Brigada Eskwela.

It was Brigada Eskwela, the infamous back-to-school event implemented by the DepEd and initiated by most public schools throughout the country. It is when students, teachers, and parents gather to start the school ‘right’ by cleaning up the school and repairing and/or beautifying facilities that were left to collect dust over a two-month break. A noble cause indeed, but an anti-climatic end to the holidays.

We were on our way to SPED, my alma mater. However, I noticed that my mother was heading to a different direction, and being the usual me who loves to nag, I said:

“Ma, I think you’re dizzy. You’re going the wrong direction.”

“What??” and she almost hit the brakes hard.

“Yeah… the school is on the opposite direction.” doing a u-turn action with my hands

“No.”

“Yes, how can you forget we were there a few days ago -”

“It’s right.. we’re going to the new school site, stupid,” my brother interrupted.

And I gave him the coldest look I could ever give.

I was happily watching my younger brother get his hands and his clothes smudged with pink paint as he was painstakingly painting his own chair outside the classroom. Ha ha. Retribution. He was the only student left, mainly because he arrived late. REALLY late. The rest had done their part and went back home. There were a handful of kind parents around, mothers armed with paintbrushes and fathers with hammers and paint rollers. It was a fun sight to see them, but I kind of felt guilty since I didn’t help at all.

I went around the school ‘campus’ to take some snapshots.

Believe it or not, the school is situated right in the middle of rice paddy fields. It’s far, far away from the city proper. But there are two good things you can have in this school for free: clean, fresh air, and a wonderful view of the countryside.

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After that, we went to the mall to have my spectacles fixed. I had an eye checkup as well.

My grade’s still the same for my left eye, but my right eye got worse as it hit -1.25 ):