.:That Sounded So Wrong:.

An SMS I got from Abby yesterday…

Doctor 1: So, is Abigail coming today?

Doctor 2: Yes. I’m going to do her now.

As you can tell, she sent me that knowing that when it comes to Marcelle, “it’s always what we think”…. Heh.

.:Choices, Choices:.

And so, upon finding the test papers, one of my students asked me:

What would you rather lose? The test papers, or your Ancestral Recall?

Without missing a beat, I reply:

The test papers.

My student, interestingly enough, was mortified but not the least bit surprised…

.:Keeping Track:.

It looks like Clair and I will be having fun keeping track of our conversations. We are currently engaged in our second conversation, so it would be particularly amusing if we keep count…

.:And So He’ll Be Off:.

Mr. Bulaong was my teacher in Philosophy 101, 102, and 104. He was one of the three faculty members who egged me on in getting myself into the Philosophy department, the other two being Mr. Callassanz and Dr. Barbazza.

On Monday, he’ll be leaving for Germany to pursue a Doctorate in Philosophy. He will be gone for four years.

That being said, we met up yesterday in school to just chat and catch up before he finally left. He was supposed to meet his wife in Gateway Mall, so we headed off there, and we had Gonuts Donuts. He actually liked the pastillas donut, which was my favorite flavor. While eating, we were conversing about things that have happened in the recent past, common friends/acquaintances like Abby, and then he gave me unsolicited advice about the Philosophy Department…

He told me that I pretty much have a solid foot in the door in the Department, and he thinks I would make a great teacher. Having wowed Dr. Ibana with my entrance exams, having given a lasting impression to Mr. Callassanz in my freshman poetry class, and having subsequently found a way to impress Dr. Dy (I don’t know how…), he felt that I really just needed to give it time before I really started to make waves in the department.

Of course, all that flattery was a prelude to the clincher: that given my personality, certain people in the Department might find me arrogant and/or weird. In order for me to ensure my longevity in this teaching career, I have to find a way to not change myself entirely, but still manage to get along with these “certain people”. The Philosophy Department may be more dignified, more academic than others, but this is all the more reason why people there are liable to take themselves too seriously, and thus be overtly critical of other people. I can live with that, really.

It was interesting that I actually managed to get people to take notice of me, though, considering that my background was Communications and not Philosophy. I particularly found it interesting that Mr. Bulaong gave me a piece of advice that seems to tell me he’s gone through quite a bit of a personality clash with some of his colleagues, then.

Afterwards, he asked me to keep in touch, and we met up with his wife. I accompanied them for a while as he was looking for shoes, and then he noted how “well-trained” I was through Grace for managing to put up with people shopping while I’m not. It was amusing, really.

Before we parted ways, though, he asked me for one important thing I must remember to tell him if it ever happened. It was funny, considering how he said that before he would write his letter for me, I had to promise him to tell him about it if it happened…

Marcelle, sabihan mo ako kapag kayo na ni…

Okay. That’s enough. :)