the name of the blame

*This is my second paper for my Journalism 103 (opinion writing) class.

Metro Manila is a mess. Roads are congested. Piles of garbage line its streets and fill its waterways. The city reeks of its own filth.

And that was before tropical storm “Ondoy” came.

On the day that over 400 millimeters of rain came pouring from the sky, the mess became a catastrophe. What we left mismanaged and damaged came back to haunt us all.

We stared in awe at the sheer volume of the rising flood waters and asked where all that water came from, knowing all too well that the denuded mountains and hills in the distance held the answer.

We watched helplessly as the homes, factories, and shopping centers of a poorly – if at all – planned metropolis sank in the middle of natural flood plains between the Marikina and Pasig rivers.

We waited desperately for help to come in the midst of the storm, only to be frustrated by news of rescue teams blocked by congested roads and suffering from a lack of equipment.

When the rain finally stopped we picked through huge piles of garbage. Our own trash, disgorged by the very waterways we turned into latrines, plus the debris from all the destroyed buildings and the mud and silt from the mountains, covered all the streets.

Metro Manila is a mess. Roads are congested. Piles of garbage line its streets and fill its waterways. The city reeks of its own filth.

This is after tropical storm “Ondoy” left.

In the days after the storm, thousands of volunteers picked up the pieces and gave food and supplies to those ravaged by the floods. Unfortunately, such a picture of one nation and one people engaged in bayanihan was not meant to last.

That fleeting moment of national unity was quickly overshadowed by politicians, personalities, and people all pointing fingers and blaming each other for the disaster that brought the capital to its knees.

Critics slammed the national government’s feeble disaster-response capability, even though the blocked roads prevented the rescue teams from getting to where they were needed most.

They scored the weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), for not warning the people about the amount of rain brought by “Ondoy”, even though the tools for doing so were not available.

They blamed the managers of the metropolis’ drainage system for not opening the pumps out of the city, even though doing so would have entailed pumping water into already full rivers.

But these critics need not look far for those who are ultimately to blame for last month’s deluge. They only have to look in front of them, behind them, beside them, around them, within them, for the cause of the disaster.

Yes. We are all to blame.

Our mad rush to build a city caused us to irresponsibly put houses and infrastructure in hazardous areas. Urban planning took a back seat to profit-making.

Our disregard for proper waste management filled our drains, our creeks, and our rivers with garbage that so congested the waterways that the water had nowhere to go but into our living rooms.

Our disrespect for the law led us to tolerate squatters who blocked the main drainage channels out of the city and added to the congestion of our waterways.

Our greed led us to strip the mountains bare of trees and plants, leaving our watersheds without any cover at all from the rains.

Our ignorance kept us from preparing for the inevitable, with money going into worthless endeavors such as junkets abroad instead of proper disaster response equipment, adequate warning systems, and Doppler radars which could have warned us of the amount of rain brought by “Ondoy”.

At the end of it all, we are left with what we have sown.

Now, let us plant new seeds in the mud left by this disaster. Let us learn from our mistakes, and not repeat them in the future, lest we suffer another “Ondoy”.

defending the osr

It's almost a month later and I still can't get over the UP Lantern Parade. The fireworks display at the end was the best I've ever seen - even better than those at Ayala during the Millennium celebration eight years ago.

I still remember laughing out loud when a marching band playing "Stars and Stripes Forever" came after a long line of protesters carrying banners screaming "Defend the OSR". The irony was really amusing.

Back then, I had absolutely no idea why we have to defend the Office of the Student Regent. Back then, I was annoyed at having activists screaming and chanting during one of the most festive days of the year.

Now that I know why, I'm even more annoyed.

The protesters were right. We have to defend the OSR. However, I believe that we have to defend the OSR from those who are crying "Defend the OSR".

Why?

The campaign being spearheaded by STAND-UP is misleading at best, blatant disinformation at worst. There is no threat to the Office of the Student Regent stemming from the passage of the UP Charter last year.

What the 2008 Charter calls for is a referendum on the rules for the selection of the Student Regent. This is what the "Defend the OSR" campaign is all about. They are telling us to vote "yes" in the referendum two weeks from now - a vote that, if successful, will institutionalize the existing Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection (CRSRS).

A "no" vote in that referendum will not lead to the abolition of the Office of the Student Regent. The OSR is a part of the UP Charter and as the Charter is a law (Republic Act 9500) passed by the Philippine Congress, it cannot be removed by a mere student referendum. A "no" vote will, in effect, open up the CRSRS to review and possible amendment.

And that is what I believe to be the "threat" that the "Defend the OSR" campaign is calling us to "defend" against.

The two other major political parties in UP, ALYANSA and KAISA, are calling for amendments to the CRSRS. These amendments include having a minimum academic requirement for would-be Student Regents, the inclusion of the duties and responsibilities of the Student Regent, the removal of KASAMA sa UP from the CRSRS as secretariat, and the revision of the Student Regent selection process which would give every UP college one vote each.

So what is the threat here?

A minimum academic requirement that would prevent the likes of a Joseph Estrada from leading and representing the UP students at the Board of Regents?

The definition of what the Student Regent can and should do for his or her constituents?

The removal of a partisan political body from a position wherein it could influence or even control who can become Student Regent?

The democratization of a selection process that today gives disproportionate votes to each UP unit?

I don't see any threats here, other than the removal of certain advantages from a certain political movement we all know and love. But that is just me speculating.

This referendum gives us the perfect excuse and opportunity to review and amend the CRSRS to further professionalize and democratize the Office of the Student Regent. Now what could be wrong with that?

Those in the "Defend the OSR" camp say that a failure of the referendum will lead to the abolition of the OSR or at least open up the OSR to a Malacanang appointee. If the referendum fails, the sitting SR will remain until a replacement is selected.

However, that replacement will have to be chosen by the students in accordance with rules and qualifications approved in a referendum by the students as written and enforced in the UP Charter. A failure of the referendum will leave current SR Shahana Abdulwahid as SR until her replacement is selected by the UP students. Her replacement will have to wait until another referendum is held to ratify the CRSRS or an amended version of it.

The bottom line here is that there can be no Malacanang appointee or abolition of the OSR. The "Defend the OSR" people are only using this bogey as a scare tactic, plain and simple. And what they are doing is blatant disinformation. They are being dishonest with us.

They are lying to us.

Yes, we should defend the Office of the Student Regent. The Student Regent represents us and fights for us at the Board of Regents. It is our sole voice in the highest policy-making body of the University of the Philippines.

We should defend the OSR from those who would use it for their own partisan ends. We should fight for its professionalization. We should call for the further democratization of the SR selection process.

If the referendum for the ratification of the CRSRS scheduled on January 26-29, 2009 asks me whether or not I want to keep the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection as flawed as they are right now,

I will vote no.

up for freshies

***

This is my final paper for one of my Journalism classes.

***

First off, let me welcome you to the University of the Philippines. You are now an Iskolar ng Bayan, one of the few who make it into the premier university of the country.

You are now entering a new world where you will learn new things and face new challenges.

Life in UP is not like life in high school. You will be on your own in this new world; no one will be there to hold your hand or to tell you what to do.

During my first week as a UP student, I got lost a lot of times. I simply did not know where to go.

The UP campus is huge. There are many buildings and places to go to. As freshmen, there are five places you have to know by heart, besides your home college of course.

Number one: Palma Hall.

A lot of your time will be spent here, as most of the general education subjects are held in this building. It will be hard to miss, as all the jeepneys in UP pass either in front or behind it. Just look for the huge columns and the famous steps where students go to meet friends, to study, or to just pass the time.

Of course, it was not that simple for me during my first days in UP. All the jeepneys do pass Palma Hall (or AS, for Arts and Sciences), you just have to know what to look for. At that time I did not know anything about the campus, let alone which building was which, so I often went right past Palma Hall. Here's a tip: when you see a lot of people –as in A LOT of people- that would most likely be Palma Hall.

Another thing about AS is that it does not have 4000 rooms. My first class there was at PH 4124, and I had absolutely no idea where that was. Guess what I did.

I followed every room since I did believe then that there were 4000 rooms. So I went from the first floor to the fourth floor looking for PH 4124. I did find room 1001 at the ground floor, but by then I was already huffing and puffing, not to mention extremely late for my class.

I finally gave up, swallowed my pride, and asked the nearest security guard where my class was. It turned out that I was in the wrong building. Besides the huge main building, Palma Hall has four pavilions and one annex. The room numbers do not show the actual number of rooms, they are location codes. As such, PH 4124 is read as Palma Hall Pavillion 4, 1^st floor, Room 24.

One thing you must always remember is that there is nothing wrong with asking questions. Ask for help if and when you need it. It is more embarrassing to not ask and be wrong in the end.

Of course, you should be wary of one thing. When looking for TBA, do not ask upperclassmen. Most UP students, if not all, seem to find this as an excuse to play a prank on unsuspecting freshies like you. I know I did. But I'm turning over a new leaf. To save you the trouble of asking, TBA means "to be announced" and not "top of Business Administration" or "Teodoro Benigno Annex".

Number two: Gonzalez Hall.

Also known as the Main Library, this is the building seen behind the Sunken Garden. It is just a short walk from Palma Hall. Much of your time MUST be spent here, since many of your classes will require research. Books, people. Wikipedia is overrated. And there are a lot of books here. I'm a voracious reader, and in five years I've read barely 1% of all the books in the library. You will most likely be using three sections of the Main Library: General Reference, Social Sciences, and Filipiniana. The General Reference and Social Science sections are on the first floor; from the entrance, GenRef is to the left and SocSci is to the right. The Filipiniana section is at the ground floor; go down the stairs to the left of the entrance.

Of the three, the best place to be would be the General Reference section. It is airy and quiet, easily conducive to sleeping. Just kidding. This is where you will find the free Wi-Fi service courtesy of DILNET. However, Friendster cannot be accessed from here.

Most of the readings for your classes will be found at the Social Science and Filipiniana sections, unless your professors are kind enough to have photocopied the needed books beforehand (which is very rare) or if they are at the Shopping Center, which would be the next stop on our tour.

Before we move on though, remember that there are also other libraries scattered all over the campus. Every college has its own library. Some of your readings may only be found in one or two of the different college libraries, so be prepared to go library hopping.

Number three: the Shopping Center.

Just an Ikot ride away from Palma Hall or a short walk from the Main Library, everything you could possibly need can be found here. There is a grocery store with all the food and supplies you will need. There are a lot of computer shops here for your printing, typing, and research needs. Yes, you can access Friendster here. Most of the photocopying shops are here too, along with some of your required readings.

The food shops here –Rodics, especially- are some of the best –and the cheapest- in the entire campus.

You can also find UP memorabilia, clothes, eyeglasses, school supplies, even rare movies. I only found out about the latter a few days ago. Try to go to the second floor of the first shop (Mister Donut) in the left wing of the building. Along with pocket books are hard-to-find movies, series, and computer programs; all of which can be bought cheap.

With the high cost of tuition nowadays, you need all the breaks you can get.

Number four: the Sunken Garden.

Life in UP is not all about studying. Don't get me wrong, it's very important to study here. However, all work and no play is boring, not to mention dangerous. You have to strike a balance between the two; you run the risk of burning out if you do not take some time out to relax.

This is where the Sunken Garden comes in. Found behind the Main Library, you would be hard pressed to miss this vast expanse of green. This is undeniably one of the best places to relax and unwind after a day of exams, reports, and papers. The tall acacia trees provide shade from the sun, and the air is almost always cool.

People come here to hang out with friends, play games, or just to sit and think. Kite flying, football, Ultimate Frisbee, baseball, badminton… The list of what you could do there is endless.

When I find the time to go there I just sit on the grass and watch the clouds or the people playing in the field. Sometimes I bring a book along with me.

The Sunken Garden is not the only place in UP where you can relax though. There are many other parks throughout the campus, foremost of which is the Lagoon. Found between the UP Theater and the Vargas Museum, this is the place to go for total peace and quiet.

The Lagoon opens up to the Amphitheatre and our next and last stop: Quezon Hall.

Number five: Quezon Hall.

To everything there must be an end. Our stay in UP will eventually come to an end, and the only way we should meet that end is by going through Quezon Hall.

The Oblation statue (or a copy of it) can be found in front of the tall columns of the building facing University Avenue. Behind Quezon Hall is the Amphitheatre, an expanse of grass comparable to the Sunken Garden but used for a different purpose.

This is where graduation ceremonies are held. If you study hard, in four to five years you will be one of the many white-clad students standing in the Amphitheatre waiting to be awarded their diplomas.

The ultimate goal for all of us should be to finish our courses, get our degrees, and share our knowledge and experience with the outside world.

As an Iskolar ng Bayan, a UP graduate must use the education and training given to him by the Filipino people to serve the Filipino nation.

That's it for our short "tour" of the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus. Remember that these are not the only places to see in the campus. I leave the others to you. Explore the place; you might find something new and unusual.

Good luck and enjoy your stay in UP!

a catalyst for truth

***This is a paper I wrote for yet another of my Journalism classes.

A CATALYST FOR TRUTH

It is only my first semester as a BA Journalism student, but I already have a good idea of what my life would be like after I graduate from college. Thanks to this interview assignment, I had a taste of what real journalists do out there in the field.

In our search for two broadcast journalists to interview, John and I went on a sort-of "Amazing Race" around Quezon City, visiting places which, until then, I didn't know existed. This assignment required us to find and interview one broadcast journalist from radio and one from television. We opted to go directly to a TV station and see if we could 'ambush' one unsuspecting reporter so in the early morning of November 23 we went to the Broadcast City, a place not far from UP where the offices and studios of RPN-9 and IBC-13 plus a radio station were located. However, we found out that we could not just walk up and interview people; we needed to have an appointment first. The guards there told us to try our luck at the Quezon City Hall instead. Unfortunately, when we got there all of the reporters assigned to that beat were out covering a story. The lone man in the press office referred us to a reporter named Angie Dela Cruz at the Land Transportation Office near Kamuning.

So far, this was the closest we got to finally getting to interview a reporter, so we went there only to find out that all the broadcast journalists there were also out looking for stories. Ms. Dela Cruz however was very accommodating, and she called up some of her friends in broadcasting. She set up an appointment with Alex Tinsay, a reporter for GMA-7, and she also told us to try the Central Police District in Kamuning, as she knew some of the radio broadcasters assigned there. That was how we got to meet radio broadcaster Danilo Santos at the Central Police District Press Office on November 26. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, I could not get there on time so John handled much of that interview by himself.

That same day, at lunch time, we went to the Department of Agrarian Reform to meet Alex Tinsay. It was my turn to be the interviewer, and I must say that I was really nervous then as it was the first time that I interviewed someone all by myself. The following is my attempt to translate that interview into a report.

***

"A catalyst for truth": that is what a good broadcast journalist is -should be- according to veteran reporter Alex Tinsay.

In an interview at the Department of Agrarian Reform Press Office last November 26, we asked Mr. Tinsay what being a broadcast journalist was all about.

Aside from being a catalyst for truth, Mr. Tinsay told us that a good broadcast journalist should also be driven, hardworking, and equipped.

He further explained that 'being equipped' meant being well-versed in current events, being able to research the background of stories, going by the ethics of journalism, and being able to dig out the truth.

When asked about the skills needed in broadcast journalism, Mr. Tinsay highlighted both the ability to determine the newsworthiness of a story on the spot and the ability to get both sides of the story.

Aside from these, the skills learned in school are also important, and when asked about the academic qualifications needed for the job Mr. Tinsay replied that every broadcast journalist should be a graduate of a mass communication course to ensure the quality of the broadcasting industry. He considered 'pseudo-journalism' a problem, as this often leads to news agenda and sensationalism.

Proper training is very important according to Mr. Tinsay. He doesn't believe in "getting people from nowhere and putting them on cam(era)" and having them report the news. Instead of having mere newsreaders, he wants to have newspersons that are credible. To him, one must "go through the ranks", so to speak, starting from the bottom –first becoming a production assistant or writer- before going on camera.

Mr. Tinsay considers broadcast journalism as a profession. Being a broadcast journalist entails heavy responsibility and the obligation to be a watchdog of society. Broadcast journalists must contribute to shaping or molding the opinion of society and they must give the people a better perspective on what is happening all around them for the good of society. Finally, broadcast journalists must work to expose all the lies and deception in society so as to "create a world that fits us all", a democratic society wherein everyone is free and has the opportunity "to rise up and reach his maximum potential".

He shared with us how he became a reporter at GMA-7. He said that he always had an "obsession to become an announcer, a 'news-cam person'". He started out as a radio broadcaster at the Far East Broadcasting Company but, given his obsession, he was not contented with being on radio; he wanted to be on TV. Someone later told him about an opening at GMA-7, so he applied there as a news writer.

This was where his 'big break' came in.

One Halloween night, a fire broke out at the Department of Labor. 5 people had died in the blaze, and ABS-CBN was already reporting the story. So far, GMA-7 had been silent, as the news anchors, Tina Palma and Raffy Marcelo, had already gone home for the holiday. Mr. Tinsay was the only one left at the newsroom, as he was the so-called balagoong, the new guy. The news director tried to recall the anchors, but they could not locate them. In desperation, the news director decided to put Mr. Tinsay on air. He still remembers his first words on live television: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is Alex Tinsay straight from the newsroom of GMA-7. A fire broke out at the Department of Labor..." The impressed news director hired him on the spot, and the rest is history.

Mr. Tinsay attributed his success to preparation -he kept a good set of clothes with him just for such an event- and to practice.

To aspiring broadcast journalists, Mr. Tinsay said that there are only two ways to learn: the hard way or the easy way. "If you learn the hard way, it would be better. There is no shortcut to the ladder of success." Aspiring broadcast journalists should not be afraid of menial tasks and should be ready to sacrifice and give their all, as journalism "is a 24/11 job". However, he adds, it can all be very rewarding, as we would get to see the story unfold before our eyes.

"You are not told (what is happening); you are there as the story is happening."

***

"You are there." That is one of the reasons why I want to become a journalist in the future. Yes, aside from the skills and the experience I would be able to get and apply if I ever take up law, I want to be "there" when history is made.

The challenge, however, is in being "a catalyst for truth". How does one ensure that the truth comes out when there are a lot of obstacles –some can even cost you your life- in the way? How can one avoid being corrupted by the power given by the ability to control the flow of information?

From what I've heard during John's interview, I can say that Danilo Santos and Alex Tinsay believe in the same things, even though they work in two different areas.

They both consider broadcast journalism as a profession. Mr. Santos told us stories of media men who "received envelopes" and became rich, even though reporting the news was not a very high paying job. He told us not to follow their example, so as to maintain the professionalism of journalism.

Both value hard work. Mr. Santos kept telling us about the importance of research; about always checking the background of stories and digging deeper into them to find out the truth.

If there ever is one thing I will never forget from this exercise, it is that broadcast journalism is all about getting the truth. You find the true story and report it as best you can to the people. It is not all glitz and glamour; hard work is the norm and patience is a requirement, and compensation can be non-existent. Also, listening to both Danilo Santos and Alex Tinsay made me appreciate more their assertion that this job, this profession, can be very fulfilling and rewarding. It's not in their words, it's in how they said those words that you see how passionate and how happy they are in doing their jobs.

Now that I'm concluding this assignment, I finally understand what they meant. After all the hard work we went through, after going to nearly every single press office in Quezon City, after the interviews and the writing and the editing, I felt a sense of accomplishment. The experience was very rewarding.

In the end, it was all worth it.

It’s astronomy, stupid

***This is a paper I wrote for one of my Journalism classes. I'll be posting some of my other papers sometime soon.

IT'S ASTRONOMY, STUPID

Star light, star bright

First star I see tonight

I wish I may, I wish I might

Have the wish I wish tonight

Who hasn't wished upon a star? I used to recite the rhyme above when I was little, usually with hopes of getting this or that new toy or book. I remember sitting on the window sill, looking up at the sky at dusk as the stars started to twinkle. What is it with stars anyway? They are just tiny points of light in the black of night, right?

Wrong. The stars are more than just bright dots in the sky. They are more important than you think. You learn that –and more- when you study Astronomy.

First off, let's get one thing clear: Astronomy is NOT the same as Astrology. This is one problem I've encountered a little too often with a lot of people; fellow UP students, high school teachers, and even National Bookstore are the worst examples. It's really annoying to have to correct people about this every time, so I'm saying it here and now: it's Astronomy, not Astrology. It's UP Astronomical Society, not Astrological Society. Philip's Astronomy Handbook is not in the same line as Chinese Astrological handbooks.

Astrology is the same with Astronomy only in the sense that both observe the meanderings of celestial bodies. It is also worth noting that both have a shared history; before the Renaissance, Astronomy and Astrology were one and the same thing. It was only the advent of scientific reasoning which differentiated the two into the disciplines we know now.

Astrology diverges from Astronomy by going beyond scientific study and into the realm of divination, superstition, and even religion by relating the movements and placements of stars and planets to past, present, and even future events here on Earth. In short, astrologers believe that everything that happens here is influenced –even determined- by the cosmos.

What is Astronomy then? Wikipedia defines Astronomy as the scientific study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere (such as cosmic background radiation). It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the formation and development of the universe. Astronomy does not try to relate celestial events with your mood nor does it try to predict who is going to be lucky or not in the New Year.

Sounds daunting? Just remember this: Astronomy is simply the study of everything beyond our own little planet, from the Solar System to the farthest reaches of the known universe.

Still too heavy? Don't fret. The good thing about Astronomy is that you do not need a doctorate in Physics to partake in it. Of course there is Math involved –formulas, equations, calculations- but you can safely ignore it and still enjoy the wonders of the cosmos.

Don't get me wrong though. Astronomy IS a science, but it is one science which is easily accessible to anyone, not only to the so-called "geeks" or "nerds". As I said, you don't need a doctorate in Physics to participate in it. It's really quite simple; you only need your eyes. Binoculars are good, and even a simple telescope would be better, but to "do" Astronomy, your eyes would suffice.

While professional astronomers do try to unravel the secrets of the universe –searching for extraterrestrial life, determining how everything began and how everything will end, exploring the planets of our solar system, etc.- we, as amateur astronomers, can just observe and take in the grandeur of the night sky. The majority of people who are interested in Astronomy are simply sightseers who want to know what's what in the sky over their heads.

So what is in the sky over our heads? Obviously, there is the Moon. Here in the Philippines we can also see the constellations of the northern hemisphere which include the well-known Orion, Ursa Major, and Cassiopeia. With a good telescope, the details of planets such as Saturn or Jupiter can also be seen. Nebulae are also visible, if you know where to look. A comet can pass by from time to time, and then there are the annual meteor showers… Whew. There is a lot more to see, but I will run out of space trying to fit them all here.

Aside from the "wow" factor, there are also more practical uses for knowing the stars. No, it's not the horoscope –that's Astrology. Knowing the positions of stars can aid you in finding your way around. In fact, the exploration of the world would have been extremely difficult –if not impossible- without the aid of the stars. Certain stars and constellations are visible at defined locations. Take for example the star Polaris. If you know where it is, you would be able to know where north is –that's why it's called the North Star. But how do you find Polaris? I'm sure you know the Big Dipper –it's not a constellation, by the way. It's an asterism, a pattern in the sky. A constellation is a region of the sky which is defined by a set of stars present at that location. Now the Big Dipper –part of the constellation Ursa Major- points toward a single star. That star is Polaris. It's easier than it sounds, believe me.

You would also be able to tell time –what hour it is, what month it is, and what season it is- by looking at the stars and the Moon. It's hard to discuss it here, but the simple explanation is that since the Earth revolves around the Sun, the locations of the stars in the sky change relative to where the Earth is at that point in time. The Moon will help tell what hour it is by its location in the sky and by what phase –crescent, gibbous, full- it is in.

Finally, knowledge of Astronomy can give you valuable insights in culture and history. People have been looking up at the stars ever since we have been here on this planet, and a lot of myths and legends, traditions and practices, and superstitions and beliefs are based on what our ancestors saw in the sky. You don't even have to look far for an example.

Here in our country, the indigenous peoples have been practicing Astronomy even before Magellan was born. Just recently, the Philippine Daily Inquirer published an article by Prof. Dante Ambrosio about how people called the Samas used and interpreted the skies. Would you believe that ancient Filipinos had their own versions of the constellations, that they had names for the stars? Read the Inquirer Talk of the Town article "'Mamahi:' Stars of Tawi-tawi" (PDI 01/26/2008) to find out more.

Astronomy is a fascinating science. It can also be a very rewarding experience. I should know; for the past three years I've been a member of the UP Astronomical Society, and much of what I have written here comes from my own experience. But don't take my word for it.

Try it for yourselves. Instead of just lying down and watching television tonight get out of your house and look up at the stars. Who knows, one of your wishes might be fulfilled.

Ad astra per aspera.

time crisis

There, I've calmed down somewhat.

A few minutes ago I was shivering like crazy. I still can't understand why. Who knew that a spark of inspiration could lead to this?

I'm supposed to give a report on broadcasting history for class on Thursday. Yes, THURSDAY. Two days from now. I've researched the topic already, and the only thing keeping me from setting a lifetime record by FINISHING THE REPORT ONE DAY EARLY is the question of presentation.

It hit me this morning, and I've been 'overstaying' here at home to try to further develop the idea.

I stumbled upon one Internet site which had a list of historic radio broadcasts. If you click on the link, try and guess which one I listened to first.

So there I was, complete with earphones and all. The screen was blank, so I felt like I was just listening to the radio.

Why the shivering? I GOT SCARED. It all felt so real, like I WAS REALLY THERE. The illusion was so complete that for a moment I got lost in time.

Of course it could be the one cup of coffee I drank this morning, but there was something...

...else.

I'm going to eat lunch now. I've got a class at 1 PM. I'll finish the report tomorrow.

***
Words of wisdom:
"If it bleeds, it leads." - from yesterday's Journalism 101 class

portfolio 2: surviving the university of pila

**I'll be posting my three best essays in English 1 for the next few days. Since I'm supposed to encode them, why not also post them? Hehehehe. Seriously now, I'll be submitting these essays as a final project so please feel free to point out any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and common sense. Violent reactions and brutal comments will be most appreciated.

Surviving the University of Pila

The enrollment process in UP is really simple. You simply get a Form 5A from your college, verify your subjects, add some more or drop a few if you want, then transfer the information to a Form 5. Have the form checked and assessed, and then all you have left to do is to pay your tuition fee. That simple, at least in theory.

Reality, however, is different from theory. Enrollment in UP, oftentimes referred to as registration, is oftentimes an exercise in frustration. Yes freshies, it's not as easy as you think. You've gone through it once, but we upperclassmen have gone through it lots of times. You still have top priority over us, so this coming semester, enjoy it while you can. Once you enter your sophomore year, you'll find out what I'm talking about. Better for you if you find out now though, so read on.

We UP students are very lucky; we get to choose which classes to attend every semester. We're not forced to follow some rigid schedule, and we can even avoid the so-called terror professors! However, this comes at a high price, and payment is due during the enrollment period. Yes, this is the main problem you will encounter once you become sophomores. The mad scramble for subjects and classes is what makes enrollment in UP so frustrating.

Let's go through all the steps once again. The aforementioned Form 5A is the product of what we call PRE-ENLISTMENT. The Computerized Registration System (CRS) is responsible for getting you the subjects you want. As freshies, you can just collect and select any subject you want, thanks to your "priority" status. Once that's gone, you'll join every other student in what amounts to a lottery; when you pre-enlist in a subject, there is a large chance that you won't get it, especially if it's a GE subject. The CRS will randomly select from the students who pre-enlisted in that subject. So while you get to see filled-up Form 5As, the rest of us end up with nearly blank pieces of paper come ENLISTMENT time.

So we've got our Form 5As. You haven't gone through ENLISTMENT yet, so let me tell you now: be prepared. While PRE-ENLISTMENT is done in front of a computer, ENLISTMENT is the hard leg work. Bring food and water with you. Charge your cellphone and stock up on prepaid credits. Grab a thick paperback book as you leave home. This is where you'll find out why UP is often referred to as the "University of Pila". Woe to the poor schmuck who didn't get his classes through CRS; he now has to line up at various enlistment rooms to get the class he wants - or even worse, needs. Pray that you don't end up like that. But, in case you do, the food and water and book will help greatly. You won't have to leave your line and you won't die of boredom. The cellphone will help you keep connected with your friends who might send you important information, like when new classes have opened up. I can't stress this enough: come enlistment time, the person who is the most well-informed has the best chance of surviving the entire enrollment process with his sanity intact.

Aside from keeping informed, you have to be mobile. This is not the time to bring laptops with you. Limit yourself to a pen and essential documents, plus the other items mentioned above, as you will find yourself running to and from different and often widely separated buildings. You have to memorize the layout of the campus - where the important buildings are, the routes of the jeepneys, even the best shortcuts to take. Remember, you are also competing with thousands of other students, so the faster you get to that newly-opened GE class, the better your chances of getting it.

Once you get all your desired classes, you have to transfer all the information from your Form 5A to a Form 5. Be careful with this! Check that all the information on your Form 5A is correct before you write on your Form 5, as this will save you the trouble of having to rewrite and start from scratch when the people at CHECKING find a mistake.

When you've had Form 5 checked by the registration assistants, your next step will be ASSESSMENT. This is the easy part. You go to a room where accounts look over your Form 5 and tell you how much your tuition fee is going to be. You are then all set for PAYMENT. One last line, and you're all done.

As you can see, the major problem with registration is in the ENLISTMENT part. This will take up most of your time and will be the main source of your frustration. Trust me. I know. To get through the enrollment process, or more precisely the ENLISTMENT process, you have to be prepared, be informed, and be mobile. Those are the keys to surviving enrollment at UP.

Don't worry. You'll only be doing this at least four times during your UP life, unless you opt for summer classes. Once you reach "graduating" status, you'll be a "priority" once again.

waiting is the hardest part

Who knew that I would be spending so much time in Internet cafes this month?

Our interview project is due in an hour and a half, yet I still don't have it in my hands. We will be having a quiz on the Chinese and Japanese press(es?) tomorrow but our handout and the quiz itself is not yet ready.

I do have a lot of time on my hands, but most of it is spent waiting. Yes. Waiting. Waiting for my groupmate to send our interview project to me, waiting for my other groupmates to finish our handouts so I can make my quiz questions, and waiting for the YouTube video I'm watching to kill time to finally load!

I envy the guys on the other computers; they have all the time in the world to play online games. Of course I was just about ready to wring the necks of the damned fools who were screaming out their kills on DotA a while ago, and I have reservations as to the legality of providing computer games so close to an educational institution.

I now believe the horror stories I've heard about PLDT Internet service. The Internet connection here, previously way faster than what we have at home, has been erratic. I guess it's the same at other 'Net cafes here at the Shopping Center.

The timing is just right. I've got an essay to write for English 1, and the topic is on 'addiction'. There are a lot of people here right now, almost all of them lining up to play DotA. What's up with that game ba? Yikes. Conyo side asserting itself. Hehehehe...

I've just about finished downloading the last four parts of our project. Now all we have to do is to have them printed. In color. At 30 pesos a page. With 9 pages. Waiting's over, here comes the pain!

first of september

Back on a public computer, I am.

I've been here for an hour now. I'm hungry, but my meeting at Jollibee won't be until 1 o'clock. After that will be our group interview with Edgardo Vinarao. The knowledge I gained from my Film 100 class would be really put to the test, as he's a film director who directed and edited a lot of Filipino films.

My Journalism 100 report this morning went well; I barely stuttered and I even managed to make the class laugh a bit, which is quite a lot given my record with public speaking. I hope I get to cure my stage fright in the future. If I want to rule this country with an iron fist become a politician or a lawyer I have to learn to control the stress and anxiety associated with addressing a large group of people. It's really no problem when I know the people I'm speaking to but it gets dicey the moment I step up to speak before people I barely know.

That's why I took Communications 3 this semester. That subject is why I'm typing on a public computer right now. This public computer does not have Mozilla Firefox, it has Internet Explorer. I miss the tabs. I get lonely without the tabs. I love tabs. Internet Explorer does not have tabs. I hate Internet Explorer.

Not as much as I hate Joma Sison and his army of communist terrorists. I squealed with delight the moment I heard of his arrest. Yet I wholeheartedly agree with the militants' demand for his release. Yes, "Ka Joma" must be released. Preferably from an airplane 10,000 feet above ground level. With no parachute. Weeee! Splat!

Oh, will you look at the time. I now owe Cafe Manila 23 pesos. My meeting is in fifteen minutes. Gotta go!

of faces and photographs

I have a confession to make. I can already feel the brickbats heading my way, but what the hell.

Let's keep that for later though. Hehehehe...

The lunar eclipse last night was just beautiful. It was a total eclipse, in the sense that we did not see anything, not even a sliver of the red-tinted moon, since the thick clouds blocked our view. To think that I ran all the way from my class in CAL just to be able to see this "not very common" (as opposed to "rare") event -the next one would be in 2011- and probably get a few shots in with my PDA/cellphone/digicam.

I did get a few pictures though, however these were of the more terrestrial variety. The media was out in full force at the PAGASA Observatory last night, and I had to dodge a few reporters and cameras and the ever-present paparazzi *ahem* as I went up the road to our tambayan.

What greeted me there was no different; as I climbed up to the moon deck the flashes of assorted cameras lit up the night. It's amazing how the press did not even notice the photo-op happening at the next building from where all their cameras were set up. Hehehe...

So Anna, Carlo, Dj, She: asaan na ang pictures ko?

After the "event" we went to Jollibee Philcoa again. A week after the Astro Dinner and we were back. I think the staff already recognized us by sight, although the sheer number of noisy and hungry people who poured into the building may have played a minor part in their decision to open the normally reserved area for us.

So there. I've delayed long enough. My former and current classmates and groupmates are going to hate me for this.

I have trouble remembering names. There are times wherein I've just met someone and then I immediately forget their name. There are a lot of times where I meet somebody who smiles and waves at me, blissfully unaware of the chaos going on behind my gracious smile: Who the hell is this?

I smile back even though I can't remember the name because I recognize the face. That is the one thing that has kept me from making a fool out of myself, or at worst appearing as a snob. If I have trouble remembering names I have no problem at all remembering faces.

Or so I thought until yesterday.

There I was, walking out of CASAA after having a drink, when someone met my eyes and waved at me. My brain went into overdrive as I tried to put a name to the face, but it really went haywire when I didn't recognize the face.

Maybe it was a mutual misunderstanding, maybe it was a mistake by either of us. Maybe she just happened to look at my direction while swatting a fly from her face. Or maybe I'm really starting to lose it.

To whoever that was, if you knew me and if you're reading this right now, I'm really sorry about that.

To everyone else, please keep the "you're getting old" and other related comments to a minimum. It's hard enough as it is!

Anyway, I have to get back to studying for my Film 100 exam tomorrow.

raindrops are falling on my head

This is starting to become a habit.

With Monday having been declared as a 'special holiday', I'm looking at an extremely long weekend. I've been cooped up here at home since Wednesday, thanks to the torrential rains brought by the typhoon.

Of course this 'vacation' will cost us all time and money, not to mention opportunities. Yes, opportunities to learn and do things, to meet other people, to go places. But for me, it's mostly about missing my allowance.

Having to go to school at 10AM everyday has been a blessing. I haven't yet experienced the frustration of learning that classes have been suspended again while being stuck in a flooded street. However, that has not made me any less annoyed at the dolts in the DepEd or CHED or NDCC or the local government or whoever the hell is supposed to suspend classes. You would think that these guys would have learned by now that suspending classes at the last minute is not a very good idea.

The irony just amazes me. The DepEd and CHED should have learned something by now about typhoons and their effect on our overcrowded metropolis.

There's something else I wanted to write about here, but I just can't remember what it was. My short-term memory seems to be going haywire; sometimes I look up from what I was doing and forget what I was doing. This problem manifests itself mostly when I'm doing something on the computer. I open up a new tab and then I forget what page I wanted to open in that new tab. I open up a webpage and once it's up I forget why I opened it up. I plan to do something yet a moment later I forget what it was and end up doing nothing. It's really frustrating.

Maybe it's the stress of having to do so much in such a small amount of time. This little vacation sure as hell won't help matters! Once the rains end the work is going to pour down in a torrent, and time is against me. One and a half months to go ladies and gentlemen. One and a half months to go before my fate is finally sealed.

Nah, September is still a long way off. I'll probably be able to manage, especially with all the success I've experienced in the past weeks. Unless something else really screws everything up.

Haaay... I really love the weather, especially now that my shoes have finally been fixed. What were once battered pieces of leather worn and weathered by two years of unforgiving use are once again 100% capable of charging through mud and flood, keeping my feet safe and warm. Now all I need is a new jacket and a new bag. Attrition is eating everything up, and the meager resources I have on hand are just not enough to keep my things in shape.

So, what else can I write about? The final battle scene from Return of the Jedi is taking quite some time to download, and I have to do SOMETHING to combat the boredom inherent with waiting.

Ah... Waiting. My most annoying pet peeve. I don't like waiting. I can't emphasize this enough. I abhor, despise, loathe waiting. I HATE waiting. I-- well would you look at that, download complete!

I need some coffee.

midnight coffee break

Mid-semester already, and things have taken a turn for the better. The two typhoons which hit the country last week did more than fill up reservoirs and water dry fields; they also gave me a lot of breathing space.

My Film 100 report has been pushed back a full two weeks, giving me a lot of time to fix up my Powerpoint presentation. My Natural Science 2 exam, originally scheduled for last Thursday, was a cake walk when I took it this afternoon.

I also got the results of my English 1 exam today. I really enjoy being singled out for recognition and, yes, this morning was no exception. Ahhh... I can already hear the Hallelujah chorus...

How I wish that everyday would be like today, with everything falling into place right where I want them. THAT is my perfect world - everything goes MY way.

Maybe that's why I have such an aversion to democracy.

Right, my inner dictator is once again asserting itself- down Adolf, down! Okay. The caffeine is really coming in strong.

I'm back to two cups of coffee everyday; the regular supply of milk and sugar has been reestablished. The random instances of perkiness and unexplained delight have also returned.

Remember my posts about anti-insect weapons, what Albert so fittingly called SLLs (sandatang laban sa lamok)? Well, I guess my dream of a complete and effective defense against those useless and annoying bloodsuckers is one step closer to reality.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, one step closer, thanks to the USB Rocket Launcher! I'm not kidding folks! For only a little less than 5000 pesos I can have one of these babies up and running (firing, actually) in minutes.

Of course it's not accurate or fast enough to take out my little bloodsucking friends, but it's good enough to defend my space from my little sister's dog. Hehehe...

Who knows? Maybe in a few years my dream would finally become a reality... Bwahahaha! Now if THAT dream could become a reality, why not the OTHER dream too?

Guess what that one is...

monday morning blahs

Tinatamad na ako.

It's Monday, and the virus spawned by my ill-advised and hasty decision to skip class last Friday is manifesting itself once again.

My head hurts. I want to lie down. I want to sleep more. I want to rest.

My coffee is still too hot, but I have to get going in 15 minutes. I can't afford to be late again. Here's to another caffeine rush.

I feel like I'm being pushed to the limit. I want to push back. I want to strike back. I want to- nah... I'll keep that one for myself - in places no one will find.

thoughts on a saturday

What's worse than waking up at 5:30 in the morning just so you could get to your 8:30 class on time and then finding out that said class was cancelled?

Waking up at 5:30 in the morning ON A SATURDAY just so you could get to your 8:30 class on time and then finding out that said class was cancelled!

It was a good thing that my dad drove me to school this morning; if I had commuted I would have been doubly frustrated and annoyed at having to go to school on a Saturday. Yes, it's my fault for enlisting in a Saturday class. However, bad enough as my one-day weekend is, the alternative is even worse.

Well, look at the bright side. I got some other things done. My English 1 readings are complete, my hair is back to normal length, and I got some bread for the table. Too bad the computer shop near our home was packed; I could have gotten in two hours of Command & Conquer 3.

My reading and writing skills have been in demand for the past few days. Aside from papers and assignments for class, I've been writing some parts and editing almost all of the documents needed for our org's recognition. Maybe I've found my true calling... Hehehe...

I'm still adjusting to the new school year. I have always been late for my first class of the day, which, by the way, is at 10 in the morning. I seem to have trouble getting out of the house; the computer monitor is just so hypnotic...

***
I've been giving some thought to what I've posted before. Easy subjects plus multi-hour breaks equals a lot of thinking time. I really don't think it's going to be an effective deterrent, given some of its shortcomings.

A CIWS (close in weapon system) is just that: close range only. Targeting, tracking, and shooting are limited to line-of-sight only. What I really need to deter would-be blood-suckers plus the more maneuverable flies and the tougher-skinned cockroaches is a mini SAM (surface to air missile) system.

With an even greater engagement range than the aforementioned Phalanx CIWS, the ability to home in on locked targets, and the capability to deliver high explosives to the targets, a SAM system would effectively deny the airspace around me to any annoying insect.

Of course fighter jets are needed to maintain complete air superiority, and once I get some I plan to keep a full combat air patrol around me at all times. However, in their absence a SAM battery would do quite well in keeping me safe from dengue and malaria.

I need a new computer. Obviously, I need to get some things out of my system. Hehehe...

university of pila

So much for the first week of class. I got my PI 100 class, but the cost was just too much. I spent half of my day in a long, winding line at Palma Hall. It was hot, it was tiring, and it was all a waste of time. I spent nearly two hours standing there, only to be told that I had to go to another line at the University Registrar, where chaos and confusion reigned.

It was a good thing that Erika kept me company for most of the time, as I was already fuming and foaming at the mouth for having been forced to hop from building to building in a vain effort to find out just where the hell I had to go to get my change of matriculation assessed. And as if just to add insult to injury, all the waiting and walking was just so someone could write ''910" on my Form 26. I could have done that myself! Of course there's probably some bureaucratic purpose for all the building-hopping and waiting in line but spend some time in my shoes and I'm sure you would understand why I spent the last few hours in an evil mood waiting for a chance to snap at somebody -anybody- just to be able to blow off all the frustration welling up inside me.

''Vents" did appear from time to time, and light moments prevented my mood from getting worse. However, I still haven't paid for my PI 100 class, and I'm afraid that I would have to once again endure the endless lines which rightfully give UP the moniker ''University of Pila".

***
So what else is new...

The mosquitoes are currently feasting on my royal blood. I'm back to my Sunken Garden moments, thanks to my very open schedule. Of course this would mean more time for me to complete my requirements, but somehow I feel that... Nah... It's still too early in the sem to be thinking about that.

Someday I'll develop a miniature anti-aircraft gun which I'll carry everywhere with me. Think of a Phalanx CIWS gun, only the size of a 10-peso coin. I'll have someone else develop nano bullets and a virtual reality targeting system. Killing mosquitoes will never be the same again, or at least until I get my hands on a squadron of micro fighter jets... Won't that be sweet...

great expectations

Apparently, things have a funny way of not going the way I planned. I took two language electives last semester to counterbalance my one economics and two political science courses; a little something to break the monotony of reading endless volumes and to bump up my GWA for the sem. Now, the grades are out, and guess what? I've got ones on my three major subjects and twos on my supposedly life-saving, grade-bumping language electives, turning what should have been a GWA of 1.4 to a 1.7! Granted, an average of 1.7 is a high one, and it's the highest I've ever gotten since starting out in UP, but it is just not good enough for me! (grade conscious ba?) It's a matter of pride, yes, but this latest setback has lessened my chances of getting into CSSP. I guess I now have to consider applying at NCPAG or at CAL, and face another three years of college. Hell, I want to graduate already! Haaay... But that's the way the cookie crumbles folks. I'm going to UP today to try to talk some sense into one of my professors (read: beg) and somehow salvage this debacle. It's a long shot, yes, but it just might save my skin in the long run. Yes, that's it: a desperate operation to try to change a ''2" into at least a "1.5". Hehehe... This is the new me: quibbling over a .5. What the hell. It just might work.

***
This would also be the perfect excuse to get out of the house. Though they haven't manifested themselves yet, boredom and insomnia due to idleness is a clear and present danger to my sanity. I need something to do besides staring at our antiquated CRT monitor for hours on end every single day. Of course a new computer with all the bells and whistles (read: Intel Core 2 Duo + GeForce 8800 + 4GB RAM + 250GB hard drive + Windows Vista) along with a brand new copy of Command and Conquer 3 would do much to quell all my feelings of boredom, but it sure as hell won't do much good for my insomnia I suppose. Back on topic though, the green of the Sunken Garden would do wonders for my mind, and my feet do miss walking around. Oh well, at least I would be doing something else to get my mind off the heat here at home.

***
By the way, congratulations to all those who've graduated!

home stretch

Another sunset, and the semester is one day closer to its end.

Coffee on such a hot day may be seen as some to be a bit eccentric, but to me it is a fitting way to relax after 9 hours of work.

At the UP Main Library there is one perfect spot for me. The coffee dispenser is only a few feet away, there is a beautiful view of the sky and the trees, and the silence is just what my overheated mind needs.

Yes. Silence. Isolation. Reflection.

The end is in sight. After my final exams on the 31st I would finally be able to rest and relax once again.

For the near future, at least.

Ad astra per aspera

the force is strong with me

Your overconfidence is your weakness. -Luke Skywalker

Last night I said that I had an exam in Econ 109 today. That exam was supposed to start at 8:30 in the morning. Guess where I was at 8:20. Hehehehe... I left home at exactly 8:30, and I only got on an FX by 8:45. Needless to say I was already fuming; my temper was already rising to dangerous levels. Sure, I was late in leaving for school since I just had to open up the computer and check my mail and backup my XDA and watch some videos on YouTube, but the FX driver was also to blame for my tardiness because he was not at the terminal when I arrived! Yes. The FX driver is to blame. Not me. Certainly not my addiction to the Internet. No way.
I got to my classroom by 9:15. With only 45 minutes to spare, I immediately started on the exam. I wrote so furiously that my pen actually gave up on me halfway into the second essay question. When it was all over I had filled up one and a half sheets of yellow paper. In 45 minutes. Wow. Of course I was overconfident for a reason: it was an open-book exam. The answers were never more than 5 inches away from me. Two nights before I had already read the two assigned chapters and highlighted all the important details. I expect to see another "1" next week. How's that for confidence?

Your faith in your friends is yours. -Emperor Palpatine

My troubles, if you could call them that, did not end with my exam. There was still that one-page Latin short story to translate. The assignment was given last Tuesday. We were supposed to meet yesterday, but no one showed up at the designated place at the appointed time. History repeats itself. Guess how much my groupmates and I had done by lunch time of the deadline. Translation is not an exact science. You do not just get a dictionary and replace latin word with english word. You have to consider the context of the sentence. You have to take into account the culture of the time in which the document you're trying to translate was written. And you cannot just move on after translating a sentence, you have to polish it up so that it would have meaning in the English language. It's just like writing a paper for grammar class, or a blog, except that you have to be able to choose and use exactly the right words and you have to be extremely careful with the cases and the numbers and the persons and the moods and the genders of every single noun, adjective, verb, and adverb or else what you come up with would amount to pure gobbledygook. So we were only at the third sentence. Big deal. Our Latin class was at 2:30. In the excitement of meticulously poring over the definition and inflection of every single word in the text I sort of forgot to eat lunch. A cup of hot brewed coffee replaced rice. It had such a stimulating effect that all the way into my Political Science 150 class I was twitching and shaking. Come Latin class the fruit of our labor was finally put to the test. Our hard work was not without reward, as we garnered 8 points before the class had to be dismissed due to lack of time. And because of the lack of time everyone was given the full 10 points to be added to the second exam. Weeee!

It is pointless to resist, my son. -Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker

To reward myself for my recent successes on the academic front and to congratulate myself for living through such a hectic and stressful day, I just had to have a plate of California Maki and Tuna Sushi at Teriyaki Boy. My lunch was at 6 in the evening. It's ironic. We're just friends now, and there we were, having dinner at a restaurant after such a long time without ever going out on a date. I had planned on watching Letters from Iwo Jima at the cinema, but unfortunately only Ayala cinemas were playing it. I had no plans of going all the way to Makati at such a late hour. Blue Wave Marikina beckoned, and there we went. When you're in a celebratory mood, stay away from any arcade; it will suck you in and bleed you dry, especially when it has Time Crisis 3 in it! 150 pesos in 30 minutes. Gone. O di immortales!

Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design. -Emperor Palpatine

*Return of the Jedi; Emperor's Throne Room, right before the Rebel Alliance launches its attack on the Second Death Star

carpe diem

I have been meaning to update this blog for quite some time now, but it was only today that I was finally in the mood to do some writing. Actually I still don't feel like writing. It's as if there's a dam in my mind keeping the ideas from flowing through my hands into the computer.

So what do you do if something is in your way?

Why, BLOW IT UP of course!

Or RUN OVER IT!

CRUSH the opposition!

SWEEP it away!

SEIZE the initiative and ANNIHILATE the enemy!

Now that's better. I actually feel warm and fuzzy inside.

So what's new? Quite a lot, actually.

My mom has been at the hospital for 5 days now, thanks to a stone (or stones, but I only saw one) in her gall bladder. Her entire gall bladder had to be removed, since the stones had already caused it to be inflamed. In less than a year we've been 'invited' back to the Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital, and she even got my old doctor from my 'midterm vacation' last year. She'll be coming home today; thank God that she got treated in time and nothing else happened. However, this entire episode has had one good side effect: my mom has FINALLY been banned from smoking. And when she comes home I fully intend to ensure that that ban is well and truly implemented.

I actually have a good chance of getting high grades this semester. As I may have written about earlier, the results of my midterm exams were way above expectations. Besides that I've been speaking out in class more than before, which is saying quite a lot since I RARELY spoke out in class before. I don't know why, but I think I've got this 'studying' thing finally all figured out. Hehehehe... Just kidding. Maybe it's just because after FOUR YEARS I don't have a single Math subject. Not one. Not even a teeny-tiny-itsy-bitsy hint of Math. Yes. There's still a month to go before the semester ends and I still have loads of papers and reports and exams to wade through, but hey, at least I've regained the initiative. All I have to do is to sustain the momentum, and then my dream of becoming a university scholar will FINALLY become a reality.

Speaking of speaking out I think I actually spoke out TOO MUCH last Tuesday during my Latin class. It's election season once again, and candidates for the University Student Council and the various college councils have been going room to room to campaign for their respective parties. It so happened that some candidates of the STAND-UP party chose to campaign during my Latin class. After the usual introduction speech and the 'call for mobilization against the TOFI (tuition and other fee increase)' speech there was the usual question and answer portion, which I quite nervously took advantage of. I asked them what their alternatives for the tuition fee hike were, given that they were vehemently opposing said policy and I wanted to know what they wanted to do without it. I forgot exactly what they answered but it was the same old line of fighting the tuition fee increase with more demonstrations and lobbying for a larger budget for UP. And they didn't answer my question. I wanted to know what alternatives they had to solve the funding problems of the university in place of the tuition fee increase. So I asked again. I asked what they planned to do NOW to solve the funding problem. Besides waiting for a budget increase (which by the way is, while idealistic, totally impractical given the current state of affairs in our country) I wanted to know what CONCRETE plans they had for solving the problem. This is where I think I blew up. "LOOK AT THIS CHAIR! LOOK AT THIS ROOM! What do you propose to do about this NOW?" Their answer? "Solicitation." I did not push any further. After that and with some parting words they left, and that was when I noticed the funny looks my classmates were giving me. It turned out that during that short space of time I looked as if I was about to THROW MY CHAIR at the guy who answered my question. I didn't even notice it; I was so lost in the moment. What shocked me more was that my professor COMMENDED me for my (I can't remember the exact words) caring so much about the issues confronting the studentry today. Not bad for my first time ever speaking out publicly on an important issue.

Whew.

I guess I have to take a break here.

But wait, there's more!

Now that I've moved to the new Google-powered Blogger I can finally go back to updating this blog on a more regular basis. Weeeee!

troubleshooting convenience

My computer has been acting up as of late. Slow load times and random errors have become commonplace. The CD player is close to unusable and the speakers spout out loud static every time they are adjusted. Programs I've used with no problems in the past run sluggishly or not at all.
I would reformat it, if not for the slow Internet connection we've had since that earthquake off Taiwan. Download speeds are just a tad bit higher than in a dial-up connection, and there's a high probability of downloads just stopping way before they reach 50%. Web pages load painfully slowly or not at all. When once I had multiple tabs loading in Firefox at the same time I now find it hard to load one completely without refreshing it at least once.
A reformat now would erase over 3 years of patches and upgrades, not to mention security software, which would be nearly impossible to restore with our Internet connection problems.

It's very annoying and inconvenient to have computer problems nowadays. A computer has become a requirement for school; research, papers, homework, papers, presentations, papers, and reports (did I mention papers?) go through a computer before landing on the desk of your teacher. A printer would also be nice to have, as the lack of one would entail severe logistical problems and not a few unpassed assignments (yes, it happened to me). Communication with friends and loved ones is now done through the Internet; instant messaging, email, voice chat, webcams, threads, and forums now serve as meeting places. Some people build entire lives in the online world.

So imagine my predicament now. I admit I've become too dependent on computers, or on technology for that matter. I spend more time now in front of a screen, be it that of a computer, TV, or cellphone, than in front of a real paper book. In fact I have books -electronic books- just waiting to be loaded into my PDA.
I also find myself multi-tasking more often now; TV droning on in the background, cellphone in one hand, mouse on the other, headphones in my ear, YouTube loading in one tab while I'm typing in Multiply in another, Yahoo Messenger in another window, -and then the phone rings.

The convenience brought by technology can also be a curse. Having the world at your fingertips removes any need for you to walk. We are conditioned to demand speed at every turn, just so we could fit everything we want or need to do in the 24 hours given to us everyday, 24 hours which are squeezed and reduced more and more by more demands on our time so much so that soon nothing is ever fast enough. With various media competing for our attention and with all the things we do in our everyday lives we find that we have very little time for anything else.

And then we realize that we are inconvenienced by the very things we made and bought and used to make our lives easier. Computer problems keep us up all night in vain attempts to set right the effects of over six years of wear and tear (guess what I'm doing at 4:33 in the morning).Dependence on technology becomes a liability when the power goes out (remember Milenyo?). I won't even begin to describe the battles we've fought here over who gets to use the computer or the TV at this or that time.

I bought a book last Friday; you can now scratch off Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas from your Christmas gift lists. I spent the afternoon at the Sunken Garden with my new book. It was windy, cold even. I was laughing every once in a while -I think some of the people near me then thought that I was crazy. And for at least two hours I forgot about my 6-year old computer. I wasn't staring at a monitor and screaming invectives at Globe Telecom or pounding at the CD drive. No one was texting me at that time, and there were no TV sets in sight. It was just me and a good book. A cup of coffee would have been nice, but I was fine right there alone with my book and my thoughts of the day gone by.

I remember writing about how playing computer games was so relaxing for me. It seems I forgot how it felt to just sit back and relax and read and dream.

Haaay...