My Labsters

By Rianne C. Tecson

“Fermina, I have waited for this opportunity for 51 years, nine months and four days… that is how long I have loved you, from the first moment I cast eyes on you…until now.”—Florentino Ariza to Fermina Urbino, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Love, they say, knows no boundaries, not even age.

If one wants proof all that is no illusion, one needs to look at the eyes of Eduardo and Martina “Beling” Go Ching Hai.
After 55 years of marriage, their eyes still speak of love for each other and their gestures, when in each other’s company, show the kind of affection that has not waned through the years.

Their actions make you want to believe in love. Their union, after all, is built on a foundation strong enough to withstand whatever challenges that came their way.

But neither of the two would have had predicted their life together.

Go Ching Hai, as Eduardo is popularly known, was a fresh engineering graduate of the Mapua Institute of Technology when he first came to Cebu in 1950 to remodel a flour mill.

When he arrived at the Compania Maritima, he had no idea where to go and only had P25 left.

He later decided to stay with a relative when he found work. And work was all he did the whole time, spending at least 12 hours in the office or going home at midnight.

With the hours he was keeping, one would wonder how he managed to meet Beling. When asked how, says with a naughty smile, “Secret.”

Beling offers to go on with the story, smiling and touching her husband’s hand.

One day, a friend of Go Ching Hai’s mother wanted to see Beling’s mother so he asked the young engineer to drive them to Beling’s place.

Their first meeting was neither unpleasant nor promising—no sparks flew and Go Ching Hai thought it was very hard to court a woman like Beling.

“Suplada kaayo. Her (family) was not the hindrance, siya mismo,” said Go Ching Hai, making Beling laugh out loud.

After all, Go Ching Hai says, Beling seemed to him as a “very wise woman…(That trait) challenged me.”

“When I decided to court her, my friends told me ‘There are other pretty girls in Cebu. Don’t court that girl.’ I also thought it (courtship) was very, very hard,” he said.

Given this impression of Beling, Go Ching Hai admitted he did everything—even asking help to seek permission from her brothers to court her—to win her heart, “probably including praying.”

“God helped me catch her,” he said, beaming. Beling, seated beside him, lovingly looks at her husband, smiling.
The couple, however, didn’t get to see each other that much as Go Ching Hai was traveling most of the time.
“Rare kaayo siya mosuwat og letters. Tapulan,” Beling said.

During his visits to Beling, Go Ching Hai also didn’t get to stay long as he had to be up early for work the following day.
“When I visit, we don’t talk much. We’d play sungka (a traditional Filipino game). When she’s not paying attention, I touch her hand and I would be very happy already,” he said, grinning.

For a reserved man like her husband, Beling said the gesture was already something.

“He was never demonstrative. He only held my hand when we crossed the street,” Beling said.

Beling, on the other hand, said the visits, though seldom, made her feel the same way.

“I was happy that someone came to visit me,” she said.

After three years, Go Ching Hai popped the question, but the proposition seemed vague to Beling.

“He asked what I would do if there are two cars and only one is in running condition. I told him to use a rope, have the car that runs tow the one that doesn’t work. He didn’t say a thing then. Later, he told me that his mother will come to ask for my hand in marriage,” Beling said, adding that at this, he told Go Ching Hai to seek her brothers’ and mother’s permission.

On Christmas Day of 1962, Go Ching Hai formalized the proposal. The two then got married on April 12, 1953. The couple is blessed with three children and eight grandchildren.

Beling said making the marriage work is no easy task, but credits the success of her union to what her late mother-in-law taught her.

“Be patient…and always try not to get into a fight, much less arguments,” she shared.

This, she said, is the same lesson she has imparted on her children. (Sun.Star Cebu)

Find out what foods rev up your loved one’s engine! The list was culled from www.foodpaper.com, and www.rd.com, and www.searchwarp.com

ASPARAGUS. In 19th-century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of asparagus at their prenuptial dinner. Asparagus is rich in potassium, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin and folic acid.

ALMONDS. The aroma of almonds supposedly arouses passion in females. Almonds provide high doses of vitamin E, and magnesium.

AVOCADO. The fruit is especially good for pregnant women due to its high content of folic acid, as well as vitamin B6 and potassium.

BANANAS. This shapely fruit is loaded with potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, chelating minerals and the bromelain enzyme, said to enhance the male libido.

BASIL. Basil has a warming effect on the body and promotes circulation. In some parts of Italy, basil is a love token.

CHOCOLATE. Why does eating chocolate make us so happy? The “food of the gods” contains theobromine, a stimulating alkaloid similar to caffeine. Chocolate also helps the brain produce feel-good serotonin.

EGGS. The egg is one of the most ancient fertility symbols. Eggs are high in B6 and B5, which help you balance hormone levels and fight stress.

FIGS. To the ancient Greeks, figs were “more precious than gold” and many cultures associated figs with fertility. Figs are rich in vitamin B6, potassium and calcium.

HONEY. Honey is a good source of boron, a trace mineral that helps the body use estrogen. In addition, honey contains B vitamins needed for testosterone as well as other nutrients, enzymes and phytochemicals.

OYSTERS. Raw oysters are very high in zinc, which raises testosterone production, thus increasing libido.

(from Sun.Star Cebu)

By Jose Jello S. Cubello

For her, it was an answered prayer. For him, it was the proverbial love at first sight.

It was a painful relationship that brought Angelique Selma-Llaban to altar’s foot at the Carmelites monastery in Mabolo.

“It was so funny, I just came from a traumatic relationship and I really prayed a novena to find a good man. Weeks after, I found him at a restaurant and I said to myself that this must be it,” she shared.

“She was very far among so many people. She was like at the tip of the restaurant and I was entering the restaurant. But she stood-out right away,” recalled John Francis Llaban.

“It was so long ago but I can still remember what she was wearing. You were wearing a white polo shirt right?” he asked, while soliciting a look of approval from Angel who was being prepped-up for the pictorial.

“And you were wearing green, uhm no, orange,” she responded.

“I asked from God a man who can really take care of me when I grow old, someone I can be comfortable with, and someone who is responsible. But God gave me more! There was a bonus, he gave me someone handsome!”

After that, Francis knew that he needed to find out who the pristine face in the sea of strangers is. Eventually, connections and common friends linked the two.

Incidentally both families are closely connected but despite existing in a common world, the fates only allowed their meeting on that day.

Francis, swept by Angel’s charm, was also enchanted by the closeness of her family. The Sunday reunions were appealing to him and her family was very eager to welcome him into their own.

A year and six months of dating and seven months of engagement, Francis and Angel tied the knot on Feb. 18, 2005.

“The relationship was giving me signs and I was willing to commit,” he said.

Their time was perfect as each of them were already stable. Francis couldn’t care less about forgoing a party-defined bachelor life.

For most part, the marriage changed their relationship. “The priorities are different now. Especially when you have children,” he said. “Before we were all about diving and traveling,” she concurred.

Now, their lives gravitate around their three children. “We cook together, we go to the beach and we go to the mall,” she said. “We go to Shangri-La. We do fish feeding. The kids love the Adventure Zone,” he said.

In every relationship monotony can be a real enemy. “We always try to shift the monotony,” she said. “We still get excited but not that much when we were still single. We still need to create it. We set the mood of the room,” he said with a knowing smile.

Francis and Angel make it to a point that no fight gets in their way. “I could never remember us fighting. I think it’s because of my nature and her nature. We really don’t clash. Of course we have little arguments every now and then,” he said.

When asked what gifts they are fond of giving each other: “Were really not so into things,” she said. “We’re more about memories,” he added.

Divine intervention paved way for them to meet and now that they are together, for Francis and Angel life couldn’t get any better.  (Sun.Star Cebu)

It’s the experience of cooking your own food, fresh and right at the dining table, coupled with superb taste of Chinese cooking tradition than makes shabu-shabu a hit to many food enthusiasts.

Eric Ang, executive chef of Chinese Royale, a shabu-shabu restaurant at Crossroads, Banilad, shared that the unique Chinese food tradition now enjoyed by Filipinos has legendary roots. “Genghis Khan, the great Mongol conqueror, devised a way to efficiently and quickly feed his army.”

Now, shabu-shabu becomes a relaxing food experience where diners come together in a table while boiling fresh vegetables, thinly sliced pork, beef, lamp, chicken and fish meat as well as meat, mushroom, and shrimp balls in a pan of stock, said Ang.

Generous servings

In Chinese Royale, there is a of four different stocks: Satay beef, pork with sweet-corn, chicken soup and congee. On the menu is a wide list of set platters with generous servings. The Royal Ace (P1,500 recommended for four to five persons) for example already comes with three fish, lobster, scallop balls, three fish tofu, four fish rolls, pork, beef slices, chicken and fish fillet, two shrimps, crab, squid, one bowl of sotanghon and noodles.

There’s a meat platter for the carnivores and a vegetable platter for plant eaters. But whatever the choice is, surely, it’s a healthy culinary experience. Ang assured they don’t put any MSG in their food.

Children as well as adults love the interactive dining experience, he said.

“You know that what you are getting is fresh because you can really see it. We can’t serve poor quality meat because the color will really show,” he said.  (JSC/Sun.Star Cebu)

By Jill Beltran

Thousands of couples had done the famous lip-locked again for the celebration of the annual Lovapalooza on the Day of Hearts.

Dubbed as “Red Hot Valentines,” this year’s Lovapalooza held at SM Mall of Asia Saturday night (February 14) was rocked by overwhelming performances of four of the most-hottest bands today – Bamboo, Pupil, Spongecola, and Rico Blanco.

Their music was backed by 50-piece orchestra of SM Mall of Asia called the Metro Philharmonic Orchestra.

View photos of Lovapalooza 2009

Jad Dereza, Press Communication Assistant of MTV Philippines, said that although there were no records to be beaten this year, about 45,000 to 50,000 couples flooded the event.

At exactly 9 p.m. all couples smooched for about 10 seconds while colorful fireworks brightened the entire place. Spongecola made the moment more intimate as they sang Close-up’s promotional theme song “Closer You and I.”

From a promotional venue for CloseUp Toothpaste, Lovapalooza became an annual Valentine event for lovers in the country.

The first Lovapalooza was held in 2004 at Baywalk Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

The Philippines through CloseUp had grabbed the Guinness Book of Record from Chile for having the most-number of couples kissing simultaneously with about 5,347 pairs kissing on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

In 2005, Lovapalooza was simultaneously held in four major cities in the country including Manila, Angeles, Cebu, and Davao. However, the record was taken by Hungary producing 5,875 kissing couples.

In 2006, the simultaneous kiss-fest dubbed “Lovapalooza 3” tried to reclaim the title from Hungary but fell short. That was when popular bands in the country and celebrities have been tapped to grace and add zing to the event.

In 2007, about 6,124 couples successfully reclaimed the record as they simultaneously kissed in the north open lot of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay.

Last year, in “Lovapalooza Frost Fest,” CloseUp chilled out from record-breaking and gave away diamond-studded Crystal Frost necklaces to 100 winning couples who participated in the kiss-fest.

Till next Lovapalooza…Happy Heart’s Day!

Text by: Clint Holton P. Potestas
Fotos by: Arni Aclao

If she’s not giving birth to beautiful ideas, Arcy Gayatin is breathing life into a piece of fabric with one maneuver of her hand—the resulting work, almost seamless to the eye. And it would not be a surprise if, again, she donates life to Greek statues.

Weeks before Valentine’s Day, few of her latest designs were displayed in her atelier on Juana Osmeña St. But really, nothing fanciful was jostling around. Just some of Arcy’s unforgettable craftsmanship: red jersey numbers with drapes that appeared to be free from sewing bites.

“For me, draping is the best technique to give life to fabric. It allows the material to fall easily and naturally,” she explained.

“It is a silhouette that simply skims the body, employing a flowing line.”

Considering the form of most women, she contoured meters of jersey to swathe the body from the neckline to the hem. She also kept the draping minimal on the front to yield to a sophisticated play of fabric on the back.

Arcy imployed red in the collection, offering it to anyone who wants to imprint a fashion statement without going over-the-top.

“Generally, red is flattering on all skin tones. And red is a statement in itself. I don’t see anything wrong with wearing red on Valentine’s Day.”

“It depends on where you are spending your Valentine’s: a resort wear for beach dates, a cocktail-length dress for dinner,” she suggested.

Then in between, an element of myth can intervene.

“The collection was inspired by Greek statues.” Or say, touched by the nine muses.

A flashy handbag or Armani suit can signal a person’s wealth, but so can their body language, according to a new study. People of higher socioeconomic status are more rude when conversing with others.

Psychologists Michael Kraus and Dacher Keltner of the University of California, Berkeley, videotaped pairs of undergraduate students who were strangers to one another, during one-on-one interviews. In total, 100 undergraduate students participated, per Reuters.

The researchers then looked for certain gestures that indicate level of interest in the other person during one-minute slices of each conversation.

They found that students whose parents were from higher socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds engaged in more of what he called “impolite” behaviors, such as grooming, doodling, and fidgeting. Lower SES students showed more “I’m interested” gestures, including laughter and raising of the eyebrows.

The higher SES students fidgeted with nearby objects for an average of two seconds, while those from lower SES backgrounds almost never fidgeted during the 60-second clips.

Upper SES students also groomed themselves for short stints while lower SES students didn’t. Rather, the lower SES students nodded their heads, laughed and raised their eyebrows an average of one to two seconds more than their upper SES counterparts.

“So how many times a day are you nodding if you’re lower socioeconomic status?” Kraus asked LiveScience.

It comes down to our animalistic tendencies, Kraus explained. Like a peacock’s tail, the seemingly snooty gestures of higher SES students indicates modern society’s version of “I’m fit,” and “I don’t need you.” The research is detailed in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Your Grammar Cop column joins the lovestruck in greeting all a Happy Valentine’s Day! (Happy Valentine Day, without the “s” after Valentine, is just as appropriate.)

We reprint a portion of our February 14, 2008 column that explains when and where Valentine’s Day started:

If Valentine’s Day is named after the two priests named Valentines — who were beheaded in the 3rd century A.D. in pagan Rome and later declared saints by the Catholic Church with February 14 as the day of feasting in their honor — why is there now more romantic fervor than religiosity in its observance?

The Romans believed “birds paired up to nest and raise their young” on the same day. So the next day, February 15, lovesick Romans exchanged love letters and presents. Consequently, the religious merged with the romantic, the latter overpowering the former through time. Love conquers all.

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“Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There’s too much fraternizing with the enemy” - Henry Kissinger

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“Love means not ever having to say you’re sorry.” - Erich Segal

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“Sex is a momentary itch; love never lets you go.” - Kingley Amis

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“ ‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” - Alfred Lord Tennyson

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The great question that has never been answered, despite my 30 years of research into the feminine soul, is: “What does a woman want?” - Sigmund Freud

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Some people should never marry because instead of “Happily Ever After,” it turns into “Happily Never After.” - Reader’s Digest

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Words and phrases you’re likely to read or hear about this week: star-crossed lovers (lovers seeking an ideal state of love or are shooting for the stars); unrequited love (unanswered love - un ri KWY td); platonic love (not sexual, but purely spiritual or intellectual - ple TAN ik, the “O” in the second syllable rhymes with car and father); tortured, tormented, or ill-fated love is doomed love.

A saner or more tamed word would be “failed” (i.e., failed love affair, marriage or romance).

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Parting Shot: Marriage is not a noun; it is a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s something you do. It’s the way you love your partner everyday. - Barbara de Angelis

(from Sun.Star Cebu)

You have a few more days to shop for a Valentine’s Day (VD) gift for your “significant other.” Clueless? You’re in luck.

Last Sunday, Q TV’s Pinaka host, Rovilson Fernandez, discussed the top 10 VD gifts. Here’s the list with our comments:

10. Photo frame with a “couple photo.” Although it’s a trite idea, the gift will help remind the recipient that someone cares.

9. Spa for two. Nice but expensive.

8. Romantic getaway. Hong Kong Disneyland may be too expensive, but there are nearby getaways, even if it means it’s just one night in a beach club or a five-star hotel.

7. Perfume. Try to find out what the person likes.

6. Jewelry. It’s expensive but lasting.

5. Card with a toy or chocolate. You can make an original card or ask an artist friend to make one for you. It’s un-cool to just hand a store-bought card with your signature.

4. Flowers. There are innovative ways of giving the bouquet: lay it on the bed, ask a friend to deliver it for you, or place it on the person’s office desk. You can add a small gift if you like.

3. Stuffed toy with balloons. Go for big teddy bears. Your beloved can hug it when you are away and feel you are still around.

2. Romantic dinner for two. By now restaurants are fully booked. But don’t worry. There are eat-all-you can buffets, fast food restaurants and mall food outlets to save the day. Add a movie treat to seal the date.

1. Chocolates (add flowers or a toy if you like). Look for unusual shapes. Manila has a shop that specializes in making photo cards made of chocolate. (Leticia Suarez-Orendain/Sun.Star Cebu)