Vol. 6, No. 5, June 10, 2002
Save Those Artifacts!
We learned to our horror recently that a vintage sign board belonging to the old LCHS has been hammered down and converted into a bench at the new LCHS campus in Pala-o. Unbelievable as it may seem, such act amounts to a desecration of an important relic of LCHS history.
The sign board, made of hardwood with carving of "Chu San Hall" in Chinese characters, adorned the kindergarten building of the old LCHS on Roosevelt Extension for many decades. This piece of artwork was mounted by the founders of LCHS at the kindergarten building when it was inaugurated in 1953. Its significance as a rare object of LCHS memorabilia cannot be taken for granted, much less be desecrated into a shabby piece of furniture.
This piece of artifact may not mean much to the present generation of LCHS students, or its new school officials for that matter. But it bears priceless sentimental value to many of us who grew up under the shelter of the old LCHS on Roosevelt Extension.
The artifact, as with many other relics of the old LCHS, must be restored and preserved for all time. We cannot, and we must not, allow any further destruction of similar historical treasures of the Alma Mater. Let's save and preserve those artifacts. (COS)
PC FOR THE
SPECTRUM
Spectrum
fund drive exceeds target
Cash contributions and pledges to the Spectrum PC Fund Drive have now exceeded its target. The latest donation came from Aurora Tansiokhian, M.D. (Batch '58), of Bunn Hill, N.Y., U.S.A., who gave US$300. Converted at the average exchange rate of P50, her contribution of P15,000 now brings the total funds raised to P67,500. The contributors, as of June 6, 2002, are Leonardo Tan (Batch '66), P5,000; Wilford D. Lim (Batch '75), P5,000; Kho Siok We (Batch '57), P5,000; Mike Lee (Batch '66), P5,000; Charles O. Sy (Batch '67), P5,000; Teresita Siao-Go (Batch '66), 5,000; Ritky C. Dy (Batch '76) & Family, P10,000; Laureto C. Lao (Batch '68) & Elsie "Bembie" Lao (Batch '70), P7,500; Jaime Andaquig (Batch '75) & Lolita Andaquig, P5,000; and Aurora Tansiokhian (Batch '58), P15,000. The Spectrum computer system, including peripherals, costs P54,500. The total fund of P67,500 does not include yet the proposed contribution of at least P500 from each of the LCHS-AA officers and directors agreed upon among them during the board meeting on May 23, 2002. As discussed at the meeting attended by Spectrum editor Victor Chiu, any excess fund after payment for the computer system shall be retained in a separate bank account to be established exclusively for the Spectrum. The fund will be used to cover Internet expenses, printing costs, and other operational expenses of the Spectrum in Iligan. The fund drive was conducted by the LCHS-AA and the Spectrum to purchase a computer system for the use of the Spectrum staff in Iligan.
Whitney
Dy tops HK swimfest
By Peter Dy (Batch '66)
Whitney
Dy, daughter of William C. Dy (Batch '71), was adjudged "Most
Outstanding Swimmer" under the 7-8 years old category for girls in the
Hong Kong Mantas Invitational Swimming Competition held last May 11 and
12. Representing the Philippine team, Whitney Dy romped off with an impressive
harvest of seven gold medals in the 50-m and 100-m Free Style, 50-m and
100-m Breast Stroke, 50-m and 100-m Back Stroke, and 50-m Butterfly swimming
contests. Among the participants in the competition were top swimmers from
the People's Republic of China, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand,
and the Philippines. After the competition, William Dy and his family proceeded
to the U.S.A. to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and Chicago. They
returned home to Manila last May 29.
Dominic's
house bags UAP award
By Igdono Caracho (Batch '66)
A new house in Iligan City won an award for its creative and innovative design. The house, owned by Dominic Siao (Batch '85) and Shiela Siao, won for its architect James Jao of Cebu City the 2002 Design Award of Excellence for Architecture given by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP). Dominic's elegant house was the full-page feature in the Life/Art section of the June 4 issue of the Cebu Daily News. The 400-sq.m. house is a standout with its dramatic roof lines and curved canopy in metal frames. Its interior is distinguished by a soaring ceiling in the living room and ample application of glass that offers a marvelous view of the night sky from the inside.
Spectrum website draws more viewers
More
and more Internet surfers are browsing the Spectrum web site since the
time it bounced back in cyberspace last April. The number of visitors rose
to an unprecedented 2,131 for the month of May, surpassing the previous
highest record of 1,513 hits registered in April 2002. Latest statistics
provided by its GeoCities host server also show that of the 2,131 visitors,
91.29% accessed the Spectrum Home Page from various links to its web site.
The figure indicates an increasing number of people, either non-alumni
or non-subscribers, browse the Spectrum on its web site from different
parts of the world. The Spectrum Home Page is available at: http://www.geocities.com/lchsspectrum
SM to open in CdeO soon
This should come as a bit of good news for Iligan shoppers who do most of their weekend shopping in neighboring city, Cagayan de Oro. SM Mall, the country's premier mall chain, will soon open in CdeO. Construction of the P473-million three-storey mall started in June last year and is nearing completion. The SM Mall, built at the 25-hectare business park of Pueblo de Oro, has a floor area of 57,000 square meters. It will house the SM supermarket and department store, various fast food outlets and restaurants, amusement and entertainment centers, boutiques, and retail shops. It will have six state-of-the-art cinemas, four of which will be built initially.
Iligan celebrates 52nd Charter Day
Iligan City will celebrate its 52nd Charter Day anniversary on June 16 with simple ceremonies. Iligan became a chartered city on June 16, 1950 by virtue of Republic Act No. 525 signed by then President Elpidio Quirino. On Nov. 29, 1984, City Ordinance No. 395, series of 1984, declaring June 16 of every year as "Adlaw sa Iligan," was approved by the city council, to commemorate and celebrate the founding of Iligan as a Charter Day.
LCHS
student orientation on June 10
By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73)
The LCHS always invited the LCHS-AA officers to its student orientation for several years now. President Vy Beng Hong will attend the affair on June 10, 2002 to be held in the gymnasium. He will speak before the students, faculty and parents on the importance of the alumni objectives and its current activities. Spectrum editor Victor Chiu will also speak on the Spectrum, together with Roger Suminguit. Separate orientation will be conducted on the same day with the fourth year & third year students and the HS Journalism teacher on the operations of the Spectrum.
Pres. Arroyo greets LCHS grads
In a congratulatory message addressed to the graduating class of 2002,
Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wrote:
"The twenty-first century is the era of the knowledge-based economy. Economic prosperity is determined more and more by the ability of a nation to harness the intellectual resources of its people. In the attainment of our common vision of economic progress and stability, our people, especially the youth, are called upon to lead the country by equipping themselves with the knowledge and skills necessary for the advancement of our society.
"While we continue to strengthen the foundation of our economy by ensuring the accessibility of basic needs and services, it is broadening our skills and technological capability that we shall be able to translate our investments into sustainable gains and social transformation.
"I call upon all the members of the graduating class to take into their hearts and mind the role they are expected to play as responsible, constructive and dynamic members of our society. As you graduate from this hallowed institution, we expect you to be active stakeholders in the country's development.
"I also call upon the administration and faculty of the Lanao Chung Hua School to continue their dedication to academic excellence and the molding of our youth into responsible achievers and leaders. Let us work together in providing quality education and youth development as a solid investment in the nation's future. Congratulations and Mabuhay!"
Best in Filipino awards, High School
In the recognition program held on March 22 and March 26, 2002 in the Lanao Chung Hua School Gym, the following high school students were given the Best in Filipino awards: Janissa A. Uy, first year; Gladys A. Uy, second year; Enjoy Faith C. Ang, third year; and Cheerine U. Dy, fourth year.
Best in Filipino awards, Grade School
In the recognition program held on March 22 and March 26, 2002 in the Lanao Chung Hua School Gym, the following grade school students were given the Best in Filipino awards: Maleika Andrea Q. Dy, Grade 1; Nicole Leslie L. Chua, Grade 2; Ann Catherine L. Co, Grade 3; Karen Andrea L. Chua, Grade 4; Franzymyll V. Dy, Grade 5; Tristan Ervin G. Lim, Grade 6.
Roger Suminguit, Batch '73
Jessica Dy-Johnson, daughter of Dr. Johnson C. Dy (Batch
'64), is on her way to New York University on a 4-year Merit Scholarship.
She only has to pay for her board and lodging. Currently on vacation
in Cebu is Spectrum contributor Evelyn Yu-Go (Batch '77).
Evelyn arrived in Cebu from San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A., last June 6, together
with her daughter Karen. Coming to Iligan soon for a hometown
visit is Mike Lee (Batch '66) from Edmonton, Canada. Mike is scheduled
to arrive in Iligan together with his wife Nancy and their two children
by the first week of July. After a hectic day of familiarizing Victor
Chiu with the technical aspects of editing the Spectrum and
conducting job interviews for his company’s ongoing project in Cagayan
de Oro City last May 24, Charles O. Sy was not able to escape from
the hands of Santiago "Santi" Ong. He was "hijacked" to the residence
of Santi Ong at Rabago subdivision for a gathering with the boys. Present
were past presidents Arturo "Toto" Samson & Carlos "Bonnie"
Dy, brothers Robert "Toto" Co & Edwin "Pattie" Co,
Roger
"Bon-Cho" Suminguit, the host Santiago "Santi" Ong, and Suniel
"Boy" Lim. The group enjoyed the light moments with pulutan,
hybrid
mango, and a few rounds of SMB till 1:30 a.m. -- as usual (mga balbal
pud u!).
That
1941 women basketball team
Monday, June 3, 2002, 02:56 PM
I saw the picture of the women basketball players and looked at it
closely because I know that my mother and relatives from Initao did play
basketball. Yes, Perla (a cousin) is right about the identities of
the players. They were mostly relatives and friend (Pilang) from
Initao. Sy Cho Kiu is also a relative on my mother's side. I remember
visiting him with my mother (Sy Chuigon). Please extend my fond regards
to him. --Aurora Tansiokhian (Batch '58), New York, U.S.A., e-mail:
Tansiokhian@att.net
Henry L. Yu, M.D., Batch '69
50
Unforgettable Scenes
(Last of two parts)
26. The pride and thrill of seeing our names on the bulletin board as
honor students.
27. The flag ceremonies held in front of the Faculty Office with one
student assigned to deliver the Panatang Makabayan and two pairs
of students for the raising of the Philippine and Chinese flags, respectively.
28. Skipping snacks in favor of buying movie magazines, song hits,
or komiks.
29. Listening to those 78 or 45 rpm records thru the RCA Hi-Fi stereo.
30. Singing the hit songs of the Beatles, Cascades, Matt Monro, etc.
31. Those Jam Sessions with us doing the Bye-Bye, Soul, and other dance
crazes to the tunes of “Lucky Guy”, “Black is Black”, “Bus Stop”, etc.
32. Movies at King, Queen, Century, or Premier at 50 centavos entrance
fee, double program.
33. Eating Alaska ice drop, halo-halo, or mais con yelo.
34. Dropping by Elite Bakery for their famous pan de coco, pan
de agua, or pan de leche.
35. Fanfare at the carnival during fiesta season – Ferris wheel,
caterpillar, jumping horse, shooting gallery, etc.
36. Watching the amateur hour or free movies at the city plaza while
munching popcorn, peanuts, or pakwan seeds.
37. Jumping to the highest level with the use of a skipping rope.
38. Riding the tartanilla or the minicab to reach our destination.
39. Joining the parade along with the drum and bugle corps and our
majorettes like Vivina Chiu, Elizabeth Co, Siote Dy, Bonifacia Co, Melania
Handumon, Gloria Tecson, etc.
40. The Science Fair and exhibit at the Iligan City High auditorium.
41. Going crazy over the Sampaguita Stars ’66, Cliff Richard, Everly
Brothers, the Lettermen, among the many idols of my youth.
42. The LCHS Cheering Squad team in karate costume during the interschool
competition held one hot September afternoon at the Iligan City High quadrangle
circa 1966.
43. Driving the bicycle along Celdran Village, Rosario Heights, Palao,
Tibanga, Tambo, and anywhere else.
44. Those bowling sessions at Padilla’s, Jacqueline’s, or Sampaguita
Lanes.
45. Watching sunset at the pier after class dismissal in the afternoon.
46. Sharing anecdotes, tales, jokes, and never-ending stories.
47. That afternoon of August 19, 1967 when I delivered my piece entitled
“Sa Linggo ang Bola” in celebration of Linggo ng Wika over station DXMI
with Miss Catalina Daan as my couch.
48. The birth of Campus Keeper, the official school organ of
LCHS circa 1967-1968 with me and Emelita Lee as editors.
49. That rainy night on March 11, 1968 when we had our Junior and Senior
Prom at the auditorium.
50. Those Commencement Exercises held at the end of each school year,
the marcha song, processional march, and the diploma.
These are just 50 of the hundreds of unforgettable scenes that took place in yesteryear’s yearnings and fantasies, all forming part of today’s afterglow and tomorrow’s reminiscences, a history of life once spent in a school known as Lanao Chinese High School. In a city called Iligan.
Marie Janiefer Q. Lee, Batch '87
Weather or Not
The temperature was just starting to rise when I left Manila on the first week of April. As I was bidding good-bye to everybody here in the shop, somebody commented that I’m lucky to be escaping from the simmering heat of our summer here. Which made me grin knowing that he is right. Another good and important factor that I should consider just to convince myself that going on that trip was indeed a good idea. So I packed my bags with gusto knowing that in just 17 hours I’ll be in a colder and more comfortable place. Or so I thought.
All through-out the flight, I was excitedly dreaming and hoping to see and feel what spring has to offer. I was excited to feel the cool breeze of spring. But the day we arrived in Buffalo, they had flurries. Though it wasn’t what I expected to see, it was still a charming sight. It looks like somebody in heaven was throwing those white confetti to welcome us. As much as we admired the whole “exhibit” by Mother Nature, I was really concerned that it might turn too cold for us especially for my mother. It was then that I started to entertain the idea that we might be the ones who brought this “freak” weather to Buffalo. I know that Buffalo enjoys a colder temperature all-year round; I just didn’t expect it to snow in April. I said to myself “let’s see what happens when we reach our next stop,” which was Chicago.
I’ve seen pictures of my cousins shoveling snow in December, so I thought maybe there’s still some left, since it’s just Spring. So we were bracing ourselves for some chilly wind, but as we stepped outside O’Hare Airport everybody was wearing sleeveless and short pants. And the days that followed were more or less the same. Chicago hit above 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the three days that we were there. Their newspaper said that the last time they reached this high was in 1978. Although I welcomed the sight of the sun, I just didn’t expect it to come in full force. It felt like I never left Manila. I was already beginning to believe that for some unknown reasons it’s really us who brought on this zany weather.
Since our next stop was Florida, we unloaded some of our heavy clothing in Chicago and tried to travel light. True enough, the week we spent in Florida was like walking into an oven toaster. Every night as we go back to our hotel, the only part of my face and arms that were still “normal” and burnt-free, were the ones around my eyes which were covered by my dark glasses and the strip that was covered by my wrist watch. Que horror! As I looked in the mirror at night all I could see was this really a horrible sight. But it was fine, at least the weather played along as expected. The thought that we were the cause of those freak-weather slowly went away. Though it didn’t get far.
Our next stop was Los Angeles. I was told that the temperature there was just like Manila on a cool day. So we were expecting more sun. But on the day we toured LA it was raining. My cousin told us that the weather forecast for that day was “sunny”. Not even the high-tech gadgets and satellites of their meteorologist were able to prepare for that downpour. There were freeway vehicle accidents on the news that night due to the rain. Omigod!
My last stop was Vancouver. Armed with a raincoat I knew that nothing would surprise me any more since as far as I can remember from my previous trip, Vancouver is either raining or just plain overcast. But I got another surprise. The weeks that I was there the temperature may be cold but it was always sunny. It only rained heavily the morning of my departure.
Days before I came back home, every time I talked to Joan, she always complained about how hot and humid it was here. As much as I wanted to save some cool breeze from Vancouver and bring them home, well, there just wasn’t enough room in my bag anymore. When I landed at NAIA it was midnight so the temperature was somewhat cooler. Having suffered from jetlag, I was already awake at 4 a.m. From that time on I was already sweating profusely, and was already begging for rain. And then around 5 a.m., it rained. It wasn’t just a shower it was a downpour. At first I thought it was just my imagination, then as it dawned on me that the rain was for real I felt goose bumps all over. And I felt a chill down my spine. Is it really me? Since the day I arrived we’ve been having rains almost every afternoon.
So what do you think? Was it just the weather or not?
Ernesto L. Yu, M.D., Batch '65
Spectrum Sound Bytes
Oh well, whatever … Nonetheless, I did sense the nostalgia dagger’s serrated edges gnawing insidiously into my week’s schedule, like uninvited horrible worms freely conducting their wrecking business on my computer bed in installment basis. I shambled into the usual labor camp that Monday morning like a dazed bear, unsteady on my feet and unsure of what was knocking my limbs dead. Without any watering down, I diagnosed this short, stabbing disorientation as a malady precipitated by my missing over the weekend the habitual rite of heart-hugging and eye-kissing a mind-blowing (there’s a triple treat of hyphenated lingo!) printed version of Spectrum (not plain email text). The Spectrum paper product dotted with photos of the regular bunch, savored over a cup of steaming “brave” coffee or sipped straight up through a glass of Jen Lee’s choiced French drink – faucet (silent “t”) juice – on a comfy couch.
This conclusion is blindingly obvious: Got the shakes from resetting the routine mechanics of my Spectrum addiction. Nevertheless, you can bet your bottom dollar on this statement, true to my being a super slugger, I smashed the heat before it escalated into a wild fire. I executed this peace treaty with my conscience without pinning Victor Chiu’s grinning signature pose on the board for dart practice. The editors are wholly exempt from all the megabytes and RAM snafus that acknowledge no logic. Such indigestion and temper tantrum in digital machines don’t demand finger-pointing and second-guessing. It is a rampant happening in cyber communities when the traffic lights dim and the fields are open for all sorts of SPAM and nasty viruses. However, it is not like being rocked helplessly in volcanic eruption when you have a seasoned hotshot named Charles Sy by your fingertips. Our gung ho ghostbuster with notably high kilowatts in his mental circuitry can vaporize and dust off any gremlins’ poo-poo platters that pollute the beaming strength of Planet Spectrum.
Anyhow, it was manna from heaven not to come face to face with my byline photo. For a change. I’m at the saturation point with dating my image in the mirror day in and day out, from invasive morning grooming to nightly dabs of patch up cement for age spots! I might be classified as vain, like the German Chancellor in Rory Tansiokhian’s (welcome back, Colonel) recent clatter from a bunker somewhere in Bunn Hills. Or, my narcissistic tendency and outsized ego (teeny weeny compared to Hugh Grant’s) will forever be a passage in present tenses; never degrades into a haunting, sentimental journey along brod Henry’s blueprints. Or, to snatch playful vocabularies from Charlie’s game sy-llables, my overindulgence in personal mask will not snap without a whimper, similar to a Hao-Siao wedding. It is not something to swoon in yu-phoria! Of course, if Sir Fidel Fuertes’ repeated verbal dishing out of kalantiaw, accentuated with a tinge of tease, generated an epidemic of unstoppable giggles and hushed laughter among our XX-chromosomed squadrons, just visualize my set of healthy reflexes in acute combat action: legs in automatic pretzel position to conceal the blushing rashes in between my thighs! How about Mike Siongko’s debut sentences? If joyriding in a Tamaraw without horns could land me in a government-subsidized housing project, sealed in tight security, pampered with catered meals and mugged with three big chances to watch new millennium firework display in the comfort of a private cage, why hesitate?
Gosh, I am dumbfounded by the parade of paragraphs I can recycle – a lot of hullabaloo over nothing – when cornered by the looming Spectrum deadline.
Fidel L. Fuertes, former LCHS teacher
Dear Aurora, I was looking for you during the last grand alumni homecoming. I'm glad to hear that you will soon be coming home to visit. On the day you come, I will declare a holiday in my household. You are most welcome.
Random Thoughts On Women
The article of Aurora Tansiokhian triggered in my mind some random thoughts on women. Although we are well into the 21st century, in some parts of the world, the women are living as if they were still in the Middle Ages.
Take, for instance, the women of Afghanistan. Under a theocratic form of government, the women were not allowed to go to school, to teach, to work and to pursue what women in the free world simply took for granted. In public places, they had to wear chador that covers their faces and hide the shapes of their bodies. They even had to put a kind of netting over the eyes or risk a public beating. Confined to quarters, the women hid from public eyes. After the ouster of the Taliban, the wearing of chador is no longer obligatory but only a few women dare to expose themselves because their men folks believe that "an uncovered woman is an immoral woman."
This belief is prevalent in Muslim countries, perhaps with the exception of Turkey. In Marawi and Iligan, one may occasionally see a Muslim woman wearing chador. This practice is recently borrowed from the Arab culture. But most Muslim women wear “kumpong” or “tudong” – a piece of cloth that is worn over the head just like the veil worn by Christian women in church in the 1950’s.
In Muslim countries, a man may have four wives (legally) – but can a wife have four husbands? Unthinkable. To divorce his wife, a Muslim husband simply declares, “I divorce thee!” in the presence of an Imam (priest) -- and the divorce is binding with the full force of law. Can the wife do likewise? Impossible.
In Jolo and Basilan, how does an Abu Sayyaf leader bring home a wife? He simply kidnaps the woman of his choice, rapes her and keeps her in his mountain refuge. The unfortunate woman, having lost her honor, simply accepts her fate. Then the Abu Sayyaf leader sends an emissary to the woman’s family to ask for her hand with offers of dowry and other material benefits (proceeds of previous kidnapping activities). With fait accompli, how can the woman’s family refuse?
This is almost the same modus operandi in the abduction of EdiborahYap, a Filipino nurse who (while on duty in a government hospital) was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in Lamitan, Basilan. To avoid being gang raped by the whole bunch of kidnappers, she was forced to marry one of the group’s leaders for protection.
The bias against women is not only confined to the Muslim world. It is almost universal. Even our constitution provides that a Filipino woman may lose her citizenship if she marries a foreigner. But a Filipino man will not lose his citizenship even if he marries a foreigner. Why the double standard? One rule for men and another for women? This double standard even seeps into English usage: A witch (female form) is someone to be afraid of, but a wizard (male form) is someone to be admired for his ability -- like, for example, a math wizard. What is food for the goose is not food for the gander?
In some parts of India, it is the father of the bride who pays the dowry to the groom’s family. Sometimes, due to poverty, the father fails to complete the payment. In many cases like this, her husband’s family, to force her father to pay, often maltreats the bride. Not a few cases ended in the bride’s suicide. This, to me, is understandable. What I couldn’t understand were some bizarre and unusual events that happened in some remote Indian villages -- like that of a widow who threw herself into her husband’s funeral pyre.
During the Second World War, the Japanese captured young women and detained them in their camps. This happened in the Philippines, Korea, China and other Southeast Asian countries. They euphemistically called these young women “guests of the Emperor” or “comfort women.” Actually, guests they were not, but sex slaves forced to satisfy the lusts of the Japanese Imperial Army.
Before the communist revolution, the average Chinese family preferred sons to daughters. They needed sons to carry and perpetuate the family name. So, the daughters stayed home to do housework. Only the sons were sent to school. Since the daughters would eventually be given away in marriage, they did not share in the family inheritance. Yet, in spite of cultural biases against women, I marvel at how China was able to produce the three famous Soong sisters.
.
The Remains of LCHS
By Charles O. Sy
Batch 1967
Only six ancient pine trees now stand guard along what used to be the front yard of the old LCHS on Roosevelt Extension. Other than these trees, now aged and forsaken, nothing else seems to have remained of the old vestiges of LCHS. "How pathetic," I said as we approached what used to be the portal of Lanao Chinese High School.
"Not so," replied Santi Ong, my tour guide for the day during a brief visit to Iligan on May 24, 2002. "Wait till I show you some more remnants of LCHS inside this compound," he added.
The property upon which LCHS once stood has since been divided among the heirs of the land owner. In its place now stand a decrepit repair shop, a junk yard and a cluster of nondescript tenements. A group of noisy kids jostled with stray dogs for territorial foothold along the same road that we once passed daily en route to school. "Let's get inside," Santi said to me as he steered his Toyota Tamaraw through a narrow path sandwiched by fences that have seen better times.
This narrow passage, I was to learn later, happened to be the same access road situated between the basketball court and the tennis court inside our former campus. The road provided ingress for the school bus from the side gate straight to the kindergarten building. Today, it serves as road-right-of-way for many of the residents in the interior section of the compound.
I looked around as Santi's Tamaraw came to a halt but saw nothing that would summon even the faintest images of our former campus. In front of us were a few boys playing basketball on a patch of dusty vacant lot. This was definitely not the same spanking concrete basketball court that we had back then. "Do you remember this structure?" Santi said as he pointed to a solitary vertical structure ahead of us.
It was the over-sized concrete plant box that once adorned the facade of our science lab (photo at left), the only section of the laboratory building that still stands on its original spot, reminiscent of a pantheon commemorating a bygone era. It was on this wall where we etched irreverent graffiti in our heyday at the lab. I tried looking for the love notes I once scribbled there for the apple of my eye. Yet even these too are gone. In their place are worn-out poster ads that unmistakably defined the passage of time.
Farther away stood yet one more structure of the old LCHS. "And those are the concrete steps that led to our kindergarten classrooms," Santi said as he guided me to the direction of a massive slab of reinforced concrete that still lies intact on its spot. It was on these steps that we as kindergarten pupils played lastiko on the floor (photo at right). Gone is the kindergarten building once called Chu San Hall. Oddly enough, its cemented stairs still stood there, intact and proud of its history, a fitting monument to the Alma Mater that led us on our first step to education.
I gazed at these remains of the old LCHS one last time -- myself consumed by melancholy. Yet I remain hopeful at the sight of these shattered landmarks of our past. For as long as these remnants of LCHS can still endure the test of time, so will the dreams and memories of our happy days at LCHS.
If you receive a message from me with an attachment, delete it right away! Delete it because I don't send messages with an attachment. I only give you an address of a web site to click on.
About seven persons received a message supposedly from me this weekend containing a virus. But I was out and did not send any message. My computer was infiltrated with what I believe to be a Trojan horse virus or worm. The virus took over my e-mail address book and my son's files and sent part of my son's school essay to those addresses the virus had chosen. I'm sorry about this. But anyway, my computer is cleaned now. I just finished cleaning up and getting rid of the virus in my computer. It infected 71 files but only four were non-restorable and thus had to be deleted.
Part of it however was my fault because my son and I used to scan our computer for possible virus at least twice a week. But at the beginning of this month, we both were assuming that one of us was doing the scanning. I guess it's also because we are going to change our computer and our Internet server next month as DSL connection is now available in our area. So we slackened our guard.
Somehow, there are always people out there waiting for your computer to become vulnerable and they send in their destructive creation. I wish one day they will be struck by a lightning, not to kill them but to shake them up and make them realize that destroying someone else's files or properties are not part of a normal human life.
I want to share good or smart idea if I learn of any. My friend Edwin La Rosa just sent me a message with a very simple but smart idea regarding protecting your e-mail address book. He stated that he got it from a friend and it worked. I wanted to simply forward this to all of you but I was a little worried that some of you may not be able to read the message because of my warning that I don't send attachments and forwards.
Because I believe this idea will work, thanks to Edwin and Ayen, I am sharing it with you -- not as an attachment but as a “copy and paste” message:
How to protect your E-mail addresses
I learned a computer trick today that's really ingenious in its simplicity. All of you must know I received this from someone. I'm not that tech smart!
As you may know, if and when a worm virus gets into your computer, it heads straight to your e-mail address book and sends itself to everyone in there, thus infecting all your friends and associates. This trick won't keep the virus from getting into your computer, but it will stop it from using your address book to spread further, and it will alert you to the fact that the worm has gotten into your system.
Here's what you do: first, open your address book and click on "new contact" just as you would do if you were adding a new friend to your list of e-mail addresses. In the window where you would type your friend's first name, type in !000 (that's an exclamation mark followed by 3 zeros). In the window below where it prompts you to enter the new e-mail address, type in WormAlert@x.com. Then complete everything by clicking add, enter, ok, etc.
Now, here's what you've done and why it works: the "name" !000 will
be placed at the top of your address book as entry #1.
This will be where the worm will start in an effort to send itself
to all your friends.
But when it tries to send itself to !000, it will be undeliverable because of the phony e-mail address you entered (WormAlert). If the first attempt fails (which it will because of the phony address), the worm goes no farther and your friends will not be infected.
Here's the second great advantage of this method: if an e-mail cannot be delivered, you will be notified of this in your Inbox almost immediately. Hence, if you ever get an e-mail telling you an e-mail addressed to WormAlert could not be delivered, you know right away you have the worm virus in your system. You can then take steps to get rid of it!
Pretty slick huh? If everybody you know does this then you needn't ever worry about opening mail from friends. Pass this on to all your friends.
It's once again the month of weddings. I know this month won't be complete if one doesn't get to be invited to a wedding or two. Before you know it you'd have to attend a wedding for each weekend of this month. What's with this month of June? What's so special about it that everyone wants to be a June bride?
There's
this old wives' tale that people in the past, as in centuries ago I guess,
took a bath only once a year and they usually had it in May. By June they
would still be somewhat "fresh" so they preferred to get married on this
month. Otherwise, by July or the succeeding months they'd be smelling awful.
I don't know how true this tale is but there just seems no other reason,
scientific or otherwise, that would prove why this month seems so popular.
I got married on the third month of the year, which is March. I don't see any particular difference it made with somebody who got married in June, aside from the fact that I got married three months ahead. So why make so much fuss on whether it's June or not? For one the restaurants and hotels are usually booked one year in advance. Most of these establishments take advantage of this mania by charging extra for everything. Their motto is "strike while the iron is hot." Maybe they think that, who told you to choose June out of the 12 months in a year? Like if you're the romantic type, choose February, the month of love. Or choose December, since the weather is so much colder, very conducive for baby-making. Why does it have to be June?
Whenever or whatever month you married or is planning to get married, think of this first: Are you both happy with this decision? The wedding is just "the icing on the cake," so to speak. Don't spend your life's savings on it because the next day you might not have anything left to feed your wife. Another important thing is that you should take your vows seriously, like will you be there "in sickness and in health"? "For richer or poorer"? Could you make a promise to yourself that you'd be true to each other "until death do you part"? Then comes the kind of wedding reception you'll have, it wouldn't indicate how your life will be afterwards, be it simple or grand. The ultimate challenge is yet to come.
I just want to remind those who are getting married
that the essence of a wedding is to receive God's blessings. So just stick
to this and you won't have what they call "wedding blues", fretting over
this and that, that you think needs to be perfect. Just remember to savor
this very important moment of your life, your transition from being a single
to being a double, or rather being a couple. You'll find out sooner or
later that married life is a life of continuous compromise and negotiations.
You'd be to better off if you took a few lessons on negotiation from the
L.A.P.D. (Los Angeles Police Dept.) or from our very own N.B.I. (National
Bureau of Investigation). You'd really find it very useful especially
in your adjustment years. Just don't ask me how many years will the adjustment
period be, because if you're lucky then it would be just a couple of years.
But if you’re not so lucky then it could take a life time of adjusting.
So good luck, congratulations, and best wishes to all the couples getting
married this month. Just a quote from Renee Duval, "Marriage is the art
of balancing the desire of each, within the hearts of both, and doing so
without uneven sacrifice of either." (Reprinted from the June
28, 1999 issue of the Spectrum.)
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