A Welcome Distraction

At last, the last project of the week was just completed awhile ago. (Okay, not really completed...there are still some tweaking to be done. And some additions...okay, never mind. I don't wanna think about it right now) Three big projects due and all we got were five measly days to do them (because we procrastinated! whahaha!).

The past few days were just HELL ON EARTH. It's a miracle I lived to see Friday. I feel like just collapsing right now.

But amidst all the frenzy of this earthly Hades, there is still one thing that made me look forward to school.

What?

Christ Tiu!

Who?



Chris Tiu. Jersey #17 of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

Okay. I admit, I've never been that interested in the UAAP. True, I've heard his name several times whilst I was still in high school, but I never payed much attention. I like basketball, but after I was ten, I stopped watching games. My TV preference kinda shifted to wrestling, heeheehee.

Anyway, UAAP season 69 was just over, and we lost. We only got second place, but hey. Life's not perfect! They did their best and I'm proud of them. I failed to watch the first two games of the championship (the first one, I didn't know about. the secondone, we didn't have electricity.) I wasn't really planning to watch the thrid one, but the promise of "suspension of classes" if we win and some USTe friends of mine texting and taunting me (because I'm the only Atenean they know) fuelled me to tune in. We still didn't have electricity then, so I watched the first quarter in the caf on the TV with really really bad reception (all I could see was static; I can't even tell if the ball went in when someone shoots). The next two quarters I missed because I was commanded by dear ol' mummy to come home 'cause we're gonna transfer to some apartell. She took forever to pack. Luckily, I managed to catch the fourth and the OT.

I love sports and am always excited when I'm really into what I'm watching. Just sitting in front of that small ass TV transported me back to high school. The relentless cheering when my team got the ball, the suspended heartbeat, holding my breath, heart soaring when we score and dropping when we don't.. It was just so much fun. Of course, I was devastated when we lost. I admit, I'm not a Blue Eagle fanatic like others, but I'd want my school to win. Still, it's okay. If it's not for us, it's not.

So, after that long-rambling intro...on to Chris Tiu. I knew of him, as I said, since high school. I've seen him in a couple of magazines so I knew what he looked like. So one day, when my blockmates and I had to go to the computer lab, I saw him sitting on the bench at the side, reading a newspaper. I wasn't too sure that that was him, until I saw him again a few weeks later in that same spot. (This was after the last game) I wanted to say hi, show some support or something, but I was afraid I'd scare him away or maybe upset him even more.

It's weird when you notice someone, it's like, you suddenly see that someone everywhere. I started to see him walking around campus often. We're even in the same building at the same time (although his classroom is at the thrid floor...). I've been telling my friends about those "encounters" (I make him sound like a paranormal entity) and they want to see him, too. So today, lucky lucky day for my dear friend Joycee. We were walking to our Fil class. It was going to be held in a different building because our original classroom somehow lost its LCD projector. On our way, I was already thinking that I won't get to see Chris today 'cause of the new venue.

I was pleasantly surprised. I froze on my tracks and, as discreetly as possible (although I was obvious, if they had good eyes) that Chris was standing right in front of us, wearing a red shirt and twirling a roll of white cartolina. We "casually" went past him and then giggled to death when we thought he was out of earshot.

He is just so cute.

He's a good ball player, too.

And apparently a very industrious and brainy student.

And a nice guy.

What more could you ask for?

Sigh...

As usual, all the good ones are taken, and that includes him. :(

As if I have a chance, right? Oh well.