Picture Perfect

how fast can u CTRL + C and CTRL + V this picture?

reading mai's entry about her picture made me remember one traumatizing memory when i was in college. i was a victim of one cruel prank which one of my friends said was "just for fun." but i don't think cropping girls' pictures and posting their heads on someone else's body and showing them to other people to make fun of is enjoyable, especially on the headless girl's part.

they were my friends, co-staffers in the university paper, and perhaps, if it wasn't my face on the screen, i'd find it a tad funny too, like the schoolmates who saw and giggled immediately. but since it was my 19-year old innocent smiling nawong glaring back at the four or so people clustered to see the photoshop wonder, i felt violated. and embarrased. and hurt. and betrayed. i didn't expect friends can and would do that to you. especially ones whom you've worked with for three years and more. if good friends are capable of making you a butt of their jokes, how much more strangers? or perverts who i must say are multiplying by hundreds everyday here in the internet?

my parents wanted to press charges. and they were petitioning for those students responsible to be barred from graduating. but after discussing the incident with the paper's adviser and other officials, we decided to let them graduate but they had to execute an affidavit and make a formal apology. things worked out in the end and i have forgiven them already. the picture wasn't like, spread or emailed or anything. it would've been a different story if it was circulated.

i am sharing this because as i've told mai, there are just weird-wired people out there who take advantage of today's technology. i guess we all have to be responsible internet users who should always be on the lookout. i've been telling my sisters not to post their pictures sparingly because it could be used anytime by anybody. we all just have to be careful. and alert. and ready to kick some ass when we have to. ;)

Batch '95

class picture

it was a hastily-drawn plan, the get together. if it weren't, more than 9 people would show up, i bet. but then, considering my penchant for last-minute deals these days, i came up with the idea of having a small tapok-tapok for our elementary friends (not really batch because that would require a bigger venue than our humble abode. hehe) well, 2 days before our target date. it was supposed to be on december 31 but my parents had to say no because we just cannot host a party, even a small one at that, when some of our relatives would be there. so we had the get-together moved to jan 1.

oh, we had fun! it was amazing how we still have very vivid memories of our elementary years considering how long ago it was (just 13. hehehe). they cannot get over my story about how i used to ask this one classmate to buy me something from the lunch counter (that's the canteen or cafeteria for you) because i was too lazy to go out. then i'd give her like, P5.00, and tell her to keep the change. hahaha. i am not proud of that but i was happy because when i saw that particular classmate when we were in college already, she has improved a lot - looks and personality-wise. so she doesn't seem like somebody you'd want to boss around. and i swear, i am not like that anymore. hahaha.

let's see what else i have remembered from that few hours of non-stop talking over leftover spaghetti, ham, grilled pork steak, lumpia, and cake:

• the nonstop playing of hopscotch (piko gud. haha), shakay, chinese garter and kick (we use calachuchi flowers for this particular game). classes in the afternoon start at 1:30 but most of us would go back at 12:30nn so we can play first. then we'd continue it after school. i remember my nanay grumbling everytime i'd go home with dirty uniform (yes, niagi ko kabulingit. hahaha) and unkempt hair. my tatay would always scold me when he'd see me wearing only slippers to school. i mean, everybody's wearing rubber slippers so why can't i???
• every year during homeroom, a birthday celebrator would stand in front so everybody can sing happy birthday for her. and then yes, all classmates get to kiss her. even her crush. hahaha.
  
• most of our classmates loved our THE classes (technology and home economics). the boys were particularly good at industrial arts while the more domesticated girls got high grades in home economics. unfortunately, i got my first (and only! in my whole academic career!) 75 during my grade 5 IA class. i wasn't good at drawing so i didn't submit a project. so the teacher gave me an almost failing grade. it was a good thing i impressed my HE and agriculture (can you imagine me digging earth and watering plants at 11 freaking 30 am??) teachers so my 75 was pulled up by my 98 or so grades in the other subject areas.
• i miss the ice scramble, miswa, mango shake and arroz caldo we'd usually have for recess. and there was this one vendor, murray, who is well known in our town because she doesn't only sell in our school but in the government offices as well. she had polio when she was a kid so she has difficulty walking and speaking. the kids used to make fun of her but looking back now, i admire her for working so hard so she can support her nephews and nieces.
• i was in grade 4 when my nanay decided that i'm old enough to walk to her office after class hours so we can go home together. she usually doesn't like me playing at school because i go home late and i end up looking and smelling very yucky. hahaha. so what i'd do, i'd bring my friends at her office so we can play in their lawn and she can monitor me.
• it is our pride to be one of those batches who won a regional award in verse choir. the winning piece? john durham something. hahaha.
  
• you wouldn't believe it but i used to join singing contests. you don't have to know that i lose everytime. hahaha.
  
• but i was always among the "leaders" during field demonstrations. i can't sing but i can dance. hahaha.
  
• i was a star scout and eventually a girl scout. but i never did any of those camping things. except in grades 1-3 where we get to stay in a classroom with a decent bathroom. but when i reached grade 4, girl scout level, and we had to pitch our own tents, cook food outdoors and, this is the biggest problem of all, take a bath with our clothes on while fetching water from a well situated at least half a kilometer from the campsite, i packed my bags and said, "my allergies are kicking in. i can't do this." and then i called my mother to pick me up. i joined the daytime activities but i'd always go home every night. i know, there's no fun in that but i am a primadonna like that. at 11.
  
• we had this teacher in grade 6 who made us sell pulvoron and yema everyday. we took turns selling, 1 pack of pulvoron and 1 pack of yema per day. when it would be my turn to sell, i'd bring the packs home and let my mother buy everything. easy profit! but i guess it's now illegal for teachers to sell stuff to their students or to make their students sell something for them. back then, it was no big deal.
  
• i also sold serg's egg chocolates when i was in grade 1. P0.50/piece if i remember it right. hehehe.
  

gosh, i can go on and on! we did enjoy bringing all those memories back and laughing over the good and not-so good ones. we're planning to do another get together this december but we have to do all the organizing way earlier so we don't end up eating leftovers again. hahaha.