Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

"...But being the best is not enough" —Reuven Frank,  NBC News President circa 1983 I think in each class there are 2 kinds of students: those who care and those who don't, or rarely care. Those who care can be divided into two: the lucky ones and the not much lucky ones. Who am I to tell you this? It's just an idea from my mind, theoretical, and can be rejected. Just let me share it to you, because I’ve found something here for all of us to take note. The lucky ones successfully reach the finish line before any other else. They are those who get to finish first. They ace the tests and achieve almost each and every seatwork, homework, and project. They're brilliant, of course, unless they're the ones who memorize instead of understanding. There may be some downs, but they are minor. Thus, they're all-time winners, in my own opinion. And what seems incredible to them is that they have the strength to do it all. It thus makes me wonder, how do they do it?  D...

2 years ago, I wrote a piece here , where I depicted 2 different Christmases: one that was a joyous celebration, and one that was not that joyous. Days before Christmas that year, Typhoon Washi, or Sendong, struck Mindanao and parts of Visayas and Palawan. As long as I can remember, the pictures and videos showed a very tragic aftermath. One picture that I put there in the post set my mood down. I did wonder: how they'll spend Christmas when there's nothing left? When their love ones were carried away from them? This year, I felt the same again. History repeated itself, but now in a stronger level. Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, is seen as the greatest storm yet. It brought damage in Visayas and parts of Minanao. It turned Tacloban and nearby places into "ghost towns", like that in The Walking Dead , or Cell . Seeing on the TV screen what was going on there pulled me in awe. I felt compassion. I was saddened suddenly. I wondered what can I do to help. And so I wrote the ...

I have three words for Haiyan, or Yolanda, which  deeply  struck the Philippines, actually Visayas: strong , short , but most of all saddening. For the first time I felt a heavy sadness and awe when I saw the pictures of destruction, the piles of debris, and the agony of people in Leyte and Samar on television. Really depressing.  After the typhoon, lots of help came, from both the local and international. Telethons are held. Concerts happen for the cause. Celebrities auction their things. Foreign aid, which amounts to billions, is given (we hope that they wouldn't go nowhere).  But how about me? , I thought last Sunday. Shouldn't I give something? Shouldn't I give to Red Cross or somewhere else? Shouldn't I donate? I lament the situation, but shouldn't I donate? Yet, unlike others, I don't get much money, though I admit I have savings.  Thankfully, last Wednesday our school called for donations.  But at that Sunday evening, the thought crowded my mind. Wh...

Aren't there things, pictures, or whatsoever that may bring some flashbacks, then you realize they aren't that good flashbacks? As if you have already thrown something, then it just throws back to you? Aren't we supposed to leave our past, except its lessons, and live at the present and hope for the future? Most of us just do that. Then, why at some point what we had already deleted seemed to have a back up? That made me this. (I Want To) Flee From Bitterness I came from a complex past and I got through it—life's so fast Pain and other else I just felt I'm thankful I didn't melt Hours and days stepped history Growing— thriving —up I see Times have gone by but feeling a sting when it's gone—why? When I threw the bad in the bin why should it go back in? If the hurtful and unfavorable was swept then why those same things I get? I want to flee from this bitterness Never arrive in circumstances of sadness Even bits of memory that corrupts the positive I plea— del...

"If I could change I would take back the pain I would Retrace every wrong move that I made I would If I could stand up and take the blame I would If I could take all the shame to the grave I would" —Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, from "Easier To Run" "When you feel my heat Look into my eyes It’s where my demons hide It’s where my demons hide" —from "Demons", Imagine Dragons At the end of October and the beginning of November, people celebrate Halloween and remember their loved ones who have passed away. Many of us also celebrate around horror characters and anything else that will scare us, maybe wearing "scary" costumes and engaging in Halloween parties. When these days come, horror doesn't only come to mind. There are also the mythical creatures, ghosts, monsters and zombies (aren't those horror too?). And since there's All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, there come the subjects of death and the dead. Graves, tombs, cemet...

How 1st semester turned out? 6 This fourth year, I took an opportunity in a radio broadcasting contest, one of the contests in a District School Press Conference, out of interest in the said media. We practiced scriptwriting and news delivery for days. And at the day of the contest, the pressure was on. It was a challenging match for 2 hours, and we arrived at a script that's nice despite of the errors. Then, we delivered the script in a form of a 5-minute news broadcast. There was good teamwork working among our team of 7. Despite of the difficulties and slip-offs, I can say that we've done a great job. But with this I had a doubt if I could do this further when while we're in this contest, my classmates are busy in the classroom with our teachers. I fear of the activities and seatworks and quizzes that I'll miss. I'm unsure if I can handle the matters in both sides—the curricular and the extra-curricular. I prayed that others will be picked for the team to compete...

How 1st semester turned out? 1 'Semester' is more applicable in college, but as a high school student, 'semestral break' rings as a sign of relief and repose after the hustle and bustle of first and second quarters. It always turns out, though, to be a one-week holiday when it could have been two weeks, because the suspension of classes during the devastating monsoons takes those days away. More suspension equates to less sembreak. I should be thankful, anyway. It's good enough to rest and relax for a week before we, science high school students, ignite our engines and start functioning again. Another thing, the fear and anticipation for another week will be relieved for at least one Sunday. And we can take longer rests at last, although it still depends on the person. As I take the time to both work and play this sembreak, I also reminisce the past two quarters. We've just started on third quarter, and I think it's now time for me to improve in the last two...

We're finally at the final 10! At last! What to expect? It's yours to unfold. Well, you really have to listen. You may find these songs nice and put it in your cellphones—ahem—smartphones. So why don't you give them a try? Let's unfold these remarkable songs I listened at third year. 10. " You got to push, got to shove" Life On The Nickel|Foster The People Yeah yeah yeah. We have FTP again...or FTPs. Anyway, aside from the unique electronic and pop-ish sound of FTP, the words of "Hustling", a.k.a. "Life On The Nickel", is relative to how my day to day life turned out before. For me, the word hustling is like working in the wee hours of the night and staying awake like an insomniac. Working here, working there. I also like the pumped-up live version . 9. " But then I act like I know everything" Broken Jaw|Foster The People Yeah yeah...A slow progression followed by a DJ-like upbeat tempo. That's how I'll describe "Br...

Before I unfold the top 10 songs of my third year, I now share these songs that I've found out from the 80s that made its way to my ears during third year. 10. " There is no historical precedent/ To put the words in the mouth of the President" Russians|Sting One thing's for sure: I was fond of Sting during third year. I've learned this song from a Sting concert aired on Myx. I like the origin of this song: an invention of a friend of Sting. They just watched a Russian broadcast through the invention, and so Sting made this song of his hopes that Russians will love their children as lovely as their cartoons. In case you don't know him, he's the vocalist and bassist of one of the most heard bands in the 80s—The Police. He's a very talented musician. 9. " In times like these I have no answer/ Nothing to say at all" Coming Home|Fra Lippo Lippi A melodramatic, piano-tuned song from a favorite of Filipinos who grew up listening to them—Fra Lippo ...

Please bear with me. This list runs for almost 7 months! I missed updating this 101 songs because—guess what—I'm busy doing what has to be done this 4th year. I told it on my past post. But speaking of school...We're already down to the top 20 songs of my third year. These songs are pieces and parts of my past school year. These songs were the songs I got to listen to most of the time. For this part, we have a new band to be featured—a distinctive band in the Philippines named Up Dharma Down. Also expect some Linkin Park, M83, FTP, and James Blake. Don't know them yet? Know them here. 20. " Can you feel the rush rush?" Davenport|Never The Strangers At 20 we have a synth-filled, dramatic song of Never The Strangers. I don't really know why this is entitled "Davenport". It is either a place or the type of sofa. But what I liked in this track is that it speaks of going away and being away, and it is spoken thoroughly.  19. " Iindak na lamang ba s...

The music continues to reel as we go on counting down the 101 songs that entered my ears and struck my mind and heart last school year. We're coming close to the last 10 songs. But before that, I will feature these next ten songs that ranked 30 to 21. From the ballad side of Linkin Park to guitar-flinging sounds of Muse and Franz Ferdinand. From the cool electronic sound of Stars and Passion Pit to the pounding and awesome beats from Foster The People. Let's get started. 30. " So don't apologize.  I'm losing what I don't deserve" Burning In The Skies|Linkin Park While Linkin Park has its own heavy, electrified rock sound, it also has its soft, ballad side. "Burning In The Skies" is a song that fits right at those moments when I feel I failed at what I do and at connecting with others(read:"bridges I have burned"). I feel this song speaks of cut ties, of broken situations, of the things, and maybe persons, that you don't deserve. Th...