We got there, at si Riz naman na "mamang-mama ang dating", ang sumalubong sa amin.  The girls were busy preparing the table.  At last... nakita rin namin sina Tess at Dana at ang mga tsikiting na laging nasa website!....nakita ko rin in person ang mga famous landmarks sa bahay nila na laging nasa mga pictures pag may bisita sa Los Angeles area.  And we have a lot of time to catch up not like the 2-hour reunion that we had 10 years ago.

Busog pa kami pero we can't resist the laing, sinigang, adobo, tapa at ang dami-dami pang iba kaya tsibug uli kami.  Parang mga kamag-anak kami na matagal nang hindi nagkita.  The night was filled with laughter at walang tapos na kwentuhan. At first, naninimbang ang mga anak ko.  Si Charmaine, tuwang-tuwa sa kambal ni Lex at nag-blend in kaaagad.  It's hard to distinguish the twins other than Fe's missing front tooth.  Si Caitlyn medyo mahiyain pa... pero kumanta rin kasama ni Charmaine ng tagalog composition ni Kuya Nato, "Basta't Kapiling Ka". 

I never laugh as much as I did that night.  Kwentuhan ng mga buhay-buhay dito sa Amerika.  Biruan at tuksuhan and mga damatan...habang busy naman sa paglalaro ang mga bata.  Almost 12:00 na bago nagpaalam sina Riz. We were left at the Parados to spend the night there.  Habang natutulog na sa executive suite ng "Parado Inn" ang pamilya ko, kwentuhan naman kami ni Lex hanggang 2:00 a.m.. 

Saturday (March 16):  Late na ako nagising pero yung mag-asawang Lex & Tess ay maaga nagising.  Gising na daw si Tess ng 6 am .  Nagprepare ng tapsilog si Lex na gustong-gusto ni Charmaine.  Chona joined us at 9:00. Kwentuhan uli habang nagbre-breakfast. Isa-isa namang naghihintay ang mga tsikiting ni Tess ng turn nila sa shower. 

Got a call from Diana and she told us she will be in to give us a ride to Riz and Dana's place at around 11:30.  Medyo kwentuhan sa phone...naka-pajama pa raw si Diana kaya we have to cut the call short so they can get ready.  Kwentuhan uli kami nila Lex & Tess. 

Nagpi-pictorial kami ng dumaling ang mga Gonzaleses.  We get to meet Tony (Bodge).  Akala ko suplada si Diana noong high school at hindi ko alam na makwento rin pala sya.  She's cool.  Ganoon din si Tony.  They were both very candid and down-to-earth. We get along well right away at palagay agad ang loob namin sa kanila.  We get a chance to hear about the mini-reunion with Diana in the Philippines and Tony's homecoming in San Beda on our ride to Buena Park.  Cute ng mga anak nila Diana. 

We arrived at the Riz and Dana's place.  Again, I get to see the famous landmarks in the Bautista residence (like the stone-wall). Pagdating kina Riz, we got a chance to see Diana and Tony's pictures ng Philippine visit nila. Tony conveyed how the reunions changed them and how he admire the closeness in our batch.  Kainan uli ng mga masasarap na pagkain at katakot-takot na kwentuhan at tawanan.  Ang sarap ng special salad ni Dana (Chona is still asking and waiting for the recipe, Dana) at may special rice with curry and other stuff si Diana. Ang sarap-sarap.

Kumanta si Diana at Charmaine ng "Argentina". Mana rin ang anak nyang si Ysabel na kumanta ng "I will Survive".  Si Charmaine (Wind Beneath My Wings) at Francis (Surfing USA) din nakiki-karaoke and they are trying to outscore one another.  Caitlyn and Kris were busy with the pool table in the garage and with "Lucky", their pom dog outside the backyard.  Click yung dalawa at magkasama maghapon at nagpalitan pa nga bracelets as sign of their friendship. 

Kami namang mga parents, busy sa dining table sa kwentuhan....we talked about a lot of stuff.  Mahilig pala sa skiing yung mag-asawang Tony-Diana.  We also talked about "raffles" and "undergrounds" .....(INSIDE JOKE)......  Lumaki na naman lalo ang tyan ko sa dami ng pagkain at sa katatawa din.  Enjoy talaga kasama ang California group....Si Dana....she's a riot (thank God Felix warned Chona about her....being loud!)  Chona loved that kasi ganoon din sya.  Game na game sa mga biruan sina Dana at Tess.  Riz and Tony shared the same interest in golf.  Lex and I would take our video cameras once in a while and take some shots.  So after the kantahan, syetehan, iyakan (ng mga bata....may nahulog, may naumpog, may nag-aaway)....Lex and Tess did not forget the most important thing...to go to the church. 

The Bautistas opted to stay with the kids and they will go to mass the next day.  Sabi nga ni Riz para makasimba raw kami ng holding hands.  So tatlong pairs and the Parado twins na sama-samang kaming nag-simba.  Maganda at masaya ang Mass sa church nila. 

Pagbalik namin...kainan uli, kantahan uli at tsattsatan uli.  Dana's mom joined us, too.  Si Diana, ang daming pasalubong sa amin from the Philippines.  May flute, hawaiian shirts at iba-iba pa.  May binigay din syang t-shirt from Ching Cabildo....nakakatuwa si Ching at naalala pa ako.

Charmaine and Caitlyn were requested to sing "Basta't Kapiling Ka" again.  And I sang my composition for Chona, "Para Sa Yo"....complete with a kiss after the song (buyo si Tony eh!)  Ysabel and Greg did a cute rendition of  a Pilipino poem "Paru-parong Dilaw".  Then Ysabel, Denise, Kris and Francis did their great classical piano pieces.  It was a great show of various talents.

Then final call for the all-day buffet!  We must have gained 10 lbs!  Final chance for more stories, too.  So we gathered around the table again for more sessions. 

About the grand reunion next year, we compared notes and we all agreed that vacation time here in America (preferably early July)  would be the best time to go back so we can take the kids with us and we want to be able to maximize our stay without disrupting their schooling.  We want to get the most of the high airfare and we want to be able to visit relatives back home, too.  Diana was suggesting to have some activities for the kids as well.

The sad part came at 9:30 when we have to leave for the airport.  Diana, Tony, Ysabel and Greg said goodbye....Tony will be working early the next day.  Riz and Lex help us load our luggages in Riz' van.  And Lex wanted to take us to the airport, too.  But there is no point because we will just be dropped-off.  Ang hirap talagang maghiwa-hiwalay after such a fun day.  We will treasure our 1/2 days with our Californian friends forever.  Sina Diana-Tony kahit na isang araw lang naming nakasama parang matagal na naming kakilala and we get to know each other well.

To all our friends in Ca, thanks uli sa hospitality and gifts na binigay ninyo sa aking pamilya.  It's great to have friends like you guys!!!  You guys are the best!!!
 

-----Original Message-----
From: CheChe Cruz [mailto:chechec@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 9:25 PM
To: vbuzon@kpmg.ca; henrique@info.com.ph
Cc: Evelyn B YNTE; hakunamatata0114@wowmail.com
Subject: PRECILA CONCEPCION-CRUZ

Greetings to both of you, Fr. Erick and Val (a.k.a. Happy Man)!

When I found out about KaEskwela from Fernan Celis and Evelyn Bautista-Ynte, I browsed through it immediately and found my name in the Wanted List.

I'm not really sure if you guys remember me. I'm not one of the popular ones kasi sa high school. Anyway, ako nga pala si PRECILA CONCEPCION-CRUZ (CheChe), married to Edgardo C. Cruz, a Civil/Structural Engineer. He works as General Manager/Associate of ESCA, Inc. (an Engineering and Consultancy firm). We are blessed with 4 WONDERFUL children. My eldest, Yvette Kyla, 18, is a Computer Science freshman at De La Salle University. Yvette Kryska, 16, will be a senior in June and Yvette Kryzel, 10, will be in 5th grade, both in Miriam College. Our youngest and only boy, Yves Krixander is 6 yrs. old and has just finished Kindergarten. Ako naman....would you believe? The once happy go lucky girl na sobrang magulo at maharot will turn out to be domesticated? Pang bahay pala ako! I quit my job when my eldest was 4 years old. Di ko kasi nakayanan yung everyday I leave the house, puro luha't sipon kami ng anak ko, as if di na kami magkikita uli. Since I'm a simple person who wants to live a simple life, I decided to stay home na lang. I take my children to school everyday. Yes, family driver ako for 14 years now. 

I have attached some pictures of my 4 angels. Sayang, I can't find my picture with Celia Tañafranca-Carrillo taken when I went to visit her in Walnut, California. I told her about the reunion and just like everybody else, excited na rin siya. In fact, she cancelled our plan of going to Hongkong this year with Evelyn. Ire-reserve na lang daw nya yung kanyang leave for next year. You can reach her at this number (909) 4441870.

I guess, this is all for now. I'll try to help in tracking down some of our batchmates. See you, guys.

CheChe
SS Virgo

Update - I visited  Mel Gatchalian  in his residence at Tecson. He works as Special Agent at NBI, NCR Group. He's married and has a son (I think 5 yrs old). His cell # is 0916-317-8784.

Surprise - RAFFY GALVEZ , M3 batch 78, just dropped by and paid me a courtesy business call as a prospective Jollibee supplier. He works as Parts & Material Manager for Saturn Autospec, Inc., a 5-star automotive Center. His phone # 640-1111 loc. 601 & 602. Office e-mail address saimktg@nwave.net.

Please include the  e-mail address of Evelyn Bautista Ynte (Virgo '78) who is presently working as the administrative secretary at Immaculate Conception Academy of of Manila (ICAM).  We were together in baguio during their faculty retreat which I facilitated.Her e-mail address is ynte4everyoung@yahoo.com

I have noticed that the name of Aimee Librojo is included in the WANTED LIST.  Unknown to you, I have found Aimee several years ago while she was doing volunteer works at the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Mandaluyong City.  She was then the animator of the altar servers or acolytes.

Lately, I was sent her contact number by our common friend.  While she lives in far-away Cavite, she has been doing Legion of Mary Corporal Works of Mercy (visiting the sick, the prisoners, etc.).  She is a single parent and has a child whom she rears by her lonesome self.

I will try to get some more informations about her; maybe a picture also so that we can feature her next issue.

About three (3) years ago, I happened to see Joy Manalili in a department store and she mentioned to me that she was working in the US Embassy here in Manila. 

In one of my business trips to Cebu, maybe about four years ago, I saw Norberto Santiago at the Manila Domestic Airport working as an airport policeman.  Maybe he is still working there. Don't you worry, I'll try to trace him again.

Ireneo "Butch" Bisquerra (aka Lolo) is now in USA, but I don't know exactly where he he lives there.  According to his brother, he and his family migrated in the US in 1998.  But before he left, I saw him at the Heart Center of the Philippines working as a Resident Doctor in that hospital. I'll try to get his e-mail address from his brother here in Maypajo, Caloocan.

About Ludwig Bertubin, I personally visited their house in Bulacan Street, Gagalangin, Tondo just last Tuesday but unfortunately, they are no longer living there and the house is no longer theirs. I was able to talk to the new house owner. So, sad...