This Year's Online Chats

December 2004

Among Andy's destinations are Baguio and Talisay Beach, which you can now drive to (but wasn't the banca trip more fun?).  He'll also be visiting Palawan with classmate Dennis Mesina, who's arriving in Manila just before Christmas. Although Dennis has a house in Palawan, it apparently was damaged by the typhoons so they'll be using sleeping bags.

Andy noted that the "big" PI news is the death of action movie star (and recently defeated presidential candidate) Fernando Poe Jr.  But closer to home is the death in a fire, apparently caused by faulty Christmas tree lights, of a 16-year old ISM student in Dasmarinas who was the daughter of the PI House Speaker.

Andy is shocked by electronics prices in the PI, especially computer equipment.  He could have paid for most of the air fare by selling one US notebook computer on sale at Best Buy, Fry's. etc. at the going Manila rate.  And in the "That's so Pinoy!" category, we all laughed when he described how a DVD player his sister bought was advertising as a selling point that it "plays all illegal DVD's!"

Barney Carville will be leaving Las Vegas (if you didn't see that movie, rent the DVD) twice during the next three months.  In January, he'll be in Memphis on business and catch up with classmate Earl Cocke.  In the spring, he'll be in the Florida panhandle and try to visit with Steve Fellerman.  

Joelle Williams is headed to Florida twice in the next month.  First to Cocoa Beach around Christmas and then to Key West in mid-January for the city's annual Race Week.  (Since Key West doesn't sit on much land, that would be boat racing.) 

Edina Brayton is excited about her new job as an "entry writer" for a customs broker.  The job, with a firm that's been in business since the early 1900's, involves classifying imported shipments for U.S. Customs and FDA purposes.  

Jonathan Redding advised Steve that he (Jonathan) was able to get in touch with classmate Mike Dietz after Steve contacted Mike's older brother Jon, who is Steve's classmate.  Mike and Jonathan enjoyed an hour long phone reunion.  Mike is in Boise, Idaho (in Manila, his father was with Boise Cascade Lumber).

Jeff Brown hasn't given up on the idea of driving an RV from Toronto to California but is now looking into flying as well.  He reported snow in Toronto, something Steve has a possibility of seeing early Monday morning when the low is expected to drop to a very un-Florida low 20's....ay naku!

Chatting this month were:

November 2004

Steve Baldwin announced that he's.... engaged! The wedding date has not been set.
Steve has many Manila photos from the 70's which he'll scan and burn to a CD for posting at Spencer Court (Steve Fellerman's alum website).  

Joelle Williams is taking an especially keen interest in the Navy football team's fortunes now that her son is playing defensive tackle on the team. 

Rick Velayo mentioned that the University of Santo Tomas is naming its new accounting school the "Alfredo M. Velayo School of Accountancy", after his father.

Andy Butler and his son are heading to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving, while Steve Fellerman is going to New Orleans.  Andy may get together with Barney Carville and Steve will spend some time with classmates Ray Murry and Nancy Noone in Baton Rouge. 

This was Andy's last chat of the year from the U.S.; he'll host the December chat "live from Makati."

Chatting this month were:

October 2004

John Krausse wanted Dave McConeghey's ('69) contact info and gave us his sister's e-mail address.  John still remembers Dave's bedroom in Manila, which featured some "cool" posters involving LBJ's head and Playmate photos....

Jeff Brown is thinking about renting an RV and driving out west from Toronto next year.

During a discussion of the weather, Alice Green mentioned that when she was in Manila her home did not have air conditioning. Ay naku!  

Chatting this month were:

August-September 2004

No chat these months.

July 2004

Jeff Phillips regaled us about the 6 days he spent on the Big Island visiting his brother Lee ('69), who's building a home on 3 acres just outside Hilo.

Chatting this month were:

June 2004

No chat this month.

May 2004

Chatting this month were:

April 2004

"First timer" Jim Sears said he ignored the call of a lawn mower to spend some time with the alums.  Steve Fellerman asked his classmate if it was still daylight on the west coast and was informed that Colorado is a bit further inland...at least until the #10 quake drops California into the Pacific!

Bishop Gaynor hasn't been able to locate a source for Pinoy goodies even though she's close to LA.  Steve Fellerman and Andy Butler promised to take her to a sari-sari in Vegas when she's there for the October reunion.  She was advised to bring at least one empty bag to haul it all back home with!  While discussing food....

A Pinoy culinary favorite was the topic of an ABC News feature recently.  Spam Jam restaurant has opened in the Philippines to appease the demand for that "delicacy."  All menu items include Spam as an ingredient; the owner reports that business has been so brisk he is considering opening another one. (Where can we get a T-shirt?)   

Since most of the alums are planning on attending the Vegas reunion, talk turned to favorite games.  Jeff Phillips said he'll try a roulette "system" he learned from another alum while in Tahoe.  Andy Butler favors blackjack and sports betting.  Steve Fellerman prefers poker, because you're not playing the house (with it's 'edge") and the return can easily be 5-10 times your bet.

Jeff Brown, now a Toronto resident, noted that the government operates sports betting on US games.  However, you must bet on at least 3 games.

While reminiscing about the "old days" in Manila, it became apparent that Gaynor Bishop had a narrower experience than many of us since she was only there during martial law.  While she was searched for drugs and alcohol on the way into the "Concert for Bangladesh" movie, Andy Butler reported that "roach clips" were on sale on the way into the "Woodstock" movie.

Ann Russell will be racking up some airline miles.  She'll be visiting with classmate Andrea Velasquez at her Miami "farm" which "Andie" has graciously proposed as the site of a "Miamistock" for the Class of 70's 35th anniversary reunion in 2005. Then Ann's heading to St. Louis.

Chatting this month were:

March 2004

Dave McConeghey appears as a doorman on an HBO promo for Bob Costas' talk show.  The promo is running before and after the Bill Maher show on HBO and may appear at other times on HBO. He hopes to attend the Vegas reunion.

Hilliard Terry has been working with Boeing for the last 7 years and plans to attend the Vegas reunion.  His sister Edith has been in Hong Kong for many years and is about to move from a job with the South China Morning Post.

Andy Butler announced that DVD's of the 1999 and 2003 Jeepney Jeopardy are available from The Manila Club.  Orders can be placed from the Columbus Day weekend reunion website. 

Chatting this month were:

February 2004

Joelle Williams advised that she and some DC area alums, including Tom Larson (74) Ann Mitchell (71), and Edwina Brayton (80) had dinner recently.  Joelle also was able to see Alsyon Palmer's (76) band BETTY on Comedy Central earlier in the week.

Andy Butler advised that Lee Phillips (69) convinced Andy's brother Brian (70) to move to Hawaii's Big Island in May.

October's  Columbus Day weekend reunion in Las Vegas has many alums excited.  Ann Russell mentioned that a west coast cruise is the leading preference in a class poll for a Class of 70 35th anniversary reunion in 2005.  The '70 alums were neck to neck with the '57 alums for highest turnout at the Santa Clara AISAAM reunion. The '98 Bahamas reunion cruise veterans were excited to hear about the potential for another cruise!

Chatting this month were:

Rick Velayo and Lisa Miles are planning to visit during her upcoming trip to California on her way to a South American cruise.  Steve Fellerman and Barney Carville will visit when Steve is in Las Vegas next month.  Andy Butler may make reunion history by flying to San Francisco next weekend (17th) and then to DC the following weekend (24th) for small 70's classes alum gatherings.  Karl Meyer visited with Noelle Reyes when he was in Manila recently.         

Earl Cocke reported seeing a Travel Channel show on Manila nightlife which featured a bar many alums will remember and which is somewhat "historic" for its longevity.  Where?.....WhereElse?

Rick Buenaventura mentioned that his sister Lisa (70) is now living in Pennsylvania and working for the state Department of Education.  

Senior skip day antics came up.  Seems that putting alarm clocks in lockers and setting them to go off at various times was something of a tradition.  Fortunately, what happened to the Class of 74 senior skip day bus was not...it almost when over a cliff when the brakes failed on the way to Talisay.  This story brought up various White Sands memories.

Many of the chatters were "old timers"  who attended the school at least 10 years.  Leaving Manila was bittersweet and  an APL cruise back to the US was one way of easing the separation, especially since a number of graduates were often on the same ship.  Ann Russell recalled her return cruise and even those didn't cruise back recalled seeing someone off and in those days the departures were "events.".  Ah... Manila in the "old days"...those were the days indeed!  (Time for a San Miguel...) 

Chatting this month were:

2003 archive

2002 archive 

2001 archive

2000  archive

1998-99 archive