When the Ateneo Blue Eagles won the championship last 2002, the entire Ateneo community celebrated its victory through a bonfire party at the Bellarmine Field. Students, families, friends, faculty, administration, fans and the alumni were all there. (I remember the alumni moving heaven and earth because of their love for their alma mater and its basketball team, i.e. Manny Pangilinan sending the Fort buses to shuttle people to Ateneo).

One of the reasons why I want Ateneo to win the championships is because of -- duh!-- the bonfire party. Not because I wanna party, party, party but because the bonfire party brings special memories-- please allow me this cheese.

At that time, A and I were only friends and I was 2 months fresh from my break up with my ex. A asked me if I wanted to go with him and I said yes. We had to park outside the campus and just walk. While we trekked to the field, we talked, joked around and laugh. As we neared the field, colorful lights burst in the sky. We were just in time for the fireworks display. We stopped to watch it. I remember saying to him, "Hahaha! Now I can tell Bri, 'You know, Bri, when I was with A, I saw fireworks!'" We both laughed. (Sorry, guys, inside joke.) We stepped on the field. My shoes slowly sinking into the mud. Eeewww! And I was wearing my open toed sandals! We finally Jim, A's close friend, his girlfriend, Jelen, and her gay friends. I couldn't stand the feel of mud beginning to seep in between my toes so I asked him to accompany me to the rest room so I could wash it off. Big mistake! Apparently, the other girls had the same idea. I felt hopeless. And then, we thought of buying bottled water and asking for tissue from the stalls as an alternative. Brilliant!

And so there I was a few minutes later, seated at the sidewalk, pouring ice cold water on my feet and wiping off mud from my shoes, partially embarrassed that a guy friend had to see me like this. But what's cute about it was that he was pouring the water over my toes and handing me the tissue paper as I wiped. It was just so sweet. I realized that night being in a relationship with my ex changed me to the point that I didn't know who I was. But that night, while I was just hanging out with A, I became the girl I used to be.