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The name is Elaine or Ien or Pssst or Hoy ...or whatever suits you
...from the city of Davao
...26 with fine lines and wrinkles already
...short-haired, two-eyed na! (thanks to constact lenses), right-handed, flat-footed
...wants to be a Buddhist and a United Nations interpreter someday
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Tuesday, November 16
The ACARE Weekend
I took the last flight out of Davao City, 7:40pm of November 11. Sheesh! Buying the plane ticket less than 2-hours before the flight is such a nerve-wracking experience. I left a lot of things. I spent a lot of money on cabs. I wasn't able to buy pasalubongs. So, I swear it won't happen again. Lex and I met up at SC and we walked to the UP Mindanao Guest House (where I will be staying for the next two days). Thank God Mang Mauro's home, else I'll probably grow more varicose veins waiting. Dumped my things, we headed for Philcoa CityMall to eat at Chowking and buy toiletries at Mercury. A lot of things have changed since the last time I went to that place. Shops were renovated. Gates were erected. More sidewalk fruit vendors are visible. Crowded, but at least it's lively. Anyway, when I went back to the house, Sir Tim was already there. I didn't chat with him much and immediately dropped out of exhaustion. Tomorrow is another day...
Friday, first day of ACARE. I curse UST for being so far and congested. In fact, I came in late for the conference because I can't get a ride. Entering Beato, I was greeted by a flock of beautiful people forcing me to register. "Ah Miss, your name please. Are you a student, visitor, guest? And from what school?"...
"Arch. XXXX . I am a presentor. I'm from Ateneo De Davao University. So I believe I'm already registered." ...Then complete silence. I can feel wide eyes staring at me with eyebrows raised up their foreheads. "Er, guys, Am I not supposed to sign anything? I think those papers need my signature." Then, they synchronizingly gave me the papers and the conference kit and directed me to the elevator. When I reached 3rd floor, I was trying to balance everything in my arms... the bag, the jacket, the kit, the pack of facial tissue ('coz by then, I was sweating profusely!). I was indirectly asking those cutey usher guys to help me, but it seems they are excited to help old and famous architects instead. A girl usher (i think she's just in her 3rd year) offered to carry my things and get my merienda for me. Thank God for students like her! This whole stereotyping thing is not really working for me. Not only because I'm young and obviously inexperienced about these matters, but also because I'm from a far-flung university.
Lex was already there. I saw a lot of familiar faces... Grace Ramos, Zeny Galingan, Gerard Lico, Dean Espina, Grace Edralin and Rowee and Boy from other arki schools in Davao. The concept of this conference still puzzles me. Good thing Lex simplified it for me... "Ang mang-tsugi ng study ng ibang tao". Gawd! I instantly remembered the skwakers powerpoint I made the day before. I need to revise it... bigtime! I spent the whole day thinking how to make my presentation more "convincing" and less tsugi-able. With my mind out of focus, it seemed all presentors for that day were speaking blah-blah... blurry noises of irrelevant stuff. We joined Alan for lunch that day and invited him to watch the rest of the afternoon presentation. Shucks, it feels good to be with two old buddies in that time of complete "ngarag-ness." Lex offered to burn and print my prepared powerpoint that night. And after 85 million years of (seemingly) endless revisions, i dined with some of my blockmates who are just around the UP area... Donna, Kitch and Lex (again!). We ate pizza and pasta at Napoli's somewhere in Timog.
Saturday, second and final day of ACARE. I know I really look constipated the whole morning. Who wouldn't be? I'm the first presentor of the day! I'll be sharing my panel of reactors with Arch. Dayan, who has finished a masters degree at UCLA Berkeley and has gazillion of accomplishments. My introduction is like a back cover synopsis of a book; while his is the whole book! Hahaha... I started presenting my paper. Through the whole presentation, I only thought of a single image -- the image of my History class in Ateneo Arki. It's my worst but favorite class since I started teaching. I guess it helped because I think I convinced the audience pretty well. I got comments, suggestions, praises, and more raised eyebrows. But what the hell?! I was there. I have my paper. I showed conviction. And I think that's enough. Kitch, Alan and Lex were there to give moral and immoral support. That moment was important to me and I'm glad I shared it with my friends. Later that evening, I met up with my high school bestfriend Jazzie at Greenbelt 3. We ate at Krokodile Grill and lounged around Seattle's Best. It was almost midnight when we parted. I bought two Gonuts Donuts as pasalubong for Sir Tim, who stayed late for two consecutive nights just waiting for me at the guest house.
The next day, I packed my things and said my good-byes to Sir Tim. That night, I'll be staying at Lex's house and will be spending the night with Lex, Alan and Naj. Lex and I spent the whole afternoon watching DVDs. I particularly liked "Mambo Italiano"; while my brain got twisted with the story plot of "Water Drops on Burning Rocks." We had dinner at Popeye's in Galleria with Ruthie, Naj, Alan, Vena and Fen, who all just got in from their review at CDEP. After dinner, we watched "Taxi." After the movie, we played billiards. And as if the night still doesn't want to retire, the four of us headed to Lex's house and continued chit-chatting about more personal stuff. Naj and I find ourselves talking about my "what if's" and "shouldn't have's" until I couldn't talk no more.
Lex cooked sardines pasta for breakfast (which really tasted good... and I hope he believes me this time!). I left the house just in time to make it to my return flight to Davao. I realized I wasn't able to buy any pasalubong for my sisters. So, I just picked some goodies at St. Cinnamon at the airport before I checked-in. I seated right next to a cutey chinito guy and thought of starting a conversation. But when he surprisingly pulled out a newspaper written in chinese characters, I knew my plans of making pa-cute will be pointless. hehehe... When I reached home, my sisters, not thinking of my weekend exhaustion, grabbed me to watch "House of Flying Daggers." Good thing the movie is really interesting and it made me forget that I'm drop-dead tired. Did I even surrender? I guess not! Because today I showed up for my 7:40am class and attended my UAP chapter's monthly meeting that ended around 9pm. Whew! This is the looongest weekend I had in years... and the looongest entry I wrote for this blog.
I took the last flight out of Davao City, 7:40pm of November 11. Sheesh! Buying the plane ticket less than 2-hours before the flight is such a nerve-wracking experience. I left a lot of things. I spent a lot of money on cabs. I wasn't able to buy pasalubongs. So, I swear it won't happen again. Lex and I met up at SC and we walked to the UP Mindanao Guest House (where I will be staying for the next two days). Thank God Mang Mauro's home, else I'll probably grow more varicose veins waiting. Dumped my things, we headed for Philcoa CityMall to eat at Chowking and buy toiletries at Mercury. A lot of things have changed since the last time I went to that place. Shops were renovated. Gates were erected. More sidewalk fruit vendors are visible. Crowded, but at least it's lively. Anyway, when I went back to the house, Sir Tim was already there. I didn't chat with him much and immediately dropped out of exhaustion. Tomorrow is another day...
Friday, first day of ACARE. I curse UST for being so far and congested. In fact, I came in late for the conference because I can't get a ride. Entering Beato, I was greeted by a flock of beautiful people forcing me to register. "Ah Miss, your name please. Are you a student, visitor, guest? And from what school?"...
"Arch. XXXX . I am a presentor. I'm from Ateneo De Davao University. So I believe I'm already registered." ...Then complete silence. I can feel wide eyes staring at me with eyebrows raised up their foreheads. "Er, guys, Am I not supposed to sign anything? I think those papers need my signature." Then, they synchronizingly gave me the papers and the conference kit and directed me to the elevator. When I reached 3rd floor, I was trying to balance everything in my arms... the bag, the jacket, the kit, the pack of facial tissue ('coz by then, I was sweating profusely!). I was indirectly asking those cutey usher guys to help me, but it seems they are excited to help old and famous architects instead. A girl usher (i think she's just in her 3rd year) offered to carry my things and get my merienda for me. Thank God for students like her! This whole stereotyping thing is not really working for me. Not only because I'm young and obviously inexperienced about these matters, but also because I'm from a far-flung university.
Lex was already there. I saw a lot of familiar faces... Grace Ramos, Zeny Galingan, Gerard Lico, Dean Espina, Grace Edralin and Rowee and Boy from other arki schools in Davao. The concept of this conference still puzzles me. Good thing Lex simplified it for me... "Ang mang-tsugi ng study ng ibang tao". Gawd! I instantly remembered the skwakers powerpoint I made the day before. I need to revise it... bigtime! I spent the whole day thinking how to make my presentation more "convincing" and less tsugi-able. With my mind out of focus, it seemed all presentors for that day were speaking blah-blah... blurry noises of irrelevant stuff. We joined Alan for lunch that day and invited him to watch the rest of the afternoon presentation. Shucks, it feels good to be with two old buddies in that time of complete "ngarag-ness." Lex offered to burn and print my prepared powerpoint that night. And after 85 million years of (seemingly) endless revisions, i dined with some of my blockmates who are just around the UP area... Donna, Kitch and Lex (again!). We ate pizza and pasta at Napoli's somewhere in Timog.
Saturday, second and final day of ACARE. I know I really look constipated the whole morning. Who wouldn't be? I'm the first presentor of the day! I'll be sharing my panel of reactors with Arch. Dayan, who has finished a masters degree at UCLA Berkeley and has gazillion of accomplishments. My introduction is like a back cover synopsis of a book; while his is the whole book! Hahaha... I started presenting my paper. Through the whole presentation, I only thought of a single image -- the image of my History class in Ateneo Arki. It's my worst but favorite class since I started teaching. I guess it helped because I think I convinced the audience pretty well. I got comments, suggestions, praises, and more raised eyebrows. But what the hell?! I was there. I have my paper. I showed conviction. And I think that's enough. Kitch, Alan and Lex were there to give moral and immoral support. That moment was important to me and I'm glad I shared it with my friends. Later that evening, I met up with my high school bestfriend Jazzie at Greenbelt 3. We ate at Krokodile Grill and lounged around Seattle's Best. It was almost midnight when we parted. I bought two Gonuts Donuts as pasalubong for Sir Tim, who stayed late for two consecutive nights just waiting for me at the guest house.
The next day, I packed my things and said my good-byes to Sir Tim. That night, I'll be staying at Lex's house and will be spending the night with Lex, Alan and Naj. Lex and I spent the whole afternoon watching DVDs. I particularly liked "Mambo Italiano"; while my brain got twisted with the story plot of "Water Drops on Burning Rocks." We had dinner at Popeye's in Galleria with Ruthie, Naj, Alan, Vena and Fen, who all just got in from their review at CDEP. After dinner, we watched "Taxi." After the movie, we played billiards. And as if the night still doesn't want to retire, the four of us headed to Lex's house and continued chit-chatting about more personal stuff. Naj and I find ourselves talking about my "what if's" and "shouldn't have's" until I couldn't talk no more.
Lex cooked sardines pasta for breakfast (which really tasted good... and I hope he believes me this time!). I left the house just in time to make it to my return flight to Davao. I realized I wasn't able to buy any pasalubong for my sisters. So, I just picked some goodies at St. Cinnamon at the airport before I checked-in. I seated right next to a cutey chinito guy and thought of starting a conversation. But when he surprisingly pulled out a newspaper written in chinese characters, I knew my plans of making pa-cute will be pointless. hehehe... When I reached home, my sisters, not thinking of my weekend exhaustion, grabbed me to watch "House of Flying Daggers." Good thing the movie is really interesting and it made me forget that I'm drop-dead tired. Did I even surrender? I guess not! Because today I showed up for my 7:40am class and attended my UAP chapter's monthly meeting that ended around 9pm. Whew! This is the looongest weekend I had in years... and the looongest entry I wrote for this blog.