Pageant Result: Miss Globe 2023

The winners of Miss Globe 2023 from left to right: Kirstin Yvonne Bangs - USA -Fourth Runner Up, Katia Rodriguez - Spain - First Runner Up, Aanavi Kher- Malaysia - Miss Globe 2023- Winner, Anna Valencia Lakrini - Philippines - Second Runner - Up, Duru Esther Chidera - Nigeria - Third Runner - Up.  The pageant was held in Albania last November 18, 2023.

Idiom In Tagalog

One of my friends asked:  "Are there idiom equivalents also  in the Tagalog language?" Of course, there are.  Katulad ng idioms sa English, ginagamit ito para tumingkad ang paglalarawan ng mga bagaybagay at para mapaigting  at matalinhaga ang takbo ng usapin o pagsusulat.

And just like in English ... ang kahulugan ng mga "sawikain or idioms" ay magkaiba sa literal meaning ng mga salita. Sa madaling salita ang mga sawikain don't mean exactly what the individual words in it say. Tandaan natin ... ang figurative meaning ng mga sawikain ... is different from its literal meaning.

If somebody tells you makati ang dila mo ... immediately run for a cover.  It is not something you have to be proud of ... baka sinasabi niya ito out of anger dahil may sinabi ka tungkol sa kanya and one of his secrets. Ingat ka rin at baka ma-award ka or ma-dyombag. It has literal translation "itchy tongue".

It doesn't mean you have allergy dummy... pambihira namang allergy yon ... sa dila pa of all places? In the first place pwede bang makamot ang dila? Ang dami namang lugar ... bakit doon pa? But don't get fooled because ang figurative meaning ng idiom ay tsismosa ka ... makamandag ang dila mo.  Wala ngang buto ito ... pero kaya nitong makasira ng buhay at isang masayang pamilya.

Idioms Of The Day

 

Let's start using idioms or idiomatic expressions when we write. When idioms are used, it add color and texture to language by creating images that convey meanings beyond those of the individual words that make them up. An idiom can be very colorful and make a 'picture' in our minds. It also shows the writer's familiarity with English. When you want to make your writing sound more conversational, including idioms can give your writing a more relaxed tone.

Idioms allow us to say a lot with few words. Idioms amplify your messages in a way that draws your readers in and helps awaken their senses. It adds dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. They make your writing less monotonous and your readers will think that you are smart and knowledgeable. All the while ... you only clothe your writing with elaborate idioms to create an impact... saying too much with less. 

To perfect your English, you really need to become confident in using idioms and knowing the difference between breaking a leg and pulling someone's leg. So the idiom of the day is:

IDIOM: R and R

MEANING: An abbreviation or an expression meaning Rest and Recreation. It is not an idiomatic expression per se ... just an acronym or an expression.

ORIGIN: R & R refers to the time that you spend relaxing when you are not working. R & R is an abbreviation for rest and relaxation.  In the military, it also means rest and recuperation. or rest and recovery which is the time period specifically designated to allow recovery after a strenuous and relentless activity. It is done for pleasure rather than work.

USING IT IN A SENTENCE: He went to Boracay to unwind and have a little R and R.

R&R: DELIMA's FREEDOM & POLITICAL FUTURE

LEILA DE LIMA IS FREE!!! IS ICC FOR DUTERTE NEXT???

Responding To Netizen's Comment

Question: I read your post on facing your fear yesterday and I wonder if there are techniques used in psychology or psychiatry where the person is exposed to his feared situation or objects (phobias) until fear responses to that stimulus is extinguished?

Answer: There are techniques used where a person is being given the chance to have gradual exposure to a feared stimulus. Although the post yesterday was meant to touch on minor fears only (e.g. fear of approaching the woman of your dreams, fear of going to her house and meeting her parents OR fear of public speaking which can happen to normal people ... just like fear of reciting inside the class or fear of sharing an opinion in public) not necessarily irrational fears bordering on the abnormal like phobias.

Anyway while we are at it ... let me mention these techniques in passing ...

1. exposure therapy - techniques used by therapists to help a person overcome his fears by breaking the pattern of fear and avoidance. A person is made to have contact with the feared stimuli and this contact is maintained until the anxiety associated with the contact subsides. This process is also termed habituation and it can only occur if the person is prevented from using his usual escape or avoidance behavior.

It is also called the Pavlovian extinction (also known as respondent conditioning) where the exposure therapists identify the feared object, the emotions, and the psychological reactions the person is experiencing ... and the physiological changes observed in the person as a result of the exposure ... and then try to break the pattern of escape that maintain that fear.

2. Systematic desensitization. First, let us define desensitization which means anesthetize, benumb, or deaden. It means to make someone emotionally insensitive and callous. For instance, if we see a lot of mayhem or violence on television it can desensitize us to it ... like violence is just a normal occurrence leaving us unmoved and unperturbed. Same thing with X-rated movies ... generous exposure to it at times can be tiring and monotonous ... making the images look like just one of those random things ... and the scenes you saw did not affect or appeal to you at all. Surprised?

The goal of desensitization is to inhibit or interrupt the body's interpretation of stimuli as painful or fearful. If somebody has a fear of injections it does not mean to assure somebody that getting poked with a needle will become pleasant or enjoyable, but it will no longer provoke an extreme pain response or become a feared stimulus.

In systematic desensitization, people learn relaxation techniques and then, while they are relaxed, they are gradually exposed to the stimulus they fear.SD is used to treat extreme aversions through a combination of graded exposure and relaxation. It is an evidence-based behavioral intervention that is focused on helping clients overcome common fears or phobias.

3. Flooding - in this technique, a person is exposed to a harmless stimulus until fear responses to that stimulus are extinguished.  In order to demonstrate the irrationality of the fear, a psychologist would put a person in a situation where they would face their phobia. Using psychologically-proven relaxation techniques, the subject attempts to replace their fear with relaxation. 

According to Pavlov, people can learn through associations, so if one has a phobia, it is because one associates the feared stimulus with a negative outcome (e.g. riding a plane  - and the plane crashing). The theory also teaches us that fear response has a short shelf-life and an expiry limit. Flooding uses actual exposure to the feared stimuli. If a person has acrophobia or fear of heights, by using flooding as a technique ... a person can be placed in an elevator or ride a plane.  Having irrational fear we expect a roller-coaster of reactions from her ... but rest assured she will calm down and be cool and collected later on ... when she realizes her fear of heights is unjustified and unnecessary. When she realizes her irrational fear of high places is not something to fear ... in the first place.

As we said before ... fear has a deadline or an expiratory date. Once the person has been gradually given a dose of exposure to the feared object ... it will dawn on her how foolish of her to behave that way.

Face Your Fears

A person is dauntless and unflinching if you leave your comfort zone and tries to face the fears that are holding you back, to step forward even though your body kicks into a FIGHT or FLIGHT mode and starts to pump blood uncontrollably.  Even though you are sweating in your boots and you are wobbling in your knees one has to stand up and hold water to gauge how bad your fear was and see for yourself where that led you. You will never know until you try to get exposed to your fears. 

What happens if the result is not bad at all?  See ... if you are a coward ... you will not know where will life bring you ... because you listened to your inner self which angers you not to try anything at all that stunted your growth and productivity.