Stream of Ry

I’ll be updating this in a while. I just need to publish this one ASAP.

This day started out great, to be honest. Woke up okay, finished one of my projects in little over an hour and I won a Globe jacket!

But alas, trouble comes in the evening. Ironically, I was just 5 minutes away from home.

I was going up the overpass when a man tapped me, asking me if I had been in the vicinity a few hours before. I said, “No, it’s the first time I passed by here today” and he proceeded on relaying what happened allegedly a few hours before. The story goes as follows:

He is a kagawad of the nearby barangay. His god-daughter was harassed by a certain gang member while waiting for a jeepney. Her boyfriend who was with her fought back but for all he knew, they were actually a gang. So the guy got beaten up to half an inch of his life so they were taken to a nearby clinic.

Now, he said that there were descriptions of the suspects and that I fit one of the descriptions. So he was asking me to come with them (there were two of them now) to the nearby police station and well, thinking that since I’ve not done anything wrong at all, this won’t take a while, I came with them. While he was talking with me, a guy was going up and he signalled to his companion that that other guy  also fit one of the other descriptions. So both of us are now suspected and we both went with them.

The rest of the conversations on the way to the station went on in such a way that the events that happened became much more vivid to my mind. How the girl was harrased, how the guy was beaten up, what things were stolen from the couple, etc. Eventually, the guy said that we had to go to the station separately for isolated interrogation. So the two of them went ahead, leaving the other suspected person’s phone and wallet with me for “security purposes” (as apparently the last guy that was interrogated called up his fraternity and there was some trouble).

So I was left with this other guy and we were talking while waiting for the other two to come back. When it was my time to go, they asked me to do the same thing. They also asked me to leave my ATM and asked me for my PIN number too for verification purposes (and by god, am I stupid — only realized that I should not have when I just finished saying it). Then the kagawad guy said to the one I am going with that he should let me wait a few buildings before the station because their kumpadres are already drunk and they may think that the suspect already got caught and beat me up. So, he did leave me in a corner.

While waiting, I reviewed the events and after 5 minutes or so, I just said: “Oh crap.” and then I ran as fast as I can home. I checked my ATM account balance ( 3k was drawn out ) I reported the card stolen anyway. I also called Sun Cellular to temporary disable my number (since we’re on a postpaid package) and tried Globe if they have blocking services for pre-paid (they don’t have, as I thought). I also sent messages to all my clients and mailing groups of what happened. The situation is, as far as I know, contained.

There is no regret in me. The 3k in my ATM, my old phone and the newer one were just cheap anyway. They’re just things. I can earn them back in a project or two. I’m not in a state of shock either. Or perhaps, all that mental processing was my state of shock.

The funny thing is, I even gave them my calling card.

High school graduation ceremonies are virtually the same all over. These young students will take paths of their own from here on out. Paths that will assuredly diverge into different directions, separating them from their best friends and barkadas. They venture into this thing called College that is a very scary place to be alone in.

Despite being alone, these young students enjoy a level of upgrade in their so-called social status. Once regarded as young, naive and incapable, they are somehow empowered to think of themselves as near-grownups. This state of thinking may be reflected in the very common phrase “College na ako kaya dapat [insert rant/request here]” usually pulled off during an argument or asking for permission.

This is, in my opinion, a very unnatural jump. In less than half a year, an individual jumped from incapable to responsible and the culture shock they receive is very.. well.. shocking. The sudden rise in expectations surely is taxing on the still naive individual and the sudden increase of freedom is very very prone to abuse as they stretch the limits and see how far they could actually go which makes the whole affair dangerous. These kids have not had a taste of real life and real life may bite them real hard, if they stretch the limits too much.

So, what can we, the slightly more matured students acting as older brothers or sisters, do about it?

I say let them have a taste of life if they really choose to do so but remind them as often as required by your conscience. After all, you may have been in the same position as they are now.

And if life decides to bite back real hard, at least you can say “I told you so” in a manner that bumps their ego :

“Well, you’re in college now. Take responsibility.”

After 6 days with grueling Internet connection, I am finally back home to a fast enough Internet.

What is Asia Source 3?
From the site itself, it says:

Building Capacities and Empowering Humanity through the use of Free and Open Source Software to connect, cooperate, and collaborate – the FOSS way.

And true to their word, it is an event where the participants gets the final word  to what we will get to learn in the end. It also fosters and environment where everyone is encouraged to ask questions and share what they know. For anyone dealing with FOSS, Asia Source 3 is a good way to make connections with other FOSS advocates as well as a breath of fresh air as new ideas flow in from the conversations and from the track topics.

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This came in from the CS Network mailing list:

[start message]

Things you need to know about the new registration process in the College of Engineering (effective Nov. 4, 2009):

• All registration activities (except Validation at the Eng’g Lib Entrance) will be transferred to the 3rd floor of the College. This means ALL BOOTHS (e.g. Info booths, releasing) can now be found at the 3rd floor.
• Nobody is allowed to enter the Administration Office regardless of reason. All inquiries must be coursed through RegCom only.

General Steps:

1. Proceed to the Regcom Central Station found at the 3rd floor lobby (in front of the Engineering Theatre) to check eligibility. A bulletin board containing information on student eligibilities will also be present.
2. If eligible, claim Form 5A at your respective departments and go on with your registration as before.
   If ineligible, you will be forwarded to one of the Regcom Satellite Rooms (see below)
3. You will be asked to present your I.D. together with pertinent documents to clear your ineligibility in the aforementioned rooms.
4. Wait in the room while Regcom processes your clearance in the Administration office.
5. You will then either be given Admin clearance (meaning you can already proceed with your enrolment) or a slip which indicates that your ineligibility has not been settled yet. With the latter case, you will be instructed by Admin as to your next step (e.g. submit more documents, file for an appeal etc.)

Regcom Satellite Rooms
Room 318-320 — Cases: Loans, Underassessment, Extension of Contract, Shifting/Non-Majors, F-137
Room 313-315 —  Cases: LOA, AWOL, Transferees, Ineligibility due to Grades (eg. only 2 units passed, did not satisfy 50% rule)
Room 314-316 — Cases: Issues on Graduating Status, Signing of Contracts, Readmissions to the College and University

Other Rooms to Remember:

• Room 305-307 – Releasing of COGs, TCGs, Certifications
• Room 306-308 – Application of COGs, TCGs, Certifications; Submission of forms such as Waiver and Overload; Permit for Removals; Certification of Form 5
• Room 309-311 – Regcom Headquarters; Form 5 station

Final Reminders:

1. Please bring your I.D.s during registration. You will definitely need them. If your ID is lost, your latest Form 5 will suffice.
2. Processing of ineligibilities in the respective rooms will be done on a first-come-first-served basis so be early.

**We apologize for the short notice but rest assured that Regcom is always trying its best to ensure that everyone enjoys a smooth registration experience this second semester.
-Regcom and the Office of the College Secretary

[end message]

Since tomorrow is enrollment time (again), here’s the steps on how to enroll (in case some of you forgot or I forget XD):

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