Ugh! I so wanted to be Carrie (Stephen King’s Carrie… not Sex and the City’s Carrie - that would look more scary) but due to my busy schedule + procrastinating, I ended up with a wig atsi bought at Target. Oh well, next year I’m really going to plan ahead.
Nineveh, Juvy, Mom, Atsi, Me
The trick or treating last night was preempted by the rain so now we have enough chocolates at home for… mama to give away as pasalubongs when she goes home in December.
Ever since school started last month, I haven’t been able to catch my breath. I’m swamped with assignments and papers and projects and I only took 4 courses! I thought that I should have taken more than 15 units at the beginning of the quarter but now, I’m glad I didn’t. It’s not so much the amount of work as the amount of time it takes for me to finish them. I am damn slow.
After almost a month of school, I’m seeing some distinct differences with the teaching style here and back home. Here, it’s more of a collaborative effort with my teacher and my classmates. The teachers are aware that the students also have something to bring to the table and they’re willing to facilitate. Most of them are pretty generous with grades and you’d be an absolute moron not to get at least a B+. I only have one class/teacher which I absolutely HATE! This teaches me a very valuable lesson. If the first class disappoints, don’t give it another shot, just move on to the next one. I was so worried during the first week about not having enough units and not being able to get into the classes I wanted that I just stuck to my first schedule. Bah! Bah bah bah! Next quarter, I’m going to select classes wisely. I hate griping and complaining every week, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 3 weeks.
Barring that lechefying class, my life here in San Jose hasn’t been all that bad. I’ve got everything I need, although not necessarily all I want since I don’t have a job (aka no money). I’m trying to make a list of the things I want and hopefully by the time I can afford them, they will still be for sale (hah).
p.s. I have a class which is about teaching music and movement to kids and I had an assignment last week that gave me a headache. The teacher required us to bring a nursery rhyme in our own language to class and for the life of me, I couldn’t find one that wasn’t nasty. I wanted a nursery rhyme that has no music connected to it which made it more difficult because Bahay Kubo, Leron Leron Sinta, and Tong Tong Tong are sung more than recited. I researched online for hours and these are just some of what I came up with: (WARNING: Bastos!)
Utot
Ako’y lumabas
Kabilugan ng buwan
Ako’y napautot
Nilagay sa supot
Nilagay sa sulok
Pamatay lamok
Puwet
Ma’am I’m finish
Ang puwet kong makinis
Kinagat ng ipis,
Lalong kuminis
One, two, three
One, two, three
Asawa ni Marie
Araw gabi
Walang panti
(tanong ng nanay ko, bakit yung asawa ni Marie ang walang panty?)
One of the requirements for the international students in my school is to get an immunization shot for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR shot all-in-one). I’m pretty sure I had these shots already when I was a baby but since I couldn’t show them any proof, I had to get the shot again last Thursday. Goodbye 20 bucks!
The next day, I noticed half of my left arm was covered in rashes, ayiiieeee! After a few hours, it spread to almost a third of my body. P$#(@&$^$@!!!!!
Come Monday I could not take it anymore so I went back to De Anza’s health center to ask them what the hell is going on. They were supposed to give me a shot that would prevent measles and not the other way around! They denied at first that the sudden onset of rash on my body was due to the shot since that kind of allergic reaction has never happened to any of their students before, but I was insistent and bared my back for all the nurses to see how fast the rash was spreading so they took pity on me and sent me to a clinic to see a doctor.
The doctor agreed with me that my MILD form of measles was probably due to the MMR shot and prescribed me 3 different kinds of medicines so that the itchiness will subside and to prevent the rash from spreading any further. It’s a good thing that I already have my student health insurance so I only need to pay 10% of the doctor consultation, but i had to pay for my own meds which cost me more than 20 dollars 
Hay, hassle na lipad pa ng pera.
Yesterday was the last day of orientation for international students at my school, and after being advised by our counselor about what subjects I needed to take, I was finally able to register for classes and pay my tuition (ouch). Now all I need to do is sit back and relax until the 22nd of September when school starts. So what have I learned the last few days?
A significant percentage of the Chinese student population is here in California. Everywhere I turn I keep meeting kids from China, Hong Kong and Macau. I’m sure the students from these countries are wondering whether they left their country at all.
I can pass for a college freshman apparently, so there’s no need for me to wear my Winnie-the-Pooh and Cinderella t-shirts to fit in.
I’m getting a record number of zits on my face. My skin’s contribution in my desperate bid to reclaim my youth.
The sun is scorchingly hot and I can’t use my umbrella for fear of alienating people and repelling potential new friends.
Sunvisors? Forget it! I’m sticking to my shades. I can’t do anything about the freckles but I can certainly do something to prevent getting premature wrinkles from squinting too much.
The boys during orientation are exactly that, boys. I’m too ashamed to even find anyone attractive. I don’t want to be a cougar in my late twenties.
I’m excited about courses I’ll be taking next year such as astronomy, visual arts, geology, human sexuality, introduction to film/tv and music: rock from roots to rap. I wish I had courses like these when I was in college the first time around. It would have made going to school less tiresome.
School, work, volunteering. School, work, volunteering. School, work, volunteering. School, work, volunteering. School, work, volunteering. School, work, volunteering.
This is THE PLAN.
My sister and I went to Great America yesterday to have some fun fun fun! I remembered to wear the right pair of shoes (can be tied securely to my feet), the right top (long sleeves to cover my arms… freckles, you know) and the right bag (small and cheap). What I forgot was to put on sunscreen. Crap. So now my nose is sunburned and I have two new freckles on my chin. Next time, I’m going to make a checklist.
We tried some pretty cool rides but I wouldn’t recommend Vortex and The Demon to roller coaster lovers because they suck. Demon would slam your head side-to-side and front-to-back and in atsi’s case, pull your neck. Vortex isn’t any better. It’s the only stand-up roller coaster in Northern California and that’s a good thing because it will make you feel uncomfortable in the nether regions. The less I see of stand-up roller coasters, the better.
I highly recommend Flight Deck, Fire Fall and Survivor: The Ride! I also highly recommend the last ride that atsi and I took which was Extreme Skyflyer. You have to pay extra for this though because it’s an added attraction. According to Wiki, it’s a 170 ft (52 m) tall skycoaster flying 17 stories at 60 mph (97 km/h). According to atsi naman, she will never do this again hahaha! Extreme Skyflyer looks a lot like bungee jumping and skydiving. So I’ll just describe it as bungee flying.
To give you a clearer idea of what extreme skyflyer is, check out the video below which I found on youtube. We actually had the option of getting our bungee flying on dvd but atsi and I were too cheap to shell out 30 bucks for it so I’ll just have to settle for someone else’s video of their extreme skyflyer experience.
(I can’t view this video using the latest version of Firefox, but when I switch to IE, the youtube video is there - scratch scratch head)
Decisions, decisions:
For someone who was not a big fan of school when she was younger, I’ve been going to school a lot the past few years. It’s not because I’m fond of studying because I’m not, nor is it a desire to feel young again because I’ve always felt young. It’s because I have difficulty deciding what to do with my life that’s causing all this matriculation. So now, I’m back to school again and have decided to enroll in a community college instead of a university. I thought about what to do for months and months and months… I really wanted to go to San Jose State (SJSU) for my graduate studies but I also wanted to go to De Anza to get an associate or at least a certificate in early childhood education. A decision had to be made and I suppose it was made easier by the fact that my I-20 from SJSU got lost somewhere between California and Manila.
From Manila to California on a student visa:
Getting a student visa was a breeze compared to what I went through at homeland security when I entered San Fo. I HATE MY PASSPORT! Let me write this again for emphasis, I FUCKING HATE MY PASSPORT!!!
School Orientation:
I attended school orientation this week and I have another week to go. I also took my placement tests in Math and English and I’m so ashamed to admit that I can barely remember Algebra. I used to LOVE Algebra and I always got As in Math during college, the only problem is the last time I attended an Algebra class was 13 years ago. It’s a good thing I have no math pre-requisites for my major. Whew!
Relating to kids almost half my age:
No problem so far! I whine a lot about getting older but age is just a number and it’s a good thing I have the emotional maturity of a turnip so it’s no problem talking to and relating to students who are more than a decade younger than me. Let’s see how things go when school starts though, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
It’s a wonder atsi has lasted this long. She refuses to buy a car! — I have a sneaking suspicion I know why, but I can’t say or she might kick me out of the apartment haha! Anyway, it was sheer luck that I got Walle for my last few weeks here. Thank the stars!
The name:
I thought of naming it Pol Pot at first because it sounds like such a cute name for a car, but I might end up running over and killing a lot of people so I quickly squelched that stupid idea. I also thought of calling it Washpot, Wash for short in honor of one of my favorite characters on Firefly and because the car badly needs a wash even after you’ve washed it…but nah. The first time I drove Walle at night, I turned on the headlights and when it opened, the first thing that came into my head was Walle the Robot. Naming objects doesn’t really have to make sense I guess.
Driving in the US:
Walle is this close — to breaking down. But it’s still working and it beats walking so I still drive it. I drive to the library, I drive to the mall, I drive to the supermarket, I drive to Yoshinoya … I can drive anywhere except the freeway since Walle wouldn’t be able to keep up with the other cars. The moment I hit 45 kph, nanginginig na. Driving here is pretty easy once you’ve driven in the Philippines. There are more rules to follow, but at least you can expect most of the drivers to follow them too. Even California drivers.
Driving Lessons:
Atsi is my driving instructor since I still can’t make myself read the driving manual. She doesn’t really drive much, but she knows the rules by heart since it took her three tries to pass the driving test. I’m hoping I can pass it in two. I have to learn to pay more attention to the lines on the road like the single yellow line and the double yellow line, the speed limit, the 4-way stop (argh!), and making full stops (since I’m prone to rolling stops). Parking is also pretty easy since there’s a lot of space everywhere! One of my driving nightmares in the Philippines is parking: mall parking and especially parallel parking… in Chinatown! (horror! horror!)
Pumping Gas:
A few weeks ago, Walle almost ran out of gas because my sister and I were too afraid to pump gas ourselves. Jamie had to teach me how to do it myself but I’m afraid I forgot again the next time I had to get gas. It’s difficult to change decades of full-service memories at gas stations in the Philippines and I figure it’s going to take me at least a couple more times to really get it. I must also remember to disengage the hose and replace the cap before I drive away. One would think a person would be too stupid not to remember but apparently, it happens quite often. The gas station a block from our apartment is testament to that based on what I saw this morning.
You know those people who can always say the right things at the right time?
You know those people who can always manage to find a common ground when conversing with people they’ve just met?
You know those people who can shut up when they have nothing better to say?
You know those people who can communicate without tripping over their words?
I’m not one of them.
I think whatever skills I might have at communicating prior to my coming here has deteriorated to such an extent that I don’t want to talk anymore for fear of saying something stupid. Again and again and again. My brain and my mouth have no coordination whatsoever! Sometimes I think too fast and my mouth can’t catch up, so all the words come tumbling out in the most awkward way. Sometimes I speak too fast that my brain can’t catch up with what I’m saying. I’ve probably made some of the inanest comments in my life the past few months, as well as made the stupidest comebacks known to man. I’m sure a lot of people who have met me here probably think I’m not all there. Living with a special education teacher does not help one bit. I’m waiting for atsi to tell me one of these days that I’m slightly autistic or something (not that there is anything wrong with that).
It’s also discouraging to know that the English I speak is slightly different from the English they speak over here. I remember going to Macy’s with my sister and my mom a few months ago. My mom had a Macy’s debit card and we wanted to put more money in the card so that we could buy something. My mom and I went up to the counter and handed the card and the check to the cashier. I said I wanted to put money in the card (via Bank check) since there isn’t enough money left in it for us to purchase another item. It took 5 minutes of heated discussion and the cashier still couldn’t understand what I wanted her to do. Finally atsi walked up to her and said, “we want to make a payment on the card.” Just 9 simple words and she understood right away what atsi was saying! Lecheng semantics!
My listening skills are no good either. It puzzles me that I have no difficulty whatsoever understanding movies and tv shows in English, but when I’m listening to an American talking to me in English, in person… I sometimes can’t catch what they’re saying.
I can’t speak properly, I can’t listen properly.. the only thing left to me now is to read. The day I start having difficulties reading in English is the day I start learning a new language.
I don’t know anything about football except for what I’ve seen in the movies: football player who wants to be shown the money, replacement players winning, quarterback perk of getting a girlfriend who puts whipped cream on her boobs, Al Pacino screaming (oh wait…this could be any movie he’s in)
Whenever I hear ‘Super Bowl’ I think of Chinese food…
Halftime show means wardrobe malfunction.
Tom Brady is that good-looking guy who is dating Gisele Bundchen now, but who used to date Bridget Moynahan who discovered she was pregnant after they broke up…
But since I’m currently in the US of A right now, I can’t help but hear about and read about FOOTBALL! SUPER BOWL! Undefeated PATRIOTS! TOM BRADY! TOM BRADY! TOM BRADY!
So yesterday afternoon, I decided to watch my first football game ever on TV (Super Bowl no less) and decided to root for the New England Patriots because Tom Brady is just so handsome. Look at the picture! (old Sports Illustrated cover)
New England Patriots vs New York Giants:
The game was really exciting even if I couldn’t understand the rules. All that tackling and running and passing and fumbling and scoring generated enough excitement for me to sit through a game that lasted almost 4 hours! I would’ve loved to see Tom Brady and the Patriots end the season perfectly, but alas! It wasn’t meant to be. Just imagine not losing a single game the whole season but losing the most important game at the end. Lecherrific!
The Manning family:
I was surprised to find out that the quarterback of the New York Giants, Eli Manning belongs to a family of talented footballers. There is his dad Archie who used to be a quarterback in the NFL back in the day, then there’s his older brother Cooper Manning who was a promising player until he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, and of course there’s his other brother Peyton who is also a quarterback and last year’s MVP and Super Bowl champ. Wow! What a family! Their father must be feeling mighty proud right now, having two sons win back-to-back super bowls and MVP awards! Unbelievable!
I’ve been wandering aimlessly here in Santa Clara for the past couple of weeks. Atsi got me a bus pass for the month of January and I’ve pissed it away on trips to the mall, the movie house, the supermarket, the nearest Yoshinoya (!), or the library. The single attraction to be found here is the Winchester Mystery House, but I’m saving that up for when mom comes over to visit. I remember reading about the house when I was still teaching my high school students in Taiwan (Reading Comprehension). I’m afraid it wasn’t a hit with the kids. They preferred funny (and short!) articles over the eccentricities of the rich.
I’ve been wanting to go home ever since ditsi and Arnel left. I feel incomplete and unsettled without my things around me. I miss my comforter, my pillow cases, my earring rack, my book and dvd collections, my bed, my video downloads, and my junk. I keep thinking about the rodent problem we have back home and I’m praying that none of them has gotten into my box of papers and assorted stuff. I’d be really pissed if I discover my stuff coated in rat poo.
When I was trying to sleep last night, my thoughts wandered to the umbrella contraption I had back home. It’s not really an umbrella umbrella, but it looks like an umbrella that you can use to cover food on the table. I had a great desire to take it out and use it, only, it’s thousands of miles away. What am I thinking? What am I writing?
I went to the library again to return some stuff I borrowed and get new reading materials for the weekend. It’s been raining pretty hard the past few days but it didn’t hinder me from venturing out. Then I went to the movie house to see Juno which I enjoyed immensely (I really have the hots for Jason Bateman), and as usual I cried near the end of the movie that’s why I have a headache right now. At least I didn’t cry as much as I did when I saw Atonement. I went out of the movie house that time with a tomato for a nose and slits for eyes.
So what am I doing tomorrow? I don’t know. If it stops raining, I’d probably go to that rose garden I’ve read about somewhere or to the nearest Fry’s and ogle things I can’t afford to buy. And there’s always Yoshinoya. The Filipina who works there promised me a free meal on my next visit. That would be good.
Working Stiff: The Misadventures of an Accidental Sexpert (P.S.) by Grant Stoddard