e

l

The first and last time I was in the City of Pines was when I was still in 4th year high school. I didn't enjoy it very well, though. I never got to visit interesting places that were always mentioned in textbooks like Burnham Park and Mines' View.

So during the whole time I attended the National Rizal Youth Leadership, Inc. (NRYLI), I was an escapee -- meaning, I escaped from the lectures and activities that I was supposed to attend and went somewhere else. Haha!

So far, SM City and Burnham Park are the places I've been to, but I'm glad of the respite. It's Level IV Accreditation in the College of Education now and I'm sure everyone's busy and tired from all the work. I'm not sure if I'd feel guilty or happy because I'm enjoying in Baguio while my colleagues are working their asses off in Iloilo. When I get back, it'll be Christmas Party already.

Lord, please don't let me spend too much! And please, please, please make Zeliet win in the Extemporaneous Speaking Contest and Alexa in the Essay Writing Contest.

I'll be bringing home the usual pasalubongs from Baguio.

What better way to settle your high school issues than to have a reunion? So reunion I did! I organized a reunion for Pacellians batch 2000. Because of the heavy rains that have been plaguing us for two days, I was worried nobody would come. But they did come.

Two hours of dinner and a round of drinks for two hours more settled some of my issues. Hehe. But I'll never be able to get rid of my residual teenage angst until I confront that Math teacher of mine who messed up my last year of high school. Sigh.

And they say education will do you a world of good, but to be honest, high school only aggravated my then suffering self-esteem. Sure, we had activities in school and all that, but I never really appreciated my teachers.

I hope I'll manage to track her down in the future.

BLC's First Fun Reading

This won't be the last

I haven't done much writing since I finished college so I'm glad that my news story was published on an agriculture website. This got me my passion in writing back. I really have to thank Maám Lulu for trusting me enough to become the RACO of of the univ.

http://www.openacademy.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1529&Itemid=544

I hope I'll be able to write more. Cheers!

Bloopers

In the mass today, I was assigned to read the first reading. There was a passage that says "He refused evil and chose good." I jumbled the lines and instead I said "He chose evil..." I realized my mistake and corrected myself but the damage has been done. It was such a fatal error. How can God choose evil? I felt my face burning so I comforted myself with the thought that the people actually never listen to the readings and so no one will realize my mistake.

I've proven myself right when after the mass, everybody said I did a good job. No one ever mentioned my bloopers...

Even my co-readers and companions in the Reading Ministry who are the most critical people I've encountered, only said nice things about my reading. Therefore, I conclude that people never really listen to the readings during mass. They never really care about the content. If they do listen, they're just waiting for you to mispronounce.

Red Herring

The man I'd been setting my eyes on turned out to be actually married! Boo! :(

In Memoriam

:(

When I changed the water of the aquarium this morning, one of the fishes jumped out of the mug I used as their temporary home. It took me around seven seconds before I was able to put it back to the water. All those leaping and squirming weakened him (I assume it's a male) that he never survived. When I transferred him to the aquarium, I tried to revive him by poking him around. Several times, he would swim away but no longer with the vigor he used to have. After awhile, he turned over to his stomach and drifted to the bottom. I knew he's already a goner.

Bye-bye Ikthus

Dip-loo-mah

"Mendoza, wala kaman kagraduate?!"

The registrar exclaimed. My heart skipped a beat. I told her I graduated April 2009 but I just wasn't able to attend the graduation. I relaxed when she said, "Ah, ari na a."


I traveled all the way from the city to UP Miag-ao just to get my diploma and if you were in my shoes you'd be very nervous when you're told wala kaman kagraduate.


The truth is, I can barely remember the things I've studied in my Master's. I wasn't a bright student and I never really gave much thought on my reports and other requirements. In short, I was lazy. To top it all, I didn't have a strong education background and when I started graduate studies I didn't have a teaching experience, thus, I could never really relate to my classmates' discussion of lesson planning and classroom management.

I started in year 2005 and in my drive to do better in my studies I left my online tutorial job and taught in Iloilo Scholastic Academy for two years.

Now I'm teaching in a different school and thank God I was able to pass that dreaded comprehensive exam. I didn't attend the graduation, though. I was just a part-time lecturer, then, and misery of miseries my salary was always delayed. I didn't have money to buy a dress nor a sablay. Yep, I was that poor and naive (borrowing from someone never occured to me). So I opted to go to Semirara, Antique as a remedial class teacher instead (where I didn't have to pay for anything).

To make this short story shorter, I got my diploma today.


This may seem overrated but I just can't help saying, "Yehey, kagraduate gd man koya noh!"

Playing Cat and Mouse

My loyalty to the university was questioned today.

A week ago I was asked by three colleagues whether I have plans of teaching abroad. Apparently, somebody (an older co-teacher, I presume) has been spreading a really nasty rumor that the reason I went to Hong Kong during Christmas break was that I applied for a job there. I laughed it off because after all, I thought it's just a harmless gossip.

I was alarmed, however, when the dean really confronted me with it. I didn't know it's going to be such a hot issue because If I will indeed transfer somewhere else they can just easily hire another teacher.

Then it hit me. My papers were due for promotion. Currently, there are 32 vacant plantilla in the university. I was recommended by the late dean (God bless his soul) for a permanent position. The new dean is perhaps doubtful that if she approves of the recommendation it's going to be a waste of time since I'm going somewhere else anyway. I don't feel threatened in any way but I feel like strangling whoever started the tall tale.

That's what a nasty rumor can do to you.

Curses to all gossipmongers in the world!

Fun Reading

Jilted

Saturday was such a hectic day for me. From 8-11 AM I gave a lecture to ECE DIT students, then from 11-1:00 PM I attended my own class and finally, from 1-5:30, I had an outreach activity with my 3rd year students.

At 5:45 PM, I was in Ysabelle wedding gownmakers to pick up my gown. I was supposed to attend a wedding the next day. So imagine my shock when I was told, "They picked up the gown awhile ago because the wedding's today!"

The wedding's Saturday and not on Sunday as I believed. I have the invitation but the date totally slipped out of my mind. I'm supposed to serve as a secondary sponsor by holding the candle for the bride and groom. In short, I was one of the main characters in that wedding! But the wedding started at 3 PM so I didn't go there anymore. What's the point of going there? The bride will probably just chase me with a wedding cake knife. I felt like I jilted the bride. So embarrassing.

I hope that won't happen to me on my own wedding day.

Toddlering Around

Nothing's sweeter than a kiss from this toddler!

Life's an Orange

I realized I have three orange objects on my table today. I'm a big fan of the orange color. So, I decided to take pictures of ém.

Still Life with Orange

An Orange Ring

Aura, a senior student, is selling this ring

grr..

Got pissed off with two rude USC officers this afternoon. One of them's going to be in the Prom.

A Night in the Museum

Let me tell you the tale of my rather strange encounter with the third kind.

It was another ordinary Friday morning for me. I had my schedule set for the whole day.


8-12nn: dance practice
12-1pm: lunch break
1-3: checking of test papers
3-5: faculty meeting
5-7: watch "Emir" in SM City

So I found it annoying that my friend and classmate from UP called me and asked a BIG favor. This is how the conversation went.

Me: Hello, Jurex?
Jureca: Van, favor please. Are you free this afternoon?
Me: Uh-oh, yep. Actually, I'll attend... (she cuts me off)
Jureca: Van, can you please take over my place as an emcee in Museo Iloilo this evening? They have this opening of exhibit featuring Ilonggo artists.
Me: Ahm, I don't think I can... (she cuts me off again)
Jureca: Please, Van. I can't because I have my midterm tomorrow and I'm feeling sick. Plus, I still have to go to Miag-ao.
Me: Why did you accept that in ... (cut off for the third time)
Jureca: My friend forced me to. She said if I can't make it I have to look for somebody to replace me. You're the first person who came into my mind. Van, please, please, please......
Me: ok
Jureca: Thank you, Van. I owe you big. I'm gonna...

Ok, it's my turn to cut her off.

I thought it's actually going to be a great way to spend my evening. I'll be meeting artists! With that, I went home to take a nap, change into my favorite pair of slacks and went back to school just in time for the faculty meeting. Halfway through the speech of the dean, I realized that to get to the museum I have to walk the length of the Gaisano City bridge. And that's just what happened. I escaped from the meeting, took a taxi with Jureca and Joyce only until Gaisano City and walked from there until the museum. I deserve an award for trekking about five miles in my killer high heels.

Joyce, UPV Professor of History

Jureca and her Armenian nose.

The program/exhibit proper shall start at 6PM exactly but Joyce and Jureca left me at around 5 because they had to catch a ride home. I was introduced to the curator and the administrative assistant but apart from them I didn't know a single soul. It's a good thing a batchmate of mine in college named Rosemarie Galvez was there. So I was glad all throughout the exhibit I had someone to chat and giggle with.

Ms. Rose, a faculty in San Agustin

Out of the 13 artists featured, only six came to be introduced during the opening program.

Christian Euren Lozanes and his work

It was when cocktails were served that I encountered the third kind for the first time. He looked very handsome in his roquelaire (long jacket) and unlit pipe and he also looked very eccentric. Who would want to wear thick and outlandish European fashion during the pre-Dinagyang festivals? Not to mention clothes straight out of Jose Rizal's era? All eyes were on him but he certainly didn't mind. I couldn't help but giggle with Rose. He looked like a Chinese don so we asked Christian who he is. The artist said he's actually also Ilonggo but he just likes to dress up that way. Well, I thought he's a good example of an eccentric artist. I badly wanted to have my picture taken with him so I asked Rose to snap a picture of me pretending to watch one of the paintings while he's standing not very far from me.

Yep, that's his back alright

When the crowd was starting to get thinner, I managed to have a talk with this peculiar man. I asked him where his work is. He pointed to the drawing of three ladies. I commented that it's really good. He replied in his British accent that it's not yet complete actually. I asked what part was not complete. He said, "it's the sine qua non of the painting." I racked my brains to remember the meaning of the French word. Alas, I wasn't able to. I managed to have a closer look at his face, though. I thought he looked really cute with his sleek hair, vintage clothes, and devil may care attitude. Then he asked me, "And who might you be?" When I started to reply he held out his left hand. I found it odd that he wanted a left-handed handshake. But do you know what he did? He kissed my hand instead of shaking it! I repeat, he kissed my hand! HE KISSED MY HAND! HE KISSED MY HAND! I was totally floored over. He also kissed Ms. Rose's hand. And with that, he strode out of the exhibit room.

I forgot the title of his work

His name's Ike Villaruel and he kissed my hand ;)

I giggled some more with Rose after that. He's a strange man, indeed but what a true gentleman. When I went home and trekked the long walk from the museum to La Paz market, I thought having my schedule disrupted wasn't so bad, after all. As long as there will be another Ike Villaruel to kiss my hand like that I wouldn't mind walking another mile in my killer shoes.

Ahem. Don't we look good together? :)))))

And that ends my tale of the encounter with the third kind. If you're wondering why the third kind, it's because I consider artists to belong to a different kind of specie. They're special people.