Making the Connection
March 9, 2007
I am very happy, too, renewing ties with all of you after all theseyears. Only Bert padrigon and I were together until college because we both studied in Ateneo de Naga. Si Felino din yata, but maybe he took a different course, I can't remember now. Most of you studied in Manila, and even on vacations, we hardly got together after a while. I'm glad to hear again from Rudy (I remember we were able to talk by phone and set a schedule for a meeting, but I think EDSA I happened and that meeting didn't push through, and eventually we lost contact with each other. That was a long time ago.) It seems Marybeth is the most "productive" with three childen, five grandchildren and another soon to come.
I hope the others with email addresses here, will also post their messages - Joe Sales, Eddie Canela - paramdaman naman dyan. I again posted more "oldies but goodies" pictures from Men in the Files Folder. You will really enjoy these, pabata-nang-pabata -elementary days pa!
toti
I am very happy, too, renewing ties with all of you after all theseyears. Only Bert padrigon and I were together until college because we both studied in Ateneo de Naga. Si Felino din yata, but maybe he took a different course, I can't remember now. Most of you studied in Manila, and even on vacations, we hardly got together after a while. I'm glad to hear again from Rudy (I remember we were able to talk by phone and set a schedule for a meeting, but I think EDSA I happened and that meeting didn't push through, and eventually we lost contact with each other. That was a long time ago.) It seems Marybeth is the most "productive" with three childen, five grandchildren and another soon to come.
I hope the others with email addresses here, will also post their messages - Joe Sales, Eddie Canela - paramdaman naman dyan. I again posted more "oldies but goodies" pictures from Men in the Files Folder. You will really enjoy these, pabata-nang-pabata -elementary days pa!
toti
14 comments:
Mar 29
Dear Toti and Ed,
You two, are driving me crazy - you're both doing great and am really sooo proud to have known both of you. Makes me feel like "walang pakinabang sa akin ang mundo". Toti, sayang naman, wala kang tagapagmana ng brains and good looks mo he he.
Hugs,
Men
Mar 29
Dear Men,
Well, there's still something positive there, di na ako nagdagdag sa dami ng tao sa mundo. There's enough improvement in the human race,di ba? Iyong mga anak ninyo would be examples. Meron ng lawyers, doctors, another pilot, etc. Dami na nuon!
toti
mar 30
Hi Men…ok lang. IHeto, busy the whole day. Had my first nice mental gym with Toti tonight. Ang galing nya! I agree that Toti should have one or two tagapagmanas….but would he still be as great? He, he, he…biro lang! This is called the tyranny of choice and I understand…This is only a sign that we need to hear more of you Toti! Hugsssss
Ed Canela
april 3, 2007
Dear Toti,
This picture was taken before the wedding of my eldest son (standing in the center) last December, 2006. You ask me to send you a picture showing the family. My contribution to mankind. . . There is a proverb that says" to preserve your name in posterity you either 1. Plant a Tree.. 2. Write a Book . 3. Or Bear a Son. I think the last option is still possible for you, unless I don't know something. he-he-he. Joke Only!
regards,
Rory
Apr 3
rory, i recall that i had planted a tree on several occasions when I was still in government, i was also a co-author of one book, but I don't think i have borne a son. But that's still two out of three? Pwede na yon!
cheers.
toti
Hi Toti,
Very busy ha! Anyway, si Larry naman, I mentioned to him that you sent me a picture of our class in DES and he wanted me to give him a copy, since it belongs to you, is it OK for me to forward a copy to him? And he confirmed to me that Poldo Nagera and Adel Ables passed away already. Didoy according to him is in California and so with Ato Estrada. I also asked my cousin Marilou Yu to contact Alot for my contribution to the reunion. I think she texted Alot already and just figuring out how she will hand the money to Alot. I really regret the fact that on such an important gathering, after 40 years, I can't be there. I just hope that next year or in 2009, another gathering of class '67 will be planned. With ample notice to us here in the States, I'm pretty sure we will have a 100% attendance from everyone here. So, HAPPY EASTER to you and may you have a lot of fun in Daet which I'm sure you will have.
Danny
Dear Danny,
No problem forwarding the picture to Larry. Please give my regards to him. I didn't know about Adel's going away too. Grabe ano, so many from our DPS and DES batch have passed away. Guess, we're lucky to be still here. Still have a mission to do, o masamang damo?
I read about what you wrote about me being up early, I guess, you're right about the age having to do with it. Normally, I'm up at 4 am, even if I sleep late. At times, I get up even earlier, like today it's 2:56 am, I've been reading the emails since about 30 minutes ago. And I don't feel like a zombie during daytime. Normal na yata pagtumatanda that you don't need as much sleep. But you're older than me, Danny, you should know! ha ha!
Sayang, many of you won't be able to come.We should all see each other again, before a (+) is added by Men to our name.
Susan and I were texting each other yesterday. I was prodding her to start using the internet, so she'll be into the loop. I even told her, that we're now behind because now you're into 'Skypeing'. She has her own computer in the room, but she says she has no time yet to study how to use the internet. She's doing the landscaping of a 5 hectare property near the slopes of Mt. Isarog. Sabi ko, tinatamad
lang sya.
I tried texting Mendy and Baby but there was no response from them yesterday, Good Friday. Siguro nagni-nilay-nilay.
Ok Danny, It's still Good Friday there, so find some time to pass by the church para "mag-tika" ka sa yong mga kasalanan!
Toti
apr 7
Hi Toti,
You are not alone. Me? I'm self-employed, no hurry to wake up early, pero ang nakakainis, maaga din ang gising. Ed and me had a nice skypeing again today. He sleeps late too. Sabi ko mag set up siya nang skype during the reunion para magkausap-usap tayo. Kaya niya raw iyon. That is, kung makaka attend siya. Medyo nagninilay-nilay din ako ngayon. In fact, I'm fasting, kaya lang nagugutom na ang tiyan ko. Malapit ng magbukas ng ref para kumuha ng makakain. I will forward the picture to Larry. Again, HAPPY EASTER!
Danny
Danny,
You can also send this other class picture to Larry. He's No. 28 beside Ato Estrada. This is our Grade III picture, you were not in DES yet at that time.
Toti
apr 27
The inspiring speech of the genius Summa Cum Laude from UP did wonders. I was feeling a bit "ang pari" the past few days. (Use Men's Engalog Thesaurus - ang pari - depressed). Konting drama, why I'm still in this status - homeless, carless, and almost everything less, after all these years. Medyo nakabawi.
I'd like to share some true to life anecdotes (vignettes yata yong term ni Ed, mahirap kasi ang spelling just like fuschia, pink o red na lang). No relation at all to the speech, nothing that would uplift your soul. Instead of flash of genius, flashes of katangahan ang mga ito:
* When I was new in government service at the Department of Agrarian Reform in 1987, I requested our librarian to buy a copy of the latest Philippine Statistical Yearbook. After a week of waiting, I followed up my request. Wala pa rin daw. Another week passed, wala pa rin, until I got so fed up, I commented about how inefficient things really are in government. The librarian got angry and told me that I don't know government procedures - that there has to be three canvasses before making a purchase. (e the Phil. Statistical Yearbook can only be bought from the National Economic and Development Authority, wala naman sa mga bookstores, botica, or hardware).
* When I was already a Bureau Director and we were busy moving to our new room assignments, I heard the staff suddenly burst into unstoppable and scandalous laughter. I was transferring to a bigger room. My assistant director, an old lady who was about to retire (maybe 63 years old at that time), would occupy my room and move out from her former un-air-conditioned room. Her staff was asking her to leave her electric fan behind, because she will be moving into an air-conditioned room. Ayaw, she told her staff - "e paano kung mag-brown out?" (yahoo!)
* When I transferred to DAR-Bicol in 1995, I was assigned a desktop computer. I asked for diskettes (hindi na floppy diskette noon, but still a diskette, instead of the flash drive being used now). The diskettes came together with a memorandum receipt (MR). In government, whenever you are assigned a property, you sign a MR – like you sign an MR for the aircon, tables, chairs, and other properties that you're held accountable for. Tulala ako, even for diskette, you have to sign an MR for. Sabi ko, paano yan, when I retire, I have to surrender all the diskettes that I signed for?
* This time, ako naman ang palpak. I transferred to Camarines Sur as provincial agrarian reform officer in 1996. I was strict with financial matters. During the first month, I really reviewed all vouchers, and I asked that I be the one to approve releases of gasoline (malaki kasi iyong expenses). So, everyday I signed the allocation of gasoline for those who have assigned vehicles. I noticed that many always put "extra gasoline" in the request. I got suspicious that many were exceeding their weekly allocation, I called my staff. I asked about the weekly allocation of each, then asked why almost everyone was asking for "extra gasoline"? Sir, brand name po ang "extra"!!!!!!
* Biggest palpak. This happened in one of the barangays in Dolores, Quezon, a municipality at the foot of Mt. Banahaw. I was conducting a training for the community members of a certain project. The training was held late afternoons and evenings because the residents were working during daytime. I started my lecture past 5 pm, and ended past 6 pm. The two staff whom I hired to assist me took over while I went to one of the small round tables and got a plate with one whole cassava cake (not just one piece, one whole talaga). There were many forks on the plate. So I got one and placed the rest of the forks on the other plate. Paborito ko ang buding (cassava cake), so I ate, and ate, and ate. Naubos ko iyong cake. When dinner time came around 7 pm, I couldn't eat. I was really full after eating the whole cassava cake. My staff told me, pano kaya sir, kinain mo iyong buong cake na para sa mga assigned sa table na yon. Ha, that's why there were many forks on the plate!!!!
Last, tungkol sa patay,
I was still in Naga City, teaching in Ateneo de Naga after college when my father died on Sept 21, 1972 (the date of martial law, just a co-incidence, my father was not an activist like Danny). I went home to Daet and spent a few days until the burial. Then I went back to Naga. A friend passed by the place I was staying and informed me about another friend who's father also died. So, in the evening we went to the wake. I greeted our friend "condolence", and she answered, "same to you"!
o tama na iyan, It's 5:10 am , I still have to cook breakfast.
Toti
apr 24
Ed must really be an internet quiet zone. We'll miss his daily/hourly messages. As Marybeth has observed, the activity in our egroup has died down a little. I don't know if you still chat via skype. We
miss the postings of Irma, Violeta, Bert, and of course Fechie who'll probably not have any time to open her email now.
We all send our sympathy to our dear friend Fechie for the loss of her brother, and at the same time wish to console her that his brother has now finally overcome the pain and sufferings brought about by his illness. He is now at rest and happy with his Creator. The pain now, is with those who are left behind, which is normal because we always mourn the loss of someone dear to us. But this period will soon come to pass. Our prayers for the eternal rest of Armando and for his family and to Fechie, that they'll be able to move on.
I hope in a few days, our egroup will once again be active. I too am very busy this week, preparing for my presentation on Thursday. Last weekend, I worked on improving the CDs we presented during the Reunion. I'm sure to finish this before Fechie leaves.
I admire Alot's daily routine. She starts the day with a prayer in the office, open her email, laugh a little, and start with the day's work.
Wish everyone of you a great day!
Toti
Apr 24
Continuation of my earlier email.
I forgot to add Rudy among the postings we miss. At the same time, we're glad that Marynat has become active in our egroup.
There are two opportunities for the Manila group to meet once again. First is to send off Fechie on May 1, which is a holiday, so almost everyone should be free. The other is the trip to Manila of Dra. Yoly (Bert probably know the schedule). Mas maganda sana if both of them are here on May 1. So, Manila group (which has become bigger) - RORI, BERT, ALOT, BABY (NEMIA), TESS, MARYNAT, and myself and RUDY (if he's here in Manila at that time, we don't know his schedules), please prepare. Let's have lunch together with Fechie and/or Yoly. This is our opportunity to see Marynat, finally. Please standby for further announcements. Charge the batteries of your cameras so we can again have KODAKAN!
Toti
Apr 24
Suerte ninyo diyan! Pakisabi din ki Bert na pakikumusta ako kay Dra. Yoly, ha!
Danny
Toti,
When I've read the valedictory address from the genius summa cum laude from UP, you're the first person that comes in mind. I salute you and the very few who have sacrificed for the many like me who roller coast and reap the benefits. No less than a recognition is in order. For the case in point, I may not be proud of myself but KUDOS to you, exceptionally few.
By the way Toti, to be fair to my daughter I am sending our photo together taken sometime ago. I hope it is not yet too late for inclusion in the CD.
Men- thank you for kind words regarding my family. Best Regards.
Rudy
Apr 28
Dear Toti,
Like Rudy, I salute you for all you've done. You're one of the few guys I admire. Kudos to you! and thank you.
Men
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