Two Lives, an R49 Epilogue

Some day in June at CTC-202…

2:30 P.M…

I sat down and looked around the room. Who are these people?! I glanced at the dude to my left. He was listening to his iPod, but I extended my hand anyway, “Denis…” “Rein,” he answered and we shook hands. All right, at least I know one person here, let’s get to know more. Shortly after, the teacher had just figured out the seat plan. Rein was still to my left, but who was this dude to my right? “Hey, where you from?” I asked him.

“Cebu,” he said.

“What?! I’m from Cebu!” I answered with as much surprise as delight, and we gave each other a high-5-hand-shake.

It’s so different meeting someone from your province in Manila, as if there’s this invisible bond even if you never knew each other.  It’s pretty funny how Cebu’s such a small place and I never knew this guy. That guy was Jed, also known as Tito Domps, and both of these people would be my seat mates for the rest of the year. 

 –end of flashback–

If I could list down my most memorable R49 moments, this little memory here would be some where at the top. But apart from that, the countless laughs I had in that block would be found all around that list, from the hilarious vandalism on the chairs, to conversations about Kung Pow!, to just about everything under the sun. It turns out there’s a funny side to everything, and I mean everything. As to vandalism, strangely enough, the chairs change places every week or so. Well maybe there’s some reason to it, but for my part, it’s hilarious. I get to see new works of art on my armrest almost every week. 

Vandalism is just a gold mine of meaning. From what I learned in Lit class, this vandalism is just a form of expression, an representation and a re-presentation of society. Need a text mate!!! Text me at 0917-potanginamo. (Sure that’s not even 11 numbers, but who cares?) I came across a lot of graffiti such as the one above, and they showed me just how creative and productive someone could get when they’re bored. Push button for free cut/eject teacher/eject student (drawing of a button). Occasionally, I come across something so profound and deep that I wonder whether the author really thought about it or just wrote some song lyric stuck in his head that time. But anyway, at end of the sem, R49 had to disband, but there’s just one thing that I can’t forget in that block. The one most memorable experience, without a doubt. So let me tell you are story…

The first semester with En11 went by quickly enough, maybe because I was sleepy most of the time in class, or because we spent around half the sem going to Cubao for our magazine. BUT! The second semester, more importantly the second half of the second semester, was perhaps the most interesting and hilarious span of time in my freshman year. 

After the argumentative research paper, we had our reflection paper writing module. Mmm, reflection papers, I suppose that would be more interesting than an argumentative research paper. That was an understatement, as I would later find out. So before the first blog was posted, Ma’am Doplon distributed the little stubs of paper with super hero code names for the commentators. I had never tried this kind of thing before, so I was as excited as a ninja turtle was for a pizza. I stuck my hand in and drew a stub of paper. Iron Man. Hmm, not bad I thought, it’s a pretty cool name actually. That’s when it all began. Yes I am Iron Man, fo shizzle! And yes Arthur, I have been listening to your death threats. 

So then Sunday came along, the deadline for our first blog entries. The first topic was to do a profile of some guard at JSEC, Antonino Parnada. Ah, how could I forget the name? So we did our task, I wrote about Mr. Parnada, and so did my fellow groupmates. Come Monday, the class discussed about the recently posted blog entries and I found myself talking about a certain controversial blog entry entitled, “The Guard and I.” I had previously read that entry and the more I read it, the more I realized that it needed improvement. But I had kept that to myself and a few friends early on. Later that night, two new comments popped up on that blog, both praising him for job well done. Clearly, I thought otherwise. I couldn’t let this stand. He’ll probably never know that some people actually think that that blog entry needs a makeover? I can’t let this slip. So the next night, I thought of a comment and posted it as Iron Man. A comment that would change the whole blog forever. That comment was the spark that would set the blog ablaze.  

 One comment was all it took. 

From then on I lived two lives, Iron Man and me. I was the person who attended english and lit class. Iron Man stayed home reading the blogs, occasionally charging his photon cannon, which sometimes scares me when I get home. And after that comment was posted, it caused an outrage. A flood of other comments followed through peaking at 38+, almost 5 times more than in the other entries. Negative criticism really is a big issue huh. The reactions of people towards negative criticism are interesting as well. Humility and a willingness to change inspires respect. Censorship inspires disgust. Commentators came to condemn Iron man, labeling him as incredible, er not credible. That he is living in a fantasy world, and that he is weak. One person, by the name Steel, even goes as far to call Iron Man an asshole and a terrorist. But, as some came to condemn him, some came to support him. Commentators (curiously using superhero names that were not assigned my ma’am) came saying that he makes sense, and even adding their own opinion to the blog. Truth be told, I could not help but laugh after reading a transcript of the comments in this string. Who argues about the existence of a yeti?!

But, after a few days, the unthinkable happened. I believe it was a Wednesday when it did happen. The author of the blog gave a public apology to the class, telling them how pitiful Iron Man must be after reading his entry, “Nakakaawa naman si Iron Man.” I listened intently. Then gave a look to my friend Shuma Gorath and chuckled. What a speech. Shortly after, the author tells us that the comments have been deleted. Spam he says. That’s Stalin talking. Now, I would have been really upset by this sudden, outrageous act of blatant censorship but, luckily, I saved a transcript of the whole thing in my computer (^_^), and would later re-post it in another blog, formerly know as ir0n-man.livejournal.com. Think of it as a fist in the face of censorship. I chuckled once again. 

This little victory would be short lived, though. A few weeks ago, I received an email telling me that my Iron Man livejournal, which has been online for a couple of weeks already,  has been permanently suspended because the authorities have received word that my account was “created for the sole purpose of harassing another person.” No joke. Well, I don’t know if criticizing is the same as harassing, but apparently they are to someone. WHO COULD HE BE? And in spite of the occasional death threats I hear in class about Iron Man, and the constant IP tracking (track track na kita!), I had a blast. I gave some negative comments on his blog, and now he’s giving me death threats?? This is priceless! 

The sheer irony of this whole scenario was one of the reasons that fueled my enjoyment, despite the occasional “I’m going to find him and his family and kill them” statements in class. A person who is appalled by personal attacks/constructive criticism chooses to defame his commentator. A person who wants to be heard out advocates censorship. Isn’t that just absurd? Yes, It’s ridiculous. It’s hypocritical. It was actually quite funny. 

Thus ends the tale of Iron Man, my most memorable R49 moment. Iron Man was created in R49 and there will he remain. And besides, it’s no fun living a double life if the public  already know who your alter ego is. R49 has really been the most interesting bunch of people I’ve been with. Hahaha awwww. And to end this grand finalé of a blog, I’ll try to make a list of my most memorable R49 moments, aside from the ones I mentioned earlier. Goodbye english block!

1. The Paracale presentations

2. The Hamlet presentations…especially the gangsta one. Title? Denmark’s Most Wanted? Haha

3. Wherein

4. The activity where we had to bring one thing that we thought represented ourselves.

5. DEAR sessions.  

AND LIT CLASS! 6. The Battle for CTC-102

 

 

 

~ by denisSsSsSs on March 30, 2008.