A Charmed Life: Life's a Play!

This evening, I was trotting down the street when somebody called my name. It was dim and I did not recognize him. I approached the man standing at the edge of the road and it was, whoa! Prof. Bb, one of my profs back in Uni! The last time I chanced on him was 3 years ago. He is now the Dean of my College.

We had the usual brief updating of my whereabouts and 'whatabouts' these days... Then he told me that they are in need of an instructor for _____ at the Uni for the next school year. He strongly encouraged me to apply for the position.


"Mmmmm.." That was simply my response.

They say that when you are told or asked something which requires a yes or no answer, you can correctly come up with an answer by listening to the subtle response from your gut feelings. If it is ahh, aha, (positive), or mmmm... (negative, or in doubt). This strategy is said to work for most people (with some exemptions).

And it happened that my spontaneous response to his invitation was "mmmm"...

So I told him the truth. That I have been invited twice before, in fact thrice (the third time was by this same Prof. when I saw him 3 years ago). So this time makes it my fourth invitation. But I was not taken "in" when I tried for the first couple of times.


The first invitation was when I was a fresh grad. The discipline head of my "division" (now, called "college") at that time personally invited me. But after we had a one-on-one initial interview about the prospect of me applying to teach at the college, he decided that it's better that I get a bit of teaching experience from "other schools" first, then come back to my Alma Mater and we'll make sure that I'll be "in" easily. But I didn't have any interest in teaching in other schools, besides, I had other plans, so I totally forgot about 'teaching' as a first job.


Instead of applying to teach in other schools, I was raring to go back abroad and pursue a Master's Degree. When I came back, I was again invited by some other profs at the Uni. So I went and had to undergo the process of panel interview and presenting a teaching demo in front of the... ahh, how to call them? Dean, discipline heads, and others. But I flunked! I knew I flunked because they did not take me in!


For the third time, I was invited by the upcoming dean of my college at that time: "Come to my office, I'll be the dean next year," he said with a meaningful smile which we both understood (kind of). Although I answered, "Ok, I'll see you soon," I lied. I did not go, didn't have any plan to go. Teaching just did not appeal to me then, and I had other plans as well. If you were me at that time and you were given a choice between being a member of a reputable institution in a very familiar environment, or, exploring other unfamiliar worlds; what would you choose? As for me, I chose to explore the other worlds. I went traveling and took up jobs in different and unfamiliar places.


Now is the fourth time I'm invited, and I realized that the prospect of teaching in a Uni became even farther away for me.


Oh dear me... What does the future hold for me?... As far as background is concerned, it is teaching and academic research which I know best... But, I feel that those are not my real interests. Not anymore...


"Wont you want to try again?" My prof, asked.

"No, I don't think it is for me," I said.

"Oh, your credentials will be wasted." He said with a tone of disappointment.

"I think, it will be used in other ways." I smiled.


I seriously don't know what happened to me after I left the Academia for the past 6 years... Sometimes I long for the past but I know I cannot go back anymore...

1. ANO’NG STUDENT NUMBER MO?

:: _ _ 521436


2. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE?
:: BA Social Sciences


3. SECOND CHOICE?
:: Fine Arts (totoo as in true)



4. ANO COURSE MO NA NATAPOS?
:: BA Social Sciences


5. NAG-SHIFT KA BA?
:: yes, from Philo major to History major


6. CHINITO/CHINITA KA BA?
:: don’t think so, but when I was in China I was treated like a full blooded Chinese because of my ethnic/tribal Chinese looks (they say).


7. NAKAPAG-DORM KA BA?
:: yep, 1 sem, onli 1st yr 1st sem, St Francis, nuong presko at luntian pa dito.


8. NAKA 4 KA BA?
:: Math 11 (marami kami) hihi


9. NAG-KA 3 KA NA BA?
:: yes, Soc Sci 101 (statistics) and math 11 pa rin.


10. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
:: usually, but absent ako palagi sa Math 11 at late ako palagi sa Spec Thought and Hist 1 — classes both starting at 7:30 bloody cold Baguio mornings. Minsan reason ko for late sa mga early morning classes ay dahil nag-jojoin ako sa early morning rally sa Banco de Oro sa upper Session.

11. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA B??
:: StFAP 4 :-)


12. ILANG UNITS NA ANG NAIPASA MO?
:: hmm, don’t remember. I try not to cram my brains with digits.


13. NANGARAP KA BA NA MAG-CUM LAUDE?
:: nangarap nga ba ako?


14. FAVE PROF
:: sino nga ba sa kanila… Prof. Boquiren (yung girl) and Casambre?


15. WORST TEACHER
:: at least 2 boys, both in Philo classes. and 1 girl in PE. (grrrrr!)


16. FAVE SUBJECT/S
:: Philo 1, all history classes except a couple of boring ones, some pol-sci subjects.


17. WORST SUBJECT
:: some mishandled Philo and General Elective subjects… I hate Math 11! (not the teacher though.)


18. FAVE BUILDING
:: sa baba, ano nga bang tawag dun noon, H.S. bldgs? demolished na yata ngayun.


19. PABORITONG KAINAN
:: Lower canteen


20. MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
:: di ko na maalala, tagal na yun eh. I really try not to cram my brains with digits. :-)


21. LAGI KA BA SA LIBRARY?
:: ah, palagi paminsan minsan. :-) .. dun din ako natutulog pag gusto ko tahimik. dun din ako naghahagilap ng katsismis o kabalita. dun ko din nakikita ang crush ko. at dun din ako nagpapa-cute.


22. NAGPUPUNTA KA BA SA CLINIC?
:: hinde usually, tinarayan ako ng dentista nung freshie ako eh, ika nga, first impression lasts… kaya punta lang ako pag bumili ng bluebook.


23. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
:: oh yess! si K, at si J, at si E, married na kaya sila? at si Sir S. din , nag-divorce kaya siya, by any chance? (tapang mo!) ahh, I wonder… hihihi


24. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING P.E. MO?
:: PE 1 (di pwedeng skip ito e), table tennis, Social Dance, Orienteering, lawn tennis (may crush din ako dito na crush din ng teacher, favorite nya eh at kinowatro ako ng techer dito, hmp talaga, buti na lang extra P.E. ko lang lawn tennis, kaya di counted, ugly record lang sa transcript)…



25. KAMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO?
:: champion!!! sa sports, beauty and also brains…


26. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG HYMN NIYO?
:: You mean, UP naming Mahal? kung may ka duet siguro, he he.


27. MEMBER KA BA NG VARSITY TEAM?
:: nope, sa labas ng campus ako nakikipagkarera eh.


28. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
:: If I didn’t forget yes. Pero if not, at least I remember nag-hihighest ako sa ilang papers and exams. Such as, a highest score in one of Prof.Casambre’s required papers, and highest in one of Prof. Brett’s exams. yiiikes yabhang! It’s always fun to relish the good memories of the past. ehem..


29. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
:: beer? hinde ah gin at tapuy lang ang faves ko nuon eh. ka-kantry talaga oo… ;-)


30. DITO KA BA UNANG NAINLOVE?
:: define "love" first.. :-)

Last week, we went to the Uni to see the showing of an independent film sponsored by UP PAGTA in commemoration of the Indigenous Peoples' month. It has been years since I last set foot in the old campus which is looking very new nowadays with all the renovations that took place in the last couple of years.


Although I missed the old atmosphere, I am glad that the campus is developing, at least, in terms of the conspicuous infrastructures. Upon arrival,the first place I visited was the toilet and I was dismayed to learn that until now there is no flowing water from the tap. In my four years stay in that lovely campus, only occasionally could I find running water from the faucets, and I got used and I lived with it. But this time, somehow, with the new polished look, I expected to find running water in the toilets. Oh my,have I forgotten?!


Although I was not able to go around since it was already very cold and cloudy after the film showing, I felt good for the very brief visit in that old, shall we say, battleground? Ha ha, battleground of minds, personalities, students and teachers and the administration. Or is it the memory of the struggle? The struggle to pass our credits, beat the deadlines, impress the teachers, get the attention of our crushes? The struggle in juggling academics, extracurriculars, friends and drinking and singing, and part-time jobs?


Yes, it was the battleground of all these... but, mostly, one of my vivid memories of campus is that, as a TIBAk, it was the main battleground in the struggle for the many issues concerning the so-called "masses."


And I liked it all... all of those learning processes in that small campus, and revisiting the memories of my rebellious years.