Anthem-Phobic

Last night’s headlines include Asian Pop Prince Christian Bautista’s apology for missing two lines of the Philippine National Anthem when he sung it for a boxing match last Sunday. [Related Video]

I suddenly remembered that I almost suffered similar fate on that particular Monday morning about a month ago. It has been a custom in our company that departments alternately host the flag raising ceremony held weekly in front of the Administration Building where a 94-foot tall flagpole stands. Loudspeakers and a microphone are setup and no less than 6 color officers hoist the big flag.

We were the host department that day and I was assigned – for the fourth time – to lead the pledge of allegiance. We arrived there a little late than scheduled and we are very embarrassed because everybody is ready for the ceremonies and they glared on us as we shuffled towards the middle-front of the assembly.

It seemed that our officemate who was tasked to lead the anthem was really decided to not show up that day and leave us frantically thinking for a last-minute tactic on handling the situation. It’s not his first time either to do the job and he’s among the very few people in our office who are given the talent so stage fright is definitely out of the issue.

Anyway, I was standing in front thinking how our superiors would resolve the matter (how would they declare to the crowd that our officemate-in-charge betrayed us) when the dreaded-although-not-expected thing happened: the emcee called my name! HIGH HEAVENS! This isn’t happening… This ISN’T happening! Still trying to live through the embarrassment of being late for the program and here it is, the rock of you-must-not-fail expectation was hurled on me. Talk about downside of being famous… “What if I missed the notes? What if I forgot the lyrics?”, these thoughts hit me. I wanted to be Jessica Alba in Fantastic 4 (never mind that she’s a lady) or at least turn into stone like those three statues of Volunteerism not too far from the flagpole. But I have no choice. I cannot refuse – not especially that the chairman of the board of directors was there staring at me as if I’m a wanted criminal he’d just recognized.

As I faced the audience, I quickly recalled a sportsfest in my first college when the person who led the anthem got confused with the parts having the same melody and repeated the lines and we thought we’ll never finish the song. And when was the last time I led the singing of the anthem by myself? Ah, in second grade. Great!

At the whistle of the color officer, I summoned all my remaining courage and started singing (my hand on my chest of course). The stares of the Chairman (who by the way is a retired navy) and employees from Senior Managers to rank-and-file are better motivation than the beat of a chorale maestro.

Thankfully, my lungs and vocal chords are cooperative. I’m hearing my own voice. And I’m surprised that I’m hitting notes I never reached before even with a falsetto. Bravo!

I didn’t imagine that it would go smoothly but I’m just glad it did. I cannot believe that it’s me who sang that morning. Maybe I did morph into somebody else although not Sue of the F4.

Lessons from the Ark

“When people pray for patience, does God give them patience or the opportunity to be patient?If one asks for courage, does God give him courage, or the opportunity to be courageous? If one asks for a family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”

Really exhausted from work recently, I treated myself to the movies.

I rushed my socio-anthropology exam to catch my preferred viewing time which I only refer to as “the one before the last show” but which I wrongly estimated hence I still came half-an-hour late.

Bruce’s sequel is the story of congressman-elect Evan Baxter (Steve Carrel) known for his campaign slogan “Save the World” and “God” just knew how he could do that. After giving the congressman some signs and delivering tools to his home, God orders him to build an ark for a forthcoming flood. Baxter of course finds this ridiculous at first and refuses to obey until God lays down some reinforcement on him. It’s amusing how Baxter turned to the modern-day Noah quite literally with his beard and hair persistently growing, with a robe and staff complementing the look.

The story simply flowed sequentially without much surprise but for someone who used to regularly attend Sunday schools as a child, I appreciate how faithful the writers adopted things from the original story including the number of Noah’s sons (although Evan’s kids are adolescents and don’t have wives), direct quotes from the Bible, the pairs of animals, the people who refused to believe, the rainbow, and even the dove sent out to survey for dry land (although in the movie, it has no role as significant but at least it was there).

Since I became a student of Digital Movie Design, I became interested with production facts of films that I watch. I researched and was impressed to learn about when and how the ark was assembled, how the pairs of animals were rendered in computer graphics, and the production’s proactive effort advocating carbon-offsetting. [Know more]

Evan Almighty would not incite a standing ovation but at least not disappointing.

I’ll not tell how the flood happened but flood or no flood, to save the world we must make “one Act of Random Kindness at a time”.

Bloodletting

Our baby cousin was born prematurely and had to be kept in the NICU. The first of two times he required plasma transfusion, my aunt requested me to be a donor. They had promptly obtained a bag of frozen plasma from the Philippine National Red Cross already but PNRC requires 3 replacements for every bag availed.

I made sure to sleep early the night before and fasted until the procedure was done (although I’m not sure if it was really necessary).

At the local Red Cross office, the logbook shows that I was the first donor for the day. Foremost, my physical data (weight, height, and BP) were recorded. Then I was asked to fill-up a checklist with questions such as history of diseases and sexual activities *very interesting*. The MedTech even attempted to go over the entire form repeating the questions to me. Fortunately, she realized that I’m not in the influence of alcohol or drugs to not understand what I inscribed on the form.

She then prepared a blue solution which I later learned was for blood-typing although she had asked me this thrice already.

All this time I thought that “cc” is the unit concerned when talking about phlebotomy hence I was shocked when Lira (the RMT) stuck to my membership card and donor’s record, identical labels that read: “Blood Type O+.450mL”. “That’s almost a bottle of coke, isn’t it”, I exclaimed. Lira assured me that many had survived that.

Finally, I was led to a room which I’m not certain if it’s appropriate to call an “extraction room” just as I’m uncertain if the chair I was asked to lie on is a chair or a bed. Lira took a picture of me before the procedure (which is another surprising thing although I learned that this is an SOP; maybe at least for them). She tied a rubber band on my arm, searched for pulse, rubbed alcohol, pricked, and released the band. Dark red liquid flowed through the tube and started filling the bag placed on a lower chair. I suppose that the reason for placing the bag at a lower surface other than facilitating the flow of blood was to avoid hemaphobics from seeing it. I was given a soft rubber ball to squeeze lightly. I filled the bag in more or less 10 minutes and Lira checked with a spring balance that I gave the necessary volume.

As soon the needle was removed, Lira asked if I felt dizzy; I didn’t. After 10 minutes, she gave me the go to stand up and leave if I want to but again inquired if I felt dizzy. She said that it was good that I had conditioned myself for donating blood because I may feel dizzy if I haven’t. Thankfully, I reached home safely although a little pale.


POSTSCRIPT
Last August 25, we lost the baby when he was a week shy of being a month old. His tender body and fragile condition surrendered to the intensive treatments he underwent. Despite the sadness, we’re somehow happy that our little angel is finally home.

Party, Evolved!

Good enough it didn’t take long for me to compensate for lost sleep from Friday night’s event; it was our school’s annual acquaintance party and induction of officers.

Days prior the event, my co-officers in the Student Council and I had been stressed from preparations including sending out letters, negotiating for lights, sounds, catering and other services, ticket production and distribution, and most stressful of which was taking instructions from both the real concerned and the self-appointed-concerned people. The programme underwent major revisions. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, I had to function as a one-man committee for the invitation and certificates which I had completed and released only the night before the party.

As expected in such events, work does not end in the preparations. There were a lot of matters needing attention that popped up. Being the emcees, it was our job to keep the program interesting as possible especially that its early part has those messages and oath taking ceremonies which really are not what the students are after. We were also like staffs in a department store's information desk paging wanted fellows and making announcements for lost belongings. The tough thing is that we had to be so upbeat yet we had to make sure that we do not rob the serious parts of its solemnity.

I really can’t understand why the school always gets me to emcee. Maybe because they get my services for free *sigh*. Honestly, I’m getting tired of being the host although I get to work with a different partner each time.

Good enough our 1,000+ audience that night are cooperative enough to clap and laugh on our antics or else I’ll be quitting that very moment!

On the other hand, I have to tell about the interesting highlight of the event which was the Dance Evolution Competition. Students of our colleges grooved to the beats of the eras. Some took off with Philippine folk dances while others started from the 70’s. They were to choose their songs as long as the whole presentation does not exceed 8 minutes. The impressive thing I must say is that despite the short time to practice (prelim exams were just the week before), the presentations turned out spectacular! I even have this impression that since all are equally great dancers, judging might have just been on mastery, and props and costumes.

Of eight competing groups, the Engineering dancers dominated the floor reclaiming the championship from the Hotel and Restaurant Management group which came in second this year. I’m trying to find someone with a video and have it uploaded in YouTube.

Despite the exhausting preparations and annoying incidents, the party still turned out successful. Although quite less organized than last year’s, I find it more fun this time especially the disco party with great lights and music spun by local jock Cyber Bugs who by the way complimented my hosting and said that with very minimal training, I’ll be ready to be on-air should I consider being a radio jockey. Ahem! *wink*

Oh well, I’m looking forward for another fun-packed and eventually better party next year – with me as an audience hopefully.

At the Convention Center's lobby with last year's party host, the fabulous Judy

Double Two!

Just recently, I celebrated my birthday and turned 22. Oh well, a celebration there was none so it’s more appropriate to say that I had my birthday.

Greetings came through different media – SMS, e-mail, & verbal – and from different places from Makati City to two foreign countries. Plus, would you believe that I received a greeting from the President of the Republic of the Philippines? Honest! *wink*

I decided to challenge my mind and think of anything that has something to do with me and is associated with the repeated digit of my age – two.

Begin!

1. I have two given/first names
   
2. My initials are just a combination of two letters used twice.
   
3. This semester, I am enrolled to 5 subjects; I only have to attend to two of which.
   
4. We’re only two students enrolled for a major subject
   
5. Two birthday greetings came from overseas.
   
6. I know two people whose birthdates are a day before and after mine.
   
7. On my most recent birthday, the power went out twice due to heavy rains
   
8. I noticed two most common occurrences that happen on my birthday: it either rains or exams fall on the date (pity!)
   
9. I usually wake up two hours before our official working schedule
   
10. Since I was employed, I was issued two ATM cards. I lost the first one last month.
    
11. The two things I really wish to own now are a PC and a digital camera. (Philanthropists please!)
    
12. I am fond of playing The Sims 2.
    
13. My two favorite authors are Mitch Albom and Bob Ong.
    
14. My blog title has two nouns each having two syllables.
    
15. Other than my own, I usually read the horoscopes for two other zodiac signs.
    
16. The two careers I aspire most are Tourism and Academic.
    
17. I have two pillows on my bed.
    
18. I use two brands of facial moisturizer alternatingly.
    
19. I have yet collected two Transformers^TM toys which go free with a fastfood kiddie meal.
    
20. When I first posted a thank you message in Friendster bulletin for those who greeted me on my birthday, I forgot two persons (Sorry)
    
21. After that post, two more people greeted me in Friendster until this writing.
    
22. 2+2 adds to my lucky number: 4!
    

Cheers everyone!