Issue One: End of Summer Syndrome

by Jovanne Flores

Vacation has ended and a new school year is about to begin. Such uneasiness, we students feel as the month of June approaches. Because this will mean, no more “hayahay-ness” and “petiks mode”.

Summer vacation is, by far, our favourite time of the year. Liberation. The siesta time, the hot scorching sun and seasoned fruits are definitely a winner. And along with it are the extended holidays, that gives us a lot of time away from home, or school, or business, and to go out, relax, and actually have fun without worrying about the threat of flash floods or the next PAG-ASA update. It is basically the utmost time we finally free ourselves from pressures and notorious deadlines.

The start of Summer usually begins immediately after the school year ends. Once that graduation song and uniforms are tucked away, it’s jumping off to the nearest pool and having that best-seller dirty ice cream from Manong Sorbetero. But here in Pakil, we have our own way of spending summer and in true blue Pakilenyo fashion.

Beating the summer heat, the immediate advice is jumping off at our local pool. The Turumba Swimming Pool that is said to have miraculous healing powers. Other than that, it’s the perfect destination to quench the heat wave and another excuse to spend time with your friends or probably stalk your crush that you could go to almost every day for its right in the heart of the Pakil poblacion. Usually summer time in the swimming pool is jammed packed from 8 am to 5 pm onwards and sometimes, people go on night swimming which is quite dreadfully cold. Foods aren’t a problem because there are local sari-sari stores to buy from right outside the pool gates or if you want homemade food, you could settle on a cottage and have your own picnic right beside the pool. A little hint of advice, being a Pakileno pays off, you absolutely have nothing to pay for the entrance fee on this one.

Another summer destination is a test of endurance and strength, hiking to Mt. Ping-as. True enough this is the ‘no guts, no glory’ challenge because an hour and a half hike is a no laughing matter but even so, locals, especially teens, love to hike up Mt. Ping-as to experience some nature loving and, wait for it, another excuse to hang out with friends. This is another getaway destination for barkadas, for picnics and hang out time. The seclusion of the destination away from piercing public eyes, with just the sole company of your friends, is enticing and is always a well-loved accessible destination for teens.

On a side note, responsible citizenship should be practice. Please note that the roads and guide posts aren’t murals to vandalize your name with. It is first and foremost a sacred place of worship and decency should be observed. That includes cleanliness and orderliness from each of us. No throwing of bottle of rums on whatever piece of land you could find. Let’s be responsible citizens and remember, “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.”

And lastly, another hiking spree for the more adventurous Pakilenyo, hiking to Mt. Inumpog. Honestly speaking, I haven’t been to Mt. Inumpog, they say it is a bit more of a challenge without the cemented route to guide you, just trails. But they also say, the scene is more breathtakingly beautiful. You also get to see areas that aren’t accessible when you take the main route, which is Mt. Ping-as. Also, Mt. Inumpog is a destination for eco-lovers. There are areas to which people could plant trees to keep the soil firm enough to avoid erosion. And yes, this is also a sacred site, so decency must always be observed.

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Though 2 months is pretty quite a long time, for students, this is a mix of excitement and dreadfulness. Vacations meant freedom, doing anything freely. But during school days, homework forbids us to do so. During vacations, we can stay awake at wee hours of the night but during school days, we stay awake for homework reasons and yet the need to wake up early. Vacations meant going online endlessly and text our friends unlimitedly. But in school, we can only go online with a limited time and text others only at nights, for phones are not allowed using inside the school.

As we approach the back-to-school season, looking back, maybe this is why we love summer so much, the possibility of doings things that we don't normally do on school nights. The unpredictability of everyday. But should we be satisfied if our everyday life will only be classified as vacations and no school days? Wherein you’ll just sit there and live life carefree? No. It'll be boring. The special things wouldn't be special anymore. Summer wouldn't be that one thing we look forward to every end of school. There is no point of missing your classmates even.

So my fellow students, as much as it burdens me to say this. We should never forget the importance of school. Without attending school, aside from not learning new things, we can't meet our teacher and be terrorized by them, or have real fun with our classmates. It is in all the same that things are meant the way they are, that's why summers are always special.