Tuesday marks the day I can officially call myself a college student. Today I bade goodbye to my hometown and hopped on a plane to NAIA, thence on a car to UP Diliman. I spent roughly an hour and a half in Kalayaan, filling out forms and stuff (red tape for the win), pausing every once in a while only to walk to the nearby Shopping Center to buy index cards, papers, envelopes, and whatnot. I will make the necessary payments and have my forms notarized on Monday, but for today I threw all my stuff in my dorm room (basement, baby!) and headed to SM North Edsa to buy things I needed for the dorm.

Kalayaan’s state is deplorable, to be honest. You’re lucky if your locks are broken—at least they’re not missing. The wood on the cabinets is rotting. Vandalism has soiled the walls, although artistically so. All things considered, though, the place is livable, because these days all you really need is electricity, running water, and, most important of all, WiFi. It could be much worse.

Tonight I’m in a hotel in Pasay City. Tomorrow will most likely be spent in MOA, primarily jejebusting but also finishing my pre-school-year shopping. Then in the afternoon or evening, I will go back to Diliman to spend my first night as a Kalayaan dormer.

Above is a picture of everything writing-related that is in my bag. I have many more books at home, and I wanted to bring all of them, but as I was packing I realized that space is scarce and that I’m not keen on the idea of bringing a boxful of dead trees with me to a small dorm room, so this is all I brought:

• Green Apple spiral-bound notebook, where I do most of my writing.
• Moleskine ruled notebook, for journal entries.
• “Basic Journalism” by Estrada and Nem Singh. You’ll have to squint really hard if you want to see it in the picture. I bought this two or three years ago, although I’ve been referring to it since elementary.
• “Feature Writing For Filipinos” by Genove. As an elementary and high school campus journalist I participated in the Feature Writing category.
• A small copy of the 1986 Constitution.
• “Twisted V” and “Twisted 8 1/2″ by Jessica Zafra. I read her blog and just started following her columns on the Star. I’m a firsthand victim of her viciousness, but she is entertaining to read nonetheless.
• “Youngblood” and “Youngblood 2.0″, anthologies of the popular Inquirer column.
• “Killing Time In A Warm Place” by Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr. My thoughts on the book.
• “Stainless Longganisa” by Bob Ong.
• Barron’s Book Notes of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man And The Sea.” Perhaps the best book I’ve ever read.
• My small fountain pen collection: a basic Pilot and a big-nibbed Parker. The Pilot is a pump converter; the Parker is one of those newfangled ones that use refill cartridges. My Quink inkwell is not in the picture because I forgot to pack it.
• Canon PowerShot A650 IS. I love this camera. Sadly, months ago it went priapic. Its lens won’t retract. I’m hoping I can have it repaired tomorrow, although from what I’ve read online it can be cheaper to buy a new camera than to send an old one in for fixing.
• Sterling daily planner.
• That little orange guy that keeps the pages in place when I’m reading a book. Given to me by a very good friend.

In less than a week I will leave my hometown to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. As a kind of countdown, I thought I’d take a look back at the past few years of my life throughout the week and connect them to what lies ahead for me. Specifically, I’ll be linking to blog posts or websites that I think are worth pondering on and discussing them briefly.

* * *

“NSPC 2009: Notes From Naga City“, published here on February 25, 2009; “NSPC 2010: The Tagum Invasion“, published here on February 28, 2010.

I have been a campus journalist since the fifth grade in elementary. Ever since I started I have been a feature writer, and thankfully I’ve won several awards in that category, including two at the national level.

In UP Diliman I will be a student of the Department of Journalism of the College of Mass Communication, working under the tutelage of some of the Philippines’ brightest minds in journalism. For someone who has regarded himself as a “budding journalist” for so long, it’s a great honor to be studying at the CMC.

I often think about how lucky I am to be able to pursue my life’s interest. Opportunities like these don’t come to many people, nor do they come often. I will try my best not to make fortune regret knocking on my door.

In less than a week I will leave my hometown to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. As a kind of countdown, I thought I’d take a look back at the past few years of my life throughout the week and connect them to what lies ahead for me. Specifically, I’ll be linking to blog posts or websites that I think are worth pondering on and discussing them briefly.

* * *

“Moryo-Moryo: A Ray Of Hope“, a project I took on along with four of my Junior year classmates that focused on the plight of children who lived near our city’s dumpsite. Despite my deplorable HTML and CSS skills, the project won Best In Community Impact for Smart Schools’ first Doon Po Sa Amin Learning Challenge.

Perhaps the most iconic and enduring symbol of the University of the Philippines is the Oblation—a naked man with arms outstretched, offering himself in service to his country. No less than this attitude of self-sacrifice is expected of all UP students.

The Oblation made me think about when I decided to take on the Moryo-Moryo project. The prospect of winning a cash prize enticed me, of course, but much more than that I welcomed the opportunity to help a worthy cause. Every time we visited the school, we got to see the children whose eyes sparkled with hope despite their dire situation. That really hit me in two ways: it reminded me of how lucky I was to have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a house to come home to everyday, and inspired me to do everything I could to help. I cannot justify with words the fulfilling satisfaction I felt in telling the story of Moryo-Moryo, in working for a cause bigger than me.

It feels good to be part of a community that cares so much about service to country at a time when the Philippines is so overridden by greed and selfishness, in city streets and in corridors of power. I hope I prove myself worthy of the tradition of service to country that UP fosters.

In less than a week I will leave my hometown to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. As a kind of countdown, I thought I’d take a look back at the past few years of my life throughout the week and connect them to what lies ahead for me. Specifically, I’ll be linking to blog posts or websites that I think are worth pondering on and discussing them briefly.

* * *

“Regretting Section One [RANTING/BITCHING]“, published here on July 4, 2008.

When I was a first year high school student, I was part of Section One of the Special Science Curriculum of Agusan National High School. The Special Science Curriculum, or “Science High” as it’s colloquially called, is the most advanced curriculum ANHS offers. To qualify for it, incoming freshmen must pass a rigorous testing process (admittedly, it was easier then compared to now, but it was hard to get through nonetheless). Being in Section One of Science High, therefore, means being part of the crèmè de la crèmè of the school.

Needless to say it was an honor for me, a so-so student who had never gone to public school before, to make it. I felt proud.

At the end of freshman year, I found out that my dismal grades meant that I would probably be demoted to a lower section of Science High. So as a sophomore, I bade goodbye to the glow of Section One and said hello to Section Three. At first, I felt awkward, ashamed even. I had fallen from grace. As the year wore on, however, I found myself having the time of my life in Section Three, feeling no pressure and being able to enjoy high school as a high school student should.

When I qualified for reinstatement to Section One as a Junior student, I hesitantly accepted. Barely a month into the school year, not having recovered from the euphoria of Sophomore year, I wrote the above post, lamenting the seriousness of Section One and wishing for a return to simpler times.

I thought of this as I was preparing for UP and all the pressure it will give me. Admission into UP was one of my biggest dreams, and now that it has come true, I wonder if I should have been careful what I wished for. I know, of course, that for its notoriously rigorous environment, UP is an almost-absolute guarantee of future success for its student. Pressure, they say, forms diamonds after all. But I think it would be more apt to think of UP as a trial by fire for me. If I’m really made of gold, I will come out shining brighter than ever; if I turn out to be anything less than is expected of me, I’m screwed.

It was easy for me to whine about the pressure that comes with being part of the cream of the crop as a high school student, but I resolve to look at the pressure that comes with being a student of the country’s premiere university in a different light. I know it will be anything but easy, and I can’t say I’m confident about my chances, but I’m more than willing to have a go at it.

This is it. Pressure na. Kaya ko ‘to!

Things at school have really been busy for a long, long time now. That largely explains the silence in this side of the blogosphere. We’re taking a bit of a breather (next week is Semestral Break Week) so thank goodness for that.

***

Entourage Season 6 wrapped up last month. Good news: the show’s been renewed for another season. Bad news: the next season won’t be available until July 2010 (by my estimate), and it might be the show’s last! Sucks because I just recently started following the show and I think it kicks ass.

If and when Entourage gets cancelled, I will make it a point to purchase DVDs from all the way back to the first season (if not all at once, at least gradually).

***

Entourage has made me develop gadget envy—my mouth waters every time I see Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) and Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly) typing away on their Blackberry devices. My iPhone has taught me to embrace full QWERTY keyboards. Now I prefer them to T9 keypads (the norm in my country). Having a soft keyboard such as the one on the iPhone, however, has its disadvantages. For one, the phone is flimsy enough as it is, and I have to hold it precariously just to type. Typos are all too common, too. That, plus the incredible email and calendaring capabilities of the Blackberry OS, makes me want to get high on the Crackberry.

***

Of course, my iPhone is OK—battery life is a bit sub-par because I’ve had the device for a year now, and the phone sports a few scratches and an itsy-bitsy crack—and between a new phone and a new laptop, I need (OK, want) the latter more. Macbook > Blackberry any day.

***

Changing topics quickly, the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC) is set to take place next Monday and I’m nervous. This is the last RSPC I’ll ever be able to participate in (barring the possibility of being held back one year), so I really want to make it to the nationals one last time. Cross your fingers for me!

***

We’re in the final few weeks of the year now, which means 2010 is coming up. I’ve also realized that I’m going into the final few months of high school. It sure as hell has been a great four years, and I’m going to miss this shit when I leave.

***

The results of the many college entrance tests I and my classmates took are going to be released in January or February next year. Believe me when I say that even as I write this, my hands are going cold in nervous anticipation. How did I do? Where am I going to school next year? Did I qualify for admission into any of the good univs? One can only hope and pray.

***

Been nice talking. See ya!

I’ve been thinking about college.

I’m probably getting ahead of myself—I still have ten more months of high school to plod through. I should be thinking about getting my head straight this school year, about clicking my mouse less and hitting the books more, about the frenzy and delirium of Senior Year.

But I’m worried sick about college.

You see, I’ve pretty much decided to take the career path of print and/or broadcast media. I’ve been dabbling in that field for no less than four years now, and I really feel that that is my strong suit.

While in the shower last night, I planned everything out. (aside: I seem to think best while in the shower.) I will go to school, graduate as promptly as I can, and then get a job in a local media firm (Inquirer? Summit Media? ABS-CBN?). After a few years, when I earn enough money and gain enough credentials, I will seek greener pastures (Newsweek? Time Magazine? The Economist? BBC? CNN’s Atlanta or London offices?) and work my way through the ranks.

Only one problem: The Philippine Daily Inquirer, ABS-CBN, Newsweek, Time Magazine, The Economist, BBC and CNN are all old world media outfits. These days, that means that they are effectively the dodo to media’s Mother Earth, the Anoop Desai to broadcast and print media’s American Idol. Newspapers are going to the dogs, all the blogs and websites proclaim, and with the ubiquity of Twitter and the Internet, news networks have found competition in the breaking news delivery market.

So although I am deeply inclined to become a broadcast/print mediaman, my greatest worry is that the market will die by the time I graduate, leaving me with a diploma but without money or a job.

But then again, one can argue that old world media will refuse to die out just like that—it will probably evolve to adapt to the changing times. At worst, they will probably go entirely Web-based. Maybe there will still be a position open then?

If the market shrinks to such a point that I’m financially better off going another way, I’m not closed to the idea of taking up law and working in that field. Lawyers never go out of style. Be it bliss or dissonance, concord or conflict, there will always be the lawyer to rob you of your money standing at the ready. Plus, the many courtroom scenes in movies I’ve watched over the years make the profession seem exciting and therefore enticing. Having the word “attorney” before your name doesn’t sound too cruddy, either.

I wish it were easy to tell where old world media is headed. Were the market much more stable—had Twitter not risen to fame! had Web 2.0 not come! If we were only still filling webpages with marquees, blinky text, and broken HTML markup and publishing them on the soon-to-be-defunct Geocities!—I would have way less to worry about. But since Twitter’s all the rage, since newspapers are losing readership to HuffPo and Slate, I have more than a bit to worry about.

The advice most people give me these days is not to worry about it, to take whatever course I prefer. Do what I love and the money will come. Maybe I should take that advice. Maybe I will.

Maybe I’m too young to not believe it’s going to be okay. It probably will be okay. I will probably end up doing something I love to do and making good money while I’m at it.

Fingers crossed. The future is bright with possibilities.

***

Props for the great photo above go to Demi Brooke.

Hello, all! The summer has been incredibly lazy so far. I’ve been spending it either plurking, eating or sleeping. I’ve been going to bed at around three or four AM and waking up just in time for lunch.

To take a quick reprieve from the boredom and heat, I and a few friends decided to catch Knowing (Alex Proyas) at the local mall’s cinema. (They have a propensity for showing films weeks or even months after they launch. It would’ve been easier to use my torrential powers to acquire a copy of the movie, but the cinema has some damn good airconditioning and I miss popcorn.)

*SKIP THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON’T WANT TO FIND OUT HOW KNOWING ENDS.*

Here’s the skinny: Knowing sucked. The plot was roughly this: Nicolas Cage’s character obtains a sheet of paper with numbers scribbled all over it. The numbers indicate the dates and locations of major catastrophes but do nothing to help prevent them from happening. The Earth eventually becomes nothing more than a ball of fire, but not before Cage’s character’s son and Cage’s character’s neighbor’s daughter are taken someplace else by weird beings to “start everything over” (read: fornicate like bunny rabbits).

The plane crash and train derailing scenes were exciting and “whoa”-inducing, as was the fiery finale, but other than that, it was a waste of Php50 plus money for one large cheese popcorn and iced tea. I knew we should’ve seen Monsters vs. Aliens instead.

***

The local cinema’s got a big poster with Tom Hanks’s face…which can only mean one thing: Angels vs. Demons. The movie adaptation of the prequel to The Da Vinci Code is set to come out next month and I will be lining up to catch it. Hopefully, the MTRCB and its OA, kulang sa pansin panel will not question the ethics, beliefs, values and whatnot involved in the movie and delay its release as they did with TDVC. (Seriously, the hags over there reacted waaaay too much to The Da Vinci Code. They made it R-18 pa. Neknek nyo, dahil sa inyo I had to wait for the movie to hit HBO. It kinda sucked—wasn’t as faithful to the book as I expected—but still, neknek nyo! Rated 18?! Talaga lang ha?!)

In other news, I have two reviewer booklets for college entrance examinations sitting here untouched. At the beginning of the week, I promised to myself to devote two or three hours a day to going over the booklets. So far, that promise hasn’t been kept. I am, however, still dead serious when I say that I want to devote two or three hours of my day everyday to going over the reviewer booklets. To hell with Plurk Karma (heh, see what I did there?), to hell with Google Reader’s unread count!

*breathes in and out*

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve written like this. (Freewriting, I believe it’s called?) I like it when my thoughts just spill out, and although spilled thoughts are often relegated to the care of my Moleskine, my fingers just move faster on a keyboard than with a pen. I’m as tempted as hell to go over what I just typed above and correct any awkward wording, phrasing or punctuation. I must fight the power.

*edits then facepalms*

Keep life Deantastic.