GERLS 101

All that happens when your dream comes true is a slow, melting realization that it wasn't what you thought.

-For One More Day, Mitch Albom

Meet GERLS, the people who made my college days worth the two-hour travel. I could not believe that we really had separate lives now. I know that this is bound to happen anytime, but I just could not process the fact that I would not be able to see much of them this June (and in the coming months or years). For the past four years, I used to see them in June after the looong summer breaks. But not this year, which brings me to make a short (psuedo)write-up about each of these adorable people.

Dongca, The Unica Hija. If there's an acronym that would perfectly describe her, it would be: LSS. No, it is not Last Song Syndrome. Uh well. It could be, but no. Aside from the fact that music is major part of her life, it stands for Long hugs, Surprises, and Stars. She always gives people a good deal of long hugs, making them feel loved and cared. (It is from her that I get my daily dose of long hugs--a reminder that I am still human and that I need to be hugged.) She digs surprises as much as she likes to give one. (She is an expert in surprises, swear! Even in her birthdays, she is the one surprising us.) Everyday is a different day when I am with her. It is as if the heavens had bestowed upon me a one of a kind daughter. She loves stars. And in reality, she poses as a wishing star to everyone, making her love ones' dreams come true. I know she would not agree to this, but she is the star that she wishes to be.

Briege, The Black Sheep. No moments are dull for this one. She laughs at everyone's jokes as if the joke is really funny. She has sick sense of humor as she finds beauty in aliens. She is the kind of person that one will be able to drag anywhere. Be it an alcohol fest in Katipunan or a beer marathon somewhere in Manila. She can be devoid of emotions, but what lies beneath the that surface is a soft-hearted person. She can be weird sometimes, but she is a critical thinker whose only joy are Aliens, Sleeping, and Sneakers (ASS, that is unintentional really.)

Ingrid, The Hot Mama! The prettiest and the hottest girl alive! She has BBB! Beauty, Brains, and Boobs. She is a perfection in the making. She is the beauty amidst the ugliness and pollution of Taft Ave. She lights up the darkest and saddest moments by her bright personality and retard jokes. She is family-oriented and is one of the most caring persons I have known in life. She never fails in comparison (to anything!). She never fails.

Gellai, The Master. She claims to be an idealist, but her eyes are too open to reality. She is a romantic. A damsel in distress who wanted to be saved by her prince. But don't let that fool you. She may be a princess, but she can fight. She is a Spartan at heart. There's no battle that she cannot win, and no puzzle she cannot solve. If demi-gods were true, then I know that she would be Athena's child.

Zana, The Chocoholic. Do not let a single grain of sugar enter her bloodstream or else you're in for a big trouble. LOLJK. If there's someone in our group of friends who is understanding and objective, it would be Zana. She has her firm beliefs and principles in life, but she understands and accepts human flaws. She sees through everything. She is the reflective type of person. But! She is fun to be with. She may seem intimidating sometimes, but she knows where she stands and she knows when to have fun.

Bge, The Histrionic. The depth of a person cannot be measured by the make-ups that she has. Being too hooked in DSM-IV before, she diagnosed herself to have a Histrionic Personality. She can get emotional most of the time, but she is the right person to approach when one needs notes and academic advice/coaching. She knows what she wants, and she works hard for it. She may get lost along her way, but she never fails to catch up. Besides, she got the fastest legs. She sure knows how to win the race.

Chawen, Jack of All Trades. By Jack, I mean the card and by Trades, I mean the under-the-table moments. She is known for her good life techniques. She can carry herself in a way that no one would know that can curse like a man, gamble like a pro, and drink like a tambay. She can be a princess and a pauper, depending on what the occasion calls for.

Hammie, The Banker. I am torn now between The Banker and Tagalista ng Noisy. But I opt The Banker since she is half-chinese and she is rich. She is a TAN, duh. She seldom talks, and if she does, she speaks in fluent English. She may be the quietest in the group, but she is the coolest. She is sincere, and one of the few people who can make anyone comfortable in silence. She seldom talks, but she always prays.

Jemu, The Only Girl. As much as he claims himself to be a cynic, he is actually the opposite. Because beneath that big and fatty body is a fragile heart. He has a clear cut vision of reality. He remains grounded on the truths of life. He is objective and has a mind like a machine. He is a Magna Cum Laude, for Pete's sake. But what other people cannot see is that he offers more than what he can give to the people he loves (which makes his heart a lot bigger than his body).

I am ending this now. I could not think of any parting words. Perhaps I have run out of things to say. Or maybe I have forgotten them. Nostalgia can kill.

Remind me not to listen to Someday by Sugar Ray.

Sariling bersyon ng "Indolence of the Filipino": Tamad nga ba si Juan?

Tamad nga ba si Juan?

Ito ang isa sa mga katanungan ang uukilkil sa isipan ng sinuman kung susuriing mabuti ang ibig sabihin ng pagiging tamad. Ano nga ba ang ibig sabihin ng katamaran? Ito ba ay simpleng kabaligtaran lamang ng kasipagan? Ano ang kasipagan kung ganoon? Ang kasipagan ba ay nasusukat sa pamamagitan ng dami ng nagawang trabaho? O ito ba ay nabibigyang kahulugan sa pamamagitan ng kalidad at kahalagahan ng nagawang trabaho? O ito ba ay ang pagmamahal at pagpapahalaga dito na ipinapakita sa pamamagitan ng pagtatrabaho ng maigi at masigasig? Kung ang huling depinisyon ang pagtutuunan ng pansin, maaari bang masabi na ang katamaran ay nangangahulugang walang pagmamahal sa trabaho at hindi pagtatrabaho ng maigi? Masusukat nga ba ang kahulugan ng kasipagan o katamaran sa dami o kawalan ng ginawang trabaho? O mas higit pa dito ang kahulugan katamaran? Sapat na ba ang ganitong klase ng pag-iintindi sa daynamiko ng semantiks ng katamaran?

Sino nga ba ang taong masasabing tamad? Ito ba ang mga taong nagsaka mula madaling araw hanggang ika-sampu ng umaga at nagpahinga na lamang pagkatapos? O ito ba ang mga taong nakaupo sa de-aircon na opisina ng gobyerno habang nagbabasa ng dyaryo at umiinom ng malamig na mineral na tubig? Ang katamaran ba ang siyang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit hindi umuunlad ang Pilipinas?

Marami ang nagsasabi na tamad ang mga Pilipino, na ang mga Pilipino ay hindi marunong magmahal sa kanilang trabaho, lagi na lamang nagpapahinga at nakatunganga, at mahilig magsayang ng oras sa paggawa ng wala. Sinasabing tamad ang Pilipino dahil madalas sa hindi na nakikita sila sa nakatambay sa labas ng kanilang bahay, o kung hindi naman ay nakikipagtsismisan sa kanilang kapitbahay ng umagang-umaga. Ang ganitong senaryo ay karaniwang nakikita sa mga mahihirap na lugar sa kabihasnan at mangilan-ngilang lugar sa probinsya. Sinasabing tamad ang Pilipino dahil konting trabaho lang ay magpapahinga na agad sila. At madalas sa hindi, ang katamaran na ito ay sinasabing dahilan ng kahirapan ng bawat Pilipino. Ito ay madalas na ginagawang sangkalan upang bigyang rason kung bakit hindi umuunlad ang ating bansa. Ito ay kadalasang ginagamit upang paliwanagan ang mga kapalpakang nangyayari sa Pilipinas (halimbawa ang madalas sabihin ng mga tao: Kaya naghihirap ang mga Pilipino dahil ang tatamad eh).

Ngunit kung titingnan ng mabuti, hindi masasabing tamad ang mga Pilipino sa tunay na kahulugan ng pagiging tamad. Ito ay sa kadahilanang ang mga Pilipino ay masisigasig sa kanilang trabaho, isang bagay na makikita sa kultura ng mga katutubo natin. Ang ganitong katangian ng mga Pinoy ay kilala maging sa ibang bansa dahil sa mga OFWs. Isa pang dahilan ay tinitingnan kasing katamaran ang pagpapahinga. Ang mga magsasakang nagpapahinga tuwing ika-sampo ng umaga hanggang sa makalipas ang init ng araw ay sinasabing tamad, ngunit ang hindi nakikita dito ay ang katunayan na ang mga magsasakang ito ay nagsimulang magsaka ng madaling araw pa lamang. Ang balik-bayang OFW ay hindi masasabing tamad kung siya man ay magbuhay-donya panandalian. Katamaran na bang matatawag ang pagpapahinga matapos ang isang mabigat na trabaho? Gaya nga ng sabi ni Rizal, hindi naman ang pagtatrabaho at pagkita lamang ang silbi ng isang tao., kundi ang paghahanap ng kanyang kasiyahan.

Hindi ang katamaran ang siyang nagbubunga ng kahirapan ng bansa, bagkus ito ay ang kabilagtaran. Ang sinasabing katamaran ng Pilipino ay dulot ng mga salik ng lipunan tulad ng kasaysayan at kultura, nanatiling ideolohiya sa lugar, ekonomikong kalagayan, at pulitikal na aspeto. Ito ay bunga lamang ng isang mahabang panahon ng kolonisasyon ng mga Espanyol, ng kahirapan ng bansa, at ng isang hindi magandang sistema ng pamamahala ng gobyerno sa kasalukuyan.

Alam naman nating lahat na ang katangiang “mamaya na” ay hindi sariling atin, dahil ito ay tumataliwas sa kultura at paniniwala ng sinaunang katutubo ng bansa. Ang ganitong katangian kasama pa ng siesta at pagpunta ng huli sa mga kasiyahan ay ilan lamang sa mga kaugalian ng kastila na siyang nakuha ng ibang Pilipino sa atin bilang manipestasyon ng tinatawag na passive racism. Ang mga ito ay nakaapekto sa kaugalian ng Pilipino ukol sa trabaho at iba pang aspeto ng buhay.

Walang tambay sa kanto kung sila ay mga nabigyan ng oportunidad na magtrabaho at makapag-aral. Hindi sila magiging “tamad” kung ang sila ay nagkaroon ng liberasyon sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon at gabay ng pamahalaan. Kung sila ay nabigyan ng oportunidad na magkaroon ng trabaho, hindi sila magiging tambay. Subalit ang isang pang tanong dito na hindi mabigyan ng tamang kasagutan ay: Sino ang gaganahang magsumikap sa ilalim ng isang dispahiladong sistema kung saan ang kurapsyon at pagnanakaw ay talamak (katulad na lamang din noong panahon ng kastila)? Hindi ko naisin na maging aktibista, isa lamang ito sa mga katanungan na pumasok sa aking isipan.

Maaaring may tama at mali sa bawat sistema, may maganda at pangit sa mga ideolohiyang mayroon ang isang sistema, subalit kung patuloy na hindi itatama ang mali at hindi gagamutin ang pangit, magpapatuloy ang sinasabing “katamaran” ng Pilipino. Bagaman madaming salik ang sanhi ng katamaran, at bagaman tila hindi kasalanan ng Pilipino kung bakit siya naging tamad, marapat lamang na malaman ng bawat isa na tayo ay mga taong pinagkalooban ng kakayahang mag-isip ng kritikal. Ang kakayahan na mag-isip ay gamitin sana upang malunasan ang sakit na tinatawag na katamaran.

Public School All The Way

If there is one thing that I will say to my future employers, it would be this: I am a product of public schools, and am proud of it.

From my grade school to college, I have been reared and educated in a public school, and never once in my entire school age that I regretted it. In fact, I enjoyed my public schooling. And I am just glad that my mom did not agree with my father when he said that he’ll send me to a catholic school (Oh Lord, I am just so glad).

Public schools are known for its wrecked and worn facilities. The classrooms are (too) small to occupy 70 apprehensive students. The windows are in the state of disrepair just like the doors. The desks and chairs are either slightly broken or totally dysfunctional. The library (if there is such thing in public schools) is just as inaccessible to students as the comfort rooms (for students, because teachers have their own clean and stink-free comfort room). The comfort rooms smell horrible and bring no comfort at all. The water supply is almost non-existent. In short, comfort rooms are off-limits unless you have a strong stomach or you just have no choice at all but to “expel” right there and then. But some rooms have their own comfort room, which is less vile as the communal CR. These master rooms, as I would like to call it, are usually rooms of lower grade school students (grade 1 to 3). To add to these, there is no computer room. IF there is one, it is only accessible to the faculty or to lucky students. And the computers are either outdated or defective. As for the books, public schools are also known for its tattered and limited number of books. Only a few number of students can have a complete set of books (which are not free, because the students have to return them to the school at the end of the class). Some students share books with some partners. Ration is sometimes 1:5. And that, my friend, is quality education for you (if you base the quality on the school’s facility).

But in this kind of school I have survived. In this kind of school I have learned something beyond what private schools can offer. I have learned more about life, which is something that one cannot learn from the four corners of his/her air-conditioned room. I have learned to open my eyes and to look beyond what is superficial. I become aware of the realities of life—that not everyone is equal and has the capability to be schooled up until college, that poverty exists, that some students go to school without food and/or money and that I cannot help all of them, and that the world is simply harsh. I was educated more about what happens in real life than about what the academics and scholars would say.

The public schools I've attended taught me to be street smart rather than be intelligent. They taught me that limited resources do not mean failure or low quality education. Instead, this limitation actually adds to the skills and abilities to make something great and creative. This limitation taught me to be careful with whatever I do, and to be creative as to maximize whatever resources I have. With this, I learned that it is not the means that define a student's capability, but it is the process as to come up with an end that matters most.

Those public schools taught me that the four-cornered room is not the only reality there is, that it is not even the whole of life itself, and that it is just the beginning of something more. Having been reared and educated in public schools is a real blessing for me, because I would not be the person I am today if not for public schools I've attended. Go public schools!