Tale As Old As Time: Erica Ong's 18th!!

- June 19, 2010, Saturday

- After the El Dia Espanol episode, I hurriedly prepared myself to Erica's debut as I got home from the Instituto. I walked to CKSC to meet my friend Kelly, where we will be picked up by another friend, Elyssa.

- Elyssa arrived around 5:30-ish, and rode off to Lights of Love, a place full of function "tents" in Santol Street, around Sta. Mesa. We were worried that we might not be able to make it, since the rain poured wildly, and the streets gradually started to flood. Gladly, the rain sort of stopped when we were near Lights of Love.

- The whole thing started around 8 in the evening. I was a bit surprised by the sequence of events for the night. The 18 Lumieres (Candles) had their turn first, and the 18 Chips (Treasures) next after the buffet was open to the guests. I was part of the 18 Chips.

- A wide variety of intermission numbers also brightened up Erica's Beauty-and-the-Beast-themed debut. Some sang, like her college friends, her sister and some others. Some danced, like Erica's cousin and younger brother - and another dance number towards the end with Erica and her friends.

- The whole night brightened up my so-far-already-stressful first week. I was able to meet up with some friends (Erica's high school classmates to be exact) who I haven't seen or talked to in person for a long time. I had the chance to talk to some of former teachers there, like one of my beloved Math teachers in high school, Mrs. Mogro.

- Elyssa's car arrived around 11pm, just as the party ended. Kelly and I hitched a ride with Ely's car. As I was having my quiet moment in Ely's car, I realized that these kids grow up too fast....which means I have to grow up as fast too. I kept looking back at the events that happened in the last 4-ish years, and realized how many debuts I have attended, the wildest, the wackiest, the most unique, the first one, everything. These are the times when we all ask ourselves - can we just stand still, and stop for a while?