i did not quit another job, that came as a warning to a smoker. In school, some teachers give final exam exemptions to deserving students. Deserving students are of two kinds, those who are simply brilliant, and those who are simply matiyaga. In any case, these exemptions are determined by the pre-finals grades that pretty much tell how well a student did during the entire semester. So the students wait—brilliant, matiyaga or otherwise, for the announcement of exemptions.
[I later realized, effort didn’t count much in earning exemptions (“I tried to get high scores you know”) than it does in at least passing a course (‘nagsipag naman po ako, hindi ko lang po talaga inabot ang grade, sana ipasa niyo na lang ako”)] Teachers have their ways of knowing. They just know. And it’s true, we made our grades, and they basically add up and compute what we give them, save for some occasions when a student’s hardworking attitude and character make some teachers reconsider and re-evaluate the case. (Why am I thinking about all these?! It’s been four years since I finished school and maybe, I really want to study again :p)
Going back to the excitement and anticipation of being exempted, students generally accept the exemption and skip the test to study for the other subjects instead. There are those who take the test even if they got exempted, much to their classmates’ annoyance. Ang yabang naman! Hehe
I was one of those who took advantage of exemptions. If my memory serves me right (I sometimes get senior moments already), I never took a test to make my pre-finals grade higher. When I look back, I made a few realizations. One is when I chose to take the exemptions, I actually missed out on the purpose of the final exam, and that is the chance to systematically measure how much information was retained in my head. (I am partial to the idea that exams do NOT measure true learning, well that’s just my opinion) Maybe that explains why I have forgotten most of the computations we did in school, though I am really more of a conceptual learner, if there is such an idea hehe, I love ideas, explaining and understanding ideas, and making them useful. My point is—being exempted has its disadvantages.
Number two, school is too small a microcosm of the universe and all universal laws that govern it, still it is from where we spent most of our formative years until such time, we are mature enough to brave the jungle—that is, when the decisions we have to make are much more than merely accepting or refusing an exemption.
Lastly, for those who chose to take the test even if they didn’t have to, they sure had their reasons, but for the sake of humoring, they should have taken the exemption because, once out of school, the privilege of exemptions becomes rare, in fact, we hardly even get one.
From the trivial to the more consequential, there is so much in our daily routine that supports our contention that there are no exemptions. Nobody is spared from traffic (at least in
Everyone experiences pain, weather physical or emotional. Everyone goes through phases of weakness, doubt and hopelessness. Everyone experiences sorrow and emptiness. Everyone feels alone sometimes. Everyone feels guilt, frustration, anger and fear. Then again, we always have to remember that we can not remain stuck in this loop.
In our uncontrived reality, there are no exemptions.
i am quite in the mood for picking up lessons from my little experiences. i've been having clouds over my head, (to borrow from the song from music and lyrics which i saw last night on hbo), and the clouds must be swirling with the coffee i had after dinner, keeping me awake.
It was jazz an ordinary day.
The skies were clear, the birds were chipping. Ang ganda-ganda ng araw!
Nasa SM ako
foodcore si Angel Locsin, nagpro-provoke ng movie nya. Grabe, andaming fans,
pull-packed talaga! Dahil fans nya rin ako, nakipila rin ako.
Then suddenly, out of the loo, may bumulong sa akin ng: "Indaaaayyyy. ....."
Huh? It sounded like a familiar sound. Who can it be now?
"Dodong!" sigaw ko.
Napalakas yata voice ko. Kasi the other fans turned their backs to their
behind at napatingin sa amin. Sabi ko "Sorry, I didn't mean to be loud and
proud." Hinawakan na lang ni Dodong ang kamay ko at lumayo kami from the
crowd.
"Kamusta na Inday? Do you come here open? tanong nya.
"Bihira lang, Dodong. I'm just droppings by. Ethnic and schedule ko eh" sabi ko.
Memories came flushing in my mind. How can I forget to remember Dodong? Siya
na may mata ni Piolo, dimple ni Aga, at bigote ni Rex Cortez. he's every
woman's dreamboat. I was just starting my tour of duty kay ate
unang makilala ko si Dodong. Contraction worker siya sa ginagawang bahay sa
tapat namin. Naging kami for a while then after that were not an item
anymore.
"Tanghali na Inday. What did you say we have lunch together?" tanong ni
Dodong. "I don't mine" sagot ko.
Sa restaurant, nilapitan kaagad kami ng waiter. "What's your odor sir?" sabi
nung waiter kay Dodong.
"Do you have porkshop?" tanong ni Dodong.
"Yes sir" sabi nito. "Our porkshop with a resistance to the teeth of boast
of our chef. Domestic careful selection of pork with little fat of female
liking is used. The exquisite cooking which repeated trial and error and was
completed. it also has healthy vegetables with salad feeling fully" dagdag
niya.
"And you mam?" sabay tingin naman sa akin.
Hmmm... mukhang masarap yung porkshop. Pero I'm cutting down on my carbon kaya
pinigilan ko.
"I'll just have water, thanks. Liquidate diet ako eh." sagot ko.
Pagkatapos kumain, nagyaya si Dodong manood ng sine. Teka teka, this is
going too far. Besides, it's a long, long way to run.
"Reality chess, Dodong. May asawa na ako, si Jay. As a mother of fact, I'm
happily married" pagmamalaki ko.
"Di na pwede yung tulad ng dati. Sorry pero I didn't expect you still have
more feelings than I expected. i don't want you getting the way. Past is
fast. Therefore, cause and defect." dagdag ko pa.
Tumahimik sya. Parang may language barrel na namagitan sa amin. The seconds
that passed seemed like fraternity. Di nagla-on, nagsalita na rin sya.
"I don't care less!" sigaw ni Dodong.
Shocks, give me a brake! The nerd ng taong ito para sigawan ako! To think
it's his other woman that caused our separation to part.
Kinabahan na ako. I felt speedbumps all over my body and was having panic
attach. Tinalikuran ko siya at nagmadali akong lumakad palayo. Pero sumunod
pa rin siya like a monkey on my butt. Hanggang sa makakita ako ng security
guard. Biglang nawala si Dodong.
"Excuse me kuya, pwedeng magtanong?" sabi ko sa mamang guard.
"Of course miss, I can help you with my pleasure." sagot niya.
"Saan po ba ang exit? Could you point me to the right erection? I got lost
in my eyes."
"Diretso lang." sabi niya. "Then turn right anytime with care."
"Thanks for your corporation" sabi ko.
Buti na lang nandun si kuya. Pero saglit lang, I smell something peachy. As
I turned, nakita ko na namang nakasunod si Dodong! Delaying static lang pala
kanina ang pag disappear nya.
"Nyahahaha! You can run but you can hide, Inday. No matter where you go,
there you are!" pananakot nya.
Oh no, is this the end? This is too much, I feel degradable. My world
started falling afar.
Then suddenly, Jay come from behind! Dodong was caught to the act! In the
matter of minute, it's all over. I'm out of arm's way.
"Thanks Jay, my love. But how did you?" bago pa man ako matapos, sabi niya:
"I was in the neighborhood. Fans din ako ni Angel eh. I heard you shout but
at first I didn't give it a thought. Pero nang makita ko kayong magkahawak
ng holding hands, then i give it a thought. I know something is a missed."
From then on, Dodong did not brother me again. In fact, he didn't even
sister me. As in platonic at wala na talaga.
Pero kami ni Jay, heto, shoot sailing pa rin ang relationship. Lalo pa
ngayon, open na kami sa isa't-isa at walang exhibitions. i feel I'm on cloud.
