Notes to Self: Lessons I learned on a Caliraya weekend

1. Geography - Caliraya is found in a mountain in Laguna, not Cavite. Being more geographically-unchallenged will save you a text message to Mama correcting exactly where Caliraya is.

2. Hard Work - Hard work pays off. Before getting to a really yummy buffet, you must endure an uphill climb of over 40 steps. Now that I think about it, after the uphill climb, anything would have been yummy.

 

 

 

3. Gravity - Gravity is at work all the time. It spares no one. Not even scared girls who are "peer-pressured" to climb a bell tower by ladder steps. With every step, gravity will pull you down harder and make your knees buckle even more. But of course the beautiful view and realizing that you are at the highest point of a complex on top of a mountain is all worth it.

 

 

4. Potential and Kinetic Energy - Potential energy is mgh. It means that they higher you are from the ground, the more energy you have. And as you slide down the hill, it converts to kinetic energy which is 1/2mv^2. So in a mudslide, it means that the higher you are on the hill, the faster you go when you reach the bottom. And the faster you go, the more mud you get all over yourself (and I mean ALL over yourself). And with all the mud, the more Tide commercial models you have.

 

 

5. Sports - An earth ball is an incredibly huge soccer ball. When you play goalie, don't even think you can guard your goal by surging with all your might to the earth ball. Remember that there are at least four other people pushing it in the opposite direction. You will only realize it too late that you will inevitably get run over by this huge ball - something you never imagined in your wildest dreams. And then you'll end up flat on your back, laughing so hard at your stupid mistake.

6. Invisible Friends - Instead of moping because one of your friends couldn't come with you on the outing, why not make him an invisible friend? You can shout at him for waking up late and tell him he's being too quiet. You and your friends can leave a place for him while eating and take pictures with him everywhere. It's as if he was there with you! It's okay if for a weekend you and your friends become total nutcases, at least you remembered a friend that should have been there.

 

7. Art - Be creative! Especially when you need to play pictionary with the girls given limited paper.

8. Photography - What's 400 pictures over the weekend? Well, that's 200 pictures a day. Make sure you smile every minute and be mindful of the camera. Your friends tend to document your every step - from 10 shots to jump shots to vogue poses to horror shots to asleep times(!) - I mean everything.

 

9. Film - When bored, shoot short horror films in Duplex 11. Remember that your hair is always in character. And that no role is too small, especially if your hair is the monster's hair and you'd have to lie on your stomach for the whole stretch. Ifugao blankets, friends who are great actors, some sound effects and a camera that can shoot in sepia can come in handy.

10. Friendship - Friendship is the greatest and most important lesson of all. You never would have learned all of the above without it. And everything wouldn't be half as fun without them. So friendskami, THANK YOU!