I am so thrilled! I was just texting one of my grade school friends a while ago who is now working in Ayala, too. She went to Batanes when after graduation and studied there. The last time we saw each other was the summer of 2000 or 2001, I guess, when she came back to Cavite for a short vacation. Now, we are going to have a CF2 Reunion, CF2 being the name of our barkada which stands for Company Friends 2000, with the motto “Our tree of friendship keeps growing in our hearts.” Hehe, back then your barkada had to have a name!
It was 1998 when I graduated from Imus Pilot Elementary School, and that was also the centennial year of our country’s independence, therefore earning us the title Centennial Graduates. Whoa, that was ten years ago. How was my life ten years ago?
1. I was already writing. I wrote a story for Joe D’ Mango’s Love Notes, and the characters were me and my friends. I don’t remember if I managed to send that to Joe. I also penned a couple of mini-plays in class, and managed to get excellent marks on my informal theme essays. I think it was at that time I started writing a journal in English.
2. I was in love with Nick Carter of the BSB, and also crazy about Scott Moffat. I was Geri (Ginger) in Spice Girls. I also liked 911 because the lead singer Lee Brennan looks like Michael J. Fox, my first ever celebrity crush.
3. The radio plays our favorite song, and it’s what keeps me holding on, baby do you miss me, now that I’m gone? You know this song by Jocelyn Enriquez?You know the dance step? I would like to make a video but…..well, forget it. This was the song for our morning exercise, after the flag ceremony.
4. Tamagotchi era! Well, I didn’t have one but my friends did, and I would’va traded my soul for this little gadget. When I think about the pet dog my sister-in-law has in her Nintendo DS, I can’t help but think about how laughable the virtual pets of 1998 were. I mean, some of them just looked like pacmans or smileys.
5. Played football after school, but not the one with the brown oblong ball. This is played by two teams with two bases. One team is going to serve the ball, and a player kicks it. Then the player would have to run to the enemy’s base and back to make a “save.”
6. Sang in the Imus I Children’s Choir (ehem, Champion in Cavite), and the 100 Voices Choir (performed in national events and shot a music video with Monique Wilson and Chad Borja!)
7.Wore a baby bra. For some reason, wearing a bra in grade 6 makes you a slut.
8. Collected stationery. In the time when the best cell phone was the Nokia bigger than the average remote control, the way for friends to keep in touch is through writing letters. I collected beautiful, colorful paper with different scents, big and small. They are totally useless now.
9. “Parurusahan kita sa ngalan ng buwan!” I was Sailor Jupiter.Who were you?
10. Did FLAMES. I think you know how this is done. You just have to count the similar letters in you and your crush’s full names, like, this:
I don’t exactly remember what FLAMES stood for. Might be these two:
F-riend
L-ove
A-ngry
M-Marry
E-nemy
S-weet
or this:
F-riendship
L-ove
A-dmiration
M-arriage
E-ngagement
S-oulmate
11. Beads galore! I made bracelets, necklaces, and rings from small glass seed beads. Later on, beads were word as hair accessories and that was probably Jolina’s fault.
12.The fashion item of the time: the Skort. Women’s shorts with a flap of fabric in front to make it look like a skirt. The Smiley Earrings also made young girls begging their parents for a pair, and they came in all colors, not just yellow.
13. Wore socks that were half white, half black.
14.The boys went crazy over NBA cards.
15.Titanic became a massive hit, as well as the song My Heart Will Go On. Everytime this song is played on the radio, the DJ would put in some dialogue exchange between Jack and Rose, including the famous “I want you to draw me wearing this. Wearing only this” and “I won’t let go.”
Wow, that was a fun trip back to memory lane, and I’m sure I’ll get to remember loads more when I meet my old grade school chummies. And I will be posting Before/After pictures of us soon. Meanwhile, this was me at 12 years old:
2 responses so far ↓
ifoundme // September 15, 2008 at 1:35 am |
aggghh!! ‘m not sure if i was able to send my comment in here but here’s another one anyway. i feel old just reading this post. LOL! i was hassling with term papers and long term exams while you were graduating in elementary. in between sleeping with my books and notebooks, i was exploring all the fun that manila can offer. (i’m certified promdi. big time!) BUT i did have my own share of stationery collections and never ending rationalizations of my FLAMES result with my too many crushes. i went gaga over new kids on the block and take that (do they ring a bell to you?). and yes, i was a chinese garter and chinese jackstone addict. i was never the girly type back then but my fetish is shoes, rubber shoes to be exact, and cheap shirts and pants. there…. just remembering those makes me giggle. LOL
Kat Carneo // September 15, 2008 at 1:02 pm |
Thanks for sharing your memories of 1998, ifoundme!and i do know nkotb and take that, but i’ve learned about them long after they have disbanded. joey mcintyre had an album in 2000, and that’s when i learned about his old band. with Take That, who doesn’t know Back for Good?(want you back, want yoyu back….)