11th hour and counting

by Evans Yonson

(Note: I wrote this piece in September 2005, while living in Madrid, Spain and doing my Masters in International Cooperation at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.)

madrid – being only one hour before 12:00 midnight – the eleventh hour means the last possible moment to take care of something, and often implies a situation of urgent danger or emergency.

i have a deadline. that’s the emergency. i’m meeting my thesis adviser on thursday. i had to finish everything by morning of that day because i want him to read it and comment on it before i will finally submit to the university and to him for final grading. fair enough. how much would ask for a grade? i’ll go for 9 or 9.5. it’s been a rough ride since january. i had to constantly search the net. read books. and on. and on. blah. blah. on a topic that has been very new but never strange.

i have another deadline. yesterday, i received a letter from the dorm director, reminding me that i have until the end of september with africa. 11 days to october 1. i tell you it was worded very well without mentioning ‘move out!’ it even had the temerity of telling me that how glad he was of knowing me this past year. what? he didn’t even respond to all my hellos to him. it’s his deadline too. he thought i’d better do this otherwise it will be my last hour.

i still have another deadline. the final final draft of my thesis will be submitted on 3rd october. since salome does not want more paper in her office, she asked everybody to submit in disk/ette format.

i have yet another deadline. the student residence card will expire on 6th october. i need to renew it before september ends.

how do you say deadline in filipino? patay na linya?

how do you say patay na linya in spanish? linea muerta?

now that’s something i have to ask my hispanic friends here at the dorm. i’ll ask it on the 11th hour.