crazymalc.co.nz - Home Page of Malcolm Trevena

Favorite Text Messages

5th April 2006
Text messaging is huge here in the Philippines. I have yet to see a landline in any house I have visited, but just about every household has at least one cell-phone.

Texts costs 1 peso ($NZ 0.02) to send and you can pick up a 2nd hand cell-phone for about 1000 pesos ($NZ 25).

These are my favorite text messages. I have them locked on my cell-phone so that I don't accidentally delete them.

Sir u are the greatest man in the world
The first one I locked and still one of my favorites. Send by Janica G. Marchado, a grade four pupil
2 remember my sir malcolm always
Sent by Regie May, a grade six pupil. She was really upset when I left.
me sad becuse no volunter. got ur atitud. not bad. and no volunter got pulao wen u go home. sir u like watermelon
Sent by Jamaica, a grade six pupil.

I like the watermelon bit. Most of the students couldn't afford to give me remembrance presents, so they just gave me food as a way of saying thank you.

When I said my final goodbye to Jamaica, the tears pooled up in her eyes and one escaped down her left cheek.
Ah, ok sir'u always take cre your self... and i will miss u f u go h0me sir, your the best teacher in me sir..
From Sherla Diaz, another grade six pupil.
Sir can u pls. Joseph & I to take him & I a picture this hapon Sir its only our secret b cause he is my crush
Hapon means afternoon.

This one makes the list because it is so cute. I'd would link a picture to who sent the text message, but I have been sworn to secrecy.
Sir.Malcolm..God.bewith u go back home All i can.say ur more than rizal n.edison . dont.hav laptop coolie has.no.cell..coolie.has.we.Filipinos.manage.2.nspit.crisese.. God.Bless.u.Coolie.wherever.u.go.we.will.notforget.u. tks.a.million.mam.rachel
This one came from Mam Rachel, one of the kindergarten teachers at Pulao. She is not officially employed by the government. Her wages are paid by the parents of the kindergarten children. Less the half actually pay, so she really struggles financially.

She gave me a big bag of mangos just before I left. They were impractical to take with me, so I left them with Reza, the lady I lived with.

The Rizal and Edison comments are references to my Pulao farewell speech. Rizal and Einstein (she got a little confused) were both great men. I don't think my laptop and cell-phone makes me greater than them. That's just a tad unfair...
Same wid us sad 2 say gudbye.. dnt 4get we alwyz remember u wrever u r n dz world. thanx 4 evrytng dat uv done 2 me and all of us
From Remia - or Rems - a student teacher. Unlike some of the other student teacher, Rems actually wants to become a teacher. She has a real heart for the children.
GUD EVENING MY EVER DEAR FRND SIR MALCOLM? HOW R U FOR DS MOMENT? HAPPY TRIP 4 TMOROW I WIL PRAY 4 YOUR LIFE & HEALTH. ILL MS YOUR KNDNES & KGWAPUHAN. JANICA M

TNX VERY MUCH SIR YOU KNOW MY PARENTS TOLD ME EVN F THEIR 1ST TIME 2 MEET U? UR VRY CLOSE 2 US & THEY FEL HAPPY WHEN THEY SEEN OF U UR SO POLITE AND GOOD MAN

THANK U SIR FRND MALCOLM LASTLY GOOD NIGHT & VERY2 SWEET DREAMS, WE WILL U. LOVE & PRAYERS IS D ONLY GREAT GIFT WE CAN GIVE 4 U. WALA NKO LOAD. JANICA. TSUPPPPPPP!

"Kgwapuhan" means "handsomeness", "very2" means "very very" and "Wala nko load" means "I have no load left (on my phone)". I am unsure what "TSUPPPPPP!" means.

Update: The beautiful Pom-Pom informs me that "TSUPPPPPP!" means that Janica was sending me a kiss. Kinda like "Mwah!".

These were a series of texts received from Janica (again). I guess it only natural to have favorites and Janica and her brother Joseph are two of my favorite students. The are both clever and responsible young kids.

The "Love and prayers are the only great gift we can give to you" gets me teary eyed. Janica and Joseph's family is dirt poor and I'm sure they both would of liked to give me a physical gift, but just couldn't afford it.
Whether we pull out or stay doesn't in any way diminish the gudwill and gratitude u've earned. U wil olways be d greastest man 2 d many kids hus lives u've touched
From Raymund, the head of the volunteer organization I work for her in the Philippines. More on the "pull out" comment later
Sir where are you now sir last night i will dream for you. and i will cry. sir i will give a load pleas text.
From Giv, a grade four pupil. Giv is one of the cleverest students in grade four, but he also has the poorest attendance record. I'm unsure whether this is because he is lazy, or working on his family farm. I suspect the latter though as he strikes me as a mature young man. I made him promise me that he would attend more classes next year.

The "sir i will give a load pleas text" is a request for me to "pasaload" to him. In the Philippines you can transfer pesos from one cellphone to another. I usually send them 15 ($NZ 0.38) pesos when they ask. I never give them actual money when they ask.
Sir thank you very much for the memorable for good teaching and that simple remembrance from you God Bless your work us of mother of Joccy again thank you Sir
I also got a lot of messages from parents. This one comes from the mother of Joccy.
Mabuhay si Malcolm Trevena! Kaibigan ng sambayanang Pilipino!
...or - in English - Long live Malcolm Trevena, friend of the Filipino People. Received just before I left from me good mate Raymund.
Hi sir gud pm, its me sherlyn. r u dre n ur country? sir will mz u so much...cause u r here deep inside my heart, im glad 4 having a good frnd like u......
Another one received just before I left. This one was from Sherlyn, a student teacher

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(c) 2005 and 2006 Malcolm Trevena.
All the stuff on this site is written by me, Malcolm Trevena. Feel free to link to this page. Heck, you can even copy stuff from here if you want. Just make sure you sight me as a reference.