Fresh

A hug from the Dean :)

Last 28th of April, I graduated.

It was anticlimactic for me, climbing that stage and receiving the diploma. Yes, it is a symbol of a job well done, a ceremony to honor what we have accomplished after 5++ years.

I'm not saying it was not meaningful, because it was. My family was there to cheer me on, the ceremony itself was meaningful (though the venue could be better), I graduated along with my cousin, who finished her Molecular Biology degree from the same university, and of course the friends and batchmates were there.

But after passing each requirement, after going through the thesis deliberations, after having our books signed and after getting our grades, I feel like success was handed out to me in small doses. Graduation was just there as a culmination, something that symbolizes the end of a six five-year frolic in UP Diliman.

I was sad to leave of course. I will miss college life: the camaraderie between classmates, the guidance of professors, the times spent with friends, and the chance to meet people from random colleges and sectors that one can learn things from. But I know for a fact that UP is always there.

I end this post with the lyrics of our university hymn, UP Naming Mahal, by Nicanor Abelardo. Yes, it's cheesy to end the post this way, but it totally sums up the way I feel about the university as an alumnus.

U.P. naming mahal, pamantasang hirang

Ang tinig namin, sana'y iyong dinggin

Malayong lupain, amin mang marating

Di rin magbabago ang damdamin

Di rin magbabago ang damdamin.

 

Luntian at pula, sagisag magpakailanman

Ating ipagdiwang, bulwagan ng dangal

Humayo't itanghal, giting at tapang

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!

Mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!

 

Lantern Parade 2012

15 December 2012

Last night was UP Diliman's Lantern Parade, which we do every year to start off our Christmas vacation. This is (hopefully) the last lantern parade I'd be able to experience as a student, and it's also the last legit Christmas vacation for me...

I arrived very late. The Arki party was nearly finished with its route once I arrived in UP.

People were already starting to flock the ampitheater.

I eventually caught up with the parade and met some friends...

People from UP Optics cheerfully delaying the delegates to take pictures.

Let's go UP!!!

Wordlessly volunteered to take TFA's picture.

To the stage

We found out why lanterns had supposed height limits. Hello Galvanized Iron Man!

Our delegation was composed of buildings and landmarks.

Faculty Follies was cancelled this year (wtf right?) so our professors had performing withdrawals.

Of course Justin Guiab had to be Galvanized Iron Man.

Hung out with some friends at the amphitheater after our lantern passed by. It would have been better if the stage faced the larger group in the amphi instead of the ones in Quezon Hall.

Joan was late. :P

We went to the Arki party afterwards. There was free booze, pizza and brownies.

Thesis? What thesis?

Writing on the freedom floor of the National Architecture Week.

I didn't take any pictures once we left Arki. Hazel, Joan, and I went to the AS parking lot to eat. We ended up staying there, just talking. We talked about art for art's sake, street children, Philippine movies, Karl Marx, pornography... and life in general. We watched the fireworks and then stayed at the steps until about 10pm, when Joan was picked up by a male "friend" so they could go stargazing at the PAGASA observatory (hahahaha, latter not true btw). 

It was a great night. Even though I felt like a loser for getting dizzy due to San Mig Apple and a tiny cup of Red Horse, it was a night spent with friends. 

And so I leave you with Pilosopotato and friends. 

Doing Better

Note: the posts about my undergrad thesis are here for documentation purposes. Someday in the future, I'd like to look back at how I do things today, and compare them to how I do things by then.

11 November 2012

I texted my adviser last week (Tuesday) to see if I could schedule a consultation with her. I know I may seem too enthusiastic, but after the criticism I got last time, I wanted to start this sem in a different tone. 

I was surprised by Maam's quick reply (because she's really REALLY busy) and she scheduled it on Friday morning. I had time to fix up the stuff I came up within the sembreak. I don't think I did anything substantial during the break. I kept changing my mind about things and I ask myself a lot of frustrating questions like:

Why would you put the road through there?

Why are your buildings shaped like that?

Is this even physically possible?

I had time to relax during the break. The Big Bang concert has taken a lot of the stress away (I should go to concerts more often) and home has always been a sanctuary for me and I enjoyed myself immensely. But my thesis was always at the back of my mind. 

Last Friday, the consultation was postponed to 5 in the afternoon. I had eight hours to kill after my 8:30 am class (the teacher didn't show up, meh) so I just spazzed and tried to improve what I've done. By lunch time, I was kicked out of the library, so I went down to the canteen and met two undergrad friends, Chans and Charmaine.

During our conversation, I think I talked too much. I had to remind myself to give them a chance to talk to me. Chans pointed out that I was nervous. I finally admitted to myself that I was. They were nice enough to let me rant. I even showed them my programming and stuff. I was a little embarrassed afterwards. When they had to go I hid myself back in the library and watched some Running Man  to calm myself down.

It went well. We started late because the Dean had so much to do. I was actually feeling overwhelmed for her. But she had time for me, and she also gave landscape architecture advice. She drew trees on my site development plan. :)

It was already dark once we ended. I exited arki and walked to the Acad Oval. It was a cool night. I didn't mind walking to the jeepney stop near Mass Com and walking back to the jeepney stop near Arki (because all exiting jeepneys were already full). I listened to Epik High and Big Bang on the way home. I feelt lighter and energized, and I promised myself that I would do better.