NEWS FROM THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD

This is one of those days that I just feel so lazy when it comes to writing. There are too many things that I want to tell, too many stories that I want to share, too many ideas that I want to discuss, but every time I sit in front of the computer, I ended surfing the net and chatting. I kept on postponing on updating my blog till the next day, until the next day came and I am still not writing.

Blame it on the heat! Summertime is already here and Metro Manila has never been this warm (no warm is not the word, it should be HOT!). A 39 degrees Celsius is something that my cold-mountain-grown-body could not take. So I easily get tired. Blame it perhaps on my two-week rigorous final examination for the College of Law, I feel I am already drained.

But here I am now, face in front of the computer with no better things to do than to write. So here I am - - writing. (It what I will write does not make sense to you . . . well . . . the hell I care! At least I am writing!)

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After many postponements (mostly my fault), I finally completed my first year of law school. It was really long ago when I decided to enter law school - - long ago because my batchmates are lawyers now. Imagine! They are lawyers now and I just finished my freshman year. Yes, I enrolled for two semesters back in Silliman, but those were two first semesters. So you see, I never completed my first year in Law School there.

I no longer have any intention of further postponing my law studies. Unless, of course, if my Professors do not want me to continue by giving me an “F” rating. But I believe my professors would be generous enough to make me pass.

Yes, the word is generous. My law study here has been a different experience for me. For once, I was already outside of my comfort zone - - Silliman (and Dumaguete perhaps!). At Silliman most of my professors knew me and I could easily pass a recitation and if I made some mistakes, they would be a little bit kind to me. Here, I am most uncomfortable when matters that are being discussed in the classrooms are things that were not in my readings or when I haven’t read my text book at all. Most of the time in class were spent in recitations and two of my professors show no mercy when you falter. They may be kinder in giving you a mark, but the words they uttered against you were harsh.

One day, I went into my Obligations and Contracts without reading my book. Unfortunately, I was called for recitation. My professor already had high expectations on me judging from my previous recitations, but that day I was at a lost on what to answer, I blabbered some words, but it doesn’t make any sense. My professor then asked “Mr. Joven, what is the difference between a sira ulo and a genius?” That, I wasn’t able to answer also.

I used to hate these teachers, but later on I realized that they mean well. You need to read your books and understand the text of the law. For example, my Obli-Con Professors hates it when you give complex examples, what he needs is a simple one just to make sure that you were able to understand the law and applied it in a practical sense. They just want you to think and not to rely only on what was written in the textbooks. That should be learning right? To be able to think by yourself, the books are just there to guide you.

But I have good teachers! My criminal law professors is the chief inquest prosecutor of the City of Manila, My obli-con teachers is a bar topnotcher and my Constitutional law professor is the former dean of the UP College of Law, lawyer of the deposed President and has been invited several times by the Supreme Court as Amicus Curiae.

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Spending two weeks to study for my final exams means that I have to suspend my regular gym class. Of course, I can’t study without eating. So what is the effect? I gained weight! Now, I am doing double time in my diet and my gym class. I have the third week of April as my deadline. I need to look good by that time when we hit the beach at Puerto Galera, James and I are going there!

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I have been reading about the details of the funeral of the Pope and the way a new pope will be elected. I am not a fan of the Pope, what I am interested is the protocol attached to it and the politicking involved. Electing a Pope involves a different king of politics, no wonder, the proceedings are kept secret to the world.

But I would love to watch the ceremony. I am the person who loves the pageantry of a royal funeral, royal marriage, crowning of the new king, inauguration of a new President. If there is one job that I would love to have, that would be to become a protocol officer.

I think I should apply for foreign service!