Mayweather-Pacquiao: Was it worth the wait?

DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE FIGHT’S RESULT

The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight took five years to be finalised. It had all the hype, all the commercials, all the intrigues that got serious and casual boxing fans salivating for the prospect of watching the ‘fight of the century’. Bets were made and tickets were bought. But was it worth it?

No one was knocked out. Manny was aggressive but Floyd dodged his punches. Manny knew that the only way he could beat Floyd was to attack with all guns blazing, while Floyd knew that he needed to be on the defensive althoughout.

It was a great match from a tactical perspective. But I felt like it did not live up to the hype. I felt that fans, who paid as much as £250,000 to see it live, were expecting to see a one-sided match in favour of the fighter they were supporting. Instead, they watched a match where not a lot of punches landed and what’s worse was the fact that it ended with neither boxer being knocked out.

Did the best fighter win? Yes, if you believe the stats:

But not if you’re Manny Pacquiao or his legion of fans:

In the end, there’s only one winner:

Until the re-match, right? Both fighters, their promoters, TV channels and their sponsors have made a fortune from this fight alone so why not get them to fight again?

But I still feel that the real losers today were the fans who paid so much money to watch this match. I wonder if they’d make the same decision on the next fight.

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High Rates of Autism found in Children of Mothers born in the Philippines, Vietnam, Central and South America

A recent research conducted by Becerra et al. (2014) has found that children whose mothers were born in the Philippines, Vietnam, South and Central America, and Africa were more likely to be diagnosed with Autism compared to the children of US-born mothers. The research revealed that 7,540 children who were born in Los Angeles County between 1995-2005 were diagnosed with Autism. Compared with children of US-born mothers, the risk being diagnosed with Autism is 76% higher in children of African-born mothers, 43% higher in children of Vietnamese mothers, 26% higher in children of Cntral and South America, and 25% higher in children of Filipono mothers. The researchers have also found increased risks of mental retardation coupled with Autism in the children of foreign-born mothers.

Becerra et al. (2014) suggested that there could be a number of factors that could cause the trend that has been found including highly stressful experiences by the mothers, exposure to viruses, trauma or violence. However, they acknowledged that more research should be done in order to investigate different factors that could affect immigration, and identification and diagnosis of Autism.

The best teachers may not be millionaires but they get the best rewards

Why do people teach? It cannot be because the money as teachers across the world, particularly in developing countries, do not get the highest salaries. Why do they stay in the profession, especially when the kids they teach are unruly? Why, why, why?

Most teachers teach because of the challenge they face day in, day out. They don’t see naughty, dumb kids. They see potential. They see young people who need their help to succeed in life. They see rooms full of future lawyers, doctors, athletes, artists and academics. Everyday, they see opportunities to help make this world a better place. They reap their rewards when they see these children blossom and become well-rounded people.

In the video below, teacher Sabsy Ongkiko discusses the struggles and triumphs she had experienced through her journey from attending a high-profile university to teaching in a very low-paying public school in the Philippines. Since she graduated from a high-ranking university, her parents expected her to get a well paid job after university. Since public elementary and high schools in the Philippines are known (unfortunately) as the last resort schools for poor people, which produces graduates with very little chance of succeeding, Sabsy was criticised for her decision to teach in one. Her father, an economist, has often asked her what the return of investment will be, since he paid a lot of money for her education?

Nevertheless, she carried on. She challenged the negative stereotypes surrounding public schools, their teachers and students. As with every other teacher, she saw potential and hope in the eyes of her students. She has helped a lot of her students reach their potentials. She is one of those teachers who genuinely believes in her students’ abilities. And as for the return in her investment of working in a low-paying public school, she constantly refers to the success of her students as the best return of any investments.

She is a true inspiration!