The nerve of this Dan Galang sending her and her friends a chain e-mail with nary a greeting! Of course, Dan apologized profusely, not only to Josie but to everyone. Benjie Manaloto was quick to dismiss the gaffe and pronounced it as a welcome error of omission. In no time at all, Dan became a part of this circle of familiar names from high school. Benjie, Antonio Miranda. Enrique Gamboa. Josie Labao-Hizon. Bert Sembrano.

But there were other names.. not quite familiar. Vangie Vitug-Lazatin. Jek Jek Manaloto. Emy Macam. Suellen Nieva. Rex Angeles. Rufina. As it happened, the core group was really an Assumption College connection. And most of them happened to have also gone to Jose Abad Santos High School... Class of 1965!

The Class of 1965 was to celebrate its Coral Anniversary with a Grand Reunion on December 30, 2000. It was also launching a Foundation at the reunion... a Foundation dedicated to the welfare of the members of the class and their families. Dan was in the thick of fund raising for the Coral Reunion in the U.S.... along with Edna Dayrit-de los Reyes... and Eloisa Lopez-Valerio.

The e-mail group welcomed the idea of the Foundation and gave generously... to the Foundation, to the Coral Anniversary Reunion, to the Souvenir Program for the reunion. But no one else, besides Dan and Edna, could fit the December 30 reunion in Pampanga in his or her schedule.

Then Josie went on her holiday in the US East Coast... visiting Tony, Henry (Ike), Jekjek and Vangie. She enjoyed it tremendously! She went on and on about how great a time she had! She, Tony and Ike even taped a greeting that was played at the Coral Anniversary Reunion in Pampanga.

A flash of light, a clap of thunder, a bulb lit up in her head and Josie yelled, "Vancouver in July!" July 2001.

Plans were hatched although they took the back burner... the Grand Reunion in Pampanga was a higher priority. Meanwhile, the group got bigger and bigger. Each one had names and e-mail addresses to add... never mind that half those listed would not bother responding to e-mails. Those who could, did. Each response brought the core group closer to one another. Pictures were exchanged. Stories from the past were relived and rehashed... and embellished. Material for the souvenir program!

Notable among the new members of the e-mail group are Olly Castillo-Gonzalez (PHS Class 1964 and Josie's neighbor and comadre) and Ed Gopez of Los Angeles, California. They were very excited about the reunion in Vancouver... in July 2001. Already, Tony, Ike and Vangie have committed to Vancouver 2001. Ollie had to confirm the cancellation of a family reunion before she committed 110% to helping Josie host the affair.

Dan and Edna reported on the Grand Reunion to the group. Lisa, Marilyn de Castro-de Guzman and Baby Figueroa-Manabat chimed in. Nostalgia. A rush. A high. Then someone mentioned seeing Ging Feliciano-Hernandez at the Pampanga reunion. Tony broached the idea of flying her in for the Vancouver 2001 reunion. Hundreds of e-mails later, and through sheer hard work by Josie and Lisa, and the support of Ike, Tony, Ed and Edna, Ging arrived in Canada the weekend before the reunion with a couple of balikbayan boxes filled with goodies from the old country, compliments of Lisa and Emy Espiritu-Macam. Ging brought with her from Lisa and Emy, cornick balitug, banana chips, Allies peanuts, peanut brittle from Baguio, fresh fruits and vegetables, dilis and pusit.

Ging came with "pasalubong" for Vancouver 2001!

At the same time, Josie made sure the preparations went full blast. She commissioned her entire family... cleaned the house, scheduled an extended vacation from work, programmed the activities for each day of the reunion, and continued to threaten, cajole, and plea with others to join... Suellen, Rex and Fina succumbed.

On July 10 and 11, 2001, all roads led to Waller Court, Richmond, British Columbia. Vancouver 2001 was underway!

Ed and Edna Gopez with their children Jeffrey and Jacqueline drove from Los angeles. That would be two-days on the road through San Francisco, Oregon, Washington and the northwest US-Canada border. They arrived Tuesday morning. Rex and Fina Angeles and Suellen flew from St. Louis. They were at Josie's by Wednesday noon. Dan, came with Billy. They just hopped on a plane from San Francisco... a two-hour flight to Vancouver. Dan joined the group on Wednesday late afternoon and presented Josie a tray of ube "halaya" and some bottles of California wines...for himself...and the group, as promised. Josie picked up Avery, Tony's son, from the airport on Wednesday evening. Then we waited for the group from the US east coast.

Ike and Gina and Ben and Vangie flew to SeaTac airport from Washington DC. They were on time, getting there Wednesday afternoon. Tony and Mel ...well, their flight was delayed. The others waited... they finally arrived in Richmond, BC, Canada midnight of Wednesday... almost Thursday morning, after a three-hour drive from Seattle. They were tired but happy. Lots of jokes about Tony being left behind. They brought seafood: fish and shrimps. Lots of fish and lots of shrimps. And old pictures. Tony and Dan brought old pictures...