First Impressions

I received some generous comments from two high school classmates, Mikey and Auric, when I did the post Finding Classmates. Grateful for their comments, I thought maybe I can return the favour by writing about them on this blog. So travel back in time I did! While reminiscing about these two old friends, I realised that the memories that struck me right away was when we were high school freshmen. We were just entering our teenage years and still full of innocence.

Of the two, it is Mikey I have not seen in a long time. The last time I saw him personally was in 1991, in a batch reunion held at the Janssen campus. I last saw Auric in May 2002 also in a batch reunion party. He did not seem to recall it, which was understandable as I only spent a few hours in the party. I was going to Cebu later that night with my soon-to-be-my-wife then. I was getting married the following month and was in the thick of preparations for the church wedding.

Mikey and I joined the Student Catholic Action (SCA) in our freshman year. Membership training lasted the whole year and this was capped off with a weekend of induction rites. Although I have to be vague about what happened in the induction, what I saw from Mikey there was his "fighting" (dili palupig) attitude. On hindsight, I have to say I was impressed with what he had shown. I was the opposite, suffice it to say that I was a softie during that event.

Auric commented in my last post that "...your blogs...really bring back good memories...not only making (him) homesick...(but) want(ing) to travel back in TIME." So bay (mate), join me in my travel back to time when we were in first year high school.

My "takyang" (Tagalog - sipa) skills is quite respectable, but against Auric I felt like a bumbling novice. The coolest dude I have seen playing takyang, he makes it appear very easy to play, indeed. In our freshman year, takyang was the "uso" or fad. We used to play a lot of it in virtually every nook and cranny we can find in the Janssen campus. But, our favourite spot was beside the chapel. And then there was the quadrangle, where many an intense and fiercely fought takyang battles were fought during lunchtime period.

The quadrangle matches were started by a few of us who brought our own "baon" (lunch food) to eat in school. Auric and the others would join in as soon as they arrive for the afternoon class. These takyang matches became popular and soon most students would be watching us play. The principal later banned those lunchtime matches as it was killing the grass, I think.

It is true what they say about first impressions are lasting. These memories happened 25 years ago and I still remember them although not as clearly as it once was. Still, I hope Mikey and Auric would be smiling as they reminisce about them.

Finding Old Classmates

Nowadays, it is no longer hard to find out about old classmates you have not seen nor heard of from in a long time. If you have access to the internet, you only need to open an account in a social network site and there is a big chance that you will find an old friend or classmate there. I have an account with Friendster, which is very popular with Filipinos worldwide. I have already linked up with many classmates from high school and friends from college through Friendster.

Still, it was a surprise to find an old high school buddy in Friendster. I am referring to Art, who is a classmate in freshman and sophomore years. I have mentioned him in an earlier post about walking home from school. Along with Reg, we were walking buddies every afternoon when the school day ends. Art was also my tennis buddy, along with Raymund and Sean, during weekends at the Cogon Shrine (also known as Simbahan Lingin).

You can also find an old classmate through blogging. Recently, I came across a blog post of my fellow Blogger and Bol-anon, Edik, about Atit. She was a classmate of mine in elementary and high school years. I knew that she got married to an Ormocanon. I am glad that she had settled very well over there and has a successful flower business.

If only I have known this, I would have contacted her when I got married about six years ago. One minor geographical problem, though. I got married in Baclayon, Bohol and her business is in Ormoc! I did get a very good flower arranger who is from Dauis, which is where Atit traces her paternal roots. I knew him when I did some voluntary work with the local government of Dauis in late 90s - early 2000s.

The so-called information superhighway i.e. internet, certainly makes it easier for us now to find old friends and acquaintances.