4P Reunion: We're On It Again!

My high school classmates (a few select people, actually) had our yearly high school reunion yesterday at Ketz's house. But don't be deceived. We went not out of genuine affection or desire to see one another. Oh no. We chose to be there so that one don't become the topic of conversation and butt of jokes. You wouldn't want to be in that position!

The videoke was forgotten. The DVDs were forgotten. We just ate and talked and talked and talked for an obscene number of hours. We discussed almost everything, from catching up with our present status (or non-status as the case may be!), to reminiscing about classmates and schoolmates and teachers most of us barely recall, to discussing AIDS, congresswomen with questionable fashion sense and basal temperature method. But mostly the discussions were about People-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and fortunately for them, our conversations couldn't go on forever or they would have lost their tongues for the number of times they have bitten it yesterday!

So until the next reunion! For those who weren't there, you missed a lot!

Make Me Forget!

My high school classmates put up a Multiply group for us. I excitedly browsed through the pictures that they uploaded. And then I saw this:




I didn’t even recognize myself here initially! And, was I wearing a goddamn dress?! Oh shoot, I was wearing a goddamn dress! I couldn’t even remember when this picture was shot, nor the reason why I am not in my uniform!



I wonder what other high school memories I conveniently forgotten hahaha!

High School's The Best!

I got this survey from a posting in Friendster's bulletin board. I enjoyed answering it because it reminded me kung gano ako kagulo nung high school! Definitely one of the best part of my life!

Look back at your high school life.
Lagyan ng 'x' sa gitna ng [ ] kapag ito ay naaangkop sa iyo!

[ ] Nagcutting ka na? (NUNG HIGH SCHOOL HINDI KASI ANG GALING MAGBANTAY NG MGA GUARDS AT KELANGAN NG PRINCIPAL'S PERMIT PARA LANG MAKALABAS NG BUILDING. NUNG COLLEGE, HINDI NA MAHIGPIT KAYA NAKAPAG-CUTTING AKO)

[x] Ginagawang basketball/ volleyball/ kahit anong court ang classroom niyo. (GINAGAWA DING PRAKTISAN NG INTERMISSION NUMBERS AT CHEERING)

[x] Palabas-labas ka ng room kapag nababagot. (LALO NA PAG IW - AT LALO NA NUNG 4TH YEAR DAHIL MALAPIT LANG SA DOOR ANG SEAT KO. TAMBAY SA LIBRARY PARA MAGBASA NG POCKETBOOK O PATAYAIN SA ENDING ANG HEAD LIBRARIAN)

[x] Sumisigaw ka at ginagawang playground ang room kapag walang teacher.

[x] Hindi ka nakikinig sa mga sermon ng mga guro at madalas ay nakikipag-sign language ka pa sa classmate mo. (SIGN LANGUAGE ALSO APPLICABLE BELOW)

[x] Nangongopya ka o nagpapakopya ka kahit short quiz lamang.

[ ] Nahuli ka na pero hindi ka pa rin tumitigil sa pangongopya. (GALING MAGTAGO!)

[ ] Tinataasan mo ng boses ang iyong titser.

[ ] Nakikinig ka sa iPod/MP3/walkman/radio mo habang naglelesson ang iyong titser. (NEVER NAMAN KAMING NAKINIG HABANG NAGTUTURO, PERO NANGHIHIRAM PA KAMI NG CASSETTE PLAYER SA OFFICE KAHIT HINDI NAMAN KAILANGAN PARA LANG MAKINIG SA COUNTDOWN NI TRIGGERMAN) (BUHAY PA BA SI TRIGGERMAN?)

[x] Nandoktor ka na ng mga test paper. (DI KO SURE KUNG HIGH SCHOOL O COLLEGE PERO NUNG NAG-EXCHANGE PAPERS PARA I-CHECK, MERON AKONG SINAGUTAN NA TEST PAPER NG CLASSMATE KO. NAKIPAGPALITAN NA DIN AKO NG TEST PAPER DURING A QUIZ)

[x] Pinagtatawanan mo ang teacher mo at kahit anong simpleng bagay na mapapansin mo sa classroom.

[x] Nagsusulatan kayo ng mga kaklase mo habang nagtuturo ang inyongguro. (NATAGO KO PA YUNG IBANG EBIDENSYA NG PAGSUSULATAN!)

[ ] Kapag umalis ang inyong guro ay tinitingnan mo ang kanyang lessonplan.

[x] Kumakain ka habang nagtuturo ang inyong guro.

[x] Nagtetext ka habang nagtuturo ang inyong guro. (DI PA USO TEXT NUN, PERO MADAMI PWEDENG GAWIN HABANG NAGTUTURO ANG TITSER. HALIMBAWA NA LANG ANG MAGBASA NG POCKETBOOK, O MANGOPYA SA CLASSMATE NG ACTIVITY NA DUE SA NEXT PERIOD, O KOPYAHIN ANG MGA ACTIVITIES NA NINENOK SA ACTIVITY BOARD NA PINAGKAAYOS AYOS ANG PRESENTATION, MAGSULAT NG LYRICS NG KANTA SA BINDER O SA LIKOD NG BOOK, DALDALIN ANG SEATMATE, ISULAT ANG PANGALAN NG CRUSH SA BINDER O SA KAHIT ANONG PAPEL, PRAKTISIN PUMIRMA NG PANGALAN KASAMA ANG APELYIDO NG CRUSH, KULITIN ANG TITSER NA MAG-IW NA LANG KESA MAG-ENCOUNTER, AT MARAMI PANG IBA)

[ ] Tumatayo ka sa klase kahit hindi ka sinasabihang tumayo.

[x] Nagsusulat ka sa whiteboard kahit bawal at wala ang teacher mo.

[ ] Kapag walang kwenta ang subject at ang teacher, sadyang masarap matulog. (HINDI PA KO NAKATULOG SA CLASSROOM, PERO NAKATULOG AKO SA ISANG RECOLLECTION!)

[ ] Idinodrowing mo sa notebook mo kung ano ang itsura ng titser mo kapag galit.

[x] Dinadaldal mo ang mga tahimik sa room para tuluyan nang umingay ang klase. (DINALDAL KO ATA LAHAT NG NAGING KATABI KO)

[x] Dinodrawing mo itsura ng titser mo kapag cartoons itsura nya.

Go USTE Uli!

Dear UST Growling Tigers Men’s Basketball Team,

You SUCK at free throw shooting. Notwithstanding the fact that you have one of the most prolific shooter in basketball history for your head coach and you still suck. Please, for the love of everything royal and pontifical, practice shooting from the foul line.

Anyway, I’m glad that our losing streak against De La Salle has finally been halted. Bring back the glory days when we can reduce the De La Salle players into tears!

We still have a long way to go towards successfully defending our crown. But you’re on the right track and I’m proud to see you play your hearts out each time. Just don’t forget the bit I mentioned about free throws!

Love,
This proud Thomasian and basketball fan

P.S.

I normally don’t like tall and lanky guys, but I like basketball players who can shoot the lights out, especially from long-range. I just want to say, I think you’re hot, Mirza.

TIGER POWER!

Just got back from UST's Victory Party/Concert and I am soaking wet! It literally rained on our parade but what the heck! At least Parokya ni Edgar and Kamikazee were able to finish their set before the rain descended upon us.

Anyway, I'm posting the pics here. These are not of the best quality because we were situated at the left far side of the stage and, well, this wannabe amateur photographer is not really good at taking outdoor pictures.

Eh ano naman?! Basta panalo ang UST - and I was there to celebrate with them! Woo hoo! Yung mga niyaya ko na hindi sumama - hah! Mainggit kayo! Hahahahaha...

Let's start with the fireworks display [because I'm such a sucker for this kind of spectacle!]

more fireworks...

fireworks again...

i love fireworks displays!!!

My current heroes - the UST Men's Basketball Team. Let's all pretend that we can clearly see the players' faces from these pics!

And to complete the kasayahan, bands showed up to celebrate our victory with us!

Callalily

Parokya ni Edgar

Parokya ni Edgar with Kamikazee - panalo 'to!!!!!

Other musicians who played were Sophia and Soapdish, but I didn't catch them because we had to eat our dinner.

I'll upload the links to some videos later. And a deeper analysis of UST's basketball journey this season will also follow [yuck, feeling sports analyst!].

GO USTE!

In other news, I'm attracted now to semi-kal guys. What is wrong with me?!

VIVA SANTO TOMAS!

I really, really wanted to make a better entry for this, but my stupid job is keeping me busy and I have a massive headache right now. Anyway, I just want to let this out:

CONGRATS UST! GO TIGERS!!!

I promise to make a nice entry about this. You know, I was really happy about the championship, but yeah, work has its way of crashing you from your happy, happy land to a sobering reality.

Anyway, read these to get a dose of the Tiger fever. Woo! Tiger Power!

Amazing Tigers Keep Date With Destiny

It was a championship that was as glorious as it was unbelievable...

A love affair rekindled - and from the looks of it, one that will last a lifetime...

TIGERS VS EAGLES

The two thunder-like sound you might have heard yesterday afternoon probably was just me, screaming my lungs off while watching the first game of the UAAP Championship best-of-three Series. The first one was a roar of excitement after Allan Evangelista made that shot that put the UST Growling Tigers at the lead with 1 second to go. The second one, unfortunately, was a cry of disappointment after Doug Kramer’s undegoal stab that cinch the win for the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Man, wasn’t that some game?!

Honestly, I’m not that sad about the loss. The game could have gone either way. The last play by Escalona and Kramer prove that Ateneo is the more experienced team. UST, despite their talent, still lacks the maturity on crucial end game scenarios. Hopefully, whatever the outcome of the series is, UST will learn a lot from their experience.

Another thing is, I can’t feel any bitter rivalry between Ateneo and my team. And that’s not exactly a bad thing. I think it’s a game played with mutual respect [I didn’t see it on TV, but I read that the Ateneo Blue Babble Battalion played UST’s “Go USTE!” drumbeat and the Yellow Jackets reciprocated with the “Go Ateneo” cheer. Wow! Is that awesome, or what?!] . I prayed for UST to make it to the Final Four and then to the championships, but I had no expectations at all. I don’t think I’m the only one who was proven wrong by the Tigers, I think others are not counting at all at UST to go this far, but they’ve clawed their way through, and they have earned respect. I had expected the first game to be a blow out, but it was excruciatingly close. UST came prepared, and I couldn’t ask for a more confident team to strut their stuffs on the hard court. That’s the right attitude guys!

I hope UST will win the second game, if only because its loyal followers and the viewers of the UAAP deserve to see another possible classic game [and I deserve to have another chance to watch the game live at the Araneta]. This early, I am extending my congratulations to both teams.

To the Ateneo Blue Eagles – you are a worthy adversary. I salute you.

And to the UST Growling Tigers – there’s no shame in your loss. Go USTe!

***

inx's:

• All these years that I had watched basketball, I still ponder how is it that basketball players can make those hail mary shots while being double- or triple-teamed, and yet suck big time at the free throw line? [add to that my question on why a player never jumps when he’s taking a free throw shot. Honestly hindi ko alam kung kasama ba talaga sa rules ‘to.]

• yummm… Cyrus Baguio… I don’t need you to distract me from watching the Finals.

• Seeing Dennis Espino and Chris Cantonjos again was something. I can still recall their ’93 sweep! Please Tigers, ibalik niyo yung 4Peat era natin!!!

• Some of my friends were surprised to find out when I texted them that UST made it to the finals. Mga hindi kasi nanonood ng game! Hehehe... But I'm glad their support was there at this crucial stage. Although I would have preferred that I watch the game without the distraction of a text message asking what time the game would start!

• I am still bitter that I wasn’t able to watch the game at the Araneta. Pag umabot ng third game, I might transact with scalpers. I’d kill for a lower or upper box A ticket. Let’s get it onnn!!!

BLACK GOLD, BLACK WHITE!

Oooooooooohhhhhh Yeah!!!

UST has sneaked in to the Men's Basketball Finals of the UAAP. Freakin' finally!

Mga Tomasino, show your support!

Go fight and win for U-S-T!!!

GO USTE!!! RAWR!!!

UST did it! They won five in a row! Woo hoo!


The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe successfully defended their crown in the annual UAAP Cheerdancing competition, winning for the fifth straight year. Woo hoo! [sorry for being Taylor Hick-ish today, but damn! Sobrang woo hoo talaga!]. FEU was the surprise second and UP placed third, which was some accomplishment considering they only had 1 month's worth of preparation.


Man, wasn’t that an awesome performance by Salinggawi?! Clean, seamless execution of their pyramids, lifts and tosses, not to mention catchy floor routines. And the dancers have a way of making their moves look easy, and they have this swagger that seem to say, “hey, look at us, we’re running away with murder!”. Or, more appropriately, we’re running away with our fifth straight crown! Yeah!!!


Due to the change in rules this year, the performances of the schools are more focused on the technical side than on the dance routines. Which made me more confident about UST’s chances because Salinggawi has always been the trailblazers when it comes to difficult stunts. I also applaud the organizer’s decision to scrape the sponsor cheer this year because, really. That one had always been an unpopular feature.


My prediction was a bit off. I had UST at first, then Adamson and UP. FEU were also good, there’s just this matter of them looking like bugs in their uniforms. And this one: “Tamaraws are afraid of nothing. Nothing!” Well, aren’t tamaraws staple food for Tigers?! Hahaha. Sorry, couldn’t resist.


I just hope the bitterness of the previous year's competition will not be repeated this year.


The Salinggawi Dance Troupe rocks! I hope the next thing me and my alma mater will be celebrating is the Men’s basketball team’s trip to the Finals!