One of the great things that a Friendster account can give is that great means of seeing old friends, schoolmates and classmates who were once part of your life and now treading a different path, trying to make their own mark to humanity, somehow imparting a thing or two about life.

Time flew so fast… gone are the wild kids. Here come the actualized individuals!

I am one of the million people who opened an account in the said site just recently mainly for the above stated purpose and for me to better understand today’s generation (waray ak choice, part of the job description).

One fine day as I was trying to gear up for the very challenging task of writing weekly for a dear friend’s websites, I write for an online store, accounting academy, business process outsourcing, — something, I find so fascinating every time, I idly tinkered with my Friendster homepage, letting the music from my playlist engulf me. And then my hand, like a being with a mind of its own, my hand started clicking the accounts of my old schoolmates, my batchmates in UP Tacloban, in fact, viewing their photos and remembering memories in the process.

A deluge of melancholy washed over me, melancholy or sadness in the sense that no matter how hard I try, it will be very impossible to see them all again, after the many years of being separated from our dear alma mater, UP Tacloban – a place I love to think as one the greatest fields, all of us had explored together, at one point of our lives, so we can be who we are today. Yup! Anhi tanan nga linurong nga kami la’t maaram.

As I jumped from one photo album to another my eyes begin to haze from the unshed tears which refused to fall, I MISS MY FRIENDS and its Christmas!

I feel so achingly forlorn, despite being in the midst of students, chattering and busily researching (nakiki-ambush la ak internet ha library tam school kay guba an adto am faculty room), indeed most of us have already outgrown our college days’ memories. But for me, they still can bring tears to my eyes, for I can always recall vividly the many great things that created a great impact in my persona – helping me so much in my chosen career path now since I do believe that to be one good teacher, one should have a colorful life, as a student. And my being a UP Tacloban tuminungnong is something I can never trade for the world.

And so I remembered…

Before the only problem we have to solve is how to win the cheering squad competition or to land the first place spot in the mascot competition of the Sportsfest parade! I remember Ver Latorre and the rest of our batch officers, trying their best to come up with the most brilliant issue/concept for the Mascot competition in the annual Sportsfest parade. Weren’t we the ones who rented a coffin as props for one of our mascot entries? In 3rd year college di ba? That was the Frat Hazing concept we carried as Mascot Competition issue back then, and we paraded and plied the city streets with a coffin being carried behind the “fratmen” being hazed, this to profoundly express our point on the perils of hazing. We even made Katrina Tupa (Now Mrs. Raymond King) borrow her dad’s vehicle so we can bring it to UP Tacloban BL Grounds just before the parade starts. Now, gone is the coffin but some of my UP Tacloban batchmates continued to be trendsetters, plying the world with their brilliance and brimming creativity, aiming not just to win the Best in Mascot prize but also making a difference in the lives of others all around the globe.

Before, our arguments and rhetoric would be limited to classroom discussions as we talk our way out of very taxing school paper, campus activity or tons of readings. Now, some of my UP Tacloban friends are flying high with their ability to frame the words in their heads to sway people to their side, selling ideas, products, and services along the way. In fact, many of us made a living out of this gift of being able to convince people. Di ba Mana Sarah (Now Mrs. Culver Songalia) nasiring ka your business started nga laway la it puhunan?

Before, the simple act of passing the hat for us to buy a pack of hot pandesal almost every afternoon at UP Tacloban people’s favorite tambayan, Quality Bakeshop (waray na ada ini dida yana), would bring us the joy of being in a good company of no-nonsense friends who would more often than not, talk about their dreams of making it big after college while munching pandesal. Now, meeting, dining, and eating at famous restaurants in the metropolis seem to be an ordinary gig for all of us, who can still take the time to see friends despite our busy scheds. Gone is the pandesal but the memories won’t.

Before, our papers are just limited to using a certain brand of ruler and typewriter and beating the 4 o’clock deadline of then Ms. Miriam Tinampay. Now, our papers are the very blood of our careers – marketing proposals, research papers, feasibilities, technical reports, theses — name it, we have it! But we still haven’t finished our batch book yet! (Ano ba yan Chad Jadulan?! Himuon ta na la nga commemorative CD)

Before, the only arguments and talks we basked on are the words we fired at Dr. Vic Sugbo for turning down our research paper topics (pero an kan Rico Leo Sacaben, The Culture of Chili approve dayon, hmp!), and the speeches we made for Ms. Irma Tan’s Speech Class. Now, some of us capitalize on the gift of being able to speak our minds for it is part of our job description. In fact, the youngest prosecutor of the country, female at that, is our batchmate Elisa Yu, my, my, don’t you dare argue with her! (Bangin ka ig-email!)

Before, the only group we would join was the organization which accepted our idiosyncrasies or our course association. In fact, it was our batch which pioneered Communication Arts’ Ideopraxists group (Idiot practice nam tawag hini dati). Now, we have to be a member of professional organizations for we now live and toil in world where the people you know and brush shoulders with matter.

Before, a lazy walk coupled with a very noisy tambay at Eye Referral Center, is one great way to finish our hectic day. Now, our days don’t seem to be over for we have to bring work at home, worse, make our houses extensions of our crammed day-to-day work itineraries. (Usa ako hit guilty hini nga charge, I bring home papers to check.)

Before, finding the right gowns to fit the bulky muscles of our Ms. Sportspoof candidates and raiding our moms’ closet for big old shoes to go with these gowns (asya danay diri magkapareho hin kolor it ira gown ngan shoes, nag-iinta!), as we deflected all the efforts of the upperclassmen to win the Sportsfest over-all champion award, were among the highlights of our forging a strong bond for our batch every Sportsfest. Who can ever forget Gary Bagas’ A Glass of Cold Water monologue (the “Borongan twang” version, with soft U’s and I’s) that won him the Ms. Sportspoof and Darling of the Crowd titles? And the infamous “Papa Ferdie, Papa Ferdie” expression of Orlando Castil Jr.? (Hala high ranking police officer na baya, highly-decorated pa!) Now, our bonding moments are reduced to eating at birthday parties for our batchmates’ children, to singing out hearts out in our videoke sessions, with Magic Sing or no Magic Sing at that ha?, to attending binyag, kasal, blessing hin balay, usually coming late due to work-related duties. (Di ba Mama Tess [BSA's best bud, Miss Marites Daa])

Ah…the list can go on…running out of page already…will do another I guess…memories indeed can warm the heart!

I am pretty sure, this will bring a smile on your face, will make you laugh, will trigger a memory in your head, will push you to remember the past – when all of us were carefree, wide-eyed and hopeful individuals who had worked so hard to attain whatever it is that we have today.

Before, now, it doesn’t matter. The old and the new will always go together for the past are the foundations of the present.

So whether near or far, here or there, in person or through the internet, again, it doesn’t matter, for in our hearts we are one in believing that it is in UP Tacloban where all our dreams took a clearer perspective paving the way for a more lucid path to be revealed that we had tread on to be where we are now.

And as a parting shot, I’d like to share this, one of my favorite expressions, before and now…hope you still remember who said this – Taga UP Tacloban ka? Aw buynas ka!!!