DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN?
May 23, 2004 | 12:00am
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, 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 worn, 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.
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 Associations, 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 – Ramon RJ Jacinto, 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), Velvet Slum, 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; 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.
Do you recall when:
You tasted: Fres Gusto, 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 worn, 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.
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 Associations, 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 – Ramon RJ Jacinto, 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), Velvet Slum, 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; 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.
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