"LONELY HEARTS NO MORE"

"We all have time machines. Some take us back, they're called MEMORIES. Some take us forward, they're called dreams."- Jeremy Irons

EBB'S E-TALK: Success and inspiration seem to be an underlying theme of the stories in this week's blog. Take a moment to read about the lives of these trios-Sari, Cherrie and Bong as they danced their way to success. Sari is the main writer, introducing both classmates- Cherrie and Bong. Sari is intoducing herself. Here's her profile that she wrote in our blog last June.

PROFILE OF ROSARIO VALENZUELA
Age: 64
Gender: Female
Industry: Non-Profit
Occupation: Public Health Nutritionist
Location: Brooklyn : New York : United States
About Me
Single. Have lived in 6 different States in the US; NY being the last one; been there for 25 years. Enjoy challenging low cost travels to Europe, driving cars/vans with relatives and friends. Love keeping in touch with and visiting good old friends, who trust me with their secrets. After getting parental scholarships, put self through grad school and earned a master's degree in Public Health Nutrition at Penn State U. In my desire to have a more meaningful life (kasi tumatanda na), I currently manage a New York State funded program that is focused on providing nutritious foods to hungry New Yorkers (NYC lang); have been on this job for 14 yrs. Prior to this, I was engaged in Healthcare Food Services with Aramark and directed big and small hospital food service depts. (13 years). Thus far, 27 yrs. accounted for. 7 years of schooling and training (5 yrs. UP; 2 yrs., 2 different Dietetic Internship programs); 11 yrs. work in Food Service Mgt, Nutrition and Dietetics and related fields; 2 yrs grad school; and 3 years unemployed that were likely filled with lakwatsas. These summarize my 50 yrs.-life after PWU.
Interests
Travel and Visiting Friends & Relatives
Favorite Movies
Mostly that of Audrey Hepburn
Ingrid Bergman
Grace Kelly & Cary Grant (halatang old vintage)
Favorite Music
La Vie en Rose
I Will Wait for You
Romanza
Two for the Road at marami pang iba na old vintage.
Favorite Books
Suspense fiction novels
SARI'S SERIES: Way back in June, I told Evelyne that I would write about Cherrie & Bong (after my update on Cora). This was to be posted to fill up the blog.... now this is on the "waiting list" for blog posting. Enjoy reading about them. I'll attach their "then" pictures.

ROSARIO VALENZUELA (HIGH SCHOOL 1960)

Lonely Hearts No More - that's Patricia (Bong) Arroyo Staub and Charito (Cherrie) Silva McSorley. In the early '70s my sister, Ara, called us - the Lonely Hearts! because nobody dated us - 5 professional (perhaps intimidating) women. Bong worked at the Food & Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), Cherrie at the Philippine Psychological Corporation (PPC) and I at the Manila Yatch Club. This intro is about Bong and Cherrie.
PATRICIA ARROYO (H.S. 1960)
First Bong - she has a BS in Chemistry at PWU, an MS and a Ph D degrees in Food Technology at Iowa State U. and Food Science at Purdue U, respectively. Bong worked as a Scientist at FNRI and later as a professor at the UP College of Fisheries. Ms. Time efficient Bong wrote a reference book, The Science of Philippine Foods that was published in 1974, revised in 1982, and updated with an addendum in 1996. This book is still in use. Bong developed the best local dried fruit mix (best selling esp at X'mas) and sweetened sampalok. Bong went to Germany on a fellowship and came home with an MD - marriage degree - to Heinz Staub of Karlsruhe (hence Lonely Heart no more). Bong & Heinz returned & resided in Karlsruhe after Bong fulfilled her service obligation at UP.Bong wrote kitchen tested recipes for use by Filipinos in Germany utilizing ingredients available in local groceries (written in English & German); this book has had 2 revisions. Bong took up a 2nd career in Germany, finished nursing and worked as a nurse at a nursing home in Karlsruhe until she retired in 2007. Bong & Heinz split (no "s") their time between Germany & Philippines .





CHARITO SILVA (H.S. 1960)
Upon completion of a BA degree in Psychology at PWU, Cherrie taught at PWU and joined PPC. Cherrie worked her way up and became director of Testing and Research. Cherrie received a UNESCO grant to study at U Michigan in 1970 and returned to PPC. She left again (and never came back) in 1973 to pursue an MS in Consumer Psych at Purdue U. It was there where Cherrie met and married (kaya di na Lonely Heart) her lifetime partner, Robert (Bob) McSorley, who was pursuing a Ph D in Nematology. Bob is a sought after professor and researcher in Tropical Nematodes. Cherrie settled as a homemaker and raised daughter, Tessa. Cherrie is the best partner & manager the McSorley family ever had; and also most doting mother. When Tessa started schooling, Cherrie could not be kept away from Tessa's school and decided to be a Teacher's Aide. She worked mostly with fifth grade students. Cherrie kept this job till she retired in 2008. Cherrie and her family have been living in Florida (Homestead and Gainesville) for 31 years.
This genuine and lasting friendship and camaraderie with Cherrie and Bong was established at PWU, but not inside the classrooms. The extra-curricular activities such as Acquaintance Party, Lantern Parade, Choral Contest, Intramural, to name a few, were instrumental in drawing us (students) together. Students, without teacher involvement, planned and implemented /executed all of these activities that became venues for expressing one's organizational skills, leadership, ingenuity, artistry, literary skills, etc. PWU had an exceptional way of wringing hidden talents out of its students – this is what makes our Alma Mater so unique and distinctive.

AND NOW PRESENTING OUR U.S. REUNION COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF: SARI AND MISS JULIA CALIXTO (PRINCIPAL)
PERSPECTIVE FROM PURI: DEAR CLASSMATES, WE WILL ALL SAIL TO BALI HAI IN A VINTA. OUR BOAT WILL BE BAMBOO POLES BOURNE BY NATIVES ON THEIR SHOULDERS WITH PRINCESS CARMELITA PERCHED ON TOP. THE SAILS WILL BE OUR SCARVES TIED IN KNOTS. IT WILL DRAPE BY THE BAMBOOS TO REPRESENT WAVES AS WE SAIL. PLEASE OPEN YOUR DRAWERS AND MAIL ME 2 OR 3 COLORFUL SCARVES THAT YOU OWN. SIGN YOUR NAME IN GOLD INK. EXAMPLE: ROSARIO VALENZUELA , PWU HS1960. I WILL TIE THEM TOGETHER IN KNOTS ( PARANG KASALAN,ANO)?THE VINTA WILL DOCK IN BALI HAI AGAINST A BACK-DROP OF AN ERUPTING MAYON VOLCANO WITH SIGHTS AND SOUND EFFECTS. WE THE GOLDEN JUBILEE NATIVES WILL ENTER BEHIND THE VINTA IN LANGUOROUS SENSUAL MOVEMENTS WITH A SCARF OF GOLD TIED TO OUR RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER AND ENTER TO THE TUNE OF THE BALI HAI SONG (USING KATZUDARATAN STEPS). THEN PRINCESS CARMELITA WILL DISEMBARK FROM THE VINTA AND DO SOME SINGKIL MOVEMENTS, HER FANS REPRESENTING WAVES FROM THE SEA. THIS IS OUR DRAMATIC ENTRANCE . THEN WE WILL USE THE KNOTTED SCARVES FROM THE VINTA AS A ROYAL ROBE TO WRAP AROUND QUEEN HELENA HZB AND PUT A HAKULEI ON HER HEAD. WE WILL PRACTISE THE DAY BEFORE. I'M TRYING TO FILIPINIZE BALI HAI AND DO SOME KIND OF FUSION FOR A FILIPINO- HAWAIIAN PRESENTATION. I'M STILL PIECING TOGETHER OUR REPERTOIRE. STAY TUNED. TO BE CONTINUED.