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Message from the President
Dear CSA,
Recently we celebrated the Chinese New Year. It’s the year of the Metal Rabbit. I will
admit, it was the first time I knew that adjectives were put before the Chinese zodiac
animal. Metal, wood, water and what have you were words I had not associated with
celebrating the New Year. I had to find out in a somewhat shameful way: it was when
Donna and I went to DZUP to be interviewed about our beloved holiday, and beforehand I crammed all related knowledge that I can by reading articles from Wikipedia.
I felt slightly embarrassed. At present, I serve as the president of an organization representing this certain oriental culture. While certainly not all knowledge about said
culture is required to be an officer of the org, there’s the feeling that my position
somewhat comes with at least some expectations from other people--expecting,or
ignorant as they may be--that I “know my stuff.” I didn’t. Certainly not to the extent
of knowing we celebrate rabbits that Iron Man would make a pet of.
But that moment of feeling, dare I say, incompetent, was succeeded by a feeling
of having gained an opportunity to learn. That situation called for knowing certain
things about the culture I identify with, so I went ahead and read about them. It may
be a little bit late, but now I know about those adjectives. Other than that, I learned
about the Lunar Calendar, the many origins of the Chinese Zodiac, and how the Ox,
Dragon, and other animals are replaced by water buffaloes and other unworldly creatures in the zodiac of other East Asian countries.
We are college students. It means (if ever we came from a Chinese school) that formal Chinese lessons are over. But that should never stop us from learning about our
own culture. Especially in a culturally-fragmented environment like UP, we should
yearn to learn more of our cultural heritage, so that we may better share our hopes
and celebrations to others. That’s why we have this organization--it’s a place of
learning about our culture.
It’s never too late to learn more Chinese words. Take it from those who knew no Chinese a year or so ago, and now are using it more often than we are. And it’s never too
late to know about the origins of the Moon Cake, the Dice Game, our “icky” foods,
and our good business sense.
Take it from me. And thank goodness for Wikipedia.
Your fellow learner,
Bryan
Currents
Staff
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Patricia chiu
Editing&Compiling:
Dennis David
Andrew Yap
WRITERS&CONTRIBUTORS:
Chris Ng
Mikki Chua Dennis David
Kevin Tee
Char Chua
Kathleen Yu
Sean Tiu
Erwin Lim
Andrew Yap
Elroy Sy
Anj Chua
Ace Tan
Layout artist: Kathleen yu
COVER BY: Matthew Yu
1 News
5
Features
29
Comics
30
Game Corner
32
Committee Updates
36
Literary
CONTENTS
valentine’s edition
CSA GETS WIFI
Difficult it was to define, the abrupt shifting of the orbits of subatomic electrons. But
the change was there, and the gentle throbbing of the lower half of my temporal
lobe attested to it. Randomly, I shouted “Potato!”, and this I reiterated for about
seventeen times, using about forty-three point two percent of my vocal chords
to do so. When all reiterations had been reiterated, I found myself trembling with
incredible weakness. Perhaps the only reason why I still had the strength to get up
was the supportive look of concern that was evident in my peers. This aerial irregularity was my kryptonite, but they, they were my Lois Lanes.
It was at this moment of vulnerability that PocoSy came in. He stood there, towering over my weakened stature, with his long, bouncy hair and radiant smile. He
had this unkempt Asian Hugh Jackson look about him, and his body sweated heavily through the toil of the two minute brisk-walk it took him to get here. Perhaps the
humidity contributed to his state of fatigue, but nevertheless, his body magnificently
glistened with the glisten of a thousand droplets of perspiration.
“We have Wi-fi”, he said.
And his words pierced through the infinite depths of my soul with the intensity of a
thousand exploding suns.
BY: PATRICK WONG
It was a day that was just like any other. It was a Wednesday, and a gentle breeze
swept over the dense population of CSA. Behind me, cliques of people scattered
across the organization’s territory, and the mix of loud, variant voices gently and
carefully stabbed at the inner linings of my eardrums.Humidity was lower than
usual, and strangely enough, my senses focused on the rhythm of my seatmate’s
mastication of his afternoon meal. It was easy to judge, by the slow sinking of his
teeth, that his sandwich contained a substanceof elastic texture. Perhaps it was
ham, yet it was of my opinion that it certainly was not turkey ham. Thus proceeded
an elapsed time period of about ten or twenty minutes (there were two sandwiches), and I had nearly completed an internalized cerebral mapping of his oral structure when I suddenly felt a disturbance of microscopic proportions.
I knew at that moment that I was a part of something historical, and at that instant, I
shed the samemanly tears that had been shed by great men before me. I shed the
tears of Augustus as he beheld the complete splendor of his PaxRomana. I shed
the tears of Wolfgang Mozart as he played the final note of his greatest masterpiece. I shed the tears of Martin Luther as he came to realize that his death gave
the dreams of his people life. I shed the tears of Neil Armstrong as he stepped
upon the desolate landscape of the moon and had at last concretized the infinite
capability of the human race. But these were also the tears of my generation, and
one day the generations ahead of me would have its chance to shed it as well.
It was a day just like any other. It was a Wednesday, but already, the winds of
change had swept over the dense population of CSA.
CSA Goes caroling
BY: DENNIS DAVID
A few weeks before December and the start of the Christmas season, CSA’s Finance
committee was already making some preparations for its annual Christmas caroling
fundraiser. Chelsea Hwang, Finance Committee Chairperson, had put up sign-up
sheets for those who wanted to sing for the caroling, had chosen the songs that the
volunteer carolers will be singing on the 16th and 18th of December, as well as the
houses that they were supposed to go to during those nights.
Preparing for the caroling wasn’t a breeze. There was a clear lack of volunteers that
could practice regularly. Only around six to nine people would show up at each practice session. Also, some of the songs, like
Noche Buena, were divided into choir voices and made them difficult to sing. Fortunately, as the dates set for caroling came closer, more members volunteered to sing,
and those who weren’t active because of other commitments made better efforts to
participate.
However, the second day started out with
the same jittery vibes the same as the first
The carolers, composed of Donna Co, Chel- one, because there were new carolers, and
sea Hwang, Bryan Manzana, Angel Chiu,
some of the ones from the first day weren’t
Kevin Tee, Ryan Sy, Vincent Yu, Jaime Yu, able to participate. Nevertheless, they were
Dennis David, Joan Hwang, Pam Toh, Erica received warmly and appreciatively by the
Lim, and Clare Co, with Keith Reyes and
hosts.
Elroy Sy on the guitars, went to the seven
households. On Dec. 16, the first day, they
Since this event was a fund-raiser, the carolwent to Mrs. Jennifer Kaw’s, Vincent Yu’s,
ers, on behalf of the organization, received
and Enzo Lascano (Keith Reyes’ friend)’s.
money from the households they performed
On the second day, Dec. 18, they went to
in front of. This money will definitely be very
Mr. Jose Cheng (Chelsea’s grandfather)’s,
helpful in funding future CSA projects.
Chelsea Hwang’s, Pam Toh’s, and Dennis David’s houses. Some of the carolers
were not present during either one of the set
dates because of personal reasons and/or
other appointments, while Keith Reyes and
Elroy Sy played the guitar on the first and
the second day, respectively.
The carolers sang as a choir for the songs
Noche Buena, Joy to the World, The Christmas Song, We Wish You A Merry Christmas,
and Jingle Bell Rock, while Pasko na Sinta
Ko was sung by Dennis David and/or Donna
Co. It wasn’t smooth sailing for the volunteers—nervousness kicked in once they set
foot inside the first house. They started with
Joy to the World, and they didn’t sound as
harmonious as they did in practice. By the
end of the day though, the group became
more accustomed to each other’s voices
and rhythms, and they pulled through.
The Road to
U.P.
BY: ANDREW YAP
COLLEGE Entrance Results: the most nerve-wrecking phase of your last year in
high school. This is it, make or break, your future is at stake (hey, that rhymed!). The
first few weeks of January bring that sort of tension to graduating high school students, and maybe to their family and friends who are just as concerned about their
future. Many, if not all of us, have been through that.
Last January 4, 2011, another batch of students went through the grinding block. Out
of more than 60,000 students who took the exam, around 13,000 qualified for a slot
in the UP System. Many UP students, including CSA members, were still very much
concerned about the results. People searched through the results pages for siblings,
cousins, old friends, and familiar names, hoping to find one they recognize. When
something like this happens, we can’t help but remember the past, because at some
point, we also went through those pages, hoping to find our own names.
Now that we’re enjoying the benefits of
a UP education, sometimes we forget
how much of a blessing it is -- that many
other students would kill to get a slot, but
are unable to. Sure, we all celebrated
the fact that we are able to study in the
country’s premier university. But for
many, that euphoria only lasted for a few
weeks after the results come out, at least
until the final decision has been made.
But once we got immersed into the long
registration lines, hell weeks, terror profs,
and all the things that keep our stress
levels almost to a maximum, we tend to
forget that feeling – the feeling of being
so blessed, so privileged, to be called an
iskolar ng bayan.
So let’s go through some old memories
and remember how we got here in the
first place. Jog down memory lane and
reminisce the UPCAT Experience.
Many have varied opinions regarding the
actual difficulty of the UPCAT. Some say
that the UPCAT is not really that hard,
except the competitiveness of admission
is what makes entering UP difficult. Others will argue that the UPCAT is difficult,
time-pressured, and frustrating. What do
you remember about the day you took
the UPCAT?
Unfortunately, there are those who were
put at a slight disadvantage for uncontrollable or unforeseeable reasons.
The Road to
U.P.
“I actually came in late. SUPER PANIC
MODE! Afternoon batch kasiakoand it
was raining pa that day, kaya super traffic talaga. Kulangyung time that we allotted for travel time.Pagdatingkosaclassroom (saChemPav), nakauponalahatng
students, butinalang di pa binibigayyung
questionnaire!” – Joyce Capco
“Had a bad stomach halfway through the
exam.” – Kevin Tee
“Naubusanakong chair,so binigyanakong
chair and table and yungsurface area ng
table masmaliit pa sa surface areanganswer key and paper ko. So hulognanghulogstuff ko. :|” – Char Chua
Or, maybe they were the ones who put
others at a disadvantage.
“On the day of the UPCAT exam, my
allergies decided to go haywire. So I
was sneezing, coughing and blowing my
nose almost constantly for most of the
exam. During the ENGLISH portion of
the exam, I was about to go to “reading
comprehension” but I stopped to blow
my nose. While I was letting out my mucus of fury,
through my peripherals I could see the
girl sitting beside me. She was already
reading the text with her hand sliding
across the words she read, then she
stopped halfway through, slammed her
hand, and then proceeded to start at the
beginning of the same text. I guess I was
too much of a distraction. ^^” – Joseph
Changco
And for some reason, there’s always an
issue about food.
“Almost everyone in the room was eating! I tried really hard to ignore them
but it was just so hard so I bit chocolate
nalangpara at least focused pa rin. :D” –
Lars Alivio
“I gave up halfway during the Filipino and
started eating homemade chocolate chip
cookies. I think my seatmates were glaring at me.” – Chelsea Hwang
“The Filipino part describing bibingka
was mouth-watering, which made me eat
during the exam. :D” – Chester Sy
A few others had their first experiences
of the oddities that can happen to you in
UP.
“While we were queuing up to be let in
our room, a guy and a girl behind me
decided to strike a conversation with
me and asked me what school I was
from. And, when you come from my high
school, you learn NOT to want to share
where you’re from because of the reactions you get. But they were very persistent.When I finally admitted that I was
from Pisay, the guy jumped, grabbed my
hand and shook it, crying, ‘CONGRATS,
PASADO KA NA!’And the rest of the time
we were in line, they kept gushing very
loudly about how I was sure to be admitted in UP already. They also insisted on
taking a picture with me saying, ‘Papicture kami kasama mo! UPCAT passer!’
:| Very awkward.” – Joey Cuayo
“Hiningi ng katabi kong lalaki number ko.
:|” – Keith Reyes
After taking the dreaded UPCAT, we all
took our minds off college for a while
and focused on actually trying to graduate. After all, what’s the point of passing
any entrance exam if you can’t graduate
high school? Eventually, January of the
next year arrived, and along with it came
the UPCAT results. For many of us, the
results brought great joy.
Many were not too optimistic about their
chances of getting in, so at the mere
sight of their names, they shouted and
jumped for joy.
“I was in the comfort rooms at school,
and I got a text from a friend that I
passed. I ran out of the cubicle and
back to the classroom, screaming that
I passed. Then people started panicking and texting in the comfort rooms too.
Hahahaha.” – Pam Toh
“While in class, I received a text that I
passed the UPCAT. My initial reaction
was to shout it to the whole class while
the teacher was having a lecture. That’s
when the teacher caught me texting during class hours. It created a big fuss and
my classmates started grabbing their cell
phones and asking their parents to check
the UPCAT results for them. Our teacher
stopped his lecture.” – Diane Dy
“Nothing. I couldn’t believe I passed.
After checking if it was true in the bathroom, my best friend and i jumped and
screamed loud. :))” – Arra Ong
Some were left stupefied, in utter shock,
or even in tears.
“I fell. My legs lost the feeling in them.” –
Chelsea Hwang
“Angcheesy,pero I cried. As in weak-inthe-knees-falling-on-the-floor-sobbingwith-joy level. I was really thankful and
relieved that I didn’t have to give up on
my dream school. :)” – Barbie Candano
Others never really found it to be that big
of a deal.
“Wala. I was eating kasiwith my best
friend e, and Playing PSP... in CLASS!!!
Hahahaha!” – Chester Sy
“Nagshruglangako eh. Taposnungnagsink-in tinanongko friends ko kung
pumasasila(regular section langkasiako
noon kaya kontilangpumasasaclass) tapospinagtawanankosilana di silapumasa.
HAHAHAHA” – Keith Reyes
In any case, after getting the results
from all the universities we’ve applied
to comes the decision part. Choosing
where to go for college must have been
one of the biggest decisions we’ve faced.
It determines the course of the next
phase of our lives, and it has a big impact on what we will be doing in the
future. In our courses, we learn the skills
needed for the jobs that we want to
have. We also build the networks we will
rely and fall back on through our friends
and organizations. A large part of our
future really is built during the college
days. Because of this, the college decision process is really daunting, especially for a fourth year student who probably
has not made such a big, life-changing
decision before.
“I realized I was old.” – Elroy Sy
In trying to make sense of an important
and mature decision for oneself, asking help from friends or family really
doesn’t make it any easier. Friends will
always have varied opinions, because
they themselves would prefer different
schools. Family members will generally
lean towards one school and try to convince (for some, force) you to attend that
school. This is one of the barriers that
makes choosing UP difficult.
“My mom said my only option was UP so
I had no choice. :|” – Harroun Wong
“My mom willed it so.” – RC Lupena
The Road to
U.P.
That didn’t deter Dominic Sy from going,
though.
“I fought for it.” – Dominic Sy
But despite the confusion amongst possible college options, UP stood out. It’s
no surprise, really. UP is recognized as
the top university for many professional
fields, as well as the arts. Many chose
UP because of the courses they want,
especially if they are known to many as
some of UP’s “specialty courses”. UP
also offers this at costs cheaper than that
of other universities, without sacrificing
the quality of education. Knowing this,
how can you go wrong with UP?
“Well, I’m planning to go to med school,
and cheaper tuition = bigger allowance
:))” – Hasna Tiu
“Cheaper than other schools, plus, it is
one of the best in the Phils.” – Lu Kevin
Ong
“It’s the best university. Cheap pa.” –
Anne Lee
And of course, there’s always the sense
of UP pride.
“I was born to go to UP.” – Jade Chuahiong
“I was always bent on going to UP.” –
Vincent Yu
“I was blinded by the title of iskolarngbayan! :)) Joke. Perosabinilaok daw UP
so yunna!:))” – Juliane Tan
The Road to U.P.
Before we knew it, we confirmed that slot, enrolled in UP, tried to make sense of the
crazy CRS and enrollment systems and set foot on campus. So here we are, part of
that UP community we’ve dreamed of joining, or maybe never really expected to join.
For some, they may have reluctantly said yes to going to UP.
But there are no regrets, right? In choosing a university, there really is no right or
wrong decision. You can never really tell what would have happened if you went to a
different university. What matters is that you’re proud and happy with where you are
right now (which includes being in CSA! :>). Are you?
Sibling stats:
Tiffany Chua
September, 1988
BS Psych
PRC
Name
Therese Chua
Birthdate
December, 1989
Course
BA European Languages
Committee
Sec
St. Jude
High School
St. Jude
Sibling Scoresheet
SCORE BOARD
How well do you know your siblings?
CSA Siblings
Part TWO
“THE TIFFERESE CHUAS”
50%+ correct (1 pt)
0% correct (0 pts)
Unsure (0.5 pts)
BY: ELROY SY AND CHAR CHUA
The Tifferese Chuas are one of the oldest pairs of members in CSA. Although they
are not of the same age, they will both be graduating at the same time because Tiffy
was able to spend a year in Japan. Tiffy is currently famous in CSA for being the
highest scorer in the Iphone/touch app ‘Tilt to Live’ among other CSA members, having a score of 24 million.
a nice answer (bonus)
csa siblings!
TIFFANY’S GUESS
WHAT IS YOUR SIBLING’S:
1.
favourite color?
2.
favourite food?
3.
4.
THERESE’S GUESS
Purple
Yellow or Brown
Italian
Wasabi
favourite TV show?
Grey’s Anatomy, House, OTH
Friends
favourite movie?
Parent Trap
Parent Trap
5.
biggest fear
Flying ipis
6.
favourite subject?
Spanish
7.
worst/hatest subject?
French
Biology
8.
favourite superhero?
Spiderman
Batman
9.
biggest pet peeve?
Fake accents
Malanding mga tao
10. CSA best friend?
Hershey Yap
Chris Ng, Brian Ong
11. first thing they do in
the morning?
Take a shower
Write in her
planner
12. last thing they do
before sleeping?
13. what they eat for breakfast?
Rice and ulam
Vegetables
14. favourite
expression?
UMAYOS KA!
Bwisit ka sa buhay ko
15. ideal partner/date? :>
The goalie in Spanish
Japanese, name starts
soccer team. Forgot his with N! HAHA!
name
Rats
8
6
7
7
0
2
0
0
English or Japanese
FB games >.<
FB games pa rin!! :D
FINAL SCORE!
8
7
csa siblings!
Sibling fun facts
TIFFANY
THERESE
•Tiffy gives her relationship with Thea a
10/10.
•Thea gives her relationship with Tiffy an
8/10.
•In one word, “convenient” is how she feels
about Thea being in UP
•In one word, “annoying” is how she feels
about Tiffy being in UP.
•According to her, they interact everyday, by
talking, texting, e-mailing, and chatting.
•According to her, they interact EVERYDAY.
EVERY-FREAKING-DAY!!!
•When Thea went to UP, they both tried to go
to school and go back home together.
•When Thea went to UP, Tiffy was always there
•Now that Thea’s in UP as well, she can remember things better for Tiffy.
•They have, of course, considered taking GEs
together.
•At home, Tiffy and Thea are in different
rooms, studying and “laptop-ing”.
•According to Tiffy, Thea wastes her time
watching shows
•Tiffy thinks she appears dirty, forgetful, and
messy to Thea/
•The best thing about Thea, for Tiffy, is that
she is organized.
•The worst thing, however, is that she is ‘mataray’
•Tiff would only sell Thea for infinity Yen.
•but she would trade her for Alexis Bledel
•Thea says Tiffy is clingyyyy! in UP.
•They have considered taking GEs together.
Yup!
Conclusion
“We can therefore conclude that the usual stereotypes
do not apply to the Chua family. Stereotypically, the
younger one relies on the elder one to be responsible.
Also, the younger one may become ‘maarte’ to their
siblings at times. However, Tiffy, despite being older appears to be the more forgetful and more ‘maarte’ one.
Being described as clingy, she also seems to be the more
dependent one as well. It is therefore safe to assume
that not all stereotypes are true for all families. The
Chua family is more or less a perfect example for this.”
•They sleep on the same bed at home
•Tiffy wastes her time on FB games.
•Thea says she is awesome to Tiffy.
•The best thing about Tiffy for thea is that she
<3 her!
•However, the worst thing about Tiffy is that
she is maarte.
•She’d sell Tiffy for Infinity of a currency!
•She would trade Tiffy for Jackie Chan
Stay Tuned For the
next Issue of currents!
CHRIS NG EXPOSES
THE LIFE AND LIES
OF UPCSA
I’m not the biggest fan of the past. But some people say that the person who
finds it will manifest his or her destiny in
CSA as the one who will lead it through
I’d much rather look to the future and
imagine all the wonderful things we could these dark and conflicting times.
do. So when I was asked to write about
“CSA Through the Years”, I was absolutely At that time, CSA had about 40 members,
of which, around 20 were very active
stumped. I had absolutely no idea how
while the rest drifted in and out. Imagine
to approach such an article until I was
actually writing and reliving the moment. how easy it was then for applicants to get
60% of the signatures! The members at
So now, in a one-time exclusive article,
Christopher Ng, the living fossil, will retell that time, however, were a little more difficult to get signatures from. It is because
and expose all!
of this I had developed the patented
method of the Ahia Achi Meet and Greet.
Welcome, Shoti! (2004)
When you see a member you haven’t
met, you just calmly approach, muster up
My first year in CSA marked the first year
your cutest, most humble smile and say,
that the CSA tambayan was located at
“Hi Ahia/Achi ___! I’m _____! Can you
AS101, which is sometimes called, “yung
sign?” Worked like a charm.
tambayan ng mga Chinese”. The year
before that, the tambayan was located in
the ruined area you now see as you walk The Calm before the Storm (2005)
from the Faculty Center to Palma Hall.
After I got accepted into CSA and finished
This area, which is now dubbed “the ruins”, used to have a roof. There also used my induction, I got invited to be a part of
the membership committee the next year.
to be a file cabinet and drawer where
Through this, I finally got the see the finyou could keep the various paraphernalia that CSA used on a daily basis. Today, er intricacies that moved CSA as a whole.
the location of that file cabinet remains a At that time, with only 40 members, it
was very easy to manage relationships.
mystery.
When there was an event, everybody knew. When you needed to inform the org about the event, word
of mouth for one week was enough.
When the event happened, it was
almost always the same old faces,
give or take a few drifting members
here and there.
But most importantly, when there
was an internal problem such as
a fight or disagreement, everyone
knew. There was no hiding it. I was
one of the younger members, so I
was usually spared (or excluded)
from the older members’ discussions. But everything still eventually trickled down to us. Problems
such as these were usually resolved
very quickly. Since there were less
people in the org, people were
forced to talk to each other more,
and thus, resulted in people understanding and accepting each other’s
differences more quickly. This form
of direct communication to prevent
misunderstandings and end fights
was such a great breakthrough!
How I wish it would be practiced
more often today!
2006 would mark the first time the limits on
private school students being accepted into
UP would be loosened. From a 10% cut off,
it was raised to 30% in 2006, and finally in
2007, was removed completely. The result
was a massive influx of Chinese-Filipino students from private Chinese schools around
Metro Manila. The most noted arrival was
that of Grace Christian High School students.
From a small 5% of the UPCSA population
coming from Grace, we suddenly had 50%
of the whole org coming from Grace! It was
crazy! But of course, in a good way!
This period of increased membership would
lead to a period of increased prosperity and
manpower, which would forever be known as
the Golden Age of UPCSA. All of a sudden,
we had two tables at our tambayan, and our
noise level was so loud during lunch breaks
that AS101 started to send us complaints.
This newfound spotlight also resulted in card
games being banned from play because the
administration was scared that they would
be misconstrued as gambling. New games
such as Sitting Ducks were introduced (by
yours truly), and they caught on for a bit until the owners of the games stopped bringing
them.
The Golden Years (2006-2007)
“When there was an
internal problem everyone
knew. There was no hiding it.”
CHRIS NG (2011)
We grew into a force to be reckoned with.
All of a sudden, our events seemed to
garner more interest. Increased manpower meant that we could hold larger
events, with more publicity. Our normal
dimsum eating contest that attracted only
a handful of people now attracted dozens
of different orgs and even got passers-by
to join! The Lion Dances and Wushu exhibitions that happen during the Chinese
New Year could then literally stop traffic in
front of Palma Hall.
During this time, I hadn’t heard much of
anything that was happening in the organization. By the time I had gotten back,
it was no longer the same organization
as when I had left. The cracks that had
appeared in the leadership structure of
the organization had manifested itself into
a full-blown shattering catastrophe, and
the weakness of CSA was finally revealed
in its entirety. UPCSA was not ready and
capable of handling its own growth in
members.
It was also during this time that people
began to question the purpose of UPCSA.
Other organizations began to attack us
and said that we had no purpose in UP
except to be a soiree for Chinese-Filipino
students. Others went so far as to say
that the organization was just serving to
be cliquish.
The new social interactions created by an
increased membership had proven too
much for the organization and the leadership was the first to crack. Unknown to a
lot of people at that time, internal fights
within the ExeComm had started the year
before because of a particularly competitive election season and a few very stubborn and immature people. These fights
had found a way to spill onto the next
batch of officers and the infighting carried
over to the next year.
Despite all this, CSA withstood the test
and continued to prosper. Unbeknownst
to most of the members, however, a small
crack had begun to form within the leadership that would ultimately show CSA
greatest weakness as an organization.
The End of an Era (2008)
I took a break from CSA for one semester
when I went to Australia as an exchange
student.
The influx of new members also did not
help stem the flow of infighting. In fact, it
accelerated it, with new members joining
the fray and causing the crack to become
even bigger. More misunderstandings
arose with other people beginning to take
sides. The group dynamics of a huge organization had taken CSA by surprise.
THE LIFE AND LIES
OF UPCSA
The organization was beginning to buckle
under its own weight. And although the
increased income and manpower accumulated over the past two years were able to
sustain the organization, the final outcome would be inevitable. It was the end
of an era.
We are One, Yet We are Two Parts
of a Whole (2009)
Shock and awe. That the organization had
survived such a tumultuous year accompanied by a rather placid election season
tried to serve as warning to most of us
that, no, this year would not be different from the last. Few heard the warning.
Even fewer people heeded the call.
Although the Execomm and their relationship had stopped getting worse, it still
wasn’t getting better either. People sided
with each other based on friendship, not
on what was right. A lot of people spoke
up and claimed to have CSA’s best interest at heart. What they failed to realize
was that they were ultimately fanning the
flames and causing the organization to
fragment even more.
At the same time, CSA’s growth in membership did not cease. In fact, CSA again
would become bigger, accepting an even
greater variety of members from all walks
of life. I was truly happy when I saw this.
I thought finally, we were getting our
message across and people understood
our purpose. CSA is here to promote
friendship and understanding amongst
the Chinese-Filipino community and the
greater population. We were meant to
shatter the stereotypes of racism that had
been propagated by the older generations. I felt like I could finally see the light
at the end of the tunnel. Everything that
had been worked so hard on for the past
five years was coming full circle and I was
very happy.
It was because of this new found hope
that I chose to ignore the crumbling state
of CSA’s internal affairs. I stood by and
watched this happen because I had promised myself to adhere to a strict hands-off
policy with regards to the running of CSA.
It was time for the younger generation to
take over and for the older generation to
step down. Give advice only when asked.
Help only when needed. And the next
generation seemed very promising and
poised to take over.
The Moment of Truth (2010)
A boulder is strong. A drop of water is
weak. But as we all know, when a drop
of water continuously falls on a boulder,
that boulder will crack. And will eventually
BREAK. The two sides that had begun as
two halves of a whole had now cemented
themselves into two very distinct, separated parts. And they didn’t like each
other very much.
It seems that the org is actually adapting, finally, to the increased membership.
The past few years of conflict were just,
quite possibly, the pains of childbirth that
must be experienced in order to give
birth to something new, something better.
And what once seemed like a completely
hopeless situation now seems to be fixable.
It is because of this that I must call on all
The tambayan had been forced to relocate the new members of the organization. I
the year before. Fortunately, the relocaimpart this knowledge unto all of you in
tion only to the other side of AS101, and
the hopes that you will fix the problems
were allowed to continue and revel in
of an older generation. You will succeed
our small piece of prime tambayan real
where an old man was unable to. This
estate. Membership once again swelled
coming election will prove to be the moto the brink with no hope that the break
ment of truth for our organization and will
would heal by itself.
ultimately decide the future of UPCSA.
It is, however, important to note that
amongst the new influx of members, both
from the year past and this year, there
has been very little discord. In fact, I
have actually seen more cause for unity
than anything else amongst the new
members of the organization. And slowly,
I actually have felt the break healing.
You must all vote wisely and choose what
is best for everyone, not just for yourself.
You must excise the rot and canker that
has infected us and caused us to fracture.
It is completely within your reach now to
fix. The only thing us older members can
do now is to retell our mistakes and hope
you learn from them and never commit
them again.
Did You know?
BY: CHAR CHUA
I
f chopped, blended, liquefied and poured into large milkshake glasses, the average human body would serve 16 people. (Cannibal Quarterly)
I
n Paraguay, it’s against the law to cross the street during the month of August.
(Harpers Table of Contents)
The Federal government would cease to operate if everyone simultaneously
called their congressman. (U.S. Bureau of Speculation)
I
f, after breakfast, you traveled to the nearest star at the speed of light, then
returned, your coffee would still be warm—but not your toast. ($5.8 billion joint
NASA/Chock full o’ Nuts Study)
A
super-secret cabal of six people control the world’s money markets and the
weather. (http://www.paranoidschizophrenic.com)
I
n Australia they eat dessert before the main course (due to the earth’s magnetic
field). (Fictions, Fables, and Falsehoods)
Millions of years ago the continents were joined together and people were able to
walk freely from Africa to South America or Europe, do their shopping and return
home, all in the same day. (Jet)
CHRIS NG EXPOSES
THE LIFE AND LIES
OF UPCSA
If you carry pi out to a billion places you will eventually reach a point in your cal-
culations where you will just have to give up and go to sleep. (Unscientific American)
The burrito was invented by Thomas Alva Edison. The first burrito was a flat
round bread wrapped around a mixture of boiled beans, shredded cheese, and
crushed glass. (Library of Lies)
I DIDN’T KNOW THAT!
In the future, everyone will clean themselves with ultra-violet lights
Stranger than fact
placed in their centrally-controlled vehicles, in which they will live all the
time, except for two weeks in August when the vehicles will be aired out.
A million ants can lift one elephant!
(Future Features)
Ten million ants can lift ten elephants!
When monkeys dream, they dream they’re human.
One elephant can lift ten million ants!
(Simian Psychology Today)
Somewhere in the world there is someone who has a wallet that is identical to yours.
Ants and elephants have similar I.Q.’s!
Elephants are scared of ants, but ants are not scared of el-
ephants!
(Pickpocket Monthly)
The day of the week we call “Friday” derives from an early use of the
word as the name of a no-nonsense sergeant in the Los Angeles police
force called “Joe Friday.”
(Oxford Encyclopedia of Reruns)
An elephant can remember ten million times more than an
ant!
An ant can remember seeing an elephant, but an elephant
can’t remember seeing an ant!
An elephant can eat ten million ants!
“Somewhere in the world,
there is someone who has
a wallet identical to yours.”
Ten million ants can eat one elephant!
Elephants can have aunts, and ants can have aunts, but
aunts can’t have elephants, unless they’re in a circus family,
or live in Cambodia!
GENERAL OUTLOOK
The Year of the Golden Rabbit starts off on a lucky foot. Spring arrives early, indicating the promise of growth. Hence, there will be economic salvation ahead.
The Four Pillars Chart for this year sees a clash between the upper and lower
elements. It foretells a year that will be plagued with disasters and global-scale
disagreements.
The water element is also lacking in the charts. This usually means that the water
“qi” is unbalanced; indicating the likelihood of major natural disasters that will shift
the precipitation of water quite drastically.
The earth element is also missing. The environmental (both geological and political) stability of this year is undermined. Furthermore, the Flying Star Chart for
2011 shows that the No. 7 Star flies into the centre.
KNOW YOUR...
FENG SHUI
BY: LEMUEL YU
“Doors facing churches should have mirrors to reflect bad luck.” “In
the year of the tiger, monkeys should be careful, for tigers hunt monkeys.” These are just few of the many Chinese superstitions known
to many as part of Feng Shui. The Lunar New Year, or better known
as Chinese New Year, has just passed. It is now the year of the Rabbit, so let us take a look this year’s predictions brought about by Feng
Shui.
The combination of all these may mean that this year could very well go down in
history as a year of shocking events such as a large scale war or a high-profile assassination.To avoid disaster, carry crystals and water with you at all times, especially those who plan to travel a lot.
REVERSING FORTUNES:
TO THE EAST:
This year brings misfortune to those whose entrances and bedrooms are located
at the East. This is also why Rabbits, whose direction is the East, will feel their
luck depleted this year. Anyone who is planning on renovation must avoid digging
or banging in the eastern part of their house. This is due to the Grand Duke Jupiter who’s shifting to the East. Offending the Grand Duke by facing his direction or
disturbing his abode will bring bad luck for the year.
TO THE WEST
The Three Killings has moved to the west. Bad luck is activated here when you renovate in this sector and when you sit with your back facing the west. The three kinds
of bad luck brought are to your reputation, financial position and your relationships.
Most rabbits pay close attention to detail.
They need to be sure everything is arranged the way they wish. Rabbit people
are usually conservative, valuing their
security very much, which may cause
them to lose good opportunities. They do
not thrive in competitive or aggressive
environment and get anxious if forced to
take risks and unsettled by unpredictable
situations. However, they are sensitive,
sentimental, compassionate and easily
moved by others’ problems.
They also have a talent to avoid trouble
and identify opportunities, but they are
only creative when they are allowed to
work on their own pace. So, the ideal jobs
for a rabbit include counsellor, barrister,
judge, solicitor, adviser or secretary.
CHINESE HOROSCOPES
FOR THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT
ROMANCE:
Rabbit people are great partners, being
Being a rabbit (east) or a rooster (west)
is generally bad luck. Hence, they should
mitigate this with the Rat(North) and
the Horse(South). The rabbit or rooster
should then invite these animal signs into
your home, lucky for those whom have
them in their family. If not, you can invite
them with key-chain talismans, bracelet
charms or pendants and benefit from their
energy.
DEFINING THE
RABBIT PERSONALITY:
Rabbit people make ideal diplomats or
politicians as they have grace, culture
and beautiful manners, making them very
hospitable and attentive people who take
care of those around them. Although they
get along well with everyone, they prefer
to be engrossed in some sort of scholarly
or intellectual activity.
romantic, sweet and faithful. Hence they
also never lack suitors. They require trust,
security and tenderness, and also demand
that their partners be on the same wavelength. Hence any careless comment will
lead them to withdraw. They also demand
alone time. Sometimes it takes them time
to find their partner but when they find
their soul mate, their attachment is boundless. Rabbits are compatible with Goat,
Boar (or pig) and Dog; less compatible
with Rat, Rabbit, Dragon, Ox, Tiger, Snake
and Monkey; and least compatible with the
rooster and horse.
RABBIT
(1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999)
Tough year ahead, so lie low and ensure
that all cures are in place. Wear protective charms (if possible, the five-element
pagoda pendant). Burn lots of incense to
appease the local earth gods – this will
greatly improve your luck.
SNAKE
(1941,1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001)
Heavenly year with money and success
lies ahead. All the stars add up to a fortuitous year punctuated with small and large
achievements, capture this with Heaven
Luck activators.
HORSE
(1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002)
Big money this year. Prosperity is at the
horse’s doorstep as the horse is flanked
.by two Big Auspicious Stars. However, all
this money making will take its toll on the
health as the horse’s energy is sapped by
another two stars. Take plenty of feng shui
CAREER:
Rabbit people will weigh the pros and
cons from every angle, probably the
reason why they work so well. They usually prefer work that is methodical, making
them ideal for a life of business.
DRAGON
(1940,1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000)
A good year ahead with plenty of little
achievements. Heavenly luck will help
when help is needed. But the Five Yellow
still means misfortune. Subdue this with
the five-element pagoda charm.
GOAT
(1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003)
Money won’t be a problem. Marriage,
romance and homemaking are on for this
year! Excellent year to get married or have
babies!
MONKEY
(1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004)
Last year was difficult, but this year will
be slightly better. It will be a good year for
love and romance, so this is a good time
to tie the knot. Small robbery should be
prevented with protective charms.
ROOSTER
(1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005)
A challenging year ahead. The Star of
Natural Disaster strikes at the heart of the
rooster and being flanked by the Three
Killings makes matters worse. Lie low and
wear protective charms to improve luck.
DOG
(1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006)
Average year for the dogs. Money comes
but with conflict and obstacles. Activate
the Northwest direction with the crystal 8
and by singing bowls and bells to clear
your living space regularly. Offer incense
to local earth gods to help.
PIG
(1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007)
A great year ahead! Definitely a moneymaking year for the pig. Make the most
by activating the Northwest direction and
supporting all your friends and allies.
RAT
(1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)
Excellent year for auspiciousness, bringing prosperity and gold! But the Quarrelsome Star brings stress and obstacles to
the Rat. Overcome by inviting the Dragon
into your home.
OX
(1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)
The luckiest sign in 2011! The Golden Deity brings cosmic blessings and protection
to those she favors. This is also definitely
the year for the Ox to pursue his or her
financial dreams with confidence and in
earnest!
TIGER
(1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)
A pretty good year ahead, with prosperity and authority from
heaven, indicating possible promotion or change of status. But
the Five Yellow can cause misfortune. Subdue it with the fiveelement pagoda.
Harley’s comic corner
There is Super Junior–KRY, made for
the Japanese market, composed of the
group’s main vocals Kyuhyun, Ryeowook
and Yesung. And finally, there are Super
Junior-Trot and Super Junior-Happy who
come out with lively, sometimes nonsensical, songs.
Many have probably heard of their
mega hit Sorry, Sorry released early last
year. Their 3rd album with the same title
was what pushed them to mainstream
popularity here in the Philippines, and
with the release of their latest album
Bonamana topping album sales of their
previous effort, they have truly come full
circle. Bonamana reached 200,000 preorders and sold over 100,000 copies,
making it the current best-selling album
of 2010.
Super Junior
the korean pop sensation!
BY: AV GAWTEE
Super Junior?
You better 13elieve it!
Undoubtedly one of the biggest boybands in the Asian market today, Super
Junior (or SuJu for short) has been topping charts, filling concert stadiums and
dominating radio and air waves both
locally and around the world. Formed by
SM Entertainment in 2005, the group
consists of 13 main members, namely:
Leeteuk, Heechul, Hankyung, Yesung,
Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk,
Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kibum and
Kyuhyun. Aside from the main group,
subgroups have also been created to
target different audiences. Perhaps the
most well-known among these is Super
Junior-M (Mandarin) which includes Hankyung, Henry and Zhoumi.
They have won numerous awards on music
shows, making them the hottest comeback of the year so far. But despite their
success, it is unfortunate that there are
currently only 10 members active with
promotions. Hankyung has a lawsuit with
SM Entertainment regarding his contract;
Kibum is concentrating on his acting career; and Kangin enlisted in mandatory
military service.
Their semi-recent visit to the Philippines
brought fangirls (and fanboys) the moment they’ve been praying for. Super
Show 2 was the last stop in their 9-city
tour, and many rabid Suju fans knew
they couldn’t miss this opportunity. Fans
from all over the country wore the band’s
color, turning the concert into a sea of
sapphire blue.
Super Junior: The korean pop sensation
It was a spectacle beyond anything I’ve
ever seen and probably the best and
only way to sum the whole concert up
in my words would be: LAGLAG PANTY.
So for those who missed Super Show 2,
Super Junior will return to the Philippines
on February 26! All you crazy fans (and
even those who are just getting into them)
should already start buying tickets! With
numerous accolades and a continuously
expanding fanbase,
Super Junior is on top of the world right
now. But who knows how much further
they can go with all the controversy
surrounding them and the inevitable
military duty they will all have to serve.
But whether there are 10, 13 or 15 of
them, we ELFs (Everlasting Friends, Super
Junior’s fanclub) will PROT3CT THE MISSING 3, 10VE THE REMAINING 10 AND
PROM15E TO 13ELIEVE.
The beat 0f
angel
BY: KREESHIA SHARE
If you call yourself a Kpop fan and have never
even heard of BoA, then you’re not really a Kpop fan after
all. BoA is the undisputed Queen of Kpop and is one of the
biggest stars in Asia. Born Kwon Boa on November 5, 1986
in Gyeonggi province, South Korea, she is commonly known
by her stage name BoA, which stands for Beat of Angel. BoA
is currently signed under one of Korea’s biggest entertainment agencies, SM Entertainment. SM Entertainment discovered BoA when she was just accompanying her older brother
to the 1998 SM Casting System auditions. Her older brother,
sadly, did not get into SM Entertainment.
She trained under SM Entertainment for two years before
debuting with the single ID;Peace B in August 25, 2000 at a
young age of thirteen.
The album achieved relative success,
and gave her nationwide popularity.
Her strong vocals, impressive dancing
and versatility earned her critical praise
despite her young age. SM Entertainment
planned for a 2001 Japanese debut for
BoA, signing her under Japanese music
giant Avex Trax. The mini-album Don’t
Start Now was her first Japanese release,
and it sold 90,000 units. It was then announced that BoA’s Korean activities will
be put on hiatus to focus on her Japanese
career.
BoA then released twelve Japanese
albums so far. Having established herself
in the Japanese music industry, she is the
only non-Japanese artist to have two
million-selling albums in Japan and is one
of only two artists to have six consecutive
number-one albums in the Oricon charts
(Japan’s version of the Billboard charts).
BoA has sold-out concert tours in Japan
every year since 2003, even having two
in 2007. Despite her hectic schedule in
Japan, BoA released albums in Korea
from 2002 to 2005, but she has not had
a Korean release since then.
Korean advertisement deals still poured
for BoA even though she was frequently
absent in Korea’s music scene, proving her
popularity in the country. Despite various
reports for a 2009 Korean comeback,
SM Entertainment shocked fans announcing BoA’s American debut. On March 17,
2009, her self-titled international debut
album BoA was released. The album did
not achieve commercial success, but its
singles I Did It For Love and Energetic
managed to chart around number 80 in
the Billboard’s Hot Dance Charts.
BoA made her much awaited Korean
comeback last August with the album
Hurricane Venus, five years since her last
Korean release, to mark her 10th year
anniversary in the industry. The title track
Hurricane Venus, released on August
5th, became an immediate hit, charting at number one on numerous online
music charts. On September 27th, BoA
released the repackaged version of the
album, Copy & Paste, which was also an
instant hit.
BoA is set to return to Japan to wrap up
2010 with a two-night Christmas concert
series in Tokyo.
They currently have six number-one
singles in Japan, seven if you count a
duet single by two of the members. Their
fourth and latest Korean album, Mirotic,
is the first Korean album in six years to
sell more than 500, 000 copies. Their
live concert DVD 4th Live Tour 2009 - The
Secret Code - Final in Tokyo Dome is the
first non-Japanese DVD in 20 years to
place first in the DVD ranking, with the
sales exceeding “The Beatles Anthology
(Special Price Edition Edition)” and “Led
Zeppelin DVD.” Their 29th single “Break
Out!” topped the charts at 256,000
copies sold in its first week, breaking a
record previously held by Elton John for
14 years and 8 months for the highest
sales for a foreign artist.
TVXQ
BY: CASSANDRA WANG
TVXQ is an a cappella/dance quintet formed in 2003.
The group’s name is an acronym for
Tong Vfang Xien Qi which roughly translates to “Rising Gods of the East.” International fans call
them DBSK based on the Romanization of their Korean name, Dong Bang Shin Ki. They have
broken several records in and out of Korea and were unofficially called the top boy band in
Korea during their prime. The members are Jung Yunho (hot leader), Kim Jaejoong (dorky lead
vocalist), Xiah Junsu (“duck butt”), Shim Changmin (resident screamer) and Park Yoochun (pretends
to know English). They are the first Koreans to hold a concert in Malaysia, the first foreign male
group to have a number-one single in Japan, and their single “Why Did I Fall in Love with You?”
made them the first foreign artist to have three number-ones in Japan.
They are in the Guinness World Records
for having the world’s largest fan club
and for being the world’s most photographed celebrities.
Due to contract disputes between SM Entertainment and 3 of the members, group
activities of the entire band have been
put on hold. Members have been pursuing individual activities since the disputes,
as well as activities as separate groups.
In late 2010, Jaejoong, Yoochun and
Junsu appeared as JYJ, releasing both
English and Korean albums. And in early
2011, Yunho and Changmin released a
new album in Korea, Keep Your Head
Down, still under the name TVXQ.
committee Updates
FINCOMM
MEMCOMM
CULSOC
Hola CSA!
Hello, CSA!
As our semester is drawing to and
E.N.D. – energy never dies (hopefully), let us not forget to take a break,
have a Kitkat, and watch the apps
showcase their talents on Feb. 24
(OMG! So near! XD), go to mems’ TBS
and go vote for our next ExeComm.
Yes, yes, yes! You go do those things!
My sincerest thanks to all who participated and helped out with this year’s
Culture Week. It was a lot of work,
but I hope you enjoyed what we prepared for you guys.
Also, let us keep on supporting CSA’s
events: our BIG event, the Alumni
Charity Dinner on March 6! And you
know what’s next... Sem-ender and
Induction. Oh yeah! We like that!
Let’s all go to the events mentioned
above. I assure you, it’s going to be a
BLAST!
And before this school year officially
ends, I’d like to thank you all, for everything you did for CSA. To everyone
in CSA, a heartfelt thanks. Au Revoir!
As sort of a last hurrah, the coming
Charity Ball/Event this March 6 is in
need of your presence. Please do attend! We have prepared and planned
to make it an enjoyable night. (And
on behalf of the CSA Band, we practiced hard too!) Let’s all help in
making this event successful. Bungad
Elementary will be eternally grateful.
:D
Thank you for the year, CSA. May the
next year be prosperous for all of us.
Hello CSA!
The last rummage sale was held in
Damar Village on January 22. We
made P8950 that day. Tentative date
for next rummage sale is March 12,
Saturday,hopefully at Damar as well.
We still need a couple more sponsors
for the Charity Event. Any help is welcome. Thanks! Just contact Chelsea
via email or Facebook.
ACADS
Hello there, CSA!
It’s time again for the round up,
from us at Acads. So far we’ve had
the CulWeek exhibit last Febuary 1-4
at the 2nd floor AS lobby. Hopefully,
you had a chance to pass by and
see the handy work of Acads (and a
lot of other volunteers from different committees--thank you!) which
showcased the many facets of Chinese Culture, and of course, Chinese
New Year.
For the coming days and weeks, we’ll
be having the ACLE, or the Alternative
Classroom Learning Experience, to be
held on Feb 23, Wednesday. Our topic
this semester is ‘You Eat WHAT?!:An
(Icky) Chinese Food Exhibition’. We
will have a variety of food that we Chinese commonly eat, but seem bizarre
to other people, as well as an exhibit
of foods (and medicines) that seem
strange, admittedly even to us! It will
be held at the Center for International
Studies, Room C, so please do invite
your friends to come over!
We’ll also hopefully be releasing another issue of Currents for this year,
in time for our Sem Ender, so do look
out for that! We are still accepting
submissions and articles (as always!)
for inclusion in the newsletter.Just
send them over to patriciadenisechiu@
gmail.com. :) Thank you! (And on
behalf of Acads, another giant thank
you for always mostly supporting our
events.)
Belated Happy Valentine’s day, everyone!
committee Updates
committee Updates
SECRETARIAT
Hey CSA! :D
DA JIA HAO!
Welcome to another exciting (at least pretend it is) PRC update! Currently,
PRC is heading the alumni contacting for the charity dinner, so if you guys
could contact more alumni, that would be well appreciated!
We are also getting ready for the next and final swap! This time it will be
with UA&P Fu! The details are still sketchy, but we might be expecting
something special instead of the normal school visit!
Next up is the updating of the UP wiki CSA site. PRC will form a subcommittee that will be in charge of updating the wiki site of UP to display the
proper UP CSA information so that UP students everywhere will learn more
about the history and heritage of our glorious org.
Finally, we are trying to create an updated alumni database, so it is recommended that people who have changed their numbers contact any PRC
member so that their real numbers are properly saved.
Anyways, that’s just about it! NI MEN ZAI JIAN!
On behalf of the Secretariat Committee, thank you for your participationin Sweet
EsCape: the annual Valentines Pair Voting! Without you guys this event would not
have been a success. :D Congratulations again to the winning pair: Carla Lim and Ted
Chua! Carla Lim won with 545 votes, while Ted came from behind with 1025 votes
thanks to an anonymous benefactor! :D
We’ll update you with pictures of their romantic date in the near future. Hihihi :>
Next up, another reminder: remember to throw your trash in the trash bin before
leaving the tambayan.:D
Check your attendance status on the link given in the CSA Facebook Group. Probationary status is given to a member who does not fulfill the 55% attendance required
for this semester.
For questions, comments, or suggestions, don’t hesitate to approach any Sec Comm
member.
Okie dokie?
xoxo
Bernette
PUBLIC RELATIONS
committee Updates
Game Corner!
COMPILED BY: CHAR CHUA
Story in songs
BY: ANJ CHUA
You just got home from a tiring day at work, and all you want to do is to watch TV.
You notice the pile of letters on the table, and you groan. With your luck, they’re
probably just bills to pay, again. You meant to ignore them, but the nagging feeling
consumed you until you reach for one to open. There, you find, tucked under bills
and advertisements, a gold rimmed envelope.
“I gotta feeling, ooohh, that tonight’s gonna be a good night...”
Curiosity struck and you carefully opened it.
“You are cordially invited to UP Chinese Student Association Alumni Homecoming
dinner....”
You pause, remembering the countless times you’ve hung out on the stone benches
of the tambayan with your friends. You cherish these moments, but they’re a chapter
of your life--filled with some of the happiest memories-- you leave behind when you
pack and leave to move on with your life. You accept the fact that you will never see
your org friends again after graduation. And now? An Alumni Homecoming! Goodbyes have never really been your thing, and it never occurred to you that this would
happen.
A smile slowly spreads across your face. You should’ve seen this coming.
“’Cause somewhere down the road, our roads are gonna cross again, it doesn’t really matter when..”
LITERARY
UP CSA has been a home to many
Chinese-Filipino students of UP Diliman.
Semester after semester, more people
lengthen the list of members; their inauguration is celebrated, but now it’s time for the
org to re-embrace into its arms the many
alumni that had contributed to its growth
and history.
“It’s a success, then.” Dee dela Torre states
as she surveys the mingling groups of
mems and alumni.
Bryan Manzana just grins in response.
“So, what now?”
The UP CSA Alumni Homecoming dinner is
not only to celebrate its alumni but to allow
them to meet the current members of CSA
and to actively take part in today’s CSA and
its endeavors for a good cause.
You’re nervous. You haven’t seen anyone
you know. But then again, you are running
a little late. You pass through the open
doors with a sigh, and familiar faces and
young, new ones meet your eyes. They
turn towards you, happy for your arrival.
They start greeting you, as if you are a
long, lost sibling they’ve missed dearly.
You give them a huge smile, and eventually
mingle your way towards your long missed
friends.
“Hello, is it me you’re looking for?”
They grin, knowing you’d be there.
Manzana shrugs.
“Who knows where the road will lead us
now, but look at what we’ve found, make
this moment turn our hearts around...”
University of the Philippines Chinese
Student Association.
“...your hope,... your love,... everything that
you need.”
But now that I think about it, I guess it
By: Kathleen Yu
This story begins at the end.
And the end is where I walk away.
I was stupid, stupid to think that this
could’ve ended the way I always imagined it, stupid to think that you—of all
people—would understand exactly how
I felt. But I know better now, and I won’t
make the same mistake again. I thought
you were different, but I guess I was
wrong. I thought we were friends, but I
guess none of it was real. Maybe I was
blind, maybe I was a fool, maybe I was
both, but none of it really matters now.
None of it matters, because this is the
end of the story, the end of everything.
And nothing ever happens at the end,
except that I walk away, and we forget
about everything. I guess I can live with
that, can you?
You’re looking at me like I’m some kind
of weirdo, but I understand. Really, I do.
I shouldn’t have done what I did, and
I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right
thing, telling you how I felt.
was unfair of me. I shouldn’t have done
it. It was stupid. And if there was any
chance of taking it all back, I would. You
know me; I always do things that I end up
regretting. I guess I never take the time
to think things through, like any normal
person would. It was stupid of me to think
that there was even a ghost of a chance
that you would like me back. It was stupid
of me to mistake our friendship for a blossoming attraction.
I’m sorry I ruined everything. I’m sorry
I destroyed our friendship. I’m sorry, I
really am. Maybe one day, the both of
us could look back, and laugh about
everything. Maybe one day we could go
back to being friends. I sure hope so. But
it’s too late for that now. There’s nothing
left to do but walk away, because this is
the end of the story, and nothing ever
happens at the end. Please let me walk
away, please let me forget. Please let this
be the end of the story, the end of everthing. But no, this isn’t the end…this…
“Don’t walk away,” you say, and I stop.
You walk towards me, and I am afraid. I
don’t understand. I thought this was the
end.
“Please don’t walk away,” you repeat,
and I turn to look at you, “Please don’t
ever walk away.” You’re smiling. You’re
smiling at me. How could this be? I
thought you didn’t like me, I thought you
didn’t feel the same way; I thought that
this was the end, the end of the story, the
end of everything.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say it before,” you continue, “But you really surprised me, with
what you said. And I—“
“Don’t say another word,” I interrupt, “I
think I understand. Really, I do. Please
forget everything I said, it wasn’t true.”
“Shut up.” You say, “I like you too.”I smile
at you, and you smile back.
Now I understand, at least I think I do.
This was not the end, but the start of
something new.
A Writer And Her Pen
A world of silence and desolation,
This is her universe, her oblivion
A writer and her pen
She, who dreams of changing the world,
This writer is a fool
Her words mean nothing
Her expressions are empty
She is nobody,
She will always be nobody
A writer and her pen
A writer without inspiration
A pen that would not write
She dwells in desolation
Her universe, her oblivion
A guy is not there to make you happy; a guy is not there to fill an empty void in your
life. You, my friend, must first understand what it means to be single, and learn to be
happy with it. And once you’re satisfied with everything, then maybe a guy could add
some spice to your life. Could. That’s it. Guys are not the solution. They’re just an aphrodisiac, some of them better than others. (Okay, I know I’m being a bit extreme here
but what the hell). You don’t jump into any relationship just because you feel like it, just
because your annoying elder brother tells you to do so (ugh), just because you’re feeling lonely and need someone to fill that gap in your life. No, you jump into a relationship when you know you’re ready to make a commitment.
A relationship, my dear, is not based on the intensity of feeling. You don’t get into a
Dear Lovesick Girl,
FROM THE DESK OF: KATHLEEN YU
You don’t need a guy to make you happy. More often than not, guys actually
make things a lot worse. I know it’s almost Valentine’s Day, and you probably
don’t have a date, and you’re probably wishing that you had one right now, but
before you go looking for a guy, you have to understand that guys don’t really
make you happy. Guys are just guys, and you will get one at the right time. It
doesn’t have to be now, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, and it doesn’t even
have to be for a really long time. The important thing is that you understand how
special you are, and how much you deserve. And you, dear lovesick girl, don’t
deserve just anyone.
You deserve the best, because you are the best. You deserve a guy who will
make you smile, a guy who will make you laugh, a guy who will tell you that
you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him, a guy who will take care of
you when you need to be taken care of. You, my dear lovesick girl, you deserve
the guy you’ve always dreamt of. Nothing less. And you have to understand
that even though it’s hard to be lonely, even though it sucks to be alone, even
though you’d really like a guy right now, none of it really matters in the end.
Because once you meet that guy, you’ll know almost instantly—that it was definitely worth the wait.
relationship just because you “feel something really special” for that really cute classmate, or that handsome basketball player. You just don’t. Feelings pass, but stable
commitments last a lifetime. And you, my dear friend, need to understand the time
and effort it takes to make such a relationship work. It’s hard. A KAS professor of mine
once said that a relationship is worth 12 units. And it is. Probably even more. You have
to understand that relationships are not just about fun and games. It takes a lot of time
and effort to make things work. A friend of mine used to commute all the way to Taft
everyday just to see his girlfriend. That’s how much it takes, and if you’re ready for
that, then well and good, but if you’re not, perhaps it’s better to be single?
Contrary to common belief, to be single is not to be ugly. Neither is it an epidemic,
or reserved for girls who can’t get their own boyfriends. To be single is to enjoy what
you have at a given moment, to be happy with your current relationship status (without wishing for anything more), to understand that sometimes, it’s better to be alone
than to get into a relationship that will make you unhappy. My dear lovesick girl, to be
single is to make an important choice, and to make it with your best interests at heart.
Because you don’t deserve just anyone. And you have to understand that although
circumstances may sometimes push you to settle, before you jump into anything, stop
and think: perhaps you deservebetter. Perhaps you deserve the guy you’ve always
dreamt about. And he will come.
If not this Valentine’s Day, then maybe the next ;)
Sincerely,
A Good Friend
A Standard Dilemma
BY: KATHLEEN YU
That certainly seems like the safe option. Maybe I should just rely on fate and
destiny, that if we’re meant to be, then it
will happen. Maybe it’s foolish of me to
try, because you probably like someone
else already, and maybe I’m just wasting
my time here pretending to be your friend
when I actually feel so much more.
What do you think?
What if I just walked up to you, and told you to your face, “I really like you.”?
Then I wouldn’t have to ask myself if I should or shouldn’t, or if you like me or not, or if I
should avoid you if you don’t feel the same way, or if I’m justified in feeling the way I feel,
or if I should even be thinking of these things in the first place… Maybe sometimes you
just have to take that leap, and find out where it leads. We only live once. So why hesitate? Why second guess ourselves?
Maybe I will walk up to you tomorrow, and tell you to your face, “I really like you.”
Maybe.
I’m just not sure yet.
As I stared at you
from Across the room
I like you.
Maybe I should just walk away. WalkI really like you. Why is it so difficult for
me to say out loud? Maybe it’s because
I’m scared you don’t feel the same way,
that you probably don’t like me that
much, that you think I’m an idiot, that I
really am an idiot… but what if I went up
to you right now (hypothetically speaking,
of course), and told you to your face, “I
really like you, I think you’re awesome,
I’ve had this crazy crush on you for quite
some time now?”
What would you say?
Would you tell me that you like me too?
Or would you look at me like I was crazy, walk away, and never speak to me
again? I keep asking myself, should I do
it? Or should I just pretend that I don’t
feel anything, and then wait for things to
subside?
ing away is easy. Walking away means
I don’t have to try, that I can tell myself
that it wouldn’t have worked out anyway,
that I can spend the rest of my life (or a
really long time) wondering what could’ve
happened had I been brave enough to
tell you the three words that have been
foremost in my mind for a really long time
now,
“I like you.”
But then again, why should I be the one
to say it? Maybe I should wait for you to
say it first? So it wouldn’t be so embarrassing, so I wouldn’t have to avoid you
if it turns out (and it will turn out) that you
don’t like me back? But what if you never
say it, and I never stop liking you? What if
I never say it, and it turns out you like me
too? Or what if…
I stare at you from across the room
You do not speak
Wondering why it is you don’t speak
I wish you would speak
But I do not say this out loud
I think—
I want you to speak.
Because I see it in your eyes, you want
to—
You need to—
You have to—
But you do not.
Why don’t you?
How am I supposed to know?
I cannot read your mind,
I wish you would show me that you
cared
That you would tell me
How much I mean to you
Because it is not—
It is never enough
Just to look and stare.
Only the feelings you show.
To look at you without saying a word
That is for me,
The worst kind of agony
A thousand things run through my mind
And I ask myself
If you liked me
Why wouldn’t you say so?
A smile would be heaven,
A glance divine,
If I could just know—
How you felt inside.
But I do not—
I do not know.
Or perhaps
UNSPOKEN
DESIRE
Rain
An icy breeze blows through my hair
There is nothing to show.
I start to shiver; I do not care
Maybe it was just my imagination—
Something that was not
And could never be—
Real.
I wonder if I had spoken
Would things have been any different?
Perhaps they would,
But more likely not
Sometimes,
Reality sucks.
I love you but I cannot say it,
Rain falls down in sloshing torrents
I need you but I cannot show it,
Drenching me to the bone
Words are not enough to explain what I
feel
I do not know what I seek
Whenever you look at me, it’s unreal.
The rain falls upon me
I do not speak, but I want you to know
I stare at you from across the room
Wondering why it is you don’t speak
Words fail me as I watch you leave,
I wished that you would speak
I don’t, not anymore
I think—
Perhaps it wasn’t worth it after all.
Here I am, alone—
I start to cry,
Though I cannot say it,
Why did you leave me, why?
Nor can I show it,
Tears flow down in slow currents,
I love you
I think of you
And wonder what I ought to do.
I could write a thousand lines to tell you
I need you
how I feel
But none of it would matter
No—it never will.
Please never let me go.
I loved you, yet you broke my heart
Why—why did we fall apart?
Rain falls down in sloshing torrents,
I see your face in every droplet,
Once upon a time, I thought I loved you.
Not anymore I do.
Let’s Pretend
Let’s pretend you’re taking a leisurely
stroll down University Avenue. It’s a fine
Friday morning. All of your classes were
just canceled, and you’re on your way
home to watch that episode of How I Met
Your Mother/Gossip Girl/Skins/(insert
name of show you like to watch) you
downloaded last night but haven’t really checked out yet. This is going to be
an awesome day, you think, and then…
you trip and fall over. Yes, you trip and
fall over, and (to add insult to injury) land
face first on the ground. “This is so embarrassing”, you think, “I hope no one
saw me.”
“Are you ok?” someone says, and you
look up and blush. It’s a guy, looking
down at you with this really concerned
look on his face. But he’s not just any
other guy, he’s a really handsome guy,
with sensitive eyes and a cute smile,
and…but I’m already getting ahead of
myself here.
“I’m fine,” you mutter, embarrassed and
“I’m sorry,” you mutter. You turn around
utterly humiliated. He helps you to your
feet and you think, “What a big, strong
guy.” And then he looks at you with that
really concerned look on his face, and
you forget everything. Your mind is a
total blank. What an awesome day, you
think…staring absently into those sensitive eyes…
to get a good look at the person and…
what do you see? A guy is rubbing his
chin. But not just any other guy, a really
cute guy. He smiles at you. “No harm
done,” he says. You blush, and plop down
on the nearest empty seat. He places
himself next to you and grins.
And then you blink.
You’re standing alone in the waiting shed
next to Eng’g, waiting for a PANTRANCO
jeep to arrive. It takes you a moment
to process everything around you. You
must’ve nodded off, waiting for the jeep.
Why, why, why did you have to cram that
stupid KAS 1 report? But it was such an
awesome dream, you think, while trying
to remember how the guy looked. You
can’t. All you know is that he was really handsome, but no discernible image
comes to mind. You sigh, and think longingly of how wonderful it would be to get
home and sleep for a full twelve hours.
Why, why, why did you have to cram that
stupid KAS 1 report?
Finally, the PANTRANCO jeep arrives.
You hurriedly climb in, eager to get home
and rest. In your haste, you accidentally
elbow the person right behind you.
Stay tuned for the next issue...
“What’s your name?” he asks casually.
You’re about to reply, when suddenly…
You wake up. It was just a dream.
You’d fallen asleep in front of your laptop, watching this awesome Christopher
Nolan movie called Inception. You yawn,
and shut down the computer. It’s late in
the afternoon, and just about time for your
next class.
You haven’t been getting much sleep
lately and that nap really did you a lot
of good. You’re wide awake. You try
to remember what you were dreaming
about, but it’s like holding water in cupped
hands. Next to impossible. Random
details flash by, but you can’t really make
sense of anything. All you know is that it
was a really good dream.
CURRENTS
IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
“Is this seat taken?” someone says.
You look up, and see…
THE UPCSA RESEARCH AND ACADS COMMITTEE