What a way to spend the weekend!
It was an excruciating, physically exhausting, exhilarating, and frantic schedule that I encountered during the last weekend… I was like engulfed by a formidable cyclone from some maddening world that I couldn’t find a way out to free myself from such unforgiving bondage.
Even as early as Thursday evening I had been trying to decipher my upcoming timetable and how to be able to manage my twelve engagements for the weekend but after drawing several time management tables and doing a couple of elimination process, I still ended up helpless and in an abysmal quandary. I was like being inescapably gulped down by a quagmire. Every single event listed in my calendar was considerably significant that there was no way I could find a reason to excuse myself from not attending…for all invitations were imperative.
Friday, June 19, 2015
A one-on-one interview with Awitawanan cast
Through the invitation of talent coordinator Albert Sunga and the low-keyed man behind Asia-West Entertainment Chris Bautista, producer of Awitawanan in NYC, my friends Rose P. Javier and Herbert Y. Magtoto joined me to Tito Rad’s Grill & Restaurant in Queen Blvd., Woodside, NY where the interview was set.
We arrived a little late and the celebrities were already having lunch. Seated by the food-laden table waiting for me were the Singing Sweetheart of the 80s Jam Morales, the Comic Diva Fe De Los Reyes, and the Phenomenal Diva Jessa Zaragoza with the latter’s equally popular hubby, former QC councilor and currently Siquijor Vice-Governor Dingdong Avanzado together with their daughter, Jayda.
The interview commenced after the standard introduction and getting-to-know moments while Roland Gutierrez simultaneously took shots from different angles. Since I was the lone media representative the discussion and inter-personal conversation with the three bubbly celebrities were too forthright and candid.
Awitawanan was held last Saturday, June 20 at the NYC Arena (Amazura Lounge) 91-12 144thPlace, Jamaica, NY (11435).
Face to face with a prospective column subject
Immediately after the air was cleared, another interview was set, this time, just a couple of steps from where we were…the newly-opened next-door Filipino eatery, Kabayan Authentic Filipino Cuisine along 4912 Queens Blvd., Woodside, NY (11377).
Kabayan, contracted from the Tagalog word, “Kababayan” meaning countryman, is operated by Cherry Manuel Castellvi, a Physical Therapy practitioner. If her last name rings a bell, well, yes… she’s the former partner of Nel Castellvi, the amiable proprietor of the defunct Perlas Ng Silangan Restaurant.
Cherry is one interesting subject…cooperative, witty, smart, and with sense of humor. With a keen sense of business acumen she could effectively juggle between her profession and being a restaurant operator-caterer equally devoting the same quality time for both.
My very personal interview with Cherry will soon be released in full text in Asian Journal’s forthcoming issues.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Clara Hayes turned 80
No matter how hectic my schedules were but turning down an invitation from somebody like Clara Hayes would be tantamount to committing a grievous offense that may not be punishable by law but by my own conscience.
Clara, a cuddly amiable lady who has been a long time active member of PACCAL (Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc.) celebrated her 80th birthday last Saturday at the well-appointed Banquet Hall of Casino in the Park at #1 Lincoln Park, Jersey City, NJ (07304).
Clara, together with her brother Dennis, warmly welcomed more than 150 guests into the distinctive 60-year old fine dining hall, one of Jersey City’s prominent landmarks.
Amid the elegant yet comfortably accommodating ambience, Clara gracefully pervaded in her own brand of affability and sweetness as she hopped from table to table elegantly garbed in ecru pant suit topped with corded lace blouse.
The octogenarian exhibited a different kind of renewed energy and enthusiasm that she gamely obliged to every friend’s picture-taking demand.
After having stayed for nearly less than an hour and having taken a couple of photos with the Birthday Girl, like a fugitive, I managed to leave the party with Rolly Javier and Virgie Alvarez in tow…for our next event.
Kaia’s 13th birthday & advance Father’s Day celebration
It took Rolly barely 20 minutes to reach Tokyo Hibachi & Sushi Buffet along 700 Plaza Drive in Secaucus, NJ (07094) where my family, particularly my sons, celebrated Father’s Day in advance and at the same time, my granddaughter (my eldest son Brian’s first born) Kaia Alanna’s 13thbirthday.
Everybody was just having a break after a hearty lunch when we came. We didn’t waste a single second in devouring what we gathered from the buffet tables but considered posing for posterity and took effort to be part in some fun-filled tete-a-tete.
It was almost 3:00 PM when gifts were distributed and the celebration seemed to continue…but I still have to attend another event.
UFA Fish Convention
The 2015 United Flowerhorn Association’s Eastcoast Fish Competition, (hosted by Mark Alvarez) was already in progress when we pulled in at VFW Building in Tenafly, NJ. The unusual festival had only one kind of specie from the Animal Kingdom…the fish. But not just any ordinary fish—it’s the flowerhorn!
We saw rows and rows of aquariums and water tanks but each contained just a single flowerhorn fish for competition. Known to be hybrid species from Malaysia but theoretically they were the result of cross-breeding between different types of Southern American cichlids.
With already more than 30,000 members worldwide, the eastcoast organization was founded by Albert Dela Cruz, Hai Trinh, and Juan Hernandez while Mark Alvarez (East Coast), Mick Crotty (United Kingdom), Niput Ghandhi (India), and Andoy Labating (Phil.) are among the UFA International Representatives.
Flowerhorn enthusiasts from California, Minnesota, North Carolina, Michigan, Maryland, Philadelphia, Connecticut, and New Jersey participated in the contest.
While the secondary sponsor of the said event was Team Kinpin Flowerhorn of EC and the east coast organizers were composed of Julie Tran, Luke Yang, and Jay Dacuycuy, the members of the board of judges were Luke Yang, Kang Nguyen, Tuan Nguyen.
Rare and expensive, a small flowerhorn can command from $500 to $1000 per piece while the most expensive kind, like King Kamfa, amazingly cost up to $20,000. Raising flowerhorns are said to be the latest hobby among males and believed to bring good luck.
Again, without waiting for the occasion to come to its closing, we excused ourselves to attend the next event in our schedule.
Czarina Grace Carbonell & Andrew Iiyoon Nam Wedding
Although exhausted and almost worn out but I still gathered enough energy after I freshened up a bit. I just couldn’t say “No” to my clients Sarah Carbonell and Aurora Carbonell’s, the bride’s mother and grandmother, respectively, very cordial invitation. With Rolly again behind the wheels, we drove off to my next event…Czarina and Andrew’s wedding reception.
The wedding ceremonies actually took place around 2:00 PM at St. Aedan’s, The Saint Peter’s University Church at 800 Bergen Avenue in Jersey City but due to my overlapping commitments I opted to just show up at the reception.
The celebration continued with a lavish cocktail followed with a luxurious reception at the posh Liberty House at 76 Audrey Zapp Drive, Liberty State Park in Jersey City overlooking the vast grandeur of the scenic Hudson River during sunset with a splendid backdrop of New York City’s towering skyscrapers.
It was a multi-cultural wedding reception attended with a preponderance of Asians, Americans, Europeans, and Latinos. The set-up was of supreme creativity in pristine white and royal blue motif with paramount emphasis on the centerpieces of gigantic crystal vases topped with crowns of pastel-colored spring blooms and finished with suspended candles encased in crystal drops. The ambience was totally a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
The traditional Korean wedding ceremony was held at the reception with the bride and the groom dressed in full Korean costume. Immediate members of the family from both sides participated in the solemn rites while taking turns in giving their symbolic offerings. The bride and groom sealed their nuptial vows by sipping a special wine during the kunbere while during the p’ye-baek ritual the groom’s parents threw dates and chestnuts (symbol of children) at the bride who tried to catch them with her chima or wedding skirt.
A Korean festivity won’t be complete without the magnificent fireworks display and guests witnessed one of the longest fireworks-sprayed firmaments outside the Fourth of July commemoration.
Without bidding my hosts “adieu” I cautiously inched my way out to catch up with my final commitment.
Last stop: Linda Auletta’s 60th Birthday Celebration
It took us barely 15 minutes from the wedding party to the Golden Door Charter School Auditorium of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at 3026 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City for Rosalinda Logdat Auletta’s 60th birthday bash.
It wasn’t surprising anymore to observe that the dance floor was never without rug-cutters since most guests were ballroom enthusiasts. Noticeably everyone was garbed in all-white outfit that gave the petite birthday celebrator the advantage to stand out since she’s in fuchsia pink body-hugging asymmetrically-skirted cocktail gown.
A dancer herself, Linda’s special guests were Dancing With The Stars (Teen Edition) champs, the brother and sister tandem of Craig and Samantha Abaya-Campos, and the indefatigable dance guru of the tri-state area, Virgie Alvarez and her equally polished terpsichorean members.
The non-stop-dancing birthday gathering, ably emceed by Rene Ballenas, put a ceiling to my calendar for the day. Having spent my Saturday strenuously, I felt arduously drained with knees and feet about to surrender from supporting my upper torso.
Again, without bidding the birthday girl “Goodbye” it was easy for me to break out from the pack to call it a night and rested my weary body and somnolent head at half past midnight.
Cancelled events
But despite having attended the aforementioned events, there were still two that I was forced to cancel from my list simply because of conflict: the annual gala of FAMS (Filipino-American Medical Society of Toms River) through the courtesy of Dr. Elena Buenviaje and Awitawanan in NYC.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
“A May-December Affair in June” rehearsal
While my aching back still seemed cohesively stuck to my bed, my spirit was already willing to rise to greet the new day with renewed strength. Much that I liked to just cuddle my pillows and pamper myself under the sheets, my engagement for early lunch didn’t permit me.
Having celebrated Father’s Day in advance, my Sunday rendezvous in New York City was sans impediment. Vince Gesmundo of VYNZ-NY Entertainment and Joji Babuschak of JB Entertainment Productions plus the main cast of “A May-December Affair in June,” Jared Martin, Louanne Cuenco, and Bobby Ramiro, were already waiting at Applebee’s second floor along 42nd Street in Times Square.
Later joined by the production’s Executive Producer, Chin Gomez, the luncheon meeting timely settled brewing issues and cleared the air for a smooth flowing and organized project.
By 2:00 PM the group merged with Production Manager Geo Ed Rebucas at Dany Studio along 38thStreet and 8th Avenue for the rehearsal.
Initially assigned at Studio 5 the first phase of the preparatory performance took off without setback despite the oven-like temperature but later moved to the adjacent air-conditioned Studio 4 ‘til 6 PM.
Focused, occupied, and engrossed, the group wasn’t aware of the fleeting time not until everybody felt the urge to rest and recharge. We dispersed after a company assessment and final group session at exactly 6.
Whew! That was really one over-the-edge, tension-filled, and nerve-racking encounters I survived during the weekend.
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