The CSB Experience 2: Eating Benildean Fish Fillet at the Z-Square

Ah! I was supposed to write a grievance post about the evil man at the DLSU visitor kiosk who never lets CSB students from coming into the mother-school grounds. This all changed when I was able to get through it with the help of my Jamer alumni friend. Still, that guy sucks bigtime.

Anyway, I bought myself packed fish fillet from KOI from the CSB Caf (Main) and was supposed to be on my way to SDA to eat there. I took a quick trip to the OSA to have them sign my blue form for Saturday’s MMx teambuilding. Unfortuantely, I seem to have lost it (I may have left it at home, waghh!). Suddenly, someone pat on my back. I turned around and found it was my kuya’s batchmate and Fred’s cousin, Albert.

He invited me to eat with him at Main [DLSU]. I hesitated at first because of my recent experience from the evil visitor kiosk dude at the South Gate. But since I am about to eat anyway, I tagged along.

Once there, I let Albert do the talking, lying that we are to do some research at the DLSU library. He bought it and gave us visitor passes and slips. Next thing I knew, we are all in! Woohoo!

The question now is: Where the heck is the libary?! For someone who’s not a student of a large university, I really don’t have the slightest idea on where to go. Albert took the initiative and used his instinct to lead us. At some mini-park filled with chairs, tables, and umbrellas; he saw a girl sitting somewhere there under an umbrella, reading a book and her cellphone out. He smooth talked his way to make her tell where the library is: on the left side of the chapel behind us. That would have to do since their signages are so confusing.

Once there, we asked two 20-something custodians to sign our visitor slips. I guessed they got what we were talking about thus agreed on signing them.

Off we go to the famous cafeteria Lasallians are all talking about, Z-Square. We went passed hot babes in mini-skirts, hot babes in mini-shorts, and hot babes in sleepers (I didn’t notice, si Albert lang), plus there was some org recruitment thing going on in-between. The La Salle envy got into me again, wishing the CSB could at least soften its dress code policy and allow us to wear slippers (there ought to be regulations instead of a total ban anyway).

Enter the Z-2x. I was amazed that despite being obviously crowded by long tables and chairs, they have a wide array of stalls in the 1st floor alone, IN ALL FOUR CORNERS!  They even have their own Domino’s Pizza stal!! Sa’n ka pa!

Albert bought tempura, a 25-peso side snack and what was described by my ate as “the most delicious home-cooked burger I [Ate] ever ate!”. I just bought some C2 worth 25 pesos.

Now that all were setted, Albert and I had a guy-to-guy talk about girls. Something about why they are this way, and how guys in our high school would make ‘porma’ to get girls. We also talked about certain personalities in high school on why they are what they were back then and how, in Albert’s opinion, they will finally fall into retribution, etc.

It’s really nice to get to know more about Fred’s cousin. I only met him during 2nd term course card distribution last year. He’s a good a friend to converse with tas well as a good pianist (he and Fred are being taught by one instructor). Despite me having a problem being ‘bulol’, he donesn’t really mind at all.

The next time I go to La Salle, I’ll be buying food coming from there, especially the much-talked about burgers that they make. Hahahah!

 

Even so, the guy at the visitor kiosk still sucks like rotten eggwhites!

 

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The CSB Experience 2: 107 Clutter and Panic on the Es-Ay-Es

    Goodness, what happened yesterday? What’s with all the panic, the worries and the mob coming from us 107 people? Why are so many people skipping their classes from? Why are people in the comlabs shouting “P.I.’s” and “Gago’s” as well as “Punyeta’s” and “Lintek’s..”? I’ll tell you why…For a whole day, the Student Information System network of CSB turned into one living cyber-HELL!

    The day before, I was able to write the entire schedules of all the class of my selected subjects. Considering that all of them are now once-a-week classes and are all based in the SDA building, I consider myself lucky since finally I’d have 2 days off the school week. I was originally  planning on having 2 3-hour subjects for the first three days of the week, have one day off, then another subject on Friday and my NSTP-CWT subject on Saturdays (I was planning on having it placed in the morning slot on AKIC though).

Then this thing happened…

    Yesterday afternoon, I was just fresh from attending Mediamax’s latest GM’s so I was looking forward to getting myself go staright to the nearby PC on the 9th floor and have myself encode my preferred schedule. Unfortunately, the moment I pressed ‘enter’ on the log-in page, it started to suck bigtime. The SIS won’t let me in, niether do the other students. I tried to repeat the process several times but an error page would appear.

    I was to have my Joseriz subject 30 minutes later but my professor called it off citing a similar incident involving other 107 students from his earlier classes in AKIC. I asked the people of the ACTC on what’s with all the ruckus and all they could say is that there’s a problem with the SIS server and the heavy load of people trying to get in all at the same time is making it all the worse: slow.

    I went to A1002 which is a computer lab and edcided to skip my 2nd-to-the last class for the day, Oralcom lec. I felt so frustrated because the server of this dang SIS is too damn slow! the moment I was able to get in, I moved my mouse and clicked on the ‘Pre-enrollment’ link which should direct me to the page where I could pick my schedules. Unfortunately, the SIS went “sumpong” and couldn’t get me in, it’s either some “application error” got in the way or simply a no nonsense wait-a-thon that lasts longer than your Lola and ends tragically with an error page at thevery cliff of my patience.

    Basicom came and finally, the moment I went log-in to a PC on 1008, I was able to get myself past the pre-enrollment link and the only thing I had to do is to set up my schedule. I thought all the good ones were taken and left off an amazing number of night classes from 6-9pm. Fortunately, there were sveral afternoon slots left.

    Since the SIS was too dang slow, it only recognizes one saved schedule at a time. It took me until 7pm (still having my Basicom class). The good thing is that the possibility of having a night class is but a decent dream.

    Sometime that evening, the SIS was temporarly closed for maintenance and promised those who weren’t able to access the site that they would extend for one more day the encoding process for the benefit of 107 students and the like. 

    Ha! good thing, they didn’t reset the whole thing completely or else, those who were able to get through albeit the slowness will be forced to re-input everything.

By the way, here’s my schedule for the 2nd term! :):):)

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Tour de Manila

    Hala…There was another fire for the nth time once again near one of the LRT stations and this time it was near Carriedo! You know what happened? Around noon, the LRTA made half-service trips for all stations south of the Pasig River, from Central Terminal to Baclaran. I ahd no choice but to take a jeepney from Caloocan to Manila. Thus start my so-called “Tour de Manila”.

    Since the jeepney where I was in was a bit crowded, I never had ted the liberty to really see what’s going on outside except for the jeepney’s window where I could turn my head.

    First sight to see is Avenida Rizal from Chinese Cemetery to Doroteo Jose., the historic business district that has since lost its luster after the LRT was placed on it. there, I saw historic areas like the La Loma, Chinese and North Cemeteries which lie adjacent to each other. Followed by similarly designed residential and commercial buildings (plus some really old Spanish houses). When I said similar, I meant, they all have a columns and arches supporting the upper floors of the building. But because of the poor lighting and pollution caused by vehicle emission entrapped by below by the LRT structure, it created some sort of urban blight that is both unsightly and unpleasant to see.

    We took a left turn towards the area going to Nicanor Reyes because of the increasing pile-upof vehicles towards the ara where the fire was going on. Next thing I knew, I was in a busy thoroughfare en route to unexplored areas of Manila. I was finanlly somewhere near the Espana freeway and there I saw up and close the Art Deco beauty that is Far Eastern University. It looks good in its yellow facade and oh I wanted to be there if only my application to FEU didn’t get lost at one point.

    Suddenly, the lady next to me was making a sign of the cross, meaning we where passing by a parish. I can’t see the other side of the jeep because it’s still crowded. I can only see bits of the church. I took another look outside and saw Plaza Miranda! WHAT?! So it means, finally I was now in Quiapo and the parish I just saw is actually Quiapo Church! Ooh..nice!

    Then next of course, the jeep is now crossing the Pasig in it’s full splendor and i could see bits of smoke coming out from the aforementioned building (Good Earth Plaza Bldg.). we took some twists and turn and next thing I knew we were in Arroceros (Meihan Gardens?) right beside City College of Manila (Known at one point as Universidad de Manila pre-Lim era). The driver drove past Intramuros and before coming out to Luneta Park fully. There I get to see the former skating rink for which now lies the Lapu-Lapu Monument. It took a left turn and went straight out to T.M. Kalaw Street.

    From T.M. Kalaw, the jeepney took another turn to M.H. Del Pilar where I get to see multiple hotels and restos in the Ermita-Malate Area. I also saw a little girl making poop while using a a hole in road as some toilet, eew…!

    I didn’t want to wait any further before it reaches Harrison Plaza so I stopped at Pedro Gil, walk my way to Robinson’s Place for a while and later went ahead rode a jeep to Taft and walking hastingly in P. Ocampo for me to get into my first class. (I wasn’t able to have lunch at noon so after my first class, I took a quick break to the cafe at Main to eat some grub at last). And that pretty much ended my quick one-hour tour of Manila.

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The CSB Experience 2: Agosto Todo

    Grabeh, less than a few weeks to go, it’s almost going to be finals time. But right now, I have something to worry about and these are what we call “projects”. Hmm…When was the last time I enjoy doing one?

    When I realized that school projects are evil when many as early as Grade 6, I dread myself from ever doing those stuff. Then again, I have to since projects comprises a hiuuge amount of my subject’s total grade percentage.

    Take this for example, I have to do a Rizal-related group project (it was supposed to be as easy as pie since it originally composed of just me and my other classmate but someone wanted to merge with us so I had no choice but to let them in).

    Then, I have this whole product marketing strategy for Basicom with Hoogie and Bianca deriving from our TV ad which is a cosmetic product (direct-selling). We have to make a marketing kit, complete with business cards, posters, brochures, and even a website chuck full of fictional yet informative information (redundant).

     What could be my ever irritating weekly project is making an artwork for Hartds-1 about this and added with a critical essay “cherva” about it.

    For Philien we have to make an MTV complete with us singing a song orginally wrote by one of us.  I took the honors though of penning it for they say I have a way with words “daw”.

    Well, that’s college all right but if you’re still in high school, teachers doesn’t have the right to give students a heavy load of pre-finals project for them to do, consiodering how late they are dismissed from their class added with a limited time for them to take a full rest as well as to fully manage all of their projects with ease.

——-

    I had a bad feeling when the very first day of August came into full blast. First, it was raining hard at the most unexpected time and even now, the flood in our subdivision haven’t subsided fully even though it’s been there since June! Second, my less-than-a-year old cellphone accidentally got exposed to water and has now short-circuited. The warranty for it was completely voided so I have to pay fopr its repairs (good thing it’ll only cost me less than a thousand pesos for it). Plus my 18th birthday is less than 30 days away and I have a feeling, it would be a very wet-wet one considering having all of my birthdays been rainy days ranging from the slightly-moderate to the heavier-than-normal kind. madalas ngang dinadalaw ng bagyo ang birthday ko eh, sa’n ka pa?!

    Given those inevitable things, there’s still something good for me to look forward at. For starters, ABC-5 will be changing face, hopefully for the better. Second, my personalized t-shirts will finally see the light of day thanks to Graphiquetee with no problems whatsoever. Third, my birthday’s on a Sunday so we’ll be malling once again plus, it’s term break the day after. Yipee!

    I just hope that thing won’t turn for the worst!

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The Dark Knight

Rating: ★★★★
Category: Movies
Genre: Action & Adventure

I made it a point not to read any reviews about the Dark Knight coming out from newspapers to those coming from blogs so as not to spoil myself of what the movie has in store. Last night I was able to watch The Dark Knight in Trinoma (Wow sosyal!)

I failed to watch the first film, “Batman Begins”, so I supposed that the 2nd picks up where the first left off. You kinda have this feeling that it ain’t starting out right with all the conflict already building up from there.

The presence of the Joker have left an important imprint to the movie.It was never stated in the film on how he started his activities but you could tell that unlike the Jokers of past Batman films and animated cartoon series (the latest being “The Batman”), he is a villain like no other.

Unlike most villains who do their thing just for the money and those do it for revenge’s sake, this particular Joker doesn’t have a reason for him to do evil (maybe the fact that he is a near-psychotic would probably help us explain it). He orchestrates his villainous activities as part of his larger social experiment. He has this certain charisma that could manipulate a lot of people that even up to the most non-corruptible people, he could really bring them down. Heath Ledger’s Joker has a knack with one liners, and one that could probably become an all-time classic is when he said to Batman “You complete me…”.

And that brings us to Harvey Dent a.k.a Two-Face. If we have Crisostomo Ibarra/Simoun in the Rizal novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, so does that Batman universe. Harvey represents the basic rules of life: Everything’s fair. He depended so much in chances that he never realized that all the good that he did was because he did it himself (with the help of Commissioner Gordon and gal pal Bruce Wayne). Grieving by the death of his one true love Rachel (who had a past with Bruce), Joker took this opportunity to manipulate Harvey’s thoughts while he is at his most wrecked state (literally), and from the goody-risk taker that is Harvey came out the chance-dependent-obsessed Two-Face. As Two-Face, he wants everything to be fair and square, even out the odds per say, which drove him to near insanity.

A tragic character really as he never knew that not everything happens in chances, he could not save Rachel either as she made her choice to die for him. the funny thing though is that he became Two-Face for a day and for that particular day, he already sported his signature Two-Face suit. Hilarious!

Second in the crime-busting triumvirate is Commissioner Jim Gordon. He goes by law and is very dedicated to his job to clean the streets of Gotham from crime. As it is in the original comic books, he works as an able ally to Batman. Even though he play by the rules stated in the book and that the Batman is a wanted vigilante who must face the Law eventually, he believes that he [Batman] is the symbol of hope to the city. Batman, for him, is what urges the rightful enforcers of the law to protect the city in the public interest, a sort of alarm clock.

I was very much surprised that Jim died early in the film but it was such foolishness of a viewer that had us very much surpised again to see him all alive and well. His family were also given emphasis but my only question is that, why did the film focused too much on his son and less so to his supposed-famous daughter (who would become Batgirl)? I wished they could have switched parts.

Third is, of course, Bruce Wayne. He is quite the perky guy with all his intelligent humor brought by his conversations with Alfred the butler and his right-hand man (played by Morgan Freeman). Christopher Bale made a very good impression on being emo Bruce especially when he knew that he cannot rekindle his supposed romance with childhood friend Rachel. What really turns me off, is that whenever he dons his Batman costume he sported a husky and disgruntled voice as if something big smacked his face outrighta nd somehow deformed his mouth even in actuality he doesn’t. He sounds cool whenever he speaks as Bruce Wayne but really does he really have to hide his voice whenever he’s Batman? Geez….

Production-wise, impressive take on making New York look a lot like Gotham City. When it comes to musical scoring, it goes well into the ever-changing mood of the movie. If you know the part where Joker was in a huge truck and was chasing after a SWAT van, with Harvey in it, right in the middle of a freeway; there was no music coming out from the background whatsoever, just the sound of destroyed cars and exploding helicopters which is really such a thrill ride for the viewer.

One inaccuracy I observed is the mentioning of how many people died during the earlier stages of Joker’s orchestrated plan. Several characters mentioned 5 people died and was till five all throughout the film but one particular character (where he was guarding the interrogation room with Joker in it), answered 6 when Joker asked how many people died earlier.

Moral of the story, given the kind of social experiment the Joker used to make people kill each other, he still failed. On the part where he planted bombs in two ferries (one with civilians and other other with criminals), he gave the people of both ferries a chance to live by giving them each a remote that could trigger a bomb planted in the other ferry. The civilians wanted the criminals in the other ferry to die to pay for their sins and that “they passed on their chance to live their lives in peace”. They never did. They realized that by blowing up that ferry, they are no different to the “criminals” they accused them of. On the other ferry, the big guy in the orange jumpsuit took the remote and threw it away believing that as much as they wanna live, they would never risk their chance to lead a second chance in life.

As much as I wanna give a perfect five, I have to give it a four given the inaccuracies shown in the movie.

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The CSB Experience 2: ‘Until then I’ll sleep’

Rivermaya’s “Sleep”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EAyM4oSpdHU


Tonight’s the first night
You’re no longer in my arms
A little colder
Nothing but the darkness and the stars

My hand wanders through
The space where you used to be
I really wish that you’d
Still come home to me

Until then I’ll sleep
Sleep.

Remember yesterday
When your smile filled every room
Imagined forever with you
Now you’re gone too soon

I can feel you calling
There’s no place that I’d rather be
Just here with you, sleeping
If only in my mind

Until then I’ll sleep
Sleep.

I can feel you calling
There’s no place that I’d rather be
Just here with you, sleeping
If only in my mind

Until then I’ll sleep
Sleep.

———–

    Well okay…The past few blog posts written by my contacts are all about them having little or no sleep at all eh this one is no different. It’s a common phenomenon among collegians if you ask me.

    Given that I have a very morning-friendly schedule, I have the privilege of watching late night shows. On average I usually sleep at around 11:00-11:30 pm right after I finish watching Seikei Bijin on ABS-CBN but it also depends if there are other shows worthy for me to watch until 12:30 at most.

    I wake up as early as 6 am and as late as 9 am during Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays (but not 9 am), Fridays and Saturdays. But during class, I have the tendency to fall asleep too if my classes start to get boring or the weight of having to go to and from SDA and Main is taking a toll on me.

    My Wednesday schedule could be my longest day 12 hours straight from 8 am to 8 pm (my class starts at 9 but I’m at school as early as 7.30 or 8) so super antok na ako habang pauwi pa lang. What’s worse though that it coincides with me taking my my turn on washing the night’s dishes (Which I do before going to sleep).

    In the case of Thursday, it’s the day where my class ends at 5:50 in the afternoon (back in the day I have 3 days worth of classes ending at 5:50pm). The moment I got home, I go straight to my bedroom, changing to house clothes and ‘derecho higa sa kama’ and take a nap for up to 2 hours at the very least.

    Back in high school, because of the homework overweight that I receive from my teachers almost every single day of the school year, there are instances that I would give in and let myself take a much-needed break by really falling myself into sleep whenever I get home, from arriving from school at 5pm, I went straight to bed only to wake up the next day! Hahaha, hilarious!

    That’s life. Still take naps in the afternoon, usually during weekends and when I have free days. Until then I’ll sleep.

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