After First Week

After Second Week

Before the Mid-Term Test Week

During the Mid-Term Test Week

After the Mid-Term Test Week

Two Weeks Before the Final Exams

Once You Get to Know the Final Exam Schedule

7 Days Before the Final Exam

6 Days Before the Final Exam

5 Days Before the Final Exam

4 Days Before the Final Exam

3 Days Before the Final Exam

2 Days Before the Final Exam

1 Day Before the Final Exam

The Night Before the Final Exam

1 Hour Before the Final Exam

During the Final Exam

Right After the Final Exam

Sembreak!!!

So very true. Nakakahiya mang aminin, I am one of those. Need not to say more. My blockmates can write perfect testimonials about me being a slacker. Never I regret being one. It was fun after all -- arriving at exactly after the 2nd bell, sleeping during discussions, studying only hours before long tests/finals, not attending classes even majors, etc. Ay, ang saya. Promise.

Gawd! I miss high school wherein being GC was always first on the list. Booooo!

Wednesday last week, on my way to an interview which was sadly scheduled at 8am, I took the jeepney going to the second nearest FX terminal. (The infamous FX terminal in front of our village was already full and jam-packed.)  It was a school day so with me in the PUJ was students, elementary and high school alike. Upon paying the fare, I immediately notice a kid probably in Grade 1 or 2. Easily noticeable because of his very white complexion. He was with his yaya holding his gargantuan stroller bag and his pet dog, not just an askal but an expensive, breed-ed dog. In short, cute kid who somehow resembles me when I was at his age… without the yaya and the dog, of course. With pet in his lap, he was talking to his yaya… lo and behold, in straight English! (Poor yaya who is forced to talk to his alaga in a foreign language.) My eyes went to his polo pocket embroidered with the name of his school, Cainta Elementary School.  

In the middle of the ride, I eavesdropped. Madaldal ‘ung bata.

Yaya: Are you… okay with your new school?

Kid: Yahhhh. I have more classmates. Many playmates… after the last bell! (Sabay himis sa aso.) Yaya, what’s my baon?

Yaya: (pabulong) Sabagay, e dun dati sa ______________, fifteen lang kayo. Ah? Chicken sandwich and Chuckie (current version ng Chocolait).

Boom! Transferee. The cute kid who seemed to come from a wealthy family is now studying  in a public school. I have nothing against the public school system. My parents, as well as some closest friends, are products of these schools with ES and HS forming its acronym. But the kid – the kid na maputi, may breeding, my yaya at nag-i-ingles. Nag-i-ingles s’ya eh! ‘Ung mga tipong makikita mo sa High Street ng dis-oras ng gabi na naglalaro pa rin at may hila-hilang aso. Ganun! With fast thought process in my mind, there are many possible reasons for his transfer. Still…

Fine, dumarami ang naghihirap sa bansa.

Yes, I am a self-proclaimed apathetic. I am fond of watching the late-night news and documentaries but only for its aesthetic value. I only read the entertainment section of the newspaper and do not even bother to read the front page. In that 15-minute ride I had with the spokening-dollar kid, reality is speaking to me.

According to some facts, only 40% of UPCAT passers enrolled in the state university. (UP na ‘yun. Dahil sa TFI, tumataginting na bente mil na ang minimum tuition yata sa UP. Compared sa singko mil nina Earl at Presh, at sa kwarenta pesos ni Louie. Level! Budget dagdagan, wag bawasan!) More and more students transfer to public schools. Even more students in elementary are leaving school due to inability to pay the tuition and fees even in public schools. Out-of-school youths are everywhere.  Sad to say that most of these kids really want to finish schooling and eventually help their families to somehow raise their current economic status.

My thesis dealt with wages with human capital theory as one of the frameworks. Education is one of the major determinants of wages and salary. Sadly, our country is not fond of “street smarts” just like in the west. In the latest studies, a bachelor’s degree alone is not enough. One has to take up graduate and post-graduate courses in order to ensure competency in the workplace especially for MNCs. Potek, ang mahal na magpaaral. Ateneo is now 100K, Claret is 65K, Montessori schools are now 70K or even higher. E mga pre-school nga na mukhang playground, 50K na! Tapos may masteral and doctorate pa! Amp! Kelangang mag-aral para sa tagumpay. No ID, no entry. No one-plus-one, no job. (E sa hirap pa namang maghanap ngayon ng trabaho…)

In reality, education is a privilege, not a right.

I feel sorry for the kid. He seemed to enjoy it though because of the sudden increase of the number of his playmates. But for me, it’s too early for the child to experience the harsh reality of life. He'll soon learn that hopscotch is just piko. Isang napakaagang immersion.

Quitters never win. Winners never quit. Maririnig mo yan kadalasan sa mga sportsfest. Patok yan nung grade school ako sa Montessori. Ginawan ko pa yan ng cheer. Pero nakalimutan ko na ang tono. Tapos biglang tutugtog ang We are the Champions. Sabay laglag ng confetti. Pana-panalo lang. Never quit daw so kahit 14-5 ang score sa volleyball (take note, grade school pa ‘ko, so up to 15 pa lang not 25), dapat manatili ang tiwala ng team na may score na 5. E service pa ng kabila. Wahahaha! Kami yata ung 14.

Minsan kelangan ding maging hindi winner. 'Ung iba, quit na agad. Suko na. Eh nyeta, 14 na ung kabila. One miss you die ang eksena. Wala na rin namang patutunguhan, pagod lang. Just like in life, we quit or contemplate to qit often times -- well, most of the time.

We quit relationships. Burned out ka na. Wala ka ng nakikitang future with your partner. Your relationship is already heading to Baguio para tumalon sa bangin dun. May iba sya. May iba ka. Lumalandi kayo pareho. Incompromisable differences. Grave misunderstandings. Umalis, nag-migrate, ayaw mo ng long-distance. You won’t see yourself walking the aisle with her or him. Busy ka or kayong dalawa masyado, walang time. He or she cannot fit in to your lifestyle. Maraming dahilan. Sometimes you simply cannot understand. What you do is to simply just accept and move on.

We quit jobs. Positive muna. Better job offer and benefits package. Career growth. Passion. Mataray na job title. Dagdag sa CV. More training and expatriation opportunities. Company name… Go negative. Sawa ka na. Not for you. Bratty bosses. Energy-draining shit. Gargantuan workload. Sacrificing time for yourself, your friends and family. Career stalemate. Unstable company. Being underpaid. Maraming dahilan. Sometimes you simply cannot understand. What you do is to simply just accept and move on.

We quit bad habits. Smoking is dangerous to your f*cking health. Drink moderately. Be high on school, not on drugs. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Keep the campus clean and green. English speaking campaign. Exercise is a must. These are slogans we read almost everywhere. Bumili ka lang ng kaha ng yosi, andun agad. Welcome kamatayan ang drama. Some people call it “clean living.” Others say, “Ang tatanda nyo na, ayusin nyo nga buhay nyo.” Pero bilang ka ng 1 to 1,000, ayun… kasama mo na ulit sa smocket at hihiram ng lighter sabay hihingi ng tagay. Tatag. Quit daw. Maraming dahilan. Sometimes you simply cannot understand. What you do is to simply just accept [we are bad] and move on.

We quit… showbiz. Finish schooling. Vacation abroad. Stressed from project-after-project. 1994 MMFF scam. Take-up a crash course on fashion design. Pregnant. Drug addict. Alcoholic. Wala ng nagpo-produce ng ST, TF, bomba, wet-look films. Career opportunity in Japan. Pero ang totoo, naghihintay ka lang ng tamang time para bumalik tapos magge-guest ka rin sa MMK at tiyak mataas ang rating! Maraming dahilan. Sometimes you simply cannot understand [or you understand pero ayaw mo intindihin]. What you do is to simply just accept and move on [to Japan].

There are many other instances that we choose to quit. We quit thinking pag may exam or pag may paper kaya we do kodigo or plagiarize. We quit our religion and be non-practicing or agnostic for some time. Others even quit lives. Maraming dahilan. Sometimes you simply cannot understand. What you do is to simply just accept and move on. Ayun, kapag suicide, move on na talaga. Move on to another dimension.

Quitting is somehow associated with negative thoughts of losing or giving up. We quit pushing ourselves up the ladder thinking that we might fall hard rock bottom. Hence, we settle for mediocrity or not to settle to any levels at all.

However, on a positive note, quitting is a humbling experience. It is accepting the fact that you have given everything. You gave your best but your best isn’t good enough. You gave your all but your all may have been too much… to the point that other things are being sacrificed already. It is lowering down your pride with a capital P. Sometimes a bow is not enough. Others need to kneel or to be on all fours. It teaches you how to swallow… your pride. (Ops. Too graphic. Too vivid.) No wonder pride is such a capital sin. Pero take note, if you simply quit with no valid reason at all, that’s quitting with capital Q and double T. Mamatay ka na. Isa kang mababang uri ng nilalang or ‘di ka tao at all. Wahahaha!

Makakamtan lamang ng tao ang tunay niyang pagkatao kung kanyang natatalos ang kanyang pagmemeron. Nananatili ang tao sa kanyang pagphy-physis (pusis) upang patuloy niyang malaman ang nagkukubling katotohanan ng kanyang pagmemeron. At sa kanyang pagpapatuloy, nararapat niyang matutunan ang pakikipagkapwa kasama ng pagpapakumbaba. Sa pagpapakumbaba, nakapag-uugnay ang tao sa kanya kapwa. Sa ganitong paraan, patuloy ang pagtubo ng tao, patuloy ang pag-alam sa aletheia, patuloy ang kanyang pagmemeron.

(C+ lang yata ako sa Philo)          

Hindi sumuko ang team na may 5 points. Sumabit sa net ang service ng team na may 14 points. Umabot pa sila sa 7, then naging bola na ng kalaban. Ako nag-serve… service ace. The team with 7 points didn’t quit during the 14-5; they fought until they made it to 7. They just thought the ball was out of bounds, but then it was a lineball.

Last January 30, 2008, I received a forwarded YM message from a distant friend regarding a job opening. Since I was on the hype of tengga and no-to-finance rants, I decided to try my luck and sent my CV to the email address stated, take note, using the office email. A reply email instantly popped saying that they will be considering my application blah blah.

One month… Two months… no calls, no emails. Fine.

Until March 7, 2008, after giving a testimonial for my then company to fellow Ateneans, someone texted… inviting me for a pre-employment exam. Yeah! So dressed to impress, I entered the office with a smile. Lo and behold, Kat, my girlfriend Presh’s friend, was there with another freshie. Suddenly, Kat and I had a secret. No one knows I went to an exam that day (thanks to no-time-in-time-out), not even my mom.  The exam was… uhm, erm… like eating peanuts. *enough said*

A week after my birthday, interview naman. Two interviews. Magkasunod. “You work in a financial institution, what are you doing here in marketing?” Sagot, “Why not?!” Joke. Another day off from work. Somehow after those interviews, I felt I was grilled - economics and finance as my salt and pepper. Those are the times when CMLI comes in handy. I did this, I did that. Quite a humbling experience actually. Nung mga oras na yun, bahala na si Batman. Matanggap man o hindi… Kebs! Basta sagot lang ng sagot.

A week after… kaboom! *tingin sa langit, may fireworks* I aced it. Oha oha. Tawaran na. Tawaran na ng start date… hehe! Gawd! This was the time I started recalling my clients’ names. One by one remembering their faces, account status and developments. And then the PAD thing, and the turnovers, and the folders, and alchemy printing. Nevertheless, excited pa rin.

Good bye, Buendia cor. Makati Ave…

Hello, EDSA cor Timog!

Events, beybe! Never thought I’d land on this job this early. I mean I thought this will just happen only upon the arrival of D&G. But no. Events. Events. Events. *tambling sablay sommersault* Woohoooo!

A while ago I reported and was immediately given a project. Krrrrrk! Hokey. Bahala na. I know I can now say that I love what I am doing.

Fill in the blanks: Charlz Dimal, proud to be __________________!

"sama-samang nananalig... nangangarap... nagsisikap... magkakapuso tayo sa bawat hamon at tagumpay ng buhay"

Disclaimer: I’m still singing… one team / kasama one team / kasama one team / kasama team kapamilya tayo yeah yeah yeah! *with feelings pa*

Two days before college graduation, I received a job offer. The recruitment firm called to inform me that I passed all the interviews and was then recommended for hiring. However, still waiting feedback from other companies, I stalled the offer and refused to sign the contract on that very moment. I still can remember the recruitment manager calling while I am basking under the Galera sun.

Then came June, I visited the office and signed. June 18, 2008 marked my first workday which ended my unemployment stint.

I’ll be leaving Bahay in a while. No hard feelings, no ifs and buts – in the name of career growth.

Bahay Financial is a perfect venue to experience the world of capitalism while practicing TH141’s preferential option for the poor. Amidst professionalism and fun company environment, the industry is somehow not synonymous to Charlz Dimal. Those are like two same poles of a magnet that would never cling to each other.

Amber’s pichi-pichi, after-lunch SB with Hanah, morning rants at the pantry, ATT’s, irate-turned-sobbing clients, Tanging Ina DVD, Buddy’s pancit habhab, Sicilian’s buy-one-take-one pizza, foreclosure status – petition is yet to be filed, “OB, hands-clasped, teary-eyed, on bended knees, is pleading the management to accept the offered settlement amount,” team luncheon while bashing other people, Christmas party fame, AMS 2.0 bug, BFS fertile ground, 5^th floor smoking veranda, alchemy and PAD folder, four one-day closings, rejected by CUAD, birthday surprises, training charades, YM conference-like Outlook email exchanges… these, more than these, I love. And surely I will miss.

Success is not only measured by monetary benefits and tenure of work but also by self-fulfillment and self-respect. It can be seen on the twinkle on the eyes; amount on your bank account is only secondary. But on the second thought… Hehe!

No one knows to where I am going. Not even my parents. All they know is that I resigned from work and now set for another job. No press releases yet. Don’t you just love mysteries and solving them? (Secret. Walang clue.)

I barely have 5 days to complete the signatures on my clearance sheet. Whaaaaaaaa!

I got this from McVie at blogspot.com. Blimey, gays are good bloggers. *wink wink* 

And now... take the G detector-test!

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

It’s a form of Gay Detector Test. If upon reading the italicized lines from the lyrics above you were able to identify which song it was before reading my next paragraph, you’re gay.

Of course, any test involving song lyrics should take in to consideration the era in which the song became popular—the older the song, the more likely you’ll just detect old gay folks. The young gay set will most likely be oblivious to the songs of such older gay icons like Judy Garland, Liza Minelli, Cher in her prehistoric pre-“Believe” days (but she still looks the same then and now), and even—gasp!—Madonna in her “Burning Up” days.

Wonder just how gay (or maybe how old) you are? See if you can identify the title and performers of the songs from the following lyrics:

[1] Work, turn to the left
Work, now turn to the right
Work, sashay shante!

[2] Meeting Mr. Right, the man of my dreams,
The one who shows me true love (or at least it seems).
With brown cocoa skin and curly black hair,
It’s just the way he looks at me, that gentle loving stare.

[3] So when the night falls
My lonely heart calls

[4] God bless Mother Nature, she’s a single woman too.
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do.

[5] You can dance, you can jive,
Having the time of your life!

[6] It’s one life and there’s no return and no deposit.
One life, so it’s time to open up your closet!

[7] Some day I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.

[8] But after all is said and done,
You’re going to be the lonely one, oh!

[9] I should have changed my stupid lock,
I should have made you leave your key.

[10] I’m coming out!
I want the world to know,
Got to let it show.

BONUS:

[11] Smiling, dancing, everything is free—
All you need is positivity!

[12] ‘Cause if you run your mouth and brag
about this secret rendezvous—
I will hunt you down.

*(NOTE: This G-Detector Test is inaccurate, inconclusive, and in the spirit of fun.)

Ok, exam tayo. Size 1, black pen. Get one and pass.

Pick the topic that suits your expertise.

*WORLD HISTORY*
Describe the history of the papacy from its origins to the present day,
concentrating especially, but not exclusively, on its social, political,
economic, religious, and philosophical impact on
Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Be brief and concise, yet specific.

*ASTRONOMY*
Define the universe; give three examples.

*MEDICINE*
You will be provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze, and a bottle of
Scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until your work has been
inspected. You have 15 minutes.

*COMPUTER SCIENCE *
Write a fifth-generation computer language. Using this language, create a
computer program to finish the rest of this exam for you.

*PUBLIC SPEAKING*
Twenty-five hundred riot-crazed aborigines are storming the classroom.
Calm them. You may use any ancient language except Latin, Hebrew, or Greek.

*CIVIL ENGINEERING*
This is a practical test of your design and building skills. With the boxes
of toothpicks and glue present, build a platform that will support your
weight when you and your platform are suspended over a vat of nitric acid.

*MECHANICAL ENGINEERING*
The disassembled parts of a howitzer have been placed in a box on your desk.
You will also find an instruction manual, printed in Swahili. In 10 minutes
a hungry Bengal tiger will be admitted to the room. Take whatever action you
feel is appropriate. Be prepared to justify your decision.

*ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING*
You will be placed in a nuclear reactor and given a partial copy of the
electrical layout. The electrical system has been tampered with. You have
seventeen minutes to find the problem and correct it before the reactor
melts down.

*BIOLOGY*
Create life. Estimate the differences in subsequent human culture if this
form of life had developed 500,000 years earlier, with special attention to
the probable effect, if any, on the Philippine social spectrum circa 1640.
Prove your thesis.

*RELIGION*
Perform a miracle. Creativity will be judged.

*MUSIC*
Write a full piano concerto. Orchestrate and perform it with a flute and
drum. You will find a piano under your seat.

*LOGIC*
Take a position for or against truth. Prove the validity of your position.

*CHEMISTRY*
You must identify a poison sample which you will find at your lab table. All
necessary equipment has been provided. There are two beakers at your desk,
one of which holds the antidote. If the wrong substance is used, it causes
instant death. You may begin as soon as the professor injects you with a
sample of the poison.

*PSYCHOLOGY*
Based on your knowledge of their early works, evaluate the emotional
stability, degree of adjustment, and repressed frustrations of each of the
following: *Alexander of Aphrodisias , Ramses II, Gregory of Nicea, and
Hammurabi.* Support your evaluations with quotations from each man's work,
making appropriate references. Translate all quotations in Filipino.

*SOCIOLOGY*
Identify the sociological problems which might be associated with the end of
the world. Construct an experiment to test your theory.

*ECONOMICS*
Describe in four hundred words or less what you would have done to prevent
the Great Depression.

*MATHEMATICS*
You have 60 seconds to mentally solve the mathematical problem below. Begin.
8,256.091 + _________ - ________ x ________ 8 ________ = -38.07623

(Bonus question: Why is 11 not pronounced "onety one?" Provide a full
numerical analysis in justifying your answer.)

*POLITICAL SCIENCE*
There is a red telephone on the desk beside you. Start World War III. Report
at length on its socio-political effects, if any.

*ART*
Given one eight-count box of crayons and three sheets of notebook paper,
recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Skin tones should be true to life.

**got this from a multiply site while searching for "Voices in Harmony" at Multipy.

"Nasubukan mo na ba ang maghanap ng alam mong di mo na makikita?
Ang makipagkaibigan at manatiling nag-iisa?
Ang magpanggap kahit 'di dapat magkunwari?
Ang maghintay ng alam mong 'di na darating?
Ang maging masaya sa gitna ng pangungulila?

...

Ang paglaruan ng nagmamahal sa iyo?
Naransan mo na ba ang totoong pagmamahal?"

--Crisaldo Pablo, "Bath House"

May survey ang UP. Therefore, meron din kami.

*got this from a batchmate. since got nothing to do...

1. What's your ID number? -- 030943
2. Passed or waitlisted?-- passed!!!
3. How did you know about the ACET results?-- sa blue eagle gym
4. Was Ateneo your first choice?-- nope. UP pa rin!
5. Do you know what your ACET score is?-- no
6. What course was your first choice?-- Management Engineering
7. Second choice?-- Economics
8. Ano course mo ngayon?-- working
9. Did you have any plans of shifting?-- n/a. pero kung dati, oo. transfer school pa.
10. Chinito/chinita ka ba?-- no

11. Taga-Ateneo High?-- no
12. Did you have fun in your OrSem?-- kinda
13. Saang gate ka pumasok nung first day?
-- gate 2.5
14. Are you staying in a dorm?-- no
15. Ever had an F in your grade report?-- never
16. How about an A?-- naman
17. Highest grade?-- A!
18. Lowest grade?-- C in Theo!
19. Worst experience in ADMU?-– Th121 reporting
20. Do you always attend class?-- it depends. (reason: laziness, ViH, or friends!)

21. What's/what are your org/orgs?-- Musmos, APO
22. How many units have you passed?-- lahat
23. Nangangarap ka bang maglaude?-- hindi na. that's too high school for me. hehehe!
24. When will/did you graduate?-- 2007
25. Fave subject/s?-- Hi18 (Tirol)
26. Worst subject/s?-- econ electives
27. Fave landmark sa ADMU?-- RMT benches, placement office, 3rd floor Rizal Lib annex
28. Fave kainan?-- caf up up and APO (laging may food dun)
29. Are you always at the lib?-- naman. best sleeping place!

31. Do you have a crush on campus?-- hehe.
32. May balak kang mag-MS, PhD?-- yup. in few years.
33. Have you ever watched a graduation ceremony?-- yes

34. Do you know the "Song for Mary" by heart?-- naman
35. Memorize mo ba ang Fabilioh?-- check
36. ...ang Halikinu?-- check
37. ...ang Blue Eagle Spelling?-- check. go Ateneo!

38. Are you part of Team Ateneo?-- krrrrk!
39. Who's your fave UAAP basketball player?-- wala
40. Ever had a perfect score in an exam?-- haha! next question.
41. Ano ang ayaw mo sa Hell Week?-- philo orals
42. Dito ka ba natuto uminom ng beer?-- mas natuto
43. What do you like about our school?-- the name. hehe!
45. Ano ang ayaw mo?-- ere. ere ng mga tao.

46. Have you ever bought anything at the A-shop?-- payong, shirt, planner, sticker
47. Maganda ba ID pic mo?-- yung last year lang
48. Done anything illegal on campus?-- ha. ha. ha.
49. Bought anything at National Katips?-- syempre
50. Ever gone to Starbucks Katips?-- duh!
51. May nakaaway ka na ba sa school?-- naman.
52. QPI?-- don't ask