Then... and Now

As I mentioned below, I finally got to see my family's old Clark Air Base military housing last week after 21 years.

Of course, a lot has changed since the Schneiders left Clark and the Philippines in 1983. For starters, Clark doesn't exist anymore. My elementary school is now a casino. And a simultaneous volcano (Mt. Pinatubo) eruption and typhoon in 1991 destroyed or severely damaged what was once a beautiful base.

But while most former Clark homes sit vacant and empty-- with the jungle slowly reclaiming the land -- our old housing area has been turned into a resort. My family's old house -- actually, part of a 4-plex; military housing, like townhomes, are frequently connected -- has been majorly renovated (a necessity, I'm sure, after the volcano/typhoon wollup) and is now a rental home. And the address sure isn't 930A Masbate anymore.

To try to show some contrast, I took out an old home video from 1982 and snapped some shots of what my house once looked like. (Granted, the images are terribly grainy, but you'll be able to make it out). And I've posted them next to similar shots I took last week when we were there.

So here are some shots...

Front of the house, left side: 1982 and Today

Front of the house and carport: 1982 and Today (We got the left carport, 930B Masbate got the right one.)

Back of the house: 1982 and Today

Masbate Street, looking left: 1982 and Today

Thanks again to Gege, Tuks and Raymund for driving us up there and letting me indulge in a little nostalgia trip. If you want to learn more about the old Clark Air Base, there's a great website set up at Clarkab.org.