Forty-three Years: A College Reunion

 

It has been a year in the making. Twelve classmates from the Arellano University BSN group section 2  congregated in Melbourne, Florida to enjoy each other in celebration of our 43rd anniversary of finishing a rigorous nursing program in the Philippines in 1980.

The reunion was boisterous and funny. The activities were carefully planned by the master event planner team of Floridians Janet and her hubby Arnold. Shirley, from nearby West Palm Beach, also offered her insights on the must-to-do lists for our grand reunion. The classmates came from New York (Nenita, Jo, and Ces), New Jersey (Ampy), California (Lita and Luz), Canada (Mate), Austria (Amie), Norway (Alma), our native land Philippines (Cely), and Florida (Janet and Shirley).

Forty-three years ago, our conversations were about clinical rotations, tests, reports, and our crushes. As twenty-year-olds, our dreams were of passing the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) exams, our tickets for nursing jobs in America and Europe. We were excited to spread our wings and conquer the world. Those were the days of optimism and excitement for a whole realm of possibilities. Those were the days of laughter and unbridled joy.

Now, the conversations have become more unapologetically down-to-earth and reflective of our aging process: bowel elimination, sex (or lack of it), aches and pains, and surgeries. Some are retired and some are still toiling for the almighty dollar. Some of us have embraced their apostolic duties (a pun on “apo” or grandchildren) and others are just patiently waiting for our kids to settle down. We have overcome our inhibitions and no subject is taboo. Our talks were raw and honest, but there was plenty of silliness and laughter.

May 1, 1023, Day 1 of our much-awaited reunion. Thank you to Arnold and Gerry who were volun-told by their spouses to serve as our drivers for the week. We checked in at our hotel and squealed with excitement when we saw each other in Ampy’s room.  Then off to dinner at Janet's home. Twelve women converged and reminisced about our nursing student days. Those who are cooks prepare the food. Ampy’s sinigang was to die for and her tupig was just a hit. Some of us who didn’t have the passion and talent for cooking "supervised" (wink, wink, I see you, Alma). In fairness, we volunteered to wash the dishes.

I brought some copies of my books “Nursing Vignettes: and “ER Nurse: The Warrior Within”. Thank you, Mate, for the reminder to do the book signing (and also for putting up with the snores from your roommates).  It was a pleasure to sign those books for my classmates who have given me support and encouragement along the way. These classmates are big-time cheerleaders.

May 2, 2023, Day 2- Picnic at Paradise Beach where the waters were rough, too bad we're not surfers. Impromptu games (Charades, Pinoy Henyo, Musical game) and lots of laughter. Dinner at Janet's and Arnold's beautiful home. Swimming again with Zumba and line dancing lessons with Luz as the effervescent dance instructor. Luz seemed to forget that we had lost our sense of rhythm a long time ago. Our batchmate Dori, who is now a retiree in Florida, joined us in our festivities.

Then the slideshow presentation of our college years, and our reunion pictures. Nostalgic reminders of those easy-going student days, in our stiff blue and white uniforms, our starched caps on our heads, our minds filled with upcoming tests, but also of ways and manners to go on unsanctioned field trips. I proposed that we turn this slideshow into a Photobook, to replace the school yearbook that we never had (our printer ran away with the money.)

I love how each classmate spoke after their featured page to update us about their families. Cely started it off by stating that she made her plans around the reunion dates. It was very heartwarming to hear how she planned her other numerous activities to ensure that she gets to join every single reunion. I think somebody passed onions around because a few classmates were teary-eyed as we talked about the women we have become.

May 3, 2023, Day 3- Escapade to the Florida Keys- Key Largo, Islamorada, and Key West. We were in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. Posed with the giant lobster. We rode the glass-bottom boat that promised underwater vistas of colorful fishes and North America’s only living coral reef. Most of us didn’t have sailor’s legs. Thankfully the Dramamine worked for me. Some of us slept during the boat ride.

We discovered a nice restaurant just a few steps away from our hotel with a great ambiance and beautiful music from one of the aspiring singer-songwriters who were in town to celebrate the songwriters’ festival.  

May 4, 2023, Day 4- From Marathon, we drove to Key West. Crossed the 7-mile bridge, where the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico meet. We sang off-key as we paraded around the mile marker area with our lavender anniversary t-shirts (and the tarp) that Cely brought from the Philippines. Like a drill sergeant, Amie directed us on how to pose. Interestingly, the men were more amenable to directions.

A must-stop was a concrete buoy that marked the southernmost point in the continental United States, just a mere 90 miles to Cuba. We rode the Conch Trolley Hop-on Hop-off to tour around the New Town and the Old Town. Our first trolley driver Louie is half-Filipino and very funny.  We ended the day at Mallory Square, where we watched the sunset together. This is probably one of my poignant memories of this reunion, our arms on our classmates' shoulders.

May 5, 2023, Day 5- Cinco De Mayo. Miami Beach, Everglades National Park. Here in the swamps of the Everglades, where alligators lurked in the bushes. The Airboat glided across the "River of Grass", and the captain slowed it down as he named the birds along the way and tried to point out the alligators which were somehow hiding away. We learned the difference between an alligator and a crocodile.  I thought to myself, I will just run for my life first. We also zipped past the mangroves and sawgrass marshes. The fast ride through the river, the wind blowing our hair, was exhilarating. I think I would enjoy operating a speedboat.

Ces gave us a scare when she tried to retrieve a hat that was blown away. She dipped her toes on the pond near the entrance, only to have a baby alligator skitter away.

Dinner was a comedic finale to the long day. We rushed to Wellington Mall to eat at the food court only to learn that the dining area was closing. The nurses that we are, we quickly decided to order to go. The Lotus Express Chinese food staff were pleasantly surprised to get a last-minute influx of 19 hungry customers. With military precision, we gave our orders. We made it in time before the mall closed.

It was Nenita’s laugh-out-loud moment. We raced to the hotel to take over the dining room to eat our Chinese take-out. Nenita was ready to run, her food clutched in one hand, as she loudly wondered if she needed to retrieve her carry-on bag from the back of the van.

May 6, 2023, Day 6- Checked out of Hampton Inn, then off to Shirley's house for a sumptuous Cuban lunch at their West Palm Beach house. Thank you, Shirley and John. What a beautiful house, filled with plants like Janet's. Both plantitas. 

This is also when we pranked our Selfie Queen as we took our selfies when she forgot her phone on the table.  We (Alma, Ampy, Nenita, and I) hijacked her phone, clearly, we were still mischievous teenagers at heart. That was fun.

Planning for the next reunion. Hmmm, Norway in 2025, maybe? Stopped by Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, and Mar-a-Lago. Last day that we were together as a group of 12 classmates. Some of us flew back home while others went on a cruise to the Bahamas. Sadly, I could not go on a cruise (insert inside joke)

Thankful for Lita and Janet who kept their hubbies awake with all those driving. Thankful to Ces for being the “treasurer” and keeping our finances together. Thankful to every single one of my classmates who joined. We do miss our other friends who were not able to make it this time, but I'm sure wished they were there.

Shirley stated, “The reunion revived me”.  Lita reminded us that we are “her valued family”. It is a feeling shared by all of us. 

This reunion has many revelations:

• This group of women in their mid-sixties is still fun to be with. We are vibrant and ready to enjoy life fully. We have come into our own, confident of our place in this world.
• The spouses (Homer, Ed, Arnold, Gerry, Manny, Ofre, and Gary) who joined us on this trip were enjoying this reunion too. They bonded again on their own; in fact, they were more “game” to pose for pictures, followed the selfie queen’s directions very well, and used the reunion tarp more than the classmates themselves.
• That even as we aged, we were still young at heart. We accepted our wrinkles, for they are markers of a life well-lived. I must say that Alma maintained her slim figure and would still probably need to present her ID card at a bar.
• Ces and Primo's love story
• Even after all these years, we can be silly and we can laugh at any little thing.

Picture by Homer

This is what a class reunion looks like. We have traveled all around the world, each one forging a different path, each one successful in our own right. As we watched the gorgeous sunset of Key West, we were grateful for connecting and making more memories. Precious moments.

Nursing had been good to us. With our shared experience in the Philippines, we led parallel lives of surviving against the challenges. I know that each of us made a difference in our patients' lives. This is how we celebrated Nurses Week.

Other reunion posts:

College Reunions: Friends and Princeless Memories

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2018/09/what-is-it-about-college-reunions-that.html

Thirty-two Years Later- Thanks to Facebook

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2012/08/thirty-two-years-later-thanks-to.html

Thirty-One Years Later

https://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2011/10/thirty-one-years-later.html

College Reunions: Friends and Priceless Memories

What is it about college reunions that just makes you crave for more and leaves you with a feeling of good will that stay with you long after the last Facebook picture is posted? Just a week ago, I traveled all the way to Vienna, Austria from New York to reconnect with my college classmates. It has been 38 years since we graduated from the College of Nursing. 

Twelve classmates from all over the world (United States, Canada, Oman, Philippines) descended on to picturesque Vienna to bond over shared nostalgic reminiscences and to join the 60th birthday and retirement party of our classmate Amie. In 2011, a group of us met in Las Vegas. Since then, we met in New York, and in the Philippines. Reunions are addicting.

We find joy in going back in time to fondly remember the times when we struggled with school and clinical rotations. Our professors demanded that we submit our assignment on time, our clinical instructors watched us like hawks, and our parents waited for our school grades after every semester.

Nursing school was tough but we had fun. We came of age in the 70’s, with the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Eagles, and John Travolta. Somehow, we survived Martial Law and enjoyed the last three years together as Section 2 of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing class in Arellano University.

Half-day in classes with bookish professors then off to clinicals in V. Luna military hospital, Camp Crame, Mental Hospital, Quezon Institute, and the former GSIS Hospital. It was during our internships when we formed the deep bond that continue on long after the starched immaculately aprons and white caps have been replaced by scrubs and lab coats.

I remember our month-long rotation at the Plastic Surgery Ward where the patients welcomed each new group of nurses with enthusiasm and excitement. These were the soldiers disfigured by war in Southern Philippines. The student nurses were part-nurse, part-social worker, but we were actually entertainers for those suffering from depression, homesickness, and loneliness. This was when a special soldier sang Elton John’s “Skyline Pigeon” to me; an almost love story that never came true.

Bonding over the tedious work of group thesis, often sharing secret crushes while munching on sweet delicacies. Those were care-free days, of a time when we managed to enjoy an occasional outing with the barkadas; of out-of town trips disguised as community health nursing sessions. Those were the days when we dreamed of graduation, so that we can begin our path to our professional career. Those were the days when we promised ourselves that we will conquer the world.

Thirty-eight years later, we come back together to reminisce about our college, as well as to celebrate the men and women we have all become. At this time, as we are all within retirement age, we finally have the personal time and better finances to take vacations together. No more small children to bring along the long trip.

We don’t have rose-colored glasses; our lives were punctuated with disappointments and trials along the way. But on that week in September, we all agreed that we have come a long way from the wide-eyed young adults with big dreams. We appreciated the successes we have achieved. The deep bond of life-long friendship and camaraderie came full-force as we got to know each other again. We are different now, all grown-up with aches and pains in our hips, and yet we are still the same classmates who giggled at every silly memory from thirty-eight years ago.

My favorite moments from this reunion are the simple ones: when we shared jokes and school stories during our long bus rides, when we voiced our concerns about each other's health, and when we talked about our families. When we were able to spend a few minutes to find what makes us sad and what makes us happy. When we showed how much we care for each other. As we sang “That’s What Friends Are For” at Amie’s party, we surreptitiously wiped away our tears. Then, as we all decided, just gave it our all as we danced/flailed to "Tayo'y Magsayawan." Hala Bira! PRICELESS.

Life is short. The friendship we sustained is invaluable. Yes, we need to plan the next college reunion. And we better have more classmates (about 25 of them) to come this time.

TRAVEL DIARY

Day 1 was travel time for me. Just a reminder that I have to save for Business Class accommodations next time.

Day 2 in Austria with 9 classmates from the Arellano University College of Nursing Class '80 section 2. Green is the color of the day. Bus ride to Salzburg then Ampy and I decided not to risk life and limb climbing a castle so we got separated from the group. Did our own tour walking the streets to the sound of our own music. The hills are alive, indeed, although we missed the chance to sing ala Julie Andrews. All the way to the Gardens. Under the rain past the bridge of padlocks. OMG, my aching feet. How I wish I'm 20 years younger. All worth it in the company of friends including Janet C who needs to go on Facebook. Thanks to our excellent hostess with the mostest Amie. Waiting for two more classmates Louie and Janita to arrive.

Day 3. Trip to Budapest, Hungary. Purple coding this time. Danke to Amie Carino Limjap for coordinating our expeditions. Sorry that you could not join us but we know you're busy with the prep for your big day. ASO! Enjoyable trip because of Aurora Villanueva, new Austrian friend who entertained us with her bugtong-bugtongan, fed us till we can't eat no more, and taught us German phrases. Ich danke dir sehr. The bus trip was so much fun and we learned interesting things about "bolitas" and pole dancing. Budapest is a beautiful country with impressive building architecture. So much history in this place. I would love to come back here again. The HopOn and HopOff bus ride and the cruise along the Danube River just teased us with a mere glimpse of the attractions and the culture with the majestic Parliament and churches that make the scenic Budapest skyline the "Paris of the East". The Danube bisects the hilly Buda side and the flat Pest side of the city.

Day 4. Prague, Czech Republic. Dobry vecer. Blue color coding for the day. As if we need to herd sheep along. It is difficult to keep 20 people together. Need more time to visit the place, five hours is not enough to explore Praha. Especially since I hate walking on the steep cobble steps up and down the side of the hills. Found a quaint Pinoy shop to eat Halo-halo which is being run by a Czech native married to a Pinay. Supposed to eat Czech food but ended up in Burger King Praha style. On the way to Prague, more bonding. Reminiscences of our nursing days, including a revelation on a college crush. Took the Flix bus then the train to Landstrasse station then to Hilton Intercontinental Hotel. Arrrggghhh! I definitely passed 10,000 steps today.

Day 5, Part 1: Exploring Vienna in our red AUCN reunion tshirts courtesy of mayora Cely De Belen Sabariaga. It must have been an extraordinary sight with our group of ladies and one gent (of a certain age) roaming around Vienna in our red shirts, us chattering away even as we (particularly me) struggle with the long walk. Started the day at Schonbrunn Palace where we posed to our hearts' delight. Then, the rest of the group went to the First District to shop for their Louie Vittons. Lita, her daughter Gerilyn, and I met up with Aurora to explore. We shopped for Lindt chocolates and enjoyed a cool cocoa drink,

Day 5, Part 2. Dear classmates, Thank you for the surprise advanced birthday treat. Your gesture certainly warms the heart, truly appreciated. We met up with the group to eat lunch at Brandauer's for authentic Austrian food. Then, surprise! I offered to treat the group but they turned around to treat me instead. Classmates, Thank you soooo much for the advanced birthday celebration. Four September birthday celebrants got our Austrian chocolate cake.Thanks Aurora for the Sacher torte and for your gift of time. Happy birthday to my fellow celebrants Lucy, Janita, and Gerilynn. A special thank you to Gerilynn for being our "mom" as she guided us through our stubbornness during our travels. Ich Danke dir sehr.

Day 6, Amie's 60th birthday celebration. With classmates from her nursing days at Arellano University. A surprise presentation. There is a longer version of our presentation. I did the into. Then we sang "That's what friends are for " (which made Amie cry). We followed that up with a rousing rendition of the VST & Company's "Tayo'y Magsayawan". Just with less than an hour of practice. Gutsy and heart-felt performance.

Thirty Two Years Later- Thanks to Facebook

(AUCN Class '80 Reunion, Section 2- August 3-5, 2012)

How can thirty two years apart just dissolve and bring us back to the years of our innocence when we were just student nurses at Arellano University in the Philippines?

We've led our own lives, raised our families, and lived through life's ups and downs separately and many thousand miles apart.

But on a hot sweltering long August week-end in New York and New Jersey, we've time-traveled back to reminisce about old times and laugh about our todays. The bond of our nursing student years remained and made us "sisters" and "brother".

How funny is it that our classmates were brought together by FaceBook? One by one, we discovered each other and learned about each other again. Last year, on September 30, nine classmates gathered in Las Vegas and met with two other classmates. Then we planned for the East Coast reunion.

So, on Friday, August 3rd 2012, in the middle of the Heat Wave, we (Nenita, Arlene, Ces, Lita, Luz and Janita) descended upon Manhattan and gave our respects to the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero. It was also the scene of the disintegrating sandals and of talks about liposuction.

The Millenium Hotel provided sanctuary from the heat. Finally, we met up with Cely, her husband Manny, sister Lucy and daughter Michelle. We were the "tambays", who partook of their water and their restrooms. And yes, Luz and I got matching bright pink flip-flops with the bling-bling. No AUCN museum for my torn sandals, just the serviceable garbage cans of Century 21.

Off to South Street Seaport we went. More chitchat, more laughs, more jokes especially from Arlene.

More pictures. Really, how many cameras did we have? Why couldn't we have just tagged each other?

Saturday, we suffered through a frustrating drive through Manhattan in search of the elusive Double Tree hotel. Lita's GPS gadget didn't know the difference between West Side and East Side, and seemed to want me to drive my Honda Pilot on to the Hudson River.Why can't downtown Manhattan be as easy to navigate as uptown numbered streets?

I was having road rage (not normal for me, I assure you), and my passengers sat patiently through the ride, and Cely and her family sat even more patiently for two hours waiting for us. Finally, after we picked up Arlene on the way, we (at long last)arrived at Ampy's house in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

More classmates , more screaming, more hugging. But before the talks, the ravenous group enjoyed the sumptuous feast prepared for us. Yoly with the sackful of corns, Primo and Ces with the desserts, Nenita and Marites with the cake, and of course, the generous hosts, Ampy and Opre.

We talked about our missing classmates- Rose, Trelly, Heidi,Althea,Carrie, Lorna Alma, Norma, Del, Fe, Louie, Inciong, Solly, Matilde, and Nancy Calma, and those who still needed to be lured to Facebook- Manny, Margie, Mildred, Cata, Janet Catalan, Shirley, Evelyn, Imee, Maribeth, Beth, and a lot of other classmates that we still have to hunt down.

We also tasked Lita with an important mission- "you know what we mean", (wink, wink):) of tracking "you-know-who".

There were twelve of us from section 2, Class '80. Ampy, Nenita, Yoly, Marites, and the husband-and-wife team of Primo and Ces had enjoyed each others' company long before we came tired from all that driving.

The pictures told the story. It is so uncanny and really marvelous that the long years in between just vanished in an instant, and we just chatted away, laughed at each others' jokes and picked up like we just graduated yesterday.

We spent overnight in Ampy's house, after a quick trip to Atlantic City. They gambled, I sat sipping my milkshake, despite the concerns from my friends that I might be picked up if I stayed alone by myself. Who would, when all around me young women paraded around in skimpy clothes? We really should be talking about Janita's winnings,

We celebrated Cely's birthday and 30th wedding anniversary. It was pure pleasure to see Cely's enjoyment of the occasion. How ironic is it that our visitor from the Philippines was the one who treated the group to a late lunch in Olive Garden in the middle of Times Square in Manhattan.

We met with the Norwegians Alma and Homer, who dropped off to NYC , from a tour of the US. Another 30-year wedding celebrants.

What's wrong with these people? Okay, that was just my inner goddess smirking because they apparently have not heard of the "impakto" exes.

There were a lot of memories and shared remembrances. I am proud to know them again. My classmates have "grown up". We've come a long way.

Our successes come in different ways. Despite the trials in our lives, we have achieved what we wanted in our lives. We all realize that it really doesn't matter what our status in life is. What matters is, there is someone out there, aside from our families, that we can call "sisters" and "brothers".



http://jcerrudocreations.blogspot.com/2011/10/thirty-one-years-later.html#comment-form

Thirty-One Years Later

What a wonderful and life-affirming experience to spend time with my dear classmates from the Arellano University College of Nursing. We might have led separate lives, and gone on to different pathways, but this last weekend, we bonded together again. Remembrances of clinical rotations at V. Luna, QI, Mental Hospital. Of Ever Emporium and Shakeys. Of terror professors and instructors. Of tests we've hurdled, and of skits, we've played for our patients. We've come a long way, baby.

October 1, 2011, was the 1st Global Reunion of the Arellano University College of Nursing held at the SouthPoint Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. From our school grounds at Legarda, Sampaloc, Manila, and thirty-one years later, to the bright neon lights amidst the concrete jungle of one-armed bandits in Las Vegas. Those slot machines do not interest me at all; I am an oddity in the midst of hungry-looking folks. But here, at last, alumni from our college gathered in the posh SouthPoint Hotel to celebrate. The excitement in the air was palpable. Anybody who looked Filipino was probably an alumnus or a spouse entrusted with the delicate task of taking pictures.

Our AUCN FaceBook group was created by Ampy after Althea, who's in the Philippines, started the search with a photo of fresh-faced and bright-eyed young men and women, BSN program, section 2, Class 1980, the last batch of the five-year curriculum. Hence, we've grown to 23 members. Because of various reasons, only nine of us made it to the gala but we snatched some time to see two more.

Sept. 30, 2011, Friday-

Woke up very late today, so naspu-naspu lang, and barely made it to my Delta Airways flight. After a stop-over at Salt Lake City, it was just my luck that a platinum blonde with bright red lips and short skirt sat in between me and a gullible middle-aged man. I pretended to sleep so she turned her sights to the male, but I heard Chatty Lady's life story as she proceeded to a dissertation of her life as a Political science professor who's deeply in love with her husband, who she's meeting in Las Vegas but he has the sniffles but hopefully better because they're watching the David Foster show then dinner with friends. She took the necessary pauses for breaths, but she shifted topics like a pro during the 45-minute flight. I swear that she must have been a Speed Talking Queen.  I'm not anti-social, but this lady brought Chatting to the ultimate level of Annoying Behavior on a Plane. TMI (too much information or, as I call it, Totally Migraine-Inducing).

AUCN Registration- 6pm SouthPoint Hotel
Met Louie at the hallway as we got lost looking at the reception room. Finally found the group, and the screaming began. The room was already filled with schoolmates from all the years, but I zeroed in on my Section 2 group.

Louie and I took turns hugging the other ladies. There they were, in casual wear. They didn't look much different from 31 years ago. Maybe a few wrinkles here and there, and some weight gain. It is what it is. But anything more than the ninety-eight pounds I was during my college years is expected. Who cares! But gone were the gangly, innocent, and carefree looks of our student years. Instead, I can proudly say that we all metamorphosed into sophisticated and self-assured ladies with strong personas, confident of our place in society and the successes we've achieved.

The classmates in attendance: Ampy, Rose, Lita, Luz, Janet, Arlene, Fe, Louie, and yours truly. I am so proud of all of you.

After the registration, I begged off to rest a little bit after my flight. Just needed to rest because the ear assault at the plane left me with a splitting headache. We all agreed to meet for a 9am breakfast.

Then at about 9pm LV time, I got a call from Lita. Trelly and Lorna were waiting at the hotel lobby to see us. Trelly came all the way from London with her hubby, but would not be able to make it to the gala because of her trip to California the next day. Lorna, who does live in Las Vegas, must have her hands full with her brother's family also visiting at the same time.

Another screaming match. Some hotel guests were smiling at the sight of grown Filipinas jumping and hugging at the same time. If you've seen pogo sticks, we looked like them.

We finally moved our tsikahan fest to Ampy's Timeshare condo nearby. This time, it was just Ampy, Rose, Lita, Janet, Trelly, Lorna and I .

Memories... lit the corners of our minds. Flashback thirty one years. Those were the days, my friends. And the talk just flowed, each and every single one of us bursting to share the warm memories of our years together. With our stiff aprons, blue and white sheer sucker uniforms and white nurses caps, we breezed through the years with carefree equanimity and the knowledge that the real life of nursing may be a lot different. But the years spent in the Philippines defined our work ethics and attitudes, and made us appreciate the nobility in our chosen profession.

As we talked, all the years in between faded away. We recaptured our youth as we relived the experience of not having real responsibilities yet; we were just student nurses, just within the cusp of a new milestone. We lived for the moment; sure we had our share of problems but we managed to enjoy our nursing years with a group that loved to have fun as well.

We swapped stories about our patients at V. Luna. Our past romances which sometimes involved our military patients. In my case, check my story of my Sam Milby look-alike soldier. Back then I was so embarrassed when another patient visited me at my home with his friends. It was a strange group of friends with various stages of disfigurement.

I should have learned my lesson from Chatty Lady. It is possible to catch up on each others' lives by speed-talking, but we were all so excited that we were tripping over each other to relate our own remembrances. It was as if the floodgates opened up, and the chatter crescendoed to a point where we just doubled up in girly laughter at the funny moments. No Alzheimer's memory loss yet.

Ampy and Rose kept on looking at me to write about our talks but I just could not remember much with the giggling and the shift from topic to topic. Oh, I did relate my experience in the Quezon Institute as we boiled the syringes and the needles, walked up to our patients with alcohol-soaked cotton balls, and finally injecting the dull needles into the patients' emaciated arms.

Time flew fast; we were just warming up. The cobwebs in our minds loosened up, but Lorna and Trelly had to leave. Trelly's English hubby and Lita's husband managed to entertain each other as we ladies soaked up the camaraderie and bonded again just like the 21-year-olds that we were. I told Trelly, "Lee is a keeper."


October 1, 2011, Saturday-

9am Breakfast at the Garden Buffet with the whole crew. Louie joined us, minus his missus. This time the husbands showed up and tolerated the incessant chatter around them. Fe's Brazilian boyfriend came over for coffee.

12noon - a shuttle ride to the Strip. Most of the husbands stayed away (wise decision on their part). The ladies played tourists as we hopped on the tram. Janet's beautiful daughter must have thought of us as daffy as we got lost on the way back.

Photo ops with JT, the lawyer-turned-photographer husband of Arlene. Complete with encouragement of Viva Las Vegas, he made us strike poses with our arms up in the air. He must be preparing us to audition for deodorant commercials. This husband and wife seemed to be trying out their comedy act for Jay Leno:
JT (Juan Tamad, John Travolta, James Taylor): "Wala ka nang mahahanap na katulad ko."
Arlene: "Sino naman ang nagsabi na hahanap ako ng katulad mo?"

6pm- the Gala. The Grand Sonoma Ballroom was filled with alumni from the 1964 class to the present. The 1980 class was well-represented. The ladies were beautiful, of course, and Louie the Dude sauntered in with his salmon-colored buttoned down shirt and dark suit blazer.

The Souvenir Ad that we placed for our class looked great, and Louie had generously covered the cost as his birthday gift to us. Thanks.

The pictures told the story. There were too many cameras again, and we sat with frozen smiles just to make sure that each camera captured every single pose. It was a fun night as we applauded each class as they came up to the front stage for the picture-taking. Our teachers, Mrs. Curato and Mrs. Antonio graced the occasion.

The 1980 class, composed of representatives from more than seven sections from both the 5-year and 4-year curriculum, was the loudest group.

For all the fun we had, it was just heart-warming to spend this time together. Thirty-one years later, we sat together side-by-side with our shoes off as we posed, all nine of us, for the last time. The bond is there, and we would like to see each other again next summer.



So we resolved to plan our summer getaway. For this reunion, we were on our best behavior with good clean fun. But for the next reunion, I cannot promise that we will hold off our tongues from gossiping about our absentee classmates. Maybe, this would be added incentive for them to attend, you think?

Here's my impressions of you classmates:

Ampy- I respectfully nominate her as the East Coast Regional Representative for the AUCN Alumni Association. She has the scent of a hound; she can certainly track down the rest of our lost classmates as we prepare for the Summer 2012 East Coast reunion. And Ampy, you still have the smoothest skin of them all.

Rose- I don't remember her this soft-spoken, but maybe we were just too loud. You're so sweet with your gifts. And how did you maintain your svelte figure? I love how you still maintained your close relationship with your barkada. I love how you always include Heidi in the conversation.

Janet- you're still the reserved Janet, I remember. Your daughter is beautiful and it is obvious that you raised her well. Thanks for the gifts. It will be your responsibility to bring Solly and Cely to our next reunion, okay :)

Lita- Good luck with your move back to the ER. Thanks for being comfortable with us to relay that scary almost-experience at V. Luna. I also like how your accent is similar to your husband now.

Luz- The Dancer. Was that Zumba? Couldn't keep up with all that bouncing, lol. Thanks for sharing you-know-what.

Louie- thanks for covering the souvenir ad and for keeping up with all that screaming and tsikahan. Get all those men to come next time so that you won't have to clam up and you won't have to plead the fifth.

Fe- Hands down, she's the sexiest of the whole bunch. Is that because she works too hard, as her boyfriend claimed? I hope she joins FB soon.

Arlene- you and your hubby make a good team. You made me laugh with your prayer.

Trelly and Lorna- I wish you could have stayed longer. It was so much fun just hanging out with you.

There was so much more that we wanted to share with each other. We went through the gauntlet of clinical rotations together, took tests together, worked through our thesis together, posed for pictures together. So the bond was started by our experiences. That night, we realized that the connection remained; it just needed a little spark. We may have lost touch along the way as we built our own lives. Our successes are measured in many different ways; our lives are as colorful as the soap operas we watch, but we emerge victorious. In shared confidences, we've learned about our ups and downs. But through all these trials, we have remained self-assured and strong and I'm proud to know them.


October 2, 2011, Sunday-

7am- I attended the INC worship service at the Las Vegas congregation. Both my cab drivers were friendly but polite. None of the sleazy leering from some of the NY cab drivers.

My driver on the way back to the hotel, said that he was impressed that I even had time to go to church. Of course, nakapag-misyon ako. He also said that with the expensive taxi fares (about $100 round-trip ride to the Las Vegas locale), I could have rented a Ferrari or Lambhorgini. I said that next time, I might go for that. I will drive the car as slow as possible so that I can savor the thrill.

The handsome driver engaged me in a really enjoyable discussion during my 30-minute drive. No Las Vegas fling for me (no, I was not even thinking of that), but he surely made my day with his quiet appreciation.

I came back to New York, hailed a cab at JFK and got a grumpy driver. Welcome back.