Reminiscing Lafang

MOOD: Bored
MUSIC: Dangerous, Akon

Approximately 5 years ago, Mark Antonio, Mean Cayco, Monette Cayco, Ainner Cabal, and I decided to move in together in an apartment along Agoncillo St, Ermita Mla. That was 1st year medschool and we were having difficult time commuting everyday, me to and from Laguna. Our very first apartment was Arcadia. We were neighbors with Dean Dizon back then, who would occasionally barge in para makipagkuwentuhan, pero ang hindi ko malilimutan was when one night, Dean was at our doorstep with an ophthalmoscope*.

Dean: Hi, Johanna.

Dean is the only person who pronounces my name using the J as "jo" and not "yo", and the H very well-emphasized.

Janna: Oh, bakit? Pasok ka.

Dean: Pwede ba ko mag-practice ng fundoscopy?

Of course I figured that out, since he was clutching am ophthalmoscope.

Janna: Sure.

Since I wasnt really busy that time. Mean afterwards went down from our room upstairs to see what Dean and I were up to.

Mean: Oh, anong meron?

Dean: Magpractice ako fundoscopy kay Johanna.

Mean: O sige, turuan mo kame.

Mean and I had little exposure to clinical med during our 1st yr medschool. So Dean willingly demonstrated how it is properly done. He made me sit on a chair, then pulled a stool and sat right in front of me. He was so close, he held the ophthalmoscope with his right hand, and when he was about to peek through my right eye, he suddenly stopped and pulled back,

Dean: Teka, you must know that this procedure is very intimate, huwag kang maiilang!

Intimate? Mean and I started laughing so hard. It took us several minutes before Dean finally got the chance to take a look at my eye. Humahalakhak kasi ako everytime lalapit sya.

So anyway, we left Arcadia after a year. Dahil sa tumutulong bubong when its raining. And because there were no windows in the livingroom/kitchen.

July 2004 was when we moved to Lafang. It wasnt really our apartment's name, but the inhabitants named at after the bar/bistro just beside it. I loved Lafang. Big windows, big rooms, big dinner table. I loved our apartment. Maaliwalas. Although at night, sobrang ingay kasi we're located at Nakpil St. corner Orosa, where the gimik area of Malate is. And we had nosy neighbors.

The unit next to us had helpers who would make chismisan at the patio that we share. Eh we could hear them so well when they're talking dahil bukod sa they really have loud voices, duon sila tumatambay just outside our windows. They would talk about us, and the people who drop by our place. They were so mean, but pinigilan namin ang sarili naming awayin sila. I think there was just this one time na hindi nakapag-pigil si Mark. I forgot what he did. Anyway, the chismisan about us stopped when one night, nag-TIA* ang amo nila. He felt dizzy, had headache, weakness and numbness. Not knowing what to do, the nosy helpers knocked at our door and asked for help. My housemates took bloodpressure and it was skyhigh. They gave him something for the BP. In a few minutes, he was already okay. We figured it was TIA and advised him to go to the hospital immediately. Since then, they stopped talking about us. Well at least in a range that we couldnt hear. And occasionally, they would bring us food. Hehe.

So yun. There were a lot of people who came and went by Lafang. Regular visitors back then were Alsun Cabarles, Reymond Estrada, and Alvin (ainner's ex). Then when Ainner left after a few months to move into another apartment with Janice Lao, there were some friends who stayed for a few weeks. Like Donn Gaba, Ryan Lirazan. Chester Navarro stayed for about 2 months to study for the boards. And then the eldest of the Cayco sisters, Mel, moved in. Still there were visitors, such as Waynn, of course, Doc Nolan, Dick, Ron. Mark's ex, the one with the curly hair? Nakalimutan ko ang name. And my groupmates. Mean's groupmates. Mark's classmates and friends. Ours was a big place. And a lot of people were always welcome.

Ayan, na-miss ko tuloy. :p

Arcadia / Lafang pictures are posted at my multiply photos section. Check them out. =)

* An ophthalmoscope is an instrument used to examine the interior of the eye or retina.

* TIA = Transient Ischemic Attack, is a form of stroke, wherein the clot clogging the bloodvessels in our brain is immediately dislodged, so bumabalik yung bloodflow sa brain, thus hindi natutuloy yung supposedly effect ng attack ng stroke.