Once upon a time when Ethan Hawke truly rocked it in Reality Bites, and Friends was “what was on t.v.” and not a re-run, I lived in a girls dormitory called, Ilang -Ilang. It was my home during my stay in the university. After twenty-one years, I and two of my room mates of room 135, walked through the halls of time.
We visited Dear Old Ilang -the dormitory with a charming garden and a handsome fountain in the middle of its grounds.
(The bench was privy to all chic lit melodrama that was happening around an all girls dorm. )
Even before the girls of Ilang became doctors,lawyers, teachers, writers, broadcasters, network execs, geologists, physicists, biologists, corporate executives and philosophers, we once shared pancit canton noodles, a can of sardines, banana cue, maruya and toron.
We fought against dorm fee increases and tuition fee hikes. We rallied in front of senate buildings and Malacańang Palace. We confided with each other all our heart breaks which included terror professors and long distance relationships. We fought for our rights and guarded our hearts. We cursed those who ate our packed lunch.
We cheered for those ” most wanted girls ” whose names were always heard over the paging system.
Resident Asst. : ” Paging Ms. Ilang-Universe..
Dormer : Bakit po ate ?
Resident Asst.: Visitor.
Dormer : Sino po daw Ate?
Si Prince Charming.
” Coooomiiiiiing! ”
And when February 14 came, many of the dormers of Ilang would be paged, either because they had roses at the counter, phone calls or guy visitors. And some of us who were not, would have to beg Ate to page our names, just because.
We filled the bathroom walls with posts -ranging from bible verses to serious grave threats and oral defamation, all intended for THE ONE
WHO USED UP/STOLE THE PAIL FILLED WITH PRECIOUS WATER.
Of course, there will always be six special Ilang girls I hold dear to me. Up and till now we call each other, ” Rooooooomie “ or Bestfie and Mareng. But in my heart , I call them sisters.
They taught me valuable lessons, which I have since applied in my life.
Jacqui made me believe in love, to hang on tight and fight for one’s true love.
Joan showed me how to be strong, courageous and be the parents’ pride.
Ems was the epitome of generosity and kindness.
(she showed me how to be considerate with the laundry woman, even if she laundries your clothes to death. )
Haze taught me to work hard, be patient and always put the family first.
Iris, taught me to appreciate God’s sense of Humor and to believe that He grants prayers, even the crazy ones.
Lastly Claudine, ( though not a room-mate but the necessary fixture in room 135 ), -made me believe in the power of grades and class cards and uno.
Long before we became the women we are today, we first were the girls of Ilang-ilang, armed with meal cards, mugs, basin, pails, kubyertos, tissue papers, eskinol, chin chun su, sachets of shampoo and conditioner, and the most cherished tabo. ( We were also girls that would intentionally pour Zonrox in our own pail filled with water -in order to teach the thief a lesson or two. )
The Payphone -that is now no more:
My roomies and I made a shocking discovery: Tadaah, presenting the bathroom cubicles:
( Ilang-ilang is going through some renovations right now. )
But we still took pictures of room 135.
Besides, it all started here. The friendship formed when we were just eighteen, remained.
( p.s. Thank you to the dorm manager of Ilang, Ma’am Sonia. And according to her, if any of you Ilang girls out there, wishes to sponsor a new paging system for Ilang, kindly contact her. )
wow!!! speechless… kahit na di ako nag dorm dati makabisita ko sa luma kong school/places is very cool and iba ung pakiramdam na di ,mo ma explain..
Yes, tutuo, we felt nostalgic kaming mag ro-room mates while going around the place that we used to call home as young ladies. Iba talaga!
What a lovely walk down memory lane! Thank you, Anj, for blogging about Ilang and sharing photos). And THANK UOU (!) for not using certain pictures (wink, wink!). I love how they now have new bathroom stalls and new tile but don’t like how the rooms look grungy.
And special mention pa ang aking love story – I learned that too. No matter how much I resisted it, if God picked you for one person only, your HEA will only be with that one person.
They will be renovating the rooms soon. So by that time ( as it is with the bathrooms) , the dorm will not be recognizable by us anymore.hahahaha.na shock kami sa banyo actually!
Wow anj! felt so nostalgic reading this. It was in Ilang0ilang where friendships were formed to last a lifetime… Thanks for this Anj. Will share with your permission.
Em, yes! It was so long ago when the older people would tell us, ” that’s alright, it’s all a part of growing up.” Now it is our turn to use those words..Now we are so. Grown up…hahahaha mishuuuu Em!
Hi Anj. Thanks for sharing your experience with Ilang. Ay, makahilak ang walk down memory lane with you. The cr is gorgeous. The young ladies are lucky. Sour graping mode: naa nna ba kaha sila tubig? 🙂 i’m reminiscing now… merry christmas! hugs! 🙂
Hi Kay! Merry Christmas too! Years ago I too went back to Ilang pero ako lang and I was not able to go inside room 135. And no senti feelings actually.
But when Haze, Iris and I ( though Em was supposed to be there, but mommy duties demanded her time..ok lang Em!), walked on the grounds and went inside pur room..We got misty eyed…The memory becomes sentimental pala if you go there with the very same people you “roomed” with…
I seem to have heard our girly giggles when we entered the room…kahilak gud mi ug popcorn! We look crazy there on the grounds..laughing and crying hahaha!
OMG, why didn’t they think to renovate the bathrooms when we were still there? kaloka. baka naman lagyan pa nila yan ng heater ha! 😉
Hahaha, pia.. Inisip nmin ni na Haze sa ganda nuong banyo..may potential na mag ka heater..hahahaha
Hindi man lang nila mapagdaanan yung heater na sinasawsaw sa balde..hahahaha..
Jing, I just have to share a proud moment. Someone on my FB reposted your article! Dili nato common friend ha. Anyhow, maski wala ko nag Ilang, I could so relate with the water crisis, balde og tabo, and the paging system! We did have our beef with the popular ladies always getting phone calls and visitors huh! lol! Balo ka, ma remember pa baya nako vividly ang face sa akong manang labandera. Anyways, Maayong Pasko! Doudong is here, We went to midnight (Xmas) mass together last night. =)
Wow! Ka swerte sa mga current residents, uy. I’m so glad you wrote this article, Anj. I felt nostalgic too.
Hahaha, Grace nakuratan mi ni Hazel ug Iris sa banyo, actually! Almost everything looked the same. Except ang banyo ug ang moondeck ug ang office. But the tv room, study hall ug dining, same old same old…bitaw maka mingaw…It is just so many dreams were firmed there, baya…