Last Day in High School Surprise

Can you still remember your last day in high school – the emotions, the events, whatever happened that day? You must have felt really sad because of the thought that you weren't going to see your buddies anymore, after being with them for four years or even more. But what about those people who do not have a permanent home, those who move constantly, those who transferred from one high school to the other on their senior year? What did they feel on their last day in high school?

I have met people like them in my school, where people constantly move from one state to the other in search of stability and contentedness in life. Allow yourself to imagine that you are me just for this time. Imagine yourself going to school. You sit on a nearby bench and you are just observing people around the vast quad. While waiting for the bell to ring, you observe and see people who look lost, some of them walking with straight faces looking composed, others are just sitting on a bench just like you.

Not my photograph.

You do this every morning waiting for the first period bell. You see the same people standing by the door waiting for the bell to ring, the same Asian girl sitting on the bench reading a book, the same Latino who is texting, the same tall white guy who looks lost but is apparently trying to look as composed as he can. You are not wondering why you see them almost always like this every morning hanging out on their usual spots, as you have the same situation like theirs – new in a big school, on their senior year. They hang out in each of their usual spots because they have become comfortable with it. You have, too, from your very first day to sit on that bench, observing people with their friends, laughing and talking about their day as if there's no tomorrow. Of course, you felt envious. You wish you had been with your friends back in your old school, laughing with them, talking about your day. But that could never happen now, because you are in reality. As the months pass, you got to know the people you observed. Just as I thought, we all have the same sentiment – what's the worth of making friends with everybody? It is the last year in high school. As much as you wanted to make friends with the other seniors or the people around, you have no time to catch up with their 13 years of friendship experiences together as a group, or as a clique, or as a decathlon team, or even as a gang. It is as if they are in a car fit for just say five people, and as much as they are calling you to hop inside with them to join the fun ride, you feel you don't want to go because squeezing in a 6th person or sitting on someone else's lap is going to be uncomfortable. And it
could spoil the otherwise fun ride because everyone is making adjustments for you to be comfortable with them inside. So why bother, right?

Not my photograph

Taking you out from me now, my case is a little bit different from those new seniors I met. They are from America, born and raised here, while I was not. I emigrated together with my family here two years ago, and the adjustment processes were painful. I have already attended two high schools in two years of my stay here. How uncomfortable. So I was not just adjusting to the school, I was still adjusting to the culture in the U.S. as well. I did not join any clubs because for some reason I had become apathetic. However, as the final day approached, something surprised me, and it was one big surprise I could never forget in my entire life.

It was the final week. Every senior was preparing for their finals, while others just do not care and can't wait to get out of high school. I felt like those people, too. I wanted to start anew in college.

But when the very last day was coming, I felt inexplicably sad to the point that I wrote parting letters to some people.

She told me she almost tear up when she finished reading it.

I had the hug of my life from this girl.

I had the hug of my life from this girl.

Then we took our picture, May 21,2010

Then we took our picture, May 21,2010

They were not farewell letters a friend would tell a friend if they have been in school together for 13 years, but a letter telling them my thanks for making the effort of befriending a new guy in school – me. And that effort was fantastical. It's because even though the car was made to fit only five people, another space was magically created for me to sit comfortably with them and join the fun ride. Magic happens inexplicably; I felt comfortable with their presence for some reason I could not explain.

I also felt sad because even though I had not talked much to my teachers, just the thought of parting with the last set of high school teachers who increased my knowledge and contributed to my being a whole lot made me sentimental, to the point that I asked for their pictures with me.

Monsieur Arigan, once a college professor at University of Southern California, not just teaches his students French, but to acquire it.

I will be forever thankful to this highly respectable man. Merci monsieur pour l'année scolaire memorable.

Caption: She made me love math, a thing I thought I would never learn to do until I met her

This surprised me. On my very first day in Rancho High, I thought that I wasn't going to miss high school.

Now, wow, I am going to miss it. Even though I have been sad for most of my last school year, didn't join any clubs, didn't have that much friends and only acquaintances, they have become part of my life that I will forever cherish and experiences I would be able to look back on while sitting on my rocking chair at the porch after 70 years and telling them to my future grandchildren (I hope I live that long!). After a bumpy ride on the Last Year Train, I came out refreshed, full of hope, and because of the experiences I have gone through, I have never become readier than I am now to face other challenges ahead, even if it is transferring from one college to the other.

… The good you will do will be forgotten tomorrow,

Do Good Anyway….

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable,

Be Honest And Frank Anyway…

…Give the world the best you have

And you'll get kicked in the teeth,

Give The World The Best You've Got Anyway…

… What you spent years may be destroyed overnight,

Build Anyway…

Excerpts from an ode called

Anyway. it can be found on the wall of a children's home

in Calcutta, India where Mother Teresa served.

A Yellow Promise

A boy from an impoverished area in Manila ties a yellow ribbon to a tree. Extreme heat from the sun and rain have poured on this yellow ribbon. Overtime, the yellow ribbon faded into white. The wind blew it out from where it was tied then it got stuck on a pole, making it look like a white flag – a symbol of lost hope, surrender, hardships and sadness.

The upcoming May 2010 elections is very important for us Filipinos and the Philippines. It will be the mark of what the Philippines will become in another six years. This election may be where the millions of poor Filipinos cling their hopes to get out of impoverished conditions and somehow experience the good side of life before dying. This election is crucial and every vote should be well thought out.

NoyNoy Aquino promises to eradicate corruption. He also claims to be an honest man and with a good morale. To be honest I do not know any of his other programs aside from just "eradicating" corruption. His fiercest rivals and the skeptics always say that NoyNoy received this overwhelming clamor to run for President just because of the mournful emotions that came out from the death of his mom and the large influence that his sister Kris has on the masses, which accounts for the greatest slice of the voting pie. It is true, and he admitted to it.

NoyNoy may be just offering the same good old promises told by the other presidents most of which up to now cannot be felt by us Filipinos, or at least the poorest of us. However, isn't NoyNoy all the more pressured to fulfill his promises because he carries the ever-so influential "Aquino" surname? Is NoyNoy not putting his father's name, heroic deeds and the promise of a better Philippines in jeopardy if he is not sure about running for the highest seat, like what most of his detractors are saying? I think NoyNoy is smart enough to know all the risk entailed by his candidature to be stupid, corrupt and heartless if he wins. I know he is feeling the pressure as well. He has his name to maintain clean.

Having track records are worthless compared to not having any allegations of corruption in the past. Saying "Nanggaling ako sa hirap!" (I came from the poor!) is even more worthless a proof of being capable of running the country. Someone who has been convicted of plunder and who said he'll not run again for presidency but doing otherwise already shows a clear sign of dishonesty.

You may have heard or read many information that may have caused you to think twice on voting NoyNoy or his ability to run the country. Nevertheless, let's give him a chance. He can't do all he promises overnight, but he may be able to fulfill them faster with our support and letting go of all the biases we have towards our fellow Filipinos and become one, united citizens under one goal – to rebuild our country abused by politicos lured by the promise of holding the presidency and the destructive power of money.

Let us not a raise a white flag on our country. There is and will always be hope for the better. If for some reason you feel tired because of all the political ruckus that have been going on for years, try to side with the "man" who holds the yellow flag and let its bright tint fill you with the heat of hope, as how the yellow sun does when it rises in the morning.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

It was destroyed on post-apocalyptic movies. Magneto of X-Men moved it just by using his mind. Superman saved children inside a school bus from falling here. The Star Fleet Academy had operated nearby this.

It still feels fantastic for me to see personally locations seen in movies. It's maybe because even though it has been two years since we moved here in the States, I still feel just a tourist in this beautiful country.

And the "it" I was talking about on the first paragraph was the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I never felt so enveloped with astonishment when we crossed this bridge because the bridges that I used to cross were the ones in Mandaluyong and Makati, and underneath these Philippine bridges were dirty canals and though I have never seen them, impoverished families making the place under the bridge their home. The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its completion, and it is one of the most famous infrastructures in the world. It has earned a place in pop-culture particularly in movies. When you walk on it, you can see the spectacular view of the San Francisco Bay with a lot of boating activities going on in the water. Of course, a trip to iconic places like this wouldn't end without a visit to the magnet shop to purchase a souvenir.

We didn't stay long in San Francisco because we didn't have a tour plan for the place. I wish I could go back because this time I'm not just singing I Left My Heart in San Francisco…I really did.

wasn't smiling

Destroyed in movies, perfect when I saw it.

I can't ever be a photographer.

The sample cable. haha

Hotel Hopping

We stayed in four inns on the course of our travel to Washington and back. Because of this experience I realized suddenly that if value is not high-end, quality does not need to be sacrificed. We checked-in on these inns: Best Western, Comfort Inn, Marriot Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn.

Best Western and Comfort Inn. Nice names aren't they? Best Western may be "best", but hotel ambience and quality were just average. Comfort Inn. Air conditioned rooms may offer comfort, but what kind of service rating would you give a lodge if their reception area lacked designs, hall carpets were stinky, and a dull bathroom? It was funny how they ask their customers to suggest things as to how they can improve their quality of service, and my sisters and I said jestingly that they should renovate the whole freaking inn.

Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn were the true best. Everything smelled so luxurious in their reception area, bathrooms were like their gorgeously designed rooms, and to even further the quality they offered, balconies are available to sip your hot coffee while the cold Washington wind blow on your face. And the best of all, Marriott was I think $30 less than all of them, and this was probably because of the points accumulated by my dad, but still quality met low value!

I didn't take any pictures because I was so tired, but remember these signs if you're going to look for a place to stay.

Twilight and Washington

Tall trees and lush greeneries met my vision when I woke up. They were far from the often brown mountains and foothills I used to see in my hometown. Gloomy rain clouds also blanketed the blue sky I once knew. These sights were all new to me, and as much as I didn't want to let go of them, one exceptionally bizarre thing caught my attention. It couldn't be a bird because it didn't fly smoothly. It could be a frog, but no frog can be that big to go hopping on tree branches that stood 300 feet from the ground. It stopped for a moment on a branch near enough so I could focus my eyes on it. It was a man, carrying a beautiful brunette girl piggyback. These were all surreal, and I told myself this could not be happening. He was impossibly fast and strong. What kind of guy can carry a girl piggyback hopping on trees at highway speeds? He must be something. Up above, the dark nimbus clouds was giving way to a slit of sunlight. The sunrays shone on me and to those two strange creatures. And what added more to my piling uncanny feelings was the man's chest glittering as the sunrays shone on him, like what a person would see from a shore when he/she stares at the ocean water reflecting the sunlight. The girl's cheek was pressed on the man's glittering back and feeling its warmth, while giving a smile that seemed to me that she's just really happy to be with him. Her hands were also wrapped around the man's chest. As green shone on the traffic lights, our car sped off to the freeway and these two strange yet amiable creatures suddenly vanished.

Fail. I was never a fan of the Twilight saga. I was just swept by the fad and current of teenage pressure to keep up with what's in, and so I decided to give the first book a shot (and this was two years ago). As with any other books I have read, no matter how boring they were, I didn't close and turned it down. I finished it! I…liked it, but it felt too girly and awkward for me so I didn't bother reading the next books (Talk about a guy's pride. Hahaha.). But I wouldn't get any more technical about Twilight. Excerpts from Bella's lines translated to my perspective on the first paragraph were enough to show how engaged I had been while reading the first book.

To keep with the Twilight tone of this post, my family and I just came home from Washington, the state where the setting of the book is. We stayed there for a week. As I have mentioned on the first paragraph, tall trees and vast expanses of green surrounded us as a result of frequent rain in the state of Washington. I felt excited as it has been already two years since I saw and felt the relaxing gloominess of rain clouds. It is often sunny and warm in Southern California, so a week in Washington felt like we were back home in the Philippines, where in this time of the year is the rainy season. However, I felt disappointed because they were just simply dark clouds. No rain poured, and sunlight was still penetrating the clouds. I thought I would be having a break from the hot California summer sun. Via car, it took us one day and a half to reach Washington, 1,171 miles from our home in California.

This field is wide and even greener in personal

The trees and these greeneries smell so good you feel paradise

This may look like the grass on our lawn, but these are actually trees that are hundreds of feet on the mountain.

Every Twilight fan knows that this romantic novel was set first in Forks, a city 140 miles from Seattle. We didn't get to go to Forks because we only had one driver, our ever so industrious dad. We didn't want him to drive an additional three hours, so we contented ourselves in Seattle.

I felt as if I was living in the 1960s while we were in Seattle. Nicely preserved centuries old building standed out from the modern day skyscrapers. For some reason I felt safe in Seattle, unlike when I went to downtown Los Angeles, where street walls were full of unwanted graffiti, a sign of gang presence. Some streets and sidewalks have tiled pavements, which felt different when we walked on it, since almost all of the sidewalks in the world are just cement. We went to the Space Needle, a tower I used to just see in postcard stands. We saw spectacular views of the Seattle skyline from up above the tower. The preserved Seattle underground city gave us a glimpse of life in the late 1800s.

Not our photograph...

underneath the space needle!

View of the Seattle skyline from the top of the Space Needle

Various views from the Space Needle

Old Seattle - it really felt good to be here!

My sister and I pose near a big, chess, city decoration...and you can actually move the pieces. haha.

One of Seattle's street performers. I wish there's one in Manila.

At probably the most famous market in the world, Pike Place Market

A performer at Pike Place - he's actually pretty good a huge crowd gathered around him.

Entrance of the underground Seattle tour

Crap. They literally called this a crapper (and the contents of this centuries old toilet), so I'm not in any way cussing here. Haha.

Imagine a WOODEN pipe installed on your home. haha. This was the late 1800s pipe.

A random passageway

Old brick buildings! yay!

The trip to Washington was tiring, but definitely worth it because of the scenic byways and many geologic features that one could not see in the cities and suburbs. As we headed down the I5, we made a quick stop at Mt. Saint Helens, where one of the largest eruptions in the world took place, and where we also learned about a man named Harry Truman (not the president) refused to leave moments before the eruption because of his genuine love of the mountain. You know, in the many American national parks I have been to, I could just really conclude that we humans need at least a month long (hopefully paid) vacation with nature. Studies show that just seeing beautiful ranges of mountains helps to relax our minds and bodies. This could boost productivity in the workplace, thus more profit for the company!

Hoffstadt Creek Bridge - a bridge we passed on the way to Mt. Saint Helens

Isn't this just gorgeous?

Smells so good!

As with how our many travels end, we stopped by the souvenir store to purchase a magnet, showing a miniature picture with the words Washington PLUS, a cup of coffee at Seattle's Best (tasted so original. Haha.).

So we've been all over this place. I wish to add more!

credits to my sister for the photographs.