It's More Fun In Zamboanga!

12
Vince Ernesto A. Delos Santos
7 - Marian

 

It's More Fun In Zamboanga!


      The school of Claret in Zamboanga, all in-front of my eyes once again. Just like the feeling when you're in Claret School of Quezon City. All so full of memories in the past and even maybe more memories to come in the future.

      It all started when my parents allowed me to join and signed the letter. In the beginning, my first intentions in why I wanted to go to Zambonga was just to shed some few days and just relax for a bit. Another reason was that I wanted to have some new "friends" but those intentions slowly changed. In the middle of the night, at Claret School of Quezon City, I was waiting for out flight going to Zamboanga. All-thrilled and excited, I just can't stay in one spot. The feeling where-in you're curious of to see what it really looks like in Zamboanga. The feeling where-in you're just gonna pop out of excitement. Well, those are the feelings I'm feeling at those moments. Time just began to jump after that time. Just a few moments ago, I was at school and now I'm already at the airport. We arrived at the airport at around 1:30am, checked-in and now waiting for our flight at around 4pm. As the time slowly approaches, I then thought of those incidents that happen in Mindanao. Actually aware of those happening in Mindanao, I wasn't scared because I knew and had trust in our school that they would bring us to a safe place and not somewhere that would bring us harm. Slowly, we were boarding the plane at around 3:45 and I found my seat 18F which made me happy because that seat was the seat next to the window. Slowly I felt the plane moving and now the plane was taking off. I was so thrilled to be on riding a plane once again in my life with that feeling that gravity is dragging you back. In the plane, I slowly drifted to sleep.
      A few moments later, we arrived at Zamboanga. Wow, What a beautiful place indeed! It was just like Quezon City but with that familiar feeling when you're in the province, the feeling that the refreshing breeze is flowing around your body. Even though it's a province, it was quite civilized if you ask me. The buildings, the restaurants, the schools, the city was full of those, all blended with the typical houses. We arrived at Claret School of Zamboanga City and there I was amazed. It was simply beautiful and simple. The campus was pretty huge actually. They had their own Football Field, the playground for the pre-schoolers, a multi-purpose hall, a quadrangle, and two canteens, one for the grade school and one for the high school. As long as I can compare, CSZC is quite larger than CSQC but CSQC is more modernized than CSZC. After a little of Zamboanga City we now go to the real deal, the 5th ACSPI Youth Peace Camp.

     Our main objective in going to Zamboanga was going to the Peace Camp which is held yearly to show us that we Claretians are peace-lovers and don't want any violence in any part of our country and the world. It was quite an enjoyable camp if I may say, the traditional feel inside your quarters, the enjoyable activities, not to mention the friendly people who joined the camp were all part that made this camp very memorable. The quarters were quite exotic if you ask me, it was just like what a "Bahay Kubo" would probably look like but it was made into rooms and looks like dorms. The food were delicious even though with absence of pork for our respect to our Muslim brothers and sisters. The activities were nice and fun. One of the most memorable activities I experienced was the "Eco-Trek" and the social interaction. The Eco-Trek was a trek where-in while we trek from the morning until the afternoon, we will encounter stations that shows how we show our respect and love towards our environment. The station I liked the most is the last station where-in we get "baptized" by the water of the flowing waterfalls and the running river. After the activity at the last station, we were then allowed to swim. We had fun with our friends that we met through the different activities that we had done especially during interaction. I personally met a lot of friends, with the first being Biel Garcia and my closest friend between them all in Zamboanga is Selina. I also met Chesz, Hannah, Cindy, Camille M., Camille V., Alyms, Mush and Nest with all of them being good friends that I can treasure forever in my life. The next few days went in a rush, the parade, the prayers, it felt like time was now asking us to hurry up and now it was the last day of our Zamboanga experience. We gave our farewells to each others. We gave our means of communications to each other. We even took pictures as remembrance of our friendship. We kept saying goodbye and the others being emotional of what was happening until the time had come for us to leave. I, myself, didn't cry out of sadness nor happiness in our time to say goodbye but I stood strong because I knew that this wasn't our final goodbye and I know that one day we will see each other again in time.

     In the future, 50 years from now, I feel that Zamboanga City will prosper even more and with all its prosperity, can help those neighboring provinces in Mindanao and thus will make a better Mindanao that will make a better Philippines that will make a better world. Claret School of Zamboanga City will be as modernized as Claret School of Quezon City in the future. The nature will be preserved in the future and the friends I had made will live a successful life in the future, the future full of peace.