suffering from the delusion

I am a Creative Writing student in the University of the Philippines Mindanao. That’s plain fact. Whenever someone asks me what course I’m taking in college, instead of answering Bachelor of Arts in English, I’ll simply say Creative Writing. I’ll tell you why.

People go loco whenever we mention our being English Majors. My classmates also has the same dilemma. People tend to be over critical to our english. Some people tend to be conscious with how they speak english when we’re around. They seem to be suffering to the delusion that we’re great experts of the language.

Though we tend to study the complex world of grammar and syntax, that’s not the craft we are really trying to master. We are being trained in the realm of Creative Writing. We may qualify in journalism, editorials, speeches and research work all in english, our forte mainly lies on literature, poems, prose, short stories and plays.

sinews and syllables

Just yesterday, the BAEnglish (Creative Writing) students presented “Connect and Disconnect”, a Sinews and Syllables Presentation. The event was a series of performance of selected BAE students. They interpreted the poems and other works with proffesional choreography led by Creative Writing Faculty Jean Claire Dy and John Bengan.

The works of great writers were featured. Christina Rosetti’s No, Thank You, John was performed with a gothic impact by my blockmate Ella. When The Light Appears by Allen Ginsberg was performed with contemporized music by Darsi and Allen. I was tasked to recite Pablo Neruda’s Tonight I Can Write The Saddest Lines. Those were only few of the several great works presented. Some of the pieces performed were created by the very own CW students in the BAE program.

Congratulations to us for a successful presentation. I’d like to mention the Food Committee for preparing such a good meal (pansit bihon with loaf bread, drinks: juice in tetra packs). Below, you can see April holding me. She caught me sneaking some food.

A small get-together was held at Mintal with some of the performers and faculty members exchanging toasts of beer. No, I remained sober with my big Pop Cola with me. It’s actually my first time to sit and talk with BAE people in that manner. And I actually found myself enjoying intellectual yet crazy conversations with them.

The night (or should I say morning) ended with a couple of burgers from Minute Burger.

broke but not broken

Writing became a door for new questions. When I took up the Creative Writing Course here in UP Mindanao, the one thing that was in my mind was my passion in writing. I love writing.

Then reality struck.

People who learned the nature of my course almost have the same question: “Do you expect to get rich on that?” Some would ask me what’s the job I’m most likely to get. To both inquiries, I was speechless. Hands down, at that time I had no good answer to give them.

Here comes the “Parents’ Sacrifice” Card. You should have taken BS Nursing. Nursing has become a very intriguing course here in the Philippines. The majority of students who graduate from the secondary education are most likely to proceed in that course. One main reason: Because it is in demand in other countries.

Yes, being in a Third World Country has been a very challenging life for us Filipinos. This instilled the desire for some of us to grab the easiest way to earn dollars and to get out of the country in the process.

Though I share the same fate of my countrymen, I have broken away from the trend and pursued my passion in writing. So now I face this dilemma, how will I use this craft in earning a substantial amount of money?

Until now, I am still finding new ways to incorporate my writing in earning money, trying to change that door of questions to a door of opportunity. I’ve been searching in the net and I have stumbled in the system of blogging. I also am submitting some of my works to local publications. Both ways, I’m still in the process of exploring.

I am also thinking of publishing little children’s stories and small time booklets. Children’s Literature is a very subtle and complex art that actually takes a whole course in UP, so I guess I shouldn’t have my hopes high yet.

I don’t mind ghost writing or filling up texts in websites. I’m also interested in writing for comic books or graphic works (that’s been like my childhood dream). I could draw, but not that well. I can write though.

Lastly, I could also be of some use in editing work. I’m familiar to the pressure in journalism as I was once a part of a student publication back in my secondary years. I’m fairly good in English. Oh, I have lapses here and then. Who doesn’t, right?

If you have any insights or ideas, don’t hesitate to help a friend here.

photo-rature

Photography and Literature will surely merge this Friday. It’s going to be UP’s Alumni Homecoming. We, the sophomores, are tasked to create the boring little hole which they call the Reading Room into a groovy crib full of BA English things to live up to the spirit of the course.

It has been tradition that the students of the BAE course are not very sociable people. Even from the first batches. We were never really that bonded. I really don’t know why. Oh well. I guess it’s how traditions work. See my say about it in Volting In.

What really is baking my noodle is the fact that we are cramming to come up with a great booth worthy of our predecessors’ approval. We plan on taking pictures with one-liners from famous works from famous artists, hence, the merging of photography and literature. We’re starting to take pictures in a bit.

Wish us luck, we’ll be needing it.

volting in

How come CW students are not so bonded with each other in their course (except perhaps with their own blockmates) and with other courses in UP Min? I mean, I don’t even know how many upperclassmen I have to recognize. Who are my upperclassmen for that matter. I found out that this certain upperclass person was actually in the BAE program just moments before the end of last semester.

What is with BAE students that they tend to be very quiet in noisy events? Like the Torch Night or the Freshmen Night for example. People would be surprise to see BAE students come up with their cheer. Nada in the cheerdance competition last Dula (not that I wanted to join, though).

Well, my point is this, aside from the Communication Arts students, isn’t it just right that BAE students should be expected to be another very social and interactive people in the campus. I mean seriously, creative writing is a social course. We are expected to socialize to learn things and write about them.

An alumnus mentioned that it has always been the trend among BAE students. Wow, what a trend for supposedly noisy people. It’s like we don’t exist. Should we really be like this?

No, we’re not nerdy. At least I think not. I mean, look at us! What’s so nerdy about us? I don’t mind being distant with other courses as long as we are not distant with our fellow coursemates. I can’t even name five freshmen in this course. No, we can’t always go out and find them and get to know them one by one. What a dilemma! My up-class are unapproachable and our freshies are hiding. How would I ever get to know them?

What happened to Tinta? It could actually be the only venue where BAE students of different batches could congregate and get to know each other. Nobody shows up though. What a shame. Sayang talaga!

The fact that I want to stress out is that everyone in this course should be united. We should get to know each other. Believe it or not, we need each other. We should string and paste each other up for us to work well.

Biologist gathers up with biologists, food technologists with food technologists, anthropologists with anthropologists. What’s keeping us from gathering with our own kind?

Let us build our own (aspiring) Creative Writers’ community right here in UP. It is imperative! We need to form our own Writer’s Block where only BAE people are recognized. Let Tinta work. I urge CW students to get along with each other.

A community of five students of different year levels is still a community. It is a start. Let’s volt in! Nyahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

Wehehehe.. But I’m damn serious.