Forever young

Before anything else, I just really need to share this: guess whose first PR for work got picked up by Manila Times today? http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/top-stories/11005-more-young-pinays-take-to-smoking--tobacco-study

I'm a very happy and superbly thankful kid.

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Today I had my first class for the semester which was on women and work with no less than the Prof. Judy Taguiwalo. So imagine my surprise when the class discussion suddenly became a conversation about my family.

Ma'am Judy: Saan ang probinsya mo, Erika?
Erika: Sa Zambales po, Subic.
Monica: Magkababayan tayo. Cabangan naman side ng father ko.
Erika: Yung side po ng mom ko, Deveraturda, originally from Iba.
Monica: Kaano-ano mo si Dennis Deveraturda?
Erika: Tito ko po. Second eldest nila mommy.
Monica: Mother ko yung nagsulat ng article tungkol sa kanya!
Ma'am Judy: Dennis Deveraturda? Kasabayan ko yun! May mga pictures pa nya ko.*

I have spent a lot of time writing about my crazy antics, random adventures, and passing thoughts. It's about time I write something that is actually worth somebody's time.

I never met Tito Dennis. Everything that I know about him I only got from the stories of the clan. All that I am sure of is that he was one of the reasons why it was not an easy decision for me to choose UP over the others.

Luckily, Google knows him better. He was one of those who "lost their lives in the night when they were in the cusp of youth and did not get to see the breaking of dawn."** He was a champion of and for the farmers. He was studying Economics and was just 19 when he was killed in Botolan, Zambales. Google, however, does not have any real picture of my uncle.

DENNIS ROLANDO R. DEVERATURDA (1952 - 1972) of Subic, Zambales
For courageously joining, and later, generating and leading discussions with fellow college students at the University of the Philippines concerning the country's worsening political situation; For showing a wise regard for the role of ordinary people in the growing struggle, by bringing these academic discussions to his hometown Zambales, enlightening his provincemates through debates at plazas, hiking long kilometers and living with farmers and fishers in their village homes to elicit their views and participation in the struggle to resist abuses and defend civil rights; For giving and sacrificing his young and very short life, having his future snuffed out in his prime through assassination by constabulary soldiers. (from Bantayog ng mga Bayani)

It is overwhelming and heartwarming to see his name alongside Lorena Barros, Renato Constantino, and many, many very notable others.

I was never the UP student that he was. I wasted a big chunk of opportunities for learning and serving the people for trivial matters that I do not even remember now, at all. Nevertheless, wherever you are, Tito Dennis, please know that your death will not be for nothing. I, too, envision a society wherein the poor does not get poorer when the rich get richer; a country where women do not need to assert their own specific rights anymore because they we are also humans in the first place; a population who does not deprive their children of their youth through various exploitations; a nation who does not take the cost of destroyed natural resources for granted for a supposed misconception of development.

I may never be as brave as you were and my priorities can sometimes be crooked but I swear I'll never stop aiming to contribute, however little, to the realization of that vision that you had for this nation. But I can only try as much so feel free to give me a slight bump on the head whenever I go the wrong way.

"Gwapo yung si Dennis, matalino. He will be forever young."


* Conversation not verbatim. They had a lot of awesome things to say about Tito Dennis but my memory can only retain this much.
** Doyo, M.C.P. 2006. Munoz-Palma leads 10 Bantayog heroes. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20061130-35574/Mu%F1oz-Palma_leads_10_Bantayog_heroes

You know what it is

It's always funny when you put on some lyrics on your Facebook status then your family replies with loads of supportive messages, not knowing that it was just a song.

I was supposed to do some editing and blur names but I don't know how and I got lazy.

So what is up, awesome world?

I had a nice weekend. My friend since forever, Camille, is here with me for the long weekend just because. She just flew back from Davao and was supposed to attend to some stuff here in Manila then go back to Los Banos, but we ended up bumming around and talking like we haven't talked before. We went shopping last Saturday and yesterday I got her to attend the mass with me then she cooked dinner. We're feeling like the grown-ups we've always wanted to be but really (somehow) we're still those crazy kids that we were in high school.

Picture/s from http://locamilla.tumblr.com

It was also the first BarOps weekend this weekend! Redundant, much? Hotel rooms, cute guys, lotsa food, bonding with sisters - the life? Noooot. Reality: run around like crazy kids, get no sleep, run some more for tips and/or food, run after cabs, stay awake with too much coffee, fast food galore.. but honestly, I love, love, love, love BarOps weekends. I wasn't on shift this weekend but I went anyways because I don't want to miss a thing.

With my pretty batchmates. Ours is the most bibbo set, though 'coz we're always complete, bye Rae, haha. Apes was in the area also but she had girlfriend duties, haha. (Photo from Nak on facebook)

So yes, I had a pretty good weekend. I was supposed to go to Star City with my cousins also but then it rained and I got broke and lazy but whatever, there's always  next time.

Back to reality..

I know everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold

Today I received another reason to be happy. And they money can't buy you happiness?

I actually wrote a blog post offline the other day to celebrate the greatness of October but I'm iffy to post it now because I have happier things to write about. Oh don't get me wrong, no, October was beyond awesome - no exaggeration. Let's not go into the details anymore but you know what they say, when it rains, it really pours. Hard. (I think other than the words awesome and happiness, you'd realize that quotes and cliches are the most numerous in this blog.) And I'm pretty sure the November and December are going to be even greater.

So I went to Subic last super long weekend. As expected, I pigged out and bummed around. We watched Praybeyt Benjamin (oh the things I'll do to see a naked Derek Ramsey), played poker (I'd like to think that I actually won - I ended up having all the chips but my stepdad played it at first so the seat was already winning when I took over - but I still ended up not getting any money because they used the pot to buy loads of ice cream), went fishing, ate a lot, and a lot more but I'm too lazy to think. It was crazy hot in Subic and it felt like summer. I had an awesome time with my family so despite all the allergies the heat gave me, I remain a happy kid.

And because all my old blogs lacked pictures, I'm going to load this one with lots. (I'd love to post Subic pictures but my big little sister has not posted them on facebook yet so I'll edit this and just post them some other time.)

Xtremely Xpresso's Big Ben, how I missed thee

My dad and brotha. (It's kinda weird to post something like this in here but they're the reason why I went home to Subic in the first place so yeah whatever.)

Vacation time's over. Time to cram for work and prepare for the coming semester. Yes Eka, you asked for a stressful life.