It always amaze me how unpredictable life could be. One second a bad news makes your day dark and gloomy, the next second, something good will come and brighten up your day.

    Last July 24, the workshop for the club I am advising was cancelled the day before the workshop was scheduled. I felt terrible about it because I was very excited about the said workshop. I felt like heaven had left me in a gloomy state. charot! But then when I opened my Facebook account, I saw some of my blogger friends posting about a workshop that will be held in IAFT. A few minutes later, a student of mine asked for my permission if he can go to IAFT because the academy will have an open house. I couldn't help myself but to ask our school principal if I can go with my students. Thanks heavens, our school principal said YES! hahaha I felt like a guy receiving a big yes after asking a girl out. lol not that I'm a guy ahahha Thanks Ma'am Joy! Ma'am Joy is really the best!
   The International Academy of Film and Television or IAFT is a film school in Cebu that offers hands on educational experience that showcases Hollywood roots and traditions. It currently offers diploma and certificate in film making, 3D animation and the performing arts. The school also provides workshops and open house where everyone can have the chance to see what it's like to be in the world of cinema.

     I've never heard nor seen IAFT before so I was completely amazed when we arrived at the school. lol I didn't even know how to commute going there. It was my students who led me the way. haha My excitement got me a little crazy when I saw the huge building. Of course, my students and I took so many pictures. lelz The perks of being a millenial!
The open house started at 1:30 PM but because of so many reasons, we arrived late. Arriving at past 2 isn't a very bad anyway, so the time didn't became a big issue for us. We just want to take a good look inside IAFT, that's all, period.
   As what one can expect from an open house, we were toured inside the different rooms of IAFT. First stop for us is their stage and production room where IAFT students can perform and shoot films.
    It's in that area where we met Trevor. Trevor is one of the school's prized teacher. He is a film maker himself who shares his knowledge to IAFT students'. He has been making/shooting films for so many years already. He even used to work for BBC before and has done shooting commercials for brands like Bench.
    Trevor showed us some of the basic tricks in using the lights and the camera. He wanted us to see how they shoot a film using the green backdrop so he asked for some volunteers in the audience. My students' Seth and Hilary gladly took the shot! So proud of my angels!!!
    The shooting begun with all the lights facing the two of them. They have to portray a driving scene where one is the driver and the other one is basically just a passenger sitting next to the one driving. My student Hilary acted as the driver while Seth acted like the passenger.

    Trevor filmed them using the green backdrop because the film will soon be edited where my students' will look like they are really on the road driving a car.
    Trevor also showed us different lighting techniques on how to highlight the subject that the film have to focus. Of course, I volunteered! hahaha I'm in the second photo above ;) hahaha kapalmuks lelz

     I acted with a guy who is actually an acting student in IAFT. Trevor asked us to talk naturally and calmly. We managed to do the job by asking each other basic questions about ourselves. That's how I found out that he is a student in IAFT. During our conversation I asked him why he study acting. He said he wants to become a more interesting person that's why. I wasn't expecting that kind of answer but his answer was a good one. So if you guys want to become more interesting, go study acting in IAFT! hahaha

    Felt so happy when Trevor said we did a great job and we are natural actors as we look very natural in our camera. Almost like we weren't acting! Of course, we were just talking back then hahaha.
   My student Hilary was all smiles listening to Trevor. I love seeing genuine smiles like the one she had in the photo. I would love to take more photos of such kind of smile.
Hello there Amelie! Is life really fabulous?
    After taking a quick tour in their editing and storage room, we were led in another room where we were introduced to the the world of producing films.
My brilliant and talented students' Hilary, Seth Lucas and Kyla! The future of the film industry! hehe
One of my amazing students', Kyla! This girl's gonna be a filmmaker someday so watch out for her! hahaha
    Mark (photographed above) talked to us about producing films. How it is done and the primary functions of a producer. It was only then that I found out that the main task of a producer is to organize the shooting schedule. The producer is the one who will decide what scene is to be shoot including the budget and the shooting location.
    Mark also let us watched one of the films made by some students' in IAFT. A really beautiful and heart warming film!
     Afterwards, he showed us a copy of the movie's script and how they break down the scenes in shooting a film. How cool is that?
    After listening to Mark about producing a film, another speaker was introduced to us. We were introduced to JM who shared to us inspiring insights about script writing. Perhaps my favorite part of the tour. ehheehe

    JM gave us a short but very energetic and compelling workshop about writing. Time went by so fast but I must say that we definitely learn so many things from JM. Not just about writing, but also about dealing life as an artist. He even shared to us some of his favorite books which helped him in so many ways as a writer. I could only wish we had more time to learn more with him!

     The whole tour in IAFT's open house was a wonderful experience for me. Taking a glimpse inside the school just made me want to study more. June 20, 2015 was a beautiful day after all. Oppss..its not July 20 but July 24 haha my bad. My July 20 was sad and empty. charot! The man I love told me he doesn't love me. Now that's a good thing to film, isn't it? Gotta start writing a script now. Ciao! ;)


For more information about the International Academy of Film and Television, you may visit their official website: http://iaft.ph/
You may also check them about on their social media accounts:
https://twitter.com/iaftcebu
https://instagram.com/iaft_cebu/
https://www.facebook.com/iaftcebu
By the way, IAFT will conduct weekend workshops starting this Saturday, August 8, 2015. Stay tuned and check them out for more info.

Let's take a break from our craziness and talk about the foods served in Cafe Saree. We didn't order much because we just came from another restaurant. We literally just went there to try their foods (and take photos) hahahaha.
I'm not a fan of aragula leaves as I do not eat them in regular basis. Nevertheless, their smoked salmon is good. It was served to us with bread and potato chips which I really enjoyed.

     Pork Schnitzel is actually good. A single serving would be too much for a person to devour alone, so it would be better to share it with someone. It's not the best pork dish that you will have, but it's also certainly good.

    The garlic rice that came with it is just a simple cooked white rice with some crushed garlic as its toppings.
    I must say that the White Rabbit in Cafe Sarree is one of the best coffee drink I ever had. It's not too sweet and not too creamy. It's simply a yummy coffee! I would love to have more White Rabbit in the future! And how cute is its name? reminds me of Mr. Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. lol

    Our gastronomical experience in Cafee Sarree isn't mind boggling or any special. Despite that, we enjoyed our time in the cafe and we do not have any regrets going there. They had a variety of foods and drinks to try and most of them might be worth it.

    Considering the fact that most of their foods are not that expensive, I'm sure many people will enjoy visiting the place. I also love the fact that there are variety of healthy choices in their menu. It is one of the things that I commend about Cafe Sarree. I just hope their bathroom would smell better than before. lol At sana wala ng langaw haha

     I used to think negatively about the educational system of our country. Understandingly, there are so many reasons why. I'm a certified public school kid, that means, I grew up studying in public schools since I was in kindergarten until I reached college. A number of frustrations grew along with me as I step from one grade level to another. Boy, a blog post wouldn't be enough if I have to elaborate them.

     Fast forward, I am now a licensed English teacher currently working for a private institution. This is my first year of teaching and I would be crazy if I'd say that teaching is an easy task. It is both rewarding and noble, but I cannot shun the fact that stress comes along with it. (Not that I am complaining :D ) I bet my co-educators will agree with me. As it is a very challenging profession, teachers like me would be very glad to receive any kind of assistance.

    I was very glad and happy to find out that an organization like CBE exists from a forum I attended last June. CBE by the way stands for Coalition for Better Education,  which is an organization that looks into the various issues in education. It seeks to help develop the educational system in the Philippines by proving different kinds of assistance from action research to curriculum development services. It was founded by Mr.Bobby Aboitiz, who is considered as the father of the organization. The coalition has several partners that also shares the same goals and principle with it.

     From the things that I learned during the forum, I was a surprised why I never heard about CBE before considering the fact that I am an educator. lol As what Mr. Tarayao said, CBE is one of Cebu's little best kept secret. Why make it a secret though? lelz. 

     After the brief discussion about the background and advocacies of CBE, we were introduced to the coalition's previous projects and their latest one which is the releasing of the Energy Flash Cards. The flash cards contains a number of project based learning activities that can be utilize by teachers.

      Project Based Learning, according to BIE.org, is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge.
    We were so lucky to have Mr. Jeffrey Tarayao in the forum. Mr. Tarayao is the president of CBE (Coalition for Better Education) and One Meralco Foundation. He talked about how CBE began and how it helped the public schools in our country.

      I felt so honored to be able to witnessed Mr. Tarayao talk because he shared a lot of things for us to ponder on. Not only about the current status of the educational system in our country, but also his personal experiences as a Filipino serving his beloved country. He also shared to us his personal philosophy in life and some historical facts that I never knew. I even felt like I am in a Philippine history class wherein he is the teacher and I'm one of his students because I couldn't help taking down notes while he is talking. I must say that being in the forum made me miss my life as a student lelz.

     Mr. Tarayao's messages to us were actually all very informative and inspiring. The things he said inspired me to strive harder to become a better teacher and a better blogger. He posed this question, "Who are those innovative teachers? They are those who are willing to be pushed and go to the edge. How can you fly when you are afraid to fall?". I was dumbfounded by his question because I believe it doesn't only apply to teachers but to all kinds of people. Sometimes we fail to live the most of our life because of one thing which is fear. I'd like to think about what he said when I am feeling under the weather. I'd like to think that I can further challenge myself into overcoming my fears in reaching my goals.

    You see, I am easily inspired and touched by words. Our country needs more Filipinos with visions and actions like Mr. Tarayao and the rest of the CBE people. I'd like to be one of them too so I'll start by being a good teacher and a good blogger who can blog for better education.
       A teacher from Science High School showed us a sample of the E-cards which are currently being developed by Filipino educators.
    Transformers 2. Just one of the PBL Energy flash cards being developed. I was both amazed and excited looking at the samples because I know they are going to be very helpful not only for the teachers, but also to the students. It actually looked a lot like a  lesson plan to me than a card. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense now. lol

    I would love to have my  own copy at that time, but they said they are not ready yet, so I'll just have to wait until the cards will be released. And when will that be? the long wait will be over soon because CBE's energy flash cards will be available for downloads next month. It will be available for free so no need to pay any amount to use the cards. Educators just have to visit CBE's official website. If you want to be a member of CBE like me, let's go visit the website also.

   I hope CBE will release more flash cards and continue providing assistance to educators. Knowing CBE's existence made me more hopeful about the future of our country.

Thank you for reading this post. I'm sorry I haven't posted anything for a long time (the perks of being a teacher) haha.

love lots,
Tin

     Last Saturday, Cebu had its second literary festival held at Ayala Center Cebu. I witnessed the first literary festival, but I wasn't able to blog about it. I learn so many things last year from the free interviews and workshops where award-winning Filipino writers shared their views and knowledge about writing.
   I thought I would never experience such a wholesome experience again, until I saw an update in Facebook that LitFest will be held again this year. I was more than happy and I just can't wait for it.
The day finally arrived and here are some of the shots I took from the event:
     Carlos Celdran came to talk about his art. He shared to us his narratives about Imelda and the Intramuros. I actually felt like I'm in a Philippine history class just because Mr.Celdran shared so many historical facts about our country. I never learn some of them before.
    He shared to us a seal which is also used by San Miguel. I totally forgot the others that used the seal, so if you recognize the one in the photo, enlighten me in the comment section below. hehe
    He also spent some time to be interviewed where Cebuanos are free to ask him almost about everything. There was even someone who did asked him about his thoughts with the presidential bet Mayor Duterte of Davao, and we have the same thoughts.
Goodies like these amazing jars and cute cards from Happy Garaje were displayed near the activity area.
Must have books written by talented Cebuano writers were also displayed. If only I had enough money to buy them all! hahaha
Badges showing Litfest's official logo were also sold. I should have bought one for myself but then I thought about economics so I just saved my money.
    The day was jam packed with everything literary.There were actually a number of events scheduled, but I was only able to witness two-the narratives of Carlos Celdran and the book launch interview between the legendary Resil Mojares and Jessica Zafra.

     I wasn't able to witness so many events that day because I had more important appointments. Nevertheless, attending Cebu's second LitFest was very rewarding for me. I hope the second time won't be the last time. And hopefully, I wont be too busy for LitFest 2016. I am looking forward to learn more about life and literature.