2010 Class Reunion
Day 1 29Jul2010
5:45 am Alex and Jo met Noe at Mactan airport
Breakfast at Jo’s cocoa drink + suman. Jo’s mom, dad and grandma were there.
7:30 am Alex, Jo, Noe met Amy and Melvin at airport. They checked in at Waterfront Hotel. Room reservation was upgraded by Ruel.
Brunch at Jo’s – sinigang na tulingan + buriring (fish that come out only once a year)
11:30 am Alex, Jo, Noe, Amy and Melvin met Ruel and Baby at Cabalen. Surprise! – Helen and son Glen were also waiting for us in the resto. Baby: Son Xirho plays in a band. Helen: Son Glen also plays in a band.
1:30 pm Shopping in SM Kultura – Pearl necklaces
3:30 Ruel and Baby met Emil, Boy and Belle at airport, dropped Amy and Melvin at the hotel.
6:00 Baby’s dinner party – seafood and Ilocano foods galore, tinalo ang Cabalen. Unforgettable were such big, fat crabs! Kinilaw, lechon, mangosteen, rambutan, sweet little pineapples, puso, lato, etc. .. Robert and assistant were already there. Video karaoke night until 11:30. Jo was the karaoke queen with scores above 95. Robert and assistant excused themselves for another engagement. Everyone enjoyed singing the night away. Any and Melvin back to the hotel.
12 midnight to 4:00 am– free flowing kwentuhan between Emil, Alex and Noe. Emil is the new Sudoku king as Noe learned a note taking technique.
Day 2 30Jul2010
Around 7:00 am After fastbreak, meeting point was Magellan’s cross. Visited Sto Nino church. Cooled down in Sto Nino Museum while watching the exhibits. Fort San Pedro – lots of ‘smell’ for the pics.
11:30 am Onwards to Sutokil. Thought it was‘shoot to kill’, turned out to be Sugba,To?,Kilaw . A harp player was performing with gusto. Boink, a string got broken. Despite his instrument not having sharps or flats, he played a few requested tunes.. Visayans were singing along with a rendition of ‘Ilsahay’(?). Shells for remembering the event were cleaned and placed at the Romero’s grotto later. Pics at Lapu-lapu’s oversized statue – his garment was a distraction out of people’s curiosity. Gloria Arroyo’s resthouse over yonder? A very hot day!
1:30 pm Taoist temple, great view of Cebu .
2:45 pm Back to Mactan at Altolia’s Jewelry factory. Traffic was starting to be heavy as a fire broke out in one of the communities we passed by. Tons of crystal and stone designs at bargain prices! Amy, Boy and myself gave in to the heat despite the air conditioned showroom. Trip to Imperial Hotel was cancelled as we were getting affected by the heat and humidity.
3:30 Returned to homes to rest for the big night.
7:30 pm Club 36 at Crown Regency, 36th floor vista at the heart of Cebu . The resto was reserved for the class. Buffet was a feast. Mass celebrated by Fr. Cresencio: Ecc; ‘vanity of vanities’, serve God and live for others.
8:30 pm Superb dinner exclusive for the class. Initial discussions on what the class want to be . Amy and Melvin did not make it – Amy got ill after Sutokil. Emil came from INC kapilya nearby, ironically just in time for the go-go dancers.
9:30 pm Disco dancers presentation. Boy and Belle left ahead for Bohol to meet their parents.
10:00 pm Miko (Ruel’s son) and Noe tried out activities atop the building: Edge Tilt and Skywalk
Midnight to 3:00 am Kwentuhan at Alex’s over Grande and pulutan.
Day 3 31Jul2010
4:00 am Woke up for Bohol trip. Noe’s called to the white house twice – nursed by Jo’s mom with double dose of Immodium, ok before leaving for the pier. Ruel’s party was already at the pier. Everyone brought or wore their Bohol trip T-shirt. Tickets had passenger’s ages – Jo was 54 and no one got any younger than their actual age. Srs. Magda and Gina met us at Bohol pier.
9:00 am At Chocohills. Old folks struggled up the steps. ‘One to three jump’ where else can you see flying nuns riding a broom? Instruction to the broom rider at the front ‘hawak sa harap’. Passed the butterfly sanctuary and the hanging bridges as it was raining.
12:00 pm Lunch on a Loboc river floating resto. Unforgettable singing and dancing by local folks. Boy and Belle joined us ashore – missed the river cruise.
1:30 pm Tarsier viewing: they were like little Yodas from Star Wars.
2:15 pm At Baclayon (Cesar Montano lived in the area?).
2:30 pm At Baclayon church parish hall: Meeting on egroup vs. project group.
3:00 pm Stopover at Apolonia’s Gift Shop (specialized in food delicacies)
3:30 pm Pix taking at the Blood Compact site.
3:30 pm Passing through Tagbilaran City
4:00 pm Stopover for matamis na bao (sweet glue in coconut shell)
4:15 pm At the pier, Ruel’s influence got us tickets back to Cebu
7:30 pm Nightcap at Café Vienna. We bade each other goodbyes.
Day 4 1Aug2010
Alex, Jo and Noe proceeded to Airport after fetching a lechon in the city. Emil, Amy and Melvin were brought to the airport by Olson (Alex’s driver) in the afternoon. Boy and Bell may have left for Manila on another day.
Conclusion:
What a bonding experience for renewed friendships! Very well worth doing .
Thanks:
Special thanks to our hosts, Romero and Romarate families, for making the reunion a cherished event!
