December in Sindalan 2 - Life Goes On

Juliet got buried last Wednesday. We were not able to go. I was waiting for Ned's text message who was coordinating it but it never came. She was to be buried in Mexico town cemetery around 1 pm but by that time Donna and were already running around somewhere, forgot where exactly now.

There’s not much to tell otherwise except for a couple of not really exceptional, although pretty enjoyable, events.

Yesterday morning we picked up Len to go to the tiangue (flea market) by the Apu Church in Angeles. Len got some ready made curtains for their house. Her sister Paulette (who owns it) and her family are coming home for the Holidays from the UAE in the Middle East. The crowd was horrendous! This is an outdoor swap meet where the only shade available is from tarpaulins that vendors put up. And it’s sweltering hot! It’s still sort of cool at night and early in the morning. But it’s typical Philippine weather during the day.

Donna and I visited Masamat to check out my brother Cong Naring and his family. They were pretty happy to see us especially after Donna presented them a couple of bags of chocolates and some baked goodies for Kempoy’s Bakery! We updated each other on our happenings for the last eight months or so. Cong Naring has stopped cutting his hair and right now he has enough to tie into a short pony tail. He’s disappointed that due to his position as Barangay Treasurer, the powers that be wanted him to get a haircut. When we left he gave Donna a bunch of chico fruits harvested and ripened from his tree. We’ve had a couple of them and these are by far the best tasting chicos ever! These are the small, native kind called pineras. Somehow, the ones we buy from the market don’t taste and smell the same. On the way home, we dropped by Cong Romy’s place in Panlumacan. Their place is behind Robinson’s (which is across from SM). He’s doing pretty well considering his heart problems.

Last night my niece Jack and her friends were here to visit. She introduced some of them to my entertainment room. Sadly they didn’t experience its full potential since my projector is currently unavailable – probable diagnosis, burned out lamp. We had to settle for a small TV for the video display of the Karaoke. The sounds are still pretty impressive however and the desired effect was still there. They got here around 5 and we sang for about a couple of hours till the food that I ordered from nearby Sylvia’s got delivered. Their pansit guisado is to die for! We then took a break and had dinner. After dinner, they had me play piano and I performed a couple of songs for them after which we went back to the music room to sing some more. They left a little past 9. They wanted to continue and sing some more but two of them (married couple, DHVCAT school teachers both) have small children to attend to. They explained Friday evenings are spent singing Karaoke to relieve tension and stress. I guess stress is indeed universal!

Donna was playing our Christmas CD today and she thought of calling the guys. She became emotional once she started talking with Eph. She had me talk with him and then she called Reg as well. We were able to talk with Manami also but Dan was not available, probably gallivanting around with his friends somewhere. When he found out, Reg told her, "Stop playing Christmas music, Mom!"

We went to downtown San Fernando the other day to buy some dog food for Indo. He ran out and the few bags we bought for him have yet to arrive in our door-to-door boxes we sent from California. They found a pet shop store in the market and Len seems to think dog food is a bit cheaper there than SM's. Ed wanted me to take more pictures of the old downtown San Fernando land marks.

Here's a couple:


To see more of them, go to Flickr.

Juliet Carreon

Classmate and friend Dandy remembers Juliet when we were in grammar school in San Jose/Panlumacan as always the one being picked by teachers to stand on the stage in front and conduct while everyone sang the Philippine National Anthem. We went to the same school in elementary and to JASHS (Jose Abad Santos High School) during our secondary school years. She was always a happy person, very active in all alumni activities, meetings, reunions, etc. She was a very good dancer, very pretty and all the guys wanted to dance with her.

She's the one on the left on picture below. Notice how everyone looked so serious and yet she has a smile on her face somehow.




'Bye, Juliet. May you rest in peace.

December in Sindalan 1

Donna and I were on our way to Guagua yesterday to pick up her 'school' mate Pat when we got a text message from Ned saying our classmate Juliet Carreon has passed away. Juliet was my elementary school mate in Panlumacan and she was the secretary of the JASHS Class '70 alumni association here. Myrna said she's heard Juliet died due to complications from diabetes.

Arrangements are currently being done right now on how classmates will go about attending the wake and stuff. I've been communicating with Myrna through text messages and we'll probably go on ahead to pay our respects.

I met with Ruston Banal Jr. yesterday. He's also a member of ANASI. We went to Betis and he showed me around the church convent where they've renovated the basement/warehouse into a museum looking structure. He's created a lot of graphic displays of the history of Betis and its church. His work is actually pretty impressive. I didn't take any pictures because by the time we got there it was already dark. I figured it'll be better to take pictures during the daytime. He said he'll give me an invitation when they award Gov Ed Panlilio as one of the outstanding citizens of Betis on December 27. He's a Catholic priest who took a leave of absence to run for and become governor. Ruston said the museum would have been completed by then. He also showed me around the church who's ceiling reminds me of the Sistine Chapel. An artist named Victor Ramos, who used to work with my brother Rafael in his art gallery in Angeles City by Clark Air Base, reworked the paintings of the church ceiling.

We got a visit today by friend and classmate Alan Sanchez who was pretty surprised when he googled me, found my blog and read about our arrival last Tuesday.

I'll post another blog later and will tell you about Juliet some more, hopefully with pictures.

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

We visited our Comadre, friend and classmate, Myrna the other day. We were sending each other text messages back and forth, me pretending we may still be in the US, her figuring out I couldn't be still in the US sending so many text messages! So when we got to their place she blurted out, "I knew it!" Of course there's the obligatory showing of pictures of their brand new grand daughter who'll be Christened, of all dates, on Dec 30 which will be our high school alumni association's annual Christmas party. Not sure yet how we'll swing to be on both occasion on the same day. They're having more construction on their ancestral house in San Felipe. Her Mom who was in Canada for more than a year came home for the Holidays.

Last Friday Donna had our cleaning lady Cindy break out our Christmas tree and various decorations. With the help of Cindy, Len and Berna and their kids, she started putting it up.


Saturday evening, Leda, her kids Lera and Alvin along with Cong Francis arrived from Muntinglupa. They drove two vehicles to deliver the dining set that Len's sister Paulette bought from Leda. Most of them stayed the night although everyone's bummed (me included) because my projector stopped working somehow so we're having Karaoke withdrawals.

Yesterday morning we (Leda, Sister Gay, Donna and myself) went to hear mass at nearby (walking distance) St. Paul Novitiate. The kids didn't want to wake up so they stayed behind. When we got back, breakfast prepared by Len and Berna was ready and waiting.

Mid morning Cong Francis arrived with his wife Beng, grand daughter Cheska (I think this is short for Francesca) and son Winston who's on a break from work. He serves as a waiter aboard one of the many cruise ships sailing around Europe. He said his ship was on dry dock in Barcelona June and July of this year.

Donna fried some lumpiya which she wrapped up the night before. They brought some pansit Malabon with them and puto and cuchinta. Ayrin and kids also came and she brought some pansit palabok. Nephew Dong came around noon and he brought some suman and butong pakwan with him that they had him buy from the palengke.


Of course, the Pineda clan hasn't seen each other for a while so it's pretty much mandatory that a game of kwaho be in order!


Daddy Dick didn't make it because he was having an upset stomach which he's started treating with his miracle-cure-all, Tylenol.