I had to fetch my sister from my high school the other night. They were having this movie awards night event modeled after the Oscars, and the movies on award were their batches' own creations. It was part of Zobel's grand 23rd Foundation Week celebration.

I found it all so commercialized. Something about Zobel now seems as if it's trying too hard to attract people's attention. Everything's covered with banners for pizza companies, cellular phone service providers, teen magazines and whatnot. They invited celebrities and bands either to perform in between awards or to present the awards themselves. Everything I saw that night proved my suspicions of how cheap my high school alma mater's students --- and their parents --- really are.

My favorite aunt, Tita Vik, mentioned something about Zobel back in All Saints' Day (November 1st). She said Zobel was the school of choice for the "nouveau rich." They are those who keep flaunting their wealth to the world because they want every fucking soul on the planet to know that they struck it big-time. This was because the nouveau rich usually started out poor, with nothing to flaunt.

It's rather ironic that the family De La Salle Zobel is named after is known for being the classic example of the "old rich." The Zobel de Ayalas are secure of themselves and their wealth, hence there is no need for them to flaunt anything. They've been rich for ages, but you can spot them on weekends in Forbes Park, wearing tank tops and cycling shorts, pedaling on mountain bikes to the nearest deli. Honorable, they are. Rich Filipinos should take a hint from them.