A letter to a friend in Quezon City

Dearest Geronimo,

What’s up eh? Does it seem strange to you that I used that name? I still remember back then when we made “Geronimo Martinez” out of your name…you remember that I used it as my pseudonym ever since right? Maybe I haven’t told you that every time I use it, I always remember the times we were together. But then, that goes without saying I guess…hehe…

How long has it been? Three months, since we last saw each other? There wasn’t even school yet when you left. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. That doesn’t matter though. I know that you felt it at least, my tidings of good luck...goodbyes are painful anyway, so it was best we didn’t. You know I’ve always told you I’m with you right? Even when we’re miles apart, I want you to feel I’m there for you. If my dozens of unanswered texts weren’t enough to show you that, at least know that you’re always in my prayers =).

So…how’s life been with you huh? It’s been a long time since I heard from you. Tell some stories sometime alright? Well, I can tell you this: my first forays into college life were pretty unexpected!

It’s amazing, really. I thought college would be a pain in the ass. A headache too, since they say UP is a mental boot camp, and you know how I hated CAT military training in high school….but as it turns out, it’s really fun. College was the most liberating thing that happened to my life. I can wear what I want now (It’s shorts everyday for me! You know how I hate pants, especially the uniform back in high school…)! I also commute to school everyday on a bus. What’s more, we eat almost everyday at the nearby Robinson’s mall (we fondly call it UP Annex because UP-M students frequent it as much as their classrooms, hehe)! That’s why everyday I go to school, I feel like I’m in one of our gimmicks (as with our gimmicks, I also tend to overspend at lunch…^_^’).

You know with gimmicks, you always gotta be with friends right? Well, I was really amazed at how fast I made friends here. Even from the first week, we already have our own “barkada” in the block. We’re always together, at lunch, at school, and always willing to lend each other a hand. I guess that’s one common thing we share: we’re all willing to help each other. Maybe that’s why we get along so well. Diversity of culture is irrelevant when you have the same values it seems…

Academics here are still in a level I can cope with. Nothing particularly hard yet. The teachers are just great. Though I can complain about some, I’d rather think about the good teachers we have. Because of them, I’m loving Comm I and surprisingly, Math. Math was never my thing. But if it were you, well, you were always good in math, you complement my skills after all (wow, I just used a math term, hehe). Philo is just a fancy term of complicating your life it seems, and Spanish is colonizing my sanity…

Suffice to say, I’m enjoying my college life at the moment. I’d love to from you too. Maybe you can also write a letter? Hehe.

There’s something I wanna say that can only be said in this letter though….As much as I like college, there will always be something missing. There will always be that special place in me that’s left empty. It’s got your name in it.

I hope you’ve taken your time in reading this letter through, it took me a while to write this much with so much of what I want to say left unsaid. I’ll look forwatd to the day we meet again, or at least, the day when you read this. I wish you well in your studies my friend…take care always =)

-Mikko

p.s. It goes without being said that “good luck” implies “I love you” don’t you think? hehe