September 1 - 10, 1961

September 1 - Friday


We did absolutely nothing in school today. Just had the exam in Religion in the morning and then poof, nothing. We had Holy Hour this pm. I also had practice for Career Angel. It was a nice evening. Mother Socorro was with us and Miss Martinez was in a good mood because her Jerry was going to pick her up. Dad picked me up then he and Mom went to a dinner. I just listened to the radio and gabbed on the phone with Nena and Mercy. Nena told me that she has known Carlos very well since they were neighbors when small. His birthday falls on the same day as Nena’s - March 8. That makes Nena, Carlos, Butch, Bill and my father who are all born in March. (I love all these Pisces people! Three and a half decades later I would be adding my darling granddaughter Laura to this great Pisces group.) I hope I see him this weekend. Oh please! Mercy likes Tony Ortigas but she gets awfully worked up when she talks about Mari Valles.



September 2 - Saturday

What a stupendous Saturday. I went to the ANC this am. The usual people were there. Mercy, Lita, etc. I ate lunch at the ANC then Mommy dropped me of at Marimil’s house. We went to the Club Filipino. There was Joe Assad, Mari Duarte, etc. then Freddy Hernandez, Freddy Infante, Quito Campos came. I don’t know why but every time Freddy H.’s eyes and mine meet there’s something transmitted. I like him very much, so maybe it’s just my imagination. Anyway Marimil says he likes Betina Herrero or Lita. Ah, life. Another very likeable person is Freddy Infante. What a nice easy-going guy and what a wonderful sense of humor. He really made me laugh. He’s very, very nice but about a billion girls like him so forget it. Anyway, I still think Carlos Garcia’s the mostest. I went back with Marimil to her house and listened to tape recordings then she and I went to a party of a classmate of hers. Carlos M, Joe A, and Quito Moras were there, also Jay Jay Herrero. We danced a lot and I got home at 12:30. I’m starved. I haven’t eaten anything. There was dinner but I wasn’t hungry then. My feet are killing me too. Marimil has invited me to go to her house tomorrow too, but I have to decide whether I want to see Freddy Hernandez and Freddy Infante or Carlos Garcia. I don’t know what to do! If I go to Marimil’s house I’ll have fun with the Whirlpools, Squares, etc. If I don’t go, I’ll probably go to the Rizal and see the Falcons and that dreamboat Carlos Garcia. If I know, I’ll end up seeing neither. I also met Butch Kahn, Betina Herrero and Lori-Vee Valdez at the Club Filipino. The Diggers all dance very well.



September 3 - Sunday

Went to Mass at 1:00 at Ermita then to the ANC. Marina, Conchita, Arno, Cosme were there, also Mercy. We talked about the coming parties, then they all left. I ate lunch at the ANC and Cosme joined me and he was very nice but I can’t help but feeling he dislikes me. He knows he’ll get nowhere with Mercy and he told me Mari Valles likes Mercy! Whether or not this is true is to be seen. He also forced me into a position of answering the question of whether I like Mari or not. I gave him a half negative answer. If that’s possible. I have the feeling he’s going to mess up my life again and I wonder what he has in store for Mercy. Anyway, we went to the Rizal to see “Journey to the Lost City.” That was the secondary purpose of course. Everyone was there including Carlos Garcia who didn’t look at me. The Infante brothers and Mari Valles with a smug look on his face was with Cosme. I wonder what bolas Cosme has told him by now. We later went to Marina’s house. Lita, Conchita, Mercy Luli and I. Mari and Cosme passed by in a car while we were walking and Mari looks at me smugly and says “bye”...oooh I could have slammed a door in his face. Of all the conceited people. I told you Cosme blabbed. We just talked and ate at Marina’s house and Luli brought us home. I have the feeling that Mari makes fun of me with the able assistance of Cosme and that Carlos couldn’t care less if I lived or died.(All that teenage insecurity caused me so much angst.) I also have the feeling I’m going to be a wallflower at Mercy’s party (sigh).



September 4 - Monday

I didn’t go to school today since Mommy and I had to go shopping. I slept a siesta this pm. Then talked to Mercy over the phone. She likes Mari very much and since I told her Cosme thinks Mari likes her well....But she says she likes Tony Ortigas too but I know that’s her sideline. I saw Cosme in a jeep on the way home this noon. He smiled and waves....the hypocrite! Mercy and I talked for almost an hour and though she sometimes gets on my nerves she’s still my best friend. Marina called up and said she got a 98% in Spanish exam when I only got 85%. Bully for her! She also thinks I got a 68% in Religion which I cannot believe. Let’s see tomorrow. I watched Bishop Sheen tonight on TV.



September 5 - Tuesday

I’m so tired right now, I wonder how I can write in here...I got awfully low in my exams except Tagalog. I also got 88% in the exam and an average 90% in my quizzes. Higher than most other subjects. If that’s not the end! I had practice of Career Angel this pm. We saw the posters they made of us and they are beautiful. Mother was with us. Miss Martinez was absent. We danced a lot on stage until finally Sr. Tita hauled us out. Cecile Guidote was a riot! Ate dinner with Dad, who has a lot of problems, mostly financial and is on his nerves’ edge. Can’t blame him really though. Life gets harder every day. I’m sooo tired and sleepy but I won’t forget to say my rosary. I am so tired - so much homework and I hate Physics, but not Mrs. Buencamino who teaches it but the subject itself, also English and Grammar.



September 6 - Wednesday

Same routine in school today. This pm I had to go to Miss Martinez’s house to ask permission to skip Career Angel practice today since I was invited to the Argentinian embassy for cocktails to meet about 50 naval cadets who’ve just arrived. She let me – bless her. Conchita, Luli, Carmen Garcia picked me up. It was a wonderful evening. We met many new cadets - all in their white uniforms, so handsome, so gentlemanly and polite. I stayed with Mary P???? and Lolita Pellicer the whole evening. We met 3 cadets who were so very nice. One of them was George, Tito and Miguel Angel. They stayed with us the whole evening and its so nice to feel somebody is interested in you. This Miguel Angel, who is very attractive, invited me to dinner and dancing but that of course is out of the question. Every girl of Manila’s Spanish-American society was there. Nena looked beautiful in black. Marina was lovely too and Inger was in white. Miguel Angel asked me when he would see me again and I said either at the Casino or at the boat. It’s the first time any boy has asked me to go anywhere with him and it had to be a young, handsome, naval cadet! We had a lively and gay conversation. Mommy is such a suspicious person and such a kj. You come home all excited and she starts handing out sermons. But, what a wonderful evening.



September 7 - Thursday

Tension and unhappiness - that’s all there is in this world today. Atomic tests are going on and one day we’ll just be all blown to bits! Here at home Daddy doesn’t come home for lunch and doesn’t eat as much as he used to either. Either he’s very tired or very nervous. He’s got problems in his work. Prices get higher and money is squeezed through sweat and hard work. Mommy keeps getting these bad headaches and her nerves are on edge too. All this week, my stomach has been upset and I’ve had headaches too. I hardly ever see Dad or Mom laugh or smile any more. I am so worried and scared. These maids are just hopeless and just make Mommy more nervous. I can’t stand Physics and there are times when I find myself so scared of tomorrow - the future. A little fun lasts for a blink of the eye and the rest of the time we’re with long faces. I have the feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen. Dear Lord, help us.



September 8 - Friday

Lita picked me up to go the Casino Espanol. The whole Spanish community was there. Inger told me that Miguel Angel was asked for me yesterday and he was there tonight. Carmen Garcia, Lita, Conchita, Lita etc. all say he’s very handsome. He was with me the whole night and he asked me to dance the paso doble and tango which I did although I did not know how. I think I stepped on his toes a trillion times. But he was very nice about it. He had a very charming way of speaking. He did not want me to leave but I had to go to Mercy’s party. I promised, or half-promised to come back at 1 but I couldn’t. I got to Mercy’s house and everyone was there including Carlos Garcia and Freddy Hernandez. Mercy was so sad because Mari and Tony were not there. I danced a lot with Nacho, Quito Moras, Linggoy, Butch Catala, Leo, Paqui and a guy whose name I don’t know. Butch still adores the ground Inger walks on. Honey and Cosme were very nice tonight. I caught Carlos Garcia, Nacho, Arno, Freddy H., Joe Asad, Ditoy Atayde, looking at me and I must admit I was flattered. Marina came with a cadet and everyone was talking about him, but Inger, Carmen Garcia etc. said I should’ve brought Miguel Angel to Mercy’s party. Cosme is really leaving On October 4th and although I dislike him very much at times a teeny-weeny part of me goes with him too. I thought I never would miss him but I guess I will. (Like an itch I couldn’t scratch.) He is one of the boys I’ve likes more intensely and hated too. The person I really like now is Carlos Garcia. I know he couldn’t care less.... But I think that if it were Carlos instead of Miguel my heart would pop out of my throat. What a beautiful evening.



September 9 - Saturday

I stayed home the whole day and this evening. I went with Mercy and Honey to the Falcons’ party. Inger has finally realized that she really likes Butch so I talked to Butch tonight and then he danced a lot with Inger and let just wait and see... Peps was also asking me if I thought it was alright to ask Lita to go steady and I gave him my opinion and told him Lita really liked him and that I was sure she’s say yes, to ask her. (Que mequetrefe I was and I was critical of Margie?!) I manage to play Cupid for everyone except myself. Honey was very nice to me tonight, just like a big brother. He’s so nice at times. He danced boogie with me (Honey danced boogie?!! I don’t remember ever dancing boogie with Honey but obviously he did because I wrote it down.) and so did Cosme. Mari Valles is one of the most conceited persons I know. He thinks I’m dead over him and he can just think again. Cosme was clowning around the whole night. I was disappointed because Carlos wasn’t there and then he arrived with Juaco, Barbara and Kathy. While I was dancing boogie, he was dancing beside me with Kathy and I was so close to him I could touch him. I bumped into him accidentally twice since the place was so crowded. He caught me looking at him and vice-versa and those brown eyes really send me but like they say, a boy is never interested in a girl who is crazy about them so I’ll keep on dreaming. The records at the party were great - La Bamba, Oh Donna, Come On Everybody, Every Brothers, etc. I don’t feel very well, right now. It’s so hot!! Darn, why do I have to like that Carlos Garcia so much.



September 10 - Sunday

Mass at Ermita at 11 am then I went to the ANC. Lita, Luli, Conchita and Arno were there. Peps did ask Lita to go steady last night at Buddy Norton’s party. Arno is such a nice guy. Ate lunch at the ANC then went to the Rizal Theater to see “Marines Let’s Go” Mercy, Conchita, and I went to the canteen to buy something and just then Carlos Garcia walked in. He was with Eddie, Juaco, etc. and as we walked out, they started whistling. Mari, Cosme, Danny and Pocholo were there. We told them we would go to Marina’s house but we didn’t because we couldn’t. Then Mercy and I got in the car, Mari was walking straight toward us and we started giggling and laughing. He looked very handsome in a navy blue shirt but Carlos looked better in yellow. We went to the ANC. Carmen Gonzalez was there with some Argentinian cadets. Nice but not half as nice as Miguel Angel. We danced in the Teen Den. I got home at 7 pm. Tomorrow, blue Monday and a sermon from Sister.