Waghh! It’s that time of the year now wherein I see a lot of incoming froshes coming into CSB with (and without) their parents and guardians, circling around the campus, swarming every corner, confused, and not knowing a thing of getting their way around. What’s worse is that: IT”S NOT US!

    Waghhh! With the onset of the peak enrollment season, I realized that “Hey! I’m a college sophomore!” and so does the rest of my 107 people. But then again, it’s better that way than being held back for one totally long year.

    Like they say, “When it rains it pours”….literally! MAY showers suddenly poured on the day of the enrollment for froshes and it has been like that for almost 2 weeks now (in an inconsistent kind of way).

    Tomorrow, I’ll be in school to have myself enrolled for the upcoming school year which will start on the 21st. Thank goodness there’s no tuition fee increase or else, my insurance will bleed out dry. Speaking of insurance, no thanks for the people behind my educational plan and for the fact that CSB’s a trimestral school, my mom is going tom pay for my tuition via check. Good thing, we’ll be paid by the insurance company hwegh heheh!

    Oh yeah! Speaking of tomorrow, next week will be my last week in BMAT summer class up until the 16th. I sure learned a lot from Simple Interest to Ammortization. Next week, our last lesson would be about Sinking Funds.

    Back to the topic, I see  many of the froshes haven’t had their orientations yet so good luck for them and I hope they’d be able not to encounter the problems that many of us 107 experienced. Most especially, for us 107 MMA people who really had it bigtime with the people from the way up (Think MMA Y! Groups scandal).

    Although common problems like “I don’t know this?”, “What should we do?”, “Can you do this for us?”, “Eeww!”, etc. would still be around; I hope many of the 108 people would well-aware of what they’ll encounter next school year.

SEE YOU GUYS IN LESS THAN 12 DAYS!

    Business Mathematics is the “highly-followed” sequel to the hit Algebra-x. It is more into, well, business things and it now involves money in Pesos. I don’t really know what to expect. I never have high hopes that I could ace this one as I did to Algeb which I retook. One thing though for sure is rthat I won’t spend the whole of my summer vacation learning Bmat as I’m still going to have one anyway. From April 22nd (not April 21 as I have mentioned way back) to May 16 Friday, yehey!. So I still have four days of summer vacation.

    My Lec prof is Dr. Nocon and Lab’s Mr. Antonio. they look harmless and they are very good at teaching :):):)

    I hope I won’t get bored this summer…

(April 13, 2008)

    Isang advantage na meron ako sa mga ka-DV1 ko na nag retake rin ng Algeb-x ay ang pagiging student ako uli ni Ms Melody Rosales ang prof ko sa algeb nung 2^nd term. Bukod doon ay since siya uli ang propesora ay kabisado ko ang bawat turo niya dahil nirvanas ko na ang paraan ng patter niya. Last but not least, ang ako lang siguro sa mga DV1 na nag retake ng Algeb ang may klase doon sa AKIC (Angelo King International Center/CSB Hotel).

    Of course ang daming mga leksyon doon nakuha ko na kaagad kaya hindi na mahirap sa’kin na ire-absorb ko ang lahat ng mga natutunan ko noon. I did gained a good number of friends there as well as re-meeting an old classmate of mine from high school, ang ever makulit na si Ali na isa nang SHRIM/student-athlete.

    What most surprising though is that because of my familiarity with Ms Algeb’s past lessons, she told me one time that I improved a lot. I no longer had a bad time trying to comprehend these difficult equations nor do I see the necessity to compensate myself from any embarrassment after day’s failure in a quiz. Hindi ko ‘to pinagyayabang ngunit pinagmamalaki ko na kinaya ko ito kahit papaano.

    Kaso hindi ako over-all nage-excel dito anng mag-iisa. Base sa binigay na tally sheet ng mga grades naming sa Algeb, apat kaming natatanging nakkauha ng 40+ na over-all grade minus pa ang garde ng finals naming bukas. Bukod sa’kin ang mga magagaling sa Algeb sa section naming ay sina (in excellent order): Paolo Empeño (a.k.a. Paolo Genius), Choi Sukyoung (a.k.a. SY), at Marcel King (a.k.a. Marcel simply).

    Si Paolo ang pinakamagaling sa seksyon namin, having an over-all grade of almost 44.41 minus the final exam grade (He’s already pre-destined to have a final grade of 4 by the way). A certified genius and  a good baker (he baked a cake for this contest held sometime at the AKIC for El Nuevo Latino). It might be due to the fact that he was a former Biology major in UST thus giving many of us the impression that he is a certified genius in the class (But then again, he might have already took an equivalent subject of Algeb-x in his time in USTe). I kind of see him as a rival in terms of getting higher scores and  leaving class when done.

    SY is a Korean student pursuing a course in HRIM. Although she was in the country for quite a number of years now she doesn’t have a good hold on her Filipino so she used English as a medium for her to understand the lessons (Ang class naming amdalaes conducted in English para na rin sa kanya). Although language is obviously a big factor for her to catch up along with the rest of the class, she managed to get very impressive scores on seatworks and quizzes. She’s friends with Paolo who often helps her with the lessons. She ranks second-over all just next to him with a  grade ranging from 42-43.

    Last but not  the least is the guy who beat me at the slightest of numbers over  our grade rankings (but that can change if I get a good score in our finals). Marcel is my classmate in Reconse that’s why I always see him practically everyday. When not in class, he’s visible with his barkada in every Benildean’s favorite hang-out place, Plaza V (Bora). He’s the silent type so many would kind of see him as a “silent killer” in terms of getting impressive scores in quizzes and seatworks. He’s the only guy in his barkada during Algeb and Reconse although not necessarily during non-class hours.

    By the time we all receive our course cards by week’s end, I predict that I will have a grade no less than 1 but at least good enough for me to finally boost my chances to be in the DL, and that the other three would probably receive a grade of more than 2.5 with Paolo Genius most likely topping us all with a four.

     I’m no complaining but I’m just glad that I will finally be able to ace this subject after more than six long months. Ahhggg, I just want to get on with it para matrapos na ang lahat!

        [Writer’s Note: This entry is not meant to inflict any harm to anyone. This is based on true events so anything that you may find may be offensive. If you don’t want to continue, don’t read from this point on. Sori for the code-switching]

    Hay salamat, sa pagkatagal-tagal na panahon, ang hinahanap kong butas palabas sa karayom ay nakita ko na sa wakas. Magiging malaya na ako sa aking gapos na kung tawagin ay “Lipon”.

    Iilan lamang sa mga kasamahan kong Neodebaters ang nakakaalam sa nais kong iwan na ang Lipon. Marami rin ang pinipilit na huwag koituloy ang balak ko. Sabi daw nila na magaling ako kaso hindi ko na rin kaya ang pressure at depression na nararamdaman ko. Hindi ko na rin kaya ibigay sqa Lipon ang full committment ko kaya talagang bumigay na ako sa bigat na nararamdaman ko.

    Plano ko sa darating na Sabadong iyon (September 2007) ay ipagbibigay alam ko na kay (Sir) Jairus tungkol sa aking pagtitiwalag. Talagang inisip ko ito nang maigi until I finally reached a decision.

    Dumating ako sa school, 2 hours late kasi may previous committment ako some place else. Nasa room ang mga representatives ng Academia Santa de Santiago, ang all-boys high school ng CS. Ignoring them, I saw Ate Carol and “Kuya” Jairus. GuLat ako kasi sila ang lumapit sa’kin, and they both asked me “I thought you were leaving?”. Gulat ako sa spiel na iyon, sabay sabi at mukhang in-the-know nga sila.

    Well…bumigay na din ako doon kaya sinabi “Gusto (po) ko na kasi umalis kasi nagkakaroon na ako ng time conflict sa iba kong committments sa school kaya wala na akong choice kungdi sabihin ko sa inyo na ‘I want to leave the Lipon’. Sorry if I can’t say it straight but I want to end things mutually and formally so that there’d be no bad blood between us”. “Oh, okay? Well, you can leave now?”. Not the kind of answer na gusto kong marinig mula sa kanila pero okay na rin. Humirit nga lang ako kung puwede at least manatili ako sandali just for the sake of leaving the Lipon formally with honor.

    Nandun din sina Kuya Rem, Senpai, Rico, (Sir) Luisito, and most of the vets I see during Saturday training sessions as well as my fellow Neodebaters. Among the vets, ang talagang friend ko don ay si Kuya Rem kasi talagang approachable siya at di kagaya nina Ate Carol na ang layo abutin. Di ko ipinaalam sa kanya ang tuluyan kong paglisan kaya inisip siguro niya na hiatus lang ang fall out ko.

Since then, I try to forget that I was ever a member of the Lipon, trying to erase that memory by hiding all of my “Lipon memorabilia” some place in my room.

DURUGTUNGAN

        [Writer’s Note: This entry is not meant to inflict any harm to anyone. This is based on true events so anything that you may find may be offensive. If you don’t want to continue, don’t read from this point on.]

    Ewan ko lang kung may lakas ako ng loob na sabihin ang plano kong umalis sa Lipon kung kaya naghahanap ako ng loophole para na rin at least hindi maingay ang paglayas ko doon. Ayaw ko kasi ng may mga nagtatanim ng sama ng loob sa’kin, na baka ma-label pa nila akong “traydor”.

    Over the few months that I was at the Lipon, nalaman ko na may libangan rin pala ang mga Vets na mangasar, in a highly intelligent way. Hindi ko kayang magbigay ng halimbawa pero kung iimagine niyo, ganon sila ka-sosyal mang-asar. Their sense of humor is too intelligent to understand at all kaya mahirap malaman kung kailan sila seryoso at kung kailan sila hindi.

    Backstabbing on the other hand is the Lipon’s way of directly condemning someone who experienced a fall out from the group. For example, while you’re pretty much still in the Lipon, senior members would befriend you, practically becoming brethren. But once you had at least the thought of leaving the group, they would usually ask you this question “I thought you were leaving?”. The same question is applied kapag hindi ka naka-attend ng training even just for a few days (regardless of any reason).

    What hurts the most is the COI’s among current senior Veterans. They would practically disown you and paving the way for you to leave the Lipon for good. So that’s why I see fall outs within the Lipon every so often…

Lahat ito nalaman ko nung tuluyan ko nang iniwan ang Lipon.

DURUGTUNGAN