May 5, 2009

There is beauty in absence.
-- Solitary Moonstar, Camera Walls



Saan nga ba patutungo ang entry kong ito? Alam ko at alam mong walang ibang patutunguhan ito kundi -- IKAW.

Magtatatlong buwan na rin simula nang mawala ka. Nalalapit na rin ang finals namin.

Tamang-tama naman, kauuwi ko lang at kapapasak ng mga headphones sa tenga ko para makarinig ng kanta sa radyo. Natural, hiniram ko na naman ang cellphone ni Mama.

Biglang narinig ko ang isang kantang bago sa pandinig ko sa Jam FM. Nakinig ako dahil sadyang nakaeengganyo ang ritmong taglay nang nasabing awiting ito.

Hanggang matunton ko ang linyang sadyang nakapagpagising sa kasalukuyang nalilito kong diwa.

Is there really beauty in absence? To me, absence means emptiness and emptiness eventually leads to pain.

But then again, had I not lost an essential part of me, I would never realize the positive side of absence -- LOVE. We truly appreciate the value of a person once we finally lose him or her.

Nasa punto pa lang ako na matutuklasan ko pa lang na mahal kita. Kung tutuusin, kung nagkatotoo lang sana ang love story nating dalawa, alam kong ito ang bubuo sa isang hungkag na bahagi ng puso ko. Ngayong wala ka na, may pag-asa pa bang mapunan ang espasyong sa'yo lang nakalaan?

Nanghihinayang ako, sa totoo lang. It was only now that I realized, it was YOU all along. You are the embodiment of my ideal man. You are that person I have long sought and dreamt of.

And then, that almost impossible, long-buried dream stole me away from dreaming as I later on found out that all I wanted was to become an international writer.

Mahirap at malamang, maraming taong pagtatawanan ako sa oras na malaman nilang ito ang pangarap ko. Pero, kung hindi ako mangangarap nang malaki, ano pa ang silbi nang paghahangad na makilala? Hindi ba, kaya nga tayo binigyan ng Diyos ng kakayahang abutin ang mga pangarap natin ay dahil sa nais niyang gamitin natin ng buo at walang pag-aalinlangan ang mga talentong ibinigay Niya sa atin?

Aking anghel, alam ko, kung naririto ka pa, sususportahan mo ako sa adhikaing ito. Parehas tayong labis ang pagmamahal sa mga letra. Para rin sa iyo ito.

Mahal na mahal kita.

(Raphaelle I. N. J.)

Vraisemblance PS

Cherry Ann A. Rubio

Features and Literary Editor, BSECE V

Ponderings and Musings

“Sometimes, the best things in life happen after you’ve done what you’re supposed to do and are free to follow the path of your dreams.”

I first came across this quote way back in high school. It was written on a bookmark given to us on our graduation rites together with a rosary bearing our school’s seal.

It made me ponder on certain things in my life. It was like an unsolicited advice that came when I badly needed it. Ironically, I was at that point of being torn between pursuing my dream or following my mother’s advice.

To become an engineer was never part of my plan. My life should have taken a different course yet, for some reason, God had provided an unexpected twist to challenge me. Though I do not exactly know why I am here, one thing is for certain -- I am here to fulfill my purpose.

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Makeshift stalls and people from all walks of life filled the busy streets of Divisoria this Christmas season. For a regular commuter passing this route, I feel hassled and pissed off whenever I have to barge my way through the crowd in order to get a ride.

Amidst the crowd and different merchandise covering most of the area, I noticed this group of children aged 5 to 14 years braving the streets to ask for alms from the passengers.

They would distribute ampaos and go back to the entrance of the ride. As expected, they would sing some Christmas carols to entertain the passengers.

I can’t help but be amazed at how courageous these children are. What actually drives them to do this despite the risk of being hit by a vehicle? Where are their parents? They should have been inside the school premises and not found along the streets asking for a few pieces of coins.

Again, this is another sign of poverty. The next president must see this in order for him to conscientiously allocate the funds to the people, especially to those individuals who mostly needed it.

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The news regarding the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao shook the country. Majority of the casualties were women, including media personnel and relatives of the Mangudadatu clan. To make matters worse, the vice mayor’s wife was raped before being executed.

The tragedy had just exposed one of the country’s weaknesses – our faulty democracy. The Philippines prides itself for upholding the rights of its citizens through a democratic form of government. However, what happened is already a clear indication of human rights violation.

This is how cynical politics goes in the country. Greedy people aspiring to hold the seat of power will use all means in order to get what they wanted – including killing innocent people.

Thanks to the tragedy, our country can now be tagged as one of the most dangerous places for media personnel. The number of casualties involving media men continues to escalate. Furthermore, no extrajudicial killing case has been solved until now.

The state of Maguindanao was placed under martial rule. The action taken was too harsh considering that other measures may be considered in order to bring back the peace and order in Mindanao. Majority of the residents’ rights was again trampled due to this hasty decision.

This is not the first time that we experienced political killings. The event only served as an eye-opener to every Filipino. If not for the fact that majority of the casualties involved were media men, people will simply shrug their shoulders and think that this is one of those common things expected to happen during elections. And the rest is left to oblivion.

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Educational institutions must keep in mind that students enroll in schools to attain holistic development. This pertains not only to their academic performance but also, to the honing of their character and potential.

The foundation of a student’s character is based on his values. The formation of one’s character depends mainly on the type of environment he is in and the people he mingles with and admires.

Students look up to their instructors as their second parents. They emulate their example. Instructors, in turn, play a vital role in the holistic development of a student. It is through their example that they may change to become better persons, or develop into another problem of the society.

After several years as a student, I have observed many problems that exist within the academic community. These are needed to be addressed the soonest time possible because the remedy has to be applied immediately.

Bias – to ECE and EE students, the term may either refer to forward or reverse voltage applied to semiconductor devices for several operations. To the entire student population, this simply refers to the unjust treatment of teachers to their students.

While it is true that it is difficult to remove biases, instructors must keep in mind that they serve as models to their students. They must not forget that the lessons they must impart included not only the academic aspect, but also, the values of respect, integrity and fairness.

I am still hoping for that ideal instructor to come and change my views regarding the injustice starting inside the four corners of the classroom.

(Raphaelle I.N.J)

Got an idea to share? Trespass the author’s lair at www.vraisemblance.blogspot.com and carve up a piece of your mind at rcyan_kaede@yahoo.com.