Just a small thank you...

To my new classes I wish you a very happy welcome!

It's been long since I have enjoyed myself doing what I do best and I am telling you, I am truly grateful to have met you all.

It' like going back to my old university days, really. All that time cooped out without anything else to do can drive one nuts.

But with divine grace, a little prayer and making a lot of annoying, inquisitive phone calls had led me now to my fated place.

I'm glad I am back home.

But mind you, being a father of two angelic ruckus-makers makes life worthwhile, so this means being a teacher is my second best vocation.

Okay, so... enough with the chit-chat and let's get to what we love to do: WORK.

On the left side of this blog you will see some of the latest downloads you can have for our subjects. For those enrolled in Philippine Literatures, you can immediately find it under its namesake heading.

As for Art, Man and Society, you got two places to visit: your downloads and some virtual museums. I've been trying to find a virtual museum of the Philippine National Museum but it seems that the IT there is lacking some inspiration. Well, anyway, you can still visit their site. I will be giving you some research work using their website sometime soon, so please do visit them. They feel a bit lonely there.

Well, time's up for me and I'm off to prepare your powerpoints

(I still got to get used to using that since I know you love looking at funny pictures.)

Right. Be seeing you next week! Have fun. Byte me!

"Sapagkat Lalake Ka" by Michael Coroza

Welcome welcome welcome...

So here you are now, my new students, though I shouldn't call you that since the word "student" seems to be quite political. No, no, no... I'd rather call you ...

My young professionals.. Now that's better.

Right. As requested by many of you, I will be placing our very first lesson for this semester.

And oh, but how fun it is to tackle the subject of literature with such zest. Imagine having to argue about sex and gender, about economic politics, about race... quite a deep ocean, really.

Anyway... here, as promised, the Michael Coroza's poem "Pagkat Lalaki Ka."
(Just a warning: if you find any difficult words, just encircle them and look for their meaning in a dictionary, or look it up in the interenet. Trust me. You'll thank me for the advice.)

The poem is about Man and his image, wherein Coroza is giving him an advice on change. Well, enjoy...

I.
Pagkat lalaki ka, Anak,
Matuto kang umiyak.
Mapait langgasin ng luha ang gunita
O ang bagong sugat ng huling pagkadapa
Subalit malinis at subok ang bisa
Ng luha sa pagtanggal ng mga mikrobyo
Sa isip, puso at buong pagkatao.

Pagkat ikaw ay lalaki,
Matuto kang magsisi,
Dagok sa danal ang pag-amin sa kasalanan
Ngunit sadyang walang may monopolyo ng katwiran
Hayaan mo na ikaw ay usigin, husgahan,
Sa ganyan mo mahahanap ang angkop na sangkap
Upang ang iyong pagkatao’y maganap.
II.
Minana mo, Anak,
Ang laksang pribilehiyo
Na pinagpasasaan
Ng mga nagtindig ng torre ng Babel,
Piramide, Koliseo,
Ziggurat, Templo,
Ang mga imperyo.

Iyo rin ang luwalhating
Tinatamasa nila
Sa mga maskuladong
Pahina ng istorya.

Ngunit, Anak, dumadaloy rin
Sa iyong katauhan
Ang mapagmalupit
Nilang lohika’t pangalan
Na nandarahas, gumagahis,
Nagpipiit sa iyong ina’t
Sa lahat ng ina’t babae sa daigdig.

Iluha mo, Anak,
Ang kanilang nakaraan.
Pagsisihan mo, Anak,
Ang kanilang kamalian.

III
Ang babaeng kakambal
At altar ng lupang
Nagluwal, kumandili’t
Nagpalaki sa lahat
At siya ring hantungan,
Aangkin sa labi
Ng lahat sa wakas
Ay bina-bahagi,
Inari, inararo,
Ginawang pundasyon
Ng lahat ng edipisyo
Subalit nasadlak
Sa mantsa ng dugo
Sa kumot ng halaga,
Ang silbi sa kasaysaya’y
Winalang-saysay at binura.

Tayo ngayo’y nabubuhay
Na may huwad na malay
Na moral, lohikal, at legal
Na napapairal ng lisyang katarungan:
Sa pedestal ng ating
Mga pagpapahalaga,
Walang gantimpala
Sa sakit ng panganganak,
Wala ring pabuya
Sa pagod ng pagmumulat
Ang babaeng matapos
Magbigay ng sarili
Sa anak ay naiiwang
Basyong walang silbi.

IV
Pagkat ikaw ay lalaki,
Matutuo kang pumatay.
Kitlin mo sa iyong sugat
Ang huwad na malay.

Sa akademya mo na lang
Ipatistis ang laman
At dugo ng huwad
Na malay mong pinaslang.

Durugin mo’t ilibing
Ang mga kalansay
Pagkat lalaki kang
Magbabago ng kulay.

If you wish to find out what he looks like, here's a simple picture of the man.
click "byte me."



Byte me!

Today is the D-Day!

Today is the day!
From now on, I will be known as a new faculty of CTHM. Quite a family, I can say. Lots of fun and vibrant people.

And for a guy like me who's a bit timid, it's kind of a new environment.
Of course, I regret nothing.

In fact I am looking forward to this sudden change.
Jumping into a deep pool seems exciting so I'm taking this chance.

Right now, we're waiting for the official mass to start the school year off and I get to borrow some time to write here.

Thanks for staying with me!
May you all be blessed like I am now...

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