i am bad(s)

I worked at the House of Representatives on my last year in college. My dilemma back then had something to do with what my future would be after college. I was not satisfied with my education; I thought that it was not enough and that I didn’t learn a lot.

So I then thought of continuing my studies in a graduate school in US. While scouting around for an organization that will sponsor my study in the US I came across the website of LLI (Lubang-Looc Incorporated). It is an organization of US-based Looc and Lubang natives. Looc and Lubang are two of the municipalities of Occ. Mindoro. I sent a message to their president Fred Tesalona who later became my email buddy. Unfortunately, they have no such program as scholarship grant for students who want to study in the US but the good thing was he forwarded my email to one of their members, tita Armi Martinez Mercado who came from Sablayan but originally from Looc and she knows my parents. After a year of exchanging emails, I lost contact with her. My old email account expired and I couldn’t retrieve her address anymore.

Meanwhile, my high school alma mater had its Grand Alumni Homecoming last December. It was highlighted by an audio visual presentation of the alumni, and I almost fell off my seat when I heard that the presentation was made by Ms. Armi Mercado from Maryland. I so much wanted to approach her and introduce myself but was hesitant if she would recognize me plus the fact that I do not know who the Armi is amongst all the Martinezes siblings.

Last week I got this message from my blog’s message board:

4 Oct 08, 18:40
guesswho: tess-look-alike si rain.

5 Oct 08, 01:41
rain to guesswho: yup, replica. hehehe. sino si guess who?

5 Oct 08, 22:25
guesswho: from maryland.

7 Oct 08, 07:03
guesswho-mii: yes i'm from sby. i (mii) sent a note to your skype acct. hope that's you.

I didn’t receive the message on my skype but after two days I received an email from tita Armi. I was so excited and I really appreciated the fact that she still remembered me. After almost 10 years, imagine that! Thanks to the power of technology and skype….but tita how did you know that I used the pen name “nekupenda”?

Anyways, last night while I was updating my multiply account, my skype rang and saw tita Armie was calling, we had a video call and I was really surprised when I saw her. She looks exactly like Agatha(one of my favorite nieces who just gave birth last January). The similarity was unbelievable, there’s actually no difference at all. I saw the evolution of Agat 15 years from now…hmnnn or maybe 30? Peace tita!

I also met her groovy husband who told me that he was a friend to my tatay. We talked about places and people we know, her family and my family. Our conversation was cut short because they had to go shop some stuff and so we bid goodbye and regards.

Keeping in touch with people is so possible now because of the power of the Internet. I’m happy that I am reunited with an old pal. The couple is so accommodating and I’m sure this will be the start of a long-time friendship. Distance and generation gap don’t matter at all, as long as the blood of a true Mindoreno runs in our veins there’s still a lot more to share and talk about.