Friends Forever

Her Friendster photo motivated this piece of blog/testimonial.

Looking at the past it does not seem too distant when I think of Rizza. A prominent figure in school, I have noticed her fame in campus as a classmate in grade school, high school and college. I have known her for the past twenty years.
We had times joining Flores de Mayo together since we belonged to one chapel in our place and were once awarded Mr and Ms Flores de Mayo one summer in late 80s. Her brother Randy shares the same birthday as me.

As my first crush ever, she has been very influential that I have to be very careful of protecting my own "identity"; at the same time very casual that I don't get goosebumps when she is around. In fact it was a routine in the past to drop over her house and play chess with Randy or watch the photo albums.
Her apparently (could be deceivingly) frail figure earned her several monickers from the past until the present. Make no mistake, this girl more than makes up for the lack of it. She is intelligent and open minded. As if school and common friends in Mintal were not enough to get the opportunity to know her more, I got another shot at the chance being an officemate of her for three months at Philweb.

And while she had some not so successful relationships in the past, I never tried to court her, even if she had been my guest star during my slumber trips to dreamland. As if fate would have it, we were destined to be friends forever. When she announced her wedding sometime last year, I immediately sent one sober message for her to read and realize how blessed she is to find the one she will spend the rest of her life with.

Most memorable times about Rizza:

1. 1983 - Being taunted by Junjun, Von Ryan and Michael A. Her umbrella was destroyed.


2. 1984 - She becomes my classmate at Grade 2 Zinnia under Madam Papin, declared her as my first crush.


3. 1986 - Under Mrs Alejandro, I would often fight with Michael M to take the seat behind her.


4. 1987 - Attended Flores de Mayo with her.


5. 1988 - She got With Distinction on our Grade School graduation, same as me.


6. 1989 - She becomes my seatmate at Madam Alminaza's St Agnes class at Holy Cross of Mintal.


7. 1992 - Finished high school with Rizza an Honorable Mention like me. Both of us decided to take Computer Engineering at UIC.


8. 1996 - We went to the same company on our on the job training.


9. 1997 - Finished college.


10. 2000 - She invited me to join Philweb, which I gladly obliged.

As I was told I have been honored to be chosen as one of the emcees (please confirm Riz! haha) if I had my attendance confirmed.

Anyway she is happily married and will soon be delivering her and husband Buddy their first-born child early next year.

May God bless her young family even more.