Real Life

Sometimes, bad luck slap us when we least expect it.

And I was slapped, during the most inconvenient time.

Last Wednesday morning was our Final presentation for the TS Online marketing materials. We were supposed to pass the AVP and the brochure at the ComRes Department at 11:30 am. If we submit at 11:31, it means a 5 for 20% of the grade, and maybe a 2 or a 3 for the final grade. And for a self-confessed GC like me, I can't afford a 3 as a final grade...

I finished my AVP at around 1 am last Tuesday. My eyes need rest and I just turned off my computer and slept. I just saved my AVP as a Movie Maker file and I haven't printed my brochure yet.

Fast forward to Wednesday 6 am. I opened my PC and started saving my AVP as a movie file. Unortunately, the computer keep on telling me that the source file cannot be located and I can't save my file. I have a class at 9 am and I do not want to miss it.

It's already 10 am. And I haven't saved the file. Haven't printed my brochure. Haven't attended my Newsroom lab class.

It was 10 am and I was crying.

I can't afford to submit my project late. That would mean a 5. During that time, I was thinking... "If I'll have a 5 in my final presentation, that would mean a 2 or a 3 as final grade. Or what if a 4? People don't fail in CommRes 125. I'm not supposed to fail."

I don't have a choice but to use my other AVP. The first AVP I created, by firs, I mean the CRAPPY AVP that I honestly think is dragging and boring and not creative. I just edited it a bit...changed the music and saved it as my final presentation AVP.

It was 10:30 already and then I ran to Philcoa to print my brochure. Another streak of bad luck: I haven't saved the font I used in my brochure! I returned at the boarding house, saved Neverwinter and printed the brochure. Good thing April and Donna already had my AVP saved in two CDs.

It was 10: 45, the clock is ticking, as if I'm Cinderella not hoping for 11:30 am to come.

Tick.tick.tick.

It was 11:10, I folded my brochure. I had left my USB and instructed the girl in the shop to print me five more copies and that I'll be back at 12nn to get them. That moment I didn't mind how many or how terrible the viruses my USB might get from their computer. What I wanted was to get to ComRes dept as soon as possible.

It was 11:15. I paid for the brochure and hurried off.

The jeep going to UP had just five passengers in it, and it would take 10 more minutes to fill it, considering it's Wednesday, not many students have classes. It would take 10 minutes to fill it, and another 3 minutes for me to walk from Quezon Hall to MassComm.

I decided to take a cab.

I told the driver "Sa UP po. MassComm building."
And he said Okay.

I haven't seen where we have gone, because I was too busy labeling the envelope where I put my brochure and the CD containing my AVP.

The driver asked me, "Mag-u-U Turn ba tayo?"

U turn?

OMG.

He didn't take the University Avenue. He drove along Commonwealth Avenue and it would take another 5 minutes if I ask him to return to the University Avenue.

"Cge Manong, diretso lang po." I pretended to be calm. I pretended not to be angry. But the truth is I wanted to cry. I wanted to shout.I do not expect that a Quezon City taxi driver does not know the way to enter UP Diliman from Philcoa. I wanted to get out of the cab and that moment I wish I know how to apparate.

"Sa tapat ng New Era na lang po tayo dumaan." And while I was saying that I was praying that the entrance was open. I was hoping it was open, but the truth is, it was rarely open. Last summer, I always pass by that gate, and it was usually closed for entering vehicles.

Of course, my bad luck continued.

The entrance near Central is closed. I do not have a choice. I paid the driver and run to MassComm building.
Run Nelly Run! I continuously told myself. But I am asthmatic and any moment I might have an asthma attack.

I passed by the Vanguard building, run towards MassComm and I didn’t even see that an Ikot and a Toki jeep were coming. I ignored them both and I crossed the street. Good thing I wasn’t hit. If I were hit by those jeeps , it would be so pathetic. The headline the next day in Kule would probably be, “Journ student hit by Ikot/Toki jeep”. That would be too embarrassing on my part, not to mention too bothering for SP because I was hit when I was running for her project submission. Good thing it never happened.

Then, I reached CommRes department at last. It was 11:25 says my watch. But it was just 11:15 at the department. Good thing, I wasn’t late.

Yeah, welcome to real life.

When everything seems out of my reach when I need them
When time is always my enemy
When Daniel Powter’s song is the soundtrack of my existence
When a taxi driver doesn’t know his route
When I’m always in the brink of having a 3

And when nothing is as inevitable as failure.

Yeah
bad luck slapped us when we least expect it.
But there's a thing as an advanced clock setting anyway...