Second Semester AY 2010-2011: Getting Familiar With The Jurassic Park

[WARNING: This is twice as long as my ordinary post, so if you don't feel like reading it now, then SCREW YOU! **peace!]

WOW! I never thought of this moment that I would be writing an article about my first year in college. Wanna know why? Coz I was not sure, like anyone else, if I would be able to pull through. But well, here I am, savouring the summer’s bliss, lazily facing my laptop’s screen on a broad daylight and rummaging my mind’s reservoir of memories for some unforgettable events that defined my first year in college. Yep, you inferred it right: I just successfully finished the 25% (Or maybe 20%? Coz there are still those summer classes? Well, I’m not good with numbers) of this make-it-or-break-it game called college—a game we’d all agree as simply just a walk in the park... well, a Jurassic park that is!

Since I’ve already written a journal about the first semester (if you’ve been religiously reading my posts, then you’d know), I intend to include in this article only the memorable events of the last half of the school year. And note: this is going to be random.

****

Victory. What else?

The second semester has really brought with it wide array of opportunities that helped highlight the untapped potentials and skills of ACA—skills and expertise that made victory in any competition an easy catch.

With their vintage black-and-white costumes and fatally killer smiles, ACA emerged champion in the PE Night’s Folk Dance Competition flaunting their graceful dancing prowess and synchronization (who wants to laugh? xD). ACA also showed dominance in the Political Science Debate Competition against block ACD which was truly thanks to the gift of gab of Leonard, Kenneth and Reynold. Dan Uriel was also recently proclaimed by JPIA as the Most Outstanding First Year Accountancy student, wherein Kenneth and Janelle settled in second and fifth place respectively. ACA also took the Little Theater by storm with their winning Sadulawit performance which starred Joan and Solomon. The said play was directed by ACA’s brilliant director, Reynold, while the Magis-inspired props that were used for the play were all conceptualized by no less than the always Magis-driven, Honeylynn.

Well, ACA sure is not a slowpoke in everything—even in politics. The landslide victory of Kathleen Rae for SBM Council 2nd Year Representative was a clear proof. However, beyond the victory, what’s important during the universitywide elections was that we were all able to exercise our right to suffrage in the very first year of our stay in college (yey! Ako ang simula ng pagbabago...).

Journey of formation

First Year Formation Program (FFP) is a requisite subject for, guess what, (do you really need to guess?) FIRST YEAR students!!! Yep. And during the 2nd sem, we also had our fair share of FFP experience.

First up, we had our pilgrimage (which slowly turned into an outing) at Guadalupe where we crossed five mountains, trekked a desert, surmounted two oceans and... (okay, I’m fibbing XD)... where we crossed a zigzagging river together with Ma’am Irish and two tour guides. Everyone was so psyched for the pilgrimage that some even bought those locally-made wooden sticks/crutches for three pesos each to aid them in crossing the waters. But there was this some outta-his-mind lad who really wasted all his energy making sure that his precious crutch would not get wet (hey Sol, if you happen to read this, I’m not referring to you! :P). I was honestly clueless of what his problem was. Well, anyway, the real fun kicked off when we were already heading back to our starting point. We did not hike anymore; instead, we buckled up for a crazy murky-water-rafting which got us all so soaked to the skin and haggard. Afterwards, some decided to plunge themselves into the river and play as hard as they could.

Part also of FFP was an activity called Social Exposure (SE). We were all encouraged to drench ourselves to the unfortunate and marginalized segment of society. Well, it’s kinda melodramatic but it was truly a fruitful activity. It made us all aware of how fortunate we are to be able to go to school, to still be able to eat three square meals a day, and to be free to do whatever we desire to do. [My reflection on my SE experience with a beggar was written in a post entitled A defining stroll at Divisoria]

In this subject, we also experienced our first Recollection which was conducted at Manresa. I personally didn’t find the activity memorable because... I don’t know. It was just an ordinary recollection. A lot of talks, plus the gloomy weather that day. But oh well, I still had fun.

I also won’t forget all the Prayer Sessions, Peer Workshops and Masses for Life that we had. Indeed, FFP did not just help us acclimatize with college life; it also helped us grow and experience the holistic formation which XU is all geared up for.

Reminiscing the uhm, uncategorized moments

How would you feel if your parents—or maybe your teachers—disown you? Yeah, I certainly know how that would feel. We’ve become immune to it. You see, our block during the 2nd sem was sort of living an orphan’s life after being handed to different Accounting teachers. No teacher seemed to care for us. No teacher seemed to want to adopt us. We were like a volleyball—tossed to any direction, grabbed and hit by different hands. Yeah, it was irritating. Not to mention, sad.

Next question: how do you read the word ‘cocoa’? Oops, lemme hear ya’ again. What?? Alright, I won’t tell you if that’s correct. But I tell you this: my experience with this word is one not really worth remembering. ‘Cocoa’ has really infuriated me in one of our English sessions. So uhm, you better get going now and search the answer yourself because Ma’am Jen—she’s someone who really values ‘time.’

Still remember Jabelle Labella? That was the textserye created by Solomon in the first semester. Well, the second sem featured a new one which was entitled "TEXT" (a textserye called TEXT, how does that sound? :P) where I got to play the role of Hark (blah blah blah and all!!). This thrilling mystery-packed textserye centered on Kebin (portrayed by Kevin) who enjoyed doing a little killing spree because he was afraid that his friends might reveal the ultimate secret of his life: that he was—try to guess again—gay.

Of etc’s, et al’s and blah-blah’s

There are still many significant things, persons and events I want to include in this piece like our mind-twisting experience with our you-provide-the-adjective (and very cool and humorous and unpredictable) Logic teacher, Mr. Ortiz, and his nosebleed-inducing, sometimes treacherous exams; the hasty completion of our term paper in Filipino; Fr. Jett’s farewell to XU; my whinings over the new ID-swiping system; turning 17 in the fierce jungle of college; the sometimes excessive (and I know, hurtful at times) taunts on Terence’s ‘oinky-ness’ (pardon the scarcity of term) and Solomon’s fishballheadedness; the MWF tribulation of waking up so early for the 7:30 class; Ate Arbie and the new ACA fam members; and et cetera, etc, et al, blah, blah, blah! But as they say, all good things must come to an end! So I guess it's adieu for now! This note is already getting too lengthy for more blah-blah's! XD

****

Well, that’s basically it! Second sem is now over. First Year of college is now over. Being the newbie in school is finally over. But let’s face it: the game has barely just begun (for us first year students of course! And by the way, congratulations sa mga mu.graduate na!!). We just narrowly made it through the entrance of this park—this Jurassic park.

And personally, I’m scared of what’s waiting ahead of me. I might get lost or be eaten whole by a gigantic bloodthirsty dinosaur! I might get caught in the middle of a fierce battle between two hatchling dinosaurs! (oh this is getting us nowhere!) Or I might get trapped in a spider’s web or get sucked in a swamp full of snakes! Or maybe... maybe I’ll just have to simply SNAP OUT OF IT! I’m not gonna die there, you know. After all, mang-graduate pa ta sa Accountancy, right? =)

A defining stroll at Divisoria

Who would have thought that even a beggar or “pulubi” who stretches his arm out for people’s alms has his own story to tell? Behind the calloused hands and ragged appearance, who would have thought that he too, ignored and dehumanized most of the time, has his own story to share?

Amidst the hustle and the bustle in the crowded Divisoria of Cagayan de Oro, it’s hard not to notice these unfortunate people who do seem to be out of place: the beggars. Today, it is presumably safe to say that this segment of the population we call “mga pulubi” is almost a common sight in almost every corner of our country – a disheartening fact which only affirms how miserable the state of the Philippines has become.

In connection, for our first Formation Group (FG) Social Exposure activity, our group chose to integrate ourselves to the lives of our neglected “pulubi” brothers, particularly those who dwell in Divisoria. In this activity, I, together with John Ed and Micah, had the chance to stoop and listen to the story of Danilo Fernandez, a 70-year-old pauper who has considered Divisoria his home and shelter for almost a year now.

He had just awoken from his light nap on a concrete bench when we spotted him. His clothes, tattered and dirtied with the pollution around him, were on the same untidy state as his shaggy, uncombed hair. The veins of his body were very pronounced, almost matching the long, untrimmed nails of his hands and feet. It was a poor sight that truly made our hearts weep with pity and sympathy.

As we sat beside him, we were all ears to what he has to share. He did not delve anymore into details but it seemed that he was left abandoned here in Cagayan de Oro by his daughter when they were about to set off back to Luzon (as he is originally from Luzon). From then on, he lost contact with his family and relatives and began a struggle for survival as a street beggar, enduring not only the scorching heat of the day and the night’s icy breeze, but also all the humiliation stoned at him, as any other person tagged as ‘pulubi’ would have to brace up for.

It was hard for him. Knowing that his own family has abandoned him has definitely lowered his spirit. Each day passed without certainty of reaching the next. Each day’s sunset took with melancholy, with the lingering fear of not seeing tomorrow’s dawn. It was indeed a daily cycle of an uneventful life.

But it doesn’t end there. In my part, as a mere listener and observer, I was deeply moved by the one thing he still keeps in his heart: his faith, which was evident in the terse statements he uttered that included God, as tears kept rolling down his saggy cheeks. He has not forgotten God even in such bleak situation he is now in. It is that strong kind of faith that helps anyone to see hope to spring amidst the futility of the circumstances. And it is such faith that makes the poor and the feeble likeKuya Danilo to be rich of God’s love and to be strong against the odds.

***

The scanty amount of food (a burger plus a tetra-pack of juice, an apple and an orange) that we gave him served unimportant compared to what we have realized: that we should not judge other people by the preconceived stories our minds unreliably create about them, but instead, by the stories they have to tell when we first lend them our ears... and hearts. :)

2011 plus 1 equals the end of the world

It was just weeks ago when the fireworks were lit up in the sky to welcome New Year 2011. The great relief of triumphantly surviving year 2010 was a common feeling shared by all. However, as we all advance in meeting whatever 2011 has in store for us, we also find it hard not to fear the prospect of drawing closer and closer to 2012— the proverbial year they say would be the end of the world.

Well, I am writing this article partly because I haven’t written anything for ages already, and partly because it sunk in me that recent events – events which are plaguing our minds with questions and doubts – must now be viewed from a new angle. And for this purpose, let me play as your Nostradamus Jr., as we all try to uhm, unveil the future through trying to comprehend the following phenomena/events (LOL!):

***

Manna from heaven?

"A mysterious rain of thousands of dead birds darkened New Year's Eve in Arkansas, and this week similar reports streamed in from Louisiana, Sweden, and elsewhere.”—National Geographic Daily News

The first time I heard this news, I was really taken aback. A huge number of dead birds falling from the sky at the very outset of New Year? Yay, that’s something! The news undoubtedly did not fail to catch the attention of the world. And though scientists already declared scientific explanations for such ‘rain of dead birds,’ people still aggravate the hype by linking the phenomenon to the 2012 end-of-the-world predictions. But then, who wouldn’t? Now that we’re only a year away from 2012, does the idea of 5,000 birds losing balance in mid-air sound normal? CREEEEEEPY omen!

A wave of carnage

Now let’s keep the momentum going. When I was continuing reading related articles from the net, I learned that it wasn’t just birds. From birds showering from the sky, here is another series of unexplainable animal deaths which made my eyes really bulge out from their sockets.

*excerpt: ”Numerous additional mass deaths of fish, birds and wildlife occurred within the same week as the Arkansas birds. These include, among many others:

• 100,000 dead drum fish washed up in the Arkansas River
• The bodies of thousands of turtledoves raining down from the sky in Faenza, Italy
• Approximately 500 birds found dead in Louisiana
• Dead jackdaw birds found in Sweden
• About 80 dead pigeons found on a farm west of Quebec City
• Thousands of dead fish in Spruce Creek, Port Orange, Florida
• Two million fish dead in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
• Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand beaches filled with bodies of snapper fish
• 40,000 dead crabs in Kent, United Kingdom”

A long list indeed! If all these were mere coincidences, then I reckon our world is certainly leading to... never mind. (hahaha)

Not an Aquarian anymore?

To scramble things more, the zodiac sign you thought you were born under, which you held important for your horoscopes, may not have been true all along at all! When I learned of this, it was like a piece of my 16-year existence was stripped away. You see, I am an Aquarian (or so I thought), and now I am totally confused: am I not an Aquarian anymore? This entire buzz was because of this urgh---- Ophiuchus thingy, which astronomers propose to be the 13th zodiac sign.

Well, it’s not actually a new discovery. The debate over this astrological matter has been going on for more than a decade already. And as I see it, it’s kind of a clash between astronomers and astrologers! (To know more about the stand of each of the two sides, kamo na’y research! Haha) I’ve already read a number of articles about this subject and I’m keeping my own stand to myself!

After everything has been said and done, the question that still persists on clawing out from my mind is: ‘Why has it become such a big thing NOW if it already caused steamy arguments long ago? Has it got anything to do with the nearing of 2012?’ (with background music of loud heartbeats: LUB, DUB, LUB, DUB...)

True or not, let us all just remember: “Hindi hawak ng mga bituin ang ating kapalaran, gabay lamang sila. Meron tayong ‘free will,’ gamitin natin ito.”

Tropical snow

Well, I’m not really sure about this one, but when our Logic instructor told us thatHawaii, which is a tropical US state, is now experiencing snow, an influx of horror crept throughout my whole body. To know more about this abnormal climatic condition over Hawaii, read http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/12/hawaii-makes-it-49-states-with-snow-on-the-ground/.

So, d'ya think this is one of the signs?

Party like, like it’s the end of the world!

With rumors about the world’s end mushrooming on every corner, hmmmm...I guess the best thing to do now is just to PARTY LIKE IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD! Before 2012 comes, let’s not forget that there’s still 2011! If it were true (which I strongly doubt) that we are heading to the end of the world on 2012, then the wisest thing to do now is to enjoy our lives, HAVE A TIME OF OUR LIVES! (sounds familiar? Haha.)

Let us not waste our time peeking through the future, for it’ll only lead us to a false path. It’s not the future which paves the way of our present; instead, it’s ultimately the present which determines the future.

So come on now, let’s all together RAISE OUR GLASS! Cheers! It ain’t the end of the world, I tell you. :)

**HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

The Happy Loner

Blockmate 1: Hello Herald!


Blockmate 2: Hello Herald!? (As if talking to a deaf)


Herald: (With a nervous, shaky tone) Oh, hi there!


[And the conversation stops there]

***

[The bell rings for a two-hour break]


Blockmate 1: Where are we gonna stay now?


Blockmate 2: Let’s go to the canteen! I’m hungry.


Blockmate 1: Eh, how about you Herald? Would you like to join us?


Herald: (so glad that he was actually asked) Uhm, well, uhm---- (B2 suddenly interrupts)


Blockmate 2: Nah! I’m pretty sure he’ll be off to the library AGAIN. Study habits, as they say.


Herald, talking to himself: W-H-A-T?? LIBRARY??!! Are you serious? That place is only for the LOSERS who got no friends! A refuge for the LONERS!


[But Herald silently still proceeds to the library,with his stomach growling loudly]

***

I am the kind of person who is very used to being alone. Surprisingly, it neither makes me happy nor sad.

In high school, although I had my circle of friends, I still felt that I only existed behind their shadows. But I really didn’t mind. Aside from the friendship we were building, the security that stems from it was what I needed. Like any other growing teen in high school, I also dreamt ‘to belong.’ I sought for that sense of belongingness. And in high school where the world seems to be literally small, it didn’t take me long to find it.

But high school was entirely different. I’m now in college where things are tougher and people fiercer. There may be thousands of students from all walks of life here, but the sense of belongingness that I am searching for remains elusive. Friends in college are indeed scarce. Or should I say, friends here in college are unfortunately scarce... TO THE ONE WRITING THIS ARTICLE.

But hey, it doesn’t mean that I don’t have friends at all. I still have. And although they may not be as many as the fingers in your one hand, I think it’s already better than having none at all.

Okay, so I’m still sort of a loser loner. But I’m not the typical nerd-looking loner whose vacant hours are spent in the library (although I’m already getting accustomed to spending most of my time studying). I don’t know why but I’m just happy being alone. It’s like I get to observe the world around me without actually involving myself with them. It’s like I’m just in the level of a spectator who doesn’t care much about what people would say to me. It’s like they anticipate for the every word that my mouth would utter. It’s like I’m creating my own world out of my unbreakable silence. It’s amazing! It’s like I’m baffling people with my aura of mystery. For them, I am puzzling and mysterious. And it just always thrills me whenever I see them trying so hard to figure me out with my imperviousness. And I must say I’m loving it! It’s very different from my world in high school – busy, tiring, noisy, no peace, almost without privacy. Cool! Loner? Definitely! Playing safe? Probably. Crazy? You judge.

But wait. I’m not here to encourage you to detach yourselves from social ties. I, too, am still learning to establish bonds and to socialize with others. I know that living one’s self alone is unhealthy, and it may not do him good in the long run. So instead of distancing myself from people, I know that I should start opening up myself to them. I also know that I must squash the feeling of ‘intimidation’ if I want to gain friends. This has always been the problem with me: I easily get intimidated with the people here in college. (But hey, why would I? Perhaps I just need to have a boost of self-confidence! Go Herald!)

You may think now that I’m insanely faced with a dilemma. But I tell you, I am not torn between being a loner and being a social individual. This isn’t a struggle for me. THIS IS SKILL! (Oh yeah? Lol) Without any intent to brag, I know well how to handle myself. I am a loner and can be silent at times, but I can also be the opposite when I want to. I just happen to discover the ‘peace’ of being a loner and the solitude it offers, and then learned to love it. This is indeed a skill! (Whatever!)

So what if I’m a loner? It doesn't add any bout of misery in my life anyway. At least I could get the chance to view the world from a different perspective. At least I’m honing my intrapersonal skill (is there such a skill?). But more than anything else, at least I could prove to everyone that the *oxymoron ‘HAPPY LONER’ does exist!

You have to believe me. I'm a living testament to that.

***

Instructor: Okay, class. We will have a game and I want you to group yourselves into five.


Herald: Uh-oh!


[Students begin to form groups]


Blockmate 1 (leader of one group consisting blockmates 2, 3, 4 & 5): is it okay if we're six in the group sir?


Herald (to blockmate 1): No, don't bother. I'm fine. Really.


Instructor: Oh I forgot to tell you. The mechanics of the game is for everyone to find a group. He who has no group loses the game. In other words, the LONERS are the LOSERS!


...are the LOSERS! the LOSERS! LOSERS! (echoing into Herald's mind...then fading)


Herald: WOW SIR! THAT HURTS!

***

-end






NOTE: the article above is written quite exaggeratedly :D :D :D
*oxymoron- A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side (examples: open secret, living dead, burning cold, dark light)

WE WERE FLOODED, literally!

Today, November 7, 2010, was a day when the heaven cried a river of tears. I’m not exaggerating. It actually did. Not that a celebrity superstar or a relative of mine died today. It was just that, uhm, we were FLOODED, literally!

At first, the rain seemed to be just a normal heavy rain. Heavy rains in our place don’t usually cause floods. The rains may pour humongous volume of water but the floods they normally create are only small floods enough for the canals to hold.

But today, Sunday, was a different story.

The rain this afternoon wasn’t the first time we experienced a notably heavy rain. However, scary as this may sound, it was our first time to see the floodwater creep in inside our house. Yeah, you read that right! The flood has actually reached the ground floor (murag pila ka storey among balay!haha!) of our house despite its elevation from the ground.

When the floodwater started to flow in inside our house, we immediately carried the must-not-get-wet things from the floor and placed them on the tables and chairs. Fortunately, the waters did not reach the bedrooms and the kitchen. Only our living room was hit by the catastrophe (OA!).

Meanwhile, outside our house was a ‘sea’ of brown, murky water. Almost everything was covered with the out-of-nowhere gush of floodwater, reminding me of some scenes I usually see on TV everytime a typhoon strikes Luzon, submerging the island in flood. And in that very moment, I could hardly distinguish imagination from reality.

Drama aside, I was also able to take pictures of the flood that struck our house, the casualties it left us with, as well as the horrid aftermath of the tragedy.

Sa kasagsagan ng pagbaha

Ang kalunos-lunos na aftermath


-Aba! Ngisi2x pa jud!! wuhaha!

-Mud and stones piled up in our yards

-Asa na ang pares aning slipper nga isa? LOL!

:)