Friendship: Thanks for all the Laughs, Marily!

I just got back from the Filipino American Festival of Books held in San Francisco. I had a terrific time!  I moderated HOT OFF THE PRESS literary readings on Saturday and Sunday. I have earlier blog entries with lots of pictures about these events; please visit them - click 1, 2, 3

Another surprise was that my friend from college days, Marily Ysip Orosa was in San Francisco.  She attended the book festival and we were able to see a bit of San Francisco.



Marily and I were classmates at Maryknoll College, and we have kept in touch through the years.  I was her Maid of Honor - see picture below.  Look at those babies! (She's the bride, and I'm the one with long hair beside her.)

One of the memories that comes to me of our college days is when Marily and I took "Rizal" a class about the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal. The class (inconveniently) met on Saturdays.  The professor made the mistake of announcing at the first meeting that we didn't have to attend the classes but could write a paper instead.  Marily and I looked at each other and never showed up in his class again, although we did submit the required paper.  Marily and I were both very surprised that we got "Cs" in that Rizal class.

Even though we were Dean's Listers, we were not really the best students; we cut classes; we snuck out of the campus during lunchtime; we wore "civilian clothing" now and then instead of our standard green and white uniforms; we broke the nuns' rules (sometimes). (erratum: Marily requested I remove any reference to her as a Dean's Lister as it may ruin her reputation.)

Here's the irony -- Marily did a magnificent coffee table book on Jose Rizal, which won very many book awards. The coffee table books published by her publishing house, Studio 5, are all award-winning.

I, too, carved a niche in the literary world.

Finally, after years of talking about it, Marily and I collaborated on three books, all of which won book awards: A La Carte Food and Fiction, Behind the Walls, and Finding God.

While I'm coming down from the high of the San Francisco weekend, I thought I'd remember our friendship.

Thanks for all the fun and laughter, Marily!

Seated l-r: Evelina Galang, Marily Orosa; Standing, Cecilia

Taking the bus to the Fisherman's Wharf, and cracking up over the sign above our heads!!!!

This was taken at the book launch of Behind the Walls, Cecilia and Marily in the back, and Gemma Cruz, second to the right. As a Maryknoll graduate and winner of the Miss International beauty pageant, Gemma was one of our idols when we were in college.


Read also:
The Schools I attended - St. Theresa's College 
The Schools I attended - UP & Maryknoll
The Schools I attended - UCLA

Ate logo,
Cecilia 

tags: Maryknoll College, St. Theresa's College, Gemma Cruz, Philippines, Philippine, Filipina, writers, authors, books, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Marily Ysip Orosa