Twenty Two

One. 'Papa' was the first legit word I've muttered. My parents got very happy by it. Oh, the simple joys of life.

Two. I ruined a show. It happened during a dance presentation of a big company held at the gymnasium of Ateneo de Zamboanga University. The moment I saw the Ninja Turtles and the Tom and Jerry mascots (those were my favorite cartoon characters, by the way), I ran at the stage and danced as if there's no tomorrow.

Three. Was so fascinated with insects! My grandfather used to catch big grasshoppers. Grasshoppers were my first 'pet' actually.

Four. Time for school. Didn't cry when my mom left me inside the classroom, thank God. I wasn't really sociable during that time and I only had a few friends.

Five. My old Chinese teacher forgot to turn off the fan, causing her wig to move. So, the rumors were true! "Oh my, look! Lau sher (Chinese for teacher) is bald!", I cried. Lau sher was so embarrassed and mad that she ordered me to step out of the classroom and stand for hours under the scorching heat of the sun. The following day, I had fever. Good thing, I didn't die due to heat stroke. Apparently, my Chinese teacher died a few years later.

Six. I went to school late, as always. And then I realized, I left my bag at our house. I only brought my lunch box. I cried because it was so embarrassing. My teacher laughed because she thought that it was the cutest thing in the world. Screw you, bitch.

Seven. Joined the impersonation contest of the Linggo ng Wika. I impersonated Jose Rizal, the country's national hero. I won first place, by the way

Eight. First communion. It was my first time to receive the alleged body of our Savior. "That doesn't look like a human flesh!", I jeered. "No, no, you have to open your eyes for you to see the Lord," my Christian Living teacher said. "My eyes are already open. Do I have to open my third eye, then?"

Nine. An old vendor of our school canteen scolded me because I didn't give her the exact amount. I cried. Minutes after, my mom approached the old, grumpy lady together with some of my batch mates - they were 50 of them. They became my instant friends... for that day only.

Ten. Told my long-time crush that I crush her. Expectation: "Awwww, thank you, that's so sweet of you dear!" Reality: She slapped my right cheek. Ouch. Yes, I didn't know that I was THAT ugly.

Eleven. I was the Vice President of the class. Everyone in the class hated me, including my class adviser. Truth is, they're just jealous.

Twelve. Discovered something.

Thirteen. Oh, high school drama. Why'd you have to be this dramatic?

Fourteen. Haters, haters, haters, and more haters.

Fifteen. The great depression. But still, we managed to survive the ordeal. Phew. I think everyone undergoes this stage.

Sixteen. I did not enjoy high school. You see, when you're not a member of an affluent family or not that 'good-looking', chances of leading a certain club or organization is really hard. Most people would only base your credentials (i.e., your wealth, your family, the number of people that has a crush on you, etc.) rather than your potentials. It was truly heartbreaking; it made me lose hope in humanity.

Seventeen. New environment, new life. Life at the University of the Philippines was really great. I actually enjoyed it, fortunately.

Eighteen. Legal, but still single. Moving on.

Nineteen. Flunked Biochemistry and it deeply hurt my ego. It was my first time to experience failure. But yeah, failures are just one of the stepping stones to success. Learned a lot from that experience; it was truly life changing.

Twenty. Finally, a few people trusted my leadership skills. 

Twenty one. I just realized that for four years, I was chasing the wrong chicken. But I didn't think it as a waste of time. In fact, while chasing the wrong chicken, I met a lot of awesome people along the way. I learned a lot from them and I am truly grateful for that. Thus, I took a break from chasing the wrong chicken for a year, reevaluated myself through traveling and started all over again.

Twenty two. All those traveling stints had made me realize that life is beautiful. Today, I am chasing the right chicken, and this time, I'll be able to catch it.

Mark my word.