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”.

Resolution 101

SHINNEN OMEDETOU!

Because I couldn’t think of anything to post as of the moment, I decided to click my old blog and see the post that I had last year. Though the post’s concept is quite banal, it has become an inspiration to my post this year.

Now, I’m not going to lay down my resolutions. Instead, I’ll evaluate my last year’s resolutions.

Attending classes regularly. Check! I’ve minimized my absences, especially during the first semester of my sophomore year. I was able to stop my chronic vice of not attending classes if I don’t want to. Finally, the cutting-ero in me is now gone. Haha.

On Punctuality. A big X! Haha. I still come late even if the class starts at 1 P.M.

Loving Math 11. CHECK! I do love Math now! Really! Actually, I have taken more Math units this year, including Math 14 (Plane Trigonometry) and Math 100 (Introduction to Calculus). Fortunately, I didn’t fail these subjects! Hail!

Playing DotA less and saving money. I haven’t played DotA for quite sometime now. However, saving money is still a big problem. Bad money management.

More time for texting, more time for studying and being a Scholar. Only this year that I have realized that these two things [texting and studying] are actually contradictory. Haha. Anyway, it’s fortunate for me to find time for both things, although the effort for the first semester wasn’t enough to become a University Scholar or a College Scholar.

Frequency of making stands on issues and of blogging. This is a big check. Some of my posts tackle issues, specifically political issues, that bug the country. I hope I could continue the practice more often. In the first place, this page won’t be called “The Political Buzzerbeater” if I would remain complacent on things of national importance. Moreover, I’ve been an active blogger this year and it somehow instilled in me a sense of achievement.

I want to thank everyone who have crossed my way, especially those people who didn’t just cross but those who were able to create a quality friendship with me. I’m proud that most of my new confidants were my co-bloggers. I hope to befriend more bloggers.

This year, my resolution is that everyday will become a resolution day. Anyway, who said that resolution-making is only done during New Year?

—

It seems that 2008 will be a great year for me.

I was able to complete the Rooster’s Mass. Most of my wishes were made, including the plain white Havaianas. Hehe. Now, I’m even happier that I started this year with a reconciliation to a person who made my 2007 damn unforgettable.

And my another set of wishlist? Hmm. It was a dream come true.

On Bended Knees

In our world, diversities in terms of theological belief exist. Some were born and raised as Christians, Moslems, Buddhists and others. Some, in turn, converted themselves into another religion; some even extinguished the transcendental existence of a Higher Being. Well, just to be quite specific, Islam do not regard their “converts” as such.

This post neither aims to elevate a certain religion (I prefer theological belief than religion) from the other, nor criticize flaws of certain theological belief. I believe that no one is entitled to say that their religious doctrine offers the best way to salvation, or Nirvana in Buddhism. I hope I’ve remembered my History 2 under Professor Esguerra. Right, Arnel? Haha. Besides, theological belief is a very sensitive issue, and for a not-so-religious-guy like me, I don’t have the guts to scrutinize these sets of belief.

Regardless of religion or theological belief, I think most people believe in a Higher Being — an entity that is believed to surpass human limitations. An omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent entity whose power is mainly characterized by love. Prayer happens to be an essential part of every religion, since this is the only medium of communication happening between the believer and the Higher Being.

Kinds of prayers include grace before and after meals, morning and evening prayers, novena, Islam’s Salah or the Five Daily Prayers, and others. Prayers are also done for various purposes, like glorifying the Higher Being, reflecting, asking for guidance and thanksgiving.

In your life, when was the last time you prayed with all your heart?

Why Goodbye?

The now-disbanded boy band Blue, together with Elton John, stated in one of their songs that “sorry” seems to be the hardest word.

But “goodbye“, for me, is the hardest, the most painful and the saddest (also according to Celine Dion’s song) word compiled by the lexicographers.

I remember my childhood days. My mother’s mother, Lola Agot, lives in Batangas. My family and I visit her several times a year. If time and money permits Lola, she visits us in Manila instead. As the eldest (and the most handsome) grandson, I can say that my Lola and I have a very strong bond, maybe because of the fact that I was the only grandson for a couple of years. Being a certified Lola’s Boy, tears never fail to fill my eyes when parting. Eventually, saying goodbye to my Lola gains better acceptance of a life reality, though I still feel very sad most of the time.