A week and a half has passed since I attended the first sessions of the courses which I enrolled for this semester. Last Sunday, I was planning to post an entry regarding my first impressions on the 6 classes (plus my last P.E. course) that I am presently attending to, but I opted to wait until I attend these classes for the second or third time. I had to give myself enough time to get a good grasp of my professors' teaching styles and how the classes will turn out in the long run.

Before I proceed to discussing my opinions toward my professors and classes, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the death of our youngest dog, Ricky. He was only 7 months old when he fell ill and died on the 8th of November 2009. It was due to his habit of eating garbage that he succumbed to an unknown illness. We miss you dearly, Ricky.

Sorry for the sudden preemption. Below is the list of courses that I am taking this semester, the professors assigned to each of them, and my impressions on both.

Organizational Communication 140, Dynamics of Interpersonal Communication - Professor "Mikee" Inton

This course has got to be my favorite of all the OrCom courses that I am currently taking. The reason why I am very interested with this course is not the premise of the course itself, but the professor. Madame Inton is one of the best communication professors that I have ever met. Although this impression may change while the class progresses, I will hold on to my opinion for now. Everything is natural about Madame---his humor, his knowledge on the subject matter, and the way he handles the class. While his jokes and references on homosexuality are fun, I noticed that he is overusing the topic. BUT it does not affect my liking towards him as a professor or person. On the course, on the other hand, my expectations of it being of the theoretical kind has been met. Indeed, this is a course that requires the student to "read and apply". In fact, 3 long chapters on self identity have been recently assigned to us to read as reference for next meeting's discussion. By the mention of "interpersonal", I am sure that we will be having several group activities and speeches here. Communication skills on the roll!

Organizational Communication 107, Intercultural Communication - Dr. Diana Agbayani

Cultures! I am interested in getting acquainted with other nations' cultures, especially those of the oriental countries like China, Japan, and Korea. However, this course is not only about international cultures but also of cultures in different aspects. For instance, in universities, in corporations, and even in social cliques. In spite of the many things to be discussed in this course, it is actually the one with the lightest workload among all the other major courses. I guess it has something to do with Dr. Agbayani's style. She prefers that her students' participation in class would resemble casual conversations. Dr. Agbayani is the type of professor whom anyone can get along with. I adore her, actually. And her stories about her experiences in Japan and Canada are amusing, too.

Organizational Communication 140, Introduction to Organizational Theories - Professor Jan Michael Bernadas

*Sigh* Bern, Bern, Bern---the most-talked about OrCom professor at present (next to Dr. Sarile, that is). During the previous semester, I had a number of conversations about him with my OrCom 101 classmates. Most of those whom I talked with about him told me how demanding he was during their NSTP classes. Infamous for being scary, "toxic", critical, and simply "terror", Bern (the name he prefers us to call him) proved to a previously non-Bern student like me that he wants things done in a "full-blown" manner. In the 3 instances that I attended his class, I still do not find him as scary as my OrCom 101 classmates warned him to be. He seemed calm during the past few days. What appalled me, though, was his major requirements, and to quote,

I want you to come up with a full-blown Organizational and Management Paper that would be of international conference quality. It should be of the same level as your OrCom 199 thesis, which will be your compulsory thesis in college.

If you want to know how I reacted to what he said, imagine me with both my jaws dropping.

The course is a great theoretical approach in helping OrCom students immerse themselves in different company and organizational settings. Apart from the very objective lessons, Bern's mode of teaching made the course feel like a class in Law School. He even said that if anyone of us wishes to go to Law School, his class may be used aa training ground. Every meeting, he asks us to read 3 books at most, plus he randomly calls a student for a surprise graded recitation.

Linguistics 100, Introduction to the Study of Language - Professor Gina Salazar

Certainly, this class will help me improve and expand my knowledge on my style of writing. Aside from studying the history of language and its fundamental factors, lessons offered in this class will shed light to why there are words that are and are not appropriate in different verbal structures. Ma'am Salazar, whom I first saw in the office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, proved to be an effective Linguistics professor. When discussing, one could feel how comfortable and confident she is. Oh, and I also admire her wardrobe. Haha. Very chic.

Spanish 2, Elementary Course II (Spanish) - Instructor Mary Joyce Lozada

Ah, Español. Apparently, the language is very close to home. The 300-year Spanish takeover obviously influenced the Philippines to a greater extent than any of the country's other conquerors. I am happy to have gotten a good mark in Spanish I, but sadly, my interest in this subject is in an all-time low. From the very beginning, I had little liking in the course. Even the pretty, soft-voiced Señorita Lozada failed to motivate me. I guess my heart is still with Nihongo.

Humanities II, Art, Man, and Society - Professor H. Labor

I was never a fan of visual arts. I only took this class so that I could complete the units required for Arts and Humanities. Paintings, operas, and tradition---I guess we would be tackling these matters during the whole semester. What bothers me more, aside from not being a fan of anything visual, is that I am not friends with anyone in the class. I know a number of my classmates since we belonged to the same History class last semester, but that was just it. I just know them. Also, I am the only OrCom student in class. Great. If not for Ma'am Labor's amiableness and my I-must-not-take-my-classes-for-granted principle, I would have dropped Hum II.

P.E. 4, Philippine Games - Professor ? Nuestro

It was funny how the very person who fervently told me and some of my blockmates not to take Philippine Games as a P.E. class turns out to be the one who is assigned to the Philippine Games class that I enrolled this semester. Sir Nuestro was my Arnis instructor on the first semester of my freshman year in U.P. Manila, and I remember enjoying his class. He may be strict and tactless, but he is likable. What I cannot forget about him was that he asked us to pay 600PHP for a pair of Arnis pants that I only used for only 1 semester. I would not be annoyed by that if I had not learned that in the other Arnis class, the pants only cost 350PHP. *Sigh* Nonetheless, Sir Nuestro is a cool prof, no doubt.

A few hours ago, Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao bagged his seventh championship belt in his match against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. His recent win is more momentous than his previous feats against Golden Boy De la Hoya and the British boxer Hatton, since he has just made himself the only boxer in the world who won 7 titles in different weight classes. Pacquiao has defeated his idol, Oscar de la Hoya, twice; the first one was in his match against him roughly a year ago, and recently when he broke de la Hoya's record. The Golden Boy previously held the record of winning the most championship titles, with 6 belts in different weight classes. Apparently, Pacquiao surpassed this record by winning 7.

My father and younger brother opted to watch "Firepower", the title given to the Pacquiao-Cotto match, ahead of the local television streaming by GMA 7 through the live-stream showing offered by the nearest S.M. franchise in our area, S.M. Molino. They were able to watch the match in a wide-screen resolution. They are not the only ones who witnessed the match in advance, since a number of stadiums and restaurants in Metro Manila hosted live-stream showing of the match as well. I remember GMA 7's newsflash segment covering one sports complex in Manila where Mayor Alfredo Lim supervised the free satellite-streaming of "Firepower".

I have always admired Mr. Pacquiao's innate strength and agility. I admit that there are times when I would doubt his capabilities, but he proves me wrong every time he wins the matches which he is slated to participate in. I know less of Miguel Cotto, but I hear from a number of boxing enthusiasts that he is indeed a worthy opponent when matched against Pacquiao. I felt sorry for him when I saw how badly his face was injured due to the fight, and I guess the referee felt the same way too, for he stopped Cotto from continuing the match on the 12th round.

I am proud of the fact that Mr. Pacquiao is one of the few Asian athletes who have earned the respect of most people around the globe. Apart from his exceptional abilities as a boxer, his humility and optimism are a couple of his best assets. It was through him that I realized that being on the top of the league is not an excuse to discard the virtue of humility.

My mother's birthday this year is not until Tuesday of the following week, but we decided to treat her to a birthday lunch today. After watching "Firepower" in S.M. Molino, my father and younger brother returned home to fetch us. We had our lunch in the newly established Shakey's branch in Molino.

Aside from the birthday treat in Shakey's, we also bought her a rectangular chocolate cake from Goldilocks and a 2-toned stainless watch from the Robinson's Place Ermita branch of Guess! Since the Guess! watch is relatively expensive, Dad offered to pay for the watch himself. However, Angelo and I insisted that we also want to contribute some of our savings to purchase the watch. Thus, the watch is a gift from the 3 of us. The celebration was extended at home, as we chose to eat slices of the Goldilocks cake when we reach home instead of in Shakey's. While indulging ourselves with the slices of chocolate cake, we watched the local streaming of "Firepower" in GMA 7.

Fruitful day, indeed.

During the past of couple of days, I attended the first sessions of the classes which I enlisted for this semester. Naturally, the professors spend the first sessions informing the class of the list of requirements which their students must comply with in order to pass the course. After meeting with my professors and being informed of their respective requirements, I figured that I will not be able to post entries in this blog as often as before, judging from the tedious workload ahead of me. Upon realizing the previous thought, I expect that my future entries will not only focus on 1 or 2 concerns, but of a bulk of opinions and stories. As much as I avoid sounding incoherent in my entries, discussing several topics at a time in one entry is the best way to save time while still making the effort to update this blog.

And so, without further ado, I present the chain of random things which have been running through my head lately. Some of the posts are too long, so I opted to provide links in case there are items in the list which do not interest you.

Sakurai Sho and Horikita Maki, to star in a law drama

Member of the extremely popular boy group ARASHI and one of Japan's most sought-after young actresses will act together in the TV live-action adaptation of the law-themed manga, Tokujou Kabachi!! in January 2010. Most of my fellow Japanese entertainment enthusiasts seem to express their disinterest towards this upcoming serial drama, especially upon knowing that the drama will focus on the subject of law. However, with 2 well-known personalities as lead stars in this drama, hope is not lost.

Heart Evangelista is Full House Philippines' Han Ji-eun

Pretty local television actress Heart Evangelista is Song Hye-kyo's counterpart in the Philippine adaptation of the popular Korean series Full House! When news about the Filipino adaptation of FH was first released, I was furious. I have the highest of respects for this drama, and I have always believed that it can never be duplicated, replaced, or plagiarized. The charming tandem between Asian superstar Rain and "Hallyu" (trans: Korean Hollywood) sensation Song Hye-kyo as well as the series' unique plot made it one of Korea's highest-rating television series. I was even more appalled when GMA 7 decided to cast overrated Richard Guttierez as Rain's Filipino counterpart. Oh, the horror!

Amanda Colley Van Cooll is Survivor Philippines 2: Palau's sole survivor, Tom leaves Kuya's house tonight

Emma, Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, or 100 Years of Solitude? Darn my love for books.

Yesterday, I have successfully enrolled for this academic year's second semester. In 4 months or more, I will soon be a college junior. How time flies! Looking back at my performance during the first semester, I am proud to say that I got through the first half of the academic year with flying colors. During the past 5 months, I did my best to juggle my responsibilities as a student, my part-time job in school, and my time with my friends. I decided earlier on that it would seem unhealthy if I choose to spend my precious time concentrating only on 1 out of the 3 mentioned. I certainly do not want to be just a nerd, just a workaholic, or just a social butterfly. In leading a healthy lifestyle, time management is always the key. Knowing that I managed my time wisely during the previous semester, I have high hopes that my efforts will bear good fruit.

And so, a day before the registration/enrollment, I claimed all of my class cards in the subjects that I took last semester. It was pleasant to find that my efforts were not put to waste. I beat my previous feat during the second semester of my freshman year, and was able to achieve something which I did not expect to earn. During the second semester of my freshman year, I surprised myself when I found my name in one of the 2 academic lists in our institution. Between the 2 lists, I told myself that I probably would just be able to see my name in the one with the relatively lower standard and that if I get the chance to earn equally good grades next time, I will still fall on the same list. Considering that the education in U.P. is undeniably difficult and challenging, I used to believe that those who belong to the cream of the cream of the cream of the crop are the only ones who are capable of having their names included in the other list, the one with the higher grade standard. Libre mang mangarap, hindi sumagi sa isip ko na maililinya ako sa tulad nila. Surprisingly, what I thought was impossible happened. (And the rest is history, just read between the lines. I don't want to be accused of bragging.)

My mother's advice worked. She told me to put my best foot forward no matter how mediocre my "best" is compared to others, and I did. Kung ano lang ang abot ng makakaya ko, ginawa ko. The support and guidance that I constantly receive from God and my family made it possible for me to succeed in performing well in school, accomplishing my duty hours at work, and finding time to be with my friends. Having said that, I feel that I am ready to go through another 5 months' worth of challenge. Next semester, I would have to deal with a new schedule, new classmates, and new duty hours. Seeing how greatly rewarded my efforts were during the previous semester, there is no reason for me to slack at all. I hope that when the succeeding 5 months come to an end, I will also feel the same sensation as what I am feeling now, more than happy and satisfied.

Back in my pre-adolescent years, I used to be skinny. I remember being teased as "butiki" (lizard) by my older maternal cousin, and "kalansay" (skeleton) by some of my grade school classmates. I also remember not minding them, since my weight was not an issue to me years back. I was even taking advantage of it, since I never gain weight every time I eat excessively. In fact, I used to feast on big packs of chips and finish them off in one seating, indulge myself with chocolates, and patronize fast food meals. I was not big on rice, though.

However, those nonchalant days are over. I started paying attention to my weight when I started attending college. And, of course, in college, you are in-charge of the amount of spending money that you have. In an urban setting like Metro Manila, expect several fast food restaurants and shopping malls everywhere. With free command over my spending money and the temptation of food just about anywhere, I ended up irregularly gaining 5 to 7 lbs for the past 16 months. I know that the figures that were previously mentioned are not that alarming. I am also aware that there are some people who actually have more weight to lose than I do. Notwithstanding the figures, I believe that what is important in losing and gaining weight is comfort.

Upon realizing that my current weight affects my self-esteem, I researched further on the subject of weight loss. Based on a number of ask-answer forums and fitness websites, I found that women between 16 to 21 years of age who are 5 feet and 4 inches in height must weigh 115 to 120 lbs. My weight falls in the range, and I am thankful for it, to be honest. However, lately, I often feel the need to lose a couple of pounds or more. Before anyone else jumps to the wrong conclusion, I would like to clarify that I am not having bouts of anorexia nor am I having attacks of bulimia. To put my concern in a simpler and more comprehensible way, I guess what I meant was I just wanted to lose the extra fat that I feel I have. Some parts of my body are not in proportion with my body structure; like my thighs and forearms, for instance. In fact, both of them are my main insecurities. I always feel that unnecessary fat are stored in the parts mentioned. Clearly, the presence of these insecurities has caused me to lose comfort towards my body's current frame.

On the brighter side, most of those whom I personally know remark that my body is fine the way it is. Along with that particular remark, however, are observations that I look heavier than how I used to. Basically, what some of my friends and relatives meant was that my structure looks average, but I put on a lot of weight. Seriously, I am not sure how to feel about the usual perception of my body these days. Because of my uncertainty, I am confused on whether to lose weight or just maintain my current weight. Just recently, I have resorted to doing Pilates exercises and going to the gym alternately this week. I am learning to lessen my rice intake, or even abstain from rice for the meantime. And as much as I love junk food and chocolates, I must give them up in order to give losing weight a try. I really want to find which body condition would bring back the comfort that I used to have.

It has been almost a year and a half since I began taking note of how I look. Being an adolescent made me inexplicably conscious of my appearance. I never thought that there would come a time where I will be like the women whom I see on television shopping networks, expressing their discontent over their weight and in a larger scale, their appearance. Maybe because I see a variety of naturally slender girls in college, I compared myself to them too much and ended up being insecure of how my body looked. If I became too conscious of my appearance lately, spare me. I am still a teenager, learning about the ropes of reality. In time, I will soon come to a point which my father reminded me of. "Someday," he said. "Your appearance will just be one of your least priorities. When you start working and become busy raising children, you will be less conscious of yourself. But, of course, you still have to take care of your self in spite of that!" Amen to that.

Every 31st of October, kids and kids-at-heart alike find joy in participating in activities like the traditional "Trick or Treat", costume parties, and early cemetery visits. Most of the time, those who partake in "Trick or Treat" activities are residents of exclusive subdivisions, particularly in Alabang and Makati. Costume parties, on the other hand, are held in expensive bars and downtown shopping districts. Lastly, those who are usually able to go on early cemetery visits are those whose homes are only a few distance away from memorial parks. I do not live in an exclusive subdivision; shopping districts like the Global Bonifacio Highway and the memorial parks where my deceased relatives were laid to rest are several kilometers away from where I am staying at. Therefore, it is not possible for me to conform to the usual activities that most people find time to do during Halloween. And I believe it goes the same for me during All Saints' Day, too.
 

Despite what have been said, I have my own ways of spending my time during the mentioned events. Supposedly, I will be attending a "Trick or Treat" event in S.M. Southmall with my family and my aunt's family last October 31. However, because of the height of Bagyong Santi, my father suggested that we should just stay at home. My aunt's family still pushed through with the event, though. I spent the whole October 31 sleeping and pigging out on junk food at home.
 

Things became more exciting the following day. My family went to my mother's province, a town situated in between Tagaytay and Batangas. We stopped for a coffee break in a seemingly popular caffeine shop along Tagaytay. The coffee shop is called "Bag of Beans", and although it seems like an ordinary shop on the outside, the setting downstairs will make you think twice. Downstairs is a large garden with wooden seats, coffee tables, thick-leaved trees, and a number of parakeets chirping amusingly. The place was very peaceful, and definitely the perfect get-away for families, couples, or individuals who wish to unwind.
 

Dad and I agreed that I will be the one to drive the rest of the way to Mom's province. Estimating the distance that I drove, I guess it would have to be more or less 3 kilometers. My driving speed was lesser than that of the average speed of an experienced driver. As expected from a beginner, I was still taking a few orders from my father, who was seated next to me at that time. Fortunately, we arrived in Alfonso safely.
 

Early afternoon of the same day, my family paid our respects to my maternal grandfather's grave along with my younger cousins, uncles, aunts, and my maternal grandmother. Dad, Angelo, and I only spent about 5 minutes in the memorial park, since the 3 of us cannot stand the heat brought about by the weather and the crowded setting inside. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing and watching television with my maternal relatives. Along with Tito Mulo's wife and children, my family spent the night in Lola's house, too. The heat and exhaustion got the best of me that I unexpectedly fell asleep at 8:30. Because I was the one who slept the earliest, I woke up at 4:15 in the morning. Since all of them were still asleep, I decided to access the Internet and watch the romantic surrealist Korean movie Il Mare online. Around 6:00, a number of people have risen from their sleep; I was halfway through finishing the film. We had our breakfast at around 6:45, then at around 7:30, we left Alfonso.
 

Scenes from Il Mare

My father gave me the permission to drive again as soon as we reached Trece Martires. I was only allowed to drive our van from Trece Martires to the nearest town after, which is General Trias. This time, I drove more than a distance of 3 kilometers, and reached General Trias in approximately 45 minutes. We dropped by the General Trias branch of McDonald's, had our morning snack, and made our way back home. My father was the one in-charge of the van at that point in time.
 

The way that I spent Halloween and the 1st of November may be perceived as too homely or boring, but I am always proud and happy to have spent my holiday with my family. I may have not purchased scary masks, or even bagged myself a handful of sweets, but the driving experience in the countryside was just as exciting. Halloween is not only about scary things, after all.

Bangs...again

From to

It has been 2 years since I had my bangs trimmed short. During the past months, I would often wear my bangs sideways, but never straight. What I remember trimming short oftentimes is my hair itself. In case you are not aware of it, I have this penchant for haircuts. Every month, and I mean every, I would always look at myself in the mirror and say, "My hair needs a haircut." I tell myself that my hair "needs" a haircut, when in fact, it is fine the way it is. Up to now, I still do not know the reason why I would itch for a haircut every single month. But these past couple of months is an accomplishment to me, however. I have refrained from getting myself a full-length haircut. Having said that, my hair is in its perfect length. So, what held me back from having my hair chopped up these past few months? Since I cannot let go of the habit of going to hair salons every month, I resorted to just having my bangs trimmed. And so, from long and side-swept, my bangs are now straightly cut. What will happen to my hair next month is another story, though. LOL!

Disappointing schedule, what I get from pre-enlisting 2 schedules of the same subject at the same time

When I checked the subjects, rather classes, that were approved for pre-enlistment yesterday morning, I had to give myself a hard bump on the head. The classes which I wanted for next semester were marked as X, meaning these schedules were not considered the batch processing. What the fudge, man! Why did the CRS have to cancel the ones which I preferred? More so, why did I even enlist 2 schedules at the same time? Nagmamagaling kasi ako e. I was too paranoid that I thought of enlisting the other class, thinking that if the one I preferred ran out of slots, I would be able to get the other class without having to register late. It turns out that the CRS staff will be choosing an alternative for me in case the latter happens. I have friggin' learned my lesson. Next pre-enlistment is payback time!

P.S. In the photo above, I forgot to include the sections. So, let me do the "honor" here:

• OrCom 104: MHA
• OrCom 107: MHG
• OrCom 140: TFA
• Span 2: MHC
• Ling 100: TFE
• Hum II: TFD
• PE PHIL G: TBC

Mau's birthday blowout yesterday

Mau's 17th birthday was last week, but she opted to celebrate it with us, her high school friends, yesterday. Those who came aside from me were Anna Mae and Paulo. As cheesy as this would sound, I actually missed them. I know that I have been distancing myself from my high school friends for the past couple of months, but every time that I meet with them, I am happy. We had our lunch in the McDonald's branch in Robinson's Ermita courtesy of Mau. Earlier yesterday, it was only Mau and myself who are at the mall since Anna Mae and Paulo will be arriving late. I have nothing much to say, aside from the fact that I missed them and that I had fun seeing them again.

Driving, driving, driving. Exhausting.

Today, I will be attending the 4th driving session out of the 5 that I will be taking this week. So far, I have learned how to maneuver the car effectively, maneuver the car in reverse, maneuver the car in a slop, step on the brakes effectively, change gears, immerse myself in traffic jams, and look at the side- and rear-view mirrors. In spite of being knowledgeable at the skills mentioned, I still have few experience. According to the man who was assigned to teach me, in the case of driving, experience is the best teacher. In the 5 days that I will be maneuvering a box-type car, I cannot expect to become a decent, if not good, driver immediately. I really need to hit the roads, and practice. Practice, practice, practice.