FIRST DAY OF TRAINING (QC CIRCLE/ PARKS & WILDLIFE, FEBRUARY 1, 1998)

BY : LONG HENSON

At least there are 14 female applicants- quipped one member (female nga ba ?).

Trying to be ‘men of words’, the training committee arrived earlier than the trainees for the first diagnostic run- a rare occurrence indeed. Nini S was the first trainee spotted, though she didn’t approach the assembly place at once, looking for her friends at their own assembly place. Shy girl? At exactly 7:30, the diagnostic run started with some stretching exercises. Everyone who arrived later than 7:30 were already marked late- Martial law na ! Bobby G monitored the diagnostic run and each participant were given a number of rounds to accomplish at their own phase.

First casualty. Bryan from PWU had an asthma attack (Minus 1 trainee…and the countdown begins). Second was Raquel M who tumbled down and sustained some nasty bruises (lets see if she will ‘come again another day’). Jun M was later heard telling wild stories about a girl who tripped herself while walking and giving some predictions on her future on trail (bastusan na ba talaga ng kapit-bahay?). As expected, majority of them finished the route walking. God they still have a long way to go ! Then they had their taste of the stair climbing exercise at the QC circle monument staircase. The last two who came in were Jun G and Thon T. So the attendees were Joan A, Edsel A (Ronnie Rickets look-alike daw) Art A, Jovert B, Chris C, Mark C, Bryan C, Noel D, Sheryll C, Edmund S, Girlly E, Jun G, Erwin L, Raquel M, Zeus M, Mark M, Ting O, Bong P, Wayne R, Nini S, Thon T, Ryan T and Queenie T (who actually looks more of a princess than a queen - in terms of size). Twenty-three all in all.

Officers and old members (stress on the word ‘old’) on hand were Jeric Y, Long H, Mark S, Jun M, Bobby G, Bob A, Blanca O, Joey A, Rodel P, Baby H, and the "Main Man-ong" Ed O.

By 9:30, the group proceeded to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife across the street for their Module 1 lecture : "Climb Essentials". I gave them the lecture amidst the ‘shout for joys’ of the adjacent prayer meeting of some religious group. It came into my mind: what if the trainees think that MMS is just a front of a recruitment arm of some religious cult. The trainees were very professional during the lecture (not in listening but in pretending they are listening as the result of the exam later showed. Pero Joan alam kong naka-perfect ka so don’t react on this ha) Bobby G and Bob A (B1 & B2) conducted an actual tent-pitching exam after the lecture. While they were pitching tent, Mark S gave them an exam while the rest of the team conducted some psychological exams- to complete their nightmare (sana may physical exam din hehe). One trainee quipped : Mountaineering ba talaga tong nasalihan ko ? It was quite obvious, the younger generation think the exams were already too much while the older ones are a bit nostalgic reminiscing their highschool days eons ago.

After the lecture, Baby H took over for the pre-climb meeting for the Sembrano assault. The group were first divided to the ‘sure balls’ and the ‘God please free me this Saturday’ groups. The latter being composed mostly of the PWU studes. The trainees faces reflect excitement (not knowing they are entering an addictive sport they will later relate to the word stupidity- a no way out situation…not exactly the sport but the stupidity). But the officers look forward more on the upcoming cooking contest activity. Now they have reasons not to bring enough food. Besides, newcomers usually bring groceries of foods with them on their first climb- takot kasing mamatay sa gutom.

Then some more boring announcements…t-shirts, payments, meetings etc.