Gossip Girl

Interesting, interesting, interesting.

Life's many wounded seems to be replicating these days. And the wounds inflicted are usually due to matters of the heart it also seems.

This morning, on the way to work, I heard a most frustrating story from my Dad. He teaches at THE oldest college in the country and it seems his new post as Chairman of the Management Area includes the responsibility of ensuring the wholistic development of students, whether as a group or an individual. This in turn translates to the fact that he now has to deal with the rottenest of the rotten Management students, and / or the most problematic. He's got a vow never to repeat it within the walls of the college, but he told me because he asked for my advice. He admitted he was kind of out of touch with the recent generation. He wants to see it from a more youthful (immature?) angle and I suppose that's why he asked me. :) I don't have the vow of secrecy, on the other hand, so I do not feel the least guilty blogging about it. Anyway, I would not be mentioning real names. And I don't suppose anyone from that school would be chancing upon my blog since most of them only care about basketball and the NCAA. Hehe, biased, am I? Growing up with both parents teaching at the same school afforded me an insider-outsider view that is most realistic. Trust me. UP they are not.

Let's call the school, CP (College of the Priests). Let's call this male student, Joey. He's a true-blue Priests-guy, from kindergarten to jis current status as graduating college student. Barely half a minute after he got over his Ragnarok-obsession, he fell in love with a girl 5 years his senior. Let's call the girl, Mei-Li. Mei-li isn't really very pretty and she's not really very bright. Right after high school, she applied as guest relations officer / dancer / singer in Japan. Now, Mei-li is brave, she has to be, because she grew up in an improverished family. She's kind-hearted too, and in fairness, you really can't blame her for wanting to be in love. Meanwhile, Joey grew up lonely since he was an unico hijo. He desperately wants to be loved and be in love.

Last year, Mei-li came back from Japan, met Joey and turned his world upside down. Their story beats a telenovela: Bourgeoise meets proletariat, you and me against the world. Joey's parents hated the fact that their son is in love with a person they labeled as a prostitute. For a while, they accepted the girl into their home, because they did not want to lose their son. But after a flare up between the mother and Mei-li, the latter left and went back to her starving family in Malolos. Joey followed. Up to this point, I am hurrah-ing for the girl. I find their love almost (but not quite) admirable. Except that, at this point, Mei-li changed my mind.

She is asking Joey to quit his studies, work as a bagger boy in a nearby mall, and face the world square on with just the two of them. Oh, and plus Mei-li's family of five.

Stupid. Stupid.

What's even stupider is that the boy is convinced this is what he wants to. The thing that keeps him from dropping out is the fact that if he stops studying, he won't get his allowance. This same allowance he keeps so that he can give it Mei-li and her family. And he says, he prefers to go home to Mei-li's family because he is accepted there, jus the way he is (with his meager allowance at hand).

Moronic. Inane.

Oh my. The story is complicated and I'm not telling it very well. Now, My Dad is trying to help this kid. To stay in school? Maybe. But I hope he helps him more by letting him make a choice and learn to stand by it.

More than this, I can not say anything else.