I found this section of my favorite Bianca Gonzalez in
PhilStar where she basically reveals the top ten things about famous people.
And since that gave me an idea on what to write next, I thought of revealing
top ten things about the people that I love. ;)
So let's have Sir Dante Catequista Arboleda as my first
victim. I thought of asking permission but it wouldn't be a surprise anymore
Let's see how well I know him.
#10 He's
the only teacher who made Me and Verwin cry.
T'was during our junior year in High School when
he handled our class as our adviser for the school year. There's this one time
when he got mad on us for lacking discipline and for not being united as a
group during our cheerdance practices. He punished us by becoming so strict
where none of us, guilty or not, was exempted. I didn't buy it at first 'coz I
know him. I knew that all his strictness and angry expressions were just for
the show. But then again, even if I knew what was happening, I got eventually
carried away with the whole drama thing. He was just really a good actor.
Haha!
One day, he reprimanded
us with all our bad habits. He told us that we're all gonna fail his subjects.
And worst, we won't be joining the Intramurals anymore. Then he asked us one by
one about our opinions. As embarrassing as it was, when he asked me, I didn't
had the chance to blurt a word. My tears just fell down with a shaking voice,
disabling me to say what I want to say. He didn't wait for my answer. He
proceeded directly to Verwin. He asked him the same question. And to my
surprise, tears also rolled down to Verwin's face. It was the first time
that I saw him crying. We've been classmates since second grade but I never saw
him become that emotional, not even during the times when my classmates laugh
at him for being fat. IT WAS ONLY SIR DANTE WHO MADE US SHOW OUR WEAK AND
EMOTIONAL SIDES. Looking back, I can't believe that I really cried because of
the threat on my grades! :))
#9
He's a really SKEPTICAL PERSON.
He told us that
he makes "banlaw" of his clothes 4-5 times before hanging them. He
can't live in a dirty environment... that's why he always scolds us whenever he
enters the room dirty. We should have our general cleaning at least every week.
He assigns those who will bring boxes of floor wax and rugs. And oh! Even if
you bring those, you're still not free from doing the classroom chores. You
have to help if you want a merit of 10 points on your recitation. Unlike other
teachers, he'll be staying during the general cleaning sessions to supervise us
and to oversee who's working or not. He's even helping in carrying the chairs
and tables. Until he says that it's enough, no one's allowed to stop cleaning
and to go home.
I admit that all
those general cleaning activities made me sick. I didn't get why we all have to
clean every week while there are cleaners assigned for each day. But eventually,
as our general cleaning continued, we received compliments each week. They said
that our room was neat and clean. Cleaning the room together had fused the bond
in our batch more tightly. It's not only us, the students, who built closeness
but also with Sir Dante.
#8
He loves eating... A LOT! :P
Our morning recess was supposed to be 10:15am, that’s
after his 2-hour Chemistry/Physics subject. But that schedule wasn't followed
anymore ever since Sir Dante started to not eat his breakfast anymore. It was
actually good news to us because we can eat earlier! Because of this, we take
our morning merienda as early as 8:00 or 9:00. But as for Sir Dante, it's not
just a merienda. He buys a really heavy meal! Two cups of rice, four to five
sticks of barbecue, a bottle of soda and some sweets. We were really happy back
then because most of the days, we are taking our supposed to be 15-minute break
for 30-45 minutes! Haha! Our or my technique was to talk and talk to him while
he was eating. He loves sharing his childhood adventures, that's why he always
forgets that the 15-minute break was over. So chada! Recess time -
EXTENDED!
During lunch break, he orders the same amount of
foods again. And on the afternoon, another round for heavy meals! Back
then, others envy him for not gaining weight.
#7
He's once a PLAYER.
I don't think Sir Dante would get mad if I
reveal that he was once a player. Player in a way that he's gotten two
girlfriends at the same time without them knowing! Hahaha! Bad boy. But hey,
that was during his college years. I know he's already a faithful and a good
boy now. ;)
#6
He doesn't know how to play Basketball
Honestly, I'm not really sure about this. I
could only say that he doesn't know how to play basketball because I never saw
him. He did become a referee during the Intramurals, though. I think he just
knows the rules. But the gameplay? I doubt. Hmmm... Sir Dante should confirm
this. :))
#5
VERSATILE ;)
He absolutely knows a little bit of everything.
Ask him to dance, he can. He can even choreograph for you. Ask him to sing,
he'll be willing. I would never forget his favorite song, THIS I PROMISE YOU.
Ask him to be a part of your class's short film, he will join without a lot of
questions…even if he would look stupid in it. Request him to be a speaker for
this and that, he can also do that!
That's
how talented my sir Dante is. He's such a jack of all trades! And one good
thing about him is that, he's not afraid to share his knowledge and skills.
He's not selfish. He will even encourage you to try and do your best.
#4 He
Can’t LIVE WITH BOREDOM
This is one reason why
I and Sir Dante have clicked. He’s a very adventurous person. He likes doing
great stuffs such as gardening, nature-hopping, anything that could kill
boredom. He’s not into procrastination – on this matter, we’re kind’a not
clicking. He wants to make use most of his time. Even though he’s already a
smart teacher, he still reads books every night and does researches so he can
have something to share in class the next morning.
#3 ANG
ALAMAT NI DANTE ARBOLEDA
Haha! I can’t think of a better line for Sir
Dante’s love on sharing his life stories. That’s the reason why we love his
class. THERE’S NO DULL AND LOWSY MOMENTS WHENEVER HE STARTS SPEAKING. If you
would think of it, he discussed Biology, Chemistry, Physics and even Math! But
all of them turned out to be my favorite subjects back in high school! I hated
Science when I was in elementary. But with Sir Dante’s approach on teaching his
uninterested students, I came to love the subject. I became really interested
and that interest still occurs to me whenever I encounter such topics.
ALAMAT NI DANTE ARBOLEDA
because he is very good in relating each topic to his life stories. Now sorry ‘coz
my memory sucks. I can’t tell you precisely the stories that he shared. All I could
remember is that I got teary eyes laughing on his life stories, got amazed of
how clever he was when he was on his younger years and got inspired of his
humble beginnings. I always look forward to his punchlines and stories.
#2 He’s INCREDIBLY AN OUTSPOKEN PERSON
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT YOUR POSITION
COULD BE, AS LONG AS YOU MESSN WITH MR. ARBOLEDA’S RIGHT, HMMM… DON’T EXPECT
SILENCE.
As
scary as it sounds, this is true. It’s from Sir Dante where I learned to speak
up my mind. He hates butting in to conversations however; he knows when he
should speak for his right to explain. As what I’ve observed, he always has
reasons for everything that he does. So the moment that one would question what
he’s doing and misinterprets it, without a second thought, he will explain it
to you in a manner that will still show respect to the person accusing him. He’s
not afraid of losing his job. He just knows where his stand is.
#1 Too Young to be Old
And finally, we’re down to the last one. Tell me,
by looking at his pictures, how old do you think he is? Be honest.
Let me guess… you think that he’s just
between 25-27 right? Or younger than that?
(Dear Sir, I’m sorry to expose your real
age.)
The truth is he’s already 30 years of
age. And he’ll be celebrating his 31st birthday this year! I know
you’re also lured by his young face and fashionista style like everyone else. Who
would have thought that his age is already close from getting kick out of the
calendar? Peace!!! Well that’s life. He’s blessed to have a young face. He doesn’t
need the heart Snow White or the Mirror Mirror on the Wall to stop his wrinkles
and to keep him young. Because of his young face, he’s comfortable hanging out
with his students because everyone would think that he’s just one of us.
I actually worry for the time when I
will look older than him. Oh no!
So that’s it! I’m done sharing the top ten things (that I know)
about Dante Arboleda. I apologize for becoming my first victim. This just shows
how I appreciate all the lessons that I’ve learned from one of my favorite
teachers. Without him becoming so strict about deadlines and projects, I wouldn’t
have a little know-how of how college is. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU
MR. DANTE CATEQUISTA ARBOLEDA. J
