I thought the farewell banquet would start at 7 pm. I left my room at 6:40 pm and arrived at the ballroom on the 4th floor at 6:45 pm. There were no people yet except for the hotel staff who were practicing a dance number on the makeshift stage.
I thought I entered the wrong function room.
The guests entered the ballroom immediately after the signing of the MOUs. There were seat assignments and name plates so one could not choose to seat with favorite friends. It’s alright to seat with strangers, I get to meet new friends.
The presidential table had Sec. Domingo, Minister Shih Yeh-Shiang, Tonyboy, Tony Lopa, etc.
I was assigned to Table #4. I sat with the Deputy Minister and other top Taiwanese officials who were all friendly and nice.
Mr. Shih-Chou Huang, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Economic Affairs
Yours truly,
Ms. Jen-Ni Yang, Deputy Chief Negotiator, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan
Jen-Ni was laughing uncontrollably while watching the hotel staff’s presentation. She seems to be a very nice lady.
Ever since I rode the China Airlines flight to Taipei, I haven’t stopped eating. I am still busog from last night’s banquet, today’s buffet breakfast, the Royal Host lunch, and eto na naman….
Assorted cold cuts, peanuts with mixed sauce, steamed chicken with secret sauce (that made me curious, ano kaya nilagay dun?), fried French bean with chives, flower with bacon, paste papaya with passion fruit paste and Gong Bao’s lime preserved egg.
Double boiled Chicken soup with mushroom, bamboo shoots, pear, dried scallop and bamboo fungus
Deep-fry flounder with plum sauce
sauteed loofah with mushrooms. I am just guessing that this loofah is actually patola
wine tradition, they kept on coming to our table, TOAST! CHEERS! TOAST!. I lift the glass and pretend to be taking sips para wala ng arte at away. kasi when I say I don’t drink, it needs some more explanation and expounding, so kunwari umiinom din ako. They don’t notice naman na pretending lang.
Deep fried chicken leg with sweet and sour sauce
Glutinous rice sesame balls
We had two more desserts, Steamed glutinous rice with eel and fresh fruit plate.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs big boss, Tong, I-Min and his deputy, Shih Chou Huang
Mr. Tong visited the Philippines once for a day and he didn’t get to see Manila. He worked, prepared reports and attended meetings at the same hotel and never got the chance to go outside except to the airport.
With me after the dinner were (left to right) Raymond Garcia, George Siy, Tonyboy, Susing Pineda & Tony Lopa
