Law-struck at i Blog 4!

It’s another day spent at Malcolm Hall. This time, not because of academic requirements.

I guess I am really destined to attend iBlog 4. The night before the bloggers’ summit, I was still half-hearted to attend due to the University Student Council (USC) out-of-town planning to be held in Batangas, which is also scheduled on the 26th. To make sure that I would be able to squeeze these two events on a day, I decided to attend iBlog 4 in the morning and leave around 1 PM for the USC planning.

I fetched Mads, my bestfriend and also a co-blogger, and we went to Malcolm together. As expected, it’s as if I’m kinikilig upon seeing the hall.

Yom: Future college, future college! LOL.

Haha. Yeah. Malcolm Hall has its weird, electrifying effects for me.

I’m starting to enjoy the summit, as different speakers discussed their respective topics. Lots of bloggers started to enter the amphitheater. Then the first 30-minute-break. I have to go out of the amphitheater, since the network is busted inside, and I saw Vinch and Jhed registering on the table. That time, I started to receive text messages telling me that the USC planning is cancelled. I was disappointed, but the thought of attending iBlog 4 the whole day made me smile though.

And I must be really thankful that my out-of-town activity was cancelled. The afternoon session covered political blogging and blogging to advocate something, as well as podcasts and vlogging. I would really like to give emphasis on the political blogging in particular. The speakers were right in saying that bloggers have the potential to participate in the elections through updates that could be posted on their blogs. In addition, bloggers could also influence public opinion through their posts. The discussions really inspired me to continue what I have started as a political blogger. *cheers*

I also liked the discussion given by Ria Jose, the Queen of Blogging. LOL. For the past two years of blogging, I never had even a single encounter with a blogger from Mindanao. Her light, jolly discussion enabled me to have an idea of what Mindanao bloggers (and Mindanao itself) have to offer. I guess I want to go to Mindanao. :)

Law-struck (for the second time) is the right adjective when Atty. JJ Desini, Malcolm’s proud product, topping the Bar Examinations and entering Harvard Law, discussed about copyright infringment and other cyber-related legalities. I CAN’T GET OVER!! IDOL!!

All in all, the bloggers’ summit was a fun experience. Expect me to attend i Blog 5. LOL.

***

Here are some pictures!

i Blog 4 at the U.P. College of Law

When vanity strikes, it strikes! LOL

Manuel Quezon III

Chicken Mania! LOL

L-R: Mads, Christine and Mads. Bloggers from U.P. Manila

My ID! :)

Malcolm Hall! Future college! Hehe.

[Edited today, 27 April 2008. Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification]

The Herd Against The Shepherd

Attending the Sunday mass has become my habit for years. Due to some things I love doing in the early part of the day, I always opt to attend the last mass, the 7 PM mass. In addition to this, most of the priests that I like the most hold their mass on that slot. I liked these priests because of their comical yet virtuous stories during the Homily. Well, I guess many priests are good fiction storytellers. Kidding. LOL.

Last week, I was quite disappointed not to see my favorite priest, the one with the same body built as mine. LOL. Nevertheless, the homily was still interesting. As far as I can remember, the Good Shepherd and the flock was what the Gospel is all about.

Father: Ang ating mga nanay at tatay, sila ang pastol ng mga anak sa buong mundo. O, eto. May itatanong ako sa inyo. Tingnan natin kung magagaling kayo. Sino ang pastol ng Simbahang Katoliko?
Crowd: (Quite whispering as they answer in chorus like grade school children) Pope Benedict XIV.
Father: Naku, bakit yata mahina? Parang hindi natin kilala ang Santo Papa. Tsk. Kilala ba natin? Amen?
Crowd: Amen.
Father: O, sige. Sino naman ang pastol ng ating diocese? Kilala po ba natin?
Crowd: (No response)
Father: (Asking response from the crowd) Si? Si..
Women in Green*: (As if coaching the crowd) Archbishop** Jose Oliveros.
Father: (Shakes his head) Naku, naku. Hindi pala natin kilala. Tsk. Pupunta pa naman siya dito sa ating fiesta sa susunod na buwan. Dapat kilala po natin s’ya. Pakiulit nga po natin. Si..
Crowd: Archbishop Jose Oloveros.
Father: Ayan. Mabuti naman. Tandaan po natin , ha. O, eto! Siguradong kilala ninyo ito. Sino po ang pastol ng ating bansa? Si..
Crowd: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Father: Tumpak po! Hehe. Kung makikita natin, karaniwang sumusunod sa pastol ang mga tupa. Eto, tanong uli. Kayo ba naman ay sumusunod kay Presidente?
Crowd: (Low in volume but well-enunciated) HINDI.
Yom: (Simultaneous with the chorus) HINDI! ASA PA S’YA!
Cutie beside Yom: (Looks at her)
Father: Naku, hindi pala sinusunod ang ating Presidente. Tsk. Alam naman po nating nasangkot sa iba’t ibang katiwalian ang Pangulo. Pero kahit gaano pa kasama ang ating pastol, ano ho, dapat pinagdarasal natin sila upang magbago.
Yom: (Agitated) Tang-ina, if we’ll only pray, kamusta naman ang Pilipinas!
Cutie beside Yom: (Looks once again)
Yom: (Smiles)
Yom’s thought: Ang cute n’ya, ang cute n’ya! LOL.

* The ones who collect donations during mass. LOL.
** Unsure about the head of the diocese. I forgot if it’s the Bishop or the Archbishop.

What Do You Call Me?

It’s been a while since I published my last post. I missed blogging!

The past few months have been very demanding for me. Within a few months’ time, a lot of transitory events happened in my life. From being an ordinary student who handles an organization, I now assumed a position in the University politics. The campaign period was not really an easy road to success, as I, together with the other candidates in the slate, have to go through intensive discussion of national and local issues the Iskolars ng Bayan are facing. Moreover, Saturdays (and even Sundays) were scheduled for public speaking training to ensure our fluency during room-to-room campaigns and for the Miting de Avance. Although our party was not able to get the majority in the University Student Council, this won’t be a hindrance for us to serve for the students’ interests. The upcoming academic year would be more demanding this time, being a junior Political Science student and being a part of the UP Centennial Student Council. It must be expected that I would be more political this time, true to my blog’s title.

***

As of now, enough of University- and macro-level politics.

***

What is a nickname? Wikipedia says, “A nickname is a name of an entity or thing that is not its proper name. It may either substitute or be added to the proper name.” Moreover, a person’s nickname is not always in its truncated form. It can be longer than the usual.

Nicknames can also be something related to a person’s personality. I’m named Gerome by my loving parents, although my parents and I really object about the first letter of my name. The one who transcribed my name on the birth certificate is the culprit here. LOL. A lot of varieties of my name were coined in a span of eighteen years as people continue to see my “other side”.