Wednesday, 22 August 2001

Memories of Reunion in San Diego

by Umbert Villarica

Pagsanjan Grand Reunion - San Diego, California - July 20-22, 2001

      A month ago today, elementary and high school graduates from Pagsanjan, Laguna, other "kababayans" held a grand reunion at the Holiday Inn on the Bay in San Diego, California. The two-night, three-day affair hosted by the Pagsanjan Club of California, a non-profit organization, headed by its President Ramon Garcia, was the fourth reunion in six years since Pagsanjan Academy Class of '60 and '61 started a small reunion in Fountain Valley, California on July 1995. Those who attended and took an active part in these first gathering had a unique experience of bringing together classmates of thirty five years ago and other townmates to re-affirm and rekindle long time friendships many of us have nurtured since we have known each other.

      After the successful conclusion of the reunion, the group then feeling that the three days of fun is not enough, age is catching up, a lot of men have HIV ( hair is vanishing), the extra bulges due to overweight, and lastly most complains centered on aches, pains, ace wrinkles showing, others already own their personal BMW (buhok mo wig).

      It was finally decided that reunions be held as often as possible and two years interval was voted as the most ideal. Hence succeeding reunions were held at Maryland, Chicago and in year 2003 Easterners from New York / New Jersey will take turn in hosting the affair.

      So...Zoilo, August, Nancy, Connie, Hermie, Efren, Ruth, Bernie and the rest of the gang..... be ready. The San Diego affair brought together 375 reunion mainstays and so far has the biggest number of attendees from the Philippines headed by achievement award recipient Louie Benitez, wife Jane and the rest of the family. Fe Salceda Dera and husband Nilo came from far away down under Australia. Freddie Aquino (with the new Telly Savalas look), wife Polly, Lilian Thompson (also an awardee) and myself represented Canada.

      The first night of getting to know one another (once again...) was the most exciting part since you hear a lot of whispers trying to find out the identity of one another. It was once in a lifetime experience not only seeing the grandeur of San Diego by the Bay but also meeting lost long friends and "kababayans" specially the boisterous sessions of life updates mostly dwelling on maintenance medicines, arthritis attacks, caring for parents and taking care of grandchildren. The planners/host of the San Diego reunion appreciate very much the generous personal contributions and help provided by the more fortunate among us and which in turn benefit the needy students of our town Pagsanjan.

      The reunions not only brought us to places we have not been to but is also a preparation for us to explain to our children why we do bother to have reunions and why we are so excited looking forward to next. To the planners/host of the San Diego reunion, and to other reunions as well, we salute you for a job well done. We could just imagine the sleepless nights, camaraderie, teamwork pain in data gathering, networking done to make this reunion something memorable.

      The dinner-dance coupled with giving of achievement awards where the attendees easily grew in number, a crowd big enough that even experienced waiters of Holiday Inn came to near panic when dinner was about to be served and oh how everything went well despite the temporary lull and short notices. The solemn invocation prayer done by another achievement award recipient Dr. Casimiro Garcia was well said and it contributed a lot for the pouring of blessings.

      The most confidential matter for the evenings affair of course was everybody's age. Most wanted to cover up for their advancing age thru new outfits suited for the young "once", a new hair color to cover the gray, fresh manicure/hair waxing and aggressive make up. As a great consolation, everybody looked younger during the memorable evening. As we were about to end the reunion with a grand picnic at the nearby San Diego Park where parlor games were the instant hit for the day, everybody had to make an embrace with one another showing emotional sincerity ignoring the physical changes that crept up over the years we have not seen one another, as if there is no more ending for the three days affair. We have to acknowledge God's blessings on us for having been a part of the San Diego reunion and again we look forward to the year 2003.....!!!

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