First Semester AY 2010-2011: A History In A Nanosecond

Alleluia! First semester has finally drawn to a close. The four months that passed greatly created a seemingly millennium-long history within just a nanosecond. Indeed, time flies so swiftly that everything just seemed to pass like a blur. We might even be thinking now that high school graduation was already an 'ancient' event in our lives... and we might as well be forgetting that it was ONLY JUST 7 MONTHS ago when we actually had it.

Anyway, merely thinking that semester break is here just gives me so much relief: relief from the deafening boredom prevailing in the boarding house, relief from the tight budgeting of the allowance, and above all, relief from the gruelling study tasks and sleepless nights of burning my midnight candle which for some times, sadly, do not pay off!

***

Enough with the drama. Now let's have a recap of everything major major that has happened within the first sem's course of time.

FIRST DAY of college. Well, uhm, I really can't clearly remember the happenings on the first day of class, but I'm quite sure that part of that day was the not showing up of our teachers, save for Mr. Voltaire Marquez, who we initially thought as just another student. Also, on the first day of school, I hadn't totally made up my mind on which to use between the traditional notebooks and a binder.

ACA family. Well, I am just so honoured to be part of such wonderful block. Our Accounting teacher once said that block ACA is the flagship of the university’s School of Business and Management (SBM) which is primarily composed of elite students who obtained a GSA of 95 and up in the entrance exam (and now I feel like a royalty...hahaha). However, being surrounded with great minds can sometimes be draining. On a lighter note, I really thank my ACA friends for letting me experience ‘home’ in my first head-on confrontation of college.

Statement shirt. As part of being one united block, we decided to have our own shirt. The color’s blue, and the print says: “DUGONG BUGHAW, PUSONG DILAW, WALAY ULAW”! The bughaw is for being an Atenian, dilaw for being part of SBM, and walay ulaw for... uhm, let’s just say it’s for the brimming ‘confidence’ and ‘ingenuity’ of the block! (wahahahahahaha! ewan!) And oh, I think the shirt has cost each of us fairly 180 pesos.

Acquaintance Party. Did we ever have such? I think we were supposed to have an acquaintance party that was basically why ACA block shirt was designed. Was I absent that time? How come I don’t remember savouring such much anticipated college gathering? Oh yeah, coz’ we never had one. They kept on deferring it which then so sadly, ended to having none at all.

Jabelle Labella. It’s actually ACA’s textserye created by a creative blockmate of ours, Solomon. The story revolves around the sister relationship of Jabelle, the ugly hunchbacked multi-evolutional sister of Labella, the kontrabida bully. As the system dictates, each episode would be patiently sent to everyone via GMs (group messages). Of course, it starred almost everyone in ACA including myself. I played the extra role of JOVIT HERALDINO (which at least finally fulfilled my dream of being a singer!) and had my critically acclaimed first appearance in episode 18.

BS Accountancy – Major in Cartography. Yep! Cartography, as in the tedious map-making. This one was actually in preparation for our History 10 prelim exam, when we were all compelled to memorize the entire map of the Philippines including the provinces’ capitals and towns as well as their geographic shapes, the regional and provincial boundaries, and everything that is in the map! Net result: gained a perfect sense of direction and a silent ill feeling towards the subject!

Intramurals. Well, I unfortunately didn’t get to enjoy the entirety of it. I even wasn’t able to witness how the SBM Eagles stunned the audience and successfully defended the Championship in the Cheerdance competition last intrams. I irredeemably missed a great deal of it. How pitiful!

General Biology Quiz Bowl. This was held on the opening day of the Intrams. Dan Uriel, Reynold, and I composed the group which represented our block. At stake: ACA’s semi-final exams! Cheers and jeers abounded for us; however, luck wasn’t on our side and we didn’t win. On a lighter note, just hours after the quiz bowl, SBM emerged as Champion in the Cheerdance competition.

Waka waka P.E. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think of myself dancing Shakira’s Waka waka with modified dumbbells in the form of mineral water bottles filled with strawberry-flavoured juice (which was prepared and mixed in the CR!), while doing some aerobics and gymnastic skills (our group got the lowest grade for this activity). But we had fun anyway; and that was what mattered most!

Ten hours of university service. Scholars are compelled to render at least ten hours of service every semester to any of the university’s offices. In my part, I effortlessly completed my service with 5 hours in the Scholarships office, and 2.5 hours each in the Finance and clinic. According to them, such service serves as the scholars’ token of gratitude towards the university.

The genius: Dr. Labuntog. He’s our English teacher - an unpredictable, intellectually powerful teacher who introduced us to the lovable Little Prince; who imprinted on us the XU Mission Statement; who fascinated us with the Tibetan bell; who made us delve deeper to the stickiness of the biko and the crunchiness of chicharon; who made us sing our hearts out with Till There Was You and Something Stupid Like I Love You; and who awed us with his multilingual tongue. Everyone idolize Dr. Mark Labuntog!

Tangled with the Pancit Canton. Yeah, food. I think it’s also worth noting that in the first semester of my being a freshman college, I’ve indiscernibly grown bigger and fatter. Throw the blame to the culprit of this fattening: the canteen’s Pancit Canton! I don’t know why, but it seems that the canteen personnel could somehow cook it tastier than when I cook it at home.

Finally, FINALS! What is a final exam? Yes. A torture! If you could just feel the excruciating pain of our brain cells in being forced to absorb everything that’s in our THICK (and when I say thick, believe that I’m not joking) books when we were subjected to such final exam, then you’ll get an idea how finals could be so hell. I personally don’t even like remembering how my finals went; it’s SEM-BREAK afterall! Everyone’s currently savoring the coziness of being on their cloud nine (which everyone rightfully deserves)! And I, I don’t wanna break such repose! :DDD

***

All the aforementioned make up a history – a history of ACA, of the ‘firsts’ in college, of friendships established, of blending in and standing out as freshmen, and of us all, hitching our wagons to our individual stars – a memorable history created just in a brief span of what was like a nanosecond.

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Si Juan dela Cruz sa entablado ng mundo

(Speech nako, activity sa Filipino 22!)


Kilalanin si Juan dela Cruz. Balat ay kulay-kayumanggi. Tahana’y sa munting bahay-kubo na napapaligiran ng halimuyak ng sampaguita. Katawa’y nakabalot sa kanyang mahiblang barong-tagalog. Sipag at tiyaga’y kahambing ng ‘sang kalabaw. Nagkamulat na mahirap kaya’t di’ naninibago sa karukhaan. Buhay niya: isang kahig, isang tuka! Gayunpaman, sa kabila ng kahirapang kinasasadlakan, si Juan ay tunay na hinahangaan ng buong mundo. Sa anumang larangan – palakasan, musika at marami pang iba – siya’y namamayagpag. Siya’y tanyag sa buong mundo – sapagkat si Juan ay isang PILIPINO!

Mga minamahal kong kaibigan at kababayan, bilang pambungad, pahintulutan niyo akong ibuhos ang aking malugod na pagbati sa inyong lahat ng isang MAGANDANG HAPON!

Ako’y naririto sa inyong harapan upang ipabatid na ang Juan dela Cruz na patuloy na inaabot ang tugatog ng katanyagan sa pandaigdigang entablado ay salamin ng bawat Pilipino. Ito’y nangangahulugan lamang na sa bawat isa sa atin nananalaytay ang dugo ni Juan dela Cruz – ang Juan na maaaring maging susunod na Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao; ang inaasahang susunod sa mga yapak ng matagumpay na mang-aawit na sina Charice Pempengco at Arnel Pineda; ang ipinagdarasal na magmamana at susungkit ng korona matapos kay Maria Venus Raj; ang magpapatuloy sa kabayanihan ni Efren Peñaflorida; at ang tutulad sa sinibak na pulis na si Rolando Mendoza? Nawa’y huwag naman sana!

Nagimbal nga hindi lamang ang bansa kundi maging ang apat na sulok ng mundo matapos ng masaklap at kahindik-hindik na hostage crisis na kinasangkutan ni dating Police Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza at ng ilang mga dayuhang nais lamang maglibang dito sa ating bansa. Isang kaganapang nauwi sa isang madugong larawan. Isang nakapanlulumong trahedya na naghatid ngayon sa ating bansa sa bumabahang kahihiyan. Sa ngayon, binabato tayo ng masasakit na pintas at batikos mula sa mga dayuhan, lalo na ng Hongkong, na nakasaksi sa kapalpakan at kakulangan ng Pilipinas sa pagtugon sa nasabing insidente. Kasinglungkot ng pagkamatay ng mga sangkot, nakapandudurog-puso rin na basta-basta na lamang nilalait ng marami ang lahi ni Juan dela Cruz dahil lamang sa iisang pangyayari. Maging si Pangulong Noynoy Aquino’y hindi rin nakalusot sa pangungutya. Sa kasalukuyan, ang imahe ni Juan dela Cruz ay ang mismong mukha ni ROLANDO MENDOZA!

Mga kaibigan, hindi ko layon ang magbintang o sisihin ang kung sinuman. Ngayong wasak na ang imahen ng bayang Pilipinas, ang ninanais ko lamang ay maipabatid sa buong mundo na hindi lahat ng Pilipino ay katulad ni Mendoza. Hindi lahat ay mamamatay-tao. Hindi lahat ay pusong-bato.

Ang PILIPINO ay likas na mabuti. Sa katunayan, bantog ang mga Pilipino sa kanilang katangiang tumanggap ng mga panauhin na para bagang sariling mga kaanak lamang. Siya’y mapagmahal at maunawa. Kabiyak ng kanyang takot sa Diyos, nagsusumikap siya upang maabot ang kanyang mga pangarap. Sa kabila ng mga balakid sa buhay, hindi namamatay ang alab ng kanyang pagpupursige, bagkus, lalo pa siyang nauudyok na magsumikap at magtiyaga alang-alang sa kanyang mga pinaninindigang prinsipyo sa buhay. Gayon nga’y nagawang masungkit nina Pacquiao, Pempengco, Pineda, Raj, Peñaflorida at marami pang matagumpay na Pilipino ang kanilang mga pangarap sa buhay kupkop ang mga natatanging katangiang PILIPINO!

Ngayon, mula sa karagatan ng kahihiyan, umahon tayo! Huwag tayong magpagapi sa agos ng rumaragasang suklam ng mundo. Mapait man ang sinapit ng mga biktima, kasuklam-suklam man ang ginawa ni Mendoza, bumangon tayo dala ang mga napulot na aral! Malabo mang maghilom ang sugat, subukan nating itayo ang nawasak na larawan ng Pilipinas at muling ibandila ang pangalan nito sa buong daigdig! Mahirap man ilibing sa limot ang trahedya, kumapit pa rin tayo sa positibong banda. Kumapit tayo sa mga mabubuting katangian ni Juan na nagdala sa atin sa pandaigdigang entablado.

Sa kasagsagan ng mga pangyayari, ito ang pangarap ko: na sana’y makitang muli ng mundo ang Pilipino sa larawan ng isang TUNAY NA PILIPINO – at tuluyang maaninag muli si Juan dela Cruz sa tinitingalang entablado ng mundo!

Maraming salamat! Pagpalain nawa tayong lahat!

Coming to terms with the changes

This is written FRIDAY, September 10, 2010 when I get to read again my previous "ON THAT BENCH" article simply out of mere boredom & ; loneliness.

Okay. Roughly three months ago, before classes opened, my brain was into a lot of imagining how going into college would turn out. I didn't have any idea to what college life would hurl at me, either sweet cotton candies directly on my salivating mouth or rough, hard stones aimed at my forehead. I didn't know. And it sent me that peculiar shiver down my spines. I was afraid of the unknown. I was afraid of COLLEGE!

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying now that COLLEGE is not that frightening and difficult afterall. With all honesty, college still terrifies me (in a major, major way!) and still gives me random moments when I could just pause and all of a sudden say: "samuk! lisura pud aning college uy! maypang high school sauna."

Well, it still is September afterall, barely 3 months since I first set foot on college's groounds. I still don't have any right to tell whether college is the COTTON CANDY or the HARD STONE that would hit any newbie here in college. But one thing is for sure: everything here in college is just the result of one's OWN determination and will. You actually reap what you sow, unlike in HS when everything seemed to be plainly spoon-fed (But I so love HS. I miss HS! huhuhu).

About coping up with college?! NOT EASY! You'd ask me now if I'm already fully-adjusted to it? LOL. I still certainly have a lot of "adjustments" to do other than the nosebleed-inducing adjustments we're making in accounting. Diverse people, demanding subjects, new teachers with *nakaka-OMG!* approach of teaching, very limited resource (specifically kanang KWARTA!) and how to budget allowance, paying visit to my hometown every weekends, totally boring life in the boarding house, housekeeping and stuffs--all of these and more are just part of my adjustments-to-do list! And so far, I think I'm bit by bit doing it with success (roll-eyes) !

About my grades?! Hmmm. Shaky, yet so far, I'm doing good! 'B' is my lowest letter grade in my midterm grades (accounting, of course, samok nga subject uy! hehehe). I just pray that everything would go smooth-sailing for the next weeks, months, and years until.... you know na!

About missing high school? Indeed the most difficult! Uhm (teary-eyed), I just keep on reminiscing the past, on excavating memories, on resurfacing the youthfulness of my HS life, and keep on praying, for I know that a time will come when the PAST would eventually just become a blurred vision in our memories. And I don't want that to happen. I'm keeping my fingers crossed: I want everyone to stay in my memory, to remember them as if it was just like yesterday. I miss the ISATONiX & my other former high school classmates; my teachers and mentors; the school guards and the frequent squabbles with them; the Mondays/Fridays flag ceremonies and Maam Chico's motherly rantings; the CATs' snappy commands and the elements' as-if-I-care response; Pogi's tempuras, fish balls, manggang hilaw and his wife; the quarterly settlement of clearances including proper haircut check-ups; the foodstuffs sold in the canteen; the many attempted ghost-huntings; the benches; the habitual chitchats, gossiping, teasing, fighting, cleaning (or maybe later), running, playing, giggling, dancing, singing, laughing, and more laughing plus more laughing ending up to more laughing --- I just miss 'em all! As in MAJOR MAJOR missing 'em all!

***

Anyways (still teary-eyed), in my three-month long college life, a lot has changed. I'm around good people here in college. Although they still intimidate me, I somehow could manage to squeeze through my wild, noisy block, block ACA! I was at first timid whenever I'm with the group knowing that we're only about five people who came from 'Nat'l High Schools', with the rest coming from semi-private or private schools (but then, who cares?). I'm also happy to befriend some XUHSians and other private-school-groomed students whom I initially thought were "maarte and all" but contrarily proved to be friendly and happy to be with! The teachers as well are nice. However, I don't know if I'd ever find a liking to our thick, unfriendly books (especially BIOLOGY)! Whoah!

Everything is just so unpredictable here. Life just go and continue under the sun with so many surprises. Personally, I'm still endeavoring to seek for them, for the surprises that could be beneficially life-changing. And in the process, I am overwhelmingly humbled and thankful for everything that has been endowed with me by the Almighty. With a thinking like this, I'll always be eager and braced up, not just to face life, but also to live life!

Ad majorem dei gloriam!

***

P.S. #1: I hope you find my writing improved! Hehehehe.We keep on writing compositions, essays and the like in our English class. =)

P.S. #2: It's utterly funny to think how long it took me just coming to terms with the changes. "KOLEHIYO NA MAN DIAY KO! LOL!" =)

X.U. Red Mass

Summary of the Homily

In a nutshell, Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin’s homily on the recently concluded University Red Mass teaches us the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as summarized in the three key points he underscored: the Holy Spirit guides us to the truth; the Holy Spirit helps us to help ourselves and others; and the Holy Spirit is life.

Personal reflection

Many of us wonder how God is able to conspicuously manifest His power on our lives. For me, this is both a mystery and a gift – a mystery, since God works in such subtle ways that frequently leave us awe-struck yet we know that He is ultimately responsible of everything in our lives, and a gift since we know that He only does such things because He loves us. And in the process, I am more than aware of the sacred working of the Holy Spirit in me.

Even though we do not live in the biblical era anymore, the era when Jesus Himself set foot on earth, we are still assured and faithful that God is still constantly present with us because of the Holy Spirit. In my part, I may not recognize it tangibly, but I can confidently say that the Holy Spirit is working on me through countless of ways which never fail to bring me at a loss for words.

For instance, when I’m in doubt of my faith, primarily because of my unmet personal desires, the Holy Spirit would then bring me the inspiration I need in ways I least expected. It guides me back to the spiritual truth – that God is love – which is said would set us free. When I struggle to clarify the obscurities in my mind or to reconcile the conflicting forces of good and evil inside, the Holy Spirit grants me spiritual wisdom. In a way, it helps me in helping myself in my quest of seeking for the truth. Finally, the Holy Spirit gives me life – the color and vibrance in a Chrisitan life as I rejuvenate in God’s love and solace.

Veritas liberabit vos.

Not the best, just the ordinary

I am—well at least I was—that somebody who used to be the center of attraction when I was in high school, surely not because I possess those rare savagely attractive looks, but only because I was then what they called the achiever, and all the other names that might come along with it—the honor student, the studious, the bookworm… always the winner, excellent!

In the same sense, the thought that I used to be the one to be focused on the spotlight has also made me believe that I was exceptional, different from among the others. All was a vivid picture of an ordinary public high school, where ordinary students come and go, and where ordinary teachers just remain for almost the rest of their lives. And at the back of my mind, I certainly knew: I was different.

But soon, a sudden gust of fate might blow everything I used to believe in. I will now be entering college and will be brawling over the hectic and unforgiving routines of a university. I’ll then be wrapped by its school uniform bespeaking that I am a proud Atenista, which will somehow make me appear more scholarly than I thought I had already been. I will soon be poring over the thick textbooks that my subjects would require me and also be scribbling down notes in the conformity of my classes. I will soon be trying myself to be accustomed to commuting from now and then as I pay visit to my town, as well as budgeting my allowance in the wisest way possible.

And the most dreadful of all—yet probably the most exciting and challenging—is that I will also be starting to wear the figure I previously least liked and cared about: the ORDINARY figure. I will soon bear the mask that will identify me as one normal student, not the 'me' who once used to be the achiever, who had gotten used to the fame over the spotlight. I will be under the guise of someone who is not an excellent student, but rather, just under the figure of an ordinary student.

YES! I am fully aware that as soon as I enter the world of college, I’d also have to expect less of myself, because out there lurks a huge heap of students which is definitely as competent—or even more competent—as myself. While I know that this is not a wise and a good option to do, I still believe that the only way for me to get through college is to lower my self-esteem, to wreck my pride and to shatter my confidence in order to be not regretting anything or getting embarrassed in the end.

This might be good for me in the long run. I won’t expect much of myself in such a world where I might be inferior to my colleagues. I won’t dare fight against such strong opponents, for if I do, I know I’ll only end up affirming the fact that I am weak, maybe the weakest. I fear to lose, but I fear more the fact of losing against those whom I already knew are undisputed and unbeatable.

I may be a coward now. But so be it, 'coz I am indeed a coward.

In this new chapter of my life, I am ready—but still afraid—to face what this new twist has in store for me. In college, I won't become the best, and surely cannot be the best. That’s why I’ve decided to wear the ORDINARY STUDENT mask, wherein I will look like just an ordinary student: burdened with pressure, and then eventually defeated by the pressure. I will work on my clearances like an ordinary student, not expecting to maintain my scholarship. I will study my lessons and read my books and still won’t expect to get the highest score.

I will follow the routines of a normal student: school, home, school, home… and yet, I will not expect to be caught by the blinding spotlight and the flashes of praises from the people around me. I will do my best, but I won’t expect to be on the top. There in the prestigious university I will soon attend to, I am not a somebody, I am just the ordinary. And I better get myself up on this piercing truth.

That’s how life would definitely go in college. And as life goes under the sun, I’ll be most comfortable—and most unhappy—to be wearing the ordinary figure. I will just be the normal student--not the best, just the ordinary. =(