HAPPY BATCHIVERSARY!

It's been three years already? Jeez. Seems like just yesterday we took our oath, started our cadetship and ticked off the "Institution."

(Hmmm. Now that I think about it . . . some of our already-posted batchmates are back in town to finish uncompleted cadetship modules . . . and we did tick off the "Institution" again just yesterday . . . heck, we're a Hyatt press conference and a Tom Cruise couch leap away from being back in 2005!)

What I do remember from the first week of cadetship is volunteering to be a flag-raiser during the ASEAN day ceremonies. "How hard could it be?", I thought, "and flag-raisers get to gorge on reception hors d'oeuvres afterwards." Well, no one told me: a) we'd be rehearsing during a typhoon; b) the flagpoles were at the edge of a ten-foot drop; and c) once self-doubt creeps in that you might drop someone else's national flag on wet, muddy grass - and maybe cause an international incident - you get a severe case of el nervous stomach . In the end, we were able to get through without incident, but I was so tense throughout the event those hors d'oeuvres still went through my digestive system under the principle of "non-interference", if you know what I mean.

Three years hence, and our batch's numbers are being decimated by postings and scholarships. On the plus side, we now have no problem fitting into cabs whenever we go to MOA. On the down side, if we happen to all share the same elevator, we have to clarify out loud "this isn't the batch Christmas party already, is it?"

And, we get more "Tales of the Recently Departed":

Heresy! Burn her on a pile of shoulder pads and leg-warmers!

"The Dawn were here on my first day at the Embassy, but I don't know who they are so I didn't meet them. (A more senior officer) is apparently a fan so she sat in on their call, and was later scandalized because I had no idea who they were. Yes, (80's batchmates) Edwin and Manny, that moment was wasted on me. (The Senior Officers) spent a good deal of time later on talking about what songs they'd made popular, and I volunteered: 'Legs?' (OK, so now I know 'Legs' was by Mike Hanopol.)"

Well, yes, but you have to deal with that whole keep-the-toilet-seat-up thing

"told (her) na may ibang option dyan. get married asap. get a house husband. mas malaki ang Living Quarters Allowance ng with family."

She's kidding. I hope.

"Sa isip-isip ko, konting panahon na lang at pag gumaling pa ang english ko, magre-reynahan na ko dito. Buwahahaha!"

Then you'll love "Dyosa"

"yep epekto nga yan ng stress. . .at sa panonood ng TFC which is the only channel i have - lobo fan na ako although i would have preferred the bida to be more macho"