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Loving Bullies In My 80s High School



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High school memories.... aargh! It was my luck to be seated next to these guys: Marty on my right, Daryl just behind me and Jessie just a little bit far from our aisle who frequently stays by. We were all seated at the back of the class - where most of the mischief in class started.
Common characteristics of these guys... they are smart, with winsome personalities, good family background ( I didn't know that then) and transferees from other private schools. Their pics here were posted as such, to protect their identity. Sayang naman if they will run for public office in the future or if they will take the bar exam.
Though we've made peace after graduation - and 8 months after graduation, I just want to write about this. Subtitled: "The crybaby me"


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I'm not sure what I was back then or how my classmates saw me. But definitely I had low morale. Not just because of my own twisted thinking but also because of the embarrassing criticisms and name-calling I got when we were in III year. Some said I was smart - but I thought I was stupid;  some said I was pretty - but I thought I was bland and uninteresting; I had no talent- just good in my English subjects and just striving to please our teachers, ... Some female schoolmates hated me and female teachers too (yes, the ladies mostly) Pero I did not do anything against anybody. I simply stayed out of anybody-who-dislikes-me's way.
Why was I being treated that way? My theory - I was always praised for being "white" or "tisay" but behind that reputation my classmates thought I was just a GI baby (l.c. from a foreigner and a pinay) But no.... my parents were decent folks, even myself didn't know it because I did not listen to the stories about them ( hang on to my blog and you'll know more about that soon)
Yet the lowest point of my day would be when I would answer in class discussions this way : Click here minus the wrong grammar. I get a horrific mental block when a teacher calls on me during recitations. Yes, of course,I'm always prepared for graded recitations when announced, otherwise... it's a dizazter.

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Marty is a funny guy, always alert (hyper?), top of the class and actively participating in class discussions. His bff and chatmate was Daryl. Both of them were always nasty to me. Sometimes I was their "friend" when they need something hehe, sometimes I was their "enemy" and sometimes they just ignore me..... one of my most horrifying moments with Marty is that in every major exam we took he would try to answer his test paper on his own, leaving out the difficult ones (enumeration, essay type) then 15 minutes to the time, he would KICK my chair and ask for my answers. And I would "share" it in my lowest voice possible. Daryl would follow or would ask me to raise my test paper within his view.
Eh one time, our adviser - a good-natured lady nearing her retirement year - just warned " No murmuring, or else" I had respect for her hence, I kept quiet and went about doing my own business. But as usual, Marty had to ask. So I gave my answers as quietly as possible - I said:"Manchuria" .. It was History exam that time... Marty: "What?" .... Me:"Manchuria" ...... Marty: "Can't hear you, speak louder...." Me:"Ahem, Manchuria." .... Marty: "HA?" .... Me: (yelling)"MANCHURIA! I think I'll use a microphone to share my answers to the whole class?!" I was annoyed for his pestering. ha! okay. But after class exam, same old story. PEACE, Marty, ha!
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Daryl- Ah, two unforgettable incidents. I often found him before holding a butterfly knife(balisong), sometimes playing with it. So that thought stuck in my mind. One time, as I vaguely recall, he pressed the pointed object on my back, just for practice. Well, just pretended to be scared. But there was this one time he pressed a sharp object on my back again while saying, give me your day's allowance (or whatever) I got really scared, we were in class that moment, I did not move for fear that the sharp edge would pierce my back or hurt me. I said okay and was about to hand over what he asked for. Then he laughed and showed me what "sharp" object he used - it was just the sharp edge of a ballpen cover!!! I got so angry and cried.

Next, in our religion class, we were having an unannounced recitation. It was my turn so I stood up. As always, I had difficulty answering the question because my mind went blank even if I knew the answer. I was still not satisfied with my answer and was disturbed over it. So I sat down for a while when --HORRORS! my butt landed on the floor! The whole class laughed, so it seemed, most of the guys - maybe even my "crush" laughed out loud! I was so embarrassed then, just imagine I was wearing a skirt uniform and I landed on the floor like a klutz! Whatever happened after that was no comfort to my wounded reputation. Our teacher reprimanded Daryl and he answered back respectfully but still snickering at me - he wasn't the argumentative type, bless him.

Personally, and the fact that I know this Rel.Ed. teacher, she should've done something more... fellow bloggers, what do you think? .... Me, don't ask me what went through my mind at that time. It's unthinkable.
And adding insult to injury (that time)- he said "sorry". That was a right thing to do, but I don't accept apologies at the "crime scene" and not infront of an audience. I needed much more comforting than that. What was ideal that time, could've been...
"Sorry, Christine, I'm so sorry, I'm truly sorry... and I won't do it ever again" Just not that simple sorry, hehehe.

But it's no worries now because Marty and Daryl are okay with mealready, and they are still so funny always saying sorry for everything... kaya heto I'm posting this tuloy just to let them know everything is okay. Actually, I should be the guilty party kase may mga utang pa ako kay Daryl... lagot. PEACE Daryl, you're tops! Mai-advertise nga ang kabutihan nito... ah, yes truly he's a law-abiding citizen and works for somebody important. that's enough, too much clues here!

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Jessie naman, I could hardly recall him bullying me. He was so quiet and decent but when we were in III year he was always calling me names ( that were really below-the-belt and so untrue). In fairness, he seemed mild-mannered. But just this recent STHS reunion, wow, he admitted he made so many "booby traps". He even asked me if I still remember the day when I was just entered our classroom and as I opened the door a shoe fell on my head. Says he was the mastermind. He knew I was coming through and lodged the shoe by the door ( hmm, like Tom and Jerry cartoons eh?) Oh, well, I've got selective amnesia,I guess, so when he told me that, I was clueless. But since he admitted doing so.... ahem, he's included in my book Peace Jessie!

Every highschool reunion I meet most of my classmates that I sorely miss. And I've had fun reminiscing what happened in our 80's high school... such bittersweet memories... the funny,the sad (we made our adviser cry), the horrendous, the jokes, the exams that wracked our brains, the teachers who were patient with us, all the fun we had.
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Narrated by yours truly....... ;)

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Official Holidays In The Philippines This 2014

The following is a list of holidays for 2014, declared by virtue of Proclamation No. 655, s. 2013, unless otherwise specified:


JANUARY
January 1, 2014, Wednesday – New Year’s Day (Regular Holiday)
January 31, 2014, Friday – Chinese New Year (Special non-working day)

FEBRUARY
February 25, 2014, Tuesday – EDSA Revolution anniversary (Holiday for all schools)

APRIL
April 9, 2014, Wednesday – Araw ng Kagitingan (Regular Holiday)
April 17, 2014 – Maundy Thursday (Regular Holiday)
April 18, 2014 – Good Friday (Regular Holiday)
April 19, 2014 – Black Saturday (Special non-working day)


MAY
May 1, 2014, Thursday – Labor Day (Regular Holiday)


JUNE
June 12, 2014, Thursday – Independence Day (Regular Holiday)

AUGUST
August 21, 2014, Thursday – Ninoy Aquino Day (Special non-working day)
August 25, 2014, Monday – National Heroes Day (Regular Holiday)


NOVEMBER
November 1, 2014, Saturday – All Saints Day (Special non-working day)
November 30, 2014, Sunday – Bonifacio Day (Regular Holiday)


DECEMBER
December 24, 2014, Wednesday – Additional special non-working day (Special non-working day)
December 25, 2014, Thursday – Christmas Day (Regular Holiday)
December 26, 2014, Friday – Additional special non-working day (Special non-working day)
December 30, 2014, Tuesday – Rizal Day (Regular Holiday)
December 31, 2014, Wednesday – Last day of the year (Special non-working day)

*Separate proclamations will be issued for the observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eidul Adha

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Happy New Year 2014!


This is my early greeting to everyone! I'm excitedly awaiting the New year 2014 as of this time here in the Philippines (it's still 2:12 PM) I've done most of my chores and preparations for the New Year's Eve simple family celebration... and I'm happily enjoying my newly reformatted 2007 personal computer :) Yes, I admit, I was offline for a long time because of ..er, personal reasons and of having no internet connection here at home. But,yey! I'm glad to be back!!!

Cheers to each and everyone who followed me on my blog, exchanged pleasantries with me and just kept up with anything I came up with this past year... am looking forward to this splendid year 2014!!! God bless us all!!

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Sepia Saturday 201




My grandfather Heinrich and grandmother Minna's house in Hedemuenden, Germany when it was being built in 1939. They must have just acquired the property at that time. Can't say who the other people were, but I can see my grandmother there carrying a little boy in her arms - that's my father. This house is surrounded by a huge expanse of land that they call a garden and an orchard.

 This photo above was taken in the 1970s. That's the small beer house with sign above it that says "Zum kleinen Bären Schnellimbiss Bären-Pils". I hope to know what it means and I hope to find people who are familiar with this beer hub in town. That was my grandmother Minna in the middle and my father on the right. This lady with them must be a relative as she resembles my grandmother's earlier photos. ( Who could this lady be? Tante Hildegard.. Tante Claudia... Tante Heidi.. Tante Hannelore?)

 
These next three photos are the ones given to me by my great uncle in 1992. I can imagine it still looks this way now even after we've sold the property in 1993. It looks quaint like a photo in a Christmas postcard, doesn't it?


If you look closer, you can find the beer hub sign on the far left corner again, yet I could not make out it's new business name, I think it's just the same with a new design.


This is my first Sepia Saturday post for my 80s blog. Head more to their site and join us!

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All Saint's Day Is A Family Tradition From The 80s



The hiatus between October 31st to November 2nd is almost always a family reunion during the 80s. Folks from Manila, Tuguegarao and La Union would all visit our  hometown to pay respects to our departed relatives by offering prayers, as is the Catholic tradition.

I've had precious memories from these visits, being in the ancestral house that my grandfather resided. Folks would take me with them, not only to visit the graves in the cemetery, but more to go around town to visit other relatives in nearby towns. An added plus is staying at our uncles' San Fabian resthouse eby the popularly known Holiday Resort! There were plenty of us families there, I imagine the house with 4 rooms so cramped that some of us had to sleep by the living room / terrace. But the days were so much fun playing boardgames, going to the beach, exchanging knock-knock jokes and getting to know our cousins more!



For a long while since 1983, when our grandfather Roberto De Guzman passed away, it was only me and my Big Sister Cousin Edith  who would visit their graves at the cemetery. The practice was solemn then and we would pass by the Catholic church in the afternoon to offer prayers first before going to the cemetery. At the cemetery we would keep vigil until the sun sets, just exchanging family stories and the latest. I miss that too.

Yes, I miss those times and wish we could have a repeat of those for the next generation (read: my young boys) but then all my relatives are now settled in the US and Australia for good, that I miss their huge crowd sometimes. Yes, I'm the only immediate relative left here in the Philippines, so you could imagine the quietness of the occasion for my family now. And I've also changed with traditions during All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day as we don't celebrate nor participate in it now, except with the clean-up of the grave sites since we converted to Christian faith.



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Tombstone Tuesday Remembering Our Ancestors This All Saint's Day



When I visited our town cemetery together with my two boys for clean-up, I knew these tombstones are something to blog about.. so here I am on my entry for Tombstone Tuesday. In the Philippines we use marble tombstones called lapida in the local dialect.


My grandfather Roberto Cortez De Guzman (Born: June 6,1899 - Died: December 1,1983) He lived up to his 84th year of old age. My grandfather and grandmother's ashes were put together, as is the Pinoy custom, in one grave. My grandmother Felicidad De Vera De Guzman (Born: July 24,1905 - Died: February 19,1960) She died from complications due to a bout of asthma. During the rural folk ages, doctors were a rarity in our town that perhaps contributed to her early demise when my mother and her siblings were still in college in Manila.

 

My Aunt Justina De Vera De Guzman (Born September 26,1934 - Died: May 19, 1960) Aunt Nena, as she was fondly called, was two years older than my  mom. She died of heart complications about the time she was working right after college. I recall my other aunts said she had a suitor/boyfriend who was very despondent when she died.

On the same grave is my older cousin whom I've never met Francis G. Paraan (Born: October 18, 1964 - Died: February 18, 1965) He was the brother between my Big Sister/ Cousin Ate Edith and Kuya Rey. Folks said that when he died, the then young Ate Edith cried so much at his funeral that people cried more for her sadness. She wished for another sibling and was blessed with the birth of Kuya Rey

On the same grave is my nephew Gian Carlo Viloria Paraan, son of Kuya Rey and Ate Mimie (Born: March 21,1988 - Died: March 22, 1988) He died from neonatal complications. Faye and I were there when we visited him at the hospital, which was also the same day we took him home together with Ate Mimie's folks.




This is my mom's tombstone: Juana De Guzman Buelchmann (Born: June 12, 1936 - Died: April 13, 1991) (Juane De Guzman Bülchmann) She died from cancer complications. I was only 19 years old then.





Find more at http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/findfamily.php?name=Bulchmann http://www.findagrave.com/
Lapida Maker

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Music Monday - The Romantics and A-HA



Two hit songs from my 80s adolescent hood for this Music Monday for me,yay!

 The Romantic's "Talking In Your Sleep" was a great hit in the summer of 1984. It was a crowd favorite and I wonder why it personally reminds me of Eat Bulaga's Little Miss Philippines contestant Glaiza Herradura, hmm, now there's another entry to blog about next time :)

"Take On Me" by A-ha is an incredibly awesome music video and a great hit also. It was in early 1985 that the music video was released and often requested on MTV and VH1

Enjoy!






Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

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Presenting "A Day In Life" my series of texts 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.