Holy Week Observance 2009

My husband and I, successfully followed all the holy week rituals at our parish, the Queen of Peace Church in Cotabato City this year and loved them.
1. We had confession on Holy Thursday, attended the "Last Supper" mass and did 30 minutes of vigil at the transfered tabernacle. The confession and mass was heard and presided by Monsignor Antonio Pueyo, DCC. Father Pueyo used to be our parish priest some 15 years ago and I think he was here this holy week to help out our ailing priest Father German Tiaga, DCC. Father Pueyo and Father Tiaga were former classmates in the seminary.
2. We also got to follow the Way of the Cross procession done on Good Friday morning. One of the stations, the Six Station was put infront of our store at Magallanes St. This was a special favor given to my sister-in-law Conchita A. Tan, who has been a very active leader in the church. I was the lead reader of the Six Station. In the afternoon, my husband and I also attended the Adoration of the Cross and communion service at 3:00 PM.
3. The Easter Vigil Mass with the renewal of the baptismal vow on Saturday was the longest mass ever but the rites in Queen of Peace Church didn't make it feel that long. I was able to attend Easter Vigil masses in many other churches in the Philippines, and I must say, I do appreciate it more inside my own parish church.
4. Then my husband and I woke up at 4AM this morning to join the "Salubong" and happily we participated in the Easter Sunday Eucharistic Celebration. I was also inducted as a new member of the Lecom community. Happy Easter everyone!!!

CCI faculty trip to Davao

It was a well organized faculty field trip, kind of a year end fellowship excursion. We were more than thirty members but only 26 came along. Transportation was sponsored by book companies Phoenix and SIBS. They provided the school with 3 vans and 3 drivers plus cost of fuel for 3days and two nights from April 6 to 8. I brought my own car and driver though and together with Lechu, Sofia and Tuanchu, my travelling company went on convoy with the rest of the groups.
Our first itinerary was Agco, Kidapawan - the now popular hot spring location at the foot of Mt Apo. I had visited the place before but this time I climbed a wee bit higher with the teachers to have a bigger view of the steaming hole. The scenery was magnificent and beautiful. I can go back again and again and not get tired of the view.
We reached Davao at four pm and were billeted at the WaterWorld Resort. We stayed in a two-room dormitory with 10 bunk beds in each room. The karaokes at the resort played all day and all night. Some teachers slept early, others woke up early. Some teachers slept quietly, others noisily. hahaha!
When I woke up drowsily the next morning, the teacher at my right bunk Mrs. Grace Quinones was already afresh and dressed up. I looked at my watch and thought my watched had stopped at 3:30 AM.
 " What time is it Maam? " I asked softly and sleepily.
 " 3:30 AM Maam, Good morning" Came the cheery reply.
 "What?!" I really couldn't believe it! How can they be up that early!
I thought I needed to go to the toilet, so I got up. Along the way I saw most of my colleagues already awoke and talking. I slouched myself silently through for I wanted to go back to sleep, but all the toilets and bathrooms were fully occupied. I had to wait for 20 minutes or so, by that time, I was fully awake liked the rest of them. Hahaha!
Day 2 - We went to the Philippine Eagle Center, Malagos Garden Resort, GAP Farm. By 4 pm we were already all sweaty and hot, so we decided to forgo the Crocodile Farm. We went to SM Mall instead and stayed there until 9 in the evening. That night I went to sleep at past midnight serenaded by all forms of snoring. hahaha! but I didn't hear the karaoke blasting all through-out the night though, for some of them sang until all their money were gone.
April 8 and most of the teachers woke up later than the previous day. hahaha. Sofia and Tuanchu and Mr. Benjun went to market to buy the necessary things for our cook-out at the beach. The beach was nice and clean and the water not icy cold. We took our swim before the sun became too hot. We had early lunch at 10 AM with sinugbang bangus, barrileson, liempo, fresh cucumber, tomatoes, mangoes, latu and lots of rice. After the picnic lunch, we got all set to come back home to dirty and troublesome Cotabato and home sweet home :) It was a really a fun worthwhile trip! I'm going to miss the outing next year! Hahaha!

Off the hook

Finally! I did my last day of reporting on March 31, 2009 at CCI.
It was card giving day and most of the class advisers were busy. Since I wasn't a class adviser, I had actually nothing much to do except helped an English class adviser answer questionnaires for a student who was transferring. Then together with the Chinese teachers, I had an early pot luck lunch at the Chinese faculty room. While eating with the Chinese teachers, I participated in a discussion that concerns faculty membership fees ( or a refund of them ) - an issue that divided into two factions of thinking and grouping. Since I was relative new and didn't know what transpired many years ago, I stayed passive and neutral. The Chinese teachers though had plenty to say but the problem with them was few were vocal during faculty meetings. ( Probably there is only one teacher who can really voice out her opinion but sometimes she is short of hearing and understanding of meeting agendas.) They wanted me to speak for them but I told them that I'm out of cci starting April 1st and that the next faculty meeting would be on April 16. Infact I told them that the issue had been discussed already during two separate meetings and since they were present but nobody opposed, the refund (or in any other form of name) was already approved. If they wanted to take up the matter again, they have to be present during the next cci faculty meeting which will be on the 16th. The Chinese teachers this time wanted the meeting to be moved earlier, infact right that day,  for they were kind of heated up already but the English department teachers wouldn't agree to it. One Chinese teacher became nasty though declaring war, and they moved the meeting one day earlier from April 16 to April 15...............which I doubt would make any difference.
I had lately taught at cci from June 2008 to March 2009. For those ten months I was there, many things were so unorganized and still are............. I am glad I am out, finally!