Weekend Guests

They were all my classmates back in high school and we just happen to be in this same side of the world. It all started when one of us and the friendliest of us all, Lori, got in contact with each of us who came here in the US, and brought us together for a weekend reunion in Las Vegas back in 2001. We had so much fun that we decided to see each other at least once a year, and we have been doing just that. In fact, we have been seeing each other more frequently than once a year since then.

We weren't close back in high school. We each hang out with different groups of friends, but that didn't matter. What made our get-togethers even more exciting is the fact that we had different stories and high school memories to share. We all have different personalities, but we get along perfectly well.

Some of us have left and gone to farther places, but some have just come and joined. Others still come no matter how far away they're from. We are, by no means exclusive. We are open to anyone who is interested in our company, yet there have only been a few of us mainstays. I used to call them "former classmates" but now I call them "friends", and I want you to meet them...

Lori
She is probably the closest to me among all the ladies. She was the first one to reach out to me when I came here and made me be a part of something. She is very pretty and she captivates anyone she gives her smile to--men and women alike. She is very friendly to everyone and her thoughtfulness is unmatched. She remembers everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, and she's the only one who sends me no-occasion cards. She was a Bridesmaid at my wedding but she did no less than what a Maid of Honor would do, and I owe her so much for that. Lori and I share a lot of things in common. We like the same things. We both speak Prada (though I hardly wear it). We wear the same size so we spent last Friday night trying on each other's shoes and jeans. She's always fun to talk to and have around and our husbands like each other too. If only she lives close by, I'd probably be seeing her every other day. But she likes sunny San Diego too much to even think about moving.

Minerva
Oh, the sexy and sultry Minerva! I want to have her legs in my second life. She is our answer to Carrie of Sex and the City. Like any fashionista, she looks great with whatever she wears. She can wear this (photo above) at a hiking trail in Muir Woods and get away with it! She has the nicest of things. I am jealous of her Balenciagas and Louboutins and other things that I can only wear in my dreams. But beneath this appearance is somebody even more beautiful--a very, very generous soul. Despite having a wealthy husband, she works hard and sends pretty much all her earnings back home to support relatives. Currently, she has six scholars--four in high school and two in college. Some of her prior scholars didn't do well, some abused her kindness and took advantage of her generosity but that didn't stop her from helping other people. She gives without expecting anything in return and I used to joke with her that if she runs mayor of her town in Bohol, there's no doubt she'll win a landslide victory!

Josephine
Jo is the talker of the group. You'll know it when she arrives because you can hear her from afar. There is never a dull moment with her because she speaks with passion--and with animation! She loves to cook and is very good at it! Her Lumpia is to die for and her Steak is super delicious! Jo just got married to a great guy named Tony. I was 9 months pregnant when she wed but I had to drag my big belly to her wedding because I just couldn't miss it for the world! She chose well. She's a perfectionist. She's like Bree of Desperate Housewives (except that she's not desperate)--one with a good career, at the same time an ideal homemaker! Jo is kind of scared about children right now--she was the most awkward at holding Lucas. But I can totally see her raising children--very disciplined ones, ones who love being home because they have a super fun mom who can feed them with super good food!

Kathleen
Kathleen is like the baby of the group. Everyone of us looks out for her. Kathleen always has this big smile on her face--the kind of smile that sticks to my head so that when I think about Kathleen, I always picture her smiling. She is very cheerful and carefree, as if everything around her is perfect. Yet beneath that smiling face is a very tough and spirited human being--one that has been through a lot, one that has fought many battles and won them all! Anyone who knows what Kathleen had gone through will admire her strength. She also has a medical condition that may not be curable and that prohibits her from doing a lot of things. But she doesn't let it get in the way and stop her from living life and enjoying it to the fullest!

Joy

Joy started joining us only very recently, so I really don't know her that much yet. It hasn't been long since she got here in the US. I didn't hang out with Joy back in high school but I knew since then that she is a very kind person. I want to spend more time with her and know her better, so I hope she will continue to join us on these get-togethers. I remember Joy as a Class Treasurer and a very honest one at that. I thought she would end up an Accountant but she turned out to be a Physical Therapist instead, which I'm sure she's also very good at. She is very patient and she loves taking care of people. She talks about some of her patients and how some of them refuse treatment and are mean to care providers like her, but she understands that people can't always be nice when they are sick. She's got nothing but positive things to say about people.

There is another friend of ours, Lolit, who was unable to join us this time because there's so much going on in her life right now--she just had a baby and she and her family just moved to a different state in the midwest. We all missed Lolit and hope she will be able to join us again as soon as she is settled in her new home.