From the Vault: 60 2 Do

Bakit sixty? 


Because this is another article I wrote for the college. And 60 because it is the 60th anniversary of our college.

Ang mga superheroes, hindi basta basta nagiging superhero. Dumaraan din sila sa mga pagsubok at pagsasanay! Ang mga iskolar ng bayad, ganun din. Di lang basta basta nagiging iskolar ng bayan. Oras na para maging isang tunay na Isko at Iska! Pero papaano? Basahin ang sumusunod na ilan sa mga bagay para ikaw ay maging isang tunay na isko!

1. Hindi maaring magutom! Kaya mamili ng hot monay with cheese sa askal. Dahil paglipas ng mga taon nila sa UP, malilimutan na nila ang value ng pagkain, higit lalo ang breakfast.

2. Damhin ang kalikasan. Mag nature tripping sa Lagoon.

3.  Automatic na dapat ito, pero manood ka ng Lantern Parade!

4. Saan ka man nanggaling, burgis man or promdi, dapat ikaw ay makakain at makatikim ng isaw!

5. Kung masobrahan man sa pagkain ng monay at isaw, wag kalimutan ang jogging sa acad oval!

6. Pero kung sobrang dilim sa acad oval, isa lamang ibig sabihin nito at iyon ay Pailaw na! Manood ka nito!

7. Hindi ka din makakapag jogging kung sobrang daming tao at mid-February na, dahil ibig sabihin noon ay UP FAIR na!!!1!!?!,!!. Halata bang big thing ito?

8. Kaso pag fair, mahirap sumakay ng jeep pauwi, so dapat mapatunayan mo na walking distance lang ang anumang point sa UP, kaya maglakad mula Math Building hanggang gym!

9. Ngunit tandaan, ayaw nating maging forever alone, kaya’t sumali ka sa org! Acad org man yan, or frat/soro, or provincial org, or hobby org. Kung di naman yan ang trip mo, just make sure na merong kang mga astiging friends.

10. At pag meron ka ng sariling Justice League mo, halika na at tumambay sa Sunken Garden!

11. Syempre, nakagugutom tumambay, kaya after tumambay, mag food trip. First up, Kumain sa Roddics!

12. Pero hindi lamang tayo puro tambay at kain dito sa unibersidad na minamahal. Para pampalakas ng school spirit, panoorin ang UP Pep squad, sa UAAP CDC kung kaya.

13. At kung tatak UP na lang ang usapan, sumakay ng isang buong ride ng ikot at toki. Dagdag na challenge, patagalan ng nakasakay sa ikot o toki ng isang beses lang nagbabayad.

14. Kailangan din natin ng pag unlad, di lamang sa loob ng silid aralan. Isa sa mga magandang paraan para dito? Manood ng mga theatrical play!

15. Kung ayaw mo naman lumabas sa apat na sulok ng silid aralan, okay lang yan. Umattend ka na lamang ng ACLE.

16. Kapag ka nasa UP, dapat, praktikal at madiskarte, kaya manguha ng freebies!

17. At kung praktikal at sulit na food trip ang usapan, food trip na sa KNL!

18. Speaking of food trip, kung sawa na sa KNL, kaunting kembot lang at kumain na sa mga kainan along Maginhawa!

19. Kung may extra money ka naman, why don’t you know, like try eating along Katipunan?

20. Ngunit kung tinatamad namang lumabas ng campus, aba, marami naman within peyups!  Sa Lutong Bahay, sa SC, sa mga food carts!

21. Habang nasa loob ka pa ng campus, bakit hindi mo bisitahin si Oble? Yung totoo ah, at hindi siya yung nasa harap ng Quezon Hall (alam mo ba yung Quezon Hall?) Nasaan si Totoong Oble? Abangan..mamaya!

22. OR, kung di ka naman makapaghintay na, puntahan at pasukin LAHAT ng buildings sa UP!

23. Pero tandaan, WALANG building na TBA ang pangalan! Therefore, dapat maexperience mo din ang mabiktima and/or mangbiktima ng TBA!

24. At isa sa mga buildings na ito ay ang Vargas Museum. Sulit na sulit ang pagbisita dito. (Side quest, may cafe sa tabi nito, baka gusto mo ding mag food trip dun? :D)

25. Umalis naman tayo sa UP, kaya kahit man lang isang beses ay sumama ka sa isang field trip ng inyong klase!

26. Pag uwi mo galing sa field trip, pagod ka syempre. Magandang pamparelax? Makinig sa UP Carilion.

27. Para kumpleto na ang pagrerelax, bumili ng dinner sa may Area 2 at kainin ito sa may track oval.

28. Doon ulit tayo sa school spirit. Para kumpleto na, bumili ka ng mga UP shirt, lanyard, jacket, bag, or ano pa man!

29. At habang suot suot ang UP shirt mo na bagong bili, umattend ka na din ng mga seminar at forum. Boring pakinggan, pero sulit yan.  

30. Or kung gusto mo naman ng maaksyon, manood ka ng laro ng UP Fighting Maroons, mapa basketball man or ano mang sports.

31. Balik tayo sa acads. Ang masasabi ko lang, hindi kumpleto ang UP experience mo kung hindi ka  pumila para sa enlistment ng subject!

32. Para di ka naman magutom habang nakapila, kumain ka ng fishball at pancit canton!

33. Palakihin pa ang iyong social circle sa pamamagitan ng pag attend sa mga dorm activites like Open houses!

34. At kasama ang iyong mga bagong dormer friends, manood ng mga sobrang mura, or minsan ay libre pa nga na movies sa film center.

35. Dapat din lagi kang updated, kaya magbasa ng mga official publications ng peyups.

36. Matapos basahin, may tatlo kang pwedeng gawin. Itabi ang mga ito, i-recycle, o kaya’y gamitin ang mga ito para mag iwan ng giant message sa sunken garden.

37.  Kung ibang giant naman ang gusto nyong makita, tulad ng mga planeta at bituwin, mag observe sa observatory given the chance.

38. Sabihin natin na gusto mo namang tumambay, sa FC ng lang para makapanood ng mga nagrerehearse.

39. Pwede ka ding mag library. Double purpose na, masarap ng mag-aral dito, masarap pang tumambay at matulog.

40. Pero kung ayaw mong tumambay at ang tipo mo ay maglibot, pwede mag explore ng mga iba't ibang grafiti and vadalism sa mga pader at desks.

41. At kung sa iyong paglilibot ay nakita mo si Oble, magpapicture ka sa kanya.

42. On second thought, wag gagawin ang number 41. May curse daw kasi. Ang gawin mo na lang, alamin ang mga curse stories sa UP.

43. At dahil nabanggit na si oble, wag kalilimutang manood ng Oblation Run!

44. Kung mapapasigaw ka at mapapamura sa makikita sa Oblation Run, isave mo na lamang ang lahat ng ito para sa iyong pagsusumpa kay CRS. Madalas dalas mong gagawin yan.

45. Ang isa pang madalas na mangyayari ay makita si Zoro. Kaya meet and greet Zoro!

46. Madalas din ang mga rally at walk out, makiisa, makisama! (Pero yun lamang ay kung umaayon ka sa kanila at naiintindihan mo talaga ang gagawin mo).

47. Isa pang bagay na dapat ay naiintindihan mo bago pumasok ay ang magka lovelife. Parte ng buhay yan, kaya wag na tayo mahiya at tayo ay palaging...

48. maging open mided. Hindi mo lubus lubusang ma e enjoy ang mga nakalista dito, at ang buong UP experience kung hindi ka open minded.

49. Dahil malapit na ang rainy season, isa sa mga must do ay ang maghintay hanggang lagpas hating gabi para sa announcement na walang pasok. Lahat ng ibang schools, wala ng pasok, tayo, kahit announcement wala pa.

50. Kaya papasok ka kinabukasan, pero nagdadasal ka pa rin na sana masuspend ang class. Masususpend ito pag wala ka ng natitirang class at wala ng ulan. Nakakastress ba?

51. Kung stressed ka na, mag declare ng self declared holiday. Ayusin lang ang timing.

52. Pwede ding pang alis stress ang paglalaro ng bilyar at duckpin sa alumni center.

53. Matapos mawala ang iyong stress, i share ang good vibes at maglakad lakad sa campus at mag hi sa mga tao.

54.  Dahil malakas na ang loob mo, mag sit in sa isang class na hindi mo naman talaga class

55. Itodo na din ang confidence at lakas ng loob at pumasok na naka pambahay na attire

56. Pag may nagtanong sayo, sabihin mo gumagawa ka lang ng music video. Speaking of which, maghanap ng music video na nag shoot sa campus at hanapin kung saan ito sa campus.

57. Pero dahil nga nasa UP tayo para mag aral, mag aim ka na maka uno kahit minsan, kahit pe or cwts lang.

58. Subukan din ang maglakad along the university avenue, mas okay din kung may mga sunflower na.

59. At kung may sunflower na, kahit walang connect, kabisaduhin ang UP Naming Mahal. Kailangan mo kasi yang kantahin sa graduation mo, whic means na ang huling must do sa UP ay..

60. Grumaduate!

From the Vault: Survival Tips

Bakit?


This article is something I wrote for our college, so, enjoy!

            So you’ve finally made it to the premier university in the country. But as a famous saying in the campus goes “Mahirap makapasok, mas mahirap makalabas.” Passing the UPCAT and enrolling in UP won’t mean anything if you can’t graduate, be it on time or not. In short, you need to survive in UP! Since we are ‘sUPer students’, where else can we look for advice but from the best super heroes out there? So we would be looking at two famous super hero teams; the original line-up of the Justice League, and the Avengers in the recently released movie of the same name. Let’s start shall we?

The Justice League

            First of all, one of the most important thing to remember when in UP is to be quick and fast, like The Flash. One must be quick to think and fast to react. UP won’t wait for you to get yourself ready, in and out the classroom. Being late is not an option, and always remembers that deadlines are really deadlines.  Being quick and fast also helps a ton when it comes to buying your lunch during jam-packed lunch breaks, or trying to catch a ride, be it a jeepney or a cab, or being the first one to use the shower in the morning.

            Most of us are familiar with the concept of culture shock, and it should come as no shock (pun intended) that a lot of iskos and iskas experience culture shock. There would be those that came from province, or graduated from exclusive high schools, and some even came from outside the country. Aquaman came from the City of Atlantis under the oceans before spending most of his crime fighting time on land. You would experience culture shock, or some variety of it, at one point or another, but that is not the point. What is important is to be able to adapt. If you are a freshman reading this, you would spend at least four years in the university, and you wouldn’t be able to survive here without adapting. That does not necessarily mean changing your lifestyle or attitude. It simply means getting to know how things work around here, and then adjusting yourself to it accordingly. It is not easy, it is never easy, but hey, you are in UP, where nothing is easy.   

            Speaking of culture shock, most attribute it to being alone, to not having any friends to be with, to the feeling that you are like a Martian from Mars that came to Earth. Well, do you know who really (well, not really-really, but comic book-really) came from Mars and was the lone Martian on Earth? Martian Manhunter (or less known as J’onn J’onzz) that is! He was accidentally pulled to Earth by an experimental teleportation beam, and thus, he was the lone Martian on a planet of Earthlings. But hey, he found the Justice League who he considers as friends. In the same vein, it would help your survival here in UP if you have your own group of friends. You can find friends from your blockmates, or from various organizations, such as hobby orgs, academic orgs, and provincial orgs. While it is the common notion that UP promotes and develops independence, that shouldn’t come at the price of being forever alone. To put it simply, let me say it this way: The value of having friends can never be overstated.

             Moving on, among the things that I discovered to be useful while being in UP can be described using one word, “willpower”. The same willpower that, through his ring, gives Hal Jordan, The Green Lantern, his powers. There would be countless times when your confidence would be shaken, when you would doubt yourself, when you would be demotivated to the point that you would feel so worthless, when you would simply want to give up. It is not an issue of IF, but an issue of WHEN. Trust me, it would happen. The thing to remember is to be able to have enough willpower to continue, to stand up after falling. No one gets out unscarred. You would get hurt, you would lose and you would fail. But at the same time, you would stand up, you would be better, and you would succeed. And that would only happen if you have willpower.

            Just a quick question, do you recognize that Wonder Woman has a lasso? She has and it is called the Lasso of Truth, which forces anyone it catches to tell the truth. Now, I don’t know if this should be filed under ‘survival tips’, or under ‘everyday things’, but while in UP, and even out of it, tell the truth! I won’t make this long, it is not worth it to lie, or cheat. Let me repeat that, IT-IS-NOT-WORTH-IT. Keep honest, tell the truth, and just stay on the right track.

            Okay, given that you now a UP student, it only follows that you are one of the best students in the country. Which means that you are pretty awesome on your own. But you would even excel and achieve more if you are in a group. Much like Batman. Batman is an incredible superhero on his own, but he couldn’t do it all alone. There are just some opponents that could be bested with the help of the League. Like I’ve said earlier, surround yourselves with friends, but in this particular instance, friends that do more than just hang out with you. Have study groups before an exam, or have a discussion about that long reading that was assigned to your class, or solve problem sets together. Of course, you would accomplish an exam and other individual requirements on your own, but that doesn’t mean that you have to prepare for it alone. Not to mention that there would be a lot of requirements that are to be done as a group, and learning how to work within a group is such a vital lesson to learn.

            Now, we go to the man in blue, one of the most famous superheroes of all time, Superman. The Man of Steel has often been referred to as being the boy scout among the superheroes. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know what they say about boy scouts, that is that boy scouts are always ready. Likewise, UP students should also always be ready. Do not go to your classes unprepared. Do your homework, read the assigned readings, always have your course syllabus with you, have some extra money in case of emergency, always bring an umbrella, and never forget to bring your pen and paper. It goes a long way to at least have an idea of what you is being discussed in class. UP is a microcosm of the real world, and much like in the real world, there would be a lot of instances that would and could catch you in surprise. The only preparation against this is therefore to always be ready for any situation that may arise.

The Avengers

            Having an observant eye could be one of the most underrated skills to have while in UP. A sharp eye, like that of Hawkeye. For starters, your teachers most of the time would write a lot on the black board, or flash text heavy powerpoint slides. Do not be surprised if your teacher does not wait for you to finish copying everything before they erase the notes on the board or move on to the next slide. It is imperative therefore to be able to have a quick eye and spot all the important words and key ideas in all those texts presented to you. During exams, it would also greatly help if you would be more stringent in reading the instructions, the questions, as well as the answers. For instance, there would be some true or false exams that would instruct you to write F for true, and T for false, or in Math, multiple choice answers whose only difference is the sign or placement of the decimal point.  Outside the class room, being observant also help. Room numbers most of the time follow a pattern, and getting familiar with said pattern greatly helps. I’ll give one more example that maybe even the non-freshmen hasn’t noticed. Have you noticed that Ikot and Toki jeeps have yellow roofs? While Katipunan bound jeepnes are marooned/browned roofed. Going to Philcoa? Ride the jeepneys that are of green roofs with yellow on its side, while if you are thinking of going to SM North, or MRT, or Pantranco, the jeepneys with the pure green roofs are the ones to ride.

            So you are surrounded by the following people: The God of Thunder, a master assassin proficient with the use of deadly arrows, a hulking green giant with anger management issues, a genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist with a super powered suit of armor, and a legendary super soldier that lives up to the legend, how would you feel? Most would feel like an ant among people, but not Black Widow. Even among all these marvellous beings, she does not shy away and actually holds her own. The message is simple, even if everyone seems so special and you seem to be normal does not mean that you can’t do anything. You’ll encounter a lot of people that make it seem like getting a grade of uno is a part of their daily routine. The key is to not compare yourself to these people and just hold your own. Do your stuff, and do it in your absolute best. If you keep comparing yourself to others, your just wasting time that could have been used to actually catch up to them. 

             Quick question! What is one thing that Thor can do that no one else can? Lift up his hammer, the Mjolnir. No one else can do it. Likewise, there would be things that only you can do, or at the very least, be the best in doing it. There would be always someone better than you, that is just a reality of life, but even to those people better than you, there would be specific things that you would do better than them. It all goes back to having confidence.

            It could be said that UP is an obstacle course that challenges your physical limitations, mental prowess, social capabilities, and emotional capacity. With that in mind, keeping your emotions under control actually helps a lot during your stay in UP. Being the master of your emotions is a big thing, just ask the Hulk. All kinds of emotions could work for and against you. There would be times when you would be sad and depressed for whatever reason, be it a failed exam or an important paper that you failed to pass before the deadline, or a subject that you did not pass. The important thing is to not sulk in depression. Angry because you got late or missed a class because of whatever unfortunate accident that wasn’t your fault? Don’t let your anger get the best of you. Because if so, then you risk losing even more, without even actually having to gain something. Your emotions is the proverbial double edged sword; if used properly it would motivate and help push one to newer heights.

            I’ll go straight to the point for this next one; learn to step up as a leader, a leader like Captain America. Some of you reading this might have been leaders already before, while others might have shied away from the responsibility of being a leader. Nonetheless, you would have to take on the mantle of being the lead guy or girl on a team. As I said above, there would be a lot of group requirements, and at one point or another, you would have to lead. Even outside the classroom, such instances would rise, be it in your group of friends or in your organization. Learning to lead sooner rather than later would be a crucial survival tip while staying here in the campus. After all, we are UP students – future leaders of our generation.

            Finally, we go to the final superhero on the list, Iron Man, who is all sorts of awesome, which translate to a survival tip of...well.... just be awesome. That’s it. Be-freakin’-Awesome.

             

Image sources:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdYT8K0IAoI0OM6PSxd7se-AyRrLtt0gVVkWp1kzS5-Mf2Sdbiwm3qmYYXWwhLLGUndhrK2crKEGBrbiWTGbMoLI5ww6egb0HWLqpLKIwoURcEHgK6_cdE1O39-zZXihmMCdsOk2TLzk/s1600/Justice-League.jpg

http://botecogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/The-Avengers-2012-Movie-Promo-Cast-Image.jpg

  

Thinking Out Loud - Caught in the Middle

Bakit ba pag wala ka na, ako'y kulang? Ako'y kulang?

Have you ever had that feeling that you missed out on something? Like when you look back that the things that you have done, you wish you could have done more, or done it better? When you see other people having fun and thinking, "Why couldn't have I do that too?"

Yeah, I know, it sound sourgraping. And yes, I also know that if I keep dwelling on this the chances are I would be missing out on opportunities to actually have fun, in essence, to live!

But let me just share what I have in mind right now. It's just that, i feel like I have never really lived in the moment, I never lived in the present. I was either in the past, or in the future.

When I entered college, and through my first three years, I lived with my brother, together with his (and eventually mine as well) friends and orgmates. It was a great house, definitely a home away from home. One of the most unforgettable moments of my life. Something I would never regret. I was 16 back then, and most of them were around 20 years old. It was great! I heard countless stories that would make them laugh until the break of dawn, moments wherein even with the lights turned off, all it took was a slight remark from someone to elicit their memories from years past and trigger a night of laughter and stories. Drunken nights, timeless stories, real friendship. It was priceless.

Back then, I swore to myself to have friends similar to those that my brother had. Not that I want to be like my brother, this is not a case of me comparing myself to him. It is just a case of seeing something so great, and wishing to have something that would have the same effect. Not the same, but just something alike. I just wished to have friends to grow up with, make mistakes with, and have experiences that later on would be stories to tell and laugh about. In a nutshell, I want to be in a similar situation as my kuyas and ates were when I first met them.

But of course, them being older than me, they had to move on to other things. Work, career, some even started or will start their own families. Every now and then, we would still get together, though I think we have not been complete for at least two years. That being said, I started to develop new friendship with new people, mostly those that are younger than me. This was the set up for the next two years, and most likely for this coming 6th and final year.

During those years, I saw them live out stories similar to those that I have heard from my kuyas and ates. Adventures, growing up together, making mistakes and looking like idiots. Laughter, cries, screams, high fives, hugs, and songs sang on the karaoke. I was around 19 or 20 at that time, they were 16 or 17.

You know where this one is going.

Back when I was 16, looking at my 19 year old friends, I caught a glimpse of what I want, a part of my future to be like. To be able to tell tales of experiences that would be so simple, yet so memorable.

When I was 19, looking at my 16 year old friends, I caught a glimpse of what I wanted my a part of my past to be. To be able to experience adventures that would translate to tales the would be so simple, yet so memorable.

In essence, I missed the present.

Sure, I do laugh, real laugh with them. Whenever I hear the stories of the past, or see stories happen in real time, I laugh my heart out. But the difference is, I was never a part of it.

When my brother and his friends shared stories, I laughed together with them, I had a grand time. Mostly because those stories were great and funny. But they who have experienced it themselves would be feeling something deeper. They would be reliving some of their best memories.

When I see my friends go through great, and at time embarrassing experiences, I am with them in laughter and fun. But I could never tell those stories with much joy and bliss as they would be able  to, as I was never a part of it.

It is like similar to being the cameraman. You take the picture, you see the picture, you know a lot about the picture, when it was taken, where, who was in it. BUT, you never are a part of the picture.

And now, I'm on my last year. I spent the first three years of my college life wishing to have that special bond, and I have seen in the latter two years those bonds being formed by other people.

One year to go, is it too late for me?