got facebook yet?

Malamang meron na.

And thanks to Facebook (and other social networking sites except Friendster, corny kasi yun hehe), nakakapag-connect tayo sa mga old friends, classmates, crushes (emphasis on "old"?) and even people which we don't really like, especially now that we see on their photo albums that they have nicer cars, bigger house, successful careers (but we have bigger farms, on farmville of course, beehhh).

Recently, like last night, in Milam's FB, I saw Monalisa. Now we have an answer to my question regarding the whereabouts of one of our former classmates.

Here's Monalisa Dionisio Nelson now.

300

Nope, hindi ito istorya ng mga Spartans.

Ilang araw na ang nakakalipas, hinatid ko sa kanilang opisina ang misis ko. Nang malapit na kami sa lobby ng gusali nila, nagkaroon kami ng isang pagtatalo tungkol sa isang bagay. Tumalikod sya sa akin na naiinis habang nakayuko akong lumakad palayo na masama ang loob. Ilang hakbang pa lamang, may namataan akong isang pamilyar na bagay, nakatiklop. Napabilis ang aking lakad at pasimpleng pinulot iyon. Tama nga, perang papel na nahulog siguro mula sa bulsa ng isang minamalas na tao. Katumbas ng mahigit 500 pesos ang nasa kamay ko nuon at dahil wala naman akong nakitang ibang taong naghahanap ng nawawala nilang pera, ibinulsa ko na lamang ang 300.

“Aba, okay pala ang nakayukong maglakad, nakakapulot ng 300” naibulong ko sa aking sarili dahil di ko gawing maglakad ng nakayuko.

Habang naging malikot ang aking mga mata sa paligid habang naglalakad sa pag-asang may kakambal pa ang napulot na papel, bigla kong naalala ang isang tula na nabasa ko nuong high school (yessss, haba ng intro).

Iyon ay nalathala nuon sa RTPI school paper, sa ilalim ay ang pangalan ng may-akda na si Patnubay, kapatid ni Milam. Ang tula ay may pamagat atang “Piso”, tungkol sa isang lalaki na isang araw ay nakapulot ng piso habang naglalakad ng nakayuko. Nasabi din ng lalaking iyon na mainam nga palang maglakad ng nakayuko dahil nakakapulot ng piso at simula nuon, nakayuko na siyang naglalakad.

Makalipas ng ilang linggo, iba’t ibang bagay ang kanyang napulot habang naglalakad ng nakayuko subalit ang katumbas niyon ay nawalan sya ng mga kaibigang hindi niya napapansin habang naglalakad.

The lesson of the story?

Kung wala ka din naming mga kaibigan sa kung saang lugar ka man nandun (kagaya ko ngayon), aba eh sige lang, maglakad kang nakayuko. Nakapulot na ako ng keychain, dice, lighter, tennis ball at isang 1-inch Men-In-Black action figure.

Nice.

bagne's the name

Bagne! Bagne! Bagne!

One of the coolest nicknames I've ever heard. There can only be one “Bagne” so you know you’ll be unique if your name’s Bagne. I assume it will be pronounced as Bag’en when he’s somewhere in Europe.

Of course, we all know Bagne is Jonathan Flores but probably, what most of us doesn’t know is how he came to be called “Bagne”. Papano nga ba?

Another name that I won’t forget is Jose Lover Trinidad. Wouldn’t it be cool if you’re tagged as a “lover” ever since you’re a little toddler? Hell, a priest gave him permission to use that name when he was baptized. Uhmmm, teka. Nabinyagan ka na Lover, no?

“Reta” is a cool nickname. Alvin Retamar is a cool guy, especially when he’s working his magic with his pencil and watercolor. I assume Edgar changed his name to “Edge” to have a… ummmm— edge. Roehl is called “Ogie the pogi” because, well, he is pogi… or maybe because he looks like Ogie Alcasid?

If I’m a girl, I would love to have Milambini’s name. If I’m not mistaken, her brother’s name is Pat, short for Patnubay and their little sister’s name is Bathalani. Daddy Tiamson is one hell of an imaginative guy when it comes to his children’s names.

But the best of them all?

“Diablo”

That’s Mr. Dennis Javillo to you. If my memory serves me right, one of our teachers mispronounced Dennis’ surname as “Diablo”. We all had a good laugh back then and I guess the name stuck.

Bow down to Diablo you insolent, little creatures.