Humans of Bayanihan #3 - Miguel Galace
SARAH: What are some of your interests?
GUIGI: I'm a computer science major and I like to program stuff, and I'm really into building and designing websites. My school and some organizations have already asked me to build websites for them. I've made web apps and a few games, and I have at least 4 websites. I also love the graphic design aspect of making websites (sometimes I just want to fix all of BSO's graphics).
I'm also a huge basketball fan. Basketball is huge in the Philippines. I live, breath, watch, consume basketball. I've been playing since I was grade 3. When I was playing with Quin for the first time, he was like "What the hell? Wow Guigi, I'm pleasantly surprised."
What made you want to be a computer science major?
When I was young, My dad worked with computers a lot, and I guess I thought I could try doing it too. Then it just evolved into being my own thing. I guess it's just the satisfaction of building things. It's there and you can interact with it. It feels awesome to build a great product, something that other people can use.
How would you describe yourself?
One of the things that my friends say about me is that I'm a perfectionist, because I always try to do good work. I always tell myself, if you're not going to do it right, don't bother doing it at all. Sometimes I'm too meticulous, though, and every detail has to be perfect. I want to do things right, but it takes too much time. It's a double edged sword. Like during FACT, there was an assignment that I didn’t want to half-ass, and so I just didn't do it at all. And with graphic design, everything needs to look really polished and clean down to every detail. Sometimes it really makes me want to pull my hair out, but I also love hearing that I did a good job; it really affirms the time and effort I put into doing something.
Growing up, what was your childhood like?
I was born and raised in Quezon city, which is one of the main cities in the Philippines. I went to grade school, high school, and college at Ateneo; right now, I go to school at Ateneo de Manila University. At home, I live with my mom, dad, and brother. My mom's side lives primarily in the Philippines, and much of dad's family lives in America. I guess you could say that I had a very tightly knit family growing up; Sunday is always family day and we spend a lot of time together. What was it like going to Ateneo?
There's this stereotype that Ateneo is elitist. I grew up speaking English as my first language. When I'm with my "barcada", I speak to them in Filipino, but my English is actually better than my Tagalog. My parents wanted their children to be nationalistic, and so they raised my brother to speak the native language. However, at Ateneo, they only wanted my brother to answer in English, so they raised me to speak English instead.
Can you tell me about what life is like in the Philippines?
Life in the Philippines is basically centered around 4 things – home, school, church, and the mall. The mall is the center of activity because everything is there. To get around, Most people my age drive cars because public transportation there is so bad. Distance in the Philippines is different from distance in the US because there is SO MUCH traffic. Just traveling 20 miles in the Philippines takes forever. When you visit the Philippines, go to the beaches, not the city. The beaches are beautiful. Visit the untapped areas that haven't been tainted by pollution; Palawan is better than Boracay because it hasn't been commercialized, and its natural beauty is still intact.
So what made you decide to come to America?
I decided to study abroad in America because I have so much family here. It makes it much easier because I have people to take care of me in case I ever need anything. While other people usually study abroad with friends, my friends and I went to separate countries, so we were pretty much on our own. It's hard being on my own in another country, but the comfort of having family here is very supportive. When I was looking at schools, I thought, "Hey, Dwayne Wade went to Marquette". But I also chose Marquette is because it is Jesuit, just like Ateneo. AMDG, St. Ignatious, and the whole Jesuit culture is so familiar to me, and it really makes me feel at home.
Did you experience any culture shock during your stay here?
The quality of life here is just a lot better compared to Philippines. The facilities are nicer, the environment is cleaner . . . In the Philippines there's a lot of pollution, and the squatters aren't a pretty sight. The Philippines has it's own charm, but everything here is nicer of course. It's interesting to see what life is like on both on both ends.
Do you think you will come back to visit?
I definitely want to take my MA somewhere outside the Philippines… maybe in the US, or maybe even at Marquette! Who knows. I don't know if I want to work abroad yet, I love my family and friends so much, and it's hard to leave them. But if the opportunity arises and it makes sense, I'll go for it. ♦
