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August 29, 2009
Sabado na! It was time to get up and hike off to the Koolaus, to the stream where the little minnows frolic and wait for the first bait to hit the still water... to the pavilion where Gng. Alma Phocas has already started to move the picnic tables. She has several big stalks of tropicals to arrange in a pareau'ed can, which today will double as vase (pronounce it vas, please, with the upper lip curled and upper teeth lightly resting on the lower lip, thank you.) The Kaaihues find their way to the Niu Pavilion, where the kids help unload the truckload of stuff needed to be set today: card tables for the entrance with the maroon tablecloth, proclaiming to the knowledgeable, that this is, for today, Maroon Territory; rose-tipped BIC pens for the newbies to fill in their membership forms and their firts annual dues; the accoutrements required for the most engrossing part of the day: lunch; atbp...
Soon the UP masa swells as the hour for repast drwas near. Lena sets up her pampalamig, (patent pending) on top of the counter. Densio arrives with his girls and cooler of drinks. Bea with the birthday cake for the birthday girl, este, lady (debski)and an assortment of goodies for lunch! and dagsa-dagsang others piled on the center table!
Before the kainan, siyempre, we had an appetizer, reminiscent of UP days. Alma brings out blue-book look-alikes and pops a quiz on ten very eager alums. The quiz? Name your fruits! Dr. Bertie Santos-Ocampo was the majordomo "serving" the fruits for the alums to identify. Instructions? Pwedeng amuyin, hawakan, pisilin.
YUMMMMM! After an irreverent "grace" by Bea, a truly dibdiban one followed. Thank you, Father, for what we are about to devour! Kainan na! !
Of course, our potluck buffet has always been a gastronomic phenomenon! We, UP'ians of Hawaii are known to be gourmets and gourmands... We feasted on phantasmagorical paksiw na lechon, sensational kari-kari with bagoong alamang, crispiest lumpia, inihaw na isda extraordinaire, ube- bersdey cake (!!) to name a few... there was sooo much more:
There were newbies in the crowd of kari-kari-stained lips: Troy and Aurora Bumagat, ConGen Jun Cardenas, soon-to-be-alum Consul Paul (who wowed the audience with his makabagbag-damdamin rendition of Climb Ev'ry Mountain),and Atty. Emmanuel Tipon,and not-too-newbies Docs Millette Oliveros and Bertie Santos-Ocampo. There were discussions of state furloughs, pre-mature Alzheimer's and other worries. And of course, there was stunned silence as we worked our way through the table fare armed with forks, napkins to the lips and paper plates, to lip-smacking satisfaction!
After much belly massaging and happy grins on our faces, we were ready to win prizes at BINGO!!!! With Bea Ramos-Razon as Bingo Master and assistants Lilia Santiago, Alma Phocas and yours truly, the happy crowd meditated on their bingo cards, anxious to make "puro" in game after game, ready to jump in the air with a shout of "BINGO!!" Those were the lucky ones, especially the Rivera clan as one after another claimed a prize. This must be the reward for being the patient Fundraising chair, ha, Jun? Finally, the cash prizes for the Block-out games were awarded. The kids were pooped and the sun was half-way on the face of the mountain. It was time to wrap-up and clean.
It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with friends and family. Although the fishing derby was called off, the kids did not seem to mind. Those old enough to know their alphabet (at least five letters) and their numbers (1-75) played with the old farts. The young ones strolled the perimeter of the grounds.
We look forward to another summer, as we pack this one along with summers past, but hang on the delights brought on by friendships across the years and the common bond provided by the Maroon spirit...malayo man marating, di rin magbabago...
by Debs Telan Robillard
Soon the UP masa swells as the hour for repast drwas near. Lena sets up her pampalamig, (patent pending) on top of the counter. Densio arrives with his girls and cooler of drinks. Bea with the birthday cake for the birthday girl, este, lady (debski)and an assortment of goodies for lunch! and dagsa-dagsang others piled on the center table!
Before the kainan, siyempre, we had an appetizer, reminiscent of UP days. Alma brings out blue-book look-alikes and pops a quiz on ten very eager alums. The quiz? Name your fruits! Dr. Bertie Santos-Ocampo was the majordomo "serving" the fruits for the alums to identify. Instructions? Pwedeng amuyin, hawakan, pisilin.
YUMMMMM! After an irreverent "grace" by Bea, a truly dibdiban one followed. Thank you, Father, for what we are about to devour! Kainan na! !
Of course, our potluck buffet has always been a gastronomic phenomenon! We, UP'ians of Hawaii are known to be gourmets and gourmands... We feasted on phantasmagorical paksiw na lechon, sensational kari-kari with bagoong alamang, crispiest lumpia, inihaw na isda extraordinaire, ube- bersdey cake (!!) to name a few... there was sooo much more:
There were newbies in the crowd of kari-kari-stained lips: Troy and Aurora Bumagat, ConGen Jun Cardenas, soon-to-be-alum Consul Paul (who wowed the audience with his makabagbag-damdamin rendition of Climb Ev'ry Mountain),and Atty. Emmanuel Tipon,and not-too-newbies Docs Millette Oliveros and Bertie Santos-Ocampo. There were discussions of state furloughs, pre-mature Alzheimer's and other worries. And of course, there was stunned silence as we worked our way through the table fare armed with forks, napkins to the lips and paper plates, to lip-smacking satisfaction!
After much belly massaging and happy grins on our faces, we were ready to win prizes at BINGO!!!! With Bea Ramos-Razon as Bingo Master and assistants Lilia Santiago, Alma Phocas and yours truly, the happy crowd meditated on their bingo cards, anxious to make "puro" in game after game, ready to jump in the air with a shout of "BINGO!!" Those were the lucky ones, especially the Rivera clan as one after another claimed a prize. This must be the reward for being the patient Fundraising chair, ha, Jun? Finally, the cash prizes for the Block-out games were awarded. The kids were pooped and the sun was half-way on the face of the mountain. It was time to wrap-up and clean.
It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with friends and family. Although the fishing derby was called off, the kids did not seem to mind. Those old enough to know their alphabet (at least five letters) and their numbers (1-75) played with the old farts. The young ones strolled the perimeter of the grounds.
We look forward to another summer, as we pack this one along with summers past, but hang on the delights brought on by friendships across the years and the common bond provided by the Maroon spirit...malayo man marating, di rin magbabago...
by Debs Telan Robillard
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1 comment:
DENSIO! Super-superb! what else can I say?
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