After registration with the Secretariat, the first item that catches the attention of klsm8s is this collage of old and new photos on a big tarpaulin banner. It is really a collage of pleasant memories and it was fun observing how a classmate would jump with joy like a crazy chimpanzee the moment our classmate succeeds to identify a very young face not seen for years.

     That tarpaulin collage was brought by the Secretariat to all the venues (AHS campus, Green Leaf Patio, and CagsaGlo's resort) and was always a hit. It is one of the many bright ideas of the Secretariat and Steering Committees that made the 45th such a happy  and memorable event.

While our classmates were having the time of their lives renewing acquaintances, Armand and Bella of the Secretariat/Steering Committee were busy signing the certificates of attendance given on the second day.

   Mass at the campus. Classmates who had passed away were remembered.

   Our classmates had asked me to read the second reading but I declined because it would deduct from the credibility of the mass; that is because I am not really a religious type of man.

   In my place I had asked my wife, Bing, to do the reading. After all, she was a  deaconess of the United Methodist Church, coming from a family of Protestant pastors that includes his father and brother and three uncles.

    Mas malakas at mas marami ang indulhensiya kung talagang taong simbahan ang nagbabasa ng banal na dasal, di ba?

There were various kinds of handshakes and hugs of arrivals and departures. But the most unique and one of a kind are those shown in the six photos at the left.

There is the handshake of Mat, two at a time. There is the headshake of Alan and Vic.

There is the tight hug of Mat and Nol and that of Eden Secillano and Evelyn.

And there is the reverential handshake of Vic with a venerable teacher, Salvador Bañares.

    Many classmates had not seen each other for the last 45 years. That explains the endless kumustahan and stories shared in venues just right for that kind of activity.

    The buildup was just right and it seemed to me it was designed that way by our hardworking Bicol-based classmates.

    On the afternoon of the 18th, we already had some kamustahan at the AHS campus, made happier by a surprise arrival, Oca. Then a few hours later, we had this bienvendia party hosted by Alan and Josie where more classmates saw each other for the first time in 45 years.

    The following day, the first day of the 45th celebratory activities, there was already a core of classmates already very comfortable with each other, sharing experiences and thoughts in a place that is the scene of their youthful adventure in academics and extra-curricular activities, including crushes. The socials at the patio even loosened up classmates some more.

    By the time we went to Glo's Cagsawa resort, we were all primed up to enjoy each other's company in a very genial manner, with the ambiance of the resort further adding to the excellent atmosphere for heartwarming rapport among classmates.

    In the end, the company of classmates who all sincerely wanted to meet each other and the convivial atmosphere took center stage and relegated to the far background such secondary concerns as what food was being served or what music was being played. After all, a high school reunion is all about classmates in a nice place, first and foremost.

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