He's In Town

He's In Town

             Romy Infante, after more than 20 years with the World Bank in Washington, D.C. has finally retired.  He blew into town several weeks ago and hooked up with the group last Saturday night at Max's Q.C.  Romy, who lives in Fairfax, Virginia and has another house in Maryland which he rents out, was more than happy to see former classmates Boy Siwa, Capt. Ronnie Cunanan, Ed dela Rosa, Andy Jimenez, Francis Pacheco, Greg Calixto and Ted Gener.

            To those who have been showing signs of Alzheimer's, Romy's family used to own, in the 60s and 70s, a large fleet of taxis operating in Metro Manila.  Remember Relet Taxi ?  Which you could not flag down on a rainy day?  Between drinks of San Miguel Beer Pale Pilsen, the conversation veered, as usual, towards the whereabouts of classmates who are now mostly based in different parts of the world.  Thousands of miles away.  Oceans apart.

             Tony Tuason, Chito Villarroya and Edilberto Yao are permanent residents of Canada.  Prof Nong Umali, Joel Dela Cruz and Robert Placino are in Texas.  Ding Ortiz, Ed Damasco, Anthony Rollison and Ted Aquino are based in San Francisco, California.  Tony Crame, Johnny Mangalindan, Bombo Joven and the Fadul brothers are in Los Angeles.

             Tony Jocson and Dr.Carlos Martin are now staying in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Allan Alcobendas and Romy Sulit are in New Jersey.  Eric Cammayo has been sighted in New York.  Honorary class member Medy West is in Illinois.  And, oh yes, Vic Olizon is Sydney-based.

              These are the same men, who in their prime, would stand in front of the Philippine flag every school day and, with palm of right hand placed over the chest nearest the heart, would sing with fervor: " Sa dagat at bundok, sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw....ang kislap ng watawat moý tagumpay na nagniningning....lupa ng araw ng luwalhati't pagsinta, buhay ay langit sa piling mo....aming ligaya na pag may mangaapi, ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo. "

             Now it is entirely different.  Their 'bundok' is not the Sierra Madre anymore. It could be Mount Whitney or San Benito Mountain. Mount Elbert or the Bear Mountain. Mount Marcy or Mount Mckinley or Blue Mountain. And they now sing the Star Spangled Banner.  Or America The Beautiful.  Or O Canada. Or Advance Australia Fair. Their flag now  is the Stars and Stripes.  Or the Maple Leaf. Or the Blue Ensign.

             And would these men, if invaders really land on Philippine soil, still fight for Inang Bayan?  Don't get me wrong.  I am just kidding.  I know how much you love the Philippines. I know that the Philippines is forever in the heart.   

             Back to the ballgame. Conversation diverted to current affairs, particularly the Enrile-Trillanes feud, the Robredo plane crash, the appointment of CJ Sereno with Capt Ronnie, Andy, Boy and Francis giving their two cents worth.  

             Time passed so quickly.  Everybody momentarily forgot the time.  Chairs and tables were now being re-arranged. Table cloths were being replaced with new ones.  And most of the lights were being switched off.  Time to pay the remaining bill.  Time to call it a day.

- Konted

Romy Infante and Andy Jimenez

Romy with Ted G.  Prof Nong Umali used to call Romy "the King of Jolens".

Romy with Ed Dela Rosa.  Ed is extending an invitation to classmates to a  one-day trip to his hometown of Taal, Batangas. The Dela Rosas used to own the Plaza Theater in Baguio City..

Romy, Francis Pacheco, Boy Siwa

From left, Boy S, Francis P. Ed DLR, Capt Ronnie & special guest Romy

Ted G, Boy, Francis, Ed, Capt Ronnie and Romy

First to arrive

Coming in second

San Miguel Beer - Iba Ang May Pinagsamahan

Potato Salad

Max's special Sisig

Max's Pancit Canton

With Max's Fried Chicken

Next December Affair is tentatively set on Dec. 9.  Pls. coordinate with Francis P.

Boy S stresses a point while Capt Ronnie listens.

World Bank Logo

World Bank in Washington, D.C. where Romy worked for 20 yrs.

Fairfax, Virginia where Romy stays.

Bonus Pic:

Mini Coopers on display along Imelda Ave. in Cainta

That Sunday Meeting in New Manila

That Sunday Meeting in New Manila

         The special guest from Houston, Prof Nong Umali, begged off at the last minute.  He had laryngitis, had no voice and was not feeling well. So did the Man from San Francisco, Ted Aquino, who was complaining of body malaise. Ever the optimistic one, Francis Pacheco, hoping against hope, decided to push through with the scheduled event.  And he proved himself right, as always.

           For despite the odds, we managed to have a quorum at Andy''s place in New Manila last Sunday. Mediatrix West, who hails from Illinois and had lived for 35 years in San Francisco with brother Louie, came as she did in our get2gether at Club Filipino about a month ago. There was a motion to adopt her as honorary member of Class 62/66, representing her late brother Louie. This was seconded and there was no objection. Dennis Araneta was also there. He came rushing after a Hands-On photography session at Fort Santiago.

           Captain Ronnie Cunanan flew all the way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where he is on an intensive on -the- job training for Air Asia while Boy Siwa took the plane from Butuan City so as to be able to attend this special event. These circumstances were major factors taken into consideration by Francis not to postpone last Sunday's meeting. The addition of the four reliables, namely, Greg C, Francis P. Ted G. and Andy J constituted a quorum. Plus, Mrs. Letty Jimenez, of course.

             Now, while on my second barbecue on a stick, which was perfectly marinated, the conversation veered towards the ongoing impeachment trial of CJ Corona. Captain Ronnie, who I thought was interested only in aircraft and other things that fly, was repeatedly saying, to the point of being redundant, that he was not convinced that Demetrio Vicente really owns the Marikina property which is still in Mrs. Corona's name.  He was implying that it was a "simulated sale".

              Sensing that Ronnie must have caught the "ÿellow fever" strain, I countered by saying that there are still many who, after acquiring a piece of real estate property, do not bother to have the TCT transferred to their names.  Some simply hold on to the deed of sale with the intention of doing it some other time. Some rely on the strength of the deed of sale plus actual possession of the property.  And some really do not have the money for the expenses to be incurred.  And I drew out from my back pocket a photocopy of an actual deed of sale, showing the seller offering a residential lot, the title of which has not been transferred to her name for the past 10 years.  And here is a buyer willing to buy said property.  My point was that such cases happen.  As in the case of Demetrio Vicente.

             Now, when we were discussing the dollar account of CJ Corona, Andy Jimenez positioned himself next to Ronnie. Andy, as we all know, is a rabid member of the Yellow Army.  So I moved a little to the right, closer this time to Francis, for fear of being bitten by a rabid dog. Over a cupful of ice cream, I was listening to Andy as he began expressing his arguments.  "Full of technicalities yang Defense Panel mo, Ted.  Let them rest their case and let us see what the verdict would be." He was extremely confident that the Chief Magistrate would be convicted !!

              I was now assessing the situation.  I was facing two members of the Yellow Army. One a diehard, and the other showing some symptoms of the dreaded Yellow rabies. To cut short the discussion as it seemed heading to nowhere as both sides would not give an inch, I posed a challenge which Andy readily accepted. Which actually was a bet.  If Corona is convicted, Andy wins.  If the Chief Justice is acquitted, then I win.  And the stake?  Two big buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken.  With lots of gravy and sidings.

             On my way home, I was listening to a Creedence Clearwater song: "Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm...I know, and it's been coming for sometime...When it's over, so they say, it''ll rain on a sunny day...I know, shining down like water...Have you ever seen the rain, comin' down on a sunny day? " I was enjoying the rhythm, the melody and the harmony.  And I was imagining things, imagining the outcome. CJ Corona is finally acquitted.  Greg and Francis are dipping chicken in a bowl of gravy. And Andy is sitting in an armchair bewailing the outcome.  And I approach Andy and console him:" That's the way the cookie crumbles, my dear friend."

- Konted

Andy's house

Andy's office

Chief organizer Francis Pacheco stands near old Mango tree

Marinated BBQ

Special fresh Lumpia

Banana Cake

Premium Ice Cream

Beer & crispy chicharon go together

Greg & Francis, Ted G. & Boy S.

Capt. Ronnie Cunanan with Ted. G.

Mrs. Jimenez always ready to assist the group

Counter clockwise - Mr. & Mrs. Jimenez, Capt. Ronnie, Ted G., Boy S., Francis & Greg

Exchanging views about the impeachment trial

Louie's sister Medy West is an honorary member of class 62/66

Dennis Araneta & Boy S.

Ms. West is from Illinois. .... Dennis Araneta joins the group after a photo session at Fort Santiago.

Capt. Ronnie stresses a point

Andy's Kite

Capt. Ronnie is now with Air Asia

Air Asia is based in Kuala Lumpur 

2 buckets of KFC for the winner

Everyone is invited

Wednesday Lunch At Andy's Place

Wednesday Lunch At Andy's Place

          It was like a pendulum swinging back and forth. The date kept on changing as adjustments were made to suit one's schedule. First, it was February 11, as Andy suggested, as this would coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. And at 6pm for an early dinner at Andy's place in New Manila.

          A phone call from Greg moved the date to February 8 as Feb 11 would be a hectic day for him. Greg still works part time at the Philippine Women's University as professor. I agreed even as the color coding scheme would affect me. That was no problem. Francis, too, gave his nod. As the appointed day was nearing, I got a text message from Francis that it was rescheduled to Feb 9 as there was conflict in Andy's schedule. And from dinner, it would be lunch for the four of us. Last Sunday's call from Andy was like the banging of the gavel -- Feb 9 was the final choice. At our age, we seem to have acquired the positive quality of being flexible.

          Feb 9 was a Wednesday. I left at 12 noon as it was supposed to be a late lunch, taking the Kamias-Kamuning route and driving at a slow pace. The original plan was for me to meet Greg at the Welcome rotunda. But there were changes too at the last minute. Francis volunteered instead to fetch Greg and I was to proceed directly to #12, 13th Avenue, New Manila. This explains why I was taking it easy on my way to Andy's place. Again, these sudden changes were manifestations of our being flexible. Or was it being fickle minded? Never mind !

          Like the old houses of the old rich in that area, Andy has maintained and preserved that 1960's architectural design that makes one nostalgic and yearn for "years gone by and for days of long ago." Enhancing that quaint beauty is a rectangular swimming pool situated between the house and another structure that serves as Andy's office. At the eastern tip of that pool is an old mango tree with roots deeply bound. But my choice spot is the Lanai where one gets that relaxing mood, where one is tempted to take that lazy seating position, grab a book and let the rest of the world go by. Also noticeable is a classic Mercedes Benz at the garage which, I suppose, binds Andy to the memory of his late father. And, yes, the old basketball court is still there.


          We had our lunch at about 1:40 pm with Andy's wife Letty assisting us and making sure we had what we wanted. We feasted on Chicken Cordon Bleu, Shredded Beef and Baked Macaroni which were cooked by Mrs. Jimenez. The cooking was so good that Greg forgot that he was on a diet. The same with Francis. I concentrated on the Cordon Bleu and got my third piece when no one was looking. For dessert, we had Peachy-Peachy which old folks call Balanghoy.

          Done and satisfied to the fullest, we moved to next long table as Andy served ice-cold beer for Francis and Carbonated water for the rest of us. After the usual taking of pictures, FLASHBACK TIME began. I broke the ice with my anecdote of how Mr. Roderos caught me in the act of returning Francis Roldan's test paper after copying the answers in our Algebra exam. For which I got a grade of 65 and had to take summer classes elsewhere. Greg remembered how the class would sing in unison as Mr. Varona would enter the classroom: "Rain, rain, go away, Little Varona wants to play." That made me laugh. Andy recalled our G.S. graduation at the Aristocrat in Cubao where we sang "When you walk through a storm, keep your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark." On his part, Francis recounted the time when a rugged military truck would enter the school compound just to fetch Ed Castro and Arturo Sabado and their brothers.

          The exchanges shifted to our classmates. Of Herbert Sy being good in basketball, of Jerry Singson as the younger brother of Chavit, of the Ututalum brothers, of Rod Salazar driving his own grey Valiant, of Antonio Lumanlan as being the son of the Chief of Police of Pampanga, of Perry Santos, who used to live in the same area, as splitting my Spanish book into two whenever an inspection was made, of Joseph Manapat's family as owners of Green Valley Resort in Antipolo in the 70's, of Manuel Pinto as a son of the co-owners of Max's Chicken, of Mike Velasco as a tough guy, of Manuel Montemayor attending an LSQC homecoming, of Jonathan Garcia as Provincial Commander of Cavite province, of Eric Cammayo being sighted somewhere in Katipunan in the 70;s, of Fadul and the Olizon brothers....and many, many more.

         The stories, vividly recalled, amused us no end that we didnt notice that twilight had come. We were so engrossed that everybody momentarily stopped being time-conscious. But it was now time to say goodbye, to say "thank you" to our generous hosts. As we walked past the driveway, I took one last shot of the basketball court. It was my linkage to Andy in the 60's. And it will continue to be as such.

          Greg and Francis boarded Francis' Honda City as I maneuvered my car near the far end of 13th Avenue. I turned left at Broadway and turned right at Espana Extrension with the intention of driving to Marikina Riverbanks for some pirated DVDs. I turned left again at Tomas Morato Avenue but just as I was approaching the traffic lights, I made a sudden U-turn. I had a change of mind. I opted to proceed to Cubao instead and had my hearing aid checked and cleaned. Again, that was a sign of being flexible. Or was it being fickle-minded? Here we go again!!!

- Konted

Pool between the main house and Andy's office

  

A covered walkway connects house to office

2 storey -office of Andy

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Baked Macaroni

Tender Beef

Peachy-peachy

Part of Andy's physical fitness equipment

With Andy

Mrs. Letty Jimenez ready to assist us

Francis P, Prof Greg, Mr. & Mrs. Jimenez

Another group photo

A late lunch

A toast to our classmates

Classic cars

Just couldn't beat Andy in our grade school days