Blah etc. and everything else

     I was on my way home when it hit me to suddenly count the actual number of steps I take from the time I step down from the jeepney to the time when I actually arrive  at my house’s doorstep… And the magic number is 348. I’ve always wanted to count that but around number 150, I stop, either because I come across somebody I know, or because I smell the sweet aroma of something that someone’s selling along the street.

     My community is what you call a retro one. Retro in a sense that people still believe in enkantos, pamahiin and hilot, but also in the sense that since my home lies deep within the streets of Caloocan, it has retained that which has defined Filipino life for so long, and that which is currently on the decline.

     What I’m talking about is the magtataho, magbibinatog, magma-mangga, scramble carts, fishball carts. Basically, you can live by sitting in your couch, that is, as long as you have money. There are people selling furniture, special offers of toiletries, people selling fish, pork, fruits etc. And if what you need isn’t found in the roving peddler’s pack, you’ll probably find it inside the small but packed sari-sari store around the corner. If however you’re not in the mood to prepare your own food, you’ll probably find all your biological needs somewhere around the corner, where there’s an improvised stall with a big umbrella, a stove and something in trays or packs which they could cook for you. You’ll find fishballs, kikiam, squidballs, isaw, barbecue, ulam, merienda, breakfast, banana-cue, KFC (Kanto-fried-Chicken), name a dish you’ll probably find it in less than 348 steps. filipinos actually achieved home shopping vefore TV, telephones or the internet.

     Darned 348 steps, it was already 8pm when I arrived at home. And I was mildly surprised that I actually counted the number of steps. Whoohoo, I immediately thought of writing a blog entry. So now I figured, the reason why I aslways stopped ocunting was because I would always get distracted, but as I was going home, there weren’t any stalls, the barbecue stand was closed, and fromt eh sari-sari stores echoed sounds of the evening news, no doubt a prologue of the night’s barrage of telenovelas and chinovelas.

     Back in highschool, if I arrived home at this time, my dad would ask me where I’ve been, typical because my school was only 8 minutes away from home.. on foot. And it’s 3 minutes if you ride a jeep and there’s no traffic.

     Now, 8pm is a natural time, my dad would be surprised if I arrived home when there’s stills un out. I would of course rather go home earlier, preferably before rush hour, or before its actually time for me to constantly look at the people around me, think if they’re possible criminals. But work as they say has kept me from doing things that Iw ould usually want to do. Not that I have any complaints, I love doing something aside from studying and bumming out. At least I’m doing something productive with my time. Although I think I’m trying to doo too much too fast.

     The Chemical Engineering Department Seminar is on June 28, 2006. This is an event for Chem Eng’g freshies, and the executive commitee of my org UP ALCHEMES (whoohoo) assigned me for the Publications commitee, which consists of members from the two Chemical engineering orgs, one is ours and the other KEM. Since its the publications commitee, our work ends on the day of the program. We’re assigned to make the survival kit, flyers, teasers, posters, thats ort of stuff. Id unno why they put me there, because I’m really sure that the last time I checked, I have no Visual-artistic talents whatsoever. I just know which stuff don’t work together but I’ve o idea which stuff look good together.

     Aside from Dept sem, I aslo have this OJT/research for Manila Water COmpany Incorporated, which the deadline is today by teh way. First draft lang naman.I’m currently writing it so I could e-mail it to my project manager, so this entry is my sort of rest period.

     Last week, I was working on this report for socio 10, which took up most of my time. I made my first classroom swishmax presentation. It was good considering the fact that PC hung several time before I finished it and that it was only the second presentation that I was able to make with the program.

     Speaking of Socio 10, I really like my teacher. He’s very radical, and I like his way of thinking.. most of the time. Of course there are the usual snobby, "duh" and "so what" classmates, but what I’m really glad about is that I have cool groupmates. At least I don’t have to work with people I don’t like.

     I always have a hard time working with people I don’t like, it’s like I’m soo biased that I can’t just leave the work to them, and I’m such a control freak that everything has got to go my way. I have that control complex that I can’t seem to remove from my system. ALthough I must say, continually owrking in an environment where people wont take shit from me has greatly improved my outlook.

     Way back when I was about 6 years old, being the youngest, I was always teh one crying the one picked on, the one left out. And I think those events led to me being too pro-active during elementary years when I got to interact with people my age, I actually knew the basics of dominance, being picked on for such a long time.

     I got elected president too much, or leader of the group too much that I became too confident. SO when I entered the special section and found out that tehre are a bunch of people much smarter than me, I reverted to the scrawny kid with nothing to say. Which changed once again when I entered highschool and found my footing among my peers. I gianed back my confidence, back to being the one who barked orders. And again got subdued when I entered UP.

     I really don’t know why I entered Chemical Engineering. Well I do, somewhat. I wanted to become a Chemical Engineer so that I coudl overcome Chemistry, which,a side from history, was my owrst subject back in high school. When I was oyung Iw anted to become a doctor. My mom is a nurse, so she’d bring home gauzes or syringes (with no needles of course) she has a stethoscope a sphymomanometer and all that. So there was a time that I wanted to be a doctor. When we played hosue, I’d always be a doctor.

     then, we got our first computer when I was about third grade. AdI suddenly wanted to be a computer Engineer. This was when I started to have an affinity for the profession. sicne then I knew I’d grow up to be an Engineer, i just didn’t know of what. For a few years it was computers, but when it came to filling up that UPCAT application form, I wrote Chemical Engineering becasue I wanted to find the course which i thought would challenge me the most. Well, I got my wish, I am challenged, challenged beyond my wits.

     Well, there’s no turning back now. My currrent ambition is to suposedly take graduate studies. HeheheI’m not that optimistic about it, after all what school owuld take my grades? But I would surely try, but first, I’ve got to finish this damned course.

     But to finish it, I’d have to study for Chem 153, the exam of which is on Sunday. So with that i’ll end this entry. Maybe the next entry would be based on the number of steps it takes to go from the Engineering building to AS.

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