Kahulugan ng sumasalungat, iminungkahi, pag-aalsa, burak, kubyerta

Sumasalungat  - Kabaliktaran o pabalik (hal. sumasalungat sa agos ng ilog.)

Iminungkahi - Magbigay ng mungkahi  o suhesyon

Pag-aalsa – paglaban o pagtutol sa patakarang ipinatutupad.  Paghingi ng mga pagbabago.  Rebelyon

Burak – Putik

Kubyerta – Takip sa ibabaw ng Bangka.  Palapag ng barko

The Country’s Good Son

The Country’s Good Son

By Minn New Thein

                Lin Aung’s mother had a shop in the Mingaladon market, where she sold slippers.  Lin Aung helped his mother in the shop during his school holidays.  As the Mingaladon market was an army market, soldiers could be seen shopping there daily.  It was more crowded on Sundays.   Many soldiers could be seen moving about busily.

                It was Sunday, and Lin Aung was sitting in front of the shop; “Younger Brother, do you have real ‘Sin-ky’ No. 9?” A young man, wearing trousers, entered and asked him. Quickly Lin Aung took a pair of ‘Sinkye’ No. 9 slippers and showed them. “How much are these slippers, Young Brother?” Twenty-one Kyats, Elder Brother.” “Can I take only the right side slipper and pay you ten Kyats and fifty pyas?”

                The young man’s question made Lin Aung’s eyes become wide.  If he sold only the right side. How could he sell the left side? And why did he want only one slipper? “You can’t do that.  If I sell only the right side, the only left in the shop will become useless.  “Yes, but I want only the right side.  But wait, I’ll go and look for a partner” Lin Aung was left behind, looking at the back of the young man, who walked away, limping.

                Soon, the young man came back. He had another young man with him.  The first young man asked Ling Aung for the slipper and gave the left side slipper to the young man who had come with him.   He lifted the leg of his trouser and put on the slipper.  Then he nodded with satisfaction.

                Only then did Lin Aung understand.  They were buying and sharing one pair of slippers.  The first young man had a false left leg, and second young man had a false right leg.  So everything was all right because there was one who wanted only the right side and another who wanted only the left side.

                Lin Aung was sorry to see the condition of the two young men.  They were quite young, and they each had a leg missing.  “Don’t you feel sad that you have only one leg?” Lin Aung as inquisitive and asked them. “Why should we be sad?” the first young man smiled.  “We are soldiers who offered even our own lives for our country.   We are proud to lose a leg in protecting our country.

                When Lin Aung heard the first young man’s answer, he respected them.  They were very different from the young drug addicts about whom he had often read in the newspapers.   They were wasting their lives and killing themselves.

                These young men were the country’s good sons who were protecting the country from its enemies.  Their aims and intentions were as different from those of the addicts as east from west, north from south.  Although these young men had one leg missing, they still wanted to serve their country.  The two young soldiers told Lin Aung that they planned to work in the disabled soldiers’ cooperative shop.

                “I respect you and honor you.  You good sons of the country are the jewels of our country.  When I grown up, I will try to be a good son of the country like you.”

                The two young soldiers smiled to hear Lin Aung’s words.   “We admire your intention.   Our country’s future will really be bright if there were more young people in our country with the same aim and intention as yours.  All right, we well go now.”

                The two young soldiers said goodbye to Lin Aung and went away.  Lin Aung was filled with the desire to become a good son of the country. 

Pagiging Makatao

Mga Katangian ng Pilipino na Makatao

Maraming katangian ang mga Pilipino na dapat ipagmalaki. Ang mga sumusunod ay deskripsyon kung paano at kailan nila ipinakikita ang mga katangian na ito:

Pagtitiwala sa Panginoon

Isang magandang katangian ng mga Pilipino ang pagtitiwala sa Panginoon. Karamihan sa kanilang mga mag-anak ay matapat sa pananampalataya. Naniniwala silang may isang Panginoong pumapatnubay sa lahat ng kanilang gawain. Batid din nilang tumutulong Siya sa mga taong tumutulong sa kanilang sarili.

 Pagiging Magalang

 Isang magandang pag-uugali ng mga Pilipino ang paghalik sa kamay o pisngi at pagmamano sa matatanda. Isang paraan ito ng paggalang. Karaniwang ginagawa ito ng mga bata matapos magdasal ng orasyon, pagkagaling sa simbahan, bago umalis ng bahay, kapag may dumadating o bumisitang kamag-anak o matanda, at kapag nakita at nasalubong nila ang kanilang ninong at ninang.

Ipinakikita rin ang paggalang ng mga batang Pilipino tuwing nakikipag-usap sila sa matanda.  Gumagamit sila ng po at opo at magalang na pananalita at pagbati gaya ng "Salamat po" at "Magandang hapon po." Gumagamit din sila ng magagalang na pantawag sa matatanda gaya ng kuya, ate, manong, manang, lolo, lola at iba pa.

 Pagtutulungan

 Nagsisimula ang pagtutulungan sa sariling tahanan. Nagtutulung-tulong ang mga kasapi ng mag-anak sa mga gawain dito. nagtutulungan din ang baway isa sa magkakapitbahay upang maisaayos at mapaunlad ang kanilang pamayanan. Iyan ay likas na katangian ng isang Pilipino.

Ang karaniwang tawagan sa pagtutulungang ito ay bayanihan. Tumatawag ang magkakapit-bahay ng bayanihan kapag may malaking gawain isasagawa sa maikling panahon. Nagtutulungan ang bawa't isa upang maging magaan ang isang mahirap na gawain. Kalimitang ginagawa ito tuwing panahon ng pagtatanim at pag-aani at sa paglilipat ng isang bahay sa ibang lugar.

 Mabuting Pagtanggap at Pakikitungo

Kilala ang mga Pilipino sa mabuti at magiliw na pagtanggap. ibig nilang masiyahan at maging maginhawa ang kanilang mga panauhin. nagsisilbi sila ng pinakamasarap na pagkaing kanilang makakaya at naghahanda ng maayos na tulugan para sa mga bisita. Nagbibigay pa sila kung minsan ng mga regalo kapag paalis na ang kanilang mga panauhin.

 Pagsama-sama ng Pamilya

Karamihan sa mga mag-anak na Pilipino ay may maganda at malapit na pagsasama-sama. Nagtutulungan ang bawat kasapi sa pagsasagawa ng mga gawaing-bahay. Madalas dumadalaw sa magulang ang nag-asawang anak kapag ito'y naninirahan sa ibang lugar. Nagsasama-sama pa ang mag-anak tuwing may "family reunion" kung Pasko at iba pang pagdiriwang o okasyon. Iyan ang nagpapakita kung paano nagkakaisa ang mga mag-anak na Pilipino.

Inaalagaan at minamahal ng bawat miyembro ng mag-anak ang matandang kasapi nito. Tungkulin ng bawat Pilipino na magsilbi sa kanyang matatandang magulang, mga lolo't lola, at kamag-anak hanggang sila'y nabubuhay. Iyan ang paraan ng pagpapakita ng magandang pagtingin sa matatanda.