Pause from the world's capers

Table centerpiece arranged by Baguio's Martha Stewart, Toottee Chanco Pacis Photo by Babeth Lolarga

Because of the ring-a-ling-ling in the air, I haven't had time to read the newspapers in earnest. So I'm clueless Alice in Wonderland, wondering what all the stink is about a Purisima or the Binay family. I promise to catch up on current events so I can be an informed citizen and consumer in 2015.

In the meantime, I've been calibrating my socializing by going to select Christmas parties or reunions one after the other or one event at a time so I don't weary or suffer from indigestion.

First was the "Greenhouse" Christian Fellowship's Saturday celebration of the Yule season hosted by Oscar and Toottee Pacis at their Happy Homes greenhouse. My grandchild attended without showing signs of boredom or a "May I flee?" look. She actually listened to Manong Oscar extol the life of Abram/Abraham and his compliance to God's will. She peered at the small letters of The Bible and would sometimes ask what verse we were reading ("Are you here already?" or "Where are you on this page?").

Sunday evening was dedicated to the annual book exchange and eat-drink till you're stuffed party, of the Baguio Writers Group under Jenny Cariño at the about-to-be-closed Mandarin Restaurant on the corner of Assumption and Session Roads. Depending on the members' state of inebriation, the night ends with an impromptu poetry reading.

And last night a dinner punctuated with so much reminiscing and gallons of laughter with Chit Roces Santos and doodler husband Vergel at Billy King's Le Chef at The Manor, Camp John Hay. I I couldn't resist the richness of cheesy French onion soup, juicy medium-rare steaf, lobster and creme brulee with an aperitif of strawberry juice (the berries are in season, folks).

It's beginning to look like a good Christmas and the year 2014's last days are unfolding gently and happily.

My family's Christmas mascot in the company of the Christian community in Happy Homes, including her manangs

That's only half of BWG's membership. Jenny is seated farthest to the right.

Santa Claus sees that we've been nice this year and pauses by our table for a group pic.

Vergel sketched Rolly and me as we looked or glowed last night. Doesn't the missus look like a gypsy here while the mister is a dead ringer for Jose Rizal?

BWG reloaded: Let's volt in

Congratulations and best wishes to the new officers of the Baguio Writers Group (BWG) that has opened itself to wider membership to infuse it with new and creative (read: out-of-the-box) ideas. All towards strengthening writing in this northern region and keeping its reputation as a voice in the Baguio and by extension the national community. Hip hip hooray to new BWG president Jenny Cariño who presided at the general assembly at another Baguio institution, Mandarin Restaurant on Session Road.

We started Saturday afternoon with a small table. From left are: Frank, Jenny, Grace Subido, Scott Saboy, Roland Rabang and Martin Masadao

Then more streamed in: Luchie Maranan, Baboo Mondoñedo and Junley Lazaga.

Among our recruits are Rose Urquico, Toottee Chanco Pacis and Auring Bautista

Audrey Beltran, Desiree Caluza, Pryce Quintos, Merci Javier Dulawan, Padma Perez and Frank again

Same gals from above listening to others introduce themselves this way: what I write, what I still want to write and what I expect from BWG and how I can help it

Retired economics professor Ben Tapang (seated fourth from left) says there must be more to life than the field he spent 50 years of his life on. This must mean that creative juices are still roiling within, waiting to be expressed. Photos by Babeth Lolarga

Thank you, Frank Cimatu, for graciously hosting a merienda of pancit bihon (with extra pechay toppings, as per his instruction to the waitress), lumpiang Shanghai and a round of drinks.

A spread like that is conducive to the concoction of plans. Among these are reviving the Kulitan workshop (these are bi-monthly manuscript clinics fueled by coffee for the critique-ing of works in progress by the literature profs and literary critics in the group), young adult writing workshops (open to 12 to 16 year old kids, one is coming up May 24-25 at the Frangeli House on Bakakeng road), a spoken word workshop that'll train young poets to perform and pit themselves in the Third Monday from the Sun readings/performances at Mt Cloud Bookshop (Jenny is worthy resource person for this activity), an online and refereed literary journal, among others.

We started the meeting with one large round table. As Saturday afternoon wore on, Luchie Maranan exhorted us to "let's volt in." It meant connecting two additional round tables but still it was standing room only!

What excites me about the enlarged composition of BWG is the variety of experiences, knowledge and skills that the new members are bringing in. Some of them come from civil society (human rights and indigenous people's orgs), others from the worlds of visual arts (steeped in art and comic-book writing) and local journalism. There is one who writes for an evangelical magazine as she is a theology teacher. We didn't limit ourselves to purely creative or literary writers.

Shall we sing "Happy Days Are Here Again" or "Ain't No Mountain High" to Jenny, Junley Lazaga (vice president), Scott Saboy (secretary), Merci Javier Dulawan (treasurer)?