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Monday, December 13, 2004
Oh Christmas tree
By Nelia G. Neri and J. A. Bacalso
Megamix
The Christmas trees all over town are alive with lights and definitely the holiday fever is reaching its peak.
“Tis the season to sparkle and shine”... say the people of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, so they had a big do for the ceremonial lighting of their magnificent tree which towers at the grand lobby. Over at its sister hotel in Mactan, the tree-lighting was marked with a cocktail party cum fashion show with Christmas melodies from the Univeristy of Cebu Chorus thrown in. Lapulapu First Lady Paz Radaza with Waterfront Airport Hotel manager Hembler Mendoza and Casino Filipino Mactan branch manager Danilo Navarro did the honors of switching on the lights.
Shangri-La’s Mactan island resort had a special intimate dinner after the traditional tree lighting ceremony at the lobby, the latter with special guest reigning Miss Cebu Marnelli Abatayo; earlier the kids of the Batang Opon Foundation frolicked freely on their grounds with games organized by the hotel staff. (NGN)
For the children
“Picture-i pud ko oi!” Chi-chi tugs at my pant leg, rattling my warm mug of Gluwein. She’s already beaming, opening the basket of goodies that Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort has given away, on the fourth year in a row, to the streetchildren gathered by Batang Opon Foundation that have come to celebrate the tree-lighting ceremony at this swankiest of locations.
Earlier, the staff gave the children a free run of the play area of the hotel, escorted by the foundation’s president and PR, respectively: the couple, Annabeth and Ahmed Cuizon. Now, seated beneath the light that bathes them from a thousand electronic stars caught in eternally green synthetic branches, their eyes beam at this day where dreams come true, no matter how impermanent. Chi-chi turns her nose up on the contents of the mug I hold…a concoction of cinnamon, red wine, brandy, cloves, whole oranges, and sugar. It smells heavenly to me, but she prefers the smell of the raw egg noodles that are in her basket, a special treat for her family (if she has one) tonight.
In the midst of swank, there is no place for stink. And the children are scrubbed and clean with the unadulterated glee they share freely. Christmas, after all, is for them, even if they are, technically (how unfeeling) no one’s children.
Standing tall
Patrick Gregorio has a million ideas brewing in his mind. Over bibingka and puto bumbong, (available for the whole month of December from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel), we are huddled over, feasting on just a few that bubble from his handsome head. Like the wine he offers, we roll it around out tongues to get the taste, and sniff for the bouquet. Bum Tenorio of the Philippine Star declares them (both the wine and Pato’s concrete musings) winners.
The tree rises exactly 30 feet behind us, the tallest indoor Christmas tree in the country, with a majestic “Crown Jewels” theme. We are like royalty tonight, seated upright (and not slouched as before, buried in their couches) at the plush new seats. We brew more ideas, to the delight of this huddle. The crowning glory comes in a bit…hot chocolate and salabat. It is, after all, a season to gather. (JAB)
(December 13, 2004 issue)
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