Anyhow, I told myself that I'm gonna finish this one today, especially that the PhilNITS FE results were already out. :S
April 6 was the PhilNITS examination day. I had to be on the testing site before 7AM so I got up around 5AM, took a quick shower and had the free breakfast. Mam Christine met me at the hotel, then we proceeded to Capitol University. Taxi ride from Hotel Conchita to CU took less than 10 minutes.
When we arrived at CU, Reggie was already there. Some of the examinees were also early.
On the Exams
We started the examination at 9AM then everything else went smoothly, except for some occasional text messages from the PhilNITS counterpart in Manila, which contains the corrections for some test items.
After the AM part, we had our lunch break at the faculty room. I had grilled milk fish for lunch. Then, I rested for a few minutes in the dean's office before going back to the exam room.
For the PM part, it was pretty much the same as the AM part. As stated in the Proctor's Guidelines, we had to stay in the exam room at all times, record any unusual events that happens, record the attendance, arrange the answer sheets in a prescribed order, seal and sign the envelopes that will contain the answer sheets, any many more.
After the last examinee submitted his answer sheet, we started packing all the exam stuffs, cleaned the area, and called it a day.
Time to Relax
We decided to go to LimKetKai to relax and also to have dinner somewhere in Rosario Arcade. But before that, I had to return to the hotel to leave the big heavy box. Mam Christine, on the other hand, had to meet someone, so we just decided to meet up her sometime before dinner.
While waiting for Mam Christine, Reggie and I, hit the arcade and played some racing and shooting games. After that, we got some snacks from a nearby hotdog stand. A few minutes more, Mam Christine arrived. Then we proceeded to Rosario Arcade.
Rosario Arcade is somewhat equivalent to Greenbelt in Makati. This is where the most popular coffee shops, restaurants and bars are located. Bigby's, Sun Burst, Bo's Coffee, Taza Coffee, and Cafe Macumba, to name a few.
We ordered some drinks from Taza Coffee, shared a couple of nice stories, and went around to take some nice pictures. A few minutes more, Merbert came. He's a professor in STI, he was the thesis adviser and a good friend of Reggie. He's also a good friend of Mam Christine. By the way, Reggie and Merbert, are both younger than me, although they both agree that it's not obvious. :)
Dinner Time
After a while, we decided to order some dinner, Mam Christine and Reggie went for the buffet in East Wok, while Merbert and I settled for Cafe Macumba. I ordered fish and fries for dinner. After eating, we stayed for at least an hour more to listen to the old guy singing some nice classics. He was really good. :)
This is also the time that I discovered somebody who can recite the garbled lyrics of "Ken Lee" perfectly. It was Merbert. :P
Divisoria
The first time I heard the name, I immediately thought of the market place in Tondo. I was wrong. It turned out to be a very nice long plaza in the middle of the street populated with colorful lamp posts similar to the ones you can find in Roxas Boulevard.
During Fridays and Saturdays, they have live band performances in the evening. There's also a big screen in the middle, where people can watch TV shows, movies, and events like Pacquiao's boxing match. You can also find several blind masseurs offering their services to visitors in the plaza.
At the far end of the plaza, you'll find another popular place called "The Park Cafe". According to Mam Christine, it's similar to the park in-between Glorietta and 6750.
We stayed there for another hour or so. Talked some more, drank some more, and ate some more. Until we finally felt tired and sleepy.
They accompanied me to the hotel, said our good byes and parted ways. It was a tiring but interesting day indeed. :)
To be continued...
