Once upon a time...
Haha. No, not really. But once upon a time, I was 14 years old and in High 1. I was really idealistic and passionate, so I ran to Stallion and tried to contribute a little of who I was into the school publication. Yeah, it was a horrible move, but there was this one thing that that happened that year. There was a seminar of some sort--a workshop for us Stallion peeps.
Our special "speaker" was this lady whose name I have forgotten, save for that both her first and last names began with Y. And she was practically a 19 year old version of Ms. (Doreen) Gutierrez.
While she was talking, she recommended this piece by a Japanese author. It was about a man who passed this woman on the street, and he thought she was perfect--the perfect girl for him. But he didn't say anything--they just passed each other by.
I didn't know what happened after that, and I did not seek it for the next two years. But now, in High 3, I decided to try looking around for it.
I believe in destiny now. First, it used to be that when I learned a new word, opportunities would open up to allow me to use it, or I'd start seeing and hearing it everywhere. Second, it was that when I did something, there was always a reason for it. When I made a mistake, there was always a reason for it. And now, this. How else could it be that I was led to the very person that would point me in the right direction?
How else? Fate.
I was simply discussing the story with Bardo a while ago, when he suddenly brightened and mentioned that it sounded a lot like this story he was told to read by a female friend of his before. It was a story in The Elephant Vanishes, which itself was a collection of short stories by a Japanese author named Haruki Murakami.
And after a bit of searching, I found it. I really found it.
And I read it. Although it wasn't as what I expected, it was definitely beautiful in its own right.
5 stars.
Quote of the Day: God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
Retort of the (other) Day: Kenn: "So that's why He's been picking on me."
While we were studying the types of Chemical Reactions a while ago, Mr. Chua got to making several interesting analogies.
There are four:
Combination: A + B = AB
Decomposition: AB = A + B
Single Replacement: AB + C = A + CB
Double Replacement: AB + CD = AD + CB
He identified it all as "Speed Dating". Double Replacement with Cations and Anions were like boys to girls. In theoretical circumstances, speed dating usually had guys on one side and girls on the other. People began to wonder about the possibilities of there being gay chemical reactions. Mr. Chua then stated that all reactions were... (he actually paused at this part) straight.
Single Replacement was apparently some one stealing someone else's significant other. That's when the riots really started, because really, with Philip's reputation as a girlfriend thief, and Mr. Chua's not-so-subtle-but-also-not-intended example, it wasn't hard to connect the metaphorical dots. People began shouting Philip's name. Mr. Chua stared, confused for a second, then at once said "Wala ako diyan."
Then in Math, Mr. Sy was asked by Stanly why he wouldn't just write the proofs on the board instead of having us do them. Mr. Sy then replied that, number one, he was a lazy fuck (no, I'm direct quoting! No kidding!), and second, that he wanted us to learn by thinking it over, then asking if we really couldn't get it.
So then he proceeds to make another analogy (which is really where it all went wrong. Teachers and analogies... don't they ever learn?). He said that he didn't like it when the students just went *pretends to stare at something* "Uh-huh... uh-huh. Ah, wala, madali lang iyan.", that he wasn't a TV or a movie. Then someone yelled "Porno!" Mr. Sy looked in incredulous for a moment, then immediately said, "God knows, I'm not a porno." Then he continued with his point. "You get what I mean, guys? I don't want you to just look at it--I want you to practice. I want you to interact with the material."
I was burying the innuendo there like a good boy, when I suddenly heard Edrian's riotous laughter behind me and knew I wasn't the only one. Then Lawrence, TJ Quidilla, Stanly and a bunch of people in front of us suddenly began smiling/laughing or repeating what he said. Mr. Sy overheard, looked at us for a moment before it registered, then squinted his eyes vindictively, slowly shaking his head and mumbled, "You guys are sick."
Then he mentioned something that caught my attention and me by surprise all at once. He said that Brother Haw (Yes, Joseph Haw, that's the one) apparently enjoyed doing this stuff when he was in High School. Now, I'd just about dropped him from memory (well actually, he was rather abruptly shoved out of it by homework, quizzes and life) and at this mention, it brought a host of rather nice memories (remember when we were all asked to have merienda with him at the Jesuit Residence?) rushing back into my mind. Well, actually, more of emotions, really. Nice, fun ones. It kind of sucked that he couldn't have stayed.
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