When I was a teenager

I had fun writing my entry for the contest "When I was a kid", then @bmjc98 published her story about her teenage years.

Being a teenager isn't an easy phase to be in. There are peer pressures, fights and arguments with our parents, challenges in school, and all that stuff. But looking back, those complicated scenarios made it worth remembering and telling.

When I was a teenager I had my puppy love

Benjan was my best friend's cousin. I met him in the summer of 1994. I was 10. He was buying halo-halo when he accidentally touched my hand after returning my marble. He had "touch" at first sight with me.

He was so annoying. He would wait for me to arrive in our playground and kept on following me like a helpless puppy. I liked someone else already but he was persistent. He promised me that he will stop schooling in fifth grade and will transfer to my school.

I was cleaning our room's corridor one day and saw him and his Aunt (my first-grade adviser) passing by. My heart stopped beating and then beat rapidly.

"What is he doing here?", I asked myself.

He kept his promise. We graduated elementary together.

I had my first ever head injury

I was 12 and it was my best friend's sister's wedding. My gang was playing tag and I didn't want to join them. Why would I? I was wearing a sexy layered skirt. It was an important occasion and my crush was there.

But my cousin and playmate Erwin challenged me. He said, "Are you afraid to be "It"?". I said, "Why would I be afraid?". So I joined them and became "It". I was crossing the road and I saw a car coming, I ran too fast and unknowingly hit Janjan, Erwin's sister. I hit my head on the cemented road. It was painful and I saw the blood dripping from my head. A stone wounded my head and cut a little wound exposing my skull. It was a nightmare and everyone was suggesting to shave my head so they could find the wound. I found the wound's location and saved myself from getting bald.

I hit my coach's head with a ping pong racket

Now, this is probably one of my most embarrassing moments.

I was a table tennis athlete at 11 and it was a division meet. I was practicing ping pong- it was me against the wall. My weakness is "kill", I gotta hit the ball hard enough. My teacher was seated somewhere farther but I mistakenly hit the ball in her direction. I was sure that the ball was far from her head but I was wrong. I was using my backhand with full force and hit the back of her head so hard. Everyone gasped in terror I even heard someone shouting. I can't explain her facial expression that time. She seemed to be laughing but crying, ashamed of what I did to her. I wanted the ground to swallow me that very moment. I said "sorry" a lot of times and I almost wanted to quit the competition.

I loved listening to radio dramas

When I was 13, I lived with my grandma. We didn't have any TV nor cellphone so my means of entertainment was the radio. My favorite station was DYHP and my favorite drama was "Ruby Gallego Carreon". It was a love story and I just don't know why I feel giddy whenever I listen to it. Sadly, the main character's voice was changed and I got discouraged from listening to it. I was afraid of the 6:00 PM drama though titled "Ang babae sa Isla Asul" or "The woman in Asul Island" because it was scary. I would pretend to be a voice actress and mimic my favorite scenes in my favorite drama program lol.

I pretended to be my cousin from the USA and sent a letter to my crush

I was in second-year high school and a transferee. Who the heck won't have a crush on a cute and intelligent first honor? I was chubby during my high school days. He won't like me so I desperately used my close friend Rhiz's photo and covered its back with a bond paper to erase her dedication. I then wrote to him pretending to be my cousin, Nissa. "You have a crush on me?", he asked. "It's your penmanship!" he asserted. I was "deny to death" lol. I tried my hardest to fake my handwriting. Why would I admit it?

I wish I could see my facial expression that moment he interrogated me like a criminal lol. I didn't do it again, ever.

I had my first boyfriend at third-year high school

He was a transferee from a prominent school. Tall, lanky, and with a white complexion. As usual, I was not his first "target". He liked my classmate, the "Crush ng bayan", Rose. She had a fair complexion and a big "future". While I was well, chubby. She rejected him and so he placed his attention on me.

The lower years got a big crush on him. I didn't have to campaign for my candidacy as the secretary of the student council. He swept almost everyone's feet.

We had an argument and he sent me a love letter through our PE teacher (Yes, she was our "bridge"). Everything was perfect, except for his last statement that says, "Please give me another change". I was turned off. It was supposed to be "Please give me another chance". We only lasted for a month.

I never engaged in a romantic relationship after that.

I was a second lieutenant in our school's PMT (Philippine Military Training)- Bravo company

I may have been chubby but it didn't stop me from joining our school's military training.

I'd wake up at 4:00 AM. Our training starts with jogging at 5:oo AM ending at 6:00 AM. We had a wide oval so it was dreadful to jog while wearing the combat shoes. I used to memorize the 11 GO's (General Orders) by heart.

Then one of the student officers gave me ice water, I drank it thinking it was clean so I had amoebiasis.

It was memorable because our school became a refuge for war victims or an evacuation site. My heart bled whenever I hear stories of terror from mothers who've lost their sons and their friends. We never had our prom too because of security issues.

I badly wanted to go to PMA but my height was an issue. Guess what my height is (I think I never grew even an inch taller after high school).

I won first place in a science investigatory project

I was in 4th-year high school at that time when we won first place in the investigatory project. I was alone but was coached and mentored by the best Science teachers in school. My project was about a seed planter. The aim was to help our farmers plant mongo seeds more efficiently. I was happy and proud of myself. I also tasted the durian ice cream for the first time, my teacher bought some to celebrate our victory.

I was the only "chubby rose" among the thorns in our Electricity class

I chose Electricity as my elective. I didn't want Home Making, nor Entrepreneurship, or Fish Technology. I wanted something different, something exciting. And I was right. I had the coolest teacher in school.

Sir A would use different teaching methods that made our lectures fun. Building Wiring and Electricity wasn't an easy subject. It was a combination of theory and application. We had a lot of calculations and illustrations.

I learned first aid, how to draw a schematic diagram, how to splice a wire, how to fix some appliances, and how to draw a house plan. And he would teach my male classmates how to get a girl's attention.

I was always proud to be with my class whenever we needed to fix the electricity lines at school or if we needed to install the lights for some upcoming competitions.

Our teacher would ask me this every day, "Are you wearing shorts?". I had to because we are oftentimes called for wire and light installations and I can't do so if I only have my skirt and undies lol.

Our final project was a practical installation and wiring. I didn't know how to use the hammer so I always pound my fingers enduring the pain. I ended up having a grade of 89.

My schoolmates called me Shan Cai because my hair was as long as Barbie Hsu

Yes, you heard me right. My hair was as long as Shan Cai and everyone at school changed my nickname because of Meteor Garden. It was an advantage because I became popular but I never had my "Daong Mi Si" because I only wanted to focus on my studies. (Boring....)

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I wish I can go on and on but my baby cries from time to time so I had to be fast. And I do hope that I made you smile reading my story. I guess I had wild teenage years.

How about you? What were your unforgettable memories when you were a teenager?

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-All images were taken from Unsplash but the contents are mine.