jhaaaasworld

[jhaaaasworld]

Setting my mind and raising standards for Ivy League/Cabridge/Oxford.

[jhaaaasworld]

WHY THE FUCK YOU ARE ALWAYS AFRAID?! YOU ARE A FUCKING COWARD! STUPID PIECE OF SHIT YOU ARE A FUCKING THRASH YOU'LL JUST BE FORGOTTEN

JIAN...

WALA KANG KWENTANG TAO

[jhaaaasworld]

Christmas Gloom

I just had the most quiet and bland Christmas Day I've ever had that I can remember. Here is why...

Causes: Fatigue due to Bicol Trip, allergic rhinitis to almost a flu, no relatives present except family and we didn't have the usual grand Noche Buena

A lot has been running in my mind today and I have to reevaluate my personal goals for the coming year. Here are some:

Kla

Trina

Grades of Brods

Letter to Vicco

SNF position

Plans to improve the fraternity that is beyond my current extent

Typhoon in Bicol Region

Well for (1), I think she had enough of our conversations. Our chats are actually full of positivity and I'm glad about it. Then, she called me last night to wake my up for Christmas Day because I was sleeping. The conversation really didn't go well. It was boring. I was not feeling well too, therefore not in the mood.

Small talks are not really my thing also. I can keep up with it but it seemed like I'm forcing myself. I'll see her soon though in January where I have reevaluated myself and present a better one to her and others.

For (2), I also miss Trina! I miss her a lot. But I thought I have to distance myself first because I'm not down for commitments as of the moment. I might hurt her.

For (3), I hope there are no dismissed fellows. I'll be collecting their grades tomorrow.

For (4), I just need to do it. FUCK IT. KUNG HINDI NGAYON, KELAN?!

For (5), Numerous brods have told me about the position. SNFs haven't approached me about it but several has mentioned that I'm a good fit for the position. It will be very challenging and I still don't have the guts to do it. I don't know if I can step up.

For (6), I have a lot of this and I need to right it down. There will be a separate entry about this.

My 2019 Christmas Day isn't like before where I see smiles and laughters all around our house. It was just like another lazy dsy. While I'm writing this, I'm at the living room with my brother, lying down in the couch. But at least, I get to enjoy the shelter I have. There is a typhoon that currently destroyed houses in Tacloban City and the rest of the Bicol Region. I'm hoping for their fast recovery and that no more casualties will be added. I wish them all a better 2020, an emotionally and physically disaster-resilient community.

And whoever reads this, I hope you HAD AN AMAZING, BOUNTIFUL AND APPETIZING CHRISTMAS DAY!

P.S. Picture taken at the moment. I turned off the lights all over the first floor and lit the tree to feel a bit of warmth of the Christmas.

[jhaaaasworld]

9/17/19

Went productive in the morning.

And you bother me.

Pending question: Bakit masalimuot ang pagtatalaga ng Wikang Pambansa?

Just want to answer this again in one of my future posts.

[jhaaaasworld]

09/16/19

Today was a a pretty good day!

The resource speaker at my NSTP class was very funny. We learned basic first aid stuff and reminded us how to be resourceful. I should also prepare my emergency kit at my dorm and house. I just realized how unprepared we are when disaster strikes.

Yet best part of the day was jogging with my cute gal! Also had a mango yogurt and breakfast with her at Tapa P's. I showed her my best dance moves that would probably get me to SJDC so I just need to keep it lowkey. I still got some hidden moves tho haha gotta redeem it next time. As usual, talo pa din siya sa jack n poy lol.

Not much I can say but conversations with you are one of the best. I just smiled the whole morning.

You made my day.

As always. (:

[jhaaaasworld]

9/13/19

If social media savvy dudes have IG stories, I have my own way to highlight my day. This is to write. Like this one:

Today's highlight was spending time with Her and with my immediate older brothers.

Time flew haslty when I spent time with Her. She gave me a good laugh, and made me forget about life's race for just several hours. I don't even know why I mainly enjoy her company because she doesn't meet the standard of the strong, brave independent woman. Perhaps, it is because of her simplicity. She doesn't draw much attention from other people at a glance but her sweetness definitely captures everyone's heart. She's somewhat of a lowkey cupid. A hidden gem in the university. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join her after I went beyond my curfew for tonight. I miss her though.

I also had a fellowship with my immediate older brothers. Best thing about it was I was able to communicate the internal and inter-batch issues and inspire them. I hope we would successfully internalize all things addressed in the meeting and reflect on future performances. All this is part of a greater agenda for one world be attained. Because this is what we raise. We breed people destined for serving the People.

[jhaaaasworld]

9/7/19

Mathematical physics, data science and programming can't get out of my head. I want to study endlessly without getting tired. The fkow of logic in my topics right now is fascinating. It tickles my mind and it is a complete pleasure. This is the reason why I don't like human bodies. It is frail, prone to burnouts.

Can I program my body to function tirelessly?

Side note: I miss my classmate, the one where I had an acads night with last night. She's not the mesmerizing type that captures everyone's eyes on a crowd. She's just plan and simple, which is why I'm wondering what wakes my curiousity. She freaking cute, adorable and childish. Gives me a good laugh with her shallow punchlines. I also feel light and secured around her. Around her is a place where smile is always painted and admiration is the norm. Confusion is the feeling.

[jhaaaasworld]

9/5/19

DATA SCiENCE IS FUCKING LIT 🔥

Also, had an acads date with one cute makulit classmate at STS I.

[jhaaaasworld]

9/4/19

I conversed with Billy Sison, a professor at Math Department about how graduates of UP failed to manifest its motto of "honor and excellence" as they pursue their careers. This also shows the deficiency of the university upon its contribution to nation-building, a mandate of UP that is the core of its establishment. It was a great discussion because we shared the same vision, someone I was able to relate to when it comes to sentiments about the role of individuals, university organizations, administration and government upon improving the life of every Filipino.

Just wondered, can he be the next Chancellor?

Side story: I have so many things to do. Fucking shit. Aside from academics (which takes almost 8 hours of my day from classes, excluding assignments, readings, physics and math practice and probsets), I have a part time job (which idfk if I'm gonna even get a high salary), council duties (term planning -- I have to get into details for problems of my organizations) AND I also want to spend time with family, brothers and friends (including a special person). Nonetheless, I'm tired but I know I CAN DO THIS SHIT. LET'S GO!

[jhaaaasworld]

Letter in a Pocket

I stepped at the accelerator as I drove hastly uphill until we reach the top, then pushed the breaks. It was the time you taught me how to play behind the wheels of a different one that I was used to. When we reached the top, it was December morning. We opened the windows and a soothing humid breeze caressed my skin. The sight was all green except from the paved road we stopped to. It was just me and You and the sunrise.

For once, we talked about the how crazy and chaotic this world is. I was exhausted upon catching up with the impatient time, reaching out with people of other seas and racing with peers on the wrong track. But You, you slowed me down yet made me caught up. You made me live by the unforgiving moment that once punished me. Because of You, I am not winning this life's race yet You already made me won my journey.

The sunrise is the most beautiful scenery next to your face. Your eyes that are so calming to stare made me forget life's storms. Your cheeks and contagious smile made me feel secured around you. It was one of the most genuine and precious things I ever saw. This is when I realized how lucky I was that day because of you. I have never wondered that such creation exists and that it would be right next to me --- where I can touch and feel.

If I'll be given a chance to again enjoy a moment with you and the morning skies, I'll let you know all of this. I won't make you remember of who I am but I will definitely be better.

[jhaaaasworld]

void

in my cage, i wake up

only with my friend

he is my best friend

despite i became his contrast

with him, i become the fire that

brightens the room

that not even the strongest storm

can extinguish

yet this time,

he betrayed me

he did not allow me to glow

even a spark was a sin

will a still light tomorrow?

[jhaaaasworld]

7th of September

Tonight's dream was a nightmare

On a stormy night

with floods fill in the streets,

the waves of sea levels the land.

there, I saw the silhouette of my fears

and the malevolent eyes of the ghosts of self-dissapointments

the two frightening monsters I fear the most.

they approached me with a killing spite.

the clouds meet the land on a burst of wail

my childish heart onced again trembled

not of the flash rumbling noise

but on the spark of reflection of what I have become

how do i escape this?

how will i wake up this paradox of reality and nightmare, to witness a sunrise that is beyond the dreams of tomorrow?

[jhaaaasworld]

Baywatch: Lt. Buchannon’s Real-Life Story

Palubog na ang araw nang aming nakapanayam ang paksa ng aming interbyu. Tulad ng isa sa kanyang mga normal na araw, siya ay nakaupo sa kanyang pwesto, isang silungan na may upuang nakaangat sa tabi ng languyan upang masilayan ang buong languyan. Nakatsinelas, berdeng t-shirt na may tatak ng “Milo” at puting shorts ang kanyang suot. Nilapitan namin siya at binati.

"Magandang Hapon, Kuya Tsupits! Ready ka na sa interview?"

"Oy oo, Mike Enriquez. Paano ba gagawin natin diyan?" Sinabayan namin ng tawanan aming batian.

Bago namin simulan ang panayam, kinausap muna niya ang propesor ng isang klase na kanyang binabantayan. Kami naman ay inantay ang isa pang kaklase at nagpaalam rin sa propesor. Makaraan ang ilang saglit, dumating na ang aming kagrupo at saka sinimulan na ang interbyu.

--------

Tubong Mayondon sa Los Banos, si Pepito G. Torino, o mas kilala sa pangalang "Kuya Tsupits" ay isa sa tatlong lifeguards ng Baker Pool sa UPLB. Siya ay binansagan siyang “Tsupits” dahil sa lokohan ng mga estudyante at admin. Mula kay "Tsupat", ang pangalan ng naunang lifeguard sa tatlo, isinunod ang "Tsupit" at "Tsupot", ang pangalan ng dalawang sumunod na lifeguard. Kilala sila bilang ang "Tatlong Supot" ng Baker Pool. Sa tatlong lifeguard, siya ang madalas na nakabantay sa mga hayskul na estudyante ng Mataas na Paaralang Rural ng UP kung kaya’t siya ang pinakamalapit sa amin.

Pre-production: Ang Buhay Bago Maging Lifeguard

Dala ng kahirapan, si Kuya Tsupits ay namulat na sa maagang pagtatrabaho noong bata pa lamang. Unang taon noong hayskul sa Laguna College of Fisheries, na ngayo’y siyang Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) nang nagtrabaho siya bilang mamumukot sa Laguna de Bay. Ginigising siya nang alas-tres ng umaga ng kanyang ama upang maagang makapagsimula. “Sinasabi sa akin ng ama ko, ‘Huy tanghali na’” Ganito niya inilarawan ang pagbulabog ng ama sa kanyang tulog. Darating siyang pagod sa kanilang tahanan ng ala-una ng tanghali kaya’t pagdating sa kanyang klase kinahapunan, hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili kung hindi makatulog.

Nang ikatlong taon naman sa hayskul ay pumasok siya bilang isang construction worker. Taong---- nang nilipat ang Veterinary Medicine mula sa Diliman patungong Los Banos. Dito, isa si Kuya Tsupits sa naging trabahador ng unibersidad upang  yariin ang kalsada ng naturang kolehiyo. Sa murang edad, natuto na siyang maghanap-buhay upang buhayin ang kanyang pamilya — ang unang mga buhay na kanyang naisalba.

Taong 1991 naman nang pumasok sa IPB bilang laborer si Kuya Tsupits. Kung kanyang ilarawan ang trabaho niya doon “Mahirap doon kasi no work, no pay. Kapag di ka pumasok, wala kang sweldo”. Nanatili siya rito ng dalawampu’t-isang taon bago sumubok magtraining bilang isang regular na lifeguard.

Dahil sa serbisyong may integridad at malasakit na kanyang ibinibigay nang buong loob sa trabaho, siya ay pinarangalan bilang “Outstanding Personnel” noong 2005. Isa ito sa mga parangal na hanggang ngayon ay kanyang ipinagmamalaki at pinanghahawakan dahil isa ito sa naging asset noong nag-aapply bilang isang lifeguard at nagtutulak sa kanya upang ipagpatuloy ang tapat na paglilingkod sa unibersidad.

Production: Sa Paligid ng Languyan

Taong 2013 nang nagkaroon ng bakanteng posisyon ng lifeguard sa Baker Pool. Agad siyang nag-apply dahil sa kagustuhang maging regular. Sa loob ng dalawang taon, dumaan sila sa mahigpit na pagsasanay upang maging isang lifeguard. Ang kanyang karanasan sa pamumukot noong kabataan, malasakit at katapan sa unibersidad nang lagpas isang dekada ang siyang naging lamang niya sa mga katunggaling nagsasanay.

Nagsimula si Kuya Tsupits sa pagiging lifeguard sa Baker Pool noong 2015. Kasama sa mga trabaho niya bilang lifeguard ang pagpapanatili sa languyan, mula sa pagtatabas ng damo, paglilinis ng languyan at paglalagay ng chlorine.

Kung ikukumpara niya ang kasalukuyang trabaho sa pagiging laborer sa Institue of Plant Breeding (IPB), mas magaan ito dahil madalas ay nakaupo lamang at nagmamasid. Mas magaan man ngunit ito ay mas nangangailangan ng atensyon at pansin sa buong araw. “Kapag yung bata naglalangoy, kailangan lagi kang nakatutok diyan.” Masusi nilang pinagmamasdan ang mga lumalangoy sapagkat ang kaunting pagiba ng galaw ay maaaring magresulta sa pagkalunod. “Yung halaman, pwede mong hindi tingnan. Diligan mo sa umaga, pwede mong bantayan sa hapon. Titingnan mo lang kung tuyo”. Ito ang pinakamalaking pinakaiba sa kanyang trabaho--- ang buhay ng tao at halaman.

Siya rin ay miyembro ng UP Trantados, isang organisasyon na ang layunin ay palaguin ang kultura ng Triathlon (Swim, Bike and Run) sa bansa. Kada-taon, siya ay sumasali sa mga paligsahang triathlon at tumutulong sa pago-organisa ng mga kaganapan sa unibersidad na may kinalaman sa nasabing isport.

Post Production: Sa Labas ng Swimming Pool

Ang kanyang buong linggo ay madalas nakalaan para sa pagtatrabaho. Ang pasok niya ay mula alas dyes ng umaga hanggang alas-kwatro ng hapon. Ngunit gaano man kaabala sa trabaho ay sinisigurado niyang nakapagbibigay siya ng sapat na oras sa kanyang pamilya. Naglalaan din siya ng isang araw upang ipagdiwang ang kanyang relihiyon. Tuwing Sabado, siya ay tumutugtog sa kanilang simbahan.

Hindi man nakatungtong ng kolehiyo, nakapag-aral naman siya ng teolohiya. Noong 1997, sa loob ng dalawang buwan, dinala ng kanyang pananampalataya si Kuya Tsupits sa Lanao del Sur. Ipinadala siya ng kanyang simbahan sa Mindanao upang matutunan ang counseling at pagpapalaganap ng salita ng Diyos. Dahil rito, natuto siyang magbigay ng mga payo para sa mga estudyanteng na-dedepress na lumalapit sa kanya. Ang kanyang pagiging lifeguard ay hindi lamang natatapos sa paligid ng swimming pool ngunit ito ay isang simula pa lamang ng kanyang mas malaking naitutulong sa mga estudyante.

Nang tanungin naming siya kung ano ang nagpapanatili sa kanya sa trabaho, ang sagot niya ay ang kanyang pamilya. Si Kuya Tsupits ay ama ng labing-apat na taong gulang at pitong-taong gulang na mga bata. Handa siyang tiisin lahat ng hirap para lang sa ikabubuhay ng kanyang pamilya. Kasama sa hirap na kanyang nabanggit ay ang kakulangan ng oportunidad sa pagtatrabaho dahil hayskul lamang ang kanyang natapos.

Ngunit sa kabila ng hirap at pagod sa pagtatrabaho maghapon, nababawi naman ito sa galak niya tuwing nakakasalamuha siya ng mga taong naging malapit na sa kanya. Hindi tulad sa dati niyang trabaho, halaman ang kanyang kasama buong maghapon ngunit rito nagkakaroon siya ng mga kaibigang kasama sa trabaho at biruan, mapa-estudyante man o kapwa lifeguard.  

Siya lamang ay isa sa mga taong madalas naming nakakasalubong, nakakasama at nakakatawanan. Ito ay isa sa mga kwentong nakakimkim sa matatamis na ngiti. Sa mukha niyang palaging suot ang bungisngis sa kanyang mga labi, hindi siya makikitaan ng mga pagsubok na kanyang napagdaanan. Sumakatuwid, siya ang nakatagong teniente ng Baker Pool.

[jhaaaasworld]

The First Note

One shot. One opportunity.

The last choir before us had finished their performance. Their last song ended with a demonic clash of chords that echoed in the audience's ears.

Finally, it was our turn.

This was our third performance of the day for the folklore category. We stepped into the stage with trembling knees.

The 29th Voyage of Songs held in Penang, Malaysia is an annual international choir competition that has a lifelong mission to promote cultural learning and choral excellence through collaborations. It has four categories: mixed voices for both male and female, equal voices for either male or female only, folklore, and chamber choir for choirs with less than twenty choristers.

The first two categories are further divided into subcategories: open, senior and youth. We were participants for the youth mixed voices, folklore and chamber choir. Our choir was arranged into various positions depending on the category. Fourth from the left, I stood with a quivering posture. My hands were covered with cold sweat despite the freezing temperature inside the auditorium.

I took a peek at the audience. Silence ruled the auditorium. In the middle were the judges, intensely staring with eyes and ears ready to judge every note and interpretation of our song. Near the exit, in the middle of the aisle, there sat my fellow schoolmates; the principal, one professor who sometimes sings with us and some of my co-members parents. They were our guardians during the trip. They were the only ones present in the room to cheer for us but we knew they were not our lone supporters. Back in Laguna, we also had the school community, our families and the people who were part of our workshops to polish our songs. Even without their presence, their support was felt across a hundred miles through goodbyes and prayers.  

Yet on the  stage, it is only you who will perform. It is only you who will be judged.

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I have been in the UPRHS Glee Club since Grade 9. Unlike the other members of the choir, I didn’t undergo an audition. Prof. Marife Rebutar, commonly known as “Ma’am Reb”, our music teacher and the conductor of the choir suddenly invited me to join the rehearsals during our class because I had a deep voice and knew how to play the piano. At first, I thought she was just joking around but when she gave me the time and date for the rehearsals, I knew it was a real deal.

I think highly of the Glee Club not merely because of their talent but also for their work ethic. I have seen my fellow classmates and servicemates who are also part of the group rehearse during lunch breaks and after classes. Their dedication is unbelievable. As irresponsible I was during junior high school, l never thought that I could commit to such activities.

I was a trainee for almost three months. We had quartet exams to determine our mastery of a song, overall skill level and see whether we will be promoted to become a member. Initially, it was painful and embarrassing to perform in front of the group but because of the hospitality and willingness to help of the other members, especially in the bass section, I slowly learned the mechanics of the group and gained confidence.

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Ma'am Reb blew her pitch pipe giving the first note for our first song. My moment of spacing out went to an end. She lifted her arms towards us. The song was on four quarters. The tempo will be dictated by the first four swings of our conductor's hands.

When she gave the first swing, a sudden rush of motivation ran into my blood. It was adrenaline that fueled me through extreme panic and nervousness. I felt numb like in was my first quartet exam. Only my heartbeat, slowing down was heard as if it was going to stop.

On the second sway, my mind hastily gathered consciousness and I sang my first note. It was on the third and fourth sway, when I slowly gained confidence yet it was on a wrong timing.

   ---------------------------------------------------

The first time I read the piece of Ilay Gandangan was three months before the international competition. The song is a popular piece among Filipino choirs. Derived from a sun chant of the Maguindanao tribe, the people call on the sun god, Ilay, to end the rain that covered the land. It has different moods, lots of changes in the keys and melody--- that offers the flow of story in the songs. It has made the song challenging to learn.

A day before the competition, the soloist had problems with her throat. She couldn’t hit the high notes of the song that she had been hitting easily during our rehearsals. Therefore, we had to make adjustments on who was going to sing the solo; a female with a wide range of vocals to hit the highest parts with a chesty voice of strength and ease then the lowest parts with depth and thickness. We rehearsed it again and again until the soloist got her finest notes. Even though it was only the soloist who has to make the most adjustments, it was the morale of the whole choir that was touched--- truly an essence of being a team.

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On the fifth sway, I inhaled deeply and sang our first note with full confidence. Ilay Gandangan was the song stuck in my head the whole time that even without giving the pitch, I had memorized the first note with certainty.

But nobody from the males sang with me. Only the female section went through the song and it was of different lyrics. This was the moment I realized that I messed up bigtime in the grandest stage of the choir’s history. While the song went on, memories flashed back: tireless months of weekdays practices, sacrifices of not playing in the Intramurals, morning joggings under the vicious sun and workshops with the most recognized people in the Philippine choral community. All of this will come to a waste just because of a foolish careless mistake.

The performance was finished. We came down the stage and left the auditorium. I quickly ran into my hotel room and locked the door as my tears rolled down by itself. A few minutes later, someone knocked at my door. I drained my tears before I peeking through at the door’s peephole. It was Ma’am Reb. I opened the door, gave her a tight hug and deeply apologized.

Fortunately, the judges didn't mind my solo mistake. Our choir still got the Gold medals from each category. Embarrassing and self-demoralizing it was from the moment I made the mistake, today it is just a hilarious experience.

Performing taught me that life is a stage of opportunities. Everyday we encounter lots of it, big or small but only few is recognized. We have to open our eyes and be aware of the things we take for granted because our future will be determined by the opportunities we choose at the moment and how we dwell on it.

[jhaaaasworld]

The Lasting Echo in the Mountains

After a dizzy trip, we finally reached our destination: the home of the nation’s artistic pride and its artists who have  been sculpting the country’s best human masterpieces since 1978. The school sits beside a  mountain’s shoulder.  The road to the Philippine High School for the Arts will make one’s head roll upside-down as it resembles the “Bitukang Manok” in Atimonan, Quezon. after the moment we have entered the PHSA arc, I gazed on my right and saw the intrinsic beauty of Mt. Makiling. After a while, small cottage-like houses appeared in my view.

”Classroom nila yun”, said my classmates who has been there before.

I always drive pass the campus’ entrance but I never thought of such an astonishing view of the school.It was a perfect mix of fine human architecture and nature’s ingenious craft. It is necessary for the school to boost their student’s creativity, and because of that , I can’t help but  compare my school with such a flawless environment. I was even hoping that I had the chance to experience that kind of privilege.

The bus stopped at a downhill slope in front of the cottage-like classrooms. One-by-one, we went down with some PHSA faculty and our class adviser. We were welcomed by a tall, beautiful young lady wearing a rosy turtleneck tucked in her jeans,and a lipstick of the same tint as her top. She has a short hair that is pony-tailed at the back of her neck. With a warm smile and a trembling laughter, she nervously introduced herself to the small crowd. Her name is Lora Noreen Domingo, the author of the exhibit,and she will be our escort for the whole trip.

I can see the excitement of my classmates as their faces were clothed with genuine smiles and non-stop talks while we were walking towards the room. Nobody seemed sleepy or indisposed-only people with lots of energy  even though the trip  is at the “siesta” time part of the day. Maybe it is because we did  not have our field trip this year so we were really looking forward to  other trips outside the campus.

I have been a fan of fine arts since the time I learned to draw. I was in the 5th grade when I first went into an art exhibit at a hotel in Makati City. It was an exhibit which featuredexpressionism-a modernist art movement that uses a painter’s subjectivity, distorting  reality to evoke emotions and ideas. As I gaze at every artwork, an ambivalence of amazement, confusion and fear crippled through my skin. My eyes struggled to move away each time I stare at a piece. The exhibit gave me chills that last until now, and it heavily influenced my own sketch style.

The atmosphere I had felt in Noreen’s exhibit was similar to that of a professional artist. The only difference is that it  was not a fine arts exhibit but a creative writing exhibit. Honestly, I did not expect to see such brilliant work  with an impeccable setting. The walls of room were  filled with paintings depicting the  tales of a tribe  with pictures, videos, and costumes that represents the indigenous Manobo-Lapaknon culture. The yellow lightings partnered with red and yellow-themed walls show the dominant color of the tribe, and set the visual tone. However,I must admit that the small space of the exhibit limited our movements while we listen to her speak.

The tour started with the images of the said tribe. Noreen introduced its members according to the hierarchy in their kingdom: the king, his wife, soldier called Bagani, the priest and the tribe locals. Their king’s name is Rajah Asaytona whose birth story is believed to be mapped by the stars. Inisia, his mother,was being brought on a baroto, the boat they were riding to the maternal clinic. They were still halfway through when Rajah Asaytona was born. When the boat appeared on the river banks, a citizen blew a horn called budjong,then the localities gathered around the new born baby and had a glimpse of their future king.

A video playing at a corner next to us caught my attention when it showed  a tribal child dancing like a chicken. I first thought it was a cultural dance show but when a tribal man leading the ceremony approached the tourists for a prayer, I realized it wasn’t. Noreen said it was  an initiation ritual. She taped the whole ceremony while taking the rites. The scenario was  similar to those poor-budgeted American horror indie films. Though  it did  not look very weird and creepy because it was filmed at daylight,  I was still preparing  for something  to just show up. Fortunately, nothing frightening or gross appeared except for the drawing of a cross on the palm using fresh chicken’s blood.

While Noreen was still narrating her experience upon going through the ritual, I watched another video on the opposite corner of the room. Filmed by a stream, the subject of the short clip were  children collecting shells at past afternoon. They sell these shells to motorists passing by their houses, and it acts as their main source of income. The  mussels inside the little shells can also be eaten. By dropping the shells into the stream, one can tell if there is something to eat; living shells go against the stream’s flow while the empty shells do not.

I explored the exhibit by myself for a while before coming  back to Noreen’s tour. There were more stories, poems and songs  on the walls. Instead of social media and television, the pieces of literature are what fill the tribe’s boring afternoon. Written in Butuanon, Loreen translated a  poem in English, entitled “Kining Kahimtang Ko” (This is my Fate). Also hanged on the ceilings were the actual sample of shells I’ve seen in the video and some of the tribe’s indigenous clothing. There was the vest of Rajah Asaytona and some of the accessories they wear. The accessories were necklaces and arm bands made of colorful beads inserted to a nylon-like string.  

We were almost at the end of the exhibit when we came across the letters from the tribe. The natives wrote in Butuanon language but Noreen translated the letters in English.. This part probably left the most impact on me.. The letters contain the status of the tribe,their individual dreams, and their hopes of what they want to be after they have finished their education. Most of the time, their dreams include having a stable job.. It is despairing to see how globalization  created a margin for these people. Natives were forced to leave the tribe to experience the lavishness brought by globalization, even though their lives were already filled with simple joys and a humble network.

Different messages, different people, different stories,one thing unites them— the desire to be accepted. Every message presents a tone of fear: fear of judgment and rejection. To ease their insecurities, I wrote a short reply to one the letters.

It was already late in afternoon when the bus arrived to fetch us. Just as usual, the class was very noisy, laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs which resonates through the towering mountains. Some of them took  pictures of the beautiful downhill view.

The trip back to campus made me a bit dizzy but I didn’t mind because  I was still amazed by Noreen’s entire work. I was amazed, not only by the technicalities of her writing and the methodology of her study, but also by the lasting impact her study  creates for the Manobo-Lapaknon community. This can serve as an inspiration for aspiring writers to explore such topics and not limit their  scope on themselves,  and to serve for a greater purpose.  By exposing Noreen’s own origin, we were familiarized with the neglected culture of the Manobo-Lapaknon.We were able toblur the margins that contained such  communities in a separate circle, and identify ourselves as no different from others

We should write to empower those who seemed to be forgotten because throughwriting, we can be the voice of the unheard.

[jhaaaasworld]

Magazine Feature Article

[jhaaaasworld]

Relfection essay for Lora Noreen Domingo's "Pagsulang" and Wilfredo Pascual's talk

The two artists talks gave me different insights about essay writing. One answering the question "How do you write memoirs?" and another "Why is it important to write about our home?" Wilfredo Pascual is an internationally acclaimed artist and known for his memoirs. My personal insights about his talk answers the question "How do you write memoirs?". When we go on a trip or attend a significant event, we gain experiences then form memories. Some memories degrade through time while others mark in our mind as if they are unforgettable. Although we are certain about our memories, they are actually on the opposite. Our mind is a poor storage of images but strong keeper of our feelings. We cannot rely on our memories alone---thus we should become skeptics. Accoding to Mr. Pascual, the most important thing about essay is when we stop and reflect. We question the memory. Why do I feel this? Why do I remember this? We observe, remember, stop, reflect and connect ideas to effectively translate our memories into written art form. By this steps, we not only narrate our story but also impart our identity to the story. Lora Noreen Domingo is a very interesting student artist because of her writings on the controversial topics such as the current administration and her indigenous community. My insights about her project answers the question "Why is it important to write about our home?". We should write about our home to empower our people. By exposing our home, we familiarize the unfamiliar with the neglected culture, blur the margins that kept these communities on a separate circle, and identify ourselves as no different from them.