Listen to my heartbeat

Listen to my heartbeat
      and hear your name
Out of all the words it screams out
      hear your name

Because all other words
       won't make any sense
For it is your name
       that completes each sentence

And if your name's gone
       then all other words should leave too
For they'll be not of use
       without you.
      

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A Dean Like No Other

Yesterday, Abi and I went for a small adventure. Something I'd rather not talk about. Hehe. Anyway, we  also planned to go to school to visit Dean Arcilla and personally greet him for his birthday. Yes! Naalala namin!

Now let me reminisce.

A year ago, our class organized a surprise birthday party for him. However, we celebrated it not exactly on his birthday but a day before. It was actually the same day that we took the bloody Midterm Exam he prepared for us. If I could remember it right, it was Gladys who talked to Dean Arcilla and made a little story that something was going on at Room 245 and he has to go there personally. That's how the party started! We ate, we played games, Dean sang (My Way), we watched hilarious dance videos, we laughed and we laughed.

August 28, 2012

Please excuse my handwriting. Hahaha.

Anyway, yesterday Franz asked me to write something for Dean Arcilla. And though I'm not so happy with my output here it is. :)

**

During the time-capsule ceremony :)

I braved the Oratorical Contest when I was in second year. I didn't win, yet such event came to be a truly memorable one. That was the day when I first had an encounter with Dean Arcilla. He was there, and I could still recall how his mere presence intensified the mood in the room. Moreover, I could also easily bring to mind how he managed to keep his reassuring smile until the last contestant has finished his speech. That is the kind of Dean the College of International Relations has - strict yet sincere and very encouraging.

If I am to make a list of all the remarkable things he has taught us, I probably wouldn't be able to finish. He imparted not just his knowledge on Philippine Foreign Policy. He shared not just his meaningful experiences as an Ambassador of this country. He prepared his students not just for the Foreign Service Officer Exam. Dean Arcilla gave more than what he ought to. 

I wouldn't forget how our conversations would jump from one topic to another. From voicing out his views over political happenings, to giving tips about voice modulation, up to narrating how his grandchild Sabrina would demand a dollar per kiss on her underarm. He loves telling stories (and jokes), and we love listening to him.

Yet of all the words I heard from him, there's this particular phrase that would always stand out. I heard it while I was about to receive my last medal for being part of the Dean's list. He mouthed the words "Uy, anak ko to ha!" upon seeing me on the stage. I was completely overwhelmed that I hugged him disregardful of the crowd before us. 

Lastly, during Graduation day, all was surprised to see him walking toward the graduates' area holding his camera. No one requested him to do so but he did. With a proud and happy face, he poses for everyone who wants to take a picture with him, and even went all the way to the end of the (long) line. Such act of sweetness made him truly one of a kind.

To the best and most good-looking Dean the college could ever have,
Happy Happy Birthday!
And may your "freaking noisy faucet" at home stop sounding iiiiiihhhhhh. Hehehe.

Cheers, Dean!

Desh Afan

IR-456, Batch 2013

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Million People March (Pictures) - August 26, 2013

With Abigail

With Amb. Almendrala

Mr. Glenn poses for the Sentinel.

SC President Franz Gempis with Abigail

With Franz

With Amb. Villacorte and Abigail

The crowd near the main screen

With Marjorie, Abigail, Mary Joy and Anne Gille #NoToPork

Philippine Flag

Amb. Arcilla with IR students

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8 Lessons from Basketball

http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/03/19/bball-0420b69f61ae5629dbbed5e2c326d392c3d9df80-s6-c30.jpg

1. For you to truly appreciate basketball you have to understand the basics, define terminologies, and know some about its history. Same in reality, you can't truly appreciate life if you know very little, or worse, nothing about it. You must learn to understand its complexities, you must define your goals and the things that matter to you, you must know what your purpose is.

2. Buzzer-beating shots, 24 second shot clock, tied scores - these are things in basketball that lets you see the value of time.  A few seconds can change a game instantly. In basketball, it's not over until it's over. When the clock is still ticking, no matter how short the remaining time is, it's not yet finished. Every second is important, make the most out of it. All these are life lessons. While there's life there's hope, they say. 

Dwyane Wade: (Game 6) We fight. To the last minute. To the last second. We fight.

3. Basketball reminds us that we cannot do everything alone. No matter how tall, big, athletic and talented a player is, he needs his team to win a game. That's why it's a team sport. Giving your best is not the same as doing it all. There might be so many things that you can do, but there will always be things that you can't. Accept help, cooperate and learn to trust.

Coach Spoelstra: (Game 6) Trust each other. Everybody is a playmaker. Everybody is.

4. Every player gives their best in every game. If we really want to succeed in life, we have to give everything, every time. We'll never know when will things be over. We'll never know what it is beyond every opportunity that is given to us. And we'll never know if we'll ever have that opportunity again.

[NV] Coach Popovich: (Game 7) Not too many people get this opportunity, not too many get an opportunity to play a game like this. Just be persistent, over and over and over again.

Lebron James: (Game 6) When you think you gave everything that you got, you got to give more.

5. If you're a true fan of a certain team, and not someone who cheers for different teams every year, then you must know how it feels to win and lose. You must know that the ball wouldn't always be on one side. That's basketball telling you that life isn't always about winning. You should know when to accept defeat. And no matter how upset you are for losing, respect and congratulate your opponent.

6. After defeat, a team looks back and think about why it happened. They take note of their mistakes and learn from it. Then they stand, gather themselves and prepare for the next game. That's how it should be done. Defeats should make you stronger.

7. Playing the game isn't always about the results. Every player is expected to play seriously toward an ultimate goal. But whether it's win or lose, they got to enjoy every moment. In life, we are studying hard, we are working hard but in between those, we have to enjoy life as it is. Sometimes, it is not the result that will matter, it's the people that you met; it's the moments that pushed you to your limits; it's the things that brought out the best in you. Sometimes, it's the journey that will matter in the end.

[NV] Coach Popovich: (Game 6) We can't take anything for granted. You go win or you lose, but you cherish every minute of it.

8. Critics are all over in basketball. Even you're one of the best players in your league, even you've already proven your worth for a thousand times, some will still find the loopholes in you. However it's not just in basketball but in real life as well. We might never understand why we are getting so much criticisms from others, but we can always ignore them. By focusing ourselves on things that really matter to us, by not getting distracted and by being stronger than ever, we get to enjoy life while our critics spend their lives hating us.

During Lebron James NBA Finals Press Conference:

[NV]

Question: Have you chosen to accept at this point that no matter if you win one title or a bunch more after, criticism is always gonna be there and is always gonna be really intense when it comes to you?

James: Yeah. It is where it is and that's okay. It won't stop me from loving the game. Playing it at a high level, doing it for my team mates. First of all, I'm blessed. I don't even know how I got here. I'm not supposed to be in NBA. And every time I go to my locker room and see "James" on the back on NBA jersey, I'm like, wow. 

           No criticism can deter me from playing this game because of that. The fact that I'm doing what I'm doing and I'm doing it for my team mates, it's all that matters. 

***

Commissioner David Stern: Thank you Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, but there can only be one. One winner of tonight's game. One winner of NBA finals and one 2013 NBA Champion, the back-to-back Miami Heat Champions!

Congratulations again to Miami Heat!!!

And to the 2013 NBA Finals MVP, the one and only, King Lebron James, congratulations on your second ring!!! :)))
This one's for you. Hihihi :)))    

***
Previous posts about Lebron and NBA:

Letter to Lebron James   (2012)

Game 6 and Me (2013)             

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By the window

Green petals moving back and forth

Alternating along others of different sort

Some are swaying wide and fast

Few are bending low in contrast

They are dancing

With music of silence playing

A dance

Putting anyone in trance

Watch, observe and recognize

Appreciate the airflow then close your eyes

Hear the song of the birds and the bees

And for a minute stay in peace

Green petals moving back and forth

Forget the rush, don't cut it short

Some are swaying wide and fast

Breathe slowly and don't recall the past

 Feel your heart singing

With music of silence playing

 A song that of romance

Putting anyone in trance

Empty your mind

Put all your fears behind

Hear the song of the birds and the bees

And for a minute stay in peace

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Game 6 and me.

Hours before I went to sleep last night, I can't help but think about Game 6. A game that might hail San Antonio Spurs as Champion of this year's series and a do or die game for Miami Heat. I even let myself spent hours reading prediction articles. I'm really worried, it's as if I bet a big sum of money for Miami Heat. (But really I didn't. I never did.)

I am not a long time basketball fan, but I've been a Miami fan since the debut season of Lebron James with the team, way back 2010. Like what I've said on my first open letter to Lebron, I was never a fan of basketball, not until I was able to watch him play. And today, I am an all in Miami Heat fan.

I told myself last night, that if Miami Heat loses to Game 6, I'll definitely write a post for them, but if they win, then I'll have to wait for Game 7. However, obviously, I can't help it. Today's game was one of the best games I've ever watched.

Again, it's a do or die game for Miami Heat, and so on the fourth quarter, with Spurs on the lead of 10 points, I shut the world around me. It's only NBA and me, nothing more.

Ten minutes left comes Mike Miller's 3-pointer with one shoe. That was incredible.

 Then with around sixty seconds on the clock, Heat finally cut the lead to two and somehow my hopes were up again. On that moment, I can't afford to blink, and the butterflies in my stomach were rumbling.

Twenty seconds remaining, and I'm literally crying. This was the first time that I cried watching sports, something too far from a drama scene yet is very dramatic.

The Spurs is still on the lead with 95 to 92. Twelve seconds remaining and Lebron's three-point clutch shot failed. I'm still crying. I thought it was the end of it, but with six seconds remaining, Ray Allen, one of the most-accurate three point shooters in NBA history, made his three-pointer clutch shot.

From Tim Reynolds' twitter.

The game was tied.

That five minute over time was of course breathtaking. Heat lead with 103 to 100 and Spurs has 1.9 seconds to shoot, but Bosh ended the game blocking Danny Green's buzzer beating three-point attempt.

Miami heat won. We won. :)

Now, here's some post game tweets I'd like to share.

*PS. I know that Lebron has never able to read such one of a million post I wrote last year, but then they won the Eastern Conference finals just like how I begged for it. And regarding his second NBA ring? Let's all see on Game 7.

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Someone is still unemployed.

Seven weeks after graduation and I'm still unemployed. Sounds bad, right? But wait, that's not because no one wants to hire me or what. It's just that, the right job is still not within reach. Haha! (excuses, excuses)

Anyway, the purpose of this post is not to justify why I'm still unemployed. I just want to share recent conversations at home between me and my mom about me being jobless.

NV

#1

Me: Ma, tignan mo o (referring to my nails), ginaya ko yan sa youtube. Ganda no?
My mom: Mas maganda kung may trabaho ka na.
Me: -_-

***

#2

Me: Ma, tignan mo dinrawing ko si Lebron. Galing ko no?
My mom: Mas magaling ka kung may trabaho ka na.
Me: -_-

***

#3

Me: Ma, may video sa youtube, two seconds lang ng pagfold ng damit. Ganito o (and I showed her how).
My mom: Sana may trabahong ganyan.
Me: -_-

***

Pwede wait lang, Ma. Nineteen pa lang naman ako.

I find it funny, but really, I have to have a job before I turn 20. Hahaha!

PS. This post is also for (1) all my friends who thought I already have a job (2) those people spreading the news that I already have a job. How I wish you guys are right :)

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