The Kickflip

I was in Cebu last week to visit Jurelle and Nixxie, who was studying there. She is studying at International Academy of Film and Television, which I thought was super cool. Based on what I understand, they teach, directing, script writing, producing, acting and everything else you need to know about the film making industry.

IAFT had events they held all three nights I was there. The first night I spent there, they had this “Performance Night” where the students majoring in Acting performed scenes from famous movies, monologues and whatever. Most of the students were really good and I enjoyed all the performances they prepared.

When I came back to Pampanga I had this realization. I wanted to act. Not like the TV and blockbuster movie acting but more of the Indie stuff, nothing too serious. I still plan on making Architecture my main career. Jurelle and Nixxie even encouraged me to audition for a role for another friend’s thesis film. Unfortunately, due to financial shortage, I wasn’t able to try out. But it was ok. I needed the money for gym membership anyway. Fitness is priority. Hehe!

Now, instead of acting for a lead role, I will play an extra for Nixxie’s thesis as a nurse. Not bad, huh?

Man, this week was stressful! All of us (who are doing our theses) were very stressed, tired, exhausted, weakened and whatever feeling that has our bodies taken to the limit with very minimal sleep.

This is because this week was our Endorsement Week. This is the period when we have to show our thesis advisers (ideally) 80% progress of our thesis boards. And if the adviser approves the boards he/she will endorse you and allow you to go on and defend your thesis proposal. 

Yesterday (Friday, Feb. 18), it was late in the afternoon, me and my classmates looked pretty normal. The usual look we wore every week. But as the evening came closer, some of us ended up looking like this:

Especially the ones who only had 10 hrs of sleep the whole week.

Nevertheless, all the hard work paid off. All of us got endorsed and everybody was happy. 

Alright! My first real blog for 2011! I know, I’m late. But its better than never, right? So lets get on with it.

Let me start 2011 with the pinnacle of my architectural studies. THE THESIS! I’ve been ranting about that since the end of last year (I know, right?) and its never been this pressuring now that we’ve drawn lots and got our defense dates. It was nerve-wrecking enough to have to sit at the back of the class for each of our names to be called Some were happy, some petrified to silence. Nevertheless we are doing everything we can to make our projects work.

The Christmas break was very… uhm… uncontrollable. We couldn’t resist being so festive. That’s the reason why no one got to do anything during the holidays. Its Christmas man! Just the sight of the food would make you go crazy and not want to sit in from of the drafting table or computer.

But that is all said and done. Its time to get serious! Time to kick some thesis a**! This is the turning point of what we have worked for for the last 9 semesters and we have to make it great!

Arkada! We can did IT!

If you don’t already know, I am Kevin Crue M. Manabat. I am an architecture student of Holy Angel University in his 5th year. That means that I am a “Thesis Fighter”, as one of my instructors would call us.

Normally, we architecture students do our thesis for 2 semesters (1 school year). By the 1st semester we are tasked to finish our Thesis Book and by the 2nd semester, the Thesis Drawings.

I’ve done the book. It passed the jury of my defense and it was good. Smooth sailing, if I would say… but not so smooth. There is no easy thesis.

And so the 1st sem ended and the 2nd sem began a week ago.

Thesis drawing time for us. Slight problem though… I forgot where I left off. I don’t know how to begin the drawings. I have a few drawing studies but its not enough. I still have to gather my thoughts and I have to do it fast.