It Ends Where it Began

One of the best Saturday nights, I, together with my peers gathered for one celebration of nearly five years of friendship. Sitio Lucia has been a place for our milestones since the day twenty four different roads have met a single path. As I remember that first day, we were all here just boys ang girls with faces new to each other. For unknown reason, we just have a good time enough to peek what’s inside everyone’s lunchbox. With each toss of beer and the loud beat of the sound, I grasped myself with a sigh. “It’s good to be here” I said. Bonded by the name we were entitled (as politically acclaimed youth), our league is strengthened as we go with time. Hardships at work, never-ending meetings, laughters from talkshits, weep of broken heart and sometimes mind, wasted adventure island trips, overnight drinking sessions and unanticipated turns of circumstances from personal inclination. We have grown enough I think and we knew each other as well. That’s enough to throw a celebration that we are having for the last night that we have gathered again. But this time we knew the reason---a dereliction I guess. Parting ways are just sweet sorrows. The freshmen few years ago are now tracking their separate lives with a spirit of a brave heart now. Some were parents, breadwinners, political movers, some left the country and some are still on their way of striving hard for fulfillment like me. Time become short when you know you’re taking it good. How I wish that memories wouldn’t abandon our reason for seeing each other just for a short talk or even just a lift of an eyebrow. How I wish that we could still have late night never ending drunk-talk, jamming and road trips. How I wish we just don’t know the reason for a celebration and I say—“it’s good to be here.”

An Open Exhibit of the Past

Houses have stories to tell especially when it existed for so many years and witnessed a lot of events. In the town of San Miguel Bulacan, I’ve visited different ancestral houses that were built during the Spanish Era. These were the houses of the rich and influential people in the history of the Philippines. The spaces inside every house reflects the culture of its inhabitants in terms of how their lifestyle, social status, attitude towards visitors and perception of privacy.

One of the remarkable ancestral houses is the Lipana House.

The main door is usually large to accommodate the Caroza (wheeled vehicle being used to carry the Poon or figure of Saint during a parade or prusisyon)

The ground floor is not occupied for daily living. It is only used as storage or area for the Caroza. Walls are really thick and the windows have iron grills.

The Stairway is considered as a transition point. Consisting of two flights, each part indicates your intimacy to the owner. You’re lucky when the owner invites you to go upstairs.

The second floor is where everything happens. It is very spacious since there were no visible partitions between the ante-sala and the living area. This is where they throw parties and special events. Parties and dancing were a total entertainment for people then. It is also a status symbol. Meaning, the more events in your house, them more famous you will be.

Wide windows with transom and ventanillas are not only for air-conditioning purposes but for connection to the streetlife too. If you could stare at the window, you will realize how simple the life before. Take the cold breeze inside the house and say hi to your neighbor.

The Twelve Apostles. Something very unique and historical about the house is the figures of Saints. These have made significant contributions to the life of the owner. The Lipana’s stored and hide their riches inside the saints’ body during the Japanese occupation.

Beep Beep Beep Beep

One the best rides for me is the Jeepney. The utility vehicle GP(general purpose) used during the American occupation that has marked as the icon of a true Filipino transport. This vehicle has to say a lot of stories on the road. I usually travel less than an hour inside Jeepneys going to school. For an architecture student like me who usually consumes the rest of the sleepnights for drawing, it has already been a daily routine for me to take a nap (or sometimes a deep sleep) before the jeep finally arrives on the destination. For so many times, I’ve been popular to the passengers because of this habit. While the jeep is on its way, unknowingly I felt asleep (of course you wouldn’t know you’re asleep) caused by the exhausting night of drawing and I’m about to beat the submission deadline again. On the otherhand, the innocent people sitting beside me will be the victims of my unconscious acts. My upper limb use to sway when I’m sleeping and it just annoys my seatmates. Some were really kind towards me(because they know I’m bigger than them), but others try to initiate something to make me conscious about my stupid acts like hitting my chest with their elbows, moving their knees to disturb me and stabbing with a knife (but haven’t really happened to me yet) There were times that they go mad at me and scream their emotions. Suddenly, I run out of words, maybe my illustrations could explain better.

Are You Who You Want to be?

It’s the first week of November and it marks as the start of my final semester. Hopefully, in God’s time by the next year I would be earning my degree. And after two more years of diversified training for me to be able to take the licensure examination for Architecture. Here comes another season of decision. When I was about to enter college, I wasn’t really sure about the course I will be taking after high school. There are lots of good sounding courses like business administration and engineering courses that I thought would fit my vague mind but I was still not in the mood of choosing one. After several ways of thinking and long hours of decision-making that took me a bottle of beer to finish, here I am today standing in front of people with t-square and messy pens that I got from nowhere. By the time I am writing this article, I’m still uncertain that I’m going to be an architect someday. I really don’t know why I am standing still. Perhaps there is a good reason why I woke up one day on this side of the road. The song “This is your life” by Switchfoot always reminds me of the things that I should be thinking right now.

Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you've got now
Yeah, and today is all you'll ever have
Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Are you who you want to be? Is this the life I am dreaming of? Is this sum of all my sacrifices? When I was writing my book for thesis, my adviser always asks me to revise my goals and objectives of my study. He said “stick with your goals. The objectives must be coherent to the goal you want to achieve.” The goal setting is similar to building bridges leading to your ultimate dream. We may not know what lies ahead of us, but important is that we succeeded in fulfilling our dreams not by the reputation given by the people but the heart and mind that reached self-actualization. Nobody measures real success but us. I realized then that this life is too short; we have to do what we have to. I don’t want to see myself someday acting the role of someone who I’m not used to be.

An Encounter With the Morons

Foolish talks have always been a part of my daily living. Perhaps it’s a punchline of God saying how lucky I am that there where human-shaped creatures dumber than what I could ever imagine.

Scenario 1: On an oral defense of a thesis, a professor who’s in charge of the event asked to run her an errand. As the situation goes…

Prof: could you buy us snacks for the jurors? There where three of them so buy three drinks and sandwiches (then gave the money)
Me: right away ma’am
From the store, I came back to the moron to give her what she instructed.

Prof: (in a astonishing tone) oh??something’s missing. I told you these should be four iced tea and sandwiches..Hmmp..
Me: (to myself with my astral projection coming out of my body and dragging a knife towards her chest) You’ll be in hell soon.!!!

Scenario 2: The teacher discusses the latest discovery here on earth (screw you if you didn’t know this) the sun rises in the east every morning. Suddenly, a shit comes out from a butthead classmate.

Teacher: the Chinese wants their room to face east.
Stupid classmate: (sheepishly murmured something to his seatmate) is it true that in Alaska, the sun rises in east too?
Seatmate: Dies on the floor breaking her neck laughing.

Scenario 3: Professor approaching each of her students for an announcement.

To student 1: we’ll meet in room 311 @ 3:00
To student 2: we’ll meet in the AVR @ 3:00
To student 3: we’ll meet in the library @ 3:00
..And so on…

Conclusion: Mental health situation in the country is quite alarming.

Welcome to the Dirty Parade

• Let me share with you some of my experiences as a young leader aka politicians (I didn’t claim it although others insists). Five years ago, when I was just an ordinary teenage boy, destiny did something strange for me—the responsibility of being a leader in the community—the task of being an SK chairman. Out of nowhere, it just happened. For some reasons, the occurrence wasn’t really a total regret because it has opened so many doors leading to the reality of sophisticated life. If you think you know what I mean then I would like to congratulate you. Welcome to the nasty world of politics. To serve as an encouragement and also a disclaimer, here are some tips that I honestly said by heart. (Some items shouldn’t be taken literally) Take it straight from a certified sinner.
  
  The good part(I can’t use the word benefits coz it might sound absurd) of being a young leader based on how I perceived it are:
  


• Respect and self-esteem. But of course, a leader has to be ready for anything. A positive outlook towards self is one good start of a leader. He/she gains the respect of his/her colleagues.


• Friendship and camaraderie. Being a part of the group, you use to have your colleagues as companions in all your activities and goals. The experiences bind you more as you go ahead. For some other reasons, a partner in crime too.
  


• Places, places and places. I’ve been to a lot of places (local only), meet different people and had been through a lot of experiences.
  Fame. It’s already been given and you can’t take it away from you. You get to be recognized by people. Instant celebrity as they say.
  


• Money. This is true since it is mandatory in public office but it shouldn’t be the point of taking the lead unless you are willing to open yourself to greed and selfish ambitions.
  
  The other side of this is the irrefutable notions associated with this field that may open your gate to become a certified politician.
  


• 
  
  Politics. It should be the first since you automatically become a part of a certain party ever since you moved your feet in the hall of s/f(ame). The problem in our country today is that we kept on politicizing things. We kept on creating devices that will disunite our visions. Why can’t we just carry our own weight and become a leader, not a part of a shitty political act.
  


• 
  
  Money. This time it acts as your passport to hell. Especially when you’re in public office. At young age, you will be encounter bribery, corruption and red-tape. It’s a matter of choice. Remember that you’re in the position for others and not to develop greed. It’s not worth to have luxuries when you can’t say that you got it from the taxes.
  


• 
  
  Responsibility. It is hard to lead when you don’t know your reason. As a young leader, you have to balance time for study over service, commitments over wants. Don’t let your responsibility distract you in chasing your dreams. You are the son/daughter of your parents, a brother/sister, a student, a member of the community and now a public official. Many are waiting for what you will do.
  


• 
  
  Vices. At a very young age, you will be prone to evil acts. It is also a responsibility to take care of your image(I can’t actually say its reputation though) as a leader because this will be your foundation of respect. Mention every vice you see on TV, sooner or later you will encounter situations. (don’t laugh because you’ll never know). Just remember to stay focus on your ultimate goal. Finish your studies, be responsible and always think of your moves. Because regrets are always in the end.
  

these are only the tip of the iceburg, I would like to end up saying that being SK chairman, there were many hardships because I’m on the process of growing then. It wasn’t really a total regret because I used this opportunity to develop myself. If you’re seriously devoted on serving the public, do it but then many will bring you down since you’re in the country filled with crabs. If you know you’re doing right then fight for it. Again, congratulations and welcome to the world of dirty politics.

A Leap Towards Inevitable Circumstance

I am bothered by the fact that young minds in the inception of making their own way are being claimed by the irregularities and misfits of this unreasonable society so I would like to give a few words to the rookies. We were born with individual intellect that we owe our creator worthy of use. Facing our lives in the midst of unstable steps might lead us to in either of the two phases. The good part is an experience a sense of self-recognition and the consequence of regrets. But these worth something for our own growth as a total person in the end. Along ways, we will encounter unfamiliar faces, different events that are new to us. These shouldn’t hinder us to take the leap. Instead it should be taken as a challenge of the cruel reality. The reality that pushes us to the limits of our strength, makes us realize out frailties and develops our individuality. The next pages are waiting to be uncovered so why fear? Why contain yourself in a shape insisted by the others? If you wouldn’t show off, it means a self-deprivation of opportunity to claim yourself. Don’t let the night come with a wasted hours of the sunshine. Venture yourself for something new because many of them were called but only a few of you were chosen. A mistake is a chance of building things more intelligently. Nobody tells you the right way unless you let others choose them for you. Life is a learning process only you can handle. Bridge the gap. Make a way. Life is unfair and it just sucks. It wouldn’t matter anyway coz you have yourself now.

Sheltered Dreams

I once dreamed of a house, a home, something more than to shelter my needs but to illustrate my perspective of a real living. Walls and roofs that envelope a what I valued most. A home for family. In Filipino “tahanan”. Literally speaking, it means a place to shed your tears. For most Filipinos, a home is a significant sanctuary for building the personality of an individual because the values are cored into the family which we all consider as the basic unit of the society. For almost five years of being involved in the practice of planning homes as an architecture student, I’ve found that that a dream house is indefinite. It is only defined by the boundaries of contentment of its inhabitants. As I have remembered in the book “The Most Beautiful House in the World” by Witold Rybzinski (not quite sure about the spelling) his boat-building project eventually became his house in the end of the story having the house as a concrete monument of his childhood dream of sailing.
This is my own interpretation of “tahanan” as of today. An evolution of my design abilities (my mentors say it’s not yet evolved), sense of taste, value for people and sleepless days and nights. It has four bedrooms, a balcony, library, a cozy family room, living room and maid’s room. Come and take it as an experience.

Fighting Temptations

Every architecture student undergoes a struggle for sleepy night temptations that if not properly handled may eventually turn into a nightmare. I believe that most of my colleagues who succeeded in this course did their best to fight the call of the bed. It’s funny somehow that out of these bedtime stories, you come up with so many things that you could talk about in vacant hours of the class. As I remembered, some of my classmates (hands clean now although I was a part of the gang) are engaged in these kill-time stories. I’ve been a victim of this hilarious incident for so many times (now you’re talking. To start with, by the end of the class I am looking forward on what I’m gonna be doing for the rest of the night right before the teacher gave the design problem (the design plate). “okay class,,that would be all.i’ll check your schemes by tomorrow.”So that would be the gun bang of the professor telling his good students to start working on the plate ASAP. Sitting now on the drawing table (just to show my parents how hard-working I am that moment), I literally create doodles on my head (so what’s the table for?) then i think of something..Ah..better watch the T.V. to get ideas.Hour after hour of getting neo-design inspiration from Flame of Recca, Naruto, Slamdunk, baki the grappler and oh..some meteor garden. I eventually landed back on the desk tired and empty-minded telling myself..I’ll just wake up midnignt performing the same joke again and again. This wasn’t the last time ever happened to most design students (I’m talking to you fine arts folks too.) But at the end of the dawn, you’ll find yourself doing the same thing until you finally succeeded to pass the subject. Perhaps the lesson is self discipline, a very hard thing to do especially these days that there’s a bunch of entertainment offered by the media and technology. If not start today, you’ll surely keep it counting on your schooyears.(excuse me..I’m just doing some sort of soliloquy now.)