Heart Of The 80s

Saturday 021388 Alive In Manila!

Afternoon
Dear Diary,
Hi and Hello! yes, now we are here in Manila and things came unexpectedly! Is there a proverb like that? Expect the unexpected as long as it's the best! So much fun!

But wait, here's something that I can't tell if it's sad or what... yesterday... morning, I saw Brendon kidding around with Sheila while the guys in class were looking at the 'censored' Valentine card. Our classmates at group 4 and 5 laughed at them.I said to myself: "No chance, kiddo, surely they will be back together again" Wasn't it just months ago when Brendon used to often frown at her, but look now - he's back to joking with her and Sheila's going gaga over him. Ahh, I don't know if I should cry or what, ah.... basta, I felt so angry seeing them together! [add a crying face here for me ;'( that's what I meant that time] And maybe that afternoon, they were really back together. I ain't sure coz I skipped classes again because it's Friday afternoon, I went to the movies at Rodela Cinema to watch "Stupid Cupid" with Matt.

Now here is something I must confess to you, dear diary. It was very very bad of me, but hey.. Before I went home that noon, I went back inside our classroom when all the students left. I searched for the 'censored' Valentine card but I couldn't find it, at first. But something pushed me to open the attendance record at the teacher's desk and... (would you believe?).. the 'censored' Valentine card I was looking for was right there clipped inside the attendance record book!! I hurriedly took it and shoved it inside my folder.. and went out as if nothing happened. Tsk,tsk,tsk! Sorry, my dear talented classmate Benny, sorry for your artistic talent in creating the 'censored' card. hmm, what can I say!!! [I still feel bad about taking the Valentine card. But on hindsight, maybe I saved the whole class from making our Physics teacher, Mr. Soco, furious. I mean, what reaction from a prim and proper, no-nonsense teacher would they expect? So, up to this day, no one knows I took this 'censored' Valentine card]

Love is in the air! I'm featuring two of my favorite romantic hits "Shower Me With Your Love by Surface which was an '89 hit;

... and the Philippines' local hit in 1984 from the movie "Bagets": "So It's You" by Raymond Lauchengco (special thanks to Mr.Ruel Mendoza for featuring the film clips on Youtube)

Wednesday
Evening
021088

Dear Diary,
Sorry about being absent for more than a week. [what an excuse letter expert I was then] I was busy on that Thursday and Friday about my luv letter to Brendon and on that Saturday I was worrying if I'd still send it and I worried about it and I didn't have time to write/report all the important events here. And on that Sunday, I was suddenly asked to go to Manila to report at the Deutsche Botschaft. And I forgot to bring you, dear diary, with me.. sorry, ha?

Well, first.. here we go with the dreams I had when I was in Manila... on that Sunday night, I dreamt of Brendon and Sheila. They were friends already and they were very happy, as happy as the closest friends. But in my dream, Sheila only wanted a cigarette from Brendon!.. how bizarre... But this morning, I overheard Sheila talk about Brendon, about the words he wrote on the our classroom wall [highschoolers are known for this bad habit] on the next Monday night, I dreamed of Dean* and his real girlfriend (according to Dess). Dean's girlfriend went to our room and told me there are some people backbiting me and Dean is defending me (WOW,Ha!) ... And here's what happened in reality between Dean and me is that he greeted me hello as we passed by each other at the Practical Arts building, and when we passed by each other in front of the plaza. I just smiled sweetly but I looked down because I felt shy.

And well, what happened on that Monday... first, Ate Edith, my mama, Matt and I went to the Deutsche Botschaft and as usual, Matt was acting silly. Why? when we took the elevator he acted funny and said there was an earthquake! (haha) Oh yah, we got a problem at the embassy because I had no ID with me so I've got to go back this Saturday (so by Valentine's Day I won't be here in the province)... Then after we went to the embassy, we headed to Bank Of America next.

Matt was acting sillier this time because of the automatic swinging doors - you know, the ones you just step on and it opens by itself. [yes, during the 80s automatic swinging doors was a novelty] Here goes Matt, gaping at every person that passes through the door. Ay probinsyano! Hay!

.... Afterwards, we all went to the SM Food Center at SM Makati and then we went shopping! Later we went home to rest a little. By late afternoon, Ate Edith and I went to the movies at Greenbelt Cinema (my most favorite cinema house with the romantic lover's lane, the most American McDonald's and remember my 2nd year high school days 012786?) We watched the movie "Ibulong Mo Sa Diyos" starring Vilma Santos, Gary Valenciano, Eric Quizon and Miguel Rodriguez. This movie made me cry, especially when I heard the song "Sana Maulit Muli" can't help but think of PX and how I miss him. Maybe it's because PX is a huge fan of Gary V.

The next day, Ate Mimie accompanied me at the University Of Santo Tomas UST for my application for entrance exam. I chose BACHELOR OR ARTS IN HISTORY and BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION MAJOR IN HISTORY. Ate Mimie took me around the UST campus since it's the university she went to and is most familiar with. She said the school is not what it looks like, the students there have an easy-go-lucky attitude, the guys are bolero, the ladies are vain but still studies must be taken seriously. Hmm, I like the school.. I love the old Spanish buildings, the facade looks the same as ours in my high school Santo Tomas here in the province. Isn't this how buildings in Puerto Rico look like? hahaha having thoughts of Robby Rosa again! Hay, I hope I pass the exam...

Okay, so this morning at school, Brendon kidded me he's borrowing ten bucks sana. I smiled/frowned, haha. He went at the back of our room and announced: "Who's got ten bucks, lend me please!" then after a while he called my name again but I tried so hard not to look back because I was busy with our assignment. Besides I didn't know if he received the love letter na. On this afternoon, though, I found out he got it already. Saw his name written on the blackboard by the principal's office for the mail. Oh.. but I haven't seen him this afternoon because he was absent.

So that's the latest report for today. I'm closing this entry with Richie Valens' "C'mon Let's Go!"
Good night....

Red

[Who's Dean? That's Brendons's younger brother who was the campus crush. I didn't really know him :)]


For the next entry 

[I am so inspired today to just go ahead and begin a series of these blog entries I will call "A Day In Life". This series present the text from my journals that I kept between the ages of 14 and 17. I'll be adding new entries every now and then to share all my thoughts, ideas, events, experiences, memories, ideas I had during the eighties. It is for my continued amusement that I read and reread my old journals, even when there isn't much content, I still gain occasional insight how I'm still in the process of changing to maturity. Most of the names have been changed to protect the people I recently found on Facebook. A few are just partial entries, my bleeping and blinding exclamations have been removed and some entries have been modified to give way to my now correct spelling and grammar. Yet the mix of excitement, melodrama and pleasant memories from the eighties are still much felt :) I hope, as you read my old journal with me, you enjoy the same sentiments.]

WEDNESDAY Evening 10:30PM
February 3,1988  020388

Dear Diary,

This is some kind of a day. I'll start it from the very beginning...
This morning, Brendon( changed his name from RF to Brendon now) was not so late in coming to school. After checking our test papers in Filipino, he went to the faculty  room and volunteered to distribute the envelopes and of course, my envelope was there. But, Dan, our other classmate, offered to help him (OH!) and unfortunately, my envelope was given to me by Dan. (Aargh!) 

But then later, a campaign brochure from Baguio Colleges Foundation (now University of the Cordilleras) and the college courses offered were distributed. I was talking to my guy seatmate Daryl, just asking about the course descriptions. 
Me: "What is BSE?"
Daryl: "It's a course for teachers, of course!"
Me: "For highschool teachers?"
Daryl :"Yeah"
Me: "But what is this CMT and CAT? Can ladies enroll in this course? Maybe there are plenty of handsome guys here, eh?"
Daryl : (laughing) "Ha-ha. You're kidding, right?"
Me: " I had to ask!" More giggles.
Me: "Ok, now I know what course I'll take up. This is really it... BSE HISTORY MAJOR!"  [I loved history subjects because of all the hilarious stories by our effervescent history teachers.]
Daryl : (shrugs) "Sure you can..."
Me: " I'll be a teacher and would be teaching in this school. By then there would be plenty of handsome co-teachers too!" [Was only jesting for amusement] So that conversation lasted until I read more details to ask about.... Just then, Brendon came up beside   Daryl and held the same brochure that I was holding that time. Brendon and I both looked/gazed/stared (whatever) at each other for a few seconds, and I shivered. But oops,   Daryl said to Brendon: "Pare, this is Red's" So Brendon goes apologetically: "Okay.." Then went away. Aaargh! To  Daryl!

This afternoon, Brendon went in very late around 1:45PM. A visitor from the EARN computer school was  promoting their courses and encouraging us to study in their school. Around that time, Brendon came in but no one got distracted anyway. Later, our class took a scholarship exam for 30 minutes. A long time of silence. Then the proctor asked: "Is it difficult?" We all gave out a giggle. Brendon, who was seated at the far corner,said: "Chicken feed!".. haha, I said to Daryl: (who was seated just behind us - and copying my answers): "Hmm, we'll see!" Anyways, no time for that now.

Oh and much later, the wall between our room and the Aguinaldo section's room fell over the head of Sheila - Brendon's ex. I glanced quickly at Brendon seeing his expression if he will care for her. Nothing there. I think he sort of felt sorry for her but just smiled to himself. We all went back to our work. After the exam, Brendon went out to play basketball at the STHS court.

Other topic, I have something very very important to tell you, dear diary, and I fear it will happen. Matt, my 11-year-old nephew, is not so happy and said the world will end soon this March 18,1988 right after the eclipse. I'm praying that it won't happen. I hope God will not get angry at us here on earth, I'll try to be good already. Okay good night, dear diary.

[Now I think this was an awesome day :) All the people I mention here are every now and then in touch with me thanks to Facebook. Who's Brendon, you say? He's a former classmate for whom I've had a great silly crush- just like that. No, he never knew and only one or two close friends knew. Anyways, these were my best days so to speak]



Here was my next Entry

Find me on the 1st photo above, yes, that young girl in multi-color polka-dotted white shirt dancing at a wedding party. The rest of the people in the photo are folks in the baranggay and my cousins from the USA.

Let's get wordless here!