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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*****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.
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.
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| 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. |
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| 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 Dasmariñas, Makati? |
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| 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. |
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| Finger lime. Frankly never saw these before.They were delicious. |
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| anchovies for the sauce |
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| Behind the scene work by the chef-couple |
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| Home made pumpkin ravioli |
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| With much of the chaotic, messy work over, Chef Howard can now exercise his gourmet magic in his formal working gear. |
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| The Awesome Menu |
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Let's see now, do I remember what I had ordered?
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| Garlic buttered prawns |
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| Lene, Betchay, Luis, Ritsuko and Irene |
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| Now for the main course... |
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| Quite a few favored rhe duck, now ready for roasting. |
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| Roasting and smoking the duck outdoors so the smoke will not get inside the house |
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| Baked Atlantic salmon |
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| Prawns in a zesty ginger and lime tomato sauce on ribboned zucchini |
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| Tea-smoked duck breast with roasted beetroot in a balsamic syrup and roasted vegetables |
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| Milopita (Greek apple cake) with brandy yoghurt |
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| Trio of homemade ice cream |
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| Grand Dessert |
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| My experiments with low-firing ceramic paint on tile were my parting gifts to the guests |
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| 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*****
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