Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Insane in Septembrain: seven songs that remind me of the bar exams but has nothing to do with the bar exams

Arbitrary, the name of the game...


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well, do you remember? the 21st night of september?



wala na dapat maramdaman, dahil, eto na, eto na, eto na, WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!


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i ask you, who wouldn't be?





i am not ready, i haven't finished anything yet, i haven't found what i am looking for... which is preparedness...



mahirap, pero this is too legit, for me to quit! (hey, hey!)

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to me, everything is feel like dance, i understand the first three words, then everything else is gibberish...



or am i just paranoid?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

BUSES AND TRAINS: or studying while on board a Common Carrier

I have always been a commuter. From the time I learned to read during my DSWD Day Care years when I finally abhorred reading in my Civil Law Review Class, I have always been travelling from my Family Home to a place where there is hierarchical structure and chronological pattern of learning or what is known as an educational institution. So yes, I’m used to reading or studying while on board a moving vehicle.
Not only am I lazy, I think I’m the laziest in class, at one point, the only time I do get to study was when I was moving 30-50kph. In school there were always friends you talk to, and at home, well, there is the TV, the bed, the computer and of course, Chismis.

So my study habits have been restricted. Although it did cost me since i was able to finish law school in five years and was kicked-out of my former school, as they say, there is always that silver lining. I honed my reading whole travelling skills. So in the spirit of the “it’s almost tomorrow” bar exams, let me rate and somehow give tips on how to study while a stranger sleeps on you shoulder while you are crossing Mabuhay Rotonda.

(and yes, this will be in order)

The Top 8

Pedicabs
For its almost non-moving pace, and the exposure to the elements not to mention the fact that you only ride them on short distances, it is not very conducive for studying, probably you will be able to finish a doctrine or two, but the window between the time you reach for your codal and the time you will reach your destination is almost non-existent, so I just don’t bother. And really, the cost of riding one pedicab is almost a meal in your favorite carinderia. So, walk, now, it’s actually easy to read while walking than in riding a pedicab with the dirty toes of manong driver showing every few seconds is not really worthy.

Tricycle
Now, although pedicabs and tricycles are relatives within the fourth degree of affinity or consanguinity, they are two different classes. For starters, it’s cheaper, and when I say cheaper, it does not include the special rides. If like me, a tricycle ride takes minutes, then you could actually read while in a tricycle, given that the time is not that short to waste, but not long enough to actually read an entire SCRA, but you could read a few provisions, plus the time you use while waiting for other passengers, you can squeeze about three or four provisions.

MRT
Well, of all the light transits, this one ranks the lowest. The crowd is just not reader friendly, not at all, people squeezing you in dragging you out, coughing on you, it is just not that friendly, but on times, you can actually read something, just hope people will not be pushing too hard. And I hope that that will not be pun, especially for the ladies.

LRT Line 1
I was not able to experience much of LRT 1, but the times I got on this train, it was very… um, discriminating. The people that are used to it, can read, can actually read while on it, in spite of the LRT smell, and in spite of the Martial Law technology. For us who are not used to such a scenario, it is a Caso Fortuito. But I could see that a few but continuous rides can make you used to it. For the small number of times I rode the train I have seen a lot of people studying inside. Well, the many students that take the LRT 1, a fraction will surely harness the power to actually do that.

Jeepneys
Ah, it is very easy to read while riding a Jeepney. Thre will be no distraction as the seats are facing each other, and there are only two things your eyes could do if it doesn’t want to meet other eyes, its either it closes and sleeps or go to the nearest readable, well, anything. How else do you think we know all the jeepney poetry that is “Barya lang po sa Umaga” or “Basta Driver Sweet Lover”? So it is easy to study, there are only a few inconveniences, first, the passing of fare. Especially if you are situated near the driver, it is almost impossible to finish a sentence much more a case digest. Second, remember the other option for the eyes, well, yes, passengers actually sleep, worse, they include you as their pillow, if not their bed. Third, the loud sounds, no one can study while the jeep’s sound system is pounding your brain out.

LRT line 2
The light rail transit a student can depend on. To begin with, it is very spacious, secondly, the air-conditioning works…well, and the floor is not that gross to actually sit on. This is the train I memorized most of codal provisions in my first year in law. Actually, all of the codal provisions.

FX
Cold, sometimes. Comfortable, it depends. Spacious, only in front. But a lot of students do their final study while riding an FX, I would have ranked it lower than two, but my entire college life, I was riding, and hence, I was studying in an FX. Filipino design, japanese maker, what else could you ask for? Well, still a lot. But up until now, you see dozens of students cramming inside an FX. While the other dozen is still sleeping.

Bus
My number 1… well, the passengers do not bother you with their fare, you can actually feel the air-conditioning. It’s fast. And well, although there are the occasional passenger who mistake you for a bed, that does not happen as much in jeepneys. So yes, when I go to the bar exams, I’ll be riding a bus, and guess what I will be doing on my way to La Salle? Yup, I’ll probably be sleeping.










written a few days before the bar exams

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Dear Ning,


Kamusta bakasiyon mo? ako, eto pa rin nag rereview, bad trip talaga tong meralco, nag bro-brown out pa rin dito. Walang silbi sa bahay kundi bumabad sa internet, o kaya’y kasama ang buong barkada nakatambay sa may kanto. Well, that was a lie, we don’t see each other anymore, alam mo naman na ikaw an gaming organizer and magnet at the same time, we come to you, we come for you. Buti na lang andiyan si Ate Di, kung wala. baka di na namin kilala ang isa’t isa. Oh, Ning, while you were away, the E-heads had their reunion concert, TWICE, yes, the reunion that we were talking about. None of us went, though. I can’t speak for them. But I just didn’t feel like it. I know, know, that was a wasted opportunity, and it was my chance to miss. Speaking of miss, what have you missed so far, how long has it been Ning? 5 years? Well, mag ba-bar exams na ako this September, so please pray for me. So I could continue the profession we have always wanted. Speaking of wants in life. Our good friend Ynna is now teaching, and guess what subject? You’ll love this. Art Appreciation and Philosophy. In love ang bata! Di ba ang saya? Ning last Sunday, nag pa-birthday sina Jey at Mark sa Pampanga. Yup! Pampanga. Our last field trip together, our last out of town. Tapos ngayon 5 years old na si iko. Di kami nakapunta. Sayang. Loy is now married, and now living in Australia, sosiyal si Loy. Greener pastures ito. Si Cindy went back to law school. Along with Rina, Mel, Berna, Bryan, Angel at Bis. Francine and Jhet are getting married next year, January 22 ang date, And guess what? Ninong ako! Weird that I was a principal sponsor before I can even be a secondary one. Isa pa yang si Charo na greener pastures, asa Dubai! Hiwalay na sila ni Don. Mahaba din na istorya. Si Father, nawawala. Mahaba-haba ang kwento. Si Meg ay mayaman na. At least that is what we heard. Di na nag pakita yan. Si Nikki lumabas daw sa Wowowee, napanuod mo ba? Ako hindi. May link sa internet pero nung sinabi sakin ni nikki yung website, lasing ata ako, di ko maalala eh. We’ve met Cecille, Karl’s girlfriend, I don’t know if you’ve met before, but we like her, I’m sure if she’d have met you, she would have loved you as well. Jun, Randy and Chen are now Florence Nightingales. Si Luis asa Chowking, si Tse asa eroplano, si jheng at Lyndon, wala ako balita. Ate Fleur is now a Doctor so is Sir Mommy. Filio almost die (his words) di nga kami nakadalaw, kasi lumabas na daw siya sa hospital nung balakin namin. Hospital, Ning, our last memory together. With Tita Nira, na Fb friend ko ngayon. St. Lukes. Sa semi-ward na may exhaust fan sa taas ng bed mo, na pinakain mo pa kami ng croissant na bigay lang din pala ng bisita mo for you.

I can’t shake off the feeling that I’ve wasted my final minutes with you, making fun of your room, making fun of you. But I am happy as well, that the last time we saw each other, we were all laughing, at ourselves, at our memories. But, I wish we could have more time, not in that hospital, but in life. You’ve left us too soon, too soon.


We use to go home together, leaving in the same district, we always have fun when we ride the FX laughing all the way through EspaƱa, Quezon Avenue, and Commonwealth. Remember when we made two total strangers become friends? I remember that we always talk about that our FX rides are always “bitin” funny, how you made a metaphor about life being like an FX ride, I didn’t know at that time that you were making your life the ultimate example of your own metaphor.

Get Togethers are not the same without you, music is not same without you, siomai is never the same without you.

I also can’t shake the feeling that you went of a broken heart, and I mean, literally and figuratively. And February 13? One day before Valentines day? Bitter, much? Hehe

I can’t shake the feeling that you are still here with us, guiding us.

You are ning. You are always present. You are always present tense. You are our own gerund. You are our proper noun, you are our noun, and you are our verb. You make us, you describe us, you define us. You are N-ing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NING! We love you. Till we see each other again!

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Naalala kita pag umuulan
Naalala kita pag kakain na
Naalala kita pag may nadadapa
Naalala kita pag may pamali-mali sa kanta