O Heaven Kissing Hill

That's one of the very few lines that I could remember from my old Alma Mater song (the title of which I can't even recall). What I remembered more was how I almost suffered from heat stroke by standing under the searing UV rays in the sand dunes of that school; just by waiting for the endless ritual of flag ceremony to be over.

So it's easy to understand why I've never itched to visit those sand dunes again. I believed that it was better to wait at least ten years for the full of effect of nostalgia to wash over me the next time I visit. However, I just broke the planned ten-year gap.

Here's the reason: The adopted son of my ninang is graduating from elementary in Dominican next year. He is a smart kid; so they decided to transfer him to a science high school. They got the application, but then the kid was too happy-go-lucky to have it signed to the proper authorities before the deadline and the school had some kind of reputation of delaying applications, so I was drafted by my mom to help. In short, I HAD to see someone I know and have the form signed. (Hence, the private messages on Multiply.)

So Tuesday morning. Around 9 am, the grade school kids were on recess... I came and visited the sand dunes, for the first time in four or five years. Even I never expected how I reacted.

It looks like a freakin' school! A freakin' sosyal private school. The breeze felt a little cooler, because the trees we planted have grown huge. The gym and pool area looked like a resort.

But what was more striking was how the old places looked so new... yet so old. Shet, yung paintings ni Mang Amor nung Grade 2 ako nandun pa. Yung lumang grotto buhay pa. Kahit kumpleto yung pathwalk, I almost tried to walk in the middle of the field under the blistering heat (because the field was calling out to be walked on). Yung high school classrooms: maingay, mainit, amoy pawis. Yung PE teacher namin, fit and jolly pa rin sa umaga. English policy pa rin. The temperature in the building was so alien, I swear, but it smelled familiar (yes, kahit yung amoy pawis).

After a short talk with Ms. Guiao, I headed down the same path and it took me ten minutes to reach the gate. Anak ng tokwa, I just couldn't get over those paintings by Mang Amor. Those paintings always have the same effect on me, whether I waited two or ten years to see them.

-000-000-000-

I have news for the alumni of this crunchy-infested, sandstorm campus: there's a Grand Homecoming next year in celebration of their 15th year. Celebration starts on January 30, with guests Parokya ni Edgar and MYMP. The foundation week commences with the alumni reunion, to be attended by former directresses of the school. However, all the information I have is just the result of an informal conversation so please don't take it as an official invitation or announcement. I'm just giving a heads up so everyone can prepare their post-high school selves. Haha.