The Restitution of Pisay '88

SHE BLINDED US WITH SCIENCE

Friday, Sept 5. The Restitution of Pisay '88… that was the name of the event that would bring me closer once again to long lost friends ---- to share old memories and new stories. The manager of Absinth Bar where the event was being held could not help but ask… “Excuse me, sino yung nasa picture?” … I call her “The tie that binds”… our physics teacher. And yes, she blinded us with science.

CHAMBER OF HELLOS

Before the event, some batchmates (whom I’ve remained friends with) and I run through names of other batchmates we wanted to see and hoped would attend the reunion. These were mostly the people we haven’t seen in a long time, those we’ve lost contact with for several years. I had my list of “lost friends” and my own reasons for wanting to see them again, but I never anticipated what happened at the actual reunion.

From the time my friends and I arrived at the bar, I could not refrain from shrieking with surprise and excitement at the sight of the first familiar faces I saw. And for the next three hours or so, the shrieks of “Omigaaad!” , “Shuuuucks!” “Kamusta ka naaaa?” with matching talon talon at yakapan went on and on and on.

TURN BACK THE CLOCK

As soon as the initial exchange of shrieks was done, we moved on to the next questions like “may asawa ka na?” at “saan ka na ngayon?” or statements like “alam mo, hindi ka masyadong nagbago!” at "tumaba/pumayat ka...!" .Then we started reminiscing about the good ole days. Elsa, a friend whom I haven’t seen for maybe ten years started calling me “Ate Lyn” again, and I remember all of the fond memories I had at the dorm with her and my dormer batchmates. I guess, you'll never realize how much you missed your old friends until you see them again. All of a sudden I remember specific memories I associate with them. Dami kong namiss. Daming nakalimutan na, dami ding naalala ulit.

PARTY LIKE IT'S 1988!

Walang kupas. Nobody does it better. Trust Pisay 88 batch to come up with the most fun party! All we needed was the first two notes of the song “State Of The Nation”, some free drinks, a taste of bearsclaw, old loveteams, and yeah...everybody stated acting like high school students again. As Ms. Basas would say “you girls keep on giggling and giggling…” It’s nice to be in the company of fun people.

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER

As if it wasn’t enough, we moved to Red Box next door for more fun…. The rule was to sing 80s songs only… bawal ang the Corrs or Daughtry! “We’ll always be together … however far it seems….we’ll always be together, together in electric dreams…”

Somehow, eight hours cannot make up for 20 years of being apart…

To my Pisay 88 batchmates ---- nice knowing you again…. ! See you in 2013!

"There is a face deep in your mind, one that your heart won't leave behind. Memories are cold-empty of laughs and all that remain are photographs...." -different seasons (johnny hates jazz)-

Thanks Elsa and Erwin for the pictures.