Vale Arnel Grande

 

40th Grand Reunion - 20 September, San Diego CA

Dear Fellow Alumni,

The OCNHS Class of 1974 Organizing Committee invites you to it's 40th Grand Reunion Celebration.

Come and join us as we once again reminisce about days gone by, renew friendship and share in life experiences both old and new.

Please RSVP ASAP to Ver Pena, Ben Dimalanta or Regino 'Bong' Valdez; or see our OCNHS Batch 74 FB page for more details.

Bong Valdez [via Batch 74 FB]

Batch 74 East Coast Get Together - May 2014

Thank you everyone who came and joined the Batch 74 East Coast Get Together. You know who you are.

We had so much fun , laughter, dancing, singing and playing;  specially touring around Washington DC.

We want to thank you Bro. Louie Brill for being our driver and tour guide, Myrna & John Rauckhorst for the special accommodation & hospitality in your beautiful house, Tessie Krintz and Grace Miriam Ruth Telan-Clemente , thank you for all the things you have done in our group.

To add to that, also a big thank you to Dominga Villanueva Tork for her memorable gifts and giving me a ride to Reagan Airport.  It is really a memorable time spending it with you ALL, [added Juliet Guanga].

This is to inform everyone, Batch 74 East Coast Get Together will be in Toronto, Canada in the first week of June 2016. For those who want to join you can save the date.

Cora P Maningding [via Batch 74 FB]

Do you remember at all?

D' Wave would be a memorable night club of my high school. The first club I've been to; since my brother-in-law knew the Manager and he is also related to one of the D' Electro band members. This is also so close to our residence in East Tapinac.
Background is the iconic Sierra Club building.
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With our 40^th anniversary  class reunion coming up in a couple of days… [and me still working and can’t go because of work commitments]; the least I could do was really to wish I could be there and attend. While there’s a couple more days to go, I don’t think a miracle would be coming soon.

Last year’s reunion was a great event.  Reunions are, for the most part a happy occasion to reconnect with friends and classmates [and a few surviving teachers!]. To  get to know the odd classmate you didn’t know and by and large to know more the ones you already know. Being adults, there is another side or sides that you can reconnect; a common interest, hobby, or even parenting or grand parenting tips!

To to paraphrase Letty Jacinto-Lopez’ “Do you remember when?” article more than a few years back: What did I get for attending the last reunion?

For one, I was happy to see and speak to [personally, this time; as most of us are in contact via emails & FB], my high school friends and to get to know some that I didn’t ‘hang out’ with. For a big high school, which has more than 400 students in each batch; [and that’s just in the day classes and not counting those who attended the night classes], it is feat to know and remember everyone, especially for me who is not well known for remembering names.

Obviously, 39 years is a long time, people change not only their physical appearance but also their demeanour, character, etc. Some lucky ones aged great retaining their youthful looks. But for the rest of us, you get lied to! “Oh you didn’t change a bit?” Liar! But that’s great about having long-time friends, they make you feel good even to the point of lying about how great you look after 39 years.

Yes, we have grown bigger [and fatter], with the addition of a wrinkle here and there. The boys, losing some hair [and in my case, a lot!].  I am sure that a lot hasn’t recognised me, I don’t aged well. Plus I was shy and quiet in high school… the low profile type, and that’s my excuse!

In our mentally challenged minds we reminiscence the “good old days”, and the most ‘cool’ events of our young lives. Comparing crushes and boyfriends and girlfriends.

So, do you remember when….  [again to copy Juris Telmo’s Manila/Makati centric reminiscing]:

How lucky and happy you were when and if your classroom is near the Miclat corner sari-sari store? Because you can hear the great songs from THAT jukebox [that contraption which houses vinyl records, the precursor to CD’s and mp3s]; blasting away the school anthem of Joe Coker’s take of the Beatle’s ‘A Little Help from My Friends’[1]. Boy, we know we could use some help especially during exam days!

I am sure everyone remember the day or days you cut classes and skip school… ‘escape’ is our term for it because we want to escape from that dreaded class and just enjoy the rest of the afternoon out in the real world. For most of the boys, it was either drinking cherry brandy, mojo’s, beer, gin or anything with alcohol, or a game of basketball at Fil-Am, Triangle or Matadero; with ice or Pepsi or Coke as bet and prize for the winning team.

For the girls, maybe a trip to the local PX store to buy that Levis, Wrangler, Hang Ten or Munsingwear, after which  a snack with the girlfriends at Tableland or Admiral Mid Town or Kongs, depending which end of town, Pag-Asa or Bajac Bajac Market you were visiting for the day.  Obviously you would have bought your stash of MMs, Kisses, potato chips, etc. on the way home.

For those ‘lucky’ enough to have a girlfriend or boyfriend, maybe a movie date at the Grand, Serg’s, Admiral,  Kimara, Choice, Del Ros or Prime theatre. During summer, most likely a trip to Kale /Half Moon Beach or as far as Baloy Beach. A few would favour the swimming pool across Half Moon [the name of which escapes me now] or the  pools of Marmont’s at Barrio Barretto, the Gordon’s White Rock [beach AND swimming pool, with that iconic siren atop the white rock] or the Anne Raquel’s Resort Pool on the other side of the zig-zag. Maybe a stroll at Marikit Park [and for the really old ones: Jaycee Park with that rocket-styled slide; which someone mentioned to me!]. If one is really lucky, ‘someone’ from The Base would escort you inside and you can go to Dungaree Beach or go bowling.

While most cannot afford ‘stateside’ goodies, the ‘comfort food’ and snacks of Skyflakes [“I’ll  treat you to snacks, skyflakes the limit!”] choc-nut, chippies with a shared bottle of ‘softdrinks’  like RC Cola, Cosmos, Sarsi if one couldn’t afford Coke or Pepsi Cola with the day’s school allowance.

Most would walk to school, if they live close by and forego the comfort of riding the trycicle or jeepney [no colour coding then!]; so as to have extra money for snacks or the odd packet of Marlboro or Kool cigarettes. Some would be ‘cool’ enough to waste money on ciggies or alcohol but the norm is good clean fun and plenty of snacks.

Weekends and Fridays; and on rare occasions such as birthdays and graduation, one would go dancing at Rocket Room[2], Paulines [with the famous crocodile pond], D Wave, Sierra, Brown Fox, QuaterDeck and other dozens of clubs. Otherwise would go out to eat at Kong’s, Dainty’s, Silver Star Mami, Cindy’s or Midtown Admiral.

One could also bowl at Del Rosario’s Bowling alley or at the newly built RC Building across the new Bajac-Bajac Market. There’s always plenty to go to, for a small city like Olongapo; and that is just during the day time and within city limits!
But the most important part is really hanging out with friends, making the most of the shared time. Most would be looking forward to summer vacation; and that special trip to Manila or Baguio via Victory Liner, Philippine Rabbit or Saulog/St Raphael Transit or just the mini-bus. Some would go to their parents’ or grandparents home province in Cavite, Pampanga, Bataan or Zambales.

Always after summer, there is that longing for school – not to pursue studies but to reconnect with classmates and friends. In the end it is that bond of friendship that binds us… and these are the things we are trying to recapture with our reunions.

I am hoping that we will continue to be good to each other, respecting each other’s flaws and shortcomings, understand that we are not all lucky in life and would respect our less fortunate friends;  and enjoy that couple of days a year to reconnect. I am sure all would have a grand time irrespective of what’s planned for these two great days. Enjoy! And be happy by making others happy too!

 1.       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/With_a_Little_Help_from_My_Friends

 2.       http://www.subicbaypi.com/subic_barlist_olongapo.htm

Have a great 40th Reunion Classmates

21-22 Feb 2014 Batch '74 40th Grand Reunion Update

Olongapo City, Philippines 40th Year Grand Reunion - 21 to 22 Feb 2014

"Na sweet 16 na nuon - Well, get ready batch mates. This can be our greatest reunion ever! Hwag nang magdalawang isip kung kaya rin lang makauwi sa Pinas, tara na!

The date is firmly set - February 21-22 2014. The venue is confirmed and paid for - Terrace Hotel in Subic Freeport Zone and K of C.

Taga Pinas ka man o taga ibang bansa, kung graduate ka sa OCNHS ng 1974 - kasali ka sa 40th Year Grand Reunion ng BATCH 74."

Brando Geniza, via Facebook