December 16 - 31, 1964

December 16 - Wednesday


Ditto above.



December 17 - Thursday

Cocktails at Tita Lol’s house. Cliff was invited and he was there. Saw Joe’s mother at Mass. Joey brought Lita and me home. Had a fairly nice evening. Honey at hospital this evening. (Another evening I recall very well. I remember Tito Ramon advising me to stop pining for the guys around me and concentrate on Cliff. I also remember Honey’s getting sick and that upsetting me a lot.)



December 19 - Saturday

Went to the hospital to visit Honey. I think I would die if something happened to him. (A bit overdramatic of me, wasn't I?!)


December 20 - Sunday

Ramos home with Cliff. Went to the circus later.



December 23 - Wednesday

Went shopping this afternoon.



December 24 - Thursday

Mercy’s house this evening.



December 25 - Friday

Cliff ate dinner with us this evening.



December 26 - Saturday

Went to Valley Golf Club with Cliff. This evening to Jai-Alai with Mercy, George and Cliff. Saw Joe, Monica, Lita and Anthony. Had a nice evening.



December 27 - Sunday

Birthday party at Muscat house. I got bugged at Mercy and Honey. How stupid can I get!



December 29 - Tuesday

Cliff sent me desk diary this morning. Talked to him this afternoon over the phone. He asked me out for tomorrow night but I declined.



December 31 - Thursday

New Year’s Eve with Joe Vincent. Although, it almost didn’t happen. I was at Mercy’s house this afternoon, chatting with Honey. I was feeling a bit sad as it seemed everyone was going out that night with someone. Mercy had a date (was it with George? Or Diego?), but Joe, I thought, was in Baguio, as was Monica and his other fans - all hoping they would spend New Years Eve with him. I was feeling slightly sorry for myself when the phone rang and Mercy excitedly tells me and it was Joe asking for me! He asked me if I had a date for the evening and I said no so he asked me if I would like to spend NYE with him and Pepito Vera Perez. They had just arrived from Baguio. For a moment, all I could think of was how disappointed Monica and the rest would be. Needless to say, I had the best New Year’s Eve I’ve ever had in a long time! First we went to the Jai-Alai were we were treated like royalty - natch. And then to the Polo Club where Pearly and her group of prima dona friends found themselves staring open mouthed at Joe with me and Pepito. They called us to join their table but Joe declined and we sat the three of us at our own table and proceeded to have a ball!!! We drank a lot of champagne between us. Sometime in the evening Pepito went his own way and Joe dropped me home in the early morning of January 1, 1965. He later told me he passed out in the car. Albeit practically last minute, but I did get to “go to the ball” tonight. It made up for the many balls and proms I never got invited to.



(Little did I know that that New Year’s Eve would be the last one I would spend in Manila until 1996 (32 years later) where I would again start the evening talking to Honey Muniosguren. My life changed in January 1965. I accepted Cliff Harkness’s proposal of marriage and married him in April of that year. We left Manila, never to live there again. I left my homeland, my parents, my friends and a way of life that I thought I could return to at will. I was too young and too naive to appreciate the good man I had married, and the life he wanted to make for his new family in New York. I thought I was going to prance around New York City like Jane Fonda in “Sunday In New York” (or was that “Barefoot in the Park?”) or be like Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (I never realized until many years later that Audrey's character plays a lady of easy virtue in that enchanting movie.) My fantasy continued - after a brief stay in the Big City, we would live in a house like “Father Knows Best” and I would have three perfect little blond haired kids and somehow manage to maintain the life I had in Manila too. What a bubble I lived in! And when that bubble burst, I broke my husband’s heart, my parents’ heart, and my dream. Later I would move to Barcelona and make another life for myself, but that's a story for another time.)



I finished transcribing these diaries in 2005/2006 and brought them to Manila and gave them to many of the friends who featured within - from Margotin Ubago Ripoll, to Mercy, Nena Marti, and many others including our dear, recently departed Leo Kahn, who had a good time re-living and remembering our lives in the early sixties. 

Today is New Year's Day 2010 - and light years away from the events of the years I faithfully chronicled.  I hope all who read my original hard copies and who read this blog are all well and had a good time reading this.  I hope this year is good to us.  Health being the main good wish and then for us who still have to hold on to our jobs - that we can do so!  I will keep posting other thoughts in here and when I get a scanner, I will post pictures of our past and present.  God bless and keep you all safe and happy - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

December 1 - 15, 1964

December 1 - Tuesday - George Gallent’s birthday.


Margie was at home tonight.



December 3 - Thursday

Opening night for “A Christmas Carol.”



December 4 - Friday - Joe Vincent’s birthday

“Christmas Carol” - 8 PM.



December 5 - Saturday

Party at Joe’s house after Christmas Carol at 4 pm. The party was very nice. Joe was very attentive to all his guests. Went to “Rincon” later with Mitch, Honey and Lita.



December 6 - Sunday

Cast party at Cliff’s apartment. (Another event I remember distinctly!) It was great party. Jose Mari and Joe came with us. Joe was his old charming self. Jose Mari was very nice and everything was just perfect.



December 7 - Monday - My parents’ anniversary!



December 8 - Tuesday

Mass at Ateneo. Saw Jose Mari and Joey.

December 9 - Wednesday

Did not go to the office today.



December 10 - Thursday

Sent telegram to Cosme to wish him a happy birthday. Spent a little while in Mercy’s house this evening.



December 12 - Saturday

Party at Monica’s house. It was ok. Joe was there with Pearly. Honey was a little high. Ditoy Atayde is very nice.



December 13 - Sunday

Stayed home all day.



December 14 - Monday

Typhoon signal up. No office this afternoon.



December 15 - Tuesday - Monica’s birthday

Lunch at Mercy’s house.

November 15 - 30, 1964

November 15 - Sunday


Went to Mass with Honey, Mercy and Monica. At 6:30 - at German Cultural Center Reception for German actors.



November 16 - Monday

Had a gathering at home and all had a nice time. The sun is shining a little brighter these days...



November 17 - Tuesday

Lunch with Mercy. I have a part in “Christmas Carol” as does Lita.



November 18 - Wednesday

Lunch with Mercy.



November 19 - Thursday

Lunch with Mercy



November 20 - Friday

Went to the Rizal with Tita Chat and Lita to see “Marnie.” I thought the movie terrific. Jose Mari called today.



November 21 - Saturday

Stayed with Mercy all afternoon.



November 22 -Sunday

Ditto as yesterday. (No wonder my mother used to tell me that I might as well move in there!)



November 23 - Monday

Movie premier event at Rizal to mark anniversary of JFK’s death. “Years of Lightning, Day of Drums” - Beautiful movie.



November 24 - Tuesday

Dinner at Legarda’s.



November 25 - Wednesday

Gathering at Monica’s house. Had a wonderful evening.



November 26 - Thursday

Movie with Mercy and George.



November 27 - Friday

One depressing day.



November 29 - Sunday

Dress rehearsal for “Christmas Carol” Stayed at Lita’s house for a while.



November 30 - Monday

Played bowling at Casino with Albert, Marisol, etc.

October 27 - November 14, 1964

October 27 - Tuesday


Lunch with Mercy.



October 28 - Wednesday

Went to Mass with Lita and Mercy.



October 30 - Friday

Sold tickets for MTG from 12 to 2. We left for Baguio at 6 pm this evening. We, being Lita, Mercy and I.



October 31 - Saturday - Baguio!

Lita, Mercy and I spent a lovely day walking, eating, shopping, etc. We LOVE Baguio!



November 1 - Sunday

Had dinner at Tita Trining Legarda’s house. I wish we could stay here forever. Dad called to tell me Tito Pepito died on Oct. 22nd.



November 2 - Monday

Mercy and Lita came down today. Ate lunch with Tito Ben at Forrest House.



November 3 - Tuesday

Left for Manila by PAL. Ate lunch with Mercy.



November 4 - Wednesday

Had lunch with Mercy again. They come and they go but there is only one Honey Muniosguren.



November 5 - Thursday

Mr. Frank Tenny died today.



November 6 - Friday

Lunch with Mercy.



November 7 - Saturday

Went to the play “Silver Whistle” with Cliff. Honey and Lita were with us. (Now there was an interesting combination of pairs. Don’t remember this at all!) Later went to Alba’s. Had a very pleasant evening.



November 8 - Sunday

Spent whole day with Mom at home.



November 9 - Monday

Mass this morning at San Marcelino Church for Tito Pepito.



November 10 - Tuesday

Cliff sent over to the office a darling little brass figure from Thailand (which I still have). Had lunch with Lita and later we dropped by Joey’s office this afternoon. Was my face red! (Yet, again, I wish I had explained why!!!!)



November 11 - Wednesday

Lunch at Mercy’s.



November 13 - Friday

Lunch at Mercy’s house.



November 14 - Saturday

Spent afternoon with Mercy. She had a date with George. Talked to Honey for a while before he and Mitch dropped me home

(I know that anyone reading these entries now are truly bored as the entries themselves are boring - again, only because these are not true "diary" entries but entries in my little yearly planner for 1964.  They do end on December 31st and so does the chronicle of my late teen years in Manila but I will get to that soon.)  In the meantime, I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and again, here's wishing that 2010 brings us all good things!