Winter Getaway
Stick to the basics. Hold on to your
family and friends – they will never go out of fashion. - Anonymous
Through
all our winter wandering, I’ve come to realize again and again that in every
conceivable manner, family and friends as well are linked to my past, a bridge
to my future. Family ties mean that no matter how much I might want to run from
family, I can’t.
So, I
celebrate them both in this final post.
What a strange creature brothers are! - Jane Austen
Left: Chickenjoy fried chicken and
peach mango pie with "BUNSO" (Youngest) Brother. JOLLIBEE,
Waikiki
Right: What’s a tiki’s favorite drink? "Aloha-cohol!"
Sharing food is like sharing a secret,
but with more calories!
Left: With HUBBY, slurping soft, fluffy shave ice
flavored with lychee and mango
The best surfer out there is the one
having the most fun. -
Phil Edwards
Right: YOUNGEST BROTHER Surfer Wannabe.
Duke’s, Waikiki
Me: I wanna go on a diet.
Food: Ha-ha-ha. No!
A family-owned shop established in 1951, MATSUMOTO SHAVE ICE serves shave ice, original t-shirts, and goods. Haleʻiwa, Oahu's North Shore
Rub my belly for good luck!
Right: YOUNGEST BRO after authentic
Cantonese dim sum style lunch. LEGEND SEAFOOD Restaurant: Honolulu, Hawaii
Phones down, forks up. It's family
dinner time.
On the sand on famed Waikiki Beach, DUKE’S
offers the freshest seafood and its iconic HULA PIE, a mountain-shaped
Hawaiian dessert featuring macadamia nut ice cream piled high on a
chocolate cookie crust, topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and toasted
nuts.
An hour with your GRANDCHILDREN can
make you feel young again. Anything longer than that, and you start to age
quickly.
Watching "Avatar," a groundbreaking
sci-fi epic. KAHALA MALL, Honolulu
Our GRANDSON is absolutely awesome. He
must have inherited it from his groovy old Lolo.
Volleyball practice. Instagram photo
posted by "Cartercaptures", Kaiser High School photographer. Honolulu
I told my worries to mango away. They
didn’t listen. I’m sorry… did I roll my eyes out loud?
Left: Precious time with FOURTH BROTHER snacking on our favorite tart mango with bagoong. Right: Walking through Chinese New Year-decorated mall. Taguig, Philippines
There’s no Buddy like a brother.
Lunch: okoy, lumpia fresca, pancit, pampano, pork belly, cassava cheesecake, mango and watermelon shakes
LORE by Chef Tatung is a
Michelin Guide-selected contemporary Filipino fine dining restaurant. Taguig, Bonifacio
High Street Mall
They said we’d never make it. Well, here we are, proving
them wrong… again!
UP HIGH 65TH REUNION. DINKY'S CLUB HOUSE. Manila
Umm… these people are old. Are you
sure we’re at the right reunion?
UP MED REUNION
CASA GAMBOA, a Heritage
home in Silay, hosts private dinners, cultural tours and intimate
events.
You can’t turn back the clock. But you
can wind it up again.
– Bonnie Prudden
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If
you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. –
Mark Twain
Privately-owned
NEGROS MUSEUM is the first of its kind to not house precious
archaeological artifacts, but was designed to display Negrense lifestyle and
society, which includes old furnishings and loaned items from ancestral houses.
Bacolod, Negros Occidental
It appears someone invited a lot of old people to the class reunion.
GATHERING AT DR. P's MOROCCAN MANSION. Bacolod
The secret of staying young is to live
honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. – Lucille Ball
Leftmost: NINONG PATING had gifted SECOND DAUGHTER with stuffed FROGGY on her baptism.
Above, right: FROGGY has survived the years, here seated on SECOND DAUGHTER's baby red chest. GRANDKIDS' ROOM, Columbus
ALCOHOLICS, No Longer Anonymous
We thought about quitting drinking, but we're not quitters.
One day each year spent together fills
our souls for the next 365 days.
TORIO SIBS and Family Reunion
DAD'S WORLD BUFFET is a premier, long-standing buffet in the
Philippines offering over 200+ dishes, including Kamayan (Filipino), Saisaki
(Japanese), and international stations. Known for favorites like lechon, sushi,
and carving stations, it is a popular, high-value choice for large family
gatherings and celebrations.
I smile because you are my brothers. I
laugh because there’s nothing you can do about it.
Left to right: My now-beloved FIFTH, FOURTH, SECOND and FIRST BROTHERS - all of whom I used to ignore when we were growing up (LOL)
My brother has the coolest sister… I’m
just saying.
Memorable time with SECOND BROTHER and family
Left: The RIZAL SHRINE or BAHAY
NI RIZAL is a reproduction of the original Spanish-colonial bahay
na bato where national hero José Rizal was born on June 19, 1861. Showcasing
his childhood, it features a two-story house, a library, and a garden with
a bahay kubo.
Right: TAGAYTAY is a popular
holiday town south of Manila. Known for its mild climate, it sits on a ridge
above Taal Volcano Island, an active volcano surrounded by Taal Lake.
You know it’s a family reunion when
the laughter is loud and the food is endless. Lunch: fried tawilis, sigarilyas sa
gata, tortang talong, bulalong Tagalog, kare-kare bagnet, green mango shake
RSM
AL FRESCO Lutong Bahay serves delicious Filipino cuisine with a great view of Taal Lake in Tagaytay.
Dessert: sago and gulaman, maja
blanca, puto bumbong, ice cream
BALAY DAKO is a casual venue
with Taal Lake views offering traditional local fare and fusion cuisine.
Celebrate, indulge, and feast like a
Viking today!
ESPIRITU Cousins and Family Reunion
VIKING’S LUXURY BUFFET offers a diverse
array of flavors.
*************************************
And just
like that, our Winter Getaway ended. Back to reality. Ugh!
Wise Words Yoda Speaks. Truly
wonderful, life is – until someone says, “Let’s circle back.”
Your path you must decide – but maybe
sleep on it first.
The best part about a holiday is
after it’s over.
Yet, though
vacation ends, memories travel with us, and joy remains.
Our
suitcases are heavier with Eng Bee Tin hopia and bagoong, but our
hearts are light with joy.
And, hey, we haven’t forgotten that
retirement is just a never-ending vacation. So there!
(Hoping It's Not... The End)
