'Let me take your picture'

Portrait of Booboo taken by Kai Curly Tops before the kid left for school today

If you don't find me in our family pictures some of the time, it isn't because I am elsewhere. It's because I'm taking the pictures. Remember what they say about the TV's remote control? Whoever holds it holds the power. Taking my family members' photos has enabled me to discover their most flattering angle.

I like how Kai presents herself as photographer or portraitist. It's with a polite preface: "Let me take your picture." She knows the settings of my old Canon PowerShot better than me and is unafraid about fiddling with the buttons (she once was Butones, after all). When I need the camera and want the settings restored to its former state, I turn to Kai's techy mother Kimi.

Yes, she takes selfies, too. But they're over at Instagram.

Thanks, Kai. You made my Wednesday. I grade you "Excellent" in use of lighting coming from the computer and office window on a gray gray day. Love, Booboo

Interlude

Rolly and I know that the month leading to the extremely busy 'ber months will be the only chance we can breathe together as a family so may as well take a staycation. Best place to take one is always an old and grand hotel. To the family The Peninsula Manila is that. It has taken a supporting role in our story from falling in love to courtship to marriage (no, we didn't have our wedding reception there but at Nielsen Tower across the street) to our 25th anniversary as a married couple to first weekend of this still fairly new month.

The bathrobe's so fluffy I can die! While sleepless in Makati, I took selfies.

The staycation was more gift to Kai than to ourselves so her taste in hotel rooms would level up to five-star from business hotels where her Grumpa Tats is assigned when he's in Manila. Here we are enjoying the breakfast buffet at the hotel's Escolta.

I've always wanted a picture like this while Kai is still small and cooperative: enfold her in a robe and we're two heads on one body. Grumpa Tats joins us in the second pic.

Other family members came to visit on our last afternoon: my sister Suzy and grandnephew Jared (who swam with Kai) and family friend Noel Soler Cuizon, visual artist and fine arts prof. The Pen's long-serving public relations person Mariano "Garch" Garchitorena dropped by our table at The Lobby to order bubbly champagne to go with chips. He can't drink temporarily so when it was time for a toast, he raised the flower glass. That should suffice. And we did come home with happy memories. Here's to staycations, to life, family and universal love and healing!
Photos by Kai, Kimi and Rolly Fernandez and Babeth Lolarga