Just like that, two weeks have passed by. And with that, our Bridge Classes are over. Now, the real fun begins. Because the real classes start tomorrow (Monday). 
I have mixed feelings starting school again. I’m scared and excited. I’m scared because I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with my classmates. Years of working had somehow fried my brains. I’m a little bit rusty learning new things. And this program that I’m currently enrolled in is fast paced. The school expects us to learn C programming in just two weeks! After that, some higher-level language will be introduced. I have a feeling that I won’t be needing sleep pills because I don’t think I’d have time to sleep. There’s just so much stuff that I need to cram into my brain. Now if only there’s a pill to sharpen my brain again!
I wasn’t able to be there for my wife’s monthly check up. Fortunately, my SIL accompanied her. I don’t really know for sure why they weren’t able to determine the baby’s gender. But from what my wife told me, the baby is still in a position that prevents us to see for sure its gender. And so the adventure continues.
I’ve mentioned before that we’re rooting for a girl, right? But the OB hinted though that there’s a big possibility that the baby would turn out to be a boy. My SIL in New Zealand already bought pink girly clothes for our baby. And if our baby turns out to be a boy, those clothes would have to be given away. On the other hand, if it does turn out to be a boy, then the baby stuff that Yuan left would really come in handy.
I really have no preference (unlike diet pills, which I prefer to be organic). As long as the baby is healthy, I’m happy. I guess the baby will just surprise us when he/she comes out.
Later today, we will have our monthly check up again with my wife’s OB. And this time, we will again try to determine its sex. The last checkup was a bust as the baby was positioned right. And this time, we’re hoping that the baby will cooperate.
Last night, I was giving the baby some energy auditor training and psyching him/her to behave so we could peek. I still don’t know though if I’d be able to make it there when the OB probes my wife. I have classes till 5 PM. And It’d be around 6:30PM when I get back here. Still, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping everything is ok.
There are a lot of things that we want for the baby. And I think I’ve mentioned how my wife and I have been wishing for a camcorder. It’d be really great if we could record much of the baby’s life. We all know how fast babies grow. Take Yuan, for example. We were there when he was born, and in what seems like an instant, he’s now a little boy. How time really flies!
And so with our baby, a camcorder would really be useful. But we’re still undecided if we can afford one. With just my wife working full time and me doing just a few freelance work and studying, we’re having second thoughts about getting one. It’s something that’s nice to have. We’ll see.
If you must know, our baby has his/her own bank account already. And I dare say that the baby fund is a lot fatter than my study fund.
Even before I took the entrance exam last February, we’ve been saving since early last year. If I was to go to school, we’d have to be ready for my school expenses. The tuition fees alone are expensive. And since I have to quit my job, we really need all the money that we can save. Being debt free helped a lot. We saved as much as we can. Much as I liked to have personalized basketballs and a few new gadgets (iPhone, iTouch, and now iPad), we became Ilokano and focused on what we really need. This went on till early this year.
Ever since we planned on having a baby, we started saving up for him/her. Initially, it was a measly Php500 per payday, or Php1000 a month. We were busy fattening up my study fund. And when we found out that we are pregnant, we substantially increased it. The study fund isn’t 100% complete, but the baby is much more important. Plus, there are options for school, like maybe getting a sponsoring company. We also took some more freelance work to fatten it up.
Planning for future expenses like these really does help. It’d be a nightmare if we didn’t have these funds set up. The peace of mind alone knowing that everything will be taken cared of is worth the hassle.
So far, this week is much more relaxed compared to last week. Whereas last week’s lesson was the dreadful C programming, this week we’re currently learning about computer systems and basic I.T. concepts. Since Monday, which I’d like to call Cyber Monday, we’ve been talking and discussing about how computers work and how they convert and process human language into computer language.
There some group work and activities that also somehow liven up the discussion, and from time to time, we are called in front to simulate and act how computers process data. Some very interesting stuff, right? Learning how computers process data by being a computer yourself was just genius. And if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some more algorithms to run.
I have a feeling I won’t be needing fitness equipment real soon. For the more than two years that I’ve been married, I stopped having an active life. Instead, I spent all my free hours with my wife, which is a good thing. But our activities usually revolved around going to the mall for (window) shopping, maybe a movie, and of course indulging in food. There were times that we travelled too, usually to the nearby Tagaytay, but that also involved food, and I doubt that any physical activity that we ever did, like rafting, rappelling, hiking, etc., can really be counted as exercise. Basically, I’d say that we had a sedentary lifestyle.
For a few years now, whenever I say commute, it basically means that I took a cab. Having your own car does that. I got snobbish. I refused to take public transportation. But since the UP ITTC is all the way to the North, and I’m from the South, the gas expenses would be staggering. So I commute, as in really commute. I ride a tricycle, a jeepney, the MRT, and one more jeepney to get to school. And transferring from one public transport into another involves a lot of walking. So you can imagine all the sweat I’m generating: kili-kili power! And with that power, I’d slowly starting to notice that I’m losing weight, most noticeably along the midsection. So be ready, if this continues, in no time at all, I’d be sporting some sick-pack abs!
I’ve also been to the UP Shopping Center. And let me just say that it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was actually imaging something, uhm…, much more. hehe It was actually my wife who wanted me to go there because there were a few things that she wanted me to buy for her, including a bag that looked like a Bluebook.
Anyway, since it was a hot day, I decided to try out this store that sells fruit shakes. There were so many varieties but I decided to go healthy (since I hope to share weight loss success stories too) and ordered an apple, celery, and cucumber shake. It did provide refuge from the heat but the combination tasted refreshingly weird. 
Also in the UP Shopping Center was the famous Rodics. They reportedly have one of the best tapsilogs. But since I don’t really eat beef, I decided to play safe and ordered longsilog, which was nothing spectacular. But someday, I will try their tapsilog and tell you all about it.
I say, I am enjoying exploring UP. Lunch time is discovery time. In one week, I’ve been to the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Association (CASAA) canteen. And my impression: it’s ok. I don’t know if it was just a particularly hot day that time that we visited, or it’s really normally hot everyday. And the hot tinola that I had for lunch didn’t help. So if you’re looking for foods that burn fat, I suggest getting one in CASAA. The heat from this enclosed space will literally burn those extra fats you have.
So the first week of the Bridge Program was over just like that. It came by so fast that I barely had time to digest it all. For one whole week, we studied about C programming. What usually takes 5 months to learn was condensed into a five-day affair (kinda like having the best acne treatment). But unlike pesky pimples that go by in a week, the C programming that we studied didn’t leave a noticeable mark. I somehow feel like I didn’t really learn anything. In three weeks, during our regular class, we’ll formally get reintroduced. And this time, we’ll be graded. And that makes me nervous. Very nervous!
According to the professors, students usually drop out during the first semester. I guess people have trouble adjusting back to being a student. Plus, cramming all those data in so little time is no easy task. The real lessons aren’t starting yet and I already feel behind. Now if you’ll excuse me, I still have a lot of catching up to do.
This is for those curious about the 1-year Certificate in I.T. program offered by the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center (UP ITTC).
In a nutshell, the program is for 1 year. You read that right, 1 whole year! Better stack up on blue acne light because you’ll really need it. It consists of four 10-week quarters. Classes start on June 7 from Monday to Friday at 8AM to 5PM. The program currently has three areas of specialization. And at the third quarter, you’ll be given the choice on which specialization you want, either Applications Development, Network Systems, or Embedded Systems.
I’m currently interested in Applications Development. But as I learn more about I.T. in the coming months, there’s a big possibility that I’d choose Network Systems or Embedded Systems too.
About two years ago, Eks told me about the University of the Philippines Information Technology Training Center (UP ITTC). He knew that I’ve been wanting to take technical courses and learn more about networks, routers, ls2208, etc. Initially, I just wanted to take short courses. But after discussing it with my wife, we’ve decided to invest in the 1-year Certificate in I.T. program.
And last February, I took the entrance exam. I was a little bit worried because I didn’t do too well on the exams. But I guess it’s His will because He gave me some special favor and I passed!
Our classes start on June 7. And I’m very scared and excited!
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