All about people
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS and Disneyland. Done that.
Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Hollywood Walk of Fame. Griffith Park. Rodeo Drive. Been there.
Venice. Sta. Monica. Redondo. Done those also.
The Museum of Contemporary Art. Walt Disney Concert Hall. Even Staples Center. Been there too.
Is it the sign of creeping age, or it’s just me?
Coming to Los Angeles, the very shibboleths of tinseltown failed to raise the least interest in me. It was people I looked forward to: family and friends to rebond with, new acquaintances to develop, even strangers to fancy.
And my, did I find joy, aye, fulfillment in this journey.
I could have just listened to Apu Soleng’s stories about the Pineda-Canlas clan the whole day, two weeks on end without feeling any discomfort or losing interest.
Coffee with Uncle Vic at the nearest McDonald’s to home in Carson is a treat. Even doing the laundry in their jumbo LG washing machines made an enjoyable chore.
Coming to Mass at the St. Philomena church, with its Filipino choir, is divine.
More divine – if there is something comparative in degrees of grace – is hearing the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary alumni sing at Mass, as they did at the Thanksgiving Day affair of the United Pampanga Leaders Council.
Down memory lane I walked with my seminary brothers Rey Dizon, Dan Basilio, Al Capati, Bob Mungcal, Pio Lansangan, “Cousin” Rupert Lacson, Bot Portugal, Ed Medina, Jerry Pineda, Ody Cuero, Dan Dizon and Jerry Yumul – the last four with their better-halves – over Filipino dinner at Noy-Pitz in Glendale, extending over coffee till the wee hours at Pio’s house, our bond of brotherhood bandied and banded.
Later, there was our brother Vidal Aguas, prime mover of the Virgen de los Remedios devotion in Los Angeles, being bestowed the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award for religious and civic service.
Like long lost brothers found were Jess Espanola, 2010’s MOKA in mass media for being the first and so-far-only Filipino Emmy Award winner, and hard-hitting columnist – he won’t be called “Ang Salarin” for nothing – Larry Pelayo of Pinoy Watchdog. Media solidarity at instant play here.
Most gracious host was Mike Cucueco, executive commissioner of the organizing Pampanga Day 2011 Celebration Commission, at his palatial home up the verdant hills of La Canada where I was transported to with my Uncle Vic by couple Leslie and Reesie Ducut.
And who would pop up one night but Millete Caparas-Ocampo, comrade in student activism, dear friend forever, with her son Raf-Raf. Great dinner we had at Curry House in Gardena, greater yet the conversation and camaraderie at Starbucks.
A serendipitous hit in Facebook: once Pampanga photojournalist Arlan Naeg, opening lines to the other mediaboys – Nel Dizon and Jonard Aquino, trooping to the Pampanga Day event at Hilton-LAX. Jonard planing in with his wife Pearly from San Francisco and planing out the next day to Las Vegas. The mini-reunion of sorts happily completed with Noel Tulabut coming from Clark.
“It matters not whether we meet for one hour or for one week, what is important is how our friendship is renewed everytime we meet.” That’s the formerly funny Jonard, turning a bit philosophical with age. And extending an open invitation to Pampanga-based mediamen to a reunion in Vegas before summer next year, with him taking care of the accommodations.
At Hilton-LAX too, sheer lukso ng dugo -- the Zapata blood – made me recognize a first cousin I have not seen in over 40 years – Veronica Zapata Rodriguez-Ramia, younger sister of drama actress Vivian Velez.
The joyful encounter continuing the following day with Veronica and husband Edward and friend Alex, our Aunt Jenna and Uncle Joe Barrameda taking me to lunch at Proud Bird restaurant near LAX. Yeah, a sumptuous buffet there but more (ful)filling was the renewal of family ties.
On the eve of my departure for home, apologetic was my Uncle Vic for “failing” to take me to Universal and Disneyland, Sta. Monica Beach at least, and Rodeo Drive this time around.
Yeah? I told him. And miss all these friends and family?
Really now, it’s not the sight, nor the site. Not the destination that counts. But the people that come one’s way, the people one meets there.
There’s the fulfillment of travel.
Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Hollywood Walk of Fame. Griffith Park. Rodeo Drive. Been there.
Venice. Sta. Monica. Redondo. Done those also.
The Museum of Contemporary Art. Walt Disney Concert Hall. Even Staples Center. Been there too.
Is it the sign of creeping age, or it’s just me?
Coming to Los Angeles, the very shibboleths of tinseltown failed to raise the least interest in me. It was people I looked forward to: family and friends to rebond with, new acquaintances to develop, even strangers to fancy.
And my, did I find joy, aye, fulfillment in this journey.
I could have just listened to Apu Soleng’s stories about the Pineda-Canlas clan the whole day, two weeks on end without feeling any discomfort or losing interest.
Coffee with Uncle Vic at the nearest McDonald’s to home in Carson is a treat. Even doing the laundry in their jumbo LG washing machines made an enjoyable chore.
Coming to Mass at the St. Philomena church, with its Filipino choir, is divine.
More divine – if there is something comparative in degrees of grace – is hearing the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary alumni sing at Mass, as they did at the Thanksgiving Day affair of the United Pampanga Leaders Council.
Down memory lane I walked with my seminary brothers Rey Dizon, Dan Basilio, Al Capati, Bob Mungcal, Pio Lansangan, “Cousin” Rupert Lacson, Bot Portugal, Ed Medina, Jerry Pineda, Ody Cuero, Dan Dizon and Jerry Yumul – the last four with their better-halves – over Filipino dinner at Noy-Pitz in Glendale, extending over coffee till the wee hours at Pio’s house, our bond of brotherhood bandied and banded.
Later, there was our brother Vidal Aguas, prime mover of the Virgen de los Remedios devotion in Los Angeles, being bestowed the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award for religious and civic service.
Like long lost brothers found were Jess Espanola, 2010’s MOKA in mass media for being the first and so-far-only Filipino Emmy Award winner, and hard-hitting columnist – he won’t be called “Ang Salarin” for nothing – Larry Pelayo of Pinoy Watchdog. Media solidarity at instant play here.
Most gracious host was Mike Cucueco, executive commissioner of the organizing Pampanga Day 2011 Celebration Commission, at his palatial home up the verdant hills of La Canada where I was transported to with my Uncle Vic by couple Leslie and Reesie Ducut.
And who would pop up one night but Millete Caparas-Ocampo, comrade in student activism, dear friend forever, with her son Raf-Raf. Great dinner we had at Curry House in Gardena, greater yet the conversation and camaraderie at Starbucks.
A serendipitous hit in Facebook: once Pampanga photojournalist Arlan Naeg, opening lines to the other mediaboys – Nel Dizon and Jonard Aquino, trooping to the Pampanga Day event at Hilton-LAX. Jonard planing in with his wife Pearly from San Francisco and planing out the next day to Las Vegas. The mini-reunion of sorts happily completed with Noel Tulabut coming from Clark.
“It matters not whether we meet for one hour or for one week, what is important is how our friendship is renewed everytime we meet.” That’s the formerly funny Jonard, turning a bit philosophical with age. And extending an open invitation to Pampanga-based mediamen to a reunion in Vegas before summer next year, with him taking care of the accommodations.
At Hilton-LAX too, sheer lukso ng dugo -- the Zapata blood – made me recognize a first cousin I have not seen in over 40 years – Veronica Zapata Rodriguez-Ramia, younger sister of drama actress Vivian Velez.
The joyful encounter continuing the following day with Veronica and husband Edward and friend Alex, our Aunt Jenna and Uncle Joe Barrameda taking me to lunch at Proud Bird restaurant near LAX. Yeah, a sumptuous buffet there but more (ful)filling was the renewal of family ties.
On the eve of my departure for home, apologetic was my Uncle Vic for “failing” to take me to Universal and Disneyland, Sta. Monica Beach at least, and Rodeo Drive this time around.
Yeah? I told him. And miss all these friends and family?
Really now, it’s not the sight, nor the site. Not the destination that counts. But the people that come one’s way, the people one meets there.
There’s the fulfillment of travel.
posted by A.Caesar Z. Lacson at 2:00 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home