Luigi - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

While my nephew was performing, some of his family in the audience, including myself, were brought to tears. He's only 12. He's amazing.

Miko's Czardas

Highlight of my day: watching my nephew Miko Q. del Rosario play Czardas.

He's only 10, by the way.

Escapade!

Last year was my shlumpadinka year. This year, although slightly improved, is turning into a long rant, so to avoid any more negativity, I will try to think of positive things. Like an escapade. Singing this now:

Escapade
Songwriters: Lewis, Terry;Jackson, Janet;Harris, James


As I was walkin' by saw you standin' there with a smile

Lookin' shy you caught my eye

Thought you'd want to hang for a while



Well I'd like to be with you and you know it's Friday too

I hope you can find the time this weekend to relax and unwind



My mind's tired I've worked so hard all week

Cashed my check I'm ready to go

I promise you I'll show you such a good time



Chorus:

Come on baby let's get away

Let's save your troubles for another day

Come go with me we've got it made

Let me take you on an escapade (let's go)



Es-ca-pade we'll have a good time

Es-ca-pade leave your worries behind

Es-ca-pade you can be mine

Es-ca-pade an escapade



So don't hold back just have a good time

We'll make the rules up as we go along

And break them all if we're not havin' fun



Repeat Chorus



My mind's tired I've worked so hard all

Worked so hard all week

I just got paid, we've got it made ready to go

I promise you I'll show you such a good time



Repeat Chorus


Don't take the lyrics seriously. I don't plan to break any rules. I seldom do.

New Rants

Maybe this is due to the unbearable heat. Maybe it's the series of difficult events that have happened to my friends and me. I just felt like posting two questions that have been bothering me for sometime now:

1. Why does Road Watch and all other traffic updates on the radio broadcast live with that irritating beat in the background? The traffic announcers sound nasal and scratchy - think A.M. mono effect - and given that unnecessary background music slash noise, who can understand what they're saying? A motorist stuck in traffic, tired from work, late for work, or out of patience? The announcers also mouth their updates at the speed of light, and seldom do I catch what I need to her when I need to hear it.

2. Why do Shell gasoline attendants ask me if I want full tank V-power even before I can speak? Is it because of my old Velocity sticker? Or is this SOP? It irritates me when I'm rushing and just need a quick pit stop and there they are, offering me a product I cannot afford.

I try not to be masungit anymore. I am grateful for many good things. I just needed to vent.

Self-Diagnosis: An Exercise in Futility

Last week, I took an online test to determine if I had autism. I really did. I learned from someone with Asperger's Syndrome that such a test was available online, and had always wondered if I had A.S. or something similar. As if it would explain everything that was wrong with me.

My friends in the know would probably laugh this off as another one of my silly ideas. But hey, last Thursday, I had reason to believe that I might be autistic.

Case in point. I helped prepare PowerPoint slides for our scripture study in the parish. Two weeks ago, I was able to set up the LCD projector, although I did not have much time to do it, so the screen was cut off at the bottom. The text was readable and comprehensible enough, so I let it go. I was happy to listen to the lessons in Greek and Paul's Letter to the Galatians.

Last Thursday, however, I got stuck in traffic (story of my life last week) and arrived late. I had mere seconds to set up the presentation. I was confronted with the following problems: the screen was placed at an angle that required the projector to be placed similarly from a particular angle, which it was not. Now, I count visual art, geometry and physics as some of my weaknesses, and no way in the world could I make the projector work properly given that angle and the milliseconds to go before bible class had to start.

Next, the Sanyo projector actually had a loose cable that unplugged it at the slightest movement. Did I mention that I had to find the right angle for the whole picture to appear on screen? Every time it got unplugged, therefore, it decided that it had to cool down for a few minutes, and then restart. Every single time. And it happened almost five times, to my growing dismay, irritation, and frustration.

When the thing finally worked, the screen was cut in half. I could only read "atians" instead of "Galatians" from the title. I had a stiff neck because the screen image was tilted. And I was operating the clicker as Fr. Steve went on to start without the LCD. Nobody could appreciate the text on screen anymore. Fr. Steve was right; we had handouts and we didn't need the LCD. Technology only slowed us down and made life more complicated.

What made it even worse was that the lesson about faith and salvation was so difficult for me to grasp, and I could not follow it. I had a frown for an hour, which caused me a headache. I lacked sleep, I had a long day at work, and I traveled for two hours to get home, so all these things affected my mood.

I was not happy. I kept thinking, Oh no, all the nuns and my Bible Study classmates must think I'm a moron for not being able to make this work. One nun, God bless her, approached me afterwards and said she understood my difficulty, and it was not my fault. The projector had to be set up permanently. The table we were using was not suited for the purpose. She was right; for it could not even fit both the MacBook and the projector. She offered to help. I wanted to hug her.

So I thought I was not normal for insisting that we still use the projector; and I was not normal for being distracted and irritated that the screen was partially hidden from view; and I was not normal for being so worried about what my classmates thought instead of listening to the theological points raised at class.

But then I flunked the test. Miserably. I did not have A.S., according to my computer screen. Well, that figures. A person with A.S., usually possessing superior or even better I.Q., could make something as simple as a PowerPoint presentation work properly. And I with my normal IQ, low AQ and EQ, just had to deal with life with more patience and perseverance.

My office mate suggested taking an online test for OCD (Gee, thanks Twix!). I found out that OCD and OCPD were two separate things. I didn't seem to fit any category. But what do I know? Maybe what I need, really, is professional help (Tina, you can say I told you so). Someone who can tell me what's wrong with me, and help make it right.

In the meantime, I vowed to go to class extra early next week, and employ other people to set up the projector. Yes, I have not let that frustration go yet. (Perfectionism: there it is. The answer to the question.)

It's All Geek to Me

I am a geek. There, I've said it.

For the past two weeks I have been helping a couple of friends get used to their MacBooks. I installed MS Office and iWork '09, downloaded updates, introduced them to Skype and Gmail, added bookmarks, customized settings, among others. I spent hours doing this and I could have spent more hours if I did not have other things to do, like, for example, work, and teach.

One of those friends has had his Mac for almost four years now, but was not able to maximize it. Another friend just bought a brand new MacBook. I happily removed it from its box and smelled all the newness inside. Then I gladly introduced her to her new toy slash best friend. She was surprised at this side of me she had not seen in action - my geeky side.

Of late, grade school classmates have been posting our class pictures on Facebook. Ugh. I want to untag myself. Who wants to look at those pics? Those were my geekiest days, when the library was my hangout, books were my best friends, and classmates just existed to tease me no end. Okay, I still have a few friends left from grade school, but still, those were not exactly my happiest days. But they probably shaped me to become who I am now. And who I am for about two weeks now is a geek.

I'm. Too Lazy for My Blog.

Too lazy for my blog, so lazy, it hurts.

Time was when I wanted to document everything I did so I could share it with my readers. All five of them. But then Facebook and Twitter came and I turned to microblogging. Excuses, excuses.

This year is whizzing by so fast that I've hardly had time to pause and reflect. It's been one project, meeting, activity, and errand after another. My friends have not seen me since before Christmas.

But that was my whole game plan for 2010. I wanted to pursue my dreams, finish old projects, and excel in my jobs. All three and a half of them. And so far, so good. It's been an exciting three weeks.

I will be back to the blogging world once my world settles a bit. With midterm exams coming for my students, good luck with that.

Teach in Order to Learn

I am expanding my teaching and training skills bit by bit and have become increasingly convinced that nothing challenges me to learn more than teaching.

I learned the way of life of Lingkod, the movement for single professional Catholics I belonged to, by giving the talks repeatedly for several years.

I learned the ins and out of Lex Libris and other CD Asia products by being tapped to train lawyers and legal researchers to use them.

I learned the basics of piano playing by heart when I subbed for my mother as piano teacher one summer a long time ago.

I learned "Legal Grammar" or English for lawyers when I gave one module on the subject.

The list goes on. I have become passionate for different causes and am able to share them to different groups because I am open to studying new ideas and acquiring new skills.

Today, I learned how to maximize my MacBook to teach music through GarageBand, Pages, and Keynote. I went home eager to practice the piano and listen to classical music. I shared a day with music teachers and it was an amazing exchange of knowledge, skills, and ideas. I was able to tap the creative side of my brain, which usually has to lie low when I'm doing my job as a lawyer and a professor.

I no longer need to read manuals from cover to cover before teaching a new course, according to my friend who facilitated the training earlier today. I need to keep pace with today's learners - my students - by learning and adapting in a much quicker pace than my teachers in their time were required to do.

This new year has opened even more new doors of possibilities and opportunities. I am grateful for the chance to learn and impart, to think and perform, to grow and improve.

This tells me that I have moved on from the things of the past. I have learned from them, too.

Merry Christmas!

I celebrate with all of you the blessings of this season. There is hope, there is joy ,and there is love in the world because Jesus our Savior is born. I put my trust in His Holy name. All the tragedies of 2009 are nothing compared to His love, and He can heal all things and all peoples.

May we experience this hope, this joy, and this love, today and everyday. Merry Christmas to one and all!

Luigi Plays Jump!

I can only play the first 11 chords of this song. Luigi heard his dad playing it and learned it on his own. He was asked to perform during the Christmas program of his school, Centro Montessori.