It Was My Birthday!!!!

September 29, 2008....

tEaCHing 104: My Other Related Tasks....

Being a Teacher is perceived to be somebody inside the classroom doing some talking, discussing, explaining, giving quiz both written and oral, asking for ideas and for projects, and computing grades. You might consider teaching as an easy and simple profession as you'll only be echoing the knowledge you have had after spending years of being taught by your teachers. Though the learning process continues as you have to get updates and scrutinize your field for further interrogation your students would start up, as long as the basic knowledge are intacked, you still can handle it.

Same thought that I had before grabbing this job. All I was thinking was I'll be doing those and only those that made me even consider looking for part-time while being a full-time. It was never in my head to do beyond the title "Teacher".

Task #1: Class Adviser. I was on my second week when I was told to replace an advisory. Being new, to refuse was never on my agenda. As much as possible I have to say 'YES' and show my competence and flexibility to handle tasks. It's one way to show that I'm here to work and work every work. Good thing also about it, being a freshy, I was assigned to freshies as well, the Freshmen of Computer Science.
My advising task was like fatherly. I have to make sure to guide my students in every school activities from the announcement to venue and to checking of attendance. I must be there to check on them from time to time and watch over them. But I prefer to consider it as "Brotherly".

Task #2: Internet Attendant Administrator. A week after also, the Laboratories' keys were given to me since I have my classes scheduled in the morning at 7, the earliest among, everyday. So since I have the keys, I'm responsible as well in closing the labs at 9pm.
One month after, the school had decided to look for Internet Attendants and had hired after days of rendering my free service. Now instead of doing the job of assisting students inside the Internet Lab and looking for their names to record and deduct the allotted 20hours they have paid, I'm doing the assisting of these 3 attendants, checking on them if they are working, let them log in on their 'Log Notebook' and sum up their daily hour for their allowance every 15th of the month. And talking about helping,as in big H E L P!!!, when there's no attendant, I do the attending. What a Heck!

Task #3: Dishwasher. The school offers a free rice consumption for the Teachers and staff. We gather every lunch time where each pays for the vian and a pair is assigned to cook and prepare. Since I have no pair and the schedule is occupied from Monday to Saturday, I was assigned to do the washing of dishes from Monday to Wednesday. Though it was a kind of unfair since I work three times a week, and part of washing is fetching a pail of water, still have to do as being agreed. Pew!!!!

Task #4: The Secretary. When one of our co-teacher got her 'item', a position in a teaching job for an Education graduate, her other related task which is being a Secretary of BAC, Bids and Awards Committee, became vacant. I wonder why the position was given to me, but well, it was given to me. So what I do as the Secretary is to collect the canvass and do the honor of awarding the winner of the bids, or the cheapest price among the suppliers. Then, I write a summary of it and have it signed by the members of the committee. Good thing, I have a readable handwriting.

Task #5: Others. To be specific, it concerns school activities and events. One that recently happened is the Acquaintance Party where I was assigned to Restoration Committee. It concerns on the cleaning of the venue and keeping of the school properties after the program. Good thing my students were cooperative or they just don't have the option.

These tasks may sound ordinary and tiring. But despite, they are helping me, testing my ability, improving my skills and my competency and building me as an Employee and a Teacher!!!

Good Luck!!

tHe enCounTeR....

Around 10:00 pm, I was having my reading of an old book entitled "In the Presence of my Enemies" which is about true events that happened during the captivity of the American Missionary Couple, the Burnhams, last 2001 by the MILF in the Philippines. I was outside our boarding house room, an area passing the hallway, centered between the kitchen and the salas.I was about to end a chapter when a knock on the door sounded. It's them, two lady boarders (Van and K), so I jump of my seat and open it.

Right then, they got inside their room on the right side of our ( me and a co-teacher) room. I continued reading when Van got out from her room and looked for M, another boarder in our left side.

"Is M inside?", she asked on her natural voice.

"Yeah, but she's already asleep." I responded with eyes still on every text i'm reading.

After hearing so, she sat beside me and start a talk.

"You know what sir, we are the over-all champion!" she boasted the result of their sport feast.

I noticed then that something smells from her mouth and I know what it is.

"You smell bad and it's a hard type.", I asked with my eyes still on my book.

"Of course not!", she refused and kept it on until she admitted it then. She then started the story.

She and K, who happened to be a cousin of her father, went to a party of K's friend. They had their dinner there and later on shared a glass for a hard wine. As the result of their casual drinking, as always, the effect came after more to K than her to the point of asking who she is. It's their victory party so they proceeded to the venue to enjoy the night specially the dancing. But then K decided to go home bringing her that made her a little disappointed cause the dancing has started yet and she was supposed to dance with her crush as being invited while being on the party. Knowing that she is leaving, her crush also left.
So they rode a tricycle going home. K had vomitted inside so she had the driver accompanied the route as well as K's walking when they arrived.

I was laughing-out-loud in silent, with only mouth wide opened, since the others are already asleep. These two girls and the others were been close to me since my very day in the house and I really can't help myself laughing on them.

"With only 4 shots? While I have 10 and I'm still okay!",she bragged with her middle finger pointed to the room where K is sleeping with the facial expression.
The other two girls in the other room were awaken from their half-sleep by the little noise we had. The door opened and Yam joined us while Kot peered on us through an open topmost wall from her upper deck. After another short interrogation, Van got inside towards M on the other upper deck and forcely woke her. And we are gathered in their room.

She started back the story with a special message for M from a guy who likes her. Noticing her way of talking, like of a real drunk man, we were laughing in silence while she kept it on.

"Damn her, now I can't dance with my crush. Yawa! Peste!" she was complaining with K's decision and she couldn't do anything but to follow her being an older.

"You little kid, you go on to sleep. You are still young. Sleep now!", she reprimanded Yam, who looks like a little girl with her height, but is of same age to her. And we started again laughing.

"Sssshhhhttt! Lower your voice. Aunt Ora ( a boarder on the adjacent room with her family ) might awake.", she continued like our big boss. "Please don;t tell Manoy Marvin (another older cousin on her mother side) about me got drunk", begging us to keep her safe from harsh words.

Then she started naming names of some elders like mother of this and father of that. She then started pointing us on a mocking voice.

"You! You are a teacher of .......Get out!", she commanded me like a School Head as she was trying to discriminate me from the group. Playing around with her I said yes. But she pulled me back in and locked the door. "You all sleep! Damn you! Nobody will get outside.", now acting like our mother she pushed off the light.

The other 3 ladies were still smiling, instead of outburst laugh, while following her order. Yam, who seemed afraid, climbed up to Kot's deck while me under them sitting instead of laying. They still can't stop laughing so she ordered us again to sleep. She noticed that I was sitting and wonder why. She ordered me again to lay down and tried to pull my feet. But I refused convincing her that I can handle. So she let me while she was occupying Yam's deck under M's, laying.
She continued on yelling bad words while we were observing her. Of course I know she's not totally out of her mind due to alcohol. I'm aware about it so my plan was to just let her and follow her orders till she gets sleep, totally sleeping.

"Whose house is this? Where is your bathroom? I want to vomit." she asked.
As being planned, I played with her by answering. One answered the owner of the house, who happened to be her cousin. But she can't remember who she is. She was also complaining about the window having grilled where she threw some spits.
Kot's was trying to open the door to pee when she was stopped by her. I don't know if Kot was tense, but I still noticed her laughing while sitting beside me now. Yam also decided to sit with me, so I was sandwiched. She then saw M not laying and ordered her. But M didn't follow so she asked for a bolo. Since there's no bolo around, she picked an umbrella and used it to strike M. M hurrily got down before she'll be hit making us four on the lower deck.

She continued her murmurs then she raised another question. "Where's your TV? Let's watch. It's too quiet in here.". And I said it's in the outside though the house has no TV other than owned by Te Ora upstairs.

"Electricity is not available. Power is off!", one of the girls replied.
She stand up and checked it for herself. The light outside where I had my reading is still on so she complained again. She went outside to unplug it giving us the chance to lock her out.

She did able to unplug it. Now being outside of the room, she was trying to get inside by reaching the lock through a doorwall big hole. I was then stopping her hand with Kot's hands on the lock.

She attempted many times and stopped. She then have her face on the hole talking to us. She was yelling on me like forgetting who I am, ( older than her). And I was somehow a little furious and was pointing her. I started to threaten her to pinch her with umbrella's point or punch her face from that hole. I admit, I felt a little fear after that attempt she had to strike M. She's dangerous now.

But though we are of little fear, we were still laughing her. We really can't believe what she's been doing. She was laying infront of the door but still awake. "You won't open the door, then let's see. I'll tear this book here!", she threatened us again which was effective to my part cause the book isn't mine, the book that I was reading.

Then Yam started to call Te Ora's husband since she has gone to fetch her daughter working in a cafe. When she heard, she hurrily went back to her room.
We were laughing all through and we really can't help it. That scene was stranged and they were saying she was like her cousing when get drunk. I decided then to go to sleep but still thinking about it.

"If she was unconscious, I will talk to her tomorrow and advise her.", I though to myself.

Next day came, I was having my laundry outside when I heard Van saying that she made it, playing around. And that made me real mad.

She called on me when she got outside but I decline to see her. I hate her somehow for what she did. Really can't help myself to get mad on her after knowing it was all gimmick.

How could she? Without even considering my being elder. That was a real insult. The girls knew it then. But though, they felt fine. Why would I not get the sensitivity? Simply because I got worried that night for the girls, feared for them. And what worsen is she did not even ask for any apology. So I keep on not talking to her till this time. Maybe when I can recover.
Well, she really has the talent. She almost got me to my nerve.

tEaCHinG 103: tHe eVeNt....tHe tALks....

Busy...Busy...Busy....Truly I was, causing my posting more delays from the very moment I could think of something interesting and could decide of writing for updates on a daily basis. So what were the events???

It's been week when i had my comeback back home after the phobia-like effect caused by the rebels after that controversial MOA. The fear was to take the ride to a bus and the rebel would attack or bomb it considering the history of attack that happened in here. Thank god I got home safe and unharmed.

Another cause of delay was the school event that was held, the Acquaintance Party. Special? I would say it was considering me as a newbie in the vicinity. Excitement? Yes I had somehow afterall it was not only student socialization. It includes as teachers, specially us singles. lol. To add to that was our number, our presentation. Yup! I "Step Up" and "Take the Lead" on the Dance floor. I remember the last time I did it was during my last year on College on our Intramural. I really love dancing ever since specially pop or hiphop since I used to dance folk type before...eewww!!!...joke!!..Of course folk dances are classical and it's for the love of the country.

So, I definitely had my best and promise to dance more. I remember how I cheered my teachers before everytime they are to perform on stage. And that was a bit weird cause my students were excited for me. Why is it like that?

After the program was a dance for all, though not a party-like one. I'm not actually used to dancing under the shimmering and glimmering lights. Never had tried it for once in a bar or in a barrio fiesta during May so that was my very first. My dance was with the group of us teachers and there were times with some students. And that was it, I dance with some lights overhead.

Going back to my comeback back home, that was month after I had it, a news, as it is always, surprised me. My 17 year old cousin is getting married. Would you believe that? I was totally shocked. I wasn't able to talk to her as she kept on avoiding so I left it to the elders. She actually lived with my grandparents that also caused a crack to my heart. How can she get into such decision without considering them, her very parents after the death of her mother and having her stepmother. Nevertheless, still hope she'll change her mind.

With regard to talks,,,hmmm...there's a lot of topic to tackle actually. But I'm busy again, so i'll have it this short.