SwissNatter
Saturday, January 25, 2003
January 16, 2003 -- After several Despedida party at Barracks, and at Tin Tin's Videoke Lounge at Jaro Plaza (which was truly amazing...because i sang "Forevermore" Yipee!!! Finally the last of the "Send off party"! Itza, Andre, Misaki and Romeo went to my house that last night and gave me this humonguous CARD on "Supportive Friendship." It's painful to leave Itza...my heart bled! And to leave her with my dreams. Deaf school it is....Andre and Itza, and Tin TIn...all the best of luck to you and OUR DEAF SCHOOL!
Had a couple of very long calls to Melody, Mam Joy of Rotary, and Tin tin to iron lots of things before I leave. Seems like, I wouldn't be leaving after all. With all these responsibilities I had to bring along.
Packing and unpacking...no sleep at all.
January 17, 2003 -Friday, Iloilo City
Leaving on a jetplane....all my bags are packed and ready to go (??!) Well, not quite. Flight for Manila is at 7:00 a.m. But at 5a.m.bags are all over the place. Half of me wants to go but the half would just want it to be stuck where it is at that very moment. The tug-o-war had to end....Emotionally drawn back to "home" but physically had to be dragged to that plane. And quite a shock to see the tears from a silent friend...June Ann. I never really had gotten the chance to spend lots of quality "friend-time" with her. And it's a bit odd to see her so attached. Not that I don't want it....but I am just overwhelmed. And that question was asked again "Why do I have to go?" (which was also asked to me a million of times by Itza). I really don't have a clear cut answer..I guess, one answer would be...I'm following a dream. Second, some Divine Intervention tells me to go...and do something , you just go, you don't ask!I believe He has some Divine Plan for me (which, for now, I still really don't know what it is)
Send off to Iloilo airport. Tatay, Nanay, Melody and Agnes were the last faces I saw. Finally, I was all by myself onboard the plane...the 1-hour trip felt like, it was one of the longest flights I ever had. Finally it sank in. This is really it. Reality check...I am LEAVING really on an airplane... I can't hold back the tears anymore. But of course, I just pretended to be sleeping, covered my eyes with a hanky, to hide the sobs! I don't want my two seatmates on the plane would make a fuss of me drowning in tears.
Arrived in smoggy black sky Manila around 8 a.m. took an airport taxi, super expensive it is, and proceeded to Mandaluyong. Maricris was not there but Kuya Floser came over to open the apartment and give me the key. Spent the rest of the morning getting some sleep. Had a wonderful lunch of "paksiw na bangus," sumptuously prepared by Kuya Floser.
Around 1 p.m. I had to go to Makati, somewhere in Herrera St. to get my plane ticket for Zurich. The place was not difficult to find. It's just near the E. Excel office. After I got the ticket, I walked further and was quite familiar with the place. I remembered that the street leads to CAP college, that's where my deaf friends Frederick and Aljaylyn studies. I sent SMS to Aljaylyn and said I would like to come. Luck of all luck, Joralyn (another deaf friend from Iloilo City) was there also. We talked a bit and decided to wait for Sharon (another close deaf friend from Iloilo who went to the U.S. and is now back). We met and had a really great time "chatting" and updating on the various 'tabloidal' events in our lives and someone's life...of our dear friend gone astray! ach!
By 4p.m. I went back to the apartment and got something. Joralyn and Sharon stayed at Wendy's to eat lunch. Then I went back to Wendy's. There also waiting was my cousin Ana Rica. I introduced them to each other. Then we proceeded to DWRT FM station to get my CD from Alan Gnat/Ranch and also to give him the MPEG file of the Hivers EB with the Swarm video. It was great to be there again. Felt like a merging of my extreme group of friends....A radio DJ and my deaf friends! What could be more extreme than that. And also my dearly beloved cousin Ana Rica was there..who by the way, share the same taste with me when it comes to good music. We stayed for a while, listening to Alan's music during his boardwork and also to Dada. Afterwhich, he had to send us off, but after some picture taking, with Ric the Tick also joining us. Of course, Alan learned some "basic" sign language as well...as my deaf friends showed him how to sign some words...especially found in the Gnat's Book of "Useful" vocabularies. Teeheee!
