DO IT YOURSELF!

LAKAD literally means, “walk”. It is a euphemism for making an attempt to smooth out difficulties by using a network of “connections.” Here the Filipino padrino system literally, a “godfather or a sponsor who can help a person or his work comes to rescue. Tol, pakilakad naman ng enrollment ko! (Friend, kindly help me with my enrollment.) Bert and Cosme had been the best of friends since high sch Have you ever been shy in doing something? You can’t do anything because of this. But in other aspects, the word “HIYA” or meaning being shy can also mean embarrassment.
HIYA is the Filipino feeling of inadequacy to face up to something that involves other people who, he thinks, expect much from him. The English equivalent is “embarrassment,” or possibly “timidity,” “modesty,” or “ shyness,” depending on the situation.
Let me share you a story about two guys and their experience to see how a person gets embarrassed.
Spencer and his next-door neighbor, Francis, were invited to Louise’s 18th birthday party held at an expensive hotel. Being new to the neighborhood, they had no friends yet except the beautiful debutante, who lived three houses away. She was also a premed student like them and shared the same hobbies-spelunking and stargazing.
Spencer’s eyes stared at the grand edifice and the interior decoration. He ogled at the delicacies set on the center table. He cast sly glances at guests who were too formally dressed and very influential. The expensive chinaware were too delicate to touch. If he broke one he knew he’d be broke for some months.
When Louise’s father stood up and announced that food was to be served, Spencer’s heart began to race. “What’s the first thing to pick up?” he whispered to Francis.
“Let’s just observe what the well-dressed, high-profile guests to do and follow suit,” Francis whispered back The meal went on smoothly.
“Spencer, there are lot of foods at the center table!” Francis whispered to him.Just look at the spaghetti, rainbow roll with tuna and salmon, fried chicken, biko, mangoes, chocolate cake, and ube-macapuno ice cream. You like them, don’t you?” Yes,” stammered Spencer.
Let’s go get mangoes on the center table, Spencer,” suggested Francis. “I won’t miss this very delicious fruit for the whole world.”
“ But I fell out of place. I’d dare not to stand up and have more than a hundred pairs of eyes following my every move,” Spencer muttered under his breath.
“ You’re just too shy, Spencer,” consoled Francis.” Look, the people are too busy talking to each other. I even think they didn’t know we existed.”
“I know,” Spencer whispered back.” But what if I step on somebody’s foot, or worse, drop my mango and it would roll under the table?”
“ Oh, Spencer, you’re getting paranoid. You will never enjoy this party with such thoughts.” He then patted Spencer’s back and told him to relax. After a while, he said, “ let’s go. I am sure nothing would happen within that short distance.
Side by side they went to the table, got a piece each, and enjoyed the luscious fruit.
Out of the corner eye, Spencer saw the humbug who tripped him in the university hallway and poked fun at him for being a promdi. The boy approached the center table and began heaping his plate with food, unmindful of the guests’ stares. With a swagger that suggested he was used to getting his own way, he went back to his place and gobbled up his food. Then he returned for a second serving. As he twirled around to head back to his place, his left foot stepped on a small puddle of spilled juice on the floor. His feet wobbled. His arms flailed in the air. His plate shot up like an inflated parachute. His glass followed and, with an amateur gracefulness, crashed beside the plate.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the unpracticed piece of acrobat. The boy, now lying on his back, blushed like an ember. Then with a self-conscious smile he sat up, and hurriedly left the room. Spencer and Francis looked at each other, suppressed a smile, and continued eating.
If you were the one’s embarrassed, what will you do? Will you run away and get mad at yourself or just feel nothing happened?

ool. Both of them graduated from STI (Sto. Tomas Institute). Now, they were ready to enter collage. Early that May, they agreed to enrol together on the last week of the month, because the registration process at the university they planned to go to was long and tedious. The day of enrollment finally came. “Why could you not go with me? We agree to enroll together.” Bert was annoyed at Cosme’s refusal to keep his promise. “Sorry, Boy, I got a very important thing to do. But if you’re not done toda, maybe I’ll go with you tomorrow. I now you understand,” Cosme explained. “Ok, I do I’ll just send you a text message of the progress,” Bert remarked, then went on his way to the university. Cosme grinned widely. He felt relieved and began packing his cellphone, a bottle of water, a shirt, badminton rackets, and shuttlecocks inside his bag. More important to him was to play badminton with Kareem, Pards, Nonoy, Richard, and Jun—his new friends from Brgy. Tayokoy. For him, Bert was good only in jackstone and Chinese garter. Cosme turned off his cellphone before playing. That would be a disturbance to his concentration. Meanwhile, Bert arrived in the university. To his surprise, there were a lot of students waiting patiently for their turn to enrol. Soon he learned that there would first be an orientation test. There were just two schedules for it; the first being that day, and the last would be the next day. Bert took his cellphone right away and sent Cosme a message. “Cos, u nid 2 tek orientation tst 1st b4 u cn hv d nrolmnt sheet! 2morow s d last sched.” He took the test himself and then went on with the next step. It was already late in the afternoon when he went home, his enrollment still unfinished. Early the next morning, Bert dropped by Cosme’s house. “ Sorry he left very early this morning with five other guys,” Aling Es Cosme’s stepmother, told Bert. There was nothing much he could do, so he proceeded to the university to finish his registration.Cosme, on the other hand, felt exhausted after his game. Opening a bottle of water to relieve his thirst, he switched on his cellphone, which remained off since yesterday. He had several messages, one of which was from Bert. “Oh, no, today is the deadline of the orientation test.” Cosme became worried after reading the message. He called Bert, who had earlier finished his enrolment, and had gone to a bookstore to buy school supplies.” Boy, fetch me here at the gym. I’ll wait for you!” “I thought you would go with me today,” Bert chided Cosme upon his arrival. ‘I’m sorry, Bert,” Cosme apologized, then said anxiously, “Would there be another orientation test tomorrow?” he asked. “No! Today is the last, and I’m sure about this time it is finished. And do you know what this means? You have to enroll next semester, or you have to try other schools which I know you won’t do,” Bert explained. “No, I want to study here. But what should I do?” Cosme could no longer hide his frustration. He was really angry at himself. As he put his cellphone back into his holder, an idea flashed across his mind. He should call his Ninong Danny Lacson to help him with his problem. Yes, Ninong Danny is a good friend of the college president. Cosme grinned, convinced that his Ninong would come to his aide any time. The last orientation test was long over when the two friends arrived. Wiping the perspiration off his face, Cosme headed toward the woman administering the test. She seemed to be waiting for somebody. Cosme introduced himself to the woman. “Oh, yes, our college president, Mr. Tomas, called me about you. Well, are you prepared to take the test now? Cosme could not suppress his smile as he fished out his pen from his backpack. Bert could only look at him and the woman in utter consternation and disbelief.
Nowadays, we must be dependent to ourselves. Nothing will happen to you if you are just waiting for a miracle to happen.