9 Celebrations for Jiro's Bday

Jiro has been celebrating his 9th birthday since the beginning of June. Every week-end, starting Friday nights, his dad fires up the BBQ grill. Saturday nights and/or Sunday nights, we have another backyard party. I can still remember the "liempo" being marinated, sometimes just a few hours and it is good to go.

JV exclaims..WOW !!!! (everytime)....... Na-imas latta !!! 

We found giant squid at the nearby T & T grocery.  We stuffed it with onions/tomatoes and grilled it... ay, sarap !!!  Most times, we have accompaniments of grilled eggplants, sweet pepper, zucchini... and we even tested grilled Romaine lettuce leaves. We just seem to have a lot of grilling ideas from steak to fish ( we had turbo, red snapper, grouper).  Yvan seems to struggle with the fish, but seems to perfect the liempo. Sanan tu aramiden didiay "pulpog" nga kuna da!

No problem with left overs.  For grilled eggplant, we have eggplant "torta" for breakfast.  The sweet peppers/zuccini, we add mushrooms to make "gulo-gulo" omelet for the following day's meal. Nag-kirmet kami ania? It just takes a few imaginative brains to come up with left over specials.  Awan iti masayang.. na-imas latta met iti ka-ka-anan mi !!!

June 21, the first day of summer was Jiro's 9th birthday... He must have received 9 presents including the blue car, a present from his school, which was earnestly acquired by the younger celebrant JV (lol !!)

The culmination of the  9th Birthday celebration happened at the Skyland de Shanghai on June 25th with Uncle Buzz's (Lightyear of Toy Story series) timely arrival in town.

Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur

This is being posted as a reference to an earlier blog posting regarding the Sto Domingo barangays

[This information was sent to me via email from my brother Rudy October 22, 2009]
Some piece of conversation with Mamang.  Those highlighted - she might be familiar with.

Santo Domingo is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,888 people in 4,871 households.

Barangays

Santo Domingo is politically subdivided into 36 barangays.

Binalayangan Binongan Borobor Cabaritan Cabigbigaan Calautit Calay-ab Camestizoan Casili Flora Lagatit Laoingen

Lussoc Nalasin Nagbettedan Naglaoa-an Nambaran Nanerman Napo Padu Chico Padu Grande Paguraper Panay Pangpangdan

Parada Paras Poblacion Puerta Real Pussuac Quimmarayan San Pablo Santa Cruz Santo Tomas Sived Vacunero (Poblacion) Suksukit

Origin of the Municipality's Name

The name of the municipality came from its old moniker, "Paggappuan ti Santol ti Domingo," an Ilocano term meaning "The source of the Santol sold every Sunday." "Santol," Sandoricum koetjape, is the name of the tree bearing round, yellowish fruits growing in abundance in the municipality, notably in Barangay Pussuac.

During the Spanish era, an enlisted man of the Spanish Civil Guard looked for the source of the santol being sold in the markets of Villa Fernandina (now Vigan) on Sundays during the months of June to August. To do so, he asked for a leave of absence from his platoon leader to trace the source of the fruits. With his Ilocano guide, he searched the lands north of Villa Fernandina. He found nothing in the neighboring towns of Bantay, Santa Catalina, San Vicente, and Bantaoay (now San Ildefonso). He finally found lots of santol-bearing trees in a place north of Bantaoay now called Barangay Pus-uac. He has found the "Paggappuan ti Santol ti Domingo." The town was named Santo Domingo on account of this feat.

Don Pablo Arguero was claimed to be the founder of the municipality on May 12, 1742, with Father Tomas Millan as the first parish priest. Father Millan laid the foundation of the belfry, where the great Filipino hero Diego Silang once worked as a boy.

Maria Agbisit - A Centenarian Friend

Lelang Mayang - 100th Birthday Celebration
September, 2010

Lelang Mayang (as she is fondly called) enjoys having a party even as a young maiden.  She is the Social Directress of their time.  Often, she invites Mamang, her siblings and friends from Cabaritan (an adjoining barangay) to join in at their "Socials" in Flora (another barangay). Lola Maria also arranges for their transportation going and returning from these parties.  She doubles up as a chaperone to assure the respective parents of the young ladies' safety.   @ 100 years of age a "big" party is befitting this grand lady.  HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY Lelang Mayang !!!

Funny Little Kid

I was cooking early mid morning to beat the clock for the ever so high electric tiered billing we have here in Toronto. I checked on mother and JV as they were silently seated on the sofa by the patio door. JV seems to be teary eyed and I asked what is wrong? He says in his one word sentence "Cry" demonstrating with his pointing finger the tears that are now flowing freely from his eyes and then points to grand "LOLA"

I think JV sympathizes with Mamang. Mamang due to her age has a teary left eye and it flows. JV sits beside LOLA and holds her hand and with sadness in his face also is teary eyed... OH, what a funny lovable kid he is...

Pictures above were taken November, 2010: JV @ 1 year 10 months, LOLA @ 97 Years but the scenario is still the same. This 2.5 year old kid watching over GrandLOLA @ 98 years old !!!

New Addition to Family Tree

Francisca/Ananias Lambino Branch of the Family Tree

Jaric Van was born to Yvan and Ruth Carandang on January 7, 2009

Mamang with JV, 2nd birthday celebration, 2011 



 Pointing Fingers !!!



Arsenio & Petronila Tagudar Family

ARSENIO/PETRONILA TAGUDAR Family Tree
To enlarge picture, please click 2X

I remember my brother Rudy sending me this file while I was in California in January with the purpose of sending it on to one of our Tagudar cousins.

The compilation of these data was done by Auntie Talin over the years. During our visit to the Philippines (Mamang and I) in 2004-2005, I had asked Yvan Lambino Carandang to present the data in a more visual manner, thus the creation of this tree.

Belated Happy Mother's Day !!!

Recently, my Auntie Talin has been actively participating in her FaceBook interchange. She also sent Mamang a handwritten letter which she scanned using her newly acquired computer. "What??!!" one might say... however, it is a pleasure for me, my family, cousins and relatives to know she uses a computer at a young age of 87. Why do I know her age???? My mother who turned 98 early last month, is 10 years older than my Auntie Talin, who will turn 88 this November coming.

Belated Happy Mother's Day !!! Catalina and Francisca

Auntie Talin writes regularly on special occasions... She sent Mamang her birthday wishes "For my sister, The best in the world" [[with apologies to post the picture card @ a later time]]. Mamang marvels at this extra special greetings from her youngest sister. They both outlived their five other siblings and so they become best friends. They worry about each other very often. The younger sibling cries a lot, while the older sister tries to soothe her and cries as well. Both cry about anything and everything, whether it is good news or bad news. More "manggit" between the two, is the younger one. I guess, she has more tears to shed, while Mamang's eyes are a little drier.... then they, LOL !!!