RO2 IS BACK!!

It all started with an email to the ML, by yours truly, regarding, of all things, the Laruku event. I was hoping to rope someone into going with me to UP but, alas, no one replied in time, not to mention that I was supposed to go somewhere else that day as well.

Ah well, maybe another day, ne?

I may not have gone to the event then, but I was able to get the emails going back and forth. And we agreed to have a meet-up. After all, it’s been what, 4 years, since we last saw each other. We set the date for Saturday, 14 October 2006, time at around 4 p.m., location at the McCafe, Glorietta, and the people members of RO2 ^_^

It was exciting and surreal at the same time. Exciting coz I’ll be able to see these people who I share an interest with, and surreal coz, what the hell do I have in common with these people anymore anyway? It’s been 4 years!!

Saturday came. I went to the office as usual but earlier than usual since the team had a meeting at 6 a.m. and I didn’t bring anything except my cell phone, wallet, cap, and handkerchief as I was thinking, I don’t want to have anything that I could possibly loose sight off and loose, period.

I left the office with a small paper bag containing some facial products that a trainer in the office was using and she was sure I would like. When she mentioned the product to me days ago, I wanted to try it coz I’ve been breaking out like crazy and I want to have the skin I had when I was in college.

But anyway, I’m digressing.

Saturday came. I left the office at around 330 p.m. and I got to the McCafe around 4 p.m. Only then did I remember that I haven’t seen these people for over 4 years! I may not recognize them!

Wehehehe

Long segue shot, I met up with Joy first. Of course, one of the guards was already eyeing me with an evil eye – guess he thought I could be one of the poor customers who are there for the sale, that idiot – before Joy got there.

We settled down at a table in McCafe, got talking and laughing and talking and laughing ad infinitum until Ivy got there with her boyfriend and the cycle repeated all over again. Then Jojit (sp?) visited – she was actually meeting with Joy – and the cycle was on again. And Vinnie got there and then Robert was the last one to arrive.

We moved to McDo for dinner and more conversation and laughter, and during dinner, Gem called from the US! It was great talking with her, even though I didn’t get to talk to her for very long – only long enough to hand the phone over to Joy and the others. I’ll email her though and make kwento. I hope she emails back ^__^

Seriously though, we discussed projects for RO2 next year. Syempre, we need volunteers, which is where Robert comes in.

Did I mention that Joy is Gem’s heir apparent and successor for RO2 leadership? Yay!

Back to the projects: We have 4 possible projects – a soup kitchen feeding program run by a church in Malate, Habitat for Humanity, Gawad Kalinga, and a medical-dental mission. We’ll see how everything goes and but we’re shooting for summer to do one of the projects. For one, most of the cosplayers nowadays are in highschool and school needs to be out so they could participate, aye? And if we’re going to do something for kids in an orphanage or something, they have to be out of school as well.

*sigh*

If only offices have summer vacations too…

That means we have a lot of time to plan, to decide on a project, to get sponsors, to finalize partnerships, and to get the word out that RO2 is back ^__^

Personally, I want to get back to cosplaying as well. I want to have new costumes and I want to walk down the catwalk again. I want to experience the rush again. I miss that, performing.

Who knew huh?

After we closed down the mall ^__^ we all moved the party (officially an RO2 meeting) to Joy’s house. For the record, it was a beautiful house and a part of me wants to use her house’s description for my story Illusion ^__^;; Hi Joy!! I’m still thinking about it though as I already have an idea of what the houses in the Illusion look like, but as for the interior… hehehe fair game!

While at Joy’s we went to the third floor bar area and played… Uno Stacko! It was my first time playing the game, and while fun and enjoyable to do with friends, it’s a really, really, really stressful and heart-stopping game. It’s easy enough the first few turns, and since we agreed that we would stabilize the whole tower first before we went evil, it was easy enough. It was when we would get to the part when we get blocks from the sides and from below that the game gets interesting.

One game had the block tower balanced on just one block! That was fun. We all thought it would be a quick game, but it went on far longer than we hoped. The last game was a doozy, especially the last minutes. I was worried coz we had the blocks balanced around halfway the tower on single blocks, and it was nearing my turn!! Thank the gods for Draw Two and Reverse, whew!

All in all, it was a fun day. Of course, by the time I got back to the apartment, I had been awake for a full 24 hours. I was feeling sleepy around at around the 23-hour mark, but that last game sure woke me up. Kudos to Robert for being such a good sport and handling my Reverse really well ^_^ Also to Sherwin, Ivy’s boyfriend, who I have taken to calling Sherwin the Builder.

It looks like RO2 is coming back for sure, so watch out for us and our projects and our cosplays and events.

-o-o-o-

“We dictated, therefore you are. All in favor, say aye!”

“Aye!”

And that was the way we officially voted for Joy to be the RO2 president.

Thanks Charles!

-o-o-o-

Also, I think I've only just recovered from that 24-hour straight thing, something that I ought to start getting used to again. Heck, the last time I stayed up that late -- 3 days, actually, I think -- was back in college!