It’s that time of the year again when SJA gives back to its students by way of the now-annual mini-fair. A reprieve from the daily stresses of grade school and high school life (oh my high school, feeling sorry kay saya!). A time when former teachers, veteran teachers-institutions, and neophyte teachers collide. A time when alumni of the distant past and not-so-distant past returns to reminisce and have that “oh-so-Jamer” feeling once again.

      This year however was different, at least for some. My youngest brother, a senior, thought of this as his final time to celebrate the Mini-Fair as a student of St. James Academy. In less than 3 months, he’ll be walking down the aisle to get his high school diploma, finally ending his tenure in the school as he graduates.
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      For me, this was the second time I went to the Mini-Fair as an alumnus of the school. Whenever I go there, I would always see the same set of people I’ve so used to see when I was still a student. My old teachers (albeit the fact that one-by-one they’re all leaving), my friends from the younger years (albeit the fact that year-by-year they graduate), and my old hangout places (albeit the fact that as time passes by, old structures are replaced by newer once, like the old big tree and the old playhouse of the kindergarten students near the Gate 3).

      Last Thursday, I already have a gut feeling that certain people that I know are coming to the fair so I decided that I should go there as well. Once there, I saw Jeco (sporting Vic Zhou-like hair), Mark (still tall), Ria (sporting diva-esque long straight hair), Dianne N. (budding architect-in-the-making), the “twins” Anna Ruth and Criezl a.k.a. Paloma, Ali who came all the way from CSB as proven by his required observance of the SHRIM dress code, and Eswhy/Ellysa (had her hair coloured). Also there was a seemingly slimmer Mr. Rivera, and a “glowing” Mr. Macam. Meanwhile Mr. Robino is still the “secluded aktibista-like self” that he is while overseeing the general populace from the faculty room, among others.

      Booths present were the “buttons” booth, the “pabunot” booth, the countless food-and-drinks booths, the fun-and-games booth, the notorious Hulidap booth, and the popular message/dedication booth a.k.a. 103.9 DSJA-FM/ 103.9 SJA Radio with Mr. Louie Odulio as its station manager. Rides incllude the box carousel, the “couples” carousel, and the dinosaur ride.

     That day, I was able to take a whopping 380+ pics (including the not-so good ones) using my Digital San Lorenzo Ruiz/Single Lens Reflex camera. As usual, I’m not present in any of the pcs taken by me but fortunately, Jeco took several pics of me candidly and recent had them posted on Multiply.

      The next day, the last day (a Friday which is today hehehe), I did not intend on coming back to the fair but Louie (Mary Louise not Elka) texted me if I’m going. I was to reply her back, saying about my intention not to come but unfortunately I ran out of cellphone load. That same day, I was to go to Quiapo to have my negatives made into contact prints for my Fotogra. While there, it was then I thought that I should come to the fair in case my cousin decided to come there as well (her class in EAC ends in the afternoon).

      It was only when I was in Bayan have I been successful on loading my phone to text Louie and tell her I’m going. Inside, a lot more alumni from not only my batch but also from batch 08 and those below Batch 07 were present.

      Among from my batch who came today were Mark (again), Paolo Catalo, Dharyl (Patama ng pangalan please), Elka, Bebe (her birthday is today), Sandhee, Ace, rock vixen Yssa, Kriel, Renz, Gabo, Cyrene, Martin (whom I almost didn’t recoginze due to him not wearing glasses and sporting emo-like hair) and Piton.
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Off-campus, I chanced on seeing Tope near Araneta Square who was also on his to SJA, fresh from his last class in UST. Last Thursday A non-Jamer but former fellow ka-Taekwondo, Jaydee (HS grad of Notre Dame of Greater Manila and now attending FEU) saw me while waiting for a jeepney ride en route to Valenzuela/Caloocan in Concepcion. I didn’t recognize his face at first but when I took a good look at him, I realized that it was him. Meanwhile, a week ago (a Saturday), I saw Batch 08 member Paolo Gozon who was on his way home I’m guessing. He’s wearing a Letran uniform so I assume that he came from school. He was present at Friday’s final hoorah for the Mini-Fair.

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I’m looking forward for next year’s Mini-Fair. And hopefully, by that time, there’s still going to be one.

It’s the mini-fair, live it and love it!

It’s the mini-fair, live it and love it!

                I’m so happy! I finally learned the basics with regards to handling an old SLR camera, a Nikon FM3. I bought last Saturday two rolls of film, each composed of 24 shots with ISO100.

     First photoshoot of the week: Correct exposure. Mrs. Ofrasio taught us about the functions of the FM3, and how to use it. We had the film speed set to 1/125 sec. and the ISO to 100. Using the viewfinder I could see at the side a bar bearing the film speed markers, a blue bar highlighting the current film speed used, and a black bar is the the aperture thing that is needed to set according to the film speed.

    Half-pressing the shutter-release button as well as moving the aperture ring, I could adjust the black bar and place it on or near the designated film speed. For about an hour, I only took 13 out of 24 available shots. I had the worst luck of rewinding the film up to the point I forgot not to let inside the very tip of the film. Aww, schucks!

    Not to worry hehehe. Sometime this week, I’m gonna go to Quiapo and make contact prints out of the 13 shots I made.  😀

           Concluding the first of 14 weeks into the third term, I started my day with a 2:45-5:45 pm class called Deskpub/Desktop Publishing (an obsolete term for the subject, as said by my prof). My professor is Mr. Magallanes and he had us fall into this gimmick of using a verb describing ourselves 7 years from now. Due to that, we’ll be known for the rest of the term as to what verb we used. In my case, I’m now known as “Wise”. Nice, right?

    One by one, randomly he had each of us stand in front of the class and let them give out their first impressions about the person standing. In my case (redundant!), 1st impressions about me ranges from “smart” to “shy” to “smart” and “friendly” and “smart”. Sabi ko na nga ba!

     After dismissal, I waited for about an hour before my last class would commence, a 6-9pm class called “Techincal Drawing” which is known to some schools as “Drafting”. My prof’s may seem to be a “oh-it’s-one-of-those-boring-teachers” but after knowing that he’s been in the teaching profession for seven years, then I expect that we in class would learn from him.

          Before I go to sleep (I have classes at 9 in the morning the next day), I have some fast notes to share:

1. Bobby told me Anton had transferred from CSB to the Philippine School of Interior Design in Makati.
2. Hoogie’s hair is back to its DV1 1st term clean cut hair style.
3. Jiko’s back pala from abroad. Saw him earlier at the lobby and later in the SDA caf.
4. Rex’s my classmate for Desncon
5. Inna and Aje are my classmates for NSTPCWS
6. Franzi’s my colleague once again in the same room, same day but different subject called Deskpub.
7. I mistook Gilbert’s hair a while ago as a wig. No offense though, gulat lang ako. Peace!
8. Carlo, Aje, Alex, and Katriz are my Techdrw pals.
9. Looks like Main’s 1st Floor Benilde Hall is in for a slight face lift in and out (Backgate doing renovations,  ‘No Smoking Area’ upuan place is now gone, and entrance to Main Caf is getting fresh cement).
10.  Raymond’s hair is back to its DV1 1st term hairdo. 😀

BTW, watch this clip, sobrang laughtrip (warning: Fil-Am adult cartoon that’s meant to be watched by mature people): The Nutshack!

      Good thing I haven’t changed my regular Monday routine so that I don’t have to feel so ngarag every single school day of the third term where I had my schedule completely overhauled from my previous second term settings.

         First class of the day would be Sondesn (Sound-Dess). I know for a fact that we’re going to have class inside a recording studio, the question is: Where? My EAF tells me that my class is in A1014, located in-between 1004 and 1015, both computer laboratories. My prof’s name was listed as “Henry Bolo“. Nothing out of the ordinary really, but I noticed that he bears a very thick American accent (not konyo) whenever he speaks English but at the same time, a very fluent and eloquent use of the National Language . Basing from those observations I could tell that he really is from the business.

           But other than that, there’s something more to it. Turns out, he’s also a (seemingly now former) DJ of WRR 101.9 For Life, a masa station that is now known for its present name “Alam Mo Na Yan! 101.9 For Life“, with the call letters being dropped from the name (Laking WRR kaya alam ko ito hehehe). Prior to his stint to WRR, his used to work for Advance Media Systems (DWKX/103.5 k-Lite, now 103 1/2 Max FM) and Quest Broadcasting, Inc. (DWTM/Magic 89.9). Now I know that me and my classmates are truly on a roll! Looking forward what I’m going to be taught about with regards to audio mixing, mastering, recording, and voice acting (clearly a far cry to his happy-go-lucky persona in WRR). All of a sudden I felt kinda repetitive.

       Following Sondesn, I have Desncon (Desk-Con) or Design Concepts. It’s a follow up to my previous prerequisite (Desprin/Principles of Design) but this are more focused not just in theories and concepts per say but also interpreting such that are found in design. My prof is a graduate of CSB’s former Interdisciplinary Studies Program (Don’t know if it has a present counterpart today). She, thoughnew in teaching in CSB, is all too familiar to life as a CSB student. Our room, A701, is the largest of all the classrooms in SDA’s 7th floor. She stressed that her subject may be 90% discussion, ten percent would come from doing plates as it’s required for the subject.
  
Our first activity was to design a movie poster on a piece of paper and explain why people should watch this particular type of movie via several graphic organizers like planning charts and spider webs. Fortunately, I happened to watch a good old-house horror movie the night before, an Italian pre-apocalyptic film called “Demonii” or “Demons” in English. It’s about a group of people who were mysteriously invited to watch a screening of a movie inside a supposedly new theater. But unknown to them, they are turned into demons one by one and the few remaining survivors must find a way to escape before they get infected and turn into one.

     Note though that this is no B-movie zombie flick because they are not dead before reanimating into zombies, the wounds inflicted by demons would turn them into one. This is of course was given no clear explanation, but its primary cause was that the first human that turned into one wore this certain mask that has the ability to break hell loose. It has a somewhat happy ending nevertheless.

I hope my last two professors tomorrow would be as nice as the one I have as of now.

            I know that January 7, everything will be back to normal. Yestersay was the first day of the third term so I know I have to do my best without fail!

           My first class is Fotogra or Fundamentals of Photography. My professor for that class is Mrs. Dolly Ofrasio, Yana’s mom. She was late by half an hour due to a chaotic crowd downstairs at the lobby of SDA. In addition, my classmates include those I’ve been with in several past classes (from Worlite, Partdes, Petriid, and Reconse).

          I know for sure that Fotogra is going to be a very hard subject but I have to make sure that I won’t fail. My professor said if ever any of us in her class wants to drop out from her subject, the flash function of a camera would do the job for us, as easy as that! But then again, we get to use some cool retro “Singular Lens Reflex” like those rare and vintage Nikon FM2’s and FM3’s (but we have to take good care of it when used),

    My second and last class for the day was Profes1/Professional Practice 1. My prof’s there is the chairperson of the Interior Design program of CSB, Ms. Love (She was born on Valentine’s Day hehehe). There, I ‘ classmateas again with similar faces from my Hartds1 class like Hyun Ho, and NSTP1 (Angelica Punto and Nem); Joseriz (Kervin, and Danica).

   Since all of us are suffering from FDS, it may take a while before we could easily adjust to the new term.

    What has the term in store? Are we going to survive? Better to face it than not face it!

(Note: Inaantok pa rin ako, wala akong pasok mula Huwebes hanggang bukas so bakasyon uli sakin :D)