Reflect and Neglect (TSMS Seniors Batch Outing 2013)


Ever since my journey as a senior began, one of the activities that I looked forward to was the batch outing that is traditionally held at the end of the school year. The English and Filipino elocution, school fair, Entrepreneurship Day, the series of CAT’s, the Christmas party/program, the JS prom and the All Star Olympics flew by in a jiffy. It was down to the last month of the school year- all seniors, including me, were feeling very sentimental about graduating soon. Nonetheless, we all looked forward to the opportunity to reflect on all the memories we made and neglect the ones not worth keeping like the beheld grudges in the past.




It was my girl Louise's birthday during the batch outing.
I had a little surprise for her! Scroll down to check it out. :D
            We boarded the bus at 8:30 am and arrived at Caliraya Recreational Center, a Christian camp located at Lumban, Laguna at around 12:30 pm. The trip was long and grueling. Luckily, we had music to keep us all entertained and beat the roadtrippin’ blues. One fact about Caliraya island is that the weather’s bipolar- it gets scorching hot, the next thing you know, it’s raining, then it gets windy and cold. When we got there, it was raining pretty hard but stopped after a while. We boarded a boat to the island, ate lunch and checked in at the duplex rooms. There were two houses; each had a duplex- one house for the girls, the other for the boys. The duplex separated girls of section A and B, likewise done to the boys’. We prepared for the group games that would begin at 2pm. Before the games began, my friends and I explored the place. I could tell it was a pretty large resort packed with a lot of activities- kayaking, horseback riding, jet-skiing, swimming, bungee jumping, zip lining, mud sliding and rock climbing to name a few. We weren’t allowed to do the lake activities, though.

























            We played all group games under the blazing heat. I slapped on some sunscreen and made sure I wasn’t parched to prevent myself from getting heat stroke. All group games required teamwork and cooperation. It was fun working with all members of the blue team- this is accordance to our teams during our intramurals held last month. One of my favorite group games was the Earthball- a large soccer ball about 20 times larger than the normal one is used as a volleyball- it was fun lifting the inflated ball, seeing it being thrown back and forth by both teams.










Jumping is against the rules.. but ngh. I just needed an extra push!
It sucks being small, 'ya know?! =))



I look creepy here, don't I?




            Afterwards, we had a free time of 1 ½ hours. My batchmates and I took the chance to swim and go on the mudslide. The mudslide is also one of the funnest things to do in Caliraya- you slide down a slippery hill and a “mud puddle” awaits you! Prepare to get splashed with a mixture of detergent, water and of course, some earth. It may look gross, but you’ll think otherwise once you try it out. My batchmates and I enjoyed it so much, that we just had to go for a couple of rounds again the following day.



This is probably the longest 'line' of Seniors that went on the mudslide
altogether.
Can you spot me? :P
The BIG puddle. See what I mean?
Hi, Eunice.





            A crescent moon and a curtain of stars filled the sky and welcomed the evening. We had dinner (plus surprised my classmate Louise a slice of carrot cake and candles since it was her birthday during the batch outing) and went to a multi-function room for the “plenary”. Pastor Noel, the school’s pastor, spoke before us about friendship and forgiveness. I find him a good speaker. I was very much engrossed in his sermon, that he gave me a bar of chocolate for answering his question. During the sermon, he asked us to say our thank you’s and sorry’s to our friends. In no time, the room was filled with tears, sniffs and hugs. It was very heart-warming and it felt great to receive and give hugs, thank, apologize and forgive. We also exchanged palanca letters. I was also crying while reading the palancas my loved ones wrote for me- it made me realize that I’ve been blessed with good, true friends and a loving family. The 4B (my section) girls and I ended up having a ‘slumber party’ on the second floor of the duplex, sharing food and stories about ourselves and anything under the sun. I really learned a lot that night.





My mini surprise for my girl Louise!
It was lighted, of course.
It was a never-ending candle! It took her a while to blow the flame away.
Haha.






Yes. Believe it or not, that's a palanca. Written on a manila paper.
There I am! Listening while reading my palancas. Hehe.
With the cool and awesome Pastor Noel!


Incomplete. :-(


            The following morning, we made the most of the time we had left. I went zip-lining, bungee jumping, mud sliding (it’s more fun if you form a long “train” with your friends and if it’s drizzling) and rode on the Zorb ball. We left Caliraya at lunch time and arrived at school at around 4:30.




Like brodar, like sistar. 









Since I figured that zip lining looked fun and less scary than I thought it would be, and that wasn't all the time that I get to go on a batch outing with my friends,  I decided to give it a try.
Apparently, ascending up to the tower 32 feet above the ground got me trembling and pale.
I survived anyway!
Ica, my best friend, loves me too much that she took a picture of me,
witnessing my acrophobic self.


Flip!

4B. ♡
One of the few lessons I learned throughout the batch outing were the following:

1.    No matter how much I hate packing, it will always be an essential. I cannot escape, run or hide from it. I regret excessive packing, adding unnecessary weight and stress to myself. Good thing that the activities made me forget how mad I was. (Have you noticed why I'm one of the few not wearing a jersey?)
2.   Researches say that a typical Filipino has difficulty of choosing only ONE best friend since he/she’s afraid the other close friends that may get hurt- that’s why, most Filipinos have ‘many’ best friends.
3.  ""Ang kaibigan, minsan maingay, parang lata- at least hindi plastic. Pero magingat ka sa lata, kasi malalim makasugat." (A friend, is sometimes noisy, like tin- at least it's not plastic. But beware, sometimes, it can deeply wound you.)
4.   Ang may kaibigan, ay parang Centrum. Sila ang kukumpleto sayo. (Friends are like Centrum. They complete you.)– Trystan Santos
5.    Proverbs 17:17 - "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of."


Many believe that '13' is an unlucky number. As a person who disbelieves in luck, I'd rather say that I'm BLESSED- to be a part of the TSMS Seniors Batch 2013. ;)

Photo Credits
T. Aileen Mabini
Chloe Yambao
Alyana de Jesus
Louise Marfil
Ica Babaran
Shanice Barbin
Abbie San Juan
Arvel Alvarez
Dana Libunao