Most people seem to think that majority of the days in a year is ordinary. We think that those days begin and end with no memories made in between. But, the truth is, we do. We make memories every day: good, bad, funny, embarrassing, lucky, thrilling, romantic and precious moments that would be forever lingered if it could only have been treasured. Some people just took those moments for granted or forget them as time goes by.
Year 2010 has been good and somehow bad to me. This year seemed to be the start; a new beginning that would determine the course of my life.
Let me share to you my life last year. These are the memories that I remember and make me smile. So, here it is. Enjoy reading! J
JANUARY 2010
MINIFAIR 2010- Annually, our school, St. James Academy, Malabon holds a fair that lets the students unwind and take a break from school works with rides, such as the ferrie’s wheel and the lantern, booths and games.
My last year to take pleasure in our fair was extra special because of the stand up comedians our school hired.
THE VERDICT-January is the month in which universities that you’ve applied for reply with a yes or a no. This is the time where in you would know if you’ve passed or failed their entrance examinations. This month will determine your future. January was kind to me, I passed all. Thank You, God.
All my prayers were answered when I finally knew that I passed UPCAT. I can still remember it clearly, like it only happened yesterday. Back then, January 18, that day seemed a normal day at school. All of a sudden, I saw some of my batch mates crying and I heard screams. Yes, UPCAT results were out. I got a strong feeling that I didn’t make it, so I’m not interested to know the results immediately. As I went home, I forgot about the results already. We were eating dinner then when I received a text message from my friend saying: “Flo, Lady! Congrats! You passed!” Right away, I checked the net and got disappointed. I called my friend and asked if she was only joking me, she said: “Tol, try mo kayang pindutin!!” Then, there it is, the happiest moment of my life.
THOMASTICLES DAY-Our class celebrated the feast day of our saint, St. Thomas Aquinas last January 28, in time with the celebration of our schools teachers’ day. We presented a song and dance number and a dubbed video of actors greeting the teachers that captured the smiles and tears of the audience, especially, the teachers.
FEBRUARY
INTRAMURALS 2010- The much-awaited event of the year, another break from education but not a space from learning, has finally come. Group effort, discipline and competitiveness were developed during the Intramurals. Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Chess, Scrabble, Table Tennis and Darts were played during the one-week event. Our section, having the Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Varsity captain balls, dominated the volleyball games. Also, with all the accumulated points from victories in the other games, our section was hailed as the over-all champion of the High School department.
CHEERDANCE COMPETITION-Also an event in the intramurals, the cheerdance competition between the four batches was another success for the seniors.
VALENTINE’S DAY <3 – actually, this happened the day before. February 13, a friend of mine celebrated her birthday. My classmates, our adviser and I went to their house to eat and to have fun. After the party, my “boyfriend” fetched me and gave me his present, a valentine balloon. The next day, the 14th, my dad gave me and my sister roses which he never did before, and my youngest sister gave me a “pillow on a stick” gift.
GOODBYE, C.A.T.– It was February 26, a Friday, when our last citizenship advancement training ended. It was a very fun memory because the officers weren’t that strict anymore, they allowed smiles, picture takings and laughs. Even them, they are laughing and enjoying themselves too!
MARCH
PROMENADE- After 15 years, our school didn’t held prom due to some reasons, but, because our batch fought for its comeback, prom happened again last March 13, 2010, at our school auditorium.
I am very happy because, it was like my fairy tale came true. I didn’t have a date that time, but I danced my guy friends and partied with my gal friends. Surely, it was indeed a night to remember.
GRADUATION PRACTICES- One week before graduation, we were prepared by a series of graduation practices. We polished the royal march, the responses, the songs and the gestures done in graduation. The girls wore heels as a practice. After the practices, we would go to our friends’ houses for us to bond and spend the remaining time by enjoying each others’ company.
The birthday of our adviser happened to be on a day between our practices. It was a normal day for almost everybody; except for our section for we were busy preparing and rehearsing for the surprise sing and dance number. We performed in front of all graduating students, faculty and in-charge personnel. Then, we played a birthday video in our room and ate cake and played. J
GRADUATION DAY-The happiest-yet-the saddest day of my life. It all ends and begins here. Every student wants to graduate, even without honors. This day would be our gift to our parents who did everything just to see us finish our secondary education. This marked the end of the happy years of high school and set the starting line of the real world waiting for us. I cried, not of sadness, but because of fulfillment and gratitude towards my parents, my teachers and my friends.
The next day, I received my graduation present from my parents: A Laptop!
APRIL
CARLO’S BIRTHDAY- April 2, 2010, my dear friend, “par” Carlo, celebrated his 17th birthday. Together with our classmates and our physics teacher, we rocked the day out and had fun. This served as our mini reunion after graduation.
SUMMER OUTING WITH THE THOMASTICLES- We know time is already coming and in college, we won’t be like this anymore, so to take advantage and make use of the remaining time, our section planned for an outing in Bulacan, last August 19, at DJ Paradise Resort, we bonded and enjoyed the whole day.
EARTHDAY BIKE TRIP- Denmoree, Carlo and I contributed to our mother earth last April 22, earth day. We just used our bicycle instead of riding public vehicles that produce black smoke.
BACK TO THE ALMA-MATER-My “barkada” went back to school to get some requirements needed for college application. After that, we set out to Regine’s house to bond and to treasure the remaining time. We climbed roofs, picked fruits, laughed over Cleverbot and took a lot of pictures.
MAY
D.E.R.S.L.A.F.E. REUNITED! - Last May 19, my girls and I had a reunion. It’s only less a month before college begins, so we decided to meet up and have a “potluck” party. Since Dang and Alexis will go to UST, Edliene and Regine will soon be tamaraw beauties, Stephanie will attend another state university, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Emkay will be a fellow iska, but only, miles away in Diliman and Thank God for Lady, we will both go to LB, we were complete that time.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET SIXTEEN!- May 21, It’s my day today! Most of my friends have a busy schedule; some went out of town, so just six of my friends were in able to join me on my sixteenth. We watched the movie: “SHREK 4-ever and after” and ate.
JUNE
START OF SOMETHING NEW-. This is it, I’m now a college student—a UP student. It is quite hard to adjust, living away from your family, study complex things, eat and walk alone, do things you never did before.
NEW STORY, NEW CHARACTERS- As I turn the pages of my life forward, I met a whole new bunch of people—exciting, noisy, war freak, kind, moody, quiet, frank, fabulous persons. Maybe, at first, some of us have misunderstandings, some of us have a gap between the other because of differences, but as time pass by, we realize that we met because it was destined. I was destined to meet different kinds of people that make the same purpose, to love, support, strengthen, encourage, help and guide one another. These wonderful people, namely, Reggie Eslao, Hajilyn Javier, Kathleen Idnani, Vannittirose Barton, Gia Villanueva, Bianca Veluz, Micah Sementilla, Deniseh Nedia, Reina Shiota, *, are my new family. I found love and care in them. But of course, it wouldn’t be that happy if my two high school mates and friends, Lady Singson and Marenz Salomon, won’t be around. With them, I feel contentment and acceptance. I love them so much; I can’t imagine surviving college without them.
IT’S A KOREAN THING- We had no classes during the Inauguration (June 30), so I had a chance to bond with my Korean classmate in Devcom, Grace Kang. She is also a classmate of my very good friend Lady in swimming, so we decided to let her be a Filipino even in just a day. We exchanged stories, ate and laughed.
JULY
July, generally, was the month of examinations. Almost all my subjects last sem happened to schedule their examination on this month. Really, I’m not a high school student anymore. After that, I can’t remember anything about July anymore. J))
AUGUST
THE TRILOGY BEGINS- It was announced then that on August 2, our math class will have the midterm exam. Math is my weakness. I think I never learned anything about math even before, so, I am so afraid to take the exam. Right after the exam, I knew exactly that I won’t pass it. So, I and my roommates just decided to eat lunch at KFC and stay at our dorm. We had fun by just taking pictures and by just fooling around. Little did I know that it was just the start of my suffering.
“COMMUNIS” QUIZ BEE- It was last August 25, when we decided to join the quiz contest sponsored by the Development Communication Society. It was the first quiz contest in college that I joined, and I really enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, I, Reggie and Haji didn’t win, but Kath and her team mates did.
SEPTEMBER
SWIMMING COMPETITION- I took Swimming as my PE during the first semester. My classmates there became my very good friends—because of conversations about love and anything while having shower or changing clothes. Anyways, it happened last September 24, at the pool beside Baker Hall. All was nervous and excited at the same time. Our section prayed and hoped for victory and safety. I was nervous because it was my first time to compete in swimming. I never knew the results. But I was happy on its outcome. I gained friends, I gained experience.
SOUP-RICE!- Our roommate’s, Haji’s, birthday is coming. Reggie, Kath and I planned for a surprise for her and it really succeeded. We wrote our dedications on a birthday card and bought her a cake, without her knowing. It was so fulfilling. I was so happy we did that.
HIS BIRTHDAY. <3- September 20 was a Monday, so I had lose hope that we could meet, but, surprisingly, his school declared that that day, there would be no classes. I was happy, but not that much because Monday means I will be going back to Los Banos again. But, we celebrated my “boyfriend” ‘s birthday by eating and accompanying me up to the bus station. While we were walking, it rained. So we decided to stop and let the rain stop. We ate, talk, and laughed at a covered space in Makati. The weekend before that, he already had a party at their house with friends and family, afterwards, we went to a common friend’s party too. YES. Seems like a double celebration right?
OCTOBER
NOVENA MASS AS AN ALUMNUS- After graduating, we could still go to our school and celebrate the novena mass to Our Lady of La Naval every rosary month, October. Last October 2, I and Lady attended the said ceremony. It feels so different, being there at the back. You could really feel that you’ve already graduated.
REGGIE’S BIRTHDAY- Reggie’s 17th birthday happened to be a Saturday, so instead of surprising her like we did with Haji, we just decided to make her a video. We greeted her in that video and showed pictures of her with descriptions of which who she really is. She was surprised and confused how the video came to their house.
NOVEMBER
ENROLLMENT=FAIL – November 3 was the start of the enrollment for the second semester. To avoid the rush, Lady, Marenz and I decided to enroll on this date. We separated when we reached UPLB, went to our colleges to enroll. I went to the LR1 of CDC to register and to have my picture taken. Everything went smooth until I discovered that my Form 5 was not yet printed. With that, I can’t continue the process and pay for my tuition fee. They asked me when I finalized my schedule. I answered November 1. They said that my form 5 should have been printed already because it takes only a day. So, for short, I just wasted time, money and effort going back to Los Banos. But, good thing that Marenz and Lady finished their business and all of us had a good time.
ENCHANTED KINGDOM- Sunday before classes start again on November 9, my family and I went back to my dorm to fix my things again. After that, we went straight to Enchanted Kingdom to make the most out of the one month vacation.
DECEMBER
OBLATION RUN- This is it. This will be the first time that I will witness in person a true symbol that you are really a UP student, the Oblation Run—and I was speechless.
NIGHT AND DAY CHRISTMAS HAPPINESS. J- Who would dare to be sad on Christmas? Everyone celebrates this season with joy, one way or another. I remember Christmas. Everyone does. This year’s Christmas Eve is special because my aunt and cousins celebrated it with us. We cooked Noche Buena, sang, ate together, opened presents and sang some more. We slept at almost 4 in the morning and woke up at around 8 in the morning. We went to SM Mall of Asia to eat and to celebrate Christmas. After that, we ice skated. What a really fun day!:)
Yes, past is past, but this doesn't mean that we should forget it. Those memories are still needed and should be treasured even in the future.
So, in this year, let us make more memories and keep them all in our hearts forever! :)
