Acan’t forget: 00:04

I keep on getting sick the last few months and to try to cope with everything, my mind just defaults to memories and people from back home. So this past few weeks, I did a lot of digging just to satisfy my yearning – old photos, videos, maybe a few messages/letters which were all stored in my external drive. Here’s one happy memory I found:

Opening Back-up >> photos >> 2012 >> tagaytay/manila folder

This was my first time in Tagaytay. Not too obvious in the photo but I was actually capturing an amazing view of being high up with all the twinkling little lights below. I was in Manila for training but also had this opporunity to explore. This was one of those rare days where I didn’t have to worry about curfew, 75 missed calls and 95 texts lol. I was just being carefree, enjoying the weather, good food at Leslie’s and just having a laugh with the people around me. I did return to this same spot once or twice after a few years but it’s just not the same as this moment.

Feeling: happy, excited and carefree

Aca-nthoughts, Acan’t Forget

02:54

Bigla kong naalala high school! Andaming nangyari, I don’t want to forget everything!

Disclaimer: oversharing posts ahead! Read at your own risk.

… I was a freshman back then pero nabarkada ako sa higher years because of cheering. Sakanila ko nadiscover ang bubblegum flavoured lambanog. I remember how I pretended to like the taste, na kaya ko kahit umiikot na yung sikmura ko.

… I had my first jowa, he was a junior. Sinagot ko over the phone nung 9/11. Kilig na kilig ako. I think he won me over good and funny conversations pero wala nung face to face courtship talaga. I guess uso talaga
yung phone pals nuon. Tanda ko pa number nila, xxx-3733 hahaha. Tulad ng movies, antaas ng expectation ko before pagdating sa jowaan. Kala ko nung sinagot ko, okay na. Kaso parang di siya full relationship experience. More on phone lang pati break up sa phone din. Pero talagang naalala ko after nung tawag na yun, super cry ako sa banyo. Siyempre secret lang na jowa ko kasi hello aga kong humarot lagot ako sa nanay ko. Pero yun nga, parang oa pero I felt na bumigat yung dibdib ko nung nagbreak kame. Tapos todo emote sa friends, lalo na sa inuman. Eventually, nakipagbalikan din siya, and si lola nyo medyo shonga, pumayag naman. It got better and more physical though kasi nakikita nahahawakan ko na siya and to be fair he made an effort naman. Pero bigla nalang din naputol at some point, no formal breakup or anything. Di ko din alam at di na inalam pa.

… Siyempre after ni 3733, ingat na si ate gurl. Di na basta nagpapa apekto sa mga phone pals hahaha. Pumasok sa eksena si xxx-4654. Siguro knows niya yung history sa first kaya ayun mas umeffort. Ang approach, dependable friend, knight and shining armour genern! Tsinaga niya naman ng husto at naka ilang basted din bago nag give in din ang lola nyo. Masaya. Parang first legit relationship and take note, pang teleserye levels ang ganapan lalo na nung nahuli kame ng nanay ko. Di ko kinakaya yung galit at pamamato niya ng cellphone. Nakakaloka. Nagkaroon ng you and me against the world hanash, naglayas pa nga ako. Basta andaming ganap at complications pero yung mismong relationship was good and nafeel ko talaga yung totoong jowa.

… Yung first 2 years, puro lovelife ata inatupag ko hahaha. Pero to be fair, nakabawi naman nung remaining years kasi yung oras ko bukod sa acads, naibuhos naman sa barkada at sobrang thankful ako ngayon kasi naenjoy ko talaga. Yung laging may inuman, tig 10 pesos ang ambagan. Ang uso pa nun na inumin, empe. Tas minsan yung girls, the Bar. Siguro 80% of the time, magkakaroon ng iyakan. Biglang maglalabas ng saloobin, mag eenglish. Tapos, madaming kantahan. Siguro national anthem yung Biglaan ng 6 cycle mind saka yung Masaya ni Bamboo. May designated na bahay inuman, may mga designated din na taga hatid pauwi. Super stricto ng mama ko pero lagi ko ginagawan ng paraan maka attend lang. May panahon ding naglayas ulit ako, at diko makakalimutan yung mga tulong at payo nila sakin. Kaya siguro nung magccollege na, sobra akong nalungkot kasi andaming mahahalagang alaala with them. Akala ko di ko kakayanin yung next chapter pag wala na sila sa tabi ko.

… Uso pa nuon yung C.A.T, tapos mixed sections. Nagkatoon yung mga grinupo sakin yung mga baturro ng batch. Siyempre challenging pero napakasaya. Di ko makakalimutan yung day na nirequire kame magdala dapat ng mga itatanim na halaman. So siyempre nagassign ako. On the day, wala silang dala so windang ako kasi damay damay na to. So ang ginawa nila, hinugot ba naman yung mga halaman sa kabilang building kaloka! Pero ang mahalaga, pasado na yun ke ser robocop!

Aca-ntahan, Acan’t Forget

ACAn’t forget: Zigazig ah!

Writing this entry while on my way home and fresh from the Spice Girls concert. Aaaaahhhhh! My heart is so happy being transported back into the 90s! That being said, I just want to share bits and pieces from my childhood memories of girl power:

I bought my first ever walkman in first grade while we were vacationing in Manila. As in super clear from my memory: sa SM North department store music section I bought a black sony walkman which cost me my whole savings. Of course, para magamit ko siya, I had to buy cassette tapes and my first ever purchased albums were Hanson’s Middle of Nowhere and of course, Spice Girls’ Spice.
First grade din, I was running for a position in the student government org. Siyempre, apart from the speeches, uso yung may pa dance number pag campaign. Our dance: Wanna be by Spice Girls and believe it or not, memorise ko padin yung steps sa chorus part.
Kasagsagan ng Spice Girls fever, nauso yung pink glittery and chunky/ platform shoes. Nagpabili ako sa tita ko kasi di ko afford dahil sobrang mahal parang 3k ata yun from skechers. Good thing my feet barely grew so from 2nd-6th grade ko siya naitawid isuot.
I’ve always loved baby spice but I was intrigued with how pilya ginger spice was. But when I was in high school, I’ve grown to love sporty spice cause I felt she always had a powerful voice plus I loved her song Never be the same.
England/UK/Great Britain first came to my consciousness because of them, and of course, who would forget the iconic dress flag?
When they disbanded, I was in denial. Naniwala ako na magkakabalikan din sila. I think I only came to terms with it nung nagkanya kanyang album na ang mga ate.
My favourite memory would be when my sisters (Fuzzies) threw me a despedida party and Goodbye by Spice Girls was sort of the theme song. I miss them everyday.

Anyway, I think I’ve hanashed way too much! I’m just so ecstatic because after all this time, I finally got the chance to see them perform live. Dati, pangarap lang itetch. Isa to sa mga dineday dream ko nung bata pa ako. Sigh.

I wasn’t able to take any photos or videos apart from the 1 or 2 stories I posted on my IG because I chose to just enjoy and sing and dance my heart out. I even ended up surprising myself cause I still knew every song, every lyric, even the ooohs and ahhhs pakak parin sa memory ko. As in every single song sa set list kinanta ko besh! I still even know the dance steps it felt like I was transported back into the 90s. Bonus pa cause they had Jess Glynne to front act for them narinig ko pa yung isa sa favourite song kong Take me home live oh diba bongga!?

When they started singing Viva Forever, mga veh, medyo teary eyed nako tapos sinundan pa ng let love lead the way then goodbye. Pero what really started the waterworks was when they sang Mama. As in nadama kong national anthem ko siya. Haaaay! Also, I kind of hoped Victoria would make an appearance pero waley ang ate nyo. Sayang but I still had an awesome time.

Just for reference, here’s the setlist!