Vancouver With Love

Special Day Of All Mothers

  

Today , May  10 , marks  our  annual  celebration  of  Mother's Day . It  has  been  always  a  special  day  for  me . It always  gives  me  the  opportunity  and  an  excuse  to  browse  and  look  for the  best  card  I  could  find  for  my  mother . However  , it  has   been   almost  three  years  since  my  mother  passed   on .  Her  death  has  not  diminished   my  enthusiasm  and  desire  to  honor  her  on  this  special  day . 

This  time  I  did  not  get  a  Mother's  Day  card   for  her  but  I  composed  a  short  and  simple  tribute (  poem )  to  her  in  her  beloved  Pangasinan  dialect . It  is  called  an  " anlong "  in  Pangasinense  ( our  dialect ) ...It  is  also  dedicated  to   all  mothers  .

 

My  mother , Severina ( a.k.a. Treching ) , among  her  well tended  flowers in Mangaldan , a  few  years  before  she  passed  on  .

 

 

 

    

   INA

Ngaran  ya   pinabpablik ,

Pibitlay  dilak ,

Manleplepwas  ed  liket  so  pusok 

Diad  pakanengneng  ko  ed  si  Inak . 

 

No  anggapo  si  Inak  ed  diking  ko 

Agaylay  pakakailiw  ko 

Anggano  anto  ya  ligliwa  so  iter  diad  siak 

Ag onkori  no  anggapo  si  Inak .

 

Liket  tan kayamanan  nagamuran  ko  man 

No  anggapo  si  Inak  ya  pangiteran 

Duma duma  so liknaan kon  siansia . 

Anapin  koy  pangiteran  kon  si Ina . 

 

Say  Ina   balet  agto kaukulan ,

So  kuarta  o  kayamanan . 

Saray  anak  to  so  ligliwa   tod  sayan  bilay . 

Panangaro  tan  panserbi  lawas  so  iter  ton  naynay . 

 

No  ontan  sirin  anggad  kapigan 

So  panayam  tayo  ed  sayan  kamundoan 

Iter  tayo  so kanipegan  tan  panangaro  

Ed  saray   ka  inaan  tayo . 

By  Marie  Aquino  Junio 

HAPPY   MOTHER'S   DAY   ! ! ! ! ! GOD  BLESS   ALL   MOTHERS  ! ! !

                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                   

 

A Ladies' Night For Three Birthday Girls

September has been an  important month  for me and many of my friends . Important  dates  range  from  my  eldest son's   birthday  , few  of my  nieces  , marriage ( wedding ) of  my  youngest  son  to my  best  friend 's  daughter , my  mother's  death  anniversary   and  birthdays  of  my  closest  friends  and  my  inaanaks  and  of course , the birthday  of " Aliguas Mangaldan  " on September  26 . Right in Vancouver , three  persons  close to  me  celebrate  their birthdays  two days  apart .  Rusty  C. Miraflor ,  Gina Carvajal Perez  , and Carolyn  Carvajal  Cox   were  all  born   on the same  month  ..What  better way  to celebrate  a threesome  birthday  than  have  a ladies'  night  out  ? ! ?

The  " shared " birthday  cake  of  the  three celebrants..

The birthday  "gals " , Rusty  Cervas Miraflor , Gina  Carvajal  Perez  and   her sister  Carolyn Carvajal  Cox .

Gina   was born  on September 22nd   and   Rusty  and  Carol  have the same birthdays  , September 24 . There  was  no  better  way   to celebrate  their birthdays  than to  plan  a  date  closest   to  both  dates  . Each  had  their  own  appointments  to  keep , so  September  26th  became the  day  available   to them  and  to  us  non-celebrants  which was a doubly  important day   to me  . The venue  was  the  Flamingo  Chinese  Restaurant in Cambie  street . It is very  seldom  that  we find  time  to  be  together  and  enjoy  moments  with  each  other  . So , this special day  was  our  Ladies' Night . It was just  a  simple  get- together , no husbands  and  no kids . It was not  an easy  task  to  do to round  up  the  three , but  we  did  it . There were  seven  of us ,  Rusty  and  her   daughter   MG ,  Gina , Carol  , Tess  Carvajal  Marier , my  daughter Charmagne  and me .

    

The ladies  seated are  MG , Rusty , Carol , Gina . Standing are  Marie , Charmagne  and  Tess  Carvajal Marier .

The  birthday  gals  blowing  the  candles  of their  " shared  "  mocha  cake .

The  celebrant , Rusty , with  her  daughter MG

Sisters  Carol  and  Gina ...

 

Marie  and  daughter  Charmagne ......

Tess  C. Marier  and  Charmagne ..

It  was  a  fun  night , no  stress  , no interruptions  in  our  three  hour  long  dinner ..In fact , we were  the last  customer  in the  restaurant  to leave .It was truly   a ladies  night ..

HAPPY  BIRTHDAYS  TO  THE  THREE LADIES , RUSTY , GINA  AND  CAROL  ! ! !  GOD  BLESS  YOU  ALL  ! ! !         

A Special Visit to Vancouver By A Special Friend

Lita Sarzaba  Torio  finally  realized her dream  of  joining her family  in the USA  and Canada . She arrived  in Seattle  on Father's day  , June 17th , 2007  to join  her husband  , Carlito ( also  called  Caloy ) and her  three  sons  who  live with  Caloy  in Seattle .  A daughter  , Christine , and her family  live in   South Carolina .  The  eldest  daughter  , Claire , lives  here in Vancouver  with  her  husband , Jes  Alejandria.

Lita and I have a special relationship . We were classmates since  we were in the elementary grades  in Mangaldan Central School till  we were in Santo Tomas Catholic School  ( formerly STHS ) . I became  a sponsor ( Ninang ) when  Claire and Jes  got married in Vancouver in August  1994 . Lita  came as a visitor  to Vancouver  to  attend her daughter's  wedding   thirteen  years ago .

So , when she finally arrived in the States as a new   immigrant , I could hardly wait  to see  her  here in Vancouver . Unfortunately , I was away  when  she  and  Caloy  came  to  Vancouver  a  week  after  our   Canadian  Thanksgiving  Day  which was in October  8th .

On November 11th , Remembrance Day , Caloy  and she came  back to visit  Claire and Jes  in Vancouver  . I  joined them  at  the Alejandria  residence after the Sunday  mass . Jes ' mother , Mare' Fe , his  sister Lorie  , his brother Noel  and  a family friend , Lily , were  present , too . We had  some very  delicious  lunch  which were jointly prepared by  Claire , Carlito  and Lorie  and  I brought  dessert  with me . In other words , it was almost a potluck ... We had lots of reminishing  , as usual  during and after  mealtime.. Unfortunately  , Caloy and Lita had to leave for Seattle that evening .. It was  a short  but sweet  visit  with  an  old  friend ..They promised to visit again ...

Jes  took some  pictures , which  I am  posting  here ..

Lita's arrived in Seattle  , Washington on June 17th , 2007 . She was met by Caloy , Claire , Jes , Joe Boy  Jan Jan , Julius and Lordwynn .

                                                                         

Marie and Lita  in Vancouver , B.C.  on November 11th , 2007

Marie , Lita  , Jes' Mom , Kumare Fe  and Lily   posed for posterity ..

Lita , Marie  and Caloy  ready to dig in the  delicious  food ..

 

It is always  a  pleasure  to spend  a  special time    with  special  friends ..Welcome back , Lita . Come see us again ....                                                                                                                

Close Encounters with Mangaldanians in The Lone Star State

                     

After 5 days  in Playa  Del Carmen  in attendance to a wedding , I  left  with  my brother  and his family  to Houston  , where  his  daughter , Imelda  Aquino Kerr  and her family  are based . Her husband  met us at the airport  and  we  proceeded to their home in the Cypress area . We  spent  the night  with her  family .   

Imelda Aquino Kerr with husband Robert , daughter Kayla , Marie  and  daughter Jessica .

The next day , we went to Belen ( nee Quinto )  and Frank Cariaga's house in  Missouri City , an outskirt of Houston . Belen was my childhood buddy so we had  a long chat and reminishing of our Adelina  St.( Manila ) summer  holiday  adventures . They took  us to  NASA and to the Kemah  Boardwalk . We went  citrus  fruit picking in their Sugarland property  and had a short  visit with her  daughter  and  family . 

Belen , Frank , Inge and Marie  preparing breakfast at  the Cariaga residence .

Breakfast time for  ( L-R ) Marie , Kuya Andrew , Inge , Belen , Frank  And Andre ( standing )

 

    Andre trying to  get the ripe calamansi ..And  notice the bananas  ? Reminds us of the Philippines , I should say ...

What we are holding are pomelos or lukban ..This looks like our backyards in the  Philippines ...

Childhood buddies Belen and Marie

Belen's daughter Stephanie and husband John  Timon  at their home ...

Picture taken  in front of Frank and Belen's house  in Missouri City , Houston .

We had a short tour of the Kemah  Boardwalk , a popular spot  in the Houston area ..That concludes our reunion with  Belen and Frank . Thank you Belen and  Frank  for entertaining us for two days . It was really a pleasure  to be with you .

In Houston , I was also invited  by  Karina  ( nee Cendana ) and Rene Soriano  and  the Cendana family . Karina and Rene  and their kids  were former residents of Toronto , Canada  . Atchi Irene  was there , too  , and she was  as excited  as  I  was to see  her  and  everybody  in the Cendana  family  after  so many years .  Andre  and I  went to join  them at  the Sunday  Mass  in their  parish  followed  by breakfast  in one of the eateries  nearby .   

At the restaurant where Karina  took us for  lunch , I was at the same table with  my  STHS  class '59  batchmate  Alfie  Cendana  , Kuya Jaime  Cendana  and Atchi  Irene  Samson  Halfaker .

 

Atchi Irene  brought us  to her house  after  lunch at the restaurant . The  group paused for a photo  before  the next activity .. Taking more pictures inside the  house .  The photographs  on the coffee table are  of  her  children and their families . George , one of his sons live with her ...

Another " borbor  na calamansi " in Atchi Irene's front yard .  My nephew , Andre  could not believe  there are tiny  lemons  "again "  in  one city . But he likes eating them . Alfie , Rene  and the others ( not shown )  picked all  the available  ones . Dagdaiset so kira  but Atchi  Irene  who said , " andi bali ta bunga lan bunga ".

Then we  proceeded  to Karina  and Rene 's  residence . Karina started cooking  pakbet,  inkalot ya bangus  and  Filipino  style  beefsteak . It was a welcome treat  after  eating  too much  meat  and fried food  at  Mexico .. Karina's  Mom , Atchi Puring  ( nee Torralba )  and Dad , Pete Cendana , her daughter  Stefie  and son Martin , her  sister  Menchu and husband Eric  Pasaoa  and son Lawrence ,  cousin Julius and Rachel  Cendana  , Atchi Irene  Samson  Halfaker  , Alfie  and daughter Hazel  C. Badong and  Kuya Jaime  were  all present  during the get together .

 

Atchi Puring ( nee Torralba ) and Kuya  Pec  Cendana  in   Houston , Texas ..

Picture  taken at Karina and Rene 's home . Seated are ( L-R ) Rachel , Irene , Marie ,Stefie and Andre . Standing are ( L-R) Martin , Alfie , Kuya Jimmy , Karina , Rene and Julius .

Karina , her uncles  Al and Jimmy getting ready  for the Filipino  dinner ...

Andre Aquino and  Julius Cendana in an animated conversation with  Rene , Atchi  Irene and Rachel  in the background .

This  picture includes Atchi Puring and Kuya Pec , Menchu and Eric  and son Lawrence , Karina and Rene ,  Alfie  and daughter Hazel , Jimmy , Atchi Irene and son George , Andre and  Marie .

Thanks for the great company and " homegrown " entertainment  , a truly Mangaldanian  trait .

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The next destination was  Kingsville where my brother Andrew and Inge and son Andre live . Time for  laundry  and some time off before  venturing to the next destination . Kingsville is a small city  whose revenue comes from the  Celanese  Chemical Plant , the Navy  Base and the Kings Ranch .

 

Next  stop  was  Corpus Christi , a  nice  seaside  city  with  nice tall  buildings ...

    

Close to  the water  is  Selena's memorial . Selena  was the popular Spanish singer  slain  by  her lady manager . The city of Corpus Christi  loves her so  a memorial was erected ..

                                                                                 My nephew Andre  and me  with the city's backdrop .... 

After  going to Corpus Christi , we went on  to  Austin . On our way  , we passed  through San Marcos  where  Andre attended  and graduated  at  the Texas  State University  . It was another  beautiful little  city  where the university  was  situated close to the water . 

This is the San Marcos  skyline .

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Our next destination was Austin , the capital of Texas . It was hot when we arrived  at Yolanda's house. We were tempted to  have a dip  in her swimming pool  but the water was cold to the touch so  we  decided to  enjoy the confines  of the  air -cooled  house . After a short rest , we decided to do some grocery shopping . I found out that  Austin  is the home  of  Whole Foods whose products are organically grown  and environmentally friendly  and which we have now in West  Vancouver , B. C. where  my co-editor  Djoma  de Guzman works .

 

We  were   enjoying a movie  at Yolanda's  mini  movie theatre  converted from a  family  room .

The next day , we went around  the quaint city . First stop was the state capitol where  we took some pictures  and roamed around the grounds .

We call this the  "Krypton Building" for its likeness to Superman's  home ..

Saturday  October 13th  was  a much anticipated day . It was a day we were  to visit  the Domagas sisters and their families. Through the  courtesy  and efforts  of Father Pal ( Reynaldo )  Domagas  , I was able  to track  down her sisters Marie , Liya and Raquel  and  I made sure  we would meet  their families . We were supposed to have  brunch with them but  we were  delayed  . By the time we reached their place  we were ready  for  lunch . Liya cooked , catering to  the taste buds of her guests , German -American  Inge , American - Filipino  Yolanda , American  Andre  and  two 100% Filipinos  . She made an excellent  refreshing   fresh  fruit  smoothies  which we totally enjoyed .. Unfortunately , Raquel  was  working  so we were not able to meet  her .

Auntie Marie with  Marie Domagas  Keithley , Michelle Le and Liyah  Laya  at  the front porch  of Liyah's  house .

Picture at the Laya  residence  with  Andre , Marie J. Marie K. Michelle , Inge , Liya , Yolanda  and  Kuya Andrew  ready   for "chow time ".

The  grandchildren of the "Grand Dame " Rebecca  A. Domagas ; sitting  are Marielle , Janel and Savannah . Standing are  Adriel, Marie , Michelle holding Brandon .

Little Brandon Le  "flirting " with  Auntie Yolanda . Actually , he was showing his chin  to  Yolanda which was bitten  by a dog  that he might have been smothering  with his kisses . He is just recovering  from that bite . According to Father Pal  and I quote , " When he was  in the Philippines  last July , he was often surrounded  by lovely ' chicks ' and  he  was  having  a ball ."

The Le family ;  Brandon , Mom Michelle , Savannah and Dad Long ...

The Laya  family ; Janel , Marielle , Dad  Renan , Mom Liya and  Adriel .

The get together at Round Rock  rounded  the Domagases ( and families ) and the Aquinos ..

Thanks  Liya  for your  cooking  and being   invited in your  house and thanks for everybody's presence and great  camaraderie you showed us . It was  great to be with you all ...

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The final leg of the Texan tour  was at San Antonio  where  my  newly married niece , Andrea  and new husband Tony live .  From Liya's house  in Austin  , we proceeded to  Andrea's place , where the two had been waiting for us . We arrived just after  five o'clock  in the afternoon . After  a 30 minute  rest , I was whisked  to  the most popular place in San Antonio , the River Walk . Nobody  goes to San Antonio without experiencing it . Arriving at the place  , I was awe strucked  with  the place . A river  at the center  of the city  was turned into  a " watering  hole " .  It reminds me of  Venice . The difference is  one could walk  continuously  and eat when hungry  without  going away from the river . However , River Walk has its own  character  and beauty .   

   That 's us  below  at the River  Walk  ready to  walk along  the  river . The weather  was beautiful , not too hot  but comfortably  warm .

   

Why are we looking up in this picture ? The guy who took our picture , the waiter , is not a six footer one .. He just stood on a high chair .. Why ? I really don't  know ...That  menu we ordered  was  Tex-Mex food . Everybody was hungry  but  they were huge servings . We had to "doggie bag " the left-overs .

Margaritas with raspberries tasted yummy  but they were too much  but can't doggie bag it ..Try the Rio , Rio restaurant  when you are in San Antonio . The  food is really great  ! !

A picture  with the family  which include the two pooches  ,  Bella  and  Cookie .  The next  morning , Andrea and Andre  took me to the  airport  for an early  flight . Believe it or not , Andrea was like a mother hen  who packed  my  full day's  meal  least the two airlines  won't  feed  me .. They did not ... So  thanks a lot , Andrea for not letting me starved  at the Salt Lake City airport  where I took my  connecting flight to Vancouver , on time to experience the cold spell  sweeping   the area .

Thanks  to my  brother and his family , this whole trip  was   totally , totally  wonderful . Thanks to our  kabaleyans  who  entertained  me  and made  me  feel  as part of their families and made me feel important . THANK  YOU  SO MUCH  TO  ALL  OF  YOU   WHO  MADE  MY TRIP  WORTH  REMEMBERING , BY BEING THERE WITH  ME .   

MARIE

A Young Man On The Go

John Paul was only 14 years old  when his family  left the Philippines to emigrate here in Canada. The family includes Gene , his father , Dolly ( Dolores Cervas ) , his sisters Jessilie , Lara  and Faye .

Leaving the town ( or country ) , relatives and friends  has always been  a difficult task. However , our desire  for adventure  and supposedly a better life  override  all the fears  of a new and unchartered life .

Gene and Dolly Catungal  have worked hard to bring their four kids  in the best possible way . Education is an important  aspect  in their upbringing . This encouragement  given by Gene and Dolly  have paid off when they started their  new life here in Vancouver .

John Paul , the eldest of the Catungal  children  was halfway through his 2nd year  at the UST High School Dept. when the Family left the Philippines  in 1999 .He continued his secondary education at the Moscrop Secondary School where he graduated  with an  Exemplary  Student  Award . He went on to Simon Fraser University  for a Bachelor's  Degree , major in Geography and minor in Sociology . With the continues support of his parents  , he  decided to pursue  Geography, Urban studies and Sociology . As a student at SFU, he became  a part of  research team  that created  a directory  of multiculturalism  expertise in B.C.

He received various awards upon his graduation . He graduated as the top at the Department of Geography.                                                                                                                                                He continued on  for his Master's Degree in Geogra phy   at  the University of Toronto . He earned a Fellowship at the university  to help him in his  finances .  He also   works as a Research Assistant  in the Cultural Economy Lab  and as a teaching assistant  for the Dept . of Geography .

When  I saw Paul during our  MAREVA picnic on  Aug. 3 , he looks like a regular  guy . He looks  very boyish  as I knew him  before  he went to  university . What struck me was his determination  to  pursue his studies to the highest level  possible  and concentrate  on teaching  and research  ( after   finishing his Doctoral work ) at a  university level . He plans to do fieldwork  in the Philippines and the United States  , which will  enable him  to go back to his homeland and  probably  help Mangaldan's  town planning  and zoning . Is this another of my wistful thoughts , Paul ?          

     This is  the John Paul who misses  the forests  and the ocean  in Vancouver . He also enjoys travelling  and he will be attending conferences in different parts of the world  in the next few  years .

  This is the Catungal family;   Lara , Faye , Gene ( father ), Dolly ( nee Cervas ) Jessielie and  John  Paul . Incidentally , he was named  after  our Pope John Paul who visited the Philippines  before  Paul's birth .

Good luck , Paul , and   may  you be a  great example of our  young  emigrants  in Canada , who wants to be a part of the national dream  , a dream attainable through   hard work  and  higher ideals .                                       

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 . 

An 85th Birthday : A Special Milestone For a Special Person

It  is with great  pleasure  to post an article  about the 85th  birthday  celebration of one of our  kabaleyans  who  had made a lot of difference  when  she was  still  with the Mangaldan  Elementary  School  system and is still making a lot of difference  to a lot of our kabaleyans , Mrs. Filomena  Tamondong  Palisoc , who is  now a resident of  California  with her  husband  , Federico Palisoc .

I received  this e-mail  with attached pictures from Darryl  Sarzaba , Tia Feling's grandson  and son of Dick and Ditas  ( nee  Palisoc ) Sarzaba:

Lola Feling Turns 85 – written by Darryl Sarzaba
This 4th of July was a day of celebrating American independence with great BBQ and great company.  More importantly, it was also the celebration of my Lola Filomena Tamondong Palisoc's 85th birthday with her close family and friends.  Filomena was born in Mangaldan on July 4, 1922 and is married to Federico Palisoc.  They were blessed with 3 children – Ditas, Gerardo ( aka Dadong ) and Ferdinand ( Dindo for short ) .  After retiring as a teacher at the Mangaldan Central School, she and her husband migrated to Canada in the 80's.  Soon after they migrated to the United States to join their daughter Ditas.

    Lola Feling celebrated her intimate birthday gathering in South San Francisco, California on a bright summer day.  Early in the morning, she had already received birthday calls from as far as Los Angeles, Texas, Washington, and Canada – showing her broad friendbase.  Among those present at the gathering were the Oca, Barrozo, Cancino, and Marron families. Also present were the Pacis, Romero and Sarzaba families.  With a plethora of delicious Filipino food on the table, along with hours of karaoke and reminiscing stories, Lola "Feling's" celebration was full of memorable moments and good moods.

Happy 85th Birthday Lola Feling!!  May you continue to be healthy and strong, and may you live many more years!

 

  This is our  dear Mrs. Filomena  T. Palisoc , known as  Tia Feling Palisoc  to many of  her  colleagues and  to  her former students at the Mangaldan Central  School .

  Tia Feling  with her  friends  during  her  birthday celebration  . From left to right ; Michelle Romero Daluz,Ally Romero ,Rudy Oca , Charito Oca  and daughter , Dick and Ditas Sarzaba , Teresita Oca ( partly hidden by the flower arrangement , singa kayo mi aamotan , Atchi ), Angie Pacis , Remy Barrozo , Gilda Oca ,  Carol Oca , Thelma Sarzaba Romero, Corazon Marron , the Celebrant  , Tia  Feling  Palisoc  and Pamela Romero .

Tia  Feling with  her family  and  lady friends . Standing are :  Carol and Teresita  Oca , Remy Barrozo , Gilda  Oca  , Thelma S. Romero , Angie Biagtan Pacis , Lita Oca , and Ditas P. Sarzaba , daughter  of the celebrant . Seated are :  Ally Romero , Michelle Romero Daluz , Pamela Romero , Celebrant Feling Palisoc and  Corazon Marron .

   And  here of course is the highlight of the  birthday  celebration , blowing of the candles  on her birthday cake ...

The Mangaldanians in Vancouver wish you a VERY HAPPY  BIRTHDAY , dear  Tia Feling . GOOD LUCK , GOOD HEALTH  AND  GOD  BLESS  YOU ! ! ! 

MARIE

Old Neighborhoods Never Die , They Just Fade

It  was  a busy and eventful  week for me .. My old neighborhood friends  and I finally  met  after decades of not seeing  each other .

The Almonte's ( parents are Tio Jose and Tia Sidring ) family house  was just a stone's throw  from  our   family  ancestral home in Bari , Mangaldan , Pangasinan.  The Almonte children , Atchi Remy, Atchi Lita , Atchi Erlie , Lilia, Pito , Merly and  Cora  were  a part of my  childhood .There were two more boys  born  after Cora , Manuel ( based in Guam ) and John ,( based in Vallejo , California )  but I never had the chance  to  know  them well .

When Cora Almonte  Lindayen called me  after reading my postings in  aliguasmangaldan.net , I was  very  pleasantly surprised . Then she mentioned  about  the Alaska Cruise  which she and her youngest son  would join  and their short stay in Vancouver . We were both quite excited to see each other . While waiting for the days  for the cruise , we exchanged e-mails .

Then Cora  had a mini reunion  in California  with some of her  elementary  schoolmates  ( see  posting on " A  Special Mini-Reunion in CA " posted in June 26th ,2007 ).  A few days after  meeting her  former classmates , she  arrived in Vancouver with her son  LJ  ( Cora's youngest son ), her kumare Linda  and  her brother Pito and his wife Fely ( nee Soriano  from Osiem ) from New Jersey . I went to see them  at their hotel at the Holiday Inn in Hastings and Renfrew . They  were billeted  at the wrong Holiday Inn  ( Richmond  ) . Cora  was so excited at the airport  that she  boarded  the first Holiday Inn  shuttle  bus without  asking where  it was going .It took another  hour and a half before  they arrived at the designated hotel  where I was waiting . They were famished  and ready  to drop ! So I brought them to the closest Chinese  restaurant  which turned out to have  good  food .Then we went to visit  Noel  Abrera  and his  family  and  his in-laws . They served us a big  meriendacena which  became our  dinner .  The next  day  we went to the Queen Elizabeth Park  .  I  managed to call  some Mangaldanians  so Rusty ( Cervas Miraflor ) and I arranged  lunch at the Flamingo restaurant  with  our  "kabaleyan visitors "

  First stop was at a Chinese restaurant .Everybody was starving . In the picture  are (L-R) LJ, Cora ,Marie, Linda , Fely and Pito  .   

This group picture shows Marie ,Linda, Fely and Pito in the front row.  Standing from left are Noel Abrera  ( nephew of Pito and Cora  and son of Merly ), his wife Rowena , Cora  , Noel's mother -in-law Tita and his father -in-law Pete Sanchez , carrying grandson Nathaniel ( first child of Noel and Rowena ).

   

Linda , Marie , Cora and Pito  by the fountain in Queen Eilzabeth Park .

Picture below shows LJ,Cora, Linda and Pito  at the Queen Elizabeth Park . LJ was the only kid in the group  and we can't blame him  if  he  was  bored . He loves taking pictures so  he was not in most pictures ." Man anos kilabat balet no sikato so man ala na picture because  mabayag  ya  man click na camera . Naba aw so imis  yo ed  kabayag yon man alagar, right LJ ?  Please translate , Cora ....

                                                                           

During a  short stroll  at the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal , we had a chance  encounter with  Tess ( Carvajal ) Marier  and  her friend Keith .. Here are the strollers , Cora, Pito ,Linda , Marie ,Tess  and  Keith .

The next pictures were taken at the  Flamingo  Chinese  Restaurant  where  some  Mangaldanian residents  of Vancouver  joined us .

Rusty , Marie , former classmates  Ike and Cora and Marilou  ( Ike's  wife ) and  Linda , Cora's friend and kumare .

The  photo below shows  Pito , Pepe, Mona , Mrs. Ester Mejia , Estrella Mejia Espinosa , Briggy Miraflor, Rusty (Cervas ) Miraflor  and Norma Mejia  at the next table .

The  "Young Once " Pito , Mona , Marie , Estrella , Norma , Cora ,Rusty , Ike  and Pepe ( STHS and MNHS alumni ) .

The  MAREVA's who  welcomed  Cora, Pito and companions...

Former high  school  classmates ( in MNHS ) Cora Almonte Lindayen from Mangaldan  and Ike De Vera from San Fabian   but an " adopted " son of Mangaldan .

At the hotel  room with  Linda , Cora , Marie and  Rusty . Cora and Linda  who are both from  Vallejo , California  feasted  on fresh sweet lanzones , atis, guavas and santol  which are not available in the USA. Cora and Pito discovered  that they are closely related  with Rusty and so  we hung around the hotel longer talking  about  the reconnection and  the past .                                                                   

After  the above pictures were taken , Cora and her companions joined the Alaska Cruise  for  7 days .

I am adding a few  pictures  during the cruise. The group having a formal dinner  in the ship and Cora  at the ship deck  against the glaciers.

The next pictures  were taken when they came back  from the cruise . I picked them up from the Days Inn  at Surrey  and we  went shopping at Aberdeen Shopping mall in Richmond  where we found "Post Canada Day bargains ". Then off we went to  Point Roberts , Washington , where  we stayed for the night . Point Roberts is  a small  peninsula ( surrounded  by water  ) in the  USA where life is idyllic  and  has  a barrio-like atmosphere ( away from the hustle and bustle of  the city ). The  US-Canada  border  is after Tsawwassen, Delta , and is a 30 minute drive from  Vancouver . Here are some pictures in Point Roberts . ( I am posting Cora's  picture in her  younger years ( 3rd year  college ) to "jar"  your memories )

  The  three " bargain hunters "showing off their "loots ". Linda  is now an adopted  daughter  of Mangaldan ..Welcome to the world of the Mangaldanians , Linda  ! ! !

It was breakfast time  with pan de sal , kaling ya pinka , eggs ( from our own free-range chickens ) , insanglil  ( fried rice ) and Mangaldan chocolate ..

Linda, LJ and Cora  trying  to  reach for the few  ripe  cherries  in this small cherry  tree .

    This is Cora  by the fig tree which is loaded  with  fruits ( but  not ready to eat yet )

Cora , Marie and Linda by the poppy flowers and raspberry bush ..Notice my  hand full of organic but tiny strawberries ? They  are sweeter that the ones in the market ....

It  was time  to say goodbye  so  we  posed   for posterity  ( anggano  abangking lamay painting  nen Monet ya  awitin to lawari nen LJ ) 

It was  hard to say  goodbye  but  they have to go to their home sweet home  in California . I  am  sure  this will be  the start  of  more  visits and  communication  between  my  childhood  buddies , right , guys ?? The days  that I spent with my childhood  friends was so  fruitful and exciting , specially  when  we  talked  about  our  experiences  during  our younger  years . Truly , ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART  GROWS  FONDER !!!! See you again sometime ...

A Special mini-reunion in CA

When Pec Visperas ( based in Sydney , Australia  with his family ) e-mailed  me to say  that  his  dear  wife , Tessie ( nee Biala )  would be visiting Vancouver  with some friends from California where she would be based , I  lost no time  in informing our  kabaleyans ( who know Tessie and her family ) here in Vancouver , about that visit . However , a few days later , I got another e-mail  from Pec informing me that  plans  were changed . She was going to meet her  classmates in  elementary school and  former neighbors in Mangaldan ( who are California residents ) before  joining her mother , Tia  Meding , ( who is   also visiting in Salinas ) and her siblings for a family reunion ). We were quite disappointed  but we understood.

Then a friend of mine, Amy Quinto Acorda , e-mailed me that  she would be getting together  with some elementary  schoolmates  as well as neighbors . I  was pleasantly surprised to learn that  Tessie , Marilou Marron Jue , Diana  Cendana  Lomibao ( who flew from her residence in Connecticut ) , Cora Almonte Lindayen  and Elisa  Quinto Smith were  all a part of that  mini-reunion that Pec  was talking about . I could  feel  the  anticipation  of  each  as  I communicated  with   three  of them . They had four wonderful days  to  bond . The group had " pajama " parties , first at Marilou's house  and  then at Cora's residence  in Vallejo  and  did  what  gals normally do ," tongtong  ya ag napolpoltot ", till the wee hours of the night . Here are some  pictures  showing  the  group  in their special  reunion .( Please click your "mouse" twice  to enlarge the pictures ).

   Here are  the beauties of Mangaldan in the balcony of Marilou's residence : From  L-R-Amy Q. Acorda, Tessie B. Visperas , Digna Marron Abreu, Marilou Marron Jue , Diana  Cendana  Lomibao and Del  Llobrera .

Marilou's garden was the next  venue  where the "oraca" was taken.

It looks  like  it  was " talent  night " . Was that young Bob Barker  at  the microphone interviewing Digna  or  were they doing a duet ? Looks like Tessie could hardly wait to show her talent , probably dancing . Marilou and Amy  are ready for their turns to show off their talents.

Next destination  was at Napa Valley . Cora A. Lindayen joined Diana C. Lomibao , Tessie B. Visperas and  Joper , Tessie and Pec's  son  .

The  foursome  and former classmates in Mangaldan Central  School . Why is Tessie  not with  them ? She must be  the "paparazzi "  of  Cora , Amy , Diana and Marilou .

The "young once "  ( and still young looking ), Amy ,Tessie, Cora ( standing ) Diana and Marilou in a  Filipino  restaurant ( ? ) And the  "young one " and only  guy in the group is Joper .

Is  this a part of your  beauty secret ? Water diet ? Ask Cora , Tessie , Diana  and Marilou..

Good  friends  and  first cousins  Diana , Elisa and Amy  dining out ....

Tessie ,  are you trying  to get out  of  your water diet  ? What a huge  halo-halo  ! !  Andi bali ta paminsan minsan met labat  so pangan moy  karakel ya ice cream .. help her Pec !

Are  Tessie  and son  Joper ready  to say  goodbye  to the girls  and board  the bus  to  Salinas ? It looks like you really had a great  time  with  your buddies, Tessie .. Include Vancouver in your travel itineraries  next time . Enjoy  the time with your  mother and siblings  in Salinas ....

A Heart Of Gold

 

It is not easy  to be recognized and more so  to  win  an award in a very highly competitive world , specially  away from our homeland. One has to go an extra mile , " beyond the box"  to earn such a distinction ..

So, where do I begin to tell the story  of a young man whose accomplishment has uplifted  the image  of our " Kabaleyans"   and  most  of all  our "Kababayans " in the  " BIG APPLE " ?

Father Reynaldo A. Domagas , also known as Pal , was born in Mangaldan , Pangasinan , to Rebecca  Aquino and the late Judge Roger Domagas  on May 17. 1957 . He is the second child  among  ten  siblings . Brought  up in a very religious  catholic  atmosphere  and influenced  by  his Uncle , Monsignor  Oscar  Aquino, he started his religious vocation  at the Binmaley  Minor Seminary in Pangasinan .

He continued his  religious  pursuit  at St. Patrick's  Major  Seminary  in Menlo Park in  California . After his  ordination in  Mangaldan , he stayed for a while in  town . Then he went on a  year long  internship at the University of California  Medical Center  in San Francisco, CA . after  which  he  received certification  from the National  Association of Catholic  Chaplains .

In 1997, Father  Domagas  became a resident  Chaplain  at  Beth  Israel Medical Center  in Manhattan , New York.  In February 2006 , his outstanding  dedication, performance and  contributions were recognized  by his colleagues  and  superiors  led  by  Dr. David  Shulkin , President  and  CEO of  Beth Israel Medical  Center in New York City .

The  threesome photo was taken on a summer day in New  York City with Mom Rebecca and Uncle Oscar-background is the backside of BIMC.                                             

Father Pal was awarded the Heart Award , one of  the  highest awards or honors  the BIMC  gives to the staff or employess . He is this year's  recipient  for providing the highest  quality  patient  care , with  compassion and concern  for the patient's well-being.                                                                            

This  very  significant event was acknowledged  and  published in the" Filipino Reporter ", a New York City newspaper , the clip  of which I posted below .

 

In  behalf  of  our  Mangaldan  Group  here in Vancouver, I wish to extend  our  congratulations  (though much  belated as  it is ) to our  dear  Kabaleyan , Father  Pal Domagas, for  a  job  very well done  (and  still being  done ). The award shows  that  Filipino  people , most  of all , Mangaldanians , can  excel  in  whatever  they  do , no matter  where  they ( or we )  are ...  We are truly proud of you , Father  Pal .