Nostalgia Part 2

My Friday was just the same as other Fridays (except for Falcon). I was in school the whole day (well, the local government didn't cancel classes despite the almost non-stop heavy rain, and not to mention that our school is just ''a kembot away'' from the beach). So the day went on just like most Fridays. But for some Filipinos (whose patron Saint is St. John the Baptist,including Lian,Batangas) it was a blessed fiesta despite the rain. The Fiesta didn't really get into my mind until 1pm when I came to class with only a handful of students. (the rest were stranded somewhere in Lian or along the way back to school). But still,the "fiesta thing" was not in my mind. And so the day ended. And this afternoon, I opened my facebook account and saw the album Town Fiesta 2011 posted by one of our students in BSU. I didn't notice that I was actually smiling (and my eyes turned teary) as I looked at the pictures.

Every year, one of the high lights of Lian's town fiesta is the Serenata (Battle of the Bands) usually held the night before fiesta. This is where all brass bands from Lian gather to show off their compositions, and everything about music that they could show off. But what people really await (I think) is the dance showdown of each band's majorettes. :))

The thing is, I was a school band majorette from Grade 3 to 4th year high school. And I was a majorette for Banda 96 (one of Lian's brass bands) from Grade 6 to 2nd year college. Give it a little Math, I was a majorette for more or less a decade. During summer (Mayuhan as we call it) a lot of towns celebrate their fiesta, so we consider this as our peak season. We literally spend 90% of our summer walking on a parade, dancing, playing music, and giving people entertainment. A town fiesta is not complete without us! Hehe. :)

It's never easy to be a majorette,specially for someone who really don't want to be a majorette. I wanted to play the clarinet, or saxophone, or trumpet. I didn't want to wear short skirt,didn't want to smile while on parade (under the sun),didn't want to put on make-up,didn't want to rest during processions (while the musicians are playing for the procession), didn't want to be given a "special treatment" for majorettes. But, I knew how to dance, I knew how to use the baton, I had the face value (ang ganda ko! Haha!), and all my three older sisters were majorettes. So I had to endure (naman!) it. I had to wear skirt and be prim and proper because I'm wearing skirt. Had to smile even if it's tooooo damn hot, and I'm toooo damn tired to walk and dance. Had to put make-up on. It may sound weird but I really wanted to be "one of the boys". I wanted to play an instrument so I didn't have to look good all the time (okay lang na dugyot at pawisan), or I didn't have to smile all the time (mahirap ngumiti habang tumutugtog) O,well,I still survived a decade of being a majorette. :p

One of the things I love about a decade of being a majorette (actually,no,on being a member of a brass band) is that we get to go around the whole Batangas, and appreciate the beauty of the place and its people (naks). Sometimes, we also go to Manila, or Cavite, or Mindoro, but mostly to different towns and barangays in Batangas. And what I love most on that decade of experience is the bonding. I met a lot,as in a lot of friends,a lot of new people in and out of the band. Every time we got the chance to rest, we would rather spend it talking to each other, kulitan and stuff than to sleep. It's the tawanan and kulitan that really took away our tiredness. :)) When we had to stay overnight in one place, instead of grabbing the opportunity to get long hours of sleep, we would go to peryahan, or just walk around the place, or just sit somewhere and talk, again and again. :))

All these things I remembered when I saw the picture in Lois' album. (Town Fiesta 2011) Lois is a BSU student, and a majorette of Butiong Band. (She was a majorette of Banda 96). Some of the members are studying in BSU. Some of them are actually my students. Some already have their own families. Some are already working in different companies here, in Manila, or abroad. Most are still playing, but not in Banda 96 anymore. Bottomline is, I miss them a lot. :(

Banda 96 peeps
(L-R: Meel,Kyamew,Lois,Gwaping,Kuya Arnel)

University in the province or in Manila? :)

As part of the critical thinking skills lesson, our class had an informal debate on the topic, "Which is better, universities in the province, or universities in Manila?" personally chosen by majority of the students. It started with the Manila group laying down their reasons for choosing their stand, followed by the Province group's reasons. Each group was then given the chance to rebut the other group's arguments. The debate was a revelation. :) This activity showed how well-opinionated my students are. The last time I wrote here, I was complaining on my students' passiveness in class. But today's activity proved that they've got something to say,well, a lot to say. They just need some  push (or a harder one sometimes) to speak up. :)

Both groups laid down arguments from teachers to classroom to resources to university system. Of course their opinions are just based on how they see universities here and in Manila. And at the end of the debate, I tried to share my opinions on the issue, as someone who experienced studying in Manila and teaching in the province. Most of the Manila group members chose Manila because of their complaints as students (for one year) in the province (well, particularly in our university):

- isang sem na nauupo sa sahig dahil ayaw ipagamit ng teacher ang upuan (what the? when I heard about this, i couldn't believe it)

-Oral Comm instructor na nagtuturo ng Biology, at English instructor na nagtuturo ng Intro to Computer who, when asked a question about the lesson, says "naku,hindi ko din alam,eh,itatanong natin".. (Didn't know this either though I knew that some of us are really given teaching loads that are not in line with our area of specialization)

- instructors na 2 buwan an ang nakalipas ay hindi pa sumisipot sa klase, at instructors na 4 na beses lang sumipot sa klase sa loob ng isang sem

- instructors na hindi naman board passer na nagtuturo ng subjects na dapat ay board passer ang nagtuturo

- books na nirerequire bilhin dahil author ang instructor

- mainit na classroom (thinking na nasa tabing dagat kami at sira ang mga electric fans!)

 - laging out of order na cr

There are more actually. But the thing is,what these students don't know is that universities in Manila have the same issues. Some maybe are even worse. Well, the Province group, I believe presented their arguments, being satisfied with their one year experience in the university. But what really struck me was one argument: 


-"Ang mga studyante sa Maynila, halimbawa sa UP, rally na lang ng rally, lagi na lang against sa system."

Haha! I know that most people really see UP students this way. Well, that's their opinion anyway. :) (I have written some of my thoughts about that.)

Well, I am so happy that this activity was a success. :)