moving on ...

kirsten, a dear friend of mine recently confirmed her plans of moving to silicon valley in california, usa together with her husband. it was great news and i am so happy for her. she has applied for a teaching post at a local german school in silicon valley and was accepted there for a 3-year term. she can opt for a renewal, but she says they are not likely to stay more than three years. it's all for the experience, she says - and i'm sure they are in for a load of fun time aside from the rich experience they will reap during the planned 3-year term. i'm so excited for her.

you see, i've known kirsten from manila when she was teaching at the german school in pasig. we had a great time together whenever the opportunity presented itself - we spent our weekends together with some other common friends from the german school and my dormmates, friends and work colleagues. we hang out at parties, night outs (meals at the nipa hut or folk bars along timog avenue, the 70's bistro), small get-togethers, weekend outings in puerto galera - for a lazy swim, sun and scuba diving (she learned how to dive in puerto galera - i remember how nervous she was during the first time). i love the company of these bunch of friends! it's always a fun-filled day spent with them - pure and clean fun!

i remember one funny incident about my going out with another friend, helga - she, too, was a teacher at the german school in pasig (1990-1992). we went out for dinner on a sunday night along with a couple of other guys. we were regulars at a timog bar where another friend of ours, Noel Cabangon (he's now a famous singer/artist in manila) had a regular late night singing stint on sundays. we would always hang around until his performance set were done and stay up until the wee hours of the morning - jamming with his guitar, singing, talking, exchanging stories of the day and so on. when the bar closed at 2 am, we would then proceed restaurant and bar hopping ... it doesn't sound that bad. we were like night owls ... we ate a lot, had some drinks (them, not me - as many of you know, i don't drink alcohol), and there was plenty of coffee and hot chocolate to keep us wide awake. before we know it, it's already six o'clock in the morning! during this time, i was renting a room in alta vista (katipunan) with an old couple. i totally forgot about the gate being locked from the inside after 11 pm. so, i couldn't get in when i arrived at the gate. then, helga came up with the idea of driving her car close to the gate - i jumped atop the hood of her car, then over the gate and landed onto the driveway. knowing that i'm safe inside, helga and i said our goodbyes giggling with the iron gate between us. then, the main light by the porch was switched up - lo and behold, my landlord came out of the door looking very surprised to see me by the gate. he said, "you're up early today. could you please get the newspaper on your way out?" - i almost burst out laughing. poor guy didn't realise i haven't been home all night. well, what happened next is another story.

many of my good friends in manila came from the german school. you might ask why. well, it all started when i was in palawan where i stayed after my college studies at UST. my folks' home is also home to a lot of tourists. i see them lot almost everyday. i helped managed a resort while i was there and got to meet very interesting people. it was here that i met this group of german teachers vacationing from manila - we hit it off at once and somehow developed this closeness and "buddy-feeling" between us in all that 7-day-stay at the resort. to this day, i remember their last night at the resort when they asked me very interesting questions and shared insights about me that somehow played a vital role in changing my life completely:

"what are you doing here?"
"is this the kind of life you want to live for the rest of your life?
"you don't belong here."
"don't you want to explore better things in life outside this island?"
"don't settle for less, you probably could do much more than you think."
"what are your plans for your future?"

all these questions and vote of confidence somewhat stirred something in me. the following day before they left, we promised to keep in touch. the weeks that followed was spent soul searching on my part until i decided to take the challenge and went back to manila - i had to convince my parents that i can survive whatever is there in the "jungle" of manila. with my mom's political connections, i landed a secretarial job at the congress of the philippines.

immediately after arriving in manila, i got in touch with these wonderful people from the german school. we picked up where we left. i never felt alone ever since - they were like my big brothers and sisters. whenever one of them finishes up his or her contract at the school, i would immediately be introduced to the ones coming in to replace them - it was like a chain ... it was not to be broken. fortunately, each and every one of them were just as caring and loving as the one leaving. my ties to the german school was pretty strong - i'd get invited to their school activities, private parties and any other engagements that would allow an extra baggage (that's me!). i love them dearly for having me as part of their family - whether in school or in private. this is how i met kirsten - i was a "legacy" to her by the teachers before her. for me, she's one great gift i cherish to this day. and as for the others, we somehow keep track of one another - me, here in sweden and them all - scattered all over germany, one in greece, some in texas, a couple in argentina, another couple in vietnam and the rest in other exotic places.

life in itself has too many things to offer. we are always bound to take big and small decisions in our lives - today and in the future ... and when we do, there simply is no turning back. we have to move on and carry out our dreams and expectations. one may reap success, the others may experience failure ... but no matter what, you simply have to carry on ... you have to move on.

kirsten, good luck in silicon valley! i hope to see you sooner than you think ... i will always be thinking of you - keep smiling! i miss you so much! we'll gossip more later.