Doomed, and Feeling the Blues

This hurts a lot as an avid basketball fan. When the De La Salle Green Archers last won the UAAP title in 2007, I really felt as if I belonged to the school, and when I passed the entrance exam, it sets up my definitive journey to the greenest pastures of Taft Avenue after high school graduation. Four years later, the bonfires that celebrated Ateneo's championships in Katipunan Avenue put a deep wound on my four-year college stay.

The recent DLSU loss to ADMU earlier, a 17-point blowout, stings much more than Ateneo's victories of the recent past. After every Archers loss to the Eagles I get mocked by some of my friends from Ateneo wondering why I decided to go green instead of blue, but today I got taunted to the extreme by chanting to me "L-A-S-A-LLE, La Salle Sucks". And now I seem to regret my decision to turn green instead of blue. But still, this is life, losing seems to learn a lesson. However, it's not that way when facing the boys from Katips.

Only once did I see La Salle beat Ateneo my entire college life, and that was last year. However, I've never seen La Salle beat Ateneo when I attend such an occasion at the Big Dome in QC. Now everyone wondering, 'Where's the Animo?' It used to be a regular thing when La Salle beat Ateneo so bad in the first half of the decade, and then things turned around upon I enter the St. La Salle Hall and its surrounding neighbor buildings. Now Ateneo is beating us so badly that the psychological wounds and fear begin to set in. This La Salle team is no longer the same, feared unit that won a lot of titles during my grade school years. What used to be the team of Don Allado, Ren-ren Ritualo, Mac Cardona and Joseph Yeo of years gone by had turned into a rag-tag squad that has too many egos, that is inexperienced, and that is lacking chemistry. The guys I mentioned took over games by themselves, but this squad has no one to take over in the most important moments. No, not Simon Atkins, LA Revilla nor any other current Archer. This is so disappointing, to say the least, that in my entire college life I'll not witness not even a single DLSU championship, ever.

This Ateneo team had a great coach in Norman Black, and a slew of players willing to play a role. They play smart, team-oriented ball that is effective and impressive. Check it out. Not even the departures of Chris Tiu, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Jai Reyes affected Ateneo at all. In fact, they kept on finding ways to win. And now that they have a super-rookie in Kiefer Ravena and a giant of a man in Greg Slaughter, they are winning like forever. And if it continues that way, they might take home the title in a runaway fashion.

So the end of a college life without a title I go. I'll give my Atenean friends credit for playing well today. But I hope things go better next year.

Life After College

This week effectively closes the chapter on college life. Simply put, after submitting the post-defense requirements, looking at my defense grade, and hopefully archiving my thesis, I'm all in a festive mood to celebrate. No more not quites, finally.

When everything's said and done, I'm ready to march on my graduation attire and earn my diploma. It was never an easy journey, but it was all worth it.

Now what to do on my belated summer vacation? Party, party, and party some more. I'll definitely gonna love that. But of course, there will also be some time to visit old friends in school. This is definitely my chill period, where my energy needs to be renewed after three years of college.

I've planned a lot of things for the next four months: two nights at Fiamma (October 21 for post-grad party, and December 9 for my pre-birthday celebration), a friend's debut, and occasional visits to school with old friends. More events will be added as the break goes on.

In the meantime, after I finish my post-defense requirements, I'll find some time playing Angry Birds and listening to vinyl records. Enjoy the break!!

Worth Dying For

Tomorrow marks the 28th death anniversary of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who was fatally shot in the head upon stepping into the airport now named after him and claimed his life for democracy. Now it seems more than a forgotten memory for most of us, but for those who still knew of what happened, it remains fresh even after 28 years and six presidential administrations.

On the eve of what would've been Ninoy's 78th birthday in November of last year, I was able to visit the graves of both Ninoy and Cory Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park in Paranaque, and from personal experience it seems solemn to look at the graves of both of them, very simple and yet recognizable from the gravestone itself. I took the liberty of visiting their graves, and even though it was a hot, steamy morning, I still got the liberty of looking at their graves and prayed as if I turned back time to 1981. Of course, that was when the Aquinos were in Boston and in self-imposed exile. Indirectly speaking, I got to fall in love with the city not because they were residing there for three years, but because the Celtics, which was my favorite hoops team, were winning championships that decade. But anyway, I took a peek at their graves and relaxed for a while, and this was where I felt something missing: the government's lack of reaction towards controversial issues in recent years, something they seriously couldn't address at the moment. On that day, the experience of visiting them were so amazing I couldn't wait to tell them to my cousins the very next day.

As the nation prepares to celebrate his 28th death anniversary, one thing's still unsolved. Who really killed him, and was it the fault of the Communists or even President Marcos?

No Party Till Everything's Done

One must wonder a lot of us love to party at night, mostly till the wee hours of the morning where we get drunk and spent through all the booze and the house music. Strictly speaking, this is where so much stories are told, and so much stories of the past retold. There is one exception to the rule, however.

I've rarely been a party guy in my three and a third years of college. Simply put, the strain and demands of college life really takes much of the night life away. There's nothing to relax about at this point, knowing that to survive college, you must survive hellish professors, nightly school readings, group reports, and even thesis to finish with. So I always find no time to party, except on some high school and college reunions where an invitation is the key.

An invitation, indeed. Some invitations are planned ahead of time, so I thought about it before I give it a thumbs up. And once the sun sets, it's all about the fun in the cold night. However, once the party ends, it's back to business. I mean, serious business. And now that I'm close to finishing college, I find myself looking to have a good time. And more partying for me.

So I'll be there on the waiting list. Hopefully October comes in.

Random Baseball Thoughts

Yesterday Twins DH Jim Thome launched his 600th home run at Detroit's Comerica Park without any fanfare, and he likes that. Who were the players before Thome that scored 600 home runs? A-Rod, Aaron, Bonds, Griffey, Ruth, Sosa and Mays. Well, Thome connected on 600 without the benefit of steroids or any performance enhancing drugs; instead it was a tireless work ethic that paid off for Thome, who had successful years with the Indians, Phillies, White Sox and Twins in a 20-year career.

The playoffs may only be seven weeks away but the races have heated up. As of this writing, the Yankees and Red Sox are in the tightest race for the AL East title, while Detroit and Cleveland are battling in the AL Central. Over in the AL West, the defending pennant winners Texas Rangers and perennial contenders the LA Angels are in a tight spot for winning the division. If the ALDS began, both the Sox and the Yankees may end up in the postseason either as a Wildcard entry or as division champions. The same can be said in the NL East, where Philadelphia and Atlanta are battling for the top spot. Again either may end up in the Wildcard or win the division if the NLDS began. The NL Central is a toss-up between the Brewers, seeking its first division title since 1982, and perennial playoff contenders the Cardinals. And in the NL West, Arizona and defending World Series champs San Francisco are locked in a close war for the division title.

In June, the feel-good stories belong to the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have never had a winning season since Bush 41's presidency, while the Nats seek a winning season for the first time since moving to DC six years earlier. And I mean over .500 ball, not at .500 ball. However, the Pirates are back in a slump, while old Davey J had destroyed the Nats chemistry since taking over from resigned manager Jim Riggleman. And speaking of old men, Jack McKeon of the Marlins isn't changing his team's fortunes at all. Obviously, you can't win games with great-granny managers anymore, except if you're Casey Stengel, but that was long before Twitter came. And speaking of issues, the Dodgers' debt issues, the Mariners' lengthy losing streak, the Astros' new management and Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano's freefall isn't making any good at all for their respective organizations. However, the Dan Uggla 33-game hitting streak and Jorge Posada's vengeful return from the doghouse make up for it.

Obviously, I'm for the Red Sox but the World Series winner isn't clear just yet. Can't wait for September to end.

Thesis

This past Tuesday, I was able to submit my thesis with an intention to defend it two weeks from now. My thesis is a 96-page screenplay about a fictional famous rock musician who suffered injuries from an automobile accident and seeks to regain his career and life through not only an arduous rehabilitation, but also a journey into sobriety and a stranger who eventually fell in love with him. I spent the entire summer break writing the first draft, and spent much of the term editing it. At first I found it tiring and difficult to finish editing the drafts, but I eventually grew comfortable, even if I exhausted myself doing them. I was able to finish them last week, and then printed and ring-bound four copies of the screenplay. By Tuesday it was all ready to be submitted, which I did.

Also this past Tuesday, some of my other majors mates submitted their thesis, composing of children's books, coffeetable books and screenplays. This week, my other majors mates are submitting their thesis composing of music videos, short films, documentaries, TV programs, and photo essays. Good luck with them, and we're also looking forward to the defense proper on August 24. We can't wait to graduate.

What Might Have Been (Part Three)

The final stop on my 'What Might Have Been' tour heads to Espana, in UST. So I applied for that school and scheduled an entrance exam in early December 2007. The exam was easy, believe me, but the timing wasn't right. When the results came I only ended up waitlisted, then I realized that a lot of students took the entrance exam earlier than I did. Thus, to Taft Avenue I went; after receiving the letter, I was informed that I passed the DLSUCET.

Imagine what happened had I passed UST. If I chose a course related to the Liberal Arts courses, it would be much shorter and more manageable, and I might have a chance to graduate in March 2012. But UST, being a conservative university, requires students to wear a uniform depending on their course. Thus my possibility of studying in the country's oldest university was taken out of the equation, even if they celebrate their quadricentennial on my senior year.

So the road I took was within Taft Avenue, and not in Katipunan, Espana or in Diliman. Had I ended up in the latter three, it might have been much longer for me to endure my college education. However, I was about to turn 18 at the time, and most of my batchmates were around 15 or 16 years old, so the destination is to a university where I can finish a degree in a shorter period of time, and to find work at a much younger age than I expect.

To De La Salle I went, and the rest is history.

What Might Have Been (Part Two)

The next stop on my 'What Might Have Been' tour took me across Katipunan Avenue. Obviously, I'm talking about Ateneo. After all, I used to be a fan of the Blue Eagles since they won the basketball title in 2002. But when I took the simulation test in a review center, it became clear that the school wasn't going to be my destined playground. Answering the ACET in the shortest amount of time really bothered me. Ateneo has a high expectation rate for passing, that is why they expect students to answer the ACET in the shortest period of time. But I was unable to keep up. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try when I submitted my application for the ACET.

On the day of the ACET, I feel nervous. I don't know how will I feel if I answer the test. Nevertheless, I tried to keep my head up. During the exam itself, it became clear that I couldn't keep up. Time is not on my side after all. And when I finished the exam, I gave myself a C- overall.

By February it was obvious that Ateneo was out of the question. But there are more reasons other than the exam itself. I took the ACET in an open-air classroom, without air conditioning. The school is so outdated even if they have modernized their facilities. It was like grade school all over again, with the summer heat sapping the energy out of me. Then the size and altitude of the school itself presents a challenge. Ateneo is situated in the foothills of the Marikina Valley, so the climb definitely presents a lot of bumps along the way. To go to and from various buildings, a tricycle is provided to you, if you're not in the mood to walk. The cost, however, is much more staggering than the IKOT-TOKI jeeps of UP. Finally it was the school's passing rate that digs in. Like UP, Ateneo has a low passing rate, also at around 20%. So my chances were also at a long shot.

I never regretted about not passing the ACET. It did present a challenge for me back in senior high to perform better in the next two entrance exams. Even after Ateneo won three straight UAAP Basketball titles from the next year until now, I still feel proud. My 'What Might Have Been' tour takes me to Espana, next.

What Might Have Been (Part One)

Tomorrow is the second day of the UPCAT, for the high school seniors aspiring to enter the University of the Philippines. Today is Day 1, and looking back at what might have been, had I entered UP, I would've followed my elder cousins who ended up studying in the vast tree-laden campus in Diliman. Instead I realized that UP was too big for me.

I thought about applying for the UPCAT during summer vacation in 2007. I thought long and hard, then I realized I don't want to apply for the UPCAT because of these reasons. First off, a not-so realistic passing chance. UPCAT is taken up by so many HS seniors every year, but only around 20% would pass the test. So I found out that my chances are a long shot. During my time at the review school, I realized how hard is the UPCAT when I took the simulation test. Next up is the location. UP after all isn't only located in Diliman, but is also located in Los Banos, Manila, Baguio and in various other locations in the Philippines. If I passed, that doesn't mean I would take my talents to Diliman, the lead dog among UP campuses. And then, had I ended up in the Diliman campus, I would have a lot of trouble keeping pace with the college schedule that UP offers. The cost, of course, really bothers me. Going to various campuses with either the IKOT or the TOKI jeep would cost me a fortune. Finally, I didn't apply for UP because their basketball team is so mediocre. Taking account the 0-14 campaign they had in 2007, it really feels humiliated for me if I ended up in UP.

So with UP out of the question, the next trip of my 'what might have been' tour will head across Katipunan Avenue.

Where Was I?

So it's been almost a month since I last blogged. First of all, I was so busy about my thesis that I seem to forget about blogging right now. The thing is, my thesis work is the most meticulous thing I've ever done. My mentor seems to demand a lot from me, from the scenes that fit the film all the way to the roles of a particular character. That explains why, that I had to focus more and more on my thesis because of my extremely demanding thesis mentor.

Now that I'm close to finishing my thesis work, I found some time to reflect on the three years and a term that college has offered to me. First of all, I failed three subjects in all my college life. Two have been made up, and I'm taking one more, with the hope of finally making it all up. As a result, I was a late enrollee from late in frosh year onwards. Then, I found out that befriending unfamiliar people was tough in the beginning, but I eventually overcame the dilemma. It was reminiscent of high school, where it was tough love at the beginning, but eventually tender loving care in the end. Next came my encounters with the toughest teachers of your life, my professors. Some professors were easygoing, some are brutal and demanding, but no matter who they are, they are here to help ease the burden and make a student stronger. Finally, the best part of college life is the free cut. There are some dates where the professors wakes up sick or just decides to postpone a class for an important function. No matter the purpose, a free cut is always a student's best friend. It makes you get out free and take your act somewhere else, either for school work or just the bums.

Now where was I? Here I am, my final term, the final few, giant steps towards finishing college. After all, anything is indeed, possible.