A Merry Mix-up!

Clearing your desk for the New Year can be extremely rewarding. Don’t throw everything away because you may come upon some rare discoveries–just as I have. For instance, shown here is an old photo of President GMA as a debutante dancing the rigodon at a formal ball in Malacanang during the tenure of her father Diosdado Macapagal as president.

Here, too, is a precious Manansala portrait of Lina "Nang" Sevilla, widow of the eminent specialist Carling Sevilla. In the painting, Nang–incidentally, last year’s Premio Zobel awardee–is seated with daughter Conchitina, then three years old, and now the Philippines’ First Lady in Madrid where husband Lani is our country’s ambassador.

The picture of architect Christina "Tina" Turralba is more au courant because the Sigma Deltans just had a reunion at which they honored Tina as one of their outstanding members. No, Tina’s husband Tony is not a Sigma Deltan but he is as distinguished an architect as Tina.

Finally, the photo of the Dasmariñas Village Walkers Club is even more recent. Last Dec. 8, "walker" Dr. Meding Suntay honored internationally acclaimed pianist Nena R. Villanueva with a dinner on her birthday. The occasion coincided with the inauguration of Meding’s newest house in Makati–actually, she has so many I’ve lost count.

Nena was to have played a few selections but feeling rather indisposed, she showed the guests a video of her performance in Paris’ Musee de l’Armee under the sponsorship of Ambassador Hector Villaroel.

Meding is probably the only hostess who can "shoo" her guests away at exactly nine without appearing rude. You see, the Walkers have to be up on the dot at five for their morning jog.

But before they called it a night that evening, Cesar Bautista requested Nena to play Liszt’s Liebestraum (Dream of Love), claiming he’d sleep better if he heard Nena play it. She did–marvelously despite a fever. The Walkers, at this time of writing, must have had breakfast at Meding’s residence (don’t ask me which one!) after the last misa de gallo.