I happened to meet an online friend tonight and was very uncomfortable with the meeting. First, I have no work and I was afraid I might foot the bill. Second, I don't know what to do or say since he claimed he was from my hometown.
To be safe, I chose Mooon Cafe. Not too expensive and not too seedy.
He came in late. I already had my dinner.
He did not seem to know what to order and was quite amazed at the location. I could relate. When I was a newbie in Cebu, everything seemed big and expensive. But wait, he said he studied in Manila and that innocence could be superficial then. He ate his steak like it was his first time.
Well- I should understand.
Then over a set of beers we talked about just anything. He said he graduated from a seminary in Manila and that Ateneo professors were his instructors. Cool. He talked about the places he visited and that I should also visit them. Every time I mention a place, he has a word or two about them.
Then we had an argument which led me to think of the kind of education he was really getting from that seminary. He would not mention the name. He said the geothermal power from Maria Cristina Falls in Luzon was used to power a car in the Philippines. I said that was impossible. My argument was, if that technology is already in the country or elsewhere, why are we not using it since it would be less expensive and kind to the environment? He was very sure it was invented here, right in the Philippines. No, we could not use it because he said the technology was bought by a German-Swiss-Chinese company so that when the rest of the oil supply in the world would stop, that technology will be introduced. Goddamn capitalists!
I vehemently disagreed. First and foremost, I know that Maria Cristina Falls is in Iligan and that a falls could not generate geothermal power. I corrected that it should be hydroelectric power we were dealing with. I know Leyte has a geothermal plant in Tongonan and I visited those steam powered plants producing electricity in the Visayas. He insisted that it is geothermal power we got from Maria Cristina. A sureness that would not move for a decade or so. It was one of those lessons he got from the seminary.
Oh my. I was frustrated.
No wonder our graduates now are getting worst. I still am against the move of the Department of Education to have our students undergo 12 long years of education. What we need are reliable and competent teachers that really teaches students right. No erroneous books. Maybe he is a product of one of those DepEd books?
Am I wrong in this point of view?
In the end, I paid the bill like what I expected. I won't be seeing him for a long time.
