Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

It’s Monday again and I’m talking about Friday for the second week in a row.

On Thursday morning when the rain stopped they veiled the statues in preparation for Friday. A little later the rain fell again, and the covers stopped blowing in the wind, being heavy with water.

On Friday either their endless novenas or offerings of eggs worked, because it was sunny during the ceremonies, but it rained - hard (with lightning) at lunch.

The 8am mass was held in the lobby. There were more participants than they had expected (despite the cancellation of classes) and some students who were also participants in the cultural show had to sit in their costumes along the aisle.

The students assigned as ushers did a good job, except on this former secretary of education who arrived late and insisted on standing outside in the sun until the mass ended. One of the usherettes had to stand beside him and fan him, and he more or less interrogated her about the state of the campus. Later on, he was the one who read the plaque.

The executive vice president was the one who described in detail the symbolism of each statue in the assembly, with the founder on top calling the children who were in various stages of readiness. One was in fact not ready at all and still fishing in the pond, a dual symbol on child labor and hand-to-mouth existence.

The EVP also talked about other statues that would still be put up, including another adult who is a layperson. The students joked that there will be one statue added for the next few years.

About half of the people present went to the base of the statue for the unveiling. The candles supposed to be lit for the blessing kept going out in the wind. It turned out there were two ropes to pull, one in front by the honored guests and one from behind by the workmen where the cloth was also going to fall.

Afterwards they turned on the waterfall also, and this year’s scholarship awardees (three of which are or were my students) made the symbolic dropping of donations for next year’s recipients in a large shiny gift-wrapped box.

Then we had refreshments in the lobby, followed by more student presentations in the auditorium, including modern dance numbers (with some female faculty included) and some narration of the founder’s life (that got drowned when the music started – bad mixing). There was also a poetry reading, the one that the English students have been practicing and that more than a month ago I had heard their “director” record the lines several times in one of the conference rooms.

The last part of the program was the officers of the parents’ association taking their oaths of office for this school year.

After lunch there were sports activities, including the finals of the month long faculty and staff badminton tournament, but I didn’t stay for any of those. I accompanied my cousin to get his sticker for entry at the nearby technology park.

And that’s the end of the last week. I’ll talk about the astronomy thesis defense next time. Until then, class dismissed.