I am not an answering machine:
a not so new year-y post

At the risk of sounding whiny at the start of 2004, but I just need to get this out there.

So the last submission for their index card outlines was the day of the Lantern Parade, but I also told them that they can reach me via e-mail. Precisely because they are students, and mostly everyone loves procrastinating, a good number of them took the liberty not to submit anything at all. I know because I was in my office until way after the Lantern Parade and there were no notes slipped under the door.

Then now I get a barage of emails all informing me of (1) suggestions/decisions which film to review and asking for approval, (2) suddenly revised topics because they decided that abortion/street children and pinoy politics and mythology does entail a lot of research, (3) they have no idea what to write about, (4) or they've thought of something to write about but wouldn't do anything until I give them a go.

One particular email had the subject heading "why didn't you reply?" which got sent to me Dec 29. It's the New Year. The entire tone of the e-mail makes like I should have replied ASAP and I wanted to scream, "Hello, I'm on frigging vacation here. I already checked tons of paper already and I've run out of red ink, do you still need me to make the outline for you?"

I said they could reach me via e-mail, yes. But I also have a life and the deadline was like 2 weeks ago and if you did your half of the job it should have been done way before right? And I don't think you should address your teacher like that and demand an instant reply? So demanding. I just want to rant because otherwise, I am tempted to take it out on those kids. But kids or no kids, I still think they're being unreasonable.

Maybe I shouldn't have checked my e-mail at all. Now it put me in such a foul mood. Dapat natulog na lang ako after my Sex and the City marathon para mas happy thoughts ang naiwan sa akin. What a way to start the new year huh?