"Tekalangwanminit"

This is the title of a play by the Artistang Artlets, the official theater group of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters. The theme emphasizes the inevitable change and end of everything around us—love, family, and life.

The first story, Kahon, was about a couple. The guy proposed on the same night that the girl was planning to break up with him. It was very One More Chance—the girl felt suffocated because of the guy's need to plan everything out for them. I couldn't help but feel for the girl, especially when she explained that their relationship, instead of making her stronger as a person, destroyed her. 
On a different note, there were these really annoying girls sitting behind us who kept making stupid remarks, like, "Before, she wanted to get married. Now he's proposing, and she refuses?"
How simple-minded can you get? The girl explained her side in great detail to her boyfriend. Seriously.
Besides, don't you know it's rude and annoying to talk during a performance? It's distracting to the actors, who spent a lot of time and effort in preparing the play, and to the audience, who spent good money to see a show, not to hear your inane chatter.

Anyway, the second story, Reunion, is about a family who failed a struggle to stay together. Having grown up with their parents always gone off to work, the children feel resentment towards their family. Each son and daughter had different issues which, after years of bitter silence, finally rose to the surface at the dinner table. The youngest daughter said, "Sanay naman tayong kanya-kanya eh," before she left with her siblings.
Isn't this sad? I mean, my family has its own issues, but at least we stay together, in good times and bad. I just can't imagine living in a home where the people are resentful and awkward. This story reminded me to always appreciate my family—especially my mother, who I dearly love, but who can also be infuriating. ♥

The last story, Eulogy, was the one that brought tears to my eyes. It's about a guy and a girl who've been friends for twenty years. The guy entered a seminary, but admitted that he was in love with the girl. She turned him down, though, even if she loved  him, because: "...alam ko namang dysfunctional ako pagdating sa relationships, eh. Siya na nga lang ang relationship kong matino, sisirain ko pa?" In other words, she found their friendship too valuable to risk for anything, even love.
I thought her choice was incredibly admirable. Sometimes, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming regret that I ever entered a relationship with DJ. He was my best friend. And now... We're total strangers. A promising friendship destroyed just like that. *snaps fingers*
Anyway, the guy in the story eventually becomes a priest, and they continued their friendship several years later. He developed cancer, which devastated the girl because she wasn't ready to let him go. "Sino ba ang taong handang pakawalan ang taong mahal niya?" she said. (I totally worship the girl in this story.)
When the guy died, the girl didn't want to give the eulogy. She sadly admitted that for now, she wanted to keep his memory to herself.

If you've noticed, the theme of the stories is brevity. The non-permanence of things. How everything can change in a minute.

This is the best AA play we've watched yet. I'm hoping for more, better plays. Rock AB!