MANIC IN SUBIC

March 9-10, 2007 (Friday and Saturday)

After a decade, I had the chance again to bask in the sun, to bathe in the sea, to roll over the sand and to get loose with nature. As far as I can remember, the last time I had gotten wet in the beach was in 1997 during our class Christmas party. Can you believe this? Should this have been known by my classmates I surely have received ridicules from them. It was all my fault after all. I had deprived myself countless of times.

I had been to several Companies and never took part into whatever activities they had. Either I would excuse myself due to poor health condition or somebody in the family was not alright. I had been a competent actor, always making them believed of my drama. Back then, making them convinced of me not going with them was a challenge; and making them go without me was an accomplishment. I never thought that depriving myself of traveling would somehow affect me in the long run. If before it was a feeling of freedom, that I could proceed to my planned-activity while they were having theirs, this time it’s a feeling of lose should I forgo another chance to travel, particularly go beaching.

One of my plans this year however was to spend more time on swimming, be it in the pool or at the beach. I must have been good lately that Heavens had granted my wish. In February, our HRD informed us through email that we would be having the Company’s team building in Subic. My golly! I thought I had been blanketed by excitement. From the time I received the email, I had never been so excited in my life. How dramatic and pathetic at the same time.

March 9. The day had finally come. The night before, I would have loved to sleep early to earn an eight – hour sleep, but my ever-ruthless nemesis, mr. insomnia had his plan worked on me as well. I had gone into unconsciousness already past one.

I envied my two officemates, Allen and Eco. While we were on the van, already heading to Subic, they were at the height of their energy, while I was still struggling to warm- up my day. Aside from the obvious that they’re much younger than me, making them exert energy effortlessly, the ones that had kept my energy low was feeling the weight of my eye-bags; the weight of my shoulders, commanding me to lay down; and the weight of my legs as though paralyzing me. Getting rid of my insomnia must be in my priority list, I told myself.

The whole morning, the HR people, lead by Ms. Hazel briefed us once more everything about Values: Company, Self and Team. It was funny seeing us like we were in school again. If in school the teacher had the power to ask whoever she wanted to answer her question, in our case, however-much effort Ms. Hazel would exert, as long as nobody wanted to answer her question – she would finally give in and would answer her own questions. Nobody was to blame – the scenery, the water, the sand were so inviting that we would prefer that the team building be cut off, leave the conference hall and jump into the water already.

If in the morning and during the afternoon we had more on theories and sharing, it was almost evening that we transferred location signaling that what we would be having next was something physical. Yes, it was indeed physical. Ms. Hazel announced that our next activities for the team building were obstacle relay and tug of war. I was in hype. Good for me that I had warmed-up already during the day. I’ve always loved competition especially when I can give myself assurance that what I can do is at par with what others can. Of course, I was referring to the ‘big game’. I was referring to those who can run fast hehehehe. I’ve never been athletic but, I can never let anyone undermine my ability to run fast. Once in 2005, Edgar (the president’s ex-driver and may he rest in peace) and I were walking home along Julia Vargas St. when suddenly rain started pouring. We had no choice but to run for cover. As we reached the Waiting-Shed he asked me if I used to be a snatcher harharhar. He could not believe that I could run fast considering (according to him) my short legs.

Kahkahkah…..yes…yesss…yesss…and yesss……yes I won. We won. Well not solely because of me, though. Anyway, let’s not get into the details of the games. What’s important was I was able to continue the race despite repeating the obstacle relay. I got so overwhelmed that I accidentally missed jumping trough the holes of the tires and just jumped over them. Actually, I jumped over three tires.

During the tug-of-war game, I knew that this time I could not really contribute a lot. The other team was a full force. They were composed of fat men and soon to be obese. So what was in my mind was not to really exert so much effort in this game; pretend to pull the rope with all my might; and act as though this game would dehydrate me afterwards.

After the games we were all so exhausted, proof that most of us were typical office people. Means prone to stroke. We even got worried of our two officemates who we thought would faint. Good thing that there was no such thing as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for it would have really ruined the day. Must have been a gross scene hehehe.

We had dinner at 7:00. I really had wished for a meatless dinner since it was a Friday (It was a day of abstinence and fasting). Nevertheless, we already had eaten meat during breakfast and lunch so what’s the point of being concerned about having meat in my dinner. So lamon lang…. at lamon pa…at isa pang lamon. It was a picturesque scene. It was like the “Last Supper”.

After the dinner and when everybody had taken a decent bath we were all called to gather again to officially close the team-building. We had a game again entitled “Pinoy Henyo”. A copycat from one of Eat Bulaga’s corniest games. Nobody wanted to play the game so it was done by force. Ms. Charlo forced Lorie to be the actor and she forced me, unfortunately to be the guesser. I was motionless, that they had to pull me away from my seat. I gave them all a blank face. Zero reaction. Zero enthusiasm. They gave me a hearty laugh for that.

The best act was made by Jun. He was guessing what Pilar was trying to act. He said “insect?”. She said “No!”. He said “Caterpillar?” She said “No!”. He said “Butterfly?” We said “Hindi nga insect eh!” He said “Cockroach?” Belle shouted “Ano ba nagscience ka ba Jun! Sinabi na ngang hindi insect eh!” Jun said “cocoon?”.

What followed next was the open forum. An employee would tell what he thought about everybody. It was kind of boring until it was already Ms. Hazel’s turn. Ms. Hazel is the Company’s HR Manager. She was the one who initiated the team-building to us. During the open forum, she did not only narrated what she thought of us, but even described everybody’s character. To quote her “Itong si Helen tahimik lang to pero sa loob ang kulo”; “Itong si Bernadette isang taong puno ng puot at pag-iimbot, di ko marecon ang lumanay ng pag-sasalita sa kanyang ugali”, which made the two turned white, embarrassed, somewhat harassed that would have wanted to burry their heads in the sand like what an ostrich does once feels threatened by danger.

Inside of me, I was dying laughing. Just imagine, Ms. Hazel had spent the whole day on team-building only to collapse it come night time. After a week, Ms. Hazel denied that she uttered those words. She said she may have been tipsy that time that she could no longer recall a single word about Helen and Bernadette.

During the open forum, I noticed that every minute, the group was diminishing in number. Until we turned into a very small group. Others had been so tired that they preferred to go into their rooms and have rest. While some found the forum corny that they excused themselves to leave the group. Some went swimming. Others wandered around the resort.

I have always been likable. That’s why their basic comments on me were sweet, charming, cute etc. etc. etc. that I did not believe them anymore hahahaha. Early that day, one of our games was to name who among the employees had similarities to a celebrity. Unanimously, it was me. They said I looked like Mike Defensor! UTANG NA LOOB!

By 11:00 I left the group. I had to rest and sleep since I need to have a seven-hour-sleep to rejuvenate myself for the beach the next day. It’s 11:00 so I had to be asleep after 20 minutes. It’s already 11:30. Came 12:00. Then 1:00. At once, I wanted to cry. I wanted to get hysterical. This insomnia was ruining my plans. Almost everybody in the room was snoring except me who served to be their audience to their mini-concert. I gave myself a condition. If at 1:20 I would still be awake I would cancel my plan of bathing in the beach. It’s 2:00 AM. I could see clearly the time in my mobile phone. No more beaching come morning and it's final. I told myself.

6:00 Am. I washed my face, grabbed my Schobidoo beach towel and ran to the beach. Some of them were already in the water. I joined them bathing only to retreat fastly . It was cold. I could not bear the water.

As the sun started to come out, the cold water had somehow became bearable. I could not resist it. It was something I had longed for a long time. The ten years of drought had ended. Swimming against the current, basking to the sun, chasing the school of fish were what I had deprived myself of for years.

We were like an endangered specie of fish, born in captivity which had just been released to the wilds. We were restless. We chased each other. We chased the fish. We chased our breath.

When the sun was all up, some of the girls were already scared of getting tanned They left the beach and went back to the hotel. I did not mind getting darker. I knew, fair or dark, I would still look yummy hahahaha.

Lorie, Jun, Eco and Rolly buried me in the sand. I wanted to believe that there’s a medical benefit a person could get from being buried in the sand. It was so true. I felt so relaxed. It felt so good. I was enjoying the moment of being fully covered by the sand, of course except for my head. Until they started laughing. Laughing like a fugly hyena. I was trying to fathom what they had done to me. Hmmmm Eco was putting seaweeds on some part. Lorie could not look at “it” directly and started giggling. Rolly was saying “ang iksi”. AHA! I got it. They created boobs seemed to be full of silicon; a teeny-weeny down there; and two ding-a-lings with matching sea weeds.

We were informed that at 11:00 we would start packing our things for check-out. Before leaving the water, we satisfied ourselves by swimming for the last time. I mastered the art of ‘any stroke’.

Almost 12:00 and we were leaving Camayan Hotel.

Before we totally abandoned Subic, we dropped by the entrance of Ocean Adventure and Zoobic Safari to have some photo-moments.

Time was so fast. As if it was only yesterday that I was looking forward to this moment. Now we were leaving Subic for Manila. How I wished it did not last so soon.

Anyway, this Subic experience will always be something important to me. It was a blessing. It was an answered wish. I have always loved the water. Whenever I’m in the water I always feel relaxed, as though I disconnect myself from the world, making me feel so stress-free.