Noel....A Dear Classmate and Friend

in my previous post, i mentioned noel as a dear classmate and friend. i did say so because he is so!!!

i've known noel since 1974 when we were sophomore pre-vet students at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. since then, we've kept constant communication with each other - here in the Philippines.... which was not so hard because we were both hired by UP as faculty members.... and even abroad.... because he now works and resides in the U.S.A.

as students, during the last 2 or 3 years of college life, we had the same barkada or set of friends. as young faculty members, we saw each other almost every school day. and as a friend residing in the US, i visited with him when i was last in New York. he treated me to a showing of the musical Miss Saigon in Broadway.... after which, we hit the bars of New York City on that cold, snowy winter night... even missing our train back to where he then lived.... in the suburbs. in return, whenever noel is back here in Manila, we'd meet here, go out or just stay in and update each other on what's the latest. with the advent of internet chatting, we chat almost every week.

noel is back here in Manila to stand as one of the major sponsors in the wedding of the daughter of another classmate who lives in California. he's also here for a well-deserved vacation. it is always exciting whenever a friend from abroad comes home and visits. actually, noel is one of my dear friends (and also classmates and former faculty member colleagues at UP) who've opted to live and work abroad. the others are Boyce, who stays in Pennsylvania; Ken, who's from Chicago; and Ramon, who lives and works in Boston. (Noel, in turn, lives in Manhattan and works at the Medical School of Cornell University.)

i miss the good old times with you guys.....

by the way, noel, thank you for your pasalubongs, particularly the two boxes of Nicotine Transdermal System which will greatly help me in kicking my smoking and nicotine habit.... for good!!!