Cheers to Messrs. Graves and Cutler

Coming home late on a Wednesday evening, and my hands were full from my online reads, mainly of general interest, mostly links from my newly resurrected Facebook account, one read leading to another.  I'm a reading junkie, and you'd lose me easily on this one.

Must say, too that I am beginning to adjust (and like) reading from my tab.  MyJoshueBae has been pushing me to try e-books, free, lightweight and convenient,  but I insisted to do some old-fashion reading as I get a little physically attached with my books.  Currently my love affair with my tab is good practice for me.

CNN International Edition is one of my many favorite sites online.   So I was on this page, http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/07/us/basketball-coach-dies-plane-crash/, another plane crash, and 7 more lives lost, all in their prime and in the apex height of their career.  I went to one of the side tabs that says "People we've Lost in 2015".  I sighed, it's only April.

Mr. Michael Graves, one of most revered contemporary architects of this generation, was one of  the premier speakers during the Asia Pacific International Trade Fair (ASPAT)* organized by CITEM in September 1996, Manila, Philippines.  Under the leadership of the late, Araceli Maria Pinto-Mansor, CITEM Executive Director, the Philippines hosted ASPAT as a pre-event for the Asia Pacific Economic Forum.

An online archive of an article written about ASPAT '96 in The Manila Standard.

Here in this article, the names of Messrs Michael Graves  listed as multi-awarded architect. and Philip Cutler, noted American furniture consultant.

I was 38 when I retired from government service.   Then it dawned on me, it's been 7 years since I left CITEM.  And may be a good 20 years or more since I got starstruck by the likes of Michael Graves, Faith Popcorn, Paola Navone, Melissa La'o, Lor and Ed Calma, Larry Alcala, Claude Tayag, Ramon Orlina, Presidents and Royalties etc etc,  and suddenly I pictured my young corporate self. fresh from the small city of Olongapo,  walking the Halls of the ITC Complex  fascinated about that small framed nice old American fellow and his favorite bow ties who always walked past everyone in really fast strides, Philip Cutler.

     Learning about Mr, Graves recent passing, got me curious about well Mr. Cutler in particular since I was in my early 20s then, and he must be somewhere between his late 50s and early 60s.  Mr. Cutler, loved and respected by his peers, friends and family.

Good old CITEM memories. I breathed life in the company of artists, technocrats, industrialists and government professionals.  My fertile training ground for my creativity, wit and stubborn tenacity :-) 

Nobody would notice but I want a quiet place for these memories, though brief and strictly professional, the likes of Michael Graves and Philip Cutler, and the many others I have come to admire in many different ways, came to my country and unselfishly shared their respective geniuses with us, and worked with CITEM, and yes, dined and wined with us, partied hard with us even :-).

With all my respect, thank you for the memories.

*This writer was privileged to be part of CITEM's Project Management Team which put together that once in a lifetime gathering of the world's big shots in the field of arts and design.  Thirty countries participated in ASPAT '96.  It was such an awe.  

Trivia:  JBG, my boss then and myself, were on our 6th month of pregnancy.   And I was a clueless bride arrgghhh

Havey, his son, and Sophie, my daughter are now 18 years old.