Saturday, March 31, 2007

Post-High School Upgrades and Trademarks

The newspaper isn’t actually a newspaper for me; it’s the comic and lifestyle sections I’m usually after. One of my favorite reads from the Philippine Daily Inquirer is their 2bU! feature every Wednesday and this week’s articles are rather timely for March’s trademark event – graduation that is. Among the features was a survey on what had changed and what remained since graduating from high school. I find that interesting especially that most of the respondents were just few years ahead of me and are now either pursuing their MAs or working with the country’s renowned companies.

Since it’s the last day of the “Graduation Month”, I decided to publish my own response. *wink*

Let’s start with the changes…



  • I had grown taller and now maintains and an average built compared to being few inches fatter when in high school. I have a healthier diet and am doing well into sticking to it so far.
  • Back then, I was loyal to the classic sided hairstyle combed flat in place whereas now, I’m more open into trying new looks letting my stylist work his craft. I had also invested on a more functional wardrobe at least having adequate variety of the “must-haves”. Back then, I had no more than 5 XL T-shirts, a pair of denim jeans, and a pair of leather loafers. Figure out how I survived PE without rubber shoes…
  • Thankfully, I have regained a strong drive for my studies. I’m doing well in my academics compared to always being in the bottom 10 of the class. I now manage to maintain a balance between academics and extracurricular.
  • I became a passionate reader and eventually developed my writing skills. I used to be satisfied with being verbally fluent but could not distinguish past tense from past participle. Throughout high school, I could not recall that I submitted any book or film review; I simply hate it!
  • I graduated from high school not knowing how to use undo nor to shut down a computer. Now I sometimes tire working with computers.
  • I’m more motivated and confident; not easily affected by petty criticisms. I’ve learned to love myself more rather than be in vain struggling for recognition while being somebody else. Plus, I’ve learned to be tactful.
  • I’m enjoying a little extra independence while trying my best not to abuse it but rather learn more of life with it.

Now, here are what remained…

  • Being the assertive person who knows the right time to speak up and stand for the things I believe in.
  • Being appreciative of other people’s worth and I'm trying to reciprocate kindness by being a good friend
  • My abundant stock of patience
  • Finding joy in life’s simple pleasures and love for a good laugh
  • My determination to get through life’s tests trying to get up after each fall.
To top it all, the contributor wrote, “a nerdy graduation photo is not just a face frozen in time; it is a symbol of a fork in the road and how the path we have taken has transformed us into the persons we have become “, below is my graduation pic and few others I found for you to admire but more likely, oh well... make fun of. (^^,)



Graduation Day




JS PROM, 3rd Year (Standing, L-R: Emcee, Emcee, Miss Juniors, Miss Alma Mater. Seated: Program Coordinator)


JS Prom, 4th Year

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Summer Love Boat


Just wanted to share with you guys, this photo of a colorful love boat displayed in front of the Subic Bay Arts Center (formerly Lowry Hall) located near our office. My officemate and I saw the old man painting the final strokes for the waves and we decided to take a picture of it once done which was what we actually did the next day. (Credits to Nomer for shooting the photo with his phone.)



Hostin', Dancin' Baby!

I just had another exciting weekend! Saturday was the Parents’ Day of our school. I was told by Sir Bert only Friday afternoon that I shall be one of emcees for the activity. I find it a bit amusing that a college school would hold a Parents’ Day; it was indeed the first time for our school. It isn’t corny at all though. As I later learned, it served as the school’s gratitude to parents and at the same time a good chance for the guardians to see the environment where their children or dependents are most of the time.

I managed to tug along dad and my sister. Mom could have filed leave from work only if the announcement came earlier. When we came to the school, there were just few people; those who joined the motorcade hadn’t arrived yet. The wait wasn’t long though. Breakfast was served before the program started and while everybody was busy roaming about, I caught some of the faculty members passing by and made a quick introduction with my family. “This is Miss…, my former instructor in… and Miss…, head of the so department…; my dad and my sister” They welcomed them warmly especially our department Coordinator (acting Dean) who, once in a while, would ask me whether my companions were done eating or had found convenient seats.

My co-emcee didn’t make it on time so Sir Bert had to fill-in. The night before, he told me to make it casual and relaxed – as much as possible, do not speak English. Guess what, it was harder for both of us to think of appropriate Filipino words! Luckily, our verbal blunders consequently contributed to the fun. We shared a good chat in between the messages and intermission numbers and the school officials commended the witty ad-libs.

The Hotel Restaurant Management (HRM) students did most of the preparations for the activity. They skirted the tables, cooked and served the meals, and prepared cocktails. Two of their students rendered interesting numbers. They were the champion and the second placer for the recent City competition for bartending (which, if I’m not mistaken, is what they also call “flaring”). Echo, who was my classmate in a minor subject, really did great with his exhibition. Widel and Genevie, who were our champions for vocal duet (featured in my post "Where Speaking Brought Me" ), did a repeat of their performance.

All in all, the activity was a success although only few parents attended. I guess the school should disseminate the information earlier so more could attend next time.

The next day, I wasn’t able to attend Sunday worship. There was an invitation by the Freeport Recreation Committee to dance sport lessons and I went with 2 workmates. The training was held in my high school and facilitated by Mr. Stanley Alexander, CEO of the Philippine Professional Dance Sport Association. That training I guess was secondary to his actual purpose of training the students of the Olongapo Special Program for the Arts who are also the Philippine delegation to an International Dance Sport Tournament to be held in Australia. The dancers came home victorious from another competition held last year in Taiwan I think and they are really good! Read: their ages are between 12 and 14 and there are two imports who are just about 4th graders!

Stanley was a patient instructor and really gave the participants significant pointers on dos and don’ts when performing. It’s been both a good privilege and a little embarrassing that he had to dance with me twice because I had a hard time executing 4 consecutive spot turns and he also noticed that I wasn’t able to make a strong lead for my partner. He said I would eventually learn the spot turns by watching the videos he gave our group.

That day, we learned the basics of waltz, foxtrot, rumba and cha-cha; the most amusing for me are foxtrot and cha-cha. When I had my PE2 during my first year in college, I was among the good dancers. This time, I learned that the waltz has prescribed facings to the walls as you glide across the floor and being conscious of that makes footwork confusing. It’s harder than I thought!

Before the training ended, we were taught a little of jive which is a very energetic dance and the competitors performed by pair, their beautiful and stunning routines dressed in their striking costumes as well.

A tiring day that was but fun and exciting nonetheless. Well, I wish I would be able to dance better soon! I’ll let you know.


"To the beat of the rhythm of the night
dance until the morning light
Forget about the worries on your mind
we can leave them all behind"
Valeria, The Rhythm of the Night

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Finals Week - SY 2006-07

The semester is on its final week. I’ve taken all my exams and am just accomplishing my clearance. This term also concludes the school year hence I anticipated the excruciating requirements poured upon us.

I remember being told that when the talahib (a tall, wild grass) flowers, it is the season when snakes are most venomous. I haven’t verified yet its truthfulness and have no plan of researching on snake matters but it just hit me that perhaps, the final grading period especially of the second semester could be for some professors, a comparable “hunting season”. You see, the final grading is critical to know who’ll be marching up the stage and shaking hands with the school officials. Optimistically, let’s just say that some instructors had grown very fond of their students and what soothes their pain of letting go is to see our eye bags drooping and skin pale due to lack of sleep and only then shall they be fulfilled saying, “Awww…I’ve played a significant role into molding the youth into hardworking citizens”

A couple of weeks ago, I found a feature in Yahoo! News bearing the title “It's true – stress makes teens break out”. The article writes about a research by a professor of dermatology and his colleagues. Their respondents/subjects for the research were students from Singapore where the researchers considered the climate stable and the study revealed that the acne of students worsened after taking an assessment exam for college. They found therefore that stress is a stronger factor rather than grease and diet. So much with these facts, all I wanted to say is that I had been a living proof. My two-week struggle to beat deadlines gave me a pimple below my lips. I come home very late at night with stomach grumbling and eyes tired from staring on the monitor.

I had to make a Powerpoint presentation and a research paper for General Chemistry. I am even thinking that our instructor had this idea of requiring a research just because of me for I learned from his previous students that he never required them one. He was a long-time acquaintance since I was in grade school but it was only this year that he became my teacher. No he didn’t require the paper because we had a conflict but perhaps he just wanted to see whether I learned how to write a research paper which was among the core programs of our curriculum in high school where he was the department head for Science. His subject could really get tough sometimes but it was a challenge I took positively. My high school chemistry got me entangled with the 1s2-2s2-2p6 electronic configuration. Thankfully this time, I understood something more than the definitions of Chemistry and matter.

Another paper which drained me was the comparative study on the Preamble and first 5 articles of the 1973 and 1987 constitution. I had no choice but do this really well because this is the sole basis of my grade for the semester. This is an alternative requirement for my Philippine Constitution subject because this class had been moved to noontime since pre-finals which of course I cannot attend because of my job.

As for my Rizal class, I had to study 12 chapters of Noli Me Tangere to make up for 2 quizzes I missed due to being occupied with the two aforementioned subjects. I thought I wouldn’t be this busy because I have no major subjects enrolled for the semester but… *sigh* thank God though it’s over. I’m just waiting for the release of grades.

I’m hoping I did well in my Chemistry exam; anyway it’s easier than pre-finals. As for Rizal, I was overjoyed to receive a text message from my teacher saying that I have been exempted because the autobiography (mine) I submitted was “impressive”. Last week, I had also been pulled on-the-spot to be a panelist for the oral defense of 2nd year students graduating from Associate in Computer Technology. I felt flattered of having been invited because I think, as a current student myself, I don’t deserve the honor yet. It has been a nice experience.

After several “no-TV” weeks, I enjoyed watching “Big Momma’s House 2”, “My Super Ex-Girlfriend”, and “You, Me and Dupree” over the weekend.

Although I won’t be able to enjoy an indulgent summer vacation as lax as students because of my job, I’m enjoying the same feeling of fulfillment nonetheless and I’m still looking forward for a meaningful summer.

I’m sure to miss my many friends who graduated as well as the instructors who resigned but I share their gladness for their achievements. I wish you the best!

Monday, March 5, 2007

A Weekend of Beauty Pageants

I was invited by my alma mater to be a judge for this year’s Search for Mr. and Ms. ACLC which was held last Saturday, March 3, as part of their 10th anniversary.

AMA Computer Learning Center Olongapo was my first school for tertiary education (but is rightfully a technical school rather than a college) from where I earned my Associate in Computer Programming.

I myself had been a contestant in several pageants but it was my first time to be invited to judge such event and I was so excited about it. The first thing I did after being informed of it by Ma’am Shan was to text my instructor for a subject where I was supposed to have an oral defense on about the same time as the show. I asked whether I may have my defense on an earlier schedule which thankfully he agreed to squeeze me in his other class slated 2PM.

The call time was 6PM, I showered at about 5. I did my make-up and got dressed but did not wear my barong yet. I rode a tricycle to the venue which is just two streets from ours carrying the garment in a hanger and covered with a clear plastic. There were just few people in the park when I arrived; most are the staff still busy setting up the computers, projector, lights and other stuff while the candidates are being prepped up in the dressing booth. I greeted Ma’am Vanz, the school director, and some others including Ma’am Rose, who was our college dean in another school and was also invited as juror. We exchanged some hellos and waited until the show started at about quarter to 8.

This year’s theme was wedding and for the first part of the show, the candidates did not wear bridal gowns but rather dresses likely worn by the entourage. I must say that despite several blunders due to short preparation, the candidates did an amusing opening number. Even during the production, we had to keep a keen eye to the contestants because scores shall be tabulated immediately after to determine the “Best Performers”.

Another highlight and perhaps the most cheered portion of the event was the “Stag Party/Bridal Shower Costume”. I find this a good shift from the typical swimwear portion. The ladies wore their respective interpretations ranging from sadistic cowgirl costume to lacy lingerie while the men are ruggedly shirtless. The girls did a sexy stint in the horizontal steel bar on the stage while the guys, although some are already shirtless, did some striptease on chairs.

During the formal wear and Q&A, I was most attentive to details. Believe me! I might have been very meticulous but I did stretch my neck just to catch a glimpse whether the men are wearing the right color of dress socks with their formals! (Simon Cowell must have been my friend. HaHa)

All in all, the whole program turned out successfully and we had a great time although we experienced drizzles thrice and had to cover our heads with the folder for our score sheets. It rained lightly during the final photo ops.

More than having been invited, I am glad that the event served as a reunion with my former mentors and friends in ACLC. Andrea, my fellow winner during our pageant in 2002 also came as a judge and I must say that this lady has sustained her admirable traits since our reign and eventually gets prettier each time. Sir Hodge’s warmth has never ceased since our old times as mentor and student; he truly deserves all the success he now has. I was also surprised to see again our curriculum adviser in high school, Dr. Roger Nuqui, who did a marvelous job in hosting the event keeping it interesting from start to end.

I must also thank Erwin Gonzales and his staff, Jessa and Rona, who always sponsor the stunning barongs I wear in my events. This time, they lent me a brown jusi barong embroidered with bamboo design. (It’s a funny coincidence that all three of us, judges, wore brown that night)

The rain had died down. The program was over by about 11PM. I haven’t spotted a tricycle around the area and I walked the damp way home which I didn’t really mind because it’s dark and only very few people are on the streets; I can hardly be recognized.

When I got home, I had my dinner while watching another pageant – the Binibining Pilipinas 2007 coronation. I only stayed up until the Q&A for the semi-finalists.

True, I may have graduated from ACLC Olongapo 4 years ago but I never was completely separated. Whatever I may have achieved now, ACLC has significantly contributed to my professional and personal growth. My humble beginning in the Mr. ACLC pageant in 2002, has been more than a victory already won. A petty school pageant it might have been but it’s the springboard that made me confident and competent in my succeeding competitions. I had relinquished the title last year, but the Mr. ACLC in me lives on.

More and more computer schools enter the arena as the years go by. I believe that ACLC Olongapo could skillfully keep pace, “a decade and beyond”…



My English instructors then - Ma'am Nitz and Ma'am Shan


Receiving the token of appreciation from Ma'am Vangie and Sir Hodge