What did I get myself in to???

Being a teacher, as rewarding as it often can be, also brings with it it’s share of disasters and troubles. Today was no exception.

End of term is coming up, so papers are due and things to check are piling up…and yes, thesis is due. Not just my masteral thesis, but that of my mentees as well. To make a long story short, they fell short and I’m afraid I have to fail them. It feels like crap. I don’t really know why I’m letting myself get troubled by it, but I am. I don’t like failing students but in this case, I don’t think I have much of a choice….haaaaayyyyy…

Then came another disaster. Perhaps one of my inadvertant wrong doing. It appears that a piece of equipment that I had used in class somehow broke sometime after my class and before the equipment people checked it. Even though I know there is a solution to this problem, I’m getting all frustrated and stressed out about it.

As if matters were not bad enough, the field trip from hell problem has also escalated to new levels. Terrible allegations have been raised, but to keep myself sane, I will stay out of it.  

In any case, days like this make me wanna throw in the towel and get another job. Call center anyone? No grades, no take-home-overtime-crap, a social life, big money…hmmm…

Beauty in the Mundane

Still reeling from the wake of my field trip from hell, I started thinking about trying to find meaning in the seemingly useless experience. Maybe this is what it really means to “grow up”

Letting go of annoying experiences has never been (and perhaps will never really be) simple for me. It usually stays with me for days on end and it’s negativity tends to seep into my waking moments. However, this time I am trying to rechannel the negative energy to something better. 

Given that the trip was not so much fun (what with having to work overtime and having horrible living conditions), I am taking the opportunity to appreciate the mundane, to find beauty in otherwise terrible conditions. 

Aside from the beautiful handicrafts and church in Lumban, I have to admit that being away from the hustle and bustle of Manila life, even for a short time, gave me a chance to appreciate the beauty and power of nature. 

Old Town Charm

This weekend I went on what can only be known as the “Field Trip from Hell”. While the experience was something I hope never to go through again, I have to admit I was struck by the novelty and charm the Old Town of Lumban.

This picturesque little town boasts of it’s handcrafted trade: embroidery. The dainty patterns and pretty products really made me smile. I have always loved embellished and embroidered patterns, especially in clothing, but I never really stopped to think about it’s history. Anyway, the field trip I took my students to this weekend allowed me to enjoy such quaint charm.

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Doctor, Doctor

Today I came from the doctors office. Being a first time HMO user, I was not expecting the runaround involved with the whole service. This is especially true since I have been so lucky with my regular doctor, who always would be in her clinic on time and would make sure she is able to attend to all her patients quickly.

Anyway, because my doctor was not accredited with my HMO, I had no choice but to consult with another physician. In all fairness to this new doctor, she was very nice and accommodating. And she wasn’t super, uber late either, like other doctors who make their patients wait FOREVER!!! However, it was annoying that the HMO Coordinators office informed me that her clinic hours were from 1-6 pm, when in fact it was from 2-5. This after being given the wrong doctors name…

Anyway, after having the forms filled up, I finally made my way to the doc’s clinic and saw her for shorter than the time I spent waiting (which was not her fault, I repeat. She was so nice, it would be unfair to diss her). Then I made my way back to the HMO office so I could get the lab request forms. 

This is when it got uber frustrating!!! The secretary left the clinic for errands (which I’m sure is part of her job) but she took almost an hour to return! Then I saw her taking her time, walking leisurely while chatting with a friend. Finally I got the forms approved and made my way to the Women’s Health Center where I was to have my ultrasound. In the cashier’s counter, however, I found out that the secretary screwed up and forgot to include one of the tests being ordered!!! I made my way back to the HMO office only to find it locked. Twenty minutes later, I find her inside (I was waiting outside the whole time so I couldn’t have missed her!) with two friends. Grr….

In the end, despite the aggravation of waiting and having to go all around the frigging hospital, I have to admit it was worth it as I saved over five thousand bucks on tests and doctors fees.

I just wish there was a better way of getting it done. 

Tall, dark and yummy

No, I’m not talking about a guy here…I’m talking about my new favorite drink. A few days ago I gave in to the craving and found myself home (a.k.a. Starbucks BF) and I ordered their new drink, the DARK MOCHA FRAP. 

 Dark Mocha Frap (on the left)

It was so yummy It reminded me of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s Black Forest Frapuccino, except without the cherry. I liked it because it gave the typical mocha flavor a deeper, richer, sorta bitter-chocolatey flavor which I absolutely loved. Too bad the next time I went back it was gone…apparently it was one of them limited drinks huhu. 

Classes Suspended

 The week that passed was once again filled with rain and floods, as well as bouts of bright sunshine and hot, humid air. Talk about screwed up weather. All the kids in my class have runny noses and terrible coughs, which I attribute to the weird weather.

Anyway, as a preschool teacher, I wished for signal number 1 to be raised, even for just one day…I needed a morning off, I rationalized Unfortunately (for me that is, fortunately for many others who suffer when it rains), I had no such luck.

Although I did not get my signal-number-one-day-off, Wednesday came and finally I heard those sweet words: Classes Suspended! I was just about done with my first undergrad class when the announcement came. After the initial thrill of having a free afternoon, I realized how annoying it was that the announcement came so late. Kung kelan andun na ako sa school, diba?!?

I’m sure this is an endless discussion, but it was just so frustrating that classes are often called off too late: it comes when the flood waters rise, when the rain is pouring like mad, and when we make it to our destinations soaked and drenched. I can’t help but wonder what or how the screwed-up calling-off of classes system can be improved. While I do understand and agree that classes can’t always be called off at the slightest indication of rainfall, I still hope there is some way where everyone can be spared from the inconveniences of late suspensions, especially since we end up getting even more wet when we are sent home from school, where, incidentally, I could stay dry and warm for the meantime.

As always, when classes were called off the rains stopped…the flood waters subsided…and the sad part of it all was I couldn’t go home: my car was coded.

photo courtesy of Marshall Valencia 

Must See: D-Cinema

Last Wednesday, the D-Cinema at The Block, SM North Edsa was launched. Despite having classes to attend and reports to cram, I wiggled my way out of that to attend to “more pressing events” mwahaha!!!

Anyway, given my new-found commuting powers, I decided to figure out how to get to SM North without my trusty car (besides, coding ako nun hehe!). Met Janine mid-way from DLSU and PLM (also known as SM Manila). Unfortunately, we couldn’t get an FX or an Airconditioned bus to get to where we needed to go. Minutes away from giving up, we finally found a jeep with the long-awaited plackard: SM West/Trinoma. 

So off we went…

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First time mo?

Yes, first time ko

Two weeks ago i attended my first blogger event. I was a ‘blogger’s companion’. Being a highly introverted person, I was quite apprehensive about venturing into this new thing. Ako pa!!! Although I may not look it, super mahiyain ako…meeting new people and going to strange things really stir up so much anxiety in me. Nonetheless, my friend Janine convinced me it would be a fun thing to do and so I went. I figured, what’s the worst thing that can happen diba?!? 

Anyway, the Coke blogger’s event was held in Taste Asia, MOA. It was an interesting mix of music, food, games and prizes. Being a first timer, I didn’t really know what to expect. When my friends and I got there, we were  greeted by a line at the entrance and the blaring music inside the venue. When we got in, my friends met up with fellow bloggers. It was somewhat uncomfortable for me in the beginning, simply because I take time to adjust to new situations. After some time though I felt more at ease and was beginning to have a good time.  Especially after having a few Cokes!

For the most part, my first time was a good one. At the end of the day I came out of the Coke event with more than just that free case of coke, a ticket for an Imax movie (c/o my banana dancing friend), and a belly full of yummy food. I was able to challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone and be okay with it. I not only met new people, but I even maintained contact with they. More importantly, I developed a whole new respect for the World Wide Web, the home of all our blogs. I can say “our” now because due to the Coke event, my blogging life was reborn

Ika nga ng Coke…buhay Coke, buksan mo…ang sarap dito! 

Transportation Math

The latest round of oil price hikes has made me do something I wouldn’t ordinarily do: take public transportation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I think commuting is beneath me, but having gotten used to driving myself around, it has been quite some time since I’ve taken public transpo within the city. If ever I had to, I often took cabs. It’s really just so much more convenient….

Well, since last nights increase finally tipped gas prices over sixty bucks, I decided to give up using my car whenever I go to the clinic in Cubao. After all, I figured it was not that difficult  to get to Cubao from Paranaque anyway. Before the prices went up, I would only be saving about 50-80 pesos if I took the bus rather than the car.  Not really that bad a price to pay for convenience, comfort and feeling safe during the trip. However, now that I stop and think about it, because gas prices are so high, taking the car to Cubao has truly ceased being cost-efficient, especially since I don’t earn a fixed income at the clinic. As a psychologist, I don’t take in a standard salary, rather I’m limited to a consultation fee depending on the number of clients I see. Given that there are days when I only see one client, my fees are dispensed completely in gas and toll fees, not to mention the wear-and-tear of the car. (more…)

ittybittytvSAYWHAT?!?

I am a certified couch potato.  Well, at least after work. If not for discovering this whole blogging world, I’d probably be popping in one DVD after another into my player, watching endless marathons of Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, The Practice, Sex and the City, Friends, and Ally Mc Beal.  I don’t really watch movies much on my DVD, just TV series. At one point I watched the entire 5 seasons of Ally in 4 and a half days. How, you may ask? Well, to put it simply: di ako natutulog! Luckily it was a point in time where I took a leave from work for personal reasons so I had no worries about waking up early to go to work or whatnot.

Anyway, in the past few days I’ve been noticing the dialogues in these shows that I’ve been watching. Not that I didn’t notice it before, but before, I think I was more focused on the storyline of the show, rather than honing in on specific statements said in the show. Because of this, it dawned on me how much of an influence television really is. It’s apparently not only true for kids, but even for adults as well. Of course shows like Oprah, Dateline, and the like are definitely highly influential, I often used to regard TV series’ as simple entertainment. Now I realize I was wrong.

These TV series’ (I gotta give props to the writers of these shows because they are brilliant!) have influenced and changed a lot of my perceptions, beliefs and ideas in their own subtle ways. Those opening and closing narratives in Grey’s, for example, helped me get through a very rough time in my life. Comments made on Ally McBeal made me rethink old ideas I’ve had for the longest time. When watching Sex and the City, the questions Carrie would post when she’d be writing her column were things I could not just laugh or cry about, but it would be a reminder for me to take pause and to listen.

With that said, I decided to start a new category of posts in my blog. Because TV is such an influential teacher, this Teacher will also give Teacher TV a space in her blog

The title of this post is taken from something I often hear Miley Cyrus say in her show Hannah Montana. (yes, I watch the Disney Channel…no, I don’t have a Hannah Montana DVD!).  More posts on TV series to come!