a snippet from highschool [end of] days

Scene: High school gymnasium. Commencement rehearsals.

Rudolf: English-in mo nga: Pang-ilang presidente ba ng Pilipinas si Estrada?
Classmate: [Struggles, and gives up]

Rudolf asks 2 other girls until the question is shot at me.
Ako: What is the ordinal number of Estrada as Philippine president?

The enquirer and the futile respondents all considered the answer, and finally nod in agreement. At that moment, I felt I deserved to be valedictorian.

I suck at Math bigtime. I’m not your average geek who can deal with Algebra through to Zoology. So yeah, that moment felt more reassuring than getting the diploma.

* * *

True-blue Pinoys go through a series of kalokohan. Quasi-tradition, if you may. Who hasn’t learned the different ways to form a star with a rubber band? With two? Who doesn’t know how to fold the hanky in different ways and morph it into a leaping mice?

The hidden images on our banknotes: Aguinaldo’s ear concealing a sewer rat? The preening cat on the Barasoain church?

And so much more.