Reunion - just the way you are - 1

People come in and out of our lives. Some leaving heavy footprint while others just a scent that soon dissipates in the atmosphere. Friends, acquaintances, business associates, competitors and foes alike in one way or another help weave the fabric of our lives.

I will confess with all honesty that the prettier the face, the longer the association and the more painful or romantic the experience are the factors to remembering the friends who came into my life. I will also admit that Facebook untangled the mess of my memory and paved the way for a reunion with the guys in this album.

The theme - "Just the way you are," was chosen after we noted that the body and memory changes in the past 38 years badly needed some surgical or therapeutic remedies, and yet this won't get in the way of our friendship.

This reunion may seem one-of-a-kind, but I am quite certain that this is just the first domino in the stack of reunions I am destined to have.

The photos in this album are contributions from many cameras and I organized them in a chronological order. 

Erbing met me at the airport... he and wife - Mary with daughter - Mayang got up early that day and drove for an hour and a half to get to the airport. I felt like I was the president of america. thanks Bing, Mary and Mayang. love you guys.

brunch at abreeza mall. sea food with pork and chicken bbq.

these guys started rubbing elbows in a time when watching the girls go by was considered a sport.

next stop: market. yellow fin tuna is soo rare in thailand and costs 2,000 pesos/kg.

fish so fresh... never in thailand

panga and tiyan. my digestive juices were starting to digest the lining of my stomach.

venue: Erbing and Mary's home in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. this couple took total control of the travel and food preparations and refused any monetary contribution. that is unfathomable love.

this patio was constructed a few weeks ago to accommodate the reunion.

ready for the grill

that's it

kinilaw... sushimi

a 30kg lechon with crispy skin.. yummy!

panga ready for eating

drinks and pig skin... we also had 2 big glass jugs of carlo rossi red wine which disappeared into thin air.

lilibeth arrives with a hat for me... no doubt she hates my shiny head. thanks bing!

a group pose minus ann... she was late because she had to fly in from an appointment at the u.s. embassy in manila.

finally a complete group pose

trying out my headgear... for another party

that's ann with her cute voice and much cuter dance.

inday's one and only song... if not for her constant texting on the fone she could have sang more songs and lulled us to sleep with the beautiful voice.

crying time with tune... i forgot the song but it was a tagalog song about breaking up, which appropriately described her present situation. this was done in fun though and like anytime in her life erbs and i were there to support her unconditionally.

this lady performed 32 songs in a row and most of the time we were spellbound short of knowing the songs she sang. what a talented bff!

the best photo in the world! what kind of song requires the mouth to assume such a grotesque shape? hahaha

erbing and his dancers

group sing and dance

the very talented erbing again!

dedicated to you bro...

dedicated to me?

"c'mon erbing do a jig for us!"

i supplied the "aaaaahhh" in the song... "loving you."

marching to the music sda style

fone in her hand is low batt... so is Inday.

party at Joy Bariquit's house. we used to visit this house when we were in high school.

papa-it ~ goat... i miss these dishes. don't see any resto in bangkok serving goat meat.

kilawin

kaldereta

humba

drinking with jay sonza and boy... joy's hubby.

RC.. yeah. the guy she loved 38 years ago.

breakfast fare at Erbing's dried danggit and squid... hmmmm.

beef steak, blue marlin steak... sweet and sour lapu-lapu for lunch at an open air resto in ecoland

last saw Zeny in 1972

halo-halo at chowking to celebrate our little reunion.

closeup photo of Zeny

Joana's debut party at DavCon... "arabian nights" was the theme.

the sheikh said the opening prayer

belly dancers showing off their bellies... what else?

they were good at it.

Tune and Joana with the shah

Erbing is conspicuously missing the other arm of the couch should have been occupied by him.

tune and her 4 gorgeous daughters

on the dance floor

checked in at the pinnacle hotel after the party. Tune had this suite ready for us.

"how do you operate a mac?"

breakfast with bogs, vida and edith

pan de sal... miss you much

seeing bing off at the airport

my companion at the pre-departure area. got this at the duty free shop in naia. I spent about 2 hours waiting for my flight to bangkok and it gave me enough time to meditate on God's goodness. Hallelujah!