How to Bring out the Coña in Someone

When I was still studying in UP, I had an hour and a half break before my Economics class so I spent my idle time either sitting in the Sunken Garden or in the School of Economics' building, drafting my papers while listening to some music, doodling or writing in my journal. And yeah, engaging in one of my favorite pastimes which is people-watching.

One day, I saw this lady juggling with her things on the way to the building I was in. I was fascinated with her kikay get-up so I discreetly stared at her. Then she tripped.

Kikay Lady: (long A and rolling R sounds) Arr-ay... (then looks around). I mean, OUCH pala.

We just let her pass but the moment she's out of earshot, those who heard her burst out giggling.

Geez. Why bother correcting yourself to the word's English counterpart when you've already said it in Filipino? I don't see the point, or any point for that matter. Really.

Such people irritate me. Coños and coñas (noun, masculine and feminine forms for gender sensitivity, adjective coñotic) speak with such a grating, acquired accent that they murder the language.

Like you know, make salita purr-rhang like this, 'deh bah? LOL.

By the way, the word coño has an altogether different and vulgar meaning in the Spanish language, something I'd rather not post here.

So how do you bring out the coña in someone, especially in the trying hard ones? Simple. Just be observant. It will come out naturally when s/he's caught off guard.

Or bring her to a fishball stand so "s/he can make tusok-tusok the fishball na."

LOL.

Tribu UP: Sugod!!!

Astonishing. Excellent. Superb. Those were the adjectives I had in my mind after I watched this year's performance. I was floored. The UP Pep Squad delivers. ALWAYS.

I actually wasn't able to watch it live. I used to. In my college years, during the annual UAAP Cheerdance Competition, my friends and I would go to Araneta and shout ourselves hoarse. I especially loved that part when we do the Unibersidad ng Pilipinas cheer. That and the part when we sang UP Naming Mahal. It was moving for me that I literally got goosebumps.

For the past five years, UST reigned supreme, with us trailing behind, almost always by mere points. Last year though, we snagged the crown. Thus, this year, I was nervous. I thought the competition would be tough. It wasn't. It was anything but that basically because UST's Salinggawi Dance Troupe fell short of people's expectations. Sure, their routines were clean but they weren't spunky. They lacked substance.

UP meanwhile came with guns blazing. Their concept this year is Tribu UP: Sugod. Awesome. Who but UP would have come up with such a unique but still befitting concept? And wow! Their performance was really amazing. My eyes were totally glued to the screen the whole time. Blinking was NOT an option lest I missed any of their stunning moves for every minute, they came up with astounding routines - pyramids, back flips, synchronized dance steps...

And again, their costume ROCKED. BIG time.

At some points though, I was nervous for some stunts weren't performed flawlessly but hey, it's because they were complicated and really very difficult to do. Halfway through their routine, I shed my nervousness for then, I knew. "We'd win this," I mused.

And we did.

Here's the video from YouTube courtesy of JLicauco.

Astounding, isn't it? I especially love the Oblation part. Absolutely mind-blowing. To quote Studio 23, "...UP is the benchmark of creativity and originality..." Indeed.

Below are the scores taken from here. The score difference definitely proves just how remarkable is UP Pep Squad's performance this year.

• UP Pep Squad 93.3
• UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe 85.27
• FEU Cheering Squad 83.96
• Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion 83.41
• Adamson Pep Squad 81.04
• UE Pep Squad 72.69
• DLSU Pep Squad 70.07
• NU Cheering Squad 68.36

This is the widest gap between the champion and first runner up in the history of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition - an astounding 8.03% difference.

UP Fight!

U-nibersidad ng Pilipinas(8x)

Matatapang, matatalino

Walang takot, kahit kanino

Hinding-hindi magpapahuli

Ganyan kaming mga taga-UP!