And now, I can finally write about things that had been happening to me these days.
First off, Immersion.
It was good, you know, like any other immersions. But ours made its way to significance. See, we were supposed to stay in the white house and enjoy the presence of cool air and the non-existence of mosquitoes and those goddamn rats. But the whole promise turned the other way around and we ended up staying in this convent which to me in that time was a convent for mosquitoes and rats. But now, you just can't measure how happy I am that we stayed there.
The first thing we did was to go to the sanitarium and visit these lepers who are already healed, but their families won't visit them or something. That thing we did, which was to make them happy, was probably the most enjoyable thing we did throughout the immersion for me. I was touched by their stories, and cursed silently their families who abandoned them.
Then, we went to the public school to teach the kids. And apparently, I was really amazed because the kids we handled(note: grade 4 kids) were really really smart-asses. I mean, even without the necessary things they have to bring to school, they really do know what the hell we are teaching them. I was shocked to pieces when one kid answered one mathematical question quickly. I mean, I can't even answer that these days because of all the sin's cos's and stupid tan's that's filling up everyone's brains.
Then we went to the pavillion, where there are lots of cool lolos who used to have leprosy, but were living there in the pavillion because their families won't accept them anymore because they think they can still get the disease in them. I know, ok? Dumbasses. I went talking to this lolo whom I've been obeserving since we got there because he kept scrubbing this sort of dirty face towel to his face, and he's just sitting in his bed, unlike those others who are singing their hearts out. As he was telling me his life story, he started to cry as he reminisces his dreams, and family, and how he still loves his family even if they don't visit or even remember him anymore. I cried to the part where he told me how much happiness I gave to him because I talked to him or something, because he's already sensing that he'll die soon. I promised him that I'll pray for him, and try to write to him on Christmas.
The next day was the most bummer for me. I didn't like the purok my partner and I was dumped on. I didn't like the people there because they kept teasing me. I thought before that they were at least nicer than anybody here in Manila, but no. They really did discriminated me and I hate hate hated it to pieces.
We went back to the convent at 3pm to practice for our cultural night, but we were bombarded by the news that a super typhoon is on its way that night and signal no. 2 is raised on Camarines Sur, where were. Actually, all of us already knew it before because our foster families told us that news already. Then one thing led to another, and the grown-ups decided we should leave at 10pm instead of 5 am of the next day to ensure safety to us, because duuh. We, like, can be stranded or something. We might even spend our Christmas there if we're so unlucky.
But as we get more further information about the storm, the more panics we get. As we were all watching the Bicol-ed version of Tv Patrol, it seemed that the storm really is a killer one, and they decided to cut our cultural night short and leave at 8 because the storm might get in our way earlier than we all expected.
As we walk our way to the social hall for our cultural night, I got so nervous that I gave my pack of pili nuts to a kid who was introduced to me by Agatha as her student. Not because I was the emcee or something, but because our trip might go the other way around. I'm not optimistic, you know. So I kept thinking that we could get killed or something because we would be travelling on super-typhoon filled night.
After the wasted cultural night, we hurried off to the washrooms for our own businesses. And, as I was about to climb my way inside the bus, a kid came to me and said: "Ate, isama nyo na po ako sa Maynila. Ayoko pa po mamatay". I was about to cry but then that would not really encourage the kid. He might even cry too if he saw the ugliness in me when I cry. So I just told him that he'll be okay and I'll be praying for him. Probably the last word I said to him was "Pakabait ka ha. Wag mong bibigyan ng problema mga magulang mo.", then I waved him goodbye and brushed the early tears off. I want to hug him, but he might suffocate or his bones might crush or something if I do. You guys know how big I am and how little the kid was. He's like mini me or something.
Even if I was criticizing my own religion for the past few days, I prayed the rosary whole-heartedly for the safety of our trip and those people we met in Sipocot. Thank God we arrived ahead of time and safely.
I woke up the next day to find out the storm was already in Camarines Sur and I was thinking about the kid again.
And I woke up again on Friday that there are already lots of people who got killed in the stupid typhoon. It really made me very sad as I realize that one of those who got killed might be the kid, or the members of the purok we went to. Oh, damn Reming.
And until now, I'm still worrying about them.
Thank you for the lepers and the students and the people there for teaching us that simple things in life are not only for free, but were also the only things that's keeping us happy. We might not now it, but we're forgetting that there is still that sadness amidst the things we have that poor people don't have. So let's all try to be simple, because if we all try to climb that stair of power, we wouldn't really achieve eternal happiness.
I'm soo grateful that I joined that immersion. Now I am appreciating my snatch-unworthy phone and my fake stuffs to pieces.
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Second thing, Gruesome week.
Oh men. This week was more stressful than September last year. Stupid projects and editorials were to be passed on a same day basis, and they were blaming our immersion for it. Tss.
I never hated Geometry as much as I did yesterday. I never hated ANY SUBJECT for that matter as much as I did this week. And I am very thankful to O.L. of Immaculate Concepcion for celebrating her feast day today. We really do deserve an academic break.
And next week, we would be squeezing our brains again for the quarterly exams. And after that, happiness for me. Total H-A-P-P-I-N-E-S-S.
I gotta run. My fever's killing me.
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