LRT Tales: Ang Magkasintahang Koreano

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    It’s very fun that to think that of all places that I could be, there’s a story always ready to be foretld. Like this one I had when I was at the LRT.

    The LRT train I was on was close to being jam-packed, however, there is still room on this side of the train where I was on. When it had a stop-over at UN Ave. Station, a couple (the stars of our story) went inside and standed next to me. These couple are Koreans who are probably studying in one of the colleges lined along Taft Avenue by looking how young they are. At first I didn’t noticedthat the guy was a foreigner since he spoke a Filipino phrase in an almost unaccented manner (He said “tabi po”). His girlfriend seems like she’s whining about something but it is obvious taht it is her first time riding the LRT. Good thing that the boyfriend is familiar with the stops, making me think that he was here in Manila longer than her.

    I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I was practically beside them so I can’t help but trying to understand what they’re talking about. I could almost undertsand them since they speak colloquial Konglish, code-switching between Korean and English. It looks like they were going to eat at a mall in Monumento, the LRT’s last stop, but when we passed on this mall before reaching Central Terminal, the girl asked the guy if it is a mall. The guy said it is and told her that it is SM Manila (the mall’s name). The girl probably know about SM so she asked him why not eat there. I had no idea what the guy answered.

    Playing tourist guide, the boyfriend showed all the places familiar to him to the girl, including a church when we passed by Sta. Isabel College, the Quezon Bridge along the Pasig (so that’s its name), and the Pasig River itself. Beside those was Feati University on the other side of the river. When the train stopped at Carriedo, the girl was amazed by the throngs of people she saw over the station’s window, which overlooks Carriedo Street (one of the busiest commercial streets in Manila where it is jam-packed full at night).

    Since I was standing, a passenger sitted in front of me got up and left, leaving an empty seat. I offered the seat to the girl although I didn’t say anything. Over the next station (Doroteo Jose), the guy showed his metal ticket to the girl, pointing on their destination which is the Monumento Station. I undertsand since they don’t have Korean terms “Doroteo Jose” and “Monumento”, add to the fact that Filipino and Korean are both somehwat phonetic as compared to English. The girl got sad since they still have a long way to go.

    Later on, another passnger in front of me got up and left another vacant seat. The boyfriend of the girl offered me the seat but I politely declined. I told him “No, you go”. I offered that seat to him so at least he and the girl could sit together. There was another seat left vacant so I took it and was sitted next to the couple. I knew that I made a good decision to give the seat to the guy for the rest of the ride, they were in each other’s arms. The girl was sleeping at his side and the guy was holding her tight. Now that’s true love!

    I was happy and all the way smiling since it really feels good to see couple in love (although I dislike some couples showing intimate PDAs in public). It’s like watching seeing a movie in reality. There’s a lot of stories to tell, even just in the LRT. So I wonder…

Jamers Batch 07, Moving On with Their Lives

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    Ano nga ba ang bago sa Batch 07 ng SJA? Kamusta naman ang buhay ng bawat isa sa kolehiyo. Paano rin kung nasa ibang bansa ka naman? Umaadjust sa bagong kapaligiran, mula sa mga kalye, kanal at baha ng Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas at Valenzuela hanggang sa mga pasikot sikot na eskinita, daanan, abenida ng Maynila, hanggang sa riles ng Amtrax sa Florida at maganadang look ng Sydney.

    Parang kamakailan lamang, kapag alas sais a singkwenta ng umaga eh pinapa-line up na tayo sa labas ng ating mga klasrum at talagang minamantika sa sobrang init ng humidity ng mga corridor. Pagpatak ng alas siete, magrerecite ang marami (ako di ko pa rin kabisado) ang morning prayer, tapos ang Mo. Francisca prayer, then kakanta ng Pambansang Awit, at magrerecite ng Panata, tapos kung lunes o biernes eh magrerecite pa ng Vision-mIssion then the singing of the SJA Hymn (tagalog kiapag Wednesday), tapos kapag hindi lunes, magrorosaryo (buti na lang, naksanayan ko na kung hindi, mahihimatay ako).

    Pero ngayon, parang nakakapanghinayang, kasi marami pa rin sa mga kasamahan ko sa batch eh di ko pa rin kilala. Tignan ninyo, ngayon ko lang nalaman na isa sa mga kinakamusta ko eh ang pangalan pala niya ay Supnet as in ngayon lang. Si Dianne Hilario naman, eh kamakailan lang kami nagkakilala kaya dun ko nalamamn na siya pala ang Dianne Hilario na palaging pinag-uusapan. May mga gusto ko kauspain pero nahihiya ako, kasi maram,i mukhang nakakatakot, gaya nang makilala ko si Hnery Benaid, nung grad practice ko lang siya nakilala’t nakausap. So sayang naman.

    Ngayon, lahat kami ay nagkalat na sa buong Kamaynilaan kung hindi sa ibang sulok ng mundo. Si JB Villegas, kasama sana naming gagaraduate kaso nagmigrate ang pamilya at kasalukuyang namamahinga bago ang pagkabalik niya sa high school sa September (bilang Grade 11 student), habang si Russel I ay nagmigrate kasama ang pamilya sa Australia matapos makatapos sa SJA. Yung iba ay nag-aaral na sa iba’t ibang mga kolehiyo’t mga pamantasan at namumuhay ng sariling buhay bilang mga indibidwal.

    Masuwerte ang ilan na magkasama halos ang buong barkada nila sa isang pamantasan at kung maari ay sa parehong kurso ang kanilang kinabibilangan. May mga magkaeskwela pero hindi tugma ang oras ng klase nila’t kurso kaya halos hanggang kitakits sa mga lugar-lugar lang.

    Ako, super lonely naman kasi kahit 4 kaming magkakurso ng Multimedia Arts sa De La Sale-College of St Benilde ay hindi naman magkatugma ang oras kaya sandali lamang ang aming bonding sessions. Hanggang kitakitz rin kami. Ang mga kasama ko sa AB-MMA ay sina Justin Santos, Gelli Punto at si Russel Plata na hindi naman namin kasama grumadweyt ng high school pero kasama naman namin nung nagtapos kaming magkabatch nung grade school pa lamangkami, Si Fred Dela Pena ay nagpupursue ng Industrial Design at kasalukayang kaseksyon niya ang mangilang mga Animation majors na froshes. Si Ace at Liana ay magkaklase sa HRM habang sina Ali at Maan ay magkaseksyon rin (di lang ako sigurado sa kurso nilang 2 pero under sila ng SHRIM) habang ang na-feminized na si Nicky A ay femme fatale na habang nasa old jolly dancing self si Nikko P. In short, sila lang ang madsalas nagkikitaan, ako, kung nagkakataon either during C-Break o kaya sa LRT.

    Ngayon since nasasanay na ang bawat sa’min sa aming bagong tahanan, ang atensyon ay napupunta na sa bagong eskwela dahil nakaksalamuha na kami sa mga iba’t ibang tao na galing sa iba’t ibang antas ng buhay at pinanggalingan. Bukod pa diyan, natutunanan na nang bawat miyembro ng Batch 07 ng SJA ang mga values at tradisyones na dominiant sa kani-kanilang mga pamantasana at ang pagiging bagong salta mula sa high school ay unti-unting nawawala.

    Masuwetre na rin ang karamihan sa Batch 07 na lahat sila ay matagal nang magkakilala at halos lumaki sa iisang lugar, lalo pa’t magkalapit ang Malabon sa Navotas at Caloocan. Malas ko nga lang na 2 lang samin ang taga-Valenzuela pero itong si Engel eh medyo bonded na sa kabarakada niya na kanyang nabuo nung pumasok siya sa SJA. Suwerte rin ni Nikko DS na bukod sa kasama niya iisang block section si Dianne Naval eh mukhang komportable na rin siya sa bago nilang kapailigiran na kung tawagin ay ang Pamantasan ng Santo Tomas. Si Nicodemus, parang di ko naman masabi kung ano na ang estado ng kanyang adjusment sa USTe, kasi base sa kuwento nina Ms JQ at sa mga sulatin niya sa kanyang blog mukhang hindi smooth ang transition niya doon. Good luck na lang sa kanya at hindi sana bumigay sa pressures ng college lalo pa’t lumang institusyon ang kanyang pinasukan.

    Siyempre, high school social divides ay kita pa rin, ang mga elitista ng Batch 07 ay kasalukayan ngayo’y mga estudyante ng mga pinakasikat at kilalang mga pamntasan sa Kamaynilaan. Sina Mavs ay nasa Ateneo, si Mica ay nasa UP, si Mark Reyes  ay pinurpursue ang scholaship niya na bigay ng UE (raw?) pero nag-aaral sa ADMU, sina Jeco, Robin, Camille, Mechel, Robert R, Lara, Sember atbp ay nag-aaral bilang mga Lasalista habang mayorya (raw) ng mga batchmates ay nasa USTe. Ang iba ay nag-aaral sa mga mga di kilala pero respetadong mga institusyon tulad ng MCU, CEU, CMU, PMI, atbp. May mga ilan rin naman na nag-aaral ngayon sa South Manila Ed Consortium na nasa Intramuros.

    May sariling na kaming bagay na pinag-aabalahan at kung nagkataong nagkikta kami sa LRT ay kaway kaway at usap kung ano na ang nagyari sa buhay natin tapos ng high school. Hulaan ko, pagdating ng Enigma 07 sa Oktubre, marami na ang babalik na may pinagbagong anyo. go with the flow ika nga ang nangyayari samin tulad ng nakaraang batches pero kahit pa, di pa rin mawawala ang mga alala na aming ginawa habang kami ay nanatili sa loob ng higit na 4 na taon.

Kaya, habang hindi kami nag-rereunion, good luck na alng ang marami sa atin. Pati na rin ang miyembro na nagkakaroon pa ng mga problema, kakayanin natin ang lahat.

For God, For Country, For Saint James!!!!!

Saint James Academy Taekwondo Team Line-Up as of July 2007

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I’m still panning to go back to regular TKD training and it is big of a shame that I wasn’t able to take my promotion for me to move into high yellow. I’m currently at low degree yellow but I’m still determined that I’ll be able to go back from what I’ve started more than a year ago. Just now, I’ve visited the friendster page of my high school team andI’m glad that many from the team had moved on to a higher belt degree. I hope i could come back someday, if ever it won’t be SJA Taekwondo, maybe here in CSB where I;ve heard have thrice-a-week trainings from 6-9 am MWF although my super flexible and non-consecutive schedule won’t  allow me to. Oh well, here the team-up as of July 2007.

St. jAmEs tAekwOndo tEam

hEad cOach: siR. achiLLes pOnce

AsSisTant cOacheS: siR. jhAyVeE baSbAs
mAm riCiLLe QuesAdA
-tEam mEmbErs-

ERiKa EnTe – 1st Dan bLakbeLt
MyDy dEmAtErA – Low brown
cAthEriNe LachenaL – HiGh rEd
DiegO buLatAo – Low rEd
RoVy pAet – Low bLUe
BeRnaRd pRoviDo – Low bLUe
shAirA caLma – Low bLue
JerEmiAh bAYLen – Low bLue
RafAeLLe viLLegas- HiGh yeLLow
rOcheLLe fRanciscO – high yeLLow
myLeeN mAnLapAs – high yeLLow
mArJ saLes – Low yeLLow
AnGeLitA guTtiErEz – white
DiaNe gArosPe – white

The CSB Experience: Si Potpot (Mediamax Team Building)

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Masaya ang naging team building ng Mediamax kung saan ito’y ginananap sa isang resort sa gilid ng kabundukan ng Antipolo at nakatingin sa Makati, Muntinlupa at ang Laguna De Bay. Ang nasa ibaba ay yung listahan ng mga taong pumunta pero hindi ito yung final eh. Sorry. Sayang, 2 lang DV1 at isang Jamer ng Batch 07 ang kasama rito (grrr.):

1. Claire Ganzon
2. JV Luntao
3. Buddy Santiago
4. Angeli Carlos
5. Daphne Oliveros
6. Camille Villagonza
7. Lanie Hernandez
8. David Villegas
9. Jam Alves
10. Paul Gaston
11. Janessa Hong
12. Iling Lin
13. Mike Adrada
14. Calla Santos
15. Io Mendoza
16. Alrenz Cabasa
17. Katherine Noelle Luna
18. Jose Benito Vitan
19. David Tankiang
20. Tami Yabut
21. James Habitan
22. Joseph Sebastian
23. Trisha De La Cruz
24. Jian Karen Ong
25. Rica Vanessa Cari
26. Arianne Pascual
27. Andrea Umlas
28. Kerwin Go
29. Jansie Hernandez
30. Eva Garcia
31. Joshua Cerezo
32. Crystal Tab
33. Ciara De Mata
34. Patricia Villanueva
35. Jacob Del Rosario
36. Danica Feliz
37. Clare Tan
38. Sully (?)
39. Benedict Salazar
40. Michael Baldemoro
41. Maricris Salatandre
42. Sheena Lim
43. Grace Anne Law
44. Nikki Modesto
45. Teree Castillon
46. Johnoel Chiong
47. Dominique Nava
48. Mikhaela Atanto
49. Lorisse Ramirez
50. Joji Ushijima
51. Christiane Caringal
52. Ronel Embrador
53. Lance Tamlinco
54. Linane Fe Pineda
55. Sir Dan Enriquez

-Abangan ang THE CSB EXPERIENCE: Teary Pot Session Here (a slideshow movie)