15 years get-together

I find sheer pleasure and joy for my role...

Feb 2, 2008 (8:25pm) : I received a call while playing badminton with my high school friend Aleem and his AIM peers at the Blue Rackets Gym in Makati. It was Patrick, our classmate also back in our Notre Dame Boys' days who worked in Indonesia and I've last seen last Sept 2007.

"Yo Man, where you tonight" Patrick said

"I'm here with Aleem playing badminton, why? where are you, you back in Manila", I replied

"Yeah, Lets have a drink later tonight",

"sure, lemme check with Al", i told him.

Al agreed but to meet by midnight at around GB3, Pat wants it at the Fort.

"I'll text you later after the game" I said before hanging up the phone.

A text to Mark who works for McCann Ericson ensued. Mark, whom I haven't seen for over 8 years after we had our falling out ages ago and who happens to be our class valedictorian has been exchanging emails, YM and text messages with me for the past 5 yrs and who seems to be busy all the time for anything else. Suddenly seems to be agreable to the idea of meeting up but only for starbucks. Knowing Patrick and Aleem to be both beer drinkers and loves the party life, I am not sure the coffee conversation would be agreable to them, so I told Mark to get back to him and I need to figure out the exact place where were going to meet.

After the game of badminton, Aleem went back to AIM to take a shower and change for our night out. Patrick texted and informing me that if I and Aleem wouldn't be at the Mint Bar at the Fort by 10:30pm he'd leave, so texting him that were on our way despite the time almost being past 11pm.

Wew arrived at the Mint Bar, and what a surprise, Patrick was with Michael, another classmate who studied medicine in Davao and two other girls around their table. we had a few exchanges of chat, then getting back to texting Mark that were at the Fort, he called to ask what time we'd leave the bar, Patrick and Aleem ssems to have so much fun that I told him perhaps 1am, So Mark said, I'd be there by 1am and suggested we find a coffee shop around the area.

I've got to prepare the others for the eventual arrival of Mark who want to have coffee, and seems everyone is amenable to pack up our boozing time by 12:30 midnight.

Mark arrived while were leaving the parking lot, we proceeded to Alchemy Bar in Ortigas as the two gals seems to want to party at the Alchemy. when we got there, a starbucks happens to be nearby, so the five of us former classmates, foes of debates and academics for that matter back in our High school years decided to send the two girls home, Patrick hurled the cab for the two girls while we went for coffee.

Mark foot the bill, and the rest of us were amaze at such generosity. Knowing Mark to be stingy in the past years weve come to know him as a classmate, and as a friend. "This is a welcome development" we all echoed behind his ears...hahahahaha

We talked and shared stories, memories, friends, foes, crushes, gossips, our funny moments in the past years and at the end of that get together, we spent over 5 hours together reminiscing the many years that has gone by and the people who we haven't seen for sometime.

Somehow a part of this evening can be categorize as reconciliatory, for me and Mark, For Mark and Patrick who also had falling out after Y2K, Aleem and Patrick had some unspoken angst due to a past girlfriend whom Aleem courted but Patrick got the approval.

It was indeed a thought wondering years, a night to cherish as part of our memories of each other... and more to follow in the next few days and hopefully we can find more of our former classmates whom we spent 4 yrs of our High school lives together from our class named St. Stephen, St. John to St. Gabriel in a far away city so often misunderstood and we so bemused to have changed drastically with our growing up.

The woman who changed me!

I entered a building so uniquely adorned, spacious and brightly painted. I am required to leave behind my cellphone and other electronic gadgets with me, register for the 4 evening seminar(monday, tues, thursday and friday). The woman then gave me a temporary ID after I presented to her my ID card and at exactly 6pm everyone should already be inside this room where the walling is curiously hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt. At the front center is a wide blackboard and seems like its an auditorium class of a university.

I thought what am I here for.... but everyone filled the room and there even is not enough chairs to fill the crowd so some have to stand at the side and back of the room. Then a woman walked thru from a small door on the back of the left side corner of the room, in a delicately white pants and dress, her hair is so attractively raised like she just came from a salon, she has this eyes so distinct and well browed, and fear gripped me that I thought I saw a witch in sheeps clothing. Oh my gosh! is she going to hypnotize us in the room? She was like a witch I dreaded when I was a child from all those fairy tales.

She holds a cordless microphone and began to introduce herself as Charley Barretto emphasizing the E in her name Charley, a resounding beautiful voice I've ever heard marveled into my ears. Soft spoken and with her smile I somehow felt a bit relaxed. She then called attention to those who were there for the very first time and she tried to play along our emotions that when certainly viewed her as a with(my golly, she can even read our minds).

She discussed the principles of life, the Science of Mind and Man Center is all about, the sphere of the Universe, our god within, the conscious and the sub-conscious mind, the power of thoughts and things, belief, every positive ideas becomes the visible.

Every night for 4 to 5 hours she would only talk how we can be prosperous, abundant, rich, powerful, its tapping thru the sub-conscious being within ourselves. and showing us the light to shine our path into a more abundant beingness.

It was already a friday night, the last evening of the 4 day seminar, somehow I understood slowly the manner by which to conquer my fear and doubts. But tonight its all going to be different coz I will either walk out of this place still the same or a changed man in mind and heart and soul.

As she put down her microphone and calls for the closing of her seminar, she walks and vanishes into the confines of her private room. I felt a changed man, I saw a new meaning and hope for living. I saw her not as she first came in 5 nights ago when I first had a glimpse of her, a bewitching hag. Tonight I saw her as the light and the angelic beauty of a woman I would love to meet again.

For many years I continued to attend the class of Ms. Charley Barretto which rarely happens once or twice every year.

I am grateful for the time I was able to listen and attend her class, without those nuggets of her thoughts, I would have viewed life in a different sphere and am proud to have acquired the wisdom from a Charley Barretto, The Science of Mind.

I'm a true blue Sommist.