UP Circuit FR/ Sem-ender plus Tagaytay Highlands Escapade

Ever since UP Circuit had been able to conduct its Final Rites plus sem-enders in a Pool Resort, it made the activity worthwhile not only for the new members but especially to the senior ones. After all, the final rites are really a good reason for the members to welcome their new siblings; to enjoy and to bond together afterwards. EEE students badly need this kind of respite from all the sem's dehydrating acad work. These are just some of the activities that help maintain our sanity intact.

Being senior members of Circuit, we were freely able to do things all throughout the final rites. Most of the FR work were handled by "fresher" mems while we senior guys had the time of our life playing basketball. Of course, I was able to man the SS station once in a while, in time for resting our windpipes from some rigorous plays. Right after the FR, we just hit the pool as if it would be able to cleanse us from all the sweat.


The pool temperature was adequate, as it does not give us the shivers. We were able to extract much enjoyment from all the stupidity we make. For one, the pool has this slide, but all I think of doing is to climb it up from the pool. It gave us a hard time, yet some sense of fulfillment anyway. I just realized that my attempts of climbing up gave me no reason of using the slide going downwards.

I was also able to practice my swimming. This had been one of my early frustrations in life. Wala kasing "tubig" sa bundok. At least I am always able to move underwater and do the back floats but that's just it. I always wanted to do the fancy swimming that my brother can do. It was an enjoyable night swimming event till our skins warped.

The whole event gave me no reason for sleeping. In the morning, I was able to grab some much needed meat via "de-lata's". The breakfast pancit bihon and palabok also shared some major space inside my tummy as I ate as if it was the greatest opportunity ever

The ride home was just like an extension of the sem-ender. Thanks to May for being the prime mover, we were able to go to Tagaytay. It's my first time to go to this place and it has its own right to become significantly beautiful. Tagaytay may be "next to Baguio" in terms of climate, but it has its own right to present its beauty quite differently not just based on its offered temperature.

The view deck we came upon had a throng of classy restuarants offering good food. Despite having a hard meal earlier, May encouraged us to have another "light" eating for our lunch. We thought we had ordered less as the price had been scary but eventually, we were even too full to finish the Bulalo and Crispy Pata that was ordered. Sir Osmonn, UP Circuit's faculty adviser, was the one who shouldered the bill. It all started from the usual "uy, maglilibre si Sir Os" until it just came true.

Next stop: Tagaytay Highlands. Thanks to Glenn, who even far far away, was still able to sponsor us a trip towards one of his vacation places. We went to this members - only exclusive place and was just too awed to see that such a place exists in the Philippines. The place does not accept cash as we just came inside as guests under the name of Glenn's father. It was surely a place that can be reached by those belonging to the upper echelons of society. It boasts of facilities that is far more greater than what I had seen from John Hay. This is a once in a lifetime event -- for us, at least.

I'm just happy that I was under May's car pool, for I would surely miss this trip from someone else's. One similar trip was sponsored to us by Glenn, as he toured us inside his Ayala Alabang Home village way back the FR before he went to Canada. So from now on, I keep a note to myself that I should stick to these guys as who knows, where else can they take us next?!

Again, we thank May, Glenn and also Sir Os! Nakakahiya nga kay Sir Osmonn... he was our driver, the gas was his, he payed for a sumptuous lunch, tapos tinulugan lang namin siya for the trip back to EEE! Well, one good thing is, naka-bonding namin siya. I just hoped he enjoyed it well just like everybody else did.

Now that I'm back at the dorm. I really need to pack up my things with all the body aches I just had woken up to. Back to reality.