Last student, new application

Before my boss went outside the country for her almost-a-month holiday, I had a very long meeting with her. It was eventful and I appreciated that we had it as there were things I had to look forward to when she comes back.

Among other things, I expressed my interest of studying French again. I admittedly did not have a lot of opportunity to speak French and I, along with other foreign language learners, fear the day that we’d be back at square one. You must grab the bull by its horns and take charge. After several weeks, I finally got the green-light.

Library of AFM

Library of AFM

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My first French lesson

Last night, I have already conditioned myself that it would basically be a normal day. I woke up and ate breakfast the same time as I usually do every morning. But instead of sitting in front of the laptop having our usual SATC or movie marathon, I had to prepare for my first ever French class today. About a month ago, I decided to finally consider teaching French for beginners. I have honestly written off this prospect years ago, as I thought I was not teacher material. I could not go for a full-time work, though, as I do not wish to push my health that hard again. Last year’s two full-time work faux pas was literally a very costly lesson. Still, I did not lose that constant yearning to expand my horizons and seek opportunities other than what I am currently doing. I was just naturally a restless soul.

My first French lesson

My first French lesson

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Busy, busy Friday

Two and a half months since I got discharged from the hospital, I am already used to getting up earlier than my alarm clock to eat breakfast and then take my early morning meds. However, I still haven’t shaken off the habit of pleading for a few minutes more before rolling out of bed. But as It is Friday today, I had a lot of things to do before Mon and I go to work. I was finally able to submit all of the requirements for my SSS sickness benefits last Tuesday and I was told to return today and get my papers. First of all, it was a very long process and I had no idea if the delay was on the part of my employer but I did not expect it to be that delayed. It took us only three minutes to get my papers from SSS Makati (along Gil Puyat Ave.) and was advised that my employer would be the one to compute how much I would be getting. Then I also needed to wait around thirty days of who-knows-what because I did not exactly understand what the lady explained.

Doctors Without Borders exhibit in Alliance Française

‘Doctors Without Borders’ exhibit in Alliance Française de Manille

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Quelle surprise! J’ai réussi le DELF B2!

More than a month ago, I finally took my DELF B2. I was not too sure if I was prepared enough for the higher DALF C1 and I had a lot of lingering self doubts. It has been more than a decade since I have last taken an objective-type French examination, and any type of certification won’t definitely come off as a walk in the park. So on that deadline for registering for the exam, I made a last minute decision to take it. I barely had two weeks to prepare myself for the 4-part exam, and I feverishly downloaded the book “Réussir le DELF B2“.

Honestly, I almost kicked myself for not deciding on this much earlier. I would have had more time to prepare but I could no longer wait for the next test schedule in May 2014. It was definitely now or never. I needed to get this exam over with and to stop stalling.

So from Sunday until Tuesday before the exam, I was just locked up in our apartment, trying to wrap my head around the amount of work I needed to do. From listening and writing comprehension, to written and oral production, I was very determined to jot down as many pointers as my shaking hands would allow me. I also had a stash of bread, junk food and four bottles of my ever-trusted Cobra Ginkgo Biloba. I cannot NOT pass the exam because it would be really humiliating if I were to fail.
My DELF B2 !

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Undergrad nostalgia photos

I received an email earlier from the department that the graduate office was asking for a copy of my 2nd semester/AY 2009-2010 Form 5. I had no idea where I had placed it and since it was last used three years ago, I was ready to bet that I have already lost it.

I was very eager to immediately go home after work because I wanted to search for it in all of my boxes of trinkets. As expected, I did not find it. However, I was happy to see several things associated with my undergraduate life in a shoe box I have stashed inside my drawer.

Nostalgia photos - ticket, notes, classcards and Form 5 - UP Diliman

In one of the binders with Cattleya fillers, I have several tickets and receipts in the cover. It has Mariah, Alicia Keys concert tickets, as well as the ticket for the first time that I’ve watched the UAAP Cheerdance Competition in 2003. I remember that it was sold to me by my PE instructor right that Saturday morning, and I dragged myself to Araneta to watch it in that jampacked Upper B section. After that event, I was more than determined to try my luck to be part of the team.

I also found several notes for my language classes. I even found a yellow pad paper with a French translation exercise given by a visiting professor — translate Nina’s ‘Love Moves in Mysterious Ways’ into French. It was a peculiar exercise and we couldn’t believe that we were made to translate that song. Turned out that he liked the song so much that he asked all of his assigned classes to translate it. But the paper that I found really funny was the one with my notes for our Latin class. I barely remember anything from that class except for “Mulus gemit” (The mule groans) and “Sumus agricolae” (We are farmers). It was my lowest numerical grade ever (at 3.00, I barely passed the class) but I was most happy to get that grade. Latin was excruciating.

And then, when UP used to issue tangible classcards (they now release them online through CRS), we had to sift through a pile of classcards and look for our names. What was embarrassing about it was that other students/classmates would be able to see your poor grades while looking for their own. News about who got a failing grade would readily spread out. Looking upon my classcards in my box at home, I saw my two INC classcards, one for English 11 (literature something, where I had to endure the extremely soporific” The Iceman Cometh“) and the other was Kas 1 (Philippine history). I was wondering why I did not tear nor throw them out.

Lastly, my first ever Form 5 in Diliman from 2003, containing my basic French classes and the badly spaced schedule of classes. I had classed from Monday to Saturday (except Wednesdays) and the breaks were quite long that I even had time to go to SM North and loiter before going back to school. Also, it was my most costly semester ever, at Php 6,266.50 when it used to Php 300/unit in school. Of course it was a different story nowadays when the tuition for undergrad drastically increased. I remember peeking at the Form 5s of the students I was with in the queue for payment and it was not strange to see theirs marked with Php 25,000 and up. Eeeek! That can already about 5 semesters during my time.

I counted the wrinkled and yellowed Form 5s from my undergrad and they were all present. Imagine I have kept each and every single one, including the summer classes but I managed to lose one of my graduate school Form 5. Some things do really change over time and one of them was diligence. LOL

The cricket who sang and danced all summer

I just got word from my classmate last year that the written comprehensive examinations will take place on July 6, 13 and 20, 2012 — so that will be the first three Mondays of that month. Funnily enough that I only found out about it today and the memo was given last June 14, 2012. And to top it all, I have to send a letter asking for permission to take the exams due on Friday.
"Nervous" can't exactly capture what I am feeling now

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Rekindling with Kindle and this colorblind’s dilemma

I must admit. I had slowly neglected my Kindle since I got my BlackBerry on the last week of November 2011. We used to be inseparable from the moment I bought it in 2010 when it was first released.

Finding the way back to my Kindle - Manila, Philippines

But since I no longer have regular classes and the internet connectivity in my cellphone is admittedly much better (though Kindle’s 3G capability, providing FREE internet is insurmountable), I ceased carrying it everyday.

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