after the wreckage

or, alternatively, that post in the aftermath of Edeline's birthday party-slash-housewarming

I may not write a lot about this group of girls I used to see a lot of in college, but we did have a lot of good times together -- considering how we spent most of the Maginhawa years living practically next door to each other, hehe. Looking back at all that, I sometimes wonder if I ever did spend any time actually studying in college, considering the amount of time I spent smoking/getting drunk/hanging out/talking with/etc with all these fantastic people haha. :) Oh man, my lost youth.

Here be a photo of that grand reunion, courtesy of Edz's birthday/housewarming on Sunday:

Warming up Edz's new pad: L-R Pogo, Jaycee, Rida, Edz, Ice, Me, Drea. Thanks to Rex (a.k.a. the new Wikileaks haha) for taking this photo! :)

(More photos, reminiscences under cut!)

LOL this photo is perfectly choreographed (thanks love for taking this!). Check out Edz's precious facial expression hahaha. Also in this photo: Dino and Rex, who are trying their best to understand the situation. Thanks for holding on, guys. L-R, girls: Pogo, Me, Ice, Edz, Jaycee. Cake courtesy of Ice (super nom!)

Whenever Edz introduces us to her other friends (and boy, does this girl have a LOT of friends), we're always "that Journ block that adopted her" haha. My standard answer to the question, "So, where did you meet Edz?" is, "Under the CMC skywalk" haha where we used to love to smoke in between classes. Through Edz I met Pogo. Our other friend Rida, I actually met in a BC100 class. We did this videotaped skit about something I can't even remember now, though I do remember it involves a bit of acting and dressing up.

And yes, since then it has been a sort of hobby-slash-tradition, dressing up whenever we're together. Christ, the things I agree to do for these girls haha! As with all classic reunions, the most memorable things are the ones I either do not have photos of, or the photos that exist are not really for public consumption. Haha. What in the world.

You know you're kinda getting old when there are PHOTO ALBUMS LIKE THIS in your reunions. Hahaha. Oh my God, is that my gradpic? Christ.

So yes, I lived next door to Edz in our Maginhawa apartment complex for more or less three years. Whenever we were bored we usually: 1) watched TV while smoking in Edz's flat and 2) went out at night to Pier One to drink and smoke. Occasionally, (like, whenever it was her birthday haha) Edz liked to dress me up. To wit: (was this 2006 or 2005?)

This photo cannot be explained.

Let's leave the events of last night to your imaginations (yes, photo-less haha. Oh my God, I was browsing through these photos and I'm like, what the fuck happened last night? Are we still secretly 21? Haha.)

On a more serious note, I remember how these girls were among my pillars of strength in college -- my move to Maginhawa marked a rather adventurous time, and that's a supreme understatement. I started going out late more, drinking more, getting heartbroken more (haha, oh man, all too careless) and all these things I never really got to do when I was under curfew in my old boarding house.

I remember staying up nearly 24 hours surviving only on cigs and coffee and coke and kariman from MiniStop watching Edz and Jeri (should've been in this reunion, if you ask me) finish their thesis; and I can't really forget that time I spent an entire afternoon just sitting on Edz's bed with a cigarette in one hand and tissue in the other after a rather harrowing fight with that girl during that first year after college. It felt nice, living beside someone who you know has your back. We don't see each other all too often these days, but I love how we can get together like this and it's like the years between didn't really happen and we're only picking up from practically yesterday. It's amazing.

So yeah, the next time we see each other... well. I'll be better prepared. Haha. I love these crazy girls so hard. Also: i-project nga natin nang maayos ang summer outing next year! (LOL gaganti lang, para lahat tayo may photos in various states of undress? HAHA.)