Freshman year, 1989: As usual, I was running late for my 8:30am Kasaysayan 2 class. Each time this happens, my fervent wish would be: 1.) someone will come later than me, or 2.) someone will come as late as me. That way, the professor’s wrath will be divided among the numerous latecomers.
Upon reaching the door, a welcome sight greeted me. Another classmate of mine was hanging around the door and was, like me, late. We decided to enter the class together, with the exact same intention of trying to divide the anger by two.
We entered the room, and our professor - Prof. Vic Paz - just looked at both of us and said: “uyyy.” And the whole class echoed this, “uuyyyy-ing” in unison.
Under these embarrassing circumstances, I first met Grace Paat.
Grace, during college, was a quintessential “A-list girl” – much like Rachel McAdams was in “Mean Girls” or Alicia Silverstone in “Clueless.” Consider her credentials:
- She was a member of the “Geeks” which was Block I-1s “in” crowd. They were our “block royalty” because all the cool people belonged to that group. Their closest relative would be the “Assumptionistas”, or the group consisting of the graduates of the uber-exclusive girl’s school of Makati.
- She definitely looked the part. Grace was always well put together, and her long, brown hair and her perfectly powdered face would punctuate her outfit. (Of course, we would later discover that her face powder is her trademark.)
- She was the epitome of cheerfulness and being lady-like. This was the formative years of her “frou-frou-ness” – a trait she would carry until now.
- She had a boyfriend from Ateneo. And that always scores big points in the “A-list” scorecard. Everybody knew Paul, and how Grace would call his name with a certain drawl. (something like: Paawwwwlllllllll)
The longer we knew each other, Grace and I found out that we had more similarities and links.
- We were born on the same day, November 6, albeit a year apart.
- She and my sisters rode on the same school service when they were in St. Joseph’s College. Grace recounted with much chagrin that my sisters took so long getting ready, and she had to wait outside our house gate for a long time.
- We both lived in Tomas Morato, and our houses were just a few blocks away from each other.
While wrestling with our 4-years in college, we didn’t move in the same circles. We both had our own subjects, our own groups, and our own lives. Once in a while, our lives would intersect, like during Ovvian’s 18th birthday party which we both attended. Plus, the CMC Building was a small place, and the Journalism majors were a small group.
It was during our 4th year in college that Grace and I became friends. This was largely due to the UP Journalism Club, the club I joined during my last year, and the group where “D’ Frendz” began planting its roots.
We graduated in March 1993, and she followed a few months after. I still remember how we stormed her graduation ceremony en masse, and among her October batch mates was another good friend of mine, Louis. If I remember right, Grace was sporting the “I dream of Jeannie” hairstyle during the event.
After college the advertising world called, and a few of us CMC graduates answered. Tintin, Grace, Bonique and I were among those – them in AMA-DDB-Needham *hello* (this was how their receptionist would answer the phone), and me in Adformatix.
Years passed, Grace and I became the sole survivors in the advertising industry. We both hopped from one agency to the next, but strangely, we never worked with each other. She always tells me that it’s better that way because my flaring temper worries her. But I’d always be quick to react that Shash and I did work together, and became better friends after our stint.
Credit it to the fact that we were in the same school, same neighborhood and same industry, we formed common experiences throughout all these years we’ve know each other. But personally, I think it’s the differences that added character to our continuing journey of friendship.
Throughout the 12 odd years that we’ve been friends, I’ve discovered a lot of similarities between Grace and me:
- We both like organizing parties. Which is why we’re D’ Frendz de facto party planners. It has come to the point that we even have to plan our own birthday parties – just like we did last year, and this year.
- We’re travel freaks! It gives us a high when we go to an entirely new place and just revel in the experiences surrounding us. (But unlike her, I don’t have a – uhrm – “travel partner” though..)
- Shopping is something we both never get tired of doing. I can still remember the numerous “Robinsons Midnight Madness” sales we’ve gone to, and we’d be there until midnight – and even after. (She’d often raid Ba-yo for their floral and checkered stuff.)
- We’re D.I.Y. people. She has a knack for painting and doing all these handicraft-y things. If I’m not mistaken, she even painted the interiors of their house in Roces. (Better known as “THE party place.) I, on the other hand, am more into assembly and carpentry. (Thank heavens for Ikea.)
- We thrive in the crazy and cut throat world of advertising. Yes, she whines about it all the time, how she wants to leave advertising and do something else. But she’s been in the biz for more than a decade, and whether she admits it or not, I think she likes what she’s doing.
But the pinnacle of our similarity and parallel living happened this year. During the first quarter of 2005, Grace and I were offered foreign postings in our respective advertising agencies. We both accepted these offers – after much thought – she with the JWT affiliate in Laos, and I joined our Hong Kong office.
I don’t know if it’s in the stars (after all, we do share the same birthday), or is it just by plain coincidence. But we find ourselves in the same boat once again. We’d sometimes catch each other on YM and rant about so many things. Like how much we miss our lives in Manila, how we miss our friends, how we crave for the familiarity of home – things we sum up as “OFW Concerns.”
As we celebrated our birthday last night – and I’ve lost count how many times we’ve held double celebrations – I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of how two random people who happened to be late for Kasaysayan 2 class at the same time could have ended up living a life full of coincidences and similarities.
And given our track record, I wouldn’t be surprised if we find a couple more similar surprises as we continue with our lives and friendship.
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