Category Archives: graduation

The CSB Experience 2: Me, Graphika Manila, and Clients

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Grabeh, never have I expect this thing to be so much of a big deal to many. But I guess, it’s their failing of doing so, ha?
So okay, a month ago, I bought this ticket from Mediamax which costed Php750 (which is a discounted rate till past September which is higher) for this event called Graphika Manila, a convention of sorts which is attended by quite many people coming from different walks of life, even reps coming from well-known media companies like Pixar and Dreamworks. The event is worth MMA points thus the reason for buying them.
But it proved to be worthless once I found out I never gonna use it anyway in the first place because I have classes on that day ranging from morning til way down in the afternoon.
I decided to have my ticket “auctioned” off on the MMA Yahoo Groups. I only thing that I posted there is that ‘I’m selling this ticket for Php500 initially” and that they could contact me by texting me through my number.
One person came in the frontline. Naturally, I decided to give the ticket to her for Php500 and thus we had an understanding that this ticket is now reserved for her til further notice.
But the biggest surprise probably would be the following Tuesday. As early as 5:12 am until recently, I had a total of 21 people (contacting me either via SMS or YM) who took interest of my advertisement, texting me nonstop and wasting 3/4 of my cellphone load just to talk to them until the situation got a bit out of hand.
Then one of them bid my ticket for Php800 from 500 which is a total surprise to me. I texted the other buyers about the offer then another offered to buy the ticket for a whopping 1000 pesos! I asked him how much is he willing to pay for him to get that ticket, he replied that as much as 1.5k-2k pesos is what he’s willing to give. I took notice of he’s offer so I have to tell the other buyers of this development. Many dropped their claims on it except for one person, the guy who offered 800-pesos. He was just furious that he raised his price for Php1000 then when that didn’t worked out, he started giving me anecdotes about me getting the bigger loss despite the financial gain that I have. He even shared to me his current situation, him being a recent graduate gone jobless and he wants that ticket to bolster his job description. How selfish is that, right?
I decided to give the ticket to a student who needs it the most. And that would be the one who offered the Php1500. I know that he needs it more for him to graduate (for the MMA points) than the other guy who just want i so he could land himself a job finally.
The good news is,  I am one step closer of buying myself a new pair of earphone for my IPod! Yahoo for that!
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No Strings Attached-The Last Bow (Part 2)

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 I never put my heart really into practicing violin because of my parent’s expectations for me to be good by constant practice. They have to know that because of the kind of routinic schedule I had in high school, it leaves no room for me to practice at any given time I choose. If there is such, I usually spend it on purely rest.

    Though I am that way, i make sure that I know what I am playing. To do this, I would always memorize my pieces by simply reading the notes (basic notes for violin is usually easier than piano). It proved to be very substantial as I was able to put into heart my Suzuki pieces easier so the problem on playing properly is my main concern now.

   My instructor noticed my improvement and that’s what motivated me to continue staying in St. Cecilia much longer. It was because of this that I dropped everything attached to my name (except to TKD for which I tried to rejoin but something happened bad).

   Anyway, it seems that after being into violin for so long I finally ad the chance to prove my worth as a violinist when St. Cecilia had its Christmas recital for which Fred was also a part of (that was the time I invited people from II-MOF to come over and watch but none came). Almost there really but not quite yet.

   Next recital occured a few days after I graduated high school. PIeces I played were Andantino and Perpetual Motion in G Major.

Biggest jaw-dropper was my attempt to to continue to study violin while on my first year in college but my being a member of the CSB DebSoc makes it difficult for to committ to either one of them. So in favor of what wieghted the most to my heart, I chose to drop DebSoc and continue on with St. Cecilia.

My most recent recital was earlier last April where I played Etude and J.S. Bach’s Minuet 1 with piano acompaniment from Sir Jun, Fred’s teacher. And I got a plaque of recognition for being a part of St. Cecilia.

The thought of leaving resurfaced again sooner after. And after putting much thought into it, I decided that I should quit violin.

Quitting violin doesn’t mean that I’m going to completely let go of something that became a part of me for the past four years. It was because of he sense of fulfillment and achievement that I felt the moment something that I do got recognized by many.

I have to delay my announcement to my instructor who was there for me all these years because I will have another recital this June in QC. Sir Jomar was a great teacher, a good friend, and good to have conversations with. I shared to him all my thoughts about everything from school to family to anything out of the ordinary. So I owe him a lot so  will give my best so that all those years of hard work and sacrifice won’t put to waste.

I don’t have any regrets at all but praises that I was able to prove something for myself. To prove that I can stay on to one thing and practically love it in the process.

Napatunayan ko na sa sarili ko na mayroong bagay na talagang mapapnindigan ko sa ganoong katagal na panahon. Masakit man na iiwan ko na ito, ang mga alaala ay mananatiling magpapataba sa puso ko.

I will always have a special place for the violin. PEACE!

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No Strings Attached-The Last Bow (Part 1)

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    After close to four years, I have made what could one of the biggest decisions in my life: quitting violin. Yeah, seems so low and unworthy to be called as such but the truth is, this wasn’t the first time I decided to quit violin for good.

 

    It all started way back in July 2004, 2nd year high school. Ms. Mangali who used to be my music teacher in 1st year handed out flyers for those interested to join the St. Cecilia Music Studio. It offers lessons in voice, guitar, piano, and violin. I was rather intrigued by their violin lesson offer as unlike the rest, it is a very unconventional instrument at a time when the youth of today take interest in learning how to sing, to play the guitar, and of course to play the piano (a long tradition of piano tutoring have been passed down to us from my mom’s side of the family whose relatives were exposed to learning piano).

   At that time, my mom had me signed up for piano lessons without my permission which coincided with me joining the St. Cecilia Music Studio. I still remember my first session with my instructor, Sir Jomar. There was traffic on the way to school so I have to walk my way across Maysilo until I got to ride a tricycle in Tonsuya to take me straight to Bayan/San Agustin.

   I signed up for a group lesson and initially there were three of us. Ate Kristine Lacqueo of Batch 2006 and of course, the future guitarist of FOREPLAY, Kelvin. The two of them then were of a higher playing level as I was still new to violin, a neophyte. In third year, Kristine had to drop out citing problems with her inevitable thesis project for Ms. Flores’ Fundamentals of Research (for which I got an A- when I passed my thesis a year later). Keb, however, simply dropped himself out. So I was the only one left.

   Usual training starts with a warm-up by right-hand and arm in bowing position and trying to play out a string starting from the C-string, then D, then G, then E followed by set of “Hanon”-like fingering exercises called SEVCIK (I dread SEVCIK but it’s the only to correct my fingering especially the pinky). After that was WOLFAHRT, a training book for violin beginners where I play out a set of notes setted up as a musical piece. Last but not least is the playing of the Suzuki pieces where I played Sinichi Suzuki-modified versions of existing violin pieces.

   I always have the thought of leaving violin as early as the year I was starting out. But there were a lot of factors that affected my decision-making. Pressure from my parents is one, another is the fact that my parents invested a relatively pricey violin for me to enroll for this so I stayed on (so I put all my dread to piano which I continued until earlier last year).

It was kinda embarassing for me to have people know that I’m studying violin. It actually comes out in their minds that I’m good at it but it’s not as easy as i really seems. Take a look at the poor girl from Music Ministry who plays violin during masses, many students poked fun at her for playing poorly. The truth is, you can’t expect somebody like her, a young violinist to play ala Paganini right away. It takes years of practice to really master the art of violin.

   

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The Youngest Alumnus

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   Last night, here was a homecoming n my high school alma mater. Of course, being an almnus of the school, I have to go there. It’s a get together of the 50+ batches who graduated from Saint James Academy and get to know one another.

    Unfortunately, I was the only member of Batch 07 who attended the homecoming desptie sending notices in advance to my batchmates via YM and a text brigaed to add with that (including word-of-mouth). The only one from 07 other than me is our batch rep, Tolits, who heped usher the event.

    Soon enough, the program started with a mass presided by a Jamer priest from the class of 81. After that the main program proper. There was a raffle and a trivia contest with rpizes ranging from botle of wine to hair curlers to bags of thermos.

   All of a sudden, I was called before the whole alumni body as I was dubbed as the “youngest attendee” of the homecoming. They forgot to add the “only attendee” from our batch. (Mr. Zaporteza of Batch 2001 was there with four from batch02 and one loner of 03).

   My prize?: A balck bag with a large thermo inside courtesy of Manila Water, who is currently presided by a Jamer from Batch 59 (I think) Mr. Tony Aquino.

   This year’s glden jubilarians arethe class of 58 and the silver jubilarians are the class of 83.

My batches silver anniversary will be held on 2017 when all of us are already about 37 years old while 2057 is our golden year! Waghh!

I forgot, another batch 07 attendee was Maviel but just for a short while.She serenaded the audience with her voice and many were amazed by her talent, honed and crafted by Saint James Academy.

   Being an MMA student, I was tasked to man the laptop of one of the alumni to play a dvd made by Class of 61.

I hope next year, marami ang dadalo, ayoko mag-isa ahhhhggggahhh!

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105 Truths (got it from Mavz)

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1. real name: Jaime Luis S. Habitan  
2. like it: Of the four siblings, I have the most traditional name
3. single or taken: single
4. zodiac sign: Virgo
5. male or female: male
6. elementary: Saint Mary Montessori (Nursery-Gr. 4), Haycock Elementary School (Gr. 4-5), Saint james Academy (Gr. 6)
7. high school: St. James Academy
8. college: De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
9. eye color: Black
10. hair color: Black
15. are you a health freak: Whenever I look at myself at the mirror
16. height: 5’6″
17. do you have a crush on someone: Yes, I have a crush who gradauted from Meycauayan and another from my school.


18. do you like yourself:Siempre!
19. piercings: Walang balak
20. tattoos: birth mark, puede na.
21. righty or lefty: Maka-kakanan

FIRSTS
22. first surgery: twice when I was young. One time on my forehead and another on my tongue
23. first piercings: none
24. first best friend: Carlos and Michael Ross from our Montessorian days
26. first sport: Karate (umabot hanggang purple pero di na napatuloy)
27. first pet: pet na matatawag na akin, a pet butterfly I named Catherina “Cathy” Habitan.
28. first vacation: Madalas from out-of-town resorts, kaya di ko na malaala. the earliest that I could think of was my first time in this resort on Bulacan, Bulacan.
30. first crush: Iyung kababata ko sa SMMC dati.

CURRENTLY
49. eating: Anything as long na hindi exotic
50. drinking: ua lot except for alcohol
51. about to: daydream
52. listening to: LSS
53. waiting for: next class at 1:00 PM (11:00 Am pa lang as I write)
54. wearing: Balck and white striped t-shirt with collar.
56. want to get married: maybe never
67. careers in mind: Writer, mutimedia artist, novelist, moviemaker, photographer

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
68. lips or eyes – eyes
69. hugs or kisses – hugs
70. shorter or taller – shorter
71. tan skinned or light skin – Pareho
72. romantic or spontaneous – Pareho
73. dark or light hair – dark hair
74. muscular or normal – basta hindi mukhang lalaki katawan
75. hook-up or relationship – relationship
76. similar to you or different – basta, may respeto sa isa’t isa at ginagalang ang kakayahan namin

HAVE YOU EVER
78. kissed a stranger -no
80. broken a bone – muscle yes
81. climbed up a tree – yes
82. broken someones heart – no
83. turned someone down – unfortunately not
84. liked a friend as more than a friend – sana

DO YOU BELIEVE IN
86. yourself – yes
89. Santa Claus – yes, kaya nga noon pilit kong mapuyat para makita siya eh.
90. kiss on the first date -Di pa muna hangga’t wala pang bF yang ate ko.
91. angels – Yes forI was once an angel, wearing my angel dress every night when I was 5 years old (actually, those angel dresses are only my dad’s surplus t-shirts with a “Power Patrol” printed on both front and back).

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY
92. Is there one or more people you want to be with right now? – romantically? I hope so
93. Do you hang out with these people? -Yeah, almost everywhere I go
94. Are you cool?- When I wear my La Salle Dasma jacket, I am.

LASTS
95. Text message – Globe text advisory
96. Received call – A fellow org member who mistook me for one of our org officers.
97. Call made to – Bahay
98. Comment on friendster – Mydy
99. Missed Call – From my dad
100. Person you hung out with – Hoogie, Chris and Issi
101. You hugged – my mom before she left for Korea today
103. You talked to – my Filip12 prof
104. You slapped – Grade 3- Grade 5 di ko maalala
105. Said I love you to – myself as I was watching an episode of Hey Arnold where Arnold’s weird cousin uttered those words to Helga.

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The CSB Experience: Ang Mga Jamers ng DLS-CSB

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Malaki ang gulat ko mula noong first day na di ko makikita ang karamihan ng mga kasamahan ko sa SJA na nasa CSB ngayon kasi magkaiba ang mga oras namin. So far a total of 11 Jamers (including an ex-Jamer) are composed of the froshies coming from Saint james Academy. Majority HRIM ang course, ilan ay MMA, may nag-Industrial Design, others: ewan ko na lang.

Here’s my partial and unofficial list of these Jamers from Batch 07:

  1. Angelica Punto
  2. Justin Santos
  3. Russel Plata
  4. Fred Dela Peña
  5. Maan DOmingo
  6. Liana Agbayani
  7. Joseph Alipo-on
  8. Nicky Aquino
  9. Alvin Santos
  10. Francis Calayag
  11. Caroline Santos
  12. Nikko Plata

I also saw an alumnus of SJA from Batch 05 or 06.

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