Routine

You wake up. You switch off both the alarm and the electric fan, and you doze off again, after realizing your brother is off to work very early. You wake up, this time for real, 20 minutes after. You stretch, your version of an exercise. You always say you will perform a real exercise the next day. You get your towel and toiletries, and you see your mom is heading towards the washroom too. You again lightly argue who goes first. On the few times you give in (especially Fridays, when she needs to leave earlier because of the coding scheme), you try to eat breakfast without the appetite, knowing you have to eat since you will eventually get hungry. You stare at the fried something for the morning, usually hotdog, and scheme something for the next morning to get to the washroom way before your mom. You wonder why you always argue. You wonder why, on the many times you went ahead first, she always knocks and asks if you are done, and you always hold yourself back from sarcastically answering, “yes I am, but I really find it cool to hang out here inside for a while.” You always conclude that the “are you done?” question is really a rhetoric.

You get your turn. You try to adjust to the coldness of the water. You wonder what happens if water runs dry. Hmmm. You wash your hair, then your body, then your face. You sing, by the way. On some days, you have to shave your facial hair. You do not like these days. You spend extra time in the bathroom, and you risk wounding your face yet again. You ponder: if cats have retractable claws, why can’t men have retractable facial hair? You admit to yourself that you also like the effect of your stubbles, for it makes you look older and rough, for you will always be teased for looking like a student. And you picture all those students in the campus who look way older than you. If you switch clothes with them, outsiders won’t even notice.

You then proceed to dress up. You go up and down the stairs, always forgetting to procure everything you need at only one time. You have always wondered why there is a very large probability that your pair of socks will have a missing half. You find it hard too to dry your feet. You are now dressed up, with your “scratch” shirt on, while you fold your uniform into your bag. You pick the white one if it’s a Monday. It’s your only official uniform, and you remind yourself to count the number of times you will be kidded that you look like a student. On Tuesdays, you get the beige striped polo. You have two choices for blue Wednesdays, and two more for mocha Thursdays. You are amazed that having less polos to choose from makes dressing up faster. You look at the dozens of polo in hangers that you stopped using after following the color scheme, and you think that your brothers, who now use them, are very fortunate. Weirdly, you do not like no-uniform Fridays. Still, you have to choose one, and you never make it a point to prolong the choosing. You get your toothbrush, off to your breakfast (if you still haven’t eaten) you go.

You love brushing your teeth. You always recognize your teeth’s imperfection. You then go up again to get your bag, and take a look at the mirror one last time. You practically never used a comb since high school. You pop in your supplements, and you leave the house.

You walk around two blocks where the jeepney stops. Riding a tricycle is actually cheaper by two pesos, but you’ve had a lot of bad experience that trikes take second fiddle. The jeep/tricycle travels seven blocks, then you alight the vehicle. Waiting for the red light, you scan the headlines of the broadsheets sold by the ambulant vendor. You cross the street with the other commuters. Sometimes, you spot students wearing the Pisay uniform, but, true to your shy nature, you pretend you did not see them. You choose your jeep that will bring you to Agham Road, and sit on the left side, since the sun is on the other side, and you don’t want the extra heat. You reach for your makeshift coin container, and pay the exact amount. You have had encounters with drivers who overcharge. You place your bag on your lap, and entertain yourself until you reach your destination.

Sometimes, you chance upon a jeep playing FM radio. This is not always a good thing; the song choices are not that good, but you have to admit that you know the words to most of them. You like it better when there is the sound of silence, and you get to choose which songs will play in your mind. You even change the lyrics of some songs and try to finish it, and you try to present it to your class. Continually, you reach for the change of the other riders.

You are observant. You look at the new billboards. You try to find advertisemnts with wrong grammar. You look at the shoes of the other male commuters, and decide if you want a similar pair yourself. You know they are headed towards Makati, since they are in long-sleeved shirts. The shoes will be wiped by a streetchild in rags, who will eventually ask for spare change, and suddenly Smokey Mountain’s Paraiso is the background music. The pollution will make you feel taking a bath is useless. When there’s heavy traffic, you look at the plate numbers of the vehicles, and play your weird numbers game. You wonder if it will catch on to your students. You laugh.

You notice a new trend. By the time you reach EDSA, majority of the commuters will alight, and since EDSA is the traffic capital, the jeepneys will then travel in reverse until it reaches Hi-Top, and proceed to the underpass (you have coined this trip as Hi-Way Ibabaw/Ilalim). This means you will have to alight near the Lung Center and walk some meters towards Agham. You try not to mind; this is actually faster as compared to the jeepney maintaining its supposed route. You wait until the cars stop, and you cross the street. You have already memorized the sequence of the color changes of the traffic lights. You remember your high school friend who first told you that you will eventually memorize traffic light patterns without you noticing it. You watch out for those pesky drivers who thinks that traffic lights are mere suggestions.

You ride a pedicab. You have always wanted to walk to save six pesos daily, but you think that the Agham Toda caters only to a few customers, so you decide to be pedalled to school. You mention the word “Science,” and you know the driver will bring you to Pisay. You get your ID and lace from your wallet and bag, respectively, connect them, and place it around your neck. You reach for your “coin-tainer” and prepare six pesos. If you arrive earlier than usual, you will encounter the MMDA traffic enforcer in yellow. He helps students cross the street, and everytime he sees you, he will always (yes, always) ask if you were the celebrity he saw on TV last night. You give him an awkward smile, but he will hound you until you reach the Pisay gate, opened by the lady guard. The MMDA person will confirm to the lady guard if indeed it was you on TV, as you try to walk faster. Apparently, you have made their day already, but yours is just starting.

*to be continued*

First Gimik of the Kingdom 2

What I liked about the arcade leg of the Camia gimmick was, this was the only part wherein I didn’t have to shell out money, which should always be a good thing. At least four people had their reloadable Power Station cards with them, and they swipe it like there’s no tomorrow, and reload as if mom or dad would approve. And of course, I play for free (maybe me playing against them is such an honor).

Before we trooped to the cinema, we cramped ourselves in one of the karaoke booths, and we just had to choose crazy songs. This part was very vague; I couldn’t recall exactly what occurred (weah). But I heard the first performer got a perfect 100 for his rendition of a classic Ricky Martin song (in the absence of Timberlake’s), after which the room was filled with applause (this is the vague part). The second song was the standard Andrew E. hit (yes, the local rapper), to which everybody couldn’t relate, since the song prods the listener to find someone panget. The last song must have vocal acrobatics and insane range, so Bohemian Rhapsody it was. We had more pictures inside (since Justine, Elysse, and Ianne won’t join us for the movie), and rushed one floor up. We had about ten minutes to claim our reserved seats.

Of course, because of Murphy’s Law, there were seemingly scheduled unfortunate events to happen. Emil and Conrad were missing for a time (they went to the washroom), and some people had to buy snacks, so there was mild chaos (at least on my perspective, since I have the tickets), especially since the usherette reminded us that the last trailer was already being projected. So I have to stay by the doorside to distribute the tickets by subgroups, not minding who sits where. In this manner, every person will have his/her food, and I will be the last to enter.

Oddly, contrary to what the usherette said, there were more trailers on the screen. This frustrated some of us since we were in a hurry (and there were those who passed on buying food in order to watch the movie from the very beginning). Oh well. Making use of the light available, I then cut my doughnuts into cute but uncongruent halves, to be shared to all elevn of us. They were busy munching popcorn and other snacks.

Stardust is a nice movie feature. I did not know that this is a book adaptation, so I wouldn’t be able to make comparisons; I’m not good at that, in the first place. The story is very basic, but its treatment was very vivid, solid, and of course creative. Watching Stardust is probably fostering the child inside that looks forward to hearing tales of grandeur. The interpretation of a star being a two-fold persona/matter is very inventive. Utilizing the universal theme of love, the movie did not appear contorted in that respect. There was hardly a boring part; the development of the story is fast-paced and straightforward. On the negative side, there were too many editing problems, and the continuity director should have been more meticulous (especially on the prosthetics of Michelle Pfeiffer). The actors were good in general, and for a time, I forgot that it was the same Claire Danes who, allegedly, somehow spoke ill of our country many years ago (I never knew if this is verified). Every illogical scene (like when Tristan and the Star seem to chase the shattered glass instead of evading it) can always be forgiven, since this is fantasy.

Films with a comic nature of sorts always amuse me. I am a fan of European humor, or at least, the humor of European characters, since they almost always have sarcasm in their blood (in Music and Lyrics, Hugh Grant’s character was very hilarious). And sarcasm is something I utilize whenever needed, even to students. One of my favorite scenes was when the king was in his deathbed. I just had to master his laugh when one of his sons pushed another towards the window. Very sinister.

After Stardust, Camia had a new tag phrase, courtesy of Captain Shakespeare: Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! *clenched fist* The girls, by the way, had a picture taken with one of the robotic live mannequins in silver paint.

We, again, had a hard time choosing where to eat dinner (MYMP was playing nearby). We were supposed to eat at KFC, but, with the suggestion of Josh, we headed to Pho’Hoa instead. We… ate *some story deleted*. Since it was getting late, the people were leaving by subgroups, headlined by Justin, who literally vanished (Josh had a funny and believable short acting piece, mimicking him). If this was to go on, nobody will be left inside to pay the bill, and we will be banned in Eastwood.

I, together with JJ and neighbor Emil, hitched a ride with Mia until the Santolan station of LRT-2 (purple lane). Eventually, we were all home, tired but too happy. All good things come to an end.

I want to thank my natural accounting powers. I guess a gimmick is more fun (for the students) if settling individual bills is done days after. Yes, I did not give out a treat. I’m not that capable, and my birthday’s not coming soon.

Oh, I now know what gift I want in December. More people attending the next Thy Kingdom Camia event, and a babylon candle.

First Gimik of the Kingdom

wiSaturday came. The date of my Algebraic Structures final exam. Since there were no classes the day before (last day of Ramadan), I had some time for studying, after resting. The exam was harder than I expected; I studied some parts lightly, only to encounter them again. The sad part is, the said questions are in our handouts, with complete solutions.

Good thing I’m going to meet Camia (or, those who were allowed to go plus those who really wanted to go) in the afternoon. This day is also the First Screening of PSHS-NCE. I had to beg off proctoring duties because of my exam in Ateneo, but little did I know that the finals for my other subject was moved on a weekday. I can still sign up as proctor even in the afternoon only, but all the slots were filled. So it means that I can have the free time with Camia.

It was perfect timing, I guess. Thy Kingdom Camia (well, every student probably) had piles of things to do and study for the last two weeks of the second quarter, and this Saturday was the first weekend where there is relatively nothing to do (Some Saturdays were even made school days), so they deserved a break. Plus, Camia placed second in Speech Choir, so the day will also serve as a celebration of sorts (maybe the 4th-place Tinikling finish should also be included). Plus, my semester is soon over. So to Eastwood we trooped.

I met up first with Emil, Josh, and JJ in Katipunan. We brought Cello’s doughnuts (we’re in Katipunan already, so I might as well buy some boxes). The others are in McDo Eastwood already: Aveline, Zarra, Elysse, Arvin, Ianne, Aldrich, and Justine. Mia arrived after us, then we transferred to Yellow Cab for lunch (I suppose the management of McDo encounters people who meet up in their place, then leave without eating, on a regular basis). Justin and Conrad were just in time for New York’s Finest. Some didn’t eat, since they ate lunch already, and busied themselves with card games. By the way, Elysse brought some brownies she said she baked herself.

I sort of dictated the plan: find a studio where we can have our pictures taken, then buy tickets for the movie, then Power Station (a must), then movie, then dinner. By the way, Conrad, Aveline, and JJ each had a very hilarious statements, the details of which I will leave out, since I’d love to live until I’m old. Since we weren’t successful in finding a studio, we just looked for a nice backdrop and we prepared our digicams. Nakatipid pa tuloy. Some of us were sucking jawbreakers, which Elysse bought for us, and I swear this candy is a choking hazard.

Next: the movie. It was a tough call: which movie to watch? Resident Evil, Kung Fu something, and No Reservations were interesting, but the choices were narrowed down to two: Stardust and Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat, a local film boasting of today’s top comediennes. Since I will be paying for the tickets (and they will pay me after), and most of them responded “kahit ano”, it was up to me then. Some of my students haven’t watched a local movie in a theater ever; this could be their first. And the thought of meeting up in Eastwood to watch Pokwang and Eugene Domingo is very thrilling, not to mention blackmail-friendly. And, to quote Robert de Niro’s character, our/their reputations, which took so long to build, might be destroyed in a snap.

So Stardust it was. (Though I joked, and some believed, that it was the local movie we were watching.)

Next came the exciting part: Power Station. I wasn’t exposed to arcade gaming as a child, so I’m practically an amateur in this arena. For the record, combining Jasmin 09 and Camia 2010, I am unbeatable in air hockey – in Timezone. Somehow, the same is not true in Power Station: I am winless in the three-puck play version. I really wonder why, since three pucks at a time never bothered me. Then the realization: the goals in Eastwood are wider, so my defense strategy is not working. JJ beat me by two points, but Josh beat him. Josh insists he, in effect, beat me by transitivity, but that is a big contradiction, since air hockey is not an equivalence relation. By the way, JJ and I teamed up against Emil and Conrad, to no avail. My losing streak continued.

Josh and I weren’t able to settle our score in air hockey, so to Dance Maniax we went. Hah! I beat him by millions of points (…), so Josh, JJ, and I are even – for now. Eventually, JJ and the girls “danced” as well.

Aldrich asked me to play Time Crisis, and I was no match to his gun skills. I was having a hard time to reload; Justin was a better partner to Aldrich. Conrad, on the other hand, played the rockstar game, and he positioned his guitar vertically, so he doesn’t have to do the showtime move. Harhar. Arvin was beaten by Zarra in racing (Zarra is a driving menace). This racing game is fun: you can transform the wheels of your opponents in cubic form. Justin and Conrad tried driving too. Justine had Emil in hand in playing a mathematically-inclined game. Elysse and Ianne played some hoops.

So much can be done in 90 minutes.

*to be continued*

My Days Are Numbered

I don’t know when I started being fascinated with Mathematics. I can still recall a quiz in kindergarten wherein we were asked to do three addition items, and three subtraction items. Addition was easy, with the help of fingers. However, I was stumped with the second part. Since I honestly do not recognize the operation, I just made the subtrahend as the answer. I got the first one: 6 – 3 = 3, but the two others are wrong (like 9 – 4 = 4).

As a grade schooler in Lourdes School of Quezon City, I treated Math just like any other subject. Apparently, it was my teachers who took notice of what I can do. Starting Grade 3, I became one of Lourdes QC’s MTAP contestants. It was always tough, every school year, battling with the Chinese schools, who end up being champs almost always (trivia: Math majors will recognize the phrase “almost always” since it is used in higher Math). I think the effect of being selected as a school representative for Math prompted me to elevate it as my favorite subject; the converse (I like Math, therefore I will try to make it as a contestant) wasn’t the case.

As a high schooler in PSHS, knowing that the generation’s best will be my classmates, I had low expectations for myself in terms of being a contestant for the school. Somehow, my Math 1 teacher, Ma’am Helen Salac, took notice of what I can do (but what her “basis” is, I wouldn’t know) , so (I think) she recommended me to Ms. Banjo Bautista, then Pisay’s Math coach, and it snowballed from there on. (Coming back to Pisay to coach the new set of marks a full circle) In my last two years in Pisay, Sir Petri took over as our Math coach.

I was exposed to different topics in my Math subjects in Pisay, and that was when I realized that Mathematics is vast, and what I have learned so far is just a small (and to a certain extent, trivial) portion of it. Computations and arithmetic does not define Math at all, though they are very essential. Knowing the possible values of x is not as important as the solution accompanying the final answer. Math, then, is not just about speed, but also about elegance. Every statement in a proof should be side by side a fitting reason. It is no wonder eventually that I had BS Math as my course of choice.

As a college student in the Ateneo, the elegance part of Math took over, though this wasn’t always apparent to me and my blockmates, especially during hell weeks. Diversity came full blast too: Algebra, suddenly, became a mere tool, so that we will be equipped with the next courses to be served. There’s of course Calculus, taught in Math 5 in Pisay. We also had Abstract Algebra, where we learned that not commutativity is not always true in a given field. Linear Algebra focuses on matrices, its use in systems, and how they represent transformations. Real Analysis (no, there’s no “Fake Analysis”), summons calculus powers and analytic thinking. Ordinary Differential Equations was altogether different, but fascinating nonetheless, with its many visualizations. Actuarial and Financial Mathematics were offered as electives, and I took them both with excitement. Complex Analysis is about the algebra and calculus of complex numbers (a + bi), and many similar and contrasting results were discussed (we also had an oral exam in this subject). My favorite would have to be Discrete Mathematics, where counting techniques, combinatorics, recurrence relations, generating functions, Math logic, and graph theory arose. My interest in the subject made me excel too in my Probability class, and later on, Statistics. Of course I had a Geometry class in college, but we weren’t limited to Euclidean Geometry; we also discussed the hyperbolic, spherical, and affine kind. Another favorite is the Problem Solving Techniques class under Fr. Nebres. The aforementioned subjects, by the way, were scattered in my four-year stay, if you should ask.

I think I learned in high school how Math works, and I learned in college why Math works.

Still, the wonders on Math is evident in both the computational and conceptual perspectives. Recently, I shared to Thy Kingdom Camia one of my more nerdy Math games. When in traffic, I have the habit of looking at the plate numbers of passing vehicles. Standard plates contain three letters and three numbers. With the letters, I try to think of words (in English or Filipino) wherein the three letters appear in sequence. Given WRT, one cane think of write, warts, warranty, swerte, and so on. The numbers part is more exciting. I try to express the three-digit number as a sum of squares, and each square should only be used once. Thus, if the plate reads WRT 791, 791 should be expressed as 729 + 36 + 25 + 1 (the squares of 27, 6, 5, and 1, respectively). 467 can be expressed as 289 + 144 + 25 + 9 (the squares of 17, 12, 5, and 3, respectively). It is possible that a three-digit number can be expressed as a sum of unique squares in more than one way. Well, some of Camia became interested, but most were at best shocked and/or surprised, all the more when I said that the game should be played mentally, since you should try your best to find the sum before the vehicle leaves and another plate number is waiting to be decoded. More strange looks. Haha.

Number Theory (in which the little game above is categorized), to some, is useless and is relegated as just a series of exercises, but a certain field of Math can be around for centuries without apparent use, only to be very essential in the next. A fine example is cryptography, used by banks in security, and even the Internet. Two extremely large prime numbers are multiplied, and it (the product, an even larger number, but composite) serves as the code of protection. Only the makers of the code know the encoding key (big prime number 1) and the decoding key (big prime number 2). Before, the search for prime numbers is not considered important at all.

It took me very long to post a Math article just because I don’t know where to start. This entry isn’t even coherent. I have to admit Math figured prominently in my life (I deal with numbers on a daily basis), and I think it still will in the years to come. I hope too that it will, in yours.