Checkpoint

 Err.

Enter kadramahan. Mabeberdeng acacia ng Acad Oval. Pasok hangin. Ihulog ang mga dahon ng acacia. I-stretch ang kamay at saluin ang mga nahuhulog na berde at dilaw na dahon. Loser. Wala ka na namang nasalo.



Talo ka sa isang scrabble game kanina sa lexulous. Di ka man lang umabot sa top 5 sa blitz. Tinamad kang magreview para sa exam mo this Sunday. Gusto mong mag-top pero, feeling mo hindi mangyayari. (Nah, where's your faith?) Kasi naman, di ka nakakapagreview nang maayos. lagi kang nadidistract ng mga unwanted thoughts. Lagi kang nag-o-online. As if naman, may sarili kayong connection sa bahay. As if may sarili kayong PC. As if marami kang perang pang-rent.





Haha. Ang ambitious lang talaga.



So magtuturo ka pa rin next year sa dati mong tinuturuan. Nakakatawa lang kasi binawi mo yung resignation letter na binigay mo. Kasi naman, di masyado pinag-iisipan ang mga desisyon.

Rash. Pero in all fairness, excited ka pa ring magturo. You realized na boring ang buhay kung walang pressure from work. Kung walang ginagawa. Feeling mo isa kang professional bum.



Ang dali mong magbago ng mga plano. Ngayon, gusto mong magturo sa public school. Maya-maya, gusto mong magtrabaho sa US (kahit hindi teacher). Pera. Pera-pera na nga lang ba ang buhay?



Enter Stacie Orrico: There's gonna be more to life...



Haaayy.. ang dami mo pang bigas na kakainin. Feeling mo mature ka na mag-isip. Pero based on what's happening in your life, you're like a teenager who gambles on anything that catches his interest.



Errr. There's more work to be done. There's much weight to lose. Kaya h'wag bumitiw sa mga pangarap sa buhay. Do not let the world dictate your actions. At isiping maiigi ang consequences ng bawat action na gagawin.



At huwag ring bitter. Treat everyone as if they are better than you (which is true, in one aspect or another).

At huwag ding magpaapekto sa mga labels sa'yo ng mga tao sa paligid. Only you and you're God know what's in the core of your heart.



So cheer up, young lad. Huwag syaangin ang oras sa mga bagay na walang kapararakan. At huwag rin namang hayaan na hindi ma-enjoy ang mga biyaya ng Diyos :)



Every once in a while, i-checkpoint ang puso.

S-T-A-Y

S-till

T-eaching (for another)

A-cademic

Y-ear

I had submitted my resignation letter (which I wrote in a rush) and  'twas accepted.

After three weeks of goodbye-school-goodbye-students mode, tables turned.

I gained back the serenity. The chance of doing things better than the first time you did them.

The security of having some coins in my pocket. The passion which was put off before, now I am tendering.

Last Day of the School Year

5

4

3

2

1

It's over. School year 2009-2010 is over (at least for my pupils). After  months of seemingly endless requirements and examinations, their journey as fourth graders has finally come to an end. And as a neophyte adviser, I made sure that the last days are as memorable as the rest of the school year.

We thought of having a closing party. During our two-part celebration of good-byes and happy endings, they delivered their farewell speeches. Even the shy students were encouraged (or coerced) to say their final message for the class and for their teachers.

Most of them were apologetic for their naughty behaviors, talkative disposition. But they were also thankful to everybody who made their fourth grade experience extra-enjoyable.

During lunch time, we ate together what they brought. I told them that they could bring any food that they feel like sharing to their classmates and teachers. Fortunately, two students brought a chocolate-chiffon cake and packs of fruit juice. I also allowed them to  bring their cameras. mobile phones and PSPs  for taking pictures.

As a tribute to their teachers, I gave them blank papers in which they would write their message for each teachers.

Since there were two sections in grade four, we agreed to have some short program in which the pupils would  showcase their talents by group. There were different acts which we have witnessed. Dancing, singing, jokes-cracking, role playing and other "uncategorizable" talents.

The program ended with the personal message of selected students for me. My co-teacher and also grade four adviser was the one who facilitated this. It feels great to hear your students talk about things from their hearts. I was so proud as teacher when they were thanking me for not giving up on them, for including games and fun activities in our lessons and for simply teaching them. There were emotional pupils (yes, at their age) who activated their lacrimal (tear) glands before they could have spoken.

For the finale, I gave my speech while on the verge of breaking into hysteria. Tears of gratefulness, indeed. I thanked my pupils for being (so) cooperative and willing to learn from me. I thanked my co-teachers for being the wind beneath my frail wings. I thanked and  am still thanking God for making me a teacher.

When the other section left our classroom, we proceeded with the raffle of the things we have in the room. Subjects'corners, designs in the room, quotations on display, books and some personal things like knick-knack boxes which I had brought to school. This was a great way of getting rid of the trash things which I need to clean afterwards.

Last 30 minutes of class. We reminisced about the past school year. The songs they memorized for the different programs, the dance moves they rehearsed and the fights and peace-talks they had. We also played "Paint Me a Picture" in which the scenes that they painted were about the different activities we did.

For the final prayer of the year, I prayed a short sincere prayer. (This time I didn't cry anymore.) Then, the boys  and the girls had their group hug. And finally, as a class we hugged each other. I was at the center of the throng. Then we jumped ten times. 

I bid them good-bye for the last time. And they answered back in their sweet voices,"Good bye and thank you Teacher Jerson". And one by one, I hugged them and said my final advice to them.Then, they walked out of the door.

Sizzling Siobhan Magnus

I''m rooting for this girl to win this year's American Idol title.

After watching her performance tonight, I realized that it isn't Crystal nor Didi who is the hottest among the girls ( and the boys).



Siobhan's

fearless

eccentric

vocally-athletic (?)

unpredictable.



She reminds me (and you) of Adam Lambert's nondescript repertoires. I hope she keeps on pulling off performances like the one she has just delivered.



Note: Photo courtesy of: http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID11363/images/resized_American_Idol_Siabhan.jpg

So, how was the interview?

I just found out that the position I was aiming isn't the one I was thinking.

The post said that they were looking for a Reading Teacher. But, lo and behold, during the interview, I found out that they are looking for a Project Consultant. (By the way, I applied in the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books). They gave me an overview of the responsibilities of a full-time consultant. And I was overwhelmed.



I said, "Honestly, I don't think I have the enough experiences to do the job."



So I thought I was going home, from Ortigas with a very downcast face. Then suddenly, the guy who interviewed me ('coz there were two of them), who was a former professor in our college, "unethically" (quoting him), asked me if I could work for his reading center. I was flabbergasted.



This is hitting two birds with one stone.



May isa na akong pagpipilian. More to go. Thanks God!

Super Lolo

Kailan mo unang nalaman na may putok ka?

Kailan ka unang gumamit ng Rexona?

Parang amoy bulok na bayabas, di ba?

Pag naamoy ng iba, mahihilo sila.



Kanina, nabulabog ang mundo ko.

Pagpasok ko sa klase ng mga batang edad-sampu,

Nagsusumigaw sa baho ang amoy ng b.o.

Inilabas ko agad ang panyo, sabay labas ng kuwarto.



Bumuwelo ako, bago simulan ang pagpapayo.



Bigla ko tuloy naalala ang mga kaklase ko no'ng elementarya na parang may dala-dalang bomba sa magkabilang kili-kili. At puro babae sila. Ang gaganda pa naman no'ng iba. Sayang lang talaga.



Pero sa klase ko kanina, lalaki ang pinagmumulan ng maantot na amoy. Sana lang talaga bukas ay di na siya mangamoy. Pero, sakali man, handa ko siyang bigyan ng deodorant na nasa sachet.

Kapayatan

Malapit nang magtapos ang Pebrero. At ilang araw na lang, magtatapos na naman ang taong pampaaralan. Pero hindi ko pa rin nangyayari ang isa sa mga bagay na inaasahan ko.



Bata pa lang ako, balingkinitan na ang pangangatawan 'ko. Sa minsang pagbabalasa ng mga lumang larawan, walang pinagkaiba ang pigura ng aking katawan ngayon sa hitsura ko limang taon na ang nakakaraan.



Hindi ko alam kung saan ako may deprensya. Hindi naman ako mahirap pakainin. Halos lahat ng ihain sa 'kin, sinusunggaban ko. Pero bakit wala pa ring pagbabago? Wala rin naman akong karamdamang nangangailangan ng medikal na atensyon (sa pagkakaalam ko).



Dati, sabi ng ilang kakilala, dahil daw sa pagiging "schoolaholic" ko. (Do'n sila nagkamali.) Minsan kasi nalilimutan kong kumain (lalo na kung walang makain), lalo na kung maraming dapat tapusing gawain na kailangang ipasa (bilang crammer naman ako). Siguro rin, dahil sa biyahe. Uwian kasi ako sa Bulacan dati. Minsan, nalilipasan ng gutom. Hindi kasi umuubra ang tubig at Presto creams-vanilla falvor na pan(t)aid-gutom habang bumibiyahe.



Kaya nung makagradweyt ako, sinabi ko sa sarili ko na "Jerson, dapat tumaba ka man lang nang konti sa unang trabaho mo. Bilang, may pambili ka na ng pagkain." Mayo nang winika ko yan sa sarili ko.



E, anong petsa na? Pebrero na. Buto't balat lumilipad pa rin ako. Halos lahat ng mga kaibigan na makakita sa akin, walang ibang komento kundi



 "Uy, nagda-drugs ka ba?"

 "Sinong, fitness instructor mo?"

 "Hanger ka ba? I wanna hang-out with you e."



Dati, akala ko, normal lang ang metabolism ng katawan ko. Pero, parang pabilis siya nang pabilis habang tumatanda ako. Pakiramdam ko, wala pa sa limampung porsyento ng sustansya ng kinakain ko, ang nakukuha ng katawan ko. Kakalungkot.



Tapos akala ko, pag naging guro ako, tataba ako. 'Yon pala, hindi. Tiyak na salik din ang "stress" sa pagpayat o pagtaba ng tao. Hindi kaya maubos-ubos ang mga suliranin sa araw-araw ( na normal lang naman). Isang malalim na haaay talaga sa kapayatan ko.



Sa kabilang banda, may mga magagandang naidudulot din naman yata ang kapayatan. Pero wala na akong balak isa-isahin pa.