I almost fainted in hunger while looking for a comprehensive map of Zamboanga Del Norte where I can find Rizal's exile place - Dapitan City - in our library's map room. Dust aggregates literally covered my hands as I delve into the drawer of region maps. In what region can Zamboanga del Norte be found? Memory gap attacked me once again, disabling my not-so-good memory bank to present a good answer. I referred to the BIG BIG BIG Philippine political map at the corner of the room. It seemed like it was sternly looking at me with a dint of insult while shouting the answer, "Zamboanga del Norte is in Region IX: Western Mindanao!" Withstanding my gentleness, I answered back with a humble thank you. The BIG BIG map helped me in a BIG BIG way.
The Western Mindanao map, however, didn't provide a clear picture of Dapitan City. Fool. How am I supposed to expect a regional map to vividly stage a SPECIFIC city with its CORRESPONDING street names? My common sense failed me (or I failed my common sense?). Furthermore, I searched for it in the Philippine Atlas but was still unsuccessful. Instead, what I found was a panoptic map of Luzon's NCR cities - FAR FAR FAR from Mindanao's Zamboanga. We also needed it, actually, for the other group assignment about Rizal-related street names in Sampaloc. Nevertheless, I wasn't the one assigned in it (mine was to look for those in ZAMBOANGA!). I took a peek at it, anyhow, but my stomach was badly protesting for a retreat. So I brought it back and went down to munch in my sandwich.
In short, wala akong napala sa Map room. I just starved myself trying to look for that crappy map which I didn't find. On the brighter side of it (despite my starvation) I learned four things about our library's map room (ehem! trying to be positive!):
- Leave your I.D. to the Religion section's porter before entering;
- You need not to ask for any lady/gentleman to look for the material you want because it is you, yourself, who's gonna bulldoze the racks, drawers and shelves;
- Be with someone who has a SHARPER memory and a BETTER common sense (haha);
- Bring alcohol (or soap, if possible) to get rid of the dust after you play with them along with the VERY CLEAN maps.
Even though I didn't find what I was looking for in that VINTAGE room, my sincere Thank You! And before I forget, to the BIG BIG BIG political map which heated up my frozen memory bank. :)
Not being able to successfully search for a comprehensive Dapitan City map in our library's map room, I proceeded to the Internet hub (in our library again) with the same aim.
A number of websites plainly gave me pictures and ambiguous maps of it, but one title header caught my attention: Welcome to the Philippine Province of Zamboanga del Norte. It greeted me with a big smile, and I smiled back :). A few clicks away, I knew, I would be able to achieve one of the things that I've wanted for the day: the crappy map. And yes, it didn't fail me. Links from the site led me to the Dapitan City website. And here's what I found:
A zoomed in version would glowingly present the exact and concrete street names of Dapitan City. I already had the list with me, and I'm now excited and ready to do my (our) assignment in our Rizal course.
What street names in Dapitan, Zamboanga are related to Jose Rizal? How are these related to our national hero? List them down. To be passed on November 29, 2007(tomorrow!).
***Posted this in my first ever blog http://ellefrettub.blogspot.com (which I apparently deleted to lessen web clutter) on November 28, 2007. Because of being a very great help to students who are doing the same research, I am posting it here again :)
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