May 25, 2017
Edmund and I arrived here a few days before our family reunion. We needed time to clean, set up tables, decorate.
We bought a collapsible plastic table from Home Depot for $44.99 tax. We’re going to use this as the buffet table. My sister also has a table which we would use for extra dining area.
We went to Island Pacific to order pork bbq and lumpiang shanghai. My assignment and special request from my nephews. Some of us have our own assignments. Aileen takes care of bangus sisig, sago at gulaman, melon samalamig, halo-halo bar with langka, ube, beans, etc. and ginisang ampalaya for older people. My sister in law Dimple is bringing turon na may langka, my nephew in law Jackie will bring crispy calamares, Kuya Romy will cook pinalos na kanduli (a Tan family favorite inherited from my mother. Pinalos dish is from Rizal)
I ordered 80 pieces of bbq @ $2.95 each stick and two trays of lumpiang shanghai $25 / tray containing 210 pieces more or less. These two dishes are mainstays and can’t be absent from any Filipino party here in America. Meron na itong pa-sobra para sa “to go”.
After we parked, we saw the Dodge SUV of someone that we all know, Mr. Singh.
I bought several pounds of red prawns from Argentina @ $5.99/lb. + tax. Amazing that they are colored red. Edmund thought they’ve been cooked already.
While I was inspecting the red prawns, he told me twice, he wanted dungeness crabs daw. This kind of crabs inhabits the west coast of Northern California.
E—–“Tart, gusto ko ng crabs, bumili tayo”. I said “sige, for the party or for us to eat?” He didn’t answer.
“O kala ko gusto mo?”
E—–“Wag na”.
I think he was overwhelmed that he had to be the one to catch these crabs.
Look at this one oh, mukhang ang tapang, ready to defend his turf. Nakuha si Edmund sa tingin.
Ang liliit ng upo. Ano ba ang upo sa English?
My husband asked me what I was doing? Why I was taking a picture of the upo.
Eh alam mo naman ako mahilig sa haba.
Last year 42 people came, this year we are expecting the same number. We have to make sure we have enough seats for at least 40 px. Yung children, they can sit on the stairs or on the floor.
We don’t have enough dining chairs, magsiksikan na lang.
I told my sister that I noticed one of the things guests enjoy is having a comfortable dining experience, like: if the plates are real and the spoons and forks don’t wiggle, crack and split. The two of us agreed that we’re going to use real plates, not paper or plastic, and metal cutlery. Edmund was strongly against it kasi daw wala kaming maids na maghuhugas nung mga tutoong pinggan. Baka daw mahirapan akong maghugas.
I bought these banderitas from a home store in St. Andrews. Ang tagal-tagal ko pang iniisip kung bibilhin ko. Baka kumalat lang, dagdag kalat sa bahay, sayang ang pera. After some half hour of analytical thinking and serious financial management planning, I decided to purchase two packs of these cotton banderitas for 8 British pounds sterling each. Where were they manufactured? A. Scotland B. UK C. Philippines
Or D. Land of the space invaders. The answer is D.
