First Two Weeks of the Second Semester. Groan. Part II.

With no further ado, here is part 2.


Week 2.

Monday, start of second week.
Subjects: PE for 3 hours, Management for an hour, Religious Studies for an hour, Business Math for an hour and English for an hour.
I arrived late for about 10 minutes. Prof is still not here. I waited for a few more minutes, slowly; a teacher came and asks if this is his class. We replied no. We waited. Another teacher arrived and asked the same thing. Same reply. After a few more minutes, we discovered that the teacher teaching on top of the bleachers is supposed to be our teacher and the second teacher that asked us is supposed to be their teacher! Great. Since our supposed teacher is teaching the class on the bleacher, they have no choice but to switch class.

With our new teacher, we went to the other side and started writing on an attendance sheet and said that in this semester, we will have two parts, first is team sports and the second is dance. She will be our prof for the first half which is team sports and at the middle of our midterm we will start dance.

She then introduced what team sport we will play and that is, volleyball. Great, I suck in volleyball. She ended the class early, about two hours early. Sweet. I decided to return home to put my PE uniform in the wash bin. Returned home, put the clothes in the wash bin and went to the bake shop to buy bread and the change, since I don’t have change, my aunt agreed that the change will be my fare. Returned school.

Nothing significant happened in Management. We just have a lecture, watch videos from her laptop, end of class. Lunch. After I ate my lunch, I went to the café and spend my time. I returned to the classroom at exactly 12:30pm. I saw that they are starting. Great, I am sorta late again.

The new prof has this sort of Chinese accent. After a few more observations, indeed he has a Chinese accent! Wow. Two Chinese accented teachers every MWF! It’s a first. I gave my paper where it has all the basic information our teacher asked. He did his short interview and I answered what I can answer. After a short discussion, he ended the class.

The last two classes have no significant event whatsoever.

Tuesday.
Subjects: Accounting for three hours and History with Politics for one hour.
Nothing significant that happened in Accounting… except that we have an assignment.

I arrived 30 minutes late in History class because I thought classes start at 12:30pm! (Note to self: Always check your schedule twice.) After I gave my paper with all the basic information he needed, he asked me questions and I answered them. After he finished with interviewing all of the students, he started discussing the subject. He said that we will not discuss the lessons we discussed in elementary and high school, instead he will discuss the politics within our history. Sweet. I am really interested with politics! After discussing the course of the subject, he started saying his experiences… while cracking jokes. After he ended his class, I notice something, he speaks coherent Tagalog.

I asked one of my classmates why, he replied that he came from Manila and he once teach in UST. No wonder. Aside from being a lawyer, he is sidelining as a teacher! Multitasking for more money! Cool.

Wednesday.
Subjects: Group Guidance for one hour, Management for one hour, Religious Studies for one hour Business Math for one hour and English for one hour.
There are only two significant events that happened during the day. One is that I am late in GG and two, I learned that we have a different classroom for RS and we how strict in terms of assignment our teacher is.

First in GG, I remembered that we have an activity and for crying out loud, I forgot to buy ¼ illustration board! After I arrived to school, I went to the bookstore, buy the illustration board and pay it and then, rushed to the classroom. I notice that they are busy doing their work. I started doing my work; I wasn’t able to finish it. After that, I continued my work and finally finished it, I went to her office and pass it and apologized that I didn’t color my work. She replied that it is Ok.

Now, on RS; I was waiting for the students inside the classroom where we were supposed to have our RS class. I noticed that my classmates are heading towards another direction, I followed them, we have different classroom… and it’s air-conditioned! After taking a seat, after a few minutes, he arrived, started his lecture and gave us an assignment. He started orienting about the assignment. He said that if we only filled ½ of the yellow pad sheet, you will only get ½ of the total score which is 10. In short, you will get five points, but if we fill the entire yellow pad sheet, we will get 10 points. Wow. So all I need to do is to fill the entire yellow pad sheet with all the info I will find to have 10 points?! Cool. Also he said that we have a limit of 5 recitations. Wow. It’s a first.

Thursday.
Subjects: Accounting for three hours and History with Politics for one hour.
I entered the classroom mentioned in the schedule; it’s the same computer laboratory like that of last year. I decided to seat in front for me to better listen and understand the lecture. After discussing the assignment, he started the lecture. He didn’t give us an assignment and ended the class.

I arrived 3 minutes late in class and he is waiting for the other students to arrive. Woot! I am not alone! I asked my classmate an index card and filled it up. Passed to sir and we waited. I studied a little about the subject for today. Today is our first oral recitation.

He shuffled the cards, and he picked 5 cards. I am part of the first five! How lucky. After a few minutes, it my turn to speak, he asked that if the said ordinance is part of the constitution, I replied that it is not because it’s not a national law and in my own opinion, all national laws are part of the constitution.

He asked me if the law about Violence against Women and Children Act is part of the constitution, I replied, yes. He said that all of us to take a seat. Whew. That was heart stopping. After he called the next 5, he said that I almost got the answer! Shoot! After the other 5 speak, he said that the said law is not part of the constitution but born from it according to the supreme doctrine if my memory is correct that my classmate mentioned.

Friday.
Subjects: Same subjects as Monday and Wednesday less Group Guidance.
Nothing significant.

Saturday.
Subject: NSTP
The class started with something weird. She asked us what we think when we heard the word man and woman. She wrote the words in the board and asked us to write something in the corner where the words man and woman is place. At first no one participated, since no one participated, I stood up and wrote the first word under the man corner and that is, leader.

Slowly, more volunteered and the battle of the sexes began. That scene was very entertaining. When someone wrote something horrible or opposing to the other sex, one will stood up and write something opposing in the opposite sex.

After the scene ended, she started switching the names of the two corners. The man corner became the woman corner and the woman corner became the man corner. She then said that we will cross out that is similar. Example, men are heartbreakers, since the men side is now women side; it is now women are heartbreakers. If it is true, she will cross it out, and yes, it is true. Women are heartbreakers.

After she crossed out all the similar terms in both side, she started discussing the topic. After her discussion, break. The break ended and we return to the classroom, we will have a group work. Each group must have one boy and two girls. We will roam around in the campus and ask a couple of strangers what is the first thing that comes in their mind when they hear the word, boy or girl and state the reason. The bell rang and she said that we will pass the paper in her office. After copying the assignment to be passed on Thursday via e-mail or handwritten, I asked if there is a group who needs a male. One group needs one; I joined them and started the work.

While roaming around, I notice a bunch of girls reading manga, as a curious otaku, I will do my duty! The titles are: The Wallflower (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge/YamaNade/Yamato Nadeshiko: The Wallflower), Fruits Basket and an unknown shojo manga which in own opinion based on the cover has a dashing guy like Tuxedo Mask of Sailor Moon that will rescue the girl.

After talking to the girls (which I find cute), my classmate asked, what if we will use these girls for our NSTP. I liked the idea but I am shy to ask them, I said that I can only communicate wit these girls if it is anime related. She said, think of it as anime. Okaay. With all my courage, I ask them if we can interview them for our NSTP. They agreed.

After my classmate interviewed a stranger? (I am sure if that person is a stranger.), we started interviewing the three girls. Later on, another stranger appeared, and asked him if we can interview him for our NSTP, he agreed. We just hit 4 birds in one stone! Now I know that my being an anime fan has other uses.

First Two Weeks of the Second Semester. Groan. Part I.

This week is my third week in the second semester in the same institution like that of first semester. Since it’s a new semester, I am expecting new classmates, new teachers and more mental workout.

Since I feel my fingers need some exercise, I decided to write down the summary of events that happened in my first two weeks in the new semester.


Week 1.

Tuesday, the start of the second sem.
Subjects: Accounting for three hours and History with Politics for one hour.
In the first day in the second semester, I arrived 5 minutes before class starts. I rushed to the stairs to my classroom. I took a deep breath, peeked at the cross-shaped hole-thing design in the door and spotted the same classmates. Nothing new.

While waiting for our professor, I continued my reading of Dracula. Prof arrived and it turned out to be the same professor like that of last year. Oh, boy.

After he arrived, after a short prayer we started out lesson. After three hours of lecture, taking down notes, I went to the cafeteria and bought my lunch. My next class is at 12nn. Since I still have time, I went to the nearest internet café and use the internet. After an hour, I have a hard time looking for the said room, until my classmates pointed out the way going to our room. Riiight.

When I arrived on the third floor, the nursing students still occupied our room where we supposed to have our class. After they left, we entered and wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Oh what the heck, it’s over fifteen minutes! A friend of mine asked me if I am leaving, I ask him if he is leaving, he replied, “Yes”. Due to peer pressure and to obvious sign that our prof will not meet us, I left the room. I returned to the café and spend 20 pesos for 2 hours use of the computer.

Wednesday, second day of the second sem.
Subjects: Group Guidance for one hour, Management for one hour, Religious Studies for one hour Business Math for one hour and English for one hour.
The only thing that I am expecting in GG this year is that she will still be our GG teacher… and she is! The topic for that day is about goals, which in my opinion is really helpful. She left us with homework to be passed next week.

I arrived early in my management class, and entered the room with my classmates. I picked my seat and observed their faces. Boy, we have new faces. The teacher arrived. She started writing on the board. She is Chinese. Also the way she speaks has this certain Chinese accent. After she introduced herself, one by one, we introduced ourselves. After the short introduction we have a short discussion. End of classes. Lunch.

Next class is Religious Studies, same case with History with Politics except that I am wishing that we have a different prof. Fifteen minutes has passed, prof is MIA. Missing in Action. I left the room and bought a Cloud 9 bar, returned to the classroom and read Dracula till it is almost time for the next class.

Next class is Business Math. Since this is Business Math, I am expecting that it is like Accounting less the journalizing. And I was right! First lesson is about Interest! Sweet. The part is we can use calculator! Double sweetness. After her class, I went to the café and rented used the internet, stayed for 50 minutes and left.

Next class is English. New teacher and she explained that it is English w/ Research. Noooo! Another reason why decided to take up Accountancy is to run away from the subject known as Research. I failed. She explained that Research is everywhere and you cannot escape from it. Great, just great.

Thursday, third day in the second sem.
Subjects: Same as Tuesday.
To sum things up, what happened in Tuesday happened in Thursday, nothing special.

Friday, fourth day in the second sem.
Subjects: Same subjects as Wednesday less Group Guidance.
Since I have no 7:30 subject, I woke up late, watch TV (To be exact, I watched Kirby Right Back at Ya!, Hunter X Hunter Greed Island and Bleach) and arrived 2 minutes late in class. After her lecture in Management, its importance and its functions, we watched videos stored in her PC, most of her videos are funny commercials. Cool. Love the Tibetan monk themed Pepsi commercial and the Rexona commercial. Smooth hair, FTW!

Same events that happened later on, nothing important to discuss.

Saturday, fifth day in the second sem.
Subject: NSTP
My wish came true! She is still our NSTP teacher! Woohoo! Since we are dismissed early, nothing cool or significant that happened during that day aside that I started writing the first On Analysis post in my blog.

That’s the summary of the events that happened on Week one. Week two coming up next!

Gawad Kalinga Experience

Because of the GK orientation, I was inspired to do my part in GK, thus, when I learned that we will visit Gawad Kalinga Sum-ag, I was much exited. For the first time, I will visit, what Tony Meloto said, a “tourist attraction”.

When we arrived in the place, my first impression, it is not what Mr. Meloto mentioned that this place is a tourist attraction. The place is muddy, yet colorful, colorful, in a sense of the colorful houses. The place is deserted when we arrived, maybe because of the hours of continuous raining. After a few minutes, the children ran into the playground and started playing. The children are very happy on their place. Maybe that is what Tony Meloto mentioned about GK Sum-ag being a tourist attraction. It is not about the sights, it is about the people, the true tourist attraction; Happy people who are satisfied on their homes in GK.

Miss later on introduced to us the leader of the community. He oriented us on the basics of the community like how many families stayed in this GK village and where did they come from and how many houses are left. After the short brief, we proceed on what our miss first ask us to do, to mingle with the community.

I and my partner, at first are very shy on talking to then, until after a few minutes, our shyness suddenly vanished and decided to talk to the family inside the blue house. It’s a family of three, a mother, a father and a daughter. The father is away for work. We talked to the mother.

We found out that even though life is difficult, they are happy because of they are together living in a comfortable place. Even there are such problems arise in the community, they were able to talk it over. Their child, about six years old, dreams on becoming a nurse to help their family.

After we talked to the family, I reflected that people living in GK communities are not different to people living in luxurious communities and such. Like all of us, they experienced hardships and trials. Like humans do, they must strike hard for them to survive. In this world we live, are there any communities like this? Even their lives are difficult; they were able to overcome it. Remembering the smiles of the ecstatic children after the rain, I felt like, there is still much hope for our country.

Prelims is over!

After a week of panic review, preliminary examinations are finally over... for some my subjects! During the exams, I experienced a lot of first. Here's a list of these first.

1. Permits
- Seriously, why do we need this sort of card? Is it enough that we already paid our tuition fees?

2. Room Switcheroo
- I know it's common in College, but switching rooms after every exam is really, really, confusing...

3. Schedules
- Unlike High School schedules in which your teacher will just give it to you, in College, you must look for your schedule of exams! Bummer.

4. A Lot of Time to do other stuff aside from studying
- The title say it all, if your next exam is 2 hours after your current exam, then you have a lot of time to do other stuff plus, if you finished early, you have much MORE time to do other things if you find reviewing boring or if your bored from rereviewing.