Send me back to School!

I can't believe I'm going to say this...but I MISS SCHOOL! I'm bored with my AC already. It's such a brainless and thankless job. I remember now why I love being a student. Having an allowance...getting to eat anytime of the day...taking naps between classes...and most of all, having your friends around you. Yeah, school is full of shit and lots of work, but at least your suffering with your friends.

I have seven weeks of practicum to go... well, maybe six if I can wheedle out of it so I can get some sort of vacation before school starts.

I'm also looking forward tormenting the freshmen next year. Bwahaha!

We got scammed!

Me and a few of my classmates had a hilarious experience today. We're suppose to have this practicum thing for school for the next two months. We're supposed to act like consultants for a company so we can use what we learn here in school. It's supposed to start on the 17th and I'm panicking already because I don't have any company yet to work for. So when I got called for an interview, I was hoping this could be my back-up company in case no other company would call me anymore. I went there with Inyas (an Indonesian), Jeff, and Stephen. We met another classmate there, Lori. We sat together in a small room and there was a projector in front of us. They presented their product, it was a golf membership club. It's like getting playing rights in different golf courses around the Philippines. I was thinking...okay, this is good. Then slowly, they showed us the membership fees, and I'm like, so far so good. Then they brought out another slide about recruiting members. Uh-oh! That sounded weird. Then she was talking about pairings and direct referral fees...whaaaat!!!! A pyramid scam!!!! Okay, that was so harsh. The politically correct term is: Multi-level Marketing. Stephen and I were texting each other though we're a few seats apart. He goes, do they want us to sell? Then Lori, like the real Chinese she is, starts asking questions about how to earn money. I was just counting the minutes when I could leave the place. Stephen and I still exchange texts, Inyas kept on sneezing behind me, and Lori still asking how she could earn more money! Then Stephen asks how will we be graded since we were supposed to give a paper and the company was suppose to grade us. The girl goes...Oh, by the number of people you get! Hah! I don't think so! And before we could recruit, we were suppose to be members ourselves. We were supposed to pay Php20000. I was itching to storm out of the place! When she mentioned about the interview, I politely told her we had to get back to school for our class... which was true. Stephen and Inyas couldn't wait to get out either and said we could just schedule another interview, never mind that they weren't my classmates in Finance! Lori wanted to stay but didn't want to be left there. She was hooked with the millions they claim she could earn! So we left, acting like true Asians by telling them we would keep in touch and even exchanged calling cards. We went down the building and took a cab back to AIM.

Back in school we ran to the secretaries in charge of our class. We told them what happened. I couldn't stop laughing! Apparently they thought of making money out of us by helping them do networking. Oh! It was horrible experience and a total waste of time! But it was really funny!

I should have followed my instincts! I wanted to ditch the interview already but just couldn't bring myself to ignore it. Now I know...always listen to your instincts!!!

This is insane!

Can't...keep...my...eyes...open!

Have...to...finish...paper!

Weddings, Bouquets, and Garters

After so many weddings Tini and I went to, finally I get the bouquet, and finally he makes an effort to get the garter. Well, we didn't have a choice... we were set up. We've been together for almost six years now. We have attended several weddings and somehow, we managed to get out of that particular part of the event unscathed. But thanks to the 4J Boys, namely Jay Tan, and the groom himself, AA Albano, we had our fifteen minutes of fame. It was definitely well-planned! They put all the names in a fish bowl and one by one they call out a name. The last name to be called gets the bouquet. Jay pulls a switching stunt and voila! "Mericon Clemente, you get the bouquet!" Neat huh?! Of course, once I got the bouquet, the garter went to Tini! He broke out in cold sweat! His hands went cold and clammy! Hahaha! Serves him right! Hope he dreams of this tonight. As for me, I just went along with it. At least I'll be in the wedding pictures! It's inevitable anyway. Whether it was this wedding or someone else's, it was bound to happen. Now I have a small bouquet of pink flowers here in my dorm room and a blue garter hanging over my desk.

Are we next? Maybe! After a couple of years, when it's my turn to throw the bouquet, I'll remember this moment fondly and hopefully give the same memory to the one who will catch my flowers.

Whew!

First year is almost over. It was almost a year ago when I suddenly thought of taking my MBA. I thought of going to where the the grass was greener but I guess I'm such a true blue gal I couldn't fathom my life there (no offense to the Archers...). Instead, I ended up here in front of Greenbelt. Yup, AIM. I can't believe freshman year is finally over! I'm relieved because it means I'm half way through...and yet, until I get through my action consultancy (on-the-job-training) and my thesis, I can't celebrate yet. Business school has been really tough for me since I'm not really good with numbers. Unfortunately, there's a lot of that here. Nonetheless, I'm surviving and I've stopped questioning my fate everytime I pass. We're into our last week and I'm up to my neck with papers, presentations, and exams! Gawd! Just today, I did a presentation, submitted a paper, and did my orals in Finance. What a day! I just had to grab a beer after dinner, a reward for torturing myself.

Everytime I have a day like this, I get all existential...what is the meaning of life? Why am I here? well, you know what? I don't have the answer to those questions. I'm twenty-five and still screwed up with what I want to do with my life. I thought I could find them here...Alas! More questions abound! I would like to think that by the end of these two long years, I can say to myself..."Conci, you've finally found you're calling. Go forth and wreak havoc to the world!" But, getting out to the real world is worse now than when I finished college. Five years ago I could still make mistakes and fool around. Now, that's pretty hard to do. My parents are expecting me to be a little more mature...duh?! They would love to see my life with a better direction...well I say... I'm headed to the mall! But I think I've matured more here than in my three and a half years working. I think I could handle a lot more things better. After head-butting with forty indians, four vietnamese, a nepalese, singaporean, indonesian, and other aliens... I think I'm better prepared to deal things thrown my way.

Enough whining... I've released my philosophical musings for the day. Aaaahhh... the bed has finally called and the beer is settling in my head.