MY HOMES AWAY FROM HOME

“There’s no place like home.”  That’s a very common saying.  I strongly agree with that for there really is no other familiar and comforting place like home.

But I left home at the age of 17.  As always mentioned, I went to Iligan for college.  There, I stayed at the humble apartment of the late Tatay Rizalda.  There were 3 bedrooms in the apartment, 2 upstairs and 1 downstairs.  There was a bathroom/comfort room, laundry area, small kitchen, and a terrace.  For the occupancy of 12 people, it was rather small.

I shared in the room of 6 people.  My ever first roommates were Hermisa “Mimi” Bunayog (my high school classmate), Daisy Maur, Loueli “Toti” Talam, and Charlotte (sorry I forgot her surname).  We were living harmoniously with each other but with our other boardmates, nah.  They were just too different from us.

Before half the semester, two Ate Cherry’s went back to the house.  One was Ate Cherry Tabada who was finishing her master’s degree and the other was Ate Cherry Manisan who was starting to study law at MSU Marawi.  Their room was already occupied by the other boardmates so they just shared in our room.  They just slept on the floor for there was only 1 bed left.  With them, we were much happier against the other group of boardmates we had.

Charlotte, Mimi and I at My First Upper Deck Bed

After not bearing our situation in the house, we searched for another place to stay.  Luckily, the siblings Manette and Carlo Lasiste gave up their bachelor’s pad at Norjanah’s Row Houses.  The two Ate Cherry’s didn’t move in with us because they were called by their respective jobs so they had to stop schooling.  Charlotte also stopped school for some financial reasons.  On the contrary, we had to be 6 in the pad so we could only contribute P500 each for the rent.  So we recruited Elvie Crisostomo (Mimi’s classmate) and Bunny Lou Marie Ocampos (Mimi and I’s schoolmate in high school).

Toti’s 18th Birthday Harana and My Kiddie Study Table

At Norjanah’s, we made good and happy memories again wherein we stayed for 1 summer and 2 semesters.  But time came when the others didn’t like to stay there anymore so we parted ways.

My 18th Birthday Surprise from My Boardmates

But Mimi, Elvie, Bunny, and I were still together at another house owned by Ate June Rose “JR” Inocian.  It was an old bungalow house but Ate JR made it inviting through her artistic decorations.  She just filled the house with her collection of suns after she married Kuya Em Sun who proposed to her through the game show, Game Ka Na Ba hosted by Kris Aquino.

Kuya Em & Ate JR’s 1st Wedding Anniversary Party, Wedding, and Christmas Party 2004

At Inocian’s, my circle of friends got bigger.  I got to be friends with girls from Lanao del Norte namely Janet Marie Cabatic, Emily Edpalina, Diwani Lamama, and Jacky Lou Hera.  In addition, Mimi’s other classmates also joined us namely Jennifer “Jenn” Felisilda and Theresa Blanca “Teray” Rellon.  Though we parted with Daisy, her cousin Jeizllie Peregrino stayed with us together with her best friend, Richelle Rolloque.  There were other boardmates but I couldn’t name them all.  Staying at Ate JR’s for a total of 4 years was really good.  We became a “one big happy family” that we always ate together, crowding the dining table.  After dinner, we spent time together just talking about life and things while watching the moon and the stars in the balcony where we had what we called as “the meteor garden chair (actually a bench)”.

In my last year there, I threw a big birthday party for my classmates, teacher, OJT friends, some other friends, and boardmates.  I asked each classmate to bring a rose and each boardmate to bring a balloon.  Nang Eling (Ate JR’s secretary) also brought balloons while Kuya Em and Ate JR sponsored a tube of our favorite dirty ice cream.  It was one of my most unforgettable birthdays!  

Ma’am Carnaje’s Wish and Enjoying Unlimited Ice Cream

Classmates, OJT Friends, and Special Guest Jamie with Her Boyfriend and Other Friends

Ate Jr’s place is my most beloved boarding house ever!  On the other hand, Ate JR also regarded us as her most beloved batch of boarders because we had been through a lot (including floods!  Hehe) together as a family!

After graduation, off we went to Cebu for review classes.  We had a hard time finding a boarding house.  All places were cramped and hot.  There were good ones but the cost per head was too high.  My classmates Maria and Ikang found this place at Colon but I didn’t like it for it was too far a distance to walk from the review center.  So Mama, Mama Dita, and I searched at the houses near our review center which was located beside San Carlos University main campus.  Luckily, we found Ma’am Neneng Inot’s apartment.  There were 3 bedrooms, one for Ma’am Neneng, her husband, and son Ralph, one for Popos (boarder), and the other one vacant for 4 people occupancy.  The room was good enough so I invited Maria and Ikang to stay with me.  But they already paid in advance in their boarding house and it was non-refundable.  Later on, Cathy and Joel Handugan followed us in Cebu.  Joel had no place to stay so we requested Ma’am Neneng to let him stay with Cathy and I in the room.  He was harmless anyway!

Popos Invaded Our Room

At Inot’s, we lived together with laughter all the time with Ralph as our entertainment.  He just loved to become a showbiz heartthrob so he practiced a lot.  Sometimes, Joel would ride on Ralph’s wackiness that always made Cathy’s stomach and I ached. 

The Afternoon Before Leaving Cebu w/ Our Classmate and Ma’am Neneng’s Next Boarder, April

Though it was also hot in the apartment with a very big rat scavenging by night, my stay there was also unforgettable for we were very well taken cared of by Ma’am Neneng and Sir Inot.  They cooked well for us that we gained pounds during our 6-month stay with them.  They also treated us family that Ma’am Neneng cried when we bade goodbye.

After a long vacation, I went back to Cebu for job hunting.  This time, I temporarily stayed at Mama Dita’s house.  There, I had a room all by myself.  Mama Dita took care of me by feeding me a lot.  As in, a lot!  (See Home – Fitness First)  I also enjoyed staying with her and her family that I also helped her children Cattleya May “Bayang” and Morishka Nicole “Cangcang” with their homeworks.  I stayed with them for free and that I owe a lot to them.  Eventually, I got tired of commuting for Labangon was too far from Mandaue (see Home – PBB (Private Baliw-Baliwan)) so I decided to transfer to a nearer place.  

Then I stayed with my former boardmate, Jennifer.  We shared a room at Escario.  It was a big house with 3 rooms upstairs – each big room with only 2 people in it.  We also had big double decks.  It was of high cost but it was worth it.  But Jenn and I didn’t see each other much for she was working at a call center.  I was the only one sleeping by nighttime and by daytime, she was also the only one sleeping.  There, I got lonely.  I ate alone, watched TV alone, and just alone.  The other boardmates also just stayed in their rooms for each got its own TV.  We occasionally saw each other and once we did, we usually dined out.  Then my homesickness worsened that added to the decision I had in resigning and in going back home (see My Adventures – From One Career to Another to Another).

Dinners w/ Jenn and Ate Ye

Officially, I’ve been staying here in Ozamiz dated May 7, 2007 (if I’m not mistaken) after 7 years of being away!  It was never my intention to stay this long enough but staying here is just so different.  I have better access with everything!  I just walk around the small city and I have connections with “some” people.  My life is better here than ever!  It is just simple and laid-back, no fuss and no worries!  I just love being here that it’s already hard for me to leave (see My Adventures – Me as an Engineer).  Though I had 6 places that I considered homes, still there’s no place like my real home.  And for me, there’s no other place like the big OC!

My First Birthday Home After Celebrating Birthdays At Other Places

 P. S.
The moment of writing this, an old friend from high school whom I haven’t seen for ages surprisingly stepped into my store’s door.  He’s been staying here since September with his wife and baby.  I asked him, “for good?”.  He replied, “hopefully”.  So I dedicate this post to him, Francis Glenn Barbon.  I hope that he’s gonna love being “home” the way that I do.