My Turf

Nung isang araw, may party ang mga kapitbahay naming nakatira sa apartment next to ours. I’ve never met any of them, but I noticed that they’re quite fond of inviting friends over. I’m usually not home early (especially not during weekends) so I don’t get to experience first-hand the noise they make that my sister often complains about.

Last Friday, I found myself with nothing to do. With the folks I usually hang out with still busy with work, I had no choice but go home and wait until they’re free.

It was still early, just a little past 9 PM, but the neighbors’ party was already in full swing. Up in my room, I could hardly concentrate on the book I was reading. The distraction, however, was far from negative. I did not feel pissed at them for shouting and laughing and having a grand time. More than anything, I was envious. If I had enough guts, I would have gone down, introduced myself, and joined the singing/ drinking frenzy. But I am obviously not the type, so I stayed put, turned off the light and tried to go to sleep.

The weird thing was, I soon found myself singing along (although not out loud, of course!) Pathetic as it may seem, I couldn’t help myself! I LOVED the selections! Whatever Magic Sing chip that was (or CD, if they’re using the conventional player), it had all the old and new OPM and cheesy pop songs that I like.

All the friendly derision and laughing and jovial heckling and drunken singing aloud together, mixed with those old late 90s-early 2000 music, brought back fond college memories of good times spent with close friends I haven’t seen in ages. I was hit with a sudden feeling of longing and reminiscence, and realized that I so, so, so miss college. 

Toma Group

Drinking was a staple part of my college life. Thanks (or no thanks) to this group the drinkers in Broad Ass (the college org to which I belonged) informally formed: the Toma Group.

Magtataka ka pa ba kung baket yan ang pangalan? Wala din naman kaming ibang ginawa kung hindi tumoma. At mag-yosi. May paminsang nagju-jutes or hash, pero iyon naman ay isang activity that I never really enjoyed. Not because nagmamaka-stickler for laws lang ako, basta hindi ko gusto ang lasa at hindi ko gusto ang trip.

Ibang klase ang Toma Group. Ibang klase ang bonding noon. Para kaming may inherent understanding na magkatinginan lang, alam na namin kung ano ang gusto naming gawin, sino ang gusto naming makasama, at saan kami pupunta. Kami sa Toma Group ang bumubuo ng mga walang perang miyembro ng Broad Ass (hahaha!), kaya ang naging palaging tambayan ay ang Sarah’s. Kahit kasama namin sa maduming garahe ang mga aso at kung ano-anong insekto sa pag-inom, wala kaming pakialam! It’s the company that’s important. Hindi mo naman sasabihing pare-pareho kami ng wavelength. I could even boldly claim that the Toma Group-ers were a very unlikely mix. But over bottles of Pale Pilsen, Red Horse, or Colt 45, nagkakaintindihan kaming lahat. Quesijodang si Nietzsche o si Erap, o si Professor Varona, si Sharon Cuneta, si Aling Suming, dropping forms, mga subjects na isiningko, ang mga bwiset naming kaklase, mga crush naming taga-ibang org (“Shyet, gwapo sana pero bobo! Ang basa nya sa ‘paradigm’ ay ‘para-di-jim!”), pulitika sa Broad Ass, mga orgmates na hindi present…

May minsanang Truth or Dare. Sige nga, Halikan mo nga si ganito! Sinong type mo sa Broad Ass? Umamin ka: Are you straight? Talagang naging kayo ba ni…? Putangina, kinikilabutan akoooo! Super duper juvenile!

Hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang beses akong nalasing ng sobra-sobra at hindi ko maalala kung paano ako nakauwi. Pero, in fairness to me, kahit kailan ay hindi ako nasuka sa banyo ng Sarah’s. Pero mayroon akong isang kilala na sumuka sa lababo. Pero hindi pa iyon ang pinaka-kadiri. Dahil sa sobrang close namin, may isa kaming kasama na sinalok with her bare hands ang suka sa lababo at inilipat sa inodoro! Eeew! Kilala mo na kung sino ka at sigurado akong di mo makakalimutan ang pangyayaring ito… HAHAHA!

Pag may mga special occasions, lumalabas din kami ng Sarah’s. Maraming inumang ginanap sa kung saan-saang bahay. At dito ang talagang bangenge-an to the maximum level! Ang pinakalasing ako na naaalala ko eh sa graduation party ni Adrian (na isang sikat na reporter na ngayon at may marami pang fans, naks!). Walang katulad naman kasi ang party na yun! Lahat yata ng naimbentong alak eh ininom namin! Beer, iba’t-ibang flavors ng lambanog (pucha, I swear, pagkagraduate ko ng college, the mere sight of lambanog makes me want to vomit!), rhum, brandy… Basta, ang pinakanatatandaan ko lang eh isa-isang binubuhat papasok ng bahay ang mga lasing na lasing na tao. Si Jonella Pacheco, kinakarga na papasok ay sumusuka pa rin. Si Sherlyn lang yata ang sober non at naging tagapangalaga ng lahat ng bangag. Meron pa nga pala kaming pinakaiingatang lihim nung mga panahong iyon na, fortunately, kahit sa kalasingan naming lahat e hindi naman nabunyag. This is an inside joke, pero di ko lang alam kung maaalala pa ng mga attendees ng party yung mock scene ng pagkuha ni Adrian ng diploma na ina-act out ni Rey (with matching camera flashes pa) Hahaha!

Ah, at ang isa pa palang super lasingan eh yung Puerto Azul outing. Isa pa ring classic yun! Kumpleto kami sa toma. Bukod sa hard drinks, umaapaw ang beer non dahil nanlibre si Herbert who had just been named the Collegian Editor-in-Chief that time. More than 20 people ang nandon (we came from the Planning Sem kasi at sumama ang mga then new graduates), pero kahit isa, as in kahit isa sa amin walang nakaisip bumili ng tubig! For more stupidity! Tuloy wala kaming mainom, at tanghali pa lang ay nagsisipag-beer na ang mga tao! Kaya maaga pa lang, halos lahat bangag na. Si Tsok, hindi naman nakakagulat dahil lagi naman syang unang malasing sa lahat. Si Shine ay nagising nung umaga na may malaking drawing na “X” sa noo! At tapos, lahat ng mga nagsitulog sa kwarto ay nagising na may mga souvenir suka sa t-shirt courtesy of… Zip it!

Ilan lang yan sa libo-libong kwento ng mga adventures at misadventures naming nung college. Hay. Sobrang miss na miss na miss ko na ang bonding na ganito…

Pssst, mga ka-toma! Sabi ko naman sa inyo, mag-reunion na tayo sa Sarah’s. Ang dami-daming kwentong ang sarap, sarap, sarap balikan.