Learning HTML (untold story of a half-hearted programmer)

On the record, Brack and I are now married for 14 years. I should have written an anniversary blog but fatigue had me wanting to sleep than writing about our romantic memoirs. Besides, I thought to myself, too much confessions of love on the web is boring my readers. So this time, let’s forget about me once being a June bride and focus our discussion on my failed aspirations. I dreamed to be a lawyer, a teacher, and a programmer. I pre-qualified at Concord Law School but do not have the $7,500 per semester tuition fee. I wanted to educate children but I got scared…and I wouldn’t like to elaborate further why.

In 2001, when Brack left for the US, with me and the kids left behind, I got so hooked up with the internet even with the dial up modem frustratingly slow (I can still hear the sound of my modem when it connects to my service provider). I was fascinated with the web sites, and even then would want to have one, my own. During that time push button publishing or blogger was not in the blogosphere yet, or they were I just don’t know (but yeah, thanks to blogger, my dream is now a reality).

My employer that time was generous to provide me with a cell phone plan with so many minutes like T-Mobile’s family plan now. But yet, on top of exhausting the minutes of my official talk time, I would still spend around 15% of my bi-monthly salary for phone bills. I call Brack in the morning, at lunch, at night, any day of the week, anytime of the day and night, Philippines or US time, I don’t care. Then one day, I woke up with the bill in my hand, and started thinking of the economics, that time I decided I need to divert my attention to a cheaper alternative which I would also enjoy doing. As I was driving along the CEPZ main road one day, I saw the STI Ad on Web Design, perfect!

I encouraged one of my younger staff and friend Tetchie to join me, initially she doesn’t want to but she eventually did. In class, our instructor would address me as Ma’m, because I’m obviously older than him. I complain a lot and immediately requests for assistance when after typing a ton of codes and tags my browser wouldn’t display what needs to be displayed. Needless to say, Tetchie, who doesn’t have interest in the course learned faster and was able to view her firsts web sites in no time, while I sit there so frustrated and asked our instructor to correct my codes and tags in order that I can move on. Towards the end of the course, we used Front page editor, insultingly I asked why we even bothered to do manual codes in the first place, and the instructor was so irritated with me.

Haphazardly, I learned a programing language, moved to the US in 2002, and after a year of working with my current employer, was sent to a week of intensive training and became an edgariser, among my many functions.

Summing up my story, learning HTML was a passing, my way of curing my lovesickness, of Brack then miles away.

Hmmm. Why does it sound like an anniversary entry after all?