Idle Moments in Davao

Unfortunately, our work here in Davao stopped completely as my partner was sent home to Manila to have our instruments and equipments fixed. Because of this, I was stucked here in Panabo City in Davao del Norte. No I am not complaining...actually I feel good that we had stopped the work for the time being (instead of being subjected to false hopes by our unpredictable equipments).

Our project coordinator here in Davao had me settled in the boarding house of her parents. Grabe, nahihiya na nga ako dahil sa ang bait ni "Nanay." Parang spoiled na ako.

Because I was stucked here, I used my time to learn some Visayan words. What I learned so far:

Numbers from one to ten:

isa duwa tulo upat lima unum pito walo siyam and napulo

My driver had me say these words to one of the girl in the boarding house:

"Ginihugma ako sa imo"

Which means, as I found out later after a round of laughter, "iniibig kita" in Tagalog or "I love you" in English.

In the course of our work, we had seen different parts of the Davao shorelines. We had seen rocky shores, beaches and the best of them all are the mangrove forests.

Our work will resume on Sunday. I just hope and pray to GOD that our work will continue without further ado and that we may finish the work as early as we can muster.

I hope that I learn more of the Visayan language.

We Are Not Perfect

We are doing all the best things that we could...we are all doing the things that are within and sometimes beyond our capacity. Darn it...I'm pissed off! The Boss told us this after another failure of one of the equipments that we are using this night:

"YOU DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO USE THE EQUIPMENT"

sh%t man! First you did not taught us all the capabilities of the equipment...second, we are just fresh graduates and no one should expect that we can do fieldwork on the level of seasoned engineers...and lastly is that you are not here in the field. The whole team in the field is only composed of me and my fellow fresh graduate. Don't blame us if we err...we are just beginners.

Thank God that he is still with me. I Love you my dear GOD!

(Ishmael unloading his stress after an exhausting day with backpains and increasing sadness).

Damn Murphy's Law

"Anything that will go wrong will go wrong"

I am now experiencing the full brunt of this law. Darn it! Since day 1, my pessimistic self tells me that there's something wrong with the project or the job that I took after I graduated this semester. As if to add more salt to my wounds of pessimism, two of the equipments that we are using for the project failed to operate after a hard days work...now I feel that I will face the full brunt, full merciless anger, of my boss.

Ahhh! Maganda sana ang Davao kaso hindi ko ma-appreciate dahil sa mga problemang dumarating. Nakakainis na...gusto tuloy uminom ng red horse beer ngayong gabi. Mababait ang mga tao dito sa Davao. Maganda ang lugar. Pero...mukhang dedbol na kami ng partner ko.

Ahhh...bakit sa lahat ng law na tumama sa amin ay Murphy's Law pa.

(Ishmael composed this post while he is Digos City, Davao del Sur)

Said na ang Palabigasan

Naiirita talaga ako tuwing nakikita ko yung patalastas ng gobyerno kung saan ipinagmamalaki na umaasenso na ang Pilipinas. Ang commercial na sinasabi ay isang testimonial kung saan tatlong tao per commercial ang nagsasabi na ramdam na nila ang asenso. Ramdam na nila ang asenso.

P#@*&! Kami kaya ang interviewhin ninyo? Naranasan na ba ninyo na kalasin ang mga bakal-bakal sa mga bahay ninyo para may makain lang sa araw na iyon? Nasubukan na ba ninyong mag-dismantla at maghagilap ng mga maibebenta sa junkshop para may maipamasahe sa mga nag-aaral na anak ninyo? Nakakairita ang gobyernong ito! Nagsasayang ng pera para ipakalat sa masang Pilipino ana umuunlad na ang Pilipinas...mga tanga't kalahati pala sila eh. Mga anak sila ng ------ Tamaan sana sila ng kidlat. Mula sa presidente hanggang sa kurakot na barangay captain!

Kung ang sagot ng gobyerno sa nagugutom na Pilipino ay mga walang-laman na commercials...ay hindi natin masisisi ang mga OFW kung bakit sila umalis ng bansang ito. Nakakairita! Ahhh...naiinis na ako. Buti na lang at hindi ko pang naiisipang maging kriminal.

Hay naku...sori ah. Naglalabas lang galit. Nasaid na ang aming palabigasan at gutom ako ngayong buong araw...

My College Family

Last last Wednesday, three professors celebrated their birthdays and invited the whole college for a party. My bosses in the office where I serve as a student assistant tagged me along to the party. As always, I hesitated joining them, but then again I went. I was a subordinate after all. It was a big celebration. The three professors (all of whom were born on different days of September) joined forces and pooled their resources for the party. Food was aplenty and squabbles and work were set aside so that we will enjoy the celebration. As always my custom for the past four years and one semester as a student assistant in this college, I was always with my boss throughout the party. We sat with some of the professors. I was tensed ---- imagine a room filled only with professors of different ranks and administrative employees. I am felt out of place in this room filled with people from past generations. There were other student assistants, but I do not know them personally.

Two plates of food later, my hesitation waned and I started chatting with some professors gleefully. At that moment I realized that I will miss this college when I graduate. The college that adopted me as a student assistant since my freshman years. I formed some affinity with the College, even though I am an engineering student.

This college is my family here in U.P. I mourned with them when their dean died, I listened (and thankfully not included) to their squabbles and inter-office quarrels, I celebrated with them during birthdays and Christmas parties. I am with them every lantern parade. I have many friends here: students, professors, janitors, gardeners, security guards. I came to love this college more than the College of Engineering.

The party last last Wednesday, I realized, was not only a birthday party for the three professors but also a farewell party for me.