She Was My Friend....

We have friends and we have acquaintances. We decide which among these two will be included in our circle of life. She and Lorentzen sang in my wedding - " Of All The Things" by Dennis Lambert. She is AJ's godmother. She passed away last night. Cancer took the better of her.
She was my friend.. a very dear friend.

My FLP DaysTwenty Years Ago...

I wrote about the BKK, FLP and NDCP a couple of weeks ago. Who would ever think that Batch IX FLP will be relived again? Some of my classmates are now here in the States - Baby, Nida & Roy. We finally got in touch. We all got excited again - reunion sa Pilipinas next year. That was 20 years ago.. I wrote about that..coincidence na magkatugma-tugma uli kami?
I am posting our class pictures. My memory is kinda blurred on names - but I remember the faces. I will be able to name them in due time.
I am also posting our barangay immersion group. The whole class was divided into groups and we, as a group, were assigned in places na nangangailangan ng tulong ( hah - parang alam namin kung anong tulong ang kailangan nila). The whole purpose of the exercise was for us, as NDCP scholoars, would apply our classroom know how to alleviate the plight of our kapwa pinoy ( a big HAH again).
Anyway, my group was specifically assigned to Jaen, Nueva Ecija. To people familiar with Jaen, alam na ninyo ang aking ibig tukuyin.
The group came in cold - parang andoon kami para mag diagnose ng sakit at tapos magbigay ng ikagagaling ng bayan. We went around observing - sabi ko nga coming in from the cold. Nagmukha kaming mga turista - kulang sa camera.
We met up with the barangay people. Nakinig kami at nagmatyag. Siyempre meron na kaming kanya-kanyang foregone conclusion kung ano kailangan nila - something na ikabubuhay nila, to that effect.
Surprise, suprise. Nakinig kami ng husto (FLP trained us on that real well). Hindi ikabubuhay ang kanilang primary concern. The town was needing a common townhall na pwede silang mag-meeting at mag-usap-usap kung ano ang kanilang ikabubuti. They needed a building structure to "house" their plans - their dreams- their aspirations.
The group could have pushed what we THOUGHT they needed. We were knowledgeable hindi ba? MALI.
Cez Liporada - isang mabuting kaibigan from Baguio & I were tasked to write the report - the bacon we needed to bring back to NDCP. Amidst coffee, Marlboros and Philip Morris sans laptop or computer, typewriter meron, nagawa ang report.
Sana tinago ko ang copy nito para balikan at basahin ko uli; pero malabo ang huling pahina na na-carbon paper. Lumabo na rin ang aking alaala kung ano ang aming pinagsusulat sa particular na report na iyon. I do know that, that trip was a fruitful exercise. The FLP teachings did not go in vain.
Salamat Baby for initiating the reunion. Salamat Nida for the pics. Roy - tatawagan pa rin kita.

I've seen these pictures before from another website. I received these same pictures last night from my brother. Iisa ang sentiment ng mga nakakita - kasama na ako. Firstly, anybody who would be able to identify these places were born noong unang panahon. Secondly - we all felt sad for the loss of what we had before.



Sittayo nga immuna who are lucky enough to be able to compare the "Then" to the "Now" can explain to the younger set why Manila was a sight to behold then.
I remember most of these landmarks in Manila. What is so amazing is how I took everything for granted then. Sabagay, batang bata pa ako na sunod-sunuran kay Mama kung pupunta siya sa Quiapo o sa Carriedo kaya.

Malinis pa ang Quiapo noong araw. One can pass through the underpass and even the sideroads of Quiapo without bumping into so many people and holding on to one's purse for dear life. Pwede pa rin naman huminto at bumili ng hopia (mainit pa) at uminom ng coke na naka-supot sa plastik. Nakaka-turn off nga lang ang masangsang na amoy ng canal sa tabi.


Parang napaka-aliwalas at pwedeng huminga na hindi uubuhin. Parang pag-uwi galing sa pasyalan, ang ating mga ilong ay hindi nangingitim dulot ng usok galing sa mga tambutso ng mga sasakyan. Parang it was okay to walk around Luneta or along Manila Bay without fear of receiving any proposition or of being proposed to ( pick-up kung baga). Luneta and Manila Bay were indeed destinations for the young and the old.


The Quiapo Church was and is still the landmark. Pero malaki ang kaibahan nito from way back to what it is now. The edifice still stands as a symbol of our deeply rooted religious beliefs and practises. Ngunit nagmistula itong palengke sa labasan. There was nary a space that was not utilized by hawkers to entice the pedestrians of the merchandise they are selling.

I was able to watch a couple of movies sa ilang sinehan sa Avenida. Ang lamig ng aircon, malinis ang banyo at hindi malagkit ang mga upuan at sahig. My college friends and I enjoyed the first 3D movie at one of these sinehans.

This was Makati then. Remember the streets Ayala Ave., Makati Ave, Paseo De Roxas and Buendia Ave? There used to be another moviehouse close to Rustan's - Rizal Theatre. Pag malapit na ang pasko, ang bango ng kastanyas sa may Rustan's. There is also the Hotel Intercon with the Jeepney Bar and the disco place called Where Else.

Reminisce...reminisce....