Order of the Blue Eagles

...my alma mater did not disappoint.

Jel and I went back to Ateneo to "experience" the school all over again. Like I said in one of my previous posts, being in Ateneo is both refreshing and rejuvenating, a spring of fresh water amidst all the corporate murkiness. And during my second visit, my alma mater did not disappoint. Here are some pictures (yesss...) documenting this very wonderful day.


The day began with lunch at Ken Afford, one of the restaurants we frequent during our college days. Jel had stuffed squid, while I had my staple, chicken lollipops. (Warning: Diet Failure Ahead!)



Don't worry, I only had one rice. And, well, some soup. ;)



After that sumptuous lunch, we finally went inside the campus. The landscape was breathtaking, to say the least. Maybe these pictures could convince you of the beauty that is the Ateneo.





Of course, admiring the beautiful landscape wasn't our primary reason in visiting Ateneo. We then proceeded to do what we needed to do.





Oops. Not that. We studied. Unfortunately, I was informed by the receptionist in the library that I only had 3 passes for this semester. In order for me to have unlimited library visiting privileges (I feel like I'm at the losing end of a child custody case), I should avail for myself the Ateneo Alumni card, or the Order of the Blue Eagle card, whichever I preferred. I went to the Office of Alumni Relations later on, picking the Ateneo Alumni card, but in the meantime, we studied.




At the end of the day, after a chunk of loss models has been retained in my brain and a chunk of remedial law has been retained in Jel's, we decided to go back home. It would never have occurred to us that we would be taking a detour and meet up with Jack in UP.



We ate dinner at UP, dessert in McDonald's Philcoa, and chatted about life a bit before calling it a night. Jack had his curfew, and we had ours (yeah, right).




Rejuvenation in. Lights out.

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Ateneo

I love the Ateneo. I always will.

If someone were to ask me what the happiest moments in my life are, where they occurred, and when they happened, I would reply, without batting an eyelash, "my days in the Ateneo." I may not have explored every side of me then (God knows I have not foreseen the person that I would become now), but like they say, ignorance is bliss, and there is beauty in simplicity. I was just a young boy who enjoyed the occassional movie, endured the daily struggle against student poverty, and got excited over the prospect of a birthday treat at KFC. Back then, my life of solving math problems, sleeping countless hours in the dorm, and salivating over a bowl of spicy pancit canton was enough. It was a great life. I didn't know it then, but I was contented.

It is then of no wonder that my trip to Ateneo today felt like I was coming home to a very happy place. Each old building had a new story to tell; each new one welcomed me. The air was just as fresh and the fields were just as sprawling. I also went at a time when summer classes have barely started, so the flock of students in the campus made me feel more welcome than I already was. I actually looked like a goof if you were there with me: I was smiling the whole time. I couldn't help it; like I said, it was a very happy place.

How I got there is even an interesting story in itself. I never planned to study for my actuarial exam in the Ateneo. My mind was bent on studying in Starbucks right here in Rockwell. But somehow, I felt like I needed a change of location. I felt the weight of Makati over me, and it hung like a deadly sword. So I went out of the coffee shop, hailed the first empty cab, and told the driver to take me to Ateneo. It was an impulsive decision that I have not regretted.

My senses still feel tingly (if there is such a term) almost 15 hours after that memorable visit. I feel so much more refreshed and relaxed. I still have my problems, I still have my melancholic thoughts, but they're staying in the backseat for now. Or perhaps they'll stay there for a long, long time.

I love the Ateneo. I always will.

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How Well Do You Know Me?

Let's play a game...

Since the post before this is one about self-rediscovery, I want you guys to play a little Kerwin self-rediscovery game for me. This game tests how well you know me. All you need to do is to choose from the five choices listed under each question. There are 10 questions all in all, so please don't go through the answers if you haven't responded to all 10 yet.

Now, I've tried my best not to include questions that only people from a certain era in my life would know. However, this type of question may have easily slipped in. So if you get a low score, please don't blame yourself, blame me for asking the wrong questions. Hee.

So, everyone ready? Grab a pencil and a sheet of paper and let's begin! =)

1. Imagine Kerwin studying for his actuarial exam in Starbucks, hunched over his notes with a look of extreme concentration on his face. Which among the following will be the most successful in tearing his attention away from his review?

a an offer of ham and cheese croissant + venti-sized mocha frappe, all for free
b his phone ringing, Papa calling
c a lively discussion on why Heroes V is the best turn-based game EVAH
d spoiler news that his favorites in the Amazing Race have been eliminated
e what? nothing can take Kerwin away from a mathematics review

2. Kerwin's getting ready to order in Jollibee. Given that he hasn't started his diet yet, what would most likely be the food that he's going to say to the Jollibee counter person?

a YumBurger Mushroom & Cheese, large fries, large Coke
b 2-piece Burger Steak, dalandan juice, extra rice
c large Arroz Cubana Value Meal, large Coke
d Regular ChickenJoy, regular Coke, Swirly Bitz
e Spicy ChickenJoy, large Coke, Pizzamelt Pie

3. Which of the following discussion groups is Kerwin most likely to be actively participating in?

a Stephen King
b life on other planets
c the debate on evolution vs. creation
d Harry Potter
e ABS-CBN shows

4. Aside from Mathematics, what other subject in college interested Kerwin greatly?

a Biology
b Literature/English
c History
d Filipino
e Theology and Philosophy

5. Kerwin is going out with his friends to watch a movie. One friend suggests that they eat at a restaurant first, then go to the movie. Another friend suggests seeing the movie first, then eating after. Three questions: what would Kerwin do, what restaurant will he want to eat in, and what movie will he want to see?

a movie, then restaurant; movie: Titanic; restaurant: Tokyo Tokyo
b restaurant, then movie; movie: Saw III; restaurant: Chef 'd Angelo
c movie, then restaurant; movie: Fast and the Furious; restaurant: the mall's food court
d restaurant, then movie; movie: Babel; restaurant: Kamayan
e movie, then restaurant; movie: White Chicks; restaurant: Jollibee

6. Kerwin gets his bonus. What would be the first thing that he's going to do?

a shop for clothes and shoes
b remit some money to his parents
c buy some accessories for the computer
d pay the debts
e eat at a favorite restaurant with friends

7. What event in Kerwin's academic life disappointed him the most?

a not being able to place in the team division of the Philippine Math Olympiad
b not being able to graduate Salutatorian in high school
c not being able to pass the interview for a scholarship in Singapore
d not being able to write a thesis during his fourth year in college
e not being able to graduate Cum Laude in college

8. Kerwin can sometimes be unpredictable in what he wants to do, and what he is able to do. Which of the following activities will Kerwin want to probably engage in?

a bungee jumping
b skydiving
c white water rafting
d rock climbing
e ramp skateboarding

9. Kerwin is a pretty irritable person. Which of the following people will get him worked up easily?

a the obnoxious guy who couldn't stop talking bragging about himself
b the bitchy girl who would constantly ignore him
c the bully who would torment him with little acts of torture
d the freak who wouldn't stop hinting at and insinuating "facts" about Kerwin
e the friend who would use every passive-aggressive tactic to make him feel bad about himself

10. This one's pretty easy. Which of the following events NEVER happened to Kerwin?

a His father sent a love letter Kerwin wrote in high school to the Youngblood column of Inquirer.
b His brother analyzed him without his knowledge for his paper in Psychology.
c His furious mother chased him around the neighborhood with a broom in her hands.
d His father made him swear never to lie again with his right palm on the Bible, just like a witness taking oath on the stand.
e His mother accidentally poured hot oil on his thigh when he was still in grade school.

Okay, you're done! Click on the link below to see your scores for each question.



1. a = 5, b = 8, c = 10, d = 4, e = 0
2. a = 6 b = 4 c = 0, d = 8 e = 10
3. a = 9, b = 8, c = 6, d = 1, e = 10
4. a = -5, b = 9, c = 3, d = 0, e = 10
5. a = 7, b = 10, c = 0, d = 4, e = 6
6. a = 7, b = 8, c = 6, d = 10, e = 4
7. a = 1, b = 7, c = 10, d = 0, e = 5
8. a = 10, b = 7, c = 2, d = 1, e = 0
9. a = 2, b = 3, c = 6, d = 10, e = 9
10. a = 0, b = 0, c = 0, d = 0, e = 10

Add them all up, and see how you do! =) A score of 70 and above should indicate that you, dear friend, really do know me! (Or you're just really good at guessing.) Like I said, a low score shouldn't be indicative of something negative. In any case, thanks for participating, and scores in the comments, please!

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The Start of All Things Happy

2007 is shaping up to be one of my favorite years ever.

2007 is shaping up to be one of my favorite years ever. I don't know if this is just an illusion, given how much my 2006 sucked, but I would like to believe that this year is awesome as it is.


Seemingly proving my point, I received two awesome news this morning. The first news involved my brother, Kenneth. One of the reasons why Kenneth visited me this holiday break instead of me going back home to celebrate Christmas with them was because my parents wanted me to introduce Kenneth to Manila culture. Kenneth is soon to become a college freshman here in Manila, and given his "innocence" (nyakers), we wanted, as much as possible, to make his transition from Davao to Manila life as less stressful as possible. Of course, all these preparations would be for naught if Kenneth didn't pass the Ateneo or UP entrance exams. Well, guess what? The ACET results are in, and my brother passed. Yebah! Never had I doubted Kenneth's chances, but still, it's nice to see the "ACCEPTED" mark written beside his name. Wee!

The second piece of awesome news involved one of my wish list items. One of my earlier entries below had this written: And en route from the United States (I'm getting ahead of myself here, writing down what has not yet happened, but what the heck, I'm going to risk disappointment anyway) is my red iPod Nano! Again, guess what? Brian didn't disappoint. Brian soared above all expectations. My new iPod Nano is indeed on its way from New York City, and it's bound to arrive here in Manila by Wednesday or Thursday this week. Whew! Talk about having a blast! I'm so excited to see this beautiful gadget!

Life can be truly amazing sometimes. After beating me black and blue last year, it's now bringing me sunflowers in wooden little baskets, and making me ride the pink unicorns for free!

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Three Kings

...it's not just a coincidence, but something more.

It's amazing. I'm inclined to believe that it's not just a coincidence, but something more. But I'm also doubtful if my father actually thought of all these. The gap between the ages is just too far apart, and besides, I've been told that my godmother gave my father my name. Anyway, before anyone starts complaining they're beginning to feel out of place, here's what happened.

I was doing one of my year-end entries for my blog when my brother Kenneth mentioned that his name, Roy, actually also meant "king." I didn't believe him. Ray, from the Spanish "rey," meant "king." But he insisted. So we went to this site, and we found out, unsurprisingly, that Ray does mean "kingly" or "royal," but then we also discovered (to Kenneth's glee) that Roy does mean "king"! Amazing. We then joked that our older brother's name, Ryan, could not possibly mean "king," but what do you know? Ryan means "little king"! My brother and I stared at each other and laughed our asses off. Who would have thunk it? We couldn't believe that our parents actually meant for that to happen, so we just chalked it up to coincidence. It's just utterly surreal, though. Until now, I keep telling those who are willing to listen how great this discovery is. And it only took us 15 years to find out.

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