Family Traditions | remembrance of things awry

“Tirar la casa por la ventana”: The Filipino hosts and their entertaining

February 4, 2015 at 7:09 am (1800s Filipinas, 1900s Philippines, 2000s Philippines, Design and Decoration, Domestic Travels, Family Traditions, Manila Houses, Pampanga Traditions, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Ilonggos, The Manilenos, The Negrenses, The Pampanguenos, The Past)

by Augusto M R Gonzalez III (Toto Gonzalez)

It would be his birthday and he had asked his 30 closest friends to come for “a little dinner.” Because his parties are always such wonderful occasions, no one declined. Since his place is outside the metro, he asked us to be there by 5.30pm.

Marivic and I decided to have a convoy, although I rode with her so we could chat during the long ride. It was a Sunday afternoon, and traffic was mercifully light. We left Makati at 2.30pm. We arrived at 4.00pm, without really knowing that our invitation was for 5.30pm. His numerous staff carried our things into the house. We were assigned the big guest bedroom. Marivic had brought her personal assistant Mary Jane to help her dress. Our host was in his palazzo-style bathroom, he had just finished bathing and was getting dressed assisted by his valets.

Curious about the dinner party preparations, Marivic and I wandered around the vast “little house” and into the hotel-style kitchen where there was a flurry of activity. The numberless, uniformed staff was busy and all over the place. We met the new head chef of the family, a 40ish Filipino-American who had taken his culinary studies at Cornell, and had actually worked at Thomas Keller’s “The French Laundry” at Yountville, at Alice Waters’ “Chez Panisse” in Berkeley, and other top restaurants. He was very friendly and although very busy, he took the time to explain the dinner menu to us as well as offered samples of the exquisite hors d’ oeuvres that would be served during cocktails. Marivic and I happily accepted our de facto merienda and nibbled away at the savories.

It was already a big kitchen by contemporary standards (indeed a commodious house unto itself), and it could hold long tables where the chefs could prepare dozens of plated dishes for multicourse dinners. One side was entirely covered by antique cabinets filled with wonderful antique glassware and chinaware. But I was surprised at the fact that it was still insufficient space for a sitdown dinner for 36 pax, service ala Russe. Hence, the preparation area for the dinner with table after table extended to the back hallways and the service areas of the big “little house.” I even accidentally bumped lightly into a table with several exquisite, antique crystal decanters which were to be used for the wines that evening; good thing nothing was damaged.

The countless staff rushed to and fro. Easily 200 of them.

I completely understood and enjoyed the complicated dinner party preparations (as long as I am not the one giving/hosting the fabulous dinner), and so did my good friend, who must have witnessed, hosted, and experienced much more as a heiress, a member of one of the country’s richest and most hallowed families.

“You can’t entertain like this without staff, more staff, and lots of staff!!!” I commented.

“That’s true.”

We wandered into the dark and cool dining room, with its long mahogany table elaborately set for 36 pax. 36 place settings on a proper linen damask tablecloth with linen damask napkins, silver chargers, multiple silver flatware, and multiple crystal stemware. The center of the table was occupied by big porcelain decorations adorned with fresh blooms, various French porcelain vases bearing fresh roses, and interesting carved candles. Three crystal chandeliers lit the long room discreetly. The dinner would be a French degustation, service ala Russe. Naughtily and merrily, and rather improperly, we looked for our places at the table and looked at the place cards of who else would be there. “Opap,” “Johnny,” “Manny,” “Arnie,” “Helen,” “Cora,” “Patis,” “Tito,” “Gop,” “Snooky,” “Tonying,” “Ingrid,” “Raul,” “Reynaldo,” et al. What fun!!!

We enjoyed watching the elaborate “backstage” dinner preparations as it reminded both of us of how our families entertained back in those days… It was “deja vu”…

I imagined that it was quite like a “Le Grand Couvert” of Louis XIV at Versailles… or a dinner at Baron James de Rothschild at his rue Lafite townhouse in Paris… or a dinner at the van der Luydens’ for the Duke of Saint Austrey in Edith Wharton’s novel “Age of Innocence”… It was a production on the scale of Cecil de Mille or Sergei Bondarchuk…

“No one does it like this anymore…” Marivic said.

“Tita Chito… Tito Luis!!! Even Mommy. Even when we were in the US. But when we returned… she had tired of entertaining like this.” she continued. (Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal-Vazquez-Collantes, Arch Luis Maria Zaragoza Araneta, Maria Luisa “Ising” Madrigal-Vazquez.)

I recalled: “We don’t do it like this anymore. But I enjoyed it for some 35 years. We did during the lifetime of my Lola Charing and then during Bro Andrew’s heyday. He passed away in early 2006, and even then no longer during his last years…

“But I’m sure you and your M cousins still do it this way…” I conjectured.

“Not really. Oh, there’s always a lot of good food. Tables set with good plates, glasses, silver. Buffet.” Marivic related.

“It’s 2015. I wonder if anybody has the time to plan, execute, and host these affairs…” I mused.

“One can have these elegant dinners catered. But the true luxury is in having everything in your own house (or houses, as the case may be): great food and wine, a large and efficient household staff, many sets of French and English china, crystal, and silver. Beautiful linens. Suitable after-dinner entertainment. Old master, modern, and contemporary paintings, antique and contemporary furniture, Eastern and European rugs, flowers from the garden. The works…” I thought aloud.

*unfinished*

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The Culmination

August 5, 2013 at 1:34 am (2000s Philippines, Comedy Relief, Current Events, Family Traditions, Humor, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Laguna Tagalogs, The Manilenos, The Tayabenses / Quezonians)

by Augusto M R Gonzalez III (Toto Gonzalez)

Of course, it will never happen again (not in that way, at least), but oh, the memories… the memories!!!

As dozens and dozens of us jocose, loquacious, costumed (not to mention bejeweled) guests were walking from the cafe pavilion towards the big pavilion in the moonlight, by the river, lit by torches, I told myself: “This is one of the magical evenings of your life, Toto, savor it for all its worth…” And indeed, it was magical: under the moonlight and the fiery torches, one could still see the sea of shimmering silks of brilliant colors, embroidery, appliquees, sequins, and the glittering gems, both genuine and faux, of this happy and privileged troupe come to honor their good friend and to enjoy the lavish feast of the senses he had laid out for them.

There was something in the air that evening: some kind of indefinable happiness, joy, and insouciance which permeated everyone and everything. Yes, the insouciance was infectious. We were all carefree that evening, free from all problems and inhibitions, merriment was the order of the night. For that one moonlit evening, Ado’s “1,000 most intimate friends” were not their usual selves: NOT taipans, taitais, dons, donas, big businessmen, big businesswomen, real estate developers, shipping titans, logistics moguls, ambassadors, diplomats, senators, congressmen, mayors, technocrats, bankers, financiers, architects, jewellers, interior designers, fashion designers, antique dealers, chefs, photographers, writers, gourmets, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, etc.. All were just well-wishing party guests out for a great time. We were laughing at ourselves, amazed at how we managed to dress in those splendid, even outlandish costumes. The ladies mock-blamed Ado: “My goodness! Only Ado can get us to do these crazy things!” while adjusting their headdresses, checking their jewelry — earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, & anklets, and inspecting their shoes. The gentlemen preened like peacocks, pleased with their handsome appearances and opulent garb, and chuckled among themselves.

Oh yes, in Manila, there are parties and there are parties. But even heedless Php millions spent, a top hotel ballroom in its entirety, Php 10,000/pax dinners, endless French grand cru wines and champagne, top live bands, an AAA guest list clad in Brioni and Chanel with suitably well-dressed yayas carrying their “it bags,” shod in G.J. Cleverley & Blahniks, and arriving in the latest Benzes & Bimmers, top party planners, Crane invitations, gold and diamond jewelry and Cristal Baccarat giveaways, do not necessarily a great/fantastic party make. I have observed that firsthand. In fact, I’ve witnessed, shellshocked, several such parties fall flat for some really unusual and weird reasons. But Ado Escudero’s 80th bash, for all its amusing, charming, and bewildering hiccups, had that all-too-elusive MAGICAL SPARK which will forever distinguish it as one of the greatest fetes every held in the Philippines.

And it was not an entirely A-List party, not at all. Ado himself was very clear about that from the start and was the first to declare it candidly. He knew it would not sit well with the several society/sassiety rags covering his bash — the usual spiel “Who are all these people???!!!” — but he didn’t care. He wanted his many, many friends, a thousand of them to be specific, at his 80th milestone celebration, regardless of economic and social stature, indeed all sublevels of class A, B, & C were present, although of course there were many of Ado’s truly affluent peers present. Truly, he is au courante: politically correct and in tune with the times. It is also why his party, despite the seeming opulence and lavishness of it all, has not merited the usual media brickbats of conspicuous consumption and social insensitivity from socialist/leftist critics and commentators. Bal populaire it certainly was not, but yes, Juan & Juana de la Cruz, a great many of them, were present at their Ka Ado Escudero’s grand 80th celebration, and they enjoyed it to the same degree — got all dressed up, ate a lot, danced merrily, and had a whale of a time — like everybody else.

I belonged to the Morocco contingent of heiress Maria Victoria “Marivic” Madrigal Vazquez (a granddaughter of Vicente Madrigal, one of the Philippines’ richest men of all time), so I had to line up with them. Her merry troupe included socialite Patty Johnson-Jalbuena, Lipa City Colleges owner and VP Glecy Mojares, Hermes & Bulgari Manila exec Nympha Javier-Valencia, senior journalist Ethel Soliven-Timbol, designer Raul Luancing, and several others. My dear friend, top costume designer Eric Pineda, dressed fantastically as Jadis, the Ice Witch from Narnia, complete with LED lights, joined the troupe. I was dressed by Eric Pineda and bejeweled by top couture jewelry designer Gerry Sunga, another dear friend, as “Suleiman the Magnificent,” Emperor of the Ottoman empire (Turkish actually, but then everybody was a delightful mishmash anyway). It was a splendid costume which drew rave reviews from practically everyone present. Before the Morocco contingent was the Bali one with heritage advocate Cora Relova and thespian Tony Marino; after Morocco was the Hawaii contingent with leading publisher Gus Vibal and his friends.

“Yaya! Where’s my mirror?”

“You look faaabulous, darling!”

“I’m hungry… I’ll eat anything… Anything!”

“You eat one bite and your costume will pop open!”

“Ferdie (driver), go to the car and get my hopia!”

“Ha ha ha! While you were having your make-up done earlier, Bobby & I went back here and had cocktails. We’re OK!”

“You know, I already gained weight since I had my costume made! The waist is tight! Argh!”

“What do you expect? You keep on eating out!”

“I couldn’t decide on what sari to wear… and what jewelry to wear… pink diamonds with the blue sari, or blue sapphires with the pink sari? yellow diamonds with the green, or emeralds with the red? Or rubies? I feel underdressed… You all look so fantastic!”

“I don’t know about you but I’m wearing all fake! I don’t care if anything falls while I’m drunk!”

“Mrs. Marcos is here!”

“Is Eden Volante with her?”

“Ay! My heels!”

“I told you to wear your wedgies, but you wouldn’t listen.”

“Oh dear, my make-up’s already running… help me to retouch!”

“Mygawd! You have the whole Rustan’s beauty section in your bag!”

“Oh no, this bag goes after the retouch, I don’t want to have to lug it around. Yaya! Carry this bag after I finish, OK? And be careful!”

“Hi Gorgeous Guy! How about dancing with me tonight?”

“How about something more than just dancing tonight, Gorgeous Girl?!”

“What about me, Gorgeous Guy??? I’m Gorgeous Gay!!!”

“Well, OK, you too…”

LOLOLOL

We all stood on the wooden bridge leading to the big pavilion awaiting our turn to be presented when fireworks announced the forthcoming arrival from upstream of Ado in his 2-storey pagoda escorted by other boats with pyrotechnics and performers. It was a sight to be remembered by his guests for all time…

*******************************************

It was Conrado “Ado” Escudero’s 80th birthday and he finally held his long-promised, and equally long-awaited Oriental ball, “The Carnival of the Four Continents.” It was a celebration he had anticipated since he was 70, 10 years ago…

It was the culmination, the highest point of Ado Escudero’s very giving and very social life. But certainly not the end.

Far from it.

*unfinished*

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Memory tidbit: “Tutubi”

April 28, 2013 at 5:22 pm (Family Traditions, Gonzalez de Sulipan, Manila Houses, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Manilenos, The Pampanguenos)

Where did all the beautiful “tutubi” dragonflies go??? We used to have many of them in the garden before…

7 Comments

Memory tidbit: Childhood games

April 27, 2013 at 2:48 pm (Comedy Relief, Family Traditions, Gonzalez de Sulipan, Humor, Manila Houses, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Manilenos, The Pampanguenos)

by Augusto M R Gonzalez III (Toto Gonzalez)

We didn’t have all these techie gadgets which keep the children indoors the whole day these days. At best, we had the standard board and card games from the USA like Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Snakes & Ladders, Old Maid, etc.. We even had a Ouija board and enjoyed it immensely until my eldest brother said it was The Bad Guy making the glass move!!! We played Toilet on Lola Charing’s exquisite English Regency-style “klismos” chairs by Sr JAO with the removable cushions (now museum pieces; the Catalan Sr O made beautiful furniture for Manila’s richies; he was married to one of the city’s richest ladies), pretending to poopoo with the corresponding noises during lunch and dinner parties, to the dismay and embarrassment of our parents. We pretended to be gymnasts at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, aping Roumanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci who scored continuous perfect 10.0s and ruining 3 bed cushions in the process. But even those were not enough to keep us pesky children inside the house the whole day. We had the gardens, the streets, and the parks to play in, as well as the jaunts to the country clubs and the hotels. We played War, throwing fallen fruits like santol, caimito, rambutan, kamias, & duhat as cannonballs across windows and fences. We played Rape (talk about childhood violence!?) wherein I the Rapist would pull down the dress zippers at the backs of the obliging, giggling girls, “single size” for half of the zipper length and “family size” for the full zipper length (just to show how much, or how little, parental or even “yaya” supervision we had in our preteens…). And we didn’t even know what real rape was! Bwahahah! We played 1973 Miss Universe, aping Margie Moran, Gloria Diaz, and Amparo Munoz, using paper cutout crowns. Presumably like all children, we played all throughout those summers…

During my childhood days, being techie was all in the mind. Being able to operate the Bose stereo system, the Sony Betamax video player/recorder, and the Sony Walkman was enough to impress the adults and to qualify as a techie.

*unfinished*

6 Comments

Memory tidbit: Garden flowers

April 27, 2013 at 12:42 pm (1900s Philippines, Arnedo de Sulipan, Family Traditions, Gonzalez de Sulipan, Pampanga Traditions, Personal, Random memories, Religious Traditions, The Global Crowd, The Manilenos, The Pampanguenos, The Past)

The searing heat of summer also brings back memories of childhood gardens, specially Lola Charing’s garden. The garden of “Dona Charing” (Rosario Espiritu Arnedo-Gonzalez) was famous in the 40s, 50s, 60s, & 70s for its big American roses, in a city where even small roses did not thrive naturally. During its heyday, a group of hardy gardeners kept that Eden in bloom rather expensively. And we grandchildren had the run of the place, specially during the summers of the 60s & 70s.

*unfinished*

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Memory tidbit: Immaculate Sorbet

April 25, 2013 at 5:41 pm (1800s Filipinas, 1900s Philippines, 2000s Philippines, Arnedo de Sulipan, Brother Andrew F.S.C. of De La Salle, Comedy Relief, Family Traditions, Gonzalez de Sulipan, Humor, Pampanga Cuisine, Pampanga Traditions, Past Events, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Manilenos, The Pampanguenos, The Past)

Perhaps because of the searing heat these days, I remembered the traditional “Buco Lechias” sherbet which was made in a wood-and-steel “garapinera” churn with lots of rock salt outside (to keep cold?). As far as I knew, it was made in every good Capampangan household. In Lola Charing’s home, it was made by the mayordomo, Benito Nuqui or “Bito” for short. “Bito” was modernized to “Bits” in the hip 60s. LOL.

I was a preteen in the late 70s (born 1967). Lola Charing had passed on in mid-1977 and my uncle Brother Andrew FSC of De La Salle University became the principal figure in the family. Brother Andrew had the most luxurious and demanding gustatory tastes. In one of those phases, he became obsessed with producing an excellent “Buco Lechias” sherbet. He insisted that the “Buco Lechias” sherbet of his childhood (late 40s) at Lola Titay’s (the Arnedo ancestral house in Sulipan, Apalit, Pampanga) had the WHITEST lychee fruit flesh, not the pale pink ones in the cans currently available. Of course, the flesh of the lychees in the “Buco Lechias” sherbet at the Arnedo house was white, because Lola Titay and her younger sister Lola Ines used only fresh lychees bought all the way in Binondo. So he sent Bito to Binondo/Chinatown to look for the whitest lychee fruit flesh. Well, what did he expect? It was the Marcos years and there were tight import controls. No whitest lychees. Just cans and cans of lychees with pinkish fruit flesh. Bito returned with the palest pink lychee fruit flesh. No can do. Bito was scolded. Bito was sent back to Binondo/Chinatown and — nobody knew how he did it — but he returned with the whitest lychee fruit flesh!!! Brother Andrew finally had his excellent “Buco Lechias” sherbet with the whitest lychee fruit flesh. Brother Andrew was satisfied, at least for that Sunday.

I remembered that at Lola Charing’s house sherbet and ice cream were served on etched crystal stems on porcelain saucers for everyday. During beautiful lunches and dinners, sherbets and ice cream appeared on chic, Art Deco Christofle footed bowls on Brussels lace doilies on matching Christofle saucers. Of course, I know all about the metallic taste that silver imparts to food, but I’ll use beautiful silver anytime.

The sherbet/ice cream phase did not end there. Brother Andrew wanted a “Calamansi” sherbet. He wanted it tart and dry, something like lime mixed with champagne brut. Not sweet at all (Brother Andrew intensely disliked sweetish food that was not meant to be sweet, like spaghetti). Odd, but “Calamansi” tended to sweeten slightly in sherbet form. No can do. It took Bito several tries to produce that tart and dry “Calamansi” sherbet, but he did, even if he couldn’t tell the difference. Brother Andrew was satisfied, at least for that Sunday.

Now in 2013, I wonder why it didn’t occur to Brother Andrew to have a “Dayap” sherbet, when in fact fragrant “dayap” lime (“dalayap” in Capampangan) was used extensively — on practically everything — in our Capampangan/Sulipan cooking?

The best version of “Buco Lechias” sherbet that I’ve had in recent years — exquisitely and expertly tinged with “dayap” lime rind with a hint of French cordial — was served at dinner by my dear friend Albert Salgado Paloma, who is an equal (perhaps even a superior) to Brother Andrew’s luxurious and demanding gustatory tastes. Worldly and elegant Albert thinks nothing of marinating Italian veal shanks in a very expensive French grand cru for his “Ossobuco” and of marinating goat meat in a very expensive French X.O. cognac for his “Caldereta de Cabrito.” For Albert, luxurious excess is the only culinary way to go. Truly Capampangan.

Back to Brother Andrew, the sherbet/ice cream phase did not end there. He wanted the “Mantecado” ice cream of his childhood at Lola Titay’s (the Arnedo ancestral house in Sulipan, Apalit, Pampanga). Mind you, it was not the commercial, vanilla-flavored “Mantecado” ice cream you can buy at the megasupermarkets now. Brother Andrew’s inherited idea of “Mantecado” ice cream was of thick carabao’s milk, full of egg yolks, and “dayap” lime rind shavings. It was golden yellow with sprinklings of grass green. It looked so chic! If Hermes and Chanel made ice cream, that would definitely be it. So Bito produced our family’s version of “Mantecado” ice cream with “dayap” lime from Lola Charing’s rose garden. It was ambrosial. I would have finished off a gallon if I were permitted to do so.

Comedy relief: Remembering Brother Andrew’s predilection for “Buco Lechias” sherbet, I am reminded of the time when, already severely diabetic with counts from 300-500 in the early 1990s, Brother Andrew requested his dear first cousin Dr Erlinda “Linda” Arnedo Sazon-Badenhop to make him some sugar-free “Buco Lechias” sherbet, which she claimed she could. Two or three Sunday lunches later, she arrived with the desired “sugar-free” “Buco Lechias” sherbet which she made herself. Expectedly, given the Arnedo tastebuds that she had, it was delicious and Brother Andrew was in rapture. “Are you sure this is sugar-free??? It’s so sweet and so good!!! It’s delicious!!!” Brother Andrew rhapsodized as he rapidly consumed 5 scoops of the concoction. “Yes, Brother! No sugar, definitely no sugar!” she claimed most assuredly, with her characteristic deadpan. Later, when Brother Andrew had retired upstairs (doubtless dizzy from the sugar rush LOL), we asked: “Wow, Tita Linda! Your “Buco Lechias” sherbet was so good! And it’s sugar-free! What’s your secret??!!” “Easy!” she replied, “I poured all the syrup of the cans into the sherbet!” “HUH???!!!” Aghast, we cried out: “But Tita Linda! That’s all sugar!!! The syrup IS sugar!!!” She insisted firmly but comically with a naughty smile: “No, no, no! That’s only syrup, NOT sugar! Besides, how will it taste good without any of the lychee syrup???!!!” TOUCHE. LOLOLOL ROTF LMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!

So this is what this warm, warm spell does to me. It makes me think of sherbet and ice cream from the past. From the distant past.

These days, I am delightfully condemned to the highly unusual, positively weird, molecular gastronomy, New Age ice cream concoctions of my brother Gene and nephew Gino. But it’s a nice problem to have. LOL.

13 Comments

Comedy relief: Instagone!

November 23, 2012 at 9:40 am (2000s Philippines, Angst, Comedy Relief, Current Events, Design and Decoration, Family Traditions, Humor, Manila Houses, The Global Crowd, The Laguna Tagalogs, The Tayabenses / Quezonians)

Because her US-based nephew was in town for 2 weeks for his niece’s beach wedding in Boracay island, Parsimonious Auntie had invited her nephews and nieces for lunch ( siomai (( from “Forbes” notwithstanding )), what else???!!! ) at her Grey Gardens-style home in gated Makati ( remember the movie “Grey Gardens” from 2009 starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange? ). One could hardly move with the palimpsest of possessions, of great worth and the worthless, since PA at her advanced age could no longer make distinctions ( not that she ever did ). There were beautiful paintings ( Fernando Amorsolo magsasakas & lavanderas, Anita Magsaysay-Ho tinderas & chismosas, Romeo Enriquez portraits of the family trolls ), furniture ( enough original Batangas mesas altar to make the top collectors swoon ), and objects ( silver “paliteras” toothpick holders and “buyeras” betel nut & cigar trays from several roots of the tree, Ch’ing dynasty rose, vert, & jaune vases, etc. ), juxtaposed with PA’s latest finds from the 168 mall in Divisoria, “Wellmanson”s” & “Sophie’s” in Quiapo, & the Greenhills “Tiangge,” but they were all coated with what seemed like a year of dust, despite the presence of several household help, who had once complained to their mistress that she had too many things for them to clean, to which she replied matter-of-factly: “Mayaman ako. Kaya marami akong gamit. Wala tayong magagawa tungkol do’n.” ( “I’m rich. That’s why I have so many things. There’s nothing we can do about that.” )

The house looked frozen in time… A beautiful niece, married to a superrich Asian businessman, was fascinated with already-“antique” perfume bottles ( perfume, not EDT eau de toilette ) in a vitrine in Parsimonious Auntie’s master bedroom, the lot of them from the 1950s, mostly from PA’s mother-in-law, Lola Bruja Mahjongera. What fascinated her the most were 2 bottles, 1 big and 1 small, sporting capes and headdresses. She had seen them in that cabinet since she was a small girl in the late 1950s.

The nephews and nieces ( all adults, very well-off, with their own families ) snickered among themselves when they came upon their aunt’s big framed family photo from the late 1970s by a society photographer hanging in the stairwell. Something was different in the family pic…

Parsimonious Auntie had roundly cut out her former daughter-in-law’s face and replaced it with the one of the new daughter-in-law, whose photo however, was of a different proportion ( not to mention a different era ) to the former daughter-in-law’s body, making her look like an alien… It looked “beyond ridiculous.”

Observations between the cousins were exchanged in hushed tones…

“Cutting ***** off and putting ***** like that… so funny!” observed a senior nephew.

“Why didn’t she have that done professionally? It looks awful!” asked a kind niece.

“Ssshhh… She’s proud that she did it herself! DIY!” an acerb niece warned.

“Hah??? She did it herself???!!!” they all asked, incredulous.

“Do you honestly think she’ll pay for Adobe Photoshop services by a pro???!!!” the acerb niece retorted. They all kept quiet.

A witty techie nephew pointed at the family photo and quipped the best line: “BUT HEY… THAT’S THE ORIGINAL ‘CUT & PASTE’ !!!”

( “Best Face” by Android??? )

Bwahahahahah!!! 😀 😀 😀

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The new way to go

May 23, 2012 at 9:55 am (2000s Philippines, Angst, Comedy Relief, Family Traditions, Humor, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Manilenos, The Pangasinenses, Tristesse)

“The moment I wake up, before I put on my make-up, I say a little prayer for you… oh yes I do… ”

************************************

Bye-bye dearest, dearest, dearest Ditas!!!

It was a passing like no other…

Ditas’ friends through the years [ as were her siblings’ ] were all there: Elvira Araneta, Joe Assad, Bien Benitez, Bonjin Bolinao, Boom Buencamino, Louie Cruz, Didit & Aurora Diaz, Ricky Gallaga, Lory & Eddie Guidotti, Chiqui Mabanta, Tony Martino, Raymond Rebueno, and many, many more…

Famous violinist Coke Bolipata serenaded her one evening.

************************************

06 May 2012, Sunday, 4:30 p.m..

I was doing some work in the study when my dear, dear, dear friend Ditas Gomez uncharacteristically called at 4:30 p.m…. uncharacteristic because she wasn’t usually up before sundown… After all, we usually chatted from 1:00 – 4:00 a.m….

“Hey, come and visit me ‘cuz I have to tell you something, something important…” Ditas requested, casually.

“You can tell me now!”

“Hmm… it’s best said in friggin’ movin’ livin’ color… really… ” she insisted.

“What? C’mon, tell me now, Ditas!”

“I have cancer.” she said plainly.

“Oh. Cancer of the what? Cancer of the bad hair day? Cancer of the joints? Cancer of the CDs? Cancer of the cats?” I asked, pretending to be casual about it.

“Cancer of the liver. It came from the Hepa – C virus. Y’ know: sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll in those days [ the late 1960s ]… I have three months to go…” she stated plainly. Stoically.

“Oh God, Ditas. I hope you’re not in pain…” I inquired, genuinely concerned, and shocked to the core.

“Not really. Sometimes.”

“Well, there was this one time I came from the bathroom and I fell before I could reach my bed! Hahahah! And I couldn’t get up. Wow… That’s what I call getting old! I was facedown for about an hour… Wow… Hahahah! Finally my bones rearranged themselves, got together or something, and I was able to get up. Ay, that was something else! Hahahah! Que va!” she recalled, laughing.

“You must have needed a good smoke after that, huh? Hahahah!” I joked, knowing it was one of her fave things to do.

“You bet! I just vegged the day out!”

“I’m taking this alternative medicine… Reiji mushrooms… they power up your immunity!!!”

“What was upsetting you all this time??? Cancer is nothing but stress…”

“It must have been all those bad vibes at Ramona… I told you to get outta there a long time ago… the bad “feng shui” was all over… Of course, you finally did… but looks like the damage has been done… ” I conjectured.

“Well, ******* and all that… but so much more!!!”

“Does your family know?” I asked earnestly.

“No. I haven’t told them. Well… Naty and Patty… they’re in the States…”

“Maita?”

“No. Because Maita is a blabbermouth. One time I told her I had an infection and she told Baboo and Baboo told everybody. I mean, I didn’t mind everybody knowing about it, but I did mind everybody being ‘concerned’ about it. Just not mah style, ya know… Hahahah!”

“Actually, I didn’t mind what Maita and Baboo did. I just didn’t like the idea of everybody… ya know… feeling sorry for me? I mean, mah sickness is mah own f*ckin’ business! Que va!”

“Tita Cecing? She’s your mom, she has to know!” I insisted.

“No! Because knowing Mom, she’ll worry to death… and she’ll get cancer… and she’ll die! No way!” she protested.

“Ay naku, Ditas… OK, whatever you want…” the awful truth had begun to sink in.

“I want a parteeeee when I’m gone!” Ditas requested.

“Well, a parteeeee you’re gonna get, Ditas!!!” I rejoined.

“Visit me, ha?” she reminded.

***After we hung up at 6:30 p.m., I had to sit quickly on a big chair to steady myself from the shocking news, if not, I would have fallen to the floor. Dearest Ditas with cancer? Three months to gooooo??? WTF???!!! F*CK!!!!!!!! :O :O :O

I so wept inside of me…

That time, I had not realized that it was the last time I would speak with dearest Ditas. The last time — that was IT!!! 😦 😦 😦

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Mercedes Tomasa “Ditas” Gonzalez-Favis Gomez. Ditas was a “free spirit” from the pyschedelic Sixties… Throughout her life she retained that magical youthfulness from that era which enabled her to fully understand and easily empathize with the youth of all the generations that came afterwards. She had a unique, forgiving, fresh perspective, specially of artistic people, of which she was one. Nothing new shocked her, everything new delighted her. Eccentric was exciting, Radical was relevant, and Weird was wonderful. Although a full, redblooded, vah-vah-voom woman who appreciated “real men” [ and that was said with a lot of sass and jazz ;P ], she embraced her many LGBT friends with unconditional affection and endless understanding. And they took her in sincerely as one of their own, to her genuine delight.

************************************

It was as Ditas wanted it exactly: No more tears. Just togetherness, smiles, jokes, laughter, singing, dancing, and remembering all the good times that were, somehow still are, and still could be. And then joyfully going on to the next new thing. It’s “the new way to go,” and I totally like it. Absolutely!!! 😀 😀 😀

[ + Mercedes Tomasa “Ditas” Gonzalez-Favis Gomez, 22 September 1951 – 16 May 2012 ]

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Lunch out

April 27, 2012 at 9:46 am (2000s Philippines, Comedy Relief, Domestic Travels, Family Traditions, Humor, Personal, Random memories, The Global Crowd, The Ilonggos, The Manilenos, The Negrenses, The Pampanguenos)

Not only the good food, and the scintillating company, but the cool air, the trees, plants, flowers, and the colorful “koi” fishes in the various ponds that make dining at practically everyone’s favorite resto in distant Tagaytay, no matter how frequent, so pleasant…

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