the itch to travel

Dear Multiply and real-life friends -

I have just added another job (but this is non-paying) on my career list:  website column writer. (Is that the actual title?  whatever... hehehe...)  I'm super excited about this new adventure, and I hope we can go places together as I write about sights, sounds and the ins & outs of travelling.  Below is my first article for World Class Filipino.

The site is on its beta-stage, but if you join now, we can grow together :) 

Join and be proud to be a noy-pi! :)

-Apryll

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http://www.worldclassfilipino.com/sections/wc-article/content/34/really-itchy-toes-and-feet

When Reginn invited me to write for worldclassfilipino, I graciously accepted.  I am not a professional travel writer, nor am I a professional traveller (though I think some of my friends would disagree).  But I've always wanted to write about travel and travelling... where to go, what to see, where to stay... the stuff most travel sites are made of, except that the articles would be written from my perspective, from my personal experience.

For me, travelling is not a time to rest and take a leisurely vacation, but a chance for me to immerse myself in a new place, discover a new culture, try out a new language, interact with new people... and have my pictures taken in front of monuments, parks, museums, building facades and what-have-you that I had only previously read about in books or had only seen on TV.

The truth is, I love to travel on a budget.  I have even travelled without a budget.  I get thrilled about planning trips.  I am an eager tourist who loves doing "the touristy thing" - trying to cram all the must-sees in the X number of days on my itinerary, but only after I've spent some time imbibing the sights, smells and sounds of a new place, or a new city.  I itch to travel - with or without money, with or without a companion.

I hope we get to travel together - YOU and me - as I tell you about the places I've been to, or want to go to, and YOU as you share with me where you want to go or what you want to learn about more.

Now let's get those itchy feet walking... and let the journey begin!

THAT time of the year

yeah... THAT.  the bar exams... two days to go until the beginning of the real "september" for all bar examinees.

as early as the 2nd week of august, i was busy texting my friends who are taking the bar this year to wish them luck.  most of them told me they were barely done.  some said they were starting to accept the reality that they can never be really done.  i told them the truth:  i didn't finish my first reading.  i studied my ass off in pre-week.  and if i made it, i'm sure they'll make it too.

taking the bar exams is all a matter of TRYING to cram and understand everything you think you need to know, and WRITING down everything you know, never mind if what you know does not answer the question that is being asked. 

and afterwards, you must pray and pray to high heavens that the examiner/checker (they're not necessarily one & the same person) will appreciate the fact that you really, really, really TRIED.  it worked for me.  i'm sure it would work for others too. :)

so if you have friends and family who are taking the bar exams this year, i wish them ALL THE LUCK i can channel.  i have been doing barops since 1999, and i will do it again this year.  if you need the help of AnWaray BarOps, do PM or text me.

see you at Taft!

feeling guilty

as a law intern for the UP Office of Legal Aid in my last year in law school, we handled actual cases for indigent clients.  in principle, we had to do everything under the supervision and control of a supervising lawyer. in principle.

in fact, OLA intern training begins with memorizing your most important speaking part:  Good morning/afternoon, your Honor.  Law Intern _____ appearing for the prosecution/defense, under the control and supervision of my supervising lawyer, Atty. ____.

during my OLA stint, i had to attend hearings and represent OLA clients in court aside from filing numerous pleadings.  from what i remember, i had approximately 2 appearances at the QC RTC (robbery), 4 appearances, including 2 cross-examinations at the Caloocan RTC (murder), 2 appearances at the NLRC, and 2 appearances at the Antipolo MTC (ejectment). 

of the approximately 10 court appearances i made, i was accompanied by a supervising lawyer only TWICE. my best friend, arlene, who was then reviewing for the bar, accompanied me on my first court appearance, and acted as my SL. (haha.) then i had a hearing in QC one morning and i saw SL Lim who was accompanying another intern who was under his team, and i asked him to just make an appearance with me since the fiscal had questioned the absence of my SL during the previous hearing.  he talked to the fiscal, made an appearance, and left me to fend for myself.

in short, i never had my actual SL present in any of my court appearances.

then last friday, dad woke me up.  he thrust a folder at me and told me to make a special appearance for him and request for the resetting of his case.  i didn't want to (i'm personally against resetting, especially when the resetting has been made a number of times already), but i had no choice as he had already left the house.  i looked at the file.  the other party was represented by OLA. hmmm. i knew that any motion for resetting would definitely be opposed.  i was apprehensive... if the hearing would push through, i was dirt.  i didn't know sh*t about the case.

fast forward to 2pm (i was late for the first call...) i looked for the law intern (easy to spot who) and approached him- - -

me:  hi, alumna ako.  batch 2005.  evening.  (smile, smile.) inform lang kita na magpapa-reset ako...
law intern (LI): hi.  naku, mag-o-oppose ako.  ilang beses na 'to di natutuloy.
me:  sorry ha. hindi ko alam yung case na 'to.  special appearance lang ako... anong year ka pumasok?
LI: nagka-abot pa tayo... but i don't remember you. (yep, maangas sya.)
me:  i don't remember you too.  day ka kasi... anyway, pa-reset ako.  tingnan nalang natin kung i-grant.

then the case was called - - -

me:  Special appearance, your Honor. (blah-blah)  I would like to request for a re-setting of the case since... (blah-blah.)
LI:  We oppose the motion, your Honor, (blah-blah-blah)
me:  Your Honor, where is the Supervising Lawyer of counsel?  As a former law intern myself, I know that it is necessary that an SL be present at all appearances of an intern, especially considering that we are appearing before the RTC.
LI:  This is only a preliminary conference.  I can appear without an SL.
me:  I beg to disagree.  The Student Practice Rule is clear.  An SL must be present to supervise the intern.
(blah-blah-blah...)
ang ending:  the motion for resetting was granted.

i know i was just doing what i had to do.  and everything i said was valid.  and i just had to somehow attack his lack-of-an-SL because he was not so nice to me (hello!  pa-graduate ka pa lang, tapos na ako!!!)...

but until now, i feel so guilty about it.  sigh.