Our readers all over

It's always thrilling to know DAILY STAR is read all over the world.

The other night I got a phone call from Virginia, U.S.A. from a former schoolmate in high school and later a classmate in college, Cornelio Villanasco.

Earlier, I got a faxed letter from a former student Johnny Armas in Sydney, Australia, who plans to open a marketing arm of Sunshine Channel to serve Negrenses living in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Tonga.

There are so many Filipinos there. Johnny is a stockholder of Sunshine Channel. Our other stockholder lives in Texas, Romy Niere

. Johnny Armas has many outreach projects in Sydney and has extended them here in Bacolod.

***

Kune Villanasco asked me to extend his regards to his classmates during elementary school in Iloilo who are from Bacolod like Jesus Zarandin, the Deocampo sisters, Dolores who is now Mrs. Guadalupe and Angeles who is now Mrs. Irwin.

But his best regards are for lawyer Joe Ealdama, his classmate in high school. I called up Joe yesterday to extend the regards of Kune.

Kune graduated in 1952 at Iloilo City High, a year after me. But, he told me we were together in ROTC in San Agustin. While I was correspondent of The Manila Times in the 60s until the early 70s, he was working with DZMT, the radio station of Manila Times.

Since school days, Kune Villanasco has been our avid reader. "I read DAILY STAR every day in the Website," he said.

And true. He recalls for me almost all that I wrote about.

***

His link to West Visayas is through DAILY STAR. His complaint is sometimes the electronics edition of DAILY STAR is delayed.

I always like people who complain about our delayed edition. This means they want to read it but the copy has not yet reached them.

There was a time when my late friend, Tutti Kilayko called VDS the "Visayan Delayed Star." I said that's okay with me.

Kilayko insisted to spell his name "Tutti" and not "Toti" as my other friend tax consultant Jose V. Ramos wants to spell his name.

We were in Rome during the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz while we were going around that Tutti said, pointing to me the words "Tutti" which in Italian means all or everything. Thus, "tutti fruty" or all kinds of fruits.

***

Talking of more reactions, my American friend Robert Strause wrote me he wanted "to go 'toe to toe' with you on various issues" but does not have "facts and capabilities" here.

Bob Strause is very strongly opposed to George W. Bush's Iraq War. America, he said, wants to be out of that darned war and is evident, in the Democratic victory in both Houses of Congress.

So, okay Bob. For Cpl Daniel Smith, I think, all's well that ends well.

Let the Filipinos and Americans argue, very heatedly though it may be, until they both get hoarse voice.

I just want that in the event that an open war is declared between America and the Philippines, you be like Thomas Paine, a British supporting the Americans with your siding with the Filipinos.

This is just an insurance Bob, that Annie does not throw you out of the mosquito net. In our culture, a good husband is what we call in the local language "U.S."

And it means "Under the Saya." You ask Annie to tell you what it means. A husband who will not admit that is what we call "U.S.A." or "Under the Saya Actually."

My British friend Neil Honeyman is a very brave man, not afraid of Britain, the United States or even the toughies around his neighborhood. But he is very meek in front of his wife, Josephine.

***

Well, he is a British and he follows the British government. He considers himself king and Josephine is the prime minister. He reigns but Josephine rules.

I have another British friend Barry Swain. His wife Anne Marie is the Lady Mayor of Enfield town in London and he is an Escort.

If to me, Britain has the best form of government, it is because of this set up. Before my wife died two and a half years ago, we had this set up. She decided on minor matters. I decided on major matters.

Expenses at home, how the children were to be brought up … she decided on that. I decided on major matters like would America go to war in Iraq? And other world shaking events, I decided on them.

***

Well enough of this. This is just more interesting than the political issues that have filled the air.

The political cauldron has been heating up. This is good. Let there be an open discussion on all issues.*

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