I went home for a quickie vacation/celebration over the weekend to celebrate five birthdays and a wedding. Despite feeling ill days before I managed to muster enough strength to fly home and be with my family and friends for our september to remember event. I arrived home in time to celebrate five birthdays-- Ves and tita dada's (21/09),Fr. Bu's (22/09), and Luis and Anthony's (25/09) and one wedding-- Whily's and Mark's. The third week of September is always filled with birthdays to celebrate for me as most of my family and friends are somehow born on that day.
The best part about going home is being able to renew ties with old friends. My first stop was of course Jollibee where I had late lunch with classmate and ella. Ella treated me to chickenjoy and creamy macaroni soup. yummy. Ella took me home afterwards where Mom ordered pizza from greenwich for dinner. I didn't get to quiz classmate but promise next time babawi ako!hahaha. Ella and I met up again the next night for dinner at burgoo. Foodtrip galore again. Calories calories!
Saturday morning was Fr Bu's birthday and I had a lecture for the Bu Eagle Lecture series. I woke up early to finish my presentation (as usual!) and managed to deliver a decent speech without crying. I couldn't say the same thing for my mom though--she was crying just as I was finishing my second sentence. In the short reunion at Admu, I got to say hello to Weevens, Ces, Jopie, Oliver, Bel and Jib. Nikki was there too. It was good to see him especially since I saw him last over a year ago during his dad's wake. He looked happy and that made me smile. Weevens and I took no time to get back to our wicked ways and bashing our "favorite" sleeper in class (I swear Weevs, maniac yon!!!)
During willeah's wedding, I was able to have a reunion with the PPPeyups gang. Gilbert, Vivi, Merly, Tintin and Eunice were guests along with Peter (na nag birthday din nga pala) and Aldwin E.(isa pang sept celebrant) We marvelled at Willeah's new body courtesy of fruitas and thought about going on that diet as well. We raided the dessert buffet and loved the chocolate fountain and array of chocolate desserts. After the wedding, Gilbert, Merl, Tin and I went for coffee (sans the coffee) in Starbucks pearl drive and talked about PPP, showbiz, travel, and life in general. We've come a long way since college days when all we could afford was tapsilog at UP SC or the occassional Mcdo meal. I laughed my heart out at Gilbert's and Vivi's anti wedding comments (di cost effective yan!-gilbert; pwede ba pag nagpakasal kayo civil na lang para walang ek ek?-vivi) and cried with Merly's story of heartbreak (hay merl! he doesn't deserve you!).
After a short coffee talk, I left them to visit my beloved pamilya badminton-- tito noel, tita nel, and kei at gbc. lolo rb was not around as he was busy with his new career in Starbucks. It was good to see Kei again since I missed seeing her the last time. Sayang lang di kami nakalaro.
The P10 girls showed up on Sunday for our traditional get together. As usual it was just the three of us again--Jai, Ina, and me. Mariel was there for a short time but had to leave early. Of course we understood (All for one, one for all in the name of love mare!). Kim and Rency also came with baby Enzo whose past time of playing superman was so cute to watch. I never thought I had the skill to actually make a baby laugh but Enzo must have found me really funny. Or mukha kaya akong clown?
Of course there was still my bonding moments with Mommy. We went to MOA on Sunday to do some shopping and eating at Terryaki boy. We also went to Ever to buy groceries. I know my mom misses having me to drive her around. I miss having her around too.
I got to play Badminton only once since it was only a short vacation. But it was still worth it. I played four matches and did a series of drills with Luis. This is what I miss the most--playing with Luis and the rest of the GBC/pamilya badminton gang. So even if I was beet red after the games due to fatigue, I was in bliss. Luis treated me to a pre-birthday dinner that Monday night in Chowking where i finally got to satisfy my craving of halo halo and tokwa't baboy. Luis and I reminisced about our adventures in the past and even got to drop by Manang's for some post badminton chikka.
The last two days of vacation was spent mostly with idol Anthony and our breakfast dates. On Monday we went to chocolate kiss where we feasted on tocilog and cakes. The best. Sayang there was no dayap cake but the Kahlua butter cake was still divine. We swapped stories about life and love and teased each other to death about our bloopers. Of course nothing could beat Idol's date at the dome and the tea "gay ka ba?" question that came with it.
I took him to work after (sorry late ka idol!) with the promise of breakfast again the next day which was also his birthday (same day as Luis). I picked him up the next day and got the honor of driving his new car-- a honda civic. It was an honor because no one has driven the car yet (even he hasn't driven it!). We took his car to Sto Domingo Church where we had mass (weevens said buti di daw ako nasunog!hahaha). We went to the virgin mother and prayed in the blessed sacrament before heading off to breakfast at heaven and eggs in Tomas Morato.
Of course true to form, there were the jaime bloopers-- as i was kneeling in the blessed sacrament i knocked on the chair by accident causing a lot of noise in the very quiet chapel. hahaha.. and have i mentioned i didn't have a license? I kind of forgot it in Malaysia. :) I told Anthony that I couldn't leave manila without our traditional last gimik together. And even though I promised myself I would not get senti over this vacation he made it nearly impossible for me not to do so. (kakainis ka idol! but thanks for the toblerone!)
We finally said good bye in front of v. luna hospital with a the promise of seeing each other again in December (baguio here we come!) and I headed back to ADMU where I met up with Weevens for the last goodbye.
By 130pm I was off to the airport. It was time to go back. ganung kabilis ang limang araw. limang tulog. kakasimula pa lang..tapos na agad. I spent some time on the phone with ella while waiting for the check in counter to open. One of the things I miss most while here in Malaysia is our telebabad nights. I got another call from Idol and had a relaxing foot and back massage before I finally boarded my flight to KL.
On my way from KL to Manila I sat beside a pinay DH on her way back home for good. She was teary eyed when she shared how she was going home for good. I could sense her happiness and sadness at the same time. She was excited to be with her family at last after being away for 6 years but at the same time I sensed her apprehension about what lies ahead. She told me how she hopes to come back again in the future.
Part of me was glad that I had a job to get back to unlike her. But a bigger part of me was envious because she gets to go home for good while I only had five days. If only she knew how lucky she was and how much I'd give to exchange places with her at that moment.
But Ella is right. I need to be here in Malaysia for now. This is my path for now. To quote Gilbert, mahirap kumita ng PPP.
But one day I shall be back.. for good.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Unexpected Trip
I'll be taking an unexpected trip tomorrow. It wasn't planned but at the last minute I decided what the heck, its only 8K right? The past 4 days I've been sick and knowing that in less than 24 hours I will be back to my comfort zone again is enough to keep from wallowing in self pity.
I'm going home tomorrow. I'm seeing my family again. I'm seeing ella again. Makakagimik ako with Luis and the GBC gang again.. Olie and I will get to play again.
Even for a short while. Even for just 5 days. I have one heck of a schedule but I am very excited once again. Celebrating 7 birthdays and 1 wedding in 5 days would be one good reason to go home.
Uwian na!!!!
I'm going home tomorrow. I'm seeing my family again. I'm seeing ella again. Makakagimik ako with Luis and the GBC gang again.. Olie and I will get to play again.
Even for a short while. Even for just 5 days. I have one heck of a schedule but I am very excited once again. Celebrating 7 birthdays and 1 wedding in 5 days would be one good reason to go home.
Uwian na!!!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Ateneo humor
Was reading through one of my former student's blog at multiply and read this funny story. It reminded me of the familiar faces left at home and somehow it helps heal that pervasive feeling of homesickness. So I'm reposting it here..
according to the blog of JB it was written by migoy lizada.
if you haven't read hp7, this might contain some spoilers, beware.
it's funny but it's long so hang on!
----------------------------------
(Background Music)
We stand on a hill
Between the earth and sky
- "Song For Mary," Fr. James Rueter SJ
Chapter One: Before The Storm
Fr. Bienvenido Nebres SJ was just finishing the day's work when Harry Potter, a senior of the Ateneo de Manila, burst into his office.
"Fr Nebres!" Harry shouted
"Harry!" a surprised Nebres said. "I thought you were out of school destroying the horcruxes to kill Lord Voldemort."
"That's what I wanted to tell you. I discovered that there are two horcruxes here in Ateneo itself. Voldemort has enlisted the help of the De La Salle University and the University of Santo Tomas. They are coming."
"Don't worry, Harry." Nebres said "You know for a fact that Ateneo-- its teachers and students -- are more than capable of defending our Loyola campus. We will hold them off while you search for the horcruxes and destroy them. You will need this." He waved of his wand and out of the air appeared a sword. "The sword of St. Ignatius." Nebres said. "Powerful enough to destroy the two horcruxes."
"Thank you, Father" Harry said. And with that, he sped off to find the last two things which protect Lord Voldemort.
Nebres then waved his wand once more and this time, four people appeared in his office. "Marlu, Rudy, Toby and Joey. The school is in danger"
Nebres then explained the situation to the four Deans of the Ateneo de Manila University.
"I want you to assemble all remaining students in the college covered courts. We must evacuate the freshmen through Marikina. The sophomore, junior and senior students may stay and fight if they want to. Next, I need you to assemble all the teachers, both part time and full time."
Without a word, the four deans Disapparated and went on with their tasks. Nebres too Disapparated back to the Jesuit Residence and briefed the Society about the impending attack.
Fr. Adolfo Dacanay was the assigned to lead the Jesuits to battle "My team is ready to fight anytime anywhere. We will crush them!"
"Excellent." Nebres said
After a few minutes, Nebres, the four Deans and some members of the faculty and administration gathered in Xavier Hall to discuss the battle plan.
"The School of Humanities can summon mythical creatures to help defend us." Marlu Vilches said "The English Department professors are summoning creatures from Dante's Inferno and Greek Mythology as we speak. The Filipino Department is summoning all the manananggals and white ladies from the haunted trees on campus"
"The Philosophy Department" interjected Fr. Ferriols "is summoning creatures from Meron pond right now. Those rascals will soon feel the wrath of Meron! Magiging WALA silang lahat! Konsepto lamang sila!"
"Now is the time to test the newest chemicals and inventions from our SEC laboratories." Toby Dayrit said, "The Department of Environmental Science professors are enchanting the trees to life right now. We will purge them with the help of Mother Nature."
"I have just received a call from MVP" Rudy Ang said "Reinforcements from Makati are coming soon."
"My apples and sunshine are ready to fight as well" Tim Gabuna said. "Go CERSA!"
"I have just finished briefing my school. The Department of History is ready to fight. The Western history professors led by Dave Lozada and JoEd Tirol are summoning the three hundred Spartans and soldiers from the World War II to fight. Fr Bulatao and the Department of Psychology are locked inside the SocSci Conference room right now. They will use their psychic powers to toy with our enemy's mind."
"I have roused the athletes also." Norman Black beside Ricky Palou said. "They are ready to put up One Big Fight with their super strength."
A voice interrupted them. "I KNOW YOU ARE PREPARING TO FIGHT! You are no match for us! I have allied myself with the La Salle brothers and the Dominicans of UST. You cannot win against me, Jesuits. Push the limit! Animo Spirit! Give us Harry Potter and the sword of St. Ignatius and we will let you live! We will even let you win some of the games."
Chapter Two: More Help
The Ateneans ignored the warning and instead began to prepare for the impending battle. A few minutes later, the voice shouted for a second time:
"I can see you are not listening! It is such a pity. What happened to your Prayer for Generosity? Give me Harry Potter and the Sword of St Ignatius. Give without counting the cost, you always say! You have until midnight. I also call on all students of La Salle Greenhills and La Salle Zobel. It is not too late. Come and join us. Convert! Repent!"
Fr. Dacanay, interrupting his briefing with his exorcists turned and said "The idiot is taking the prayer out of context. Besides, St Ignatius also said to fight without fear of being wounded. And we will do just that."
Three figures -- two women and a man -- suddenly appeared. "We are from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology" said the man.
"Ricky Abad!" Fr. Nebres exclaimed.
"I brought with me our Department Chair Bopeep Saloma-Akpedonu. And this is Czarina Medina, one of our newest lecturers. We apologize for being late. We were preparing our I-bombs."
"I-bombs? What are I-bombs?" Nebres asked.
"Ideology bombs. Once they detonate, they will spread false consciousness in the area -- the La Salle brothers and the Tomasians will think they are winning. It is all false really. We will use their pride against them."
"Excellent. Excellent." Nebres said. "And here comes Andrew Ty and Mark Escaler for the Department of Communication."
"Yes!" Escaler said "we will infiltrate their communication processes by adding "noise" and ambiguity between the message relay of the sender and the receiver so orders can be reversed and thwarted!"
"The creatures from my horror films are coming!" Andrew Ty said. "We will use them to our advantage!"
"Father President! Some people are coming!" somebody shouted.
Some five hundred people then Apparated out of nowhere. Wearing either red or white shirts, they marched towards Nebres. A young man then stepped forward.
"We are from the University of the Philippines." said the young man. "For years, our academic communities have built a strong relationship with each other. We have shared professors. We went to rallies together. We have had our differences. Yes. But in the end, our similarities and accomplishments outweigh our differences... We are here to help! We are honored to fight with Ateneo once more!"
Cheers and applause errupted from all sides.
"Let's make baka! Don't be takot! Let's make baka! Don't be takot! Let's make baka! Don't be takot! Let's make baba from the hill" the Ateneans cheered
Five minutes to midnight.
The School of Humanities stood with their mythical creatures summoned from the Classics, and the haunted trees and the gigantic swamp creatues from the Meron pond.
The John Gokongwei School of Management with their reinforcements from Makati, along with Venus Ibarra, Ricky Pilar and other professors.
The School of Science and Engineering with their mysterious inventions and weapons. The gigantic trees in the campus now walking sluggishly by their side.
The School of Social Sciences with their unique yet powerful defensive weapons; the Psychology Department ready for the psy-war.
The Ateneo Professional Schools ready to defend their Loyola-based counterparts; the two fraternities in the Law School forging a temporary alliance.
The Alumni, the D.A. (Dalandan's Army), led by Benjie Laza and Mon Cualoping.
The statues of Tomas More, Horacio dela Costa, the Blue Eagle come to life.
The students from U.P.
Two horcruxes left.
Now all is still, where Loyola's colors fly.
Chapter Three: One Big Fight
Midnight.
There was a burst of light emanating from the sky, brighter than the moon and the stars. What seemed like a horde of fireflies turned out to be arrows. Thousands of arrows. Tips on fire.
The arrows struck the Blue Eagle Gym. The oldest building in the University. The symbol of their athletic pride. Now aflame.
Toby Dayrit tossed a beaker of water to the burning building. He pointed his wand at the beaker now mid-air and shouted his spell "Magis." The water transformed into a surf huge enough to douse the fire. The Blue Eagle Gym was safe.
The archers outside roared their disappointment. But they shot again, this time targeting the Erenchun soccer field where some of the Ateneans were camped. Nebres pointed his wand at the arrows raining from the sky and shouted his incantation "Cura personalis" and the thousand arrows turned into bubbles.
The Ateneans cheered. The first two attacks of the LaSallians and the Tomasians have been thwarted.
"You have had your fun, Ateneans." a voice boomed. "Now it is time to get serious."
Darkness suddenly enveloped the University. The enemy had sabotaged their electricity. Immediately all the Ateneans took out and flickered their wands, "Lux in Domino" they chanted. Light emanated from all the wands.
The illumination came just in time as suddenly a stampede crushed the fences between Gate 2 and Gate 2.5. The Ateneans have realized the magnitude of their danger: it was not just the LaSallians or even just the Tomasians they were confronting; the other schools were there as well. A thousand green archers were riding the backs of the giant tigers of UST. Charging with them were the giant tamaraws and a hundred warriors whose bodies were painted red war paint. Above, falcons were soaring in the sky.
"YOU FOUL THINGS, noh?" somebody from the Ateneo crowd shouted, charging at the stampede; it was Tessa Rosana "How dare you attack us, noh? You don't know who you are dealing with, noh? TAKE THIS, noh?" She hit her gong with all her might. A powerful sound wave spread throughout the area knocking a hundred archers and animals out.
"Haha anoh?" she triumphantly yelled.
And so the other Ateneans started counterattacking as well. David Lozada and his 300 Spartans. The ROTC cadets. The mythical creatures of the School of Humanities. Dalandan's Army.
Ricky Abad and the Department of Sociology soon deployed their Ideology Bombs prompting some of the LaSallians to cheer instead of fighting. They cheered, "strawberry shortcake nananananana." instead of "Recticano! Recticano". This allowed some of the Ateneans to easily knock the LaSallians out.
Somewhere near the Covered Courts, Norman Black was briefing his team, "Nonoy. I want you here. Chris, here. Jai, there. Alright? Any questions."
"Aaaaah! GOD DAMN IT!" a raspy voice screamed. It was Joe Lipa, former coach of the Blue Eagles, who arrived with the contingent from UP. "Just charge! Attack them! Now!" And so they did.
The LaSalle brothers and Francisco of UST were outside, watching the battle, waiting for their turn to strike.
A handful of LaSallians were found trotting back to their base.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" Francisco yelled.
"You told us to retreat!" the archer said.
"You idiot! That's just Escaler and Bulatao toying with your minds! Go back! That's it! I am joining the battle!"
She then stepped forward lifted her two arms and shouted "Tiger Power! Raar! Tiger Power! Raar!" The LaSalle brothers thought she had lost her mind. But then she suddenly transformed into a giant tigress, twice larger and fiercer than the ordinary tigers. Seeing their comrade ready and willing to fight, the LaSallians cheered.
"HOY!" Goldie the Tiger roared "NO CHEERING DURING BATTLE! NO CHEERING!" Then she advanced.
Her first target was Fr. Dacanay who was busy exorcising some of the archers and paralyzing them.
"FATHER! Behind you!"
Quickly, Dacanay whirled and performed his own counterattack "Expellus Inferius" blasting her into the middle of the Erenchun field, knocking her out.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" The La Salle brothers shouted upon seeing their comrade down. "It is time we even the score."
The earth began to quake. And out of the night came a gigantic robot. It was DLRT; the LaSallians had transformed and brought the LRT-1 which passed Taft Avenue into a robot.
DLRT was making quick work of the Ateneans and their creatures-- crushing the mythical creatures here and there, tossing the trees brought to life by the Department of Environmental Science.
"Let us not lose hope!" Nebres said. "We are after all committed to hope."
"Now is not the time to talk about GK, Father!" somebody said.
"I am not talking about GK. I am talking about SECtor."
He pointed his wand the Science Education Complex. The building shook and assembled itself into a robot. SEC A was the head and the torso. SEC B became the left arm and leg and SEC-C became the right.
"Mang Freddie!" Nebres called.
"I am ready, Father!" shouted Freddie the man in charge of Escaler Hall which has now become the control room SECtor.
"Attack, Freddie! One Big Fight."
DLRT was no match and quickly collapsed under the strength of SECtor.
"Fr Nebres!" Harry Potter appeared. "Two horcruxes have been destroyed!"
"Animo La Salle!" "Animo La Salle!" "Animo La Salle!"
There were screams of terror. The LaSalle brothers had entered the battle. They were using their most dangerous spell: The Animo LaSalle รข€" the Killing Curse!
Finale: The Animo Wand
Ateneans were dropping dead left and right. The Animo La Salle curse was unblockable. Some of the more veteran teachers provided extra defense and protection to the students but most of their efforts were futile.
Dacanay and his Jesuit team however managed to stun a few archers.
Victory however seemed far-fetched. Francisco had been revived from the Stunning Spell by Dacanay. Back in human form, she was battling Jai Reyes, Kirk Long and Chris Tiu at the same time. While the players were certainly skillful, Francisco was able to block all spells launched by the Blue Eagles.
Francisco pointed her wand at Chris Tiu and shouted "Animo La Salle!" But the curse missed him by an inch.
"Not Chris Tiu you BIATCH!" somebody shouted; it was Achoot Cuyegkeng. "Out of my way! Out of my way! FRANCISO'S MINE!"
Francisco laughed. " You are no match for me! I am the greatest servant of the Dominicans! What's gonna happen to your Loyola Schools after I kill you?! What's gonna happen to your Blue Eagles after I kill Chrissy?"
"You will never touch any of our students again!!" Cuyegkeng said.
Francisco laughed. And with her unerring skill as jack-of-all-trades professor Cuygekeng sent a Stunning Curse at her opponent. The curse hit her squarely on the chest, knocking her out once more.
"Enough!" Harry shouted. "Voldemort! Where are you? You have been using the LaSallians and the other schools to come after me. Where are you?"
"I am here, Potter." a voice hissed. The voice came from Bro. Armin.
"Brother Armin?"
"No! I am Voldemort! Armin is my past, present and future. See?" he wrote the word Armind then with a flicker of his wand the word became Voldemort.
"I don't get it." Harry said
"Ako rin!" an Atenean said.
"Ha? Can you make ulit?" another one shouted.
"How did Armin became Voldemort?"
"Bai, nalibog na ko!" A Cebuano Atenean shouted.
"Bah! Never mind! Anyone knows the LaSallians can't spell. So anyway, I stunned Armin a few days ago and using his name and face I used the school and all the other schools to come and find you!"
"But you are too late. I destroyed all the horcruxes"
"No, Potter. I win. You see, while I was Bro. Armind. I was able to find the long lost and most powerful wand in the entire world-- the Animo Wand! And you will be its first victim!"
"Are you kidding me, Tom?" Harry said "Don't you get it? The wand chooses the school. The Animo wand does not belong to La Salle! It belongs to the Ateneo."
"No! You are the fool! The LaSallians have been cheering Animo La Salle for such a long time. The LaSallians truly own the wand and since I am a LaSallian for now, I own it. Die Potter die!"
"But you see, Riddle, you did not review University histories. If you did, you would know that the Ateneans used Animo Ateneo first. And they still use it now. There is even a website right now named AnimoAteneo.com . The Ateneans have reclaimed Animo Ateneo!"
Silence.
"So. It comes down to this isn't it?" Harry whispered "Does your wand know that its original owner still values it? If it does, I AM THE TRUE MASTER OF THE ANIMO WAND!"
Voldemort points his wand at Harry who in turn has prepared for the final duel.
"ANIMO LA SALLE!" Voldemort shouted.
"OH! GET. THAT. WAND!" Harry shouted.
The curse rebounded and hit Voldemort instead of Harry who caught the Animo Wand with his other hand. Cheers from the Ateneans and even some La Sallians, who realized that they were duped were all around.
That morning both Ateneo and La Salle forged a cease fire, a temporary one because the next day was the Ateneo-La Salle basketball championship. Francisco who was revived after hours of being stunned by Dacanay and Cuyegkeng decided to lift the "No Cheering!" rule during time out. However, she still flinches whenever Dacanay (or any Jesuit for that matter) would approach her.
There were however, a group of La Sallians who disagreed with having a cease fire. They believed that the death and defeat of Voldemort was unfair so they decided to file a protest. This was later junked due to lack of merit.
Epilogue. Nineteen years later.
It was the day of the ACET.
Harry Potter was accompanying his son Ben.
"Dad! What if I fail the ACET and end up in DLSU?"
Harry looked at his son and said "Bienvenido Adolfo! You were named after two of the most powerful Jesuits in the country. One of them is a good friend of ours. In fact he was the one who officiated our marriage."
"But... but... so what if I DO fail the ACET and end up in DLSU?"
Eh di bobo ka talaga! Harry thought. But he didn't say that. "But we will still love you as our son!" Harry said. "Alright. Your test starts in a few minutes. Make us proud. One Big Fight."
according to the blog of JB it was written by migoy lizada.
if you haven't read hp7, this might contain some spoilers, beware.
it's funny but it's long so hang on!
----------------------------------
(Background Music)
We stand on a hill
Between the earth and sky
- "Song For Mary," Fr. James Rueter SJ
Chapter One: Before The Storm
Fr. Bienvenido Nebres SJ was just finishing the day's work when Harry Potter, a senior of the Ateneo de Manila, burst into his office.
"Fr Nebres!" Harry shouted
"Harry!" a surprised Nebres said. "I thought you were out of school destroying the horcruxes to kill Lord Voldemort."
"That's what I wanted to tell you. I discovered that there are two horcruxes here in Ateneo itself. Voldemort has enlisted the help of the De La Salle University and the University of Santo Tomas. They are coming."
"Don't worry, Harry." Nebres said "You know for a fact that Ateneo-- its teachers and students -- are more than capable of defending our Loyola campus. We will hold them off while you search for the horcruxes and destroy them. You will need this." He waved of his wand and out of the air appeared a sword. "The sword of St. Ignatius." Nebres said. "Powerful enough to destroy the two horcruxes."
"Thank you, Father" Harry said. And with that, he sped off to find the last two things which protect Lord Voldemort.
Nebres then waved his wand once more and this time, four people appeared in his office. "Marlu, Rudy, Toby and Joey. The school is in danger"
Nebres then explained the situation to the four Deans of the Ateneo de Manila University.
"I want you to assemble all remaining students in the college covered courts. We must evacuate the freshmen through Marikina. The sophomore, junior and senior students may stay and fight if they want to. Next, I need you to assemble all the teachers, both part time and full time."
Without a word, the four deans Disapparated and went on with their tasks. Nebres too Disapparated back to the Jesuit Residence and briefed the Society about the impending attack.
Fr. Adolfo Dacanay was the assigned to lead the Jesuits to battle "My team is ready to fight anytime anywhere. We will crush them!"
"Excellent." Nebres said
After a few minutes, Nebres, the four Deans and some members of the faculty and administration gathered in Xavier Hall to discuss the battle plan.
"The School of Humanities can summon mythical creatures to help defend us." Marlu Vilches said "The English Department professors are summoning creatures from Dante's Inferno and Greek Mythology as we speak. The Filipino Department is summoning all the manananggals and white ladies from the haunted trees on campus"
"The Philosophy Department" interjected Fr. Ferriols "is summoning creatures from Meron pond right now. Those rascals will soon feel the wrath of Meron! Magiging WALA silang lahat! Konsepto lamang sila!"
"Now is the time to test the newest chemicals and inventions from our SEC laboratories." Toby Dayrit said, "The Department of Environmental Science professors are enchanting the trees to life right now. We will purge them with the help of Mother Nature."
"I have just received a call from MVP" Rudy Ang said "Reinforcements from Makati are coming soon."
"My apples and sunshine are ready to fight as well" Tim Gabuna said. "Go CERSA!"
"I have just finished briefing my school. The Department of History is ready to fight. The Western history professors led by Dave Lozada and JoEd Tirol are summoning the three hundred Spartans and soldiers from the World War II to fight. Fr Bulatao and the Department of Psychology are locked inside the SocSci Conference room right now. They will use their psychic powers to toy with our enemy's mind."
"I have roused the athletes also." Norman Black beside Ricky Palou said. "They are ready to put up One Big Fight with their super strength."
A voice interrupted them. "I KNOW YOU ARE PREPARING TO FIGHT! You are no match for us! I have allied myself with the La Salle brothers and the Dominicans of UST. You cannot win against me, Jesuits. Push the limit! Animo Spirit! Give us Harry Potter and the sword of St. Ignatius and we will let you live! We will even let you win some of the games."
Chapter Two: More Help
The Ateneans ignored the warning and instead began to prepare for the impending battle. A few minutes later, the voice shouted for a second time:
"I can see you are not listening! It is such a pity. What happened to your Prayer for Generosity? Give me Harry Potter and the Sword of St Ignatius. Give without counting the cost, you always say! You have until midnight. I also call on all students of La Salle Greenhills and La Salle Zobel. It is not too late. Come and join us. Convert! Repent!"
Fr. Dacanay, interrupting his briefing with his exorcists turned and said "The idiot is taking the prayer out of context. Besides, St Ignatius also said to fight without fear of being wounded. And we will do just that."
Three figures -- two women and a man -- suddenly appeared. "We are from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology" said the man.
"Ricky Abad!" Fr. Nebres exclaimed.
"I brought with me our Department Chair Bopeep Saloma-Akpedonu. And this is Czarina Medina, one of our newest lecturers. We apologize for being late. We were preparing our I-bombs."
"I-bombs? What are I-bombs?" Nebres asked.
"Ideology bombs. Once they detonate, they will spread false consciousness in the area -- the La Salle brothers and the Tomasians will think they are winning. It is all false really. We will use their pride against them."
"Excellent. Excellent." Nebres said. "And here comes Andrew Ty and Mark Escaler for the Department of Communication."
"Yes!" Escaler said "we will infiltrate their communication processes by adding "noise" and ambiguity between the message relay of the sender and the receiver so orders can be reversed and thwarted!"
"The creatures from my horror films are coming!" Andrew Ty said. "We will use them to our advantage!"
"Father President! Some people are coming!" somebody shouted.
Some five hundred people then Apparated out of nowhere. Wearing either red or white shirts, they marched towards Nebres. A young man then stepped forward.
"We are from the University of the Philippines." said the young man. "For years, our academic communities have built a strong relationship with each other. We have shared professors. We went to rallies together. We have had our differences. Yes. But in the end, our similarities and accomplishments outweigh our differences... We are here to help! We are honored to fight with Ateneo once more!"
Cheers and applause errupted from all sides.
"Let's make baka! Don't be takot! Let's make baka! Don't be takot! Let's make baka! Don't be takot! Let's make baba from the hill" the Ateneans cheered
Five minutes to midnight.
The School of Humanities stood with their mythical creatures summoned from the Classics, and the haunted trees and the gigantic swamp creatues from the Meron pond.
The John Gokongwei School of Management with their reinforcements from Makati, along with Venus Ibarra, Ricky Pilar and other professors.
The School of Science and Engineering with their mysterious inventions and weapons. The gigantic trees in the campus now walking sluggishly by their side.
The School of Social Sciences with their unique yet powerful defensive weapons; the Psychology Department ready for the psy-war.
The Ateneo Professional Schools ready to defend their Loyola-based counterparts; the two fraternities in the Law School forging a temporary alliance.
The Alumni, the D.A. (Dalandan's Army), led by Benjie Laza and Mon Cualoping.
The statues of Tomas More, Horacio dela Costa, the Blue Eagle come to life.
The students from U.P.
Two horcruxes left.
Now all is still, where Loyola's colors fly.
Chapter Three: One Big Fight
Midnight.
There was a burst of light emanating from the sky, brighter than the moon and the stars. What seemed like a horde of fireflies turned out to be arrows. Thousands of arrows. Tips on fire.
The arrows struck the Blue Eagle Gym. The oldest building in the University. The symbol of their athletic pride. Now aflame.
Toby Dayrit tossed a beaker of water to the burning building. He pointed his wand at the beaker now mid-air and shouted his spell "Magis." The water transformed into a surf huge enough to douse the fire. The Blue Eagle Gym was safe.
The archers outside roared their disappointment. But they shot again, this time targeting the Erenchun soccer field where some of the Ateneans were camped. Nebres pointed his wand at the arrows raining from the sky and shouted his incantation "Cura personalis" and the thousand arrows turned into bubbles.
The Ateneans cheered. The first two attacks of the LaSallians and the Tomasians have been thwarted.
"You have had your fun, Ateneans." a voice boomed. "Now it is time to get serious."
Darkness suddenly enveloped the University. The enemy had sabotaged their electricity. Immediately all the Ateneans took out and flickered their wands, "Lux in Domino" they chanted. Light emanated from all the wands.
The illumination came just in time as suddenly a stampede crushed the fences between Gate 2 and Gate 2.5. The Ateneans have realized the magnitude of their danger: it was not just the LaSallians or even just the Tomasians they were confronting; the other schools were there as well. A thousand green archers were riding the backs of the giant tigers of UST. Charging with them were the giant tamaraws and a hundred warriors whose bodies were painted red war paint. Above, falcons were soaring in the sky.
"YOU FOUL THINGS, noh?" somebody from the Ateneo crowd shouted, charging at the stampede; it was Tessa Rosana "How dare you attack us, noh? You don't know who you are dealing with, noh? TAKE THIS, noh?" She hit her gong with all her might. A powerful sound wave spread throughout the area knocking a hundred archers and animals out.
"Haha anoh?" she triumphantly yelled.
And so the other Ateneans started counterattacking as well. David Lozada and his 300 Spartans. The ROTC cadets. The mythical creatures of the School of Humanities. Dalandan's Army.
Ricky Abad and the Department of Sociology soon deployed their Ideology Bombs prompting some of the LaSallians to cheer instead of fighting. They cheered, "strawberry shortcake nananananana." instead of "Recticano! Recticano". This allowed some of the Ateneans to easily knock the LaSallians out.
Somewhere near the Covered Courts, Norman Black was briefing his team, "Nonoy. I want you here. Chris, here. Jai, there. Alright? Any questions."
"Aaaaah! GOD DAMN IT!" a raspy voice screamed. It was Joe Lipa, former coach of the Blue Eagles, who arrived with the contingent from UP. "Just charge! Attack them! Now!" And so they did.
The LaSalle brothers and Francisco of UST were outside, watching the battle, waiting for their turn to strike.
A handful of LaSallians were found trotting back to their base.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?" Francisco yelled.
"You told us to retreat!" the archer said.
"You idiot! That's just Escaler and Bulatao toying with your minds! Go back! That's it! I am joining the battle!"
She then stepped forward lifted her two arms and shouted "Tiger Power! Raar! Tiger Power! Raar!" The LaSalle brothers thought she had lost her mind. But then she suddenly transformed into a giant tigress, twice larger and fiercer than the ordinary tigers. Seeing their comrade ready and willing to fight, the LaSallians cheered.
"HOY!" Goldie the Tiger roared "NO CHEERING DURING BATTLE! NO CHEERING!" Then she advanced.
Her first target was Fr. Dacanay who was busy exorcising some of the archers and paralyzing them.
"FATHER! Behind you!"
Quickly, Dacanay whirled and performed his own counterattack "Expellus Inferius" blasting her into the middle of the Erenchun field, knocking her out.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" The La Salle brothers shouted upon seeing their comrade down. "It is time we even the score."
The earth began to quake. And out of the night came a gigantic robot. It was DLRT; the LaSallians had transformed and brought the LRT-1 which passed Taft Avenue into a robot.
DLRT was making quick work of the Ateneans and their creatures-- crushing the mythical creatures here and there, tossing the trees brought to life by the Department of Environmental Science.
"Let us not lose hope!" Nebres said. "We are after all committed to hope."
"Now is not the time to talk about GK, Father!" somebody said.
"I am not talking about GK. I am talking about SECtor."
He pointed his wand the Science Education Complex. The building shook and assembled itself into a robot. SEC A was the head and the torso. SEC B became the left arm and leg and SEC-C became the right.
"Mang Freddie!" Nebres called.
"I am ready, Father!" shouted Freddie the man in charge of Escaler Hall which has now become the control room SECtor.
"Attack, Freddie! One Big Fight."
DLRT was no match and quickly collapsed under the strength of SECtor.
"Fr Nebres!" Harry Potter appeared. "Two horcruxes have been destroyed!"
"Animo La Salle!" "Animo La Salle!" "Animo La Salle!"
There were screams of terror. The LaSalle brothers had entered the battle. They were using their most dangerous spell: The Animo LaSalle รข€" the Killing Curse!
Finale: The Animo Wand
Ateneans were dropping dead left and right. The Animo La Salle curse was unblockable. Some of the more veteran teachers provided extra defense and protection to the students but most of their efforts were futile.
Dacanay and his Jesuit team however managed to stun a few archers.
Victory however seemed far-fetched. Francisco had been revived from the Stunning Spell by Dacanay. Back in human form, she was battling Jai Reyes, Kirk Long and Chris Tiu at the same time. While the players were certainly skillful, Francisco was able to block all spells launched by the Blue Eagles.
Francisco pointed her wand at Chris Tiu and shouted "Animo La Salle!" But the curse missed him by an inch.
"Not Chris Tiu you BIATCH!" somebody shouted; it was Achoot Cuyegkeng. "Out of my way! Out of my way! FRANCISO'S MINE!"
Francisco laughed. " You are no match for me! I am the greatest servant of the Dominicans! What's gonna happen to your Loyola Schools after I kill you?! What's gonna happen to your Blue Eagles after I kill Chrissy?"
"You will never touch any of our students again!!" Cuyegkeng said.
Francisco laughed. And with her unerring skill as jack-of-all-trades professor Cuygekeng sent a Stunning Curse at her opponent. The curse hit her squarely on the chest, knocking her out once more.
"Enough!" Harry shouted. "Voldemort! Where are you? You have been using the LaSallians and the other schools to come after me. Where are you?"
"I am here, Potter." a voice hissed. The voice came from Bro. Armin.
"Brother Armin?"
"No! I am Voldemort! Armin is my past, present and future. See?" he wrote the word Armind then with a flicker of his wand the word became Voldemort.
"I don't get it." Harry said
"Ako rin!" an Atenean said.
"Ha? Can you make ulit?" another one shouted.
"How did Armin became Voldemort?"
"Bai, nalibog na ko!" A Cebuano Atenean shouted.
"Bah! Never mind! Anyone knows the LaSallians can't spell. So anyway, I stunned Armin a few days ago and using his name and face I used the school and all the other schools to come and find you!"
"But you are too late. I destroyed all the horcruxes"
"No, Potter. I win. You see, while I was Bro. Armind. I was able to find the long lost and most powerful wand in the entire world-- the Animo Wand! And you will be its first victim!"
"Are you kidding me, Tom?" Harry said "Don't you get it? The wand chooses the school. The Animo wand does not belong to La Salle! It belongs to the Ateneo."
"No! You are the fool! The LaSallians have been cheering Animo La Salle for such a long time. The LaSallians truly own the wand and since I am a LaSallian for now, I own it. Die Potter die!"
"But you see, Riddle, you did not review University histories. If you did, you would know that the Ateneans used Animo Ateneo first. And they still use it now. There is even a website right now named AnimoAteneo.com . The Ateneans have reclaimed Animo Ateneo!"
Silence.
"So. It comes down to this isn't it?" Harry whispered "Does your wand know that its original owner still values it? If it does, I AM THE TRUE MASTER OF THE ANIMO WAND!"
Voldemort points his wand at Harry who in turn has prepared for the final duel.
"ANIMO LA SALLE!" Voldemort shouted.
"OH! GET. THAT. WAND!" Harry shouted.
The curse rebounded and hit Voldemort instead of Harry who caught the Animo Wand with his other hand. Cheers from the Ateneans and even some La Sallians, who realized that they were duped were all around.
That morning both Ateneo and La Salle forged a cease fire, a temporary one because the next day was the Ateneo-La Salle basketball championship. Francisco who was revived after hours of being stunned by Dacanay and Cuyegkeng decided to lift the "No Cheering!" rule during time out. However, she still flinches whenever Dacanay (or any Jesuit for that matter) would approach her.
There were however, a group of La Sallians who disagreed with having a cease fire. They believed that the death and defeat of Voldemort was unfair so they decided to file a protest. This was later junked due to lack of merit.
Epilogue. Nineteen years later.
It was the day of the ACET.
Harry Potter was accompanying his son Ben.
"Dad! What if I fail the ACET and end up in DLSU?"
Harry looked at his son and said "Bienvenido Adolfo! You were named after two of the most powerful Jesuits in the country. One of them is a good friend of ours. In fact he was the one who officiated our marriage."
"But... but... so what if I DO fail the ACET and end up in DLSU?"
Eh di bobo ka talaga! Harry thought. But he didn't say that. "But we will still love you as our son!" Harry said. "Alright. Your test starts in a few minutes. Make us proud. One Big Fight."
Friday, September 07, 2007
Hypomanic Mode on a Lazy Friday
I think I'm subconsciously Bipolar. Hahaha. I'm on hypermode again today- walking and running around almost everywhere. It started with my Forrest gump run to the KTM train this morning and still frustratingly missing the UNMC bus by a mere 30 secs. I think that started my hypomanic episode today.
Once I arrived on campus I was like a well oiled machine answering emails, phone calls and walking from one building to another trying to get all my list of things to do done as soon as possible. If there was a video crew running after me, I'm sure they'd feel tired with my never ending energy. But I enjoy doing this. It keeps me from being bored which is the worst thing that could happen for me. I'd rather be bone tired than absolutely bored.
My mom used to say that I'm such a hypomanic person at times that she's the one who feels tired for me. Maybe I am. But somehow I find myself working like that-- when I feel really energetic I really push myself so that when I finally feel tired I get to rest all I want.
I miss having more hyper people around like weevens and oliver..Especially Weevens. Partner kami sa kahyperan dati eh. Luis was hyper din in someways especially sa court. I think being around hyper people made me hyper by affinity.
Now I'm sleepy naman...Too much tom yam fried rice for lunch.
So does this really make me slightly bipolar?! hmmm...
Once I arrived on campus I was like a well oiled machine answering emails, phone calls and walking from one building to another trying to get all my list of things to do done as soon as possible. If there was a video crew running after me, I'm sure they'd feel tired with my never ending energy. But I enjoy doing this. It keeps me from being bored which is the worst thing that could happen for me. I'd rather be bone tired than absolutely bored.
My mom used to say that I'm such a hypomanic person at times that she's the one who feels tired for me. Maybe I am. But somehow I find myself working like that-- when I feel really energetic I really push myself so that when I finally feel tired I get to rest all I want.
I miss having more hyper people around like weevens and oliver..Especially Weevens. Partner kami sa kahyperan dati eh. Luis was hyper din in someways especially sa court. I think being around hyper people made me hyper by affinity.
Now I'm sleepy naman...Too much tom yam fried rice for lunch.
So does this really make me slightly bipolar?! hmmm...
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Meds and Life and the Wonders of Roti Canai
I have been taking Ladogal for almost two weeks now. The side effects are starting to come out and there are times when I am almost tempted to stop my meds. I'm back to my steroids days again (well almost). The side effects are almost the same except for the addition of the hot flushes. One thing I'm happy about is that apart from the hot flushes and the weight gain, I'm generally ok. It wasn't as bad as when I was on prednisone.
Still, I find myself a bit depressed at times especially when I feel the difference. I don't look like my old self again. I know I haven't been myself lately. Sometimes I'm too irritable or too impatient. I know that's not me but the drugs working. I just wish I could be back to my old self soon.
It's a classic reaction for someone whose been through chronic illness all her life. The element of control is gone again and I just wonder, when will it return once more?
For now I take my daily dose of joys in the little things like eating roti canai after a long journey through traffic. It sure does perk the day up especially when the short stopover turns into one breakfast gathering with some dear friends.
And I know people may think I'm slightly crazy for actually spending money for a plane trip just to celebrate a birthday. But through all these health issues and adventures, I realized that life is too short to not spend moments that matter with the people you love. Money can be earned. But missed opportunities cannot be brought back.
I'm not sure if I'm making much sense but what the heck this is my blog and I'll write whatever I want to. hahahaha...
Still, I find myself a bit depressed at times especially when I feel the difference. I don't look like my old self again. I know I haven't been myself lately. Sometimes I'm too irritable or too impatient. I know that's not me but the drugs working. I just wish I could be back to my old self soon.
It's a classic reaction for someone whose been through chronic illness all her life. The element of control is gone again and I just wonder, when will it return once more?
For now I take my daily dose of joys in the little things like eating roti canai after a long journey through traffic. It sure does perk the day up especially when the short stopover turns into one breakfast gathering with some dear friends.
And I know people may think I'm slightly crazy for actually spending money for a plane trip just to celebrate a birthday. But through all these health issues and adventures, I realized that life is too short to not spend moments that matter with the people you love. Money can be earned. But missed opportunities cannot be brought back.
I'm not sure if I'm making much sense but what the heck this is my blog and I'll write whatever I want to. hahahaha...
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