Thursday, June 18, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
ART NOT JUST FOR ART'S SAKE
Sana nailunsad ang Magna Kultura Foundation bago pa man ako nakaalis ng Pilipinas, dahil masaya makiisa sa kanilang mga proyektong may pagkalahatang mithiin na itaguyod ang sining at kultura ng ating bayan. Hindi ko alam kung sino ang nag-imbita sa akin sa kanilang grupo dito sa Multiply, ngunit maraming salamat sa pagpaparating sa akin ng mga adhikain ng Magna Kultura. Ito na ata ang matagal ko ng hinahanap.
Ang ating sining at kultura ay ilan sa mga nalalabi nating kayamanan. Sa panahon ngayon na halos lahat ng Pilipino ay nawawalan na ng pag-asa sa pag-unlad sa iba't ibang aspekto ng buhay- ang ating natatanging sining at kultura ay nariyan lamang- mayroon pa tayong kayamanan! At kung ang kayamanang ito ay magagamit nang maigi at hindi aabusuhin, hindi malayong umunlad tayo, kahit paunti-unti lamang. Marahil sasabihin ng ilan, "Paano ka makakagawa ng malikhaing obra, kung walang laman ang iyong tiyan?" O di kaya naman ay, "Mas gugustuhin ba ng masang Pilipino manood ng isang dula kaysa sa Wowowee?" Ito ang mga katanungang nais tugunan ng Magna Kultura- ayon sa aking pagkakaintindi.
Nais ko sanang maging bahagi nito at ang pagpaparating sa inyo ng kanilang mga proyekto ay ang aking paraan upang makiisa.
Para sa mga naniniwalang may pag-asa pa tayong mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng ating sining at kultura, bisitahin niyo ito:
http://asiancenter.multiply.com/journal/item/103/TAKING_ARTS_AT_THE_GRASSROOTS_OF_SOCIETY_._._._THE_ART_OF_THE_START.
Ang ating sining at kultura ay ilan sa mga nalalabi nating kayamanan. Sa panahon ngayon na halos lahat ng Pilipino ay nawawalan na ng pag-asa sa pag-unlad sa iba't ibang aspekto ng buhay- ang ating natatanging sining at kultura ay nariyan lamang- mayroon pa tayong kayamanan! At kung ang kayamanang ito ay magagamit nang maigi at hindi aabusuhin, hindi malayong umunlad tayo, kahit paunti-unti lamang. Marahil sasabihin ng ilan, "Paano ka makakagawa ng malikhaing obra, kung walang laman ang iyong tiyan?" O di kaya naman ay, "Mas gugustuhin ba ng masang Pilipino manood ng isang dula kaysa sa Wowowee?" Ito ang mga katanungang nais tugunan ng Magna Kultura- ayon sa aking pagkakaintindi.
Nais ko sanang maging bahagi nito at ang pagpaparating sa inyo ng kanilang mga proyekto ay ang aking paraan upang makiisa.
Para sa mga naniniwalang may pag-asa pa tayong mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng ating sining at kultura, bisitahin niyo ito:
http://asiancenter.multiply.com/journal/item/103/TAKING_ARTS_AT_THE_GRASSROOTS_OF_SOCIETY_._._._THE_ART_OF_THE_START.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
BA-BE-BI-BO-BU
Months before I left the Philippines, I had the honor of teaching Mother Goose’s kids. It was somehow difficult to wake up at 6 AM to teach the kids who come to the house for what I call the Sunday school. Yes, you read that right- classes at 6 AM and on a Sunday. A real bummer one might consider. But the fact that the kids came knocking at our gate at exactly 6 AM and sometimes even earlier, encouraged me to become the professional instructor I claimed to be. The eagerness that they had was more than enough to stir or should I say, shove someone out of bed. The kids’ Saturdays were booked for their Catechism classes, while Sundays were for the review of the lessons they had in school. Hah! Someday, if time and resources would permit, I think Mother Goose would build a Catholic school for financially disadvantaged children. I was not ready to teach them about the Catholic faith and I don’t think I will be eligible to do so. It’s good that Mother Goose found a dedicated catechist. I believe you need to have a good training for that, and so I volunteered to tutor them instead on what I think I can handle- grade school lessons.
Some sessions were smooth-sailing and some were rough. From our sessions, it seemed that the main roadblock they had in fully understanding the concepts was the level of reading skill they had. I dealt with Grade 6 students who were still having trouble comprehending simple statements and explaining what those statements meant. Okay, maybe 6 AM was just not the most conducive time for some reading comprehension, but if that situation persisted throughout the day, that was really bothersome. This thought might bore the hell out of you or make the nerd ones rejoice, but I think it’s important that children be taught to read early and to communicate to others what they had read.
My interest in reading developed because of the various comics I grew up with. In effect, I also became a visual learner. One may question, “What kind of proper education would you get from comics?”. Others even consider them rubbish. Or Mark Twain may argue, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.” Well, I am not saying that comics are the best materials for developing reading skills, but they definitely can serve as catalysts towards that end.
During my elementary years, Mother Goose used to bring home about 20 Filipino comics once a month- Horoscope, Love Story, Kenkoy, Hiwaga, Aliwan, Wakasan… those were some household names I remember in the Filipino comics industry. I remember myself, looking forward to reading those comics. I remember myself trying to finish all of them in just one night. I remember my fingers filled with black smudges from turning the pages (they came in newsprint those days). Most of the time, I was out of the house because Papirus and I were nangangapit-bahay. Apart from the computer games and toy blocks that I enjoyed playing at our neighbors' house, I found another joy- Happy comics. For those of you who remember this, this comics is about couples who fight over a third party in their relationship but they get back together in the end. Of course there were sensual themes, and those were never censored from me…haha. Every first Friday of the month, I looked forward to another set of comics- Funny and Bata Batuta and …where you would find Tomas at Kulas (the Filipino version of Tom and Jerry), Combatron, Eklok, the Planet of the Eyps, Mr. and Mrs…so these were the kiddie version. My yaya and I would pass by a newspaper/comics stand on our way home. Now I wonder where have all those comics gone? My English learning was a part due to Archie/Jughead/Betty and Veronica comics- I believe I have a wide collection of those comics, and for some reason I don’t know where most of them are right now. I remember one summer, because I just had to much of them, Mother Goose thought of renting them out to her office mates, and yeah I made quite a sum of money from those comics. But those comics just got too expensive. So there, my education was made more interesting by comics, and yes I pay tribute to them, by reading, guess what- the comics section of the newspaper! Haha. Currently, my addiction is Calvin and Hobbes.
In my previous entry, The Journal Club, I've realized the importance of reading and comprehension. I thought of making something relevant out of my current profession (science background) and my addiction to comics. I remember Eenai, who was taking Psychology at that time as she was amused by the children’s books made by Filipinos. To make the books amusing, they appeared in full color and stories were really interesting. Well I thought of making science books for kids, but I wanted to make it comics style. I know it had been done so many times, but not that marketable. That’s one of the things on my list. Hopefully, I would have the right contacts, like illustrators and smart story-makers who are willing to cooperate with me in this endeavor and not expect a pay at least for a couple of years. Because the goal is to distribute these for free to kids in public schools, just like the kids Mother Goose have. I believe we still have hope.
Some sessions were smooth-sailing and some were rough. From our sessions, it seemed that the main roadblock they had in fully understanding the concepts was the level of reading skill they had. I dealt with Grade 6 students who were still having trouble comprehending simple statements and explaining what those statements meant. Okay, maybe 6 AM was just not the most conducive time for some reading comprehension, but if that situation persisted throughout the day, that was really bothersome. This thought might bore the hell out of you or make the nerd ones rejoice, but I think it’s important that children be taught to read early and to communicate to others what they had read.
My interest in reading developed because of the various comics I grew up with. In effect, I also became a visual learner. One may question, “What kind of proper education would you get from comics?”. Others even consider them rubbish. Or Mark Twain may argue, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.” Well, I am not saying that comics are the best materials for developing reading skills, but they definitely can serve as catalysts towards that end.
During my elementary years, Mother Goose used to bring home about 20 Filipino comics once a month- Horoscope, Love Story, Kenkoy, Hiwaga, Aliwan, Wakasan… those were some household names I remember in the Filipino comics industry. I remember myself, looking forward to reading those comics. I remember myself trying to finish all of them in just one night. I remember my fingers filled with black smudges from turning the pages (they came in newsprint those days). Most of the time, I was out of the house because Papirus and I were nangangapit-bahay. Apart from the computer games and toy blocks that I enjoyed playing at our neighbors' house, I found another joy- Happy comics. For those of you who remember this, this comics is about couples who fight over a third party in their relationship but they get back together in the end. Of course there were sensual themes, and those were never censored from me…haha. Every first Friday of the month, I looked forward to another set of comics- Funny and Bata Batuta and …where you would find Tomas at Kulas (the Filipino version of Tom and Jerry), Combatron, Eklok, the Planet of the Eyps, Mr. and Mrs…so these were the kiddie version. My yaya and I would pass by a newspaper/comics stand on our way home. Now I wonder where have all those comics gone? My English learning was a part due to Archie/Jughead/Betty and Veronica comics- I believe I have a wide collection of those comics, and for some reason I don’t know where most of them are right now. I remember one summer, because I just had to much of them, Mother Goose thought of renting them out to her office mates, and yeah I made quite a sum of money from those comics. But those comics just got too expensive. So there, my education was made more interesting by comics, and yes I pay tribute to them, by reading, guess what- the comics section of the newspaper! Haha. Currently, my addiction is Calvin and Hobbes.
In my previous entry, The Journal Club, I've realized the importance of reading and comprehension. I thought of making something relevant out of my current profession (science background) and my addiction to comics. I remember Eenai, who was taking Psychology at that time as she was amused by the children’s books made by Filipinos. To make the books amusing, they appeared in full color and stories were really interesting. Well I thought of making science books for kids, but I wanted to make it comics style. I know it had been done so many times, but not that marketable. That’s one of the things on my list. Hopefully, I would have the right contacts, like illustrators and smart story-makers who are willing to cooperate with me in this endeavor and not expect a pay at least for a couple of years. Because the goal is to distribute these for free to kids in public schools, just like the kids Mother Goose have. I believe we still have hope.
THE JOURNAL CLUB
At the dinner table, the night before our exam, this was how my conversation with Rockstar went…
K: O, ano yung pinakamagandang article para sa iyo?
R: Ha? (Isip…)
K: Ako, favorite ko yung kay XX at kay YY. Astig kaya yung ginawa nila!
R: Sus, hindi kaya. Simple lang naman yung kanila e. Mas okay yung kanila ZZ at AA.
K&R: Blah, blah, blah…
Ending: Humahalakhak kami. Because we never thought that reading so many journal articles would lead us to the kind of conversation that we had. As if we were talking about our favorite scenes in a movie or the most cherished places we had been too. No worries though, for it was just the first time we had that talk- just to laugh the jitters off before the exam day. Our daily conversations are still perfectly normal and sane, if you will.
I ranted in Facebook some months ago, “Why can’t journal articles be like novels? So that you can say- “Damn, this journal article is so hard to put down?” I didn’t really hate reading them- otherwise I should not be in this academic program I am in right now. The terrible part is when you get swamped by those articles (every lecture meeting that we have requires 2-4 papers for background reading and we have two meetings a week) and you haven’t even finished reading the first paper (because of the technicalities of the author’s experiments; and so you needed to read other reference papers or books to backup your knowledge on the techniques they used). In addition, attention span in reading scientific articles seemed so short. That was why I was looking for some elements of novels or short stories in those papers. But as Piolo said, “By then Ph.D. would just be another book club.” Oh well. It’s a matter of getting used to them. Eventually, it would be easier to see the big picture coming out of the abstract, introduction, methodology, discussion and conclusion.
K: O, ano yung pinakamagandang article para sa iyo?
R: Ha? (Isip…)
K: Ako, favorite ko yung kay XX at kay YY. Astig kaya yung ginawa nila!
R: Sus, hindi kaya. Simple lang naman yung kanila e. Mas okay yung kanila ZZ at AA.
K&R: Blah, blah, blah…
Ending: Humahalakhak kami. Because we never thought that reading so many journal articles would lead us to the kind of conversation that we had. As if we were talking about our favorite scenes in a movie or the most cherished places we had been too. No worries though, for it was just the first time we had that talk- just to laugh the jitters off before the exam day. Our daily conversations are still perfectly normal and sane, if you will.
I ranted in Facebook some months ago, “Why can’t journal articles be like novels? So that you can say- “Damn, this journal article is so hard to put down?” I didn’t really hate reading them- otherwise I should not be in this academic program I am in right now. The terrible part is when you get swamped by those articles (every lecture meeting that we have requires 2-4 papers for background reading and we have two meetings a week) and you haven’t even finished reading the first paper (because of the technicalities of the author’s experiments; and so you needed to read other reference papers or books to backup your knowledge on the techniques they used). In addition, attention span in reading scientific articles seemed so short. That was why I was looking for some elements of novels or short stories in those papers. But as Piolo said, “By then Ph.D. would just be another book club.” Oh well. It’s a matter of getting used to them. Eventually, it would be easier to see the big picture coming out of the abstract, introduction, methodology, discussion and conclusion.
25 THINGS
1. When I was younger, I had a picture of Lea Salonga pinned on the door of my favorite cabinet. The picture was a cut-out from Horoscope comics (see #2). To make things more exciting, I “signed” her name on the picture. And now I am wondering why I did that. It was probably just one of those days that I needed someone to look up to. And now I am wondering again (and scratching my head), why her?
2. I love reading comics. My affair with those reading materials started with Filipino ones- Horoscope, Wakasan, Love Story, Happy, Funny, Bata Batuta. Then, when I learned to read, write and speak in English, I tried Archie comics. Then when I learned to face intellectual and moral issues, I tried Calvin and Hobbes. Oh yes, you can get serious education from comics.
3. I had once been on the headline page of the Today newspaper back in 1995. The front page had my sole photo wearing our beloved Paulinian attire, waving mini-Vatican paper flags. That was taken when Pope John Paul II was about to leave the country. I think we were singing…”Viva, viva, oh viva…” Hahaha! I kept that paper. Sadly, I can’t remember where.
4. When situations suck the life out of me, I clean my toenails. Seeing my toenails clean somehow resurrects me.
5. I initially wanted to become a nun. Then I changed my mind and wanted to become a teacher instead. I guess the idea of being a medical doctor was brought about by some peer and family pressure (at least not by my immediate family). My father would always tell me that he can’t afford to send me to medical school. I didn’t feel bad about that. I wondered, “How come I didn’t feel disappointed?” That’s when I realized that having an “M.D.” appended to my name was not one my greatest dreams. I gave it a thought too because my classmates and relatives encouraged me (and I still thank them for that), but the idea of being in charge of a person’s life somehow scared me. Now, I am working my way to becoming a doctor, but a different one this time.
6. It’s hard for me to sleep without a blanket, even during warm days/nights. It has to cover all parts of my body except my feet. I leave my feet exposed, as I feel suffocated if they are covered as well. Why not just uncover my head? Beats me. I don’t know why. I think I breathe through my feet.
7. People at home think I don’t eat a lot, but I do. I just have this feeling that at home, you share the food in the table, that’s why I am conscious as to how many pieces of chicken or pork chop I should place on my plate.
8. I am orally withdrawn, but uninhibited in writing. For some time, I hated my lack of spontaneity and responsiveness when communicating verbally. I admire those who manage to maintain good and fun conversations with people whom they just met.
9. I used to burp a lot and I burped aloud, at least around people who know me. In one case where I believe I got drunk, but still fully aware of what was happening- they said that I burped for like 60 times. My defense? At least the air came out of my mouth and not from another exit point, where it could have combined with some notorious gases.
10. I can make loud sounds by striking my tongue onto my palate. Back home, I used this sound to call Manong Sidecar instead of the traditional whistle.
11. I wear eyeglasses now. I still can’t stand wearing my prescription glasses so I wear contact lenses.
12. I am a White Flower junkie. White Flower Oil is a Chinese embrocation for aches and pains. It’s my upper for boring lectures/seminars or a counter-scent for unwanted odors. I know sooner or later this addiction would affect a certain body organ. Let’s wait and see.
13. I love tasting non-edible items for scientific pursuit. I’ve tasted acetone. I’ve tasted White Flower (see #12). I’ve tasted isopropyl alcohol. I’ve tasted some water from salt beds- didn’t care where the water came from. I just wanted to verify for myself that they indeed had salty substances.
14. I love toddlers. I believe they are easier to deal with than adults who have so many issues and pretensions.
15. I used to think I had superpowers! When I was younger (as in very young), I had two small skin outgrowths on my left hand which I thought were special and which caused me to have special skills. Why? Because I didn’t see those in other people’s hands! (This kind of thinking is a side effect of #2) They turned out to be warts and I got rid of them by pressing them hard onto my skin.
16. I believe that human nature is essentially good, but at some point challenged by various personal experiences. Translating that to my relationship with people: I always look at the good side of a person, but leave some doubts about his/her personality at the back of my mind. Trusting safely, but not completely.
17. I can’t shop “properly” for myself when I have companions. I always think that I have to make them accomplish their purchases first and help them with those before I buy my own.
18. I am a loser when it comes to keeping track of my finances. If you borrow money from me, it is your responsibility to remember the amount, and it is your responsibility to pay me. Hehe.
19. I have always preferred being on backstage of the show rather than being in the limelight. By show I mean, any life event or situation. At some point I know I have to step up and show myself. But being behind the scene gives me a broader perspective of things and gives me more flexibility. It’s like being the guide on the side than being the sage on the stage.
20. I am an individual born to very generous parents. We are not materially-rich. But my parents emphasized through their actions that people always have something to offer besides money, to uplift other people’s lives.
21. I am a Cinema One fan! The truth is, I appreciate classic Filipino movies. But I hate this story line which most drama flicks had before: The bida was made to believe she was born to a wealthy and good-natured family, only to find out (after her debut: the right and legal age to know about a shocking truth) that she was a lovechild of a poor maid. She then rebels against her foster parents and searches for her true parents. That was actually irritating. It sent out a wrong message. But then, it happened to be the climax of the story. Oh well.
22. I have a knack for coming up with gift items made from scratch (i.e. from artsy bits and pieces I have at home). Hehe. Well nobody complained about them so far. Haha, now that you know, I guess you would no longer invite me to your birthday party. Waah!
23. I am not a competitive person if it’s just about me. This is something related to #19. But if people rely on me, then I tend to be.
24. Because most friends gave me key chains as souvenirs from places they went to, I was compelled to create a key chain collection. So if you happen to stop by anywhere, please send me an interesting one…friend.
25. I still carry a rosary in my pocket. I admit I don’t pray the rosary often, but somehow it has become my security blanket.
2. I love reading comics. My affair with those reading materials started with Filipino ones- Horoscope, Wakasan, Love Story, Happy, Funny, Bata Batuta. Then, when I learned to read, write and speak in English, I tried Archie comics. Then when I learned to face intellectual and moral issues, I tried Calvin and Hobbes. Oh yes, you can get serious education from comics.
3. I had once been on the headline page of the Today newspaper back in 1995. The front page had my sole photo wearing our beloved Paulinian attire, waving mini-Vatican paper flags. That was taken when Pope John Paul II was about to leave the country. I think we were singing…”Viva, viva, oh viva…” Hahaha! I kept that paper. Sadly, I can’t remember where.
4. When situations suck the life out of me, I clean my toenails. Seeing my toenails clean somehow resurrects me.
5. I initially wanted to become a nun. Then I changed my mind and wanted to become a teacher instead. I guess the idea of being a medical doctor was brought about by some peer and family pressure (at least not by my immediate family). My father would always tell me that he can’t afford to send me to medical school. I didn’t feel bad about that. I wondered, “How come I didn’t feel disappointed?” That’s when I realized that having an “M.D.” appended to my name was not one my greatest dreams. I gave it a thought too because my classmates and relatives encouraged me (and I still thank them for that), but the idea of being in charge of a person’s life somehow scared me. Now, I am working my way to becoming a doctor, but a different one this time.
6. It’s hard for me to sleep without a blanket, even during warm days/nights. It has to cover all parts of my body except my feet. I leave my feet exposed, as I feel suffocated if they are covered as well. Why not just uncover my head? Beats me. I don’t know why. I think I breathe through my feet.
7. People at home think I don’t eat a lot, but I do. I just have this feeling that at home, you share the food in the table, that’s why I am conscious as to how many pieces of chicken or pork chop I should place on my plate.
8. I am orally withdrawn, but uninhibited in writing. For some time, I hated my lack of spontaneity and responsiveness when communicating verbally. I admire those who manage to maintain good and fun conversations with people whom they just met.
9. I used to burp a lot and I burped aloud, at least around people who know me. In one case where I believe I got drunk, but still fully aware of what was happening- they said that I burped for like 60 times. My defense? At least the air came out of my mouth and not from another exit point, where it could have combined with some notorious gases.
10. I can make loud sounds by striking my tongue onto my palate. Back home, I used this sound to call Manong Sidecar instead of the traditional whistle.
11. I wear eyeglasses now. I still can’t stand wearing my prescription glasses so I wear contact lenses.
12. I am a White Flower junkie. White Flower Oil is a Chinese embrocation for aches and pains. It’s my upper for boring lectures/seminars or a counter-scent for unwanted odors. I know sooner or later this addiction would affect a certain body organ. Let’s wait and see.
13. I love tasting non-edible items for scientific pursuit. I’ve tasted acetone. I’ve tasted White Flower (see #12). I’ve tasted isopropyl alcohol. I’ve tasted some water from salt beds- didn’t care where the water came from. I just wanted to verify for myself that they indeed had salty substances.
14. I love toddlers. I believe they are easier to deal with than adults who have so many issues and pretensions.
15. I used to think I had superpowers! When I was younger (as in very young), I had two small skin outgrowths on my left hand which I thought were special and which caused me to have special skills. Why? Because I didn’t see those in other people’s hands! (This kind of thinking is a side effect of #2) They turned out to be warts and I got rid of them by pressing them hard onto my skin.
16. I believe that human nature is essentially good, but at some point challenged by various personal experiences. Translating that to my relationship with people: I always look at the good side of a person, but leave some doubts about his/her personality at the back of my mind. Trusting safely, but not completely.
17. I can’t shop “properly” for myself when I have companions. I always think that I have to make them accomplish their purchases first and help them with those before I buy my own.
18. I am a loser when it comes to keeping track of my finances. If you borrow money from me, it is your responsibility to remember the amount, and it is your responsibility to pay me. Hehe.
19. I have always preferred being on backstage of the show rather than being in the limelight. By show I mean, any life event or situation. At some point I know I have to step up and show myself. But being behind the scene gives me a broader perspective of things and gives me more flexibility. It’s like being the guide on the side than being the sage on the stage.
20. I am an individual born to very generous parents. We are not materially-rich. But my parents emphasized through their actions that people always have something to offer besides money, to uplift other people’s lives.
21. I am a Cinema One fan! The truth is, I appreciate classic Filipino movies. But I hate this story line which most drama flicks had before: The bida was made to believe she was born to a wealthy and good-natured family, only to find out (after her debut: the right and legal age to know about a shocking truth) that she was a lovechild of a poor maid. She then rebels against her foster parents and searches for her true parents. That was actually irritating. It sent out a wrong message. But then, it happened to be the climax of the story. Oh well.
22. I have a knack for coming up with gift items made from scratch (i.e. from artsy bits and pieces I have at home). Hehe. Well nobody complained about them so far. Haha, now that you know, I guess you would no longer invite me to your birthday party. Waah!
23. I am not a competitive person if it’s just about me. This is something related to #19. But if people rely on me, then I tend to be.
24. Because most friends gave me key chains as souvenirs from places they went to, I was compelled to create a key chain collection. So if you happen to stop by anywhere, please send me an interesting one…friend.
25. I still carry a rosary in my pocket. I admit I don’t pray the rosary often, but somehow it has become my security blanket.
SPRING CLEANING
The division labor in our apartment goes this way: Rockstar in charge of the weekly laundry and garbage disposal and I'm in charge of the monthly cleaning and weekly dishwashing (definitely not daily...for as long as we still have some dishes and utensils left, we leave the soiled ones pile up- hehe...hey, dishwashing soap can get expensive too...hehe). But March had been a very busy month for us and it was somehow hard to keep up with the regular schedule. And Mother Goose seemed to have a radar, for in her e-mail a week ago, she reminded me to clean the apartment! Hehe...mothers really know best. What do I expect? Back in UP, every time she visited my boarding house, she would often discover my electric fan with missing blades, as they were all covered with dust. That freaked her out. It's a good thing, we don't have fans here. Hehe. So I really have a bad reputation for keeping, even a very small room, sparkling clean.
So back to our apartment- we got a free carpet cleaning (just the carpet) by the end of March because we renewed our lease contract. Yey! I thought that would excuse me from my April cleaning duty. But then, the collections of dust, hair, paper bits, insects, etc. in the other areas of the house called my attention. So to make the story short, I heeded their call and tried to make the apartment conducive for human existence. And I was quite satisfied with my job. The only downside of cleaning is I often wanted to sleep after the job is done. It’s hard to resist the call of the fresh and sweet-smelling bed and pillow covers.
So, I did these house duties on a Black Saturday. Yes, it’s Holy Week by the way. I am missing the traditional, Pinas-style Holy Week. We still held classes and lab meetings Thursday and Friday of the said week. I managed to attend the masses though, for they were scheduled in the evenings. What I wasn’t able to do was to go to confession. This is the time of the year when I recall what I have done wrong and ask for God’s forgiveness. I know I can go to confession at any day during the whole year, but having missed this one led me to think if there was an alternative to asking for His forgiveness, at least at this moment. Then I realized, “Why not ask forgiveness from the people you’ve hurt or people you’ve instigated a fight with?”
-o0o-
In our Kasaysayan II (Asian History) class, our professor asked us to choose any book tackling relevant Asian events. One Saturday morning, I went to the Main Library to search for possible reading articles. I happened to see a thin book with glossy pages, much like a primer, telling the story behind the war between Israel and Palestine. As I was not really very enthusiastic about reading a book on Asian history, I thought I should borrow something which can be read quickly and of course something in full color to make reading enjoyable at least. It turned out that the book was worth-reading as it opened my eyes to never-ending struggles abroad. Our professor, who happened to be one of the feared personalities in the University, asked us to make a mini-book report during our in-class 2nd exam. He gave a good remark on my output, and coming from him- it made me think that I understood the text well and consequently, the motives and actions of each party for the continuing battle. In our Communication II class, we were asked by our professor to choose one topic we would write about for the rest of the semester. And as if I wanted to make my life miserable, I chose the issue about MILF and the government’s ongoing negotiations with the group. I chose the topic because the issue resurfaced that time. In addition, I knew I would have a lot of reference materials concerning the said topic. But it was a double-edged dagger. The numerous references available to create a well-researched paper would mean an in-depth reading of all the references, before I can sit down and actually write the paper. “Did I have the time?” was the major question I had in mind. This was just a general education subject. “Should I spend more time in this than the courses for my major?” This time, my professor was more demanding. I came up with “good enough” papers which my professor knew I could still improve further. The position paper was the most unforgettable one because it appeared that I did not really defend the side I was on. For some reasons I consolidated from my references, I supported our Muslim brothers. At the beginning of my write-up, I used the term “insurgents”. And my professor had a freaked-out comment, “How do you defend your position, when you yourself designate them as insurgents?!” And in the end, I somehow defended too the government. In short, there were things I did not understand. And the truth was, it was hard to decide which side to be on. I realized then that in war, there isn’t any gray area. It’s either black or white. And being the type of person who when asked to choose or decide, would usually say “it depends”, I knew I would not be able to live through war. Why didn’t I just write about simple matters? After all, the intricacy of the topic was not the one being tested in that course, but the writing skills. It was not about the grade, for I still got a satisfactory final mark. What bothered me was the realization about my deciding capabilities, which were revealed through my writing. Two years ago, I bought the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It was a story, telling the journey for redemption-with settings spanning the Communist-occupied to the present-day Taliban-ruled Kabul in Afghanistan. I would say that that was one of the best books I’ve read. When the movie was shown in the Philippines, I never got the chance to see it. It was today, during the last day of spring break that I got to watch the film online. And all I could say is that it had all the necessary elements of an excellent film.
The three separate stories of battle in different places taught me that war is inevitable. People are different and clashes would take place once in a while. But how come they persist? I have asked many times before, “Why aren’t the authorities doing something?” It seemed so easy to initiate negotiations and come up with agreements which will benefit everyone. I always had the thought, “If I were the peace negotiator, I would have easily reunited these opposing forces.” I have always thought that people can forgive and forget- maybe because I perceive human nature as generally good. A year ago, reality bit me. It turned out that some wounds didn’t heal easily. I was caught in between two clashing individuals who were both my friends. It came to a point where I had to choose who to stick with. One of them made the decision not to communicate with me anymore, because of a sensitive condition that person was in at that time. I agreed. After some time, I tried to communicate with that person- hoping to patch things up, but to no avail. The other friend never intervened. I thought that in time, they will be okay. But now it appears that the most likely thing to happen is that mistakes will be forgiven but people will be forgotten. It was then that I began to understand the difficulty of bringing back people together. If I cannot initiate reconciliation between two persons, how much more among groups whose conflicts are deeply-rooted. It was also that year, when I got into an argument with somebody in defense of a friend and for upholding work ethics. I don’t know if I will ever get to speak with that person again. 2008 was the year when I had a share of enemies, with whom I never reconciled with. Oh, and I just remembered. There was also one person I’ve hurt three years ago. Again, I tried to make things okay again, but I failed.
-o0o-
In this lifetime, there will be always be people who would be hurt by our words or actions. Inasmuch as you want to make peace with them, you have no control of them or of the situations you are in. Inasmuch as you want to reunite people, sometimes you do not know the details…sometimes you have no idea of how bad the injuries were to both parties. So enemies remain as such and you just allow time to mend everything. I guess it works that way sometimes. But what I’ve realized was, I should not stop working our way towards reconciliation. I should not stop working my way towards my peace of mind. There were times that I gave up and just thought that maybe, at my deathbed we would all be at peace…maybe. It’s a continuous struggle, and that is part of being human. But what matters is realizing that there is a way to be good again (theme of The Kite Runner), at least in terms of making peace with other people. It may start with a simple “Sorry.” or “I forgive you.” or to the more meaningful “Let’s start anew.” And in the end I can say that I am satisfied with my job. And the call of the fresh and sweet-smelling relationships would be hard to resist.
HAPPY EASTER! =D
So back to our apartment- we got a free carpet cleaning (just the carpet) by the end of March because we renewed our lease contract. Yey! I thought that would excuse me from my April cleaning duty. But then, the collections of dust, hair, paper bits, insects, etc. in the other areas of the house called my attention. So to make the story short, I heeded their call and tried to make the apartment conducive for human existence. And I was quite satisfied with my job. The only downside of cleaning is I often wanted to sleep after the job is done. It’s hard to resist the call of the fresh and sweet-smelling bed and pillow covers.
So, I did these house duties on a Black Saturday. Yes, it’s Holy Week by the way. I am missing the traditional, Pinas-style Holy Week. We still held classes and lab meetings Thursday and Friday of the said week. I managed to attend the masses though, for they were scheduled in the evenings. What I wasn’t able to do was to go to confession. This is the time of the year when I recall what I have done wrong and ask for God’s forgiveness. I know I can go to confession at any day during the whole year, but having missed this one led me to think if there was an alternative to asking for His forgiveness, at least at this moment. Then I realized, “Why not ask forgiveness from the people you’ve hurt or people you’ve instigated a fight with?”
-o0o-
In our Kasaysayan II (Asian History) class, our professor asked us to choose any book tackling relevant Asian events. One Saturday morning, I went to the Main Library to search for possible reading articles. I happened to see a thin book with glossy pages, much like a primer, telling the story behind the war between Israel and Palestine. As I was not really very enthusiastic about reading a book on Asian history, I thought I should borrow something which can be read quickly and of course something in full color to make reading enjoyable at least. It turned out that the book was worth-reading as it opened my eyes to never-ending struggles abroad. Our professor, who happened to be one of the feared personalities in the University, asked us to make a mini-book report during our in-class 2nd exam. He gave a good remark on my output, and coming from him- it made me think that I understood the text well and consequently, the motives and actions of each party for the continuing battle. In our Communication II class, we were asked by our professor to choose one topic we would write about for the rest of the semester. And as if I wanted to make my life miserable, I chose the issue about MILF and the government’s ongoing negotiations with the group. I chose the topic because the issue resurfaced that time. In addition, I knew I would have a lot of reference materials concerning the said topic. But it was a double-edged dagger. The numerous references available to create a well-researched paper would mean an in-depth reading of all the references, before I can sit down and actually write the paper. “Did I have the time?” was the major question I had in mind. This was just a general education subject. “Should I spend more time in this than the courses for my major?” This time, my professor was more demanding. I came up with “good enough” papers which my professor knew I could still improve further. The position paper was the most unforgettable one because it appeared that I did not really defend the side I was on. For some reasons I consolidated from my references, I supported our Muslim brothers. At the beginning of my write-up, I used the term “insurgents”. And my professor had a freaked-out comment, “How do you defend your position, when you yourself designate them as insurgents?!” And in the end, I somehow defended too the government. In short, there were things I did not understand. And the truth was, it was hard to decide which side to be on. I realized then that in war, there isn’t any gray area. It’s either black or white. And being the type of person who when asked to choose or decide, would usually say “it depends”, I knew I would not be able to live through war. Why didn’t I just write about simple matters? After all, the intricacy of the topic was not the one being tested in that course, but the writing skills. It was not about the grade, for I still got a satisfactory final mark. What bothered me was the realization about my deciding capabilities, which were revealed through my writing. Two years ago, I bought the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It was a story, telling the journey for redemption-with settings spanning the Communist-occupied to the present-day Taliban-ruled Kabul in Afghanistan. I would say that that was one of the best books I’ve read. When the movie was shown in the Philippines, I never got the chance to see it. It was today, during the last day of spring break that I got to watch the film online. And all I could say is that it had all the necessary elements of an excellent film.
The three separate stories of battle in different places taught me that war is inevitable. People are different and clashes would take place once in a while. But how come they persist? I have asked many times before, “Why aren’t the authorities doing something?” It seemed so easy to initiate negotiations and come up with agreements which will benefit everyone. I always had the thought, “If I were the peace negotiator, I would have easily reunited these opposing forces.” I have always thought that people can forgive and forget- maybe because I perceive human nature as generally good. A year ago, reality bit me. It turned out that some wounds didn’t heal easily. I was caught in between two clashing individuals who were both my friends. It came to a point where I had to choose who to stick with. One of them made the decision not to communicate with me anymore, because of a sensitive condition that person was in at that time. I agreed. After some time, I tried to communicate with that person- hoping to patch things up, but to no avail. The other friend never intervened. I thought that in time, they will be okay. But now it appears that the most likely thing to happen is that mistakes will be forgiven but people will be forgotten. It was then that I began to understand the difficulty of bringing back people together. If I cannot initiate reconciliation between two persons, how much more among groups whose conflicts are deeply-rooted. It was also that year, when I got into an argument with somebody in defense of a friend and for upholding work ethics. I don’t know if I will ever get to speak with that person again. 2008 was the year when I had a share of enemies, with whom I never reconciled with. Oh, and I just remembered. There was also one person I’ve hurt three years ago. Again, I tried to make things okay again, but I failed.
-o0o-
In this lifetime, there will be always be people who would be hurt by our words or actions. Inasmuch as you want to make peace with them, you have no control of them or of the situations you are in. Inasmuch as you want to reunite people, sometimes you do not know the details…sometimes you have no idea of how bad the injuries were to both parties. So enemies remain as such and you just allow time to mend everything. I guess it works that way sometimes. But what I’ve realized was, I should not stop working our way towards reconciliation. I should not stop working my way towards my peace of mind. There were times that I gave up and just thought that maybe, at my deathbed we would all be at peace…maybe. It’s a continuous struggle, and that is part of being human. But what matters is realizing that there is a way to be good again (theme of The Kite Runner), at least in terms of making peace with other people. It may start with a simple “Sorry.” or “I forgive you.” or to the more meaningful “Let’s start anew.” And in the end I can say that I am satisfied with my job. And the call of the fresh and sweet-smelling relationships would be hard to resist.
HAPPY EASTER! =D
Thursday, January 22, 2009
FLOWER STORY II (Repost from Friendster)
I do not know how to grow flowers though. Rockstar is not the type of person who would give flowers once in a while, so he gave me a flowering plant instead, for practical reasons. When he gave me the plant, it had three flowers. I kept the plant inside the faculty room, placed it in an area where sunlight can get through. I took care of it or I thought so. But there was a time when classes were suspended for about 2 days due to heavy rains. I left the plant in the room. When I came back, the flowers were in a really bad shape. Eventually, they died.
At that time, I had this association thing going through my head. Sometimes that habit of mine does me good, sometimes it gets me paranoid. I do not know if I have one sick brain or is it just normal enough. Tell me. The death of the flowers could have had meaning. Maybe it meant that my relationship with the person who gave me the plant would not last long, just like the flowers which died in less than a month! Maybe it meant that I do not know how to take care of important things and worse, important persons in my life, that’s why they die away from me. I pondered over it for quite a long time. I told him about it and he laughed at the idea. He simply told me that I have no talent when it comes to growing plants but teased me from time to time that I do not really take care of it. So I just got over my association thing.
For about one year, it did not bear flowers though it was supposed to survive during a certain season annually. But this summer, it did! Though it only had one flower, I was delighted enough. There is hope after all.
At that time, I had this association thing going through my head. Sometimes that habit of mine does me good, sometimes it gets me paranoid. I do not know if I have one sick brain or is it just normal enough. Tell me. The death of the flowers could have had meaning. Maybe it meant that my relationship with the person who gave me the plant would not last long, just like the flowers which died in less than a month! Maybe it meant that I do not know how to take care of important things and worse, important persons in my life, that’s why they die away from me. I pondered over it for quite a long time. I told him about it and he laughed at the idea. He simply told me that I have no talent when it comes to growing plants but teased me from time to time that I do not really take care of it. So I just got over my association thing.
For about one year, it did not bear flowers though it was supposed to survive during a certain season annually. But this summer, it did! Though it only had one flower, I was delighted enough. There is hope after all.
WHEN LOVE BEGINS (Repost from Friendster)
Nanuod kami ni GF kahapon ng When Love Begins (the Aga-Anne movie) …yes, during the first play date! I was surprised to find a long line of moviegoers waiting for the current watchers to come out. I actually wanted to take their pictures, too bad hindi ko dala ang camera ko. Excited kasi si GF to see the film and her excitement excited me as well! Hindi kaya ni Rockstar ang mga ganitong movie that’s why he watched Iron Man instead.
Two nights ago, a friend sent this message: "Relationship without commitment and very little expectation is the healthiest way to enjoy life." Theoretically, this is true. But more often than not, human relationships come about with several strings attached. Whether the strings are connected in a simple linear fashion or in a complex web-like manner, they prove to be essential in maintaining the relationship. I guess this is one point emphasized by the film. One thing I liked about the story line is the idea of subtle role reversal. By role reversal I meant that the guy and girl in the story were not the typical types we find in real life relationships. I do not know if such characters really exist, maybe they do. Why? Guy sends messages 15 times a day. Girl: no response. Guy excitedly introduces girl to his family. Girl: excited to meet guy’s family but finds no reason to introduce guy to her family. Things like that. Well that’s all I have to say about the movie.
GF and I had our own addictions. GF wanted to go to the location where the film was shot: Boracay. I got addicted to its soundtrack: One Hello. GF searched for Boracay tour packages. I searched for the song’s lyrics. I hate to be mushy but the song just can’t get out of my head. After downloading the lyrics, I started memorizing it. If I don’t belt out the lyrics, I whistle the tune. Jologs na ba? Hahaha. But there is just something about the lyrics that applies to me right now and to a few people I know. "Love begins with one hello." Of course, the love implied here refers to something romantic. But just like what I said in my old entry, “Love means more than having a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a wife or a husband. Though it is undeniably difficult to understand, it has a whole lot of different forms for each one of us that we can totally enjoy.” To add, love does not equate to romance all the time. So there. Here goes the lyrics:
If you’re not afraid Of what love brings Then endings are beginning Of beautiful things
It’s a chance you take A chance you’re in If someone’s gonna find you
First you gotta let them in…Coz love begins with one hello. The hardest part is over
So it’s easy letting go One hello, is how it starts You might win in love While lose your heart.
If you’re not afraid Of what you feel Then try and keep it simple But try and keep it real
And if being real Means you’re someday say goodbye Remember my friend, that was not the end
It’s a circle you know And it’s starts with one hello
People come and go. You meet them at a certain point in your life. You could have exchanged numbers, email addresses and what have you. You have communication for some time, then lose it intentionally or unknowingly as time passed. Then you meet again and the cycle starts over. The “start” of the cycle is always exciting for sure. Surreal but nice is the best way to describe it. The middle part of the cycle depends on how you deal with each other. Depending on the circumstances, you may fast-forward it towards the ending, or go on slow motion to cherish the moments. I don’t know which one you prefer. Either way, it’s a cycle. But if you wanted to end the cycle, that’s another story.
It would be sad to see people, friends at that to go out of your life. For me, I may not force them to stay, but surely I would have reasons for them not to go away.
Two nights ago, a friend sent this message: "Relationship without commitment and very little expectation is the healthiest way to enjoy life." Theoretically, this is true. But more often than not, human relationships come about with several strings attached. Whether the strings are connected in a simple linear fashion or in a complex web-like manner, they prove to be essential in maintaining the relationship. I guess this is one point emphasized by the film. One thing I liked about the story line is the idea of subtle role reversal. By role reversal I meant that the guy and girl in the story were not the typical types we find in real life relationships. I do not know if such characters really exist, maybe they do. Why? Guy sends messages 15 times a day. Girl: no response. Guy excitedly introduces girl to his family. Girl: excited to meet guy’s family but finds no reason to introduce guy to her family. Things like that. Well that’s all I have to say about the movie.
GF and I had our own addictions. GF wanted to go to the location where the film was shot: Boracay. I got addicted to its soundtrack: One Hello. GF searched for Boracay tour packages. I searched for the song’s lyrics. I hate to be mushy but the song just can’t get out of my head. After downloading the lyrics, I started memorizing it. If I don’t belt out the lyrics, I whistle the tune. Jologs na ba? Hahaha. But there is just something about the lyrics that applies to me right now and to a few people I know. "Love begins with one hello." Of course, the love implied here refers to something romantic. But just like what I said in my old entry, “Love means more than having a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a wife or a husband. Though it is undeniably difficult to understand, it has a whole lot of different forms for each one of us that we can totally enjoy.” To add, love does not equate to romance all the time. So there. Here goes the lyrics:
If you’re not afraid Of what love brings Then endings are beginning Of beautiful things
It’s a chance you take A chance you’re in If someone’s gonna find you
First you gotta let them in…Coz love begins with one hello. The hardest part is over
So it’s easy letting go One hello, is how it starts You might win in love While lose your heart.
If you’re not afraid Of what you feel Then try and keep it simple But try and keep it real
And if being real Means you’re someday say goodbye Remember my friend, that was not the end
It’s a circle you know And it’s starts with one hello
People come and go. You meet them at a certain point in your life. You could have exchanged numbers, email addresses and what have you. You have communication for some time, then lose it intentionally or unknowingly as time passed. Then you meet again and the cycle starts over. The “start” of the cycle is always exciting for sure. Surreal but nice is the best way to describe it. The middle part of the cycle depends on how you deal with each other. Depending on the circumstances, you may fast-forward it towards the ending, or go on slow motion to cherish the moments. I don’t know which one you prefer. Either way, it’s a cycle. But if you wanted to end the cycle, that’s another story.
It would be sad to see people, friends at that to go out of your life. For me, I may not force them to stay, but surely I would have reasons for them not to go away.
SNIPPET (Repost from Friendster)
Sa gitna ng Faculty Center at AS sa UP, mayroong maliit na hump. Hindi ko nga alam kung hump nga ba siya na maituturing. Pag nasa malayo ka, hindi mo makikita. Pag napadaan ka na lang dun, tsaka mo siya mararamdaman. Madaming beses na akong nabiktima ng hump na iyon. Sa liit niyang iyon, ilang beses na ako natisod. At kahit ilang beses ko sabihin sa sarili ko na sa susunod na dadaan ako dun ay iiwasan ko na siya, natitisod pa rin ako. Siguro dahil gusto kong matisod. Pag natitisod ako dun, kunwari walang nangyari at mapapangiti ako. Gusto ko sigurong natitisod para mayroon akong karagdagang dahilan para ngumiti. Ewan. O sadyang hindi ako natututo sa mga pagkakamali ko.
Natisod na ba kayo dun?
Natisod na ba kayo dun?
EL AMOR EN LOS TIEMPOS DEL COLERA
I have this habit of matchmaking. Lately, the weird thing with this habit of
mine is that I just do it in my head. Why? Because oftentimes, I match
people, usually a man and a woman of whatever age, who are seated beside each other, in a train,
in a bus, in a mall or just about anywhere. I don’t know them and they don’t know me either. They have not even bothered to look at each
other as they are busy minding their own lives. But I don’t care, I will try to make them a pair in my head. First, I will look at their physical
characteristics. Do they look good
together? Nah…the guy looks too corporate and the girl looks…well all the more corporate
…they would make a boring couple. Or the
guy looks like a dork and the girl looks like a princess. Alright, the perfect love story. Then I would think of the best pick-up
lines, either by the guy or by the girl…so the two of them would end up
together. It’s fun actually. The story would go on, until one of them
leaves. Poof! Look for other victims.
Not all of the matchmaking happened in my head. I actually used to bring two people together. I gladly did this for my friends who shared
with me their intentions. I made sure
that the two of them felt something for each other…well that made the
matchmaker’s life easier, I suppose. I
never lived up to the challenge of connecting two people who were miles away
from each other, figuratively and literally- for it was difficult to play with
other people’s emotions. It was me who
knew what was going on. Then after the
matchmaking, a blissful life follows. I
figured back then, I was the best choice for this activity because I found it
exciting and I had no romantic relationship yet then, so I was quite neutral
and saw both sides of the coin. Too bad,
not all of the projects had happy endings. Then I asked why. When I started
seeing the couple, they were like perfect for each other. Even before they became one, I thought that they
had the characteristics that would complement each other. They felt bad after a break up. I felt the same way too. Going beyond my projects, I wondered why
people in a relationship decide to break up.
As I said, I knew a lot about couples close to me. Years back, I was like a priest to whom they
confessed everything. In a month’s time,
I was told of two break up stories and one relationship that was on the rocks (which
finally ended this year). Then somebody told
me that if I hear quite a lot of break up stories, it’s a sign that it would be
my turn to have a romantic relationship. And true enough, a month after, I had my first relationship. I did not have that on purpose to fulfill the
prophecy, hahaha. It was actually weird. But what bothered me is the fact that I might
be the one to tell my break up story in the future. As of now, do I see myself breaking up with
the person? No. But I remain steadfast in my quest for the
possible reasons we might break up and do the necessary precautions to
counteract those causes. Is that really
possible? But I am also the “expect the
worse” type of person. Makes the pain more tolerable, I think.
I actually am writing this now because I feel sad, not for
me, but for four friends. The number of
years a couple had been together does not really matter. If something cuts through the bond, sometimes
it cannot be stopped. It will slice
completely and leave each one half the person he or she used to be. Everything happens for a reason.
Love is undeniably difficult to understand. Sometimes, it begins with only one person in
love and the other one unmindful. And
the beauty of it is seen when the loving person begins to affect the unmindful
one. Sometimes it begins blissfully,
when the couple seems to be a match made in heaven and they are interested in
each other at the very start. Either way
it blooms, the fact that it could end remains.
I came from a school exclusive for girls and a Catholic
school at that. But you know what kind
of thinking it somehow instilled in me, which I realized when I was already in
UP? That relationship with another girl
is alright, in the same way that a relationship of a guy with another guy is
fine. Why? Because of the thought that people of the
same gender, when they are in a relationship would understand each other
better. And what happens if people
understand each other…world peace! No
more women are from Venus and men from Mars mentality. But I was quite disappointed to realize that
it is just but the same old relationship…that somehow breaks up in the end…and
more fatal actually than the usual guy-girl relationship.
Now I am in a relationship and I am hearing break up stories,
I wonder what prophecy we now have for this. I hate to follow suit. Another
thing that bothers me is that I haven’t read any of the works of Gabriel Garcia
Marquez. No class ever required me to
read his books and no one recommended his books to me. But now, I wanted to read Love in the Time of Cholera. Is it a nice read? If you know where I can buy a cheap copy of
this book or if you can lend me one, please…
Stay in love. Love
means more than having a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a wife or a husband. Though it is undeniably difficult to
understand, it has a whole lot of different forms for each one of us that we can totally enjoy.
mine is that I just do it in my head. Why? Because oftentimes, I match
people, usually a man and a woman of whatever age, who are seated beside each other, in a train,
in a bus, in a mall or just about anywhere. I don’t know them and they don’t know me either. They have not even bothered to look at each
other as they are busy minding their own lives. But I don’t care, I will try to make them a pair in my head. First, I will look at their physical
characteristics. Do they look good
together? Nah…the guy looks too corporate and the girl looks…well all the more corporate
…they would make a boring couple. Or the
guy looks like a dork and the girl looks like a princess. Alright, the perfect love story. Then I would think of the best pick-up
lines, either by the guy or by the girl…so the two of them would end up
together. It’s fun actually. The story would go on, until one of them
leaves. Poof! Look for other victims.
Not all of the matchmaking happened in my head. I actually used to bring two people together. I gladly did this for my friends who shared
with me their intentions. I made sure
that the two of them felt something for each other…well that made the
matchmaker’s life easier, I suppose. I
never lived up to the challenge of connecting two people who were miles away
from each other, figuratively and literally- for it was difficult to play with
other people’s emotions. It was me who
knew what was going on. Then after the
matchmaking, a blissful life follows. I
figured back then, I was the best choice for this activity because I found it
exciting and I had no romantic relationship yet then, so I was quite neutral
and saw both sides of the coin. Too bad,
not all of the projects had happy endings. Then I asked why. When I started
seeing the couple, they were like perfect for each other. Even before they became one, I thought that they
had the characteristics that would complement each other. They felt bad after a break up. I felt the same way too. Going beyond my projects, I wondered why
people in a relationship decide to break up.
As I said, I knew a lot about couples close to me. Years back, I was like a priest to whom they
confessed everything. In a month’s time,
I was told of two break up stories and one relationship that was on the rocks (which
finally ended this year). Then somebody told
me that if I hear quite a lot of break up stories, it’s a sign that it would be
my turn to have a romantic relationship. And true enough, a month after, I had my first relationship. I did not have that on purpose to fulfill the
prophecy, hahaha. It was actually weird. But what bothered me is the fact that I might
be the one to tell my break up story in the future. As of now, do I see myself breaking up with
the person? No. But I remain steadfast in my quest for the
possible reasons we might break up and do the necessary precautions to
counteract those causes. Is that really
possible? But I am also the “expect the
worse” type of person. Makes the pain more tolerable, I think.
I actually am writing this now because I feel sad, not for
me, but for four friends. The number of
years a couple had been together does not really matter. If something cuts through the bond, sometimes
it cannot be stopped. It will slice
completely and leave each one half the person he or she used to be. Everything happens for a reason.
Love is undeniably difficult to understand. Sometimes, it begins with only one person in
love and the other one unmindful. And
the beauty of it is seen when the loving person begins to affect the unmindful
one. Sometimes it begins blissfully,
when the couple seems to be a match made in heaven and they are interested in
each other at the very start. Either way
it blooms, the fact that it could end remains.
I came from a school exclusive for girls and a Catholic
school at that. But you know what kind
of thinking it somehow instilled in me, which I realized when I was already in
UP? That relationship with another girl
is alright, in the same way that a relationship of a guy with another guy is
fine. Why? Because of the thought that people of the
same gender, when they are in a relationship would understand each other
better. And what happens if people
understand each other…world peace! No
more women are from Venus and men from Mars mentality. But I was quite disappointed to realize that
it is just but the same old relationship…that somehow breaks up in the end…and
more fatal actually than the usual guy-girl relationship.
Now I am in a relationship and I am hearing break up stories,
I wonder what prophecy we now have for this. I hate to follow suit. Another
thing that bothers me is that I haven’t read any of the works of Gabriel Garcia
Marquez. No class ever required me to
read his books and no one recommended his books to me. But now, I wanted to read Love in the Time of Cholera. Is it a nice read? If you know where I can buy a cheap copy of
this book or if you can lend me one, please…
Stay in love. Love
means more than having a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a wife or a husband. Though it is undeniably difficult to
understand, it has a whole lot of different forms for each one of us that we can totally enjoy.
BOARDWORK OR BOREDWORK (Repost from Friendster)
I think I mentioned in my old entry that after my four-year long desire to be a nun, I then wanted to become a teacher. This dream persisted until third year college. And fortunately it has become my occupation for the last four years. And now I guess I am tired.
At the end of a semester, there would always be a point when I would feel drained out from what have happened during the whole period. But I recover easily. I become inspired once again because I would be back to my senses and realize that a new semester means new faces and new class experiences. But there came a point when I can no longer convince myself to be excited. Or maybe it only happened because I am expecting something more exciting months from now- getting a Ph.D. degree somewhere else. But then the excitement wears out, because then I realize that if ever I finish the degree, one of the activities that I will get into eventually is also teaching. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love teaching. Maybe I just needed a break from it.
I actually have a lot of memorable moments from this profession. During my first semester of teaching, siyempre kabado. Actually, meeting the students for the first time at the beginning of every semester is an anxiety-filled activity for me. At the end of my first semester of teaching, a student gave me a box of Goldilocks polvoron, with a stationery with the print: "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." And then her/his handwritten note said: "Ma’am, thanks for the extra." She/he left the box and the note in my pigeon hole. Yes, I never got to know who gave me the gift. At first, I was scared because I thought it was improper for a teacher to receive a gift from a student. Parang ang dating ay regalo yun dahil pinasa ko siya, parang kuwatro o kwarto and dating. Hahaha. But then I don’t remember doing something "special" for a student. And besides, it was left in my pigeon hole, might as well take it. But to tell the truth, I became inspired and kung sino man yun, thank you because it changed my view of educating students. Since then, naging masipag ako sa pag-prepare ng mga ituturo at ng mga class activities. I won’t forget the Chemazing Race sa Institute. The season two of it, I did with Ness and Dennis. Minsan you really have to exert effort if you are an instructor. Hindi puwedeng puro salita salita lang. The lessons should be memorable for them too.
Instructor duties also include making exams. Ito ang hindi ko makakalimutan din- ang mga pasaway na meetings sa paggawa ng exams. Awayan ng mga tanong… lalo na si Carolynne nung sa Chem 31.1, ayaw paawat. Minsan may libreng pakain pag meetings, minsan wala. Minsan mabilis lang, pero kadalasan ang tagal ng meetings. If only students knew kung paano pinag-uusapan ang mga tanong sa kanila. If it’s challenging to take the exams, it’s even more challenging to create the perfect exam. Then comes the nerve-wrecking part- to think of the senseless and simply just-for-fun bonus questions. Ansaya talaga nito. Too bad, during my last semester, I was no longer part of a group na may mga ganitong meetings. I just tried to overhear their deliberations, arguments and laughter. It made me smile just the same.
The least favorite duty of mine is checking submitted papers. Kaya kung tinatamad mag-check ng mga quizzes, exchange papers. It is also actually an advantage since the class gets to discuss the answers right away. Hmm…justifiable. Hahaha. But I have no choice for the exams and reports.
By midsemester, we conduct the SET (Student Evaluation for Teachers). The SET is very subjective, but more often than not, it tells the truth. For this, I don’t get excited to see the numbers but the comments, both positive and negative. My unforgettable SET comment: "She is charismatic!" Hahaha. Whatever she/he meant by charismatic, it is a funny decsription. My worse comment: "She gets boring once in a while." I admit that. Usually I get boring if my students are boring too. Well as a person, I am really boring, unless we share the same interests. One character I lack is the ability to just be spontaneously fun and interesting. I can plan and organize class activities, but to appear just outright fun…bagsak ako dun. Feeling ko nga students don’t see me as someone they can relate to and they see me as a serious person. I’ll teach you alright but I am the type who places boundaries.
Siyempre, the most important part of being a teacher is maintaining good relationships with your co-teachers. Magkakaiba kayo ugali, kaya di maiiwasan na may makaaway din. Ang batch naming pumasok as instructors, masaya- because though we had different personalities, nagakaroon kami ng common ground. HAlos alam namin ang mga pinagdadaanan ng bawat isa, be it good or bad. Eventually naging kabarkada na rin ang mga oldies. Syempre, dahil magkakabarkada, kapag may napag-tripan na faculty (yung tipong nakakabad trip naman talaga), eh aapihin na ng lahat. Though sa batch namin, may nag-away away na rin. Case in point, and mga mahilig magpapansin at mag-inarte, bawal sa grupo. We were a happy-go-lucky batch kaya naman halos mabaliw ang sumunod na director sa batch namin. We even have a name- The Contaminants. Madami kaming issues, kaya mas exciting. But you know what’s the amazing part? We kept the issues (workplace wars, politics in the Institute, love and hate stories, parties, academic matters, etc.) among the group, kaya the younger batches have no knowledge of these. Sayang nga e, they could have learned the realities of life. Amidst the issues, I think we ALL ACTED PROFESSIONALLY. Life as an instructor in the Institute right now is difficult. You are driven to finish your studies at the shortest possible time while you have attend to your teaching duties. They don’t get to relax and to live their graduate school life to the fullest. And the sad part is, instructors are forced to prioritize their studies than their teaching duties. Of course, I don’t speak for all. It’s how I see things right now.
Hay, I guess I’ll miss a lot when I leave the institute. I’ll forever enjoy the boardwork. But for now I have to give it a rest.
Thought to live by: Teaching is 1/4 preparation and 3/4 theater!
At the end of a semester, there would always be a point when I would feel drained out from what have happened during the whole period. But I recover easily. I become inspired once again because I would be back to my senses and realize that a new semester means new faces and new class experiences. But there came a point when I can no longer convince myself to be excited. Or maybe it only happened because I am expecting something more exciting months from now- getting a Ph.D. degree somewhere else. But then the excitement wears out, because then I realize that if ever I finish the degree, one of the activities that I will get into eventually is also teaching. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love teaching. Maybe I just needed a break from it.
I actually have a lot of memorable moments from this profession. During my first semester of teaching, siyempre kabado. Actually, meeting the students for the first time at the beginning of every semester is an anxiety-filled activity for me. At the end of my first semester of teaching, a student gave me a box of Goldilocks polvoron, with a stationery with the print: "The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." And then her/his handwritten note said: "Ma’am, thanks for the extra." She/he left the box and the note in my pigeon hole. Yes, I never got to know who gave me the gift. At first, I was scared because I thought it was improper for a teacher to receive a gift from a student. Parang ang dating ay regalo yun dahil pinasa ko siya, parang kuwatro o kwarto and dating. Hahaha. But then I don’t remember doing something "special" for a student. And besides, it was left in my pigeon hole, might as well take it. But to tell the truth, I became inspired and kung sino man yun, thank you because it changed my view of educating students. Since then, naging masipag ako sa pag-prepare ng mga ituturo at ng mga class activities. I won’t forget the Chemazing Race sa Institute. The season two of it, I did with Ness and Dennis. Minsan you really have to exert effort if you are an instructor. Hindi puwedeng puro salita salita lang. The lessons should be memorable for them too.
Instructor duties also include making exams. Ito ang hindi ko makakalimutan din- ang mga pasaway na meetings sa paggawa ng exams. Awayan ng mga tanong… lalo na si Carolynne nung sa Chem 31.1, ayaw paawat. Minsan may libreng pakain pag meetings, minsan wala. Minsan mabilis lang, pero kadalasan ang tagal ng meetings. If only students knew kung paano pinag-uusapan ang mga tanong sa kanila. If it’s challenging to take the exams, it’s even more challenging to create the perfect exam. Then comes the nerve-wrecking part- to think of the senseless and simply just-for-fun bonus questions. Ansaya talaga nito. Too bad, during my last semester, I was no longer part of a group na may mga ganitong meetings. I just tried to overhear their deliberations, arguments and laughter. It made me smile just the same.
The least favorite duty of mine is checking submitted papers. Kaya kung tinatamad mag-check ng mga quizzes, exchange papers. It is also actually an advantage since the class gets to discuss the answers right away. Hmm…justifiable. Hahaha. But I have no choice for the exams and reports.
By midsemester, we conduct the SET (Student Evaluation for Teachers). The SET is very subjective, but more often than not, it tells the truth. For this, I don’t get excited to see the numbers but the comments, both positive and negative. My unforgettable SET comment: "She is charismatic!" Hahaha. Whatever she/he meant by charismatic, it is a funny decsription. My worse comment: "She gets boring once in a while." I admit that. Usually I get boring if my students are boring too. Well as a person, I am really boring, unless we share the same interests. One character I lack is the ability to just be spontaneously fun and interesting. I can plan and organize class activities, but to appear just outright fun…bagsak ako dun. Feeling ko nga students don’t see me as someone they can relate to and they see me as a serious person. I’ll teach you alright but I am the type who places boundaries.
Siyempre, the most important part of being a teacher is maintaining good relationships with your co-teachers. Magkakaiba kayo ugali, kaya di maiiwasan na may makaaway din. Ang batch naming pumasok as instructors, masaya- because though we had different personalities, nagakaroon kami ng common ground. HAlos alam namin ang mga pinagdadaanan ng bawat isa, be it good or bad. Eventually naging kabarkada na rin ang mga oldies. Syempre, dahil magkakabarkada, kapag may napag-tripan na faculty (yung tipong nakakabad trip naman talaga), eh aapihin na ng lahat. Though sa batch namin, may nag-away away na rin. Case in point, and mga mahilig magpapansin at mag-inarte, bawal sa grupo. We were a happy-go-lucky batch kaya naman halos mabaliw ang sumunod na director sa batch namin. We even have a name- The Contaminants. Madami kaming issues, kaya mas exciting. But you know what’s the amazing part? We kept the issues (workplace wars, politics in the Institute, love and hate stories, parties, academic matters, etc.) among the group, kaya the younger batches have no knowledge of these. Sayang nga e, they could have learned the realities of life. Amidst the issues, I think we ALL ACTED PROFESSIONALLY. Life as an instructor in the Institute right now is difficult. You are driven to finish your studies at the shortest possible time while you have attend to your teaching duties. They don’t get to relax and to live their graduate school life to the fullest. And the sad part is, instructors are forced to prioritize their studies than their teaching duties. Of course, I don’t speak for all. It’s how I see things right now.
Hay, I guess I’ll miss a lot when I leave the institute. I’ll forever enjoy the boardwork. But for now I have to give it a rest.
Thought to live by: Teaching is 1/4 preparation and 3/4 theater!
FLOWER STORY I (Repost from Friendster)
I love the sight of flowers. I love drawing flowers. I love taking pictures of flowers. I love picking flowers, especially the small ones and make cute little bouquets out of them. There is something about flowers that leaves me just happy. I appreciate different kinds of flowers, but of course there are those which stand out in my list. Too bad however, my favorites cannot be seen all year long. At the start of a certain season, they appear to give you such a wonderful sight, but when the season ends, they also die out with time. Conditions are no longer favorable for them, so they disappear. And the cycle goes on. You don’t get to see the wonder all the time. But every time the plant turns on a new leaf, there is always an excitement, an anticipation to see the budding flower come to life. And so I figured, the same goes with human beings. When conditions are no longer conducive, something dies in us. We may die and live again or die forever. This is where the difference comes in: we have a choice, unlike the flowers which are chiefly dependent on the world that surrounds them.
After birth, then comes growth. I know I grew up because I am way above the sink when I brush my teeth. I know I grew up because my butt no longer shoots into the toilet bowl when I get to pee. But growing up is beyond these manifestations. I journeyed through life always looking up, just like the sunflowers along University Avenue.
As the sun was up, so were their faces. As I aged, I absorbed so many information and gained experiences that I thought would qualify me as a grown-up. But then, somewhere along the way, some things died in me. I grew up indeed but had to let go of some things, to be replaced by better ones, I hope.
Rainy season seemed to start early this year. And with the rain coming, the sunflowers slowly hid their faces, bowing down as if saying goodbye. The same goes for me. But I guess there is nothing to worry about. For after sometime, a better season will arrive, for me and the flowers to live again.
After birth, then comes growth. I know I grew up because I am way above the sink when I brush my teeth. I know I grew up because my butt no longer shoots into the toilet bowl when I get to pee. But growing up is beyond these manifestations. I journeyed through life always looking up, just like the sunflowers along University Avenue.
As the sun was up, so were their faces. As I aged, I absorbed so many information and gained experiences that I thought would qualify me as a grown-up. But then, somewhere along the way, some things died in me. I grew up indeed but had to let go of some things, to be replaced by better ones, I hope.
Rainy season seemed to start early this year. And with the rain coming, the sunflowers slowly hid their faces, bowing down as if saying goodbye. The same goes for me. But I guess there is nothing to worry about. For after sometime, a better season will arrive, for me and the flowers to live again.
BIG THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES (Repost from Friendster)
For some people, the joy of the Season lies in the gifts that they are to receive come Christmas day. During Christmas parties, raffles tend to be interesting when the displayed gifts are big in sizes. Each one keeps his/her hopes high in receiving the large ones — the bigger, the better. But sometimes, the best gifts come in small packages. Simply put, the things that can make us happy, secure and comfortable sometimes appear in containers, unwrapped and devoid of colorful and glittering ribbons. This is one thing I’ve realized. During these times that it’s very much difficult to be satisfied and contented, I’ve learned that we can get value out of life if we try to see the simple things that matter.
Natatawa kasi ako sa mga bagay na nagpapasaya sa akin, pansamantala lang o pangmatagalan.
1) Una sa listahan ay yung relief na nararamdaman mo after you responded to the call of nature. Sobra as in…lalo na pag hirap na hirap ka sa umpisa, tapos pagkatapos ng konting meditation eh SUCCESS! Hahaha! HIndi ko alam kung nararamdaman ng iba yun, pero ako I am very much thankful kapag nagtagumpay ako. Hahaha!
2) Kapag bagong palit ang bedsheet, pillow cases at bath towels sa bahay. Lalo na yung bath towel, ang saya-saya pag bagong laba yung tuwalya mo at hindi pa nanlilimahid.
3) Kapag malinis ang kuko ko sa paa. I don’t know why, one of the therapies that can ease my depression is seeing my toenails clean. Pag malungkot ako, lilinisin ko yung mga kuko ko, tapos medyo aayos na yung pakiramdam ko. Bonus happiness pa kung maayos yung pagkakalagay ko ng nail polish if I decide to put them on. Ito ang tinatawag na Happy Feet Therapy!
4) Sa mall, kapag nakabili ka ng bagay na gustung-gusto mo, na nakita mo after 3 hrs ng paghahanap sa kanya. Sabihin nating damit o sapatos ang pinag-uusapan dito. Bonus happiness pa kung nabili mo siya sa murang halaga.
5) Kapag nakasagot ka ng isang problem mula sa inorganic chemistry book ni D.A. Johnson na hindi tinitingnan ang answers to problems sa susunod na page. Bonus happiness pa pag na-derive mo talaga ang solution sa problem.
6) Kapag naghahanap ka ng mga journal articles para sa seminar mo at hindi kailangan ng subscription para sa napili mong journal. Panalo!
7) Kapag nageexperiment ka sa bagong recipe at nakuha mo na ang tamang timpla o nalaman mo na ang oras ng pagluluto sa oven na tamang-tamang luto lang at hindi sunog ang niluluto mo.
8) Kapag maganda ang homily ng pari sa misa at apektado ka talaga. Noong undergraduate ako, nakakatuwa, kadalasang naiisipan kong magsimba, yung homily nung pari ay appropriate sa current situation ko noong mga panahong iyon. Parang pinagsimba talaga ako ni Lord para maliwanagan ako.
9) Kapag naka-meet ka ng kaibigan o kamag-anak na matagal mo ng hindi nakikita in unexpected places. Nakakatuwa din pag yung blockmate mo ay kilala pala yung pinsan mong alam mong nag-eexist pero hindi mo pa talaga nakausap. It builds relationships.
10) Kapag perfect na ang pagkakakuha mo ng picture sa digital camera at hindi mo na kailangan pang ulitin.
11) Kapag nasa tono ang gitara ko at maganda ang tunog niya sa panahong ginagamit ko siya.
12) Para sa matakaw na kagaya ko, kapag masarap ang na-order ko sa isang resto na first time kong nakainan, ay laking tuwa ko na.
13) Kapag maganda yung nasakyan kong bus…yung walang ipis na pakalat-kalat at yung may TV.
14) Kapag naglinis ka ng mga bag mo at nakahanap ka ng pera (puwera naman coins) sa mga secret pockets…ay sobrang saya! Nyahahaha!
15) Kapag nakaupo ka sa MRT.
…
My list can actually go on and on. It’s funny to think of those mababaw things that you are really thankful for. Nais ko itong tawagin na GRATITUDE JOURNAL. At these times that life gets so complicated, it’s hard to recognize things that bring us benefits. Sometimes we burden ourselves in searching for real happiness, well in fact it slaps us in the face too hard…too many times.
Wishing you all a blessed new year!
P.S. With a fresh idea of "blessed" this time.
Natatawa kasi ako sa mga bagay na nagpapasaya sa akin, pansamantala lang o pangmatagalan.
1) Una sa listahan ay yung relief na nararamdaman mo after you responded to the call of nature. Sobra as in…lalo na pag hirap na hirap ka sa umpisa, tapos pagkatapos ng konting meditation eh SUCCESS! Hahaha! HIndi ko alam kung nararamdaman ng iba yun, pero ako I am very much thankful kapag nagtagumpay ako. Hahaha!
2) Kapag bagong palit ang bedsheet, pillow cases at bath towels sa bahay. Lalo na yung bath towel, ang saya-saya pag bagong laba yung tuwalya mo at hindi pa nanlilimahid.
3) Kapag malinis ang kuko ko sa paa. I don’t know why, one of the therapies that can ease my depression is seeing my toenails clean. Pag malungkot ako, lilinisin ko yung mga kuko ko, tapos medyo aayos na yung pakiramdam ko. Bonus happiness pa kung maayos yung pagkakalagay ko ng nail polish if I decide to put them on. Ito ang tinatawag na Happy Feet Therapy!
4) Sa mall, kapag nakabili ka ng bagay na gustung-gusto mo, na nakita mo after 3 hrs ng paghahanap sa kanya. Sabihin nating damit o sapatos ang pinag-uusapan dito. Bonus happiness pa kung nabili mo siya sa murang halaga.
5) Kapag nakasagot ka ng isang problem mula sa inorganic chemistry book ni D.A. Johnson na hindi tinitingnan ang answers to problems sa susunod na page. Bonus happiness pa pag na-derive mo talaga ang solution sa problem.
6) Kapag naghahanap ka ng mga journal articles para sa seminar mo at hindi kailangan ng subscription para sa napili mong journal. Panalo!
7) Kapag nageexperiment ka sa bagong recipe at nakuha mo na ang tamang timpla o nalaman mo na ang oras ng pagluluto sa oven na tamang-tamang luto lang at hindi sunog ang niluluto mo.
8) Kapag maganda ang homily ng pari sa misa at apektado ka talaga. Noong undergraduate ako, nakakatuwa, kadalasang naiisipan kong magsimba, yung homily nung pari ay appropriate sa current situation ko noong mga panahong iyon. Parang pinagsimba talaga ako ni Lord para maliwanagan ako.
9) Kapag naka-meet ka ng kaibigan o kamag-anak na matagal mo ng hindi nakikita in unexpected places. Nakakatuwa din pag yung blockmate mo ay kilala pala yung pinsan mong alam mong nag-eexist pero hindi mo pa talaga nakausap. It builds relationships.
10) Kapag perfect na ang pagkakakuha mo ng picture sa digital camera at hindi mo na kailangan pang ulitin.
11) Kapag nasa tono ang gitara ko at maganda ang tunog niya sa panahong ginagamit ko siya.
12) Para sa matakaw na kagaya ko, kapag masarap ang na-order ko sa isang resto na first time kong nakainan, ay laking tuwa ko na.
13) Kapag maganda yung nasakyan kong bus…yung walang ipis na pakalat-kalat at yung may TV.
14) Kapag naglinis ka ng mga bag mo at nakahanap ka ng pera (puwera naman coins) sa mga secret pockets…ay sobrang saya! Nyahahaha!
15) Kapag nakaupo ka sa MRT.
…
My list can actually go on and on. It’s funny to think of those mababaw things that you are really thankful for. Nais ko itong tawagin na GRATITUDE JOURNAL. At these times that life gets so complicated, it’s hard to recognize things that bring us benefits. Sometimes we burden ourselves in searching for real happiness, well in fact it slaps us in the face too hard…too many times.
Wishing you all a blessed new year!
P.S. With a fresh idea of "blessed" this time.
CONFESSIONS
t’s Lenten season once again. For some, the Season is the time for a carefree vacation: away from office or school deadlines, opportunities for becoming a couch or a mouse potato, time for booze and binge or simply a time to put oneself to sleep mode. For some this is the Season for reflection and soul searching. For some, this is the time to communicate with the Lord– a one way form of communication where one simply listens to Him and meditate on the words that the heart hears.
It is during this Season that I find myself in the confession box. Sad to say, I get to practice this only once a year. Two years ago, as I stood in line, a young girl, smiling, went out of the confession box. As I pondered over my sins, I suddenly wondered what the girl confessed to the priest. From the girl’s features, it seemed to me that the she haven’t even had her first communion, well probably she was just too short for her age. Nevertheless, her ways intrigued me. I suddenly thought of the things I did when I was her age which could have been considered sinful: quarreled with my brother or playmates, whined when my whims were not approved by my parents, having been stubborn when asked to do a household chore. But I suppose back then, I didn’t even think of them as things which I have to confess to a priest. In short, when you are young you have the vaguest idea of what is right or wrong, unless you get spanked on the butt.
Now that I got older, I suppose I can discern now what is right or wrong. But the problem is as you get older, yes you get wiser in differentiating the proper from what is not but you get so dumb in admititing to yourself what is proper from what is not… It’s difficult to confess one’s misgivings just like the young child. It’s quite difficult to admit the mistakes to ourselves, what more to other people. But the thing is, as you are able to admit these mistakes to yourself and eventually admit them to others, you get liberated.
Hopefully, as the Season ends, we all get smiles on our faces, just like what the young girl showed as she went out of the confession box.
It is during this Season that I find myself in the confession box. Sad to say, I get to practice this only once a year. Two years ago, as I stood in line, a young girl, smiling, went out of the confession box. As I pondered over my sins, I suddenly wondered what the girl confessed to the priest. From the girl’s features, it seemed to me that the she haven’t even had her first communion, well probably she was just too short for her age. Nevertheless, her ways intrigued me. I suddenly thought of the things I did when I was her age which could have been considered sinful: quarreled with my brother or playmates, whined when my whims were not approved by my parents, having been stubborn when asked to do a household chore. But I suppose back then, I didn’t even think of them as things which I have to confess to a priest. In short, when you are young you have the vaguest idea of what is right or wrong, unless you get spanked on the butt.
Now that I got older, I suppose I can discern now what is right or wrong. But the problem is as you get older, yes you get wiser in differentiating the proper from what is not but you get so dumb in admititing to yourself what is proper from what is not… It’s difficult to confess one’s misgivings just like the young child. It’s quite difficult to admit the mistakes to ourselves, what more to other people. But the thing is, as you are able to admit these mistakes to yourself and eventually admit them to others, you get liberated.
Hopefully, as the Season ends, we all get smiles on our faces, just like what the young girl showed as she went out of the confession box.
DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY (Repost from Friendster)
The Friendster system seems to have technical problems right now. I’m having a hard time uploading some pictures…too bad. Anyway, I am not going to rant about the Friendster problem…in fact I am raving that Friendster exists.
Getting through the Internet, the first two pages I open are Yahoo Mail and Friendster. It has always been SOP for me. Problem is, I get stuck most of the times browsing through the latter, leaving my other jobs behind. I take my time looking through the profiles and pictures of my friends. It is only through this system that I get to know the latest buzzes. I don’t know if I am just the one doing this — I mean, I really go through everyone from A-Z as long as I can handle it. Having gone through everyone and my friends’ friends, something suddenly dawned on me.
Weeks and months from now, some of my close friends will be leaving, and I can’t help but feel sad in a way. Some have gone before and of course I felt the same way and I miss them. But this time, it seems life-changing because I practically lived some years with them and this is like an exodus of people close to me. In a few months, I’ll never get to talk to them as I used to…I’ll never get to eat with them, go some places with them, never get to joke with them… things that are left which are toll-free in order to reach them are Yahoo Mail and Friendster. In a few months, I’ll be simply seeing their faces on Friendster.
Hah! This is starting to sound like a tribute, but why not? This is for all of my friends, who will be leaving…hopefully to live better lives and experience other things. It’s hard to be ready sometimes for things like these. One moment, we are enjoying despedida parties for you, the next moment, you’re gone. Time really will come when we have to live different lives.
The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground
There’s no room, no space to rent in this town
You’re out of luck and the reason that you had to care,
The traffic is stuck and you’re not moving anywhere.
You thought you’d found a friend to take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand in return for grace
It’s a beautiful day, the sky falls
And you feel like it’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
You’re on the road but you’ve got no destination
You’re in the mud, in the maze of her imagination
You love this town even if that doesn’t ring true
You’ve been all over and it’s been all over you
It’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
It’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
Touch me, take me to that other place
Teach me, I know I’m not a hopeless case
See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out
It was a beautiful day
Beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
Touch me, take me to that other place
Reach me, I know I’m not a hopeless case
What you don’t have you don’t need it now
What you don’t know you can feel it somehow
What you don’t have you don’t need it now
You don’t need it now, you don’t need it now
We all had beautiful days. I won’t let those get away. We all had beautiful days, I won’t let you guys get away.
Para sa mga taong ito: Ness, Mallows, Sam, JC, Dennis, Uriel, Reyna, Merced, Major, Tipe, Sir Andy, Jesus Paulo, Ate Mimi
Getting through the Internet, the first two pages I open are Yahoo Mail and Friendster. It has always been SOP for me. Problem is, I get stuck most of the times browsing through the latter, leaving my other jobs behind. I take my time looking through the profiles and pictures of my friends. It is only through this system that I get to know the latest buzzes. I don’t know if I am just the one doing this — I mean, I really go through everyone from A-Z as long as I can handle it. Having gone through everyone and my friends’ friends, something suddenly dawned on me.
Weeks and months from now, some of my close friends will be leaving, and I can’t help but feel sad in a way. Some have gone before and of course I felt the same way and I miss them. But this time, it seems life-changing because I practically lived some years with them and this is like an exodus of people close to me. In a few months, I’ll never get to talk to them as I used to…I’ll never get to eat with them, go some places with them, never get to joke with them… things that are left which are toll-free in order to reach them are Yahoo Mail and Friendster. In a few months, I’ll be simply seeing their faces on Friendster.
Hah! This is starting to sound like a tribute, but why not? This is for all of my friends, who will be leaving…hopefully to live better lives and experience other things. It’s hard to be ready sometimes for things like these. One moment, we are enjoying despedida parties for you, the next moment, you’re gone. Time really will come when we have to live different lives.
The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground
There’s no room, no space to rent in this town
You’re out of luck and the reason that you had to care,
The traffic is stuck and you’re not moving anywhere.
You thought you’d found a friend to take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand in return for grace
It’s a beautiful day, the sky falls
And you feel like it’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
You’re on the road but you’ve got no destination
You’re in the mud, in the maze of her imagination
You love this town even if that doesn’t ring true
You’ve been all over and it’s been all over you
It’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
It’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
Touch me, take me to that other place
Teach me, I know I’m not a hopeless case
See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out
It was a beautiful day
Beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
Touch me, take me to that other place
Reach me, I know I’m not a hopeless case
What you don’t have you don’t need it now
What you don’t know you can feel it somehow
What you don’t have you don’t need it now
You don’t need it now, you don’t need it now
We all had beautiful days. I won’t let those get away. We all had beautiful days, I won’t let you guys get away.
Para sa mga taong ito: Ness, Mallows, Sam, JC, Dennis, Uriel, Reyna, Merced, Major, Tipe, Sir Andy, Jesus Paulo, Ate Mimi
ANOTHER WORD FOR LOVE (Repost from Friendster)
Sunday morning…another time of the year when I have the inspiration to write about someone or something. But for goodness’ sake, why does inspiration have to come when you have tons of reports and exams to check and an exam that will commence in two days?! I guess the answer is clear. I need a deviation. Instead of clipping my nails (a habit of mine just to stray from something that gets boring), I’d rather rant here this time.
Oh, probably I got the inspiration because of the past few weeks that have been so hellish — when you don’t really have time to fix yourself, your things, your schedule, all other things around you — and yet there would be this one person who’ll tell you straight in the face that you look beautiful. Ahh…music to your ears. But something doesn’t make sense. You start to wonder whether that person was lying just to make you feel good or was 100% sincere. But if that person is the only one who tells you from the moment you were born, that you are indeed a beautiful child and have grown into a lovely person, then you better believe it…and so this person is everyone’s mother.
This time, I’d like to write about Mother Goose. Where she gets her toughness yet caring attitude has always been an enigma to me. A fighter yet the most gentle person I know. Yes, I saw her cried — when she watched those Tagalog films. I was younger then. I really hated it when she would wipe her tears on me and I just kept on wondering why would those kind of films made her cry. The last movie she weeped upon was Anak. How fitting. Hehehe. Only when I grew up I realized , that indeed some films were worth crying upon. She was the one who fixed my hair when I was younger. I had very curly hair then and she just loved twisting them until she came up with several curly locks she called spaghetti. But now I guess she cannot do anything with my hair…for it’s totally hopeless. She taught me how to draw. The favorite images she draws are the "model" figures of women and women facing at one side. Sheesh…I really had a hard time drawing those and I never learned them at all…that’s why I settled with drawing clothes for those model figures (got over a hundred of them) and instead of drawing the side view women, I drew nude women instead (the drawings look best in charcoal). She is the one who tunes my guitar. Again, I never exerted any effort in learning how to tune it. Yes, I can play it, but tune it –no, hand it to my mother instead. Oh my mother can sing too. She’d just get the guitar, play around with the chords according to the song’s tune and sing along.
My mother is the spoiler. She’d get us anything, just with the swipe of a credit card. Even now that I am earning for myself, she’d still buy me stuff, she calls necessities –like shoes/sandals of the same style but different colors, underwear that costs too much (she says it’s the quality that counts), clothes at the start of each semester (so students will not get bored daw with my wardrobe), perfume (because I have to smell good in the classroom), etc…I really don’t know where she gets the dough to pay for all those. Oh well, she is a highly accomplished person. The only woman among the high-ranking officials. My friends say that she has that aura of professionalism, true indeed. She never accepted bribe. She went to the court to defend herself from individuals who did wrong. She had an admirable strength and conviction.
She found a good job here in the Philippines. That is why, it is hard for her to accept that next school year, I would be going abroad…hopefully. As much as possible, she doesn’t want me to leave. But a mother will always support her child’s decision. Earning some good money from her work, she shared these blessings to others. She planned on gift-giving of goods during Christmas time at a squatters area near our place. She once dreamt of becoming a nun and a teacher. Now, we have a Saturday school at home where kids come for catechism. She had these kids now as her own –since her own kids have grown up into bastards…hahahaha. She taught me how to pray. Until now she advices me that no matter how busy I get, I should never fail to pray. She is a spiritual person. It really amazes me how she fits in her schedule reading several prayer books.
My mother has one weakness though, she is computer illiterate. Yes, and we never found the time to instruct her how to start a computer. See what kind of bastards, we have turned into? I don’t know, it’s so hard to teach her, but I guess it’s never too late.
I think we can never really repay what she has done for us, because they are all products of her unconditional love and sacrifices which we can never match. Yes, mothers know best, but I say, they are the best. Mother is actually another word for love. Oh have I mentioned that she is one of the best writers I know? She is the one who edits our works - my essays and literary works, my brother’s project proposals and my father’s office reports. As soon as I finish this, I’ll hand it over to her for editing.
Oh, probably I got the inspiration because of the past few weeks that have been so hellish — when you don’t really have time to fix yourself, your things, your schedule, all other things around you — and yet there would be this one person who’ll tell you straight in the face that you look beautiful. Ahh…music to your ears. But something doesn’t make sense. You start to wonder whether that person was lying just to make you feel good or was 100% sincere. But if that person is the only one who tells you from the moment you were born, that you are indeed a beautiful child and have grown into a lovely person, then you better believe it…and so this person is everyone’s mother.
This time, I’d like to write about Mother Goose. Where she gets her toughness yet caring attitude has always been an enigma to me. A fighter yet the most gentle person I know. Yes, I saw her cried — when she watched those Tagalog films. I was younger then. I really hated it when she would wipe her tears on me and I just kept on wondering why would those kind of films made her cry. The last movie she weeped upon was Anak. How fitting. Hehehe. Only when I grew up I realized , that indeed some films were worth crying upon. She was the one who fixed my hair when I was younger. I had very curly hair then and she just loved twisting them until she came up with several curly locks she called spaghetti. But now I guess she cannot do anything with my hair…for it’s totally hopeless. She taught me how to draw. The favorite images she draws are the "model" figures of women and women facing at one side. Sheesh…I really had a hard time drawing those and I never learned them at all…that’s why I settled with drawing clothes for those model figures (got over a hundred of them) and instead of drawing the side view women, I drew nude women instead (the drawings look best in charcoal). She is the one who tunes my guitar. Again, I never exerted any effort in learning how to tune it. Yes, I can play it, but tune it –no, hand it to my mother instead. Oh my mother can sing too. She’d just get the guitar, play around with the chords according to the song’s tune and sing along.
My mother is the spoiler. She’d get us anything, just with the swipe of a credit card. Even now that I am earning for myself, she’d still buy me stuff, she calls necessities –like shoes/sandals of the same style but different colors, underwear that costs too much (she says it’s the quality that counts), clothes at the start of each semester (so students will not get bored daw with my wardrobe), perfume (because I have to smell good in the classroom), etc…I really don’t know where she gets the dough to pay for all those. Oh well, she is a highly accomplished person. The only woman among the high-ranking officials. My friends say that she has that aura of professionalism, true indeed. She never accepted bribe. She went to the court to defend herself from individuals who did wrong. She had an admirable strength and conviction.
She found a good job here in the Philippines. That is why, it is hard for her to accept that next school year, I would be going abroad…hopefully. As much as possible, she doesn’t want me to leave. But a mother will always support her child’s decision. Earning some good money from her work, she shared these blessings to others. She planned on gift-giving of goods during Christmas time at a squatters area near our place. She once dreamt of becoming a nun and a teacher. Now, we have a Saturday school at home where kids come for catechism. She had these kids now as her own –since her own kids have grown up into bastards…hahahaha. She taught me how to pray. Until now she advices me that no matter how busy I get, I should never fail to pray. She is a spiritual person. It really amazes me how she fits in her schedule reading several prayer books.
My mother has one weakness though, she is computer illiterate. Yes, and we never found the time to instruct her how to start a computer. See what kind of bastards, we have turned into? I don’t know, it’s so hard to teach her, but I guess it’s never too late.
I think we can never really repay what she has done for us, because they are all products of her unconditional love and sacrifices which we can never match. Yes, mothers know best, but I say, they are the best. Mother is actually another word for love. Oh have I mentioned that she is one of the best writers I know? She is the one who edits our works - my essays and literary works, my brother’s project proposals and my father’s office reports. As soon as I finish this, I’ll hand it over to her for editing.
KIDDING ASSIDE (Repost from Friendster)
I call myself a bum right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got teaching and research loads but I no longer have any coursework ~ you know, those subjects with exams you have to study for and piles of reading materials you have to go through. They got me busy back then. So now, I have more time for leisure. To make up for the “bumness” I vowed to finish reading one whole book every week. So much for leisure. But take note, these are books I enjoy and not some crappy required reading list. I hate to buy because books and magazines really cost a lot these days, so I asked permission from my undergraduate roommate to ransack her collection. Before I go on, let me describe my roommate. She is a nursing student at a university near ours. She’s one hell of a studious person. Ironic as it may sound, as a teacher, I was inspired by her excellent study habits which I never had all these years. When I scanned one of her books, she made notes like “enrich your vocabulary”, under which she placed some words unknown to her and their researched meanings. She is not nerd-looking actually. She is pretty cool I think and quite artistic. She loves anime too. Anyway, so there, I read her book All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. It’s a fun read and I actually learned a lot, or should I say relearned a lot. Here are some excerpts:
All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school. These are the things I learned:
• Share everything. • Play fair. • Don’t hit people. • Put things back where you found them. • Clean up your own mess. • Don’t take things that aren’t yours. • Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. • Wash your hands before you eat. • Flush. • Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. • Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. • Take a nap every afternoon. • When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. • Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. • Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
Life is fairly simple. If only we were outstanding students of life and remembered all those kiddie lessons, this would be a more interesting place to live in. We get exposed to new beliefs, values and traits that overhaul our personalities. We continue to seek for higher knowledge to keep us updated. We imbibe lessons which we think can make us better, only to find out in the end that the basic lessons we had then are sufficient to live life at its fullest. Back then, I didn’t really understand the relevance of those. I simply obeyed for I believed that the elders knew better, only to find out that they do not actually know better.
Take for example the current issues that make Filipinos busy ~ ZTE deal, the Gloria Resign call. They are all quite irritating. If I only have the power to make everyone obey, I will ask those who call for GMA to resign to review the basic scientific method. Simply put, do not conclude unless you have done your experiments. Translation: We cannot just listen to anybody who says he is saying the truth and who convinces GMA to resign due to the allegations, because we are not even sure of the truth. If independent investigating bodies are still working in this country, let them be functional. My point is, we have done this before (read: Estrada’s ouster), only to be failed by GMA in the end. It would be unforgivable if the same thing happens to Noli de Castro. Now, if I have the power to make everyone obey, I won’t make GMA step down. Despite her, her husband’s and other government officials’ superfluous school degrees, I would refresh them with their kindergarten lessons. Good thing for GMA, she might still fit in her kinder chair!
Only problem is I don’t have that power I was talking about. Oh yeah, I remember, people power is still alive…not in the streets this time…but in the kid in each one of us.
All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school. These are the things I learned:
• Share everything. • Play fair. • Don’t hit people. • Put things back where you found them. • Clean up your own mess. • Don’t take things that aren’t yours. • Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. • Wash your hands before you eat. • Flush. • Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. • Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. • Take a nap every afternoon. • When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together. • Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. • Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
Life is fairly simple. If only we were outstanding students of life and remembered all those kiddie lessons, this would be a more interesting place to live in. We get exposed to new beliefs, values and traits that overhaul our personalities. We continue to seek for higher knowledge to keep us updated. We imbibe lessons which we think can make us better, only to find out in the end that the basic lessons we had then are sufficient to live life at its fullest. Back then, I didn’t really understand the relevance of those. I simply obeyed for I believed that the elders knew better, only to find out that they do not actually know better.
Take for example the current issues that make Filipinos busy ~ ZTE deal, the Gloria Resign call. They are all quite irritating. If I only have the power to make everyone obey, I will ask those who call for GMA to resign to review the basic scientific method. Simply put, do not conclude unless you have done your experiments. Translation: We cannot just listen to anybody who says he is saying the truth and who convinces GMA to resign due to the allegations, because we are not even sure of the truth. If independent investigating bodies are still working in this country, let them be functional. My point is, we have done this before (read: Estrada’s ouster), only to be failed by GMA in the end. It would be unforgivable if the same thing happens to Noli de Castro. Now, if I have the power to make everyone obey, I won’t make GMA step down. Despite her, her husband’s and other government officials’ superfluous school degrees, I would refresh them with their kindergarten lessons. Good thing for GMA, she might still fit in her kinder chair!
Only problem is I don’t have that power I was talking about. Oh yeah, I remember, people power is still alive…not in the streets this time…but in the kid in each one of us.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET
After two weeks of our so-called winter break, I’m finally back to the place where I can wear comfortable short pants in bed, sans several layers of fabric. Somehow, it was relieving to see once again the green and brown fields and feel the ambient heat, at least when we got out of the airport last week. Despite the different weather conditions in the places where we went, I actually had an enjoyable experience- thanks to our wonderful hosts in Ohio: Ate Ena and Pukoy; in Detroit: Janir and Joel; in Buffalo: Merced, Moni, Imee and Devs; in Toronto: Ruby and Pukoy’s Tito George, Tita Neoly and cousin Rochelle and thanks too to our traveling companion to Toronto, Nesha.
The year 2008 has been kind to me and ushered me into a new environment, which I am gradually getting used to. To end the year 2008, here are my top personal thoughts brought about by the new lifestyle- some of them are worth thinking about and some are junk stuff in my head waiting to be vacuumed out, to make way for junk space for 2009!
> I am still a teenager. At the rate that my pimples are making their appearance, I try to look at the brighter side and just think that I have juvenile skin. Haha! Thou shall not recommend me some pimple-control products for I think I’ve already tried a lot. They work for awhile, but it seems that my system develop a certain kind of immunity. These days, I am not at all stressed, but they still come on stage. Maybe because of the food I eat? Or is this genetic? If having or not having pimples is a matter of heredity, I swear I’d knock the pimple gene out in the future! Somebody even told me before I left the Philippines, “Yung mga pumupunta ng US, kumikinis!” Yeah right, I should have placed a bet on that! So again, I am still a teenager. Teenager = no wrinkles and crow lines. Talk about payoffs. The lesson is: always look at the brighter side.
>A good number of male parishioners attend Sunday masses here in the US. It’s really heartwarming to know that the guys you see in Church are not only those who were dragged by their wives or girlfriends. There are actually guys who come by themselves and really pray fervently. Back home, who do you normally see attend masses? Well, several widows and some ladies, young and old but a few of the men. In relation to this, there was this funny observation made by this priest we have in the Philippines. He once asked, “Sino sa palagay niyo ang mas mahaba ang buhay?” People didn’t really answer for they thought it was a trick question related to the gospel reading for that day. Then smiling he said, “Aba, eh di ang mga babae. Sa araw-araw ba namang nagmimisa ako, eh ang mga babaeng balo ang ka-date ko!”
>I now appreciate listening to weather reports and being updated about them. Weather conditions here are weird. They often change drastically each day, so it helps to be prepared. I have two favorite terms right now: “wind chill”. And the people who do the daily weather reports have the designation, “meteorologist”. You really would like to believe them. I miss Ernie Baron.
>Almost everything is online. It’s difficult to be illiterate in a place where every person or every activity largely relies on computers. You have to pay the bills? Go online. You have to buy something nice and cheap? Go online. You want to register for classes or receive your salary? Go online. You want to watch something new and interesting? Go online. You want to get your degree fast? Go online. You want to make travel arrangements? Go online. You want to contact people back home. Go online. You want to get married? Sure! Go online. This is where I felt the impact of the computing age. If you have no functional computer, you’re dead. Well not really, just digitally dead- you are not in touch with the world. You see, the world has become virtual now. When I go online, it has become a habit to open 7 sites in this particular order- Yahoomail, Gmail, TAMU email, Multiply, Facebook, Friendster, TAMU elearning. Yeah I know, the others are close to nonsense websites. But what can I do? They make me happy. Hahaha! Each requires a username and a password. And for the desire of enhancing my memory skills, I have different user names and passwords for all those sites. Kidding. The truth is I have different user names and passwords because I never realized that I actually have to remember all of them to log-on to the systems. I just carelessly entered user names and passwords just to finish the registration processes. Now I am paying the price.
>A particular kind of body odor can really make one nauseous and sick and yet the perpetrator doesn’t seem to notice. :p
>Guys love to shop. Bring them to an outlet mall that shouts “ALL MUST GO!” and the shopping scrooges turn magically into Paris Hiltons, right before your very eyes. And take note, one outlet mall is not enough!
>Now I am beginning to understand the kind of training I am getting here. Here, we just have to take four courses, some seminar classes and the rest, research hours. It just recently dawned on me, that back home, we had to take gazillions of courses (not even related to what you actually want to do for research) for you to get your degree, and teach for long hours alongside, if you are on assistantship. The Ph.D. degree is more about research, and how you can handle its ups and downs. I wonder why we can’t have a research-inclined curriculum in the Philippines.
>Appreciate small things in life. They make you sane.
>We have time. During our graduate orientation seminar last semester, one professor raised this question, “How come you kids seem to be always busy, when almost all things these days are automated and readily available?” I wondered just the same. Am I really busy? Or is the business just superficial? Or maybe, am I just not making the most out of the time I have?
>Laugh for no reason at all! We just did that last week. And the result- we were laughing even more because we were laughing for no reason at all. Haha. It’s a good exercise!
HAPPY 2009!
The year 2008 has been kind to me and ushered me into a new environment, which I am gradually getting used to. To end the year 2008, here are my top personal thoughts brought about by the new lifestyle- some of them are worth thinking about and some are junk stuff in my head waiting to be vacuumed out, to make way for junk space for 2009!
> I am still a teenager. At the rate that my pimples are making their appearance, I try to look at the brighter side and just think that I have juvenile skin. Haha! Thou shall not recommend me some pimple-control products for I think I’ve already tried a lot. They work for awhile, but it seems that my system develop a certain kind of immunity. These days, I am not at all stressed, but they still come on stage. Maybe because of the food I eat? Or is this genetic? If having or not having pimples is a matter of heredity, I swear I’d knock the pimple gene out in the future! Somebody even told me before I left the Philippines, “Yung mga pumupunta ng US, kumikinis!” Yeah right, I should have placed a bet on that! So again, I am still a teenager. Teenager = no wrinkles and crow lines. Talk about payoffs. The lesson is: always look at the brighter side.
>A good number of male parishioners attend Sunday masses here in the US. It’s really heartwarming to know that the guys you see in Church are not only those who were dragged by their wives or girlfriends. There are actually guys who come by themselves and really pray fervently. Back home, who do you normally see attend masses? Well, several widows and some ladies, young and old but a few of the men. In relation to this, there was this funny observation made by this priest we have in the Philippines. He once asked, “Sino sa palagay niyo ang mas mahaba ang buhay?” People didn’t really answer for they thought it was a trick question related to the gospel reading for that day. Then smiling he said, “Aba, eh di ang mga babae. Sa araw-araw ba namang nagmimisa ako, eh ang mga babaeng balo ang ka-date ko!”
>I now appreciate listening to weather reports and being updated about them. Weather conditions here are weird. They often change drastically each day, so it helps to be prepared. I have two favorite terms right now: “wind chill”. And the people who do the daily weather reports have the designation, “meteorologist”. You really would like to believe them. I miss Ernie Baron.
>Almost everything is online. It’s difficult to be illiterate in a place where every person or every activity largely relies on computers. You have to pay the bills? Go online. You have to buy something nice and cheap? Go online. You want to register for classes or receive your salary? Go online. You want to watch something new and interesting? Go online. You want to get your degree fast? Go online. You want to make travel arrangements? Go online. You want to contact people back home. Go online. You want to get married? Sure! Go online. This is where I felt the impact of the computing age. If you have no functional computer, you’re dead. Well not really, just digitally dead- you are not in touch with the world. You see, the world has become virtual now. When I go online, it has become a habit to open 7 sites in this particular order- Yahoomail, Gmail, TAMU email, Multiply, Facebook, Friendster, TAMU elearning. Yeah I know, the others are close to nonsense websites. But what can I do? They make me happy. Hahaha! Each requires a username and a password. And for the desire of enhancing my memory skills, I have different user names and passwords for all those sites. Kidding. The truth is I have different user names and passwords because I never realized that I actually have to remember all of them to log-on to the systems. I just carelessly entered user names and passwords just to finish the registration processes. Now I am paying the price.
>A particular kind of body odor can really make one nauseous and sick and yet the perpetrator doesn’t seem to notice. :p
>Guys love to shop. Bring them to an outlet mall that shouts “ALL MUST GO!” and the shopping scrooges turn magically into Paris Hiltons, right before your very eyes. And take note, one outlet mall is not enough!
>Now I am beginning to understand the kind of training I am getting here. Here, we just have to take four courses, some seminar classes and the rest, research hours. It just recently dawned on me, that back home, we had to take gazillions of courses (not even related to what you actually want to do for research) for you to get your degree, and teach for long hours alongside, if you are on assistantship. The Ph.D. degree is more about research, and how you can handle its ups and downs. I wonder why we can’t have a research-inclined curriculum in the Philippines.
>Appreciate small things in life. They make you sane.
>We have time. During our graduate orientation seminar last semester, one professor raised this question, “How come you kids seem to be always busy, when almost all things these days are automated and readily available?” I wondered just the same. Am I really busy? Or is the business just superficial? Or maybe, am I just not making the most out of the time I have?
>Laugh for no reason at all! We just did that last week. And the result- we were laughing even more because we were laughing for no reason at all. Haha. It’s a good exercise!
HAPPY 2009!
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