My last day as an IMC student…

…reminded me that 1) my future, the “real world” that I have been preparing for since I was a child is just a month away; 2) art and communications are just means to an end and not the goal itself; and lastly, 3) I love everybody who became part of my academic life.

Some may be wondering why I already experienced my last day in IMC. The semester is not yet over. I still need to attend 1 more subject twice a week and still need to answer all those math exercises. But since I cross-enrolled and I’m currently taking up accounting under the Management course, it doesn’t really count as IMC. And… This morning, at exactly 10:51 AM of September 4, 2007, beloved Mr. Jason de Villa (Communication Society professor under the Integrated Marketing Communications course), my last IMC professor, decided to give his “last lecture” for the class. He decided it would be best to just end early with the readings, lectures and quizzes to give a month’s time of preparation for our (grand) finals paper, which is due this October. ;p

I know I should be happy because… No more waking up early every Tuesday morning. No more riding with Marie and her morning high bloods whenever we hit the permanently traffic roads in Metro Manila. No more panic-filled rides to school whenever I leave the house a bit delayed than originally planned. No more meetings with crazy group-mates who endlessly discuss and argue over presentations. But, beside all of that newly gained convenience, I am not 100% celebratory about that supposedly festive moment, I can’t help but be filled with mixed emotions of worry, sadness, guilt and panic. Yes, only one more paper to think about, but I am worried that this is my last paper for the course and that I might not be able to produce something really valuable. I am saddened by the fact that my last semester with the School of Communications ended all too anti-climactically. I also felt guilty because I realized that this is the last semester I’d be staying in college and I still wasn’t able to deliver the best that I have to offer, c/o the little thing called slacking off. And lastly, I felt panicky, the kind that seems as if I am about to experience palpitations. This is from fact that after that final paper for CommSoc, I must think about my future or my “real life” as many would call it.

Good thing that Sir Jason has this perfect sense of timing. Just when I am ready to turn on my emo mode or “emode,” he made me calm down a bit (a bit only because I am still in panic mode) and re-think my values, beliefs and goals in life. He reminded the class that people communicate because, as we endlessly quote Plato, “man is naturally a social being” and that we cannot survive in this world without interacting with our fellow human beings. In addition, communication is but a means of sending a message. Art is just the same thing. Photography should not be hollow with meaning and always taken as a visual end. The last lecture reminded me why I love taking photographs. I was magically transported to the time when I first tried to capture a photograph without asking my subjects to say “cheese.” I am reminded that I love clicking the camera because I do not only want to keep a record of time capsules, but rather a proof of a priceless moment of existence. I love photography more than other because it is my means of sending a message. I love taking photos because usually I love the subjects in it, whether they are people, places or objects. I love photography because most of the time, they remind me of things to be thankful for. I love the arts because it reminds me what I have learned from the beautiful people in my life.

And for that… I offer this blog as my gratitude to everybody…Thank you to all who has “communed” with me!

Arnie, Year 3

Today is my ever makulit na pamangkin, Ms. Arnie Pauline Taguines' birthday!
Arninay Boninski, 3 years na pala ng kakulitan ang nadulot mo sa mundo! ASTIG!

(This photo was taken during her 2nd bday party last year.)

Ito rin ang regalo ko sa kanya in a photo frame kasi wa ako money! Hehehe!
Pede rin ako mag-paint if sipagin ako. Ibibigay ko na lang sa party sa Sunday.
If... If sipagin ako! =)

tinatamad ako...

hahaha! dahil napagod sa swimming noong nakaraang mothers day
at dahil rin naubos ang enerhiya sa sobrang excitement ng pagboto for the first time...

eto ako ngayon...

tinatamad magsulat... saka mejo sinisinat rin! hindi ko alam bakit! kainis!

oh well, yun lamang folks!

Dear Lyka...

Nagtext rin ang bruha! Meron pang 2pages sa gitna nyan kaso controversial na laman! Haha! Anyway, ayun nakakamiss na kasi ang babaeng ito. Ever since bumalik na sa Cebu ay anong hirap na ang paghagilap!

Mejo big change (mejo pero big eh noh, laboness) for me since she is my PARTNER IN CRIME...
Ang palaging karamay sa mga kalokohan...
kasama sa lahat ng pupuntahan at inuman...
kasundo sa foodtrip, movie marathon at puyatan...
at tanging nakakaalam ng mala-STORYBOARD na katotohanan
(dahil may mga kwentong ginagawa namin para pagtakpan ang mga kagagahan)...
marami pang mga kawirdohan... pero siya ang dorm mate na di ko malilimutan!
(parang namatay siya eh nasa kabilang isla lang naman)

anyway... this is for her at sa lahat ng nakakakilala sa kanya...

DEAR LYKA (my version of Sugarfree's Dear Kuya)
Dear Lykaaaaahhhhh, kumusta ka na dyan?
Anong balita, marami bang boylets dyan?
Dito ay konti, pero may nakilala 'ko,
para bang ikaw kasi ang kulit at kasundo ko

Matagal na rin, mula nang ika’y magpasyang
subukan ang swerte, at abutin ang yong mga pangarap
sa ibang isla kung saan ikaw ay laging may jowa
kami tuloy dito, di mo kinakamusta

[chorus]
Nasan ka man ngayon,
ano mang oras naika’y may kailangan,
tawag ka lang sa amin
at parang kainuman ka na rin

parang nandito ka na rin...

Oo nga pala, kung nasayo pa ang graphic na blouse ko, sa yo na yan.
Hanap ka na rin ng maraming mga skirts at pants,
dahil balita ko bawal pekpek shorts sa opisina.

Dambuhala daw mga kinakain mo diyan, tataba ka malamang.
Miss mo bang magtagalog? Lyka pag may kumausap sayo
magaling ka naman sa ingles, magaling ka Lyka.

[chorus tu tayms, tapos]
parang nandito ka na rin...

Dear Lyka, hinahanap ka ng Ahensya at ni Jebby, magtext ka kasi.
Miss ka namin, pati nga Phase 6 boys nagtatanong
san ka raw nagpunta? san ka raw nagpunta?
Nasan ka na… Lykaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh

[chorus uli na may iba-ibang dagdag eh, katamad isa-isahin]

Signs of Summer

It's not summer unless I've...
played badminton in the streets w/ my neighbors
and drowned myself w/ softdrinks!

(Take note: This was the hottest day of summer...yet! Max temperature was at 35.8°C.)