Dumating ako sa Takayama at 6:45 pm, kaya napa-correct ko pa yung label na
Sixto Salumbinis sa door ng function room.

Sixto came on time, bringing his video camera and a bag of pasalubongs.

We were still talking about wine drinking on a regular basis as a good
health practice when Pinky arrived.

Napunta ang topic sa family and career ni Sixto. Met wife through
introduction of classmate in Physical Therapy. Hindi na pinakawalan. Three
daughters ang produkto, 16 years old na ang youngest. Was in the Philippines
till 1989, career practice in UST, and prosthetics shop, too.

Dumating si Noel. Nakalabas na ang Mommy niya the day before. Puede nang
madalaw ni Sixto before he flies back today. Parang Mommy na rin daw niya
ang Mommy ni Noel.

Golf ang next topic. Na lalo pang na-reinforce nang dumating si Camilo.

Nag-reminisce ang magkakabarkada. Meron pang stargazing sa rooftop ng bahay,
talking about Cesar Salayo. Kilala pala ni Pinky si Mrs Salayo, who taught
her pamangkins at JASMS.

Dumating si Jimmy, napunta sa business ang usapan. Nag-rave about the
tourism industry sa Thailand. Kagagaling lang doon ni Sixto.

Kami na ni Pinky ang nag-initiate na kumain na muna.

(itutuloy bukas, uuwi na ako)
Parang telegrama lang ito, kasi mahaba ang kuwento!!
 

Maraming kain ang aming ginawa! Sa sashimi at sushi pa lang, umulit na.
Naggayahan sa pagpapagawa ng sukiyaki. Ang sarap ng talaba, ang lalaki! At
ang Camilo, na weakness pala ang sweets, ay pinabuksan na ang pasalubong na
Toblerone at dessert daw!

Basketball was a main topic. Sino yung pinag-uusapan? bulong ni Pinky. Mga
players, sagot ko. Talagang ganyan pag inuman, siguradong sali ang
basketball. Passion nila yan, at diyan sila hindi tumanda. (Nagyayayaan pa
ngang magtabi sa panonood ng games!)

Nang si Luis ang dumating, napag-usapan ang 3 million, ang hot cars, ang
paglaya nina Tommy Joson (kaibigan ni Manny) at ang pagka-MARE ni Luis.

Camilo explained yung destiny nila ni Luis. Ang Mama daw ni Luis ang
alagang-alaga sila since Grade 2. Daig pa raw ang Mama niya.

Napag-usapan din ang devaluation, corruption in the private sector.

At ang sinarhan namin ng pinto, the EDSA revolution. Sixto was in the
communications center in Crame pala, and is even acknowledged in the books
written about the revolution. Jimmy said they financed the research on
hidden wealth. Franklin had just come from the US then, Luis was in HK when
it happened, etc. I better stop at this point, but it was a very animated
discussion!

After some time, Luis called for a break. Sabay-sabay lumabas at
nag-replenish from the buffet.

Pagbalik namin, dumating si Ericson, at pinansin ni Luis na nabago ang
topic. Naging light. Jokes, na may hindi kami nakuha kung bakit hagalpakan
sila (about Alzheimer's disease).

Nag-picture-taking kami with Sixto's disposable camera (nadekwat from his
golf bag yung better one) and Franklin's, too. Nagkuha rin ng video clips si
Sixto.

I brought out my baons --

Prepian Annual, so they were able to recall Tessie Rivera-Becker's face.
Ipinang-quiz pa ni Jimmy dun sa waitress. Magaling yung bata. (except Jaime
daw ang pangalan ni Franklin!) Nabigyan tuloy ng item from the pasalubongs.

New York Photo Album. They tried to identify everybody in the pictures.
A print of the Class 66 dinner at Jerry's, to show them that Eddie is okay
na. Comment nila: They look older than us!

(itutuloy pa mamayang hapon!)

------------

Huling Kabanata:

Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 11:29:28 +0800

To: "Prepians Class 1965" <abu@nfa.gov.ph>
Subject: Huling Kabanata: Takayama Dinner for Sixto Salumbides, Jr.

Dinala ko rin ang news clippings ni Ressie. Kung sa amin iyan, babayaran ng
city, sabi ni Sixto. Nakita na raw nila sa website, sabi ng iba. Binabasa
raw naman nila ang e-mails, at nag-bo-browse sa site, di nga lang sila
sumasagot! Sus, mga spoiled talaga!

About the Christmas party, sa between Christmas and New Year daw gawin,
tutal e walang allowed magbakasyon because of Y2K. Ma-celebrate na rin tuloy
ang millenium.

Ang suggestion pa ni Camilo, gawin daw family affair (sino kaya ang dakilang
maka-o-organize and implement?), para magkita-kita ang mga anak-anak natin.
At nang makabuo ng magbalae. Kilig kami ni Pinky, na parehong walang anak!
 
 

Eto pa ang mga tidbits na hindi ko na ma-place kung saang portion ng discussion:

Si Camilo ay Ninong ng anak ni Luis na si Louise (paborito kong bata).

Nag-reminisce pa nung kapanahunang minsan ay walang pera, ni hindi nga raw
mailibre sa bus ang makasabay na kakilala. At may isang time na yung huling
barya e nahulog pa sa imburnal nang dukutin sa bulsa. At sa bilyaran na
nakataya na ang last money sa huling laro.

I quietly got the bill from the waiter outside, and while Pinky and I were
figuring out the arithmetic, kinuha na ni Jimmy  at si Sixto e ibig pang
makibayad!

I forgot who it was who finally looked at his watch, then exclaimed na baka
wala nang tao sa labas, which finally broke up the hilarious discussion.
Kani-kanyang ligpit na ng aming multiple pasalubongs.

Franklin took me and Pinky to my place, where she took a cab naman to her place.

Pag may naalala pa akong kuwento, hahabol na lang sa upload, ha?
 

From: SashkaEnt@aol.com
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 02:12:48 EDT
Subject: Re: Huling Kabanata: Takayama Dinner for Sixto Salumbides, Jr.
To: abu@nfa.gov.ph

Dear Ana,
Thank you so much for coordinating and attending the dinner last Wednesday.
Obviously, I enjoyed the company of our classmates especially yung hindi ko
nakita nung Pebrero kagaya nila Milo, Luis, Jimmy, Manny at Pinky. Salamat
din kina Eric, Noel at Frank at masaya kong naalala ang bits and pieces of
our past. Kindly thank every one for me. Hope you guys can visit us here soon.
Take care.
Sixto