Wendy Chen Danielle Lim Jefferson Ong Lysandra Tan Abigail Villafuerte Renson Yu

THEO 131 JTA I 9:30-10:30 Class Reflection #1 01/31/2014

LOVERS IN PARIS

The Junior Term Abroad (JTA) is one of Ateneos most sought-after programs,

wherein students are sent abroad to study for a semester. Not long after its flourishing

existence, chatty students spoke of a certain JTA Love or at least thats what its usually

called, that had taken a toll on several relationships, landed in the presentational slides of

the dean, and made its way down to the deepest, darkest, culture of the Ateneo. It is what it

is: love found in a juniors term abroad. A person, who may or may not be looking for love,

ends up in a foreign land where everything is quintessentially unfamiliar. All of a sudden, in

that very moment, there were no boundaries.

Students are warned that if his special someone goes on JTA, their relationship is

better off cut off already before the other leaves, because the person is bound to find love

abroad. The Atenean knows this story; it is a normalized tradition. A boy and a girl travel

together and experience the disbelief-loneliness-freedom (to be discussed below) together.

They sit on the steps of Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower with their Chocolat LAfricain

from Angelina. They talk. They understand. They share the same interests and grow more

and more comfortable around each other. Then, they fall in love. Why does it always happen?

Let us now introduce a character to begin this story. He shall not be named and will

merely be addressed as he.

As he arrives in the Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, an immediate wave of rich

European tapestry surrounds his senses. He enters in a state of disbelief and awe, but he

manages to remain mindful of reality you are in this beautiful city for a little less than five

months. You are in this beautiful city for a little less than five months. He had thought about

being careful and keeping on guard during this trip, but the knowledge of being imprisoned in

a beautiful city for a little less than five months? Maybe he can leave Manila for a short while

and detach himself from all thats far, far, away just to be more integrated with his new

country, you know? There is freedom. And in Paris, the only thing lacking is a lover. This is

not why he went on exchange but the setting is ideal. The time seems right. The possibilities

seem endless. Falling in love becomes so effortless. The environment around him makes it

feel like he has no choice but to fall in love because that is the only thing missing to make

things perfect.

Somewhere along the line of bliss, he will feel the pain of loneliness even just for a

few minutes. It is inevitable when he is in a place unfamiliar; and so again, he is set to escape

that feeling. He starts acknowledging the fact that no one knows him like they do back home.

And the glamorized acronym, YOLO, sits up on his head because it will be nice to stay

outside the confines of himself when you only live once. His guard is down and he is in a

second state of effortless passivity.

The immediate charm of JTA Love is the physical isolation of being away from usual

life. It is precisely because of the opportunity to leave yourself, and get in closer touch with

the world, that gives you that feeling of ecstasy. And suddenly, it just so happens that a girl

comes along the way, and the feeling of ecstasy is associated with her. Now, he can

conveniently have the fairytale you have always been conditioned to want. The whole of

JTA, this temporary perfection, provides him with a glimpse of Nirvana.

During the first few weeks, he becomes more and more thankful for how this kind of

love works out, at least for here and now. There is a certain mask, tailored impeccable with

beads of mystery, enchantment, and perhaps lust, that prevents himself and the other to see

what is truly underneath. He refuses to throw the mask away. And he substitutes whatever he

does not see with what he desires to see.

The problem is, he had already decided to maximize his experience even before he

landed his foot on CDG Airport. JGSOM students are particularly taught to maximize gain

with every cost paid. He wanted to be able to see the world, to tingle his palettes with exotic

flavors, to meet French people, Italians, and Dutch. Selfishness, or at least self-centeredness,

comes first. The spiritual growth of the girl barely makes it to his itinerary.

For most JTA couples, who have been trapped in the JTA Love bubble, it is easier to

accept the flaws (of the person and of the relationship) because they know that it is

temporary. Fights will seem like defeat-able villains. The physical isolation of being 6,680

miles away lures several blue bloods (Ateneans) due to its uncomplicated and uncommitted

nature. There is an escape clause. Once you are back home, it is as if you are licensed to go

thrusting towards your one-sem-stand alibi that Its different now. Things change. Friends

call you by your most dreaded nickname again, you win Vice President for Human Resources

in your organization, and as life snaps back, you fall out of love.

Despite its cruel risk, JTA Love is not always a complete failure. It can survive and

sustain. Scott Peck declares, Love is not effortless. To the contrary, love is effortful. If both

the boy and the girl will act on their feelings and put effort, thinking about the growth of the

other, or himself, then the possibilities are infinite. They will choose to love even when it is

inconvenient. JTA Love would then be defined as love, not only found in JTA, but also love

planted in JTA that eventually blossomed into something more genuine which is far more

beautiful and precious than a simple fling.

Peer Evaluations:

Wendy Chen - A

Danielle Lim - A

Jefferson Ong - A

Lysandra Tan - A

Abigail Villafuerte - A

Renson Yu - A