Thoughts for our grandchildren

For those of us raised in Manila and for our children and grandchildren who weren't and aren't, I am coopying an email I received about three years ago which should serve as a memory flashback for us and something to think about for our younger generation:  Here it is -

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN?




By Letty Jacinto-Lopez




What did I get for attending the last class reunion?
Eighty new names to clutter my e-mail box. I was swept
by a tide of bonhomie and believed every scream of
"You haven't changed a bit!" Other than classmates
growing a little thicker around the middle and men
combing their hair in artistic patterns to cover
barren spots, we were faring pretty well. That was
until class president Juris Telmo sent me a list of
"do you remember whens" highlighting the four decades
that shaped and influenced our world. Like an old
pinball machine, I bounced names and places with pop,
clang and clatter ringing up friends for details that
had gone all too hazy. We brought back ghosts of the
past.

Do you recall when:

You tasted: Fres Gusto, Cosmos "Sarsi" Sarsaparilla,
RC Cola, Yes Cola, Teem, Darigold Evap, Liberty Condensada,
Choco Vim, Sunkist Orange (in tetra packs), Magnolia
Chocolait, (pronounced chocolayt), Klim (the word
"milk" spelled backwards), Big 20 Hamburgers, Tweet &
Jiggs Candies (by Mr. Krieger), Sugus Candies, Tootsie
Roll, Serg's Chocolate, Blenda Margarine,
kerosene-flavored popcorn and kropeck along Dewey
Blvd, dirty ice cream, Magnolia Ice Cream Sandwich,
Selecta ice cream (now Arce Dairy) and their fresh
carabao's milk, Magnolia popsicles in orange,
chocolate and langka flavors, Sison Ice Drops in
monggo, and buko flavors, Milky Way's buko sherbet and
Coney Island's 32 flavors.

Why can't I have "dirty" ice cream? "Because the
sorbetero peddled them in a cart going from house to
house, gathering soot and dust along the way," came
the booming reply from my mother. I envied my
playmates who were allowed to wolf down scoops of
mango and ube ice cream with pinipig sandwiched
between two slices of bread. They never got sick
either from eating something "dirty" taunting me
instead for missing out on these smooth and creamy
heat busters.

You went to: Syvel's, Assandas, Arcegas at the Maranaw
Arcade, Funhouse at Bricktown, Erehwon Bookstore,
Alemars Bookstore, Bookmark, Botica Boie, Makati
Supermarket (in Makati!), Rizal Theater (with its
spacious lobby) with D'Bankers Barbershop and Leila's
Coffee Shop, Tropical Hut (and its hamburger), Acme
Supermarket, Cherry Foodarama, The Regent of Manila,
Hotel Aurelio, Manila Hilton, Christmas carnival
(where Dusit Hotel now stands), Villa Pansol and Lido
Beach.

I met a boy whose family owned and operated Tropical
Hut and when he paid me a visit, my kid brother got
excited and said, "Can your friend bring over a fat
brown bag of nuts and chocolates instead of stuffed
toys and flowers? Throw in some hamburgers too." The
friendship never went beyond the hi-and-have-a-good-life
phase unlike their store which expanded and sold more
hamburgers. Sadly, the hamburger lost its unique taste
after ownership of the chain changed hands.

"Rizal what?" I asked. "Who would be crazy to build a
cinema in the middle of nowhere?" It turned out to be
the best theater in the city of Makati (at the same
site now occupied by Shangri-La Hotel). The builder
did not scrimp on space with its wide aisles and
double cushioned seats. There was always a good view
of the screen from any angle with no marked
distinction between the popular orchestra seats and
the more exclusive lodge and balcony seats. When I
watched a spine-tingling thriller that starred a blind
Audrey Hepburn entitled Wait Until Dark, I shivered
down to my toes not because of my runaway imagination
but the air conditioning system that was set to an
all-time blast-freezing high.

And ate at:The original A&W along UN Avenue in Manila,
Aristocrat across Malate Church, Italian Village, Café
Valenzuela, Bonanza Restaurant, Brown Derby, Little
Quiapo, Country Bake Shop, Selecta Restaurants (owned
by the Arce family), Taza de Oro, New Europe, Madrid,
Cucina Italiana, La Cibeles at A. Mabini, The Plaza,
Jade Garden Restaurant, Luau, The Makati Automat, Sulo
Restaurant (in Makati),Makati Fastfood Center (the
first ever), Bulakeña, Casa Marcos, Au Bon Vivant,
Salambao Restaurant, Dairy Queen along Buendia, Di
Mark's Pizza, the elegant dining room of the old Army
& Navy Club.

Brown Derby and their signature foot-long hotdog came
with its special, extra tarty mustard sauce and a hot,
crispy bun. We used to park at their drive-in bays
after we were exhausted from all-night partying but
with enough energy to gobble down sausages and soft
drinks. They were our comfort food that guaranteed a
long and restful sleep.

The Plaza was the favorite venue for all formal school
and social functions. Food was not a big factor so
long as cozy couples could have their special table
for two. Although we talked of young love that never
died, marriage was definitely not in our immediate
plans. But I was outnumbered by friends who made an
early covenant and literally jumped out of their
school togas and into their bridal gowns. It drove me
to ask in earnest, "Was there life outside graduation
and marriage?"

You shopped at: Escolta, Harrison Plaza (when it was
still clean and had the bump cars), Ali Mall, Rustan's
in San Marcelino, Aguinaldo's in Cubao, Quezon City;
Shoemart in Makati was a small, split-level affair.
The original Rustan's was a residential house
converted into a dazzling shop filled with eclectic
things and collectibles. I liked the signet ring that
had the profile of the Virgin Mother etched in pure
gold. It cost more than my student's allowance but
true to Rustan's slogan "Where Shopping is a
Pleasure," the management reserved it for me until I
was able to pay for it in full. That was my first
crack at a lay-away plan before the advent of the
cashless, plastic cards. The ring cost P80 ? a king's
ransom at that time. I still wear it on my finger.

Blockbuster movies were: Love Story, Mahogany,
Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Planet of the Apes, Star
Wars, Logan's Run, Battlestar Galactica, Paper Chase,
Enter The Dragon, Jaws, Towering Inferno, Poseidon
Adventure, Carrie, Willard (theme song was Ben sang by
a young Michael Jackson), Exorcist, Love Bug,
Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang.

Washington DC, 1970: There was such a big hype
surrounding this new film Love Story that my room
mates Lirio Calixto, Papoose Oteyza and Lydia Aunario
refused to watch it. They only relented when we could
not find any other movie to watch on a typical Friday
night. When Ryan O'Neal struggled to hold back his
tears while he held a young and dying Ali McGraw in
his arms, you could hear stifled sobs in the dark and
to my amusement, from my jaded roommates as well.

Lino Brocka's master work Tinimbang opened our eyes to
the arrogance of power. The rape and the childbirth
scenes left nothing to the imagination but they were
the same scenes that stayed longest on our minds. To
think we were only curious to watch this young, new
discovery Christopher "Boyet" de Leon who acted
alongside multi-awarded thespians like Lolita
Rodriguez.

You wore, carried or used Denman brush tucked in your
back pants pocket, Jordache and Sassoon jeans, Bata
rubber shoes, Botak running shoes, Ace flexible comb,
Ace clutchbag, Carrera shades, Ray-Ban Photochromic
and Ambermatic shades, Foster Grant sunglasses,
Alaskin, tie-dye shirts and pants, double-knit pants,
Sergio Valente, Vidal Sassoon, Fiorucci, Banlon, Ye-ye
Vonnel shirts, Nik-Nik, Bang-Bang, Faded Glory,
Jazzie, Puma Topfit, Tiger Onitsuka, Happy Feet,
clogs, Wet look shoes, Pierre Cardin, Brut, Jovan musk
oil, Aramis, platform shoes with bell-bottom pants and
wide-buckled belts.

Valentine's Day 1965: I was looking for something
special to give away and there was this new cologne
called Brut. The moment I bought one I regretted it
instantly because I was allergic to perfumes and
colognes. That was not as disastrous as finding out
that every member of the male population in Metro
Manila was wearing it.

You had your hair styled or permed by: Flavio and
Carmen, Nomer's, Lita Rio, Grace Lagman, and
Kayumanggi. (Note from Beng: she forgot to mention Miloy!)
That was the time of Aqua Net stiff, foot-high
beehives, French twist and Kiss Me liquid eye liners
and Pretty Quik instant facial blotters. My hair
"drank" 7-Up or San Miguel beer because they were the
most effective setting lotions that kept my hair
styled high and in conical, cornucopian shape. My
so-called crowning glory was also the perfect nesting
place for feathered hatchlings.

You sang: Bobby, Bobby, Bobby by Jo Ann Campbell,
Someday by Ricky Nelson, And I Love Her by the
Beatles, Cherish by the Association, Because by Dave
Clark Five, Distant Shores by Chad and Jeremy, Rainy
Days & Mondays by the Carpenters, You've Got a Friend
by Carol King, Hundred Miles by Peter, Paul and Mary,
Evergreen by Paul Williams.

I saved my whole month's allowance P50 to watch
the Beatles perform live at Rizal Memorial Coliseum in
1965. Security could not control the excited crowd
from entering the gates in an orderly manner so we
were forced to jostle and elbow our way in. Everything
went wrong that night. Bad acoustics, scattered sound
and worse of all, a visibly exhausted group of
Liverpool mopheads who failed to light up the sky. But
their mere presence kept us in high spirits and we
remained diehard fans long after the group disbanded.

It was hip to listen to: Bingo Lacson and Jo San Diego
(past midnight) of DZMT, the singing sensations from
Ateneo de Manila ? RJ and the Riots, The Loonilarks,
Joe Mari Chan and the APO Hiking Society and dance to
live combo music garbed in cocktail dresses and dark
suits.

DZMT was affiliated with the Manila Times and was the
only broadcast station that stayed on the air past
midnight. Jo San Diego was their anchor woman (she
with the velvety bedroom voice). Insomniacs, students
cramming-for-exams, and those manning the midnight
shifts were fully entertained by her music, intimate
chats and chuckles.

And danced at: Manila Hotel's Jungle Bar, Stargazer,
Bayside Night Club (with live music by the Carding
Cruz band), the Nile (and the Italian singing group
Five n' Fives), Queue Disco, Circuit Disco, Where?
Else?, Altitude 49, Delirium (in Greenbelt), D' Flame,
Rino's, Velvet Slum, Wells Fargo, Coco Banana.

After graduation, jam sessions were replaced by night
clubs and Bayside was the place to go for live bands
and non-stop dancing. It didn't matter that one side
of it was cordoned off for date-less clients who paid
a premium to choose from a lineup of professional
escorts. It allowed me to catch a glimpse of the many
faceted lives that moved around Manila by night.

Do you remember when: Dollar to peso exchange rate was
$1 = P7, Walang Tindigan buses charged a flat rate of
P1, Love Bus fare was P1.50, family size Shakey's
Pizza cost less than P40, Malate streets were named
after US States (Pennsylvania, Colorado, etc.);
Parañaque, San Juan, Makati, Pasig, Las Piñas,
Taguig, Pateros and Muntinlupa were
municipalities of Rizal province; DLSU was De La Salle
College, Poveda was Institucion Teresiana, Adamson
University was the original St. Theresa's campus,
Robinsons mall was the Assumption Convent campus,
Petron was Esso, Villamor Air Base was then known as
Nichols Air Base, bancas were aplenty in the Baclaran
side of Dewey Blvd. (now Roxas Blvd.) and traffic was
non-existent in Tagaytay.

PLDT telephone numbers were five digits and you used
your index finger to dial a number one at a time.
Communication was limited to letters, telegrams and
telephone apparatus that couldn't be yanked from the
wall. If you missed the car pool, you'd be left
stranded, twiddling your fingers until the next
available transport came to take you home.

If you remember all these things, you're history, in
great company and I daresay, happy to be.

JopenSantaAna