Why is My Dad So Cool?

I was rather surprised to hear that a lot of you (yes, my 2 readers) were amused by my post “Conversations with Dad…” and for that, I’ve decided to make a ‘series’ about it although I know I would probably fail but at least I even mentioned my intent. In the meantime, however, I think it’s but apt that I write an entry about him because seriously, he’s awesome like that.

To say that my father is a character is an understatement (you may actually blame him for what I turned out to be lol). I don’t know of a person he has met who didn’t have even a faint memory of him and believe me, he has met a lot.

My dad has been an educator since he was 19. That’s 33 years of teaching experience for you! Used to teach in some Chinese high school then moved to his alma matter where he’s been teaching since 1981. He was rather notorious, you know, especially in his younger days. Back when he was still a chain-smoker (he quit in ’90), he would smoke inside his own classroom while discussing algebra! Talk about hardcore. He was also one of the front-liners of the 1989 UST faculty union boycott and risked his job to fight for the rights of the employees. Now, if that isn’t pwnage, I don’t know what is.

Every student in the college, too, knew who he was and would give out an exasperated cry whenever they’d find out he’s going to be their prof. Don’t get me wrong. He is a great teacher. He really is. He knows his shit and brings out the best in his students. But he’s seriously strict and traditional. No ID, no grade. Forget about dying your hair or getting your ears pierced. Cheat and you’d never set foot within the walls of Santo Tomas. I honestly wish I was kidding…

My dad is a combination of Onizuka and John Keating and we all know that it’s lethal. I once sat in in his class and on the way to the room, I swear, the kids in the hall all rushed to go inside their rooms and it was like the parting of the red sea. At the same time, I’d hear of stories about him going out of his way to help his students and friends. He is a good man.

He told me before that there had been a lot of opportunity for him to go abroad and work as uhm, I don’t know, really, but his heart is in definitely in teaching- here in the Philippines. And as you know, one doesn’t get rich in teaching. It totally is a vocation. Maybe that’s why I’m fond of teachers and those who have dedicated their lives to education. And just so you know, he’s still friends with a lot of his old students, some of whom are like bajillionaires and politicians and doctors already but they still have so much respect for him and call him sir. THAZ IT. IMMA BE A TEACHAAAR, TOO. NAO NA!

He’s also a great husband to my mother and a responsible dad to us. I remember back in college, he’d stay ’til 9pm to wait for me and leave the house at 5:30 am the next day to bring my brother to school. He also once asked the officers of my org if they could adjust our rehearsals to my sched. I lol’d very hard.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our share of fights and misunderstandings, especially when I was much younger but we’re closer now. Even my friends love him and call him sir. He still hates my clothes though and calls me Cyndi Lauper. Mommy said he suspects I’m a lesbian, too.

My father’s a walking contradiction. Conservative yet subversive. Kind but has a bad temper. Stern albeit funny. Hell, when he was a teenager, he was gang leader and a youth chairman at the same time. A true-blue ghetto kid. Fuck, I have a cool dad. I swear I’ll make a film based on his character someday with an OST from E-Heads feat. Andrew E.

Quotable daddy quotes:

“Iho/iha, where’z your ID?” - got this quote from his student’s blog.
“Mr. Matias, paskong-pasko nagtuturo ka pa!” - said to his co-prof and the whole class applauded.
“Puuuunyeta!” – random expression when he’s mad.
“You chose that career. Isn’t that what you want to do so why are you crying?” - when I called them up after a very stressful week in the office.
“‘Di na ‘ko masyado nagra-rice.” – nobody believed him.
“Why didn’t you go to church?”
“Miss, if you’re not going to do something about this, we’d have to see each other at the vice-rector’s office.” - to a coordinator who was going to reprimand me for a non-offense. Boo.
“‘Pag nakita kita dyan sa The Buzz, ‘di mo na ko makaka-usap muli.” – when I told him I wanted to be an artista.
“‘Sino ba’ng sikat na combo ngayon?”
“This is Kring, my daughter. She’s a TV director now, you know… Cum Laude ‘yan!” – dad, I love you. Seriously. *hugs*

ps: One of the reasons why I need a guy with steel balls is because he has to deal with my dad. Believe me, it’s prolly easier to master the Russian language overnight.