While Waiting...

As I await with formality my name on the elusive graduation list, here are the things I wondered as September went along.

1) The Red Sox on a slump. September hasn't been kind for the Fenway sluggers, who now lost 12 of 16 in September and slipped behind the Yankees in the AL East race, while their closest pursuers in the Wildcard, the Rays, have sneaked a little closer. Pitching and defense hasn't been good while their offense has deserted them.

2) The NFL season got underway and the Patriots won their first game of the season. The three-time Super Bowl champs got a big boost of sorts by signing the ever-controversial Chad Ochocinco, but the question is whether the Patriots could carry the momentum of earning the top seed in the NFC last year and translate them to a fourth Super Bowl triumph this year.

3) The NBA pre-season is three weeks away but the lockout persists. Unless the players and the league agree to a new CBA, no one will see LeBron, KG, Dirk, Kobe, Durant or anybody for that matter, play this season.

4) The Bruins seek a back-to-back Stanley Cup title win, something not achieved since the Red Wings did it 13 years ago. Unlike last year's Blackhawks, whose roster was decimated by a mass exodus of players, the Bruins, save for the retirement of Mark Recchi and the free-agent departures of Tomas Kaberle and Michael Ryder, remain intact, which makes them a contender for the cup. If only the other teams such as the Capitals, Penguins, Sharks and even the Canucks would make life difficult for Boston to win the cup, this is definitely no easy path for the gold and black.

As Green Day sings, "Wake Me Up When September Ends", this is definitely a quiet month for me, but at least there is some noise to wake up my stimuli.

No More First Days of Class

It seems so repetitive to hear the phrase 'first day of class.' I've gotten used to it since the day I came to college. I've seen a lot of things on the first day, from meeting new (or recurrent) professors, receiving the syllabus to acquainting and meeting new friends. Every first day you felt like you're still new to school. Coming from a long, or sometimes short vacation, your mind isn't used to starting over. It tells you that you want more fun. First day is sometimes a disease that you need to get over with, but this eventually evolves into an antibody when you help cope up with freshly-minted lessons and school work.

Every late May, early September and early January, it's always a repetitive cycle; not wanting to go to school an allergy for the many. That goes on for three, four or maybe five years. But once the fulfillment of finishing a degree is secured, you go on free and able. Now I no longer am afflicted with this first day allergy. As I'm about to earn my diploma, I continue to reflect on what has happened over the last four years. And this is just the first of some.

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.