THIS IS WHAT EVERYBODY MISSED.....

Suko Na!

Kiss No. 2.....

Sya, Try Ulit Natin Ito.....

Kiss No. 1....

Time To Give Me A Kiss.....

Aunty, Nakuha Ko Na.....

O, Bitawan Mo Na Kasi.....

Hijo, Pakibaba Ng Siko.....

Just when everybody had left the wedding reception venue of my niece Tonette and her husband Neil, a handful of the groom's relatives stayed over since they lived just across the newlywed couple. And because I didn't have any bed to sleep on at the ancestral house in Sta. Lucia, Manang Petty asked the newlyweds in my behalf if I could stay the night in their house. The cowboy that I am, I was glad I get to sleep on the divan at the living room. I really didn't mind though. I reckoned I would stay for a night or 2 nights at the most because by that time, some people would have eventually left the house with Monday being a day of work. Give me a bed with a tv, I'm okay. I have insomnia and the tv helps me relax so I can get some sleep. The problem is when I do find something entertaining to watch, bye bye sleep.

As I cleaned my camera, inspected my lenses and about to place them back to their cases, my niece called me out to join them in their merriment. I went out and talked to them a bit, played with my granddaughters when my niece blurted out something.

"Aunty, kunan mo kami ng picture ni Neil na umiinom. Wala yun sa reception kanina pagkatapos na mahiwa yung cake dahil walang baso at alak na binigay yung caterer."

I smacked my forehead and realized that indeed that scene didn't happen. Then I replied, "Naku, sana kahit anong baso na lang na may lamang beer ang ibinigay sa inyo para lang makunan lang kayo ng picture ng umiinom after nyo magsubuan ng cake!"

She further went on that they have talked to the caterer and expressed their displeasure when it came to that supplier's service. I also mentioned, "Sorry nakong, hindi ko na napansin na wala yun kasi naman expected ko yung coordinator mo ang magsasabi at magdi-direct.

Although I love taking pictures of events of my relatives, I came here as a guest and I started to notice that the wedding coordinator was not assertive enough in his duties. It came to a point where I had to give suggestions to Tonette for her to be the one to give the orders to the coordinator since he wasted so much time. I assume that anyone who did not know me at the reception may have mistaken me as part of the crew. And I do not want to do that. I wish suppliers will realize that a single bad recommendation can spell doom to one's business. There were just too many lapses and faults. I'm sure Neil knows how to deal with them.

So, I went back to the house and took my camera and acceded to my niece's request. I didn't really know what to do. But I saw bottles of San Mig Light and some pulutan. I have no idea what they were munching on the side but I asked them to get the plate and two bottles of beer. I ordered them to reenact the whole scene. I didn't get my "cinematic kiss". But I knew they enjoyed themselves from this exercise. And that is more important for me to capture as a photographer, the happiness on their faces.

 Hala! Magpakalasing kayong dalawa dahil kahit papaano, nairaos nyo na ang kasal nyo. Kampai! As to those who might perceive my presence at their house would spoil their honeymoon, they already have two kids! Need I say more? c",)

Thanks for letting me stay at your abode Neil and Tonette, Until next time..... Wait..... There is a next time?

CELEBRATING IN STYLE.....

The Celebrant And Her Family.....






Michael Jackson Comes Alive.....






I received a call from one of my cousins, Manang Petty one day. "Gusto mong pumunta maki-birthday?" she asked. "Sino ang magbi-birthday?" I asked in reply. "Si Manang Meriam mo at ang venue ay sa Quezon City Sports Club. Magkita tayo ng mga 5:30 sa Cayco. Sama ka?" she answered back. I consulted my brother and asked if he wanted to go. I called my cousin back and told her of our intention to go and tag along with her and expect us to be around the meeting place at 5:30 pm.

So this time, it's Manang Miriam's turn to celebrate. And for someone who is officially a senior citizen, I say her looks do not show it. I guess it is in our genes to actually look younger than our age. There may be some exceptions but overall, my maternal blood relatives have this trait.

I was looking forward to attending this birthday bash, as I recently just visited a sad event, attending a burial of someone, just to lift my spirit up a bit from the gloom of sadness. It made me stop for a moment and ponder about life in general, the alpha and the omega; the yin and the yang; the good and the bad; joy and sorrow. Man may never know when one's life is about to end but this is what celebrating birthdays are for, to give thanks to the Lord Almighty for giving as another year to tread this earth.

I secretly envy watching my cousins who belong to a large family. Every occasion becomes an informal reunion of sorts, with noisy kids and chatting adults. Also, the added bonus of having to rely on a much bigger support system when life gets difficult is also a plus. It may be chaotic but it can be loads of fun.

It was rather great to see Manang Miriam's other siblings who flew in from the United States just to celebrate this occasion with her. And Manang Miriam decided to go all out for this bash. It is a pity though that the weather did not cooperate as the rain started to fall. If it didn't rain, perhaps there would be more guests who were able to come and party with the celebrant too.

The highlight of the night was the appearance of some dance instructors who started to dance with everyone (well anyone who fancied dancing the swing). And in the end, the dancing just got longer when the instructors began to teach everyone (well as in everyone who cared to dance) the steps to line dancing.

We did went home around night time but it was quite evident that everyone had fun. To Manang Miriam, Happy Birthday! And thank you for celebrating this momentous occasion in style and including us. My prayers for your good health and until your next birthday bash..... c",)

BACK FROM THE US OF A.....

Charles With Wife Rose And Sister Tintin.....









It is quite odd to meet some of my relatives from my maternal lineage who I have not seen in a long time. For one thing, there is this apprehension that time and distance have somehow conspired to allow the minds of these rather young people to forget.

Such was the feeling when I asked one of my older cousins, Manang Ella about her kids, who happened to be in the country at the moment. Manang Ella and her husband Manong Eric migrated to the US sometime around the 1990's. They were able to take their two younger kids, Tintin (who was just a toddler then) and Amang (who was only a cute little baby then). Their eldest child, Charles, was the one who got left behind a bit due to over age but was able to follow soon with the rest of the clan.

My cousin was one of those next of kin who briefly stayed with us, as they needed a place to stay when they went to Manila for their college education during my childhood since my parents were the ones who were based in Manila during the early 1970's. Sure, my Aunts Veron and Trining and her kids, Manang Jeanette, Manang Verna and Manang Vicki are around but they are different, being Manila born and raised here just like the brothers and I. Imagine the age difference between Manang Ella and I! c",)

Slowly, Manang Ella and others who followed her path, became our circle of relatives who became Manila based. Even when she found a job, she and her sister (the late Manang Dida) would come to our small place in Sampaloc and spend a weekend with my family. At times, my mother and I would visit their office in Vito Cruz since their office was the one responsible for making the checks for the salaries of public school teachers which was my mom's occupation. Other times, my mother and I were the ones who visited their respective homes.

Fast forward to the present. I'm going to meet people that I have not seen since the day Manang Dida died. Some I have not met ever in my lifetime. So it was such a pleasure to see Charles and the rest of his family, the mother of his children Rose and the kids themselves. The eldest Charo was just an infant being held by her mom when I last saw her. And now they have two other kids that I basically do not know. Charles' only sister, Tintin was only seven years old, if I recall correctly, when she migrated to the US. Today she also is married and has kids of her own.

I talked to Tintin via sms and we agreed to meet at SM North Edsa. Imagine my relief when Charles was the one who saw me first! He! He! He! This man-child ( I say this with fondness as he doesn't look his age) nephew of mine still looks the same. If he gets rid of his beer belly then one can mistake him for a young lad. My image of Tintin, that of a seven year old little girl was replaced by an adult version instantly. And Charo? She has her dad's genes.

I handed Charles the package that I asked that be delivered to my mother when they go back to the States. Seeing him all grown up and with his family made me laugh quite a bit. They look like a group of friends hanging out. Too bad Amang did not join them for this trip. Meeting this nephew of mine would be awesome as I heard he is into photography just like her smart and clever aunt! c",)

A MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD.....

My Grandchild, Showing Off Her Independence.....


















Sometime last January, I went to Sta. Lucia to pay my relatives a visit and perform certain tasks required of me like paying the yearly land tax of the rice farm and selling the palay harvested to rice traders. After doing these, I always go back to Manila immediately.

Life here in the province is not what it used to be when I was a child. My generation has grown up. A few have even passed away. The kids of yesterday are now the adults of the present while those who were there to guide us are slowly disappearing one by one.

Gone were the days when we used to play basketball at the cemented court at the town plaza across the municipal hall. Gone were the days when we would sit down and do our bit of classifying tobacco leaves in order to earn some money for the summer. Gone were the days when you have all your cousins around and engage in conversations that range from the trivial and mundane to the serious and life altering.

I watched my grandchild (oh yes, I still am young but I now have lots of apos) as she enjoyed her bath. Will I still be around as this child reaches her teens?

THE CHURCH OF STA. LUCIA, ILOCOS SUR

The Facade Of The Church.....




Statue Of The Risen Christ.....




Church Interiors.....





Centuries Old Bricks.....





From The Choir Loft....




The Altar.....




I Wish I Have An UWA Lens.....




Baptismal Chamber.....




The Big Dome.....




The Bell Tower.....




Pana-panahon.....




The club decided to go on a photo trip this summer. The obvious choice was to visit the provinces of Northern Luzon. I jumped on the opportunity to go with them, since it is rather difficult, logistics wise to go to a place of interest and shoot without your own ride. Secondly, the fact that we are all shooters is a plus, I don't have to worry of other people getting bored while I take photos. Thirdly, the fact that the people who shall be going to the trip are no strangers to me just increases the level of expectation, of this trip going to be an enjoyable one. I was asked to do the itinerary, being someone whose roots are from Ilocoslovakia.

We left Quezon City at 11 pm of April 9, 2010; as me and members of the club started our journey to explore Northern Luzon.

Personally, I have not been to places extremely up north, particularly in Pagudpud and Cape Bojeador. Nor have I seen the viaduct. Last November, I decided to take a close look of the Bangui Wind Farm on my own, out of curiosity. If ever, this will be my second trip to the wind farm then.

The driver of the van that we rented started to get sleepy after driving all through the night. Apparently, he came straight from work and only had an hours rest before he sat behind the steering wheel of the van. I didn't want to stop in a place that was dark and unfamiliar to me. The Shell gas station which my cousin uses as his stop whenever he drives a private vehicle during night travels for a power nap in Rosario, La Union has been bypassed a few hours ago. I then suggested to park at the parking lot of the church in my hometown of Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur.

The thing about itineraries is that it just acts as a guide for a structured travel. It does not mean that one has to follow it strictly. Rather, one must be flexible enough to alter the guide, as the situation may call for.

Stopping over at Sta. Lucia was NOT in the itinerary itself but the situation called for it. Initially, the plan was to be at the Quirino Bridge in Santa, Ilocos Sur at the break of dawn for that early morning landscape photography. But I started to worry about the driver hence the stopover. It is the place I am most familiar with.

The daily early morning mass had just started when we arrived. I asked the group to be inconspicuous with their movements around the church so us not to disturb those inside.

The group also had a rare chance to meet one of my aunts as she came out of the church after the early morning mass and I asked her about obtaining permission to shoot. Eventually, the parish priest saw our camera wielding team and gave his permission for us to roam freely and shoot after we talked. He even asked someone to open the lights in the altar while we took photographs. My profound gratitude to him for allowing us to shoot as my friends did find the church unique and beautiful.

So we took photographs while the driver slept. It made me realize that there were nooks and crannies of the church that I have never been to. It was my first time to climb the old and dilapidated stairs and shoot from above the choir loft. It was also the first time for me to see the small room were the sacrament of baptism is performed.

We could have stayed longer but the driver had awaken from his nap, ready to drive and to continue our journey. The others agreed to move on as most of us started to feel hunger pangs. Thank God for Jollibee! c",)

ANG HALIGI, DINGDING , KISAME AT BUBONG.....

Dr. Veronica F. Chan, PhD









One of my unfulfilled dreams was to be a doctor. I say was because I have let it go. Though I harbored this dream for quite sometime, the realization that I shall never be one hit me when I started to work as a nurse in PGH years ago. I learned a lot of things about myself at that time and I realized that I was not that vested in pursuing Medicine. I could not see myself perusing thick medical textbooks for another four years when I was already earning. My job gave me a sense of independence and freedom to do as I pleased and I was not about to give it up. But a big part of this dream was influenced by a close relative; an aunt who turns out to be a rare breed; a doctor whose exploits and opinions has shaped the country in the field of Public Health, my godmother, Dr. Veronica F. Chan, who has stuck with all of us her anaks through thick and thin.

Today is my Aunty Veron's birthday! And it is about time that I honor her. Of all my ninangs that my parents assigned to me, she is the one to whom I have the closest relationship with. My family and Tita Veron's family used to live in a modest apartment in Sampaloc, Manila. They lived on the third floor while we were underneath them on the second floor. Hence the closeness of our ties.

When I was a little girl, Christmas was Christmas because of her. Yes, my parents would give my brothers and I, our presents but hers would be the highly anticipated one. There would be a guessing game among the little kids, as we discussed just what her surprise would be. Another memory from my distant childhood was her way of teaching us her little nephews and nieces the importance of Jesus Christ in our lives. One Black Saturday night, she gathered all of us, my cousins, brothers and I; to watch a film. It was "Jesus Christ, Superstar", a film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical and starred Ted Neeley as Jesus. We all watched the film, admired and sang the songs as my aunt expounded on the teachings in the film. When the film showing was over, she opened her turntable and played the soundtrack! And when the theme of the movie with the same title was being played, we danced to it just like how the actors did in the movie! As I write this down, I start to wonder, what kind of equipment did Aunty Veron used to show the film prior to the existence of DVD players? That, I cannot recall! Perhaps I should ask her about this.

I can say though that this simple gesture shaped my preference for musical plays and classical music. Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"? I heard it first from her collection of classical music LP's. Long playing records, those 10-12 inches in diameter black, vinyl discs that were the antecedent of dvd's of today. My aunt has a fantastic collection of classical music albums that it was off limits to us, little munchkins. LP's are just like dvd's in that both should be handled with care. A deep scratch will make the album jump when the turntable's stylus hits it thereby ruining the album completely. Too bad! I haven't even seen just how vast her collection is. I know she has Mozart but does she have Chopin's "Nocturne OP.9 No. 2," Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major" or even Handel's "Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus" too?

There were times in my past that I would fail to see Tita Veron for long periods that lasted years whenever I came up to play or should I say gossip with my cousins. Her sister, Aunty Trining would explain, "Nasa Amerika si Ninang mo, nag-aaral." I would swoon with pride! Going to the States to study at that time through a grant was unheard of and she was one of a chosen few. Aunty Trining further mentioned that Tita Veron had to study to be a better teacher. Right!

I grew up knowing that she is a professor at UP Manila. The subject? Microbiology! She is a strict professor, well known to push students to their limits. Stories of her exploits in the classroom are legendary inside the UP College of Medicine. And why not? "These students will be future doctors; how will they be able to cure a patient if they do not know what is causing the illness?", she once said to me. Her dedication to teaching has led her to be the dean of the department at one time. At present, she is a Professor Emeritus of the said college and perhaps shall be teaching until she is unable to physically do so. "Si Dr. Chan, hindi mo malilimutan ang mga ginawa para sa UPCM. Hindi lang siya haligi nito, siya ay dingding, kisame at bubong pa nito," quipped one of the doctors I worked with who obviously was one of my aunt's students before.

I knew she is a medical scientist but I had no idea how big. During one of my trips to Ilocos, I went to the Chan's ancestral home to pay my cousin, Manang Verna (one of my cousins who I used to hang out often with and who now looks after the house) a visit. I was surprised to see an old newspaper clipping mounted in a frame about a very young Tita Veron with a photo to boot. In the photo, she stood beside a man, who turned out to be Dr. Jonas Salk! The guy has been mentioned a lot in medical textbooks as the founder of the polio vaccine and I didn't know that my aunt actually knew him! Apparently they both belong to the same science, that of studying viruses or Virology. The article about Tita Veron delved on her vital participation in the development of a test for dengue hemorrhagic fever for suspected patients. How cool is that? I am not sure just how many virologists our country has but Tita Veron tops the list. Who can forget SARS, Bird Flu and more recently H1N1? These are all diseases of viral in origin. My cousin once told me that the government usually consults a team of experts whenever such a fearful disease breaks out that can cause a pandemic and she is one of those whose opinion they value highly.

Now in her twilight years but still a bit strong, I do not know how old my Tita is. I hope she is at home so I can call her or even pay her a visit. I now recall why she wanted me to take up medicine, "Para may tagapagmana ng corona ko!", she often says in jest to me. I do have cousins who are doctors right now. Let them be the ones to take her place. But one thing for sure, she will always be my favorite godmother!

In behalf of everyone:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TITA VERON! WE LOVE YOU! GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS!

A TRIBUTE TO SOMEONE SPECIAL.....

The Banner That Says It All.....






Aunty Betty And Her Children.....






With Her Sister, Aunty Orang.....









The Birthday Cake.....






"Happy Birthday To You! Blow The Candles!"






"Apo, Ikaw Na Lang Ang Mag-ihip Ng Kandila!"






Table Five Guests From Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur.....









Her Children's Children.....






















Tita Veron And Aunty Betty.....












Thank You Note.....





My Aunty Betty is a very fortunate person. I attended her 87th birthday party held at the Legend Villas in Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong. Her children, who are mostly based in the US, came home with their respective families in tow to celebrate with her. Manang Precy though came alone as her African-American husband did not make the trip with her while Manong Topeng's family came over for a vacation during the Christmas season and thus was not around this time. Aunty Betty has seven children all of whom are successful. Even her older apos are successful too. The guest list was composed of close family friends and relatives only. Even Aunty Orang, who is based abroad (I think in Norway but I'm not sure though) also came home to be with her sister and greet her.

A short program was prepared by my cousins. Manong Topeng sang some songs including his own compositions as he serenaded his mom. He also sang a duet with Manang Miriam's daughter and with his brother Manong Jun. The siblings each gave a short talk as they recounted their lives during their youth, the role of their mother in their lives and how much they were influenced by her. Manang Miriam also showed an audio visual presentation, chronicling Aunty Betty's life up until the present.

Added surprise to me was I got to see my Aunty Veron! The last time I saw her was during my niece Marianne's wedding in 2007. She went with my first degree cousins Manang Petty, Manang Aming and Manong Andy. I came to the party with kuya. It does frustrate me at times when I get to meet relatives who I really am not familiar with! Heck! Some do not even know my mother who is suppose to be the bind that links us as relatives. And because of that, I might start carrying a picture of my mother in my wallet.....if only I start using a wallet! c",)