Star Drama Theater Presents ...

Mateo Alexander

to be a dad

When Andrea and I got married, we decided to start independently. We moved out of our parents' places, took all our things and settled far far away from the world we grew up with. It was, to say the least, a nerve-wracking change for both of us. And it took us the whole year to adjust to our situation.

Now, a year and a month later, we're again faced with a new and more if not equally challenging change... being parents, because last January 15, at exactly 1:40 pm, Andrea gave birth to our little angel, Mateo Alexander.

If if took me a great deal of patience, humility and self-control to become a husband, then I could just imagine what it would take to become a dad. But I'm not scared. I'm not worried at all because if being a husband gave me so much happiness, you can just guess how ecstatic I am to be a dad.

crossroads

When I was still young I figured life would always turn out to be what I'd want it to be - a kind of philosophy that I considered both a gift and a curse that I got from my parents. I was taught to believe that a person can always will his/her own fate and happiness. In short, I was trained to be an optimist. And all my life, that's what I tried to be. Never thinking that I would fail, I willed myself into good schools and great jobs (but not without sacrifices and much hardships ofcourse!). The thing is, once my goals are set, I always push through and I've never missed a target. Not once... except now.

Why? What about if you have 2 goals? When the realization of one goal means the sacrifice of the other, which would you choose? In my case, here are the two goaIs: self-fulfillment in a non-lucrative career or financial stability for my family in the cold but deliberate corporate world.

My story...

I teach in a small, private, and (to say the least) unconventional school. It's a place where the teachers are asked to put in all aspects of themselves (creative, artistic, emotional, sensitive and more), where everyone wears malong on wednesdays, where 5 sciences are taught in elementary, where children with special needs go hand in hand with every other kid in their class, a place where excellence and kindness have reached a harmonious compromise. For four years I've found myself enjoying the company of kids and co-workers, feeling a different kind of fulfillment trying to influence changes in the new generation, acquiring more and more knowledge about all sorts of things, and discovering and rediscovering certain skills that I've already forgotten (like drawing and playing music). But not without sacrifice... financial sacrifice that is. (It's common knowledge here in the Philippines that the teaching career does not go well with the words lucrative or financially rewarding.) I've tried delaying worries about financial issues but I guess it can only be delayed for so long. It has become quite a pressing concern especially now that I've become a family man.

Concidentally, a friend offered me a position in a call center company he works for in Libis last Christmas vacation. A training specialist position, he said, is something that I could work with so I tried. The pay, the opportunities for climbing up the ranks, and even the medical benefits were excellent. The catch, however, is that you have to be able and willing to fire people who are not competent in their work. Don't get me wrong. I understand the need for employee competency in a company. It's just that telling people to go find another job somewhere else is entirely new to me. (In school, expulsion is the last resort - only, and I mean only, when absolutely all options are exhausted)

Anyway, because I don't want to keep the kids hanging, I declined the offer. But my friend told me that the same position will be vacant again this summer. And that's where I stand. Do I continue the life I've enjoyed for 4 years, trying to matter in the world as an educator but risking my family's financial security, or do I donn the corporate attire, leaving my co-teachers, friends and the children I've grown to regard as my own and finally be able secure my family's future and buy things I've never bought before for myself, my wife, and our new little angel?

Those are the two goals that I have. That's the crossroad where I stand.

choices

Ever since I could remeber, my parents and grandparents have always wanted me to become a medical doctor. "You'd be the first one in the family", they'd always say. I guess if you hear that everyday, you tend to make the dream your own.

So I did. When I went to High School, I was already choosing to become a doctor. Although my first love was drawing, I never considered pursuing anything else but medicine. My pencil became nothing more to me than just a writing material when it used to be my most priced possession. (I drew for hours when I was a lot younger and filled several notebooks with sketches of different things - all of which my lolo, who happened to be quite an artist himself, found quite promising.)

I never looked back. I chose to take up Biology in UP as a pre-med course thinking that it would be the best option to prepare me for life as a doctor. And even with the lure of a DOST scholarship to take non-med related courses, there was no veering away from the path I chose. Unfortunately, because of lack of insight and maybe a bit of overconfidence, I never saw the whole picture. Since I always thought that I would make it to UP PGH, I never looked at any other medical school.It was too late to realize that it takes a whole lotta brain, focus, and maybe some blood relative alumnus priveleges (which I had none) to get in. Too bad I was lacking in all aspects. And when I realized that it would take a fortune to pursue the dream somewhere else, I gave it up. I chose another path - teaching.

When my college friend told me about joining their school, it had little appeal to me at first. But, when I was told that they wanted to engage in a new challenging curriculum I said what the heck! I'll give it a try. For a year probably, I said to myself. Then the next year came and I was still there. And then another year followed. I found myself laughing in the company of kids half (or sometimes even less) my age. I was playing, drawing and learning with the little rascals. I did not choose to enjoy their company, but I did. I am. I wish all choices end up with great consequences. Unfortunately, we're not all that lucky ... not all the time.

oh Aveo

Everybody dreams of having their own car. Some go for the sporty-looking ones. Some go for the big ones - I mean the really mean-looking, and imposing road monsters. Others dream about petite, cutey, almost feminine econocars. Me, I just wanna have a new one.

It's not that I hate our red 1989 Mitsubishi Lancer. Heck, I love it. But, let's face it. A few years from now and it would pass as a vintage car.

Forgive me for sounding like I don't care for our car. Believe me I do. We've been though a lot together, and she's proven herself worthy in more than a few occasions. I just think that cruising is still going to be so different when you don't have to worry about overheating engines, malfunctioning air-conditioning system, or mysteriously self-unlocking doorlocks. (Yup - we've been through some freaky times together, but I still love her.)

It's just that I can't help but dream about something new. It's nice wondering about the feel of a brand new set of wheels - the sweet scent of new leather; the unique look and texture of the 2-tone black sporty seats; the smooth, non-sticky texture of a new dashboard; a bigger leg room; the grip of a sporty 4-spoke steering wheel with music control right at your fingertips; the gentle rock of new suspensions; the powerful roar of a VTEC-equivalent 1.4 L displacement engine; and ofcourse cruising at a pocket-friendly gas consumption rate of 19 km/L. Unfortunately, this dream comes at a hefty price - a whopping 640,000 pesos.

Yup! The dream I'm talking about is Chevy's new Aveo Sedan. GM's Chevrolet now competes with the best models of the 2006 sedans with its new member, the Aveo Sedan. With the close feel of a Mazda 3, this new Chevy goes head to head with the Honda and Toyota leaders of the Philippine market today - the City and the Vios.

The Dream Begins...

Last November, I almost bought one myself. Andrea and I were just walking in Sta. Lucia East Mall when we happen to come across a car exhibit. And there it was ... Chevy's new Aveo Sedan. To be totally honest, it was actually my first time to intently listen and talk to a car sales executive. I'm not sure if it was the car's total look, or its impressive features, but for some reason I was just so captivated.

Imagine! With a considerable P640,000 price tag, the Aveo Sedan comes with ABS (Antilock Breaking System) and EBD (Electronic Braking Force Distribution) System already. The E-tech II engine inside has a volume displacement of 1.4 L and sports the same valve-timing control as Honda's VTEC. Accessorizing the package, the Aveo Sedan has a pair of slightly more accented foglamps, a CD player (not a CD changer yer but it has a compatible jack for multi-media accesories like your ipods), and a set of sporty 14-inch alloy mags which adds a muscular and sporty look to it. To say the least, I was impressed. Don;t believe me? Just take a look. See for yourself.

I wanted to sign up an application form for a car loan so bad. (Optimistic side now on steroids!) If "the powers that be" deem that we should have it, then it will be given to us - at least that was my battle cry. So I went ahead. I signed.

The Dream Thickens ...

After a week, 3 banks called us and told us about our loan. IT WAS APPROVED!!! OMG! I was going to get my new Aveo Sedan. But I had to be calm. Approved applications don't automatically mean free cars. I had to approach the whole thing objectively. I wasn't about to bury us in debts. I had to seriously consider the FINANCES.

So hoping we would find something similar but less costly, my wife and I went and looked for different car dealers for other models and other brands. Alas, we found no model that came relatively close to the Aveo Sedan except for one. Honda's 2006 City was probably the Aveo's toughest rival. The exact model of the City that matched the Aveo's specs was nothing less than Honda's top-of-the line City model. It was a 1.5L VTEC-powered City that was priced at P700,000 bucks. The catch with this rival City - the downpayment. With the same financial scheme as that of the Chevy, the initial cash out was 50,000 - 80,000 more. It seems that the choices were slowly being narrowed down... or so I thought.

The Dream is Interrupted ...

So why in the world am I still driving the red lancer? Why didn't I buy the Aveo Sedan? ... The answer, which came to us as a surprise realization, was very simple. We're expecting a baby this January. And without an idea of how much our expenses could just shoot up with the arrival of our most awaited angel, I just couldn't risk it. I just had to give up the dream... at least for now.

The Dream Continues ...

Whenever I drive I still couldn't stop thinking about how different it would feel driving in the Aveo. I'll give up the dream for now, but I promise I'll have a new car. Maybe next year, maybe the year after next... someday...
Nyahaha! I want the car already!!! Oh Aveo !!!

goodbye old friend

With all the demands of work and play depending more and more on electronic computing nowadays, one has to consider computers a basic neccesity already. Believe me, I know. Ours was the generation caught between the traditional and the techy way of learning. As a matter of fact, I only became closely acquainted with the Internet during my last year in College because I was forced to use it for my thesis. Very few encounters with it before that (well maybe except for computer classes in HS).

The countless hours (and money) constructing the texts and graphs for the thesis drafts were the reasons my parents gave in to my request. It was, I told them, my ticket to graduation. So there, I got my first desktop - with a Pentium IV 1.5 GHz processor, 64MB GeForce MX 400 video card, 30 Gigabytes of Hard disk and a 128 MB DDR memory. (The video card was not for the thesis but for those tough moments when one has to take a rest.)

Now, 5 years after, our PC (which is now mine because my parents gave it to me when I left the house), decided to finally take a rest. After all the paper works, countless computing, video playing, and hardcore gaming, it succombed to old age.

We shared a lot of good memories you and I. But I guess you're time is up. Goodbye old friend! (Good thing we now have a laptop! Hehe!)