3 idiots.

I have recently watched the Bollywood movie "3 Idiots" and I must say that I enjoyed the three-hour movie. The film is a sad depiction of the attitude of most students towards education. This could be captured by the the passage written by Rizal in his novel El Filibusterismo, "pumapasok noon sa kolehiyo, hindi upang matuto mag-aral kundi upang matapos ang kurso."

On a different note, the reason I liked this movie, apart from I being able to relate to it, is the originality of the plot juxtaposed to the traditional boy meets girl romance storyline employed by Philippine movies -a sad commentary on the state of Philippine cinemas.

Going back to the plot of the movie, Rancho -a mechanical engineering student in a prestigious institute of higher learning in India, complains about how flawed the current education system which suppresses critical thinking and creativity is, and how most students turn a blind eye for the sake of obtaining a diploma -not necessarily gaining knowledge.

Pondering on this, I remembered how back in preschool up to high school, students were always asked of what they wanted to be when they grow up and the reply was usually to become a successful doctor or lawyer or whatever vocation. But how does one really measure success? Is it through one's monthly income? one's fame, prestige or influence?

Nevertheless, during my stay in college, I cannot remember an instance wherein one is encouraged to study or work harder in order to be successful. It was always to work hard in order to excel in a certain field. Excellence -and not success, was the goal. Hence, I agree with Rancho when he said that a student's attitude should be towards striving excellence not success. For in excellence, success will automatically follow. One must therefore study with utmost passion for gaining knowledge and achieving excellence and not for the sole purpose of getting a diploma and landing a good job. I guess that is the lesson that most students miss or forget upon entering college. It is not so bad relearning it again.

AHL IZ WELL. AHL IS WELL.

sigh.

There is this feeling again of intense fear of failure and living a life of mediocrity that cripples me and keeps me awake at night.

blackforest.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE GASTRONOMIC VALUE OF GOLDILOCKS AND RED RIBBON BLACK FOREST CAKE


TWO slices of black forest cake, one bought from Goldilocks Sta Lucia (Cainta) Branch and the other from Red Ribbon Sta Lucia (Cainta) Branch, would be compared based on the following criteria.

Appearance: colour, size, presentation
Taste: icing, cake, chocolate
Cost

Findings of the said study are as follows.

APPEARANCE
Colour
Goldilocks black forest cake is a three-layered dark brown cake with a cream white icing in between. It is topped with chocolate shavings, a cherry and a slice of peach. Red Ribbon black forest cake, on the other hand, is also a three-layered dark brown cake with a cream white icing in between, though icing is creamier in color. It is topped with cherry ad chocolate shavings.
Size
Though both are three layered cakes, Goldilocks black forest cake is wider in width by a centimeter compared to the Red Ribbon black forest cake.
Presentation
Aside from the plastic container in which both cakes are packaged, the Goldilocks black forest cake is inserted into a plastic sleeve thus reducing mess.

TASTE
Icing
Goldilocks black forest icing has a relatively bland taste with oily textured as opposed to the frothy semisweet icing of Red Ribbon black forest cake.
Cake
Goldolocks black forest cake is soft and has a smooth texture. There is very little taste of rum which makes the cake almost similar to that of a chocolate cake. Red Ribbon black forest cake, on the other hand, has soft granular texture. Flavor of rum is very distinct.
Chocolate
Goldilocks used unsweetened chocolate and is relatively thicker in dimension compared to the semisweet milk cholate shavings used by Red Ribbon.

COST
Goldilocks black forest cake is cheaper at Php 56.00 per slice compared to Red Ribbon at Php 59.00 per slice.

CONCLUSION
Based from the observations made above and my personal preferences, I therefore conclude that Red Ribbon black forest cake is generally better than Goldilocks black forest cake.

9 down, 1 more to go.

FIRST semester has already been finished and I only have one more semester left until I finish college. Looking back at my performance, I could not say that I have been a good student. In fact, ever since I entered the corps and shifted to polsci, it have been very seldom that I get a grade of 1.00+. Nevertheless, I do not regret being involve in other extra curricular activities. What I only wish is that I exerted more effort in my studies. Especially now that I am planning to enter med school next year. But I won't delve on that at this moment. Sem break is too precious to be wasted being depressed. I only have two weeks, don't I?

For the duration of my aforementioned break from academics, I have planned a list of things to work on:

1. assemble emergency kit
2. bonsai
3. t-shirt printing
4. natural history
5. assemble radio
6. read "men of mathematics" by E.T. Bell
7. study calculus and quaternions
8. study planes and fluid mechanics
9. build Lueewenhoek microscope
10.glassblowing
11.Georg Cristoph Lichtenberg's "waste books"
12.concept of perfect crime (crime and punishment, oxford murders, el filibusterismo)
13.life of Ludwig Wittgenstein
14.anaesthesia (see Sherlock Holmes, Salt and zombies)
15.works of Guillermo Martinez (oxford murders)
16.PT!
17.on rats and men
18.tickler notebook
19.notes on manliness
20.60s clothing

I'm not sure if I am going to accomplish all this but hey, its worth a try.

law of survival.

DYING is not so bad. It is part of the natural process. But heck, I don't want to die yet. I don't want to believe that I am weak and that I am not fit to survive.

first step.

I never let my SCHOOLING interfere with my EDUCATION.

Mark Twain

I have first read those words by Mark Twain back in high school in one of those statement shirts. Back then, I just thought Mr Twain was one of those persons who strongly criticized the quality of the educational system of their time. Only recently did I realized what he meant.

In the 17 of the 20 years of my existence, I have been going to school. From nursery up to now, I have been taught under a pre arranged curriculum which already maps out what information I would learn during my so-called "education". A standard issue high school diploma, at the very least, would guarantee that I am well informed in the fields of Math, Science and English. Knowledge on all the other areas of study are not necessarily expected and are left to those who seeks them for specialization or mere interest.

Nevertheless, we Homo sapiens, with our developed brains and opposable thumbs, must not be contented with what our schools provide. We must seek more knowledge and learn to teach ourselves other crafts and expertise. We must aim to develop our selves not only cognitively but physically and socially as well. Our ultimate goal must be to lead and excel in all lines of human endeavors.

Thus, I am trying to put my self in perspectives. I have list down a few things that I plan to undertake this coming June.

1. learn a new trade - though I have not yet decided on what specifically to embark on, I am thinking along the lines of a new language or new musical instrument.

2. establish PT regiment - the last time I ever run a lap was way back in April. I really do need the exercise.

3. start a journal - to be able to document my progress and note as well the important moments of my life.

4. open an ATM account - if I am planning to put up a farm and a library, I better start saving money right away.

5. read my books - I have tons of books and other than rotting away in the attic, I better start reading them and gain the knowledge of those who wrote them.

I see that JULY would be a productive month for me.

*photo not mine.

the state of matter.

MY laptop got busted recently and thus, I have not been in touch with the world wide web for quite some time. Classes have already started two weeks ago and so far, I am doing alright. This semester would be my first step on my way to higher grounds. This time, I will be more focused, more organized and more confident.

Speaking of being more organized, I have taken the archiving and documentation of my life a notch higher. Aside from the record of expenses I keep here in my laptop, I also have one written in a columnar notebook (just in case my laptop fails me again). In addition, I also keep a notebook where I store interesting information and ideas. Sort of like da Vinci's notebook but in a less intricate but more organized form. I dubbed it Memorias de un Supremo, but I think it is not quite appropriate since it is more of a compilation of facts and figures rather than a memoir. I think I would just hail it as the Supremo notebook.

I also have with me a daily planner together with my desk calendar in which I note important dates such as birthdays, deadlines and exams. Occasionally, I also write down inspiring quotes or realizations I stumbled upon during the day. I am starting to think that I am a bit obsessive-compulsive since I actually spent a lot of time in formulating the format that I would be using in taking down notes in my planner. I tried color coding -first using color pencil then highlighters. Eventually, I just stick with writing [tag]: [note]

I also have a To Do/Assignment notepad which is basically, a 1/4 paper pad which I divided into four columns: finished ( / if done, blank if not yet and an x if it's not done or cancelled), subject, assignment, due date. This is to keep track of all the things I have to do and avoid missing any deadlines.

I also now have a mini notebook (free from Mama Sita's oyster sauce) in which I jot down recipes that I myself concocted. I only have five entries yet though, since I don't spend that much time in the kitchen.

Then there are my other notebooks, one for practicing shorthand writing, then another for organic farm/gardening, for Pahinungod ERVP, for sketching and painting and for random notes.

And of course, my trusty tickler which I have just recently customized to include a sort of envelope, some post-its and a band to keep the notebook intact.

In addition to all of this, I am planning to start a journal as well. I am still contemplating on the details though -will it be formal? highly personal? daily? etc. Arggh. Obsessive-compulsive.

I sure hope I could stick with them all.

tree hugger.

I have recently engaged in a new activity -organic farming. Well actually, I still don't have the means to put up a farm and so, I am just starting to set up a vegetable garden. I haven't really grown anything in the past yet and so, I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

I am chronicling my struggles in putting up my organic farm here:
http://reallyhighintothesky.blogspot.com

leave no man behind.

WHEN I go home people'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is.

- Hoot (Black Hawk Down)

I am back in the game.

watch me shine!

*photo not mine.

conceptual framework.

IN the midst of all my troubles, I decided that I should adopt a new attitude in life. I call this framework, the 'can do, will do' model. I will make the most out of life, try to gain as much EXP as possible. I will push my limits to its end.

I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
In what I can do, I ought to do;
And in what I ought to do, by the grace of god, I will do it.

Funny, I have already known this for three years and it is only now that I am taking it by heart.

DUTY. HONOR. and COUNTRY.

AFTER three years in the corps, I am finally free and all I can say is that I am overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions -happiness, sadness, excitement but mostly nostalgia. It is such a breather that there would be no more CQs, no more TDs, no more dress codes and above all, no more corps responsibilities. But honestly, I still can't see myself apart from the corps. I have been a CO almost all of my UP life. It is inside the corps where I found most of my friends. It is also in the corps that I was able to experience many things that otherwise I would not have. I would surely miss the times I spent with my classmates, upperclass and lowerclassmen.

Furthermore, I harbor a sort of feeling of regret. I regret not being able to perform my best during my stay in the corps. I regret missing CQs and TDs. And most of all, I regret not being able to make all the plans we had, materialize. But nevertheless, I am glad that during our stay in the corps, my lowerclassmen were happy. I am grateful that somehow, they sought me for guidance and example. I am happy that in someway, I have contributed to the their development.

If I were to relive my college life, I would surely like to change some of the decisions I have made in my UP life, but never would I regret entering the corps.


*photo not mine.

the beatles.

*photo not mine.








LUCY in the sky with diamonds.

bucket list.

THE fear of death is worse than death -these are the words of Robert Burton. I have long accepted that everyone, sooner or later, would have to kick the bucket and come to an end. I don't believe in reincarnation nor life after death. I deem that once a person dies, he cease to exist and can only subsist in the minds and memories of those he left behind, nothing more and nothing less.

Nevertheless, I can't say that I don't have any qualms about dying. I also have my own trepidations. I don't want to disappear and be forgotten forever. I want to continue living -maybe not physically but rather in the pages of history or the lives of persons I have left behind. I guess I could say, my biggest fear is living a life of failure and mediocrity. I don't want to be that insignificant dot who can disappear without anyone noticing. I want to be something.

I realized that in order to avoid this, I need to have an objective. I need to have a clear goal that would direct me in making my decisions and pursuing a course of action. And this goal that I am talking about needs to be SMART. Ergo, I have made a bucket list. It is the list of all the things I want to accomplish before I kick the bucket, before I expire.

The contents of it may not seem much. Some of which will not contribute greatly to my existence. But at least I know, in my self, that in this short life time of mine, I HAVE MANAGED TO DO SOMETHING.

i wonder...

...when will my shining moment come.

record. record. record.

RIZAL kept a thorough record of all his expenses when he was still studying. In fact, he was very keen in documenting and archiving his life that he kept a detailed journal and an organized collection of letters between him and his family and friends. He even kept old receipts of the things he bought. Perhaps he thought that someday, someone would be interested in studying his life and digging up his files. Well, he was right and a lot of historians are thankful that they could gain so much information about his life based from his old notes and records.

Recently, I planned on doing so as well. Not that I believe someone in the future would be interested in documenting my life but rather, so I could go back and see how my life was and how it has changed over the years. The truth is, I have already attempted it before. But back then, my records were really messy. My classmates, who were doing the same, encouraged me to do it again, but this time, using my computer. I officially started recording my expenses today and so far, so good. I have resisted the urge to buy and buy food and other unnecessary stuff. It has also helped me monitor where my money goes and avoid splurging on things I don't really need.

Now the only question is, how long would I be able to keep this on.

Old Manila!

THE Spaniards colonized the Philippines for about 300 years. Together with this invasion, the Spaniards have not only left a rich history in the country, but also bequethed a significant influence on the culture and way of life of the Filipinos.

I have always been fascinated by the Hispanic heritage of the Philippines. I have been dreaming of living in Intramuros, surrounded by colonial-style houses, wishing of being able to relive the days of Rizal, Luna and the other Ilustrados. Fortunately, the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCAA) has been very keen in preserving the past. Most of the edifices and statues has been declared historical sites and are open to visitors for viewing.

For that, I have planned to visit the Old Manila and relish the beauty of the past. I have already prepared an itinerary for the trip. Now, if only I could find a free Sunday in my very busy schedule.

ITINERARY (partial)

0530H . Jump off!
0630H . ETA Luneta
0730H . Intramuros
1100H . lunch at Intramuros
1200H . National Museum - FREE during Sundays!
1700H . Chinatown
1800H . Sta Cruz Church - Clarke 2 Escolta
1900H . dinner at Ma Mon Luk

I heart OLD MANILA!


*photo not mine.

Happy New Year!

IF you think back, and replay your year - if it doesn't bring you tears of joy or sadness, consider the year wasted.

- John Cage (Ally McBeal)

*photo is not mine.