Last week, while on my quest to find Sir G, I encountered a board covered with sheets of dilapidated Manila paper. A bulletin board. Two seemingly official papers were pinned on the upper-left of it. While the opposite space was taken up by torn pages from the Philippine Collegian (the University's official school paper). Opinions by various students were scribbled on the lower half. And I was put on halt when I read the words fastfood chains. I saw HRIM {Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management} as I skimmed through it. And I just had to read the whole article.

It was about the HRIM Department's new affiliation program. And, oh, I have to give it to the writer. She was brilliant. She authored an article bloated with lopsidedness. But I will get to the issue of irresponsible journalism in a few paragraphs.

Two semesters ago, I had to undergo a 30-hour training in a UFS {University Foodservice}. It was a course requirement. And I had to juggle that with a couple of major units that also required me to ignore my body's need for rest. We were conducting functions every month. We were required to do written and oral reports every other day. We had quizzes everyday. School was practically killing us but we got through it. Then, the semester after, we needed to work 60 hours in the UFS. Plus, the usual drill: quizess and reports. And Catering that almost robbed me of my sanity. I was always so tired but I loved what I was doing. All the work got me really fired up subconsciously. I was being taught how to become confident, and how to use that esteem to recognize my own potentials.

While, I was away, the department implemented a new program that not only requires the students to work for the UFS but also for three outside foodservices. Namely, Jollibee, Shakey's and Figaro. The set-up: each student will work 80 hours for each establishment. If I understood it correctly, this would happen on the four final semesters, a different establishment every semester. And during their senior year, the students would be given a chance to hold managerial positions, where the company would also provide a stipend. Sounds good, right?

Yes, in fact, it very much does. Heck, I would even work for free. But I would have to think about neglecting my other academic responsibilities. The activity is very sadistic and I am not exaggerating. Even only a required 60-hour training alongside my major subjects was toxic enough and, now, 80 hours? Plus, these establishments are not located inside the University. My monetary needs would increase for I would have to make additional commutation.

It was a mistake when the faculty did not ask for the students' opinion on this project. Where did democracy go? I read that an orientation was conducted but what happened to the consultation part?

There was this one thought written on the freedom board that talked about the training not being appropriate for HRIM students. Since tasks such as washing the dishes and mopping the floor would be assigned. And, obviously, whoever wrote it had no idea what he/she was talking about. She argued that HRIM is a management course, sure, that's what the M stands for after all. But everybody knows how essential the knowledge of a manager is in leading an establishment. Every good leader should know the basic operations of what he/she has been assigned to lead. And that's why we're being taught the basics in the industry. Oh, cleaning tables and waiting on others don't look spiffy and fun at all, but a good career must be built on a strong, detailed foundation. You can't just get hired as an executive without knowing the basics. And even if you do, you'll have to go through one hell of a learning process to become good in your field. We all have to start from the bottom.

In the hospitality industry, you don't just deal with food and travel. You don't just dress up and play Ms. Pretty Face, you work with people. People to lead and people to please. You can't pretend to be the boss, you have to be the boss. You should know everything there is to know. Leaders are supposed to be the experts in their fields. Competence comes with experience

It has also been argued that Jollibee, Shakey's and Figaro are taking advantage of the students. Utilizing them as cheap labor. And, well, I admit that also crossed my mind. In the article, an activist pointed out that UP students are given the education they've been privileged to receive because they are suppose to use it to serve the people and not the magnates. But hey, look, if we're just going to limit our learning inside the university, if we are just going to train in the UFS, how do you suppose we enrich our knowledge? Let me see, outdated equipment and facilities, and the inadequate market? It's not a rich school. A laboratory without even a decent oven? Decades old equipment. The students need to get out there and learn. You can't just depend on theories and just imagine the real world. That's not fun. xP It's better to be out there. It's better and will be easier to serve the people if we are equipped with the right tools.

The training should also become very handy after graduation. It will be easier to get hired if your curriculum vitae brags of several working experiences. It's mostly about competition and we should be able to compete.

This was made a controversy because an HRIM student complained to the Philippine Collegian. I understand her concern. But if I were in her position, I would grab the opportunity. No other school gives this much to their students. They should consider themselves lucky. You'll get through it. It's school, we all get through it if we try. And it's Jollibee! The biggest and most competitive QSR chain in the country. It's Figaro, the biggest Filipino-owned coffee company. Shakey's? I don't know much about it. It's pizza! Haha. xD

To hell with being taken advantage of. I trust our faculty. They have nothing in mind other than giving their students the best education they can give. Seriously, this is for your own good. I'm pretty sure you'll thank them one day. Theories are good, but theories supported by extensive experience? Much, much better.

Okay, now, irresponsible journalism. The HRIM representative was interviewed regarding the issue. To sum up his statement: the new program is actually a very good idea if we set aside the fact that the students would have a hard time managing their already damned schedule. And the author failed to include his views. The article made it sound like the whole student body is rallying against the department, which is very untrue because there is also a group which approves of the implementation. The department is not completely wrong.

So, I say, recess the program. Conduct a better study to improve it. And involve the students.

Now, back to my practicum case analyses. Ta-ta

My whole body is aching. I slept very late. 4AM. Practically, the first time in 7 months. I've been trying to review for the 111 exam. And I wasn't very successful. Darn. I have a very positive feeling of failing - irony is love.

And it's also the first time in 7 months that I've read anything related to Restaurant Management. So tell me I'm doomed. All these French terms are making me woozy.

I haven't received a confirmation from Ma'am Tumanan. I sent her an SMS this morning, asking if I could join her class for tomorrow's test. I can't go to UP today, it'll take up 50% of my time and 75% of my precious energy to commute. C'mon, I live like 10 gazillion miles away from that school. Sigh, I miss the smell of dormitory walls, even the moss-covered shower cubicle tiles. I wish I live in an admin-neglected dorm right now.

Let the 3AM camhoorage do the talking.


Busy staring at nothingness


Wide awake


In need of a nap

I look kind of cross-eyed. xD

Why does UP have to be so hard? Why do UP professors throw us readings and papers of academic agony? Do they get some type of self-fulfillment out of it? But I love the education. I just wish I could be less lethargic. Indolence is eating up my system. After two months of doing almost nothing. Because emptiness is, most definitely, not love.

And look what I woke up to this morning:


Headset, mouse, earphones, data cables,
3 chargers and frustrations

P.S. Update on manwhores. Received a Friendster smile from a 38-year old man. He's married. And he's asking for my number. Tried to convince me we had common friends. And he's bald. O_O

And here, to give you a very vivid example of how pervertedly consumed (by morons) most of the web is:

subject: hey you look very sexy...do you speak english?

If you bothered to read my profile, you would have known the answer.

subject: oh sorry lol....so do you live in the states?

You're okay. But again, my profile would say where I live. And that would be 'Philippines.'

subject: sorry lol i didnt read everything...have you ever been with an american guy before?

It should also say in my profile that I've never had my first date.

subject: is there anything your profile doesnt say?....have you done anythuing with guys beofre?

It ends right there.

That's not even close to the worst MySpace private messages I've received.

Exchange of messages to the subject above where conducted in order to show you how some people can't get a real life.

OMG. What a disappointing ending. Sure, I like unhappy endings but Honey and Clover's is just too much. I felt so sorry for Takemoto-kun. He's too good, it felt bad to see him cry his heart out in that last scene. If it was a crappy drama, I would've laughed all my guts out. O_O (By the way, I'm referring to the Live Action series, not the anime.)

Okay, picture this: he opens the package and sees stacks of sandwiches. He looks and sees four-leaf clovers inside the sandwiches. Then, he eats the first sandwich with all his fervor while tears roll down his cheeks. Crumbs around his lips. His mouth bulging with all the bread. That should've been funny. But it wasn't.

Haha. Here's the actual picture:



It's the first heart-moving series I've seen in a while.

And Morita-san is just not good-looking enough for Hagu-chan!!! Grrr!!! Yes, I am very much affected. The plot is very good though.

It's a must-watch for people who have difficulty knowing what they want to do in life (e.g. myself), it's all about creating, finding and reaching a goal. There were a lot of times that I wanted to burst in tears but I have other people inside this room. I would've been the laughing stock of this house for a month.



I have a cold and have been feeling woozy since I woke up yesterday morning. Thus, I reckon I might have a fever some time soon.

Anyway, I went to Sir Guerrero's pre-practicum class yesterday. He asked me to attend the meeting about two weeks ago. I shared stories about my international practicum. I didn't realize that I was on the floor for too long. And I even forgot to share the dancing-on-the-job requirement and the incident when I accidentally served raw chicken strips. Haha.

After the class, I went to request for a latest copy of my TCG. It was almost 11AM when I rode a Toki to PNB to pay. Then, I went to print the practicum manual. It was already 11:30 when I took a cab from the Shopping Center to the College. I decided to waste money on cab fare because I planned to go to SM early to get my housemate's shoes fixed and so I wouldn't wait for 2 more hours for the office to open. But, lo and behold, it was closed when I finally got there.

I bought a stick of fishballs and walked to Sunken Garden to wait for time to pass by. Watched Fushigi Yuugi on my PSP and after I exhausted it, I started reading the manual. A few seconds after, two ladies approached me.

Of course, I pretty much figured what they wanted from me. There are only two reasons why a stranger would invade your Sunken Garden moments. It's either to sell you something or to "evangelize" you. When I realized that it was the latter, I politely told them I wasn't a Christian. But they said it was fine because they don't mean to convert me, they just wanted to share. I wanted to say "you use the term evangelize but you just mean to share?" Anyway, there really was no escape but to bluntly turn them down. I didn't do that.

With a far look, I listened. Moments like those are always the longest five minutes of my life. Then, when they asked about my religion -- if I was a Catholic, I told them again that I wasn't a Christian. Maybe, they don't really know the commonalities of Catholicism and Christianity. Anyway, I eventually told them that I refuse to belong to any religious group and am an atheist. Oh, the look on their faces. It made me giggle.

They asked questions about my happiness and belonging. And I confidently answered that in fact I am very happy with my choice. We didn't end up in bloodbath but I wanted to ignite a deeper discussion when they wouldn't stop saying that they know god had plans for me and in god's time I will find Christ and all those other stuff I've been hearing from religious people.

I guess it makes me feel better when I tell people that I'm an atheist. Like having a sense of freedom. But I don't go walking about exclaiming that I am one. I just tell when I am asked for an opinion about anything related to the topic of faith and religion.

It has been a long time since I had a good talk-discussion-debate with somebody regarding this topic. With somebody who actually agrees or disagrees, and understands the importance of having or not having. I miss it.

That was Saturday when my high school friends and I planned to go to another friend's house to join her "I passed the Nursing Board Exam!" celebration.

There were a bunch of guests that we really didn't know back then since the celebrant was from another batch section. But it was good to see familiar faces.



Then, a few hours after:



So I have relocated. After a month in Bicol, I came back to Manila. I moved into an apartment with two of my high school friends. Right now, we're fine except that one of our mothers -not mine- is here. So we can't really be ourselves.

Last night, we were looking at high school pictures again. It made me feel old and tired. I wonder how easy life could be right now if we are who we were in those high school pictures. It has been almost 5 years since we graduated and I still can't forget how incredibly fun it was to be a 16-year old. Now, we talk about graduation and jobs and responsibilities. When before we only worried about the next Physics quiz and school election.

And you know what's funny? How different we looked in those pictures after a couple of months in college. And after a couple of years in college, here we are. Changed. Anxious. Depressed. And whether we admit it or not, we each have our own lives now. Not anymore about the fun and games we used to share.

I think the feeling of indifference is coming back to the life I have right now. But I have no choice but to make it better. I feel alone and alienated. Because I'm too detached. I wish I could replicate the connection I have with my high school friends to the new people around me. But it's too hard. I'm too introverted to do that.

In other news, I visited UP last week. I talked to some of my professors. But it hurts me to realize that some of them just fail at showing enough concern. I think I have the right to demand attention because if I don't I'll be damned to forever be stuck in my unfinished third year in this course. I am trying to be a good student this time, being concerned about my future, that's why I'm communicating with you even if I'm so bad at it. So pleasepleaseplease show some compassion Okay, that's the pissed off me talking. Sometimes, this student independence and this teacher apathy they're trying to shove down our throats irritate me.

Tomorrow, I'll submit a copy of my resume to Sir G. Change of plans. Instead of working full-time in a hotel, I'll apply for practicum. I definitely won't receive any monetary compensation, but at least the experience will be useful and will have place in my curriculum vitae. Because if I work full-time for only 2 months, the establishment will not honor my affiliation. And because it should be a minimum of 6 months of full-time work.



Later, one of my housemates and I are going to Gateway to get his VAIO gmask-ed. I need another pair of jeans. One of the two pairs I bought doesn't fit very well. ~_~ And we also need a new wirless router. Yes, I need monies. Find me a job?