Friday, October 3, 2008
Cramming on Crazy Week
College LIfe.
1. First of all, I don’t have a service van in college. I commute now. It was tiring at the beginning, but I’ve gotten used to it. Still, I am now prone to storms and the like. No more vans to shield me to and fro the school. Argh.
2. Speaking of, the weather in UP is always unpredictable. I come to school expecting a storm, but there’s none. Only a scourging sun greets me. The same goes in the other way around. That’s why I really can’t leave home for school without an umbrella and a fan.
3. Next, the grading system is different. I came from a high school whose passing grade is 85% for major subjects and 83% for minor ones. In UP, the passing grade is 60%. It affects me a lot, because when I receive a low grade, it feels as if it’s beyond the lowest. You can’t blame me; I’m not used to believing that half of my score meant I passed.
4. About midterms and finals, it’s hard to believe that some professors just give two exams. Actually, English 1 has only one exam, the departmental exam. I mean, compared to high school that gives a lot of quizzes and exams, college is on the contrary.
5. Then, I get to choose my own subjects. Imagine, archery for PE! My dreams are coming true. Haha. I plan to take ballet next. Wahaha. I love it.
6. Also, I get to choose my own clothes. Sure, having no uniform means getting dressed double the time, but it’s worth it. I like experimenting with fashion. Still, I can’t unleash it fully; I still have a face to protect. I can’t go to school in high-heeled boots, fishnet stockings, short shorts, a black jacket, and a beret without people staring and ‘psst’ing, right?
7. The classrooms are waaaaay apart. Sometimes even buildings apart. I high school, we have just one lecture room, two labs, one reading center, and one covered court, and I could walk to get there in just minutes. In UP, my classes are located in AS, CAL, MB, and the archery range, and you have to take a jeepney in most cases. How about that.
8. In UP, I’m told that I have to chase after profs. Which is actually true, since I, hypothetically, have to woo them for pre-rogs, grades, and requirements. In high school, we chase after teachers, but only for clearance.
9. I just remembered: I call my instructor/lecturer “PROFESSOR” in college, as opposed to “TEACHER” in high school. And my professors may have just graduated freshly from my university. :)
10. My classmates differ in college. I have classmates of different ages, such that I should call them “ate” and “kuya”. I’m going to miss my current classmates in the next semester, since we might never see each other again and we have gotten close over the sem.
11. As for the suspension of classes, I have to get a lot of contacts just for me to know classes are suspended. Word just spread through the mouth and texts.
12. We have a lot of activities in college, though I miss class activities like the Carol Fest in high school. Nonetheless, I know I’m going to have a lot of fun in UP, save for what the others call “the crazy week”.
13. Lastly, there are no rules. I can curse and do whatever I want in UP, as long as it’s in the right. I can be with my, ahem, *special friend* without people looking as if we were not supposed to be together. That’s what I love the most in UP, I have what I call “my freedom”.
In conclusion, college is NOT high school. :)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
In Your Memory
Once there was a boy and a girl. They were both in high school, and they were both juniors. They became close to each other and the boy finally courted the girl. The girl, who was in love with the boy for a long time, accepted him. After a year, the boy realized that he couldn’t love the girl anymore for he was in love with another girl. He dumped his girlfriend and courted the other girl. They went steady after a few days. Meanwhile, the girl found out that she couldn’t live without the boy. For many months, she suffered in agony seeing her ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend.
One day, the students went on a fieldtrip. Their location was near a beautiful waterfall. The boy was sightseeing with his girlfriend. The boy’s girlfriend insisted that they come closer to get a better look and the boy consented. They went near the waterfall to wonder at its beauty. Suddenly, the boy fell. In a split second, his ex-girlfriend heard him shout out for help and jumped after him. Fortunately, a root of a stray tree was sticking out of the waterfall. The girl grabbed it with her left hand and held her ex-boyfriend’s hand with her right. She told the boy to climb back to safety by using her as a rope. He climbed out and tried to pull the girl out. His hand was already sweaty. Her hand was also sweaty. The girl’s hand slipped from the boy’s grip. The girl accidentally pulled the boy’s ring before falling. The boy cried out for her. She was gone. The whole school came looking for her but all their efforts were in vain. The boy dumped his girlfriend who had done nothing but gape when the boy was in need. He went home crying, wishing that the girl was still alive. Only then did he realize that he really loves the girl and that he needs nobody else but her. But what can he do? Waiting was the only answer left.
Years passed and the boy was no longer a boy, rather, a fully grown man. He had finished college, got a decent house and a decent job, and had come to be loved by everyone. He had everything, yet he still felt something was missing: a family of his own. Many girls had confessed their love for him, but he rejected them all. He was waiting for someone, someone he had lost a long time ago.
One night, his parents introduced to him the daughter of their close friend. The woman wants nothing but to be friends with the man. Eventually, they became friends and she was contented. The man found it difficult not to fall for the woman. He still thought about his childhood love. How could he replace her? He tried to shake the feeling out of his heart, but to no avail. He had fallen. He confessed his love for his new friend. After the man told the woman how much he loves her, the woman asked him if he knew what day it was. The man replied Friday. The woman laughed a little before continuing. She held out her hand and the man took it. The woman pulled her hand away. The man felt something on his palm. He opened his hand and saw a ring. It was the very ring that he lost on his fieldtrip. The woman told him that it was the same day 12 years ago when a girl jumped after the man, who was then a boy, at the waterfall to save him. The man, who was at that time very surprised, asked if the girl was still alive. The woman jokingly asked the man who told him she was dead. The man hugged her tightly. The woman explained that she had amnesia after the accident. She was found by his parents’ close friend and took care of her. He had treated her like his own daughter. She added that she only remembered her past when she saw the man. The man asked why she had kept everything a secret. The woman replied that she wanted it to be the right time to tell him. They were so happy that their voices were lost in a tight embrace.
After a few weeks, the man proposed to the woman and they immediately got married. And, as they say in fairytales, they lived happily ever after.
The Many Faces of Its People
He is a man that has a lot to say
He complains about everything every single day
Lazy, so often he is called
He just waits for his future to unfold
He has a time of his own
Far from the time that is well-known
Colonial mentality, he has that too
Probably because he wants something new
Although he may look very bold
His integrity is easily sold
Pride, graft, and corruption
This triad is the usual reason
In her home she receives
In God’s words she believes
She kisses all her elders’ hands
Even in crisis she still stands
She fights for her people’s sovereignty
She hopes for her country’s peace and serenity
All of her hard work makes her merry
She doesn’t care if she becomes weary
She knows the concept of bayanihan
She helps everyone in the scourging sun
For others she has done a lot
Repayment and glory, she expects not
Black were their eyes and hair dyed
Their skin so brown they cannot hide
Flat-nosed and short they may be
Their big smiles are a view to see
In spite of years’ colonization
That changed the appearance of the nation
The Filipino blood runs in their veins
The love for their country still remains.
Poem of a Proud Filipino
A country of happiness and sorrow
Inhabitants hoping for a better tomorrow
Perhaps history will refresh your mind
What I’m talking about, you’ll soon find
On the date of April 1521
The fight in Mactan had begun
Spaniards may his enemies be
Lapu-lapu fought to set his people free
Aguinaldo declared on this date
Though the Spaniards still remained
Our freedom is already attained
We fell yet again in
With the raised flag of proud
The Americans then restored our liberty
And left the country in tranquility
Let’s now leave the war and fights
And start dictating the marvelous sights
Of wonder, amazement, and beauty
Oh, no, I’m afraid there’s just too many
Examples are the Boracay shores
Up, up, the top of Mayon soars
The Chocolate Hills make my tummy rumble
Down the Rice Terraces you don’t want to tumble
So there, I hope you could now see
That Filipinos are indeed very lucky
And that I’m really proud to say,
“I’m a Filipino in each and every way!”Birthday Wishes for Someone Like YOU and its Parody
Birthday Wishes for Someone Like YOU
May you be surrounded with praises and love
And receive enough blessings from God above
May He always guide you to your safety
May He keep you from being unhealthy
For the parents you’ve been with for years
May you listen to them with all ears
You’re smart; keep on studying hard
You’ll soon get your deserved reward
Be happy in your life, enjoy it for real
Bravely face the challenges it will reveal
Remember that we’re always here for you
Ready to cheer you up when you feel blue
Before I could write “FINISH”
This is something I really need to say
Here is one last little wish
May you have a very happy birthday!
May all the people around learn to love you
And the Lord above throw you some blessings too
May He take your curses and safe you’ll be
And fatten you up ‘til you’re pig-healthy
The parents that you’ve troubled for years
Cut out and lend them your bloody ears
Show a small brain inside that head
If there is none, fake it instead
When you are happy, give a McDonald smile
Then you’ll be surrounded by kids all the while
Your few friends will always be at your back
To lend all things and a brain that you lack
Before you could spell “FINISH”
Here’s a little something for your birthday
“GROW UP!” is all that I wish
And that is all I really need to say.
Wiee. This poem has no title. XD
Everything has its own known reason
I believe that’s true
At least that’s what I thought
Until I met you
When I see you in the corridors
I always feel a smile on my face
Beating hard, madly, and crazy
My heart seems to be in a never-ending race
Simple things made me cry
To commit suicide I dared to try
How come I never felt this way
When my former loved ones refused to stay?
They all end up in the same conclusion
That brought my mind total confusion
For a reason I never knew
I had fallen in love with you.
