LAST POST? :D

All in all, this internship program has taught me various things which I would not experience inside the classroom. I have new friends and my bond with my other friends became stronger. This would probably my last post in this blog. :)

Day 33: Last day frustration.

Today, Mia, Nikka and I went to Amianan to get our signed requirements. But when we got there, Ma'am EJ said that Sir Lito was not yet there and was not able to sign it the day on Wednesday because he did not come to the office. And so...we waited for him.

Thirty minutes passed, yet still he hasn't arrived yet. It was already 2:30 and the deadline for all the requirements was at 3PM. I was worried since I know how strict UP professors are in terms of deadlines.

At exactly 3PM, Sir Lito arrived. He hasn't signed the papers yet so we waited for him to finish signing all the requirements. At 3:20PM or so, he finished signing all our papers. By that time, I was becoming more and more frustrated since we're late already and the rain hasn't stop yet.

After signing, we hurriedly went outside to find for a taxi. But not a single taxi stopped for us. So we were forced to ride a jeepney.

By the time we arrived at school, it was already 3:38 or so. Kuya Brian said that we are late and that our requirements will be graded as 5.

And seriously, I don't even want to imagine all my efforts to be wasted like that just because Amianan didn't sign our papers which we passed two days ago.

LAST.DAY.FRUSTRATION.

Day 32: Extra post. :D

As I was browsing through the articles I submitted to Amianan, I noticed that the other articles which were not published were marked as "unpublished" with the date of the supposed to be publication of the articles. I just hope these articles would qualify as a good-as-published articles. :D

Day 32: Come what may.

Last day of summer classes? Apparently not. I don't know what else to do since tomorrow would be the last day of our internship program and I still haven't published six articles required for this program. After all the efforts and time I gave in covering and gathering news, still it wasn't enough.

I already stopped crying. Yes, I cried. I think I was only the one who hasn't reach the required published articles. I was the only one who was left behind. And I only have myself to blame for that.

Yesterday, Ma'am EJ said that they would consider my articles as "good-as-published". I was so happy. I thought I could make it. And then, just this afternoon, that hope vanished. Although I've been searching for news this morning until this afternoon, still I wasn't able to get newsworthy events.

Now I feel so low. I feel like I'm the dumbest person in our class. If I fail this course, that will leave a huge impact in my life. And maybe, I will now start to think if Journalism really is suitable for me.

Come what may. -___-"

Day 31: Last Kapihan

Today, I went to Kapihan sa Baguio at Rose Bowl. This would probably be the last kapihan I would cover. The forum was about promoting the tourism of Baguio and various provinces surrounding CAR. Also, Logos Hope would be at San Fernando, La Union  next week or the week after next for the book fair. And I wish I could be there also. :)

Day 30: Hurts like hell

Today, I have to go to Amianan for the submission of our previous articles. The truth is, I really don't want to go there today. I don't know what's wrong with me but last night and up until now, my head still hurts like hell. I still haven't taken any medication because I thought the pain would just subside. But it hasn't. Also, the weather was very unfavorable. :/

Day 29: First time voter :D

I went with my parents to the elementary school near our house for the election before lunch time. When we got there, the line was already loooong. We fall in line and waited. I got bored so I brought out my phone and played games. While playing, a man approached my father. I did not bother to look at first since I was too caught up with what I was playing. And then they started talking. The reason that made me look up at the man was that he smelled like a drunken old man. And he was like shaking hands with my father the whole time while saying "Ammo mon a Engineer no sinno" ("Alam mo na ah Engineer kung sino.") That was when I realized that the man who was shaking hands with my father was a supporter of a candidate running for the position of Mayor in our town. My father just nodded but I knew that my father has already gotten the message which this supporter was saying. And then the people in front of us moved forward. Soon, it was our turn to vote. After voting, I greeted my high school teachers who were there.

And as I am typing this blog entry now, I realize that I am really that old now. I may look like a 15 year old high school girl (as what everybody seems to see me), I already have this sense of maturity. Also, it was my first time to vote for the local and national elections. :D

Day 27 & 28: Still hoping...

Yesterday, I went to school to get my supervisor's evaluation letter. Kuya Brian let me get my co-interns' letters. After that, I went to Amianan to submit my articles and photos. I met Mia near Bayanihan and we decided to submit our articles together. When we arrived at there office, there were no staff members to be found because they were having there lunch break. So we decided to wait.

After that, two staff members arrived and asked us if we're gonna submit our articles. We said yes and they said that we should just wait for Ma'am EJ to arrive. After several minutes, Ma'am EJ arrived. We then gave our articles.

Today, I'm hoping that ALL the articles I submitted would be published so I could still do all my requirements in this course. *fingers crossed*

Day 26: PCOS testing.

Today, I woke up at 8AM since I stayed up late last night. When I checked my phone, I've already received 2-3 messages from my co-interns saying which events would be held today. I texted JA if she is covering any event today and she replied that there would be a final testing of the PCOS machines at Baguio Central School. She said that the final testing would start at 8:30! And I just woke up!

In order to arrive there just in time, I had to beg my housemates whose classes would start at 9AM to let me take a bath first. Since they were also running late, they said that they would just take a bath quickly. But I doubted that since I've known them for quite long now. So I texted JA and said that I would go there but I would be late. After 15 minutes or so, she texted me again and said that the final testing would start at 9AM. Haha. :D

When I arrive there, we went to the polling centers where the PCOS machines would be tested. We entered one classroom and observed the procedures of the final testing of the PCOS machine. The teachers checked the machine carefully. After that, they asked us to participate in the testing by voting. It's good since I don't really know how it works and I'll be voting on Monday. Since it was just a test, I shaded the first 12 senators I saw, same with the other parts. And then we tried putting our ballots in the PCOS machine. Hehehehe.

After that, the teachers printed something which looked like a receipt. It was in fact, a tally of the ones we voted. Ameyyyziing. lol The teachers were busy tallying the results and doing some other stuff yet managed to ask them several questions regarding the final testing. After that, we looked for the COMELEC personnel and interviewed him too. :)

I also took pictures which I hope would be publish on Sunday. Now I'll write my articles which I covered this week. I hope my efforts will not be wasted (again). :D

FIGHTIIIIIING!!!!!! XDDD

Day 25: Cover cover cover...Fighting! xD

Okay, so I think I've finally overcome the sadness I felt last night and now I'll definitely do my best.

This morning, I received a text message from my J198 friends that there would be a forum/talk on the upcoming 2013 election that would happen at Gat Bonifacio Resto and Cafe at Kisad Road. Kisad Road is near to our house so I went there and cover it. I thought I knew the place but then when I was already at Kisad Road, I didn't know where Gat Bonifacio is specifically located. I knew that it was at the back of Crown Legacy Hotel but when I got there, I couldn't locate it. Good thing JA was there and she was able to call me when she saw me walking in the wrong direction.

We arrived at the place early. As usual, the media people I always see covering events were there. We got a good seat where we could jot down our notes and hear the speakers of the forum clearly. Many interns from different newspaper outfit were there also.

From this day forward, I\ll do my best. Last night will be the last time I\ll be thinking of giving up.

The race is still on.

Fighting!!!!

XD

Day 24: On the verge of losing hope

Everyday, I'm getting more and more anxious in this internship program. I'm worried about not getting the required six published articles. It seems like I am the only one who's not progressing in this internship and to be honest, I feel sad. What's wrong? Maybe I am not that good enough. Maybe my taste is different than what they're looking for. Maybe my style is a problematic.

Last sem, I got a lot of critiques like not having my own style in writing, not having the tone that should be reflected on my writings, which always boils up to not being good enough. But what I don't get is that why every single time I try to be better, it always ends up to me feeling a lot worse. I don't take it personally when someone critiques my writing but sometimes, I just feel like I am being judged.

It's not like my articles were criticize by my supervisor but I'm just really worried since it's just days away before this summer class ends and I still need to publish 4 articles. Every night, I keep on telling myself that I can do it but sometimes, there just these times (like now) that I can't help but think of not making it. I know that our adviser told us to be positive on all things but.... I'm on the verge of losing hope.

P.S. Today has been a very emotional day so pardon my negative thoughts included in this blog entry. Also, this day is a very memorable one. The 7th of May last year was the last time I saw my dearest friend before she passed away after suffering in the hospital for five days. :(

Day 23: City Hall Adventures

Today, I went to Baguio City Hall to cover today's session meeting. When I arrived there, Ate Mela and Rachel were already there. But I did not approach them since the session was already starting.

While the Baguio's hymn was playing, more of my co-interns arrived. After the "rituals" were done (includes singing of the national anthem, opening prayer, Baguio hymn, etc. etc.), the meeting finally started. There were three to four items that were approved and then........the session was done. Seriously. I think the rituals were longer than the discussion of these items. Then they explained that there was no serious matter to discuss which explained why the meeting was adjourned early. And I was like "what am I gonna cover now? O.O".

That was when my Nordis friends said that there would be a forum at the multi-purpose hall. So I went with them and covered this forum which turned out to be an orientation for those who would be volunteering as poll watchers for the coming election. These volunteers were mostly Christians. After the orientation, there were politicians who were invited to talk about their platforms in front. Go, Molintas, Domogan, Tabanda, Tenefrancia, and Ortega were there to speak.

After that, they shook hands with us and the forum/orientation/political campaign ended. :)

Day 22: Idle

Today, I did not do any Journ related stuff. Tomorrow, I'll surely cover events. So tonight, I'll just sleep early and go to where these events are. :)

Day 21: Will I make it on time?

Today, I did not cover any event. But....something keeps on bugging me this past few days. The issue of "making it on time".

See, we were required to publish 6 articles for our J198 internship. Our summer classes would end on the 17th and still, I still have 5 more articles to publish. I'm getting more and more worried as days pass by. Will I make it on time?

Still...I'm not losing hope. I do not want to disappoint my parents. I do not want to be left behind. I should make it on time, even if it kills me.

Day 20: Short entry. -___-"

Today, I just submitted my articles to Ma'am EJ. I did not cover any event today because I had to go home early here in Pangasinan. This entry would be the shortest entry I'd be posting in my blog. The end.

Day 19: Where all media people go.

Today, Ker, Ricel and I covered a "presscon" at Luisa's Cafe. At first, we thought that the presscon would be camcelled because it did not start on the time it was supposed to start. So they just ordered food and ate.

While eating their food, we were talking about random things. Ker mentioned that Luisa's was one of the few cafes in Baguio where media people go. We were talking about cellular phones when a journalist from their newspaper outfit arrived. We followed him upstairs and waited for the people involved in the presscon.

One by one, journalists from Baguio arrived. Some of them I could recall because I already met them in some events. And then Mrs. Olga Dangwa arrived. Soon after his son who's running for the position of Vice Governor in Benguet and Mr. Selmo who's running for Governor. Ker and Ricel interviewed them while I recorded their conversation. After the interview, the "media handler" let us have our lunch.

After we ate, we had small talks about school, places we've come from, etc. Ricel and Ker had to go to some places also so we said goodbye and thanked them for the interview. :)

P.S. I am blogging early today because I still have articles to finish.

Day 18: Labor Day

I covered today’s event at Baguio Convention Center. Well, I was not supposed to be the one who should be covering this event. Mia, Nikka and I had already decided who would be covering events for the week and today, Nikka should be the one to cover the job’s fair that would happen at Conve. But since Nikka texted me that she couldn’t make it this morning because she was feeling ill, I had to go there and cover the event. The problem was I only read her text message 30 minutes before the start of the opening program of the event because I stayed up late last night and woke up late this morning.

So I hurriedly did my morning rituals and went straight to Baguio Convention Center. When I arrived there, there were already many job seekers everywhere. At the entrance of the Conve, a looooooong line of job seekers stood. I had to call Ker to confirm if I need not to fall in line anymore. She said yes but still…I brought out my intern’s ID just to be sure. I approached the man who was guarding the entrance and introduced myself as an intern from Amianan while showing my intern’s ID. He looked at it and said “sige po, pasok lang po kayo.” And I marched inside…like a boss. Lol

The number of people inside was incomparable compared to the people outside the Convention Center. Over 30 booths of employers were also there and in each booth, a loooooooooooooong line of job seekers were there, patiently waiting for their turn to be interviewed. People of different walks of life were there. On stage, Bong Bastic of 103.1 MOR Baguio was speaking. I am thankful enough that the opening program hasn’t finished yet when I arrived there. I saw Ker and paired up  (again) with her. Seriously, it’s more fun to do legworks with a buddy. Hehe.

The program then proceeded to the awarding of livelihood projects then the awarding of scholarships to OWWA graduates. One of the OWWA graduates was Celine Matundan. She graduated as a Cum Laude from UP Baguio and I happened to have the same class with her in PI 100. I always admired her back then. She’s very simple yet she has everything a girl could’ve wished for (beauty and brains). After the awarding ceremony, we interviewed her. That was when I learned that his Dad has been in Saudi for thirty years now and she even shared that even though her father was far away from her family, they did not fail to communicate with each other. And I thought, at that moment, that his father might be really proud of her achievements. After our interview with her, we also interviewed the Director of Owwa, Manuela Peña regarding the OWWA scholarship program.

After that, Ker and I went with Erica and Riza in searching for job seekers to be interviewed. We interviewed a man regarding the job fair. The interview went well except that he went blank when Riza asked about his opinion of the success rate of the said job fair.  Haha. After that, we went outside the Conve to interview more job seekers. But then, we got distracted by the different stalls set outside the Convention Center. And then we forgot about interviewing more people and just took photos of the people looking at bulletin boards of the different employers. After that, we decided to head home contented with the information we gathered. :D