RAIGE-O-LOGY

It's that time of year again—the Christmas season. There are two distinct ways to experience it. First, there's the cheery version. You hear Christmas songs playing on the radio, catch the aroma of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, witness the mesmerizing twinkling lights adorning homes and street corners, engage in decorating the Christmas tree with your family, wrap gifts for your loved ones, contribute to charitable causes, and attend church to express gratitude to the Lord for sending His only son to save us from our sins. And then there's the gloomy version. You find yourself grumbling about... ...the same old Christmas songs that have grown tiresome, particularly the versions in Kapampangan or Tagalog. ...the exorbitant prices of chestnuts and LPG. ...the soaring electric bill. ...the sorry state of your Christmas tree and decorations, and the hefty expense of acquiring new ones. ...the inflated prices of everything and the overwhelming crowds at the malls during sa...

The originator of the gift exchange tradition must have been quite isolated. It has become an obligatory part of Christmas celebrations for many. The primary goal is to establish a theme for the gifts. For instance, one might declare the theme to be "something naughty," resulting in the purchase of mischievous items that cater to one's desire for unconventional social interaction. In my case, I received a deck of cards featuring images of nude women. Just envision using these cards for a game of Tong-its. It offers the opportunity to sharpen one's critical thinking skills, fluctuate financial resources, and simultaneously appreciate the female anatomy.

In my previous posts, I shared about Grandma Mely's condition and our futile attempt at praying for her health in a Chinese-style ceremony. Following that ceremony, we were required to undergo a baptism to Tao for the prayer to have a supposedly greater effect. The Tao individuals assured us that this wouldn't conflict with our existing religious beliefs. Sure, whatever they say. The baptism ceremony itself was brief. They inscribed our names on paper and set them on fire in front of the altar. According to them, the smoke from the burning paper would ascend to heaven and include our names in the so-called "Book of life." Heaven must have been represented by the ceiling exhaust fan because the smoke and ashes seemed to make a beeline for it. Another prerequisite for the prayer to actually work was to make a vow. We had to pledge something that we would keep in order for the prayer to take effect. Personally, I found it rather absurd that prayer required so many additi...

Once again, the elusive diploma has slipped through my fingers. I had planned to enroll for the second semester to finally complete my dreaded degree, but alas, complications arose. The main culprit? A power-tripping dean. After months of absence from my beloved college, I returned as the prodigal son, determined to finish what I had started. To my dismay, I still had incomplete subjects and an internship to fulfill. I had the entire summer and the first semester to complete these requirements, but my laziness got the better of me. It wasn't until the first week of classes that I mustered the willpower to tackle them. This is where the disagreement with the dean unfolded. She insisted that I couldn't enroll unless I had finished the incomplete subjects (a confusing situation, I know). My argument was that, technically, I could enroll for the internship even with incomplete subjects, as they were not prerequisites for the teaching practice. The requirement for a public school in...

Apologies for the delayed update on this blog. I've been completely cut off from cyberspace for over a month, which is why I'm only sharing this now. A lot has happened during this time, and I might write about some of those experiences while others will have to wait for another occasion. Ironically, despite acquiring a second-hand computer with my earnings from a paluwagan, I haven't been able to write much. Wondering why? Well, let me explain. I managed to purchase the computer from a friend who works as a computer technician. For 15 grand, I got a package deal that included an LCD monitor, a multi-media speaker system, a spacious computer table, and all the programs I wanted, including games. Since it was my friend's personal computer, I knew it was in good condition. It was definitely worth the investment. Now, you'd think having a new computer would make writing easier for me, right? Well, here's the catch. When you have a plethora of games installed on you...