Barkada Christmas Party: Remembering the 80's

(Photo courtesy of Joey Zab of sleepingonthebus.blogspot.com)

Barkada with husbands and kids

The Girls with the massacred lechon

My college barkada's Christmas party was held last December 23 in J and DV's posh condo unit in Makati. The party's theme: 80's. We had 80's songs playing all throughout the party as we reminisced our happy and carefree college years. We also played a DVD of Duran Duran's concert. That was fun!

Our potluck dinner consisted of Cebu lechon care of SC who celebrated her birthday in November, Conti's baked salmon from MS, glazed spare ribs from PZ, Conti's chicken empanada from MC, Seafood paella prepared by JV, Pancit Malabon from LB and Dencio's kare-kare from me. Desserts were the Banoffee Pie prepared by RW and Blueberry cheesecake by MR (whose family was not able to make it that night.)

RW, who is based in Hongkong was home and was able to join us. We however missed DL and DW who are both in the US.

Merry Christmas!

Let the spirit of love fill our hearts and homes.

In this Holiday Season, may you find many reasons for happiness.

Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!

Hubby's Barkada Christmas Party in Our Home

Australian Porterhouse Steak grilled on the Hob Top Grill

Last night, we spent a fun evening with E's barkada in our home (fast becoming the party place of choice). Last night's theme was "fine dining". We had garlic mushrooms and chips for appetizers, porterhouse steak grilled on our Hob Top Grill with E's special gravy, Fresh Vegetable Salad with cranberry vinaigrette dressing or cilantro dressing, mashed potatoes, and overflowing red wine. We had Polly's Chocolate Cake and Twiggy's yema for dessert.

Best thing about dinner? It was really cheap, cost around P250 per person. We bought the Australian porterhouse steak in Rustan's Rockwell and for the quality of the meat (fresh, tender, tasty) it was good value for money.

The party ended 2:30 AM. And we thought we were too old for til morning partying:-)

Happy 11th Anniversary, My Love!

Tomorrow, December 21, 2007, Hubby and I will be celebrating our 11th Anniversary. Can't believe it's been 11 years since our wedding, and a year since we last celebrated our anniversary.

Last year, on our 10th Anniversary, we went on a trip down memory lane by going to the Orchidarium where we had our wedding reception. There was a wedding there, and guess what, their wedding motif was burgundy! For those of you who attended our wedding 11 years ago, you would remember that burgundy was also our motif. That brought back a lot of good memories...

Last year, we also celebrated with family and our closest friends at Galileo Enoteca in Mandaluyong. It was a joyous celebration with our loved ones. Galileo was the perfect setting for an intimate yet festive celebration. It was a night filled with good food, wine and of course, the people we wanted to celebrate our love with.

This year, we had planned to again celebrate with our dear family and friends, but so far it's been hectic --- We'll try to set something up maybe on Sunday with our family, and some other day with our friends. Or maybe we can just bring something special to our annual barkada reunions ( we already have 3 scheduled until we leave for the US on the 30th).

Despite the lack of time in preparing for a celebration, this anniversary will surely be a memorable one. We are spending 3 weeks together travelling, something that we are both passionate about. We are also excited ( or is it apprehensive? :-) ) that we will be spending almost 24/7 for three weeks together.

To E, Thank you very much for the 11 wonderful years. You inspire me to be the best I can be, you understand me perfectly and you love me as I am. I'm everything I am, because you love me.

Let's Eat and Be Merry

There's something about the Christmas season that makes us want to celebrate with good company and good food. The past few days have been a whirlwind of dining out for me. There goes the diet (as if!!)

- I treated my staff to buffet lunch at Seven Corners (Crowne Plaza Hotel) to celebrate a great year for our group. It was also a welcome treat for a new staff, and a goodbye treat to one of my team leaders who will be retiring at the end of the year. They really had a great time and I feel proud that "sulit" whatever I paid for. There were fresh oysters, smoked salmon and salmon sashimi (my favorites), steak, lechon, several indian/malaysian and chinese dishes, prawns, and a lot more. Desserts were also plentiful,but I only remember the teppanyaki ice cream which continues to be my favorite dessert. By the way, if you are using Citibank credit cards, it is 1 free for every 4 diners (at least when we dined there).

-My lunchgroup had our Christmas lunch in Gloriamaris at the Podium. We had seafood with beancurd soup, BBQ cold cuts combination, crispy chicken with lemon sauce, fried spareribs with orange sauce, steamed pearl fish with soy sauce, braised birthday efu noodles, brocolli with seafoods in white sauce, hot prawn salad, fried sesame butchi and yangchow rice. It was good food, but even better company.

- We were treated to lunch in Senju, Edsa Shangri-La's Japanese restaurant. It was really good, but being kuripot as I am, I wouldn't pay for a meal there :-). We had the sushi and sashimi platters, ebi tempura, and the highlights of the meal: oyster, scallops and beef teppanyaki, which were cooked at our table.

I justify my eating by telling myself that I had to practice for a dance presentation at our Christmas party (think Rico Mambo and Macarena!), and climb 5 flights of stairs to get to my classes. Siguro naman, I'm able to burn some of it off:-)

Panic Time

I just realized that there are:

1. 6 days til the last working day before the Christmas break
2. 10 days til Christmas
3. 15 days til we leave for the US

and I swear I have not done ANY shopping. Time to get organized...

Give Love on Christmas Day

Our employees' charity fund's theme for this Christmas is giving to the abandoned elderly. We went to Anawim Lay Missions Foundation (www.anawim.com.ph) in Montalban, Rizal. Anawim is currently home to about 55 elders, some abandoned children, and some physically and mentally handicapped persons.

The moment I stepped out of the car, I felt the difference. The place was peaceful and beautiful at the same time. The center occupies a portion of the hills, and so the "homes" were perched on the hillside. There was a central gathering place which they used for programs and maybe some meals. We started the gift-giving activity with the residents who were able to join us in the gathering place. I was especially touched when several of the elders were crying when they received their gifts. I can't imagine the loneliness they must feel. And when they each thanked us by saying that "you will be blessed by the Lord", I couldn't help but be humbled. We gave very simple gifts, and it meant so much to them.

We were also able to visit those who were sick in their "homes", which were mostly made of nipa. Each cottage houses about three residents, and they have their own private rooms. Each cottage also has its own toilet. The quarters were simple, yet the elders were well provided for. I admired the way the homes were designed, it is as if they wanted to let the elders feel that they had their own home.

The Chapel was beautiful. It was at the highest level of the center overlooking the "homes". I couldn't help but spend a few moments there in prayer.

We also met the Center "mother" Ms. Neneng Mangahas (who is 76 years old herself) and the volunteers who run the center. They are amazing people, and they truly make the world a better place to live in.

The Week That Was

Highlights of my week are:

1. Cramming lessons in school. Last day for classes is tomorrow, December 10. Finals for my classes will be held on December 17 and 19. Time really flies, classes are about to end, and I haven't done any Christmas shopping!

2. Attended two more inaugurations of schools my Company built-- one in Bagong Silang, Caloocan and another one in Malabon. Met Mayor TobyTiangco. Not only is he good-looking, he is also very warm and humble. I was impressed.

3. Made a major presentation to the Management Committee. Thank God everything went smoothly.

4. My office gave a "despedida" to one of our colleagues who is retiring at the end of the year after 32 years of service! It was a sad occasion, and also a happy one. He deserves to enjoy the fruits of his labor, and we are happy for him. My staff prepared a touching slide presentation of his 32 year stay with the Company and I had to make a speech! Major stress:-) I felt really sad because he helped me a lot. He was with the Division way before me ( I became Head in 2003) and he was one who gave me all the information I needed to run the Division well. I owe him a lot.

5. A very hectic weekend:
a. Visit to my parents on Saturday lunch.
b. Birthday party of E's cousin on Saturday evening.
c. Attended the blessing of the new home of BT, E's friend, at Montgomery Place on Sunday noon. Wow, it was an amazing new home, something like those in the pages of home magazines ,complete with all the latest gadgets. And the community itself is impressive, being an Ayala development. Two clubhouses, well-maintained facilities, wide streets and tight security.
d. Attended the birthday celebration of MR, E's brother-in-law at Taste Asia (yup, it's becoming to be our favorite gathering place). The family had Savory chicken, pancit, lomi soup, tempura, sinigang, clams with tausi and ginataang kuhol. Dessert was bibingka and puto bumbong (sp?). Everything for less than P200 per person. We stayed until 4:30PM. The kids enjoyed the amusement center and we adults enjoyed chatting while a choir sang Christmas carols.
e. MC Depot to finally decide on our bathroom renovation. I was actually surprised at how much we were going to spend. Not really daunting, and we are really very excited. I've been dreaming about that "rain showerhead" for so long:-) We're tentatively set on a blue themed bathroom downstairs, and an earth colored one upstairs.
f. Dinner date at Cyma, a Greek restaurant in Shangri-la Mall, with E. We had the Hummus appetizer, Roka Salata salad and Chicken kebab.

Next week will even be busier. Stay tuned.

Day with My Family

After E and I spoke so well of Taste Asia, my family insists that we take them there. So now, it's my family's turn to experience Taste Asia. Note that E and I just dined with E's family the day before. It was still good anyway... this time we had Sinigang na Salmon and Baked Oysters aside from the Tempura(please be reminded that this is the first time my family had this). I still love the place, especially knowing that we spent only around P1,000 for 6 persons including drinks that we bought in the grocery. Taste Asia has glasses and ice available, making it possible to just buy drinks from the grocery.

Aside from Taste Asia, my family also wanted to try Mom and Tina's after reading about the place twice in this blog, and so we went there for dessert and coffee. We had the Toblerone Walnut Torte, Strawberry Walnut Torte, Sugar-free Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Cupcake and coffee. It was a good place for my family to enjoy each other's company, the ambiance was very calming (very quiet especially compared to SM Hypermart), the couches were so comfortable, and the service excellent.

Updated Pictures of My Niece Baby S

With her Tita T, at T's home

With her Mom S, after eating Tito E's spaghetti

In the dress I bought for her

Day with Hubby's Family

Dinner at Taste Asia, SM Hypermart

Dessert of Chocolate Fondue, Lunch at our home

We spent the day with Hubby's family. They all came to our home for lunch. We prepared grilled hamburgers and sausages using our new Hob Top Grill and Griddle. It was very convenient to use, we just put the griddle on top of the gas stove. Hubby prepared a very tasty gravy to go with burgers and sausages. The kids found the gravy so good that they put this on the rice as well. But the highlight of the meal is the dessert, Chocolate Fondue where we used our Bodum Fondue set. We melted dark belgian chocolate in the fondue and dipped marshmallows and bananas in it. Yummy!

For dinner, we decided to go to Taste Asia (again!) for the rest of the family to experience dining there. Of course we had to have the tempura for the kids (and the adults as well). We also had the chicken and pancit from Savory and the Popia Fresh Chinese Lumpia. Nope, will never get tired of these!

Can We Recover From This?

It was a sad day for Filipinos last November 29. After the economic recovery that we have been experiencing this year, this has to happen. Of course you know that I'm talking about Sen. Trillanes' coup attempt. Granting that there is dissatisfaction and doubt in the way the Philippines is run, I still believe that there are better venues to express dissatisfaction. I would have thought that now that he is in power (being a senator and all) he would have found a way to make a difference for us.

I choose not to be a political person, but I feel sad for us. I am reminded of several conversations I've had with investors and investment analysts on whether the Philippines is worthy of foreign investment. What do you think now?