LAST Saturday, my friend Evangeline Mitchell turned a year younger with an afternoon-to-evening party in La Parilla, the cozy restaurant just below Inn Rocio. Celebrating with her were family and friends.
It was also the first time in a long time, we were told, that Vangie’s hubby Mitch was around for her birthday, having been at work abroad all the time. Their two daughters, Diwa and Mithi, were of course there too, making sure that their mother had the best time.
The friends included a table of former colleagues at the International Catholic Migration Commission, that agency that from the late 70s to the early 90s processed Indochinese refugees en route to the USA for resettlement. We had a good time catching up.
Last Thursday, MacDonald’s Session reopened right beside its old address. As with the evening of Vangie’s party, the rain poured.
But no matter, inside the new “MacDo” it was warm and inviting, made so by the very welcoming del Rosario family – Mike and Angie, Sunny Jr., Kenneth.
Their store blessing was at 7:00, followed by a program, and then supper of old house faves – Chickenjoy, spag, apple pie. I sat in good company on the veranda, watching the rain, enjoying being inside.
The next day, September 1st, a funny thing happened, on the way to the forum. Sheree Nolasco and I had coffee planned for 3:30 p.m.
On the way there, I got a call and Sheree said not to go to where we were scheduled to have coffee.
She said go to the Baguio museum. So we met there instead, for the opening of a pictorial exhibit mounted by the United Architects of the Philippines, Summer Capital chapter. The exhibit features a collection of pictures that show Baguio architecture through time. Missing, though, is anything pre-American.
It was lovely to see Stella and Ed de Guia, the museum staff, architects (Councilor) Mylen Yaranon and Tito Jody Alabanza, and meet new friends and the architects who put the show together. It was actually after the show that Sheree and I got to have that coffee, and right there at the museum, already. Thank you, Stella.
It’s raining as usual in Baguio, and we party in the rain.