Talk about a worthwhile activity!
Yesterday, our batchmates had short talks to whet the appetite of the grade nine and ten students, and what a pleasant turn out from the Pisay contingent: Froilan, Emirose, Guido, and Rainier.
Ranjit was there, of course, and Nitz, Maya, Cynthia (ang daming fans), Vicki, Ronan, Renan, Paul (with beautiful wife in tow), Emil and James.
There were kibitzers like me, but Tonette manned the T-shirt table and took orders.
Sorry if my pre-Alzheimer' s brain forgot anybody else.
BUT---
Che Bailen was there, and he graciously invited the last of us to an early kainan at Shakey's Katipunan.
(SCENE: near the entrance of the Multi
Anissa is walking out, toward the corridor leading to PA, and Che stops her)
Che: Anissa. Iniisnub mo naman ako eh
Anissa (medyo distracted kasi hindi sigurado sa mga plano, may dala kasing anak and iniiisip na kikitain pa niya si Gracie): Uy, Che, hindi naman. Kamusta na?
etc etc, I tried to recover by inquiring after his mother, who was my voice teacher at one point in time. This may not have been a very good idea on my part, but ANYWAY, I was sincere. Hindi lang niya alam na mula high school takot ako sa kanya.
And so at Shakey's, Che tells of this story in Elementary that he and some other guys were teasing me "Hapones" and I purportedly turned on them, raised my fists and said something to this effect: "DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM?"
To which, they suddenly drew back, and I suppose, stopped teasing me.
Okay, I really do not recall anything remotely like that happening. When I objected with that claim, Che said, "Selective memory."
Given that I do have a swiss cheese brain, well, maybe that outburst came from watching too much oprhan Annie. (ha.)
The other thing that comes to mind is, why in the world did I not have the same gumption in C.A.T.?! heeheehee, so in other words, pareho lang pala kaming nagsindakan noon.
Anyway, after a very VERY generous meal, I hope bati na kami ni Che Bailen, and I won't be as scared to approach him anymore in the future. hehe. PEACE! As J.iLo always says, but she spells it differently.
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Another commentary, on Guido:
For those who have not seen Guido in a long time--- for me it seems like decades, because we moved in different circles in college-----
Okay, people I remember hanging out with him in Grade 5: Marla, Melinda and Emil, but to anybody who as been his classmate and/or seatmate in elementary:
He is basically still the same.
He had all these hilariously funny comments, complete with choreo and gesticulations. I mean, you guys just have to spend time with him to have the complete 3D effect.
Before Nitz left, he put his arm around her and asked her "Hindi ba kita linigawan noon?"
And as Rainier so succinctly put it, natahimik si Nitz.
My daughter Viel and I hitched a ride back to UPIS with Guido, and there was a car blocking our way so we couldn't immediately leave.
Guido: Where is the owner of the car? Itulak ko nalang kaya ng kotse ko.
Anissa: Puede rin, Honda CRV naman dala mo, pero baka magmarka ang kotse mo.
Guido: Oh look, Ranjit is able to go out na. (they were in the adjacent space) Maybe I can squeeze myself through, using some magic.
Anissa: What? Magic? Aren't you just going to get us out of here mathematically? Tesser us out, use the fifth dimension. Square Time mathematically and we can slide out
Guido (incredulously): What?! Math?! No. I want to use some great magic, some spells...some voodoo....
(at this point the owner of the car comes and smiles at us apologetically)
Guido: That's right, just smile back, pretend we're okay, and not like I'm going to shift to my "road-rage" mode.
Anissa (chuckling): Guido grabe, you're still the same
Guido (indignant): What?! You mean in all these years i did not improve?! I did not expand my repertiore?! I did not hone my talents?!
Hay naku, kakabagan ka talaga.
Guido through the years, well, improve is not the word I would use, but the phenomenon is more like the sea getting saltier after eons of water evaporation, leaving the salts and impurities in the sea.
And sorry, I have to "out" him, he has a babe. This super pretty Asian (Korean?) girl, who looks 17. Of course, he claims he isn't robbing the cradle (or is he? He said her age is 27, divided by two, plus five.....)
Grace: Does she love you for your mind? Your brain?
Guido (posture straightens like a rod): NO. She loves me for my manliness.
Anissa: Yes, there's that, and of course your dance moves.
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So I'm not sure what or when the next activity is, but everybody should try to come and re-connect with old friends. As James said: I grew up with you people. Which, we all know, should count for something.
Anissa
Musings 
