Guys, grumadweyt pala ako nung March

Better late than never.

Nagbablog-hopping ako nang mapansin ko na lahat halos ng bloggers na grumadweyt nung March ay nagsulat tungkol sa graduation nila.

Nainggit ako bigla kaya naisip kong magsulat din tungkol sa aking Commencement Exercises. Aba grumadweyt din yata ako. Akala nila sila lang?!?

Karamihan ng posts na nabasa ko ay Tagalog, kaya ako’y naengganyong gamitin din ang makapukaw-kaluluwang wikang ito. (Nahihirapan na rin ako sa pagpanggap na ingglesero.)

Pero ano nga ba ang pwede kong isulat? Di ko naman maramdamang grumadweyt na ako. Bumabalik-balik pa kasi ako sa skul para gumawa ng yearbook. At saka sinong mag-aakalang gagradweyt pa ako? Ako nga mismo medyo nawalan na ng pag-asa at tiwala…

Dapat yata simulan ko na ang pagkumbinse sa sarili ko na talagang grumadweyt na ako. 1, 2, 3…Gradweyt ka na! Pagkatapos mong dumaan sa apat na kurso, tatlong eskwelahan, at pitong taon sa college, may Bachelor’s Degree ka na! Gradweyt ka na!!!!!!!!!!

Rolly da Pogi, pwede nang mag-smile ang parents mo! Pwede ka nang mag-asawa! Pwede ka nang mamatay! Pwede ka nang mag-artista! Sa wakas, gradweyt ka na!

Okay. Kulang pa rin. Tingin ko kelangan talaga nito bottomless tunggaan, yung gagapang talaga ako pauwi at manunumpang di na iinom uli. Pero saka na yun. Ikukwento ko muna ano’ng nangyari sa graduation ceremony.

Ano nga ba'ng nangyari? Tanungin nyo na lang si Mark. Di ko kasi masyadong napansin, usap ng usap kasi kami ni Edward, ang bise presidente ng graduating class. Magkatabi kami kasi ako ang president (o diba, maraming naniwala na matino akong tao).

Sa unahan nakaupo ang batch officers, kasunod ng Graduate School graduates at Awardees. Sa aking kanan nakaupo si Ryan, ang presidente ng Supreme Student Government (bigatin!), may award kasi siya. Sabi ko sa kanya, “Who would have thought Ryan we’re going to be batchmates.” Schoolmates kasi kami nung hayskul, pareho kaming honor students, mas nauna ako sa kanya ng dalawang taon, at Engineering ang kinuha niya sa college. (Gets mo na kung bakit ko nasabi yun?)

Si Edward naman ay hindi ko talaga masyadong kilala. Isang taon na kami parehong naninilbihan (ulk) bilang opisyales ng Class of 2008 pero nung final rehearsal at graduation day lang kami nagkakwentuhan ng mahigit sampung segundo. May asawa na kasi siya’t anak kaya nagmamadali siya palagi’t magsasaing pa siya (joke lang).

Mahirap kausap si Edward. Ang ibig kong sabihin, nahihirapan ako pag kausap ko siya. Siya’y kalahating-amerikano, ibig sabihin, nag-iingles at magkasing-tangkad lang kami kung nakatayo ako’t nakaupo siya.

Hindi naman pwedeng nakatayo ako habang kumukuha yung iba ng diploma kaya habang nagkukwento ang katabi ko, ako’y nakatingala—at maya’t maya’y pinupunasan ang mapula, malapot at mainit na likidong umaagos sa aking ilong.

Nag-usap kami tungkol sa stock market at quantum theory. Joke lang. Nag-usap kami tungkol sa Diyos, relihiyon at iilan pang bagay na may kabuluhan din naman kahit papano.

Nalaman ko na naging Hare Krishna monk pala siya ng walong taon. Nag-compare notes din kami kung ilang taon na kaming di nagpi-pray. Ooops, masyado na yata akong maraming sinasabi.

Basta, di ko alam kung matutuwa, maiiyak, magagalit o makokornihan ako habang humahaba ang kwentuhan namin. Naisip ko, buti na lang pala at president at vice president kami, hindi valedictorian at salutatorian, walang pressure masyado na maging true-blue Notre Dameans.

Pero mabubuti naman kaming tao (promise!). Bumalik na pala sa Amerika si Edward, tumutulong sa mga kabataang naligaw ng landas, sa pamamagitan ng backpacking sa wilderness! Naiinggit nga ako sa kanya (pasensya, sa inggitero talaga ako eh). Siya talaga ang Bohemian. Ako trying-hard lang.

Ba’t nga ba tayo napunta sa buhay ni Edward. Tungkol dapat ‘to sa graduation ko at blog ko ‘to.

Nagtext pala yung nanay ko habang tumatakbo ang seremonya. Napaluha daw siya, sabay tanong kung saan ako nakaupo. Di ko alam kung tears of joy ba yun dahil nakatapos din ang anak niyang nasobrahan ng bait o dahil di niya matukoy alin sa 1000 naka-togang itim ang anak niya.

Mabalik nga tayo kay Edward. Nung bigayan na ng nilukot na bond paper na may asul na laso, tinuro niya sa akin ang maganda niyang pinsan na ka-batch namin at nagtapos ng Nursing.

“She’s beautiful,” sabi ko.

Sagot niya, “She thinks you’re beautiful, too.”


Paano kaya kung maging magpinsan kami ni Edward?

Malapatan: A quaint town by the sea

“THIS POINT is very deep already,” Marlon said nonchalantly while paddling farther out sea. “Look at the water. It’s dark underneath.”

I put on a stern face and said, “Don’t tell me that.” I started moving my paddle against the small waves, steering the boat back to where the corals and white sand under the water could still be seen.

I can’t swim well and if I fell out the boat, it would be the end of me. But I wasn't worried much. I reminded my companion, “I’m your guest so I’m your responsibility.”

A guest I truly was. Though I was a barefaced weekend crasher putting my grown self up for adoption, Marlon’s family and relatives were very hospitable to me. My visit in Malapatan, Sarangani Province, last February was memorable both for the warm welcome I received and the wonders of nature I saw.

The conversation in the boat happened Sunday, almost noontime. We were exploring the aquatic sanctuary near the border of Malapatan and the town of Glan. The sky was cloudless and the sun was straight above us, but I wasn't a bit worried. I wanted everyone at school to notice my fisherman’s tan the next day.

Looking down from the boat, we could see a whole colorful world, pulsating with tiny forms of life. The clear water was acting like a thick protective film, separating us from the creatures below, making them appear so fragile and inviolable.

I suspect we were breaking some law, for the water is restricted. But the protected area’s caretaker, a distant uncle of Marlon, gave us permission and lent us the boat, and we weren't causing any harm anyway.

The sanctuary spans about a quarter of a hectare only. The corals are still young (which, in coral age, means at least hundreds of years old). It doesn't look as thriving as the video clips of the Great Barrier Reef you see on TV—and that fact makes it special. You will want to be part of protecting the area, so it will be like the Great Barrier Reef someday, thousands of years from now.

SUN, SEA AND SAND

From the sanctuary we headed South, to a nearby beach resort in Glan.

There were just three of us: Marlon, I, and his young uncle, who bigheartedly played the role of a driver.

The ride was Nirvana. We stood at the back of the jungle jeep as it sped off over seemingly endless rolling hills, cold air hitting our faces, making them a little numb. The highway slices through two distinct, scenic views. At one side are mangroves and the vast Sarangani Bay. At the other are coconut trees and hulking mountains, which appeared bluish like the sea because of haze.

The white-sand beach resort is commercial but still undeveloped. Young Talisay trees line up the shore, serving as shades for benches made of crude coconut slabs. Except for those features, everything looks untouched and secluded. When we went there, only a few people had come to the beach, mainly small groups of families and barkadas. For a half-day soul-searching, the place is an apt destination .

We grilled some fish for lunch, dipped in the water, and went back to Malapatan.


THE COVE

The previous day, Marlon and his pretty cousin Bulaw took me to a cove by the sea, about two kilometers from the poblacion of Malapatan.

I had never seen anything like it before. Waves splash against large, brown rocks, which reminded me of upturned prawn crackers, ridged and overcooked.

(Unfinished)

Rolly's back!

I'm rolling again hehe! But in another blog. I can't tell you for now what it is, though.

For the mean time, you may re-read my top five favorite posts here:

1. Lake Sebu: Where calm and colors meet
I have to come back here and explore again every natural nook and countryside cranny.

2. 5000 pairs of sandals
It looked as if all the residents of Koronadal had trooped to the center of the city.

3. Running after the Mardi Gras
I felt like a paparazzi dying to take Britney Spears' photo.

4. Drinking world's most expensive coffee
I mustered all the courage I needed and asked for Coffee Alamid.

5. New Year in the streets of Koronadal
I never thought being “homeless” could be so cool.