Saturday, May 20, 2017

from GABY MANALAC







Hey hey Tony:

You are out of this world. Always have known that, of course, and this is not fake news. I can back it up with testimonial evidence from Fr. Reuter who will surely come back from wherever the angels have delivered him  if the evidence needs validation.

In any event, just for starters, how can anyone with all kinds of life-threatening ailments continue to keep travelling all over the world with all kinds of life sustaining machines like dialysis machines while sailing the Danube on a tourist vessel. and at the drop of a hat picking up your topcoat and taking off for fancied destinations anywhere and everywhere.  And more than that, you just flew all the way to Australia for a family reunion, a flying distance that most anyone our age may not survive. How can all that happen. And from the looks of it, there are still lots more coming.

But wouldn’t one know it. Of course there is a very simple answer to such an  impossible query - GOD, CHITA, AND FAMILY. But why were you the chosen one. Only they can answer that. All I can remember is that Tony Joaquin vintage “48 liked doing what he liked to do – music in any form or language. An indelible image in my memory is a gangly Tony crooning ala Sinatra while ever so smoothly flipping his legs around dancing the boogie Astaire style to the delight of st. scholasltica  closeted high schoolers.

Still more, equally incredible.  You have now gifted your friends with two renditions from an album you recorded last year – Nearness of You and Unforgettable (duet with daughter Lizza). Your rendition of Nearness is noticeably lovable, but Unforgettable  with Lizza is a reincarnation of Tony vintage “48. I daresay it is even better. Lizza has brought out something very professional in your rendition. Lizza’s youthful talent seems to have magically rubbed off on you. I couldn’t believe what I listened to. Your voice was vibrant, round, and your delivery perfect.  Hey, keep Lizza primed for more of those duets.
How truly blessed you are to have Chita and the kds, and vice versa of course.

If there is any downside to your performance, it is that it makes me envious of how you can so very much enjoy your musical talent at this stage of our lives. As far back as grade school at the the Ateneo in Intramuros, I looked forward so very much to very rehearsal. Mr. Tiongco (I think he might eventually sired the Tiongco brothers who mimicked the Four Aces, or the Lettermen, or was it one or the other of several of the popular quartets at the time) was our choir master and I (along with a guy I remember only as Palarca) was a soloist and had my first performance at the Padre Faura auditorium (big deal then) when I was in grade IV. I remember Mr.Tiongco had several more performances lined up for us but as fate would have it, September 8, 1941 happened.
During the II War years when I was in La Salle, I was ready to take daily piano lessons since my mom”s brother was a piano teacher and was in our home quite often that it made sense for him to spend time with me as a budding classical pianist. Again, as fate would have it, the Americans started their “I will return” bombing sorties.

Again, I got the chance to get back into the musical stream by joining the Ateneo high school choir which Fr. Candelaria would be geared to performing abroad (which I later found out was Guam and Wake island. I thought that was pretty weird. So when Fr. Candy started costed the expenses for his venture, it came up to a fantastic total of a hundred thousand or something around that figure. We all had a good laugh when it turned out that mathematics (even only multiplication) was not exactly his strong point.

So off again I was, this time to picking a ukele that my sister bought for me (our house burned down along with our piano during the liberation of Manila). But that never really got me into full time piano studies, although I was beginning to enjoy learning how play the Uke but never really got serious about even that although I thought it was truly a lovable instrument. For your enjoyment, I printing the Utube address of Kris Fuchigami - "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"- Ukulele Instrumental. I am certain you will enjoy it. His utube address also opens up a few other incredible ukele performances.

To sum it all up, my ill-fated musical career was doomed when I got a journalism scholarship, along with Tony Manuud, to Marquette University.   I contented myself with harmonizing  old American favorites  with Tony who just loved singing these oldies particularly:

Heart Of My Heart", I love that melody
"Heart Of My Heart" brings back a memory
When we were kids on the corner of the street
We were rough and ready guys
But Oh! How we could harmonize
"Heart Of My Heart"
Meant friends were dearer then
Too bad we had to part
I know a tear would glisten if once more I could listen
To that gang that sang "Heart Of My Heart"


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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

ALFREDO DING ROCES' 85TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IN SYDNEY




*****My 85th–A Celebration*****
Just made it to another milestone, the big 85. My three living brothers will say that is just a minor hurdle. The eldest living among us siblings is Peping, who is 97! He spots me 12 years. Next  on the rung to him is Pipo ,who has a 10-year lead over me. At least Marquitos is within breathing distance at 87. All I can try to do is keep up with these magnificent guys. Wish they would reveal to me their secret for long life.
But the here and now is what we should be happy about; and to celebrate the occasion, daughter Grace and son-in-law Howard, have offered to host our celebration at home with their traditional grand feast. This, despite the fact that their reliable assistants, Damien and Natasha, were on holidays. The brave couple had to carry the brunt of chef, kitchen-hand and waiter, all by their lonesome. How they managed it all was quite an amazing feat.

What a superb feast! And with such wonderful company! Howard and Grace printed out the menu some days before and the guests made their choice on line. Then the gourmet dishes just kept coming in.
It was an awesome repast all thanks to Howard's and Grace's great hard work and kitchen magic.
The gathering of the usual suspects. Clockwise starting at 12 o'clock with yours truly, —Grace ready to pour the wine, Lene Aldeguer, Betchay Reyes, Luis Reyes, Ritsuko Crowley, Irene, Will Sun, Evol Carrington, Cal Nelson and Uko Legarda Nelson.
Irene's table setting. Would you believe the pencil and brush decor were from  a table-setting for my 60th in 1992 at the gracious home of Eddie and Merle Pineda in DasmariƱas, Makati?
A lot of hard work from the team of Howard and Grace: beginning with the couple lugging half their kitchen all the way from Woranora Heights to our home in Davidson. Here's how the chef's working space looked.


Finger lime. Frankly never saw these before.They were delicious.
anchovies for the sauce

Behind the scene work by the chef-couple

Home made pumpkin ravioli

With much of the chaotic, messy work over,  Chef Howard can now exercise his gourmet magic in his formal working gear.

The Awesome Menu

Let's see now, do I remember what I had ordered?


Seared scallops in an anchovy butter sauce
Garlic buttered prawns

Lene, Betchay, Luis, Ritsuko and Irene



Now for the main course...

Quite a few favored rhe duck, now ready for roasting.
Roasting and smoking the duck outdoors so the smoke will not get inside the house




Baked Atlantic salmon

Prawns in a zesty ginger and lime tomato sauce on ribboned zucchini
Tea-smoked duck breast with roasted beetroot  in a balsamic syrup and roasted vegetables

Milopita (Greek apple cake) with brandy yoghurt

Trio of homemade ice cream

Grand Dessert
My experiments with low-firing ceramic paint on tile were my parting gifts to the guests

Guest drew lots for the wrapped individual souvenir art-work, so I don't know who got which.

ALL THANKS AGAIN TO GRACE AND HOWARD FOR A FABULOUS FEAST. WE ALL LOVED IT.

*****My 85th–A Celebration*****
2

View comments

  1. All the best to Tito Ding, Tita Irene and the whole family. God bless!
    Reply
  2. Happy birthday Tito Ding! Thanks for posting photos and descriptions of your wonderful birthday experience. I will have to show my dad. Love from Icasiano family.
    Reply
  1. *****My 85th–A Celebration*****
    Just made it to another milestone, the big 85. My three living brothers will say that is just a minor hurdle. The eldest living among us siblings is Peping, who is 97! He spots me 12 years. Next  on the rung to him is Pipo ,who has a 10-year lead over me. At least Marquitos is within breathing distance at 87. All I can try to do is keep up with these magnificent guys. Wish they would reveal to me their secret for long life.
    But the here and now is what we should be happy about; and to celebrate the occasion, daughter Grace and son-in-law Howard, have offered to host our celebration at home with their traditional grand feast. This, despite the fact that their reliable assistants, Damien and Natasha, were on holidays. The brave couple had to carry the brunt of chef, kitchen-hand and waiter, all by their lonesome. How they managed it all was quite an amazing feat.

    What a superb feast! And with such wonderful company! Howard and Grace printed out the menu some days before and the guests made their choice on line. Then the gourmet dishes just kept coming in.
    It was an awesome repast all thanks to Howard's and Grace's great hard work and kitchen magic.
    The gathering of the usual suspects. Clockwise starting at 12 o'clock with yours truly, —Grace ready to pour the wine, Lene Aldeguer, Betchay Reyes, Luis Reyes, Ritsuko Crowley, Irene, Will Sun, Evol Carrington, Cal Nelson and Uko Legarda Nelson.