Lolie

I just remembered that it's my Lola Gunding's 115th birthday anniversary today!  Lolie, as my sisters would fondly call her, was the youngest child, and she was raised by Basque nuns (she could speak Filipino, English, Spanish and Basque).   An accomplished concert pianist, my mom remembers that she would practice for hours every day.  She was also a psychic; I remember my mother telling the story of the family's desperation during the Liberation of Manila in WWII, when my grandmother described the exact mulatto features of the GI soldier that would rescue them at the Philippine General Hospital, a few days before the actual rescue.  In my mind I can still picture my grandmother, with a cigarette on hand, watching boxing fights on television (she was an avid boxing fan).  I can remember that my sister Erica would love to cling to her arms.  She had this uncanny ability to create long ash trails on lit cigarettes--I can't imagine why the ash would not fall off!  My grandmother was the loving consentidor; she let my try my first puff on cigarettes when I was around 8, and I had my first taste of San Miguel cerveza negra in her house.  On her deathbed, I remember rushing to Sampaloc from my office in Malate; I was there when she passed away.  I continuously remember her--cheers Lolie, I'm glad you're there with the angels now...