First of 2 nom nom days

“In the dark times
Will there also be singing?
Yes, there will also be singing.
About the dark times.”
~ Bertolt Brecht

To me laughing with and among friends is a form of singing in these horridly hot times. The Sunday and Monday past, I felt privileged to be among friends again after the relative isolation imposed by Manila's heat on me this summer. I spent close to two months just within the walls and arms of family in Baguio so the summons from Gilda Cordero Fernando, who is her own best events organizer, to join her in Antipolo on May 25 couldn't be ignored. Neither could Angge Goloy's to be with the ladies who lunch in Tagaytay on May 26.

Come down, come down from wherever you are. I did, chancing it as a Victory Liner passenger at past one in the morning on a Sunday. I told my husband that I wasn't sure anymore how much time I have left or for that matter, how long in the world my own friends will be around. So many loved ones had left abruptly in recent months and years. I wasn't going to wait for another occasion.

So here we are again, captured in pictures. Gilda's event was an advanced 84th birthday lunch at daughter-in-law Lanelle Abueva Fernando's Crescent Moon Restaurant in Antipolo City. The heavens were kind. The sky was overcast so temperature was below stifling

By happenstance, in a separate dining area, old pal from kindergarten years Marissa Ileto was also present with her family. They were feting a balikbayan cousin. That was totally unplanned. So I made sure the moment was captured with her kids Issa and Lawin flanking us.

When Marissa saw the photos, she went: "Naku magka height na tayo! At the rate I am going, chomping away and sitting all day, my width is soon to follow! Nom nom nom..." Nom nom nom means "yummy." At least for me that is what it means. Apparently for others, it's drinking alcohol.

Nom nom nom was the buffet spread that Lanelle's crew laid out: plain lugaw with over a dozen toppings or condiments to choose from (I returned for the slices of century eggs more than twice), crisp fried noodles again with sahog of your choice (new experience was having curried vegetables and tofu for the toppings), among others.

It was actually former UP President Jose Abueva's birthday. He and Gilda are mag balae (he was pa-in-law to Gilda's eldest son, the late Bey), she the mod mom-in-law of Lanelle. Gilda's BFF Mariel Francisco teased that La Gilda chose that day to celebrate to earn a "free ride." She was riding onto the Abueva event.

GCF (the lady second from left wearing what my sisters and I called "muscle shirt") with Edna Zapanta Manlapaz, Mariel and Ning Encarnacion Tan. The fans or abanico on the table are production designer Gino Gonzales's presents to Gilda and guests, the butterflies came from Mariel (saved from a granddaughter's birthday party).

The loooooong table with no permanent seat arrangements. Each one, after finishing his/her food, stood to move around which is what Gilda likes about her parties. No one stays put with just one conversation partner. Clockwise: Juju Tan, Chit Roces Santos, Karina Bolasco, GCF, Nonon Padilla, Ning, Manny Chaves, Mariel (standing) Gino, Lorna Kalaw Tirol and Edna.

The Gemini girl with a birthday coming soon demanded a group photo before we broke up and headed for home. The production designer in Gino couldn't stand the idea that we'd have a row ofcaldero for our background so the chairs were re-arranged to cover the buffet table and to prevent back lighting. We also followed his instruction to hold our fans. Front row (from left) Lorna, Rita Ledesma, Gilda, me and Gino. Second row: Mariel, Lanelle, Chit, Manny, Edna Juju, Nonon and Karina.

Everyone's summer muse or how we hope we'll look like if we're blessed to reach the age of 84

Most photos by Babeth Lolarga

Art + medicine = hapi wheelchairs

"Nobody says no to Gilda Cordero Fernando," Dr. Joven Cuanang of St. Luke's Medical Center said at  yesterday's Apolinario Mabini Hapi Wheelchairs Parade. He added that it was her "flash of genius" that set the wheels in motion for this project that has seen an exciting synergy between art and medicine. With just a little goading and reminding from her, the 17 participating artists let their imaginations fly, thus giving the start of National Disability Week added panache.   Photos by Babeth Lolarga

The Cordero Fernando and Cuanang tandem should be further tapped for revolutionary and out-of-the-box ideas born out of passionate minds and a deep love for the healing arts.

Aba Dalena and writer Carla Pacis pose beside the former's "Anghel Bulilit."

GCF aboard Marc Cosico's carretela wheelchair

Even the group that provided the music came on wheels!

That's production manager Manny Chaves, second from left, looking not too harassed.

Kidlat Tahimik with his bamboo camera and "All-weather Guardian Angel Salumpuwet"

Agnes Arellano explains what her "Anti-stress Wheelchair" is all about: breasts and nipples made of silicone rubber, recycled from her sculpture molds and turned into acupressure points.

Pancho Villanueva and Ling Quisumbing Ramilo's collaboration

Io Regalado's chair has a wide golden wingspan.

Senior students from the Philippine High School for the Arts put together a cityscape in and on a chair.

Noel Cuizon jokingly calls the welded together wheelchairs as his and Karen Flores's "conjugal property" to underscore the "in sickness and in health" clause in their friendship.

Wendy Regalado smiles beside "Beast Friends Forever."

Robert Alejandro and his "Silver Chariot"

Plet Bolipata is fashionably cocooned in "Winged Icarus."

Don Salubayba's "Trono" includes blinking lights.

May more partnerships arise among the idea persons, the artists, the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine and The Mind Museum.

Nueve de Enero

One of my weaknesses in midlife is how often I underestimate my physical strength. I had a full week last week, meaning, I was always out of the house and shuttling by cab, jeep, train and trike to different parts of the metropolis for appointments and work-related duties. I even committed to attending a lecture on Parkinson's disease and dementia yesterday, a Sunday, until I woke up with a heaviness in my eyes (the whites had turned reddish) and a scratchy throat (another cold that has to be nipped in the bud).

Well, that took care of busyness. I just decided to finish reading some chapters of a literary biography, watch television ("The Tourist" on HBO) and overhear a comment from a family member that when Johnny Depp ages, he will look like Gary Oldman, which isn't a bad thing, and ask how my pet Butones in Baguio is doing. According to my daughter Kimi, Butones finally got her bangs clipped. There was outrage in the Pasig household; the elders believe that a baby's hair isn't shorn till she turns one year old.

But here's why Kimi had to trim the bangs. They were getting in the way--we wouldn't want the babe ending up with eyes as reddish as her lola's.

So here's the "after" look. Kimi says her child now looks like a little Shaolin master. Any which way, she remains a cutie.

Meanwhile, I am reminded to upload these pictures and compose a blog because of this auspicious date and the numbers of this month are about to turn into double digits tomorrow (bad writing discipline if I can't compose at least two blog entries within a fortnight).

The ninth of January is not just the feast of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, it is also the birthday of old pal Manny Chaves who, in the past, would remind me that he shares a birthday with Joan Baez and Simone de Beauvoir. He has reason to boast because he reads widely, has impeccable taste in music and knows what looks good, making him a topnotch art director.

And because he has such high standards, this makes him masungit, a cranky old man. But it hasn't stopped his friends from gathering to celebrate the day which is what we'll do later this afternoon. By which time I hope my eyes are well-rested and my throat soothed.Even old gals also wanna have more fun in the Philippines.

This photo was taken nearly 10 years ago at the old location of Green Papaya on Maginhawa st., Quezon City. Manny is somewhere in the picture with his heretic Looney Tune friends who dressed up a mannequin and turned it into the Black Nazarene.