Six months of newsletters! I can't believe how
fast the time goes by. Last June, I had no contact with anyone from ASM. First I found
Bill because of an entry in my yearbook. Then I happened upon Carol, Henry and Joanne in
Gus's guest book at the "unofficial" ASM web pages. Bill had an e-mail address
for Jamie. Henry had an e-mail address for Pedro. Pedro had addresses for Xamara and
Carmen and Xamara had an address for Inge. Carmen found Ricardo (working across the
street) and Connie found me. Whoa! It happened just that
quickly!!
Now we are getting together in person. I met Carol for the first time at a mini-reunion in
October and Henry, Carmen, Xamara and Bill got together in Miami last month.
Unfortunately, we haven't found anyone else. Where is everybody?
I got a partial answer to that question when I browsed the Unofficial ASM Pages guest book
just prior to sending out this newsletter: "From: Montgomery, AL - Time: 1998 - 12-01
18:37:00 Comments: I had a dream about finding this site and here it is! I have fond
memories of '67 to '69 in Madrid with a bunch of great people. I still feel young inside
so I imagine you all do, too. Congrats to whoever has developed this site". Who was
that? Read on to find
out.
We are looking for all the 1969 graduates, but we are also looking for anyone who ever
attended the American School of Madrid as a member of our class. There are 141 members of
the Class of 1969 pictured in the various yearbooks from 1962 through 1969. A thirty year
reunion is approaching. How many can we find?
Bill Mock writes:
I got to Madrid in 65, the summer that the Beatles played at las Ventas. I went to ASM
when it was still on Dr. Fleming. My dad had died in Venezuela in 64 and we were on the
eternal search for paradise. I went off to school in England in April of 66 and stayed
till July 67. I remember proudly bringing back a copy of SPLHC Band. And discovering
BookEnds by Simon and Garfunkel (..."time it was, it was a time, it was... a time of
innocence, a time of
consequences...) .
After leaving ASM, I went to Hobart and spent two years there. I then left for West Berlin
and studied music there. After a couple of years I followed a woman back to the states and
finished off at Hobart in 74, then went to Middlebury and did grad school, then returned
to Madrid.
I started out living high up in Escorial, but took bus in from the Plaza just above the
Palacio at about 6 in the morning. In winter the coffee at the estanco there in the frosty
polluted grey was the most delicious in the world!
I ended up in the theater and met my wife to be in 75 in the teatro Marquina, then went to
Holland in 76 with her and we lived there until 88, had 4 kids, then returned to Madrid.
Finally, in 91, we moved to North Carolina and then to Miami last year. We still have two
kids with us, the other two are in college.
My mom is well and in Manila, PI where she grew up.
Xamara Villar writes:
It was great to see Carmen, Henry and Bill on Friday at the 1st Happy Hour Reunion in
Miami. As Bill said, it seems that we have dressed and put on make up for a play and this
is how we look after almost 30 years...... We all look great, with some wrinkles and white
hair but this is a symbol of WISDOM!!!!!!!
We met with other ASMers, from previous courses. There was Rafael Diaz Balart who
graduated in 68. There was Jose Ferrer, Class of 74. His sister Ana graduated before us
and I used to know her. She could not attend but sent her regards.
We all had something in common: Madrid. People came with old yearbooks, Amscol Lance
etc..... Gus took pictures and apparently we will be able to see them in the web.
My sister Zayda was unable to attend because of my mother's surgery. She stayed home. Mom
is doing OK, thank God.
We were very happy to see each other after so many years. After the Happy Hour, the 1969
class had dinner at a close-by cafe and we spoke until 11:00PM!!!!!!! We had a lot to
catch up. Bill sent me an email with his Mom's address in the Philippines. I will try to
send her a message today.
A estos ASMers, ya no hay quien los pare, aparece algun ex-alumno cada dia..... Todos
tenemos algo en comun, es increible, nuestros caminos se cruzaron en algun momento de
nuestras vidas en Madrid, y ahora despues de tantos aņos nos volvemos a encontrar. Es
bonito.
Joanne Hattrick McGrath has surfaced again:
Hi! I tried to connect to the chat [November 29, 1998] but was unable. Anyway just so you
know that I tried and that I thought it would have been fun to say hi. We will have to
continue with the email system.
The other day I was cleaning and arranging all our LPs and 45's. I
was blown away to find all my 45's from high school. They were in excellent condition
because they were in the original jackets. I found the Pic-Nic, Adamo (in French) the
Pasos, Los Mitos, Los Brincos, Pop-Tops, Juan y Junior, Matt Monro and a few others. I
found the Cowsills as well and immediately put it on the record player so my 18 year old
daughter could hear it. It was so much fun. Later I played it for my husband and we both
started to sing , " Flowers
in her hair, flowers everywhere. I love the flower girl ... " For Christmas, my kids
have asked for a CD copier so I'm going to see if we can make a musical representation and
send it along . We'll see about getting a better scanner so I can send along the photos as
well. The ones I had in the other computer are now lost because we had it reprogrammed so
we can connect two computers to the internet. So far I don't know if they have tried it
yet.
Time seems to be flying by so fast and the end of the year is here already. My
bother-in-law and family will be coming from Denver to stay in our house so should be a
very hectic time. Trying to get my house in order. It seems to be impossible because we
tend to accumulate so much junk around here. It has been good to see the response of the
world to help the victims of the hurricane. In one of the poorest sections of Panama the
hurricane also hit hard and did extensive damage. There has been a good response to help
those who have lost their homes and have no food or clothes. Water has been a necessity as
well. It has been amazing to realize the forces of nature how destructive they can be. We
human beings think that we are the masters of the universe when really we are helpless and
puny. It should make us reflect
on spiritual things rather than on material things. I always like the holiday season
because it is a time when we should reflect on our relationship with God and others. It is
a time to reflect on the year and see where we have failed to give love and where we can
improve for the next year. It has been fun renewing old times and remembering when.
Hopefully I can be more faithful in keeping up to date. I await hearing about the reunion.
We may pass through
Miami in February on the way to see the FSU campus where my daughter will be going in Aug
99 or Jan 2000. Not sure yet so we will see. We never plan too far ahead since we seem to
be spur of the moment kind of people when it comes to trips.
Another from 1969 has been found. Al Schlundt has now reappeared:
Thanks for the opportunity to tell my story to someone from my past who might actually
care. When you keep moving as I have you don't sink in any deep roots. ASM started my
rolling stone gathering no moss.
I've been a pilgrim. I have been bouncing around. I still am. Mostly I've been an
ecologist but I've also been a cowboy and an illustrator, an explorer and an international
developer, a teacher and a custom home builder, a husband (22 years) and a father (got
three boys), a public school teacher and a research/teaching/extension type college
professor, a JOAT, a scoutmaster (got a woodbadge in the works), a NASA space scientist
and remote sensor, a
writer and a web browser, a bit of a priest who can out-liberate the liberals and
out-conserve the conservatives, an optimistic skeptic.
Here's where I have lived since 1969:(numbers of years in parentheses): LaJolla, CA (1),
Riverside, CA (2), Davis, CA (1), Peace Corps: Nevis,W.I. (1). and Quito, Ecuador (1);
Albuquerque, NM (1), Gainesville, FL (2), Logan, UT (3), Lima, Peru (3), Brookings, SD
(5), Orlando, FL (5), Montgomery, AL (4).
I last saw someone from ASM in the 1970's in Denver (Jim Saunders-he was in contact with
others then) and California (Karen Tansey-she was "my girl" until 1971- I saw
her in Davis in 72 or 73). Obviously I am way out-of-touch!! I was very close with Libby
Stiff (she was also a student in Madrid then) until 1974 when I went to grad school at UF.
I met my future wife, Terri, in Gainesville in 1975. She and I were in grad school
together in the late 1970's at USU.. I became Dr. Schlundt in 1980 when I got a PhD in
Wild Land Use (Range) Management and we got married that same year after I checked out my
job with TTU in Lima.
It's been a rich life ever since. I've never pursued the "big bucks" but things
have been comfortable. Now I'm a biology professor at a small, quiet private university
deep in the heart of Dixie. The rest of the story makes this short bio too long.
Thank you Bill, Xamara, Joanne and Al for the contributions. It is really great hearing
from you! Joanne, if you do plan to pass through Miami, please give the rest of us some
advance notice. Sounds like an excuse for a mini-reunion to me!
Who is coordinating the 30th year reunion? Henry and Ricardo volunteered, but I haven't
heard anything more. 1999 is almost here. Gus has set up a web page for us to share
information on the 30th year reunion plans. I am listed as coordinator, but that needs to
be changed since I can not coordinate a Miami reunion from California. I do believe we
have agreed that Miami is the place. Do we have any suggested dates from the people living
outside of Miami? So far there are thirteen of us who have been "found".
If any of you plan to travel through California, please let me know. I can put together a
mini-reunion with very little notice. I have found nearly 40 ASMers residing in
California!
The domain name for the official ASM Site has changed to: http://www.asmerschmad.org
If you haven't seen the photos from the reunions, be sure to check them out on the reunion
pages at Gus's site: http://www.gutech.com/asm
The pages take awhile to load, but it is well worth the wait. As Carly Simon warbled,
"Anticipa-ay-tion is keeping we way-ay-ay-ay-aiting".
Gus Gonzalez '83 reports that for sometime now there has been two newsgroups set up on PlanetAll.COM for the American School of Madrid. He
invites you and others to join these groups (let others know !!!). Go to the main page of
the ASM "Unofficial" Pages http://www.gutech.com/asm
for more information.
I am still planning on creating a web page for the Class of 1969 (in my "spare"
time when I get "a round tuit"). What would YOU like to see on OUR page? Send me
your ideas and suggestions!
Quote of the month: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus ... He exists as certainly
as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your
life its highest beauty and joy ... Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that
there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children
nor men can see... Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and
unseeable in the world." (Francis P. Church, Editorial in The New York Sun).
I hope you all have a joyous holiday season and that the New Year brings you all the best
in the world. When you ring in the New Year, be sure to have a toast to the Class of '69
reuniting in '99.
See you next year!
Michelle (Fearey LaGue) Mock - ASM '69
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