Monday, November 24, 2008 Neri: Happy occasions By Nelia G. Neri Eve
TOMORROW marks the 26th anniversary of Sun.Star Cebu and we are proud to say that the hard work, dedication, and determination of the Sun.Star team all these years, have paid off and there’s a lot to be grateful for. The order of the day is a simple celebration in keeping with the difficult economic times. It will be a no-fuss Sun.Star family affair.
This is a good time for us to acknowledge and give thanks to our readers and advertisers who have given their support to us all these years, and to the news sources and newsboys who are always there for Sun.Star. God bless!
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Seeing old friends and linking up with relatives in far-away places are always happy occasions. We had more than our share of these during our latest visit to California.
We were houseguests of Nono and Myn Yu in their lovely home Fullerton, CA.
As ever the perfect hosts, they not only welcomed us with open arms, they also went out of their way to entertain us and bring us to interesting sites.
For starters, they brought us to the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary in the heart of LA. Not a usual “must-see” place but very stimulating for us because that’s where Marilyn Monroe, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin, and many other movie personalities familiar to us are buried. Oh yes, there are fresh flowers on Marilyn’s grave every day, just as husband Joe D. had promised.
We also drove up the hills of Hollywood and saw a breath-taking view of the city below from the Griffith Observatory grounds.
Then there was that day in Palm Springs when we took the Aerial Tramway (the world’s largest rotating tramway car) from the 2,643 ft. Valley Station to the 8,516 ft. Mountain Station. It was such a thrill! Palm Springs (the favorite hideaway of Frank Sinatra) and the nearby Palm Dessert exude that serene and tranquil feel.
Nono and Myn also linked us up with a Neri relative, Efren and Emy Neri, who are now California residents. We spent a beautiful evening in their company and ended up for coffee and dessert at the well-appointed home of Dr. Eldie Rodis (cousin of the late Ronnie Duterte) and wife Zony (Pernia). She makes the yummiest of desserts.
Another relative we saw in LA was Ramon Logarta of the Mandaue Logartas who has been in LA for so long now. His houseguest, Cebuana jeweler Bebot Ramas, is a good friend of Myn. Bebot was in the US for a well-deserved vacation. We had dinner at the Olive Garden.
We couldn’t miss the Autumn Fair at the St. Juliana Falconeri grounds because the Yu grandaughters Hannah and Hailey
study there. They are the daughters of Justin (the eldest son who happen to be my godchild) and Ana (Ang). They are such a delightful family. Because he is a car enthusiast, Justin is in the car exchange business, while Ana (after office hours), is a hands-on Mom, an excellent cook, and a gentle but firm diciplinarian. As for the girls, they are charmers - American in some ways, Filipino-Chinese in others!
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Dinner with my former St. Theresa's College classmate Pilar McClintok and her husband John Fall was one very happy occasion. It was a nippy evening at the verandah of The Cheesecake Factory in Brea, and with us was another classmate Norma Songfo Borromeo together with hubby Kit. Also there were our good friends George and Ching Sanchez who reside in a gated community in Pico Rivera. Pilar is eagerly looking forward to spending more time in the Philippines with John when he retires. Yes, they are building a cozy home in breezy Canyon Woods in Cavite. As for George and Ching, they too are making plans for a house in Cebu’s Silver Hills upon retirement.
Jul and I had a wonderful time in LA, thanks to our dear friends who were very accommodating and thoughtful.
