Proficient Professor

     He enters the room with his usual polo tucked in his pants, his faded cap on, his phone hanging in his neck by a blue lanyard. A cup of coffee on his hand, and a chalk or two on the other. The room shifts to a deafening silence from a loud noise. He asks for a book from one of those who are sitting in the front row. The entire class would then be silent, only responding to Yes sir's from his time to time "Am I making sense?". He would then leave the class for a few minutes, perhaps to refill his cup of coffe, with amath problem for us to answer. The room will be of deep sighs of relief as soon as he is out of earshot.

     Yes, that's how the hour and a half of our Tuesday and Thursday noons go. But between those, we not only learn synthetic divisions and algebraic expressions and polynomials and rational expressions; we learn more than what Leithold and Vance have written in the pages of their books.

     I would answer 'Rimando' to the upperclassmen who ask me who my Math11 prof is. They would give me a sly smile that seems to say been-there-done-that. And it doesn't end there, they would tell me a plethora of stories of terror and cruelty and wickedness, that would of course make me dread our Math11 meetings.

     Yes, those told rumors were eventually witnessed by my very eyes. But there were some details that the rumors had left out, some details that would have made a huge difference if told, but unfortunately weren't.

     "College is only four years, but learning is a lifetime", his words would ring back in my head as I recall him in our previous class. What I see is a clear picture of a man who teaches his subject well, but teaches life's lessons better. I see in my vision a father, a husband, and a precious teacher, rare in quality.

     Professor Rey Rimnado-- he epitomizes the amalgam of cruelty and tenderness, of terror and humor, and of wisdom and intelligence-- an unusual mixture that produces a rare kind <3

COLLEGE - The First two weeks Edition

Everything about college is turning out so well-- by this, I mean, even better than my high expectations of it-- most, if not all, of my blockmates are really nice; I enjoy, so far, all the courses we are studying (most especially History1 and Geology11); no prof had given me a 'terror' impression yet (yeap, even Prof Rimando, surprisingly. He isn't as bad as the stories go, really); and I have been getting along well with not only my roommates, but also my fellow dormmates.

Last week, my dormmates and I went out to buy stuff. We went to Session Road (Rizal Avenue's counterpart in Baguio), bought stuff, checked out ukay-ukay shops, ate out, and between those, we had a blast.

Just awhile ago, I was from Oh My Gulay with some blockmates. It was sort of like ditching History class, but it was not. We were told that we wouldn't be meeting our prof, so we went somewhere to kill our time, which was Oh My Gulay. It's a vegetarian place, with such great ambiance, albeit not too affordable.

Last Monday, after the college orientation, my groupmates and I, from Botany lab class, decided to go to Burnham Park to search for flower pollens for a lab activity on Wednesday. It turned out, we were joined by people from other groups as well, so it was really fun.

Last Saturday, JP and Aze and I went to watch a movie-- Kimmy Dora. We had to sit on the stairs because we were almost late for showing. But, it was still fun, even though we kept on moving because other people were going down by the stairs. 

Tomorrow, I have a plan with Aze and JP to study at UP Library. I know it would be a lot of fun again, it always is.

It seems, by these experiences, that I am having a total blast of college. And I am. But no matter how fun college is, I still miss Palawan-- I miss its hot temperature, I miss the accessible beaches, and most of all I miss my family-- my momma, my tatay, my little sisters, and my oh-so-cute brother. But Palawan is not a single bus ride away, and I have to bear that truth for 5 more months.

When my head is buried in the books, I get preoccupied, and for a while then, I forget all the homesickness and misery and the craving of being home. ;)

First Step - Enrollment

I enrolled last summer in University of the Philippines, Baguio Campus. Flash back few months before, I wouldn't have an inkling thought of passing in the country's most renowned university. I had hoped, wished, yes, but never did I actually imagine of going there.

At sometime in May, I flew to Manila and had a bus ride with Tatay to Baguio, which was approximately 6 hours. Oh, I wouldn't want to remember the longest 6 hours of my life. I wasn't able to do anything but sit - imagine that.

The day before the enrollment, I went to the univ and was planning to had my medical check up taken so I wouldn't be going through a long line on the day of the actual enrollment. Luckily, I was one of the first few people there then, so I get to be one of the first few students in line. But I wasn't lucky enough when it had started raining really hard. I was sitting in an open area, which really exposes me to the coldness. Yeap, Baguio coldness plus rain - you wouldn't want to imagine it. Especially for someone like me who had lived in a hot place for the past 15 years, where it rarely rains hard, called Palawan. I was only wearing a sleeveless and a thin cardigan then. I could vividly remember how I felt the I'm-freezing-to-death feeling. It was such a bad memory.

So at least, I had finished my medical check up well, by myself.

The very next day, I woke up early to avoid the long line that they said are always present during enrollments.I found a mass of people in a lobby in which I assumed was where the enrollees are supposed to be, read the instructions pasted on the board in front, and sat. I had no one to talk to, which was why I eavesdropped on other people's conversation. The girl beside me was talking to her friend about this tv series, Big Bang Theory, which I happen to be watching as well.

The actual enrollment was a fun. Fun in a way that I had not expected it to be. That's, I think, what I get from expecting of the worst. Anyway, we were each given a green paper where all the procedures of the enrollment are written. It was all, as far as I can remember, 11 steps. There's also a venue written in each step and you'll be looking for the venue. You will know if you are in the right venue when you have seen the sign there. It sort of resembles an Amazing Race. It was cool, and I get to know this girl, Nash, when I was lining up for stfap. And she happens to be my blockmate also.

I was almost finished of all the procedures when I saw my friend, Aziel. She was my classmate back during elementary. She happened to pass UPBaguio as well, in the same course I took - BS Biology. I stopped to ask her what block she was assigned, and we were lucky enough to be on the same block.

I'd be flying back to Manila again two days from now, and be really going to college. :)

A Letter to the Future

Dear College,

I have always imagined myself settling down, working, earning for a living, but never have I imagined myself studying for college. Many people would say that college is a scary place, whatever kind of friends you will be hanging out with might make or break you, whatever course you will take up will be your pavement for the future career you want to have, and many else whatevers. 

I will be going to college next month, and yet, I still don't have a tad idea what's it like. I will have to battle against temptations, a myriad of pressure from studies, homesickness, fight against procrastination, be an independent individual, try to fit in, and a lot lot of things that are too scary to think of.

Yeap, I'm all too nervous of a new environment and excited as well.

But whatever college will be like, I wish all the guidance to the Almighty to help me when I'm in my weakest and be a beacon light for me when I don't know where to go.

With Love and wishes,
Sasha

A Letter to The Past

Dear Highschool,

I could still vividly remember the 1st Year orientation I attended when I first entered the gates of Palawan Hope Christian School, which was during that time, only a mere school which I was just forced to enter. Little did I know, this will be home ground for me to improve myself in different aspects and as a whole.

When I was in first year, surprisingly, I didn't have a rough time fitting in in a crowd which already have different cliques of their own. I've had different sets of friends though before I have settled to find the best ones. It was also the same year when we, as freshmen, have struggled to understand the Biology class, which, as far as my memory could remember, we had 3 teachers to have taught us the subject -- one was the good one who decided to migrate to another place, another one who doesn't seem to know what she was teaching, and the last one who was also our health teacher during that time. As a transferee in that Chinese school, I came to struggle to study the Chinese class as well. But all in all, it was a great year for me, to start the four year-battle I will be going through.

In between my first year and fourth year in high school, I, together with my batch mates (which I prefer to be called friends) have gone through different experiences any highschooler could ever experience -- there were the petty fights, the big ones, the struggle of understanding one lesson after another, the battle against procrastination, the art of copying homework from one classmate to another before the class starts, the ever present teamwork during a pop quiz, and the list could go on forever. But behind those, we were molded and honed to be the persons we are now. The Friday Specials, the see-you-at-the-pole every Wednesday, the Bible Study ever month, the annual Positive Values Seminar and a myriad other seminars we were forced to attend, the Junior-Senior Camp, and many others-- they were all a big help.


During my last year in high school, I came to find the best of friends who had brought out the best in me, Kat and Ica, throughout the years. While we struggled to balance our time between thesis and homeworks and musical plays and group works (which need a great dealing with the freeloader) and projects and tests and quizzes, we were also tasked to be an example, as seniors, to the little ones (which sounds really easy, but isn't); and all topped with numerous activities we should head. It was not an easy year for us, but we had a great time together. We learned to handle pressure between activities and studies, because the school administration gave as a hard time.

This was during the retreat. Zoe and Rachelle went pa to our cabin to bring food  and have photo ops. ;)

This was during our Social Studies project when we were told to interview child laborers.  

This was the Valor class. ;)

Here we were, trying to alter the school uniform. HAHAHA

The Courage class. ;)

This was during the Cupid and Psyche musicale. :D

This was taken after the Lights and Sounds had finished. Oh fun, group 1.  :)

COULOR FTW! 

The last night that we were complete, okay minus Tin and Thea and Coreen and Mai. Graduation ball. ♥

The two best people I've spent my four years with. ;)

To top it all off, highschool, as fast as it may seem, will always be the best four years I will ever have. In that four years, we were taught not only the basic knowledge we ought to learn but also how to deal with the life ahead of us. Highschool had carved its own place in my heart that will never be replaced.


With love, 
Sasha