Library Hopping

Time management had always been my problem, even in my project. I promised myself to wake up early but I was too exhausted from work. I took a mental note that I will work on it during my break time at work but I have to start conducting QA to my team, so it never happens.

The only free time that I have is every Saturday. And in the past two Saturdays, I have been successful in making progress on my chapter one. Last July 3, I discovered that I should also worry about my understanding of directions. I’ve mentioned that my class is going to have a field trip at the UP Diliman library. So I was there before 9:00 am, lo and behold, non-UP students are not permitted to even step foot on the library every weekend. Fuming will do me no good, so instead I just ate egg sandwich and drink C2 while enjoying the fun activities in the Sunken garden and jogging area. I decided to just go back to the UE Graduate school library that also boosts of good books about my topic, Distance Education. I took a jeepney with an MRT sign, which was a mistake because MRT is different from LRT, haha.

I ended up in GMA-Kamuning train station. I dare asked the security guard what station should I alight to go to Recto, he said that it will be on the second station. Seeing a CEU student in the carriage was a relief, I can just follow her! So that is what I did, I strutted my way around Araneta and Gateway mall, but I think she felt that someone was on her trail, she suddenly stopped dead and not wanting to be busted, I just continued prancing, following the flow of people who are obviously on their way to the train station.

On my way to the train, I realized that people don’t line up in the first carriage because it was for ‘special’ people. Believing the I was also one of them, someone who lost her way and needs to rest, I made my way into it, only to be warned by a security guard who was about to blow his whistle. I immediately shifted back, but giving the guy a ‘sweet and innocent’ sarcastic smile for doing his job well. =)

I was already comfortable in my place when I realized that I should have alighted from the station before Recto. So I need to go back! I cursed everyone on my way, but because I am no witch, there was no effect at all. I am already on a jeepney going back to UE when my classmate sent me a text message. And guess where they are…

They are in the National Library. I was like, ‘That is in Kalaw, I don’t know how to get there!’. After receiving a feeble answer from the guards, I made my way back to Recto, and then when I was too tired to continue my hike and still no jeeney going to Kalaw, I asked a barker. He told me a direction, I asked “Pwede bang lakarin?’, I think he said ‘yes’. And that was a fatal mistake.

It was so far! I even have to go to the underpass to cross to Isetan. When I saw the underpass, I muttered, “There is no way in hell I will go in that underpass.” But I did it anyway, almost running for my life. After that, the gods had their good laugh, they let me see a jeepney going to Kalaw. At last, I am on my way to my destination.

But there was no warning at all what my destination awaits me. It was hot as being inside an oven in that library. And I am not being a diva, it was really hot, how can people study well in that kind of temperature still baffles me. Instead of starting to look for my related literature, I sat down in the bench, stretched my poor legs and enjoyed the still humid air from an electric fan. I almost jumped for joy when I finally saw my dear professor and classmates. I hold my tongue before I can say “Can we go now?”, I think they also suffered enough and rewarded themselves to just go back to the comfortable, air-conditioned library of UE.

Our meeting yesterday was the opposite of my disastrous misadventures last week. My professor and classmates were nowhere to be seen. I learned from one of my classmate that we were supposed to be in the Ateneo library this time. But I have no intention to drag myself to Quezon City when I was in a roll in my chapter one in the comforts of UE library. Even though I am not with the Jesuits, I think I am in good hand because I am with the Red Warriors, where I think I belong, err, aside from the Marooners of course.