I SETTLE DOWN to
write on my makeshift desk positioned near our front door for a clear view of
the small garden. Suddenly the hovering gray clouds give way to a burst of rain,
complete with creepy silver lightning and roaring thunder.
I remember suspended classes during the
rainy season which usually starts as a new school year begins. The time was
ages ago when I was a high school student at UST (University of Santo Tomas)
and its building is the one in the picture below. Today, it’s an entirely new
building …
Anyway, my dad used to say in jest that all
the Dominican fathers running the school had to do was empty their bladder and
the school would be flooded. This joke is half meant in terms of how easily the
school and the streets surrounding it can get submerged in water.
But there’s more to high school life
than floods and suspended classes.
High
school was a defining
moment
in my life.
Words
aren’t enough to capture
the
laughter,
the
friendship, the passion
and
the challenges that came about.
It’s
more than a James Taylor song,
an
enlightening Chemistry
lesson,
or an inspiring
long-haired
guy.
It
is a flurry of this and that
which
has led me
to
who I am
and
what I have become.
These were the words I wrote in the
Bookazine we published for the Ruby – 40th – anniversary of UST High
School’s Batch ’71, our batch – which we collectively called the Remarkable
Batch – in 2011. It was an honor being part of the Editorial Board (EB) and we
had our high school pictures attached to our names in the EB page. My bangs
look weird …
The celebration coincided with the
Pontifical University’s Quadricentennial (400th) celebration and so
there was one great event!
Photos taken during the red-letter
night were shared on batchmate Tommy Bombon’s Facebook page. The last two
were from Joyce’s camera showing a long overdue reunion of a few of the Section
F – as in fabulous! – girls. With me, Joyce and Cynthia are Alice and Yonnie in
a souvenir shot at Plaza Mayor; and then hanging out at Joyce’s condo along
Espana for more girl talk after the event. Also in this photo is Alma.
High school is like a spork, says John
Mayer. “It’s a crappy spoon and a crappy fork, so in the end it’s just plain
useless,” he concludes.
Obviously, this singer/songwriter
and on-and-off boyfriend of Katy Perry didn’t go to UST High School.
Since a couple of years back leading
to UST’s quadricentennial, I have
reconnected in a big way with batchmates who I was meeting for the first time
after leaving the high school’s four walls.
BFFs
Of course, BFFs (best friends forever) Edna and Joyce were always in touch one way or the other. We
always find time to meet up – with their husbands in tow – and catch up. One of
such times was in 2012 at our favorite restaurant, Claw Daddy at The Fort.
There was also a time when we would
hang out with the boys at Sangkalan Grill & Bar – batchmates Honey,
who owns the place, and Rolly, Bong, Tony, Oskie and Benjo. But the rest of
Batch ‘71 simply banished into thin air right after graduation.
Joyce, who’s based in California, comes
home once a year to visit her mom, who is very much settled here and runs her
own optical clinic in Quiapo. She was here last April and she, Edna, and I got
together and checked out the famous Willie Revillame-owned WilTower along
Mother Ignacia in Quezon City.
More than touring the place and savoring
a tasty meal in one of the restaurants, we enjoyed catching up as well as
fondly looking back at our four years in high school.
Since Edna has taken residence here in
Manila, we get a chance to meet up each time a classmate comes visiting. Early
this year, two of them came – Del and Janina – and there was girl bonding to
the max …
Previous years saw our class president,
Susan Nite, coming home for a visit and Edna arranged a get-together at – you
guessed it – Claw Daddy at The Fort.
THOUGHTS
I’ve been meaning to write about high school
life for the longest time but I didn’t know exactly how to go about it. In fact,
I have asked some batchmates a long time ago about the first thing they
remember when they think of high school. I gave a one-sentence limit for their answers.
Just a few responded and here are their
thoughts with corresponding looks [photos requested – or were they demanded? –
from them or liberally taken from their Facebook
accounts and my personal
files]. The chronology is based on when they sent their answers --
JOYCE RODRIGUEZ-ESTANISLAO: “Happenings galore, without
worrying about any responsibilities and can almost do anything.”
AT THE FORT in 2013; and early this
year at her mom’s optical clinic in Quiapo.
MIRELLA GOTANGCO-CLARETE: “This is not a sentence but
here goes: Days of gay abandon and youthful exuberance.”
WITH ONE of the boys at Cottolengo
Filipino … and
with her beautiful family.
JUN SIBUG: “The beginning of teenage experience of
many memorable happy adventures.”
PLAYING SANTA for the boys
of Cottolengo Filipino, Christmas 2012.
RUBY PAREDES-MACARIO: “H.S.: Where I met the least,
the last and the lost and the opposite of them all.” … “H.S.: La Naval … I
never attended it again after high school.”
PRETTY in pink with her first angel, Baby Elise …
[an overexposed photo in this blog site].
DORES LAGMAN: “The first word that comes up is
nostalgia … Nostalgia for carefree times of yesteryears and the youthful energy
that accompanied us.”
A SELFIE from last year, 2013.
SONNY MARQUEZ: “High school marks a period for my rite of
passage.”
FATHER of five, seen here with one
of his daughters, last year’s new bride, Kristine.
He’s nicknamed
Supremo by his gangmates.
TERI MIRANDA-OBEDOZA: “I always feel blessed
whenever my birthday (February 2) comes because it was also the birthday of Fr.
Pinon … usually Holy Mass would be celebrated and there would also be a program.”
PLAYING Trip to Jerusalem with one
of the boys at Cottolengo Filipino.
RANDY ORDONEZ: “Wonder years.”
RESTORES mem’ries and forms of art through
his Heirloom Archival Printing, soon to be
launched.
He shares a sample of his work
and he’s currently preparing his website.
EVIE REYES-LAURITO: “Field Day performances at the
PE Building … Mrs. Murillo … na-late ako minsan, hindi na ‘ko pumasok kasi natakot ako sa kanya …”
SHOWING off her Christmas gift; beside her
is BFF Mel, whose answer I failed to save
and she refused to answer again …
EDNA BALATBAT-GATMAITAN: “My friends … my friends through
exams and lakwatsa stick together …”
CATCH-UP DINNER when classmate
Del visited Manila early this year. This was
at Crowne Plaza’s Xin tian di.
CYNTHIA ILLESCAS-FORES: “Wala’ng maisip in particular but one one of them is our terror
(assistant) principal: no less than Mrs. Murillo!”
AT THE QUEEN Elizabeth Park
in British Columbia …
Of course, such answers aren’t as prolific
as when we’re face to face and reminiscing the good old days. You should hear
the boys talk about those good old days or is it bad, bad naughty days?
It’s already tough to find one word
to describe high school or one sentence that defines it. It’ll probably take a
thousand words or words will never be enough to fully reveal how it was.
DEEDS
The one thing definite about it is that you
can’t help but smile – or even laugh – upon remembering. However, it’s not all
reminiscing each time we get together.
Presently, we no longer have the
agility of a teenager. Our realities focus on physical conditions, cholesterol
rising and aches and pains to go from here to there.
But that doesn’t stop us from making
long drives – from McDonald’s at Ever Commonwealth, our meeting place, to the
hilly city of Montalban, now Rodriguez, in the province of Rizal to cheer the
boys of Cottolengo Filipino.
Or to the cool city of Tagaytay to unwind,
try out new dishes or savor once more favorite food, especially at Sonya’s
Garden, and personally say our thanks to God Almighty at the Little Souls
Sisters Chapel there.
Some of us girls – Ruby, Lydia and, for a
couple of sessions, Mel – have likewise ventured into getting physical and
finding time to Zumba! And we did it at Mirella’s dance studio, the House of
Dance in Quezon City. Our sexy teacher Fina is the one in the middle, front row.
As you can see, we also have young
“classmates,” including Mirella’s daughter, Kim, (right, front row). Bragging
aside, they too huffed and puffed like us not-so-youngsters during class …
Schedule and distance, however, have
since become a hindrance from making us pursue that famous form of exercise …
While there’s no app for instant memory
uploads, we have managed to be techie in our own way and we have comfortably learned
to use this generation’s communication gadgets. Never mind if we fumble and
mumble before we finally get it …
And we can still party like rock stars and
dance way past our bedtime as one of us turn 60!
H W G
After a couple of meetings related to the
Ruby reunion and the alumni association’s advocacy projects, some of us sort of
gravitated towards each other and started getting together on a regular basis.
Initially, they offered me respite
from the daily grind, the familiar and the humdrum. Until I started missing
them. Until we developed our own mutual appreciation society. Until we decided
to officially call ourselves the Hot
Water Gang or HWG.
We even have this crazy mantra with one
simple hand gesture – as seen in the photo below; not in photo are Mirella and Evie
but shown in lower photo taken during a Kris Kringle/videoke Christmas
get-together – which has nothing to do with our friendship or our noble (?)
undertakings.
The number of years has definitely levelled
the playing field – no more sections and all that. Drawn together from
different professions and persuasions, we blend pretty well. The only person I
know in the group was classmate Cynthia, who convinced me to re-join this high
school thing-y in the first place.
Well, I know Ruby – but I wasn’t
sure if she knew me from way back – because she was the editor of the Veritas,
the UST High School Yearbook, and Pilipino editor of the Aquinian, the high school
magazine.
Way back in high school, I have never met
nor seen the boys in the group – Sonny, Jun and Ernie.
Sonny is Supremo to us, being the alumni association president for two
consecutive years until Frances Soliven-Quebec was voted last year to replace
him. Photo shows the two during last year’s elections at Sangkalan …
Jun has been christened Eddie by the group
due to his skills. He is computer savvy and he is utterly dependable at
announcing anything and everything relevant to the alumni association through
Yahoo and Google. He is also good at producing those video clips that
immortalize our get-togethers. When something needs to be done along those
lines, he quips, “Eddie sino pa di ako …”
All this time that we’ve been seeing each
other, we have become notorious for asking hot water in any restaurant or
fastfood chain we eat at. Notorious because we need the water so that we can
taste “supplier” Cynthia’s stash of all kinds of coffee – from three-in-one to
gender-related (?) flavors – which come in colorful sachets.
It’s obvious that we no longer look
like a bunch of misbehaving naughty teenagers so waiters and food servers give
in to our requests. But it embarrasses Sonny’s wife Charisse when she’s with
us.
Coffee is just one of the many
things we imbibe. Another favorite brew is beer. We likewise enjoy buffets, never
mind if most of the food are no longer healthy for us to eat.
We love BonChon fried chicken and
everything on the menu of Seafood Island and Burgoo and Mesa and Tong Yang and Kuse
and even McDonald’s and Burger King.
In between bites, we practically talk about
everything and tackle each issue under the sun. That is, of course, after
discussing matters at hand, concluded with Sonny’s recap.
And when we plan things, we still
think like high school teenagers – meaning that time is in our hands and we
have forever to accomplish them.
P.S. We have stopped making requests for
hot water but the name stuck and that’s how we call ourselves collectively.
M Y (A) M P
An interesting twist is that we have made
our friendship meaningful by making (y)our alma mater proud.
The boys of Cottolengo Filipino have
been a major beneficiary of the alumni association. I believe that HWG has
likewise made this a personal advocacy. In fact, I have discussed this
lengthily in previous posts, playing up on how we have become some sort of a
family to the boys. They are no longer just a Christmas activity and we have
managed to visit them on a regular basis.
And as I have said before, the boys have
become more responsive with ready smiles, a far cry from the time when they
would simply give us blank stares. [The following photos were taken in 2011 during
our Christmas season visit to the shelter with Evie and Lydia.]
The boys have even learned some skills like
molding candles and religious figurines. During one of our visits, the boys –
especially Joey – were excited in showing us their work.
According to Fr. Stefan, the main man at
the shelter, this has proven to be good business. More importantly, the boys
enjoy doing them. “Sometimes they forget to put some scent but they’re
improving,” Fr. Stefan relates. “We’re also improving on quality and
packaging.”
The batch has actively raised funds
for them and HWG makes itself available as tour guides for batchmates who want
to spend some time with the boys and/or hand in gifts.
AN EARLY breakfast at McDonald’s Ever Commonwealth
before going to Cottolengo Filipino in Montalban. Fr.
Stefan
welcomes the group, including US-based Pidoy
Banzon with wife
Malou, and Volet Natividad-Carolan from Down Under.
With them is Lydia.
In another of our visits there, Fr. Stefan filled
us in about the man behind the shelter’s name. He is Saint Giuseppe Benedetto
Cottolengo or Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo, founder of the Little House of
Divine Providence.
“He was the first one to set up a
hospital for people with disabilities, including mental problems,” Fr. Stefan
said. “It was called the Cottolengo Citadel of Charity and this was in built in
Turin 150 years ago.”
Wow, isn’t that amazing? We’re part of an
age-old charitable undertaking?
And there’s another remarkable man
who followed the same path and founded the Sons of Divine Providence
congregation and that’s St. Luigi Orione, an apostle of charity and father of
the poor. Cottolengo Filipino is owned
and managed by the Local Superior of the said congregation.
And that’s the reason why his name is
written just below the signage at the shelter’s entrance. The following group
picture was taken during our visit last year, Christmas season. With HWG are
batchmates Emy Elipano and Mon Sanchez.
Aside from the one in Montalban – which currently
houses 42 boys with subsidized SPED classes for 45 indigent boys and girls from
nearby communities – there are also shelters in Payatas, Quezon City, where Fr.
Julio is now assigned; and Quezon province, with Fr. Martin.
GANG RELATED
We
have also levelled up the gang’s acts of generosity. I’d like to believe that
in a couple of years, HWG has become like the Mafia in a good way – organized.
Organized in terms of coming up with benefit
concerts and other fund-raisers, routing donations from here and abroad, etc.
With that, we became more confident to explore
other areas where we could help. We didn’t look too far though because we felt
that Mirella’s advocacy with cancer-stricken kids – through her House of Dance
– was a worthy endeavor. Not one of those celebrity-endorsed undertakings, the
KKK or Mga Kaibigan Ng Kabataang May Kanser is a non-profit
organization formed in 2007 in Iloilo City.
As mentioned in a preceding post,
KKK was introduced to Mirella by one of her daughters’ dance teacher, Sol
Fernandez. She has been supporting them for a long time now.
In her latest project called Tatak Pinoy, a benefit concert mounted
by the House of Dance, HWG humbly volunteered its services – not as dancers –
but as receptionists, Souvenir Program staff, and solicitors of sponsors.
Still with the help of some
batchmates – seen in an after-concert photo below, including Bong Dizon, Ansel
and Liberty Basilio, Nelia Villacorta, current
alumni president Frances and Emy – and many other kind-hearted citizens, the
concert raised a total of PhP220,000 for these kids.
The non-profit organization – whose
president, Dr. Socorro Martinez, watched the benefit concert – was formed
primarily to provide financial support for chemotherapy of cancer-stricken
children of indigent Filipino families in Iloilo. Mirella has earlier informed
us that sadly, most of these children die because the necessary treatments
could not be availed of due to monetary constraints.
House of Dance shared Dr. Martinez’s post
about one of the kids being helped by KKK, eight-year old Nene, who is being
treated for leukemia. The girl was able to “live her dream of being a flight
stewardess even for just a day aboard a PAL (Philippine Airlines) airplane at
Iloilo airport.”
The book The Fault In Our Stars, written by John Green and recently made
into a movie, comes to mind. It centers on a 16-year old cancer patient named
Hazel, who is encouraged by her parents to join a support group. She then meets
an ex-basketball player and an amputee and eventually falls in love with him.
I read the synopsis in www.goodreads.com – a site that sends book
recommendations, etc. in my email. One quote from the book is relevant to what
KKK is doing –
“There are infinite numbers between 0 and
1. There’s .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others ... Some
infinities are bigger than other infinities. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell
you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the
world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”
You see, the more important objective of KKK
“is to fight against the hopelessness that the kids with cancer and their
families feel.” The emotional support the organization gives, making them feel
that they are not alone in their struggle, is “the most important intangible
contribution that KKK extends.”
And I think this is their version of
giving the kids an infinity that translates to a heartening taste of “forever
within the numbered days.”
P.S. We were also able to raise some money
to help Erlie Pergis, a volunteer teacher from Gawad Kalinga, continue her
studies. She sought Sonny’s help and HWG decided to accommodate her tuition fee
requirements.
MATTERS OF THE HEART
Talking about reminiscing the good old high
school days, the boys who made our hearts beat faster are a perennial topic.
I had my first crush in grade school but
the boys we were attracted to while in high school have the most romantic
impact.
One of the high school heartthrobs
include Rey Gruenberg, who attended the batch’s Christmas Kiddie Party last
year as shown in photo below. Additional information is that he is the father
of hunk actor Polo Ravales, shown in bottom photo.
Well, his good-looking DNA continues …
Other cuties were Joseph and Angel but
later on, turned out to be more like beauties. There were more cute boys in
high school but after all these years, they have to remain unnamed to protect
the guilty (read: those who still have a crush on them … LOL).
Classmate Del, who came home in
April and had dinner with me and Edna, said something like these guys never
really found out that we had a crush on them.
Well, she’s wrong.
Everybody knows who mine is and he himself
knows he was “the love of my (high school) life.” Thank God, he found out several
years later when it no longer mattered …
Way back in high school, he was such
a cutie. I just loved watching him from afar as he seemingly walks with swag,
long hair flowing in the wind, and gloriously thin. Ha-ha! He didn’t even have to say or do
anything. Just show up every single day before I go home … I lived for those
near-lunchtimes!
When some of the HWG girls found out who my crush was, I told them that isa lang naman ang ayaw ko sa kanya.
They ask ano? in unison and I answer ayaw niya sa akin.
Oh well, high school is when you experience
what you think is falling in love. Lao Tzu once said that “being deeply loved
by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Did I learn the virtue of courage then? Or
was I simply a template for Aunty Acid’s logic –
But, as I said earlier, I wasn’t really
waiting for him to like me back … and in terms of him, I never felt like it was
unrequited love the way Charlie Brown did. I was just having fun …
Well okay, sometimes, I give in to thoughts
of “what if” but that is for another post …
TOTAL RECALL
Anyway,
I never met him much less had any interaction with him during high school.
Classmates who knew him from grade school told me what his name was.
Sometime in 2000, I had the chance
to talk to him over the phone. We were having a high school reunion at
Sangkalan and he called up to catch up with the boys. A little later, Bong
passed the phone to me. He sounded very kind and we tried to get to know each
other in that one telephone conversation.
That moment brought me back to that classroom
overlooking the canteen where he, together with the rest of the boys, hung out
before their afternoon classes. It was surreal …
After that, we have become friends
in cyberspace.
MILESTONES
And
because we have lived more than five decades, we celebrate our milestones big
time.
“Let’s have a steak party for my
birthday,” Sonny announces and the HWG replies
positively in unison.
The habagat
threatens and a quick alternative – Vikings at SM Marikina – is put in
motion. That was November last year when he turned 60. Ruby likewise pitched in
for the treat because her birthday also falls in the same month.
Sonny was the first one to turn
senior and he had this interesting idea of having a Junior-Senior Prom for him
and us who will be turning 60 in two years’ time yet.
But after that, Supremo’s not done celebrating. As soon as the skies cleared, he
pushed through with his original plan. I was impressed as he used a timer to ensure
our steaks were grilled to perfection.
The following photos randomly
capture how the extended celebration went …
Last April, BFF Edna celebrated her “seniority”
by doing what she loves best – dancing. The venue was Bellevue Hotel in Muntinlupa
City and husband Jun indulged her by joining her in a dance number …
We, her guests from high school, had fun
dancing to the music of our generation. And because we were busy rocking the
dance floor, there aren’t any pictures to show for it. But we did have a souvenir
shot with the dancing queen birthday girl …
Before Edna’s event, Ernie’s wife Cathy
invited us to a surprise party at Max’s Restaurant in Scout Tuazon for the
hubby turning 60. In a couple of minutes, we came up with a “production number”
– complete with a headdress (?) made of baby’s breath! – to honor the new
Senior.
Thanks to Ruby’s
talent and creativity, the birthday boy was amused with our number done to the tune of ABBA’s I Have A Dream.
Of course, we had to be properly introduced
and Sonny did the honors, only after he acknowledged Ernie’s positive traits
starting with the letters in his name Ernesto. For letter O, he quipped “awesome”
…
Ernie’s kids prepared a memorable program,
complete with nostalgic AVPs. His colleagues at Couples for Christ rendered
interesting song numbers even if some of them forgot the lyrics. So timely,
senior moments for a senior’s birthday celebration.
When he finally got the chance to
speak, Ernie thanked everyone present and concluded, “see you on my 75th
birthday.”
Well, the kids seem to enjoy surprising the
seniors-to-be and last June, Mirella’s daughters Kim and Clang gave her a
surprise dinner at the Adarna Food & Culture along Kalayaan Avenue in
Quezon City.
The place complemented Mirella’s
personality – subdued and with an Old World charm. We had Pancit 1913 for long life; and a sinful moist dessert called Feliz chocolate
cake – the best we’ve tasted so far! – for more sweet moments to come.
Mirella entered the place surprised
because she was made to believe that they’re stopping by for dinner before
proceeding to PETA Theater to watch the Rak
of Aegis.
And just last week while we were wrapping
up this post, we celebrated Mel’s birthday with a hearty dinner at Kuse in
Centris, a place which is becoming to be a favorite.
Of course, we had Pancit Lechon, among other favorites.
FRANCES’ ADVICE
On top of all these celebrations, we eat
liberally and we pig out in wild abandon – forgetting high blood pressure, disregarding
cholesterol levels.
This, despite incumbent alumni
association president Frances Soliven-Quebec’s mandate of “a healthy batch made
possible by a positive state of mind, proper exercise and diet.”
In fact, in her first address to the
batch last year – through Yahoo Groups – she encouraged everyone “to share in
my advocacy to prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications … as you know (this)
is also a global epidemic.”
Of course, during the day she was elected
at Sangkalan, she made clear that wellness is going to be her term’s battlecry.
She wasted no time in sharing a book
she wrote detailing 111 ways towards a long and healthy life.
We pass the positive state of mind in
flying colors. She can give us an A for a-ffort in the proper exercise
category. But we surely fail in the diet part.
MISCELLANEOUS
High school trained us to stick together –
against the (assistant) School Principal, for trying new things (read: alcohol
and cigarettes and something illegal). We adhered to Commandment #11: Thou
Shalt Not Get Caught and Commandment #12: Thou Shalt Not Volunteer Information.
That trait we practice until today
as we continue to watch out for one another. As we try to be always there to
help or at least always making an effort.
And some things remain the same.
In parties or meetings, the boys still stay
together and us girls keep to ourselves. An example was our kiddie Christmas
party last year at McDonald’s Centris in Quezon City.
And oh yes, even when we attended the
wedding of Sonny’s daughter, Kristine, at Diamond Hotel in Manila.
I have fond memories of classmates having
two waistlines to be able to adjust the skirt length. You see, the horrible
skirt length should be that when you kneel down, it should be in level with the
floor.
Our first taste of alcohol happened
right at the PE Building – was that White Castle whiskey? We tried the illegal
stuff but that was all, tried it once.
No big deal.
I looked forward to the yearly
Weenie Roasts because that meant interacting with the boys. Usual spoiler would
be Mrs. Murillo’s announcement just when everything’s beginning to heat up,
“girls it’s time to go home!”
Somewhere along the way, you soon realize
that Trigonometry has nothing to do with life’s realities. And that Chemistry
is only relatable in terms of boy meets girl … Too bad though, I never found
out whether I had that chemistry with D.
REALIZATIONS
Judging the years that we’ve known each
other, BFFs Edna and Joyce never seem to age. Each time we get together, we are
still very much like those giggly girls in high school as if the years didn’t
go by. In fact, Joyce was saying that even if we don’t get to talk every day,
once we do, it’s as if we didn’t miss a thing.
Taking a look at my high school
friends, aka HWG, in a recent get-together – at Asya at Centris – I am happy
that time and tide have been good to us.
We remain active in our daily lives.
While I like watching those plants and weeds growing in my small garden and enjoy
feeding the birds that hang out in my front yard, I don’t think we will be
relegated to simply pruning flora and watching avian creatures. Although there
is really nothing wrong with that …
We are not about to just loll around
and slow down. Some of us continue to pursue respective careers. Mel works with
government through the Department of Energy, tasked with monitoring the
downstream oil industry. Evie remains at UST as professor at the Department of
Chemical Engineering.
Ruby is with Vitarich Corporation and
remains active with the Daughters of Mary Immaculate. Ditto with Jun who is
manager of the New Pagoda Boarding Homes, a halfway house for seafarers from
different provinces waiting to be deployed on ships by recruiting agencies.
Ernie finds time to serve the Lord,
together with wife Cathy, through their community’s Couples for Christ.
Lydia is a professional realtor, with
emphasis on professional. That Lydia Malvar in Janet Napoles’ list of cronies
is definitely not her. She works hard and honestly for the money …
Same thing with Sonny who continues
to be professionally active. He just completed a construction project in
Calatagan, Batangas. Currently, he tells me he is “technically in between
projects …”
I am in between projects, too. My
events planning team – for the unknowing, me and some friends from MOD magazine set up
thethirdpartyplanners – has just finished the Clavio-Macalino nuptials last
July 20th. The groom, Ardy, is GMA network’s anchor/TV host Arnold
Clavio.
Cynthia is now shuttling between Canada and
America since she joined her daughters a couple of years back. Currently, she
is in Maryland to do what she calls apos-tolic
duties. Her daughter there gave birth to a baby girl.
She doesn’t just spend her time
drinking coffee and doing picture puzzles. In fact, she just quit her job in Canada,
working part-time at Wendy’s preparing salads and sandwiches. “I did it for
three months then quit as I had to prepare for my flight (to Maryland),” she
says. “Will be back in Canada by the first week of December.”
And Mirella, who continues to run
House of Dance, is exactly what her daughters said in an invitation they did
for her surprise dinner – still swingin’ at 60.
LEARNINGS
I cannot say, however, that we are who we
are because we all went to UST High School. But the education we got in this
four-year span can neither be overrated nor taken for granted. Unlike what John
Mayer feels, it is not plain useless.
High school may or may not have
affected or defined who we are now. It was a fleeting phase and it cannot be
measured by a diploma made of special parchment paper. Likewise, it cannot be
gauged by the fun and happy memories earned and experienced.
We cannot even pinpoint which part of
History or Algebra or even Religion has the greatest influence on our
well-being and persona.
But for whatever it’s worth, high
school is definitely one of the most fun milestones in life. At least, among my
high school friends, that letter to Ann Landers stating that “only two kids
enjoy high school: One is captain of the football team, and the other is his
girlfriend” is definitely untrue …
We were teenagers in the late ‘60s and
early ‘70s. They were times of meaningful slogans like “Make Love Not War” and
“Peace” and “Flower Power.” As far as I’m concerned, it was a great time to be
a high school student.
Today, those times are a hit for party
themes as well as fashion pegs. Need I say more?
