Waterworld

Clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid, H₂O, essential for most plant and animal life and the most widely used of all solvents. Freezing point 0°C (32°F); boiling point 100°C (212°F); specific gravity (4°C) 1.0000; weight per gallon (15°C) 8.338 pounds (3.782 kilograms).

I fast.
I pray.
58 days.
Colorless drink.
God bless me.


Maktub!

CCT/CT Class of 2008-2009

It is indeed fulfilling and rewarding to see ourselves march on the stage and receive the certificates as we bid goodbye to Bicol University on our graduation day.

Try to imagine what our first day in CCT/CT was like. Have you felt being at a crossroads when you enjoyed your sovereignty during high school days? Have you ever wondered about how will you be able to make friends easily, how will you adjust to the new environment and so on?

These were the same experiences and feelings we had during our first day in CCT/CT. Excited and nervous but full of curiosity what life would become after CCT/CT.

Our batch is composed of heterogeneous professions with different reasons of enrolling in CCT/CT. Some would like to take and pass the LET. Others enrolled because it’s a requirement in their profession. The remaining enrollees decided to take CCT/CT because of their passion to teach and willingness to become a teacher by heart.

Whatever our reasons are, we all experienced hard work doing paper works like FS and portfolios that really enhanced our knowledge in teaching. Being a CCT student gives us an opportunity to learn and discover the pillars of becoming an effective and efficient teacher. We have explored the many avenues of trial and errors, the grace to make mistakes, the fun to have arguments and lively participation of the class during the discussion and still make good memories along the way.

As what our graduation song says “The Last of All Days,” ready or not time has come to an end. But this is just a beginning that will open for a new journey for all of us – to take the challenge of advocating the endless pursuit of knowledge. We will all make a difference in the lives of our future students. We will cherish those times spent with us by our professors and mentors who devotedly shared their knowledge to us. We must bloom wherever we will be planted. We will use the wisdom as our weapons on becoming if not the best, productive educators for the years to come!

We are the CCT/CT 2009 graduates - jolly, friendly and smart chatters. It’s really fun to be with this batch!

Write-up by Ate Sharon.

Maktub!

A New Record Has Been Set

Yup, I just had a record-breaker trip this afternoon. I had two one-hour motorcycle drive from Legazpi to Sorsogon City and back - my longest so far! Eheh. It was non-stop so my butt ached and soon numbed. Although tiring, it was a pretty good experience for me. I want to do it again. Perhaps, even farther. How about Naga City?! Hahaha.

The reason for the trip was to attend the funeral of Tita Mary, mother of my classmate in BC-COL. May she rest in peace.

Maktub!

Teach-Err

My 108-hour practice teaching requirement was officially concluded this morning. Actually, it was already through a couple of weeks ago but since my cooperating teacher requested me to wrap-up the topic that I commenced, I stayed until this week.

While bidding goodbye, I felt relieved because finally, I will get my grade from my Supervising Instructor, start writing a narrative report about my experiences, submit it to our Professor and get a grade for the Subject. However, I also felt low because I will be leaving the people whom I spent the past two months with - people who in one way or another, contributed in molding my character, attitude, confidence and knowledge. As I write this, I remember some of the best and worst moments I had with them.

I'm surely going to miss not just the routine of preparing before going to class and conducting lecture, recitation and short quiz (and checking after) but also every student in the four classes I handled. Overall, my experience in practice teaching was, although tiring, definitely worth it.

Thank you and see you all around.

Maktub!

Some Recent Realizations

I realized..

..that no matter how 'experienced' you may be, never assume that you already know how to handle some things on your own to the point of doing away already with the vital things called preparation and coordination; otherwise, you will just make yourself look stupid, really stupid. worse, make others look the same.

..that no matter how good or intelligent you perceive yourself may be, never think that you are infallible. you can never run away from mistakes. keep your standards low to keep yourself from hitting the ground hard.

..that no matter how cautious you may be, time will come when you will find yourself at the wrong place and at the wrong time. and worse if there is nothing you can do about it. damn!

..that sometimes, your efforts will be just put to waste because of another person's effort. but i ask, when must you insist and when must you give way?

..that although you know that certain problems are to be left where they should be and not to be brought somewhere else, sometimes, you just can not. a simple reminder that you are not an electronically controlled or programmed creature.

..that Thai foods taste good. thanks Ate Cora for the treat; indeed, you are a talented Chef.


How about you?

Maktub!

September: A -Ber and Bar Month

The 1^st day of this month traditionally opens the Advent season here in the Philippines. The moment the -ber month sets in, decors, cards, carols, foods and anything related to the Yuletide season also begin to grow everywhere like mushrooms. Celebrating Christmas season the Filipino way is said to be the longest (starts as early as September 1 and ends as late as January 31), the merriest and the most vivid around the globe. But while September marks the opening of the five-month celebration of the Advent season for most Filipinos, bar candidates see it otherwise. Not only is September a –Ber month but it is also a Bar month, the dreaded Philippine Bar Examination that is.

After 4 or 5 years of studying Law and 5 to 6 months of intensive review, thousands of bar hopefuls face the toughest professional licensure examination in the country every year. Covering seven hours of each of the four Sundays of September, the examinees squeeze their brains out and storm heaven’s gate with prayers in order to, as much as possible, answer logically the series of questions according to the examiner's fancy provisions of the law for eight different bar subjects (two subjects for each Sunday; one in the morning and one in the afternoon) while staying sane all throughout.

Today, my classmates and friends are a week shy from the first day of the 2008 Bar Exam. I am praying hard that their hard work and sacrifice be rewarded and eventually get what they truly deserve. I am crossing my fingers that they all hurdle the bar with flying colors.

Special regards to Mi, Jude, Dhet, Arl, Anie, Mitch, Joe, Ate Kay, Ate Kaka, Ate Donnah, Ate Myr, Ate Ivy, Ate Vivian, Ate Vilma, Ate Annie Marie, Ate Joy, Ate Rotch, Hadj, and Yen – my soon to be Lawyers.

..“It shall be done to you according to your faith."
Matthew 9:29

God bless to all my friends and schoolmates who are going to take the forthcoming Bar Examination and wishing everyone a spirit-filled Christmas season.

St. Jude, pray for us!

Maktub!

Law School

After 14 long years of studying just to finish a baccalaureate degree, which is said to be the minimum educational requirement to find a decent job, I decided to go back to school for another 4 excruciating years as a Law student.

Being a Political Science graduate, I thought that I have nowhere else to go but to pursue the study of Law. Never did I think that what I am about to go through is a journey to uncertainty. Why? It is because the foremost and ultimate goal of every Law student is to become a lawyer. Unfortunately, passing the Bar Examination is definitely not that easy, especially if you are talking about the Philippine Bar Exam. As a result, a number of times did I entertain the thought of quitting, or at least taking a break for a year or two, from Law school. Such thoughts rush in whenever I am overwhelmed by the terrible rigors of almost everyday recitation and/or short quiz as well as the periodic hell week (prelims, midterms and final examinations), not to mention the number of textbooks, codal provisions, cases and other materials you need to read, understand and keep in mind. Indeed, to be part of the legal profession is to do lots of hard work and sacrifice (of course perseverance and prayers included). Also, the need for me to work and earn money to be able to support my studies even made things difficult for me in Law school. With all these, my doubtful and not-so-confident mind consistently convinces me that the Law course is not my cup of tea.

Nonetheless, our batch was able to graduate. Starting from about 40-50 enrollees, 9 of us plus 9 irregular students survived and finished strong. Last March 2008, I received my LLB diploma. Together with my classmates, I am proud to say that:

“Studying Law is tough, but we are definitely tougher!”

My classmates are now preparing for the fast approaching 2008 Bar Examination. As for me, I decided to take the exam next year to be able to catch up with so many things. But sadly, I still haven’t flipped through the pages of any reading materials for almost 4 months now. Sigh! Hopefully, I’ll be able to get back on track and do what is supposed to be done before it’s too late.

Who among us will become a lawyer, He only knows. And so I say, God bless us all and best of luck.

St. Jude, pray for us.

Maktub!