The Kalye Series: #ALDUBRandomThoughts

from facebook.com/EBDabarkads

Just like what you've read in the title, this post is just full of random thoughts I've been wanting to express but I don't really have someone to talk to. Don't worry, most of the time, I'll be posting these random thoughts of mine with the same title as above.

I just got home and immediately had my turn on the desktop located in our living room. My younger brother has been using the PC when I'm out for school today. Of course, checking my twitter and facebook account is already a daily routine, and now with this AlDub fever, I always try to get some updates about Maine, Alden, the hashtag for today, the video post from Eat Bulaga, and sir Joey de Leon's tweets. I always take time watching the uncut version of EB episodes whenever I can't really watch the show because of schooling. I prefer the whole version of the episodes because some scenes are deleted on the video post on EB's facebook. And I'm always interested in Sam YG and Alden's "Laglagan Wars" and some stin of #SaPat loveteam. Yeah, I'm a fan too. TNT - "Totohanan na, to!"

Just some thoughts for today's episode and the previous episodes of Kalye Serye. I have already explained this to some AlDub fans already way back when some of them are just ranting on those numerous plot twists and side stories Eat Bulaga is putting on Kalye Serye. I always tell them that the creative heads of this phenomenal Kalye Serye are taking the risks. They are putting random plot twists and characters alongside the story - which if you would notice would be somewhat inconsistent on the early episodes of Kalye Serye and even from the backstory of the two - Lola and Yaya back when they just entered the Problem Solving segment. You will always see some plot holes. Of course, Kalye Serye doesn't really mind the plot. I mean, it's not their main priority. It's actually a good thing. Modern teleseryes are actually prioritizing the plot and the flow of the story rather than the values, the genre and the characters they have.

And it is actually a good thing. A very complicated plot will just mess it up. Four year old kids wouldn't really understand what's going on if you are really going to put some mind-boggling plot here. And yeah, we are not really into the plot. We are mostly for the genuine "kilig" moments. That was the reason it was a hit. The drama, the comedy, the suspense were just additional, bonus.

You need something to keep them apart? Plwood! You want them to feel each other's presence but don't want them to see each other's faces? A blindfold! Let them kiss - not a split screen kiss, without physical  contact, a straw will do. Interrupt their date? Alarm clock! Duh! No need for a tragic event like a plane crash or something. No need for complicated stories. It's just one of Kalye Serye's characteristics which we viewers love. Simplicity.

Back to the though I was driving into. Sorry, this post became too random that I just put everything that pops in my head which actually diverted me too far on the "thought" I want to share. But it actually makes sense. It's not called random thoughts for nothing, right?

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What we are witnessing right now is actually the prize the creative heads got from their gamble back then.As I have said, they have put plentiful random thoughts and characters, twists, and side stories just to add spices to the main story not knowing what the future really has in store. Would it fit to the current characters and side stories we already have? Wait a minute, that's actually not their main priority as I have told you before. Their main priority is to prolong the story for the viewers. Of course, if all the episodes are actually just dubsmashes and kilig, I'm pretty sure that the popularity the Kalye Serye has will quickly diminish before our very eyes. Got my point?

They have come up to the point I had in mind. By accident or by incident, Kalye Serye is now on its point where it can stand on its own. The point where the viewers will still applaud on today's episode even one half, or even both of them are not in the episode. The other characters alone can now also carry the episode on their shoulder along with the excitement and thrill the current side stories and plot twists provide. And just like we know, anything that can stand alone on its feet is study, and mighty enough to endure anything that comes banging into it.  It is now a good thing to know that, at this moment, their "kilig" moments are not a necessity for a great episode, unlike those early ones. You don't believe me? You heard Maine calling Alden in live television earlier, didn't you? :)

The Kalye Series: #ALDUBInTheBeginning...

"Aldub exploded into the phenomenon that it is ... because it provided good and clean respite from the polluted air we inhale by reading the news ... or simply going out of our houses." -- Direk Jose Javier Reyes

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Sooner or later, "The Big One" will take the Philippines off its feet in surprise leaving anyone in complete shock wondering what happened. And yes, it just landed its first blow last July 16, 2015 when it revealed it wasn't really an earthquake but a virus - an epidemic. An epidemic which is, right now, completely being too much infectious up to the point it actually changed my daily routine and schedules, in a positive way. *wink*

 AlDub is an accidental love team of Alden Richards himself and Yaya Dub, Maine Mendoza in real life, which started at Juan 4 All, All 4 Juan's Problem Solving. I was an avid fan of this segment. I always see to it that I turn on the TV and watch it whenever possible. I am always mesmerized on how Jose, Wally, Paolo do their impromptu acts and jokes. There was this time when Jose impersonated Willie Revillame. There times when they impersonate other artists and singers and to some on-the-spot singing with these voices. There are times when they "raid" houses and do some crazy stuffs while the show is going on. The spontaneity of the segment makes it fun to watch - truly a stress reliever from everyday's news.

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Enter Problem Solving which is actually a segment inside this segment. Yeah, you could just call it a mini-segment, of course. This is where JoWaPao answers neighbors questions about life, lovelife, work, food, makeup, their neighbors, their officemates, their faces, etc. Name it, or rather say, ask it. They'll answer it. Of course, some of those answers have puns and humors too.

This Problem Solving just gave birth to a need of someone who can help the neighbors find a scientific, rather say mystical (pun intended), solutions to the raging problems of the neighbors in the barangays.  Wally, in the person of Doktora The Explorer, wearing a white long lab gown and a wig, of course, having her moving cart full of herbal medicines with strange, ridiculous, funny scientific names - intends to provide medical solutions to their "patients" with a cost of some dollars alongside with some crazy overpriced delivery fees. It became a hit. People, including me, are always waiting for the scientific names of these herbal medicines Doktora has to offer. I did loved this character and subscribed to her so much until she was bound to a trip to Africa for a seminar to improve her skills in "quack" medicines. I actually felt quite sad here. But I think I felt EB's need for another character because the viewers' interest are slowly fading away after, maybe, being overdosed for a long time.

It was my vacation when I witnessed Doktora's last week in Problem Solving before leaving to Africa. How I wish that time that she'll just be absent for a couple of weeks. Until Saturday came, when a new character played by Wally, of course, entered the Problem Solving segment. She's Lola Nidora, one of Doktora's grandmother, (sorry but I can't really remember the very long full name of her, even longer than Jose Rizal's) with her nanny Yaya Dub - Divina Ursula Bokbokova Smash. Ohhh, good thing I remembered Yaya's full name. Of course, who wouldn't? :)

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At first, I was like "Ugh. Mas maganda parin pag si Doktora. Ano naman sasabihin nito at anong trabaho niya? Pano magpapayo to kung walang dala-dalang gamot?" Of course, being a lola and a self-proclaimed philanthropist, she advises by experience - with an annoying tone of voice. Jose actually had a hard time with both Lola and Yaya. Both of them look at Jose as some sort of a disease-carrying man where everytime they have a contact with him, Yaya grabs some disinfectant. Although Yaya Dub is surely noticeable at this scene, she's not really supposed to be some sort of an eye-catcher you'll be happy seeing for a long period of  time. She's unique in a sense that the only way she answers to anyone is through dubsmash. And yeah, it's rare to see someone do that in TV aside from those lip synch's in a prod or concert. Hahaha.

The thing here is that Yaya has always been rude and grumpy to everyone except, of course, for Lola Nidora. The next few weeks became exciting for some reasons. First, everyone, even the Eat Bulaga hosts at the studio, looks forward to what Lola Nidora and Yaya will be taking as their medium of transportation to get to the set - a classy car, tricycle, big bike, boat, a police car, and even a carabao. The second reason is how will Lola try to help Jose and Paolo answer the problems of our neighbors. Lastly, the quarrel between Jose and Yaya who seem to really hate each other.

Those were the only things that I am looking forward to in the segment of Eat Bulaga. It has been about a week or so but it's just that. Nothing more to look forward too. I'm starting to get bored wishing Doktora to came back. Then one sunny afternoon...

While doing her daily routine dubbing some dialogues and songs, she caught herself off-guard when she realized someone she really admires, in real life, is staring at her. She just became conscious of herself. She smiled. She smiled? She smiled! Wait! Whuut?! It's the first time she did that. Even the hosts were surprised. She has always acted rude and grumpy to everyone. She never smiled before to anyone. And now, she's chuckling behind her abaniko she is using. I was like "Woah. Mas maganda pala 'to kapag nangingiti."
Yeah. Those smiles were not simple smile. That is brought by genuine "kilig" when you see your crush staring at you. I did have several crushes before. "Crush lang naman. Hahaha." Though being a boy, you rarely show this feeling. But man, she's really into him. I mean, he just strucked our grumpy Yaya and made her unconsciously went out of her character. Of course, I don't know what Alden felt that time. He's happy of course that someone has a crush on her. He chuckled a bit when he saw that Yaya was really out of her character that time. She slightly gained her composure did her infamous "Pabebe Wave" and dubbed "Naniniwala na ko sa Forever" which is obviously for Alden. I became quite interested here. Man, they just got some chemistry even though they just met on that day. No one actually knew that on that day, a history-in-the-making and a phenomenal love team was born. I thought that it would just be a one day thing but I was wrong.

from pep.ph

I never thought that I'm the only one who were captured by their chemistry and most of all, Yaya Dub/Maine's charm. #ALDUB was all over my feed. It was an instant hit. In that very moment, I became interested to know her more. Visited some pages in the net just to get some information on who she really is. Man, I was obsessed big time! And that was the birth, the beginning of their journey. The beginning of their phenomenal love team and the most anticipated Kalye Serye in the afternoon. Everyone wasn't prepared for this, most especially EB itself. No one saw it coming. But the great thing is, they are known for this spontaneous, out-of-the-blue, impromptu scenarios because that's what Juan 4 All is.

On that day, Alden and Maine, never knew that this would create something big - rather say something huge. Something worldwide. Something record breaking. Something that will mark on our history. Something that will revive Eat Bulaga from the steady state they are into. Something worth watching. Something that will disprove the claim "Walang Forever." Something worth remembering three to five years from now. Something that will be phenomenal. Something that will change their lives - and of course, our lives too.

Someone opened up a book, lifted up His pen and started writing a story about two people, their struggles, their love, and the people that surrounds them. A story where half of it is written by the readers themselves. And half of it . . . is written by God himself. And soon we might find out, that this Kalye Serye was NOT the beginning chapter of the book but just a part of the climax. And the pages of the first chapters were actually all about what happened FIVE YEARS AGO...


*The Kalye Series might be on Taglish on the next one. I'm running out of English, dude!"

Left Here Waiting

"Life was always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act"

 -Paulo Coelho

I'm always fed up of waiting.  I'm feeling anxious because of that irritating feeling whenever you're waiting. Waiting for people and for buses, it's just the same. I mean, that feeling that surges in your head and flows to your body leaving uneasiness in your nerves. I felt it. I made this post just to let go some of that feeling I've experienced this past two days. Maybe you'll be having difficulty knowing or understanding what I'm felt but as you read this post, probably you might feel the same way too, or maybe just a little bit.

The first morning was terrible. Actually, it's horrible. My mind was peaceful in that morning. There is no Communication II class for the writing break. That just mean that my next class is Math 73 and it's scheduled  at 10:00am. You're might be thinking that it's not late nor early. And yes, it's just right. I've experienced coming in class at 10:00am. This means I have to wait beneath Tabang bridge as early as 8:30-9:00. With this routine, I always come to class at the exact time if I do this. The good news was there are just plenty of people also waiting for the bus. I may easily take the ride. But it was beyond my expectation. I'm fed up waiting for the bus. As the clock ticked, the feeling gets worse. I mean, I've been 10 minutes waiting for a bus. It should be a bus with the signboard "Cubao" indicating it will pass Balintawak station. The only buses passing beneath Tabang bridge were First North Luzon Transit and Baliwag Transit Inc. As time passed by, more and more people gathered there waiting for the same bus. Almost all of them were waiting for the same bus I'm waiting for. More competitors equal less chance of getting the desired ride.

Thirty minutes passed, there were no signs of the desired bus. There were buses passing by but there were not what I need or rather what we need. Another ten minutes ticked. At this moment, I'm now very afraid to look at the clock. Still, I knew I'm late. Not just late but very late. Feeling arose. I felt very irritated that the half of my brain tells me to give up, go home, take a rest and not to come class. I can't explain the feeling. It seems weird but honestly,I want to hit all people beside my just to release the anger. The feeling of waiting for about an hour tends to eat up my consciousness. It seems to be a dream. Reality and Illusion are combining in my head. I'm thinking about transforming into one of Ben10's alien, the one which can run at extreme speed. There goes the illusion of having powers like Son Goku who can teleport anywhere, anytime and checking my pockets if I have Doraemon's Dokodemo Door. What I want that moment is to get out of that place. I'm already late. I just need to be there on class before the session ends. But waiting for the bus to pass by seems to be forever. Literally.

After several minutes of waiting, approximately 1 hour, a bus arrived. Now, my goal is to get in no matter how many passengers could still fit inside or how many competitors will I have to pass through. I guess, in that scenario, John Stuart Mill is right. I just imagined myself turning into a beast in that moment just to scare off people so I can go in. But that never happened, still I got a place inside, luckily...

Next morning, I mean this morning at the time I'm typing this one, it's almost the same scenario. I waited for so long for the bus. I don't know why there are just few of them. I just don't know why. By the way, it's earlier than yesterday. I have to be at class around 8:00am.

This time, I got into the bus just few minutes less than what I had yesterday. I just thought that I will lose oxygen for I can't breathe normally. "Kulang na lang magkahalikan kayo." It's a euphemism in Tagalog. Another problem is that there is a traffic at Balintawak Toll Plaza. It seems that I wasted too much time because of the traffic. It's like double the time of the whole trip. Again, there was that feeling...

Embarrassment rose when I arrived late for my NSTP. I can't see my colleagues in the Little Theater. I checked some rooms, but I can't find any sign of them. It was about 9:30am when I arrived. I just found out that the class is done. They just had a meeting. Again, there was this feeling. I left UP Manila heads down.

Just to make my travel worthy, I decided to have a meetup with some of my friends in Malolos. They have thri vacant around lunchtime. Still, I have to wait for them in the meeting place because I arrived as early as 11:30am in the meeting place. I waited until I'm fed up. I guess this day is not as lucky as the others.

It's not mainly because of me. I can say that waiting cannot be done forever. I mean, for me. For about just an hour, I become irritated, confused. I can also claim that those buses may have responsibility for the reason why I'm late. Or maybe none at all. At the end of the day, I may refer to myself as impatient. I can't wait for buses for too long. My patience will eventually end. I can't wait for someone forever. There will come a time that after waiting too much under that shade, I will depart from where I stand.

The LRT - Limit-Removed-Transpo Part 1

" The only thing that won't satisfy the range of possible values to have is the "train". It has infinitely  many solution. " 

" UP- Madaling pumasok, Mahirap lumabas
LRT- Mahirap pumasok, mas mahirap lumabas "

Nasakyan mo na ba lahat ng klase ng transportasyong panlupa sa Pilipinas? Sa tingin mo, saan pinakamahirap sumakay? Mahirap sumakay sa dyip lalo na kung ung drayber eh ginagawang pang sampuan 'yung pang-waluhang dyip. Mas mahirap sumakay sa bus kung saan kadalasan eh isang oras o higit ka pang nakatayo kung mamalasin ka. Sa lugar kasi namin, pag mag-aabang ka sa bus eh swerte na kung makakaupo ka pa sa t'wing sasakay ka. Pero kung pahirapan lang sa pagsakay, wala nang tatalo sa pagsakay sa LRT o Light Rail Transit.  Sa Metro Manila lang meron nito kaya kung luluwas ka rito eh malaki ang posibilidad na sasakay ka rito. Kung nagmamadali ka sa pagpasok sa eskwelahan o sa opisina o sa iyong pupuntahan eh ito na ang pinakamainam na sakyan dahil matrapik ang kalsada sa ka-Maynilaan. Kaya lang, marami kang dapat na malaman bago mo tangkaing sumakay dito.

Sa United Nations kasi 'yung University of the Philippines Manila kaya kailangan kong sumakay sa LRT Line 1 para makapunta rito 6 na beses sa isang linggo. Hindi pa man ganoong katagalan eh masasabi kong naranasan ko na ang iba't ibang hirap sa pagsakay rito at alam kong marami pang susunod. Ang layunin ko sa post kong ito ay bahagian ka ng mga impormasyon base sa mga naranasan ko. Pero bago ang lahat kailangan munang ipaliwanag sa ang mga salitang maaaring hindi mo maintindihan.

Light Rail Transit - Dito iikot ang buong kwento tungkol sa post na ito. Tren ito sa kalakhang Maynila na talaga namang gamit na gamit ng mga tao. Mayroong Line 1, Line 2, at Line 3 o mas kilala sa tawag na Metro Rail Transit(MRT). Sa LRT Line 1 pa lang ako nakasakay kaya hindi ko masyadong mababanggit ung iba.

Magnetic Card - Ito 'yung dapat meron ka para makasakay.Bibili ka muna syempre at malas malas mo langpag mahaba 'yung pila tapos may humintong skip train sa istasyon nyo. Aw </3. May dalawang klase nito. Single Journey ticket at Stored Value ticket. Kung araw-araw ka naman na sasakay sa LRT, Stored value na lang ung bilin mo.Tipid na, mahahabol mo pa ung skip train. Hahaha!

Skip Train - Ito 'yung train na lumalagpas sa ibang istasyon para kumuha ng pasahero mula sa isang istasyon. Wala itong laman except sa kumokontrol nung tren kaya swerte mo pag nataon na merong ganito na huminto sa istasyon niyo. Makakaupo ka na! Yeah \m/

Yellow Caution Line - Ito yung linyang kulay dilaw na dapat hindi ka pwedeng lumagpas kung hindi sisitahin ka ni Manong Guard. Ito rin ung guide kung saan tatapat ung pintuan ng tren kapag huminto na ito.Mga 90% possibility lang naman na dito to hihinto. Sa Balintawak, walang ganito kaya kailangan mo talagang hulaan kung saan hihinto ang tren.

Handrails - Mga bakal/plastik na hawakan na dapat mong kapitan sa 'twing umaandar ang tren para di ka maaksidente. Uulit-ulitin naman yangipaalala nung drayber nung tren kaya maririndi ka na rin.

Driver/Drayber - ito muna 'yung gagamitin kong term para sa nagpapaandar nung tren,kumokontrol dito at nagsasalita ng mga paalala.

Light Rail Transit Authority - Handa silang makinig sa inyong opinyon o suhestiyon niyo. Sila din ung pwede niyong lapitan kung may problema man kayo na nangyari sa tren.


Sa halos apat na buwan ko pa lang na pagsakay sa LRT, marami na akong nakasalamuhang iba't ibang klase ng tao. At sa post na ito, mababasa mo ang iba't ibang klase ng tao na maaaring makasama mo sa iyong pagsakay. Narito sila.

The Daredevil - Sila 'yung mga taong mahilig sumabit at walang takot kung sumingit kahit na punung-puno na 'yung tren. Nandyan 'yung warning buzzer na eh papasok parin kaya ang ending eh naiipit ung bag nila sa pintuan ng tren. Sila din 'yung mga taong kahit mukhang di na sasara ung pintuan eh papasok parin. At isa pa, sila yung mahahangin na hindi na humahawak sa handrails. At first, makukulitan ka sa kanila. 'Yung tipong masasabi mo na lang na "Ano ba yan? Sikip-sikip na nga eh".Pero for sure, balang-araw, pag nasanay ka na magiging ganito ka na rin lalo na pag late ka na sa dapat mong puntahan. Caveat, maraming ganito sa bandang Monumento pero meron parin namang mangilan-ngilan sa bawat station.

The Tractor - Sila naman 'yung mga taong malakas manulak. 'Yung tipong parang wala nang kasunod na tren. Sila din 'yung parang galit sa mundo kung manulak tuwing lalabas na kaya huwag haharang-harang sa pinto kung ayaw mong masama palabas. Huwag na huwag kang pupwesto sa yellow caution line kung ayaw mong matulak paloob nang walang kalaban-laban. Baka madapa ka pa.Madaming tao dun kaya baka pagtawanan ka lang. Caveat, minsan kahit di pa bumubukas ung pinto eh nanunulak na sila. Ingat ka! Hahaha!

The Parrot - From the connotative meaning of  "parrot" which means "maingay". Sila 'yung mas malakas pa magsalita kaysa sa "announcer" ng tren kapag nakikipag-usap. 'Yung para bang magkabilang-dulo sila makipag-usap sa kakuwentuhan. Isa pa, sila din yung madalas mong maririnig na "Aray!","Sikip naman!", etc. Ang mga Parrot ang pinakamadalas na may nakakasagutan sa tren. Kung hindi sa sobrang ingay nila, dahil naman sa sobrang kaartehan nila tapos sinisigaw pa. Caveat, wag mo nang tangkaing sabayan ang ingay nila at itulak ang mga "parrot" kung ayaw mong masigawan. Pero useful tip, kung ayaw mong napapahiya after kang pagalitan,sabihin mo lang "Kung ayaw mo nang masikip, edi mag-taxi ka".Promise! Effective yan.

The Radio - Ang mga taong kabilang dito eh yung mga taong sobrang lakas magpatugtog ng music o kahit ng ringtone lang. 'Yung tipong nakaloudspeaker na nga tapos hindi pa nakaheadset na animo nasa disco. O nakaheadset nga pero rinig mo parin 'yung tugtog kahit malayo pero puro nakakainis lang naman na dance hits ung pinapatugtog. Kung gusto mong makisakay sa trip nila, sumayaw ka na rin tapos hanap ka ng kapartner mo para talagang magmukha na kayong nasa disco. Wag mo nang tangkaing tawagin sila kasi hindi ka nila papansinin.

The Veteran - Ito 'yung mga taong halong "Tractor" at "Daredevil" at mauutak. 'Yung tipong magugulat ka na lang mauuna pa siya sa'yo. Alam na niya kung saan hihinto ang tren. Alam na din niya kung saan pupwesto para di mahirapan. Sanay din siyang manulak, manguna sa pila, sumabit at sumingit. Perfect na sana siya kaso madalas, madaya yan sa pila. Caveat, try practice ang technique ng pag box-out. Ito lang ang tanging paraan para hindi ka maisahan ng mga tusong gaya nila.Hahaha! Si Sir Dizon 'yung malaking example dito! Hahaha!

The Gabriela Silang - Sila 'yung mga babaeng mahilig sumingit sa masisikip kahit na may Women's Area naman. 'Yung tipong makikipagsiksikan sa mga lalaki tapos pag nabastos eh magagalit. Pero kahit ganun pa man, bigyan mo na lang sila ng upuan. Babae parin sila. Caveat, wag masyadong didikit sa kanila. Kung maganda tingin tingin lang. May nakadikit sa bintana ng tren tungkol sa "Acts of Lasciviousness". Baka mahuli ka lang kung mali 'yung technique mo.

The Butterfly - Ito term na ginamit ko para tukuyin ang mga taong mahiyain/maarte/mapili sa tuwing sasakay ng LRT. Ayaw na ayaw nila ung masikip kaya pag napunta sila sa Monumento, baka di na sila sumakay pwera na lang kung skip train na. Kung sila ung nasa harapan at kasabay mo t'wing sasakay ka, swerte mo!

The Spacebar - Ito'yung klase ng mga taong makonsumo masyado sa espasyo sa tren. Kung hindi man sila ung tao na sumasakop ng upuan na para sa dalawang tao eh sila naman ung masyado kung humawak sa handrails. 'Yung tipong matakaw din sa espasyo sa handrails na nakapalupot ung kamay kaya walang makahawak sa handrails. Caveat, lagi mo na lang silang uunahan sa upuan or sa handrails kung hindi, MALAS mo!

The PWD's, senior citizens, person with child, and pregnant - Sila 'yung mga taong dapat mong bigyan ng mauupuan. Mas nangangailangan sila kesa sa'yo at isa pa, maraming stickers dun na may nakasulat na "This seat is for the PWD's, senior citizen's person with child and pregnant" Basta parang ganyan. Be gentleman!

The Thief - Hindi naman sila mawawala kahit saan sa Pinas. Ingat ka lang dahil maraming ganito sa LRT at sobrang galing nila kaya di mo mamamalayan na naisahan ka na nila. Wala namang hold-up dun sa pagkakaalam ko kasi kung subukan man niya eh gulpi-sarado siya sa mga tao. Dami kaya nun. Caveat, ialagay ang bag sa harapan! Nuff said.

The Foreigner - Kung unang beses kang sasakay sa tren, kabilang ka sa kanila. Siguro for one to two weeks kang makakabilang sa kanila kung first time mo lang sasakay. Sila ung mga taong walang muwang sa mundo este sa pagsakay sa LRT. Napagdaanan ko na to. Kasabay ko pa nga ung tatayko eh. Napunta kami sa Women's Area. malay ba namin.Syempre pinalipat kami. Mahirap talaga pag first time. Maninibago ka pa. Kung gusto mo ng tips ng mga do's and don'ts sa LRT,intayin mo yung next post ko.


Sila ang ilan lamang sa mga taong makakasalamuha mo sa iyong pagsakay sa tren. Ikaw na ang bahala kung paano ang magiging diskarte mo. Sa palagay mo, sino ka sa kanila? Mahirap pang masabi. Magbabago ka rin pagdating ng ilang panahon. Mula sa pagiging "foreigner" eh baka maging "daredevil" ka na sa huli. Wag lang "thief" ah. Hahaha. Sana nakatulong sila para kahit papaano ay magkaroon ka ng ideya bago ka pa sumakay sa LRT.Kung dati ka pa namang nakasakay sa rito eh dagdag kaalaman na rin yan. It's better to be prepared for war rather than shocking yourself when entering it. For more tips, kindly wait for my next post. Salamat sa pagbabasa. Sundan ang susunod na kabanata...

**Paalala: Ang post na ito ay base laman sa karanasan ng may akda. Ito ay bunga lamang ng kanyang ekspresyon para maipamahagi ng maayos at maganda ang post na ito. 

From Sticks to Infinity

"The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple" -S.Gudder 

Mathematics, ito 'yung kadalasang kinatatakutan ng mga estudyante. Ikaw ba? Aminin mo, na at one point in your life, natakot ka rin sa subject na ito. Sa tingin ko nga eh, kung may phobia lang na about fear of Mathematics, eh baka talo pa nun ung bilang ng mga Arachnophobic,Claustrophobic, at Acrophobic sa sobrang dami. At OO, isa ako sa mga may takot sa Math. Alam ko na minsan mapapaisip ka na lang sa sobrang hirap ng- "Kailangan ko ba 'to? Magagamit ko ba 'to pag bibili ako sa tindahan? Magagamit ko ba 'to pag nagmamaneho na ng kotse?" Minsan, I mean madalas pala, nung elementary and especially nung high school na ako, sumagi rin sa isip ko yang mga yan. Kaya siguro isa rin ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit hindi ko gaanong nagustuhan ang Math. Sige, ikukwento ko sa'yo  kung anung naging karanasan ko from elementary hanggang ngayong college na ako with Mr. Mathematics...

Noong nasa grade school pa lang ako, basic arithmetic pa lang 'yung tinuturo. Syempre, alangan naman mag trigonometry agad kami diba? Gusto ko pa yung Math nun. Pero ang favorite subject ko talaga ay Science. Basic pa lang kasi. 'Yung mga tipong gumagamit pa ako ng representation ng numbers by using STICKS. Yup. Sticks! Parang ganito. 2+3=??? | | + | | | = | | | | |. Tapos bibilangin mo yung sticks. So "5" na yung sagot. Madalas akong magganyan. Kaya puro sticks ung notebook ko nung elementary ako eh. Tapos kasama pa diyan ung mga nakakalokong word problems. Halimbawa na lang. "Pedro has 5 apples. Juan gave him another 2 apples. How many apples does Juan have now?" Diba wala na? Haha. Nahuli ba kita dun? Okay lang yan. Let's move on from that.

Hanggang tumataas 'yung baitang ko sa elementary, medyo humihirap na. Andun na 'yung mag-multiply at magdivide ka ng small numbers to large ones. May technique pa ngang tinuro ung mommy ko sakin na hanggang ngayon ginagamit ko pa. Yung multiplication of numbers from 5-10 gamit ung mga daliri mo. Kung hindi mo yun alam, walang kwenta 'yung childhood days mo. Joke! 

Nung elementary ko din naranasan ung problem solving na kelangan mo pang ilagay in complete format ung sagot mo. Hindi ko na maalala 'yung mga yun. Basta kadalasan, lima sila. Kabilang dun ung "What is asked?", "Operations to be used" etc. Tapos dapat ung final answer mo ay kumpleto. Hindi pwedeng "5" lang. Dapat "5 apples are left" Kailangan daw talaga kasama yun. Kasi daw "Anong FIVE? Five na aso? Five na kalabaw? Ayun. Nakakaloko lang eh. Tapos assignment pa or seatwork eh 5-10 word problems. Tapos kelangan complete format. Oh my. Katamad lang.

Tapos, mali mali na nga ako sa multiplication and division of large numbers eh dumating naman tong sina DECIMALS at FRACTIONS na lalong nagpagulo sa Math Life ko. Andyan ung mga tanong na "Alin ang mas malaki, 3/5 na cake o 6/8 na cake?" Ahh basta. Kahit alin pa yung mas maliit diyan, kakainin ko naman pareho eh. Tapos ung decimal sobrang haba pa. Yung tipong "4.2817283 x 7.1823819" Hmm. Eh wala ngang ganyang pera eh. Ano yun giniling na barya?

Hindi ko pa man naiintindihan nang mabuti yung decimal at fraction na yan. Heto na naman ang kasunod. Akala ko sa English lang may letters. Aba! Bakit umalis sa alphabet ung mga yun at nakihalo sa numbers? Pinapahanap si "x", si "y",at kung sino sino pa. Yung sagot nga na number hindi ko mahanap eh, letra pa kaya?

Hanggang sa nakagraduate na ako ng elementarya, pero buti pa dito atleast medyo na intindihan ko pa yung concept ng Mathematics. At sa pagpasok ko sa High School, alam kong madadagdagan pa yung dapat kong malaman, tuklasin at hanapan ng mahiwagang sagot. At hindi nga ako nagkamali.....

Sa unang taon ko sa high school, isa lang ung math namin kahit nasa Science High pa ako. Yung Science namin yung dalawa nun. "Intermediate Algebra" yung tawag dun sa Math. Bale parang upgraded na basic ng Math. Doon na nagsimulang lalong magulo ang buhay ko. Andun 'yung hahanapin mo na sina x, y, z, at kung sinu-sino pa. Mas mahirap to kesa dun sa paghahanap ko sa value nila nung elementary. Mas malayo ata 'yung pinagtaguan nila. Minsan,nahahanap ko sila at minsan naman HINDI na. Baka naman naligaw na kasi kung saan yang si X eh. 

Nung first year HS ko, si Mam Manlapaz 'yung teacher namin sa Math. Siya din ung adviser ng section namin nun. Head na nga siya ng Mathermatics Department ngayon eh. Dito ko unang nagawa ung graphing na yan sa Cartesian Plane. Graph dito graph doon hanggang sa makabuo ka ng something. Basta nung first year ko unang na-encounter yang mga yan. Yung mga bagay na hindi ko alam dati. Nandyan na rin si ALGEBRA. Natatawa pa nga ako dati kasi di ko alam kung ano to. Akala ko a + b = c sa kadahilanang pang 1st sa alphabet si A at pangalawa si B kaya 1+2=3 so 3rd letter ng alphabet. Hahaha.

Nung second year naman namin, tatlo Math namin. Isang Advanced Algebra, Geometry at Basic Statistics. Science High nga kasi. Basta. Nakakainis kasi puro computation na lang. Dito ko na nasimulan lalong matakot sa Math. Nandyan si Mam Dimalanta sa Advanced Algebra namin na mabait pero ang bilis niyang magturo. Kahit madalas niyang kaharap ay yung board at favorite niyang tawagin si Kenneth kasi nasa unahan ng upuan, may natutunan din naman ako kahit papano. Si Mam Ongleo sa Geometry na kung saan mnemonic na mismo ung name niya sa subject niya. Ongleo for Angle. Ayan di na ko nalilito kung sino ang teacher sa subject na to. Hahaha. Si Sir Renante naman sa Basic Statistics. Si Sir yung madalas naka-bike sa school pag pumapasok. Hindi ko talaga naintindihan ung concept ng subject namin na yan. Puro kami TI-84 Plus- ito ung calculator na pwedeng pang-graph at pang solve ng kung anu-anu. Basta puro grouping activity lang na may hawak na calculator. Pero atleast ang natatandaan kong pinakanatutunan ko dito eh ung concept at pagkakaiba ng "mean, median,and mode" at ung mga statistical tool.

Isa lang ang Math namin nung third at fourth year. Mathematics III and IV. Si Ma'am Ramos ung teacher namin dun. For me, siya yung pinakamagaling so far na naging Math teacher namin. Magaling siyang mag-arrive kung paano tuturuan at pano ituturo ung lesson, at kung papano 'to padadaliin. Hanggang fourth year, naging magaling 'yung pagtuturo niya sa amin. Mas madalas na akong naka understand ng lessons. More on Algebra kami nung third year at circular, trigonometric,logarithmic at kung anu anu nung fourth year. Pero aaminin ko, minsan hirap na hirap ko talagang intindihin parin ung lessons. Mabagal ako sa mental problems.

At ngayong nasa UP Manila ako, lalo nang nagulo ang buhay ko dahil sa Math 17. Joke! Pero diba, jokes are half meant daw.Kaya ganun ung sinasabi kong "joke". Si Sir Kristofer Dizon 'yung professor namin sa Math 17. "Actually" magaling siya. Minsan nga lang talaga may hindi ako naiintindihan kasi mabilis ung phasing nung mismong subject. Tapos lagi pa akong late sa Math na first period namin every Monday and Thursday. Pero kung may King of Late talaga eh si Joseph 'yun. May algorithm pa nga diyan eh, if (Joseph comes late) Prof is There; else if(Joseph is early) Prof is Out. Yan yun! Halos 90% effective yan. Hahaha!
Mabalik tayo sa kwento. So ayun na nga. Dahil sa late ako,madalas namimiss ko ung ibang lessons at ung icebreakers. Icebreakers- ito yung mga pauso ni sir Dizon na minsan may sense,minsan mako-corny-han ka lang. Hahaha. Pero ito ung madalas na inaabangan ng buong block. Sisigaw na lang kami ng "Icebreaker! Icebreaker!" hanggang ilabas na ni sir 'yung icebreaker niya or 'yung dila niya para mang-asar na walang icebreaker. Maraming terms and lines yang si sir Dizon na mahilig gamitin, andyan ung "WLOG(Without Loss of Generality), "actually...", "bahala kayo", "as ComSci majors...", at ang favorite ng block- "Ay bobo!"
Basta. Nakakatuwa yang si sir Dizon. Wag niyo lang gagalitan, nagiging "alien" yan. It's hero time! Joke! Matututo ka talaga diyan. Saka considerate sa extra points. Kay sir Dizon ko rin natutunan ung mga piecewise function, yung pinaka-concept ng domain at range, nakakatuwang derivations ng formula, shortcuts and techniques sa pagsolve sa algebra, at yang graph na nag-eextend up to Infinity na may infinite solutions at marami pang iba.

Siguro hanggang dito pa lang 'yung maibabahagi ko tungkol sa karanasan ko sa Mathematics. Mula sa simpleng pagbibilang sa kamay,representation ng numbers using sticks, sticks na naging graph ng algebraic functions na umabot hanggang sa Infinity. 'Yan ang Math!

Bilang pagtatapos, masasabi kong kailangan talaga yang Math. Hindi mo man directly maa-apply sa buhay mo 'yung ibang natutunan mo, tiyak magagamit mo rin yan.Hindi mo man gamitin ang mga 'toh sa pagbili sa tindahan at pagmamaneho ng kotse, magagamit mo to sigurado sa iyong pag-aaral para makapasa ng kolehiyo at makatapos at magtrabaho para may pambili ka sa tindahan at pambili ng kotse at bahay. Puhunan din ito sa ibang trabaho gaya ng engineers,architects at iba pa. Basta lagi mo lang isasaisip na kailangan 'to. Magtiwala ka lang. Hindi man ngayon,baka sa susunod na mga panahon.

Ang buhay natin parang MATH. May VALUE. May POINT. May FUNCTION. Bawat PROBLEMA, may SOLUSYON. Huwag mong hayaang i-RESTRICT ka ng bawat pagsubok. Kahit gaano pa STEEP ang SLOPE ng aakyatin mo para makuha 'yung gusto mo, lagi mong iisiping kaya mo yan. BILOG ang mundo.Maaaring ngayon, nasa VERTEX ka nung PARABOLA na opening upward, malay mo bukas iba na. LIMITADO lang ang araw para mabuhay. Magpakasaya at abutin ang pangarap. ADD happiness. SUBTRACT hate. MULTIPLY love. DIVIDE uncertainties. 

Under Construction

"It has been a long time since I saw a group that is so promising and potentially good... and whenever they play, they seem to naturally enjoy every moment of it! - Maestro Celso Espejo 

It was 2009 when I joined The Performing Arts Group of Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School. I was just 2nd Yr. High School that time. That time, I just want to have some extra-curricular activites. Gusto ko lang 'nun na magkaroon ng extra grade sa MAPEH, kelangan kasi pressured ako na pataasin ang grades dahil sa parents. Isa pa, 'yung mga kaibigan ko kasi na peer-pressure din ako. Sumali ako sa MHPNHS Rondalla at Angklung.  Si Sir Allan Alba 'yung adviser nun. Natanggap naman kami. Nag-iipon pa kasi ng members nun. Kaka-simula pa lang ng pag-revive sa Rondalla. Focused nga pala 'to sa Rondalla.

History muna. Years ago, may Rondalla na talaga. As far as I know, it has been established even before 2000's. Sir Cartel was the mentor that time. Nananalo na sila n'un pa. Most Outstanding Performer in NAMCYA National Music Festival 2000. Makalipas ang ilang taon. Napag-iwanan na ito. Hanggang tuluyan nang mawala. It was Sir Allan Alba who tried to revive the 
group.

Halos kaka-establish pa lang ng grupo nung nasali kami. Kasama sa grupo 'yung ibang seniors namin. Octavina 'yung hawak ko nun at ng mga kaibigan ko. 'Yun na lang kasi yung bakante. Ang paniniwala namin nun, pag lalaki dapat octavina. Pag babae dapat banduria.Haha! May isa akong kaibigan na lalaki na humawak ng banduria.Si John Agustin Escudero. Siya lang sa mga kaibigan kong lalaki sa grupo 'yung iba sa'min. Natural musician 'yung classmate ko na yun. He's too good para sa isang taong walang formal education sa music. Kayang-kaya niya tugtugin kahit anung kanta na sabihin mo if alam niya yung song. Cool ano?!

Let's go back at the topic. Ayan 'yung picture ng Octavina. Banduria, guitar, octavina, double bass, percussion ang main instruments sa isang Rondalla

Mula 2nd Yr. hanggang bago bakasyon, si Sir Cartel ang nagtuturo sa grupo. We learned some basic pieces. Hindi pa kami masyadong naiimbita sa mga programs. Under construction pa talaga 'yung grupo. 

It was summer vacation ng malaman namin na may bagong magtuturo sa grupo. Na-schedule agad 'yung kauna-unahang praktis namin. Dun namin nalaman kung sino 'yung bago magtuturo sa'min. He's Mr. Nelson Espejo. 

He's the son of Maestro Celso Espejo of the world-renowned Celso Espejo Rondalla. Syempre, nung una wala pa kaming alam tungkol kay Sir Nelson at sa grupo nila. Hindi namin alam na sa larangan pala ng Rondalla, their group was one of the best... or should I say- "The BEST"?!

I really liked his style of teaching. Hindi siya nagagalit. Pinaunahan niya na kami nun. "Hindi naman kailangang magalit." Parami ng parami 'yung natututunan naming pyesa nun. Classical Music. Yan ang genre ng Rondalla. Simula noon, lalo na akong nahilig sa classical music. Sa pagkakatanda ko ito yung ilan sa mga pyesa na tinuro niya sa amin.

• Mexicana
• Da Wo Die Wolga (German)
• The Prayer (One of my favorite)
• Belender
• The Entertainer(Scott Joplin)
• Ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig
• Mabuhay

Nung 3rd Yr. High School,kasali parin kami kasama 'yung seniors namin(3rd year dati). Dito na kami nag simulang magperform sa mga programs. Nung una sa school lang, but di kalaunan pati sa buong Malolos na. Minsan may mga malalayo ring venue, minsan may malaking events din. Masaya kayang kumain ng masarap pag nasa malaking event kayo somewhere. Hahaha!

Pero syempre, old school na ang classical music. Nakakalungkot man, sa panahon ngayon,wala na halos pumapansin sa mga ganitong klase ng music. Minsan habang nagpe-perform kami, nasasabi na lang namin "Hindi naman sila nakikinig eh. Hindi naman nila naa-appreciate eh." Pero syempre as a performer, dapat focus lang. Your aim is to perform even if the audience will appreciate you or not.

September that year, we're informed that there will be a contest in Tagum City, Davao Philippines. Musikahan Festival 'yun ng Davao na annual ginaganap. And together with that is the 3rd International Rondalla Festival. February yun. Sabay ang dalawang event. Sumali kami sa 3rd IRF at nagpadala kami ng video kaso di kami natanggap. So doon kami sa Musikahan sumali. Rondal-Awit yun. Three rondalla pieces. Isang foreign classical piece, isang pyesa na kelangang may kakanta, at isang pyesa na kayo ung bahala.

Nagkaroon pa ng konting pilian kung sino-sino 'yung dadalin sa Davao. Parang elimination ganun. Syempre nakakakaba. Chance na 'yun makapag-out-of-town eh. At makasakay ng airplane. Hahaha! And I want to experience performing for the school, for Bulacan. Fortunately, isa ako sa 30 na napili. Twenty-five(25) lang 'yung limit sa isang grupo. Pero thiry 'yung isasama. Doon na sa Davao magtatanggalan.Sakin, okay lang na matanggal nakasama na ako eh. Pero syempre mas masaya kung kasama ka sa magpe-perform. Pero parang basketball team and game lang yan. "Hindi ka man nagamit sa isang laro, ang panalo ng buong team ay panalo na ng lahat ng miyembro diba?"

Hmmm.. So ayun. Nakakuha naman kami ng suporta mula sa school at sa government ng Malolos at sa Capitolyo rin. Pero syempre hindi sapat yun. Kelangan pa namin ng dagdag budget para makasali kami. Davao kaya yun. Tapos 30 pa na students 'yung isasama bukod pa sa advisers, piling teachers, conductor atbp.

Perform dito, perform doon. Minsan as Rondalla kami, minsan naman as Angklung. Minsan naman sabay. Hahaha! Bukod pa sa tatlong piyesa na ipanlalaban namin, tinuruan din kami ni sir Nelson ng ibang classic na Christmas Songs gaya ng Winter Wonderland at White Christmas. May December 2011 pa bago 'yung February 2012 eh. So, kelangan pa naming mamasko para sa dagdag budget at baon.

'Yung tatlong piyesa nga pala namin na ipanlalaban ay: Pasa Doble No.1, Manang Biday para sa sariling-pili, at Mutya ng Pasig(Sylvia La Torre) para sa kakantahang piyesa. Si Ms. Rhona 'yung kakanta para sa amin. Dati siyang Del Pilarian na naging miyembro ng choir n'ung si sir Radie pa 'yung nagtuturo. Si Sir Radie 'yung conductor/trainor ng Koro Del Pilar, choir namin MHPNHS, noon at nung ma-re-establish din 'yung choir halos kasabay ng pagkaka-re-establish sa Rondalla. Si sir Radie nga rin pala 'yung magko-conduct sa'min imbes na si Sir Nelson. Hindi kasi siya pwede kasi magiging judge daw 'yung tatay niya na si sir Celso sa Rondal-awit. Alam niyo na. Siyempre sa oras na manalo eh baka ma-issue pa. 

Habang lumalapit na 'yung araw ng contest, lalo pang dumadami 'yung practice session namin. Personal pa nga kaming pinuntahan at tinulungan ni sir Celso eh. Sinubukan narin namin i-perform ung tatlong piyesa sa mga tinutugtugan namin. Pero siyempre, hindi masyadong naa-appreciate except dun sa Mutya ng Pasig. May kanta kasi eh. Dun ko pa lang naramdaman na talagang sincere 'yung palakpakang naririnig ko. Bihira lang kasi 'yun.

Hanggang sa dumating na nga 'yung araw na iyon. I mean, yung araw ng flight namin. Nagpractice pa kami the night before the flight. Yung iba sa school na natulog. Sila 'yung madaling araw 'yung flight. Ako kasama ako dun sa hapon 'yung flight eh. Tandang-tanda ko pa 'yun nung sinundo ako nina mommy at daddy. Gabing gabi na kasi 'yun. 

Pumunta kami sa airport ng maaga. Then ayun na. Lakad dito. Lakad doon. Tanggal nang tanggal ng sapatos at ng belt kasi kelangan eh. Ewan ko ba kung bakit. Dahil sa kaliwa't kanang scanning machines. Hay nako! Hanggang nakasakay na kami sa airplane. Dati nakikita ko lang 'yun na lumilipad sa himpapawid. Ngayon nakasakay na'ko. Syempre kinabahan ako nun. Nagdasal muna before the flight para sa isang "safe trip". 

Dumating kami sa Davao after several hours. Masayang makalanghap ng ibang hangin, makakita ng ibang ambiance. Then sumakay kami sa bus. Pahirapan parin ipasok ang instruments. Ganun naman kami eh. Kahit sa mga performances namin sa Bulacan eh hirap na hirap kaming pagkasyahin 'yung mga instruments sa sasakyan. Ang laki kaya ng double bass. Dalawa pa! Haha! Sanay na sanay na kami sa siksikan eh. Hahaha. Sa Tagum City  National High School muna kami pansamantalang tumuloy n'un. Nung gabi din na 'yun pumunta kami sa City Hall of Tagum, doon kasi 'yung venue ng International Rondalla Festival at ng Musikahan eh. Under construction pa 'nun  yung city hall nila. Pero sobrang sobrang laki. Nanuod pa kami nung performance ng Espejo Rondalla kung saan siyempre nandoon si sir Nelson. Ang natatandaan ko, tumugtog sila ng Ole Guapa at Hooked on Can Can na ikinaaliw ng marami. Pinanuod din namin 'yung Phoenix Trio from Russia. Cool sila magperform at naaliw kami sa kanila. 

The next morning, practice parin. Sa mga sumunod na araw rin. Practice sa umaga. Gala sa hapon. Practice ulit sa gabi. Hanggang nasa huling araw na kami ng practice. Iyun 'yung araw na nagtanggalan. Nagtanggal ng lima. Unfortunately kasama ako sa hindi magpe-perform. Sa Octavina 1 kasi, ako lang 'yung third year. Masakit man, kelangang tanggapin. Medyo pessimistic din kasi ako kaya nailagay ko na 'yung damdamin ko sa pangyayaring hindi ako makakasama. Privilege narin naman yung makasama ka eh.  Lima kami na hindi nakasama. Noon din namin nalaman na hindi pala judge 'yung tatay ni sir Nelson. That means pwedeng siya 'yung mag-conduct. But nag-decision na si sir Radie parin ang kukumpas para samin.

Noong araw ng competition maaga kaming naghanda. Sumama parin kaming lima na hindi na magpe-perform. Moral Support. Naka-costume na rin kami. Hindi kasi natin alam 'yung mangyayari. Ikatlo sila sa nagperform. Siyempre habang nanunuod, nararamdaman ko 'yung lungkot but at the same time, yung saya. Hanggang matapos na 'yung huling performer. Magagaling silang lahat. Pero siyempre, doon parin kami sa grupo namin.

Few moments later, the winner was announced. We just grabbed all of the three awards. Champion, Best Conductor Award kay sir Radie, at Best Singer kay Ms. Rhona. Hindi namin masyadong expected na kami 'yung mananalo.Pero siyempre tuwang-tuwa kami nun. Tapos after na manalo, may performance pa. Sumama na kaming lima dun. Mas maganda na 'yung performance kasi wala na yung kaba. Saya lang talaga ng gabi na yun. One of the most joyful moment in my and in our lives. Mapapakanta na kami ng "We are the Champions..." Ibang galak talaga 'yun.

We spent the remaining days in Tagum na gumagala sa umaga, nagja-jamming sa hapon at gabi at minsan pumupunta sa City Hall. May time pa nga na naglakad kaming mga lalaki tapos naghanap ng computer shop eh. Hahaha! Lalo rin dumami 'yung pagkain. Biscuits, snacks, tapos ang hindi maubos-ubos na Milo. Kung may caffeine lang siguro 'yung Milo eh hindi na sila nakatulog. Umaga hanggang gabi. Milo! Hahaha! Nagkaroon din ng pa-ice-cream. Hahaha. Yung nakuha namin each from the prize which is hindi ko rin pwedeng sabihin eh secret din. Hahaha. Basta wala lang 'yung pera para sa amin. Ang maganda nakaani kami ng karangalan at taas-noo kaming babalik sa Bulacan bitbit ang tropeong aming napanalunan. Yeah \m/

For the First Time

"The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them." - Maya Angelou

Hi all. Hmm. Let me start by introducing myself to you readers. I'm James-Andrew Rodriguez Sarmiento. Opo. May dash(-) talaga 'yung pangalan ko.Ewan ko ba dun sa nagtype nung pangalan ko sa birth certificate ko.Basta. Hindi na namin pinabago eh. My friends call me James, Hames, James-Andrew, Drew, Droid,etc. but what I like the most among all my nicknames is "Andrew"

Hmmm... Let me tell you some information about me. I graduated at San Ildefonso Learning Center in my elementary. Valedictorian ako nun at kami 'yung unang batch na gumraduate.Konti nga lang kami nun eh. Private school kasi. I took my secondary at Marcelo H. del Pilar National High School and I am included in the top section(Engineering and Science Education Program). Cream of the Crop ika nga nung mga sir at ma'am namin. Sapphire, Narra, Gold, Einstein-yan 'yung mga sections ko from 1st year to 4th year. Noong 1st year lang ako napunta sa second section ng science high. Apat na taon lang ang high school pero ang hirap ng mga pinagdaanan ko. Tama nga sila. Pantay-pantay lang sa high school lalo na sa science high. Lahat ng kaklase mo matatalino. Pressured man na makasama sa honor roll every quarter, syempre hindi parin nawalan ng time sa mga kaibigan. Doon sa high school ko nakilala'yung mga tunay kong kaibigan. Doon naranasan na ma-fall at ma-heart broken. Doon naranasan mag-cram ng sobra, mawalan ng tulog, at bumagsak sa ibang exams. At higit sa lahat, doon ko naranasan na ang buhay ay hindi simple, marami ka pang hindi alam, marami ka pang pagdaraanan. 

My senior year was the most challenging. Madaming pinagdaanang problema 'yung section namin. Issue dito. Issue diyan. Andyan 'yung sa dalawang classmates ko na naging controversial sa school. Andyan 'yung muntik na kaming mawalan ng adviser. Andyan 'yung problema sa Performing Arts Group.Andyan din 'yung issue sa isang pageant na managed ng section namin. AT madami pang iba na sisiguraduhin kong hindi gugustuhin na maranasan ng ibang section. Ang init ng mga mata saming lahat. Buti naka-survive. It's more fun in Marcelo even though it's one of the most populated secondary school in the Philippines. Alam ko sa sarili kong hindi ko na I enjoyed my stay here despite sa mga problema. Oo nga pala. 13th Honorable mention lang ako nun. 41 kami sa section namin. Medyo controversial din yang ranking na yan. Alam ko sa sarili ko hindi lang yun ung dapat na sakin. But let's move on from that. Nakatapos din ng sekondarya. Approximately 2000 students kaming gumraduate. Kaya siyempre proud kaming lahat. Proud to be Del Pilarian!  

I'm now a freshman at University of the Philippines Manila at Ermita as a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science student. I'm just hoping that I can shift course and transfer at Diliman next year- BS Electronics and Communications Engineering. Woooh! Engineering at UP O.O Oh My. Mahirap nga yan! Pero sana magawa ko.

Transferring/shifting need high grades but unfortunately I 'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it. Thanks to Math 17 and Computer Science 11 for giving me sleepless nights, and days too. Haha! Sana man lang maka-tres ako sa Math o kahit higit pa. Hindi naman kasi ako magaling sa math. Pinilit ko siyang mahalin kaso ayaw niya din sakin. Sir Kristofer Dizon- he's our professor in Math 17. Icebreakers! He's cool and funny. He reminds me of Sir Paul-our English III teacher. Parehas silang ..... Basta! Sakin na lang un! 

But it seems like that CMSC 11 is like Math 17 for me. I just can't get it! But it feels good if you get the code every time you do it. Kaso madalas palpak. Hi Sir Dumanon! :))

Maybe History, Physics, General Science, and Technology and Livelihood Program(TLE)- especially Agriculture. But never MATH - and ComSci.

Bakit ko ba kasi naisipan na isulat 'yun sa UPCAT Form? HAHAHA!

Lucky for passing the Entrance.

Proud to be Maroon! Hindi po yung Maroon 5 na kumanta nung "This Love." Though that song is good. :DD

Taga-UP ako. Pero hindi pa naman ako masyadong rallyista gaya ni BLKD(Fliptop emcee, idol ko din). I just had one experience. From CAS Lobby to PGH Canteen. Wala kasi ung prof namin nun sa Comm I na si Sir Paras. I had fun with my first experience. Masaya rin palang ipaglaban 'yung sa tingin mo'y tama.

Speaking of FIRST, I just want to expound and quote what this post is all about. I'm glad I just made my FIRST blog. Pagpasensyahan niyo na. First timer eh. " We just now got the feeling that we're meeting for the first time. Ooohh" Corny. Haha. Yeah. I got the idea on the song "For the First Time" by The Script.

First is synonymous to beginning. I just want to begin by introducing myself. I just stated where my mind FIRST learned lessons, values, info, etc.
I want you to have some background about me. 

Tatak SILC. Tatak Marcelo. Tatak UP. Pero nagkakamali parin. Tao Lang. 

Thanks for having time reading this one. Sorry kung may wrong grammar. It's a blog, not an English class. :)))

Hope my blog will be successful. Beginners' luck?!