The SALUBONG That Was: Raves of a SALUBONG Virgin

Things always fall into their proper places.

The beer did fall and boy it was one helluva party!!!

It rained beer and it sure fell on us, on the floor, the bumping and grinding bodies of all the Ateneans who were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the "more than harassed but so damn excited and more than happy to end the misery" barristers after their last exam. Nasagutan na nila ang mga ETHICS nila. We wanted to calmly wait, we wanted to let the excitement build up until that first barrister comes out but we couldn't. The party started and it didn't stop until every tiny drop of that 5o thousand peso-supply of San Miguel beer drowned us. We didn't forget that it wasn't about us, it was about the BARRISTERS, it was about how we can make them feel how proud we are of them. Never mind that we were on the ground, never mind that the other schools were "literally" looking down at us, it wasn't the original plan but we cheered and yelled and poured beer like we were up there, heaven that is.

Things always fall into their proper places.

The Ateneo Law Students acted as ONE, forming a circle, a circle that was intended as a human barricade to stop the "other schools" from Usurping err, encroaching OUR SPOT. We may be on our feet that afternoon but we weren't feeling LOW, not close, not even a bit. Everyone was on a high. The Law School "Babble" was there, we had the sound system running, eternally playing OUR CHEER. The Ateneo Cheer which I am not really that familiar with, but I tried and I cheered anyway because nothing can be more inspiring than seeing your Law School Friends getting wet and wild together, waiting for the same people that you are waiting for. We were there not because of ourselves alone but mainly because THE BARRISTERS deserve an all-fun, no-fuss and no-drama SALUBONG. The Ateneo delivered.

Divine Intervention always comes when you need it the most. I still think that everything was a blessing in disguise. It was a time for us to realize that we have to be level-headed, mature and open to the possibility of plans getting screwed up.

Life is a play, if nothing bad or at least close to it happens, it's not a good play. Something very complicated and beautiful has to have drama in it. It takes class to rise up to the occasion and still continue to be happy despite the bad actors and actresses that we have to work with or in life's case, live with. Bad actors and actresses are a staple. "Nothing's perfect" and it's their job to make that cliche true. Despite everything, I still am happy that I was there.

We were happy. Congrats to the Ateneo Salubong Committee, to everyone who worked hard the whole month of September, to my "colleagues" in Sunday Ops [especially to Carm and Rams for accepting the understudy position that we offered them], to all the Ateneans who were there to cheer and be merry... to everyone who acted as one for the sake of the true stars of THAT PLAY, the barristers...

Of course, to the barristers who from the outside may be judged as the "pampered ones" but in reality are the MOST HARASSED, MOST TIRED and MOST STRESSED individuals for the past months... CONGRATULATIONS..

Until the next cans of beer are delivered, we shall rest or more appropriately... study again.

It was a good FIRST TIME.