Recent football events involving John Terry and Luis Suarez (separate incidents) have caused a major stir in  football. John Terry was caught on camera shouting racially abusive words towards Anton Ferdinand:

People can easily make out what Terry shouted towards Ferdinand. This incident caused John Terry to be stripped off the England captaincy, and is still being investigated. In a separate incident, Patrice Evra of Manchester United claimed he was also racially abused by Liverpool’s Luis Suarez in their match last year. This resulted in an 8-match suspension for Luis Suarez. However, in Liverpool and United’s match a few weeks ago, Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand during the start of the game, causing the issue to remain unsettled:

Also recently, Chris Brown was slammed after winning a Grammy for the Best R&B Album (F.A.M.E.) and being nominated for both Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, on top of being allowed to perform in the said awards show. People’s anger stems from Brown’s domestic abuse case against Rihanna which occured only a few years ago (disturbing details from official court documents available here).

These incidents highlights the responsibilities of these famous people. They must realize that day in, day out, they are in the public’s eyes. People search for their videos, pictures and the latest news about them. Every action should be calculated and precise because people of all ages from all over the world, thanks to the internet and the media, can know what they are up to. Whether they like it or not, they are role models. I am not saying that we all do everything that these celebrities and sports people do. However, I cannot deny the influence they have towards our choices. Otherwise, why put them in commercials? Terry and Suarez represents not only their teams’ ethos and pride, but also the whole of football. Similarly, Chris Brown represents hiphop and is a part of the whole music business.

What they’ve done is terrible and shouldn’t be done ever again. But I do believe that all of them deserve a second chance. There is no doubt that I am angry with each of them. No one should ever be allowed to beat up another human being, let alone your romantic partner. Nobody should get away with racially abusing someone else, regardless of whether the whole world is watching or not. But we all make mistakes, small or big. Yes, Terry, Suarez and Brown should know that they shouldn’t have done what they have but the damage has been done. I just wish that they have learned from their experiences.

People will always remember what these three have done to tarnish their reputation. It is up to them whether or not they want to win their fans (and the whole world) back and how they will do it. It is also up to us to give them a second chance. People should remember that we have a choice of whether or not we continue watching Terry and Suarez’s games, Brown’s concerts and whether or not we continue buying Brown’s records. I just hope that other celebrities and sports personalities learn from these mistakes.

Anyone who is familiar with the show ‘Big Bang Theory’ will know that all of the characteristics mentioned above describe Dr. Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons (pictured). In the show, Sheldon is a top physicist who works in a university and hangs out with his friends Leonard (who is also his roommate), Raj and Howard. Being a physicist is an ideal job for people with AS due to the literality of the subject (as supposed to social sciences). Most of Physics are underpinned by mathematical equations which are perfect for AS-affected individuals, as supposed to, say Sociology or Psychology which are founded on researching human-beings in ways that Sheldon will find repulsive.

Sheldon also do not understand sarcasm (see video below). To be able to get sarcasm requires abstract thinking, knowledge of varying tones of voice and a firm grasp of the social situation one person is in. Sheldon do not possess any of these- Leonard actually ended up putting a ‘sarcasm sign’ for him to understand. As seen in the video clip below, Sheldon struggles to understand the consequences of his actions and also Penny’s and Leonard’s emotions.

Also, he is incapable of ‘faking’ his emotions in order to avoid hurting other people’s feelings. In the video below, Sheldon does not agree that Raj is getting featured in Time Magazine’s 30 under 30 issue. As a result, he insulted Raj. His friends then decided to invite Raj to dinner. Notice how Sheldon asks how he can fake his happiness. Children who have AS are often given social stories which teaches them how to behave appropriately in different social situations.

Sheldon also voices his dislike in a change in his routines. The first video below shows Sheldon explaining why he sits in a specific spot in the couch and what difference it made when he tried to sit on a different space. In the second video, the group decided to eat Thai food instead of pizza, which Sheldon is used to. He explained how he likes consistency and in order to accept ‘anything can happen thursday’, he persuades the others to go to the comic book store. Getting others to agree to what they want is a common tactic employed by people with AS.

Although there was no mention that Sheldon was diagnosed with Aspergers’ Syndrome and even Sheldon reasoned that ‘his mother had him tested’, all signs point to AS. We should note however, that even though Sheldon may have AS, he is managing to live significantly comfortably. He has picked a profession that suits his condition and most importantly, allows him to excel. He has surrounded himself with people who not only tolerates him, but teaches him how to behave in particularly difficult situations. His friends mostly agrees to what he likes, and even though they usually find being with him a challenge, they still see the positive side of him.

I believe that Sheldon’s situation in the Big Bang Theory shows us a good example of living with and being around people with Asperger’s Syndrome. It shows both the fun side and the difficult side of being with individuals with AS. Granted, not every episode shows the gang’s good side in terms of dealing with Sheldon, but never the less, it shows that people with AS can be brilliant and at the same time, a good friend to be with. Whether they purposely did it or not, I think the makers of the show is doing a good job.

For more info on Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and other ASDs, visit www.autism.org.uk

This is the model bee that one of our colleagues made for us and the kids to copy:

Looking at the picture below, we aimed to explain pollination through the use of visual aids. The flowers of the left contained little soft balls that represented the pollens. The bee takes them to a different flower for pollination or to its beehive (which is where the bee is sitting):

These are my colleagues in action:

Look at all the people having fun:

There were also some other exhibitions and activities during the day. Here are the pictures of some of the insects on display:

But I guess the best part of the Big Saturday is the maggot painting. Maggots were placed into trays with paper and paint and were guided by the one painting either by brush or by torching them. (Any reader who can explain this better please comment, as I have only caught a glimpse of this).

These are the maggots:

And here are some of the paintings. Can you see the maggots?

For more info about Manchester Museum’s upcoming events, visit: http://events.manchester.ac.uk/calendar/tag:manchester_museum/

Mr. Big’s Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy. Introduced to me by one of my best friends, Mr Big features Paul Gilbert- one of the best alternate-pickers of all time. This song took me a month to learn and 3 months to perfect.

Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Randy Rhodes’ Crazy Train. This song has the groove that makes me wanna pick up my guitar everytime I hear it. The solo’s easy to learn but involves leggatos and tapping techniques that I believe every guitarist should have in their arsenal:

Guns n Roses’ Paradise City. No, it’s not Sweet Child o’ Mine. This song’s solos are far more complicated (for me) than Sweet Child’s and far more harder to learn and play- I still don’t know how to play this song in full.

Pantera’s Walk. I don’t need to explain why I like this song and it’s solo. If you’re a guitarist, you SHOULD know how to play this note for note. This is one of those solos that you don’t change when you play it live.

Avenged Sevefold’s Afterife. Yes, A7X lost it’s appeal when they went mainstream, but this song’s riff and solo is just out of this world. Learn to play this really really slow in order to play it up-tempo:

Derek Trucks’ I Wish I Knew. Honestly, I can’t pick a single song that will represent the genius of Derek Trucks. Just watch and learn:

Poison’s (Ritchie Konzen) Until You Suffer Some (Fire and Ice). I know the songs cheesy. But everytime I hear the solo, I always wish that I was the one who wrote it!

Al Di Meola’s Mediterranean Sundance. I know this is not your typical song and it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but watch him! I am too scared to try to play like him!

Gary Moore’s Still Got The Blues. Slow, easy listening song with a mean, mean solo!

B.B King’s The Thrill is Gone. This man plays fewer note than most guitarists, but the notes that he plays are the right ones. I never knew what the BLUES is until I’ve seen this man live:

Lastly, my favourite solo of them all is John Mayer’s Slow Dancin’ in a Burning Room. I honestly don’t know why I love this solo so much. Everytime I hear/play it, I discover something new. I would never get tired of this song:

Every afternoon I take the tram from work to my house. This afternoon, the second tram was more than a half hour late. People were huffing and puffing at the platform complaining to each other about how tired they were and how terrible this occurance was. But yet, they waited. Our faces lit up everytime we hear the sound of a new tram coming our way. Collectively, we sighed after finding out that those trams were not what we wanted.

Some decided to take an alternative transport, while some including myself waited. This got me thinking about life.

We all have dreams and aspirations. We want to get somewhere and most of the time like me and my fellow passengers at that stop, we all have an idea how to get to where we’re going. Much like passenger who’s going to the city centre to pass some time who might decide to go back home if the tram’s cancelled or delayed, people who are uncertain about what they want may abandon a goal after a hurdle.

But what happens if we need to get home and the trams are not running? We find a way to get home, right? We take a bus, a taxi or even walk for miles just to get home. Sometimes we wait a few hours or days. Why? It’s not that we have no choice, it’s because we really want to go home.

The next time you set yourself a goal, ask yourself these: do I really want this? Am I prepared to do whatever it takes and labour how ever long it takes to get there?

Remember, when we are trying to go home, we never ask ourselves whether we can walk 15 or 20 miles. We just do it. So when you set yourself a goal, always think that you’ll achieve it, as long as you really want it!!!

Having 3 Ibanez guitars so far back then, I already know how good the quality of their guitars are. Particularly how the neck feels when playing. So I went back to the music stores and tried one. Whilst noodling around, the shopkeeper said that if I bought the particular one that I’m playing right then and there, they’ll give me a 10% discount and a free case. So I did.

Here she is:

I didn’t have to change anything on the guitar apart from the strings- i like 12s on the 6th and 5th, and 10s on the others.

The playability is exactly what you expect with an Ibanez guitar. I feel like I’m playing a super-strat up until the 20th fret-which is pretty good for me. I am able to play fast-picking runs and emotive bends very very easily.

The sound is really good as well. As mentioned, I haven’t changed anything so the pick-ups are still stock. I am planning on replacing them with Seymour Duncan Jazz and JB soon, but don’t get me wrong, the stock pick-ups work really, really well. I play this guitar through a Vox Valvetronix amp set in the AC30 output, without any effects in between. That set-up responds very well with picking dynamics, resonating every note played. With the right amount of overdrive, feedback is not an issue.

The guitar is so versatile, it allows me to play songs from BB King’s catalogue upto AC/DC!

If any of you are thinking of getting a semi-hollow guitar, I suggest you seriously consider the Ibanez AS73 before buying anything else!

A few weeks later, my partner celebrated her birthday again, with friends and family…

In April, me and my friends played a benefit gig for the people suffering Aplastic Anemia, which sadly was the cause of why one of our friends is no longer with us.

The gig was a success as it raised quite a bit of money and the people seemed to have had a good time.

We also said goodbye to two of our friends who moved to Den Haag. These guys warmed our hearts with their generosity, whilst inspiring us at the same time with their continuing success in their lives.

Dr. North is a magician on the grill

One of the prettiest moms-to-be I’ve seen:

I visited Pistyll Rhaeadr falls in North Wales during the spring. This place was breath-taking. I didn’t realise that there is such a lovely view in Wales!

A milestone has been reached by my partner in 2011. After 3 years of hard work and dedication, she graduated with flying colours!

I then went back home to the Philippines for a while with my partner. One of the first things we did was watch basketball- courtside! This game between UST and Ateneo was a really good one.

We visited Singapore, the tidiest and one of the most friendly cities I have ever visited…

Look at this for food choices:

And of course, we shopped at Bugis Street:

We then went to Boracay, Philippines, the greatest, most beautiful and relaxing beach I have ever been into…

When we got back to the UK, we moved to Manchester in preparation for the start of my Master’s Degree. Manchester is amazing. The city feels so alive and vibrant. I love how multi-cultural the city is. I also like how the buildings look.

This is a bonus: Old Trafford Stadium, the home of Manchester United Football Club:

Made new friends in uni…

Friends visited me for my birthday…

Remember our friends who moved to Den Haag? We visited them just before Christmas, and look, they have a baby! Thanks again for letting us stay at your place…

We then visited Amsterdam. Most of the pictures we took may offend people so, these are the only ones I will show you…

PS. Thanks, honey for the birthday gift!

My girlfriend and I spent Christmas at our place with our families. Our parents ended up cooking everything and doing everything for us, which was great! Family times are the best times!

Lastly, we had a meal at Wagamama on New Year’s Eve. We decided against cooking and staying in because that’s what we have always done for the past few years.

All in all, 2011 was a fantastic year for me. This is the reason why I do not have a New Year’s resolution this year. I think all I have to do is carry on what I have done. Here’s to another year of awesomeness!!!

But what does fairness really mean? Most of the people that I’ve asked this question to define the word ‘fair’ as “everyone having or being given the same thing/explerience”. I understand that we all should be entitled to clean drinking water, equal access to food and shelter (even though this is not the case) and the right to live.

However, I question this definition since not all of us would benefit in having exactly the same thing. For instance, is it fair to prescribe a person with myopia (near-sightedness) a pair of glasses that is suited for those with hyperopia (far-sightedness)? Equally, is it fair to give people with diabetes a large milk-chocolate candy bar simply because everyone around them is having the same thing?

I therefore define the word ‘Fair’ as “everyone having what is best for them”. I understand that this poses the problem of power-relations, i.e. who decides what is best for someone? And in the same token, what makes that person qualified to decide what others deserve? Should the majority decide? Shall we let science decide? 

I’ll stick to my definition while I search for the answers

During the beginning of the week, I was able to focus on my job and listen in lectures with ease. However, as the week progressed, my energy levels and attention span marginally decrease. I found it impossible to focus on any of what my lecturers were saying on thursday night and even though I tried to read, nothing was going in.

Friday night came and I prepared myself for a weekend of reading and writing, and even set my sights on writing a good 1,000 words for my essay. However, as my physical and mental energy were on its limits, I ended up not doing anything on friday night. I slept horribly and woke up early on saturday. I struggled to get going on my reading, which led me to feel irritated and extremely anxious. These caused a state of near paralysis and panic in my part, with dreadful thoughts spinning in my head.

I was advised by my very considerate partner to stop trying to work and just rest until the next day. She told me to think of happy thoughts and aim to get my mind relaxed. It worked like magic! Last night I slept soundly, I woke up today with a smile in my face. I mangaged to read 30 articles and I have made notes of good quality. Even though I did not manage to reach my target of writing 1,000 words, I feel really pleased and contented.

I guess this whole week has taught me the power of rest, positive thoughts and the importace of having a healthy relationship. I now believe that i would not acheive ‘flow’ (Csikszentmihalyi, 1992) if I am not well rested. It makes sense thinking about it. If my body and mind is not ‘re-charged’, I would not get optimum performance out of them.

On the second day we met up with my partner’s bestfriend, her husband and their baby, along with a very-much-in-love gay couple. This said couple has been together since they were in their teens. While we were all in Starbucks having coffee and chatting, I started observing how these two men interact with one another. I have to admit that besides my curiousity as psychology student, I am curious because I have a narrow mind when it comes to relationships. From all the stories that I’ve read and heard, and the movies that I’ve seen, the most common form of relationship is a heterosexual one. Readers should note that I am not against homosexual relationships- it’s just that I haven’t observed one before.

Let me put things into perspective. I grew up in a country and in the time where homosexuality was seen in a negative light. Although not every homosexuals hide who they really are, they are sometimes made fun of, called the ‘third sex’, some see them as disgusting and should be avoided, and quite a few fathers either disown their gay sons or try to convert them.
As we converse, I noticed how sweet these two men were to each other. They call each other with terms of endearment, they sit together, they make jokes, laugh at their own jokes, and everytime they tell stories, their other half is always included. I have to say that they are a lot more sweeter and more loving than most couples I know. To think that they have been together for 16 years, I have to acknowledge that they have been through a lot of adversities.

It’s rather enlightening to observe these two. They throw every stereotype out of the window. For me, they are a living proof that love comes in many ways. It doesn’t matter who you love, as long as you’re happy.