You people see that demonstration below ?
That was what I was up to at the time. It's my idea of a centennial celebration and my idea of a parade. It's not your issue or anybody's, except the fact. It's how I went by dealing with what was, it seems, an ill-timed, unwisely spent, rather mean spirited commemoration of a premier state institution that used to mean more than exhorbitant overpricing of a public property and other than ' It's Great '. Least something that wouldn't have sat idly by and passively put up with that horrible, mono-conformist theme song without seats being broken down, or tires smoking up in flames. Dear God, why oh why have we come down with such an impasse ?!?!?
More on the ' mean-spirited ' later....
I was actually with a bunch of pips few hours earlier. In the Vargas Museum Coffee Shop that need not be explained to be exact. Prior to this,I think I was purposefully ignoring the whole damn festivities going on around me , & yet couldn't prevent myself from passing through it. Saw the Rayadillo batch spurting out from nowhere on that road near the CASAA and to the right of me ( from where I was going, entering inside the AS through the walkway ) , and then some folks who I do not know coming in from the other side. It felt rather crazy to me. I wouldn't say more. Anyway's I was, like , out; until these pals provided a conversation amidst stomachs full in bursting from the Mongolian Rice Bowl meal.
People present were this fellow UP Grail member, who was, like me, set to graduate this year of the centennial, and a certain person named Mr. Ernest Caliwag. Amidst the pleasantries and such, and sitting through these, we were talking some about globalization and post-modernism, and how there is not much real ' right and wrong ' in the world anymore, since there are no grand theories now, what with everything dismantled by the savant free market. Hubris and a joke of course, and I more than made sure that I spat that message out. Frankly, it was nothing much.
Then , the streaming of folks from the opposite side from where we were sitting , the road facing the Vargas Museum, was becoming so many, it cannot be ignored. So many were coming in from everywhere. I just shut my piehole there, and went like not looking. Until the Los Banos contingent arrived. All of which were chanting ' No to Tofi ' or something like so in unison. I'm sold. How far is this gesture gonna be stuck up the pompous asses of the wretcheds who dared bypass us, I wonder. The moderate onslaught of the Stand-Up folks made me stop just wondering. Immediately , I gave my regards to these people I was with and bid farewell.
< Hopefully, this should not go overboard into a full blown novella now. I've been restraining myself a bit >
Now for the ' mean-spirited ' part. Oh there's definitely a lot of that.
Did you all the timing ? None of you ever stopped and wondered why this wasn't a specifically friendly schedule for students and faculty and such ? Like on a FRIDAY perhaps, or a Saturday, like it's always done. The fireworks were nice, wasn't it. How many more classrooms, or potential computers did this gimmick butcher & saw go into the ashes along with it - then make us all foot the bill again, after our society has already paid for it with its damned taxes ? These were the things going on in my mind marching in that contingent with a bunch of people who at least knew what's what as well and weren't afraid on spilling the beans.
Then , the jeers arrived. Some were being murmurred about, other things were being spat in our faces. In particular, a pack of nosy, obnoxious piece of stains even deliberately tresspassed and crossed our path, & threw out some misguided epithets before walking out further in denying everything. Strange, right ?
UP looked a lot like that on this day. Its as if activism never existed here.
Its as if this much esteemed institution is not a rightfully state-funded institution, invested by our race, our people, our nation to produce academicians and social makers that will respond to its plight and do something about it, but a temple that people built for no significant reason, demanding tribute.
Oh, so THAT is the deal NOW, huh ? Sorry, I NEVER noticed.
< From what I heard in other parts, there is yet another arrogant petty-bourgeouise prick who threatened with force a group of similar activist, for nearly raising something like a ' makibaka, huwag matakot ' sign. They raised it anyways. >
Meanwhile the presentation goes on in a jiffy. The highlight of the whole damn deal was the torch-bearing ceremonies. 100 people of various dispositions , alumni and UP people all, were to be called one by one onto a podium; after which they were to put their respective lit torches to a bonfire and make the ember shine real bright. The first, from what I can remember, is someone who is miraculously 100 years old, or least near that mark; his distinction largely being the fact that he still lives and breathes. So he went in and did so. Others simply took on and followed suit.
It is not much of a surprise that the last one to put the torch down is the current UP President.
Watch it burn.
No comments:
Post a Comment