Saturday, May 10, 2003
FROM ATHEISM TO BACLARAN
The Damage Report - Broadjourn Summer - Ending Week #40/5
NOTE: This is a weekly blog entry that summarizes a series of events of a finished week in and around La Salle.
"...bayad po, Lawton. ...bayad ho, Baclaran Coastal..."
SO I've spent the past week delving in books about Philippine Churches and flipping through pages of a photocopy about Theism and Atheism. Coincidently our Term Paper topic in English103 combined with the Philosophy of Man topics which were Theism and Atheism.
Last Monday it was our turn to report and it was about Atheism. I reported on two topics namely Argument of Human Alienation and the Argument of Theological Irrelevance. You can read the rest here.
On Tuesday, it was our first of two trips to Metro Manila to investigate churches. My partner and I ventured off into the Walled City of Intramuros and explored the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church. You can read the rest in a detailed entry here. If you want to read my partner's side of this little adventure in Intramuros, click here.
Ready for Wednesday? Click here.
Why am I linking? Because I've realized that after a day's work and when I go home, I seem to type up an entry with that whole day involved. So, why repeat it here when you can read several paragraphs in entries made this past week. Heheh. I'm on a tight schedule these days.
Anyways, the internet disappeared once again starting Thursday. Pacific Internet, with it's already deteriorating service towards us, suddenly disconnected us from their servers or something. "Check your password" kept appearing when we tried to use the internet. We know we have to pay the bill for this month, but we haven't even received it yet. Plus, paying the bill is difficult with Pacific Internet because you have to go to their Office in Imus instead of just paying it at the mall or something. They don't usually disconnect the line that abruptly. They give it some time.
I've had enough of Pacific Internet. They've been so reliable for over three years, and then they suddenly give horrible service. Changing dial-ups without telling their customers beforehand. Changing service numbers without telling their customers beforehand. Abrupt disconnections. Difficult internet connections. Randomly rejected internet connections.
Not only Pacific Internet, but even the currently celebrating "SMART REI9NS" whatever thing. For the past few weeks, the signal of SMART has worsened day by day here in our area. They recently started charging P1.00 for every 1515 you dial to check your balance. You have to txt them just to get your balance for free and that's so... so, reverse of development.
Speaking of reverse of development, Studio 23! My favorite local channel. They recently combined their telecast with ABS-CBN 2 which is supposed to be a good thing. But it makes Studio 23 visually dependant on ABS-CBN and it makes Studio 23 lose its individual identity. Instead of "evolving", it's starting to "de-volve". And the worse on Studio 23 these days, the commercials are terrible! The past three new episodes of Charmed have been advertised poorly. They don't tell the story anymore, they don't fix up the scenes they put into a trailer... they just snap on one scene and then a black screen with text in the background. That's it. It makes me want to apply for Studio 23 Creative now, before the situation gets worse!
The world in reverse these days.
Ok, back to where I left off. Thursday is where the Internet disappeared. You can read about my stomach upset that downed me the whole Thursday by clicking this.
Friday, I returned to school. Jezire, Shiela, TinTin were absent. In English102, we have the go-signal of our Final Draft. It was finished smoothly I might add. We didn't have to dramatically edit anything big. We had a quiz about Bibliographies. The do or die kind of quiz since one quiz can account for 10% of your total grade or something like that. Basta, summer tests and quizes are extremely heavy even if they could play out easy, moderate, or difficult.
In Philosophy of Man they finished up the discussion on a topic named "Religious Experience". The group that reported this reported on Thursday, so I missed that one. But Ms. de Leon explained it throughly. I requested I take my Graded Recitation after class and she allowed me to. My grade was okay... the minimum goal I had set at the start was my grade. I'm fine with that. After being so nervous from the start.
After that, we joined Upper and rode a van to go to her house in Parañaque. Of course, who drove? Upper! Kirsten Kay, Keith, Leah, Ayesha, Eric, Arazelli, Kate, Ate Angge, and myself were on-board Upper's Starex. It still fascinates me that Upper is driving. I'm not underestimating you Upper, it's just... seeing you drive gives me hope and light on the roads that maybe one day "kaya ko rin..."
She had her 18th Birthday on the 5th (which was Monday) so she treated everyone to lunch at her house on Friday. After many roads and many turns, and many passing CR-Vs later... we arrived at her house in Lopez Village near or inside BF, Parañaque. At her house, she had a bird in its cage, two aquariums of fish, and one very very cute breeded dog named Gabby.
The food was hearty and delicious it left everyone at the table full. With Keith's humor and the company of everyone, it was a great time.
But of course, we had places to go. Kate would join Ate Angge and I on our second half of the on-location researching. Destinations were the Bamboo Organ Church in Las Piñas, St. Andrew's Cathedral in Parañaque, and the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran.
Upper and the rest of the company travelled in the purple Starex down the Alabang-Zapote Road and into Las Piñas to drop us at the Bamboo Organ Church. There, we bid farewell to the rest while Ate Angge, Kate, and myself entered the quiet setting.
There was this mysterious old guy that scared Kate a little. We took pictures and then boarded a jeep and got off in front of Kate's High School, which was the all-girls school St. Paul's. Then, right across from it on a winding road was St. Andrew's (all-boys school) where classmate-slash-future-lawyer-by-attitude Christian graduated from. Of course, it was connected to St. Andrew's Church... er, actually, Kate said it was officialized as St. Andrew's Cathedral.
When we got inside, there was a Wedding! It was a surprise. Of all the churches, of all the places, and all the timeslots... we arrived to see a wedding. "Paano 'to." was my expression. I mean, we wanted to have a picture of the altar and the retablo or unique features of this church. I managed to get at least three pictures.
Kate brought us to a Quickly's and it was my first time to enjoy one of these. Green Apple was the flavor we all got. While waiting to get on-board a jeep for Baclaran... there was this one guy who came near us and was about to board a jeep. I was the closest to him and I was just sipping on my own Quickly when I felt him looking at me with some attitude. I ignored this since "Wala ako naman kasalanan sa kanya... nandito lang ako nagiintay ng jeep with my friends..."
I ignored it all until Kate brought it up in the jeep, which surprised me cause she noticed too. "Oh George, masama tingin 'yun lalake kanina naka bandana...". Oh well, that's life I guess in Metro Manila. In my head with attitude was "Ingit siya lang sa akin... I looked fresh and clean, he looked dirty and miserable.."
We arrived in familiar territory when we exited into Coastal Highway before it turns into Roxas Boulevard. We got off at newly revised Baclaran (all the stores and shops have been organized and the place looks more spacious). We took pictures and then emptied our remaining shots and films on the side of the popular church. Afterwards, I followed Kate and Ate Angge to go around shopping at the many stalls.
We only looked around and then it got really late. Ate Angge bought the white blouse she was looking for and then she got on-board an AREA C jeep. Kate and I walked back to the church area and then took the Pedestrian Overpass to get to the other side and catch our transports. It was my first time commuting home from Baclaran. I waited for her to board her transport which would be any Alabang or SM Southmall-bound vehicle. After nearly 15 minutes of waiting and the sunset on Manila Bay behind us, a jeep finally came and she got on.
Luckily, while waiting and moving around in the numbers of people on the side of the aspalt waiting for their own transports... there was a mega-taxi (specifically a Crosswind SUV) bound for Naic Tanza. Cool! I can go home in an air-conditioned vehicle with comfort.
So that's what I did. I got home early that way. On Saturday, I would be expecting Kate and Eric over for our first meeting in construction of PROJECT BJ6. Take care everyone.
Comments:
Post a Comment