#cemcrew

5th Feb - a message pops up!

Ants: You free from 22-25? My bday is in the 24th.

Me: 25th holiday! what do you have in mind?

Ants: We're planning to go to Baguio in those days. Down to come?

Me: sounds exciting, G!

Ants: Nice. Let you know the plans.

Fast-forward to the 18th (Monday before the long weekend trip)

Me: wanted to confirm if this weekend is a go?

Ants:  So it’s gonna be the whole Cem crew and Lou. And my mom.

The CemCrew

Lou wasn’t able to make it eventually, but mom was present - and oh, did we enjoy having mom around! Not only was she responsible for the non-stop eating (refer to previous post for all the juicy details), I also got schooled on Korean rom-coms, of all people!

We called our little clique, CEMCrew - a mix of very different characters glued together by a solid bond like... CEMent. Well, not exactly.

Yes to the mix - it’s an unlikely and unique mash up. The bond also holds true, in more ways than one - which all started in a... CEMETERY! Manila American Cemetery to be exact! That’s where we first came together one fateful day back in 2014, I think? I’d go detail the relationship web, but you can also figure out with this photo, we’ve come a long way since - consider this the before shot.

Back to the weekend - batch one left on a Friday night. I forgot to bring my neck-pillow for the six-hour ordeeal but apparently didn't have to worry - we each had ready allocation of huge pillows and blankets on board. Tita Liza thought of everything! Ready to roll!

Not a lot of talking in the van, it was late so it was a lot of snoozing instead. I haven’t seen Anthony’s mom in the longest time, we are facebook friends though, so I guess that sort of means we both still ‘see’ each other from time to time (LOL). It’s perfectly acceptable then for me to still feel somewhat awkward, yeah?

The one I should give credit to, however, in finally breaking the ice is.. JOLLIBEE stop-over! No proper road-trip is complete without one, if you ask me. Not so much that we had the most meaningful of conversations over Tuna Pie and sweet spaghetti, but we found ourselves in ‘level-playing field’ that is, it was neither in my turf or hers. I was mostly giving one line answers to China questions though (and beating myself over in my head how terribly un-smooth I was in Conversation 101. Partly blaming it to the fact that my brain cells are midnight owls no more) 

We arrived at the house at 3am and we were greeted with the fancy fireplace setup - I say, the best part of any Baguio home!

Again I say, BEST part of any Baguio home!

Netflix (Chill). Rinse (Optional). Repeat.

story of this weekend.

There was really no need to go out of the cabin, and your sense of time and day gets blurry, which is telling of a wonderful vacation. 

The Breaker Upperers played after lunch (the Kiwis know their comedy). This movie is definitely the fave in this trip. I can’t help but also associate it with the awesomeness of having free flowing coffee brewed on demand, while we were snug and comfortable on beanies covered in knitted wool blackets. spell COMFORT!

We then shifted to a couple of Oh My Venus episodes, that surprisingly went well with our meat and cheese platter. Oh that honey-truffle. *drool*

Batch two (the other pair of love birds) made an appearance almost midnight going into the birthday salubong - which became game night (captured quite a few jenga faces) - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY!

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

Unbeknownst to most, Shek (my ex) is now with our friend, Gab. Before, during and post this weekend trip, I got a few inquiries asking how I felt or simply, if I was okay with it. For the most part, yes. It’s been ages since, and Gab had done due diligence (more than I thought he should have) in informing before the courting and making it official.

In a fun, unplanned twist however, all three of us ended up sleeping in the same room (separate beds), sharing the same bath!

So did it occur to me to dip their vulnerable toothbrushes in the toilet? Perhaps looking at it from a third person's POV, thinking it would be funny that I’m thinking of writing about thinking about it ~kind of way, Yes. Definitely not out of spite or anything remotely close to that. I also DID NOT DO IT, just in case that needed to be clearer :)

There really is nothing much to say about it, apart from acknowledging that it sure was an interesting spot to be in. Someone pointed out that perhaps I put up walls in anticipation of the moment. Maybe. But was I constantly, actively on guard waiting for the potential awkward moment, ready to steer to make it less so? Hardly.

New Edition

I miss having this solid unit around. After the Cemetery chill day (it’s really more of a memorial site, where you can find a quiet spot to think), there were more birthday celebrations, chill@home hangouts, a hyperactive messenger group, even attending church conferences and retreats together! I still recall that one Christmas break when I was back for a visit ~ I was in tears, crying in front of these same people, in an honest outpour.

SIDE NOTE: Many relationships from my past have since evolved, they're not quite the same. And I know that's as expected. I've come to embrace the notion that since your friends now were once strangers, there’s no reason why the friends in your yesteryears can’t be strangers tomorrow.

I did not nor have I been unfriended, at least that I know of. There is, however, just a natural course of increasing or decreasing interactions.

Who knows, this could very well be the beginning of many other connections waiting to be rekindled. It should also be no surprise if people who were part of your life then, can continue to play perhaps an even bigger part tomorrow. Keep doors (and windows) open.

We had quite a laugh before taking the first group photo above with the bad good joke that Gab blurted out, that we were seated according to our original pairs plus the adjacent connections that brought the group together.

Here is the now shot, I’d simply call it CemCrew 2019 edition.