The Best And The Rest 35

Summer’s almost over, the rains are practically here, so it’s bittersweet to post this summer Top Ten, 2 months after we did this on-air. We romanticize summer; as if something enchanted will unfold – some quickie romance, a life-changing adventure, a story that is worth passing on to your kids way after you’ve turned old and grey. Now, holidays for me just means a time to unwind. Hehehe…the older I get, the more stressed out I am. Come to think of it, this year was bitin, I need another vacation soon….

March 25, 2008 → The Top Ten Most Memorable Summers

1. Pammy – When my best friend and I went to Boracay, it was because my friend was going through a terrible break-up. We drew comfort from the fact that Manila was so far away. Who should be the first person we see the first time we stepped out of the resort? The girl who caused the break-up of my friend’s relationship. Talk about small world, I didn’t know Bora could be suffocatingly small.
2. Nina – When our parents left for Baguio for a week, it was the first time that we were all by ourselves, so they just left us money for food and stuff. And on the first day, my brother got his left eye glued by Mighty Bond so we had to rush him to a hospital, kaya naubos budget namin for a week. Buti na lang we have stock ng corned beef na galing sa tito ko from Canda. Napurga kami sa corned beef for one week.
3. Skinny Dipper – When I was 11, I joined my family in the Maldives. My 3-month adventure started with me & my sister flying to the capital, Male, as unaccompanied minors, and riding a dhoni (a very big fisherman’s boat) to Magoodhoo Atoll, our home for the following 3 months. The island was BEAUTIFUL! White sand as fine as you can imagine, clear waters, warm & simple people, idyllic place. I think I am what I am today, a lover of the sun, sand, and sea, because of that experience. But the reason it was the best summer was because our family got reunited since my parents & 2 younger brothers had been in the Maldives for a couple of years since my dad works for the U.N.
4. Patientncalm – When we went to Mindoro, my father’s hometown, we tried to do again what my brother and sister used to do when we were still kids. Bahay-bahayan built for us by our lolo, swimming at the river, climbing the indian mango trees, riding the kalesa and kalabaw, and playing at the ricefields. The only difference is that this time, it’s already our kids who are enjoying these unforgettable experiences of our childhood.
5. Shakes – I had this vacation once in Nueva Ecija when I was a little boy. I saw a long line of kids going to somewhere. Out of curiosity, and without knowing where it lead, I stood in line. It was too late when I realized that the man sitting at the end of the line was offering his services for free tuli.
6. Maynman – My friends were at a resort in Quezon when something floated towards one of them. Thinking it was a toy, he picked it up. It turned out to be a dead little girl.
7. Untamed Swan – This summer is the worst because my youngest sister who is 16 years old will give birth to a child of a rapist. And the rapist is not behind bars because he is a gang member who can harm my nieces who are just 5, 4 and 3 years old.
8. Andy Romano – The time I climbed Mt. Pulag and realized God exists.
9. Deusxmaquina – Just last week I went to Nueva Ecija with my Korean brothers & sisters for a bible seminar for 6 days. It turns out that my mission is more than spreading God’s word because I fell in love with one brother.
10. Ghastly – When I decided to look for my biological dad, the search led me to Dubai, Catalan in Spain, and a desert town in Arizona. Many times I felt like I was in a Quentin Tarentino movie.
11. Bineth Log – One summer I was stung by jellyfish. My crush volunteered to pee on my thigh. I snuck a peek…
12. No name – This happend a couple of summers ago: my dad died on April 1, it was my maternal grandma’s birthday on April 2, and I graduated from elementary on April 3.
13. YñaKì – It was the summer of ’77 when we had our CAT Bivouac at Tanay, Rizal and it was the most memorable, because I lost my virginity to my Corps Commandant’s girlfriend inside her command tent that night!
14. Jedi Mstr – Back in 2003, we went to Puerto Galera and we crawled into a very small cave. I had bruises so 3 of us decided to swim around the rock. When we got to the edge the current was either pulling me away from the shore or slamming me against the sharp rocks. I later found out that 22 divers died years ago in that same spot, and legend says each year, 22 victims are taken.
15. Rhada – 15 years ago, I met a French boy, a son of missionaries tagging along with his parents during a mission. 2 years ago, I went back to Guimaras to visit relatives, and who should I see, now a strapping 25 year old hunk? I saw him walking along the same stretch of beach where I met him 15 years ago.