ACTIVITIES

The Mother of All Volt-Ins!
May 21, 2005, Pasig City (Yvette Magpusao-Herras' residence)

by Nina Saldana

Prior to May, there were small get-togethers and power lunches. Though these are just small gatherings, these started something that eventually led the batch to volt-in with a bang.

It started with some talk about sampling YvetteMagpusao-Herras' beef stroganoff. But what was suppose to be just a small gathering became a full-blown get-together as more and more batchmates heeded the call to VOLT-IN!

The countdown to the 21st was done with much anticipation as more and more people signed up to join...and volunteered to bring food and/or drinks. But coupled with the anticipation was also apprehension. For us who were mostly silent bystanders during high school, you can't help but think about how it will be now. I realized when I looked at the list of people attending that I really didn't get to spend a lot of time (some even nil) with most of them. Luckily I spent most of my elementary days in UP so the list of people I do not personally know was a little shorter.

To say that it was a successful volt-in was an understatement. The turnout was a pleasant surprise, with 41 batchmates joining the fun. Food and drinks overflowed but it was the excitement of seeing long lost batchmates that filled the air. As hot as the weather was the reception of people towards one another. It was non-stop fun of touching base with each other. The great thing about reunions is that you not only renew old friendships but create new ones. Some batchmates were able to find a create way in asking the names of those they weren't able to recognize, thanks to the Sulyap. It was also a night of continuous ribbing and teasing on weight, hair and civil status.

We were also in touch with batchmates abroad, thanks to Yahoo Messenger although our webcam refused to cooperate. That online volt-in also gave batchmates abroad to get in touch with each other as they waited for us to go online. The online get-together actually lasted until the wee hours of the morning (Manila time) as I still caught the online group when I got home.

I was told the party lasted beyond midnight and was even moved somewhere else when a number of people refuse to go home.

It was refreshing to get to know people all over again. We get to see each other differently now. Although the past still got the most airtime (and it probably haunted some to this day) during the gathering, there was another dimension to the conversations...the present and the future. To me, that was what made the volt-in such an enriching experience.

[More pictures at Flickr]