That's what I'm bound to get if this goes on... look at the window's title bars.
Linggo, Mayo 25, 2008
bipolar schizophrenia
That's what I'm bound to get if this goes on... look at the window's title bars.
Where does my heart lie? (AKA Should I steal that trophy?)
Should I steal that trophy? It's on display at my new school, De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, in posh Ayala Alabang Village. It's not even protected in a glass case, since you can see that the container to its left is shorter than the requisite height to protect it.
Answer, of course, is NO. I'd never do something that heinous no matter where my loyalty lies. However, that question is a different matter.
To the unenlightened, I've been recently accepted to teach Computer Technology at DLSZ, the rival — among others — of my former school, the Ateneo de Manila High School. Their Computer Technology program is way more comprehensive than the simple program at the AHS, and I'm actually excited to exercise more creativity in teaching there. However, I was hesitant to raise my fist when people sang "The Alma Mater" last Friday's gathering of teachers, administrators, and personnel for the Institutional Recognition thing they had. Apparently, I may still have some part of me loyal to the blue and white.
The past week was particularly difficult to me. On the shuttle ride to the school, I found that I'm still thinking of my students from the Ateneo that have made a big part of me. It took a lot for me to hold it in when I was messaging a friend who was asking for help with a college class. I was apologizing for not being able to help out more, because I was already "brain dead" the previous night. I quickly erased those two words and thought back to Joey. What would Joey say of me now? What would Vince and Alvin be talking about high above when they learn that I'm teaching for the rival of the school they so loved. I remembered them and stories of them from then until this moment. What are they thinking now?
To this day, I still couldn't take it all in. De La Salle Santiago Zobel called first with the best offer that I could possibly take. Sure, I refused two other good offers that could even be considered better, but theirs was the most exciting for me at the time. I've now committed myself and there's no turning back. I've burned the bridge and I'm there to stay, if at least to find my place, see if it fits me, and most importantly if I could be the blessing there.
My final year at the AHS was the most difficult year in my life — ever. I've been talked about and I did some things that got me in hot water. I've said before that my personal mission statement was already written by the Ateneo de Manila High School even before we were introduced to each other. I've lived a big part of my personal and professional life in that school and I've left a big part of it there, too. There were just circumstances that were not to my approval or liking... and I had to protest in my own way. I guess that could happen anywhere I go, but I was too ideal. I failed my self... and in the process I failed my students and my family. For that I truly am sorry.
In no way is this move to a rival school a "screw you" to the system that took me in, took it all, then took me out. If I were after that, then I'd have taken a much better job offer that would have me up to become a supervisor in four years. The Ateneo and most its people, I still care for.
In due time, I might find myself raising my fist and pumping it when "The Alma Mater" is played. I may even sing it. That doesn't stop me from pumping the same fist for Mary.
My loyalty, now at least, lies not in institutions. My blood bleeds neither blue nor green. My love goes out neither to La Salle or Ateneo. My arms cheer not for Eagles nor Archers. My heart is with you, my friend.
I love you.
Lunes, Mayo 19, 2008
Linggo, Mayo 18, 2008
You wouldn't like me when I'm angry...
...then I turn into a big strong green guy.
...and other random thoughts.
I felt like a contestant on "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" the day before, but instead of 5th grade questions, I was being quizzed on Automata and Language Theory, Digital Logic Designs, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, and other high-level Computer Science stuff. Problem was I took most of those subjects seven or eight years back. Hence, I flubbed that interview badly with a capital very.
Well, I was slated for a full day of testing, but I spent a late night with friends trying to build up my social network. I arrived an hour late since the MRT operations stopped for almost a froopin' hour. So after two-and-a-half hours of travel and with only one-and-a-half hours of sleep and no fuel to work on (I bought a "McDonald's' Breakfast-to-Go" but I didn't eat it en route), I completely pawned the Differential Aptitude Test given. In fact, I so pawned it that the only thing on my scratch paper for the mathematical/numerical reasoning was a sketch of a rural field and a drooling smiley holding up a spoon and fork. That betrayed my hunger.
Lunch? A Sausage McMuffin, over-priced spaghetti and C2 Apple from the cafeteria, and about twenty minutes of Diablo II on battery. My hunger extended to getting more experience for Nevv, my double-swing Barbarian. (As of this writing, he's already at level 68. Half a level to go before I unsocket both Heart Carver's to release the Cham Runes and place Zods in them. Repairing them costs up to 102K per trip! I don't even go very far with each.)
Afternoon was more difficult what with the ungodly hour and sleep deprivation catching up on me. Fate was so cruel to put the Critical Thinking test here. I nodded off several times through the test. That part I prolly failed.
The personality interview soon followed. The interviewer first told me to draw a person. I drew a guy. She then told me to draw someone of the opposite gender. She asked me questions about the guy so I just pretended he was me to make the interview simple. After all, I'm completely honest about myself... and since I tend to be verbose, it took some time. After a loooooooooong while talking about myself, we got to discussing the girl. Since I particularly couldn't identify who she was, I just made up stuff.
The questions...
What's her dream in life?
Pangarap niya gumanda (because my drawing was fugly).
Is she smart?
Yes. It compensates for her poor looks.
Is she strong?
Yes, she is. She's the youngest in the family. She has four brothers. No sisters.
Is she healthy?
She has to be. She needs to defend herself against her bully brothers.
At that point, the interviewer just stopped me realizing all she'll get out of me would be fiction. We had a good laugh about it, though. I sure hope that went well.
Finally, a proficiency test. Goodness. The proctor gave me 50 minutes to finish it all since there were 50 items. More like five minutes. It was a multiple choice (tricky though as it is since some had multiple answers where I could in fact encircle all) and an identification test. Pawnage continued.
Off to end the day with a cap of video gaming with kada (training for the WCG).
...and other random thoughts.
I felt like a contestant on "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" the day before, but instead of 5th grade questions, I was being quizzed on Automata and Language Theory, Digital Logic Designs, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, and other high-level Computer Science stuff. Problem was I took most of those subjects seven or eight years back. Hence, I flubbed that interview badly with a capital very.
Well, I was slated for a full day of testing, but I spent a late night with friends trying to build up my social network. I arrived an hour late since the MRT operations stopped for almost a froopin' hour. So after two-and-a-half hours of travel and with only one-and-a-half hours of sleep and no fuel to work on (I bought a "McDonald's' Breakfast-to-Go" but I didn't eat it en route), I completely pawned the Differential Aptitude Test given. In fact, I so pawned it that the only thing on my scratch paper for the mathematical/numerical reasoning was a sketch of a rural field and a drooling smiley holding up a spoon and fork. That betrayed my hunger.
Lunch? A Sausage McMuffin, over-priced spaghetti and C2 Apple from the cafeteria, and about twenty minutes of Diablo II on battery. My hunger extended to getting more experience for Nevv, my double-swing Barbarian. (As of this writing, he's already at level 68. Half a level to go before I unsocket both Heart Carver's to release the Cham Runes and place Zods in them. Repairing them costs up to 102K per trip! I don't even go very far with each.)
Afternoon was more difficult what with the ungodly hour and sleep deprivation catching up on me. Fate was so cruel to put the Critical Thinking test here. I nodded off several times through the test. That part I prolly failed.
The personality interview soon followed. The interviewer first told me to draw a person. I drew a guy. She then told me to draw someone of the opposite gender. She asked me questions about the guy so I just pretended he was me to make the interview simple. After all, I'm completely honest about myself... and since I tend to be verbose, it took some time. After a loooooooooong while talking about myself, we got to discussing the girl. Since I particularly couldn't identify who she was, I just made up stuff.
The questions...
What's her dream in life?
Pangarap niya gumanda (because my drawing was fugly).
Is she smart?
Yes. It compensates for her poor looks.
Is she strong?
Yes, she is. She's the youngest in the family. She has four brothers. No sisters.
Is she healthy?
She has to be. She needs to defend herself against her bully brothers.
At that point, the interviewer just stopped me realizing all she'll get out of me would be fiction. We had a good laugh about it, though. I sure hope that went well.
Finally, a proficiency test. Goodness. The proctor gave me 50 minutes to finish it all since there were 50 items. More like five minutes. It was a multiple choice (tricky though as it is since some had multiple answers where I could in fact encircle all) and an identification test. Pawnage continued.
Off to end the day with a cap of video gaming with kada (training for the WCG).
Miyerkules, Mayo 14, 2008
Random thoughts
Here I sit waiting with only Hayden to keep me company, so I went on her to post this blog entry. Here goes!
I predict that it'll be David vs Goliath in the finale. Goliath being the greater David. The greater David being David Cook. The only thing that'll stop him from being THE Idol would be the sappy Idol winner song. Victims of this phenomenon are Blake, Kat McPheever, Bo Bice, and Justin (although Justin never had the star potential to begin with).
I don't know which is most disturbing: the fact that I build skyscrapers in my idle time, the fact that my skyscrapers have storeys that are not aligned - so much so that they sway 30 degrees off, the fact that people still want to move in to the skyscrapers I build, or that people move in on para-sol-chutes.
My T9 dictionary spells "yous" first before "your" like I'm some ghetto guy. Also, it spells "igo" first before "him". Go figure.
People here wear high-cut rubber basketball shoes to a demo? I may just be over-elegant-dressed. Then again, I rarely am not.
Billie Jean... she caused a scene... I am the one, but the kid is not my son...
I'm wasting money on the SMART connection now since I'm just typing. Better check my mail soon.
I like my Adidas Basketball jacket. It could compare to the jacket given to me by a class I handled before.
I have to post the rest of my final farewell series... I might just go green.
I did not take a job that I'd have earned much more at and be the best (modesty aside) at... for reasons personal.
World CyberGames Philippines included DotA in its list of games... Ownage time if I join... ownage for my opponents.
I predict that it'll be David vs Goliath in the finale. Goliath being the greater David. The greater David being David Cook. The only thing that'll stop him from being THE Idol would be the sappy Idol winner song. Victims of this phenomenon are Blake, Kat McPheever, Bo Bice, and Justin (although Justin never had the star potential to begin with).
I don't know which is most disturbing: the fact that I build skyscrapers in my idle time, the fact that my skyscrapers have storeys that are not aligned - so much so that they sway 30 degrees off, the fact that people still want to move in to the skyscrapers I build, or that people move in on para-sol-chutes.
My T9 dictionary spells "yous" first before "your" like I'm some ghetto guy. Also, it spells "igo" first before "him". Go figure.
People here wear high-cut rubber basketball shoes to a demo? I may just be over-elegant-dressed. Then again, I rarely am not.
Billie Jean... she caused a scene... I am the one, but the kid is not my son...
I'm wasting money on the SMART connection now since I'm just typing. Better check my mail soon.
I like my Adidas Basketball jacket. It could compare to the jacket given to me by a class I handled before.
I have to post the rest of my final farewell series... I might just go green.
I did not take a job that I'd have earned much more at and be the best (modesty aside) at... for reasons personal.
World CyberGames Philippines included DotA in its list of games... Ownage time if I join... ownage for my opponents.
Linggo, Mayo 11, 2008
Sabado, Mayo 10, 2008
Baguio trip
Kwento and captions later... I'll maximize whatever else I can on very expensive internetting here at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Morato (actually, food and coffee ang mahal).
Where have I been?
Off to London to visit the queen!
I've actually been on the road the past month skipping from one city to the other in search of a possible place to move to (more on that in a later blog) so it's actually appropriate when Ronald Po showed me this on his multiply during one night out. Of course, I've been around during my time with full-time pastoral mission work.
My Lakbayan grade is C+!
How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!
Created by Eugene Villar.YFC UPLB reunion (at Metrowalk)
*sigh* Huwag na kasi mang-ungkat ng nakaraan! Hahaha! I'm comfortable with the past. No need to put us at the same table and make us feel awkward.
Earth Day Jam at Morato after watching Forbidden Kingdom after Fontana
I just got back from Fontana with a group of friends (not just former students). I haven't even gone home. We support the cause of the Earth Day (read: lousy excuse to go to Odds for DotA... may FTW moment si Po when he shouted "Tangina! Ano ba 'yang sound na 'yan?" thinking I was the one playing this lullaby-ish music when it was, in reality, the kid that was in front of me. Funny time!)
Fontana trip with some MBoys
Dumayo kami ng Pampanga upang magbahay-bahayan. Si Wowee ang mommy. Si Chuck ang daddy (sponsor ng place). Malalaki na ang mga anak nila. Ako ang boy... na palaging tulog.
They played tennis (and we almost lost balls) and then volleyball afterwards. Napigtas ang tsinelas ni Jesus so he quit and we invited some chinita girls to play with us instead. After the game nga lang, they were with a group of guys pala who were playing basketball sa other court. Dang.
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