VANCOUVERITES WELCOME KABALEYANS

Vancouver has  become one of the favorite destinations of people  booking for their holidays. Aside from its  pleasantly warm weather during summer, there are lots of points of interest within the five mile radius .

It was just a fluke that  I learned of Serafin and Rebecca  Serafica's  plan to visit Vancouver . Serafin and Rebecca  live in Yorba Linda , a city in the outskirts of Los Angeles . Serafin belongs to  STCS Class '59  and Rebecca  is a Class '66 graduate .  After  Serafin's retirement  as an engineer  from the Orange County  District , the two have been dividing their stay  between Yorba Linda and Mangaldan  where they  built  a home . Rebecca  is the daughter  of the late  Ponciano  and  Demetria  ( nee David ) Aquino  of Mangaldan . Serafin is the son of Pepito  Serafica  who passed  away  a few months ago in Mangaldan while on vacation  at his daughter Rose's home  in  Mangaldan . Serafin called me to give details about our class' participation in the 2008 Diamond Jubilee Celebration of our Alma Mater , Santo Tomas Catholic School ( was STHS ) . I learned of the couple's plan to visit Vancouver when he asked about the weather . In short , I could not let the opportunity to see  them  slip by  , so I offered  to pick them up from the airport  and bring them  around as a tour guide . They arrived on the 24th of July , 2007 . The next day ,  we took the ferry to Victoria . Our first stop was The Butchart Garden which  they enjoyed immensely .

      

Marie , Rebecca and Serafin  at the Ferry to Victoria , B.C.

Serafin and Rebecca inside the ferry  to Victoria , B.C.

The road leading to the Butchart Garden ..

   

At the entrance of  the Butchart Garden

Inside the Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens ...

Rebecca and Serafin sitting  at the Parliament Building grounds  with the Empress Hotel as background  amidst  the colourful flowers.

The next day  after the Victoria trip , we picked up Venus Jimenez Dioquino ,( who  is Serafin and my '59 batchmate ) at Metrotown where we had lunch , then proceeded  to Lynn Valley  Swinging Bridge , then to Horseshoe Bay , had a quick visit at  my place to meet Remo and  finally  met with other Mangaldanians  at Pin Pin Restaurant for supper .

 

Venus , Marie , Serafin and Rebecca at Metrotown  Food  Court

At the entrance of the  Lynn Valley  Swinging Bridge in North Vancouver , B.C.

Rebecca and Serafin  ready to  cross the  Lynn  Valley Swinging Bridge ...Watch your steps ...

The foursome , Serafin , Rebecca , Venus and Marie  at the Horseshoe Bay Ferry  Terminal ..

A stopover at our place and finally meeting  Remo personally and  a short tour  of his garden ....

Venus , Rebecca and Serafin  having a taste of Remo's organically grown  fruits ....

Supper at Pin Pin Restaurant in Vancouver , B. C.

At the restaurant  are  ( seated ) Marie A. Junio , Venus J. Dioquino , Estrella M. Espinosa , Norma Mejia and  Tia Ester Mejia . Standing are  Pepe Tan , Rebecca , Serafin , Mona Tan and Rusty C. Miraflor ..

The group had  another  picture for the road .. The next  day , Serafin  and Rebecca  left Vancouver to drive to Alberta : to Banf , Jasper and Lake Louise and Edmonton ...Thanks for your visit , Afin and Becky  ! ! !

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Another couple I spotted  in Richmond  Shopping Centre  was  Rebecca  ( nee  De Vera ) and  Manuel  Mejia  who are based in Edmonton , Alberta . Rebecca is  the sister of Angie  D. Encarnacion , our  present Treasurer of MAREVA .  Rebecca and Manny  came to spend some time with the Encarnacions ..

Manny and  Rebecca                                                  Manny , Rebecca , Marie , Angie  and  Mike

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Classmates , whether in elementary school or high school or even college ( or university ) have always a special bond  . Their paths may lead them to different paths and different  places but that bond will alway be there .

When  Fe Mercado  came to visit  her sister  Perla in Vancouver , her elementary schoolmates  were on hand  for a mini  reunion . Rusty  Cervas Miraflor , Norma  Mejia  and Mona  Lopez  Tan  are  Fe's  elementary  pals . Unfortunately  , Mona  had to work  ... Fe is  married to Gunther  Lattmann  and they reside in  Germany .

In the picture are Marie ,Rusty , a German friend , Perla , Fe and Norma  at the barbecue party hosted by Perla ...

 

The three  former classmates , Norma , Fe  and  Rusty .

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The latest  visitor  to Vancouver  was  Evelyn De Vera  Vasquez  and her family . They are residents of Portland , Oregon . They visited  her cousin  Josie De Vera Flores and her family  who are based in Vancouver , who now owns an eatery  in the International  Food  Fair in  Hornby Street , Vancouver . You are  all welcome to drop by her  restaurant if you feel like eating some Filipino  food . Evelyn is another  elementary school classmate  of Rusty , Mona and Norma . However , this time , Norma  was not able to join  the  "mini " reunion  of  "saramay  sankaklase nanlapud inki ogao da ".

Introducing  Josie's restaurant  in downtown Vancouver  called C & C.( meaning "kain ng kain"  kono . )Behind the counter  are Miniang ( Herminia) De Vera , the chef ; her husband  Ermie ( Guillermo ) De Vera , brother of  Josie ; Josie  D. Flores , owner -proprietor , and Evelyn D . Vasquez.

    

 

Josie with Mona , Evelyn , Evelyn , Rusty and Marie  in front of Josie's restaurant . 

The newest  Mangaldanian " customers "  of Josie's  C & C  restaurant ; Rusty , Evelyn , Mona , Marie  with the enterprising proprietor , Josie.

   

I wonder how these three classmates looked  in Grade 1 when  they started  to be  classmates ?

I  like to take this opportunity , too , to congratulate our kabaleyan Josie De Vera  Flores for embarking  on this  eatery  business . It takes  hard work , patience and guts to  start this business  in this very competitive world . It has been her dream  to start a small  eatery  and now she did it  ! ! ! I  wish  you  luck  and  more success  in this  undertaking , Josie . 

Comments

[Karen Mazur]

Thank you Marie. Do you have any suggestions on how I may locate her? Best wishes.
Sincerely, K

[Marie Aquino Junio]

Hello , Karen , the Venus that you read about in this website is not the same Venus that you worked with in Saudi . First of all , her last name is Dioquino not Dioquini as you wrote . She had never worked in Saudi , too . So , unfortunately , you have to search more for your friend .. Good luck . Thanks for your e-mail ..

Marie

[Karen Mazur]

Hello: I was searching for a good friend that worked with me in Riyadh Saudi Arabia from 1990-1994. I have tried searching Orlando Florida where her son Herbie was living but his number has been disconnected. Can you please advise if Venus Jimenez Dioquini is the same Venus I worked with in saudi? I would love to contact her. If it is Venus, please ask her to contact me at km28412@yahoo.com.
Venus was working in the laundery dept and I was an investigator in the security dept. Venus had a beautiful voice and was often asked to sing for royal family members.
Thank you, Karen

[Marie Aquino Junio]

Hi, Connie , I will let Evelyn know about your comments in case she has not read it yet . With regards to her Mom , Tia Liling , she is now with Our Lord . I will let Evelyn call you , if that is alright with you . She is supposed to be back in Vancouver soon , to help her cousin Josie in their restaurant.

Thanks for writing ..

Marie

[Connie de Vera-Labonte]

Hello, Eve!
It's great to see you in the picture with your former classmates, Rusty and Mona! Didn't realize that you went to school together. This is atchi Baby from Edmonton. Haven't heard from you for quite a while now. How's Tia Leling? Please give our love to her. Regards to Conrad also.

God bless!

Your cousin,
atchi Connie (Baby)

[Marie A. Junio]

Hi, Pec ,

Yes , the lady with Rusty and Mona is the former Evelyn De Vera ( now Vasquez ), the only daughter of Tia Liling, with three brothers , Ronnie ( my former classmate ) , Arthur and Conrad . Ronnie and Arthur are now deceased . Conrad now lives in Bataan . She might be coming back to Vancouver to help her cousin Josie at the eatery , at the middle of September , so I will extend your " ampetapetang ya kumustam ." I am sure she remembers you as her backyard neighbour ...

Atchi Marie

[pec visperas]

Hi Atchi Marie! Nice photos.Just curious, I'm pretty sure that's atchi Eve de Vera, the only daughter of Tia Liling? her bros are kuyas Ronnie, Arthur and Condrad, our backyard neighbour in Kapit? Please say hello for me I'm not sure if she remembers me.it's been a long long time. talking about 40 years?