Rein Winds

I was on my way to Carmona, Cavite early this morning.

Very early I took a jeepney ride.

From my home, I needed to travel at least two hours, via four different jeepney rides to reach Carmona. On my first ride, I felt needing to pee. I was hesitant to ask the driver to stop, and tried to ignore what I was feeling. I initially chose to control it. But we were passing a  road to no man’s land! (OMG! all rice fields! Waaah!) Then a little later road where only shanties in residential areas  could be seen; there was still no gasoline station in sight!

Anxiously uncomfortable, I took the nerve to self-effacingly ask the driver (great thing, I was seated beside him) to stop by the nearest gasoline station for I couldn’t contain it anymore! Considerately, the driver smiled and asked if I could wait a little bit longer for there was no nearest gasoline station within 10 kms.

Nervous and fretful, I silently clasped my fists and sighed and prayed. (Lord, let me reach the appropriate place to urinate, pleaseeee!) Whew! Read the rest of this entry »

If it is to be, it is up to me. Nah, I should say, it is all up to US!

For that was what Tanza National Comprehensive High School’s pool of student-journalists’ mantra in the recently held 2008 Division Schools Press Conference (Secondary Level), Oct. 9-11.

We knew that if we wanted to keep the winning tradition of TNCHS in the field of campus journalism, it all depended on each of US (their trainer-coach included).

As I already shared in my previous blog, TNCHS delegation was composed of 21 hopeful young writers (14 contestants for individual categories in news writing, editorial writing, feature writing, sports writing, copy reading & headline writing, editorial cartooning, photojournalism and seven others that comprised the broadcasting team).

And all these talented student-journalists did work, practice, and review hard to be intellectually, emotionally and psychologically prepared for the competitions.

Winning tastes so sweet. Keeping and maintaining the crown could be painfully demanding and overwhelming though. What more if you have been clinging unto the championship throne for 13 sweetest, inspiring long years!

AND THE POINT IS….WE DID ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! YEAHHHHHHHHH! (alright, am shouting out too loud, am jumping while am typing…the heck, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! AND I NOW HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO SCREAM from the top of my lungs, RIGHT?!) Read the rest of this entry »

2008 Cavite Division Schools Press Conference - a yearly convention of prolific young journalists in the division of Cavite who will vie for a Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) slot and hopefully qualify for the national competition (NSPC).

Tanza National Comprehensive High School, for more than 12 years, has reigned supreme in the  overall standing of all private and public high schools in the entire province. In fact it now holds the 13 Overall Champion for the Best Performing School trophies out of the 14 years DSPC has been held - a feat too difficult to duplicate. Accordingly, this achievement was made possible by the patience, dedication, intellect and selfless tutoring and service by The Clarion’s/ Ang Klaryon’s adviser par excellance, MS. AMOR S. KAGAHASTIAN, we fondly call her MA’AM K. Read the rest of this entry »

AM now in the days and months of my adult life that I do wish to have a multiple of me.

Only today, I had five different responsibilities that put my grit, my resolve, my patience and passion to test.

I had to meet my student-writers for the elimination for four different writing competitions. I had to prepare writing themes and activities and exercises. I had to edit and coach these young writers how to make their articles interestingly relevant. I had to go to my Geline’s school to meet her class adviser and get her report card, and to pay her tuition fee as well (my enrolment chill is not yet over!) I had to attend the working and planning committee ingress and orientation for the Cavite Division Schools Press Conference - an annual campus journalism event for elementary and high school students.

And not only five people were wanting to see, talk and meet me today! (yeah, meeting people would be great but not if you need to discuss about WORK! ARGH!)

(I think am now making it a habit of counting and listing what I have to accomplish, geesh!…I just hope I do not sound complaining nor whining!…DO I???!!)

It may be a cliche: friends, real ones are the ones who stay by your side when everything turns dim and when almost everyone deserts you. It is a cliche, yes, but it is also indeed true. And I thank God, I got real friends who enlightened me these past weeks when I felt like a garbage dumped nowhere.

I was feeling depressed and stupid. I was getting disoriented and feeling distorted. I was trying to put a happy face so that my family, colleagues and my students would not notice. But there they were; they could read me like a sonnet. They could tell by simply looking at me that I was keeping/carrying something inside. Read the rest of this entry »

The registration committee at work!

I may have not been given the opportunity to listen to any of the meaningful and worthwhile talks presented during the WordCamp Philippines 2008 as a regular camper, but I had the chance to work with great people with brilliant minds and awesome characters as a volunteer.

Held in College of St. Benilde, Manila on Sept. 6, WordCamp Phillippines was a gathering of great bloggers all over the country (and some other parts of the world too).

Paul Villacorta, one volunteer from Cebu, was checking his Plurk account (notice our SOS lunch: a loaf of bread had saved our sanity :D) Read the rest of this entry »

Due to heavy rains brought by tropical depression LAWIN, slippery mountain trails and caves, and as much as we do not want to put anyone to any unlikely situation, we had, on the 11th hour, to reset the TOUR DE PINAS BANAUE-SAGADA STOP. Read the rest of this entry »

Presentation. Chapter Test items. Grades computations. Bulletin board updates. Documentation of the The Clarion/Ang Klaryon exhibit. Maintenance of the classroom and the office. Sorting of the papers piled up on my table. Balancing my own budget. Budgeting monthly salary. Paying bills. Geline’s baro’t saya for her school’s Buwan ng Wika celebration. Read the rest of this entry »

Have been virtually and physically away for quite a while.

Have been busy presenting lectures to student-writers and school paper advisers of different schools here in Cavite and some municipalities/cities of CALABARZON.

Exhausted, I checked my mail as I arrived home from Calamba City.

I felt great and excited to read an invitation to volunteer for the First WordCamp in Southeast Asia. It will be held on 6 September 2008 at College of St. Benilde, Taft Avenue, Manila.

It will be a gathering of WordPress Bloggers, seemingly a group of brilliantly extraordinary minds and expressively creative souls. (Would it be arrogance to make me think am one of them, too? :D)

For more details, please click philippines.wordcamp.org

Here are the generous sponsors that make the event a success.

• i.PH: the Domain for Individuals
• Free Online Flash Games
• Wazzup Manila Philippines
• Real Estate CRM
• Real Estate Website Designers
• Orange County Real Estate
• Auto Insurance Quotes
• Lane Systems Inc.
• RedMedia
• Orange County Business Lawyer
• Cebu Pacific Air
• Reality Wedding Videos

Goosebumps were all over me as I introduced the former editors in chief of our beloved school paper during the launching ceremony of the Grand Exhibit we organized in commemoration of our The Clarion’s 56th year (TNCHS English paper) and Ang Klaryon’s 20th (Filipino community paper). Read the rest of this entry »