The Stranded.

They say college is a time for first, and i guess that includes getting stranded thanks to heavy rains and flooding. The experience of getting stranded in Taft was one hell of an experience, really. Not to mention being stuck with my blockmates for more than 12 hours. It was scary. It was fun. It was one hell of a day, hopefully not to be repeated. Looking back, i'm still not quiet sure how things got to how they were. I doubt anyone even really expected the typhoon to hit us so hard.

Taft Avenue at 10pm.

[11am-2pm]
The day started out normal and went by normally with the daily routine. Wake up, go to school, hang out, science class, lunch, math class, but then anthropology class came. The last thing I remembered that made a semblance to a normal day was seeing my Antropology test score. 28/30, second highest in class.(let me brag a little) But then after that, things went by pretty fast.
  
[2pm-3pm]
A black out struck in my building. No elevators, no lights. Oddly enough, the generator didn't work. At first the professor opted to wait it out for awhile to see if the power would go back on and she refused to let us out. That left the block literally in the dark chatting, eating, joking, playing music and taking photos, as usual. Our professor finally caved in and let us go eventually. I guess there's that anthro free cut we were craving for so long. We of course ended up having to go down the stairs from the 10th floor in the dark, but thank god for cellphones that double as flashlights now.


[3pm-6pm]

In the Pedicab!

When we got down, i'm not sure how it happened, but then we went on "adventure mode" as my friend, OJ, would say. My friends and I found suddenly ourselves in two pedicabs going to my Enzo's dorm, sort of near by.  The pedicab even passed straight through Taft avenue. It was the best and worst pedicab experience ever. It wasn't even raining so much then, but then it did start to pour on our way to the dorm.We even passed by some flooded sections on the way there, with manong telling us to raise our feet up. We eventually got there safe and sound, only thing was manong charged us 20 pesos each because of the minor flood we passed by. Though guests weren't allowed in the room of dormers, that didn't stop us. All seven of us hung out in Enzo's dorm room eating, singing, playing and even drinking booze OJ had bought outside. But we were of course found out, the guard knocked on our door and demanded we leave...ehhh...didn't happen. We only went down on the second time the guard came and shouted at Enzo. Apparently, we made history. It was the first time ever that someone brought people up to the dorms. It wasn't a big deal for us really, or even Enzo. We just laughed it off. 


[6pm-10pm]

The Stranded!

OJ!

We were supposed to go home after that, but then in peeking outside, the floods were already surprisingly to high to get a pedicab, walk back to school or get to the LRT. We were stuck there. I volunteered to have my car try to come pick us up since my driver was just in school waiting, but that plan failed. He couldn't find the place and the floods in Taft were getting too high. In fact, 4 of us actually had a car around, but also couldn't make it to us. Rains were just too hard, and Manila was underwater. My driver texted that Taft was one big parking lot underwater. So the seven of us had no choice but to play to waiting game in the dorm, but this time in the function rooms. While it was fun playing with the Ipad, trying to learn how to dance and do stunts, and talking endlessly about things, especially love. Two of the girls of the group started to panic and forced that they try to brave the floods and get to school and the LRT. Even though the boys refused otherwise, they went through with it. Luckily, OJ, being such a father figure to us, went with the two girls just to help them. It wasn't long though since they all came back wet, telling us how it was impossible to cross the floods. And once, again we were stuck there. The dorm people must hate us so much, cause though we were stranded and scared, it never showed, we. were damn noisy. We sung songs, drank some more, danced, told stories and shouted. My friends said that i guess we were better off being together stuck in the dorm, rather in school or away individually trying to get home. We thought that i guess there's a reason why we were all there, that God brought us together there. 


[10pm-11pm] 

Welcome to my crib!

When we started to worry again, luckily Enzo's driver finally came with his Pajero to save us. It was lucky that he wasn't staying in the dorm that night and going back to his house in Marikina due to the holiday the next day. My driver was still off stuck in Taft, but my mother told me to hitch a ride with my friends and stay in OJ's house in San Juan first much like my other friends. According to my mom, even if i did get to my car, i'd just get stuck on the streets of Taft like everyone else. Enzo dropped us off at Metrobank where OJ's driver was, and we left for OJ's house. Enzo left us and went off to Marikina and our other friend, Tentay, got dropped off Ministop to wait for her sister and father also stuck in Taft. Luckily, our drive home was safe and the traffic wasn't bad at all since we passed by mostly dry land.


[11pm-3am]
We reached OJ's house safe and it was great having the comforts of home really. OJ took care of us well. We were horribly sabaw by then though, and of course laughing and intense singing went on through the night, with accompanying drums and guitars this time. The stigma of the love talks earlier in the evening had obviously not wore off since the songs sung were mostly love songs sang off the top of our lungs. We even watched some good old childhood cartoons, and reminisced memories we had together in the one month we were blockmates, including OJ's party in the same house a week ago. We finally had dinner by 2am, and much like a family, we sat and ate together. Not long after that, I was fetched by my driver and OJ brought the two girls home in Katipunan, and Mitch stayed the night with OJ. I had to explain most of this to my parents when i got home, of course.


It was really one hell of an experience really. I never actually thought, i'd get stranded in Taft. I'm just really thankful we all made it safe, and i'm really thankful for my awesome friends who made the experience awesome though it was scary. Spending more than 12 hours together really bonded us together. Though, it was a one hell of a great college experience, it's something i hope we don't have to experience again, but if i had to go through it again, i wouldn't want any other group of friends to go through it again with me. They've become like family to me now.


Credits to Chynna and Tentay for the photos. :)