Rants for Living

Politicians from UP: Are We Proud of Them

jelgallego — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:55:09 +0000

Shifted through my former doodles and thoughts. Here goes:

The regular phone call from my parents has just ended. The stimulating topic for tonight’s phone conversation was politics and the politicians from UP.

Parent: Ganyan naman kayong mga tagaUP eh. Habang nasa college kayo, mga actibista kayo pero paglabas na ng kolehiyo, nawawala na mga prinsipyo niyo. There’s PGMA, Angara, Neri…

Last Friday, a friend and I were talking about what she has learned from her ArtStud1 class. She relayed to me her insights on what her prof said.

Prof: Ulo lang naman pinapalaki dito sa UP eh, hindi puso.

As I half-heartedly listened to a campaigning candidate during the recent USC elections, something she said caught my attention.

Candidate: We have to do something about our system because we have alumni like GMA and Neri and are we proud of them? NO!

This has got me thinking.

Are we being swallowed by the dysfunctional system after we leave the academe?

I have to agree that I am not proud of GMA and Neri. Nevertheless, I defensively told my parent, “Student activists comprise only a part of the population of the UP. Those who lead rallies and demonstrations rarely end up politicians. They end up continuing their fight in various ways – as an NPA in the mountains, as a professor enlightening the next generation, as journalists who expose the truth, etc. It is unfair to say we throw away our principles the moment we step out of college.”

As for the claim na ulo lang ang pinapalaki dito sa UP at hindi puso, I beg to disagree. There are many UP alumni who give back to the people who invested in their education. In my short stay in this university, I have met many professors who choose to stay and teach in UP despite the higher salary offers from private schools or colleges. My friend has a professor whose course requirement includes working/helping out in the library. Another professor encourages us to develop not only cool heads but warm hearts in service of the Filipino people. She even tells us that she will not only twist in her grave but rise from it to haunt us if we use our cool heads with cold, uncompassionate hearts. My dorm manager of two years constantly reminds us that our stay in the university and in the dormitory is a privilege, not a right; therefore we have to dutifully go about our responsibilities as students and dormers. My CWTS professor made us “pay it forward” by choosing charities, schools, institutions as beneficiaries for our fund-raising projects.

Clearly, pinapalaki rin ang puso dito sa UP. It is just people, particularly politicians like PGMA and Neri, who cloud the people’s perception on what an Iskolar ng Bayan has given back to the people and what more he has to offer.

Comments, anyone?

Earn Money by Blogging

jelgallego — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:12:40 +0000

A junior standing BS Agriculture student of UP Los Baños, Vincent Glenn “Vince” Lasay is one of the many teens who spend a considerable amount of time connected to the internet. His difference from most of them is that he earns money by blogging online.

He says that writing is not really his talent. It just so happened that during his Christmas vacation in Davao last December 2008, a friend, who was then earning from blogging, recommended that he try this income generating activity. Eager to gain extra income, he registered a blog account with wordpress.com and registered to a websites that link bloggers with advertisers.

There are various blogger-advertiser linking websites available such as smorty.com, payu2blog.com, sponsoredreviews.com, blogvertise.com, reviewme.com, buyblogreviews.com, bloggerwave.com and so on. These sites usually review your blog before approving your application for the job. This process could take quite some time. In Vince’s case, it was two months. When these linking websites decide that your blog is qualified to advertise, your registration is approved and assignments or blogging opportunities are available for your viewing whenever you log in to their website.

Assignments range from a variety of categories such as clothes, credit cards, pills, and software, to name a few. They are free of form with no strict rules in grammar usage. Their usual requirements involve a certain number of words, a few keywords that must appear on the blog and links. The required number of words usually ranges from 60 to 150 words. Vince says that this is not bad considering that they are given ample time of 24 hours to 2 weeks to complete an assignment. He adds that creating links does not also require technical HTML knowledge. All you have to do is to copy a word or group of words and this will be the linked text.

After completing an assignment, you post what is required of you in your blog site and submit a completion form available on the blogger-advertiser link sites. The adviser of these sites has the option to approve or decline your work. If he is pleased with your blog, you get paid. The amount you get paid varies depending on the fixed amount posted on the list of assignments you chose from or from the granted payment bid. When a blogger has to bid for the amount he will get paid, the price usually depends on his page rank. His page rank is determined by the number of people who view his site.

Payment is made online through paypal.com. This site acts as a mediator between the blogger-advertiser linking sites, your major Philippine bank account and you, the blogger. Paypal is like a cyberbank where the advertisers deposit your earned money to and where you can withdraw your earnings and send it to your Philippine bank account for physical withdrawal of cash.

Vince says, “The good thing about this raket is that you get paid in US dollars so when you convert your earnings to Philippine peso, you are actually earning a lot for a person who actually enjoys blogging anyway.” The lowest amount for an assignment is 5 dollars while the highest can go up to a thousand dollars. So far, he discloses that the biggest amount he was paid for a blog post is 298 dollars.

After establishing how a blogger earns with his hobby, one might ask what the rationale behind this raket is. Why do advertisers get so much trouble just to be advertised? Vince explains that this is because of page rank, particularly Google Page Rank. For example, when you search for a certain word in Google Search such as the word “laptop”, the site listing is according to rank. The ranking of these sites is influenced by the number of links and number of views available on various web sites. He says this is where paid blogging comes in. As bloggers, their main role as bloggers is to create links for the advertisers in their websites so as to promote traffic. The greater the traffic, the more links there are to the advertiser’s site, the higher the site’s page rank will be.

On an ending note, Vince encourages the youth who are hooked on the internet to try to make their hobby into an income generating activity. “Try blogging!” he says. He promises that with just 20 minutes per day to post a blog for an advertiser and considerable time management skills, one can mix work, fun and academics.

Vulnerable

jelgallego — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:20:04 +0000

I open my mouth
But the words won’t come out
I attempt to reach
But something holds me back

I stay still for I know
I am vulnerable
I am weak
I am scared

I am scared to lose you
To lose what we once had
I can’t let you go
I won’t let it go to waste

But I am afraid to make a move
I am afraid to talk or ask
I am afraid of your rejection
I am just vulnerable

Rants of a Procrastinator

jelgallego — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:00:54 +0000

procrastinator –> i. must. stop. feeling. guilty. feeling. regretful. stop.
it’s like i’m just floating by the day. i wanna feel!
it’s more like can’t focus. can’t function. so much to do. too little initiative. too little time
and here’s the feeling again na patapos na but i haven’t given it my all. parang wala nang redeeming factor
i have two demanding english subjects. i’m tutoring pa. and i’m learning korean. and struggling with my fears and scuba diving and feeling the pressure of getting a license to be a certified diver. i’m furniture hunting for our house. and there’s just so much to do. so little of me.
i can hear that it’s raining na outside. good luck to me. no umbrella. just me. alone. outside. *sigh*

Tags: emo

Just for Laughs: School Bashing

jelgallego — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:05:13 +0000

I got this from Trisha. And I have to quote her saying, “…well it’s pretty interesting. Though i have to caution you that if you’ve tendencies of having heart attack or something close to that…this isn’t for you.” The only reaction i have after reading this post is laughter!

________________________________

This is an article written by an ex-ACNielsen about the diff. universities in Manila…

Psycho Speaks
Vol 10

Psycho Speaks…on School Pride

Any of you catch the previous La Salle – Ateneo game? The one where La Salle blew a 15-point half time lead? The one that robbed many a Green’s wallet and savings accounts of their contents? The one that most of you rubbed in my face the moment you saw me? Yeah, that one.

Well, it got me thinking of several things. Chief among which was how I can get away with bleeding Cardona’s throat for choking YET AGAIN! But it also got me remembering about my college days. It seemed like eons ago and yet some feelings seem so fresh today even after 6 years.

I was a diehard Archer fan back then. Win or lose I’d be at the games, cheering and shouting for all I was worth. School Pride. You loved yourcampus and hated the others. We all outgrow it eventually. Or do we? Let’s test it shall we?

Listed below are several schools and what I think of them. Try to see what you feel after reading what this jack-off had to say about your university. Enjoy.

ATENEO
This school’s trademark is arrogance. Nothing more, nothing less. I
have, to this day, not met an Atenean who does not think that their school is THE best there is. Even La Sallites and um, uh, UP people (what do you call yourselves anyway?) are not this shamelessly boastful. This does not mean to say however, that they are all pricks and witches. Some of the best buds I have are Ateneans. All two of them. But come on! Seriously, the only thing Ateneo can claim to be the best in is creating a 2-hour gridlock over a road stretching 3 damned kilometers!!!

Oh, and Interdisciplinary Studies is NOT a course. It’s Jesuit charity for the incurably dumb and lazy.

ADAMSON
Hmmm, let’s see what I can say about Adamson. Well, there’s the fact their school color is blue like Ateneo. Their team mascot is a bird like Ateneo. Aside from that, there’s not a shred else. Damn this school is boring.

FEU and UE
Do any of you know what FEU stands for? Forever Useless! Yes, I’m an ass. But joking aside, the Far Eastern University and the University of the East are two schools whose names imply that at least one of them was founded by a group of people who had the creative, artistic, and imaginative prowess of a pile of rocks.

Seriously though, these are feel good schools. If you don’t believe
me try visiting either campus. The moment you see them, you start feeling good that you don’t go there.

UP
Here’s a school that, for better or worse, is totally bereft of any identity. Some people regard it as THE premier educational institution in the country. There are those who, for good reason, look at it simply as one big vicious playground. And others see it as a breeding ground for militant wannabe rebels who try to lobby for whatever cause they deem to be in the country’s best interest. For those of you who can truly relate with the latter you have to be in your late 40’s or 50’s. Shit you’reOLD!!! La lang.

I favor the first two views. It really IS the best educational institution there is. And I’m not just saying that because I’m surrounded all day by UP graduates who’d just as soon throw me off the 11th floor balcony given the slightest provocation as look at me. I really, really do believe…thatthey will kill me if I say anything bad against UP. Can you blame me? The only thing longer than the list of UP’s distinguished alumni (Miriam Defensor included) is the list of all the in-campus violence. There’s a psycho lurking deep inside each UP educated man/woman/child . This will be confirmed by the amount of hate mail I’ll be receiving from them.

UST
Here’s a school that will totally drag down one’s social status just by being enrolled in it. I don’t care how rich you are or how cultured you maybe, if you’re from UST it don’t mean shit. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I know of several obnoxious AB kids who were brought down several pegs while studying there and are now some of the nicest, most unassuming people to walk this planet.

It’s funny to note how much this place of learning mirrors the current social state of the country every time the UAAP season kicks in. Come the basketball tournament, they’re all friends. You see them chanting, clapping, and giving each other high-fives. United by a common goal, the rich and the poor are united as one. After the event is passed, they all go back to hating each other.

DLSU
Di Lumusot Sa UPCAT. That’s a classic ain’t it? It’s as hilario us now as it was when I first heard it in 1994, which is to say, it’s about as funny as getting kicked in the crotch. It’s sad to note for a proud alumnus such as myself that a school with as impressive an academic pedigree as La Salle has become nothing more than a money-hungry institution whose only requirements for acceptance nowadays seem to be a pulse, an IQ over 80, and the financial capacity/ability to pay. Nowadays, whenever I incounter a person clayming to be from La Sall and they speech bad, have poor grammage, and cannot spill correctness, I am not surprice.

NU
I’m not even sure if this place is a real school. And I don’t mean that in a snooty-you’re-nothing-compared-to-my-school way. I mean I’m not even sure this place actually exists. I actually started believing that its initials really stood for Negative sa UPCAT.

Think about it. Do any of you really know anyone from NU? Do any of you even know of anyone who knows anybody from NU? And if any of you even point to their basketball team and the audience that watches its games as proof of its existence, I beg you to think of this point. They act like absolute maniacs and they even look the part. If we go by that, then the National University is not a school. It’s a correctional facility.

CSB
This school has had a bad rep since the day of its inception. Admittedly, it started out as a place where DLSU can deposit its non-performing students so as not to give up the sizeable revenues from those hopeless bastards who have the money to shell out but not the ability to count it. Everybody knows this already.

What people don’t know is that CSB now boasts of fine world class courses designed to equip the Benildean with the tools necessary to succeed in the real world. These courses include Basic Arithmetic majoring in the Multiplication Table, Whining with a specialization on Tantrums, and theever popular Strategic Investments: What to do with your Parents’Money.

CRC/UAP
Them Opus Dei folks can slap it with whatever initials they deem fit, it would still not change the fact that this school will forever be known not by its academic achievements but more by the fact that it is the only school with a car to student ratio nearing 1:1. (No my dear CSB students and alums, that is not read as one colon one.)

The meanest thing one can say about CRC is that it’s a school filled withstudents rich enough to be Ateneans, but will never be smart enough to be such. The nicest thing one can say about CRC is that it’s near a Starbucks open until 2 am.

——————————————————————-

Now I realize I might have offended some people out there. Let me tell you right now that I am whole-heartedly and humbly sorry. I am sorry that you have no sense of humor and nobody had the heart to whack your uptight headwhen you were growing up. For those of you did appreciate this, I give seminars on insensitivity and creatively callous writing. Feel free toemail me.

Peace and chill folks.
-psycho!!!

Psycho Speaks
Vol 10 – 2

Psycho Speaks on Notoriety

Usually, my articles are greeted by the same kind of silence that you can only find in outer space or really, really deep underwater. There are a few kind words thrown my way, which are greatly appreciated, but that is pretty much the extent of it. I’m more than certain that the previous issues of Psycho Speaks never really went beyond the original circle to which it was sent. That’s cool. The actual purpose of this entire thing was to entertain my friends anyway and if anybody else got a kick out ofit, it was just an added bonus.

But my piece on School Pride has met with a degree of popularity that I found overwhelming. Volume 10 found its way through discussion forums, email groups, and even bar conversations. It has been circulated so widely that it was even forwarded back to me from the U.S.! According to some people it was even responsible for sparking good-natured office feuds. God,it was the best natural high knowing that so many liked it.

Of course, you can’t really please everybody. And this, without a doubt,was the most enjoyable aspect of my newfound infamy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who wasted their time reacting to my ish. Without any of you, I would have no one to ridicule.

So my dear audience, before my 15 minutes of fame is up, let me now
present to you what people had to say about me, and more importantly, what I had to say about them.

Enjoy.

REACTIONS

One Atenean said that it would serve me well to remember that the great cinematic director Carlito Siguon-Reyna (or some such) was an IS graduate before I started mouthing off about their course like that. Another saidsomething really profound and mature that went, “unlike you, we’re good looking.”

See, I never said anything about IS graduates being ugly or that they were not artistic. I just said they were dumb. Look, instead of defending yourselves, don’t you think it would be best if you people just lift your ands to heaven and give thanks? You are, after all, living proof that nature really does compensate for natural disabilities such as stupidity.

-o-o-o-

People told me that I took it so easy on UP, that I either really respected or really was terrified of the school. A vast majority of these comments actually came from UP alums. I seem to have inadvertently given them a sense of superiority. This was not my intention. I actually thought that attaching the name of Miriam Defensor to UP was a slur worthy of the Ateneo – Erap slap in the face. Apparently, it was not insulting enough. UP people are either too thick skinned or have very little pride in their university. They also informed me that they are known by the nickname Isko, meaning Iskolar ng Bayan. They’re all proud of it too, which makes me wonder if UP can be entered into the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest collection of dorks…ever.

And iskolar? I asked them what was up with that? Scholars are supposed to be smart. A large proportion of them aren’t. They say it’s because the government subsidizes the University with OUR tax money. That being the case, I ask everyone to join me in giving UP people a nickname they truly deserve – LEECHES.

-o-o-o-

Since the article came out, I have been flooded by numerous text messages regarding sightings of what some claim to be are NU students. I think I have actually succeeded in creating an urban legend. Still, some believe in NU with a conviction that I cannot fathom. I am not saying you’re all liars, but until you can show me some photographic evidence, or better yet, if you can capture for me a live sample, the existence of NU will forever be as much of a myth to me as the smart Benildean or the humble Atenean.

HATE MAIL

Speaking of CSB, one student wrote to me saying that she, and I quote,”will not stoop down to your (my) level of mockery and react to such frivolous nonsense.” Dumbass! Didn’t you just? But hey, props to you for using big words. I hope you didn’t pop a blood vessel. I know how taxing thinking is for you people. I can’t help but wonder how many times you had to spell check that and did it take your whole block to come up with that sentence?

And from my own backyard, come these two winners.

“have no right calling yourself an Archer like us.” Damn straight I’m notgoing to call myself an archer. Unlike you, I’m not a wannabe. Congratulations to you though because your comment has sprung up in most email groups that have passed my article around. You have, single-handedly, confirmed to the rest of the academic community that our school caters to trying hard nerds such as yourself.

“La Sallians are not BOBO!!!” To whoever you are, I say that your command of the English language is unparalleled and does a lot to support your claim. You likewise mentioned that the tri-semester system is tough. It’s not. Well maybe it is, you know, for the La Sallians who are bobo.

BASHER
Lastly, in the spirit of equal opportunity bashing here are some
quick quips for all those schools that I left out of the original shit list:

Lyceum – I know what it’s supposed to mean but there’s still something so wrong when a school’s name sounds like a sexually transmitted disease.

FEATI – “Look up, young man, look up – so we can pick yourpockets.”
This is the only school I know that offers Criminalogy. Yes, you read right, Criminalogy. It’s the course men take to become criminals.

La Salle Dasmariï¿½as – Your violent reactions against my views on La Salle’s admission policies is perplexing. For some reason, you seem to be under the delusion that you people are part of La Salle.

St. Benedict’s College – All I can say is, “Wow, and I thought CSB
kids were idiots.”

Assumption Antipolo – I applaud you girls for your conviction that
you are smarter, prettier, and sexier than the gals of the San Lorenzo campus. Now, all you have to do is convince the REST OF THE WORLD.

Assumption San Lorenzo – You’ve got to love a school whose slogan
is, “where virginity is a thing of the past!”

Mapua -Can anybody say fungal infection?

St. Scholastica’s College – And yet another slogan jackpot, “we start lesbians young!”

So there it is, my final foray into the world of academic trashing. Again, if I have offended anybody, please accept my heart felt, GO TO HELL! Don’tworry, it won’t be that bad down there. You can hang with all the Miriam chicks.

Seriously, it was cool being popular, even if it was just for a while. Thank you all. Now it’s time for me to slide back into the arms ambiguity.

Peace and chill folks,

-psycho!!!

The Past, The Present, and The Lessons to RELEARN

jelgallego — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:56:44 +0000

I am so wacko right now that I did something most people who are bordering depression do. I took a trip down memory lane. I stumbled upon a blog entry I had way back December 9, 2005. In many ways, it describes what I long for at this point in my chaotic life.

Here is an excerpt of that particular blog post in friendster:

“god, padalhan nio po ako ng angels nio pls… parang awa nio na po.. ipaakap nio po ako sa mga angels nio… pakihaplos po ng aking puso nang matuto po akong maging matatag pero hindi manhid… sana po hayaan nio po akong kayanin ang lahat ng ito para hindi ako higit na magkasala sa inyong mga batas. maaawa na po kayo. kahit isang akap lang po…“

(comment: I cannot believe I wrote like that before? ‘nio’ ? ‘god’?)

I think I’ve hit a point then where words seem to be just words – hollow, meaningless, impersonal.

A dear mentor has commented on that particular friendster blog post. It’s a comment that put some sense in me then and more so now. It goes…

“Jel,

There is no defense for a grown-up…in becoming one or being one. In becoming one, there is always the first-time hurt, that reality is not that beautiful, that dreams DO DIE, that pain can sometimes be unendurable.

In being one, there is always that fear that what has happened will happen again, that one can be shorn of all defenses and “wisdom” and be as naked and vulnerable like in one’s youth.

Pray give understanding to those who appear grown-up but just as vulnerable and scared just like you. Pray that you have the courage to continue.

All I can say is, “This too will pass.” Remember the wisdom that we never do control the things that happen to us, but all we can do is make the best of the time that is given to us.

Smile. Because it’s free, and it does set us free.”

Random Thoughts at Random Times

jelgallego — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:34:08 +0000

1:36pm

BAA

What am I doing here?

Do I have what it takes to remain in the program?

Wtf! I almost failed my supposedly “easy” second long exam. (I’m not being sarcastic here. The exam’s really easy. A lot of people got really high scores)

How the hell am I supposed to get a 2.00 for this course?

TIME

With barely 40 days till the end of this sem, inclusive of holidays and weekends, I find myself running out of opportunities to redeem myself. I find myself like the rabbit who, no matter how fast he runs, cannot reach the Finish line in time to WIN!

MEDIOCRITY

“UP breeds mediocrity,” some may claim. Is this true and am I finally living this statement?

I find myself in situations where I disappoint myself over and over again. I have not simply raised the bar of expectations of myself. On the contrary, I have lowered it to help me keep my sanity in this university.

Have I just had too many stuff to do on my list that I have been too overwhelmed? Have I taken a look at the big picture too long that I drowned in it – paralyzed in fear and inaction?

I rest my case for now. Despite my lack of answers, I pause. I need to breathe and take a grip on myself. I need back my sanity!

2:30

Thank God! No Bio1 class for today. I can end my day early.

DROPPING

After my very disappointing accounting grade, I’m having thoughts on dropping the subject. However, this was never an option for me. I don’t like quitting. Still, it’s a very low grade. Can I still clean up my act and go get a high grade?

SLEEP

I have been sleep deprived for so long. I’m tired! I feel as if I have been robbed of a weekend. I think I shall just sleep on my thoughts (especially the thought of dropping) lest I do something I’d later regret.

7:59

DORM

Wtf! We have ANOTHER meeting tonight? Why tonight of all nights? I’ve been wanting to sleep or unwind the stress and the depressing feelings I have! “Come, 9pm sharp with your index card for evaluation. That is, if you still want to be accepted to a dorm next sem. Hell! I don’t even have an index card! I have never received one but I indubitably attend almost all required meetings, events, talks blah blah blah! Damn it!

8:15

ADVICES

As I go through the messages on my phone, I recall the horrible feelings I’ve had this morning. Here’s an advice that got me to stop my melodramatics: “You shouldn’t stop fighting for excellence. So you failed this morning. It’s a big deal I know. Just get back on the goddamn horse.”

I WANNA GO CRAZY AND SHOCK THE WORLD!

Feeling…

jelgallego — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:54:14 +0000

warning: this is an emo post. leave if you must!

I am feeling:

1. Stressed.

a. My to-do lists seems to pile up one after the other. When it just seems as if I have accomplished a task, another adds to my pending must-do work. Don’t we ever get rests nowadays?

b. I have trouble sleeping! For someone who LOVES to sleep, I just don’t understand why my sleeping pattern’s all crazy. Even when I’m tired, I spent like an hour in bed tossing and turning.

2. Lazy. I know I’ve been a not-so-diligent student lately. No longer the grade conscious student as I was way back high school, I find myself maximizing on our allowable absences and tardiness. I find myself excusable absences such as conflicting class with an exam to the lamest excuse of being tired or weak willed to get up from bed. Could it be that I have spent a substantial amount of my time and energy being the over diligent student way back high school and grade school that I finally find myself sick and tired of playing the goody goody responsible role? I refuse to justify myself in such manner! Still, the thought comes to mind whenever I find my mind wandering away from the discussion or my mouth quietly bidding the time to go a bit faster or my thoughts turning into nasty ones like when the prof finally gets our laziness spell, shuts up and dismisses us. Hahahahah ^_^

3. Disorganized. My part of the room is a disaster! My top bunk or my “tambak” bunk is filled with a jumble of papers, books, dvds, manuals all waiting to be filed, classified, rewritten or thrown away. My planner has not been followed according to its list as I usually do.

4. Guilty.

a. I have spent my Sunday in SM doing my monthly grocery shopping. I bought the essential stuff like water, food, drinks and toiletries to last me a month or so. However, I cannot help but indulge in a last minute look on magazines and books in National Bookstore. Hence, I went out with 2 magazines and a book. I’d like to think that it was worthwhile since they are readings of substance and not the ordinary trashy romance novels I indulge in from time to time. So where does the guilt come from? It comes from my pact to be a wise buyer, a better shopper – one who does not buy stuff out of a sudden whim. Unfortunately, I failed at that! *sigh*

5. Disappointed. (Of myself, that is.) As I said, I have almost always been a conscientious student. Now, I find myself average. I have lately not met my self expectations on my group contributions whether academic or extracurricular. I fear that I am turning into the kind of group mate I loathe – the one who does what is assigned half heartedly because someone’s likely to polish off his work.

6. Above all, I FEEL BLESSED. Because through the whirls and turmoil of thoughts going through my head, I have family and friends who support me. Some who tell me that I can do what seems to be a hard task. Some who tell me not to be too hard on myself. And some who tell me that this is just one of those down times, I’ve been worse and like before, I’ll soon get over it.

On Internet Relationships

jelgallego — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:22:00 +0000

After two weeks worth of non-stop academic commitments such as long exams, quizzes, papers, recitations and the like, ACLE was a refreshing break in my oh-so-stressful schedule. For the past three ACLEs of my UP life, I have found this time as an excuse to hang around with my group of friends or sleep in the dormitory. I thought it was unfortunate of me to join the fates of the few students who were actually required to go to ACLE. My first impulse upon hearing this assignment was to just get a certificate from a friend who is part of the organizing committee of their ACLE. As if Ma’am Amparado was reading my mind, she hastily says, “And submit a reaction paper together with that certificate.” My exact reaction then was “WHAT?!” 0_o – with the matching facial expression.

On January 24, Thursday, no choice but to actually go to ACLE or else bluffing a reaction paper and risk my peace of mind by being academically dishonest, I forced my friend to accompany me and participate in the Alternative Classroom Learning Experience. After finally settling for something we both think we could bear to sit four hours in, we marched to PH403 with charged cell phones and lots of food as back up in case it was another boring classroom experience. Of course, we had high hopes on our selected ACLE for its title alone stirred an image of a contemporary, youthful twist to love. A film showing followed by a talk on I-net ng Pagmamahal definitely sounds interesting.

My optimism, however, was crushed by the first hour of the film showing. You Got Mail is said to be a classic love story revolving on two rival businesspeople, who by a sudden twist of fate, found themselves oblivious to each other’s true identity while nurturing a love affair through the internet. It was an ironic love story that should have made me all mushy but it did not. I was bored for many reasons such as the slow pacing of the story, the repeating angry, conflicting emotions of the characters, and the outdated scenes of dial-up technology and country-ish setting.

When it finally ended, I was bracing myself for a boring lecture discussion. However, as I was expecting the worst, bubbly Ms. Cherry Joy Billedo from the Department of Psychology was introduced to facilitate the discussion. My friend was now hurriedly whispering to me that she was a good teacher and that internet relationships have been her focus of study for the longest time. Indeed, I learned a lot from this after-film discussion. It confirmed a lot of my internet experiences and relationships as well.

Ms. Billedo starts by debunking the myth that our internet persona is the opposite of our real life self. Studies have proved that social networks online actually reflect our social relationships in real life. She explains, “The thing is, in the internet, we become individuated such that we do not use the same standards that we use when we deal with people physically. Thus, things we can’t do in person, we can do online through the individuated experience!” As for the relationship aspect, she emphasizes that the internet is merely a medium. It does not change us in terms of desire or the ability to attract people. It is a tool that merely allows us the opportunity to widen our social circle and meet a lot of people simultaneously online.

There are pros and cons in internet relationships that we must consider. An advantage of online relationships is that it nurtures and develops communication. It is no longer difficult to make long distance relationships work because the internet is very accessible to almost all people in all parts of the world. It is most advantageous in forming relationships since you can meet a lot of people that you usually wouldn’t have met in your physical daily world. However, we must be wary that the internet allows people to be less honest due to limited cues. One might be assuming an idealized person to fill in the cues given to him. There is also a danger because there are people that are predatory. There are cases of cyber rape, harassment, and sex eyeball. It does not help as well that the internet is yet an unregulated medium.

This ACLE, I believe, was more of a reminder to us, young users, that though the internet offers exciting promises such as romance and relationships, we must be cautious as well. Not all internet relationships end with happily ever after like You Got Mail.

I am a Planeteer!

jelgallego — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:21:09 +0000

“Earth…Fire…Wind…Water… Heart!”

“By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!”

Captain Planet, he’s our hero
Gonna take pollution down to zero
He’s our powers magnified
And he’s fighting on the planet’s side…

Tasked to reflect on Victor Hugo’s quote, “How sad is it to think that nature is calling out but humanity refuses to heed”, proved to be a time-table task for me. It brought me back to my past, allowed me to reflect on my present and forced me to think of my future.

1996. The cartoon show, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, was blaring from our television screen. It was a classic super hero cartoon but with a twist. From statements like “With YOUR powers combined, I am Captain Planet!”and the episode ending message “The power is YOURS!”, it was clear that this was not just an ordinary cartoon show. Its intent was also to make us, kids, aware of environmental hazards. By instilling in young minds their responsibilities, humanity, through the persona of Producer Ted Turner, has answered natures call for character change. With his gang of kids, each representing an ethnicity and coming from a major continent, Captain Planet empowered me.

At 7, I was so sure that with their nature-friendly tips between each mini-episode I could save the planet. I started insisting that my parents separate the recyclables from the non-recyclables. I reprimanded my elders when they threw trash on the sidewalk just because they could not find a trash can nearby. I simply could not understand why it was necessary to write, “Bawal Umihi Dito” (Don’t Urinate Here) on corners here in the Philippines. Truly, I was frustrated that my elders do not know any better! Didn’t they watch Captain Planet? Didn’t they know that our planet could get sick?

2008. Already 18 years old, I believe that we have come a long way from the I-don’t-care attitude of most when resources were abundant and nature’s call was seemingly still a whisper to humanity’s ears. Now that the air that we breathe is smoky and the water quality in most areas is worsening, nature’s call is a clear, blaring shout at us. Thus, various sectors have heed this call by leading their campaign to save the planet. Influential sectors comprised of Educators, businessmen, and filmmakers, have been using their authority to encourage people to do their own part.

The University of the Philippine, for example, has recently issued a no smoking rule. Abiding by the Clean Air Act, a regular test is done to check the level of pollution here in campus. Students now are on watch on the emissions of vehicles that pass through the university. Talks are being held in auditoriums on relevant issues such as global warming. These events, as well as laws passed to control pollution, is also a topic in most MST (Math, Science and Technology) classes such as Chemistry1 and Biology1.

Amazingly, even businessmen are starting to do their part. SM, the biggest mall in the Philippines, has recently launched its green bag project to their grocers. By encouraging shoppers to use and reuse the green bag during their grocery or shopping trips, they encourage us to do away with plastics, one of the most used pollutants there is. National Bookstore, the leading bookstore in the country, has also adopted this practice by introducing their red bag promo. A lot of boutiques are starting to use paper bags as well. Those who still use plastic make it a point to at least print, “Help the environment by reusing this plastic bag.”

Filmmakers have produced documentaries such like The Inconvenient Truth and The 11^th Hour. In the former, Politician Al Gore sheds his stiff demeanor with an impassioned plea for us to reverse the harmful effects of global warming through personal and political impossibility. The latter, has the obvious message that we have reached the tipping point in terms of how we live and the impact we impose on our ecosystems and it is this moment that we should act before it is too late to do anything. Both are powerful, intense documentaries with clear messages that force us to face the truth, no matter how inconvenient, and act now or the consequences may be grave.

With all sectors combined, we are creating our own Captain Planet. We have our planet Earth, the burning Fire to make others aware while doing our responsibilities, the news that spread like Wind, the Heart to feel that our environment can no longer take the “shit” that we dump on it and like Water, the campaigns flow swiftly. Humanity has heeded nature’s call. It started young and it’s growing till the present. As childish as cartoons, as seriously intense as documentaries, as ordinary as shopping and as obligatory as the pursuit of education, we are all, hand in hand, no longer sitting and staring as the planet we call home is being converted into a waste land. Empowerment is suffice and action is no longer a figment of our imagination. WE ARE THE HEED TO NATURE’S CALL.

We’re the Planeteers

You can be one too
‘Cause saving our planet is the thing to do!
Looting and polluting is not the way
Hear what Captain Planet has to say!
“The Power is Yours!”

- english essay-

jan 22, 2008