Internet compared to before that I couldn’t last a day without it that sometimes I take a break. As a past-time hobby, I like watching Asian shows. They almost have the same format as the American television shows, but they only run for one season that lasts 16 to 24 episodes for Korean dramas and 9-12 for Japanese dramas. Each episode runs 45-65 minutes and has a variety of genres. I spend hours and days watching a 16-episode series that sometimes I would rather finish the remaining episodes than go out with my friends. But since I started university, I have been able to limit my use of the internet for unnecessary and time-consuming activities. It took some time for my lifestyle to change from when I first came here up to today, but nevertheless, the Internet has been a significant part of this change in my life. 

     To be technologically literate, one has to have a technological device for each activity he or she does. He or she does not use a pen and paper all the time, but a handy and multi-purpose technological device. When I used to use a pen and paper to write my thoughts, I sometimes had difficulty to free write because I pause after a couple of sentences to read what I have written which diverts my attention to the main idea I wanted to convey. With blogging, I have no difficulty free writing because I can write as long as I want quicker than writing in paper. If I need to stop to read the paragraphs, I can easily delete the words I don’t like. When I become accustomed to using a Smartphone or a BlackBerry as my “digital planner”, I will probably spend more time using it the same way I use my planner every day. This would be handy for my future professional life as a required technology. A cell phone would be necessary, and if it’s also an organizer it would help out a lot. I might use the laptop too, because I would need to be online all the time for documents or files that need to be emailed or forwarded for work. A music player, or my iPod (if my current one still works in the future), would be a supplemental technology to use whenever I need it. 

     In the meantime, I currently have these technological devices at home: a desktop, a printer, and two laptops; one is my brother’s and the other is mine. So every time I come home, I turn on my laptop and go online or do homework. I am content with my laptop, iPod, and basic cell phone and I have no wish to buy any new technological device in the near future. I recently bought a netbook that I bring to university which still makes me guilty because I know that I don’t badly need this device and yet I still bought it. I plan to buy a MacBook, but that won’t happen anytime soon, because my laptop and netbook are working just fine. I am not interested in the iPad or tablets as well; I don’t know why, but somehow since the launch of the iPad, it had never appealed to me in any way. I am also not interested in the iPhone because I believe that there are much better phones on the market than this overrated cell phone. I don’t need a Smartphone or a BlackBerry either, so cheap cell phone offers don’t appeal to me. I prefer writing, highlighting, and reading on a planner compared to Smartphones or an app for now. 

     I don’t have any technological “wish list” because I am satisfied with the devices I have now. It may not make me up to date with the latest technology, but I really don’t mind. If I buy a device one day after six months there will be a new model of that same device. It’s a waste of money, and as a student, it’s not really economical for me. My friend tells me that I should learn the latest technology, but to me it doesn’t really matter because technology is quickly changing even before my trusty pen runs out of ink.

  Analysing this paper, I can see that I have been introduced to technology since I was a child which has changed my perception of technology today where I prefer to spend less time online and more time in the real world due to the lifestyle I used to have during my first few years in Canada. This change in perception is due to my old lifestyle in the Philippines where the Internet was not a daily part of my lifestyle--only when I needed to do assignments. I used to spend my time with my family and friends than exploring the Internet. Unfortunately, I went back to this life when I migrated so once again I am going back to my old life where I would like to spend more time making real and personal communication. I just hope that I can do this seeing how today's society lives. A person is only given one chance to live, and I wish to spend more time exploring the wonders of the world than sitting on a desk behind a laptop. 

Obligatory new year post

  Ah, look how time flies. It's amazing that a year ago I was enjoying my last days of winter break in the year 2010 while this year I'm... still enjoying the last days of winter break before classes start on January 4th.

  So what has changed? For one, I took more courses this academic year and learned more than what I have learned last year. While other examples are more personal, I'm glad that these incidents in this year are better and different compared to last year. And because I have learned more from my courses, my blog posts are changing as well (and they should be).

  I have a few plans and goals lined up for the next year, and if I get to do them, then the world can end on December 2012 (I'm kidding, of course.).

  I'm ready to say goodbye to 2011 and look forward to 2012. Another new year where I make another step forward and never backward. I may stop for awhile to enjoy the present, but I should also think about how it would affect the future. I should never want to go back to the past but I can always glimpse at it to see what I have done wrong so as to not make the same mistake twice, or remind myself that the past will always be a part of me and who I will be. And with that, let's toast to the new and exciting year ahead of us.








  But let's not forget reality and party like there's no tomorrow. Aside from the real lives we keep, there are also other issues we should be concerned about, like the national and global economic situation and environmental issues to name a few. 

Coca-cola, pathos, and the Philippines

  As a rhetoric and communications student at a Canadian university, I am trying to incorporate my academic life to my real life so I can apply what I have learned in school and put it to good use.

  Coca-cola, an international well-known beverage company, released a campaign ad for the holidays. Watch the clip and tell me what you think about it: 

 

  What do you think? Did it move you? Were you about to grab a tissue by the time the ad ended? Did you feel your emotions swaying when you saw families reunited again? If you answered 'yes' to most or all questions, then the ad served its purpose: to persuade the audience through their emotions. This, my friends, is pathos, one of the three appeals or styles of rhetoric introduced by Aristotle to capture the emotions of the audience. Who says rhetoric only applies to textual discourses? Visuals such as photographs and advertisements are considered rhetoric as well, especially ads which are used to persuade (or dissuade) the audience to buy the (or not buy the competitor's) product. When I was watching the ad, its first few seconds practically screamed 'pathos' at me that I kind of lost interest halfway through it that if I was a target audience of the ad I wouldn't be interested in it. 

  However, I don't mean to offend OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) in this post, nor in this blog (and I will never do in the future). I may seem insensitive just because I'm a permanent resident (and potential citizen) of Canada while they are contractual workers but we share the same situation: we live and work in foreign countries. Middle-class and poor Filipinos who have lived in the Philippines their whole lives have no idea what it's like to live or work in a foreign country. I can't say for the rich or privileged and upper-middle class Filipinos, because some of them may have only traveled to foreign countries for a vacation but not move permanently to live. My point is that OFWs lead more difficult lives than most permanent residents or converted citizens that I know. Just look at each of the persons who were qualified for the "Happiness Project". The agency picked them because they're OFWs and they have been away from their families for years. For who else can the agency show in their ads but hard-working Filipinos who have been away from their families for a long time? The general audience can relate to Joe, Leonie, and Joey because most of them have OFW relatives and Filipinos are into close family ties. So what does the ad agency do? The three narrate their life on how sad and lonely their lives are in a foreign country (and I agree with Leonie when she talked about winters.) and how much they miss their families. Their sad narratives are enough to tug a Filipino's heart--the target audience of the ad. And because they were picked by Coca-cola for their 'project', they were given the chance to go back to the Philippines again after being gone for a long time. And no doubt, it worked. Most comments I've read about the ad were touched by their stories. Another person said this ad shows the resiliency of Filipinos on how Joe, Leonie, and Joey (and the rest of the OFWs) are able to sacrifice their lives for their families. But the best comment I have read? People saying that they're 'proud to be Filipinos' or that they're glad they're a Filipino. Because of what--that Filipinos work abroad, save every dollar, pound, or euro, brave the cold and harsh winters only to send money to the Philippines (whom some are ungrateful for the blessings)? Enlighten me here on the last bit because I didn't quite catch it. There was even a comment where the person said that if anyone didn't cry at this ad then they're insensitive. At least some comments were sensible enough to realize that this is still an advertising.

  What I only observed while watching this ad was that there are still more than 11 million Filipinos (and counting) who had to sacrifice their time and lives to work in another country for their family because of poverty. These OFWs are even dubbed as "new heroes" or bagong bayani of the nation--and they should be. For a culture that is strong on family values, they would find it difficult to be far from their families even for just a year. The ad focuses on the idea of sadness and homesickness an OFW feels instead of the reality that they are separated from their families because of the economic condition of the Philippines. Doesn't that say a lot about the country? What's even worse is that these OFWs have been away for almost or more than a decade which shows the progression of the country. Let's admit it, Filipinos work abroad for a better life because the country disappointed them with its political leaders and governance (to name a few). They would never have left in the first place if they had a good life. And until they find that the government will provide them jobs, they will continue working abroad far from their loved ones--a sacrifice they're willing to do.

  Should I mention that at the end of the day, despite the emotional appeal of it, the product being endorsed is Coke?

No offense, but

  Because a blog was, is, and will always be a blog. No matter how one tries to be objective in their perspectives, there is always that one little fact or thought that would refute another person's point of view. And that, I think, would make for a good debate. And it's no one's fault, because each of us have our own world paradigm that varies on our narratives or logic.

 

  So I can't blame people if some find that Twilight is better than Harry Potter--or even have the guts to compare those two movies. But really, I still can't believe that my friend thinks that Twilight is better than Harry Potter. We're actually comparing the films, not the books, because he doesn't like reading. I admit, I don't have the right to loathe Twilight because I haven't read the book yet, but a reliable friend once told me that I shouldn't waste my time reading it--so I followed her advice. But to tell me that it's "better" than Harry Potter? Are you kidding me? This all started when we were having lunch at work when he told me that he's going to watch the film again even though he has already seen it. So I told him, "Can you watch another film so that you don't contribute as a revenue to the franchise?" But then he said that he doesn't mind watching it again, because he likes it. But when he said that it's better than Harry Potter--that was when things got more interesting. 

  I didn't really fought with him, because one of our coworkers stopped our ensuing argument when I told my friend that I could debate with him on why HP is loads better than the other. Anyway, I don't care if any friend of mine likes Twilight--I would respect his or her opinion because that's his or her view. But to tell me that it's better than Harry Potter is another story. Although I'm biased because I have never read or seen the films of the Twilight franchise and I'm an HP fan, I would try to understand a Twilight fan's point of view by maybe reading the first book. I just can't foresee myself reading a Twilight book in the near future though. Okay, maybe when I'm drunk or high on sugar that I can take Twilight seriously. I just wish that I was always kept in the dark about this franchise like I was used to. See, I only found out about it a year after the first film has been released. That was when I realized the fanbase that vampire has created. Then I became more familiar with it when I used to read this forum on The Deathly Hallows Part I film and there were comments about Twilight. So aside from that forum with posts that are probably all from Tumblr, the only exposures I got from this franchise were pictures (from the forum), the Breaking Dawn Part I trailer, and some reviews about the film (which are bad). So even when one of my friends invited me to watch the film with her, I turned her down. But I thought you wanted to see a Twilight fan's point of view? Well, if I wanted to get a glimpse of why women are crazy with that vampire, I'd rather watch it illegally (that's right, you heard me) or on the television than spend my hard-earned money on a film that I would no surely not enjoy. And besides, I already loathe the franchise, I don't want to contribute to its revenue. 

  I haven't talked to my friend about his plan, but I might tell him to watch Happy Feet 2 instead when we meet on Saturday. If we get into another argument, I don't really mind. I just don't like it when one says Twilight is better than Harry Potter--I've been an HP fan for a decade--it's practically a half of my life, and I don't like HP being compared to a fad (yes, because I think Twilight is not really a timeless literary treasure).

 

  Wow, I didn't plan for this post to be this long, I was thinking of writing a paragraph but then I remembered that "argument" I had with my friend so my hands just started typing words. But I guess it adheres to that photo above which shows that I can be horrible to things that I hate and blog about it--because again, this is my blog. 

Black Friday craze

  This is the first post that I'll write about this annual event in the U.S. Black Friday, as some of you are aware of, is an annual event that happens the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving day, which is every fourth Thursday of November. I have never been to the U.S. yet, so I haven't really witnessed or have been a part of the Black Friday trend where stores offer their lowest, doorcrasher prices that may or may not give Boxing day a run for its money. Actually, products are lower down south than here in the north, and that includes cars, which this Globe and Mail article by Joanne Will attests to. Granted, this article was written months ago, but that still does not change the fact that most products are cheaper in the U.S. than here in Canada. Anyway, that's another territory that I don't want to dive into today.

  What I find most fascinating about Black Friday is that Americans line up or even camp out Thursday midnight just to be the first in line to snag that iPad or any "hot" gadget when it's not really necessary. Okay, I understand that maybe some people do need to shop for Christmas gifts. I completely understand that. But what about those who just camp out on Thursday night or line up early on Friday morning just to grab that product that they "need"? It's just, I don't understand the need for buying or spending hundreds or thousands of dollars (like for an iPad, for instance, or a 60-inch LED HD 3D flat screen television) because it's Black Friday. Because everything is so cheap. And this is a once-a-year event. But do we really need them? I admit that I have succumbed to this corporate North American lifestyle after living here for a while but sometimes, when I go to Anti-Pinoy or Facebook and check this tour guide's profile (Carlos Celdran) where he posts pictures about the impoverished and the poorest of the poor communities in Manila, Philippines, I can't help but be guilty about going shopping or buying a hot chocolate from a local cafe. It's unbelievable how I get to live here in Canada and complain about the cold weather when these children in Ulingan, Manila are living in waste and garbage. It's completely unimaginable. It's horrifying. But I guess that's what makes North America first world nations and the Philippines a third world nation.

  I grabbed these photos from Carlos Celdran's Facebook, which he grabbed from Sidney Snoeck, the owner of these photos. 

  Please visit this website after seeing these pictures: Project Pearls. 

What's News?

  I had to do a presentation in class about a news organization so I decided to give ABS-CBN a try and they didn't fail my expectations: they reinforced my beliefs on one of the reasons why I have lost hope for the Philippines.

  ABS-CBN, a television network in the Philippines, is owned by ABS-CBN Corporation, the largest media and entertainment empire in the country to date. When I was young I never cared about what channel to watch or which network has higher ratings. All I cared about were the shows that this channel broadcast. Do they broadcast Sailor Moon? YuYu Hakusho? Akazukin Chacha? Kero keroppi and Hello Kitty? Bananas in Pajamas? Mask Rider, Shaider, and Bioman?  So yeah, I just cared about making sure that when I turn on the tv these shows are on—I don't care what time it is, if I know that they broadcast these shows, I'll watch them. Because that's how much I love them. Okay, maybe not really care that I would stay up late but you know what I mean. I assume too much, but that's me. Or maybe because I'm just too tired to think tonight. 

  Anyway, I did my presentation on Monday, November 14th, so I had to cover the news broadcast for November 14th as well, since Canada is 14 hours behind the Philippines (without DST). If I was doing a news organization in North America or Europe, I would've covered the 13th broadcast.

  I don't know if it was me, the network, or the day itself, but it was a pretty slow news day. Why? Well, the broadcast runs 75 minutes every night (as it says on its wikipedia; I'm too lazy to find it in their website) including ads so if you remove them (which are a lot, I tell you), maybe it'll be a 40-50-minute broadcast? Don't quote me on that one; it's just a wild guess. What I want to point out is that the whole broadcast was about the Pacquiao fight that they "missed" or "forgot" to report about the 113 representatives absent on Monday (PH time), the day after the fight. Shows you how credible Philippine politicians are eh? See, those are two of the number of reasons why I have given up the country: the news media and politicians. And oh look it says that based on a study, the Philippines has the most number of political dynasties in the House of Representatives compared to the Japanese, American, Mexican, and Argentinian legislatures. Hooray for the country! Unfortunately, the study didn't name who these families were. Fortunately for some Filipinos, they have a clear idea who these dynasties are. Like the current president, Benigno Aquino III, the son of Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., who was a senator and governor and mayor of Tarlac, and Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, the former (and first) female President of the Philippines. I haven't even mentioned his grandparents yet. But don't worry; he's not the only one. Even if the study doesn't mention names, I'm pretty sure the readers of the article can identify who these families are. What I'm most worried about is that these stories did not make it to the Monday broadcast of TV Patrol, the nightly news broadcast of ABS-CBN, where a million Filipinos tune in every night. Probably because these stories don't make the headlines anymore because they're not entertaining enough to appeal to the audience. News has now become infotainment, where news are becoming entertainment to please the audience of today's world.

  I hope something will change in the news organization, but for now, I doubt that with the way the news is being covered in ABS-CBN particularly TV Patrol, change might happen in a long, long time.  


For further reading on news as an entertainment value, read Knowlton Nash's Trivia Pursuit: How Showbiz Values are Corrupting the News. 

the k-pop fan in me

BigBang from left to right: Seungri, G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, and T.O.P.
photos above and below from MTV EMA via BigBang updates

  I'm not gonna lie, I got excited when Big Bang won as the Worldwide Act in the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards held at Belfast, Ireland on November 6, 2011. I don't usually listen to other music aside from Filipino or Western artists, but because I watch Korean and Japanese dramas and movies, I tend to like some of the soundtracks. So while I google for these songs, I divert my attention to South Korean pop groups such as Big Bang and 2NE1. I am also familiar with Wondergirls, Girl's Generation, Super Junior, DBSK (or TVXQ or JYJ), SS501, T-Max, CN Blue, and F.T. Island to name a few because I come across their performances whenever I browse youtube. However, I have a bias for the YG artists (a Korean talent agency and record label) Big Bang and 2NE1 because I like their music and style better than the others (and no bashing please; to each their own). I kind of understand why some people prefer SNSD (Girl's gen) or DBSK because I think these artists worked really hard before they reached the success they're having now.

  So on Sunday while I was doing my paper I was listening to Big Bang's "Haru haru", Tae yang's "I need a girl", and 2NE1's "It hurts" over and over again. The repeat button probably feels harassed already. Heh. Two or three years ago I would have no idea who the Big Bang or 2NE1 members were even though I was familiar with them, the same as how I have a Si-won, Hee-chul, and Kim Ki-bum bias in Super Junior (or SuJu, as they are commonly called). I mean, I know what Si-won, Hee-chul, and Ki-bum look like when I watch SuJu videos but I don't know the others nor listen to their songs all the time. But after browsing these groups, I realized that I lean more on 2NE1 and Big Bang. And who could resist these boys? 

uploaded by TheAsiaMission

  The more I watch their live performances, the more I like them. Thank goodness there's youtube that I can watch them anytime I want. I used to like G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-young) and T.O.P. (Choi Sang-hyun) but lately GD is slipping away from me as Tae yang (Dong Young-bae) makes his way into mine (pffft.). Especially after I heard this song and watched the music video. 

uploaded by KEV1saurus

  
  I find the song really catchy and Taeyang doesn't hurt either. One can't really blame me if I keep listening to this song the whole day and even the day after that. However, that's just my inner K-pop fan who loves these Big bang boys and their female counterpart 2NE1. Funny though, because the next day the song was still playing in my head but when I kind of got tired listening to them I switched to The Magic Numbers and involuntarily sang a Rivermaya song. So yeah. That pretty much says that these artists are in me unlike the boys who are just hanging out in my subconscious, waiting to be tapped. But really, I am glad that they won so that people would be familiar with them and the k-pop fandom. Hah, take that, Britney Spears!

BigBang at The MTV EMA 2011
from left to right: Seungri, Daesung, Taeyang, T.O.P., and G-Dragon
photo from allkpop