Pergola E-dyaryo, October 2008
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October 2008 Steering Committee Daisy Barawidan Lala David Sherry David Marita Legaspi Cecile Lowlicht Sol Oca Mike Palileo Emma Villa-Real
SCHOLASTICANS ’ROUND THE WORLD IN THIS ISSUE Pergola e-Dyaryo is happy to continue its features on the global Scholastican, with articles from alumnae residents in Toronto, Madrid, Rome, Vienna, and Sydney. This month’s Profile is Sister Lydia Villegas who, after spending seven years assisting Mother General Irene Dabalus, OSB in the Benedictine Generalate in Rome, says “Arrivederci Roma.” In mid-November after a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, she heads back to her new assignment as Superior of the Marikina community of the Manila Priory. Along with the many Canadian Scholasticans who knew her, Pergola e-Dyaryo bids a fond farewell to Marilyn Bengzon St. Pierre (HS ’64) who died of ovarian cancer in September.
Communications Committee Rotating Editors Rose Constantino Gilda Fule-Prael Yvette Jarencio Sylvia C.Leonard Salve Neelankavil Ronie Nieva Giocky Oca Mike Palileo Lulut Valte
Also featured are essays from around the globe, sent by Scholastican alumnae Marimi Vicente y Barredo (from Madrid), Malou Soto Reininger (from Vienna), and Maricris Razon Tolentino (from Sydney). From Manila, the Shy Wings section proudly features its youngest Scholastican contributor so far, Chachi Apolinario (SSC HS 2006) who offers a touching tribute to her late grandmother Lourdes Perez del Rosario (HS ‘36).
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WHAT HAPPENS IN LAS VEGAS . . . Plans are underway for the Grand SSC Reunion and Alumnae Weekend in Las Vegas, as coordinators of the Grand Reunion Central Committee from SSCAA Canada, SSAA West Coast, and SSAA East Coast mobilize on all fronts. Organizers Eva Pascual Cullen, Gloria Topacio Caoile, and Mila Magno have concurred that the SSC Grand Reunion and Alumnae Weekend will take place as planned, next year, from July 9-12, 2009. SSC alumnae planning to attend will be able to make their own reservations at Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas at rates arranged for Scholasticans by Gloria Topacio-Caoile ($99 per night, single or double occupancy). As in the first Grand Reunion in 2002, Mila Magno will serve as Overall IT Coordinator for the 2009 event. Emma VillaReal, East Coast Steering Committee member, has agreed to serve as East Coast liaison to the Central Committee.
ALUMNA PROFILE Sister Lydia Villegas, OSB Born to Atty. Potenciano Villegas Jr. and Purificacion Paras of Batangas, Sister Lydia Villegas (nee Gaudelia Villegas) is the eldest daughter in a family of six. She and her three sisters— Adelaida, Rebecca, and Asteria— are all true blue Scholasticans, having attended SSC from kindergarten to college. Of her two brothers, Mario (deceased) and Celso, one graduated with the Kindergarten class fondly known at SSC as “Sister Gratia’s Boys.” Sister Lydia graduated class salutatorian in high school, SSC Class of 1960. She earned a degree in AB History in 1964 and a BSE in History in 1968. She was Prefect of the Sodality and Student Council vice-president during her senior year in college, and in 1964 received the Sr. Willibalda Award along with a cum laude in AB History. Asked about her decision to enter religious life, Sister Lydia wrote that attraction to religious life came early, starting in senior year in high school, and persisting all the way to senior year in college when she decided to enter the Benedictine order (now called Benedictine Missionaries of Tutzing). About that time she writes: “I felt an insatiable hunger and thirst for Someone, Something much greater than myself. I needed to give myself, my life, to a Person greater and dearer than what my heart had experienced so far. It was idealism at its best.” She had her religious formation in the SSC convent and taught religion from 1967-1969 in Manila, 1969-1970 in Marikina, and 1970-1971 in San Fernando. After perpetual vows in 1971 she taught religion in Angeles, Pampanga (1974-1975), then it was off to Ateneo Graduate School, where she earned her MS in Social Psychology in 1980. From 1980 to 1988, Sister Lydia served as Directress and high school Principal at St. Agnes Academy in Legaspi, Albay. She was Superior at St. Agnes from 1985-1988. She was sent to Rome in 1988 as member of the Preparatory Commission to prepare the General Chapter, then to Southeastern Kentucky from 1989 to 1993 as one of three women pastors in the diocese of Lexington. After helping in the Tagaytay Retreat house from 19931995, Sister Lydia became Directress of the Junior sisters of the Manila Priory from 1995-2000. In 2001 she found herself in Rome as General Secretary of the Congregation and there she stayed for seven years until March 2008. On May 10, 2008 she was installed Superior of the Marikina community of the Manila Priory. As Sister Lydia bids “Arrivederci” to Roma this October, Pergola e-Dyaryo wishes her “Godspeed and good health” on her many spiritual and intellectual endeavours and congratulates her on her new assignment as Superior of the Marikina community. Truly Sister Lydia is a role model to the many Scholastican students whom she has taught and inspired through the years.
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October 2008
Finance 10 secrets to a financially secure retirement Excerpt from: Lynn O'Shaughnessy, Special for USA TODAY 5 ways to boost your income
5 ways to reduce expenses and debts
1. Don't retire impulsively. Leaving in a huff without developing a solid exit strategy can be financially foolhardy.
1. Pay attention to after-tax performance. "People need to remember that it's after-tax returns that matter," says Taylor Larimore, co-author of The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing. Many retirees woefully underestimate their tax hit because they incorrectly assume that their tax burden will plummet once their paychecks dry up. But that's not always true, especially when retirees are forced to begin making mandatory withdrawals from their individual retirement accounts. A great way to stanch the tax hemorrhaging is to invest in tax-efficient index and exchange traded funds.
2. Invest in stocks for the long term. Adding stocks to a retirement portfolio can boost your returns without exposing you to reckless risk. "If you have a portfolio with 20% to 30% stocks, your volatility is about the same or less than if you bought long-term bonds," says Larry Swedroe, an investment adviser in St. Louis and the author of The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You'll Ever Need: The Way Smart Money Diversifies Risk. 3. Seek pension help. Those lucky enough to retire with a pension must often decide whether to take a lump sum or a lifetime of monthly checks. Grabbing that huge chunk of change all at once is exceedingly tempting, but retiring workers should consider consulting a pension actuary before making such a momentous decision. Where do you find an actuary? The American Academy of Actuaries sponsors a program called the Pension Assistance List, which links pensioners who need assistance with actuaries who will provide up to four free hours of help. You can contact the academy at (202) 2238196 or www.actuary.org. 4. Delay Social Security. You can start collecting Social Security checks at age 62, and most Americans go for it. But their eagerness can curtail their retirement income. If you delay Social Security past age 62, your benefits will increase significantly. Crunch your own numbers, using various retirement scenarios, by visiting the Social Security Administration's website at www.ssa.gov. 5. Be a smart investor. What's required to be a successful investor hasn't really changed from the days when stock prices were ripped off ticker tapes. "The whole purpose of investing for the long term is to make your money grow faster than inflation deteriorates it," says Lewis Schiff, author of The Middle-Class Millionaire: The Rise of the New Rich and How They Are Changing America. "For those investors who take the long view and practice the simple arts of diversification, compound returns and dollar-cost averaging, and especially those who do so in tax-advantaged accounts, this growth is well within reach." If you're not confident in your own investing skills, consider using low-cost target retirement funds offered by big mutual fund companies such as Fidelity, T. Rowe Price and Vanguard.
2. Shrink credit card costs. Call your card issuer. "If you have good credit — a 700 FICO score or better — you have a ton of leverage with credit card companies, which are scared and worried about their profit margins," observes Liz Pulliam Weston, author of Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve, and Protect the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future. Card issuers hate losing customers, so they're generally willing to negotiate. If you enjoy good credit, you should be able to capture a rate below 10%. 3. Track expenses. No one's asking you to deny yourself a $4 latte, but if you're living beyond your means, it makes sense to root out the budget-busters. Recording your purchases for a week can prove a tremendous help. 4. Be a frugal investor. Investment fees are a natural enemy of retirement portfolios. But many investors are oblivious to this predator. Why? Because investors of mutual funds and annuities aren't billed for these expenses. Instead, the fees are automatically deducted. You can see for yourself the damage that even average expenses can wreak on a mutual fund by using the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's mutual fund cost calculator at www.sec.gov/investor/tools.shtml. Try sticking with mutual funds that charge an annual expense ratio of 1% or less. 5. Think healthy. Regardless of your age, take care of your health and you'll probably save money. "Eat right, exercise and care for your teeth, eyes and ears," says Henry Hebeler, the creator of AnalyzeNow.com, a financial website geared toward retirees. "By the time we get to retirement age," Hebeler adds, "health care costs are the single largest item in most of our budgets, and early prevention of health problems pays huge financial dividends." sent by Marita Nadres-Legaspi, October 15, 2008
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
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Marilyn Bengzon-St. Pierre ScholastiCanadian Comes Home
Celebrating Marilyn By Patty Gabaya-Candido
Marilyn Bengzon is well known among Scholasticans of the 50’s and 60’s. She was a consistent honor student, a leader, active in and outside school—SCA, Sodality, NUSP. A loyalty medalist, Marilyn graduated in 1966 AB major in Business Administration, with honors. She was consistently in the honor roll in Grade 7 and in High School.
At the back of her college graduation picture which she gave me 40 years ago, Marilyn wrote: “Even when all wild ecstacies shall have matured into sober pleasures, I shall still remember the college days of joys, tears, victories and love.” We were friends for some 55 years, and I saw how far she had gone, how much she had accomplished, and how she had continued to grow long after she left the hallowed halls of St. Scholastica’s College.
Marilyn lived in Montreal and traveled the world in the early seventies before settling down to marry Marcel St. Pierre, a French Canadian programming expert. In the early 80s Marilyn resumed her career, and she She had gone a long way from the quiet and shy second rose from secretary to contract analyst for Motorola. grader, to the competent president of the SCA in high Marilyn was Vice President of the SSC Alumnae Association, Ontario chapter. While in remission, she continued her many activities, dances, fundraisers and Christmas caroling. Ontario Scholasticans came from near and far to give her a warm send-off. Commemorative. A St. Scholastica’s College Commemorative Scholarship Fund will be established in her name, a fitting tribute to one of St. Scholastica’s sterling students.
school, and as External Vice-President of the Student Council in college. As a teenager, she was mature beyond her age… Unlike some of us, rambunctious, rebellious and naughty, she was never part of the many pranks we plotted. No one resented her for it because we highly regarded her. Marilyn and I found ourselves in Ontario and we continued to share our life stories, our favourite recipes, and memories of the sunny 60s. What a phenomenal memory she had – for facts and details, names and dates. Her “sober pleasures” turned out to be a simple quiet life, being an exemplary wife to Marcel, doting mother to Mhayta, and loving daughter and sister to the rest of her family. I learned much from her profound philosophical views on life and love. Her love for God, Mary and her family gave her the courage to face any adversity with prayerful openness to God’s will without a whimper or protest…ever. In her life, Marilyn was a shining example of the Scholastican ideal of Ora et Labora and she continues to be so from where she is now, next to her Maker.
CONDOLENCES
Marilyn's Scholastican family: Rose Flor, Zeny Lat, Chell Bengzon, Cecile Cruz, Patty Candido, Emy Telesforo, Yvette Jarencio, Toni Velez, Marimon Periquet, Cherry Quiroz, Marcel St. Pierre, Gwen Flor, Mhayta SP-Prunskus, Itos Dioso, Pearlie Crisologo, Myrna Riley, Tessie Salazar, and Mila Magno.
SSAA East Coast extends sincere condolences to Jo Ann Lara and Pinggay Lara, whose father Jose Lara passed away in Manila, the Philippines, on October 13, 2008. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
Page 4
October 2008
DATELINE: AUSTRIA By: Maria Lourdes Reininger It must have been four decades ago when I saw for the first time the film Sound of Music about the Von Trapp Family singers from Salzburg. Later I also saw the film Forever My Love about Austria’s Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Empress Elisabeth. At that time it never entered my mind that Austria would one day be my adopted country. It was only when I met some Austrians in the United States that I started to get interested in this small but beautiful country in Central Europe. Thirty Two Years Ago When the charter Condor flight landed in Vienna in late October 1976, foreigners were scarce. A Filipina could easily be mistaken for a Chinese, Japanese, South American, or even Korean, as these were the “common” nationalities of foreigners here at the time. It was barely 30 years after the end of the Nazi regime and one could easily be the victim of discrimination. I began to wish that I had studied the German language in my university days, thus making it much easier for me to understand the Austrian mentality and its people. Five years later, when I discovered that I had learned sufficient German to communicate and discuss, I literally breathed a sigh of relief. It made life so much easier. Thirty Two Years Later, Integration is the Name of the Game Offspring of parents with migrant backgrounds who are born in this country or are educated in the Austrian school system from primary school do not experience difficulties brought about by language deficiencies that generally confront migrants. Integration is a normal process for them. Nowadays a requirement for citizenship is a working knowledge of German, in word and writing. Knowledge of the language leads to easier integration. Complete assimilation is not expected but integration is. I have observed that fully integrated naturalized citizens have an easier life; they enjoy the benefits of a stable adopted country with many opportunities to excel and work towards the realization of their dreams and aspirations. Learning the language of the country opens doors to being a good satisfied citizen and being understood by the community. Discrimination easily exists when one cannot express oneself, as it hinders mutual understanding. Speaking the country’s language lessens the grouping tendencies that can easily arise in homogenous societies. It is estimated that approximately 30,000 Filipino and FilipinoAustrian families presently live in Austria. Filipinos who have become citizens of Austria, are to be admired for their industry, flexibility, patience, and ability to integrate. Filipinos in Austria are fortunate to enjoy the respect and esteem of society. The majority of migrants are professionally engaged in the health industry as nurses and health care workers, who are needed and respected. A significant percentage of Filipinos in Austria are employees of United Nations agencies located in Vienna. Lately, young Filipinos who either are born or educated in Austria are employed in various non health care jobs, for example, in gastronomy or travel and tourism sectors. Enterprising Filipinos and Austrians with Filipino origin have branched out to building construction, insurance, and other business fields. Recently in a discussion regarding asylum seekers in Austria, Filipinos were not identified as migrant workers nor foreigners but as “our nurses, health care workers.” In 1997 as chair of the Centennial Committee for the 1998 Philippine Centennial Celebrations in Austria, I organized a tree planting [cont’d right column]
ceremony in honor of Filipino migrants to Austria, who first arrived in 1974. Filipinos had been the only migrant group to have been allowed to plant a tree in front of the Wiener Rathaus, or Vienna City Hall. A Time of Change Austria recently went through a hectic and interesting one-month electoral campaign after the current coalition government announced its desire for new elections. There were predictions that Austrians would vote predominantly rightist, which would imply a certain antagonism towards foreigners. There is a certain fear and concern in this country about the increase in crime due to the opening of the borders within the European Union (EU) Schengen areas, the inability of Austria, a small country compared to its European neighbors to support additional migration, and an uncertainty about the future labor market with more foreigners coming in to work. However, despite the fact that the central left (socialist) and the conservatives (Christian Democrats) lost votes, both parties retained the majority of parliamentary seats. Political analysts were quick to point out that these losses were primarily protest votes. Austria, one of the most stable countries in the EU, continues to open its doors to asylum seekers and migrants. It is one of the net payers to the EU, paying in more than it receives in subsidies. It is also one of the most secure places to live and to raise one’s children. A foreign visitor who had visited our home recently remarked how safe it was to take the “U-Bahn” or underground train late at night. Vienna also has night buses that cater to the youth and others who enjoy a night out. The Price of Stability What is the price of this peace, order and stability? Recently, our association of homeowners was discussing the issue of mowing the lawn on a Sunday, after one member who had a young child and a baby in his family reported that his neighbor was making noise on a Sunday and asked for help on this issue. An Asian neighbor of ours replied by asking everyone politely for tolerance, to give this neighbor a chance to familiarize himself with Austrian practices and habits, adding that in Asia, “we are free.” I found this a very significant statement, prompting further thoughts on “freedom at what price?” For example, many countries that I have previously visited have no laws that govern noise, but Austria does. Blowing one’s car horn is prohibited under normal conditions. Motor lawn mowers are not to be operated on a Sunday. In Vienna one is required to refrain from disturbing the silence outdoors, after 10 p.m. Music and parties therefore have to continue indoors. Taxes are high, with higher paid employees reaching a total cut of 60% of their basic salary for contributions to social security, social health, and tax payments. Everyone is required to have a residence certificate; building permits are required for all improvements or additions to edifices; dogs need to be registered by their owners with the appropriate vaccinations, with a yearly tax for each dog; garbage has to be properly sorted and thrown in proper containers, with fines being prescribed for offenders. These are only some examples of a regulated life in Austria. Life here, however, is far less restrictive than many countries. The other side of the coin is, we enjoy all the basic freedoms. Health care is available for all. [cont’d next page]
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
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This was again so visible to me when I unexpectedly had to undergo a minor eye operation and was brought to one of the best public hospitals in Vienna for this procedure. During the three-hour examination, preparation, and waiting time, I observed people from all walks of life availing themselves of the best health care that Vienna could offer. When one calls an ambulance, a swift response can be expected. When my husband invited me on my birthday morning to breakfast at a coffee house in the first district, a lady friend of mine remarked, “Oh, how cultivated!” Yes, it is the cultured life that I enjoy most in Vienna, made possible by the regulated lifestyle and the resulting peace and order.
Ring, the boulevard that encircles the inner city, or at Stephanplatz, the plaza opposite St. Stephan’s Cathedral.
Family, Social, Religious, Political and Cultural Life My husband is an Austrian who like me, was born into a large family, with many siblings. We enjoy family reunions like any large family in the Philippines. The reunion on the side of my husband’s family is scheduled once a year in September. Our immediate family of three children and respective partners, with three grandchildren (the fourth due in January) as well as my sister and her family try to meet regularly on special occasions. The Christmas season up to New Year’s Day are special times of celebration and joy. Our social life is greatly enriched by our various international, Austrian, and Filipino friends. For many years my husband and I have attended an annual weekend retreat in a monastery located in the serene town of Vorau, together with about thirty-five others. Vorau lies in a valley in the province of Styria, a two and a half-hour drive south of Vienna. The monastery is surrounded by rolling verdant hills, rich foliage and walkways. Our “walk to Emmaeus” starts on a Friday afternoon and ends on Sunday after lunch and a very leisurely early afternoon coffee. At last count there were thirteen nationalities represented in the Vorau group. Father Cyril Desbruslais, S.J. who conducts the retreat is a Jesuit from Di Nobili College in Pune, India. Fr. Cyril claims that the adult retreat is the highlight of his annual visit to Austria. Like any medium-sized city, Vienna offers many options for creating one’s chosen lifestyle. It is characteristic of this social democracy that the common folk can avail themselves of public parks, entertainment, gardens, health care, wellness resorts, public baths—privileges not limited to and enjoyed by the more wealthy population. Vienna offers a variety of cultural experiences from the Holy Mass sang by the Vienna Boys’ Choir at the Hofburg Chapel, to Amadeus Mozart’s “Missa Solemnis” in St. Augustine’s Church performed by the church’s professional choir, to the Viennale, a yearly film festival, to various jazz group shows in a basement locale, and the yearly Donauinsel (Danube Island) rock and pop music festival with more than one million visitors. The State Opera is a must for culture aficionados. Many other smaller opera houses and theaters are available all the year round. The ball season starts in late autumn and ends at Lent, resuming again in the summertime. Each year the traditional balls are extremely well attended. Dancing schools specialize in the Viennese waltz and other ballroom dances, and to enjoy one of these balls it is a must to learn these! I particularly enjoy the balls in the wintertime when one enters a warmly heated Palais after trudging through the snow. In this city one does tend to get caught in the social whirl. Vienna is a city where one can meet famous personalities strolling on the [cont’d right column]
Another tradition that I enjoy is the coffee house culture. This tradition cannot be described with a few sentences. Not only is it deeply ingrained in the Austrian way of life it is also a statement. Because of the cold winters people naturally sought refuge in warm coffee houses. In a coffee house one is welcome, can sit for hours after having ordered a cup of coffee, tea or chocolate topped by whipped cream, and is never alone. In these coffee houses one can meet informally with groups of friends, read the latest news, discuss the latest issues with poets, journalists, and decision makers, or even in some coffee houses, play a party of chess. In the summer all gravitate towards the sun and sit outdoors. It is a sign that spring is near when coffee houses bring out tables and chairs for the public on the sidewalks (Schanigarten.) Fortunately I have often accompanied my husband to interesting Austrian political, cultural, and business events, as well as benefitted from his impromptu lectures about Austrian history at every opportunity and his insightful remarks and information about art, architecture and Austrian monarchy. Through these as well as my natural desire to learn, I have acquired a deepened understanding of the Austrian people. I have met interesting and historical personalities. I cannot forget my first meeting with the son of the last emperor of Austria Emperor Karl, Dr. Otto Habsburg who, to my delight, showed his knowledge of the Philippines by remarking that since I am of Filipino origin, then I speak Tagalog! Another one of my fond memories was meeting Placido Domingo on the flight from Rome to Vienna, without recognizing at first that I was talking to one of the most renowned opera singers of our time. My interest in Austria’s history has widened my perspective of Austria’s role in the relatively young European Union. Since Austrian society is complex, the changes wrought by the EU are even more pronounced. It is not a coincidence that Sigmund Freud comes from Austria. Austrian literature is a key to the Austrian soul, as I am more and more discovering. It starts with the language (again!) and if one reads and listens carefully, one can discern a treasure of information about differences in origin, beliefs, and opinions in each of the seven states in Austria. I gobble up every piece of Austrian literature I can get my hands on. Because of the complexity of Austrian society it becomes more important than ever to build bridges to unite the different groups living in Austria. Austria has now become a melting pot. Thirty years ago it would not have been possible to imagine a mosque being built in this country, after the Turks were successfully thrown back by Jan Sobieski centuries ago, at the gates of Vienna, at the Leopoldsberg, preserving the country’s Christian legacy. At the Crossroads Because I’m nearing retirement I am rearranging my priorities. At this point my family comes first. My European odyssey started with a German teacher as a three year old in Mrs. Huey’s kindergarten, continued with German and Filipino nuns who taught me to live according to St. Benedict’s Ora et Labora in the Benedictine halls of SSC in Manila, and continues to the present. After 32 years in Austria, I wonder where it will end. My finishing school, Europe, has not been easy. And yet, it has been very rewarding. Copyright @ 2008
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
Page 6
October 2008
Madrid HOME IN SPAIN by Marimi Vicente y Barredo I had just graduated from high school, Class of 1971. Fresh out of the SSC oven, I was flaunting my recent 18th birthday and raring to see the world when following family tradition, I was sent to live for a year with my grandparents in Madrid to touch base with my paternal roots, “repair” my broken Spanish, open my horizons and acquire refined European culture. I arrived in August of 1971, just in time for Spanish summer vacation. As everyone knows, August is the month when all of Spain (even the government!) takes a break and everybody goes to the beach. Since all of my Spanish cousins were ready to go on vacation, off I went with them. That summer was my initiation into Spain. It marked the beginning of the rest of my life, my first month in the University of Life. I didn’t go through any cultural shock because we Filipinos are known to be “todo terreno” (4x4 quality). Filipinos blend perfectly into the Spanish way of life. We even have the same bad habits, so I felt right at home immediately. For quite a number of years, Spain had the reputation of being a country that stayed behind and had not kept pace with the rest of the world. Coinciding with my arrival in the 1970s, a lot happened in Spain (although I don’t think I had anything to do with it). Spain has taken a huge leap, getting back on the world map. Today, Madrid and Barcelona, cosmopolitan cities that they are, continue to make their mark in the arts, fashion, and gastronomy. Madrid is known as “la movida”—the city that never sleeps, and is very friendly. Madrileños love their city and are always happy to show newcomers or foreigners around. There is so much to see in Madrid and in its outskirts that even after 37 years of living here, I still have not seen all that it offers. The country’s touristic wealth is large and diverse. Aside from the cultural, historical, and monumental tours available, there are so many attractive options and activities. In Spain one can’t just tour around and take pictures: one is actually seduced by the country, one has to get involved. As the scenery changes, so does the character of the people.
One thing about Spain is that like the Philippines, everything is based on a good meal! To get an idea: up in the north (Galicia, the Basque Province, Asturias), the gastronomy revolves around the “cuchara.” The cold weather requires more caloric intake, therefore it is the “guisos” (stews) that dominate. In the eastern provinces or “zona de Levante” (Alicante, Valencia, Murcia) along the Mediterranean coast, the “arroces” (rice dishes such as paellas, arroz meloso, arroz caldoso, calderos)) are what you ask for. In the center of Spain, provinces such as Avila, Segovia and Toledo are experts in “asados” (oven baked). I’m sure you’ve heard of the famous “cochinillo” of Segovia. Finally, in the southern part of Spain (Andalucian provinces Sevilla, Granada, Malaga, Almeria), it is the “fritura” that takes over. Who hasn’t heard of the “pescaito frito?” I could go on and on with the food, but by now you’ve probably guessed where my weakness lies! Then there are the wines of Spain, as varied as the dishes, another subculture or art that one acquires naturally in Spain. Among the many interesting tours one can do here is called “Enoturismo.” This is a tour organized around the different wine regions which includes lodging and wine tasting in historical cellars. To get back to my “story:” My sabbatical year went fast. I convinced my parents to let me stay a little longer and continue my studies here. I got my diploma as Interior Decorator, and soon after got married. That decided it. Now here I am in Madrid, a place that like the Philippines I consider my home, with a wonderful daughter of 31. Looking at the numbers, I’ve lived in Spain for more years than I lived in the Philippines, and although my Spanish is fluent, I still have that Filipino accent that always reveals my origins. And curiously, my daughter who was born and raised here also has that particular accent which over here they like so much! The Filipino community in Spain is very large. Filipinos have a very good reputation here too. Maybe it’s because each, Spain and the Philippines, is a melting pot of cultures. Or maybe it’s our ability to pick up languages, or our adaptable palates, or our spirit of adventure. Whatever the reason, you’ll find Filipinos perfectly established in practically all the regions of Spain. You cannot imagine where you’ll find one, but you will find one!
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
Page 7
Shy Wings TENDER AT THE BONE by Chachi Apolinario (HS 2006) I am second to the youngest of thirteen grandchildren. I lived with my grandmother (Lourdes Perez-del Rosario, HS ’36) all my life, until her death forced us to sell her house and move to our own place.
not only in situations where there is an exchange of words but also in silence. This is how I came to be “tender at the bone,” as the saying goes. These two experiences of my grandmother have shaped my life and have molded me, making me both compassionate and brave. These things have made my heart pump with passion, emotion, fear, and even courage, and all this I learned from my years by her side. ***
COCKATOOS AND KOOKABURRAS by Mari-Cris Razon Tolentino We had hundreds of thousands of great moments together, but there are those that have stayed in my mind and heart forever. The first of those moments would be the afternoons we spent in the car taking spontaneous trips to Divisoria, or some other place in Manila or Makati that she’d have in mind after picking my mom up from work. The plan was that she’d pick me up in school first and then we’d get my mom to fill up the rest of the afternoon with things that were way exciting to a five year old girl. We’d go shopping for toys, plants, and food—all from the car—with me watching and her shouting at the vendors in her screwed up Filipino, replacing words she didn’t know with their Spanish equivalent. It was great; the whole car ride seemed to me a ride on a spaceship or a submarine. It was like exploring the bottom of the ocean or entering a black hole and being able to come out on the other side. She’d take me to places that were bustling with life, with excitement, these were unknown territory with a whole new way of life left for us to uncover. After an hour or so of shopping, our stomachs would begin to grumble due to negligence. Being the best grandmother in the whole world, and an expert in the realm of food and matters of children, she always knew the perfect place to get an afternoon snack, from the fried siopao of Divisoria to the chicken nuggets of McDonald’s with an ice cold Coke, she’d always get it right. The best part was, I’d always get to finish her fries if mine were all gone. She died a slow death. For five months she had been confined in the intensive care unit at Makati Medical, attached to a respirator and having dialysis every two days. Kidney failure—the doctors informed us. They had given her less than a week to live before the family decided on dialysis. So we would watch her day in and day out, just lying there. For the first time in her life she was silent, expressionless. That’s what made me want to rip out the respirator from her mouth to make her speak, to hear her laugh, to see her smile and reach out to me with just her eyes. This was how she perished, slowly, with us watching her fade away everyday from what she was, the big woman with a thick Spanish accent, always ready with her meals, her treats, and her humor to make everyone happy. But recently I realized that despite her moments of weakness before she died, she served as the family’s pillar of strength. The irony of all ironies: a dying woman who could no longer speak or recognize her loved ones was a symbol of strength. Yet she was. She was our strength because she stayed on for five more months enduring the pain so her family wouldn’t have to cope with a sudden death. She showed that strength could manifest itself
My paternal grandparents had made the move to Australia in the early 1970s to join their two youngest children who had immigrated with their families a few years before. My parents, Titoy Razon & Minnie Munoz Razon (HS44), visited them from time to time and came back raving about Australia—its orderliness and discipline as well as its beauty. My sister Kit Razon Olmos (HS68, Coll72) and her family joined her husband’s family in Sydney in the 1980s. My parents and brother Ramon soon followed. With the pollution, traffic, and the political situation, as well as the water problems in Manila (we lived in BF Homes Paranaque), Sydney beckoned. In 1995 we made the BIG move. Our home near the Ku-ring-gai National Park has beautiful sulphur-crested white cockatoos, laughing kookaburras, and a variety of colorful parrots in the daytime and possums and owls at night. There is no pollution to speak of and we enjoy beautiful and peaceful scenic views from the balcony. Water however can eventually become a huge problem if the drought gripping the country intensifies. In the thirteen years that we have been in Sydney, my husband Lee and I have worked and subsequently retired from the workforce. We have three sons, James, Jerry, and Joe. Our eldest son James married Ma. Theresa Ferrer (GS83, HS87). He is the Development & Support Manager of the IT Dept for National Australia Bank, while Trhia is the Technical Team Leader Internet at the same bank. They reside in Melbourne. Our second son Jerry is Training Account Manager for a software testing company. He produces beautiful music on his clarinet, from classical to jazz fusion. Our youngest son Joe is a programmer with Support Solutions Technologies. He also composes music and plays the piano and the guitar. Even though we are far from Manila, I am lucky to have even more family members living nearby. Rosemarie Munoz Panopio (HS47), my Mom’s sister, and her two daughters Ma. Trinidad (HS75, LiaCom80) and Ma. Stella (HS83), reside in the adjoining suburb of Hornsby. Trina works for an insurance broker and Mariela is connected with the Canadian Consulate, both located in the Sydney CBD. Of course I consider myself especially blessed to have the company of my Scholastican friends in Sydney, among them Judy Umali Baker, Marita Arceo Zamora, and Mary Ann Avecilla Relova (HS65, Coll69). Who could have known that we would all be living in Sydney, some forty years after SSC?
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
Page 8
October 2008
Cooking and Eating in America Comfort Foods from the SSC Kitchens Remember in the early fifties, there was a time when our school canteen did not sell Coca Cola for a few years. Our choices then were the ten-centavo Royal Tru-Orange soda and the five-centavo non-fizz drink called Bireley. Do you remember the five-centavo coconut macaroons, the chicken sandwich, the Fat and Thin champuy in a box, or the square kropeck that went so well with Coke? There was a time when there was no line in Aling Monica’s counter, only fun chaos. We all rushed to the counter waving our coins to buy soda (coke, coke, coke) or chocolait dispensed from a fountain into a float glass. Soon wooden posts and cord barriers appeared and we were asked to fall in line. Our parents sent us off with our recess baon of pan de sal or pan americano with cheese, liver spread (potted ham), sweet ham or even adobo, sometimes with a Hemo or Ovaltine drink in a recycled mayonnaise bottle. For the boarders and half-boarders who ate at the refectory, remember what you were served? The boiled meat-and-potato platter, the refectory’s version of arroz a la Valenciana that had sticky rice, which turned out to be bringhe, the Pampango version? Remember the uncooked slices of spam with that pink sauce? … the whipped cream-topped, Coke-colored gelatin with crushed pineapple that one either loved or hated? The sugar-dusted fried saba for dessert? The chicken sandwich in a burger bun? And for us canteen lunchgoers: the warm (chicken?) soup that we mistook for dishwater but were encouraged to buy to supplement the cold ham, chicken, or cheese sandwiches, our baons for lunch? That was our life. Let’s recall and recreate the flavors of those SSC foods from our youth! Below are a few recreated versions. Let’s go down memory lane!
Coconut Macaroons In a bowl, mix freshly grated (2 frozen packages) thawed and slightly pretoasted grated coconut, condensed milk, egg yolks, and dayap or lemon rind and a pinch of salt. Form into 1-inch balls and place into small wax paper cupcakes. Brush top with egg yolk. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Chicken Salad Sandwich Ingredients – mix together: • Last night’s roasted chicken leftovers, about half a chicken, chopped • 1/4 cup thinly chopped red onion • 1 stalk thinly chopped celery • 1/2 cup sandwich spread • ½ tsp calamansi juice • 1/2 tsp black pepper • dash salt Mix all or pass through a food processor.
Chicken Noodle Soup (Sr. Ancilla’s Canteen) We watched a Korean kitchenette owner in Washington, DC make a from-scratch chicken noodle soup. This soup is a great lunchtime magnet for lawyers and health professionals in the building. In a pot, saute a few pieces of cut-up bacon in [olive] oil. Add chopped onions, minced garlic, slivered celery, and sauté. Season with salt and pepper. Add cubes of breast meat, thigh meat, chicken wings. Add water and bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before, add strips of carrot, shredded cabbage, chopped parsley, and fettuccini noodles. Keep simmering until ready to serve. Bringhe (SSC Refectory version of Arroz Valenciana) Combine your favorite chicken in bite size pieces, coconut milk, diced green bell pepper, chopped onion and garlic, salt and pepper, turmeric, sticky rice with corresponding coconut milk and water. Cook in your rice cooker. Garnish with hard boiled egg. Coke Jello Dessert (This is called Lime-Coke Salad in a cookbook) Use Coke instead of water recommended in the box of lime jello and mix with 1/3 c crushed pineapple Chiffon Cake (courtesy of Myrna Bayaborda-Riley HS’64, Toronto specialty bakeshop entrepreneur) Preheat oven at 325º F 1 ungreased tube pan 2 1/4 c Sifted Cake Flour 1 1/2 Cups Fine Sugar 3 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt 6 Eggs, separated ½ cup vegetable oil 3/4 c water with 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar Powder Mixing procedure: 1. Sift together 3x the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and half the sugar. 2. Make a well at the center and put the oil, egg yolks, and liquid. 3. Beat until smooth. Set aside while you make the meringue. 4. In large mixing bowl, put the egg whites (no trace of yolks). 5. Add the Cream of Tartar and beat at high speed. 6. When soft peaks form, start adding the remaining half sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. When all the sugar is added, continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Remove the wire whip beater. 7. Add the egg batter slowly, cutting and folding gently until just blended. 8. Pour into a baking pan and bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 45 - 55 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness. 9. Invert pan to cool. Boiled Icing 3 egg whites ¾ c sugar ¼ c powdered sugar 1/4 c water Boil sugar in water until it spins a thread. (220ºF) Let cool slightly. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour the sugar syrup slowly. Continue beating until you get a smooth texture.
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
Page 9
Benedictine Dreams:
Travel to Rome and Oberammergau
Roman Holiday Going to Rome on tour? Why worry about being a tourist in a strange city? Stay at our Benedictine House in Rome!
From the website of OSB Tutzing in Rome: “Would you like to visit Rome? You're welcome to stay with us!” Our Guesthouse-address is: http://www.casa-osb-tutzing.pcn.net Benedettine Missionarie di Tutzing Casa Santo Spirito Via dei Bevilacqua,60 I-00163 ROMA, Italia
Oberammergau is also known for its colorfully painted homes in the style of the witch’s attractive home in Hansel and Gretel, and for its wood carvings including cuckoo clocks and crèches. The Passion Play is performed at the playhouse which has a large open air stage and more than 4,500 seats under a covered court. The cast is made up exclusively of the entire citizenry of Oberammergau who come in for their part in the play and then return to their daily work. Next year, from Ash Wednesday 2009, they will follow the "Hair Decree.” This means that from this date all the men in Oberammergau who are taking part in the play are supposed to let the hair on their heads and faces grow. The Passion Play performance lasts for six hours with a break for dinner in between.
Tel.: (0039) 06-6650-061 FAX: (0039) 06-6650-0677 E-mail: [email protected] www.osb-tutzing.pcn.net
***** 2010 Date with Oberammergau (Passionsspiele) (A once in a lifetime dream of a Benedictine) 2010 is around the corner. Some travelers have already made reservations for a first time or repeat experience of the Oberammergau Passion presentation. The quaint German village of Oberammergau is world famous for the Passion play performed by its residents just once every decade. Keeping a pledge made nearly 400 years ago, the reenactment of the crucifixion of Christ, as tradition among townsfolk goes, preserves the health and well being of its residents to this day. Dating back to 1634, after months of suffering and death from the plague, the villagers of Oberammergau swore on oath that if the village was spared further suffering they would perform a play dedicated to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus every ten years. Since 1634 the villagers have fulfilled their holy pledge. 2000 was the 40th play. (Yes, they were saved from the plague because winter had come and the heat and humidity that sustained the rodents had gone).
Tableaux before each Act. This updated take on the Passion play will never show on Broadway.
Outdoor Stage (note Alps in background). Audience sits under a covered court.
Google these key words: “Oberammergau Passion play”
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE: SYDNEY FAMILY ALBUM – Alumnae updates and family photos from Australian residents Mary Ann Avecilla Relova, Ma. Luisa (Vishi) Tirona, Paula (Polly) Cuenca, Judy Umali Baker, Marita Arceo Zamora, Merle Arceo Ynfante, Malou Hizon Sackett, Neria Soliman, and Cita Hoersch, among others. FILIPINO FLAVORS: MANILA’S MAGICAL, MISUNDERSTOOD CUISINE – Wall Street Journal article on Filipino food. Lists the best restaurants in Manila and its environs, including Abe’s at Serendra, Cirkulo on Pasay Road, Claire de la Fuente Grill on Macapagal Avenue (Pasay), and Salcedo Common Market. Great tips for alumnae flying home for the holidays! THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST – An intriguing detective story from Tina Peralta, our favorite Scholastican contributor from Denmark.
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
SCHOLASTICANS ’ROUND THE WORLD IN THIS ISSUE Pergola e-Dyaryo is happy to continue its features on the global Scholastican, with articles from alumnae residents in Toronto, Madrid, Rome, Vienna, and Sydney. This month’s Profile is Sister Lydia Villegas who, after spending seven years assisting Mother General Irene Dabalus, OSB in the Benedictine Generalate in Rome, says “Arrivederci Roma.” In mid-November after a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, she heads back to her new assignment as Superior of the Marikina community of the Manila Priory. Along with the many Canadian Scholasticans who knew her, Pergola e-Dyaryo bids a fond farewell to Marilyn Bengzon St. Pierre (HS ’64) who died of ovarian cancer in September.
Communications Committee Rotating Editors Rose Constantino Gilda Fule-Prael Yvette Jarencio Sylvia C.Leonard Salve Neelankavil Ronie Nieva Giocky Oca Mike Palileo Lulut Valte
Also featured are essays from around the globe, sent by Scholastican alumnae Marimi Vicente y Barredo (from Madrid), Malou Soto Reininger (from Vienna), and Maricris Razon Tolentino (from Sydney). From Manila, the Shy Wings section proudly features its youngest Scholastican contributor so far, Chachi Apolinario (SSC HS 2006) who offers a touching tribute to her late grandmother Lourdes Perez del Rosario (HS ‘36).
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WHAT HAPPENS IN LAS VEGAS . . . Plans are underway for the Grand SSC Reunion and Alumnae Weekend in Las Vegas, as coordinators of the Grand Reunion Central Committee from SSCAA Canada, SSAA West Coast, and SSAA East Coast mobilize on all fronts. Organizers Eva Pascual Cullen, Gloria Topacio Caoile, and Mila Magno have concurred that the SSC Grand Reunion and Alumnae Weekend will take place as planned, next year, from July 9-12, 2009. SSC alumnae planning to attend will be able to make their own reservations at Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas at rates arranged for Scholasticans by Gloria Topacio-Caoile ($99 per night, single or double occupancy). As in the first Grand Reunion in 2002, Mila Magno will serve as Overall IT Coordinator for the 2009 event. Emma VillaReal, East Coast Steering Committee member, has agreed to serve as East Coast liaison to the Central Committee.
ALUMNA PROFILE Sister Lydia Villegas, OSB Born to Atty. Potenciano Villegas Jr. and Purificacion Paras of Batangas, Sister Lydia Villegas (nee Gaudelia Villegas) is the eldest daughter in a family of six. She and her three sisters— Adelaida, Rebecca, and Asteria— are all true blue Scholasticans, having attended SSC from kindergarten to college. Of her two brothers, Mario (deceased) and Celso, one graduated with the Kindergarten class fondly known at SSC as “Sister Gratia’s Boys.” Sister Lydia graduated class salutatorian in high school, SSC Class of 1960. She earned a degree in AB History in 1964 and a BSE in History in 1968. She was Prefect of the Sodality and Student Council vice-president during her senior year in college, and in 1964 received the Sr. Willibalda Award along with a cum laude in AB History. Asked about her decision to enter religious life, Sister Lydia wrote that attraction to religious life came early, starting in senior year in high school, and persisting all the way to senior year in college when she decided to enter the Benedictine order (now called Benedictine Missionaries of Tutzing). About that time she writes: “I felt an insatiable hunger and thirst for Someone, Something much greater than myself. I needed to give myself, my life, to a Person greater and dearer than what my heart had experienced so far. It was idealism at its best.” She had her religious formation in the SSC convent and taught religion from 1967-1969 in Manila, 1969-1970 in Marikina, and 1970-1971 in San Fernando. After perpetual vows in 1971 she taught religion in Angeles, Pampanga (1974-1975), then it was off to Ateneo Graduate School, where she earned her MS in Social Psychology in 1980. From 1980 to 1988, Sister Lydia served as Directress and high school Principal at St. Agnes Academy in Legaspi, Albay. She was Superior at St. Agnes from 1985-1988. She was sent to Rome in 1988 as member of the Preparatory Commission to prepare the General Chapter, then to Southeastern Kentucky from 1989 to 1993 as one of three women pastors in the diocese of Lexington. After helping in the Tagaytay Retreat house from 19931995, Sister Lydia became Directress of the Junior sisters of the Manila Priory from 1995-2000. In 2001 she found herself in Rome as General Secretary of the Congregation and there she stayed for seven years until March 2008. On May 10, 2008 she was installed Superior of the Marikina community of the Manila Priory. As Sister Lydia bids “Arrivederci” to Roma this October, Pergola e-Dyaryo wishes her “Godspeed and good health” on her many spiritual and intellectual endeavours and congratulates her on her new assignment as Superior of the Marikina community. Truly Sister Lydia is a role model to the many Scholastican students whom she has taught and inspired through the years.
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October 2008
Finance 10 secrets to a financially secure retirement Excerpt from: Lynn O'Shaughnessy, Special for USA TODAY 5 ways to boost your income
5 ways to reduce expenses and debts
1. Don't retire impulsively. Leaving in a huff without developing a solid exit strategy can be financially foolhardy.
1. Pay attention to after-tax performance. "People need to remember that it's after-tax returns that matter," says Taylor Larimore, co-author of The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing. Many retirees woefully underestimate their tax hit because they incorrectly assume that their tax burden will plummet once their paychecks dry up. But that's not always true, especially when retirees are forced to begin making mandatory withdrawals from their individual retirement accounts. A great way to stanch the tax hemorrhaging is to invest in tax-efficient index and exchange traded funds.
2. Invest in stocks for the long term. Adding stocks to a retirement portfolio can boost your returns without exposing you to reckless risk. "If you have a portfolio with 20% to 30% stocks, your volatility is about the same or less than if you bought long-term bonds," says Larry Swedroe, an investment adviser in St. Louis and the author of The Only Guide to Alternative Investments You'll Ever Need: The Way Smart Money Diversifies Risk. 3. Seek pension help. Those lucky enough to retire with a pension must often decide whether to take a lump sum or a lifetime of monthly checks. Grabbing that huge chunk of change all at once is exceedingly tempting, but retiring workers should consider consulting a pension actuary before making such a momentous decision. Where do you find an actuary? The American Academy of Actuaries sponsors a program called the Pension Assistance List, which links pensioners who need assistance with actuaries who will provide up to four free hours of help. You can contact the academy at (202) 2238196 or www.actuary.org. 4. Delay Social Security. You can start collecting Social Security checks at age 62, and most Americans go for it. But their eagerness can curtail their retirement income. If you delay Social Security past age 62, your benefits will increase significantly. Crunch your own numbers, using various retirement scenarios, by visiting the Social Security Administration's website at www.ssa.gov. 5. Be a smart investor. What's required to be a successful investor hasn't really changed from the days when stock prices were ripped off ticker tapes. "The whole purpose of investing for the long term is to make your money grow faster than inflation deteriorates it," says Lewis Schiff, author of The Middle-Class Millionaire: The Rise of the New Rich and How They Are Changing America. "For those investors who take the long view and practice the simple arts of diversification, compound returns and dollar-cost averaging, and especially those who do so in tax-advantaged accounts, this growth is well within reach." If you're not confident in your own investing skills, consider using low-cost target retirement funds offered by big mutual fund companies such as Fidelity, T. Rowe Price and Vanguard.
2. Shrink credit card costs. Call your card issuer. "If you have good credit — a 700 FICO score or better — you have a ton of leverage with credit card companies, which are scared and worried about their profit margins," observes Liz Pulliam Weston, author of Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve, and Protect the 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future. Card issuers hate losing customers, so they're generally willing to negotiate. If you enjoy good credit, you should be able to capture a rate below 10%. 3. Track expenses. No one's asking you to deny yourself a $4 latte, but if you're living beyond your means, it makes sense to root out the budget-busters. Recording your purchases for a week can prove a tremendous help. 4. Be a frugal investor. Investment fees are a natural enemy of retirement portfolios. But many investors are oblivious to this predator. Why? Because investors of mutual funds and annuities aren't billed for these expenses. Instead, the fees are automatically deducted. You can see for yourself the damage that even average expenses can wreak on a mutual fund by using the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's mutual fund cost calculator at www.sec.gov/investor/tools.shtml. Try sticking with mutual funds that charge an annual expense ratio of 1% or less. 5. Think healthy. Regardless of your age, take care of your health and you'll probably save money. "Eat right, exercise and care for your teeth, eyes and ears," says Henry Hebeler, the creator of AnalyzeNow.com, a financial website geared toward retirees. "By the time we get to retirement age," Hebeler adds, "health care costs are the single largest item in most of our budgets, and early prevention of health problems pays huge financial dividends." sent by Marita Nadres-Legaspi, October 15, 2008
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
Page 3
Marilyn Bengzon-St. Pierre ScholastiCanadian Comes Home
Celebrating Marilyn By Patty Gabaya-Candido
Marilyn Bengzon is well known among Scholasticans of the 50’s and 60’s. She was a consistent honor student, a leader, active in and outside school—SCA, Sodality, NUSP. A loyalty medalist, Marilyn graduated in 1966 AB major in Business Administration, with honors. She was consistently in the honor roll in Grade 7 and in High School.
At the back of her college graduation picture which she gave me 40 years ago, Marilyn wrote: “Even when all wild ecstacies shall have matured into sober pleasures, I shall still remember the college days of joys, tears, victories and love.” We were friends for some 55 years, and I saw how far she had gone, how much she had accomplished, and how she had continued to grow long after she left the hallowed halls of St. Scholastica’s College.
Marilyn lived in Montreal and traveled the world in the early seventies before settling down to marry Marcel St. Pierre, a French Canadian programming expert. In the early 80s Marilyn resumed her career, and she She had gone a long way from the quiet and shy second rose from secretary to contract analyst for Motorola. grader, to the competent president of the SCA in high Marilyn was Vice President of the SSC Alumnae Association, Ontario chapter. While in remission, she continued her many activities, dances, fundraisers and Christmas caroling. Ontario Scholasticans came from near and far to give her a warm send-off. Commemorative. A St. Scholastica’s College Commemorative Scholarship Fund will be established in her name, a fitting tribute to one of St. Scholastica’s sterling students.
school, and as External Vice-President of the Student Council in college. As a teenager, she was mature beyond her age… Unlike some of us, rambunctious, rebellious and naughty, she was never part of the many pranks we plotted. No one resented her for it because we highly regarded her. Marilyn and I found ourselves in Ontario and we continued to share our life stories, our favourite recipes, and memories of the sunny 60s. What a phenomenal memory she had – for facts and details, names and dates. Her “sober pleasures” turned out to be a simple quiet life, being an exemplary wife to Marcel, doting mother to Mhayta, and loving daughter and sister to the rest of her family. I learned much from her profound philosophical views on life and love. Her love for God, Mary and her family gave her the courage to face any adversity with prayerful openness to God’s will without a whimper or protest…ever. In her life, Marilyn was a shining example of the Scholastican ideal of Ora et Labora and she continues to be so from where she is now, next to her Maker.
CONDOLENCES
Marilyn's Scholastican family: Rose Flor, Zeny Lat, Chell Bengzon, Cecile Cruz, Patty Candido, Emy Telesforo, Yvette Jarencio, Toni Velez, Marimon Periquet, Cherry Quiroz, Marcel St. Pierre, Gwen Flor, Mhayta SP-Prunskus, Itos Dioso, Pearlie Crisologo, Myrna Riley, Tessie Salazar, and Mila Magno.
SSAA East Coast extends sincere condolences to Jo Ann Lara and Pinggay Lara, whose father Jose Lara passed away in Manila, the Philippines, on October 13, 2008. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
Page 4
October 2008
DATELINE: AUSTRIA By: Maria Lourdes Reininger It must have been four decades ago when I saw for the first time the film Sound of Music about the Von Trapp Family singers from Salzburg. Later I also saw the film Forever My Love about Austria’s Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Empress Elisabeth. At that time it never entered my mind that Austria would one day be my adopted country. It was only when I met some Austrians in the United States that I started to get interested in this small but beautiful country in Central Europe. Thirty Two Years Ago When the charter Condor flight landed in Vienna in late October 1976, foreigners were scarce. A Filipina could easily be mistaken for a Chinese, Japanese, South American, or even Korean, as these were the “common” nationalities of foreigners here at the time. It was barely 30 years after the end of the Nazi regime and one could easily be the victim of discrimination. I began to wish that I had studied the German language in my university days, thus making it much easier for me to understand the Austrian mentality and its people. Five years later, when I discovered that I had learned sufficient German to communicate and discuss, I literally breathed a sigh of relief. It made life so much easier. Thirty Two Years Later, Integration is the Name of the Game Offspring of parents with migrant backgrounds who are born in this country or are educated in the Austrian school system from primary school do not experience difficulties brought about by language deficiencies that generally confront migrants. Integration is a normal process for them. Nowadays a requirement for citizenship is a working knowledge of German, in word and writing. Knowledge of the language leads to easier integration. Complete assimilation is not expected but integration is. I have observed that fully integrated naturalized citizens have an easier life; they enjoy the benefits of a stable adopted country with many opportunities to excel and work towards the realization of their dreams and aspirations. Learning the language of the country opens doors to being a good satisfied citizen and being understood by the community. Discrimination easily exists when one cannot express oneself, as it hinders mutual understanding. Speaking the country’s language lessens the grouping tendencies that can easily arise in homogenous societies. It is estimated that approximately 30,000 Filipino and FilipinoAustrian families presently live in Austria. Filipinos who have become citizens of Austria, are to be admired for their industry, flexibility, patience, and ability to integrate. Filipinos in Austria are fortunate to enjoy the respect and esteem of society. The majority of migrants are professionally engaged in the health industry as nurses and health care workers, who are needed and respected. A significant percentage of Filipinos in Austria are employees of United Nations agencies located in Vienna. Lately, young Filipinos who either are born or educated in Austria are employed in various non health care jobs, for example, in gastronomy or travel and tourism sectors. Enterprising Filipinos and Austrians with Filipino origin have branched out to building construction, insurance, and other business fields. Recently in a discussion regarding asylum seekers in Austria, Filipinos were not identified as migrant workers nor foreigners but as “our nurses, health care workers.” In 1997 as chair of the Centennial Committee for the 1998 Philippine Centennial Celebrations in Austria, I organized a tree planting [cont’d right column]
ceremony in honor of Filipino migrants to Austria, who first arrived in 1974. Filipinos had been the only migrant group to have been allowed to plant a tree in front of the Wiener Rathaus, or Vienna City Hall. A Time of Change Austria recently went through a hectic and interesting one-month electoral campaign after the current coalition government announced its desire for new elections. There were predictions that Austrians would vote predominantly rightist, which would imply a certain antagonism towards foreigners. There is a certain fear and concern in this country about the increase in crime due to the opening of the borders within the European Union (EU) Schengen areas, the inability of Austria, a small country compared to its European neighbors to support additional migration, and an uncertainty about the future labor market with more foreigners coming in to work. However, despite the fact that the central left (socialist) and the conservatives (Christian Democrats) lost votes, both parties retained the majority of parliamentary seats. Political analysts were quick to point out that these losses were primarily protest votes. Austria, one of the most stable countries in the EU, continues to open its doors to asylum seekers and migrants. It is one of the net payers to the EU, paying in more than it receives in subsidies. It is also one of the most secure places to live and to raise one’s children. A foreign visitor who had visited our home recently remarked how safe it was to take the “U-Bahn” or underground train late at night. Vienna also has night buses that cater to the youth and others who enjoy a night out. The Price of Stability What is the price of this peace, order and stability? Recently, our association of homeowners was discussing the issue of mowing the lawn on a Sunday, after one member who had a young child and a baby in his family reported that his neighbor was making noise on a Sunday and asked for help on this issue. An Asian neighbor of ours replied by asking everyone politely for tolerance, to give this neighbor a chance to familiarize himself with Austrian practices and habits, adding that in Asia, “we are free.” I found this a very significant statement, prompting further thoughts on “freedom at what price?” For example, many countries that I have previously visited have no laws that govern noise, but Austria does. Blowing one’s car horn is prohibited under normal conditions. Motor lawn mowers are not to be operated on a Sunday. In Vienna one is required to refrain from disturbing the silence outdoors, after 10 p.m. Music and parties therefore have to continue indoors. Taxes are high, with higher paid employees reaching a total cut of 60% of their basic salary for contributions to social security, social health, and tax payments. Everyone is required to have a residence certificate; building permits are required for all improvements or additions to edifices; dogs need to be registered by their owners with the appropriate vaccinations, with a yearly tax for each dog; garbage has to be properly sorted and thrown in proper containers, with fines being prescribed for offenders. These are only some examples of a regulated life in Austria. Life here, however, is far less restrictive than many countries. The other side of the coin is, we enjoy all the basic freedoms. Health care is available for all. [cont’d next page]
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
Page 5
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[cont’d from left column]
This was again so visible to me when I unexpectedly had to undergo a minor eye operation and was brought to one of the best public hospitals in Vienna for this procedure. During the three-hour examination, preparation, and waiting time, I observed people from all walks of life availing themselves of the best health care that Vienna could offer. When one calls an ambulance, a swift response can be expected. When my husband invited me on my birthday morning to breakfast at a coffee house in the first district, a lady friend of mine remarked, “Oh, how cultivated!” Yes, it is the cultured life that I enjoy most in Vienna, made possible by the regulated lifestyle and the resulting peace and order.
Ring, the boulevard that encircles the inner city, or at Stephanplatz, the plaza opposite St. Stephan’s Cathedral.
Family, Social, Religious, Political and Cultural Life My husband is an Austrian who like me, was born into a large family, with many siblings. We enjoy family reunions like any large family in the Philippines. The reunion on the side of my husband’s family is scheduled once a year in September. Our immediate family of three children and respective partners, with three grandchildren (the fourth due in January) as well as my sister and her family try to meet regularly on special occasions. The Christmas season up to New Year’s Day are special times of celebration and joy. Our social life is greatly enriched by our various international, Austrian, and Filipino friends. For many years my husband and I have attended an annual weekend retreat in a monastery located in the serene town of Vorau, together with about thirty-five others. Vorau lies in a valley in the province of Styria, a two and a half-hour drive south of Vienna. The monastery is surrounded by rolling verdant hills, rich foliage and walkways. Our “walk to Emmaeus” starts on a Friday afternoon and ends on Sunday after lunch and a very leisurely early afternoon coffee. At last count there were thirteen nationalities represented in the Vorau group. Father Cyril Desbruslais, S.J. who conducts the retreat is a Jesuit from Di Nobili College in Pune, India. Fr. Cyril claims that the adult retreat is the highlight of his annual visit to Austria. Like any medium-sized city, Vienna offers many options for creating one’s chosen lifestyle. It is characteristic of this social democracy that the common folk can avail themselves of public parks, entertainment, gardens, health care, wellness resorts, public baths—privileges not limited to and enjoyed by the more wealthy population. Vienna offers a variety of cultural experiences from the Holy Mass sang by the Vienna Boys’ Choir at the Hofburg Chapel, to Amadeus Mozart’s “Missa Solemnis” in St. Augustine’s Church performed by the church’s professional choir, to the Viennale, a yearly film festival, to various jazz group shows in a basement locale, and the yearly Donauinsel (Danube Island) rock and pop music festival with more than one million visitors. The State Opera is a must for culture aficionados. Many other smaller opera houses and theaters are available all the year round. The ball season starts in late autumn and ends at Lent, resuming again in the summertime. Each year the traditional balls are extremely well attended. Dancing schools specialize in the Viennese waltz and other ballroom dances, and to enjoy one of these balls it is a must to learn these! I particularly enjoy the balls in the wintertime when one enters a warmly heated Palais after trudging through the snow. In this city one does tend to get caught in the social whirl. Vienna is a city where one can meet famous personalities strolling on the [cont’d right column]
Another tradition that I enjoy is the coffee house culture. This tradition cannot be described with a few sentences. Not only is it deeply ingrained in the Austrian way of life it is also a statement. Because of the cold winters people naturally sought refuge in warm coffee houses. In a coffee house one is welcome, can sit for hours after having ordered a cup of coffee, tea or chocolate topped by whipped cream, and is never alone. In these coffee houses one can meet informally with groups of friends, read the latest news, discuss the latest issues with poets, journalists, and decision makers, or even in some coffee houses, play a party of chess. In the summer all gravitate towards the sun and sit outdoors. It is a sign that spring is near when coffee houses bring out tables and chairs for the public on the sidewalks (Schanigarten.) Fortunately I have often accompanied my husband to interesting Austrian political, cultural, and business events, as well as benefitted from his impromptu lectures about Austrian history at every opportunity and his insightful remarks and information about art, architecture and Austrian monarchy. Through these as well as my natural desire to learn, I have acquired a deepened understanding of the Austrian people. I have met interesting and historical personalities. I cannot forget my first meeting with the son of the last emperor of Austria Emperor Karl, Dr. Otto Habsburg who, to my delight, showed his knowledge of the Philippines by remarking that since I am of Filipino origin, then I speak Tagalog! Another one of my fond memories was meeting Placido Domingo on the flight from Rome to Vienna, without recognizing at first that I was talking to one of the most renowned opera singers of our time. My interest in Austria’s history has widened my perspective of Austria’s role in the relatively young European Union. Since Austrian society is complex, the changes wrought by the EU are even more pronounced. It is not a coincidence that Sigmund Freud comes from Austria. Austrian literature is a key to the Austrian soul, as I am more and more discovering. It starts with the language (again!) and if one reads and listens carefully, one can discern a treasure of information about differences in origin, beliefs, and opinions in each of the seven states in Austria. I gobble up every piece of Austrian literature I can get my hands on. Because of the complexity of Austrian society it becomes more important than ever to build bridges to unite the different groups living in Austria. Austria has now become a melting pot. Thirty years ago it would not have been possible to imagine a mosque being built in this country, after the Turks were successfully thrown back by Jan Sobieski centuries ago, at the gates of Vienna, at the Leopoldsberg, preserving the country’s Christian legacy. At the Crossroads Because I’m nearing retirement I am rearranging my priorities. At this point my family comes first. My European odyssey started with a German teacher as a three year old in Mrs. Huey’s kindergarten, continued with German and Filipino nuns who taught me to live according to St. Benedict’s Ora et Labora in the Benedictine halls of SSC in Manila, and continues to the present. After 32 years in Austria, I wonder where it will end. My finishing school, Europe, has not been easy. And yet, it has been very rewarding. Copyright @ 2008
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
Page 6
October 2008
Madrid HOME IN SPAIN by Marimi Vicente y Barredo I had just graduated from high school, Class of 1971. Fresh out of the SSC oven, I was flaunting my recent 18th birthday and raring to see the world when following family tradition, I was sent to live for a year with my grandparents in Madrid to touch base with my paternal roots, “repair” my broken Spanish, open my horizons and acquire refined European culture. I arrived in August of 1971, just in time for Spanish summer vacation. As everyone knows, August is the month when all of Spain (even the government!) takes a break and everybody goes to the beach. Since all of my Spanish cousins were ready to go on vacation, off I went with them. That summer was my initiation into Spain. It marked the beginning of the rest of my life, my first month in the University of Life. I didn’t go through any cultural shock because we Filipinos are known to be “todo terreno” (4x4 quality). Filipinos blend perfectly into the Spanish way of life. We even have the same bad habits, so I felt right at home immediately. For quite a number of years, Spain had the reputation of being a country that stayed behind and had not kept pace with the rest of the world. Coinciding with my arrival in the 1970s, a lot happened in Spain (although I don’t think I had anything to do with it). Spain has taken a huge leap, getting back on the world map. Today, Madrid and Barcelona, cosmopolitan cities that they are, continue to make their mark in the arts, fashion, and gastronomy. Madrid is known as “la movida”—the city that never sleeps, and is very friendly. Madrileños love their city and are always happy to show newcomers or foreigners around. There is so much to see in Madrid and in its outskirts that even after 37 years of living here, I still have not seen all that it offers. The country’s touristic wealth is large and diverse. Aside from the cultural, historical, and monumental tours available, there are so many attractive options and activities. In Spain one can’t just tour around and take pictures: one is actually seduced by the country, one has to get involved. As the scenery changes, so does the character of the people.
One thing about Spain is that like the Philippines, everything is based on a good meal! To get an idea: up in the north (Galicia, the Basque Province, Asturias), the gastronomy revolves around the “cuchara.” The cold weather requires more caloric intake, therefore it is the “guisos” (stews) that dominate. In the eastern provinces or “zona de Levante” (Alicante, Valencia, Murcia) along the Mediterranean coast, the “arroces” (rice dishes such as paellas, arroz meloso, arroz caldoso, calderos)) are what you ask for. In the center of Spain, provinces such as Avila, Segovia and Toledo are experts in “asados” (oven baked). I’m sure you’ve heard of the famous “cochinillo” of Segovia. Finally, in the southern part of Spain (Andalucian provinces Sevilla, Granada, Malaga, Almeria), it is the “fritura” that takes over. Who hasn’t heard of the “pescaito frito?” I could go on and on with the food, but by now you’ve probably guessed where my weakness lies! Then there are the wines of Spain, as varied as the dishes, another subculture or art that one acquires naturally in Spain. Among the many interesting tours one can do here is called “Enoturismo.” This is a tour organized around the different wine regions which includes lodging and wine tasting in historical cellars. To get back to my “story:” My sabbatical year went fast. I convinced my parents to let me stay a little longer and continue my studies here. I got my diploma as Interior Decorator, and soon after got married. That decided it. Now here I am in Madrid, a place that like the Philippines I consider my home, with a wonderful daughter of 31. Looking at the numbers, I’ve lived in Spain for more years than I lived in the Philippines, and although my Spanish is fluent, I still have that Filipino accent that always reveals my origins. And curiously, my daughter who was born and raised here also has that particular accent which over here they like so much! The Filipino community in Spain is very large. Filipinos have a very good reputation here too. Maybe it’s because each, Spain and the Philippines, is a melting pot of cultures. Or maybe it’s our ability to pick up languages, or our adaptable palates, or our spirit of adventure. Whatever the reason, you’ll find Filipinos perfectly established in practically all the regions of Spain. You cannot imagine where you’ll find one, but you will find one!
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
Page 7
Shy Wings TENDER AT THE BONE by Chachi Apolinario (HS 2006) I am second to the youngest of thirteen grandchildren. I lived with my grandmother (Lourdes Perez-del Rosario, HS ’36) all my life, until her death forced us to sell her house and move to our own place.
not only in situations where there is an exchange of words but also in silence. This is how I came to be “tender at the bone,” as the saying goes. These two experiences of my grandmother have shaped my life and have molded me, making me both compassionate and brave. These things have made my heart pump with passion, emotion, fear, and even courage, and all this I learned from my years by her side. ***
COCKATOOS AND KOOKABURRAS by Mari-Cris Razon Tolentino We had hundreds of thousands of great moments together, but there are those that have stayed in my mind and heart forever. The first of those moments would be the afternoons we spent in the car taking spontaneous trips to Divisoria, or some other place in Manila or Makati that she’d have in mind after picking my mom up from work. The plan was that she’d pick me up in school first and then we’d get my mom to fill up the rest of the afternoon with things that were way exciting to a five year old girl. We’d go shopping for toys, plants, and food—all from the car—with me watching and her shouting at the vendors in her screwed up Filipino, replacing words she didn’t know with their Spanish equivalent. It was great; the whole car ride seemed to me a ride on a spaceship or a submarine. It was like exploring the bottom of the ocean or entering a black hole and being able to come out on the other side. She’d take me to places that were bustling with life, with excitement, these were unknown territory with a whole new way of life left for us to uncover. After an hour or so of shopping, our stomachs would begin to grumble due to negligence. Being the best grandmother in the whole world, and an expert in the realm of food and matters of children, she always knew the perfect place to get an afternoon snack, from the fried siopao of Divisoria to the chicken nuggets of McDonald’s with an ice cold Coke, she’d always get it right. The best part was, I’d always get to finish her fries if mine were all gone. She died a slow death. For five months she had been confined in the intensive care unit at Makati Medical, attached to a respirator and having dialysis every two days. Kidney failure—the doctors informed us. They had given her less than a week to live before the family decided on dialysis. So we would watch her day in and day out, just lying there. For the first time in her life she was silent, expressionless. That’s what made me want to rip out the respirator from her mouth to make her speak, to hear her laugh, to see her smile and reach out to me with just her eyes. This was how she perished, slowly, with us watching her fade away everyday from what she was, the big woman with a thick Spanish accent, always ready with her meals, her treats, and her humor to make everyone happy. But recently I realized that despite her moments of weakness before she died, she served as the family’s pillar of strength. The irony of all ironies: a dying woman who could no longer speak or recognize her loved ones was a symbol of strength. Yet she was. She was our strength because she stayed on for five more months enduring the pain so her family wouldn’t have to cope with a sudden death. She showed that strength could manifest itself
My paternal grandparents had made the move to Australia in the early 1970s to join their two youngest children who had immigrated with their families a few years before. My parents, Titoy Razon & Minnie Munoz Razon (HS44), visited them from time to time and came back raving about Australia—its orderliness and discipline as well as its beauty. My sister Kit Razon Olmos (HS68, Coll72) and her family joined her husband’s family in Sydney in the 1980s. My parents and brother Ramon soon followed. With the pollution, traffic, and the political situation, as well as the water problems in Manila (we lived in BF Homes Paranaque), Sydney beckoned. In 1995 we made the BIG move. Our home near the Ku-ring-gai National Park has beautiful sulphur-crested white cockatoos, laughing kookaburras, and a variety of colorful parrots in the daytime and possums and owls at night. There is no pollution to speak of and we enjoy beautiful and peaceful scenic views from the balcony. Water however can eventually become a huge problem if the drought gripping the country intensifies. In the thirteen years that we have been in Sydney, my husband Lee and I have worked and subsequently retired from the workforce. We have three sons, James, Jerry, and Joe. Our eldest son James married Ma. Theresa Ferrer (GS83, HS87). He is the Development & Support Manager of the IT Dept for National Australia Bank, while Trhia is the Technical Team Leader Internet at the same bank. They reside in Melbourne. Our second son Jerry is Training Account Manager for a software testing company. He produces beautiful music on his clarinet, from classical to jazz fusion. Our youngest son Joe is a programmer with Support Solutions Technologies. He also composes music and plays the piano and the guitar. Even though we are far from Manila, I am lucky to have even more family members living nearby. Rosemarie Munoz Panopio (HS47), my Mom’s sister, and her two daughters Ma. Trinidad (HS75, LiaCom80) and Ma. Stella (HS83), reside in the adjoining suburb of Hornsby. Trina works for an insurance broker and Mariela is connected with the Canadian Consulate, both located in the Sydney CBD. Of course I consider myself especially blessed to have the company of my Scholastican friends in Sydney, among them Judy Umali Baker, Marita Arceo Zamora, and Mary Ann Avecilla Relova (HS65, Coll69). Who could have known that we would all be living in Sydney, some forty years after SSC?
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
Page 8
October 2008
Cooking and Eating in America Comfort Foods from the SSC Kitchens Remember in the early fifties, there was a time when our school canteen did not sell Coca Cola for a few years. Our choices then were the ten-centavo Royal Tru-Orange soda and the five-centavo non-fizz drink called Bireley. Do you remember the five-centavo coconut macaroons, the chicken sandwich, the Fat and Thin champuy in a box, or the square kropeck that went so well with Coke? There was a time when there was no line in Aling Monica’s counter, only fun chaos. We all rushed to the counter waving our coins to buy soda (coke, coke, coke) or chocolait dispensed from a fountain into a float glass. Soon wooden posts and cord barriers appeared and we were asked to fall in line. Our parents sent us off with our recess baon of pan de sal or pan americano with cheese, liver spread (potted ham), sweet ham or even adobo, sometimes with a Hemo or Ovaltine drink in a recycled mayonnaise bottle. For the boarders and half-boarders who ate at the refectory, remember what you were served? The boiled meat-and-potato platter, the refectory’s version of arroz a la Valenciana that had sticky rice, which turned out to be bringhe, the Pampango version? Remember the uncooked slices of spam with that pink sauce? … the whipped cream-topped, Coke-colored gelatin with crushed pineapple that one either loved or hated? The sugar-dusted fried saba for dessert? The chicken sandwich in a burger bun? And for us canteen lunchgoers: the warm (chicken?) soup that we mistook for dishwater but were encouraged to buy to supplement the cold ham, chicken, or cheese sandwiches, our baons for lunch? That was our life. Let’s recall and recreate the flavors of those SSC foods from our youth! Below are a few recreated versions. Let’s go down memory lane!
Coconut Macaroons In a bowl, mix freshly grated (2 frozen packages) thawed and slightly pretoasted grated coconut, condensed milk, egg yolks, and dayap or lemon rind and a pinch of salt. Form into 1-inch balls and place into small wax paper cupcakes. Brush top with egg yolk. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Chicken Salad Sandwich Ingredients – mix together: • Last night’s roasted chicken leftovers, about half a chicken, chopped • 1/4 cup thinly chopped red onion • 1 stalk thinly chopped celery • 1/2 cup sandwich spread • ½ tsp calamansi juice • 1/2 tsp black pepper • dash salt Mix all or pass through a food processor.
Chicken Noodle Soup (Sr. Ancilla’s Canteen) We watched a Korean kitchenette owner in Washington, DC make a from-scratch chicken noodle soup. This soup is a great lunchtime magnet for lawyers and health professionals in the building. In a pot, saute a few pieces of cut-up bacon in [olive] oil. Add chopped onions, minced garlic, slivered celery, and sauté. Season with salt and pepper. Add cubes of breast meat, thigh meat, chicken wings. Add water and bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before, add strips of carrot, shredded cabbage, chopped parsley, and fettuccini noodles. Keep simmering until ready to serve. Bringhe (SSC Refectory version of Arroz Valenciana) Combine your favorite chicken in bite size pieces, coconut milk, diced green bell pepper, chopped onion and garlic, salt and pepper, turmeric, sticky rice with corresponding coconut milk and water. Cook in your rice cooker. Garnish with hard boiled egg. Coke Jello Dessert (This is called Lime-Coke Salad in a cookbook) Use Coke instead of water recommended in the box of lime jello and mix with 1/3 c crushed pineapple Chiffon Cake (courtesy of Myrna Bayaborda-Riley HS’64, Toronto specialty bakeshop entrepreneur) Preheat oven at 325º F 1 ungreased tube pan 2 1/4 c Sifted Cake Flour 1 1/2 Cups Fine Sugar 3 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt 6 Eggs, separated ½ cup vegetable oil 3/4 c water with 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar Powder Mixing procedure: 1. Sift together 3x the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and half the sugar. 2. Make a well at the center and put the oil, egg yolks, and liquid. 3. Beat until smooth. Set aside while you make the meringue. 4. In large mixing bowl, put the egg whites (no trace of yolks). 5. Add the Cream of Tartar and beat at high speed. 6. When soft peaks form, start adding the remaining half sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. When all the sugar is added, continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Remove the wire whip beater. 7. Add the egg batter slowly, cutting and folding gently until just blended. 8. Pour into a baking pan and bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 45 - 55 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness. 9. Invert pan to cool. Boiled Icing 3 egg whites ¾ c sugar ¼ c powdered sugar 1/4 c water Boil sugar in water until it spins a thread. (220ºF) Let cool slightly. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour the sugar syrup slowly. Continue beating until you get a smooth texture.
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
October 2008
Page 9
Benedictine Dreams:
Travel to Rome and Oberammergau
Roman Holiday Going to Rome on tour? Why worry about being a tourist in a strange city? Stay at our Benedictine House in Rome!
From the website of OSB Tutzing in Rome: “Would you like to visit Rome? You're welcome to stay with us!” Our Guesthouse-address is: http://www.casa-osb-tutzing.pcn.net Benedettine Missionarie di Tutzing Casa Santo Spirito Via dei Bevilacqua,60 I-00163 ROMA, Italia
Oberammergau is also known for its colorfully painted homes in the style of the witch’s attractive home in Hansel and Gretel, and for its wood carvings including cuckoo clocks and crèches. The Passion Play is performed at the playhouse which has a large open air stage and more than 4,500 seats under a covered court. The cast is made up exclusively of the entire citizenry of Oberammergau who come in for their part in the play and then return to their daily work. Next year, from Ash Wednesday 2009, they will follow the "Hair Decree.” This means that from this date all the men in Oberammergau who are taking part in the play are supposed to let the hair on their heads and faces grow. The Passion Play performance lasts for six hours with a break for dinner in between.
Tel.: (0039) 06-6650-061 FAX: (0039) 06-6650-0677 E-mail: [email protected] www.osb-tutzing.pcn.net
***** 2010 Date with Oberammergau (Passionsspiele) (A once in a lifetime dream of a Benedictine) 2010 is around the corner. Some travelers have already made reservations for a first time or repeat experience of the Oberammergau Passion presentation. The quaint German village of Oberammergau is world famous for the Passion play performed by its residents just once every decade. Keeping a pledge made nearly 400 years ago, the reenactment of the crucifixion of Christ, as tradition among townsfolk goes, preserves the health and well being of its residents to this day. Dating back to 1634, after months of suffering and death from the plague, the villagers of Oberammergau swore on oath that if the village was spared further suffering they would perform a play dedicated to the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus every ten years. Since 1634 the villagers have fulfilled their holy pledge. 2000 was the 40th play. (Yes, they were saved from the plague because winter had come and the heat and humidity that sustained the rodents had gone).
Tableaux before each Act. This updated take on the Passion play will never show on Broadway.
Outdoor Stage (note Alps in background). Audience sits under a covered court.
Google these key words: “Oberammergau Passion play”
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE: SYDNEY FAMILY ALBUM – Alumnae updates and family photos from Australian residents Mary Ann Avecilla Relova, Ma. Luisa (Vishi) Tirona, Paula (Polly) Cuenca, Judy Umali Baker, Marita Arceo Zamora, Merle Arceo Ynfante, Malou Hizon Sackett, Neria Soliman, and Cita Hoersch, among others. FILIPINO FLAVORS: MANILA’S MAGICAL, MISUNDERSTOOD CUISINE – Wall Street Journal article on Filipino food. Lists the best restaurants in Manila and its environs, including Abe’s at Serendra, Cirkulo on Pasay Road, Claire de la Fuente Grill on Macapagal Avenue (Pasay), and Salcedo Common Market. Great tips for alumnae flying home for the holidays! THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST – An intriguing detective story from Tina Peralta, our favorite Scholastican contributor from Denmark.
Pergola e-Dyaryo is a publication of St. Scholastica’s Alumnae Association – East Coast
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