At St. Nicks

December 14, 2008

Two days.  That’s how long (or short) a time I have left to spend here in Australia.  How time flies so fast.  It seems as if it was only yesterday when I first set foot in this foreign land to do my post-graduate studies.  Now, I am about to go back home.

They say everything happens for a purpose.  My purpose in coming here was to learn new things which I could apply to my agency.  However, I got more than what I bargained for.  A friendship borne out of necessity since we were stuck with one another.  A friendship that developed because of similarities and in spite of differences.  A friendship that will (hopefully) remain regardless of the distance.

There’s Kuya Ricky, the de facto coordinator of the group.  He is the resident joker, Mr. Extension, Johanna’s favourite student.  Of all my fellow scholars, I could say he is the one I am closest to and the one who knows me the most.  Unbeknownst to many, Kuya Ricky became my protector and comforter during those times when I needed it most.  He had faith in my abilities and he has never failed to tell me the things I needed to hear.  In spite of his image of being a naughty person, Kuya Ricky has got so much depth and wisdom that guided me throughout my stay in Australia.  He was my voice when I no longer wanted to fight and has always defended me from people who thought so lowly of me.  And I will forever be grateful to him for that.

From the onset, Lhaie and I clicked it off rather instantly.  Being the youngest of the lot, I was hesitant at first to befriend the rest of the group since I was afraid to come off as childish.  It was Lhaie whom I found an affinity with.  She and I did things together: went to the uni, had our meals, went out.  When she started going out with our landlord, I started to distance myself especially during our last few weeks in Australia.  Still, the friendship remained.

Then there’s Ate Shena.  She and I became close when we started to work.  We became… ahem… “officemates” at Reece.  We would wake up at the wee hours of the morning to catch the 6.27 bus to town.  But more than an “officemate”, she became my “lawyer” and my voice when I lost my own.  Much like Kuya Ricky, Ate She stood up for me when the situation called for it.  She guarded me like her own child.  With her, I felt safe.

Despite working in the same agency, I only met Lotus during our IELTS review days.  Upon knowing each other, we ended up processing our requirements together.  From the passport application to our harrowing experience during the medical exams, Lot and I did it together.  However, I would be the first to acknowledge that even then, we didn’t become close.  I guess it was my fault.  Since we work in the same office, the possibility of being compared, or worst, pitted, against each other was very high.  Even prior to our departure for Australia, I was already hearing things from the office about who is better in what.  I thought it best to just detach myself to avoid the stress.  For me, it is not worth losing a friendship over.  More so, I have already promised myself that I would not kill myself from too much studying.  Still, Lot has my respect.  She is one of the most disciplined persons I have ever met.  She is unfazed by all the negative things thrown at her.  She is as cool as a cucumber even at the most trying times.  Even during the “Ortigas group” drama that happened (no thanks to she-who-must-not-be-named), Lot kept her cool.  In her book, everybody deserves to be understood, to be given a second (or even a third and a fourth) chance.  Towards the end of our studies, we got the chance to know each other better which I hope will continue even upon going back to work.

If there’s a contest for the best in public relations, Ate Alice would win, hands down.  I have never met anyone who has got her talent of striking up a conversation with a complete stranger and ending up knowing a whole lot more about that person in a short span of time.  She has this (bad!) habit of disappearing without telling anyone her whereabouts.  Watching her banter with Kuya Ricky is like watching a stand up comedy show, only better.

Ate Badi hates being called by her proper name, Judith.  She said she doesn’t look like a “Judith”, however that looks like.  I remember, I was hesitant to call her Ate at first because some people just wanted to be called by their names.  She told me, “Ayos lang yun.  Mas gusto ko ngang me tumatawag sa akin ng ate.  Mas sweet pakinggan.”

Finally, there’s Richard.  From among the group, I could say I know Richard the least given that he is taking a different course from the rest of us.  I never had the chance to spend time with him.  Still, he exerted effort to be with the group every now and then.

They say that the best type of friends is found during high school and college.  Anybody whom one meets after that can never compare.  I guess I’m just lucky then.  For I have found not one, not two, but seven friends that I will treasure for a lifetime.