March 24, 2004. It was the day of our graduation in grade school. It also marked the beginning of a new life: high school life. Sadly, some of our batchmates would depart after grade school. I don't know if I was the next one going. I can remember walking through the aisle receiving the diploma, asking myself, where am I going? Daddy wanted me to study at a low-budget school, Philippine Science High School. The options continue on as I finally had that shiny red case over my hands. But in the end, I decided to stay loyal to OB Montessori.
OB was a great school to start off with. It is very similar to other elite schools like Assumption, St. Scholastica's, La Salle Greenhills and La Salle Zobel. But what distinguished the school from the rest was that it had the privilege to be situated near both a shopping mall and a subdivision. It is located in Greenhills, where it was the place for the elite and the famous, and this school had its perfect backdrop.
I can remember Christine, my old grade school buddy, telling me something about caring for each other. You see, the weeks heading into graduation was a crucial part. I wasn't even belonging in the group lately, until she showed up and gave me some words of encouragement to stay here. And I took those words to heart. When she left for good, I always reflect on what she has done for me back in the day.
After graduation, my family went to Batangas for a summer trip. But instead of soaking the sun, I decided to stay behind and reflect on my experience in grade school, with a little help from the 1980's. Somehow I was introspective, but I realized there's still a lot of work to do.
After the trip, I went back to business. During those lead-ups to high school, I prepared some of the things needed for the grind ahead. I was introduced to the gray checkered polo, gray pants and gray vest, symbols of the early part of high school. I was even introduced to a new PE uniform, color-coded depending on the year level. And I bought a lot of books to cover for high school, some of which were borrowed from an old relative of mine. That started the rite of initiation. To sum it all up, there's no need for a customized bag. Just buy you own.
High school life opened shop on June 14, 2004. And I was only a 14-year old kid. However most of my batchmates were still 12 or younger when we started high school. That shows you the immaturity of those kids back in the day, still hung over from the old grade school days. We had an assembly, with our bags on. Mine's much bigger than the others; I bought so many books in school on that first day. After the assembly, we had a mass, and then we head ourselves to the classrooms for a Dale Carnegie sessions. What made the difference was also the teachers we had in high school. And I had new batchmates from other schools. The first day was definitely hanging over my head.
My first high school friends were two upperclassmen. David Atienza and Alyssa Lapid, both 3rd year students, were willing to introduce me. We were busmates back then. So they started to give me some words of encouragement to ensure my stay in high school a successful one. They were not alone, however, to share the fun. Gradually, I gained a lot more friends from that section alone, which is C.
I can remember Sarah Galban as well as Monette Navarro, who followed in the footsteps of David and Alyssa, giving me more words of encouragement. I can also remember my old grade school buddies JP Capistrano, Kenny Espino, Rainiel Yap and Rishi Hemnani, playing typical jokes on me. Even Rachelle Villanueva, the elder sister of my then-classmate Rochelle, was giving me some sort of funny tips. The fun definitely continued, until a sudden turn happened. I was trying to tuck my shirt in public when Alyssa suddenly went wild. She walked away with a grin, and I was so humiliated by my actions. To this day, it was still the most forgettable act of disrespect I've ever done in my life. Despite that debacle, I still maintained my friendships with Sarah, Monette and the other members of 3C, and they continued my tutoring with them. It was an experience I can never forget.
First year happens to be a trying period to me. We had lockers near the classrooms, so if there's something to get prior to the next subject, this is the place to go. Our tables were reduced to only a two-seater, and there were no more nomenclature cards, grade school "toys" and the like. As mentioned earlier, we have new teachers. Plus, the entire batch is together, no more afternoon shifts. We had six sections, from A to F. But that happened to be the only time we'll have a six-section high school. In addition, classes last the entire day, starting at 8:30 AM. For instance, in my first year, Monday to Thursday classes end at 4:00 PM, while Friday classes last till 3:00 PM. By the way, the 3:00 PM class usually had me fetched home by my dad, except for some unknown reasons. Exams were usually grade school-like schedules, ending at around 1:00 PM. That was also when my dad was available. But for most of the week, I was fetched home by my school bus; I got home at as early as 7:30 PM, and as late as 9:00 PM. But that took its toll on me. As I languish inside the school waiting for my bus, I was all alone, looking as my other friends come and go. Fortunately, there are some people who can share in the fun.
OB was a great school to start off with. It is very similar to other elite schools like Assumption, St. Scholastica's, La Salle Greenhills and La Salle Zobel. But what distinguished the school from the rest was that it had the privilege to be situated near both a shopping mall and a subdivision. It is located in Greenhills, where it was the place for the elite and the famous, and this school had its perfect backdrop.
I can remember Christine, my old grade school buddy, telling me something about caring for each other. You see, the weeks heading into graduation was a crucial part. I wasn't even belonging in the group lately, until she showed up and gave me some words of encouragement to stay here. And I took those words to heart. When she left for good, I always reflect on what she has done for me back in the day.
After graduation, my family went to Batangas for a summer trip. But instead of soaking the sun, I decided to stay behind and reflect on my experience in grade school, with a little help from the 1980's. Somehow I was introspective, but I realized there's still a lot of work to do.
After the trip, I went back to business. During those lead-ups to high school, I prepared some of the things needed for the grind ahead. I was introduced to the gray checkered polo, gray pants and gray vest, symbols of the early part of high school. I was even introduced to a new PE uniform, color-coded depending on the year level. And I bought a lot of books to cover for high school, some of which were borrowed from an old relative of mine. That started the rite of initiation. To sum it all up, there's no need for a customized bag. Just buy you own.
High school life opened shop on June 14, 2004. And I was only a 14-year old kid. However most of my batchmates were still 12 or younger when we started high school. That shows you the immaturity of those kids back in the day, still hung over from the old grade school days. We had an assembly, with our bags on. Mine's much bigger than the others; I bought so many books in school on that first day. After the assembly, we had a mass, and then we head ourselves to the classrooms for a Dale Carnegie sessions. What made the difference was also the teachers we had in high school. And I had new batchmates from other schools. The first day was definitely hanging over my head.
My first high school friends were two upperclassmen. David Atienza and Alyssa Lapid, both 3rd year students, were willing to introduce me. We were busmates back then. So they started to give me some words of encouragement to ensure my stay in high school a successful one. They were not alone, however, to share the fun. Gradually, I gained a lot more friends from that section alone, which is C.I can remember Sarah Galban as well as Monette Navarro, who followed in the footsteps of David and Alyssa, giving me more words of encouragement. I can also remember my old grade school buddies JP Capistrano, Kenny Espino, Rainiel Yap and Rishi Hemnani, playing typical jokes on me. Even Rachelle Villanueva, the elder sister of my then-classmate Rochelle, was giving me some sort of funny tips. The fun definitely continued, until a sudden turn happened. I was trying to tuck my shirt in public when Alyssa suddenly went wild. She walked away with a grin, and I was so humiliated by my actions. To this day, it was still the most forgettable act of disrespect I've ever done in my life. Despite that debacle, I still maintained my friendships with Sarah, Monette and the other members of 3C, and they continued my tutoring with them. It was an experience I can never forget.
First year happens to be a trying period to me. We had lockers near the classrooms, so if there's something to get prior to the next subject, this is the place to go. Our tables were reduced to only a two-seater, and there were no more nomenclature cards, grade school "toys" and the like. As mentioned earlier, we have new teachers. Plus, the entire batch is together, no more afternoon shifts. We had six sections, from A to F. But that happened to be the only time we'll have a six-section high school. In addition, classes last the entire day, starting at 8:30 AM. For instance, in my first year, Monday to Thursday classes end at 4:00 PM, while Friday classes last till 3:00 PM. By the way, the 3:00 PM class usually had me fetched home by my dad, except for some unknown reasons. Exams were usually grade school-like schedules, ending at around 1:00 PM. That was also when my dad was available. But for most of the week, I was fetched home by my school bus; I got home at as early as 7:30 PM, and as late as 9:00 PM. But that took its toll on me. As I languish inside the school waiting for my bus, I was all alone, looking as my other friends come and go. Fortunately, there are some people who can share in the fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment