[busy signaL]
[Tuesday, August 31, 2004]
i've been taking some heat lately because of some characteristics others have called "zobelian". although i don't know exactly which traits these are, i've decided to take the defensive and clarify the abc²s of the zobel environment:
i. ass-kissing
the zobelian style of ass-kissing is much subtler than the usual type popularized by comedies set in a high school or college. ours involves less direct communication and more body language, although not in the ross sense. what i mean is that the difference between failing and passing could be as little as answering correctly when called, a few words with the teacher outside of class, and a quick smile on the last day of school.
i can't speak for all zobelians, but i for one don't consider this a form of kaplastikan. a plastic person is by definition one who pretends to like another person even if he or she really doesn't. what i practise, on the other hand, is cultivating the good i see in others and taking that into consideration when i deal with them. the same goes for teachers. if you're stuck with them for three months, the least you can do is appreciate their efforts.
ii. bitch
a zobelian tongue is both a great asset and liability. we know we're funny and we know we're harsh. that's what you get from a high school overflowing with student politics. this ability to speak our mind either when sobriety or pomp is called for enables us to basically talk to anyone about anything. it comes in quite handy as well when bullshitting essays for school.
notice that the heading does not read "backstabbing". please. don't insult me. backstabbing is too easy. it's much more fun to assault a person directly. or perhaps your definition is skewed - take note that it's not backstabbing if you've told the person concerned the same statement beforehand; it's narration.
iii. connections
being the smooth talkers that we are, zobelians will often have a vast network of people we know we can rely on when the need arises. you may think that system maintainance takes a lot of work, but it's actually relatively easy. surprisingly enough, the secret lies in the first impression [something a zobelian is usually bad at]. if you play your cards right, a few hours with someone, a few secrets shared, and you've made a friend for life, one who you only have to wave at or talk to online to keep.
this is why zobelians are often considered user-friendly. but really now, what else are friends for but for you to count on when you're in a bind? i wouldn't ask a favor from you if i didn't think you were worth it.
iv. cram
there is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of starting a term project the night before it's due, or realizing that midterms are in an hour and you don't know a thing. the miracle of cramming is that although you won't be able to remember in quantity, the quality of what you remember is much sharper. and if a project is concerned, you'll be able to think up half a dozen methods for getting quick extra credit, since you know that your main submission will be half-assed.
this time you're right in saying that zobelians are patapon. we're too damn lazy to contradict.
and there you have it, folks: your basic zobelian pros and cons. i don't for a second regret the training i got in zobel. quite frankly, a few years in dlsu and you'll be zobelian too; we just went through it earlier. just one last piece of advice, borrowed from ms. tangkeko: "i don't get mad; i get even."
sige ingat.ü
posted by stani at 9:08 AM
i. ass-kissing
the zobelian style of ass-kissing is much subtler than the usual type popularized by comedies set in a high school or college. ours involves less direct communication and more body language, although not in the ross sense. what i mean is that the difference between failing and passing could be as little as answering correctly when called, a few words with the teacher outside of class, and a quick smile on the last day of school.
i can't speak for all zobelians, but i for one don't consider this a form of kaplastikan. a plastic person is by definition one who pretends to like another person even if he or she really doesn't. what i practise, on the other hand, is cultivating the good i see in others and taking that into consideration when i deal with them. the same goes for teachers. if you're stuck with them for three months, the least you can do is appreciate their efforts.
ii. bitch
a zobelian tongue is both a great asset and liability. we know we're funny and we know we're harsh. that's what you get from a high school overflowing with student politics. this ability to speak our mind either when sobriety or pomp is called for enables us to basically talk to anyone about anything. it comes in quite handy as well when bullshitting essays for school.
notice that the heading does not read "backstabbing". please. don't insult me. backstabbing is too easy. it's much more fun to assault a person directly. or perhaps your definition is skewed - take note that it's not backstabbing if you've told the person concerned the same statement beforehand; it's narration.
iii. connections
being the smooth talkers that we are, zobelians will often have a vast network of people we know we can rely on when the need arises. you may think that system maintainance takes a lot of work, but it's actually relatively easy. surprisingly enough, the secret lies in the first impression [something a zobelian is usually bad at]. if you play your cards right, a few hours with someone, a few secrets shared, and you've made a friend for life, one who you only have to wave at or talk to online to keep.
this is why zobelians are often considered user-friendly. but really now, what else are friends for but for you to count on when you're in a bind? i wouldn't ask a favor from you if i didn't think you were worth it.
iv. cram
there is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of starting a term project the night before it's due, or realizing that midterms are in an hour and you don't know a thing. the miracle of cramming is that although you won't be able to remember in quantity, the quality of what you remember is much sharper. and if a project is concerned, you'll be able to think up half a dozen methods for getting quick extra credit, since you know that your main submission will be half-assed.
this time you're right in saying that zobelians are patapon. we're too damn lazy to contradict.
and there you have it, folks: your basic zobelian pros and cons. i don't for a second regret the training i got in zobel. quite frankly, a few years in dlsu and you'll be zobelian too; we just went through it earlier. just one last piece of advice, borrowed from ms. tangkeko: "i don't get mad; i get even."
sige ingat.ü
posted by stani at 9:08 AM