Alma Mater Revisited

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University , Nov.10, 2006

Visiting my old alma mater always produces a lump on my throat and some butterflies on my stomach. It’s like traveling back in time with now not so vivid memories of one’s youth. So I took these photos for posterity for I may never have the chance to visit Zamboanga again. One can never tell.

The guard at the gate (near the Chapel) told me to proceed to the Alumni Office. They gave me an Ateneo Alumni identification card valid until December of 2007. But that’s about it. I was on my own. Where were my high school buddies? During my short 4 days stay in the city I’ve tried to locate Boyce Lorena, Tony Caoile, Tom Araneta , but my efforts proved futile .

I’m looking forward to visiting my once hometown again next year, God willing.

Bagacay Resort Picture at 5:30 A.M.

Here's a photo I took of the resort before the storm. A place of tranquility.

Surviving Senyang's Fury

In the darkness of our room we could hear the howling and whistling of Senyang's wrath . It was almost 12 midnight and any plans of evacuating to safer grounds was now out of the question. I held the tiny flashlight I bought at a local store ( Novo's I think) occassionaly turning it on for assurance. The worst fear we had then was a tsunami... what a perfect place to be stranded! The once perfect paradise resort we always have dreamed about now was a fear factor experience. Occassionaly Butch would blurt out a nervous joke to try to ease the uneasiness we all felt, I'm sure.

Amid sleep and consciousness occassional drifting in between, i realized it was approcahing morning as the once total darkness enveloping the room now hinted of some distant light. I felt a sigh of relief. Though the storm was not over, we survived the night and welcomed the morning with a sense of hope.

Stranded tourists

We've just barely recovered from Reming's fury when another storm is just about making its presence known while writing this blog... stranded tourists, I'de like to call ourselves , its barely just about more or less 16 days before Christmas and already I am missing my family ... Calbayog is such a lonely place at this time of the year, I'm pretty sure that Butch and Rod would agree... even over a dozen consumed beers notwithstanding. Add that to the beautiful sunset over Bagacay Resort.

Now , if only we could meet Monday's deadline to submit our audit report ... that would be our passport to home!