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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
...confused about life in general
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Saturday, October 30
Random Thoughts... (Super Haba, Beware!)
Thank God it's Saturday
It's Saturday!!! Yey!!! Shopping day, lunch-out day, internet-'til-your-eyes-pop-out day, and "Pinoy Pop Superstar" day! Hahaha! Yes, my sisters and I always look forward to watching that tv program. I don't know, but there's just something about star-search shows and Regine Velasquez that make us glued to the boob-tube. Probably because of their consistency in producing real (and reel) stars like Sarah Geronimo and Rachel Anne Go. I also like watching another saturday star-search show -- the MTV Supahstar. Two of my students in ADDU joined the Davao leg of the auditions. And both made it to the top ten of the city leg (but failed on nation-wide screening). Anyway, probably because I have this inner yearning to be a star myself (yeah right!) that I got to be so religious in watching these programs.
So, I just had lunch with Ate Lala at Bigby's at SM. I ordered Mojo Chicken Q and Seafood some-kind-of-a-pasta. Again, I wasn't able to finish the whole serving. We sat across this couple who (I think) are on a date. Oh my goodness, their conversations are soooo cheesy! Hahaha! Call me eavesdropper or whatever, but our table is so close to them that it's impossible not to overhear their mushy talk. The guy is super yabang! And the girl... ah yes, the girl is so pa-tweetums! I was not anything like that with my ex, i swear. Well, after an hour, we left the resto and the couple with their foreplay. Hehehe...
Saturday is also National Bookstore day for me and my sister. We skimmed through the shelves drooling at all the good books we NEED to buy. I bought a Coelho book, Veronika Decides To Die. I also bought Birthday and Christmas cards... gotta send 'em early this year! Last year, I sent those greeting cards late. I think it was already New Year when I got the time (and money) to send them. Nakakahiya.
Mangrove Getaway
I went to Sitio in Lasang District with the mangrove research team last thursday. The place was soooo amazing! But one thing I hate about the whole experience was having to clean the mud off my sneakers after the trip. We had focus group discusssions with the towns' people and came up with a historical profile of the place. May (a person) of PCPD came to observe what we're doing. PCPD is the funding agency of our research. I can say, from the look on her face, she didn't understand a single thing because everyone speaks Bisaya (and she's Tagalog). It was very exhausting, but to be in a waterfront is such a breath-taking experience that I really don't mind coming back to that place. Over the horizon, there's a view of Mt. Apo and another (unknown) mountain and small private islands owned by the Ayala's. Basta! Hayahay gyud! Sir Robby drove us back to downtown. And along the way I realized what christmas gift i should give my boss -- a cell phone headset! He calls and drives at the same time, which really freaked me out. Eh ako pa man din sa passenger side!! Scary!!!
Health (and Beauty) Products
I won't get commissions doing this, but i'll do it anyway. Hehehe. I would like to share some of my favorite health products. I don't want to call it "beauty products" because it doesn't make me any beautiful naman eh. =) Inspired by the "Jimmy 'The Mouth' Garcia" commercial, I bought a Close-Up toothpaste after years and years of using Colgate. See what a commercial can do! Now I have to use my mouth and teeth responsibly! Hahaha... Right now, I'm using Dove Esfoliante as body soap and Lux Super Rich frizzy-free shampoo. Actually, I shouldn't be using that shampoo because I love it when my hair is all frizzied-up [sic]. For hand soap (y'know for washing before and after meals), I use Bath and Body Works Raspberry ek-ek. It was a pasalubong from Tita Grace, a very useful pasalubong at that! My HS bestfriend also gave me this Baylis and Harding Rose Linen Bath Tizzers and Bath Gel, which I don't really use often. Kulang 15 minutes ng paligo for me to use that. Probably the best buy I made when it comes to bath products is the Wild Mint shower gel from M&S. Refreshing as in! If it's too darn hot outside, that's the best product to use. Use it with warm or cold water... sarap! I'm not really used to putting make-up. Lip gloss lang, ayos na. But I do like to dab powder (Skin-So-Soft by Avon) and smooth lotion (Johnson's Milk Lotion) all over my body. By the way, I'm a big fan of Avon products. Anybody who approaches me with an Avon product catalogue will surely walk out with a sale. Hehehe... Leah Salonga made the product seem dependable. Again, the wonders of advertising! For perfume, it's Elizabeth Arden Green Tea for me... bango as in! Anyway, those are just my testimonials for the products I use. I'll probably change some of them in a month or two. But for now, I'm fine using them.
Thank God it's Saturday
It's Saturday!!! Yey!!! Shopping day, lunch-out day, internet-'til-your-eyes-pop-out day, and "Pinoy Pop Superstar" day! Hahaha! Yes, my sisters and I always look forward to watching that tv program. I don't know, but there's just something about star-search shows and Regine Velasquez that make us glued to the boob-tube. Probably because of their consistency in producing real (and reel) stars like Sarah Geronimo and Rachel Anne Go. I also like watching another saturday star-search show -- the MTV Supahstar. Two of my students in ADDU joined the Davao leg of the auditions. And both made it to the top ten of the city leg (but failed on nation-wide screening). Anyway, probably because I have this inner yearning to be a star myself (yeah right!) that I got to be so religious in watching these programs.
So, I just had lunch with Ate Lala at Bigby's at SM. I ordered Mojo Chicken Q and Seafood some-kind-of-a-pasta. Again, I wasn't able to finish the whole serving. We sat across this couple who (I think) are on a date. Oh my goodness, their conversations are soooo cheesy! Hahaha! Call me eavesdropper or whatever, but our table is so close to them that it's impossible not to overhear their mushy talk. The guy is super yabang! And the girl... ah yes, the girl is so pa-tweetums! I was not anything like that with my ex, i swear. Well, after an hour, we left the resto and the couple with their foreplay. Hehehe...
Saturday is also National Bookstore day for me and my sister. We skimmed through the shelves drooling at all the good books we NEED to buy. I bought a Coelho book, Veronika Decides To Die. I also bought Birthday and Christmas cards... gotta send 'em early this year! Last year, I sent those greeting cards late. I think it was already New Year when I got the time (and money) to send them. Nakakahiya.
Mangrove Getaway
I went to Sitio in Lasang District with the mangrove research team last thursday. The place was soooo amazing! But one thing I hate about the whole experience was having to clean the mud off my sneakers after the trip. We had focus group discusssions with the towns' people and came up with a historical profile of the place. May (a person) of PCPD came to observe what we're doing. PCPD is the funding agency of our research. I can say, from the look on her face, she didn't understand a single thing because everyone speaks Bisaya (and she's Tagalog). It was very exhausting, but to be in a waterfront is such a breath-taking experience that I really don't mind coming back to that place. Over the horizon, there's a view of Mt. Apo and another (unknown) mountain and small private islands owned by the Ayala's. Basta! Hayahay gyud! Sir Robby drove us back to downtown. And along the way I realized what christmas gift i should give my boss -- a cell phone headset! He calls and drives at the same time, which really freaked me out. Eh ako pa man din sa passenger side!! Scary!!!
Health (and Beauty) Products
I won't get commissions doing this, but i'll do it anyway. Hehehe. I would like to share some of my favorite health products. I don't want to call it "beauty products" because it doesn't make me any beautiful naman eh. =) Inspired by the "Jimmy 'The Mouth' Garcia" commercial, I bought a Close-Up toothpaste after years and years of using Colgate. See what a commercial can do! Now I have to use my mouth and teeth responsibly! Hahaha... Right now, I'm using Dove Esfoliante as body soap and Lux Super Rich frizzy-free shampoo. Actually, I shouldn't be using that shampoo because I love it when my hair is all frizzied-up [sic]. For hand soap (y'know for washing before and after meals), I use Bath and Body Works Raspberry ek-ek. It was a pasalubong from Tita Grace, a very useful pasalubong at that! My HS bestfriend also gave me this Baylis and Harding Rose Linen Bath Tizzers and Bath Gel, which I don't really use often. Kulang 15 minutes ng paligo for me to use that. Probably the best buy I made when it comes to bath products is the Wild Mint shower gel from M&S. Refreshing as in! If it's too darn hot outside, that's the best product to use. Use it with warm or cold water... sarap! I'm not really used to putting make-up. Lip gloss lang, ayos na. But I do like to dab powder (Skin-So-Soft by Avon) and smooth lotion (Johnson's Milk Lotion) all over my body. By the way, I'm a big fan of Avon products. Anybody who approaches me with an Avon product catalogue will surely walk out with a sale. Hehehe... Leah Salonga made the product seem dependable. Again, the wonders of advertising! For perfume, it's Elizabeth Arden Green Tea for me... bango as in! Anyway, those are just my testimonials for the products I use. I'll probably change some of them in a month or two. But for now, I'm fine using them.
Thursday, October 28
The Mansion
'Had dinner with family friends last Monday, somewhere in Woodridge (a hi-end subdivision here in Davao). They said they just moved in their new house last June. Ok, we're invited, so why not come over, di ba? We were picked up by Vanessa and Fan Fan around 7 pm. I was puzzled how can a prime subdivision not be situated in a prime location. Super liblib na and still no sign of mansions.
Finally, we drove in a garage. Probably because of poor or lack of lighting, I thought the white bungalow we're driving into was "the house." But to my surprise, "Ah Ate Ien, 'wag dyan. Maids' quarter yan." Indeed it is! It literally is just a quarter of the house beside it!
Super fanciful. It even looks like a wedding cake outside. Hahaha! But that is nothing compared to what's inside. It's the type of house you see on MTV Cribs! The pieces of furniture and linens are all the same -- very thematically Victorian! The kitchen has all types of stoves. But just like any pinoy, it's in the dirty kitchen where the food is really cooked. Display lang pala. Showroom complex! Hahaha! They have an interior bar with pool table and a fountain with water cascading over a glass wall. Sheesh! I've been to rich peoples' homes, but this is different. Marbled floors. Chandeliers dangling everywhere. Every room is air-conditioned. That though is just a product of wrong mentality na 'pag air-con, sosy. What I like most is their entertainment and music room. Astig! We belted our lungs out the whole night singing videoke.
What is most puzzling though is the kind of people living there. We have known the Guira's since kindergarten days in Women's. They are not the splurging or show-off kind. They are rich because their Mom worked her butt off selling meat at the Bangkerohan Palengke. Yes friends, may yumayaman sa palengke. They are the nicest people I've known, not the typical sosyal-sosyal bratty kids. So I really can't reconcile the lavishness of their house with their humility.
I remember last Christmas, Fan Fan stayed at our house on the eve because she said Christmas is really no big deal in their home. "Kakain lang, yun lang," she explains. Eh, in our crib, Christmas is made extra special by playing bingo and charades (even if there's only the three of us), watching cheesy slapstick flicks on video, exchanging gifts, and making long distance calls at strike 12. Even holidays before, the Guira kids would come over to our house on Christmas and New Year's days just to play tong-its and eat noche buena leftovers. Hmmm, would they come over this year -- I mean now that they have a Crib-like house and all that? Well, I guess that depends if the mansion is already a home to our friends.
'Had dinner with family friends last Monday, somewhere in Woodridge (a hi-end subdivision here in Davao). They said they just moved in their new house last June. Ok, we're invited, so why not come over, di ba? We were picked up by Vanessa and Fan Fan around 7 pm. I was puzzled how can a prime subdivision not be situated in a prime location. Super liblib na and still no sign of mansions.
Finally, we drove in a garage. Probably because of poor or lack of lighting, I thought the white bungalow we're driving into was "the house." But to my surprise, "Ah Ate Ien, 'wag dyan. Maids' quarter yan." Indeed it is! It literally is just a quarter of the house beside it!
Super fanciful. It even looks like a wedding cake outside. Hahaha! But that is nothing compared to what's inside. It's the type of house you see on MTV Cribs! The pieces of furniture and linens are all the same -- very thematically Victorian! The kitchen has all types of stoves. But just like any pinoy, it's in the dirty kitchen where the food is really cooked. Display lang pala. Showroom complex! Hahaha! They have an interior bar with pool table and a fountain with water cascading over a glass wall. Sheesh! I've been to rich peoples' homes, but this is different. Marbled floors. Chandeliers dangling everywhere. Every room is air-conditioned. That though is just a product of wrong mentality na 'pag air-con, sosy. What I like most is their entertainment and music room. Astig! We belted our lungs out the whole night singing videoke.
What is most puzzling though is the kind of people living there. We have known the Guira's since kindergarten days in Women's. They are not the splurging or show-off kind. They are rich because their Mom worked her butt off selling meat at the Bangkerohan Palengke. Yes friends, may yumayaman sa palengke. They are the nicest people I've known, not the typical sosyal-sosyal bratty kids. So I really can't reconcile the lavishness of their house with their humility.
I remember last Christmas, Fan Fan stayed at our house on the eve because she said Christmas is really no big deal in their home. "Kakain lang, yun lang," she explains. Eh, in our crib, Christmas is made extra special by playing bingo and charades (even if there's only the three of us), watching cheesy slapstick flicks on video, exchanging gifts, and making long distance calls at strike 12. Even holidays before, the Guira kids would come over to our house on Christmas and New Year's days just to play tong-its and eat noche buena leftovers. Hmmm, would they come over this year -- I mean now that they have a Crib-like house and all that? Well, I guess that depends if the mansion is already a home to our friends.
Monday, October 25
Skeletons in my Bag
My sister asked me a question yesterday that made me think hard... and I want to post this to ask you the same question.
QUESTION: What's inside your bag [ba]? (bakit di mo yan maibaba sa isang tabi? bakit kailangan kahit saan bitbit mo? may ginto ba dyan?... and her reklamo goes on and on...)
And so I looked inside my bag... ano nga ba'ng nasa loob nito?
ANSWER:
1. Cellphone... I never go anywhere without it. So yung excuse kong, " I left my cell at home eh."... that's not true! Hehehe
2. Palmtop. I can't leave home without that either. I'm very forgetful, so I write everything down on my palm the night before. Plus, I keep track of all my expenses, investments, and collectibles through my palm. No palm = Impulsive buying!
3. My green tea perfume... which I heard is also the favorite of KC Concepcion. O di ba, sosyalin!!! Hahaha
4. Baby Bench Jelly Bean Colonia... for a quick dab of frangrance after site visits. It smells really good when mixed with sweat. Hahaha... I know you're thinking "eeeewwww!!!"
5. Mellow Gold [oldie songs] CD... by the way, it's not pirated. No to pirates!!!
6. Steel tape. When my student saw me taking that out of my bag, she remarked, " Architect ka nga talaga ma'am."
7. Keys. House keys, gate keys, bike chain keys, office keys... it's all in there!
8. Tissue. Just in case you know. Hehehe...
9. Diskette. Just in case info can't be burned, beamed, or emailed.
10. and my ever reliable Wallet. It contains calling cards, membership cards, ATM cards, ID cards, my PTR, cedula, unused GC's, and sometimes it also contains money. Hehehe
So if you try to look at it, aside from being my filing cabinet, my bag is also my life. One of my co-teachers asked me before, " Ang laki naman ng bag mo. Hindi ka ba nahihirapan? Can't you bring a smaller bag?" Well, figuratively, I like my bag big. It makes me feel I'm living a big life. Bringing it around with me says I'm proud of it. And keeping it with me always says I truly treasure it.
How about you, what's in your bag?
PS - My bag is like a doctor's bag, can be hand or shoulder carried. It doesn't have pockets outside. It's black. It has silver buckles, zipper and lock. It has leatherette skin and fits in an airport hand-carried items x-ray. Hehehe...
My sister asked me a question yesterday that made me think hard... and I want to post this to ask you the same question.
QUESTION: What's inside your bag [ba]? (bakit di mo yan maibaba sa isang tabi? bakit kailangan kahit saan bitbit mo? may ginto ba dyan?... and her reklamo goes on and on...)
And so I looked inside my bag... ano nga ba'ng nasa loob nito?
ANSWER:
1. Cellphone... I never go anywhere without it. So yung excuse kong, " I left my cell at home eh."... that's not true! Hehehe
2. Palmtop. I can't leave home without that either. I'm very forgetful, so I write everything down on my palm the night before. Plus, I keep track of all my expenses, investments, and collectibles through my palm. No palm = Impulsive buying!
3. My green tea perfume... which I heard is also the favorite of KC Concepcion. O di ba, sosyalin!!! Hahaha
4. Baby Bench Jelly Bean Colonia... for a quick dab of frangrance after site visits. It smells really good when mixed with sweat. Hahaha... I know you're thinking "eeeewwww!!!"
5. Mellow Gold [oldie songs] CD... by the way, it's not pirated. No to pirates!!!
6. Steel tape. When my student saw me taking that out of my bag, she remarked, " Architect ka nga talaga ma'am."
7. Keys. House keys, gate keys, bike chain keys, office keys... it's all in there!
8. Tissue. Just in case you know. Hehehe...
9. Diskette. Just in case info can't be burned, beamed, or emailed.
10. and my ever reliable Wallet. It contains calling cards, membership cards, ATM cards, ID cards, my PTR, cedula, unused GC's, and sometimes it also contains money. Hehehe
So if you try to look at it, aside from being my filing cabinet, my bag is also my life. One of my co-teachers asked me before, " Ang laki naman ng bag mo. Hindi ka ba nahihirapan? Can't you bring a smaller bag?" Well, figuratively, I like my bag big. It makes me feel I'm living a big life. Bringing it around with me says I'm proud of it. And keeping it with me always says I truly treasure it.
How about you, what's in your bag?
PS - My bag is like a doctor's bag, can be hand or shoulder carried. It doesn't have pockets outside. It's black. It has silver buckles, zipper and lock. It has leatherette skin and fits in an airport hand-carried items x-ray. Hehehe...
Saturday, October 23
API Interview and Meeting Up Old Friends
Just came back from a short visit to Manila. BITIN!!!!! I flew in last wednesday and had to fly back the next day. So I only got to bond with them in between my API interview. First "must do" : ride the MRT. That part was ok. But when I came down Q-ave station, the Philippine Fiscal Crisis started creeping in. Oh my goodness, P6.50 na pala ang pamasahe from Q-ave to campus?! And everything from food to mineral water had gone up. But I expected that... I mean, what's new? It's Manila. It's the Philippines. hehehe
First on my list was to check in UP Mindanao Guest House somewhere deep in the woods of Area 2. Oh my goodness again, nobody's home! So I stood there, outside the scorching heat of the noontime sun, waiting for someone to open the gate and rescue me and my burdensome backpack. And so I shouted, "Krystala!!!!" Then came Barot! hehehe.... ayos ba sa Intro? =) Barot, Tess (grade school friend who's teaching EE subjects at UP Diliman) and I went to UP arcade for lunch, because I figured out calling and texting people for help will just drain out all the load I have in my cellphone. I don't remember what I ordered for lunch, but I wasn't able to eat everything. Ang laki kase ng serving, tapos parang hinalo-halo lang na dogfood. Yuck!
After lunch, Barot and I went back to the guest house and found Sir Tim home [at last]. Sir Tim Montes was the Humanities Department Head at UP Min last sem when I first joined the faculty. Barot says he's "papa-ble" but took it back when she learned about more personal stuff about him. hehehe... I freshen up a little, prepared some of the things I'll be needing for the interview, and unpack some of my belongings. Minutes after, we headed for arki to meet Lex, Naj and Alan. I knew then it will be a "bulabog" of sorts. Knowing how kikay, boisterous and kalog we can get, I just braced myself for a no-holds-barred ambush interview from them. Haha... It turned out Lex got most of the ambush interviews. We talked about love, work, family, review, practice, blogs, etc. But I had to cut my kwento short because it was almost 2:30 pm and my interview will be an hour later.
So I went to ADMU and almost got lost. Where the hell is Social Sciences Bldg.???!!!! I think my walking [in heels] left my feet with blisters, but I got there just in time. "Arch. De Los Santos, it's your time," Russel announced. Russel is the guy I pestered big time when I submitted my application. Hehehe... pero sabi nya ok lang daw. charing! There were 5 members of the interviewing panel... 4 Doctors of Whatever and former senator Raul Roco. Sheesh! I was starstrucked. I know Roco is now laos and whatnot, but to be in his presence is to feel like a true intellectual. He was asking me about my introductory letter. "So why do you say you have an unusual soul?", "So you say 'Don't miss the forest for the trees', in this case, which are the trees and what is the forest?", " So why do you say houses here look like California-styled houses?", "What's the difference between vernacular and traditional?", "Is there are a difference between houses in Manila and in Davao?", "Why in Central Thailand?"... and the questions poured in. You know the feeling when you're sort of "ganged up" by big people? That's how I felt at that time. I was so down that I immediately went to see Lex [for moral and immoral support... hahaha]. I saw old faces along the way... Bing, Peter, Kons, Sir Rico, etc.
Later that night, Lex and I went to UST and continued our chit-chat. We were waiting for Naj, Ruth and Alan to finish their review classes at Capricorn. We all ate dinner at Yellow Cab in Recto [i think]. It was my long overdue treat to the barkada for getting a job, passing the board exam, 3 birthday celebrations, christmas gift... basta, lahat-lahat ng pagkaka-utang ko. And Lex continued with his kwento...
Barot rode with me to the guest house. We chit-chat some more until her mom came to drive her home. Good night. And I'm looking forward to doing that again next month, probably with more sets of friends. Naka-book na nga eh. Hehehe... Ellyn & Co, Arkiboks [hopefully], Michael & JPT friends, and high school buddies. I hope I can squeeze that in a weekend, 'coz that's how short my next visit will be.
Just came back from a short visit to Manila. BITIN!!!!! I flew in last wednesday and had to fly back the next day. So I only got to bond with them in between my API interview. First "must do" : ride the MRT. That part was ok. But when I came down Q-ave station, the Philippine Fiscal Crisis started creeping in. Oh my goodness, P6.50 na pala ang pamasahe from Q-ave to campus?! And everything from food to mineral water had gone up. But I expected that... I mean, what's new? It's Manila. It's the Philippines. hehehe
First on my list was to check in UP Mindanao Guest House somewhere deep in the woods of Area 2. Oh my goodness again, nobody's home! So I stood there, outside the scorching heat of the noontime sun, waiting for someone to open the gate and rescue me and my burdensome backpack. And so I shouted, "Krystala!!!!" Then came Barot! hehehe.... ayos ba sa Intro? =) Barot, Tess (grade school friend who's teaching EE subjects at UP Diliman) and I went to UP arcade for lunch, because I figured out calling and texting people for help will just drain out all the load I have in my cellphone. I don't remember what I ordered for lunch, but I wasn't able to eat everything. Ang laki kase ng serving, tapos parang hinalo-halo lang na dogfood. Yuck!
After lunch, Barot and I went back to the guest house and found Sir Tim home [at last]. Sir Tim Montes was the Humanities Department Head at UP Min last sem when I first joined the faculty. Barot says he's "papa-ble" but took it back when she learned about more personal stuff about him. hehehe... I freshen up a little, prepared some of the things I'll be needing for the interview, and unpack some of my belongings. Minutes after, we headed for arki to meet Lex, Naj and Alan. I knew then it will be a "bulabog" of sorts. Knowing how kikay, boisterous and kalog we can get, I just braced myself for a no-holds-barred ambush interview from them. Haha... It turned out Lex got most of the ambush interviews. We talked about love, work, family, review, practice, blogs, etc. But I had to cut my kwento short because it was almost 2:30 pm and my interview will be an hour later.
So I went to ADMU and almost got lost. Where the hell is Social Sciences Bldg.???!!!! I think my walking [in heels] left my feet with blisters, but I got there just in time. "Arch. De Los Santos, it's your time," Russel announced. Russel is the guy I pestered big time when I submitted my application. Hehehe... pero sabi nya ok lang daw. charing! There were 5 members of the interviewing panel... 4 Doctors of Whatever and former senator Raul Roco. Sheesh! I was starstrucked. I know Roco is now laos and whatnot, but to be in his presence is to feel like a true intellectual. He was asking me about my introductory letter. "So why do you say you have an unusual soul?", "So you say 'Don't miss the forest for the trees', in this case, which are the trees and what is the forest?", " So why do you say houses here look like California-styled houses?", "What's the difference between vernacular and traditional?", "Is there are a difference between houses in Manila and in Davao?", "Why in Central Thailand?"... and the questions poured in. You know the feeling when you're sort of "ganged up" by big people? That's how I felt at that time. I was so down that I immediately went to see Lex [for moral and immoral support... hahaha]. I saw old faces along the way... Bing, Peter, Kons, Sir Rico, etc.
Later that night, Lex and I went to UST and continued our chit-chat. We were waiting for Naj, Ruth and Alan to finish their review classes at Capricorn. We all ate dinner at Yellow Cab in Recto [i think]. It was my long overdue treat to the barkada for getting a job, passing the board exam, 3 birthday celebrations, christmas gift... basta, lahat-lahat ng pagkaka-utang ko. And Lex continued with his kwento...
Barot rode with me to the guest house. We chit-chat some more until her mom came to drive her home. Good night. And I'm looking forward to doing that again next month, probably with more sets of friends. Naka-book na nga eh. Hehehe... Ellyn & Co, Arkiboks [hopefully], Michael & JPT friends, and high school buddies. I hope I can squeeze that in a weekend, 'coz that's how short my next visit will be.
Monday, October 18
Secret Project Revealed
Finally!!! The long wait is over. I know this will be (kinda, sorta) a half-baked announcement, but I just couldn't contain it. I'm soooo happy!
I always wanted to be a writer (i think some of you knew that), but only a few people appreciate the way I write. Even during my thesis days, my thesismates would tell me, "Lagyan mo naman ng arte pagsusulat mo." I am not creative with words, that's the bottom line. Too technical and "news-reporting" as they would say. So it was really hard for me to come out of my shell and take the opportunities around me when it comes to writing.
This semester I told myself that if I plan to stay long in the academe, I should work on my qualifications big time. Not only because I was a mediocre student in college, but the "grants/awards/achievements/publications/forum/conferences" part of my resume stopped in year 1997 (no joke!). So when I was tasked to handle the thesis class, I also did a mini-thesis myself.
Ateneo, unlike UP, does not encourage their faculty to do research, especially the young ones. Although it is not said blatantly, it is implied in the way they give teaching loads. I am required to render 30 hours + in campus for teaching and consultations. But I don't follow that... suwail ako eh. Hehehe!
So I did my mini-thesis (Title: Ephemeral Structures and the Socio-Economic Adaptability of Filipino Architecture). And now I'm given the opportunity to present it on the 4th Annual Conference of Architectural Researchers and Educators at UST Arki this coming November. And what do you know! When it rains, it pours!! I submitted last August my research project statement to the Nippon Foundation Asian Public Intellectuals. My research is entitled, "Cultural Sustainability: Architectural Preservation of Thai Vernacular Houses in Central Thailand". And last Sunday, the Foundation called me up for interview at ADMU! And if this stint pushes through, I'll be off to Thailand next year and will be staying there for a year at Chulalongkorn University.
I'm really praying that I'll get chosen because this is what I want to do -- write and travel. But what makes this moment euphoric is the fact that my researches and abstracts are getting approved by significant people in education. That is something. Finally, I'm in the crowd where people appreciate the way I write.
Finally!!! The long wait is over. I know this will be (kinda, sorta) a half-baked announcement, but I just couldn't contain it. I'm soooo happy!
I always wanted to be a writer (i think some of you knew that), but only a few people appreciate the way I write. Even during my thesis days, my thesismates would tell me, "Lagyan mo naman ng arte pagsusulat mo." I am not creative with words, that's the bottom line. Too technical and "news-reporting" as they would say. So it was really hard for me to come out of my shell and take the opportunities around me when it comes to writing.
This semester I told myself that if I plan to stay long in the academe, I should work on my qualifications big time. Not only because I was a mediocre student in college, but the "grants/awards/achievements/publications/forum/conferences" part of my resume stopped in year 1997 (no joke!). So when I was tasked to handle the thesis class, I also did a mini-thesis myself.
Ateneo, unlike UP, does not encourage their faculty to do research, especially the young ones. Although it is not said blatantly, it is implied in the way they give teaching loads. I am required to render 30 hours + in campus for teaching and consultations. But I don't follow that... suwail ako eh. Hehehe!
So I did my mini-thesis (Title: Ephemeral Structures and the Socio-Economic Adaptability of Filipino Architecture). And now I'm given the opportunity to present it on the 4th Annual Conference of Architectural Researchers and Educators at UST Arki this coming November. And what do you know! When it rains, it pours!! I submitted last August my research project statement to the Nippon Foundation Asian Public Intellectuals. My research is entitled, "Cultural Sustainability: Architectural Preservation of Thai Vernacular Houses in Central Thailand". And last Sunday, the Foundation called me up for interview at ADMU! And if this stint pushes through, I'll be off to Thailand next year and will be staying there for a year at Chulalongkorn University.
I'm really praying that I'll get chosen because this is what I want to do -- write and travel. But what makes this moment euphoric is the fact that my researches and abstracts are getting approved by significant people in education. That is something. Finally, I'm in the crowd where people appreciate the way I write.
Monday, October 11
Updating You
Just one more week then first sem, AY 2004-2005 is over. Wipeee!!! I just have to finish doing the grades and clear my "baggages", then I'll be off doing things that I've been putting off for months.
Things I've been putting off:
1. blogging. I bet you guys miss me big time! hehehe...
2. my research paper for ACARE 4. i'll be presenting that on november in UST and i have to submit my presentation ek-ek by oct. 25!!! help!!!
3. my pro bono project -- the san isidro labrador church in catalunan pequeño. i haven't done any schematic drawings yet. baka palitan na ako as architect. oohh nooh!!!
4. my accomplishment report for Sir Robby. i haven't gotten any pay for that because i'm not submitting any report. pero ok lang, at least, when i get my paycheck, lumpsum! ka-ching, ka-ching!!!!
5. fixing my CPU!!! upgrade, upgrade!!!!
6. the UAP-Davao newsletter... collect write-ups, write articles, layout, print... it's a one-woman newsletter!!! beat that!
7. read new books... buy them if i have to!
anyway, i failed less students this sem. hehehe... that's a good thing for them and for my conscience. i hope i'll still be able to teach next sem. i hope shifting careers will not cross my mind during the sem break. i'm happy where i am right now, but it is just sooooooo stressful... maybe because i'm teaching thesis, which by the way is quite rewarding in the end. here are some of my favorite topics in ADDU Thesis 2005 (in no particular order):
1. Space Allocation and Distribution Using Voronoi Diagram
2. Crime-Preventive Environment
3. Alternative Vernacular Acoustic Material -this has the highest grade so far!
4. Planetarium and Observatory: A Filipino Interpretation of the Cosmos - amazing interpretation, as in!!! i'll post something about it in the coming days, pramis!
5. Plastic Modular House - nice topic, pero medyo mahina kase yung student kaya pangit yung research part ng thesis
and many more. basta! i'll write their topics in gist next time. astig talaga mga students ko! hehehe...
*hibernate some more*
Just one more week then first sem, AY 2004-2005 is over. Wipeee!!! I just have to finish doing the grades and clear my "baggages", then I'll be off doing things that I've been putting off for months.
Things I've been putting off:
1. blogging. I bet you guys miss me big time! hehehe...
2. my research paper for ACARE 4. i'll be presenting that on november in UST and i have to submit my presentation ek-ek by oct. 25!!! help!!!
3. my pro bono project -- the san isidro labrador church in catalunan pequeño. i haven't done any schematic drawings yet. baka palitan na ako as architect. oohh nooh!!!
4. my accomplishment report for Sir Robby. i haven't gotten any pay for that because i'm not submitting any report. pero ok lang, at least, when i get my paycheck, lumpsum! ka-ching, ka-ching!!!!
5. fixing my CPU!!! upgrade, upgrade!!!!
6. the UAP-Davao newsletter... collect write-ups, write articles, layout, print... it's a one-woman newsletter!!! beat that!
7. read new books... buy them if i have to!
anyway, i failed less students this sem. hehehe... that's a good thing for them and for my conscience. i hope i'll still be able to teach next sem. i hope shifting careers will not cross my mind during the sem break. i'm happy where i am right now, but it is just sooooooo stressful... maybe because i'm teaching thesis, which by the way is quite rewarding in the end. here are some of my favorite topics in ADDU Thesis 2005 (in no particular order):
1. Space Allocation and Distribution Using Voronoi Diagram
2. Crime-Preventive Environment
3. Alternative Vernacular Acoustic Material -this has the highest grade so far!
4. Planetarium and Observatory: A Filipino Interpretation of the Cosmos - amazing interpretation, as in!!! i'll post something about it in the coming days, pramis!
5. Plastic Modular House - nice topic, pero medyo mahina kase yung student kaya pangit yung research part ng thesis
and many more. basta! i'll write their topics in gist next time. astig talaga mga students ko! hehehe...
*hibernate some more*