After the Storm Comes the Lull

As we know, after the storm comes the lull. Now here is it. Boring me. But this is not just silence. It's the deafening type. I felt that I lost my track and nowhere to go. I certainly have goals for myself but the track is blurry. Even though I chose the road not taken by many, I should make my own trails. And that is the difficult part. I need guidance still.

It's Over

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It's OVER. Finally. Whew!

After all the hardships, it was finally over. I'm a bit disappointed but relieved. Disappointed because I wasn't able to finish LEPE (Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises). Time's up. Please rise. Those were the words of the headwatcher and she said it while I'm just about to draft the last legal form - an information. I couldn't help it.

I expected the morning subject Remedial Law to knock me out of contention. But there comes the much lengthy LEPE in the afternoon. With 4 legal forms, lawyer's oath and numerous case problems, my writing hand can't assuage the pain and numbness.

With the 2 Examiner Rule first imposed this year, I felt that I took 2 Bar exams all at the same time. I really hope that the examiners will be more lenient considering the time allotted, vis-a-vis the difficulty of the questions and the length of the exams. The aim of the rule is to expedite checking. However, how could it serve the purpose when Part I is equivalent to 1 bar exam and Part II for another? I knew it's going to be hard. Not that hard though.

Nonetheless, I also felt relieved. After the 4 crazy Sundays plus the terrible flooding of Ondoy which caused the postponement of the exam on Sept. 27, Bar is finally over. I can already enjoy a good night sleep, watch movies that I missed, and enjoy a calm psyche. Now I'm back to my old world away from complicated laws and cases. But not for long. Still, thank God Bar's over!

Ondoy's Wrath Flooded The City

The city was flooded, blame it on Ondoy. I personally experienced the wrath of the typhoon when early Saturday morning I decided to take a walk to unwind. No storm forecast then. The notes I 'm reading are confusing me so I said to myself I need a break. So I went. I never expected leisure would make me walk on flooded streets. No mode of transportation is available other than a pedicab. So I rode twice on a pedicab to go back to España. But when I arrived there, the scenario's worse. I have to walk. It was flooded. It was hard to walk but I have to. I see light vehicles float. I see trash scattered all over. There are people taking pictures of you. But I have to walk through to return to the dorm. Wet and chilling, I regret going out on a stormy day. I don't even know if I have to rejoice because the Bar is postponed. I'm not supposed to be happy when another strong storm is expected.

Lost in the Bar

Just one word to describe the third Sunday. I was...

>>>Lost<<<

I was lost in mercantile law (merc). The subject may be as broad as civil law. But it is in merc that I was led astray. I forgot my jacket in my room and I have no time to go back to the 29th floor to get it. By the time I get hold of it, the gates of La Salle would be closed. So that made me lost and chilling all throughout the exam in room 401.

Merc

Denicola Test. Never heard it before. Howey Test. Another alien term. Those were the problems that made me decide to transfer to part II with the hope that questions there could be a bit easier. Unfortunately, I landed to the last page of the questionnaire which asks for a discussion of margin trading rule. Just how sadistic examiners could be. I could bear it no more.

Our professors in the review class told us that if we do good in 3 fundamental subjects of merc - corporation law, insurance, and negotiable instruments law, we will surely pass merc. The reason is that most questions are taken from those laws. That fact was based on previous bar exams. Too bad many questions were taken from securities regulation code and other special laws. Truth be told, I did not study much in SRC. In fact, I only zeroed in on transfer jurisdiction of SEC to regular courts. The good justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura could be making a new trend...at our expense.

Crim

Compared to merc, criminal law (crim) is fair but just as long as the rest of the subjects. The chain of custody and the criminal liability of each party to the case are few of the questions that require lengthy answers. But I liked crim better.