Days With The Lord

* photo courtesy of xs.edu.ph

The Days with the Lord began as a Jesuit retreat based on the Cursillo method in the late sixties.  It was popularized at the Ateneo, and gradually, the movement found its way into other schools all over the Philippines.  It's a very intimate religious experience designed for the youth (who are impressionable, full of idealism, life and vigor), in the hope that Christian values are imprinted deep in their adolescent psyche--just enough to generate a positive kick-start into adulthood.  I was lucky to have gone through this profound experience Christmastime 1978, and I still remember all the fun that we had!

Monique goes through this wonderful experience this weekend, and I wish her the best.

Sounds!

We used to refer to stereo sets as "Sounds!"  Over the years, we have surrounded ourselves with lots of them:

Sony top loading tape deck with receiver acquired by Kong in HK in  1971
Radio still works

The Hayashi stereo set acquired by Gwammy at a mere P595 sometime 1976 came with a turntable and tape deck
The radio on this unit still works

Sanyo portable boom box bought by Michaela in HK in 1977
She learned about Ninoy's assassination via broadcast on this unit

Kong got this Aiwa receiver and tape deck in Singapore in 1978
Quartz tuning, full compatibility with all types of cassette tapes (FE, CRO2, MH)

The Aiwa set was paired with Visonik David 602 bookshelf speakers
Small size but wonderful sound

ELAC 3 speed turntable (78, 45, 33) of Kong, circa 1967
Still works, current needle is Shure

Metropolitan Theater

It was Sunday morning, and I was stuck in Oregon without a vehicle.  Since I had to pick up the van from the main house, I decided to hop on a bus through Taft Avenue, Quiapo and Espana to get to Quezon City.  I haven't taken the bus for ages; luckily the traffic was very light, and the trip was over in a jiffy.  The trip was a reverie of sorts; passing by the Metropolitan Theater in Plaza Lawton gave me a melancholy feeling.  While I had not seen the theater during its glory days (that was right before the war), I had frequented the place right after it was renovated in the late seventies.  At that time, the art deco structure gave me a splendid impression as to why Manila was named the Pearl of the Orient!  Alas, today, the building is in utter decay; I took these pictures from the bus, and asked myself why such cultural landmarks are left to rot.  If I remember correctly, a television station used to rent the theater in the early nineties, but the repair and maintenance costs must have been enormous.  Such a pity, such a waste!

Puto Binan

Erica arrived in the main house with a giant Puto Binan!  Apparently she had gone on a trip to Laguna, and passed by some store that was selling the speciality--it's basically a rice cake, sweetened with brown sugar and topped with cheese and salty duck eggs.  Knowing that it was Gwammy's favorite, she bought some for the whole family to enjoy.  As you can see, less than half of the puto remained when I got there, it was wiped out in a jiffy!  Michaela and I then reminisced about the puto seller who would shout "Puuuuuuto, Puto Binan!" on weekends during the early seventies, and we siblings would be up at 7am just to catch him when his basket was still full of goodies.  Erica just loved the kakanin that he would sell (that was around 5 to 15 centavos each for kutsinta, halaya and puto), and early riser amongst us siblings would literally hoard the stuff to re-sell to the other siblings.  "Hindi ka nagising eh!" we would always chant, to the consternation of the late risers!  Yes, Puto Binan binds us together, and a lot of fond brekky memories came out of that purchasing ritual.

Medicine of Years Past

Some things live on deep in our memories--snippets of the past, a scent, an image, a act of kindness.  A few nights ago, Michaela and I had so much fun talking about medicine that we grew up with.  Some of these are still around, most of these are no longer distributed locally.  These were the prevalent remedies that Kongkong and Gwama gave us when we were kids:

• Merthiolate (thiomersal)--this Eli Lilly brand was the leading topical antiseptic for cuts and scrapes.  Now discontinued because of the controversial mercury content, it was a staple of our first aid cabinet in the late sixties.  The bright red coloring agent was evident whenever we'd get wounded and, after alcohol or agua oxigenada, would be the second line of defense against infection.
• Mercurochrome--similar to Merthiolate, and also discontinued being another mercury based antiseptic.
• Agua Oxigenada (hydrogen peroxide)--the first line of defense in cleaning cuts and wounds.  The liquid would foam and was effective in killing the germs.  Reportedly also used for bleaching hair, would you believe?
• Aspilet--kiddie aspirin, maybe only 30mg.  Nowadays, aspirin is no longer used as it was discovered that could lead to unnecessary bleeding in some patients.
• Diromo--the all around tummy medicine manufactured by Farmitalia, of which our Uncle Tom carried locally under the Filifarma distributorship in the early seventies.  Any tummy pain warranted a tablet of this, and we were immediately healed!
• Pontocaine (tetracaine)--this was the second line of defense against skin itch (the first line was a good scratching!).  Anything with the "caine" suffix denotes that the product is an anesthetic agent, and pontocaine was a topical cream that numbed the senses and therefore deadened the itch.
• Sodium bicarbonate--Impatso (bloated sensation from overeating) was another big headache specially for me.  This medicine was traditionally my refuge, as it is supposed to be good for indigestion and acid reflux.
• Erythrocin (erythromycin)--was the pink antibiotic tablet that tasted so bad, but was the first antibiotic line that the doctor would give when our tonsils would flare up.  Funny aftertaste, I swear!  I guess that with all the tablet that I must have taken (my tonsils acted up so often that the doctors then decided to cut it off), my body has probably developed some form of resistance to this medicine already!
• Molint--was an early brand of menthol liniments that you could apply to backaches and other body aches.  Today the equivalent would be Ben Gay or Omega Pain Killer.
• Salonpas--this Japanese version of adhesive menthol padding was probably the first of its kind.  Today, you can still see this in drug stores and groceries, and the scent is still the same after all these years!  If you smell it, it's a dead give-away that someone around you is using it.
• Desenex (miconazole)--this was the favorite anti-fungal cream of Kong Kong for athlete's foot.  Today people use either Nizoral (ketoconazole) or Canesten (clotrimazole).
• Tiger Balm--Chinese version of the mentholated cream.  This was a brown balm, thick and almost hard.  You could wipe this topically thus soothing a variety of pain.  Distinctive smell, akin to Salonpas, yet very Oriental.  One of the oldest half sisters of Kong Kong married into the family that produced this product, which is widely sold around Asia.
• White Flower Oil--another mentholated medicine, this time in oil form.  We used to wipe this around our temples for headache relief.  Again a distinctive scent, different from Salonpas or Tiger Balm.
• Mandel's Solution--although my mom never tried this on me, she would tell me of how my Lola Segunda would give her an oral swab with Mandel's Solution to kill the germs causing sore throat.  She says this was very effective.

All these medicines were easily available in drugstores around Metro Manila, and if you opened Gwammy's cabinet, it was a sure thing to find these in abundant supply.

* Legal disclaimer--Note that this piece is not intended to dispense medical advice.  The purpose of this piece it to reminisce about old times, and not to suggest a cure.  If you are sick or have medical problems, consult your doctor instead.

Whatever Happened To.....

Writing about these different ice cream brands had me thinking about several that I grew up with, but are sadly no longer around:

1. Coney Island--this was a local brand that had a stall at the Puyat Arcade in Greenhills.  They served very good ice cream with a wide variety of flavors, and it really seemed that the ice cream came from the United States.  I also remember they had very good cherry punch (this is one drink I truly enjoy!)
2. Silver Bell--this brand was sold as the premium alternative to Magnolia in the late sixties, and I can still remember the distinctive ribs alongside their plastic gallon (this was reusable, as compared to the packaging of Magnolia).  Very good ice cream, available in most groceries and shops at that time.
3. Presto--Universal Robina used to make this ice cream as the lower end alternative to Magnolia, but I think they decided to pull out due to thin profit margins.  Despite the perceived market positioning as a lower end brand, I surely enjoyed a lot of their flavors.
4. Carnival--this short-lived brand was the ice cream launched by San Miguel to battle it out with Presto in the lower price bracket.  I remember they had orange flavored ice cream, the only one of its kind at that time!  The plastic tubs were yellow and had a carnival logo!
5. Sorbetero Filipino Ice Cream--this was the upmarket version of "dirty" ice cream that was sold in push carts as sorbetes de caro.  They had local flavors like mongo and langka, and their ube and chocolate flavors were regular mainstays of our freezer.  I remember that a good friend of mine sang their TV ad jingle, it was a very catchy tune.
6. Neapolitan--this was the original ice cream that sold three flavors in a block covered by plastic, and packed inside a carton box.  Very light and had the basic flavors of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, if I remember correctly.
7. Cool Spot--if I am not mistaken, this was the pre-cursor of Big Scoop ice cream, and I can remember the tin cans used were just about the same as that of the original Selecta.
8. Sison Ice Drop--I cannot recall if Sison made ice cream, but I remember that they ice drops, which were more like icicles (flavoring but little or no milk).

A walk down memory lane--Kongkong was the Chairman of the Board of the Raiders Club, and the four siblings would pop into the kitchen like clockwork to scoop into the ice cream!  Our favorite!

Cepacol

Anita's kids are currently sick from a bout of viral flu, and last night, Michaela and I were discussing the various medicines we have used over the past forty years as sore throat and flu cures.  It's funny that while some medicine brands stand out, these good ones are no longer distributed locally, and a case in point is Cepacol, which we used as throat lozenges when we were kids.  I understand that the brand is still available in the United States, Canada and Australia, but somehow, this brand faded out from the local scene.  I liked using the lozenges because of the benzocaine, which made your throat numb and whatever throat itch you had would magically disappear!  We didn't like the mouthwash though, as there would be a lingering funny aftertaste that made eating an unpleasant experience.  I understand that this is distributed by Bayer, although the brand was originally owned by J. B. Williams in the United States.

Jade Vine

A bit nostalgic today... Some places simply retain their look and character over time.  I passed by the Jade Vine Hotel along United Nations Avenue and I couldn't help myself--I opened the window of the car and took a snapshot of the place. This hotel and restaurant has been around since the late sixties, and even though the Ermita area is literally dotted with hotels and inns, Jade Vine continues to operate to this very day.  Why is this place so memorable?  We held a joint reception to celebrate the baptism of Monique and her cousin Kenny there.  We had around 150 guests, both family and friends, and the whole first floor was filled to the brim.  It was warm sunny Sunday, and Vicky and I, together with her sister and her husband, were very proud parents.  Time flies so fast, today these kids are already grown teenagers; they drive around town with their own schedules, enjoy mall outings with their barkada, will soon have exciting college lives.  Looking at Jade Vine reminds me of the time when I they were mere babies, and I had to change their nappies!  Funny how life perspective can change in a span of a few years... No regrets, a great ride, and I look forward to the next twenty years! 

Driving School

It's now Holy Week and it's time for driving school again.  Lesser cars on the road, easy to move around town, no television, no malls, no diversions.  We practically grew up learning how to drive during Holy Weeks past, and Kong Kong would take each of the kids around town, rehashing the different driving techniques, and drilling them into our psyche.  What fun!  Last year, it was Mario's turn to learn, and this year, it's Monique's turn.  While the usual lesson plan was to start driving with M/T vehicles, upon the suggestion of Michaela, I'm starting Monique on an A/T vehicle, and once she gets the hang of things, we'd slowly try out the clutch!  I'm sure she'll pass with flying colors!

Time passes by so fast!  Cool, isn't it?

The Tailors

This list is really a trip down memory lane, and I don't think that any of these tailors or tailoring shops are still around today, in this age of ready-to-wear.  Time was when clothing was a true art form, and the time spent on fitting ensured that the clothes would be comfortable to wear and  elegant to behold.  I remember Banjo, the master cutter, coming to our house to spend time working on Kong Kong's suits, and this was a regular annual event, given the number of suits that Kong Kong needed in the late sixties and early seventies.  Here's the list of tailors that the family has used over the years (one or two others that I can't seem to remember anymore):

1.     Lord & Lady

2.     Simon's

3.     Exclusively His

4.     Banjo Estrada

5.     Curlie's

6.     Wilden (Dennis Dwyer)

7.     Joel Parabas

8.     Lor's

9.     Tony Fabros

Nowadays, I don't even have time for measurements, even more so for fitting sessions.  I just buy (even jackets) off the rack...times have really changed!

Cast of Characters

Chugalug!  Time to reminisce.... Remember these characters?

1.     Bratinella
2.     Julep
3.     Kelep
4.     Silverado
5.     Opie
6.     Wimpy
7.     Kato
8.     Kermit
9.     Grover
10.   Elmo
11.   Mulan
12.   Bloom
13.   Dexter
14.   Dumbo

Manila COD Christmas Display

As we left Kimpura, we came face-to-face with the Greenhills signboard along Ortigas Avenue.  We noticed that the signboard had a miniature castle built right next to it, and we instantly realized that Christmas was coming!  You might wonder what the connection is--you see the miniature castle is part of the annual Christmas display that the Manila COD used to show at their store in Cubao in the seventies.  In the late nineties, when Manila COD faced bankruptcy, the Rosario family (owners of Manila COD) authorized the transfer of the Christmas display to the Greenhills Commercial Center, a long-standing Christmas tradition that just refuses to die!  I remember Kong and Gwammy taking us to Cubao just to watch the Christmas display, which was really very simple--figurines going around a rail track in their best Christmas attire.  We'd spend around thirty minutes or so gazing at the display, and then we've move on to either Fiesta Carnival or Rustan's Superstore.  I'd have to keep track of my sisters Mikaela, Erika & Anita (who was still small at that time) while wandering around the crowded streets of Cubao, and we'd all be carrying lots of shopping bags (including shoes that we'd buy from the Marikina Shoe Expo).  I also remember eating either at 3M Pizza (they had a branch at the Araneta Coliseum) or Ferino's Bibingka (right next to Manila COD).  Very memorable and fun-filled family moments indeed!

The Raider's Club

And speaking of the Raider's Club, I remember the time when we'd find ourselves meeting past midnight at the kitchen of the main RSD--Kong as Chairman, and with Mikaela, Erica, Annella & myself as members.  That was time when the refrigerator would have to work overtime, as we would relentessly open and close the fragile Frigidaire door (replaced by Hitachi in 1979), searching for available re-heats and other midnight snacks to munch on.  I recall that this went on for several years, from the late seventies and well into the late eighties.  Kitchen time would be pow-wow time, when we would discuss about all things under the sun, and we would philosophize on the important aspects of our lives.  I guess in the Raider's Club we found the power of the great pow-wow, and in the great pow-wow, we found strength in ourselves, further developing both our individuality and our one-ness.  And our children?  I think they will carry on the spirit of the Raider's Club well into their old age.  It's simply something that is passed on and carried for generations.  Touche!

Manila Doctors Hospital

I just picked up our forever baby Andi from her four day stay at the Manila Doctors Hospital along United Nations Avenue in Manila.  Her bout with pneumonia had Vicky & I worried, but in the able hands of Dr. Gatch, she has been able to recover pretty fast and we thank the good Lord for this.  I understand that her oxygen utilization level dipped to 85%, and that this should be kept in the 95% up range.  Pipsy (our nickname for Andi) looked like a robot, with an intravenous needle on the right hand (dextrose and antibiotics) and the oxygen monitor on the left!  And in those few moments that she allowed us to strap her oxygen mask on, she looked like the cutest robot on the planet!  Vicky had been sleeping at the hospital for the past 3 nights, and she came home, looking forward to sleeping in her own bed.  With the phlegm all gone, Pipsy is now smiling again, pinching Tita Becca & her cousins, being magulo in her usual manner.

Manila Doctors Hospital has been our hospital of choice, being so near the house of Vicky's parents and my Manila office.  My sister Mikaela was born there (Gwammy would hear the constant booming sounds coming from the construction site that was to usher in the next-door Manila Hilton Hotel), and both Monique & Andi were born there.  With a well-trained nursing staff, renovated facilities and a deep bench of medical practioners, Vicky and I have been quite happy with the hospital.  I understand that the Metrobank Foundation has expansion plans, and with such a high level of service, I wish them the best.  Thanks, MDH!

Lao Chao

I dropped by Kong & Gwammy's place this afternoon, amidst the onslaught of typhoon Falcon (BTW, I passed by New Manila and witnessed the destruction to trees & property caused by a mini tornado, locally known as buhawi or ipo-ipo).  The parents were just reminiscing about our 2 month visit to Taiwan in the summer of 1971 and they were talking about Lao Chao exactly at the time I walked in the door.  Lao Chao was the maintenance man in charge of the house where we stayed in Taipei, and I distinctly remember he would ride a bike to bring our daily ration of distilled water.  Those big 5-gallon containers of distilled drinking water were something new to me in those days, since tap water in Manila was absolutely potable.  I remember the gigantic watermelons we used to buy; Kong, Gwammy, my cousin Manong Peter & I would spend nights feasting on one-giant-half of the super sweet Si Qua and we would stow away the other-giant-half in the refrigerator.  I also remember that one night, the wind was so strong that the kitchen door slammed shut, thereby breaking the skylight to a hundred pieces!  I learned how to ride the bicycle that summer, and we went on to tour various places in Taiwan--riding a cab to the Temple on the Hill during a rainy day (Kong got mad at the driver for his wild driving habits), throwing paper wishes onto Taroko Gorge, losing energy while boating in Sun Moon Lake (reinvigorating myself only when Gwammy bought me a ham & cheese sandwich), riding the hammock in Hua Lian and watching the UP Concert Chorus perform on Taiwanese TV while eating in a Chinese restaurant.  I distinctly remember that because my cousin Gene was with the UP Concert Chorus at that time (Rey Paguio was the conductor.  We went on to visit Hong Kong with Uncle Tom during that summer.  Somehow, it seems just like yesterday...

The Tooth Fairy

Monique brought out her Disney book "Princess Magic - Words From The Heart" this evening to show her cousin Louise, who is sleeping over tonight.  This book was given to her by the Tooth Fairy when she was six years old, and the story bears a little telling--I used to coax her to brush her teeth by magically "communicating" with the Tooth Fairy via mental telepathy.  I'd hold my hands over my temples to do the telepathy gig and Monique would be convinced that the Tooth Fairy was real!  The belief was so ingrained, to the point that she would be steadfast in defending the existence of the Tooth Fairy with her jaded classmates.  Aside from the book, she also received a flute/recorder, notebooks and other fancy stuff that Vicky & I could think of.  When she finally learned the truth (at a late age of 9), she was totally shattered!  She could just not believe that I had carried on the illusion for so long.  Well my dear--the Tooth Fairy, and Santa for that matter--live on forever in your heart!

Filifarma

As I was taking my vitamins this morning, I just recalled that time when I used to take Katabios as my daily vitamin.  It was an oblong-shaped tablet, with a hard but sweet silver coating (yes, the only silver tablet that I have ever seen!).  This was a product made by Farmitalia of Italy and distributed locally by Filifarma, operated by Kong, Uncle Tom & Tita Carmen.  I remember some of the brands that they used to carry--there was Garamycin, which was an antibiotic, and Diromo, which Gwammy swears to be the cure-all for stomach aches.  Much later on Filifarma went on to distribute products from Scherer of Australia, and this included Pankrotanon, which was a enzyme to aid in digestion.  I also remember that they were one of the first distribution companies to introduce Ginseng & Royal Jelly capsules into the local markets.  I remember the staff, Mr. Joe Santos who was the accountant, Francis Flores, the driver.

Vehicle List II

Here's the Orion list...

1.    Mitsubishi Lancer EL (silver blue)
2.    Mitsubishi Lancer GL (silver blue)
3.    Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi (dark green, currently in service)
4.    Mercedes Benz MB100 Van (blue, currently in service)
5.    Toyota Innova (red, currently in service)
6.    Toyota Corolla (silver)
7.    Ford Everest (white, currently in service)
8.    Nissan XTrail (silver, currently in service)

Vehicle List I

Rich Street list... Hmmm.... Let's see now....

1.    Chevy II (white)
2.    Holden Mark IV (white)
3.    Holden Premier (blue)
4.    Holden Torana (red)
5.    Opel Rekord (maroon, Opey)
6.    Isuzu Gemini (4-door, red)
7.    Isuzu Gemini (2-door, beige)
8.    Isuzu Gemini (4-door, beige, Kelep)
9.    Isuzu Gemini (4-door, blue, Gringo)
10.  Opel Ascona (4-door, green)
11.  Opel Ascona (4-door, silver)
12.  Isuzu Trooper (4-door, silver)
13.  Isuzu Gemini (4-door, silver, Julep)
14.  Isuzu Gemini (4-door, light blue/silver, Silverado)
15.  Isuzu Gemini (4-door, white, Casper)
16.  Opel Rekord (gold. AT)
17.  Opel Manta (2-door, cream)
18.  Toyota Corolla (4-door, maroon, currently in service)
19.  Isuzu Pick-Up (4-door, maroon, currently in service)
20.  And how can I forget Bratinella (black Dodge of Tita Soly), who was parked for years in the back garage

Eric Baines

Does anybody remember Eric Baines?  We covered this topic in our Saturday dinner at Gwammy's place.  Well he was the dentist who appeared in the Colgate televisions ads in the late seventies to the early eighties.  He used to demonstrate the benefits of brushing your teeth with fluoride-laced Colgate toothpaste.  That was the time when Colgate dominated the market (toothpaste was sometimes referred to as "Colgate" in Philippine households in the seventies, much like refrigerators were referred to as "Frigidaire" in the sixites).  Pepsodent, Crest and Aquafresh were far-away competitors and Close-Up was just launching.  Today, only Close-Up remains active, and other local brands like Hapee and Beam have taken the slack.  Nice to reminisce...