Wow, Naomi, you have such good memory, how can you remember the names of all these people. I can't even remember the name of a person just introduced to me a minute ago!
Everyone, do you remember Fr. Bill Kreutz, SJ who we used to swoon over and we all had a crush on especially our 'barkada' of tall people like Teng, Thelma, Malou Asuncion, myself (Ching), Mary Careaga, Maleng, Ollie dela Paz? He is President of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University and he comes to the US every couple of years on a solicitation visit for the school scholarship program. He calls me everytime he is around and we spend time together. He is not a handsome devonair anymore - he has traces of old age now. I just laughed whenever I remember how we chased him everywhere and we had all the fantasies about him.
Have a good day all, til next time.
Some other names to remember: Elizabeth Valimento, Consuelo Aquende, Rosario Advincula, Marivic Berlin, Ramona Loinaz, Victoria Olegario, Victoria Dans, Rosalinda Javier, Thelma Satin.
Teachers - Mrs. Lansigan, Ms Vitin, Ms. Corazon Monzon, Ms. Mercedes Esquivel, Ms. Eufrocina Chua, Ms. Adelita Briones, Ms. Carmen Victoria, Mother Divine Child, Sr. Consuelo (Mother Good Counsel)
Remember when:
We were in Grade 7 in the open air classroom and we would play 'shato' with sticks just outside the classroom.?
We had initiations for the 'Nutty Putties'?
We used to play 'train' and nobody wanted to be at the end of the train unless you wanted to be really whipped around?
We had Chemistry class and we saw the beautiful purple shade of potassium permanganate? I never forgot that. It was such a beautiful purple color and I had never seen it before then.
Ms. Bella Reyes (Math) used to wear such beautiful cross-stitch embroidery because she said she suffered from insomnia and would do cross-stitch when she was awake at night?
We were on Retreat one weekend and when we had class after that Sr. Anthony scolded us because some of us were up in the champaca (or was that ilang-ilang?) tree in our white gala uniforms.
The novitiate was such a wonderful place to visit because it was always very quiet, very clean, and had a very nice chapel.
You could visit the big chapel (the one with 3 sections, one for St. Domitillas, one for St. Euphrasia's and the middle was the nuns' section) during recess and hear the nuns chanting (was it the Gregorian chant of Psalms?)
The bell would ring for Angelus at noon time and everybody would pause?
Take car and God bless you....
Most of you were right. bulldog is Ms. C. She had that muscular look, sakang nga siya with thick lips and shoulder length hair. She never smiled that is why we called her bulldog. It was also Sr. Claude who would end all her sentences with 'isn't it?' And it was also Sr. Teresa who was the terror History teacher. Lucky me, I was also one of her favorites - she would always complement me for my sweet smile. She also had chocolates to give away. Nabigyan na ako when she asked me to sing in front of the class and I graciously accepted the challenge and sang my favorite song 'Sealed with a Kiss', Ang baduy talaga...
Talked to Sr. Teresita Fiel - she is with SBS Batangas - she cannot make it to the reunion. I also talked to Sr. Patrick - remember her? She was the one who modeled the new nun's uniform. She still had the same sweet voice. She has not texted me yet to inform if she can make it to the reunion. Sr. Jeanette Rimando - remember her? our sociology teacher and SCA moderator, is in Madagascar - email is jctrolf@yahoo.com. Sr. Bota is Sr. Vincent - remember the idiot board that Ely would put up when we were asked to recite 'Mi Ultimo Adios'? She would utter 'Muy bien'... But according to Aida San Pascual - when it was her turn to recite, the idiot board was missing... cruel 'nyo talaga! I have a picture of Ms. Galisim - she has aged a lot. - will download the picture as soon as I have it scanned. There is a 'Trip Down Memory Lane' portion in our reunion where each one will be asked about her memories of the good 'ol days. I wonder what surprises are in store for that activity.
I was able to see Cynthia Kangleon in Cebu in 1977. She is a registered nurse. For all you nkow, she may already be in the States.
Yolanda Gispin, Malou Asuncion, Gwen, Sandy, Bessie and Chato will not be able to join us. SAYANG! Remember Ms. Aguilar? We were responsible for her being kicked out of SBS. Poor thing, I heard she died at a young age.
Remember also how we beat all of them in all activities when we were only in second year? We were champions in all activities. Nobody could beat us. Unfortunately, we were all busy minding our own organizations in 4th year, wala na tayong awards noon.
Wala tayong naiwan na legacy when we left. Wala nga ba?
Sheila, I think I need help remembering those 'important meetings and inquiries on that katuray hill'.
Wasn't Grade 4 our last year s Domitillans in teh old building by Batino Street? I remember walking to school just 3 blocks from our house in Project 3. That was the year when we were in the same class as some girls from the orphanage run by the Good Shepherd Sisters. It was in Grade 5 when they moved us to the new building and we were separated from the Domitillans. Then construction began, I don't remember if that construction led to designating us temporary open shelters for our classrooms. And true enough, that was the start of the infrastructure overtaking the lovely garden and peaceful environment.
My most horrible memory of going to and coming from scholl was when one of the orphans would wait for me to pass by St. Domitilla's, block my path and keep me from walking. Almost every day, I would run for my life until I found refuge in my elder sister who promised to be my waslking buddy. I think her name was Suzette and she had a big birthmark on her face.
Remember our Grace 4 'Frosty the Snowman' Christmas dance performance, with Olivia as the tall Snowman clad in white paper costume? Ms. Belardo was our coreographer.
Miss/Sr. Elenita Belardo who was a novice at that time would encourage us to read in front of the class and give stampitas and scapular as incentives to those who do well in class. She inspired me to write my essay 'I Want to be a Nun' (Wala rin, when she left, my dream vanished . Aba, bata pa nag-asawa na. My son is 22 and my daughter is 21). By the way, the last tme I saw her was in the early 90's somewhere in Mindanao (Davao maybe) when we were both participants in a conference of community based organizations. She was there as a rural missionary and I was there as a community worker helping plantation workers in their education needs.
Ms. Terenal(?) was our History teacher and our class adviser in Grade 7. I wonder how many sections we had in Gr.7 Wasn't she the teacher who would say 'go to Timbuktu' everytime our class was in pandemonium. She taught us how to pronounce Edinburgh as 'E-din-bu-ro and not as spelled.
'Valederi, valdera,valdera, valderahahaha... my knapsack on my back' - I still sing this song to my kids and husband who would frown at me and wonder where in the world I got this out-of-this world song. That was from our lovely Music teacher in Grade 7. Yes, Naomi, now I remember she was with the Madrigal Singers. I never learned how to read notes but at least, I can follow notes with my ears.
Remember the singing competitions? My elder sister, Elizabeth, joined a singing group and they practices a lot at our house, with the twin Gloria sisters. Dis our batch join any of the competition? I know Susan played the guitar really well.
We all probably have the same hadnwriting as Bridgetines because of our Writing subject - using the standard writing notebook, and standard writing techniques. I had 2 other Bridgetine sisters and we have almost identical writing styles.
Was it Mother Divine Child who imposed a fine or penalty for every Tagalog word that was spoken in school? This may be in Stella Maris. I'm not sure.
Yes, Sr. Claude was Sister 'Isn't it' She was our Math teacher who taught such stuff as distributive properties etc. She assigned me to Mara Loinaz and I ended up tutoring her in Math. I remember spending some hours with her in her St. Ignatius residence. The last time I met Mara was in 1986 when I went to see Mamita Pardo de Tavera (her mom) at theri house. Mamita was then a board member of a nonprofit agency where I worked.
I also worked for a few months in early 1986 for Sr. Sol Perpinan as Secretary of the Third World Movement Against the Exploitation of Women (TW-MAE-W) . After I was released from one year imprisonment as a political detainee, I apporached Ms. Borja of SBS for some work in Manila. She referred me to the principal (I don't remember her name) who facilitated my connection with Sr. Sol. Was it religion that Sr. Sol taught us? I remember Sr. as the ever-enthusiastic teacher who I believe comes from an affluent background.
Calachuch, butiki, tuko, shato, trip to Mental Hospital, katuray on top of the hill, hey, my old brain cells are re-charging! But most of all, my SBS days are reviving such youthful memories.
PS - Sorry can't cope with the speed of your email exchanges - I read them only when I come home from work. Keep them coming though, I enjoy every bit of your stories!