ano na tayo, tita

Lately, I’ve been having this fleeting tour in what was. Clinging to the good ol’ times is like plunging my whole body in warm water where it thaws whatever stiffness I feel. But it can get very frustrating, TO THE MAX, because I know they will all be JUST memories no matter how you convince me that I can use it to my advantage, to back me up in my future endeavors and all that crap. There are nostalgic seconds in my boring life that I’d wish time traveling’s possible.

Ateneo de Naga is becoming crappier and crappier. This is your most cheerful neighbor talking here.

No more are the days that you’ll see Xavier hall jam-packed with people NOT wearing white, super clean Nursing uniforms that are either taking pictures of themselves in their grandioso celfones, applying Gatsby gels or studying for some bookish exams. When I was a freshman, the said hall is NOISY to the real sense of the word as people flock together over crazy jokes, stupid pranks and street-smart debates. Fair-skinned asses and head-turner fashionitas were being bombarded with maniacal stares while groups horde together in Batibot, pillars, canteen, parking lot, Phelan walks or just sitting around the grass like they’re up to no good. I remember the right side of Xavier hall was occupied with the KOMBO KIDS, slacking off, sitting around like there are no class schedules to be followed. And these things amaze me. And it’s sad that nowadays, Xavier hall or pillars or Phelan walks are empty most of the times because students prefer staying outside the gates of Ateneo where they reckon they can be coolah. Before, guards chase down students just to let them out the gate past 9pm as to follow the curfew. But presently, 7pm inside the university ground is like 12 midnight in your barrio. Kulang na lang kuliglig.

No more rallies, students arguing with teachers and admin, no more controversial Pillars issues, no more CR bombings, no more parking lot yugyug-kotse issues, and no more smoking areas! Hello emo na today. Fuck! Emo shit is all around the campus. You’ll see rocker wannabes wearing sideways hairstyles and eyeliners like their eyes are bleeding black and skin tight jeans na hapit sa bayag for rakista guys. Girls naman are either sooooooooooooooo kikay na tangina nakakasilaw because of blingblings popularized by Mariel Rodriguez and the likes, or they are artsy fartsy pa-geeky/photographer/dark/goth asses man daa. Avril Lavigne suddenly rocks their punk world and Evanescence is supposed to creep you out with gothness. Gosh. And everywhere you glance, there are guys carrying guitar suitcases or sporting rakers aura that are so Cueshit if you ask me. Bands sound like Spongecola rip offs and 6Cyclemind for God’s sake! Watching them is so embarrassing, I swear. It’s like, WHAT’S HAPPENING, MAN? Everybody’s so pretentious that they change even the spelling of their names to extract a cooler vibe. Naks. Like from Kim to Kheem,  Eka to Khakeshi, Patricia to Trixha, Samantha to Zham, etc etc. H is indeed in demand nowadays, I must say.

Worse, the library is empty as your average Atenean’s brain. I swear, they only go there to have their Economics or Filipino textbook photocopied or when exam week’s just around the bend. The sound of your footsteps would echo through the whole place coz it’s as empty and bland as a dungeon. Mahirap na tuloy magpuslit ng libro sa bag, hehehehe. Plus! The admin is so strict na with uniforms as if not wearing them would refute you of your “Atenean knowledge” harhar. Guards and OSA exaggerate over uniform and ID policies and dress codes na kulang na lang magbaradilan pag nagpirit ka maglaog.

Worse, SIGWA people are so pop. I swear. You, SIGWA people of the new generation, should’ve witnessed the Elmeramos-BobbyAlmeda-and yung before pa (?) days. They have these confrontational yet lax ways of provoking students and keeping them on their toes and be nosy and be aware of every university issues, chismis and stuff. SSG had fun school activities before pero ngonyan??? Kornihon! That only eager bali-balion-to-college-life freshmen and loser seniors participate on them. Baduyun and Intrams, Pintakasi, mayo ng Orgs week, mayo ng sound trek or tugtugan, barandahan sa laog ning Ateneo. The gymnasium is starting to stink because it’s starting to rot, bored naman sa buhay nya. Ang Pillars publication?? NO COMMENT na lang akez. Sometimes, trying so hard to sound tibak. And sometimes, writers are so Jessica Zafra-sarcastic copycat. And here’s the worse part, there are so many arrogant intellectuals walking around the campus not knowing that they are only smart because of their books their mommies paid for. Ang philo class tinuturugan na lang. No more stubborn heads na dai nagpapadaog sa tukdo ning philo prof na dawa sarala basta with conviction, payt! Ngonyan? BURAY. Puro pacute. Puro conscious. The konyos are not even konyotiks but self-acclaimed brats and bitches and wheels-adik man daa. But come one, if you’re so effing konyo, tanu ka nasa Naga???

Insert Duke’s bulletin post: “nakakatawang isipin na ang dami-daming sumisigaw ng kung anu-anong bagay na nakakabit sa pakikibaka samantalang ang mismong kilusan nila ang dapat na palayain.

may konyo, nagdudunong-dunongan, mapagpanggap, at plastik na mga tibak sa inyong mga pagkilos. at pwede ba, tingnan nyo muna ang inyong sarili bago nyo pagmumurahin ang dwendeng demonyo dyan sa palasyo malakanyang!”

People around the campus are like being classified na according to what they appear to be. Basta DL, matali daa. Basta tambay, patal daa. Basta banda, rakenrol man daa. Basta kikay, no brains daa. Etc etc.

In short, pop culture is gradually creeping into everybody’s head and brainwashing young minds not to reinvent themselves and explore and experiment and improve whatever’s to be improved. Spoon feeding. Yan ang ginagawa ng media sa utak ng mga tao ngayon. They occupy everybody’s brain to drain all the good juices out of it. Wala na silang tinitirang espasyo sa utak ng tao para mag-isip, mag analyze, mamili. They leave us no choice. Kaya naman people are scared to turn their backs on whatever’s popular or in, afraid of rejection, takot sa hindi familiar. People fear the unknown nga talaga siguro.

Puro Freedom of speech and sigaw, pero wala namang freedom of thought. Sabi nga ni pareng Kierkegaard, “People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.”

Know it all ba ako kamo? Sori man pero I just happen to experience the good ol’ days, good ol’ trip and good ol’ muzak.

Rakenrawl.

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