Dear Loved Ones,
Pleasant
Greetings from Manila, Philippines! However,
I have only a few days left for my return to CA on Oct. 4, so I am in the
middle of despedida outings, meet-ups with friends, free movies, and other
perks of senior citizenship in Pinas. Much Thanks God for this wonderful
vacation, bonding with family and friends, enjoying the blessings!
Life had been so hectic:
business meetings, lunch outs, daily Masses in Sto. Domingo or UP church,
Mondays/ Tuesdays free movies, shopping; including the 2-hours leadtime from
home to your appointments due to heavy traffic. Since it always rains in the
afternoons, I make sure to be home by 5pm to avoid being stranded by the floods
in the streets; oh well, makes Pinas life exciting and unpredictable.
After our mini-reunion of
high school mates and the fiesta rush of activities in Panglao, I was back in
Manila on August 30, with all bringhouse fiesta foods which lasted for the
entire month, supplemented by our Sunday trips to Ma mon luk mami / siopao.
This was a common favorite of Gerry and myself; and the veggies of Packo’s
restaurant, and other take-outs.
Other highlights:
·
September is the official start of Christmas season in Pinas; thus,
Christmas carols aired on the radio and decors on shopping malls were seen, and
greetings too;
·
Fairview Shipping staff are so tech-savvy to provide me with ‘pocket
wi-fi’ which I used at my condo to keep me internet connected that I did not
have to report to the office daily; it was so convenient to update my FB /
yahoo even if it was heavily raining outside;
·
Gerry and I had our semi-annual medical check-ups and blood chemistry;
for our internest and other specialists such as urology, EENT, and the
accompanying senior citizen discounts; nice to know we are in good physical
conditions – our most important wealth!
·
We visited our condo unit at 24H, 8 Forbestown Road, Bonifacio Global
City. Gerry was so impressed with the features and the 7th level
amenities; the picturesque Makati skyline and surrounding environment was
awesome; it was ready for acceptance but we were not prepared for it, maybe
early next year;
·
September 7 was Sarah’s birthday;
so we greeted her while we celebrated with lunch at MESA at SMNE, followed by
movie and shopping;
·
Had lunch with Arlene and Ozone at the Mediterranean Restaurant at the Podium
in Ortigas Center, updating on the operational status of our Nordic Ventures –
it was generating prosperity with brighter days ahead, especially since Ozone
is President of Norconsult, with Arlene and husband active in the company; The
following day, I joined them again for lunch at the I’m Angus Steakhouse in
Makati for the Philippines-Norway Business Council meeting, where we had
Senator Bam Aquino as speaker. I also talked with the new Norwegian ambassador
Erik who was very pleasant;
·
On Sep. 14, Gerry and I had dinner at Saisaki Makati with Doris and her
3 lovely daughters: Donna, Dulce, and Dolly. While I wanted to invite them for
my birthday, they were scheduled to leave on Thursday for their pilgrimage trip
to Europe for the beatification of Opus Dei Bishop Alvaro del Portillo in
Madrid, Spain;
·
I attended 3-days Opus Dei retreat with Fr. Carlos Abola, and had nice
Confession at Habihan Center; before typhoon Mario came in with strong winds
and heavy rains / floods;
·
Thanks God for the beautiful day / weather on Sat. Sep. 20, to celebrate
my 65th birthday with Mass at UP, then dinner at Saisaki / DAD’s
West Avenue, QC; My kind husband opted for the ‘ultimate buffet’ to treat my
friends: Fr. Bobot, Japanese Ikemura and Ueda sans (with their gifts of cake,
flowers, and 2 neck pillows), Archs Chito and Tess Santiago, Gen. Gammy and
Grace Cruz, Capt. Tony Palenzuela. Jessuca and 4 staff, and a co-celebrator
cadet.
·
FSAC staff asked me to attend the shipping Executives’ meeting at the
DOLE in Intrmuros. Due to parking constraints, I took a taxi; then after the
meeting, I had to walk the distance to the middle of Luneta (in the middle of
noon heat/traffic) to look for a ride. After an hour, God sent me an angel to
give me a ride to SMNE to relax / rest. It was a nice realization that I am
physically fir to endure such stress, much thanks GOD!
·
Watched the beauty and splendor of the entire ceremonies of the
beatification of Opus Dei Bishop Alvaro del Portillo in Madrid, Spain on Sept.
27; will npw include him in my prayer exaltations;
·
Lunch treats from friends: Doray (my external auditor for 17 years) at
the Seven Corners, Crown Plaza Hotel; reminisced critical incidents and our
survival strategies, LOL; lunch with Ms. Cora Ignacio; dinner with Chito and
Tess Santiago; and treats from other friends;
·
Movies watched for free include: The Giver, The Gifted, I wish I was
Here, The Maze Runner;
Attached are 3
photos with family and friends. Let us continue to pray for our country and people. Peace and Joy to You and God Bless Us All!
Much love and Best Regards!!!
SUSAN BG
No comments:
Post a Comment