it's different this year

(my CIS classmates)

months before the summer vacation, i had a feeling that something wonderful is going to happen in my life. i used to have that feeling before and then someone came and it was truly awesome. mostly painful but awesome nonetheless.*sigh*

and so i went to manila. i was expecting two weeks of rest with my god. i thought i'll have the time alone for prayer, eating, and swimming in sacred heart's pool. it never crossed my mind that i'd be attending classes! yep, with the usual recitation and assignments and endless lectures. now i can empathize with my students. ha ha.

i think i must have prayed only twice and that was because i had to use my prayer for the daily practice and practicum. the food was not the best though there was never a menu repeated. each dish each meal is unique. and frustatingly, i was never able to swim. the pool was 3/4 chlorine and 1/4 water. i was afraid to lose my melanin. ngekngok.

it was stressful and i think i missed my family more than i missed them when i was jvp for two years. there was also the struggle of relating with my "classmates". if you look at the picture, you could see how diverse we were. the oldest was 75 and the youngest was 24. culturally, they come from all over asia:vietnam, malaysia, singapore,hongkong, cagayan de oro,zamboanga, naga. occupations vary:writers, campus ministers, teachers, jesuits, corporate, counselors, priests, etc. and we had to live with each other for two weeks. i seldom changed tables. i think i was rebelling and at the same time i was at a loss how to talk to them. it wasnt what i expected at all!

but i did learn. i know "a little" now about spiritual direction. i dont expect that i'd be able to use it. 15 year old kids hardly know what consolation and desolation mean.and i bet they understand "movement of spirits" as the ghosts haunting manresa and xuhs.

to tell all that happened would be tedious and i'd rather keep those things to myself. i still need to taste and savor and chew on my experience. until now its still confusing. its so difficult to answer people who ask how the seminar was.

i guess i'll just have to enumerate "some" of the things i did in manila. for all my fans, hahaha!

• i met teray taveros and her very controversial husband. she has all a woman wishes for:husband,haus, hatid (car). but no baby yet. if i do get married i dont need to attend a cfla seminar. she has instructed as "well".
• i hang out with fajardo, richie yu, mike lucagbo, cheenee, cathy and some xuhs alumnay. niwang na ang pari! and richie i'll never forget the gesture and i'm counting calories now. hahaha!
• talked a bit with pads xave and fr. jboy. chatted with gil, my jvp batchmate na jesuit na. aguy.
• fajardo kidnapped us during the seminar and we ate at maxx with yayam, april and christine. the malls in manila are like night cafe in cdo. daghan tao makalabad ulo.
• got a banana peel for siargao. hehe.
• had a career talk with kuya alwin, jedi master. i have forgotten how to discern and thanks to him i already have a clue how to proceed.
• spent the easter triduum at loyola heights: with meals served by mcdonalds, pancake house, shakeys, and maxx.
• attended good friday services at ateneo.
• after almost a decade, i was able to talk with sr. socorro, r.a. once again. now i am more pressured: religious life, married life, single blessedness?
• saw my cousin and robbed her of her havaianas bag.
• the only good thing about manila is the sunset.

good things are happening. i can feel it here, inside. and its going to be a different school year. it will be awesome. and next year? a! bahala na si batman!