Dr. Antoon Postma and me. Talking with Dr. Postma.
On the evening of that same day, my Sociology and Anthropology teacher, Mr. Virgilio Aguilar told us the same thing. The only difference was that he told us what the symposium would be about. It turned out that we were invited to see and listen to Dr. Antoon Postma, a sociologist and the noted scholar of the Mangyan Culture.
The words of Mr. Aguilar sent impulses to my sympathetic nervous system! I couldn't believe what I just heard - the famous researcher in history books comes to give us a talk??? I couldn't describe how excited I became right at that moment. For some of my classmates, perhaps, it wasn't such a big thing, but for me who had always been fascinated by anything that and anyone who has something to do with history, it was such a great opportunity I wouldn't trade for anything.
This morning was the big day I was waiting for. I was glad that we came early to Santuario so we had good seats. I honestly wanted to sit on the one of the chairs in the first row right in front of the podium, but my classmates started occupying the seats in the second row. Partly embarrassed and partly afraid that the first row seats were reserved for some people, I sat with my friends in the second row. Mr. Bayona, however, told us to occupy the seats in front, so we did!
We waited for a few minutes before Dr. Postma came, and bless me! He sat right beside Fritz who was just two seats away from me! Oh my, was I ecstatic, and I was then telling Fritz to let me have his seat so I could talk with Dr. Postma. I was so thankful he agreed. So then, there I was sitting beside Dr. Postma not knowing what to say to him exactly. Finally I said something (though it was a bit stupid. I even forgot to introduce myself. haha).
"Good morning, sir. That's your daughter in the museum right?" I asked. The next moment I was already talking to him animatedly before the symposium began. On the occasions that I became really excited about what I was asking and telling him, my voice became higher. It became highest when I told him I was really interested in Mangyan script because the characters look like Chinese and Arabic in one. lol.
He told me about how he came to the Philippines, showed me the primer on Mangyan Script (which he was surprised to find out that I have one at home), surprised to know that owl in Hiligaynon is also bukaw like in Mangyan, said "Why do you still call it a dialect?! It's a language!" when I referred to Hiligaynon as a dialect, etc. etc.
Dr. Postma was a kind and funny man. I'll never forget this day. And by the way, I got his autograph too. haha.
The Special Feature on the Laguna Copperplate in my brother's book.
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