Thank You Friendster :)
Friday, May 02, 2008 ADVERTISEMENTS
Captain's Log Stardate -315333.46
I never imagined that I will ever thank Friendster again after they introduced CSS Customization. C'mon. I know you hate people who add loads of blinkies and about a dozen of music players on their page that are programmed to autoplay all at the same time. But I must admit that Friendster helped me locate my former classmates and teachers. And just recently, my long lost cousin who I have been searching for years.
I mentioned her on my Friendster CSS Customization entry last October 16th 2005 and promised to blog about her if I ever find her on Friendster. Well, here she is. After 18 years of searching, we finally meet again last April 2, 2008.
Cristina was my Grade 2 classmate and seatmate at Saint Claire School. First time we met, we didn't even know that we're cousins until I mentioned her to my father. My father occasionally asks me to narrate everything that happened on school to train my memory and when I mentioned her surname, my father told me, "Ask her if her father is Edward".
Next day, I asked her father's name. Edward it is. :~) I can clearly remember her face, her reaction, the tone of her voice, the pencil she's holding when we both realized that we are cousins. Everything changed that day. I started sharing (ummkay.. giving) my "baon" with to her every recess time. So whenever I go home my lola would praise me, "Very good! You ate your baon". :~)
One thing I really cannot forget was the way she took care of me when I had H-Fever. We were practicing for our Christmas program in our classroom when I experienced headache and muscle pains. She held my face using her two hands and immediately informed our teacher about my fever. Our teacher asked me to sit down and wait for our dismissal and gave my cousin a wet towel for my forehead. For more than 2 hours... she was beside me cheering me up while I endure the headache and burning sensation on my eyes.
Unexpected events happened after that. Her mother and my uncle separated and she together with her sister lived with their mom. My uncle now has a new family. For 18 years, I've asked my grandmother and my uncles about her. No news, No sightings. Nada. I looked for her everywhere and my attempts remained futile because of some stupid memory gap. I was looking for the name Teresa, instead of her name Cristina or Lourdes. :~(
Last February 2008, my friend Glen showed me a picture from Friendster. He asked me if I recognize the girl in the picture since she was our classmate in elementary. I didn't recognize her until Glen showed me another picture on March 26th.
Glen: nagcomment na sakin ung cristina
Glen: na familiar ung mukha
Glen: na parang kaklase ntin nun
Glen: pro d ko syuur
Jepoy: ano ulit URL
Jepoy: nung profile nya
Glen: check ntin uli
Glen: http://profiles.friendster.co...
Jepoy: nya private profile
Glen: nyaa
Glen: didireckt
Glen: link ko nalang pics
Jepoy: teka ano apelido nya? torresyap?
Glen: http://photos-580.friendster.com/e1...
Glen: torres yap ata
Jepoy: HAHAHAHAHA
Jepoy: SABI KO NA EH
Jepoy: PINSAN KO YAN
Jepoy: HAHAHA
Glen: ahhahhaahhahhahhhah
Glen: bat d mo kilala
Jepoy: HAHAHA kilala ko
Jepoy: kaya ko tinanong apelido
Jepoy: HAHAHA
 I was like floating in space when I learned that she is my cousin... my long lost cousin. I immediately recognized her face in this picture. She looks exactly the cousin I last saw 18 years ago. I don't know what changed her mind to use this as her primary photo on Friendster. Fate? Maybe :P
March 27th I received a reply from her on Friendster and an email telling me that she's not Teresa. LOL! March 28th, we started exchanging SMS. And on March 30 we spoke on the phone after years of not hearing each other.
Finally after 18 long years... we met 6PM at Trinoma on April 2, 2008. Normally, people who haven't met for almost 2 decades will feel uneasy. But we're different. It seems we've known each other for a very very long time and 18 yrs seemed to be just yesterday. We've exchanged stories and relieved old days. We also learned that we have both allergies to seafoods and dusts, same asthma, same sleep paralysis problems, same problems with our parents (she with her father and me with my mother. Both of them left us in 1991) and same 28th day of the month as our birthdays. Hers is on May 28th and mine is on November 28th.
 Two hours was not enough so the next day, she visited me and my grandma and learned her/our family history. A history she only learned now. We've been seeing each other regularly now and been texting and talking on the phone or Yahoo! Messenger like there's no tomorrow.
What's so funny is that we had every opportunity to meet. I just learned that Ana was her cousin on her mother's side. Ana is from a batch lower than us by 3yrs and I always see her.. as in everyday in school. Ana's elder brother was my club mate at my Banduria class in Grade 5, who also happened to be Rocky's forever seatmate in Saint Claire School. Another cousin of her from her mother's side is Alexander, who happens to be the former love of one of my best high school buds Maan.
My cousin's house is about a 3 minute walk from Saint Claire School - Villa Corina in Tandang Sora, the branch were we all transfered when we're in 4th yr high school. And every November 1, we're both at the same cemetery -- Himlayang Pilipino. And when I was in AMA Computer University, me and her childhood best friend always share the same table inside the Office of Student Affairs.
Imagine all those opportunities we both missed. I wouldn't be surprised if our paths have crossed several times before. It's possible right?
I've been vocal about my being a mild/temporal agnostic but what just happened to me and my cousin is simply a miracle. I've been raised as a devout Catholic and until my last years as a college student, I believed blindly. Until one day I started to ask questions.
I've been wearing my Miraculous Medal since Grade 1 and my Sto. Nino necklace since Grade 2 even though I started my doubts. For the past few days, I've been "recovering" my memories and I remembered wishing and praying on my Miraculous Medal and my Sto. Nino necklace that somewhere, somehow, Cristina and I would meet again. I made that wish and prayer 13 yrs ago.
Guess prayers and wishes will be answered... it's just a matter of time. And maybe, part of that wish lead to the development of Friendster.
Thank you Friendster :)
*Computer end log*
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THERE ARE 7 COMMENT(S) ON THIS POST:
Great to know that your long long crush was finally found by you... lol Really friendster really help...
Godbless bro...
Admiral Juler out -
admiral juler, she's not my crush.. she's my cousin. hahahahaha!
May the omnipotent being bless you too. :)
USS Bengero out
to juler: magtagalog ka na lang :)
Maalaala mo kayaaaa ang sumpa mo sa akinnnnn... lalalalala
@dian - hahahaha :))
manong jepoy, kung di lang kayo magpinsan eh kikiligin ako sa story niyo. ;-)
thanks for being a frequent visitor of my ladolcevita blog.
take care po!
@mnel - patay tayo dyan hahahaha!
add pala kita sa link exchange ko later :)
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