my interest in anything computer-related

Anything computer-related interests me. I would have taken up computer science in college if not for the very expensive tuition fee. Teaching is my first love but taking up Bachelor in Education was my second choice. That may sound weird, but it is like that. Back then, BEEd was the most affordable course in the university where I chose to study. Taking up Bachelor in Computer Science would mean paying a lot of computer laboratory subjects which were really expensive, and would also mean that I would have to get my own computer if I want to excel in my computer subjects. We were, in those time, not yet able to afford such things so I decided to take up Bachelor in Elementary Education instead. All the while, I did not forget my interest in computers so when my university offered Computer Education as Field of Specialization to BEEd students, I did not hesitate to take it. I used to go to my cousins’ place or to my best friend’s place to use their computer for free. If the free computers were not available, I go to internet cafes. I somehow managed to finish my computer subjects and do well in them.

I think getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science would have given me a deeper knowledge of computers but I was still happy that I was able to specialized in Computer Education because the fact that I took Computer Education as my Field of Specialization helped me land my first job—payroll clerk. Nothing fancy but I was delighted because I get to work with computers. It was in a medium size company and there were only 10 of us working in the office. Sure my officemates can work well with MS software like Word and Excel but when it comes to troubleshooting, they always run to me, like for example, when their computers get viruses, or when they can’t connect to the internet, or when they need to install something, etc., they always ask me if I can do it for them. Before I worked there, they always called a technician to do those simple things for them so I think the company saved some money by employing me as a payroll clerk/network admin.

I got my very first personal laptop at the age of 22. It was a crappy one. It was, even back then, really old. It was running on Windows 95. Hah! I bought it for a few thousand pesos. I don’t know exactly how many people owned it before I did. It was almost useless because the battery was not working at all, but I was desperate to have my own computer so I bought it. In the same year, my mom started her business and she bought a computer and a printer. Since I am the most computer savvy person at home, I get to use it A LOT. Not just in helping my mom with her business’ computer related tasks but also in my personal use.

Then I flew to China to teach. At the beginning, I was contented with the desktop computer that the school I worked for provided me but later on, I bought a second hand silver Samsung laptop for a very affordable price and I used it for more than a year. I sold it to a friend when I inherited my husband’s (back then, boyfriend’s) much better Fujitsu laptop. The Fujitsu laptop was great but it has a German keyboard and though, it really didn’t bother me, we decided to pass it on to my husband’s parents when they needed it (they have a family computer but was dominantly used by my bother-in-law). In exchange, hubby gave me his Hasee (Chinese brand) laptop and  later on, I sold it to my sister (for a much cheaper price) when she said she needs it for her work (she’s a teacher). Then I got myself another Hasee laptop. I used that last Hasee for two years before I got my MAC last Januray. I still have that Hasee and it is still working great. My husband is now using it as our home server computer.

So anyway, years later, I am still very much interested in computers and I am still hungry to learn new things computer-related. I treat every computer that passes through my hand with care, even the very first one (the one that is almost useless). I use them to their full potential and I see to it that they are not just a waste or a display thing. I try to use them to my benefit not just pang-porma because even now that I can afford to buy another computer on impulse, I still think that having one is a privilege. There are a lot of people who really need computers like students who need them in their studies and people who are jobless and badly want to work-at-home online but can’t because they can’t afford to have their own computers to start with and an hourly rent in an Internet café just wont cut it for them.