Ladies who lunch

There's this Stephen Sondheim song "The Ladies Who Lunch" from the musical Company. Its lyrics rewind in my mind whenever I'm out with my gang of girls (yes, we revert to girlish ways). The girls write, edit, do public relations and overall work with words. Cleo Laine, Carol Burnett, Patti Lupone, even Barbra Streisand have versions of the same song, each worth listening to.

I like to be early for these lunches and watch the girls come in one by one or two by two--usually Angge Goloy comes in second, this time with her Australia-based geologist daughter Yayay (here for her St. Scholastica's College high school silver jubilee, among other reasons).

Then what Angge calls "the advance party" of a "schoolbus" sub-group, Chato Garcellano, my editor for many years, follows with the more leisurely walkers Ester Dipasupil and Corito Llamas a few minutes behind her. Missing was Lynett AdVillariba who had wifely duties.

What I love about our group: the huge smiles, hugs and cheek-to-cheek kisses with which we greet each other before we settle down for a huge lunch and almost simultaneous talking. I like to lean back, listen and watch them make happy talk about life, work, family.

Ladies who lunch transform into "bag" ladies at the stroke of 2 p.m. (from left): Giselle Amanda Goloy, a.k.a. Yayay, Chato Garcellano, Ester Dipasupil with me behind her, Nini Yarte, Corito Llamas, Angge Goloy and Joy Buensalido

We make time to get together at least four times in a year. It seems time is never enough. SOP is lunch, followed by coffee and dessert elsewhere.

This time Angge and Yayay picked out Nikkei Peruvian Resto-Bar at The Podium in Ortigas Center. Portions were conservative but delish. I came out satisfied with my salmon teriyaki--crisp outside, tender in the inside with a sauce a tad sweetish for this diabetic.

Interiors of Nikkei at The Podium. Love the shafts of light on the heads of the customers

Inevitably, there is always someone having a birthday in the group so we each whip out our presents for the young Yayay who swears by improvements in her health because of the Keto diet. I gave her a copy of my book of essays Catholic and Emancipated (published by UST Publishing House in 2011) which her mom says will make good reading as Yayay prepares for her class' 25th anniversary. In turn she gave her titas who lunch a box each of Australian tea leaves.

Yayay and her Tita Babeth lean on each other

Latecomer Nini Yarte's only excuse as she arrived while we were all finished with lunch was: "I was made for dinner!" And she handed to Yayay the quaintest gift of all, a Himalayan lamp, I think.

At Ca Va Cafe where we enjoyed our coffee with bibingka crepe. Clockwise: Babeth, Ester Dipasupil, Nini Yarte, Joy Buensalido, Angge Goloy, Corito Llamas, Chato Garcellano and Giselle Amanda Goloy

Lovely decorative touches within Ca Va-- dried flowers, birdcages and lanterns

The excitement over seeing one another hadn't died down so we moved over to the cafe called Ca Va for cappuccinos for some, lattes for the others and one bibingka crepe for sharing among the eight of us.

When I got home, thanks to the "schoolbus" of Corito, I sighed deeply and thanked the universe for the gift of friendship.

Photos from the cameras of Giselle Amanda Goloy and Joy Buensalido

Old friends (reprising an old title for a blog post)

Mariano Garchitorena calls our group Good People of Hiraya after the gallery on United Nations Ave., Ermita, where we used to converge and connect in the 1990s. Missing in this post-Christmas reunion was ceramicist Shoko Mafune, now based in Australia. Miss you like crazy, Shoko!

That Sunday we came from different parts of Mega Manila--Karen Ocampo Flores and her children Aya Justiniani and Adoy from Las Pinas City, Noel Soler Cuizon from Manila, myself from Antipolo and Garch from Makati.

We chose Rockwell Power Plant Mall as assembly point. From there we decided whether we'd walk towards Poblacion, Makati, in search of Thai food at a place called Crying (?) or Crouching (?) Tiger. Or not. Garch, a mountaineer, would have found the walk easy peasy lemon squeezy. But there were Noel, whose leg was all achey and who was using an umbrella to prop himself up, and myself, certified PWD with osteoarthritis of both knees and with a cane to keep my balance.

Posing at our table, me holding up the rear and a bottle of brown Sheaffer Skrip found at a Noteworthy sale. Clockwise: Garch, Adoy, Noel, Aya and Karen

The mall was Garch's territory since he lives and works nearby. He decided for us--let's go to The Grid. The fried chicken and mashed potatoes came highly recommended--I had that as I was in no mood anymore to decide on what I was gonna eat. Noel had chicken, too, but with French fries, not mashed potatoes. Adoy's Mexican fare looked tantalizing but too late to change my mind.

Studying the cholesterol content, Nuks?

Yes, you dipped the boneless chicken in gravy, the mashed potatoes in more gravy. Bliss!

Mid-meal who should stride in but scriptwriter-director-actor-"almost tocaya" Bibeth Orteza and friends? There was time for a brief "Hi" and "Hello" before she told me of her schedule of appearance in all the performances of the play "Silent Sky" where, according to the Repertory Philippines press release, she will play "the brilliant and exacting astronomer Annie Cannon." (The play runs from Feb. 1 to 10 at the Carlos Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.)

I learned a new word--"smocket"--for smoking pockets which the mall had outside for the ones who couldn't break the habit (I won't disclose who among the good people still indulged in an after-meal stick).

Selfie by Garch as we rested our feet before walking to our dessert destination

Group-fie with me photobombing Garch and Karen

We followed the leader Garch to Wildflour for apres-dinner coffee and tea, plus slices of coconut pie, carrot cake and chocolate cake. I was so full from dinner (no leftovers is my new motto) that I could only partake a portion of the sweets. Not that I was watching my diabetes. When I'm with friends, I hang loose.

And hang loose we did until it was time to kiss and hug one another good night and to pray for a very good year that would bring us together again.

Paella Negra and Gilda

It was the perfect and most complete meal I had in many a Holy Week since I was this tall. This Paella Negra in a well-worn paellera was served at a merienda get-together hosted by Ka Universe, Gilda Cordero Fernando, for her friends from different persuasions: psychologist Carmen Enrile, playwright Rody Vera, development worker Juju Tan and wife, the architect Ning Encarnacion Tan, sculptor Julie Lluch and yours truly. Gilda once said if there's any skill or any thing she's good at, it's playing host and getting the right mix of people in a room. So after we dug into the paella, arugula salad with figs and flowers, fish and halo-halo and finished our meal, the conversation ranged wide and deep, with pit stops for bits of gossip. Thank you, Gilda, for remaining in our lives and still choosing to be of this world.

Photo by Babeth Lolarga

Mary Grace-ing once too often

It seems Mary Grace is the bakery-restaurant of choice among friends who agree to meet at either Greenbelt Makati or Trinoma, the Ayala mall in Quezon City. When I'm early and waiting for my lunch companions, I like reading the little handwritten stuff under the glass-topped tables. I've often wondered if those are real notes addressed to real persons or they were just made up to add to the place's homey ambience.

While looking at these photos, the first taken sometime August, the other just at the close of this past month, I noticed how I ballooned and grew in heft. Well, you caught me there--enjoying once too often Mary Grace's deceitfully lightweight ensaymada and cheese roll!

With Pablo Tariman, Vergel Santos and Chit Roces Santos

Even Althea Sarmenta seems to say of Mary Grace, "I love you this much!" Others in picture are former colleagues and lifetime friends Bob Navarro, Amadis Ma. Guerrero, Cynthia Alberto Diaz and Althea's dad Joel.

Returning to ourselves

"Almost Christmas," acrylic on canvas by the blogger. It measures 11" x 14".

"I love painting. It's where I return to myself." The quote is from the group Artwell Art Therapy. It captures what I feel when I'm in the midst of playing with colors and images.

The other day, friend Toottee Chanco Pacis and I shared a table in her Happy Homes home. There was just a pot of poinsettias given to her by another friend, Becky Luyk, between us. She worked on her handmade, one-of-a-kind Christmas cards in watercolor on Optima white paper while I did the painting called "Almost Christmas," a poinsettia set against a lemon yellow background (too plain, my husband's verdict on the background's color, but that is his opinion, and he's entitled to it).

We both knew that if we didn't get together, we wouldn't get anything done. The way Toottee put it in her SMS: "I need someone to paint with or I get waylaid by so many little things, I end up not even bringing out my brushes."

We worked quietly, we conversed, too, paused for coffee and some of her squash cake (Happy Thanksgiving to those who observe it). By the end of the afternoon when the light was dimming, Toottee had finished making four cards, I was done with two small paintings (meaning, no retouches or touch-ups needed, no matter someone's opinion).

I got home early evening but even with November's darkness outside and with the lights from the Christmas inside to light my two works, I felt good inside. I couldn't wait for the next occasion when my painting pal and I would get together again. She also shared with me a Mexican custom of saying goodbye to a hostess, something passed on to her by our late friend, Carol Brady.

"I shall come again for I like myself when I am with you."

Feedback

Artists and would-be artists don't just live on the occasional sales alone. We also like to receive feedback from the audience. I was able to get some--naturally they're from friends who dropped by the ongoing exhibition "Sampayan Blues" at the Sanctuary Gallery of Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary in Campo Sioco, Baguio. The show is still up until Nov. 14.

Some other friends couldn't make it up (that's too much of an imposition on them), but I shared my photos of the works. Feedback they were generous with. It was enough to keep my going until I decide to return to my paints and brushes and paint for a future show and cause.

Thank you, Universe, especially for the gift of friendship that includes the virtue of encouragement.

"Kai's Magical Day," acrylic on canvas paper, collection of Robert Abaño.

Hello Babeth,

Saw your exhibit yesterday at Maryknoll. Your works are very original and different, never boring and very witty!

Congratulations! My favorite is the one with a vase and a sun on the upper right corner. Parang playful na van Gogh. :-)

Keep on painting and have a beautiful day ahead!

Lingling Maranan-Claver

"Poured My Heart Out and This Is What I Get," mixed media on canvas paper

Hi Babeth we really enjoyed your exhibit even if Dan and I were the last-comers. Ang ganda talaga! Remember nung nasa fine arts pa tayo, you used to tell me, pano ba gagawin ko sa drawing ko, walang depth. Sabi ko sa yo nun, ano ka, maganda nga e, parang folk art. Ngayon, hindi ka lang folk art, a la Picasso ka na! Gusto ni Dan yung geisha, at ako gusto ko nung Poured my heart...

Mina Rimando

Top: "Finding My Sea Legs"; bottom: "Fish for Dinner," acrylic on paper, collaborations with Kai Fernandez

Thank for sharing the fotos of the paintings in your exhibit, and the sentiments that went with the preparations for the exhibit, with your usual exquisite writing.

Your paintings are wonderful, with a wonderland look and feel about them, and yet with social messages that can't be missed.

Cora Patarata

"Light as a Kite My Angel Feels," acrylic on canvas paper

Babeth,

Congratulations on your current solo exhibit!! Too bad I couldn't make it to Baguio to see those works first-hand. I was left pondering and anticipating with trepidation, Lando's would-be handiwork as it wound its way across my own part of the north. I was also wondering how it would affect your scheduled opening. But thank God our place was spared the worst, and your exhibit too, went on as announced!

You make it so easy and uncomplicated, talking about the process of creation in your statement. I am sure a great deal of thought and planning went into it. And the seeming uncomplicatedness is what endears those works to us, your readers. I personally like the honesty and the child-like touch that infuse those pieces.

Here's to more works in the offing!

Al Vicente

Congratulations, Babeth! How your imagination flies (taking us with it)!

Hugs,
Princess Nemenzo

When cousins are friends

Cousin Henry with his retired man's pouch lends an ear to a niece.

To keep my sanity during this season's frenzy, I try to be selective about with whom to spend my time, with whom socializing isn't a strain (that is, I can be myself, especially where LOLs are concerned--hearty and uninhibited and damn Emily Post).

Every year, that's my December resolution, and so far I've managed to apply this with, I'm proud to say, some stick-to-it-tiveness. I've junked the Aunty Social stance--life's too short and too grand to be a grouchy hermit. The friends who I've managed to keep in the autumn of my life are way too precious for me to just email a Christmas letter to. If they're around and they'd appreciate my company, of course, I will run at the first summons. The same with family members who make up my first friends in life.

When balikbayan cousin Henry Romero (his nickname is also spelled Enri) called for a luncheon clan reunion, the turnout was good, although Baguio duties kept me away. Wala bang Take 2? Well, there was one open Saturday for a hurriedly organized reunion of absentees from that earlier reunion. Unless someone offers to host everything, the reunions of the Lolarga, Romero and Valdellon families are potluck affairs with no consultation, no declaration of what pot contents we will bring.

So we welcomed Henry again with homemade spaghetti, store-bought suman and sapin-sapin, siopao and siomai, ensaymada and oranges. Henry wolfed down two siopaos and half-laughingly told of how he brought his son Dino, who's returning to LA, on a nostalgic trip to Ma Mon Luk only for the younger man to complain that the food tasted like rags. I guess it's a generation thing.

It was good to see Henry talking, listening, giving advice, hoping aloud for another reunion even if it's 10 years down the road and our generation by then will be hard of hearing and of walking. He was natural in the role of family elder.

Meanwhile, we're grateful just to be together for a few hours with a December moon hovering over the snug condo where our niece Regina May de los Reyes had just moved in.

Blogging relative, Dino and Henry Romero, Regina May de los Reyes and Yonni Habulan

Gathered 'round the kitchen-cum-dining table with cousin Eileen Lolarga (third from left) and Yonni's fiance Lady (to Regina's right)

Ravioli night at Italianni's

An early supper (we gathered at a quarter before 5 p.m.) at Italianni's on Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City, gave four women a chance to listen to one another while nibbling from a platter of greens, another filled with deceivingly small ravioli baked with cheese, sidings of potato wedges with truffle-infused dip.

There was pizza with wild mushrooms, but as the most senior in the group said about that tiny appetizer that could pack a wallop, one piece of ravioli, no matter how slowly, mindfully you chew it to let the cheese's richness fill your mouth, once that thing lands in your tummy--oh dear, it does feel like a heavy stone. There wasn't space for a slice of pizza, not even for toppings of fresh leaves that I thought would be my atonement for the carbo binge.

Forgive us for this rare indulgence for we knew not what we did. We should be busy with what we've committed ourselves to doing in our respective areas for the rest of the year. By chance we also discovered that we've individually promised ourselves in the new year to cut down on the socializing or discourage others' encroachments on our private time, but this Thursday we exempted ourselves from futile promises like those. For one reason: it has become increasingly rare for these four women plus one chap who dropped in after three hours to pick up his partner to be on one floor area together.

The seated woman in a bright crochet top over a blouse paired with pink pants and a gray furry bag (she claims it's cat's hair!) is always the most stylish. Arrayed around Gilda Cordero Fernando we look like a new grunge band (from left): a ravioli monster, filmmakers Keith Sicat and wife Sari Dalena and sculptor Julie Lluch. We all look pleased to be pals with she who radiates hopefully contagious "youthening" light.

Fight for, respect, include, encourage, need, deserve, stand by you

Source:  http://16quotes.com/f-r-i-e-n-d-s-fight-for-you-respect-you/