A grand pearl reunion

For sheer pomp and pageantry, nothing can beat the British people. This was shown during Queen Elizabeth 11's Diamond Jubilee celebration recently. I even stayed up to 1 a.m. watching the full coverage of the festivities on BBC.

For me, the most impressive was the flotilla of 1,000 sea vessels down the river Thames watched by hundreds of thousands of people, who cheered lustily when the Queen and her entire family arrived to join the flotilla. The mood was electric and festive. You could feel the love and respect the British people have for their monarch, who has ruled them for 60 years.

It was amazing how the 86-year-old queen stood on her high heels, waving to the crowd for over two hours during the parade of vessels. No member of the royal family sat down, even though special seats were provided for them. Personally, I don't think I could have stood that long without sitting down. (Did she ever go to the CR?).

After the event, the queen's husband Prince Phillip, who is 91 years old, had to be hospitalized for a bladder infection. In true British fashion, the queen carried on with the celebration, even attending a pop concert in front of Buckingham Palace, minus her escort.

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After 30 years, Batch 82 of the Education and Training Center School 1 and 2 met once again for their Pearl reunion at Las Villas Clubhouse. This school is known to have students who excel in both academics and cultural competitions.

Registered nurse Mike Vallente, who is currently based in Chicago, worked with Joanne Visitacion, to organize the grand event. Fun, excitement and shrieks of joy echoed throughout the hall as friends met batchmates again after so long a time. Some were now successful doctors, businessmen and most were nurses, who hadn't been home for some time. Everybody enjoyed the sumptuous food specially prepared for the occasion. There were games galore, that included the "most improved batch" that was won by Glenn Paul Kho and his group. A lot of members brought along their family who also enjoyed swimming in the pool.

The festivities started at 3 p.m. and ended at 10 p.m. A nostalgic moment was when popular 1980s music filled the air and the crowd looked back in time and reminisced their bygone years. Memories of a youthful secret love, a hidden crush or a broken heart came flooding back with aching tenderness.

The batch is thankful for batchmates Caryl Alian, Mike Cepeda, Melanie Erillo-Aguirre, Yvone Pelingon, Nenen Espina, Cristy Espina-Gardner, Ann Canada, Richard Nixon Jalandoni, and Daniel Amar who are now based abroad and who generously supported the reunion.*