Happy National Phillippine Day!

It was a couple weeks back. JP Catholic students were readying themselves for upcoming finals. There was tension in the air.

In case you haven't heard, the students and faculty of John Paul the Great Catholic University are beginning a new movement called Christ Our Hope. It is a movement which we hope to spread nationwide. We go to morning Mass every first Saturday of the month and then the closest City Hall to pray a Rosary for our country. So, with finals on the way, and every reason in the world to study, about fifteen of us departed for 8:30am Mass and San Diego City Hall soon after to pray the Rosary.

I was in my friend's truck and there were about four of us girls. We went to Mass with no difficulties and with forty minutes to spare, decided to swing by the library and drop off some books. It should have been no problem. The library was just down the street.

A detour blocked our way, however, so we proceeded to find a different entrance around the back. Eventually, after several shortcuts through apartment complexes, we finally found a back driveway to the library. There was yellow caution tape blocking the truck's entrance and a couple creepy looking dudes loitering on the grounds. The girl in the passenger seat offered to walk through the parking lot and return the books. So she did and we reassured her saying that the creepy dudes would protect her and we would watch from the truck.

She returned (without the books) and we went on our merry way. We concluded that the street we were on should take us to the main road. As we kept driving, we spotted a couple young Philippino women in long flowing gowns. We questioned what was actually going on. And then a couple of young men carrying a banner with large print, "Happy National Philippine Day". Oh. Apparently a parade was taking place. We then got stuck in a large line of vehicles. Our driver said, "This must be the line of traffic trying to get on the main road." Except the long line of traffic consisted of only brand new convertibles, all with roofs down and more young girls in pretty dresses sitting in the back. Me: I think this is the "line". That was exactly what it was. We were in the parade in a giant silver truck with a blonde driver, myself, and two other girls. Not exactly from the Philippines. We had to get out of that line. We had twenty-five minutes to get to City Hall. Our driver pulled into the left lane (going the other way, mind you) and went as fast as she could past all the convertibles. Passenger in front: Let's pull into this driveway and see if it leads to a back street. "This driveway" was the entrance to an apartment complex; a gated apartment complex.

We had to turn around yet again. Our driver booked it back the way we came. (She is an aggressive driver, to say the least.) We made it back to the last turn before the main road. Another long line of traffic and this time it was the line we wanted. The other side of the street was home to the parade which was taking place. More women in long dresses waving to their native crowd. Lots of flowers and lo and behold, a shrine to Mary! Then a large group of high school students all with colorful flowers, begging the drivers on the other side of the street to honk their horns. We had the windows down and we made eye contact with the students, still pleading for drivers to honk their horns. Our driver LAYED on the horn. The response from the kids was astounding. They had never been happier. They roared and cheered and for such a small group. You would have thought that the Chargers had scored a touchdown. One kid ran over, "Here, I found you and extra flower", he said and handed her a yellow flower. She goes, "Oh yeah!" and received the flower graciously.

We made it onto the freeway and with our driver's magnificent driving skills (and fast means of transportation), made it to the City Hall just in the knick of time. :)