Tests always get me down. When they do come around, I end up procrastinating. Not doing much the night before. And the next day, there's an actual "going to study" motion, but no real effort to. It didn't help that it was very hot when I went on my way to school.
So, I took the test and probably failed. Sad to say, it was not the first time I would have failed, but considering how and where I am now, I'm not doing so bad. The day progressed as any normal Wednesday, lecture then laboratory classes after lunch.
With a fused class, the room where we had our laboratory class was pretty crowded. Hence, it was pretty humid in that area. We began to notice the room had gotten pretty dark, a sure sign of rain. Plus, more of the humidity. When we got outside the room to take a breather, it had only started to drizzle. This was about 4:30pm.
At 5:00pm, it rained hard. The breeze was cool and I enjoyed the cold air. Outside the laboratory, the shed was available to seek shelter under. So, a few of my classmates did, and so did I. Some others went up to the classrooms, some others went straight home hoping they'd beat out the rain.
As we stayed under the shed, the other laboratory room was slowly filling up with the water, with classes still going inside. The water had risen only about the height of their shoes, but most of these students were girls. With the slippery floor and the running water, they were a hazard to themselves. So, as gentlemen, two of my friends and I moved the bench to serve as a bridge from the laboratory to the shed. Although a little hesitant at first, we managed to move two benches, but getting very wet in the process. Two people thanked us for that, and both of them were our friends, a little gratitude would've been nice considering we were risking getting sick for them to pass on through safely.
After all that, I had gotten a text from my mother telling me not to go home yet, the house was flooded, and I wouldn't be able to get there anyway. The three of us decided to go up to the classrooms and join our other classmates who were waiting the rain out. Few minutes later, I went out of the room and continued on to the main entrance, where it was very crowded with students unable to go out in the rain. The rain was not as strong now.
Still, with the command of not going home yet. I had time to kill, until my mom texted me again. So, I texted a friend of mine to ask if I could seek refuge in his boarding house. And that I did, I stayed awhile, got dried a bit, and did a bit of yoga. The text arrived soon after, and I was headed home. The rain was slower, but during my time in the boarding house, the rain shifted from fast to slow, and from weak to strong. It took me a while to get on a jeepney though, people always crowding every time a jeepney stops, always trying to get first. I don't blame them, I would've done the same thing, which I probably did.
Getting home also took a while. With everyone trying to get home, the roads were packed, traffic in both directions. The rain was much more accommodating this time around, which made it okay for me to just walk from the corner of the street(my house is probably a 10-minute walk from the corner.) The road was a winding path with a downward slope before getting to my house. When I got to said downward slope, and as I made my descent, I saw cars trying to get to higher ground, some fighting their way through the vast body of water. The flood was not exactly at the bottom of the slope, I would think that that part was a deeper road, that's why it filled up with water.
When I finally got to the bottom, I made my way towards home. I met a friend who told me that the water had risen at very high levels, and that the water had surely gotten inside my house. But I didn't mind it, I thought this was like earlier floods I had experienced, once or twice before, since I started living with my grandmother. As I drew nearer, I met another friend, a much closer friend this time. He told me that he made his way to check on my grandmother to see if she was okay. He narrated how high the water rose from walking from his house to mine, his house is farther from the village entrance. From his house, it started from his feet. About halfway there, it was up to his knees, then to his hips. When we got to my house, he basically swam getting there. The water had risen up to his chests. And this guy is a little taller than I am. So, the water is probably almost five feet high outside our house.
My friend and I made our way through the village entrance, and he told me that the roads had been badly damaged, which was very apparent, that things in the house were swimming, and how our friends car wasn't parked in the same spot anymore.
To better understand the passageway, I have to explain how the village is set. The village is divided into "phases," my house is built on the very first one. I would think that this is one of the oldest houses in the village. And "phase one" is formed like an oval, like a track field. When you enter the village, there are two ways to get to my house. The quicker way where I just turn left from the entrance, go up a couple of steps and head on to my house, and the longer way where I have to turn the whole "oval" to get there. The steps on the quicker way is built like a dam, to keep water out.
The view of the quicker way to the entrance was less engaging. I could no longer get in without getting my pants wet, so we took the longer route. Along the way, I saw a friend shouting that my car had also been affected by the flood. As we marched on to my house, still being accompanied by my friend, I saw my car filled with water on the inside, and my stuff toy hanging from the windshield was nowhere to be found.
My friend dropped me off at my house, and when I got inside, there was more water inside than outside. Well, at this point in time, considering most of the water from the outside made their way through their respective drainage. Thinking ahead, the outlets were cut off power from the main circuit breaker, rugs and shoes were placed in a higher place. Basically nothing valuable was wet, well, except the car which was parked away from the house to prevent such circumstances.
It was dark and neighbors were busy getting water out of their houses. And being the only viable candidate to do job, I pressed on. Granted, not before changing my facebook status. Nevertheless, I changed into something more comfortable and started, quickly opening clogged holes to get water from the inside out. This was 7:00pm.
With nothing to eat, but a few snacks while waiting out the rain earlier, I opted to have dinner. My grandmother too, had not eaten because she was unable to. Due to her diabetes, she was unable to either help(she only gave out instructions) or cook dinner for herself. (The kitchen was filled with water up to the knees.)
The water from inside the house was visibly getting less in quantity, LPG containers that once floated now stood steady on the ground, the floor on higher ground began clearing. All that was left of the water was the dirt. And I started work on it, right after I had my fill. Soon after, reinforcements arrived.
And with the combined help of three people, we made progress. Making our way from the back of the house to the front, as to assist the water to move out. At around 12:00mn, we stopped and called it a day, much has changed since the flood came in the house. Even after four or five hours of work, it wasn't exactly as clean as before, but it was there: progress. My grandmother then treated us to pizza. Would I say that four or five hours of endless sweeping and mopping worth a 9" pizza? No, not at all. But it was better than nothing. So there's that.
The only thing that I'm really bummed out about is the fact that I don't have a car to drive with, for the time being. And so is my plush toy which I treasure. Hopefully, we can get the car back into driving shape, so I can ravaged the roads once more.
Oh, the rain. What a love-hate relationship we have. Next time, don't try to ruin my car. Seriously.
Thursday, July 21
Saturday, July 9
Charge It to Experience - What a Day It Has Been
Yesterday marked the most WTF moment of my life, so far. "So far," as if I want it to happen again. But you can't help it. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or don't make lemonade. Make life take back the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons! What the hell are these?! Demand to see life's manager! Make life rule the day it thought it could give me lemons! Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! WITH THE LEMONS! I'm gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that BURNS YOUR HOUSE DOWN! Or whatever. Shit happens.
Anyway, back on topic. Most of yesterday was impromptu. The only real thing planned was the jam with my friend Michael, and his bandmates. But they were at a meeting and I had nothing to do before I met with them. So, I went to Ayala and killed some time.
I was just walking around really, until I texted a friend of mine who said that he was there, Kelly. We met up, chatted a while, and I left for Sacred Heart, my old school's old campus. I was urged by my friend to go there, because she was alone accompanying a friend of ours who was trying out for futsal (indoor soccer). Again, impromptu. It helped that she said that there were a lot of "chx" there. Stayed awhile, then left. The same as earlier.
Then I head to Michael's house. They finally finished with their meeting. And I drove to his house. Killing time was really exhausting, which rendered me very thirsty. And without a decent spot for me to park in, Michael told me to park in the garage. I had to drive up a small ramp. In a rush, I got out and asked Michael if I could have a drink of water. We got in his house and I drank two full glasses. When we got out, my car wasn't parked in their garage anymore.
To my dismay, I had forgotten to pull up my handbrake, which I normally really do. I'd love to say that I was disoriented due to dehydration. And I'm sticking to it. No, I didn't crash my car. Hell, I wasn't even in it.
All joking aside, it was a good thing that no one was hurt in the accident. I can't say so for the plants though. They were very brave and they died with honor. Or still trying to survive. I'm not sure if they still are, alive that is. But when I tried to get out of the ditch the crash created, it felt like I was still hooked on to something and I had to really push on the pedal to get out.
Lucky for me, the owner of the house was very nice. And even though her beautiful plant box had been destroyed, she considered that my car too, was damaged. We worked out a plan to just have the box fixed as soon as we can. Some other person would have made me pay on the spot, put on emotional charges or some other shit he can think of.
After all that, we couldn't forget the main reason I was there in the first place, to jam with Michael and company. We still did. And it was fun, but we were all cramped up in this tiny space. It got hot very fast.
When we got to Michael's house, it finally dawned on me that I was in an accident today. It's a good thing that there are no clearly visible dents on the car. So, I went home and got to bed. And acted as if it never happened and charged it to experience.
Damn lemons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're wondering, the thing about the lemons is a reference to Portal 2. It is said by a dying Cave Johnson.
Anyway, back on topic. Most of yesterday was impromptu. The only real thing planned was the jam with my friend Michael, and his bandmates. But they were at a meeting and I had nothing to do before I met with them. So, I went to Ayala and killed some time.
I was just walking around really, until I texted a friend of mine who said that he was there, Kelly. We met up, chatted a while, and I left for Sacred Heart, my old school's old campus. I was urged by my friend to go there, because she was alone accompanying a friend of ours who was trying out for futsal (indoor soccer). Again, impromptu. It helped that she said that there were a lot of "chx" there. Stayed awhile, then left. The same as earlier.
Then I head to Michael's house. They finally finished with their meeting. And I drove to his house. Killing time was really exhausting, which rendered me very thirsty. And without a decent spot for me to park in, Michael told me to park in the garage. I had to drive up a small ramp. In a rush, I got out and asked Michael if I could have a drink of water. We got in his house and I drank two full glasses. When we got out, my car wasn't parked in their garage anymore.
To my dismay, I had forgotten to pull up my handbrake, which I normally really do. I'd love to say that I was disoriented due to dehydration. And I'm sticking to it. No, I didn't crash my car. Hell, I wasn't even in it.
All joking aside, it was a good thing that no one was hurt in the accident. I can't say so for the plants though. They were very brave and they died with honor. Or still trying to survive. I'm not sure if they still are, alive that is. But when I tried to get out of the ditch the crash created, it felt like I was still hooked on to something and I had to really push on the pedal to get out.
Lucky for me, the owner of the house was very nice. And even though her beautiful plant box had been destroyed, she considered that my car too, was damaged. We worked out a plan to just have the box fixed as soon as we can. Some other person would have made me pay on the spot, put on emotional charges or some other shit he can think of.
After all that, we couldn't forget the main reason I was there in the first place, to jam with Michael and company. We still did. And it was fun, but we were all cramped up in this tiny space. It got hot very fast.
When we got to Michael's house, it finally dawned on me that I was in an accident today. It's a good thing that there are no clearly visible dents on the car. So, I went home and got to bed. And acted as if it never happened and charged it to experience.
Damn lemons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're wondering, the thing about the lemons is a reference to Portal 2. It is said by a dying Cave Johnson.
Wednesday, July 6
Introduction to Film - Something to Blog About
My memory is a little hazy, but I remember always being in love with film. All the processes that's involved with making a movie, and the like. The only thing I don't like is probably pre-production. Well, other than script writing and casting, the only real hassle about pre-production is getting greenlit, which isn't really much of a problem for me anyway. Only real filmmakers get the chance to go through the hassle of waiting to get greenlit.
There are really only three processes, pre-production, production, and post-production. I've learned this by watching the Academy Awards, or the Oscars. I remember Hugh Jackman explaining it in segments as the show went on. Even though the show wasn't live, I still watched it. I didn't mind.
I have a very distinct memory of going to watch a movie when I was very young. I remember my mom telling me to say I was 7, so I was probably NOT 7 at the time. So to get in to the theater, I had to lie to those people collecting the tickets. Well, being not older than 7, I couldn't lie. I mean, I was too little to bluff. My poker face was a little off then. If I pulled it off back then, I think it would have been an awesome experience, or it could have probably scarred me for life. The movie was Batman. And just to be clear, no, I didn't get to see it.
For as long as I can remember, I watched TV constantly. I mean, what child wouldn't be. And with the birth of the internet, I forgot about the TV and stuck to my monitor. When I wake up in the morning, I just flip open my laptop's lid and resume whatever I was doing the night before. That's right, I don't turn off my laptop. And the television in my room is never on, so electricity evens out, I would think.
My first real exposure to film and being behind the camera or director's chair was when I was in fourth year high school. We were given a project to make a short film about Rizal, but it had to be like a news segment. So, a short news segment about Rizal. The filming took place most of our Christmas break. I remember the groupmates meeting up at Starbucks before heading out to our "set."
Post-production followed soon after. The deadline of the project was after our Christmas break, but I had finished it in time to show my fellow groupmates what all the hardwork they put in looked like. All of us enjoyed it, but it could not compare to the days that we spent filming.
All the time and effort I put on to this one project could reflect the suckiness of my other one. You see, we had two of these filming projects, both due after the Christmas vacation. With less manpower, we did all we could. I was not proud of this other project, but on the other hand, I had the short news segment to fall back on. After all, we got the highest score out of the batch. Macbeth and those witches could give it a rest.
When I got to my second year, we had another project. Not a film this time, but a short play of the Ramayana, if I remember correctly. But another group were doing a film. My group opted to stick to a short play to minimize expenditures. For a time, I had forgotten why exactly, I was with a camera. The same camera used to film the other group's short movie. And I decided to play around with it.
It chronicled what everyday life was at the "Velez Jungle." Velez is the name of our school, and it's filled with so much plant life that we call it a jungle. This was an inside joke to almost every student at Velez. It still is today, but due to increasing number of cases of Dengue, some trees were cut down. But the essence of the Velez Jungle is still there.
From hours of playing with that camera, it seemed fun to do another film project. It featured very candid, unscripted moments with me parodying Steve Irwin-esque persona. Sucks that I couldn't (and still can't) pull off the accent though. I had it shown before the group's own film presentation. My short film acted as a trailer for the group. It was a fun experience "living" behind the camera. If you wanna see the video, scroll down below!
On other things, the next year, a groupmate of mine from the Rizal project had her own little thing. Although I couldn't sit on the director's chair, I went to the editing room. And getting paid in the process. Not bad, sir. Not bad at all.
Over the couple of months, I would do a little editing here and there. For my own purposes or others. Helping others for our little events, like our acquaintance party and our general assembly (which was a bust, not on my part though.) But I'm still waiting on that big project to surface.
Maybe an actual Velez Jungle movie? Anyone?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indio Productions Presents: The Velez Jungle Trailer
There are really only three processes, pre-production, production, and post-production. I've learned this by watching the Academy Awards, or the Oscars. I remember Hugh Jackman explaining it in segments as the show went on. Even though the show wasn't live, I still watched it. I didn't mind.
I have a very distinct memory of going to watch a movie when I was very young. I remember my mom telling me to say I was 7, so I was probably NOT 7 at the time. So to get in to the theater, I had to lie to those people collecting the tickets. Well, being not older than 7, I couldn't lie. I mean, I was too little to bluff. My poker face was a little off then. If I pulled it off back then, I think it would have been an awesome experience, or it could have probably scarred me for life. The movie was Batman. And just to be clear, no, I didn't get to see it.
For as long as I can remember, I watched TV constantly. I mean, what child wouldn't be. And with the birth of the internet, I forgot about the TV and stuck to my monitor. When I wake up in the morning, I just flip open my laptop's lid and resume whatever I was doing the night before. That's right, I don't turn off my laptop. And the television in my room is never on, so electricity evens out, I would think.
My first real exposure to film and being behind the camera or director's chair was when I was in fourth year high school. We were given a project to make a short film about Rizal, but it had to be like a news segment. So, a short news segment about Rizal. The filming took place most of our Christmas break. I remember the groupmates meeting up at Starbucks before heading out to our "set."
Post-production followed soon after. The deadline of the project was after our Christmas break, but I had finished it in time to show my fellow groupmates what all the hardwork they put in looked like. All of us enjoyed it, but it could not compare to the days that we spent filming.
All the time and effort I put on to this one project could reflect the suckiness of my other one. You see, we had two of these filming projects, both due after the Christmas vacation. With less manpower, we did all we could. I was not proud of this other project, but on the other hand, I had the short news segment to fall back on. After all, we got the highest score out of the batch. Macbeth and those witches could give it a rest.
When I got to my second year, we had another project. Not a film this time, but a short play of the Ramayana, if I remember correctly. But another group were doing a film. My group opted to stick to a short play to minimize expenditures. For a time, I had forgotten why exactly, I was with a camera. The same camera used to film the other group's short movie. And I decided to play around with it.
It chronicled what everyday life was at the "Velez Jungle." Velez is the name of our school, and it's filled with so much plant life that we call it a jungle. This was an inside joke to almost every student at Velez. It still is today, but due to increasing number of cases of Dengue, some trees were cut down. But the essence of the Velez Jungle is still there.
From hours of playing with that camera, it seemed fun to do another film project. It featured very candid, unscripted moments with me parodying Steve Irwin-esque persona. Sucks that I couldn't (and still can't) pull off the accent though. I had it shown before the group's own film presentation. My short film acted as a trailer for the group. It was a fun experience "living" behind the camera. If you wanna see the video, scroll down below!
On other things, the next year, a groupmate of mine from the Rizal project had her own little thing. Although I couldn't sit on the director's chair, I went to the editing room. And getting paid in the process. Not bad, sir. Not bad at all.
Over the couple of months, I would do a little editing here and there. For my own purposes or others. Helping others for our little events, like our acquaintance party and our general assembly (which was a bust, not on my part though.) But I'm still waiting on that big project to surface.
Maybe an actual Velez Jungle movie? Anyone?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indio Productions Presents: The Velez Jungle Trailer
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