Chicken Pox Talk

My High School Physics teacher said that your childhood is not complete if you had not played yor magnifyinf lens and used it to burn ants, if you had not cause your toys to break into pieces and lastly, if you haven't had chicken pox. Well, I could say the least that my childhood is complete. But for some people, I don't think so. I admit that I was scared to acquire it, but when you have it, all you got to do is face it with strength and the perseverance not to scratch the darn blistery-like rashes. Yes. It will really take you a lot of patience. It's almost one week since I got it. What did I do? Nothing... Nah... Hehe... Of course I read books, surf the internet because I have the darn computer to myself, take my medicine every 4 hours. The only thing I couldn't do is watch TV and listen to the radio. Geesh. I have read Twisted 5 by Jessica Zafra and I have finished reading The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. It is a very good novel, it's one novel that you would want you to keep turning the pages and read it of course until you finish it. One helluva book. Next on my list is Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman. If I get a chance, I'll buy Tuesdays with Morrie.

   posted by at 9/7/2002 05:51:46 PM 

The Definition of Jologs

The writer is a Palanca winner for poetry.

I asked my students the origins of the word and they gave me all these palusot (weak reasons)--that it's the baduy, bakya crowd of the 90's, that like cockroaches, their number is legion, and they are here to stay. Seems that to most of them, it's even cool to be jolog, better than being coño. And though the pa-coño kids (junior social climbers) are frowned upon the worst type of poseur, according to them is someone who's feeling jolog.

But they can't quite define it. A few things we agreed upon, though:

1) It seems that anyone who's past a certain age can't be jolog, so there's no such thing as an old jolog. All of them are young. Jolog isn't actually baduy, but if you're old and baduy, you're just that: matanda na kasi.

2) Someone can be jolog and not be aware of it, in the same way that someone can be coño and not be aware of it.

3) People can be in denial of their ka-jologan or ka-coñohan.

4) "Jolog" and "coño" are not antonyms (though the student that everyone hates in my last class insists that the two terms are synonymous).

5) The term "jologz" is not the plural of "jolog" (and that same student insists that the former is an adjective and the latter is a noun. A bit of trivia though: this is the same student who declared in class that "a gay [sic] is a bad and sad person", to which his seatmate replied: "Yes, but a closeted one is even sadder."

6) The term "jolog" is different from "squatter," "squating" and "squattah." Though it might follow the tradition of "bakya" and "baduy", there's more to being a jolog than the two terms.

Then we came to the etymology of the word. Where the hell did it come from?

The True: Jolog came from Jolina. It's what a fan of hers is called. "Jol" from Jolina + "og" like the suffix -ite or -ian. "But we've never heard of a suffix -og to mean 'follower'," complained one of my more inquisitive students. Besides, the word was in existence before Jolina became a star. "Besides," my student added, "Jolina's not jolog. At most, she's baduy."

The Good: The word originally referred to the Pinoy hiphop, or hiffhaffers, especially those seen walking as a group in malls. Hiphop fashion includes those very loose and wide pants that were huhulog-hulog (kept falling). "Hulog" later was spelled "Julog" until it was pronounced "ju-log", then its final form: "jo-log". Many students were shaking their heads. "That sounds too easy, too obvious."

The Beautiful: The etymology I'm familiar with (and that makes the most sense to me) is geographically specific. The term was coined by high school students in Quezon City, specifically those familiar with Quezon Avenue in the 80's. Back then, across National Bookstore, Quezon Avenue, was a disco that was rumored to be owned or co-owned by Edu Manzano. This disco was cheap compared to the popular discos of the time that were in Makati. In fact, the place was called "the squatter of discos".
This establishment had a pretentious name: Jaloux. The disco played really baduy disco music, and people who frequented the place were young fashion victims who were quite feeling and baduy themselves. High school students from private schools would tease each other: "Hey pare, I saw you at Jaloux last night." This was such an insult.
Eventually other schools picked this up. "Si John, pumupuntang Jaloux." "Wow, John, Jaloux ka pala." Eventually it became an adjective too. "Kadiri, Melanie's Jaloux." How it jumped
from "jaloux" to "jolog", I'm not quite sure. But some of my students say, maybe the patrons couldn't pronounce the pretentious name of the disco properly, they said it "Ja-Lou-kh", "Ja-Look", until it eventually became "Jaloog" then "Jolog." Jaloux disco is gone, but the jolog remains.
They lost their dancing shoes and disco outfits and went to the malls as hiphoppers. Eventually they got tired of that and decided to wear all black and hang out at Club Dredd when it moved to Cubao. This was parodied in the "Circus" album of the Eraserheads.

The Definitive: "Sorry, sir," said one of my students, "but I think you're mistaken. We discussed this in our philosophy class by accident and it seems that the "jolog" word's origin comes from food." "What?" "You don't recognize it now because the spelling's changed, but it was actually originally spelled as 'diyolog' which stands for dilis (anchovies), tuyo (dried fish) and itlog (egg)--the food of the poor. And it was used like this: 'Oh, look she eats diyolog.' Later it became 'Look, diyolog, o.' Until the 'diy' got changed to 'j', hence 'jolog.'"

A brief pause. Then one obnoxious student raised his hand: "I like her definition more than yours. Yours is too complicated, naman." What could I say? "I like mine." Then one student: "We like hers." And another: "Oo nga, sir."

Soon most everyone in class agreed that the food explanation was better than the disco explanation. One student even had the gall to lecture me: "Sir, the saying is, 'You are what you eat,' not 'You are what you dance.'" "Oo nga," said the class echo. "Si sir talaga."

At least almost everyone had a strong opinion about it, everyone except that student who everyone in class doesn't like, who everyone suspects to be a closet case. He was miles away, looking out the window. "And what does he prefer?" I pointed to him. "Men," whispered the mousy girl in the front row, loud enough for the whole class to hear.

   posted by at 9/6/2002 02:13:21 PM 

Facts of Life

1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in someway.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. If not for you, someone may not be living.
8. You are special and unique.
9. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.
13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
14. Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know.
15. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.

   posted by at 9/5/2002 10:22:37 PM 

This is Funny

This one ought to give you the laughs. Hehe.

After being nearly snowbound for two weeks last winter, a Seattle man departed for his vacation in Miami Beach, where he was to meet his wife the next day at the conclusion of her business trip to Minneapolis. They were looking forward to pleasant weather and a nice time together. Unfortunately, there was some sort of mix up at the boarding gate, and the man was told he would have to wait for a later flight. He tried to appeal to a supervisor but was told the airline was not responsible for the problem and it would do no good to complain.
Upon arrival at the hotel the next day, he discovered that Miami Beach was having a heat wave, and its weather was almost as uncomfortably hot as Seattle's was cold. The desk clerk gave him a message that his wife would arrive as planned. He could hardly wait to get to the pool area to cool off, and quic! kly sent his wife an e-mail, but due to his haste, he made an error in the e-mail address.
His message therefore arrived at the home of an elderly preacher's wife whose even older husband had died only the day before. When the grieving widow opened her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out an anguished scream, and fell to the floor dead. Her family rushed to her room where they saw this message on the screen:

Dearest wife,

Departed yesterday as you know.
Just now got checked in.
Some confusion at the gate.
Appeal was denied.
Received confirmation of your arrival tomorrow.

Your loving husband.

P.S. Things are not as we thought. You're going to be surprised at how hot it is down here.

   posted by at 9/5/2002 10:17:02 PM 

The Myth About Chicken Pox

You thought that you're getting the disease when the scabs caused by the chicken pox are about to fall off. I tell you, it's a myth. Chicken pox is actually contagious during the first two days when rashes start showing off. It has an incubation period of about 7 to 21 days. After the incubation period, surprise--you get the disease. I have read about this somewhere in the internet.

   posted by at 9/3/2002 11:18:55 AM 

Grabeh Seafoods EB

Last Saturday, August 31, 2k2 marked the Grabeh Seafoods EB. The EB was held at the Seaside Market at Baclaran. Kuya Ody, Maan and Red bought the stuff we're going to eat. They were cooked by the chef. The food was really good. One of the best-cooked seafoods I ate. Only seven people attended but it was still fun.

I'm Sick

Shucks! I'm sick. Which means I'll not be able to go to school tomorrow to get my course cards and I'll not be able to go to the Imago gig this Wednesday at Padi's Point Las Pinas. Geesh! I've lost my chance again... of having my CD signed. Awww... too bad.

   posted by at 9/2/2002 01:19:32 PM 

 

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