"Tatanggalin ko na itong mga masking tape para hindi ko na kayo maalala pa..."
Iyan ang isinabi ng aming taga-asikaso na nangangangalang Ricardo Fajardo. Hindi ko maitatangging nakakasakit ang kanyang mga isinabi dahil kami'y natalo sa isang palaruan na tinawag niyang "Game of life". Ang laro ay may napakaraming patakaran na dapat sundin at hindi namin nasundan ang lahat ng iyon. Bigo ang naging resulta. Lahat ay nagulat sa nakasimangot na mukha ni Sir Fajardo. Kailangan ba talagang manalo? Gaano ba kahalaga ang isang larong tulad niyan?
Game of Life
Balikan natin muna ang nangyari sa nakaraan. Kami ay nasa kabilang dulo ng kwarto. Ayon sa patakaran, bawal humawak sa pader, at mag-ingay. May mga parisukat na makikita sa sahig na siyang magiging pantawid ng mga tao. Ang mga parisukat na ito ay may presyon kaya sa bawat pagtapak na nagawa ay dapat may mabilis na kapalit. Ang layunin ay makatawid sa kabilang dulo ng silid. Ang sinumang hindi nakatapak ng mabuti ay magiging mga patay na tao. Sila ay pupunta sa libingan at bubuhatin ng mga buhay sa pagtatawid. May oras na nakatakda at maaring sumabog ang kinatatayuan namin. Marami ang hindi nakasunod kaya paulit-ulit ang pagtawid. May nag-ingay at naubos ang oras. Natalo nga kami.
Huminto ang paggalaw ng lahat ng tao. Sinimulan ni Sir Fajardo ang pagtatalakay kung bakit nga ba hindi kami nagtagumpay. Kung siya ay makumbinse man sa mga dahilan na aming ibabanggit, bibigyan daw niya kami ng isa pang pagkakataon na maglaro muli. Kaya nagsilabasan ang lahat ng mga butas- mga pagkakamali na nagawa. Walang kooperasyon na nakita sa mga tao; walang nakinig sa iba na siya na ngang may solusyon para magtagumpay.
Nakumbinse nga si Sir Fajardo. Nakalaro kami ulit. Ibinago ang lahat ng plano at nakinig na ang mga tao. Ngunit bigo pa rin ang naging resulta. Hindi nakayanan ng iba na tumawa ng malakas sapagkat kung ako ang nasa lagay nila ay matatawa rin ako. Napakahirap ikarga ang mga tao para itawid sa kabilang dulo ng kwarto. Ang mga taong ito ay kinakarga dahil ayon sa laro, hindi sila pwedeng maglakad. Sila raw ay mga patay na at ikakaraga lang sila ng mga buhay pa para maitawid sa ligtas na lugar. Paulit-ulit ang pagkahulog ng ilan at pagkarga. Naubos ang oras at natalo ulit kami.
Ang Sampung Papel
Iyan nga ang naging resulta. Napaupo na lang kami at nakinig kay Sir Fajardo na ngayo'y nawalan na ng gana magturo. Ayaw na raw niya sana magturo ngunit kawawa raw kami dahil nagbayad kami sa paaralan. May pinasagutan sa amin. Maya-maya ay binigyan din kami ng sampung pirasong papel bawat tao. Ang sampung papel na ito ay aming ibibigay sa kahit sinong tao sa loob ng silid. Matapos ang bigayan, lahat ay nakatanggap ng papel pati na si Sir Fajardo. Ngunit ikinalulungkot ni Sir ang nangyari. Isa lamang ang kanyang natanggap. Naisip ko na lamang na kung gusto niya pala ng mga papel na ito, bakit hindi niya sinabi ng mas maaga pa? Ibinigay ko lamang ang sampung papel sa kahit sinong tao na makasalubong ko sa silid. Hindi na iyon umabot pa sa kanya at malay ba ng nakararami kung kasali pala siya?
Ang Taga-asikaso
Nakakainis ang lahat ng kanyang mga isinabi. Nalungkot din ako dahil hindi naman ibig sabihin niyon ay wala na akong pakialam sa ibang tao. Kulang ang mga papel para mabigyan ang lahat ng tao at siguro totoo nga na ang unang maiisip ng tao ay ang mga naging malapit na sa kanya. Sino nga ba si Sir? Totoo ba ang lahat ng ito? Ganito ba talaga?
Laking gulat ko na lamang nang ituloy ni Sir ang kanyang isinabi kanina: "Tatanggalin ko na itong mga masking tape para hindi ko na kayo maalala pa na naging talunan." Ayaw niyang maalala na natalo kami at hindi iyon dahil sa galit siya sa amin. Hindi nga siya galit at napakagaling lang niya siguro magpanggap. Hindi ko na tuloy alam kung paniniwalaan ko pa siya.
Hindi ko talaga napansin iyon. Nakakainis na pero joke lang pala ang lahat. -_- Paminsan iba talaga ang ipinapakita sa kung ano ang nasa loob. Naalala ko na lamang ang isinabi ng mga pilosopo sa nakaraan. Ang nakikita natin ay hindi nangangahulugang totoo. Hai...Tama nga sina Descartes at Plato.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
A Trip to Taal
November 20, 2005- one of the days that I'll never forget for the rest of my life. It was a day that I had to wake up as early as 4:30 in the morning but was not able to do so. I got up 30 minutes late and skipped breakfast just to catch up with the bus in the school. I was in a very bad mood. Luckily, I can still handle myself and not let anyone be affected by what I had felt at that moment.
I arrived at exactly 5:30. Call it be a lucky one for I had been able to sit inside the bus and take a nap for a while. It irritated me the fact that I was rushing to go to school but the bus had actually left an hour later which is 6:30. Hai...Filipino time nga naman!
The bus stopped at the Shell gasoline station, South Superhighway. I was so sleepy that I didn't try to know who were the guys that we were waiting for in the station. It was as if the only important thing to me is to take a nap. I don't care about anything else aside from it.
After two hours in the bus, I woke up again and found out that we have already arrived at the PHILVOCS center. I went down from the bus, leaving behind my loaf of bread and papers. Many of us went to the bathroom which happens to be unisex. I stood outside the PHILVOCS center and helped my blockmates in taking pictures. As minutes have passed, everyone's attention was called and we went inside the center as a block. The UP Professors named Jun O. and Victor Paz gave us an orientation about Taal Volcano. I looked around and saw different rocks, models, and charts about the volcano. There, I saw that the land had indeed changed from 1960's to 1970's. Parts of it were only formed about 40 years ago.
The orientation had ended and we were about to depart for Taal Volcano via boat. One boat had to have eight people before it would leave. I got myself some people to ride with me and together, I had fun riding the boat. The boat stopped at the island of Taal and I went down to meet up with the others. Mountain climbing started and excited was my first expression. I was so eager to go up and see what is really inside the crater. I travelled along with the others who took the lead.
It was very hot on the surface of the volcano. That was because of the sun's heat which has made a lot of us sweat like pigs. I was not so happy anymore. I felt so dirty and I had wounds all over my arms. I wanted to go back to the foot of it but at a second thought, I changed my mind and had the determination to finish what I have started. Adventures are as always exciting. For me, there was no going back anymore. This was a challenge and I had to find a way to overcome it. I had to climb up to see the crater and go down. So I have done it.
I accomplished my mission of climbing on top of Taal Volcano. Hooray! I survived! I rode a boat and went back to the other island. Something happened to the bus and I had no choice but to transfer to a van. I ate my lunch which is a loaf of bread (though I wasn't able to eat everything). The van then started moving and I was in an archeological site at San Nicholas later on.
There used to be a church near Taal in San Nicholas. But because of the eruption of the volcano, this church was deteriorated. The only thing that was left is the walls of the altar, which can hardly be recognized right now. Trees had been planted all over the place. In a few years from now, the remains of the church will probably be totally gone.
Many people had died during that eruption. As what the UP professor had said, the destroyed church was again built but in another place. The next stop was in the City Proper of Taal. There, a church with ionic and corinthian pillars can be seen. The tour guide provided some information about it as well as time to explore the whole place. I met up with the others at 5pm and rode the van back to La Salle. [Picture on right is the church taken by one of my blockmates...]
The time it took to return was unexpectedly long. It was strange because eventhough there was no traffic and the speed of the van was fast, it still took at least two hours to leave Tagaytay. The road seemed endless and my blockmates started telling ghost stories. I was listening and when one of them tried to act out what she was telling, it got really very scary.
Ghosts indeed exist. I was afraid that they might show up on the window of the van. The talk regarding them soon ended and there was a complete silence. I arrived at La Salle around 8pm and went home with my dad.
A very (3x) tired day. There was no more energy left for me to do other things aside from eating dinner, taking a bath, and sleeping on the bed. My arms were in pain due to the wounds and sunburn. However one thing that I have realized from this trip is that being tired can also make one happy. Happiness is a matter of achievement of one's desire. Regardless of all the physical pains that I have experienced, my goal of climbing on top of the volcano was achieved. My day can be said to be a complete one. I am satisfied with the things that I have done. :)
I arrived at exactly 5:30. Call it be a lucky one for I had been able to sit inside the bus and take a nap for a while. It irritated me the fact that I was rushing to go to school but the bus had actually left an hour later which is 6:30. Hai...Filipino time nga naman!
The bus stopped at the Shell gasoline station, South Superhighway. I was so sleepy that I didn't try to know who were the guys that we were waiting for in the station. It was as if the only important thing to me is to take a nap. I don't care about anything else aside from it.
After two hours in the bus, I woke up again and found out that we have already arrived at the PHILVOCS center. I went down from the bus, leaving behind my loaf of bread and papers. Many of us went to the bathroom which happens to be unisex. I stood outside the PHILVOCS center and helped my blockmates in taking pictures. As minutes have passed, everyone's attention was called and we went inside the center as a block. The UP Professors named Jun O. and Victor Paz gave us an orientation about Taal Volcano. I looked around and saw different rocks, models, and charts about the volcano. There, I saw that the land had indeed changed from 1960's to 1970's. Parts of it were only formed about 40 years ago.
The orientation had ended and we were about to depart for Taal Volcano via boat. One boat had to have eight people before it would leave. I got myself some people to ride with me and together, I had fun riding the boat. The boat stopped at the island of Taal and I went down to meet up with the others. Mountain climbing started and excited was my first expression. I was so eager to go up and see what is really inside the crater. I travelled along with the others who took the lead.
It was very hot on the surface of the volcano. That was because of the sun's heat which has made a lot of us sweat like pigs. I was not so happy anymore. I felt so dirty and I had wounds all over my arms. I wanted to go back to the foot of it but at a second thought, I changed my mind and had the determination to finish what I have started. Adventures are as always exciting. For me, there was no going back anymore. This was a challenge and I had to find a way to overcome it. I had to climb up to see the crater and go down. So I have done it.
I accomplished my mission of climbing on top of Taal Volcano. Hooray! I survived! I rode a boat and went back to the other island. Something happened to the bus and I had no choice but to transfer to a van. I ate my lunch which is a loaf of bread (though I wasn't able to eat everything). The van then started moving and I was in an archeological site at San Nicholas later on.
There used to be a church near Taal in San Nicholas. But because of the eruption of the volcano, this church was deteriorated. The only thing that was left is the walls of the altar, which can hardly be recognized right now. Trees had been planted all over the place. In a few years from now, the remains of the church will probably be totally gone.
Many people had died during that eruption. As what the UP professor had said, the destroyed church was again built but in another place. The next stop was in the City Proper of Taal. There, a church with ionic and corinthian pillars can be seen. The tour guide provided some information about it as well as time to explore the whole place. I met up with the others at 5pm and rode the van back to La Salle. [Picture on right is the church taken by one of my blockmates...]
The time it took to return was unexpectedly long. It was strange because eventhough there was no traffic and the speed of the van was fast, it still took at least two hours to leave Tagaytay. The road seemed endless and my blockmates started telling ghost stories. I was listening and when one of them tried to act out what she was telling, it got really very scary.
Ghosts indeed exist. I was afraid that they might show up on the window of the van. The talk regarding them soon ended and there was a complete silence. I arrived at La Salle around 8pm and went home with my dad.
A very (3x) tired day. There was no more energy left for me to do other things aside from eating dinner, taking a bath, and sleeping on the bed. My arms were in pain due to the wounds and sunburn. However one thing that I have realized from this trip is that being tired can also make one happy. Happiness is a matter of achievement of one's desire. Regardless of all the physical pains that I have experienced, my goal of climbing on top of the volcano was achieved. My day can be said to be a complete one. I am satisfied with the things that I have done. :)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
The Food That Makes Wonders
Meat-looking Veggie- Mi jia
Sometimes in our lives, veggies may look like meat. Quite deceiving right? People have been able to figure out on how to make food more interesting by simply using vegetables. That was the thing that caught my attention in the Tsu Chi bazaar that I attended last Sunday. Some can't even believe that they are only veggies that are cooked to taste like our favorite meat. When I tried to share these with my friend yesterday, she was so amazed by them. She said that if she had only known that there are veggies such as that, she would have been a vegetarian already.
How did some people enjoyed eating without meat all these years? What is the technique behind the meat-looking veggie? Because veggies can now taste like meat, vegetarians no longer need to be jealous of meat-lovers. Thanks to the creative cooks who had invented them. I'm starting to like vegetables too! Yumyum!
Tsu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation
The number of vegetarians is becoming bigger. The members of the Tsu Chi Foundation that I've met by chance is an example. What is the Tsu Chi Foundation? Tsu Chi from the meaning itself means kind and loving people. These people, as what had been said, believed that lack of love is the main cause of the problems that are present in the society. So they made an organization with the goal to share their love by helping other people. [Picture on right "Tsu Chi Logo" from Dentistry]
Last Sunday, the organization held a bazaar at the Le Pavillion beside a Toyota branch. Each store inside agreed to donate a part of their profit (if not all) to the organization. It was a successful one for many went and voluntarily helped. Everyone was selfless. Discipline can also be seen- everyone knows the fact that cooperation is important in achieving goals. This brings me back to Plato's ideal state. Part of his ideal state can be seen on the Tsu Chi Foundation. The monks are considered to be the masters. They are highly respected and they share their wisdom to the others. People usually get advices from them about peace and joy. Their teachings really have some points. I agree with them that love is indeed essential for a man to find happiness.
Sometimes in our lives, veggies may look like meat. Quite deceiving right? People have been able to figure out on how to make food more interesting by simply using vegetables. That was the thing that caught my attention in the Tsu Chi bazaar that I attended last Sunday. Some can't even believe that they are only veggies that are cooked to taste like our favorite meat. When I tried to share these with my friend yesterday, she was so amazed by them. She said that if she had only known that there are veggies such as that, she would have been a vegetarian already.
How did some people enjoyed eating without meat all these years? What is the technique behind the meat-looking veggie? Because veggies can now taste like meat, vegetarians no longer need to be jealous of meat-lovers. Thanks to the creative cooks who had invented them. I'm starting to like vegetables too! Yumyum!
Tsu Chi Buddhist Compassion Relief Foundation
The number of vegetarians is becoming bigger. The members of the Tsu Chi Foundation that I've met by chance is an example. What is the Tsu Chi Foundation? Tsu Chi from the meaning itself means kind and loving people. These people, as what had been said, believed that lack of love is the main cause of the problems that are present in the society. So they made an organization with the goal to share their love by helping other people. [Picture on right "Tsu Chi Logo" from Dentistry]Last Sunday, the organization held a bazaar at the Le Pavillion beside a Toyota branch. Each store inside agreed to donate a part of their profit (if not all) to the organization. It was a successful one for many went and voluntarily helped. Everyone was selfless. Discipline can also be seen- everyone knows the fact that cooperation is important in achieving goals. This brings me back to Plato's ideal state. Part of his ideal state can be seen on the Tsu Chi Foundation. The monks are considered to be the masters. They are highly respected and they share their wisdom to the others. People usually get advices from them about peace and joy. Their teachings really have some points. I agree with them that love is indeed essential for a man to find happiness.
Friday, November 04, 2005
How the Mind Works
Misunderstandings
"Natanggap mo ba?" (Did you get it?)
That was what my friend asked me during our ENGLONE class yesterday. My immediate response was "oo" (yes), though I wasn't so sure on which thing she was referring to. She tried to call me on the phone for five times that day. Unfortunately, I turned off my phone so I wasn't able to answer any of them. There was no message left that morning and I really didn't know why she called. Then I just thought that she wanted to remind me of her reply to my text the other night when I asked her about something. Maybe that was why she called. [Picture on right from Wirehub]
I didn't ask her anymore. She behaved as usual which made me more convinced that I was correct with my assumption. She even smiled after she had learned that we had no Earth Science LAB that day. I got back to my own business and felt nothing so important about the question.
That day passed. Today, I woke up from bed and checked my e-mail~ Yikes! She had sent me two files the other day. I was shocked to see them and to learn by what she really meant= PAPRINT. No doubt, that was the thing that she had been asking me yesterday. I failed to read it during that time. I was wrong to think that there was nothing really so important for I misunderstood her question. Too bad. This has led me to another thought- maybe because I was online the other day so she'd assume that I would also check my e-mail. [Image on left from Kadreg]
Well, is it because of that? Maybe...
Interpretations
I thought it to be this way but you thought it to be the other way. That is the problem with our minds. I have realized that they do not always interpret things in the same way. In my case, I thought that what my friend was referring to was her reply on my text the other night. My friend on the other hand thought that I knew the thing she was talking about- the two files that she had sent. This just tells me that we cannot really know everything. It makes me remember about the two great philosophers Hume and Kant- that it is not only through sense experiences that we can be certain of knowledge. A strict empiricist like David Hume might say that there must be a necessary connection for an idea to be meaningful. This necessary connection is missing which is why metaphysics itself is nonsense.
However, there are what we call as the a priori concept and the sensed perceived impressions. Immanuel Kant believed that reason must agree with experience. Knowledge can be derived even without the sense impression. Moreover, sense impressions differ and Noumena, as what he had called, is the thing which we cannot know. We can never be sure of how a person thinks of himself and other things. What the senses can tell us is limited. Phenomena is the thing which we can know. It is how each of our minds perceives reality.
"Natanggap mo ba?" (Did you get it?) That was what my friend asked me during our ENGLONE class yesterday. My immediate response was "oo" (yes), though I wasn't so sure on which thing she was referring to. She tried to call me on the phone for five times that day. Unfortunately, I turned off my phone so I wasn't able to answer any of them. There was no message left that morning and I really didn't know why she called. Then I just thought that she wanted to remind me of her reply to my text the other night when I asked her about something. Maybe that was why she called. [Picture on right from Wirehub]
I didn't ask her anymore. She behaved as usual which made me more convinced that I was correct with my assumption. She even smiled after she had learned that we had no Earth Science LAB that day. I got back to my own business and felt nothing so important about the question.
That day passed. Today, I woke up from bed and checked my e-mail~ Yikes! She had sent me two files the other day. I was shocked to see them and to learn by what she really meant= PAPRINT. No doubt, that was the thing that she had been asking me yesterday. I failed to read it during that time. I was wrong to think that there was nothing really so important for I misunderstood her question. Too bad. This has led me to another thought- maybe because I was online the other day so she'd assume that I would also check my e-mail. [Image on left from Kadreg]Well, is it because of that? Maybe...
Interpretations
I thought it to be this way but you thought it to be the other way. That is the problem with our minds. I have realized that they do not always interpret things in the same way. In my case, I thought that what my friend was referring to was her reply on my text the other night. My friend on the other hand thought that I knew the thing she was talking about- the two files that she had sent. This just tells me that we cannot really know everything. It makes me remember about the two great philosophers Hume and Kant- that it is not only through sense experiences that we can be certain of knowledge. A strict empiricist like David Hume might say that there must be a necessary connection for an idea to be meaningful. This necessary connection is missing which is why metaphysics itself is nonsense.
However, there are what we call as the a priori concept and the sensed perceived impressions. Immanuel Kant believed that reason must agree with experience. Knowledge can be derived even without the sense impression. Moreover, sense impressions differ and Noumena, as what he had called, is the thing which we cannot know. We can never be sure of how a person thinks of himself and other things. What the senses can tell us is limited. Phenomena is the thing which we can know. It is how each of our minds perceives reality.
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