Saturday. And Kalay.

Saturday was kinda busy. It was the day that I should have reviewed for my ES11 subject and catch up with my Physics 72 lectures.

Instead, I went to Kalay. And the story starts here...

I went back at my old dormitory. It still feels the same. It still feels like home. Even if there are a lot of changes because of the ID renovation, it still feels like the one that sheltered me through my freshie year.

I went back at the dormitory for the Open House, I was excited and thrilled to see everything. To compare our year with their year and such. I was kinda surprised that the present batch presented Buhay Kalai a lot more different than we did. But enough of that.

I had some flashbacks upon entering the Boys' wing. The time I picked up my key from the bowl I used, and the time I'm cursing myself for picking a B205 key. The time I stepped my little feet onto my room. The time I felt so exhilirated seeing familar faces I've met during my Summer class as a DOST Scholar. The smiles on our faces ready to enjoy a year that will surely be a blast. Those little quirky eyes I had when I threw myself in my bed to rest for a very long ride from home.

You see, Kalay is a really new thing for me. It was supposed to be a really good beginning to a greater end, which is to make a great foundation for my future years in college. Well, it really is. I just had some pretty low times there, of which all I have taken cared of, and survived throughout the year. The sad things that happened never became a hindrance to me getting to know lots of nice people in the dormitory. There were short time friends, friends you can rely on and enemies, that I have encountered, that made the experience memorable.

As I walk through my floor, lots of things swayed my way. Like when I used to tambay at B206 or B208, room hop and sleep on other's rooms. Shouting my lungs out, borrowing something from anyone. Taking care of the daily Bermont's routine. Taking a bath at my favorite shower room. Peeing at my favorite toilet bowl. Singing selfishly every morning as I prep myself for school.

It felt kinda weird though to see someone, not you, in your room. Or see someone unfamiliar at the doorsides, which you always are fond of seeing are your friends who's smiles would just cheer your really sucky day.

The chitchats. I remember all of these. Our nightly bondings. The things we did. The time when there were no water or electric supply at the dorm. Everything we've gone through. Sportsfest. Pasafest and everything. It just felt so fast. And now I am entering my third year into college, nothing really replaces the feeling of being there. At the dorm. The dorm that lead you to everything.

Sometimes, I just lie on my bed trying to reminisce everything. But I can't, unfortunately all I can get back from returning there is remembering all the precious memories I have shared with all my batchmates.

I went back down the lobby of the hall to meet some highschool friends. And as I see them enjoying every moment they're here just reminds me of me, sharing laughs with my friends. I then remembered my Sigaw days, the times when we have to brainstorm to come up with something nice for the newsletter. I then remembered some crazy stuffs, me and my SOEP and SA friends do just to spend some boring times together. I remembered me, going at the TV area to study with my friends for the upcoming exam in Math 17, Math 53...

I remembered our Open House, our activities before the Open House, Wacky Day, the quiz shows and the plays I have attended. The seminars on how to survive UP. The monthly chats with our ever interesting and beautiful dorm manager, Mam Tirona. The friendships I built with some strangers I knew just for dancing so rave at our Acquaintance Party. Some strangers I just got close because they understand me. Some strangers which I didn't think would impact my life so much, and would be really happy seeing me changing from what they used to think about me.

I had fun. Its just really something you'd really remember forever. As I went to the core of the dorm, seen the court once again, seen the volleyball area and the table tennis area, where we used to tambay. I see myself there, laughing, seeing each of my friends' faces overjoyed, by just simple things. Simple things that sparks friendship, and everything that we have formed. We grew up on each other easily. We chanted with one voice. We just clicked.

I can say that our batch pretty much set the standards on some way. I believe that what brought our batch closer to each other is that we really care for each other, in any possible way. It is normal to have fights and all, but what made us enjoy our stay more is the fact that all of us were there to embrace a new experience, and share joy and happiness with everyone.
As I walked through the Mess Hall, yes. Nostalgic. The long table dinners you see everyday. When people goes to your table, when they noticed that you're alone. The place that's been the witness of every stories and chitchats of what happened to you the whole day. The place where you can meet your girl friends and share some time with them.

I truly miss Kalay. The night, I went back. After eating my dinner and them, playing volleyball. We went back for Kalay tunes just to hear for another time, possibly the last time that Allie, Myra, Gemma and Eka would sing Buhay Dorm (our batch song) in front of me.

Priceless. It's still the same old song, I use to drown myself to tears when I was leaving Kalai at the end of March 2007. Just a really good way to end the day.

I then went to the concert. Eufairia that is. And I didn't enjoy that much. Maybe because I am too overwhelmed from the Kalai experience. Or maybe, because Typecast hadn't showed up, and its already 1 AM, and I have to bring my Kalai kids home.

So much fun.

You can't really put everything into writing, aye? Fortuinately, we have our hearts to fill the space. And it feels so good to remember them randomly at different moments in your life.