Sunday, August 11, 2002
AGAINST ALL ODDS
The Damage Report - Week #9
NOTE: this is a post that is made to give a summary of events that has happened at DLSU-D during the finished week. usually posted saturday nights.
I'm typing this entry from Net-O-Pia on Friday night. Early? Well, this should be the default time I type this weekly special entry. It has been a strange week. Indirect conflicts reaching for me in all directions.
The indirect conflicts are later. First of all, two long-planned events concluded this week.
The larger of the two events was the much-practiced "INA NG BAYAN" presentation that my section JOU1-1 has been working on for weeks. I was musical director with Keith, Maycee, and Eric. The closest girl I am to in JOU101, Jhenyfer Arboleda, was assigned the leading role. She is just extraordinary in acting. She's with William, Athena, and Arjay as new probationary members of the TEATRO.
The presentation was in three parts. The first part was an interpretation number of Ina ng Bayan (Jhen) getting drawn into a group of classmate-dancers and she bursts into tears as she is lifted off the ground by her lower back... it was excellent.
The second part was the CLIMAX, which involved our class "placing an order" for Engineering students to portray the Abu Sayyaf and help BroadJourn's Militar looked beefed up. They were armed with weapons, commando suits, and the like. The Burnhams tragedy was re-enacted. Gracia Burnham was played by Ate Jo, the oldest member of our class who works hard managing studies and working at Jollybee. An engineer played the role of Martin Burnham.
The whole day was sunny, except during the exact time the Parade took place. The moment we took our first steps, it started to rain lightly... then it worsened, then it got better. Then when the parade ended, the rain stopped and it was sunny. Why am I mentioning this? I dunno... a possible blessing by God to make the re-enactment of the Burnhams tragedy look more realistic? Because, as seen in my pictures... the rain just added to the effect of the performance.
The third and final part involved all walks of Filipino Life coming together in interpretation to Ina ng Bayan's (Jhen) torn down, savaged, and broken well being. This involved classmates dressed as doctors, news reporters, ordinary people in the office... approach her.
My part was to play one of the three Newscasters who will walk all around our space during the parade "reporting". This to combine our performance with our beloved course, Broadcast Journalism. However, my engineer cameraman disappeared half-way down the parade route and left me stranded without a camera to look at... thus making my role almost useless.
I was pissed off, but I had to keep my chin up and do my best to revive my role. I sided with cameraman classmate Jerson and the other two news reporters Arazelli and Jessica Joy. Suddenly, that's where I see Candy Paredes from High School dressed in a teal Filipiniana with several other nursing peeps also in formal wear. As BroadJourn, which was two places in front of Candy's truck waited... I rushed over with my camera ready to take a picture of Candy on her float...
The biggest crowd so far was there at the Rotonda and we gave it our best. The only thing that could have made our Finale better was if it had rained harder... but at the end of the parade the weather was already clearing up.
One more performance in front of OSH, ERH, and MAH... which is the street under all those trees and is next to the Kubos on the JFH (our home building) grounds. There, I saw Veejay Siongco from High School.
We finished up, and left the parade cheering "BROAD-JOURN! BROAD-JOURN! BROAD-JOURN!"
That concludes the first event on Wednesday, but it isn't over yet for me. In my organization VPAPU, we finally put up our mock-show which is once again made by the new Probationary members. The theme was "Beau Monde" (Fashion Parade), and it was the first time I was part of an actual production... a real production with backstage "panic" and problems ranging from the Technicals (lights, sounds) towards the House (audience).
I was glad though to have taken up the position for Documentation rather then go on several rounds working on this and that. I did this because I want to keep it normal and easy-going in VPAPU for the time being until I settle on deciding between that and HERALDO.
Anyways, we did errands all around and in front of the VPAPU officers and a crowd of about 30. I invited dorm mates Jo-Am, Francis, and some others. They were seated at the back. At one point, a gay guy suited in a tight orange shirt and white pants danced on the stage. I was talking to Joy (one of the seven) from High School on a cellphone and it was a long time already since we last spoke. I returned upstairs to the Alumni Hall to find the guys telling me that the dude wearing shades on the stage was Lance, my room mate and high school friend (also one of the seven).
For 5 seconds I believed it. I squinted (i wasn't wearing my glasses) to see if it was really him. Huh?! A surprise performance by Lance?! It wasn't... it was some guy that looked like Lance because this gay guy had Lance's spikes and sported similar shades to Lance... and from far away anyone could believe it. Don't worry, we told Lance later on about this and laughed about it.
The Beau Monde was ok. Well, it started off with the probationary members of the POINTES AND FLEXES DANCE TROUPE having to remain in initial position for 5 minutes as we didn't know how to introduce them because they didn't tell us what their song was. JOU1-1 Jeremy is a probationary member.
Those guys are mad at us, I bet. They performed well anyways with the about 8 people in the small crowd cheering them on. Later on, the fashion part of the show was basically stupid. WHAT?! Am I backstabbing my VPAPUmates?! NO NO NO... it doesn't go like that. The models didn't wear anything eye-catching, just normal casual stuff you'd wear to a party. Out of 20 models who could have gone down the ramp, only 7 were there.
Get the picture of what I'm saying here?
Speaking about Organizations this past week:
* VPAPU
- mock-show prep from Monday to Wednesday, and on Wednesday it concluded with the show and the post-production. Thursday and Friday are spared for freedom.
- What's next here? VPAPU's presentation during next week's PAG (Performing Arts Group) GA (General Assembly) is up next. It's only a presentation and segment of the show, we're not going to do the Moulin Rouge ya know. We're going to do Lady M instead and by no means will anyone take pictures during our performance. If there are pictures, they're not going to be posted in this blog or anywhere... EVER. ;p
* AB COMM CHANNEL
- I didn't attend the two seminars/pre-productin for the Documentary making this month this past week. Why? Because they schedule the seminars and brainstorming during my classes. However, I've received constant updates from a friend named Joanna there.
- What's next here? Well uh... pre-production. And Joanna has appointed me as Assistant Segment Producer for the "Male Dormitories on Campus" portion.
* HERALDO FILIPINO
- I've felt bad that I've abused my time and I avoided logging in and getting near the HF office in fear that they'll throw assignments at me in all directions during this performance-heavy week. You know, VPAPU took over Monday to Wednesday. It was only this evening that I completed doing interviews of people with Eric and Maycee and got two Feature Articles due next Friday. One of them I suggested to involve this "indirect conflict" that is just a few more sentences away.
- What's next here? Well I ran off to my dorm with some previous issues of the HF hoping to know what today's editors (my bosses) wrote like when they were apprentices like I am now.
* MOUNTAINEERING SOCIETY
- what the hell?!
- I cancelled my application here. Why am I mentioning it? Well this society has barely seen me and they come to me when I walk down the street or they even catch me at 7-11. They say "George, right? There's a mountaineering meeting...". I don't know all of them, but they know me by the picture I gave in my application I guess. I would feel guilty with my answer and tell them that I didn't expect to make it to the school paper or to this and that, but I am very interested in Mountaineering that I plan to join in my 2nd or 3rd year. At least they understand me... wheew.
Now here are the indirect conflicts that has made this week quite strange
(1) COM1-1 vs. JOU1-1
- With our section winning the presentation during Froshnyte (see previous "The Damage Report" entitled "Stayin' Alive") added to Broadjourn's upbeat and positive attitude, we've somehow given static to neighboring section COM1-1. None of my classmates have anything against COM1-1, but COM1-1 (not all, i hope) are treating some of my classmates like shit. In the hallway, they would secretly sing "pok pok" to us. At 7-11, they did this suplada bitchy segment to our Class President Tina.
- Good God what is going on here?! Tina, together with the Vice President and Broadjourn-Pep-Mistress Meann, informed the class in an official announcement of this undeclared war. Broadjourn is to keep its chin up and act normal, because we don't have any problems with them.
(2) PREJUDICE OF AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING FILIPINO
- It's not me, if that's what you're thinking.
- Our dorm mate in F11, Deo (Filipino from Kuwait), is this innocent guy that is attacked everyday by his classmates in Engineering. They tease him to the brink, but Deo isn't the kind to lash back. Deo is the kind to probably just keep his cool and shyly walk away embarassed. But last night, he revealed his problem to his neighbors and as the "family" we all are at the on-campus men's dormitory... we gave Deo our support
- So on Lunchtime on Friday, several guys from neighboring rooms marched with Deo to his Engineering class at DPH 106 to have a talk with Deo's classmates. I couldn't attend due to an Aerobics practice with Tina and group. I found out that the first encounter will serve as a warning and to inform those mean Engineering guys that Deo isn't alone, and that he is supported by several guys from the dormitory.
- If in any way the Engineering guys that tease badly Deo... it's a brawl off-campus.
- I can't participate in ANY way to them, but Deo has got my psychological and pep talk if he needs one anytime. If I get involved in this fight, I can end up losing my membership to my organizations with a Major Offense under my name.
(3) BOUND YET BROKEN SOMEWHERE
The "Group of Seven" I mention about back in my HS years. I graduated HS last March 2002. I gave everyone in this group a black and white picture (not this one, but this was one of the pictures of the group photo shoot) for our Graduation. I'm placing this here not to bring out anything... but to truly say from the heart that as much as my College life now may seem fun and busy... it is still painful to remember the past of existing as one in a small group in a small school, in a small town.
What's up now? Sharif (dude from Jordan), Kurt (dude in love with Lani from HS), Lance (my room mate, high school friend, one of group of seven), Basil (crazy loud-mouth dude from Kuwait), Brian (kinder, serious, and more mature dude from Kuwait), Joel (who is with me right now playing Battle Realms), and myself remain as the only guys left in the Dorms tonight.
Tomorrow is Filipino for Foreigners, then I meet up with Joanna for the AB COMM CHANNEL as we talk about how we will do our segment about the guys' dorms. Then I get picked up and return home to Tanza.
I waited for 30 minutes, was even late for the curfew, just to try and post "the damage report" to my blog but it wouldn't work. Internet at Net-O-Pia is fast, but sometimes certain pages don't load correctly. I think I'll surf inside campus, or schedule myself to join a certain hour batch there. Anyways, this post is late but now you've probably finished it. And as this post is late... I have been able to provide you all with pictures.
However, don't expect all "The Damage Reports" to feature pictures! This just happens to be two weeks in a row so you're lucky. (#8 Stayin' Alive and #9 Against All Odds)
The Damage Report - Week #9
NOTE: this is a post that is made to give a summary of events that has happened at DLSU-D during the finished week. usually posted saturday nights.
I'm typing this entry from Net-O-Pia on Friday night. Early? Well, this should be the default time I type this weekly special entry. It has been a strange week. Indirect conflicts reaching for me in all directions.
The indirect conflicts are later. First of all, two long-planned events concluded this week.
The larger of the two events was the much-practiced "INA NG BAYAN" presentation that my section JOU1-1 has been working on for weeks. I was musical director with Keith, Maycee, and Eric. The closest girl I am to in JOU101, Jhenyfer Arboleda, was assigned the leading role. She is just extraordinary in acting. She's with William, Athena, and Arjay as new probationary members of the TEATRO.
The presentation was in three parts. The first part was an interpretation number of Ina ng Bayan (Jhen) getting drawn into a group of classmate-dancers and she bursts into tears as she is lifted off the ground by her lower back... it was excellent.
The second part was the CLIMAX, which involved our class "placing an order" for Engineering students to portray the Abu Sayyaf and help BroadJourn's Militar looked beefed up. They were armed with weapons, commando suits, and the like. The Burnhams tragedy was re-enacted. Gracia Burnham was played by Ate Jo, the oldest member of our class who works hard managing studies and working at Jollybee. An engineer played the role of Martin Burnham.
The whole day was sunny, except during the exact time the Parade took place. The moment we took our first steps, it started to rain lightly... then it worsened, then it got better. Then when the parade ended, the rain stopped and it was sunny. Why am I mentioning this? I dunno... a possible blessing by God to make the re-enactment of the Burnhams tragedy look more realistic? Because, as seen in my pictures... the rain just added to the effect of the performance.
The third and final part involved all walks of Filipino Life coming together in interpretation to Ina ng Bayan's (Jhen) torn down, savaged, and broken well being. This involved classmates dressed as doctors, news reporters, ordinary people in the office... approach her.
My part was to play one of the three Newscasters who will walk all around our space during the parade "reporting". This to combine our performance with our beloved course, Broadcast Journalism. However, my engineer cameraman disappeared half-way down the parade route and left me stranded without a camera to look at... thus making my role almost useless.
I was pissed off, but I had to keep my chin up and do my best to revive my role. I sided with cameraman classmate Jerson and the other two news reporters Arazelli and Jessica Joy. Suddenly, that's where I see Candy Paredes from High School dressed in a teal Filipiniana with several other nursing peeps also in formal wear. As BroadJourn, which was two places in front of Candy's truck waited... I rushed over with my camera ready to take a picture of Candy on her float...
The biggest crowd so far was there at the Rotonda and we gave it our best. The only thing that could have made our Finale better was if it had rained harder... but at the end of the parade the weather was already clearing up.
One more performance in front of OSH, ERH, and MAH... which is the street under all those trees and is next to the Kubos on the JFH (our home building) grounds. There, I saw Veejay Siongco from High School.
We finished up, and left the parade cheering "BROAD-JOURN! BROAD-JOURN! BROAD-JOURN!"
That concludes the first event on Wednesday, but it isn't over yet for me. In my organization VPAPU, we finally put up our mock-show which is once again made by the new Probationary members. The theme was "Beau Monde" (Fashion Parade), and it was the first time I was part of an actual production... a real production with backstage "panic" and problems ranging from the Technicals (lights, sounds) towards the House (audience).
I was glad though to have taken up the position for Documentation rather then go on several rounds working on this and that. I did this because I want to keep it normal and easy-going in VPAPU for the time being until I settle on deciding between that and HERALDO.
Anyways, we did errands all around and in front of the VPAPU officers and a crowd of about 30. I invited dorm mates Jo-Am, Francis, and some others. They were seated at the back. At one point, a gay guy suited in a tight orange shirt and white pants danced on the stage. I was talking to Joy (one of the seven) from High School on a cellphone and it was a long time already since we last spoke. I returned upstairs to the Alumni Hall to find the guys telling me that the dude wearing shades on the stage was Lance, my room mate and high school friend (also one of the seven).
For 5 seconds I believed it. I squinted (i wasn't wearing my glasses) to see if it was really him. Huh?! A surprise performance by Lance?! It wasn't... it was some guy that looked like Lance because this gay guy had Lance's spikes and sported similar shades to Lance... and from far away anyone could believe it. Don't worry, we told Lance later on about this and laughed about it.
The Beau Monde was ok. Well, it started off with the probationary members of the POINTES AND FLEXES DANCE TROUPE having to remain in initial position for 5 minutes as we didn't know how to introduce them because they didn't tell us what their song was. JOU1-1 Jeremy is a probationary member.
Those guys are mad at us, I bet. They performed well anyways with the about 8 people in the small crowd cheering them on. Later on, the fashion part of the show was basically stupid. WHAT?! Am I backstabbing my VPAPUmates?! NO NO NO... it doesn't go like that. The models didn't wear anything eye-catching, just normal casual stuff you'd wear to a party. Out of 20 models who could have gone down the ramp, only 7 were there.
Get the picture of what I'm saying here?
Speaking about Organizations this past week:
* VPAPU
- mock-show prep from Monday to Wednesday, and on Wednesday it concluded with the show and the post-production. Thursday and Friday are spared for freedom.
- What's next here? VPAPU's presentation during next week's PAG (Performing Arts Group) GA (General Assembly) is up next. It's only a presentation and segment of the show, we're not going to do the Moulin Rouge ya know. We're going to do Lady M instead and by no means will anyone take pictures during our performance. If there are pictures, they're not going to be posted in this blog or anywhere... EVER. ;p
* AB COMM CHANNEL
- I didn't attend the two seminars/pre-productin for the Documentary making this month this past week. Why? Because they schedule the seminars and brainstorming during my classes. However, I've received constant updates from a friend named Joanna there.
- What's next here? Well uh... pre-production. And Joanna has appointed me as Assistant Segment Producer for the "Male Dormitories on Campus" portion.
* HERALDO FILIPINO
- I've felt bad that I've abused my time and I avoided logging in and getting near the HF office in fear that they'll throw assignments at me in all directions during this performance-heavy week. You know, VPAPU took over Monday to Wednesday. It was only this evening that I completed doing interviews of people with Eric and Maycee and got two Feature Articles due next Friday. One of them I suggested to involve this "indirect conflict" that is just a few more sentences away.
- What's next here? Well I ran off to my dorm with some previous issues of the HF hoping to know what today's editors (my bosses) wrote like when they were apprentices like I am now.
* MOUNTAINEERING SOCIETY
- what the hell?!
- I cancelled my application here. Why am I mentioning it? Well this society has barely seen me and they come to me when I walk down the street or they even catch me at 7-11. They say "George, right? There's a mountaineering meeting...". I don't know all of them, but they know me by the picture I gave in my application I guess. I would feel guilty with my answer and tell them that I didn't expect to make it to the school paper or to this and that, but I am very interested in Mountaineering that I plan to join in my 2nd or 3rd year. At least they understand me... wheew.
Now here are the indirect conflicts that has made this week quite strange
(1) COM1-1 vs. JOU1-1
- With our section winning the presentation during Froshnyte (see previous "The Damage Report" entitled "Stayin' Alive") added to Broadjourn's upbeat and positive attitude, we've somehow given static to neighboring section COM1-1. None of my classmates have anything against COM1-1, but COM1-1 (not all, i hope) are treating some of my classmates like shit. In the hallway, they would secretly sing "pok pok" to us. At 7-11, they did this suplada bitchy segment to our Class President Tina.
- Good God what is going on here?! Tina, together with the Vice President and Broadjourn-Pep-Mistress Meann, informed the class in an official announcement of this undeclared war. Broadjourn is to keep its chin up and act normal, because we don't have any problems with them.
(2) PREJUDICE OF AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING FILIPINO
- It's not me, if that's what you're thinking.
- Our dorm mate in F11, Deo (Filipino from Kuwait), is this innocent guy that is attacked everyday by his classmates in Engineering. They tease him to the brink, but Deo isn't the kind to lash back. Deo is the kind to probably just keep his cool and shyly walk away embarassed. But last night, he revealed his problem to his neighbors and as the "family" we all are at the on-campus men's dormitory... we gave Deo our support
- So on Lunchtime on Friday, several guys from neighboring rooms marched with Deo to his Engineering class at DPH 106 to have a talk with Deo's classmates. I couldn't attend due to an Aerobics practice with Tina and group. I found out that the first encounter will serve as a warning and to inform those mean Engineering guys that Deo isn't alone, and that he is supported by several guys from the dormitory.
- If in any way the Engineering guys that tease badly Deo... it's a brawl off-campus.
- I can't participate in ANY way to them, but Deo has got my psychological and pep talk if he needs one anytime. If I get involved in this fight, I can end up losing my membership to my organizations with a Major Offense under my name.
(3) BOUND YET BROKEN SOMEWHERE
The "Group of Seven" I mention about back in my HS years. I graduated HS last March 2002. I gave everyone in this group a black and white picture (not this one, but this was one of the pictures of the group photo shoot) for our Graduation. I'm placing this here not to bring out anything... but to truly say from the heart that as much as my College life now may seem fun and busy... it is still painful to remember the past of existing as one in a small group in a small school, in a small town.
What's up now? Sharif (dude from Jordan), Kurt (dude in love with Lani from HS), Lance (my room mate, high school friend, one of group of seven), Basil (crazy loud-mouth dude from Kuwait), Brian (kinder, serious, and more mature dude from Kuwait), Joel (who is with me right now playing Battle Realms), and myself remain as the only guys left in the Dorms tonight.
Tomorrow is Filipino for Foreigners, then I meet up with Joanna for the AB COMM CHANNEL as we talk about how we will do our segment about the guys' dorms. Then I get picked up and return home to Tanza.
I waited for 30 minutes, was even late for the curfew, just to try and post "the damage report" to my blog but it wouldn't work. Internet at Net-O-Pia is fast, but sometimes certain pages don't load correctly. I think I'll surf inside campus, or schedule myself to join a certain hour batch there. Anyways, this post is late but now you've probably finished it. And as this post is late... I have been able to provide you all with pictures.
However, don't expect all "The Damage Reports" to feature pictures! This just happens to be two weeks in a row so you're lucky. (#8 Stayin' Alive and #9 Against All Odds)
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