Social networking has definitely made the world smaller! Imagine, after 28 years I have once again rekindled ties with my former grade school classmates (Batch of ’81) at St. Mary’s College, Quezon City. With an alumni homecoming scheduled for July 2010, we are now asked to do a write up about our grade school years. The problem is: I have very little recollection of those years! Call it old age but it seems as if my life started out at high school---I couldn’t even picture myself clearly when I was in grade school! I guess it’s the fact that I’m really a forgettable character back then. I didn’t even stand up as a tall guy since the girls were actually the “giants” then. Well, except maybe for a guy named Michael Moreno. The thing is he was already 18 years old when he graduated from grade school.
I did keep my class pictures. Placed them together with my philosophy notes during my college days. Unfortunately, my father was in cleaning mode one day and included my stuff in the trash! Bummer! Now I’m at a lost in composing this write up! Man, this sucks!
Think! Think! Think!
Oh yeah! There were lots of beautiful girls!
St. Mary’s was supposed to be an all girls school. When I started Kindergarten, boys where only allowed there until Grade 4. But I guess for reasons of logic the nuns eventually decided to just let the guys finish elementary. High school was all girls. So statistically, the girls outnumbered the boys! Thinking about it now I’d say the place was heaven on earth!
Since there were no boys in high school, the elder girls picked on the younger boys. Nope, I wasn’t one of the “lucky ones” but I have an inkling that this was the reason why Michael Moreno stayed on for so long.
Crushes? Man, I had a lot! I won’t mention any names but I did enjoy the company of Alicar Estrada. I was Grade 3 or Grade 4 that time. She was a Spanish mestiza. Tall with long brown hair. She was really pretty but she was tomboy-ish. Every afternoon we would play “agawan base” at the playground and we would always chase each other. I don’t remember who got whom more often but man-oh-man---that girl can run! She’s got long strides like a gazelle! I know I can run fast (got lots of practice being chased by dogs in our neighborhood) but I guess she was faster! She left St. Mary’s after Grade 4, I think. I do believe she was the Alec Estrada who became a singer back in the late 80’s.
Now the memories are slowly getting back. I remember the library. I loved going there. Being an introvert, I’d often shelter myself in books.
Oh! Another thing I really enjoyed was the banana-que and sagot’t gulaman after school. The tinderas were twins whom I fondly called “Ate”. I’d bring my own tall container and for Php 1.50 I’d get a full tank’s worth! They also know how I want my banana-que: soft with lots of sugar! Yummy! I saw them last when I attended my brother’s grade school graduation back in 1983.
I entered the seminary after grade school but I still got to see my grade school alma mater every once in a while whenever I got to play altar boy during the early morning mass there (presided by priests from our seminary). Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to see old classmates since we pack up early after mass and don’t get to see them during formation. I eventually gave up serving at St. Mary’s when I was second year high school. Mabenta kasi ang racket na yun kasi masarap magpa-breakfast ang RVM sisters. Tinamad na din akong makipag unahang gumising sa iba.
It’s really nice to reconnect with them after all these years! I just wish I could remember more…
To all you Marian Boys Grade School Batch ’81, Joy Zarate made this Marian Multiply site you wanna check out http://mariansbatch85.multiply.com/. Below is the class picture of Grade 6-Sipag courtesy of Joy.
I did keep my class pictures. Placed them together with my philosophy notes during my college days. Unfortunately, my father was in cleaning mode one day and included my stuff in the trash! Bummer! Now I’m at a lost in composing this write up! Man, this sucks!
Think! Think! Think!
Oh yeah! There were lots of beautiful girls!
St. Mary’s was supposed to be an all girls school. When I started Kindergarten, boys where only allowed there until Grade 4. But I guess for reasons of logic the nuns eventually decided to just let the guys finish elementary. High school was all girls. So statistically, the girls outnumbered the boys! Thinking about it now I’d say the place was heaven on earth!
Since there were no boys in high school, the elder girls picked on the younger boys. Nope, I wasn’t one of the “lucky ones” but I have an inkling that this was the reason why Michael Moreno stayed on for so long.
Crushes? Man, I had a lot! I won’t mention any names but I did enjoy the company of Alicar Estrada. I was Grade 3 or Grade 4 that time. She was a Spanish mestiza. Tall with long brown hair. She was really pretty but she was tomboy-ish. Every afternoon we would play “agawan base” at the playground and we would always chase each other. I don’t remember who got whom more often but man-oh-man---that girl can run! She’s got long strides like a gazelle! I know I can run fast (got lots of practice being chased by dogs in our neighborhood) but I guess she was faster! She left St. Mary’s after Grade 4, I think. I do believe she was the Alec Estrada who became a singer back in the late 80’s.
Now the memories are slowly getting back. I remember the library. I loved going there. Being an introvert, I’d often shelter myself in books.
Oh! Another thing I really enjoyed was the banana-que and sagot’t gulaman after school. The tinderas were twins whom I fondly called “Ate”. I’d bring my own tall container and for Php 1.50 I’d get a full tank’s worth! They also know how I want my banana-que: soft with lots of sugar! Yummy! I saw them last when I attended my brother’s grade school graduation back in 1983.
I entered the seminary after grade school but I still got to see my grade school alma mater every once in a while whenever I got to play altar boy during the early morning mass there (presided by priests from our seminary). Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to see old classmates since we pack up early after mass and don’t get to see them during formation. I eventually gave up serving at St. Mary’s when I was second year high school. Mabenta kasi ang racket na yun kasi masarap magpa-breakfast ang RVM sisters. Tinamad na din akong makipag unahang gumising sa iba.
It’s really nice to reconnect with them after all these years! I just wish I could remember more…
To all you Marian Boys Grade School Batch ’81, Joy Zarate made this Marian Multiply site you wanna check out http://mariansbatch85.multiply.com/. Below is the class picture of Grade 6-Sipag courtesy of Joy.
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