nostalgic
‘Found myself rummaging through old word files and found the folder aptly named ‘writings’. They were a number of writing assignments during my college years and i was quite amused of myself that i actually wrote them. The characters involved then right now are in a blur, but names were sure mentioned. There was also this other folder named ‘postal’. They were my snail and email to my dad then, being my benefactor. I realize that since i never really kept a journal of sort, blogs were never heard then, if i wasnt writing for school requirements, my writing prowess (naks) were poured on writing my dad letters. They were lengthy and just like my current blog, pretty much rants abound. Although raves are also present. Just for safekeeping and memories’ sake i figure: why not post those early writings. No, not the letters, just some of the said assignments. I’ll keep this updated since they were a few… i think it’s ok to keep it all in a single post…
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a vision five years hence faad4a
Almost everybody has this idea of their future in a nutshell. I rather keep mine simple. And no, five years from now, I have no intention to go out and save the world the way superheroes do, even if I happen to be as dashing as Neo by then. I guess, I’ll consider that after another five years.
Even then, I believe I have the capacity to do things way better than those so-called ‘superheroes’. Superheroes are written to amuse, real people, on the other hand, has the ability to make a difference. Well, everybody has such ability; it’s just a matter of dedication and proper motivation. ‘Just a matter of filling the answers on the overlooked ‘why’s. Why do this and that when it’s easier with this other more common way? I sense that as advertisers of the future, we’re about to encounter similar situations; deciding which is far most important: sums of sales or tons of values delivered. The right thing to do is almost always obvious to notice, but then again not most people stick to those so-called right. ‘Here’s hoping none of our batch be a prey to such dark thought.
I speak of such things like I was accustomed to them for years; let’s just say I had a share of life, the hard way. But ask me whether I’ve answered the ‘whys’ of my life, my answer is not yet, not totally. I have always believed that I’m on this quest of finding myself, the ‘self’ I lost to the shadow of my parents. And now that I’m old enough, a part of my vision is to emulate the honorable things they’ve exemplified and to avoid doing similar mistakes. It’s going to be a pretty complicated vision if I’m going to focus firsthand on the bigger picture, like changing the world like a US president. I rather start with the smaller blocks: myself and the environment I’m in. But then again, changes are not at all times welcome, so I’m open to the idea of space.
A fraction of my vision for five years will perhaps cover self-improvement that I wasn’t able to accommodate these days since I’m just a student. And that self-improvement will give way to the confidence I oh-so need to handle whatever tasks assigned to me. There is actually this obvious pattern, it’s like a wave of events that sweeps one another to the bigger ocean, one thing leads to another that is. When given works to accomplish, it can be a way to let others see my talents in action, deliver clear messages in a creative manner. Picture it as power every advertiser, with a short prayer, can summon anytime.
With great power come great responsibilities. Being pawns of the advertising industry, advertisers has outstanding access to the society thereby having such significant impact for every TV commercial flashed, every poster printed, every radio ad announced. My next bigger vision, perhaps a life vision, is to alleviate the country’s economic status through advertising. Instead of making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer, I believe there is still a way to make the rich help the poor, and the poor gets properly educated so they won’t be poorly treated and lead stray paths of life. A big vision coming from just one undergraduate guy, yes. But who says I’m on this alone? I’ve got the whole industry, and everyone else that it touches, to back me up. A pipe dream? Perhaps. But hey, I believe in the industry’s integrity. I’m in Advertising, this is my calling and I’m here to stay–hoping to keep that bigger vision from being just a hallucination.
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economics|me and inflation: an essay fa1-07
Not everything that goes up usually goes down, and, not everything that goes up is a good thing –think of prices. Think of inflation. Inflation nowadays is a serious matter to be simply ignored, everybody is concerned since we don’t live by bread alone, frankly, we need monetary means to survive in this urban jungle we live in –we need the other kind of ‘bread’.
It could have been a lot easier if prices persistently rise if the workers’ salaries rise along. But this isn’t usually the case. Inflation is an old and global matter defined as a persistent increase in the level of consumer prices or a persistent decline in the purchasing power of money. It basically results from two things: increase in available currency and credit beyond the proportion of available goods and services. But for me it is simply a period wherein I can no longer buy anything not because I don’t have money but because they just aren’t enough. Ever wonder why our currencies’ sizes keeps getting smaller? I guess it’s because of inflation. It somehow fools you that you can have a lot on your palm but in truth, you really need a lot to buy so meager, somewhat a card stacking propaganda trick. To think that was only my case, imagine how the person who works for my allowance feels…
But no, since prices’ only way is up, we can only do so little to mellow the effects of inflation. I’ve read three policies in facing hikes: 1) Inflation due to excessive demand or, or demand-pull inflation can be controlled theoretically by dampening demand through either monetary or fiscal policy or both. 2) Cost-push inflation from rising prices is more difficult to handle than that which arises from the increased peso cost of imported goods. Devaluation can be toned down. This is mainly the object of the trade policy. In principle, in order not to provoke abrupt cost increases, devaluation have to moderate and well timed. 3) Cost-push and structural inflation arising from agriculture can be licked. The answer lies in raising dramatically the level of productivity in this sector, through training and education and the provision of the government of the necessary infrastructures–irrigation, storage, credit, transportation facilities. In conclusion, inflation can not be combated by a single sector, everyone must cooperate and do their part if they don’t want inflation to be a pain on their backs.
Other than those above, the only thing left is to bear with it. Of course one can always work harder but a higher pay is never assured, somehow this dampens a laborer’s working attitude –just don’t get intimidated inflation is here to stay.
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msce|image of a hero fa1-07
This, (drawing of an upright arrow) isn’t a character.
I don’t know about you guys but I don’t have a hero the same way you might be thinking. Not because I like the animé Evangelion, it doesn’t make Shinji my hero—‘coz I don’t believe in that crap. I don’t believe we should have someone to admire, to look-up to, to follow someone else’s footsteps, whatsoever, we’re no longer kids…I believe we should be our own heroes, set as an example for others. I believe that we should be the one admired not the one admiring…
What is a hero? I hear it’s a person who saves the day in any manner he is capable of. So, if we could all be heroes… then there won’t be a problem in the world. So… this, my drawing, is simply an arrow, to whomever it points to means that that person is capable of being or is already a hero—that could be anyone… or that could be everyone…
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msced 329 seminar reaction|filipino culture with mr. felipe de leon faad4b
It was Friday, November 7, 2003, and I was one of the few squares who haven’t seen Matrix: Revolution, you know, that third part of the trilogy, to end all trilogies. We attended our first seminar on Filipino culture for our MSCED instead. It lasted about a couple of hours, not as long as Matrix, I heard, but I guess we’ve been to a couple thousand years of Filipino culture—and boy, was it a ride.
For starters, the word ‘culture’ is a verb and it means ‘to cultivate’, ‘nourish’. It is not synonymous to the arts, as Mr. Felipe de Leon puts it, rather, the arts is a mere subordinate of culture. Culture is just about everything about us. That is because when we talk of culture, we’re talking everything that is man made. Everything else would be ‘nature’. Filipino culture would then pertain to every Filipino detail in everything we do, we’ve done and we’re about do.
It doesn’t require a book or a speaker to notice we indeed have a rich culture, that even after foreign occupations, we’ve been evident with such. Most of these are Filipino traits like being close to the family, ingenuity, and camaraderie. One realization our speaker points out, though, is why cellular services are very much active in the country. It’s because of the Filipino’s need to communicate, to keep in touch. One more thing is the way we text our message, pretty much like our old system of writing, alibata, since it’s syllabicated.
Mr. de Leon stressed that it’s been with us ever since, all those traits, good or bad, even through foreign occupations, our culture barely changes. If this is true, then it bothers me.. If Filipinos been like this way back two thousand years ago, are we bound to stay like this, non-progressive and mere family centered? Don’t get me wrong, it’s such a good trait and good foundation to be family centered but when will be the time we take this closeness and concern to the next level? Until we concentrate on other than individual concerns like our archipelago, no scholars can really save the country from degeneration. If Filipino culture is pretty much selective, then Filipinos are not as adaptive as I thought we’ve been.
We have a rich culture, yes, but up until the time we are able to step out of the comfort zone that is our culture itself, then I guess we’re stuck in retrograde.
The seminar has been enlightening and Mr. de Leon’s been more than generous to shares his insights about the subject matter. Thanks to him, the seminar became spontaneous and not at all boring. I guess, once in a while we do need such seminars, think about what’s what and whys. I’m looking forward for the upcoming seminars of the MSCED (Moral, Social, Civic Ed). You read that right.
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graphic arts| vitality upon paper: a reaction faad3b
“Printmaking, printmaking, printmaking…” that’s just how it sounded to me before—just plain ol’ boring (and messy) printmaking. But as said, that was before—before the class actually started and way back we were given the chance to watch Travel Time’s episode, “Vitality Upon Paper.” ‘Got to admit that profs and a little edu-tour sure help on enticing a students’ interest on just about anything.
The only thing I found true with my introduction was the ol’ part. That is so since printmaking traces its origin back to the time when people discovered paper and they found it helpful to use the same principle in disseminating information. It then later evolved into an art form and further evolving up to this time, branching out into different types. Anyway, it will still be printmaking as long as it has artistic intent and is a transfer from the printing element onto paper.
Plain? Not really, not even close. Now that I’m enlightened, I don’t think that there’s such a thing as plain print. Printmaking may have all those rules for an art to be a fine print but then again, the creativity you can apply for such visual art practically cannot be boxed. Unless you let your own creativity be…
Printmaking is all about expression. It must directly involve the artist in the process, lest it cannot be called a fine print. It is an artist’s outlet for his ego and ideas.. Each stroke the artist makes will make this fact evident. In printmaking, skills and creativity works side by side for an artist, a printmaker, to express him/herself. Such skills may consume some physical energy making the process a bit exhausting (a very good example the planographic process). But as BenCab said, such chore gives them a sense of reward. Especially when they were challenged doing it.
I guess, if one want to get a name in the Arts, one must consider getting hooked with printmaking since the club isn’t that populated. It’s been said that in the Philippines, printmaking is not that popular. Now that’s a sad fact. The art ‘s been very much appreciated in other prestigious countries, and it’s a shame, really, that very few Filipinos embark on printmaking. Meaning, very few of those artists actually experiences the thrill of doing a fine print. A number of printmakers were featured in that Travel Time episode and presented were their impressive works—BenCab’s ‘juxtaposed” works, Mep’ montage and Impy’s silkscreen just to name a few. As quick-demonstrated in that video, some of those artist adapt tedious processes in their works and no, you won’t find any of them complaining. I guess you can actually do anything (fine prints in this case) if you simply put your heart into it. It’s easy to recognize such attitudes in their faces. It’s clear that this artform is not boring at all.
Printmaking is a vast from of visual arts in itself. Etching, chine collé, lithograph, serigraph and all those other highfalutin words we seldom hear. What’s amazing to note is that most of these techniques/ processes can produce multi-originals or editions. A fine print is also said to be a number of notches cheaper than a painting. This fact makes a print more affordable to collectors. And another thing is that a printmaker can keep an edition for himself. Because of this quality, a fine print have a farther reach than a painting and simultaneous at that. I believe somewhere in “Vitality upon paper” it was mentioned that printmaking democratizes art. And it does.
Bottom line, printmaking is not a mere subject we to take up, rather, it is work wherein we can channel fun from and perhaps later on, earn from. If done with a more social perspective, one can even promote social awareness through his works, knowing that printmaking has a broader audience than the other arts.
Being a Fine Arts undergraduate myself who is taking up, Graphic Arts, I’m a bit excited how my first print would come out. But I suppose all it takes is getting in touch with my own self and applying diligently those bits and pieces I learned from “Vitality Upon Paper” and of course from Ma’am Ambie. Perhaps someday, with enough skills and confidence my works will be viewed by students like we were, watching a video in a boobtube inside the class. But for now, Graphic arts would be “Printmaking, printmaking, printmaking!”
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public letter/s
In the following posts, i really can’t recall whether i did actually made them public. Nevertheless, it just shows i had a history of speaking my mind albeit people might consider it risque or taboo…
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Mrs. Whatsherfirstnameagain Galindo
GESS 214, Philippine Literature Professor
FA1-07, Batch 00-01
Madam:
I hate to do this but…
I don’t like you, not personally, no, it is just that your teaching approach seems…rotten. It sucks. Aside from your annoying echo-like voice that seems like coming from afar, maybe it’s your imposed activities. You give rules, guidelines the moment some of us had already submitted (the projects). And we get minus points for that. Or maybe it’s in your exams that makes me wonder. You say your subject and tests are difficult while in fact, it isn’t. And while in fact, it is you who make it all difficult. In our supposed open-lecture (photocopies) type exams, you give very specific question not even found in the lectures…! The answers, supposedly gotten from our research, can’t possibly be found. You see, a library is quite a big room filled with books about Philippine Literature, and it is quite physically impossible for us to have gone through the very same books you’ve used as basis…the answers are too wordy specific that you gave us the first letter, not thinking that there are some other synonyms for that. But then, to your class’ delight, you are the one who feeds us clues and all those bonuses. What kind of lesson are you teaching your students? You are teaching them to be very dependent. Also, I think you are making a great deal of profit with your photocopying business, in exchange for a student’s decent grade. Anyway, what good is it to have a grade of 1.75 when almost everyone got one point seventy five? You even doubted (well, it seems to me) my 1.25 pre-lim grade, which when not your transmutation table is consulted, I’ll say doesn’t deserve me (98 = 1.25?). Skepticism wasn’t the reaction I was expecting then. What’s worse is that you are making a fool of yourself passing undeserving student. You are letting yourself get used for reasons not clear to me. What good is it passing a subject when in fact nobody really learned a significant something, heck, it is very obvious students are attending your class for attendance which you say is ten points. I don’t advise you to be mean to your class but I appeal for you to teach in a manner that students under your charge will really learn, perhaps even encourage them to stand and fend for themselves. After all, the idea of being a professor is sharing your gained knowledge to your assigned classes, and not to let them develop dependence and some other habits, say cheating..? When a student starts doing so, it simply means he didn’t develop the kind of interest he should have. He wasn’t stimulated by the subject. He didn’t give it a whim because he thinks that his professor is considerate, i.e. apathetic.
Still, I pity Philippine Women’s University to have such item, more so, I hope next time, you can prove me otherwise.
Mawalang-galang na po,
Student A0020022
FA1-07, Batch 00-01
So there, a piece of my conscience finally clears…
“Is The Philippine Women’s University maka-Macoy?” (I hate to think so myself but with Madam Imelda visiting the campus and the like, kinda gives away a hint.)
Have you guys ever felt being in the brink of lateness then something else uncalled for happens? Well, it was Friday and I was already late (my fault actually but that’s a story for another day), I flashed my ID to avoid further ado then I was barred from entering… the guard noticed my black undershirt. But what’s the big deal when I go to school everyday with colored undershirts…! Nakakahiya sa mga bisita. That was their reason. To think, moments later a hundred other students were freely roaming the campus in civilian clothes! And I was barred because I wore a black undershirt-meaning I still had my uniform… But all the same these guard still cut a big deal of my time. They weren’t doing such for student’s safety rather, for the guests’ eyes. Sinong nakakahiya? What is there to hide or be ashamed of? If the administration happened to be lax most of the time, why be strict so sudden? Guests… Is this institution made up for them? What is ‘nakakahiya’ is that they should be doing that everyday, not just for the guests.
Why is it when other guys complain about the paper being late, you guys sound like complaining yourselves? We share the same sentiments about writing and I understand working in a paper is one hell of a sacrifice but still when you people talk about your paper, the attention is focused on how hard it is for you. Don’t you have other things to talk about than the paper itself? Please don’t react on this, lest the cycle will start all over again.
The university’s computer labs need a load of attention. Some mouse, or should I say mice, are very much out of order if there are some at all. And in worse case scenario, goddamn Internet Station can’t get online…! So much for our compulsory 500 bucks. Don’t students like me deserve to get the kind of service our money worth? Sa’n napupunta? Something to ponder about…
A Smoker’s Point Of View
Every time I smoke I literally feel that half a day of my life is being lost. Yes, cigarette smoking is indeed slow suicide. How many of those so-called smokers like me are not aware that, as that government warning says, smoking is bad to your health? But then, I smoke for some reasons, reasons all my own. The very fact that I smoke means I know what I’m doing, for I didn’t started smoking because others are in to it nor did I started smoking because some people told me to. Neither will I stop smoking at other’s say-so. This is just my way of saying we do make our own destinies. Nevertheless we shouldn’t be fussy of our own smoke, because tagged with this task is the tough fact that there are consequences. And that there are limits- ours’ and others’. We have our respected sphere of rights. We have our own ways of expressing ourselves but I don’t think absurd vandalism (say, making an uno stacko, or perhaps a second Tower of Pisa, out of damned armchairs) is not one of those ways…
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a supposed public letter after first yr first sem
FA1-07 Batch A00-01:
I hate bidding farewells, but then again I have my reasons. The idea had bothered me for quite sometime that I can no longer not give a damn. A banshee who wooed me on sleepless nights. I felt that I just have to go. Heed a call long lost since circa 1999. Hopefully, this is my destined route. Nevertheless, my short-lived stay being an FA1-07 has been an untrivial piece in my so-called jigsaw puzzle life. Wherever I may go, I’ll boast on others that there was this section FA1-07, and that I was part of it. Though different roads we might be taking by now, I hope us all nothing but a clear future in what others term as a walang pera d’yan course. So be it a time shall come when we’ll all prove them wrong.
Farewell, ‘til our paths cross anew…
Always,
Student A0020022
FA1-07/ A00-01
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social studies term paper excerpt
It’s amusing i already forgot i wrote this. ‘Found this excerpt at the bottom part of the so-called term paper on Filipino traits and culture (ithink). The funny part was, i guess i was quite enraged then, the letters were screamingly in bold faces.
9. Report on a conflict incident in your school. Why did not SIR (i cant recall what this SIR meant) prevent this conflict?
I got a ‘5’, a failing grade in one subject which dashed my goal of graduating with honors. Miscommunication and misunderstanding, hiya, amor propio, a hint of authoritarianism and finally resignation and tolerance came into play. SIR patterns mere later resorted to such as the use of polite language, soft voice, gentle manner and indirect approaches like employing an intermediary and pakiusap.
The deadline for submission of grades came and passed without me being aware I was the lone student who got a 5 (of all the forty plus students), to think I passed both my prelim and midterm and to think those who barely lift a finger in his class passed (!).. Due to lack of information (student handbooks came a couple of years late) and strain from setting an appointment (it was summer vacation, by the way) with Mr. Ceferino Alano (the so-called MSCE instructor, who had the guts to give me such grade, to think he can’t even string the right words for an English sentence). Apparently, my teacher didn’t learned to be flexible enough so as not set a good example for rotten Filipino traits he’s been ‘teaching’ us in class, such as being too emotional and personalistic, not to mention narrow minded. I think, as a teacher that he wants us to believe, he should take on negative remarks as constructive criticism to further hone his craft, that is if he’s not using teaching in college a escapegoat for earning a living. My only mistake was being quite verbal of my thoughts, without me knowing he’s planning to stab me at the back, and I guess letting my temper get the best of me. I mean, come on, if the university wants something to add that is suppossedly important such as these MSCED, perhaps they should appoint advisers able enough to handle it, in a way it will really have the prestige like the major subjects. Also, the class should not bear an elementary school atmosphere, kinda makes you feel stupid, nobody learns a thing. Perhaps one can’t get everything, one will really stumble on those kind of people once in a while, thankfully, I’m a genuine Filipino— I adapt.
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speech for freshmen ball fa1-07
Dr. Dolores B. Lasan, Chancellor, PWU Campus; Mrs. Julita Dado, Vice President, Finance and Administration; Dr. Nenita Cura, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Mrs Liwayway Dapito, Head, Freshman Division; Deans, Department Heads, Guests, ladies and gentlemen, good evening…
Not because I happened to be the first Fine Arts representative, and a male, to have the honor of being the year’s most outstanding freshman, it follows that former Fine Arts and male freshmen were no-brainers. I don’t think so, maybe they were merely uninterested or perhaps just didn’t gave it a try. I believe that the ten of us here had set a very good example to everyone. But it gets a tad lonely when you are so few, ten. So when the next opportunity knocks, answer it, you’ll never know. Because in the game of life winners are those who try, for they are brave enough to face the uncertainties that is behind the big question mark: who will win, who will be so and so, what will happen next…
Indeed, this contest has brought about things that I myself wasn’t aware I’m capable of. Even my long hardened fear of expressing my ideas in front of important people diminished when I finally realized that that fear can’t harm me. It taught me to do my best so that I’ll know more about myself. Also, I learned that I, like everybody else, can in fact make a difference.
Life gets boring when you subject yourselves to routines. Introduce a change into your lives. Make a difference. Be positive. Be confident. Believe in yourselves that you can. Remember that a month from now we will no longer be freshmen. Then three more years or so, we will be going out there in the real world tasked to fulfill our great responsibilities as professionals. The picture of tomorrow is determined by how clear we see ourselves. Until that tomorrow comes, strive hard, make the most of your stay in this institution for it’s not only for your own good but also for the country’s, or perhaps the world’s. I like to share a motto I had learned to live by: “the only reason that’s keeping me alive today is the question ‘why am I still alive?’” I believe that there is a reason for life and if you wish to know it, let Him answer you through your quest by living your life to the fullest, exploring all the possibilities, trying a lot of good things, and when you finally find where you fit, start anew, do all the best in your proficiency to do your part. Don’t ever forget to have faith. I reckon that the ten of us have not done it alone.
Also, bear in mind that we are human beings entitled with will. We are our own authorities. We have the power to do what we wish, more so, to choose between good and bad, or master the skill of balancing both. What the other nine and I had manifested in the search is simply a foretaste, an iota of what the rest of you can do.
And finally, I would like to take this chance to thank a lot good people responsible for honing students: our Deans, different faculties, guidance personnel, DSA, people in the Academics Office-Freshmen Division, professors, and fellow students, especially the bunch from FA1-07. And of course Owen Ofiana, our president, without whose efforts I won’t be the one speaking in front of you tonight.
So fellow freshmen, this is our night. Consider this event as a cherry to top the hard work we had put to our fresh start in college. In behalf of the nine other awardees, I ask everyone to enjoy the night and may God bless us all.
I cant recall though if this was the actual version. Sheessh. I should listen to me sometimes. During that freaky incident in front of everybody, i can tell the crowd has grown furious since i was apparently delaying dinner..
