ATENEO ACP DAY!!!!....WE MADE OUR OWN ACP FIELDTRIP!!!! HAHAHAHA

- Jan. 29, 2009, Alternative Class Program (Ateneo)

- the ACP is an event where students would sign up for a class or fieldtrip that would discuss and share new insights to the students. This means that for one day, instead of attending academic subjects, the students would attend these special classes. This happens only a day in a school year. The classes were separated into 4 categories: Cultural Immersion, Political Education Workshop, Social Involvement Fair and Benefit Concert.

- I went Ateneo with Neighbor Charmaine, Isen, Mich and of course, Danica (may-ari ng car :D:D:D:D)

- Went to my ACP class. I signed up for the "Hola!!" class. (yun kasi yung name nung class eh, "Hola!!") That class was supposed to reconnect the Philippines and its Hispanic past. It was a very interesting 1 hour (na naging 1.5 hours) class.

----ENOUGH ABOUT THAT....NOW....FOR THE "REAL" DEAL....

- Not all ACP classes were well, classroom classes; some of them were fieldtrips to Quiapo, Chinatown, Eat Bulaga, Intramuros etc etc.

- Dahil dito, nainggit kami, SO....GUMAWA KAMI NG SARILI NAMING FIELDTRIP!!!! ( o di ba??)

- Danica, Charmaine and I went to Little India. We ate lunch there. We had Chicken Masala, Mutton Biryani, Naan, Chapattis and Kashmir Fish Curry. We drank mango lassis....

- After lunch, we went across the bridge to look at the Sikh Temple from outside (we can't go inside kasi eh....). After that, went to Assad Minimart to buy some groceries. Charmaine and Danica bought samosas, ladoos and black jamuns. I bought the rose syrup Shiveena (my good friend from Ateneo) introduced me to. It's cheaper daw when you buy a big bottle then mix 2 tbps with a glass of milk, than to buy little bottles of rose milk. Haha. BTW. WALANG STOCK NG ROSEMILK EVERYWHERE (what's wrong with the world momma??)

- I asked the owner (ata) of Assad, who was seating near the counter if they sold sherwanis (yung Indian garb for guys). Apparently, he was kinda bangag ata, or maybe ganon lang talaga yung aura niya (mejo sleepy ata siya non). Tapos he was shocked to hear a non-Indian like me to speak in Hindi. Hahahaha. He answered me back in Hindi (wala daw silang benta, more on pagkain lang daw)....tapos yehey, naintindihan ko naman. Hahahaha....

- Went to Talwar's next. I bought 2 types of tea there....Apple Tea and a tea na hindi ko alam kung ano....haha....basta chai (chai = tea).

- Went to Simron's Next (Simron's = Little India Grocery) to look for a sherwani....alam kong meron doon pero mahal....but I asked ate (yung Filipina saleslady there) if she can hand me the cheapest sherwani they have. Apparently she can't get them since Auntie (I don't know her name kasi eh....), or her husband, were not yet around. 4pm pa daw sila dadating (roughly).

- We went back to Assad Cafe to order our dishes to go. Instead of waiting for the dishes, we decided to go to the Hindu Mandir first, REALLY REALLY HOPING they would let us in.

- We saw some Saint Jude students outside the mandir for some odd reason....haha....what's weirder is that Saint Jude people don't have classes on Thursdays (Thursday nga naman kasi today eh). Haha. As always, I told the guard that "Kakausapin po yung secretary, may tatanungin about the temple." That always works. Haha. Pero we really did go to the secretary naman kasi eh. Haha. We were allowed to go upstairs, since may naglilinis dun (we can't go upstairs on our own kasi).

- I introduced Danica and Charmaine to the Wonderful World of HINDUISM by telling them some stories about the gods there. I also introduced the Guru Granth Sahib (translated into 4 languages, therefore, 4 books) that were covered (as always).

- The kind kuya also offered bananas and ladoos from a table beside the Lord Rama and family's Altar. Natuwa kami. YEY. Haha....Sabi ko nga sa kanila, "THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY...."

- As we were going out the temple/worship area, GUESS WHO WE MET....once, again, it's Ashok Maharaj, the high priest of the Hindu Mandir. (not shown in pictures; please refer to Choti Bharay Yatraa album for the Maharaj's picture). He, apparently, was surprised to see me (second time to meet each other), and 2 wonderful Chinese ladies, with me. Haha. He even asked me if they spoke English. I said yes. Hahahaha. Then natuwa siya as always, kasi I conversed with him in Hinglish (Hindi + English). Hahahaha. We left shortly after the kamustahan with the Maharaj.

- before leaving, we noticed the cow statue that was placed near the gate. At first hindi ko alam kung bull or cow yung baka....apparently pala girl siya since may udders....at once I knew it was Kamadhenu, the mother cow goddes. She gives milk to the people; milk was considered to be the source of nourishment. this is why Hindus are not allowed to eat cows; not because baka lolo o lola niya yung baka (like what people usually say when mocking the philosophy of reincarnation), but because Kamadhenu (or cows in general) was the provider for the survival of man....Since natuwa kami sa random position ni Kamadhenu, we took pictures with her :D:D:D:D. YEY :D:D:D:D

- We went back to Assad Cafe to pick up our dishes to-go. JUST THEN....I saw Auntie, her husband, and another guy inside Simron's. I rushed to the store and asked for a sherwani. Again, sa kasawiang palad, yung mga mahal na sherwanis ang meron nila. Sigh....BIG BIG SIGH....haha....Aside from that, A Sikh family came to Simron's. Apparently kilala na nina Auntie, because of the long long kamustahan and the beso-besos. Aside from that....there was an Indian boy, son of Auntie's friend na kasama sa Sikh family na yon....toddler pa lang, naglalakad, then he hugged my right leg....nashocked ako, pero nung nakita ko yung kid, nagmelt ang heart ko....wala lang....ANG CUTE KASI NIYA....nice to see, nice to hold, but once you break it, it's considered dead....yung mga ganong klaseng innocent toddlers that hug other people's legs....haha....I badly wanted to take a picture with the child, pero mejo double-time na dapat kami....since that was around 4 already....haha....(can't go home super late kasi....). It was super fun din, because when I smile....he smiles....tapos ang cute ng cheeks niya....sarap kagatin....(sorry, I really like baby cheeks kasi....they're soft, warm and chewy)....hahahaha.... :D:D:D:D

- After we left Simron's, we finally went to Assad Cafe to pick up our order and went home. :D:D:D:D

****SUPER THANKS MANG FERNANDO :D:D:D:D ----*Danica's chauffeur*


ALSO!!!! Please visit Charmaine's blog about this trip, just to see things in her point of view (o di ba may ganyan pa??....haha)

LINK: http://charmaineyves.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/were-going-to-india/#comment-8